Love at First Fight

Getting out of the hospital was easier than Hoshino thought. He healed himself out of a broken neck without much thinking; when the nurse walked in and saw him acting fine, she just sighed and went out to get the doctor to have his vitals checked. Once the hospital was sure that he was in the clear, he was given a few more hours to take care of the stuff in his room.

Ishigami was nowhere to be found. Hoshino had a pretty good idea that the man still had to be in the hospital since Nagamori Arisa seemed to be worried about it. Also, there was a sweet old lady who said she saw a big man with large, puffy hair talking to a nurse in the garden at the back of the building. Hoshino chose not to pursue the lead in the spirit of camaraderie.

The stuff in his room was probably from Hazama. They were cute, pink and purple, and sometimes glittery. Most of them were unwashed lunchboxes, cups, and other eating utensils. It wasn’t much, so he decided to take them home instead. That way, he could thank her in person, maybe actually grab a coffee somewhere where it was just them. He kind of owed her… A LOT.

With a little more room to breathe and time to spare, Hoshino sat back on his bed and pressed his back against the wall. Nagamori Arisa, who he thought would spend her time burning her eyelids by staring directly into the sun, moved slowly toward him. Hoshino actually had to reconsider if he wanted to open his phone. Maybe he could grab a snack and have a proper shower before doing just that. He could be more relaxed. His phone had been dead for a week, after all.

But after giving himself a bit of courage by repeatedly saying that he was brave, strong, and beautiful, he opened the floodgates and allowed himself to be swallowed by messages—ads, emails from his coworkers telling him to get well soon, some random updates from work email threads he had no idea he was related to, and… the one he liked the most… Hazama unloading what she felt about the shit he pulled at the abandoned factory, which ended with her sending a cute selfie with Shiba Miyako and Kakeru with the message, “Thank you, Hoshino-san.”

“What a cute kid,” Nagamori Arisa said, smiling as she pressed herself against Hoshino’s side to get a good look at his phone. “A bit shy, but still cute nonetheless.”

SHE COULD TALK? Hoshino’s face froze. But yeah, he should not lose his cool. Of course she could talk. What did he expect? She wasn’t like that one malevolent spirit he faced with Hazama last week. If anything, she seemed smarter. But then again, why was she behaving like a cat? Do all malevolent spirits behave like cats? Was that what they were? Cats? What if she was tricking them? Was she just doing so because she thought it would be cute?

Hoshino calmed his breath, his lips forming a smile. “Thanks, Nagamori Arisa.”

“Arisa-chan is fine.” Arisa-chan nuzzled his shoulder. Her eyes were closed and peaceful, her right hand clinging to her left arm. She was getting a little too comfortable. “And you’re welcome.”

“You’re not gonna ask what for?”

“No.” Arisa-chan wrapped herself around Hoshino’s left arm, using his chest like a pillow. She seemed to smile when she noticed him breathing. “I’m aware of the things I’ve done… the things I’ve made that kid do. If that’s what you’re asking.”

Hoshino tightened his smile. “Do you… regret it?”

“No.” Arisa-chan said it matter-of-factly, almost whimsically. “I would do it again—I’d like to. Arata… Tell me, have you ever crushed an orbee between your fingers? The way they pop… It’s really satisfying, especially when you press and rub the chunks down until you feel the bits sliding to the tips of your fingers. It feels best, too, when you wipe or spread them against a wall or a tissue paper.”

Hoshino widened his eyes. He wavered, just a bit. “Then why aren’t you?”

“Ishigami.” Arisa-chan pushed herself deeper into his half-hearted embrace. “He said he would fuck me up. He meant it. Komachi said she’ll eat me, too. And there’s you…” She raised her chin to meet his eyes, her face wearing that same gaze that didn't piss him off as much anymore. “I get the feeling that doing that would make you feel sad, so… I won’t do it. I promise.”

Hoshino could only smile back.

Huh? HUH? First of all… YES. They hadn't learned about Ephemeral Resonance during basic training. And if they hadn't learned that… then how the fuck was he supposed to learn about managing malevolent spirits clinging to him like a baby? Should he say yes? Should he say no? Should he set up some ground rules? Some boundaries? How did Ishigami handle Ono no Komachi? How did Hazama do it? Suddenly, Hoshino felt more appreciative of the fact that Ishigami was rizzing up some nurse somewhere in the hospital instead of leaving him alone here.

“Arata…” Arisa-chan pouted and squeezed Hoshino’s right hand. “Pat my head.”

Hoshino obliged. Without another thought. Did he have a choice? He didn’t fucking know. Did he have enough proxies to not die if Arisa-chan turned on everyone? Probably not. Could he even offer a fight against her at base form? Another probably not. Hoshino right now was a coughing baby cradling an atomic bomb—

Nevertheless, the trip back to his house was extraordinary. For lack of a better term. For a moment, he understood the thought of why parents would go traveling with their kids despite them being a massive pain in the ass. Hoshino grinned like an idiot the whole time, to the point of some people wondering if he had given up on life.

There was just… something so beautiful in the way Arisa-chan looked at the world around them. Again, Hoshino was afraid to ask. Her eyes were just filled with wonder, even while looking at extremely mundane things like trash cans, the ads in storefronts, the posters on the side of the street, the signposts, and even the car that almost ran her over. Well, it didn’t. But the point was that he got worried about that. The way she would pop out and back near the next thing that caught her interest was adorable in its own right, too.

He dropped Hazama’s stuff at his house, took a quick shower, and set out for Hoshikuzu Bridge. He needed to pay his dues… with a bit extra. He hadn't received his first paycheck yet and still had to sort out his hospital bills, so three bottles of the second-cheapest sake on the market would work.

