Date in the Underworld

"Thank you, I am okay, I will be fine, so no need to take me to the apartment door!" Sora smiled stepping onto the stairs.

"Please let me know if anything happens." Maki waved and turned to walk away. Koga nodded and followed him.

"It's not too late, want to walk? Or you wanted to go to the police station?"

"I am not needed there. Yoshio-san messaged me saying he was almost done too. So," he looked solemn, "we can walk if you want."

"Great." Koga took his hand.

Maki tilted his head, "You are unusually quiet today, did something happen with Sora back then?"

"Exposure therapy?" Koga chuckled.

"What?" Maki looked perplexed, "I am not sure I understand."

"Nothing, Maki, nothing, really. She told you it was girl talk."

"Are you sure? She was under a very heavy drug back there, she might've told you some things she might regret later."

"Oh, I guess it was a bit of an intoxication talk, but it wasn't bad. So I would say it was fine, no need to discuss it."

"Okay, if you say so. Did you see anything when you held hands?"

"Jealous?"

Maki furrowed his brows, "Of what?"

"Uh, forget it." Koga brushed it off with his hand, and added in a more serious tone, "Her mind was still under the influence, I saw some random slideshow of her playing on the phone. Nothing alarming."

"Hopefully that is the future, nothing dramatic." Maki looked around, "Do you, perhaps, have a place you want to go to?"

"Honey, is there a place where you can take me to?"

Maki glanced at him, the mischief in Koga's eyes indicated he was returning to his previous self. He tightened his grip on Koga's hand. "There is one place that I would absolutely love to visit."

"How intriguing!"

"So if I am taking you there, you have to like it no matter what."

"Sure, if you say so. But if it's some weird place, I can't promise you won't see the repulse on my face."

"Of course, the fox has a very sensitive smell, how could I forget? No worries, it's one of those secret places..."

He pulled Koga behind the building, and in the next moment, they were in an absolutely new place, surrounded by red lanterns and various yokai walking. The noise from the street food stalls, chattering, and crowds surrounded them.

Koga raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you felt like the amount of traveling today wasn't enough, and decided to travel beyond Tokyo?"

Maki leaned towards him, "What can you do if the best place in Tokyo is closed at this hour, which means that my only chance to take my date to eat proper food is to go to the Underworld."

They stepped out from some random building into the street. They had to change their appearance to look less like people, so the wings and the ears were now out in the open, providing certain freedom of self-expression that would've been inappropriate in the human realm. Both were quite familiar with the place. The stalls were almost identical to those Maki saw the last time he had visited. It's been quite some time, yet nothing changed, he thought. He glanced at Koga, whose eyes were gleaming with excitement. It wasn't hard to guess that he loved these types of outings. He glanced back at Maki, wondering where were they headed.

Maki smiled, "We're almost there. Just another turn to the left... And here we are." They stopped next to the old Vietnamese restaurant. "The original owner lived and died in Vietnam. When he entered the Underworld he refused to go to the reincarnation cycle and opened a restaurant in the city's outskirts."

Koga sized the place up, "I see, and nowadays it is almost in the center of the red-light district."

"Indeed, today's owner is also Vietnamese, so you can trust the menu."

Today the place was crowded. Yet, they managed to sit inside, and in a corner too. Koga looked around, satisfied: it was evidently old, but it was full of life, and spirit.

He observed Maki strolling to the counter and ordering some pho for them. When he pointed at the table and their eyes met, his lips curled up slightly. Koga noticed that almost invisible detail and felt his heart warming up. He sat on the plastic chair, surrounded by murmurs of various yokai and dead people, the smell of spices and broth, and the heat of the kitchen. Yet the only thing he noticed at that moment was Maki's subtle smile directed only at him.

Maki returned, "I hope you like pho-bo. I never had anything more comforting than this soup."

Koga tilted his head to the left, "So you took me here to bring me comfort?"

"I..." Maki was found out, "Well, maybe. But the pho-bo is good nonetheless. Have you been here before?"

Koga chuckled, pleased with that response. "I think I might have missed it."

"Good, you will soon understand what I mean!" Maki sat down on the chair that was slightly too small for him. It looked comedic, yet he was so graceful, that no one would ever say.

