Masks and Motives

"Hana-chan you've saved my bacon!" She waved her omamori charm she got from the Imado shrine; exam, love and protection. Hanako was tired from walking shrine to shrine all afternoon, but Sayuri’s grin made it worth it.. Masaki got his from Ushijima shrine's prosperity and home safety. Minato picked an exam charm; Hanako chose a plain home‑safety omamori at Sumidagawa. Minato was keen on visiting all of them but by then they were on their third shrine. The sky was dyed amber and high street lights flickered to prepare for the night. Sayuri on her left and Masaki on the right. Minato was walking along Sayuri.

Hanako's sarashi bit into her ribs again, a week into study group together and she's hardly gotten any information about Minato and his omamori. She still hadn’t found the spy. No Ofuda tempering in the school grounds nor sighing of shikigami other than some practicum from second years. She shook her head and stilled the noise.

“Did you hear? The crime in Tokyo’s been rising recently. Ko-chan protect us.” She twirls and shifts over to Masaki’s side and clung in his arms. Her shove pushed Hanako towards Minato.

"Shall we walk home together then Minato-san's? I can call home for a ride afterwards." She said, squeezing Sayuri's hand.

They detoured to a vending machine: a sports drink for Masaki, an orange soft drink for Sayuri, and coffee for Minato and herself.

- - -

They were on the corner of the main streets to finish their drinks. Minato was eyeing on the vending machine with limited edition cup ramen when three shadows came around the corner.

“Pretty ladies wanna have some fun with nii-san at the karaoke? You sissy boys in maiden's outfit, get lost.” Three more figures stepped out behind them.

Hanako did not recognize their faces and Masaki's jaw tightened, then shifted forward. Minato stood in front of Hanako without a word. Sayuri clung to Masaki's sleeve.

“This is our school uniform…we’re not interested,” Minato said, stumbling over the last word.

Hanako did not see any omamori on them. Their casual clothing delinquents from another neighborhood, she guessed. If she uses Yukikaze then this would be over in a heartbeat. Minato and Masaki encircled Hanako and Sayuri as the hooligans surrounded them. The street light above them flickered and hissed.

One lunged. Masaki caught his wrist and twisted his back. “Leave, we don’t want any trouble.” He released the bind and pushed them back.

Hanako held Sayuri and hid behind Minato and Masaki.

Hanako saw Minato ready to draw Kuji-kiri. her palm stopped him. The pause gave an opening for a fist to land on Minato's gut. Hanako wanted to intervene but she felt Masaki’s voice saying no.

Minato doubled over then rose to summon a shimmering scale. He blocked the strikes. The attacker screamed their first struck the scale.

The leader sneered and drew his omamori made out of bone. “Dressed like a shrine maiden and that's all you can do?” Hanako's stomach dropped.

Bakki.

The leader's afterimage blurred into a blue-furred hound that sharpened his strikes. Minato staggered under the onslaught.

Sayuri screamed as Minato was being beaten. One of the delinquents tried to approach Sayuri. Hanako grabbed their arm and swung them away from Sayuri.

Masaki was with three. Minato against the leader and two on Hanako and Sayuri.

“Masaki, on the leader. take his charm.” Hanako snapped. Masaki moved at once to block the swinging arc of his kick. Masaki grabbed the ankle to slam him down. The attacker flipped midair and struck Masaki's arm with the other foot, breaking free. Masaki pushed through close the gap. Grabbed their collar and slammed him to the pavement. The others scattered.

Dust settled. Something small flashed over the streetlight - too big to be a moth, too dark for a bird.

Crap. A shikigami is watching!

She rushed over to Masaki, "Find out who hired them. I'll walk them home." Hanako ordered quietly. Then she moved to help Minato to get up.

"I'll report to the police, you take them home." Masaki said out aloud and sounded very forced.

"I'll see you at the Shiragige Bridge, school side." Hanako added.

- - -

Sayuri sobbed the entire walk way back home. Hanako held her hand tightly.

"That was really scary, Hana-chan. Thanks, oh and you too Ryu-chan." she sniffled.

Mrs. Natsume opened the door and the dam broke; Sayuri burst into tears and Hanako. They insisted her to stay overnight for dinner but she declined.

"I will walk Minato-san home as well." Hanako insisted. She wanted to know where he lives to start investigating his connection to the Suiryu-kai. As unrefined his skills in combat, her confidence grew he is related somehow. She wished it's all coincidence and he is not involved but her instinct told her otherwise.

"No, I should walk you home instead." Minato spoke back.

"I can call home to pick me and Masaki up." It wasn't up for negotiation. After some staring contest, he looked away. "Fine."

The two crossed the Shirahige bridge to the opposite side, faint smell of chemicals and rustic warehouses and industrials buildings flickered between the street lights.

"I wonder why they picked us in the first place." Minato thought it out aloud.

“They did want to spend some time with pretty girls.”

"You were pretty calm back there. It was kind of cool." He mumbled while looking at the river.

"It's hard to hear what you're saying if you're looking away." She said it too bluntly.

“Sorry - what I meant is, I like this. The way you are now.” He fumbled the words, voice small.

"Thanks..." She didn't know what to say, she turned her head away from Minato.

They walked the rest of the way in a thin, awkward quiet. His words looped in her head; she couldn’t find a way to push the conversation back into motion.

What the hell was that?

- - -

Hanako met up with Masaki at the Shirahige Bridge closer to the school. Masaki passed a bone charm wrapped in cloth.

It looked like a large pork bone piece with warding carvings colored either in blood or lacquer. Or mix of both. The cut area was not treated and had cut marks along the bones

Pork bone? The bindings are well done but cuts are made to make bakki brittle. This is a dangerous. It can break anytime and let yokai out.

Then she turned her attention to Masaki.

"Did you beat the crap out of him?" She hoped she was there to do it herself, but she had to keep up with her appearances. She pressed Masaki's arms and he winced. A sharp stab felt between her ribs and burned. She leads Masaki to the stairs to under bridge passage. She untied the sarashi a little, ripped a clean length, folded it into a broad strip.

"Report. Take off your shirt." She ordered.

"A man in a red oni mask paid in cash and charm to test Yukiharu Hanako and her friends. He's been taking photos of us." Masaki pulled out a crumpled photo of Hanako with Masaki walking by the cherry blossoms in the school grounds. He took off his shirt and showed his arms bruised in purple and blue rings. She applied the bandages around his arm where it looked the worst.

"Ojo..."

"Shut up, I'm mad."

It's likely the spy from the school set this up. If I find him, He won't walk away. How do I find him and is Minato related? He didn't look like it. She tied the second one bit too tight and Masaki let out a sharp exhale.

After the bandaging was done, she marched over to a phone booth. She fed coins into the slot, dialed and said, "Send a car to Shirahige bridge." The line clicked and she hung up.

Hanako turns to Masaki, "Rest, then look into the Suiry-no-Oroko's wielder from Suiryu-kai. Check the Hakoha onsen. If Ryuji's tied to them I need proof."