Maybe a can of beer on the side, too. He’d already taken emotional damage when Arisa-chan refused to step inside his home, comparing it to a “public toilet of mild curses” due to the number of women that had been there. She also said that she would rather die than consume these curses, too. Yeah… that one hurt him a bit.

Hoshino had no trouble buying the alcohol—aside from having to prove to the store clerk that he was actually a man and old enough to buy it. He also chose not to pass through the business district, haunted by the thought of Hazama still being there. And with no stops left…

Nagamori Arisa’s air shifted the moment the bridge came into sight. Hoshino swallowed. To be fair, the bridge responded in kind. What was supposed to be a bonfire of mana became a tower of fire that felt like it wanted to keep them out—which was accurate, because upon taking a single step forward he passed out and woke up on the way home. He would’ve actually ended up there if Arisa-chan hadn’t slapped him. The same thing happened two more times. So, on his fourth try, he made it obvious he was bringing sake, and the bridge finally let him reach the middle. Things got a little more complicated there.

“Is that what I think it is, you little shit?” Hoshikuzu said, a vein popping on her forehead. She raised her arm and used her kimono’s sleeve to mask a growing smile, with her two guards stepping forward to remind Hoshino that their master was really mad. “That better be.”

“It is…” Hoshino replied, smiling as he produced the items. He hoped that he could make the sake better with pure hype, positivity, and his will to not die by her hand. “I know I promised just one, but I thought I could do more to show my appreciation—”

“Arata…” Arisa-chan marched forward, her head low and both her arms itching for a swing. Her mana surged, almost beating the fire swallowing the entire bridge. “We've been at it for a week and you’re already showing me your side-chick? It’s not like I’d mind, but—is that a SAMURAI?”

Yes. As one might expect. She said that with the tone of a child suddenly seeing an ice cream truck in the hottest part of the day. Hoshino said nothing as Arisa-chan popped in and out of existence in front of Hoshikuzu’s guards. She… looked at them with such wonder that even the warriors weren’t sure how to react. Hoshikuzu glanced at Hoshino and gave his men a mischievous smile, waving her hand and signalling them to distract the poor child with their sword skills. They followed, making Arisa-chan beam like the morning sun as she watched them swing their blades with trailing flames and making the very theatrical shiiiing and washiiiing sound effects.

“So…” Hoshino looked back at Hoshikuzu, trying his best not to laugh. “Do you want to just drink it, or…?”

“Do not take me for a peasant, Tsukishiro Arata,” Hoshikuzu replied, raising her voice to prove her point but not loud enough to get Arisa-chan’s attention. She smirked upon seeing Hoshino’s surprise. “It seems appropriate, given that we’ve resonated; I’ve seen a fair share of your memories, so I need to act as such. And I’m actually surprised by the offering. I didn’t think you would actually buy me one. Unfortunately, I am not a god. I cannot take these offerings as they are. So please… just dump the three whole bottles in the river. At least allow us to enjoy the smell…”

Hoshino nodded, holding his words back. His eyes still glued to hers, he opened the bottles one by one and emptied them into the river. As the glimmering sake fell upon the moving water below, the air around Hoshino shifted. Its scent lingered, albeit sweeter. The sun looming above them seemed a bit brighter, more fun. The atmosphere became a little bit more joyful, so much so that he found it within himself to smile for no reason at all.

Carrying the thought, he looked back to see Hoshikuzu looking at a different sun—one that was golden and about to sink into the horizon—with tears in her eyes. There were more people around her; all had blackened skulls burning with a red flame but wore different clothing. Some looked like farmers. Some looked like fishermen. Some were carpenters. There were many more. And all of them, even Arisa-chan, who now had two katanas in hand, were gazing at this sight only they could see. They were all… smiling.

“I’ve been meaning to say that I didn’t really know this Nagamori Arisa, the girl you’ve brought here. She does not know me either. I had no inkling of desire to save her, and you’ve forced my hand,” Hoshikuzu said. Then, she looked at him, her smile pure and wide. “I’m grateful, Tsukishiro Arata… for this… for the very fact that I allowed myself to help you.”

You’re welcome. Hoshino wanted to scream just that. But his brain froze, so much so that all he did was raise a finger and leave his mouth open. He could do better. But that was no longer the point.

They wanted to enjoy the smell, right? Maybe he could get some more of that. Hoshino allowed himself to laugh to share a bit of their joy… and told them that he had another trick up his sleeve. He told them to enjoy the sun, and once Hoshikuzu, along with everyone, nodded, he crossed the bridge and ran toward the nearest convenience store he could find with reckless abandon.

It took him a few minutes to find one. When he got there, he ran all the way to the back, and when he found no alcohol there—it was dumb of him—he rushed to the front and asked the cashier for a sakura-scented sake. The price was definitely steep but… he could afford a diet of matcha buns for a month, or at least until he got his salary.

“Good day, Sir—”

The cashier turned around. Her supposedly monotonous tone rose just a bit to show her surprise, then embarrassment, and then genuine fear. She… the girl had a pair of beautiful sharp eyes, smooth black hair neatly tied in a bun, and a glare that suggested that Hoshino was some sort of pig. It was Black. From the Butterflies.

“Cash… or c-card?” The look in her eyes. It was as if she was choosing whether to murder him right here or to treat him like a customer so she could brutally murder him later. “Which do y-you… prefer?”

“Cash,” Hoshino replied, glancing at her nametag attached to her chest and then back to her eyes. Then, he smiled wide like the little shit he was. “Thanks for asking, Ms. Morishita Fuji.”

Vol. 1 END.