Chapter Text
“If it isn’t little Su! Are you back for your usual treat?”
“Hello, again!” The young boy politely smiles and bows to your aunt behind the shop counter. “I was actually hoping to try one of your seasonal flavors! Unless, of course, you have a limited stock…”
You barely stop yourself from rolling your eyes at that. Just about every time this richling child actor pulls up, your aunt insists on giving him handouts. She claims it's because his business helps with traction, but how often is he actually recognized on the streets outside of makeup anyway?
“Nonsense! You’re welcome to try any flavor you want– No limits!” She insists cheerfully.
“I-If it’s really okay…”
Subaru’s gaze sheepishly flicks to the signs hanging behind you. It’s pretty obvious he’s hesitating because he wants a flavor you don’t already have in the display case. Your aunt will make him a fresh one regardless, so you find it sort of stupid that he gets all skittish about it.
“Could I buy a lemon custard taiyaki? If it’s not too much trouble…” The boy reaches for his pocket, presumably to pull out the yen to pay for it, but your aunt stops him with a noise of disapproval.
“It’s on the house!”
Subaru pinches his brows together, wearing a look of apprehension. “But I–”
“Your mention of our stand in the newspaper got us more business last week! Consider this a thank you, alright?” She smiles kindly at Subaru, until he’s intimidated into withdrawing his hand entirely from his pocket. Then her attention is on you. “[Name], start cooking a round of lemon custard and red bean! I need to grab the new cups from inside.”
“...Sure.”
Your aunt exits the stand through the side door and disappears behind the gate that leads to your upstairs home. Subaru puts on a shy smile and murmurs a quiet ‘thank you’, as you begin pouring the batter into the hot plates.
“...Your hair is different,” Subaru comments. You almost don't hear it over the plates sizzling.
Your eyes meet his for a brief moment. When they do, his cheeks dust pink and he hastily averts his gaze.
“Sorry, it just stood out to me,” Subaru blurts out weakly.
You must have looked scarier than you intended to. But it’s kind of funny, so you crack a smile at his expense.
“Yeah, you caught me. I cut it because it gets in the way during judo practice.”
“It’s very nice! I like it.”
Hm…
Every time this kid comes over, he tries to start a conversation with you. It’s pretty clear that he’s not very socialized. That, or he’s not used to talking to girls. It really makes him an easy target.
“You don’t have to lie to be nice. I look like a boy now,” You retort, as you begin scooping the filling into the molds.
Subaru shakes his head. “N-No…! I disagree. It suits you.”
“You think so?” You reply dryly, not really believing him.
“Yes!” He says, a little too quickly. “Sometimes I wear long hair for performances, so…”
You hum at that. “Guess we have something in common then.”
Subaru eyes you curiously. He’s really hanging on your every word.
“Well, you look like a chick,” You deadpan.
The young actor’s eyes widen, before his expression starts deflating altogether. Seems like you hit a nerve.
Before you can make it worse, you feel a hand pinching hard at your cheek.
“HEY– OW, OW, OW…!”
“You’re such a kidder! Now, would you stop teasing the customers?” Your aunt laughs lightheartedly, a stark contrast to the physical warning being inflicted on you. “Su, don’t mind her. She doesn’t mean it!”
Subaru’s expression becomes panicked and he holds up his palms placatingly. “It’s okay, really! I don’t mind… I get that a lot anyway.”
“Just because you receive that comment often doesn’t mean you have to tolerate it!” Your aunt lets go of your now sore cheek to turn the hot plates over. “If they’re doing it to disturb your peace, just remember that it comes from a place of inadequacy.”
Subaru lowers his hands and fixes his gaze despondently on the molds behind the glass. “...Yes, I’m sure that holds some truth.”
“You have a show coming up, don’t you?” Your aunt asks.
He nods, the polite smile making a comeback. Undoubtedly grateful for the subject change.
“Yes. In just a few days we will be doing a youth performance of ‘Genpei Nunobiki no Taki’ at the Asakusa Kagekijo theater.”
“I heard that you guys sold out seats! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to grab tickets this time.”
It must be nice being such a hotshot, you think to yourself bitterly. You ready the cup to pull out his taiyaki.
Subaru tents his brows in apology. “For the next one, I can reserve seats for the both of you, if you have time.”
Your aunt blinks in surprise. “Really? That’s so kind of you.”
“It’s nothing compared to the kindness you’ve shown me,” Subaru counters.