Koga couldn't understand what was going on, but the aura around Maki was so charming today. He felt flustered multiple times just by looking at him. He cleared his throat, "Maki, I wanted to ask you: tell me more about your past. What have you been up to? I won't believe you were always reading some gay stories throughout history to pass your free time. Did you do anything else?"

Maki laughed, "Sure, ask about any time and I will tell you what I was up to."

Koga put his elbows on the table, faking deep contemplation. "Mm..The seventies."

"I worked in a music shop, started reading some shonen manga, listened to a lot of music, and went to gay underground clubs by the end of the decade."

"So the birdy likes music, what music from back then did you like?" Koga played with his ginger hair shamelessly.

Maki replied sincerely, "I think I listened to Fleetwood Mac a lot..."

"Nice. And the shop you worked at?"

"Vinyl shop, nothing special, just as you would imagine it."

"Okay, the eighties?"

"Back then I got into queer media, gay clubs, and well," he chuckled, "shojo manga."

"Interesting...Any jobs?"

"Nothing too specific, I worked here and there. Maybe in a library and a flower shop."

"Okay, okay, let me think, Meiji era?"

"End of samurai customs...Let's see, cut my hair short for the first time, we with Yoshio-san got into learning more about Western cultures too. Worked at a factory for a change. We also traveled a lot across Japan at that time."

"You with short hair?" Koga narrowed his eyes, trying to imagine it. "I think it might suit you..."

Maki laughed, "I am not feeling fully myself with short hair, but if you want to see it, I might cut it one day for you."

"Wow, such a sacrifice just for me? Just how precious I am to this yokai here? But no, I like your hair long." Koga took a moment, contemplating how he could easily ask about the time that was truly interesting for him, "World War t-."

"Your order is here! Makio, you didn't tell me who's your friend?" The owner of the restaurant, and old sizable yokai with one big eye in the middle of his face stared? or was it just his anatomy? Koga looked at him, annoyed that he'd interrupted their exchange.

Maki reacted first, "Oh, I am sorry, Owner, this is Koga, my boyfriend."

"Pff, how vulgar, I never asked about your relationship. Anyway, here is your food! I have more important things to do now!" He hurriedly put two big bowls in front of them, waved his hands, and disappeared. The spirit of an older woman behind him put a big water jug on the table and gave them utensils silently. The pho looked very impressive. The size of the bowl was too much for Koga to be able to eat in one go.

Maki took the spoon, "Ignore his comments, he's nice, he is just a bit old-fashioned."

Koga looked at him lazily, "I don't care at all, we are here for the food, so let's eat."

He tried to feel less irritated but somehow couldn't get over it. Yet, he also didn't feel like they could return to the question. Maybe it was too much to learn everything at once. Maki didn't say anything either, so it might be better to just let it go. Koga sighed and took a spoonful of soup. The pho tasted rich. The broth was made out of many bones and herbs. There was a bunch of meat on his plate. He quickly glanced at Maki, who ate calmly. He had the vegetarian version.

"Mm, Maki, you were right, this is great. I like the variety of vegetables in this too. Never had anything quite like this before."

Maki put his spoon down, "I am glad. I hoped to impress you today."

Koga's cheeks felt hot all of a sudden, his mood improving tremendously. He continued eating with appetite. After they left the restaurant he looked at Maki meaningfully.

Maki took his hand, "It's time to go back. I took this pho," he showed a package in his other hand, "to give to Yoshio-san, he probably forgot to eat yesterday. We also need to pick up Maromi."

Koga's eyes lost a bit of a spark, but he nodded silently.

They turned around the corner and reappeared on the same Tokyo street as before. Maki stopped rapidly, and Koga bumped into him. Confused, he looked up only to feel Maki's hands wrapping around him, "Don't worry," a gentle voice rang in his ear, "We have a lot of time ahead to go on more dates, okay?"

Koga put his head on his shoulder, "Maki," his voice was low, "I am not in a hurry, I just cherish every special moment I have with you."

"You say it as if I am dying, but I am not getting anywhere, right?"

"I guess." He sounded like a child with a broken toy.

He was so cute, Maki almost choked. He brushed through Koga's hair. "Let's go?"