Let's Start Over

Midoriko packed her things and quietly left for her old apartment. When Enishi Ryouma told her he’d put his life on the line for her protection, she realized that she’d gotten too close to all of them. Of course, she cared so deeply for little Itoko, and Xiǎomíng was a decent young man as well, but Midoriko knew that distancing herself from them was the best for everyone.

Coming back to the small two-room apartment after being away for a month felt like everything in there was frozen in time. There were dishes on her drying rack, yet to be put away. A small succulent by her window that had thankfully survived the month without water. The book she was reading was sitting next to her bed, open with the spine up to hold the place she stopped.

As Midoriko picked up a drawing of Itoko’s that had fallen off the wall, her heart began to ache. In truth, she wasn’t even sure if she’d be able to figure out a way to break Itoko’s curse, let alone Ryouma’s. It felt like a small miracle that they’d made the breakthrough with the kīla, and even then, she still couldn’t figure out why her powers didn’t work on it.

She hated the thought of abandoning Itoko. But if she couldn’t help her, then what was the point? Midoriko would only end up hurting if she stayed close. She felt so utterly helpless.

To take her mind off things, Midoriko tried to bury herself in her dissertation work. When she couldn’t focus on that, she gave up and took a long bath. When the bath made her tired, she called it a night.

But as Midoriko lay in bed, she found herself unable to sleep. It was the first time in over a month she hadn’t slept with Itoko beside her. The emptiness of the bed wasn’t the only thing keeping her up, though.

She couldn’t help but realize that all those times she’d crossed over to that house in Gunma and wandered around, she was looking for him. Wanting to see him sitting behind a desk, shuffling documents around to try to look busy. Hoping to catch him smoking one of his sweet yet pungent-smelling cigarettes while lounging on the veranda. Wishing she could tell him how much she enjoyed the breakfast he made the morning he left for Russia.

Why did he have to come back like that, right as she was beginning to get comfortable? She left in such high emotions that she completely forgot that she wanted to tell him about the kīla too.

Midoriko put her pillow over her face and let out a long, muffled groan. The clatter of the sliding door separating her room from her kitchen opening made her jolt up in bed.

In the dark room, light flooded in through the doorway that led not to her kitchen, but one of the tatami rooms at Enishi Ryouma’s grand estate. Standing in that doorway, wearing a yukata, was the man himself.

“Oh…Were you sleeping?” he said sheepishly. “Should I have just come to the front door and knocked?”

“Yes, you maniac!” Midoriko shouted, throwing her book at him. “What if I wasn’t wearing any clothes?!”

“Then I would prostrate myself and beg for your forgiveness.” He placed a hand to his heart and hung his head, forgetting to wipe the smile off his face.

Midoriko felt herself grind her teeth. He’s so un-serious…

“Anyway, what the hell are you even doing here?” she asked, turning on the light next to her bed and putting her glasses on.

“I thought maybe you might’ve missed me once you cooled your head a bit.”

Midoriko flinched. She felt a wave of embarrassment wash over herself. No way…Is he able to read minds, too?

“Just kidding,” he added, stepping into her room. “Itoko was very sad to hear you left without saying goodbye to her.”

She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that her moment of vulnerability was still between herself and God. Then, she felt a pang of guilt.

“I’m sorry…” she said, getting out of bed. She moved across the room to the doorway. “I’ll go talk to her and tell her that I’m trying to figure things out and–”

Ryouma put his arm out and stopped her. “How about you and I have a chat instead?”

“About what?” Midoriko looked away. What did he want from her now? It was always something with him. Just one little thing after another to keep her under his thumb. Hadn’t she already told him she’d keep his secret safe?

“This and that,” he said, sliding the door shut behind him. “You and I got off on the wrong foot, didn’t we? I want to start over.”

Ryouma smiled warmly when Midoriko met his gaze. He put his hand over her eyes. “Close your eyes. I want to show you something cool.”

***

“Wh-where are we…?” Midoriko asked, stepping through the doorway onto a beautiful beach.

She had played along and covered her eyes when he knocked on the door, but as soon as she heard the sound of crashing waves, Midoriko couldn’t help but look. Walking from her bedroom straight onto a tropical island at sunset was beyond her expectations.

“A little atoll somewhere in the Maldives. I wanted to go somewhere where we could be alone with a beautiful view.” He walked ahead of her, then stopped and looked back with a slick grin. “Well? Isn’t it cool?”

Midoriko couldn’t help but laugh at his effort to impress her. “Yeah. It’s amazing.”

She took in the view as Ryouma walked ahead towards the surf. The air was pleasantly warm, kept comfortable by the light sea breeze. The sun was low in the sky, casting golden light on the water, but she could tell that it was still a beautiful, clear blue.

