Stirring Stare

“That’s right. What are you doing here?”

It was strange that Saki was being so suspicious of me. Every second her eyes scanned me almost like she was analyzing a problem. There was something very off about the way she was acting. I had to admit that I never really saw her in the last world, so I don’t really know what happened to her. Hearing from the others about the whole time they were in there. Forty years was a lot of time for things to change. Though I never would have imagined that she’d change this much.

If I so much as made the wrong move it felt like she was going to cut me down. Now I knew that she wouldn’t because of what that would cause, but I couldn’t shake that impression from her. ‘I need to find out what happened. Though she hardly looks like she’s in the mood for talking. She looks like she wants to kick me out more than anything. I figured I’d be getting more trouble from my own sister than her friends…’

Trying not to make a scene, I looked around and saw there was a bar nearby. It felt like some sort of hostage situation where I had to defuse the problem. “I just came to talk.” I got a glare from her as she clearly didn’t believe me. “I wanted to know if it was you or not. It was bothering me, I guess.” I sat down at the bar and hoped that pretending to be a paying customer would change her attitude, since she clearly seemed to be employed.

Chapter 560 - Stirring Stare

Saki eyed me up further, still probably trying to access what I meant. Unless some of the rest of their friends were hanging around it wasn’t as though she had something to protect. ‘That annoying man Yuki isn’t here is he? That’s the only time I see her get this serious about being defensive. Though I don’t.’ It was mostly just a passing thought. I found it unlikely that anyone other than her was here. It just didn’t fit with the way things were going.

Each world was harder than the last. That meant that they would separate everyone more and more. In fact, I was more surprised that we were even remotely close together. I would have figured that we’d be in completely different cities knowing them. Though me being in a random company and her at a restaurant, the odds of us meeting were pretty low. It was only because I followed them here today that I found her.

Still doubting my intentions, she watched me rather than going behind the bar. “Can I get a drink?” I put a few yen down on the counter as proof of my intent. Hopefully she didn’t think I planned to start anything. What was I even doing here though? Was there any purpose to me doing any of this?

Harboring concerns, but accepting that I didn’t mean to start anything, Saki seemed to grant me a momentary pass, for whatever that meant. It still was giving me chills the way that she looked at me. It seemed that she had refined the looks that could kill presence in the last world. ‘What in the world happened?’

“What do you want?”

“Your cheapest beer.” Hopefully what I put down was enough to cover it. It wasn’t as though I had a great paying job.

I watched her pull down a glass and pour out carefully whatever it was they stocked. She didn’t have the practiced sort of look I had seen from others, but she still passed off the inexperience with confidence in what she was doing. The glass clanged to the surface in a way that made a startling noise, but somehow didn’t manage to stir any of the liquid. “Now answer my question, Yori.”

Never imagined I’d be threatened with my own drink, but that appeared to be what was happening to me. I stared down at the beer as though it was poison and she held the antidote to my life. I couldn’t help but sweat a little from her intimidation. “Just to talk.” I wasn’t sure if she was going to believe me, especially since I didn’t believe it myself.

What was I doing here? What did I expect to find? It’s not as though I was trying to reconnect with them. Last time, Seiji’s natural habits of trying to befriend everyone left him attached to me. If I had been alone I probably wouldn’t have tried to do anything. So what is it now? What is it that I want?

“You’re not going to find her sister here.”

Is that what this was about? I nodded back to her and slowly approached my beer. Looking down at the golden bubbling drink, I had had my share of sake and alcohol thanks to Aya’s world. The feudal era wasn’t known for always having the best water. So I had gotten used to drinking more than I expected. But even still, I didn’t really know what to expect from a beer. It probably was similar to some of the ales that were around

Steadily I sipped on the beer and watched what Saki’s reaction was. ‘Bitter…but not bad I guess…’ It was cheap and definitely tasted it, but I could live with it. I’ve had worse from my own men. Turning back to meet her eyes, I still hadn’t an idea what to do. “No, I didn’t think I would find her.”

“What did you expect to find then?”

“Certainly not you. Didn’t figure myself so lucky as to find someone I knew so quickly. I hardly had that sort of luck.”

“Then what?”

Short and put the point, her words felt more cutting with each exchange. Saki really wasn’t trusting me. Though I guess I haven’t really given her much reason, huh? We haven’t seen eye to eye since the last time we met. ‘Why’d it have to be her? I hate Yuki, but I think he’d actually give me a proper conversation despite that. Saki’s being a brick wall at best and a dagger at the throat at worst.’

This really wasn’t going anywhere. Pondering things while sipping on my beer I knew I needed a different approach. Even getting her to trust me wasn’t something I felt up to doing. A conversation seemed like the best I could manage, though even that required her to let her defenses down enough to actually want to not interrogate me.