Your aunt laughs. “A few taiyaki here and there still wouldn’t match the cost of a kabuki ticket. But in that case, I can get you a seat at the show [Name] is performing tomorrow down the street! If you have time on your hands.”
You almost scoff at that. No way Subaru’s going to be interested in an amateur Bunraku performance.
“...Can I really?”
Subaru’s hopeful tone snatches your attention. His violet eyes are imbued with overt excitement at the prospect. You find it a little baffling, but if Subaru’s faking the enthusiasm, he deserves an Academy Film Prize.
“Of course! I’ll have my husband put your name down, he will be delighted to have you present. The show starts at five in the evening.”
“I will be there,” Subaru avows. In spite of your rude comment earlier, he beams at you. “I’m very excited to see you perform. I’ve heard about your training, but I didn’t think I’d get to see it so soon.”
“Hah. Don’t get too excited. I’m only operating the puppet's legs.”
After picking up his taiyaki with a pair of tongs and sliding it into a paper holder, you hand the treat to him from over the counter.
“Thank you, [Name],” Subaru’s fingers brush against yours as he accepts it. “Whatever your experience level, it will be well worth the watch.”
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
Later that night, your aunt approaches you in the kitchen while you’re scrubbing dishes. She looks tired, and you can’t blame her. After Subaru left the stand earlier that day, business picked up substantially. Despite the chaos, she still cooked dinner, while your uncle was out working his day job as a wood carver.
“Thanks for getting those. You have more energy than I did at your age.”
“...No need to thank me. You’ve done more than enough today,” You reply quietly.
She chuckles and leans back against the counter beside you while you work. “You’re kind of like a Gharial.”
You raise a brow as you set a freshly scrubbed dish on the empty side of the sink. “A what?”
“It’s a type of crocodile. As ferocious as they may appear, their jaws are fragile.”
“...”
The comparison doesn’t perturb you. If your parents were still alive, they probably would agree with her. It’s been over a year since the accident occurred that resulted in you being uprooted from your original home and into theirs. Before this, you weren’t particularly close with your aunt or uncle.
A comfortable silence falls over the two of you for several beats.
“...You should be nice to him, you know. The Kabuki boy,” She says.
You didn’t expect her to bring him up again.
“I’m nice enough, I think,” You argue dismissively.
“He’s very sensitive. And he asks about you whenever you’re absent.”
You frown at the dish in your hand. “He’s probably just trying to make conversation.”
Your aunt hums in a way that suggests she knows something you don’t. “You’d be surprised. If you’re set on the entertainment industry, befriending him isn’t a bad idea.”
“I don’t want to be successful in the industry just because of someone I know.”
“That’s a mature way to look at it. Although, I didn’t mean to imply that you should be advantageous. Having a friend you can find common ground with is valuable in itself,” She explains.
“...I think he’s irritating,” You admit, as you place another dish on the right side of the sink.
You feel your aunt's eyes on you again. “How so?”
“He’s respected for his name and social standing more than anything. There are plenty of actors more talented than him our age that will probably never get a proper shot. The kids at the academy told me all about it! Anytime a show with his family is hosted around the same time we do a play, they take our sales. Subaru is privileged.”
“It is true that not all actors in the tradition are created equal,” She concedes, pausing briefly to stifle a congested sounding cough into her arm. “...Do you think Subaru is unaware of that fact?”
You press your lips into a thin line. “...I don’t know.”
“I would be willing to bet that his peers won't allow him to forget that. Maybe that’s why he’s taken a liking to you.”
Only because you haven’t voiced what everyone else is thinking. Yet, you’re thinking it.
Subaru probably doesn’t even attend public school. The training you do likely pales in comparison to what he undergoes everyday. You’re not ignorant to that fact.
“He’s probably just lonely and doesn’t have any friends,” You say with a huff.
“That sounds like as good of a reason as any to be his first.”
“...I guess.”
You feel a warm hand pat your head affectionately.
“Some time has passed. I know you’re still getting adjusted to the area, but making some friends will be good for you. Even if you decide that Subaru won’t be one of them.”
You find yourself struggling to swallow the thickness beginning to line your throat.
“...Yeah, I understand.”
When your aunt’s hand moves away, you privately mourn the loss of comfort. Yet, you’re too proud to ask for it.
“After you finish up, do you mind turning off the lights?” She asks, breaking away from the counter.
“Yeah, I’ll get it done.”
“Don’t stay up too late, okay? Tomorrow's a big day.”
You nod, as you begin to rinse the suds off the clean dishes. “I won’t.”
