A Leisurely Drive

“VROOM!” roared Ponko as Akari walked into the parking lot with Ryuuji in tow, both of them in combat gear, helmets in hand, and a pair of large bags on their backs.

“Good morning, Ponko-chan!” said Akari, patting the SUV’s hood. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Vroom! Vroom!” the car revved its engine with enthusiasm.

“Stop wasting my fuel, you little shit,” Ryuuji barked at it. “I swear, if you stayed running all night again, I’m gonna scrap you.”

“Vrrmm… Clunk! Fzzhh...” the engine fizzled to a stall as Akari handed her bag over to Ryuuji. Guilty as charged, it seemed.

“By the Gods, this piece of junk…” Ryuuji muttered, walking behind Ponko. “Open up!” he ordered, pulling repeatedly on the trunk’s handle, but to no avail.

“Come on, Ponko-chan. Play nice,” said Akari, tapping on the passenger’s side. Her door opened with a click, and she hopped in to unlock the trunk and Ryuuji’s door from the inside.

Ryuuji pulled the trunk open, tossed the bags inside and slammed it shut, before making his way to the driver’s seat.

It was a morning like any other.

* * *

“IT LOOKS BUSY TODAY,” said Akari, looking at a military convoy as they drove by. It was the third one she’d seen that morning.

“Tanabata is tomorrow,” Ryuuji replied, his hand firm on the steering wheel. “Things have been calm lately, but the Bureau won’t take any chances.”

“The Bureau, huh...” Akari pondered. “It kinda kills the mood, seeing so many soldiers driving around.”

“It can’t be helped,” said Ryuuji. “Cursed energy is always in flux, so the military can’t garrison every corner. They have to relocate forces on demand.”

“Or they could’ve called us,” Akari pouted. “We don’t stand out as much, and we’re cheaper too. How much does a convoy like that even cost?”

She would probably cry if Ryuuji told her the price tag.

“I did tell you to join the army,” Ryuuji reminded her. “If it’s a lucrative career that you’re after, that’s the way to go. Medical care, specialized education, tax benefits… you’d get it all.”

“It’s not the money that I want,” Akari replied, feeling offended.

“Then what is it?” Ryuuji asked her.

Akari, however, didn’t reply.

She looked outside the window and blushed instead.

“This line of work is dangerous,” Ryuuji continued. “Magical incidents are rare around the world, but here in Japan, they are ubiquitous. Unlike other countries where magic is tied to cultural and religious rituals, here we live side by side with the Kami. That’s as much of a blessing as it is a curse.”

“Yes, I know that,” replied Akari. “I was here during the New Year’s Incident, and the first time we met was also during a corruption outbreak.”

She was no stranger to calamity. Few people in Japan weren’t, given the high incidence of natural disasters and the ensuing mass corruption events.

Understanding this, Ryuuji’s expression hardened.

Indeed, he first met Akari when she was a little girl, just ten years old at the time. She should’ve been a bright and cheerful kid enjoying a peaceful life with her family, but instead of that, she and her brother were orphaned during a yōkai attack.

And Ryuuji, despite being in the area as a member of the ACU, had failed to save her family. Nevertheless, Akari still looked up to him, and had gone as far as turning down a military career to work with him instead.

No matter the passage of time, Ryuuji remained feeling guilty over it.

“Don’t give me that look,” said Akari, noticing his inner turmoil. “I’m working with you because I want to. That’s all there is to it.”

“You’ve got some terrible taste,” Ryuuji replied.

“Perhaps so,” laughed Akari. “Either way, I’m not going anywhere. You’ll be stuck here with good ole me.”

Ryuuji had mixed feelings about it.

On one hand, he sincerely appreciated having Akari around. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call her the only positive aspect of his life. But on the other hand, he was hesitant to reciprocate.

Akari was young, with plenty of possibilities for a bright future, whereas Ryuuji was a jaded outcast barely scraping by. He couldn’t think of a worse partner for her.

“Say, you wanna stop by Sumida?” asked Akari, unfettered by Ryuuji’s concerns. “The river should be a decent spot to patrol.”

It was a good proposal, given the area’s dense foot traffic and spiritual footprint. Tanabata decorations were already up and the river was a natural sink for cursed energy, ever washing it away. It wouldn’t be odd for a lesser yōkai to spawn there, netting Ryuuji and Akari a quick buck.

However, Sumida was a ward Ryuuji had avoided for almost a decade. He had fought there during the New Year’s Incident, and the horrors of the event were still burned into his memory.

“I’d rather go to Ueno,” Ryuuji replied. “The Park is packed with shrines, museums and memorials. We should find work there.”

“Eeeeh~” Akari pouted. “But we went there last week already! Come on, let’s go to Sumida this time. Please?”

She struck Ryuuji with the puppy eyes, unaware of his history with the place.

“You want to go shopping, don’t you?” he asked her incredulously.

“Hehe, was I that obvious?” Akari replied, getting caught.

Ryuuji couldn’t help but sigh.

“Fine,” he gave in, his reluctance evident. “But only for a short walk.”

“Yes!” Akari celebrated. “Oh boy, what should I buy? What should I buy?” she asked herself, getting hyped up. In truth, she wasn’t looking for anything in particular. All she wanted to have was a date.

And on drove the disgruntled mercenary, unaware of his apprentice’s intentions.