Fading out, Closing in, It flickers

Since the dating events were stopped, every day at the shop revolved around cleaning. The café and trinket shops were still there, but it's manageable especially because people still believed about honesty in the premises.

Perhaps the rumors I've heard regarding some thieves who tried their luck at this shop faced a serious of misfortunes were true to an extent.

Kiyoko began setting off for the Fujiwara estate everyday leaving me alone. Senna, as usual, was cooped up in the main house.

After everything that had happened, we've never gotten the chance to talk or simply spend time together. I know it's not like she's obligated to, but the gap was a little painful if I'm being honest. She cooks and sends me lunch—all of them being omelet rice though, but after she hands me the tray at the door, she disappears back into the house. She's still uncomfortable being seen by the customers, I get it, but… sigh.

I'm hopeless.

Senna had been looking for documents related to her mother and herself. We tried the government route and requested for their legal papers but it didn't yield anything useful. The father field on Senna's birth certificate was left blank either thus leaving her with the string room as the most viable option.

“How about your relatives?” I asked once, but she sadly shook her head. Guess they've been cut off for some reason. The Hoshii leaned more to the problematic than the mysterious side when I'm already this deep into knowing things about them.

The day passed without incident and I was able to wrap things up and close up shop quickly thanks to our customers' cooperation. If only everyone was this honest everywhere then we've had achieved world peace in no time.

I stretched my arms up, feeling every satisfying crack from my tired joints. For some reason, these uneventful days were more tiring than the ones where I'm running around.

I'm not complaining, this had been my routine before, but a taste of living for something genuine and not, say, chasing romance just for the heck of it, that… that's what essentially made my life a bit better. Having a goal was a game changer.

The reason I told Fuyumi last time was true. I often feel I'm just doing whatever because I've got the time and ability to get to it, but… I felt like I'm lying when I said that if she ever asked me again right now. People truly were liars. Indecisive liars if I may add.

I removed my shoes and carefully lied at one of the antique sofas. This one was actually my go-to bed especially after Kiyoko recommended it if I needed to think some things through. I can't say for sure about its effectiveness, but I felt calmer here.

Many things have changed since my arrival here. Too many experiences for me that I might never experience had I not become desperate to get a girlfriend—a longtime partner and not the one-night ones… heh, as if I ever experienced love that time anyway…

Kiyoko still had that mystique in her and I've been very careful on tripping off her scary side as usual, but for some reason, I got the impression she's content on how things unfolded at the Fujiwara estate.

I touched the top of my head. Headpats really do work regardless of age. It might be one of her jokes that time, but if she's grateful she could've just said a simple thank you. Her stubbornness to take the longest route might be off putting, but it made her cute at certain times. Considering what I've learned so far, she's basically around my parents’ age range so the gesture was fine but unnecessarily cheesy for a guy to receive. Even I couldn’t help but get distracted.

Well, they still had much to work on. If the curse wasn't real—as it should be, and the Fujiwara couple could now meet whenever they wanted then that's one less problem. Twenty years was indeed a long time that a day and a few words wouldn't magically mend a strained relationship. I just wondered if Madam Asako had already resolved herself to forgive but was afraid to take the first step. Just like her daughter, she waited for that push. Have I done it again? The honor should probably be given to Fuyumi herself.

I fished my pocket and held my smartphone above me, the keychain dangling as it should. There's no mythical being in there. It's just an inanimate object.

“Hey, Manjuu,” I muttered. “I can pull my own weight now. You can rest easy, man.”

Something suddenly poked my foot. I instinctively caught the thing with both feet and found it to be a familiar item.

Senna was at the foot of the sofa, wearing an oversized sweater and black form-fitting pants—basically the same style as before but with a bigger sweater this time. On her other hand was a knitted muffler.

I pointed myself. “For me?”

“It's getting cold. You might need it.”

I took the item. It's warm but I might not need it yet. “Thanks. By the way, no Lady Yuugure appearance today?”

“I just got back.”

“What!?” I jumped out of the sofa and shot my eyes to the windows. It's bright, but not because of sunlight. “How long was I out?”

“Three hours, I guess? I decided to lock the front door thinking you'd call Miss Kiyoko if you want to get out before I can get back. Then there's also the main house if you got hungry…”

“You should've woken me up.”

“It's fine. I can handle myself.”

“I'm supposed to watch over you, right? Just rely on me, alright?”

Senna placed her hands on her hips and sighed. This was the first she did this gesture. “You've been stressed lately. I want you to rest up so rest up.”

Even her tone was different. However, I still couldn't erase my annoyance that I left her out there alone. “I know. It's just… I should be the one telling you that.”

I mean, she's been too busy with searching for the traces her mother left. There’s still a lot of unanswered questions and some of her memory still hadn’t come back. Compared to me, she's the one who needed to rest.

She held out her hand. “Then let's take a little walk, shall we?”

***

We visited the spot from last time. There were several other people here unlike before—mostly lovers—that I suddenly felt awkward taking her here.

“Should we head somewhere else?” she suggested, perhaps understanding my discomfort.

I shook my head not just as response, but also to shake off the indecent thoughts invading my head from her word choice. Damn, why am I acting like a little girl getting all flustered from this? I knew her better than this.

I bought black coffee from the vending machine this time. She made a sour face seeing the label but fortunately, I picked different stuff so I switched mine, one with lots of creamer.

“Negative points,” she remarked.

“Heh,” I shrugged my shoulders and raised my can for a little toast. She returned the gesture.

All of a sudden, I felt fine, as if a weight was lifted off me. To think sitting on the grass under a starless sky watching the shadows of other couples who observed the scenery from rose-tinted lenses as their hearts were engulfed in the flames of passion was a fun activity. Senna even shared some of the matchmaking stories she had and the many people who visited the shop to thank Kiyoko.

“It's a very fulfilling role,” she said. “But even without us matchmakers, people will find their fated one way or another.”

“The red string of fate, huh…”

“The gods were the absolute authority for bringing people together. No human can circumvent that fact.”

“But Yukina somehow did it. Fiddling with forces beyond human capacity.”

I still refused to believe she altered lot of people's fates so Kiyoko's slip up would result into lesser consequences. As they've said, the future was impossible to see hence their story falling into superstitious assumptions, but if she truly accomplished that with her life as the only price, then the gods must've acknowledged her skill.

I lied back and looked at the dark blue sky. “She's one hell of a Hoshii, if I say so myself.”

“Akito,” she peered above me. I subtly averted my gaze before I could do something uncalled for. She’s more appealing tonight, I wonder why. “Do you want to hear a story?”

I extended my arm offering it as her pillow. Senna accepted my offer and laid her head on it. Her scent mixed well with the earth. Like Kiyoko, it only enhanced the beating of my heart a thousandfold. However, this was different. Way different.

Maybe it's about time for ‘that’.