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
“She called out, ‘Anchin, are you there? Are you? Oh, the man I love.’”
Dressed in black robes and a hood to conceal your face, you allow the shamisen’s music to guide your timing with the puppet’s leg movements. The stage is set with beautifully painted props that make up the setting’s riverbank and ferry. With the help of your puppeteering peers, you gradually guide Kiyohime close to the imaginary water.
“Although she called out, no one replied to her, except the pining wind,” The tayū narrates in a stylized, theatrical, chant.
Eventually, the pitch of her voice raises, while the doll’s head becomes more animated, creating the illusion that the puppet is actually speaking.
“‘Oh, wonderful! This is the site of the ferry on the Hidaka River. Once I cross here, I shall arrive at Dojoji Temple in no time. I should ask the boatman to take me across. I must be quick.’”
The costume is hot and the visibility in the room is worse than it typically is during rehearsal. You avoid looking into the audience of people, focusing all of your energy into maneuvering Kiyohime’s legs. The fact that no one can see your face alleviates the stage fright you might have during a standard theater performance.
You become absorbed in the dialogue, mentally preparing yourself for the upcoming dynamic movements once the ferryman puppet awakens on the boat. The narrator lowers her voice to a gruff and brutish cadence, as she recites his dialogue. The ferryman adamantly refuses her request to be taken across the river at this time. Yet, he’s just as quick to reveal something he wasn’t supposed to.
“'Oh, now I get it. You must be the girl who is following the mountain priest. I ferried him across earlier this evening.'”
You’ve heard this tale, of course. Even before rehearsing for the play. The monk, Anchin, who Kiyohime fell in love with, had deceived her with a false promise before fleeing to be with another woman. Anchin bribes the ferryman into secrecy, but he spills the beans.
“‘I cannot believe this. Oh. Anchin… I indeed should feel bitter, but now that I have been humiliated, I cannot live on like this. Although, I trust my father’s opinion is correct. Once a woman falls in love with a man she must continue to love him, even if it means she must sink into the depth.’”
Following Kiyohime’s lament, the head puppeteer activates hidden mechanisms, causing her face to take on a demon-like appearance. Heartbroken from the betrayal, Kiyohime is consumed by obsessive rage and transforms into a serpent to cross the river and exact revenge.
Your trio switches back and forth between a puppet in the shape of a black serpent, and Kiyohime, while other puppeteers rhythmically move a blue tarp below to simulate ocean waves.
The play concludes with Kiyohime chasing Anchin to the Dōjōji Temple. Fearing her wrath, the monk hides beneath a large temple bell. Kiyohime coils around it and breathes fire, heating the surface until it results in the man’s death.
By the time your role is done and the music and chanting ceases, your arms are worn out. The applause that follows feels somewhat rewarding, even though it would have occurred regardless of the performance quality. Hopefully, you did well enough. It’s not like newspaper critics are going to tear into a youth performance too harshly anyway.
You and your troupe bow, before the curtains draw to close.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
After the performance comes to an end, you spend some time conversing with your peers.
The Hidarizukai, who operates the left hand of the puppet, is only about a year or so older than you. Her name is Saki. Tenma is the Omozukai, which is the one that operates the head and right hand of your puppet. You’re not sure how old he is, but you know that it’s enough to be in high school.
“Your steps were a bit stiff here and there, but you did pretty good considering it’s your first show,” Saki says to you with an encouraging grin. “We almost had a full house today!”
You hold the Kiyohime puppet in your lap, carefully wiping it down. “I’ll work on it for the next performance.”
“You’ll get the hang of it. No one’s ever perfect their first show,” Tenma cuts in. “I heard your uncle made a new shishi puppet for the show next month. I still haven’t got to see it, though.”
“Yeah, that’s right. He mentioned that to me, but I haven’t seen it either.”
“I want to go to a workshop and see how it’s done one day. Maybe your uncle will let us go, if you ask?” Saki suggests hopefully.
You set aside the silk cloth that you used to wipe down the puppet. “I could bring it up to him.”
“Yay! Girls night!” She exclaims.
“Hey, I’d be interested too,” Tenma protests.
Suddenly a new voice cuts in from behind you. It’s a middle-aged woman from the production team that you frequently forget the name of.
“[Name], there is a special guest here to see you! I found him waiting by the stage wings. He was drawing a bit of attention, so I thought I’d escort him back here if the two of you have plans.”
