A Few Old Regulars

“TWO OF THE USUAL, GORO-SAN,” said Ryuuji, taking a seat at the tried-and-true ramen stand, Yūgure. It had been run since forever by a grumpy old man, who’d been old and grumpy for just as long.

“Right away!” replied a high-pitched voice, coming from a well-kept Hina doll at the end of the bar. “He said two of the usual, Goro! Get to it!”

“I heard him the first time,” the old man barked back, busily pouring a thick, fragrant broth into a bowl.

“You look so pretty tonight, Chiyo-chan,” Akari said with a laugh, greeting the Kami inside the doll. It wasn’t an empty compliment, either. Her cheeks were redder than usual, no doubt the result of freshly applied makeup.

“Why, thank you, sweetie,” replied the doll. “It took me a long time, but just yesterday, I finally convinced Goro to hang some wishes with me.”

“Really?” asked Akari, leaning closer. “What did he wish for?” she whispered.

“Oh, the same as always,” the Hina doll shrugged. “The paper said he wanted to croak already, so I’m giving him good health instead.”

“I haven’t gone deaf, you know that?” said Goro, raising his voice.

“Don’t bother the old man,” Ryuuji followed, giving Akari a light chop on the head. She didn’t seem to mind, as she stuck her tongue out playfully in turn.

“Tactical retreat, Chiyo-chan! They’re onto us!” she said, taking the doll in her arms before running away. Ryuuji couldn’t help but sigh wearily.

“I’m sorry, Goro-san,” he apologized sincerely. “I’ll talk with her later.”

“Oh, leave it,” replied the old man. “She’s a good lass. Chiyo doesn’t warm up to just anyone. And she reminds me of that old friend of yours, what was her name again?”

“Hotaru,” replied Ryuuji, his face growing grim.

“Right, Hotaru-san,” said Goro, his back turned to Ryuuji as he prepared his meal. “She hasn’t dropped by in ages. Bring her along some day, will you? It’s my treat.”

“Thank you, Goro-san,” Ryuuji answered, not having the heart to remind the old man the truth. They’d already discussed it before, but in his old age, he’d forgotten about it.

Kisaragi Hotaru, Ryuuji’s lover and Goro’s biggest regular, was long dead.

“That reminds me, this other friend of yours came a few nights ago,” said Goro, as he served Ryuuji a large bowl of ramen with tonkatsu cutlets on top. “It was the tall, famous guy from the military.”

“Hino Katsuro,” Ryuuji tipped the name of the man he least wanted to face.

“That one!” Goro lit up. “Came real late at night, treated his whole squad for dinner. I tell you, the boys devoured that ramen.”

“It’s Tanabata in two days from now,” Ryuuji pointed out. “We’re always busy on public holidays, especially when the Kami are involved.”

“Right,” said Goro, handing Ryuuji a pair of wooden chopsticks.

“Thank you for the meal,” replied Ryuuji, pressing his palms together in front of his chest. Akari’s dinner would likely go cold on her, gossiping with the Hina doll as she was. But just for now, Ryuuji wasn’t in the right mood for company.

* * *

“YOU’RE SO MEAN,” Akari pouted, hopping into the passenger’s seat with her cheeks puffed. Just like Ryuuji had anticipated, her ramen was barely lukewarm by the time she showed up to eat.

“I’m not the one who ran off with a doll,” Ryuuji rebutted. “Goro-san did call you, you know? But you listened to Chiyo instead and blew him off.”

“I couldn’t help it, okay?” Akari argued. “It may look like simple gossip to you, but Chiyo-chan was giving me valuable intel.”

“Really?” asked Ryuuji, fastening his belt on the driver’s seat. “What did she say?”

“Hino Katsuro got married,” Akari boasted some old news.

“Everyone knows that,” Ryuuji replied.

“And he’s got a daughter,” she continued. That, Ryuuji didn’t know. “She was born recently, probably a week or two ago. Given his high profile, everything’s been kept confidential, but one of his squadmates slipped up chatting at Goro’s.”

“I see…” said Ryuuji, considering the implications.

Lieutenant Colonel Hino Katsuro was an elite member of the JSDF Arcane Containment Unit, the military’s cream of the crop. He was widely regarded as one of the strongest spellcasters in Japan, and was the man who inspired Ryuuji to enlist.

Back when Ryuuji was a child, he’d been at the thick of a spiritual contamination event. The nearby Kami were corrupted, transformed into a horde of rampaging yōkai, claiming the lives of dozens of innocents.

Fortunately, Ryuuji hadn’t been alone at the time. His childhood friend, Hotaru, was with him... and she was anything but a regular girl.

Kisaragi Hotaru was born a blessed child, bearing a rare power called “the spirit of words”, or Kotodama. With it, she could bend reality itself at her command, and even from a young age, the potency of her gift was second to none.

Armed with this power, Hotaru was able to defend Ryuuji and herself, buying enough time for a team of the Arcane Containment Unit to swoop in to their rescue.

The leader of that squad was none other than Hino Katsuro, in the early days of his military career. Seeing him fight valiantly against an army of monsters became one of Ryuuji’s core memories, and on that day, he vowed to follow in Katsuro’s footsteps.

Ryuuji did not have any innate blessings like Hotaru, but neither did Katsuro. Yet, through sheer training and strength of will, Katsuro and his men had defeated a party of fallen gods, when Ryuuji had been all but helpless.

No matter what, Ryuuji wouldn’t allow himself to be weak again.

If the day ever came when he and Hotaru were in danger once more, Ryuuji would be ready for it. He would grow up to be as strong as Katsuro. That was his resolve.

Alas, when danger did strike… Ryuuji’s strength was found wanting.

“There’ll be an uptick in security contracts,” Akari chimed in, as Ryuuji fell silent. “With Tanabata and the Obon festival coming up, the ACU will be stretched thin, especially with Hino Katsuro expected to be on leave.”

“Trust me, he’ll be out in the field,” Ryuuji assured. The Hino Katsuro he knew was a workaholic through and through. He wasn’t the kind of man to take time off, not even for a newborn.

“And who’ll look after his family?” asked Akari. “You know how many enemies the man’s got. If he does take to the field, the ACU will post an entire security team to look after them.”

“Which means more work for us…” Ryuuji reasoned.

“Exactly!” said Akari. “For Tanabata and the Obon festival, we should hold back on accepting open contracts, and wait for emergency postings. They tend to be riskier but pay way better.”

“And what are you looking to buy this time?” Ryuuji asked the golden question.

Akari seemed oddly interested in maximizing earnings, so he couldn’t help but wonder what his apprentice had in mind.

“Oh, uh…” she hesitated. “It doesn’t matter, does it?” she tried to laugh it off.

Akari was a straightforward girl, but she wouldn’t dare to tell Ryuuji the truth. Not yet, at least. She knew Ryuuji saw her as nothing more than a protégé, but if she bought a small house to share as their base of operations, then... who knows?

Maybe something could bloom, Akari wagered.

It was an embarrassing notion, but it was good enough to make her tick. So for the time being, she would cling to it, unbeknownst to her grumpy mentor.

“Fine, keep your secret,” Ryuuji said with a shrug. Probably some new shoes, he thought. If only he knew about the complexities of his apprentice’s heart.