I leaned on the counter supporting my head in my palm. “I’m going to be honest.” I looked up at her trying to watch her expression, though she remained stoic the whole time. Her poker face appeared to have been perfected. I wasn’t going to get anything from her.

She crossed her arms, remaining the same as always. “That’d be a first.”

I winced a little as her words stabbed me. That was something I felt more than understood. We might not have agreed on things, but her hostility seemed misplaced. Maybe I could find out where that was coming from. Did I miss more than I thought with all my deaths? “I’m aimless right now, if you can believe it.”

Saki had no reaction and remained silent. I guess that wasn’t enough to get something from her. “It’s only been two days here sure, but I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Everything is just getting further away and I’m not really seeing what my point in all of this is anymore. So I’m just confused and guess I’m following what I recognize.”

“Your job is to sit on your butt and not get in Yumi’s way.”

“That’s my sister out there in danger everyday! She needs me. More than any of you…”

“You’re a pathetic little man.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

“You’d lose. Just like you always do.”

That hurt more than I expected as I recalled all of my past efforts to do anything. She wasn’t wrong as much as I hated it. I couldn’t do anything. In Atlantis I needed rescuing from my own sister when I should have been the other way around. When dealing with Takako, Yumi’s own personality beat me. And here I just die and keep being made pointless.

I just sipped my beer again conceding the point. “The point is I’m her family, not you. I know what to do.”

“Thought you didn’t know.”

A grumble came from my lips. Poking my glass, I pushed it around a little. “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s a stupid cycle. You wouldn’t understand.”

“I wouldn’t because I don’t try to smother my siblings. Just keep away from Yumi.”

I found a little bit of strength in my arm to lift myself to glare at Saki out of spite. The energy only lasted a moment until her piercing gaze cut me down to size. ‘What am I doing here?’

I sighed again.

We were just going to keep fighting. I didn’t think I had the resolve to keep dealing with her intensity no matter how wrong she was. So I looked around the restaurant briefly trying to get an idea what the situation was here. “So you're a waitress this time? Seems a little out of character for someone like you.”

“No, I own this place.”

“Oh right, own it…” It had not fully caught up to me until a few seconds later and I looked back at Saki to see if she was telling me the truth. Sadly like always, her face served better as a still life for an artist than something to see breathing full life into. “You own this?”

“So I can kick you out whenever I want.”

Threatening me again, I wondered if that would ever stop. “I’m just a paying customer.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Still I’m surprised that they would just give you a whole place. So you employ everyone here.”

“They were already working here, of course.”

“Yeah I know, it’s only been two days. Can you run this place?” It’s not like Saki or any of us had any experience in running a business. I wouldn’t know how hard it could be. The place did at least seem to be popular. So I guess it might not be hard to keep it running.

“That’s none of your concern.”

Bottled back up again, I noted. “Right.” I worked on trying to finish off my beer. “Can I come back or am I unwelcome?”

“Don’t bother Yumi.”

“I can’t even find her right now.” Saki glared at me with the only emotion that she seemed to know how to project, intimidation. I really didn’t like the idea of making any sort of promise like that to her, even if I didn’t have any intentions of keeping it. She acted like she knew better than me what I should do. And I really didn’t want to give her that added strength.

However, being alone didn’t sound very appealing right now for whatever reason. I came here because I wanted to know. And maybe staying nearby would eventually let me know about Yumi’s whereabouts. Maybe I could even figure out what’s got Saki in such a state that she’s ready to pound me into the ground.

Weighing between the two choices, I looked back down at the almost empty glass. It really was a bad beer, but I could get used to it if I had to. I finished it off and looked back up at Saki. New world, new rules, I would have to get by in a different way than before. “Fine, have it your way. I’ll mind my own business if that’s what you want.”

Saki leaned in, putting her hands on the counter. She got uncomfortably close to me. I didn’t know if she was trying to intimidate me or just read my face in a very aggressive manner. For a good minute it felt like she just stared at me with no words. It was enough to make my back sweat, not sure what she was going to do next. “I’m going to hold you to that even if you don’t believe it yourself.”

‘So she still doesn’t trust me...I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. But this is a family business, she’s the one that shouldn’t be interfering.’ Giving her a slow nod, I accepted whatever I had unknowingly signed up for myself. The only comfort that I could take was that she wouldn’t do anything serious to me while in this world. “That cover the beer?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take my leave for tonight then.” She really didn’t want to see me again, even though I knew that she expected me. Perhaps that would be enough. I really don’t know what I”m doing in this world. Though listening to Saki yell at me, I felt more energy in me than I had in the last two days. ‘I will find you again Yumi before this world is over. No matter what I have to do.’