You blink, turning your head to find the woman standing by none other than Subaru. He’s dressed up in a traditional kimono that appears simple, yet more luxurious than anything you own. You notice that he’s holding a neatly wrapped gift box. For some reason, his presence surprises you, even though he really seemed insistent on coming.
“Oh, Subaru. You actually came to watch.”
“Yes, of course! I enjoyed the show and was hoping to speak with you before you went home.” The young Kabuki actor sheepishly regards your peers around you with a smile. “If now is a bad time, I understand…”
Saki seems bewildered by his appearance and shoots you a strange look. She’s probably given Subaru the most grief when gossiping about his status in the industry. And you haven’t exactly told her that you even knew him. But she does know that he visits your aunt’s snack shop.
“No, by all means. I was just about to head to the dressing room,” Tenma replies politely and bows. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Saki nudges your arm emphatically with her elbow and mouths ‘text me’, before getting up from the bench and dispersing elsewhere with Tenma. Subaru takes Saki’s spot on the bench next to you and waits until the production assistant leaves before speaking.
“I brought this for you to commemorate a job well done,” Subaru says, nodding to the wrapped box in his hand. “It’s Shimizu Hakuto Jelly. Do you like peaches? If not I can find something else…”
Your stomach flips unexpectedly and you don’t know what to make of it. Why is he so nice to you?
“You brought me a gift? I didn’t expect that.”
“Is that okay? Sorry if it seems weird…” And just like that, he looks all pitiful and self-conscious again.
He makes himself such an easy target. But you’re touched enough by the gesture to keep the ribbing to a minimum.
“Hmm… Now that you mention it? Yeah, kinda is. People might think you have a crush on me, y’know.”
Which might actually be true, at this point. But you feel a little bad at how red he turns. The shock on his face is palpable.
“I-I’m sorry…! I didn’t mean to cause you problems!” Subaru bows his head low as he panics. “If anything, I can leave, so as to not exacerbate rumors.”
Notably, he’s not denying it.
“Pffft. Relax and lift your head– I was just messing with you.”
The actor's demeanor shifts to something less serious as he obediently sits upright. “I see… Haha. One way or another, I always manage to make a fool of myself, don’t I?”
You smirk impishly at his expense. “Maybe so. But it makes it fun to tease you. Anyway, thanks for the gift. I’ll try it when I get home.”
Subaru’s lips curl up into a pleased smile. “It’s no problem! Thank you for allowing me to see your performance. That’s the puppet you used, isn’t it? It looks so intricate up close…”
“Sure is.” You press down on a lever hidden on the rod and the puppet suddenly grows horns and bares its sharp teeth. The eyes slide upwards to reveal a demonic looking pair, made with shades of red and yellow. “It’s pretty neat.”
The Kabuki actor leans in to get a better look at the puppet, his violet eyes wide with childlike wonder. “Amazing…! The attention to detail is incredible. You can even see little veins drawn in the eyes.”
“Hah. Yeah, you can. I think my uncle made this one too, but it’s pretty old now.”
“Have you considered being his apprentice? Or do you prefer the theater? Forgive me if I’m being too nosey, I’m just curious about you.”
If it’s not anything one can take offense to, he’s so honest…
You release the lever on the head and shrug. “It seems cool, but between school, this, helping out at the shop, and Judo, I don’t really have time. Without trying it, I don’t know what I’d prefer yet. Dipping your toes without diving headfirst in something kept alive by tradition? No one’s going to take that seriously.”
“You’re still young and have time to decide,” Subaru insists. “No one can fault the youth for taking interest.”
You snort at that. “You say that like we aren’t the same age.”
Subaru hesitates, his expression becoming a little uncomfortable from the comment. “...I’m afraid my path may already be set for me.”
Oops.
You’re not really sure what to say to that, as the burden of his lineage is entirely unrelatable to you. So, you don’t say anything.
Thankfully, not too long after, Subaru recovers the awkward moment by shifting the subject.
“Your aunt speaks highly of you. I’m impressed by how much you take on. You really are the type of person to carve your own path. Not many our age can say the same.”
Suddenly, your heart feels like it’s in your throat. And for a moment, you start to feel like an asshole for the bitterness you’ve felt towards him.
It’s not that your aunt didn’t praise you directly. Maybe it's just that it feels different coming from someone looking from the outside in. If you were being completely honest with yourself, the primary reason for keeping busy had more to do with finding distractions than anything. You can’t move on, dwelling on all that has happened.
“You’re too nice, you know that?”