“What about the door?” Midoriko looked back to see the dream-like doorway to her room, floating just above the sand. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t actually just dreaming.

“Leave it open. If we close it, it’ll be harder to get back.”

“How does this work anyway? Why doesn’t my ability stop it from working?” she asked, following behind him.

“Probably because you’re not consciously controlling your ability, so it activates defensively.” He stopped walking for a moment and looked out towards the ocean pensively. “So far, what I’ve observed from you is that if something is meant to target you, it has no effect. The doors I open exist to connect two places together, and the intent doesn’t go beyond that.”

He crouched down and drew a box in the sand around Midoriko’s feet. “However, I think if I tried to create a door with the express purpose of sending you through it, then your ability would stop it from opening.”

“Oh, really?” She crossed her arms.

“Why don’t we test it, then?” A mischievous smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth as he drew a circle in the box. Midoriko held her breath as Ryouma tapped his knuckles against the sand twice.

Nothing happened.

Midoriko kicked sand at him. “You jerk! What would’ve happened if that actually worked?”

“You’d fall from a couple meters above safely into my arms!” He laughed and raised his hands to block sand from hitting his face.

She sat down next to him on the beach, with her knees to her chest, and let out a sigh. “Shouldn’t you be more careful? Isn’t your curse going to kill you if you use too much magic?”

“This much won’t hurt me,” he said, mirroring her position. “Taking out a couple dozen men, half of them sorcerers, is a different story.”

“Don’t ever risk your life for me again.” She bit her lip and buried her face in her knees. “I’m really not worth it.”

“You absolutely are!”

Midoriko’s heart throbbed. She turned her head to look at him.

“When I said I wanted to start over, I was serious,” he said, scooting closer. “You only have to stay by my side until I die, but I want you to stay with Itoko for the rest of your life. She needs you. I know you’re worried you won’t be able to break our curses, and I’m telling you right now that you don’t have to.”

Her lip quivered, and her eyes began to water as she listened to him. He placed his cursed hand on her cheek. It was cool against her flushed skin.

“Midoriko, I can make it so you never have to want for anything. You’ll never have to work or worry about money. I’ll take care of you, so please just stay with us.”

She pushed his hand away and looked forward at the waves gently rolling onto the shore.

“Why are you doing all this for me anyway?”

“Because you’re important to me.”

“Because of my ability,” she shot back.

“No.” His hand brushed against her cheek and turned her face towards him. “Because of everything. You’re irreplaceable.”

Unable to stand his intense gaze for long, Midoriko squeezed her eyes shut.

“I really resent you for dragging me into all of this,” she muttered. Ryouma removed his hand. “But…”

She held his cursed hand in her own and looked him in the eyes. “I’m also thankful. Because of you, I’ve been able to let more people into my heart for the first time in a long time.”

His expression softened. Ryouma gave her hand a squeeze as he held it up. “You didn’t set a timer.”

“It’s fine,” she said, squeezing his hand in turn. “I’ll just hold on until I get sick of you.”

“Oh?” He cocked his head to the side.

“Yeah. So don’t make me sick of you,” she said in a huff. Midoriko raised her chin proudly. “I’ll hold your stupid hand until you die, but I’m still going to hold down a job. I’m going to finish my doctorate and I’m going to work in my field.”

Ryouma, caught off-guard by her declaration, burst out in laughter.

“What?! Why’s that so funny to you?” Midoriko asked, pouting.

“Pfft! It’s not! It’s just…” He tried to stifle his laughter. Ryouma pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “This is what I like about you. You’re so diligent.”

Midoriko felt so utterly betrayed by her emotions. She was thankful that he’d brought her to a beach because, in that moment, the loud beating of her heart was surely drowned out by the waves. Did he even understand that when he said things like that, she might get the wrong impression?

“By the way…” He leaned in, speaking directly into her ear. “You have to call me by my name. No more of this ‘hey you’ nonsense.”

Midoriko felt her ear burning as he pulled away, waiting for her to call his name. She gave him some serious side-eye. Why did he always have to get her flustered like that?

“R-Ryouma…” she mumbled.

“Hm? What was that? I couldn’t hear you over the ocean!” He brought his face closer to hers.

“Th-that’s enough!” she said, pushing his face away. “If you keep teasing me, then I’ll let go of your hand!”

When the laughter faded, they sat there quietly for a few minutes, watching the sun dip below the horizon. Ryouma couldn’t help but steal glances at her while she stared off into the distance. When the moment finally felt right, he began talking.

“When I was around fourteen years old, I stole a grimoire. That was how I got this curse.”

Midoriko perked up at the sudden confession. “So, does that mean the grimoire was cursed?”

“It was punishment from the man I stole it from,” he explained. Ryouma let out a tired sigh. “That man also taught me everything I know about magic.”