To Flirt or To Stare

The tour might have been nice if he wasn’t eyeing me the whole time.

From the moment we started walking, he’d been peeking at my shirt. At first I thought he was staring at my muscles. He wouldn’t have been the first guy to do that. Though, given that it was a plain white piece—perfect for sudden training sessions, I can confirm—I was rather curious about what was so interesting about my left pec. Thankfully, I got the basics of it all.

The soldiers were split based on effectiveness rather than ability. Often, this let people combine their abilities—fire and water affecting climate, Teleporters moving conjures for attack, or nature and fire creating a protective wall while it burned. It was thanks to Researchers like Shuto, my oh so lovely guide—his words, not mine—that such innovation thrived within the Japanese army—also him. Personally, I didn’t see how my toys could fit in with this at all but if I asked that, I’d probably get the deluxe tour, and I was getting tired of walking.

“Menders who aren’t flying by are put with Teleporters,” Shuto was saying. He frowned. “Okay, not all of them, but most.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why not? That makes the most sense.”

He scoffed. “Not everything has to make sense, Riku.”

Coming from the guy who spent the last half hour telling me how this place worked in generous detail, that was far from comforting. And he was staring at me again. Why the heck was he doing that?

“Do I have something on my shirt?” I asked jokingly, mentally trying to remember what I’d eaten and if it was messy enough for him to look at me like the hottest new toy in the shop.

“What’s in your pocket?” He looked composed, but anyone with a kaleidoscope could tell he was brimming with excitement.

Then I realized what he’d asked me. Kitsune had been really quiet these past few chapters, but she was the only thing in there. On the one hand, it was really nice to know he wasn’t staring for fun—my heart belonged to my toys. On the other, did this mean he could see Kit? To date, she hadn’t gotten hurt from anything—couldn’t so long as no one perceived her. But the idea that Researchers don’t have to follow that rule? Not the kind of thing you want to hear. My legs were already screaming at me. I didn’t need my anxiety to chip in, too.

So I played dumb. “What do you mean?”

Shuto rolled his eyes with more sass than Naoki after a long shift. “I mean the conglomerate of magic centered around your shirt pocket.”

“What kind of person uses the word conglomerate?”

“The scholarly sort,” he said with an exaggerated huff.

“Really?” I looked around. “I don’t see any schools around.”

He gave me that look. The kind your grandfather gives when you say the dumb joke you were trying to keep in, simply because you were just that comfortable with him. The sort that Naokis follow up with mocking you under their breaths. That unique brand of Ha ha! How original, smart ass that makes you laugh your ass off on the inside. Because let’s be honest: you just wanted to see their reaction.

Then Shuto seemed to realize I was distracting him—and pretty well too, I thought—and did that other thing ‘mature’ people do. The widened stance, the narrowing of his green eyes, and, to top it all off, the signature crossed arms of I’m waiting.

“Well,” I said carefully, “the conglomerate is sleeping, right now.”

That just made him more intrigued. “How long does it sleep for?”

I was a little surprised he hadn’t questioned the whole ‘living being’ part, but the less I had to explain, the better. So I just took time to consider his inquiry rather than question the validity of it.

“Well, she usually sleeps throughout the day,” I said slowly. “I normally see her active in the late afternoon or early evening.”

“So she hibernates. . .” I must have been blind because there was no way I saw him pull out a journal. Where could he have stored it? I didn’t see any pockets on him.

He looked up. “Can I see her?”

I shook my head. “The only way to see her is if she lets you.”

“Ah.” His voice was filled with disappointment. “Then do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

“Sure,” I said. “A few questions couldn’t hurt.”

This was a mistake. Shuto proceeded to speak so fast I only barely got a fourth of what he asked. Is she a heavy sleeper? How old was she? Was she always with me? How much cuter than me is she? Wait—

“You think I’m cute?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He scoffed. “I have standards, Riku.”

‘The worst they can say is no…’

And the barrage continued. Honestly, I’d thought I knew quite a lot about Kit, but I couldn’t answer most of what he said. ‘Are there any things that power her up?’ Why the heck would I have tried that? She’s a kitsune, not a superhero. ‘Does she have any allergies?’ Hard to tell when she doesn’t eat much of anything—except my mom’s cooking, but everyone with taste ate that. ‘Can she stray away from me?’ I—

Oh wait, I could answer that one.

“She can,” I said. “But she gets sick if we’re apart for too long.”

“Does she start to disappear?” Shuto asked. He was getting kind of close.

“I—”

“What are her symptoms?” If you looked up personal space, you’d find the opposite of him.

“Well, she—”

“BOO!!!”

I jumped higher than a bouncy ball. In full flight or flight, I just stood there as a woman literally appeared right next to Shuto. Still in the high of getting the scare of a lifetime, I tried to figure out why she looked so familiar.

“Son of a Search party!” Shuto shrieked. “Don’t do that, Kyouko!”

Well, her name was good, but it didn’t help. I took a good look at her: the blue eyes, wavy black hair. I remembered the red highlights, but I doubt I’d processed it at the time. Like when you ask someone a question, but you pay zero attention to their answer. What about her clothes? The uniform said she was a Teleporter—which was pretty damn obvious when she popped out of nowhere like that. And then I saw her troop symbol: the vibrant star.

“Oh,” I said eloquently. “You’re the crazy lady.” She’d been the one overseeing the special training.

Instead of being offended, she laughed. “As insane as they come. Though I’ve got nothing on those toys of yours.”

Shuto scoffed—as he often seemed to do. “I highly doubt that.”

She whirled on him. “Oh, and you’re so normal? I once caught you writing symbols in lipstick.”

“It was an experiment!”

“On what?” she countered. “Paper beauty?”

“On whether an alternative material could yield different results in regards to—”

Kyouko put a finger to his lips. Time slowed as they stared into each other's eyes. It seemed like everything faded away until it was just the two of them, my presence forgotten.

And he licked her finger.

“Ugh, that’s so gross!” she said, wiping it on his shirt.

“Would you rather I kissed it?” Shuto said.

“Kiss my ass, To-to.”

“I said don’t call me that, Ko-ko!”

I couldn’t take it anymore.

Tuning them out, I focused. I remembered talking with Kit, one of the few times I’d branched out for my toys. I felt the perfect comfort in my hand. I saw myself outside, listening to her tell me a joke in short-range communication. Just like that, my walkie-talkies were ready.

“Here,” I said firmly. “If you’re going to flirt, do it away from me. This stuff is so American romance I might perish right here.”

“Flirt with him?! Ew!”

“Why would I need a walkie-talkie to communicate with her?”

I blinked at them. “Walkie-talkies are fun.”

Kyouko cocked her hips. “Have you ever flirted on a walkie-talkie?”

Well, the only person I’d ever talked to with it was Naoki. But I knew I couldn’t say that. It’d probably give her the wrong idea.

Thankfully, Shuto saved me. “What are its properties?”

“It has a larger range than normal ones.”

“How long?” he pressed.

I thought about it. “I don’t know.” I’d never really gone too far with them. I just used them for random stuff and the occasional Find Kitsune game.

Shuto grinned. “Then that is our first experiment! Come on, cadet!”

“What about me?” Kyouko asked.

“You can come too, I guess,” Shuto said dismissively. “Just don’t fuck up our testing.”

“Do I get a say in this?” I asked.

Shuto scoffed. “Of course not.”