“I’m saying how I feel,” Subaru counters softly. “And I meant to ask– How long have you been doing Judo, exactly? I was wondering if you participate in tournaments.”
Considering his track record, you have a feeling you know where he’s going with this. “Much longer than Bunraku, so sometimes. I’m only an orange belt, so it’s not like I’ll be that impressive. Why?”
“Well… If it's on a day I am available, I’d like to come and support,” Subaru admits. You notice his fingers tense on the box in his lap.
“Hm… You sure? I didn’t think you’d be the type to be interested in watching fights.”
Subaru shakes his head. “I find it interesting. Depending on the circumstances.”
You look off to the side, at no where in particular. “If you really want to, I don’t see why not.”
“Really? Thank you!”
Subaru goes from beaming giddily, to his expression faltering, as if he just realized something important. “Oh, but… There’s a possibility I would find out too late. I’m not always in Asakusa, after all.”
Sneaky, huh?
“Then I guess we exchange contact info. You got your phone on you?”
“You don’t mind?”
Before you can even reply, Subaru’s reaching in his sleeve’s pouch for his phone and handing it to you.
“Oh, wow. Fancy,” You comment absently. Supporting the puppet on your torso, you take his phone and type in your contact information, before handing it back. “My phone is just a flip phone. I don’t have unlimited messaging, so I’m not much of a texter.”
“I see… I will keep that in mind.”
“I should probably put Kiyohime back up on her stand,” You say, as you get to your feet.
“If you’d like, I’ll walk you home,” Subaru offers. “Since the distance is so short. My driver will arrive by the time we get there.”
“...Sure. If you want to.”
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
“Su got you that jelly AND walked you here?”
You sit across from your aunt at the kitchen table, eating reheated donburi, while she admires the gift Subaru brought for you earlier.
Your aunt smiles as she reads the little congratulations note on the wrapping paper. “That boy has a crush on you.”
“...He’s just lonely. Probably doesn’t see many girls,” You counter monotonously. It’s the same excuse you use for him every time that it’s an autopiloted response at this point.
“You never know,” She teases in a sing-song voice. “A friend who watched the show sang your praises over the performance. I hate that I missed out.”
There is something that’s been bothering you since you got home. Originally, your aunt said she’d be working the shop tonight, but if that were the case, she’d usually be cleaning up at this time.
“By the way, did you close up early?”
She looks up from a stack of paperwork laid out in front of her. You try not to snoop, but you’re pretty sure you saw “Sensoji” in the header. If you’re not mistaken, that’s a local hospital in the area.
A corner of her mouth turns up marginally. “You pay attention, huh? I had an appointment for that persistent cough that’s been bothering me.”
Your hand stills, chopsticks wedged in a pile of rice. “...So, what did they say?”
“Hey, don’t make that face! They still have some testing to do, but as you can see, I’m totally fine.”
You didn’t even realize you were making one, but it makes sense. Something about the revelation makes your stomach churn unpleasantly with trepidation. Much to your aunt’s chagrin, you persist with questioning.
“...They still have to do testing? Isn’t it just allergies?”
“My mom’s side has a history of lung problems, so they’re just double checking to be on the safe side,” She insists.
Technically, she’s only related to you by marriage. So, you didn’t even know about that detail. That cough has been happening since you moved in and you noticed new pills in the medicine cabinet the other day too.
Your aunt sighs as the silence drags on. She puts on another smile, this time with more energy. “You’re too young to let this kind of thing weigh on your mind. Right now, your only real job is to be a kid. Take advantage of it while you still can.”
“...Yeah, I understand.”
She breathes out a sigh of relief. “Good! That’s all I needed to hear.”
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
Time passes.
Upon your aunt’s insistence, you end up spending more time off and on with Subaru. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months. About half a year goes by before you receive news that your aunt’s condition has worsened. She never tells you things that may be too heavy of a burden, until the weight of it is completely encumbering her.
Your uncle is the one to break it to you after you return from school one day, finding her absent. Apparently, she had been receiving treatment for small cell lung cancer for some time. When radiation therapy didn’t get rid of all of it, the doctors switched her to immunotherapy medications. While they try to figure out another solution, your uncle reveals that she will be hospitalized, until they begin to see significant improvement.
In that time, you take over the shop for her when you’re not in school. Bunraku gets put on the back burner, as well as Judo. You visit her whenever you get a chance. She tells you to give excuses for her absence when her regulars inevitably ask. In spite of your budding friendship with Subaru, you feed him the same lies.
After you moved in with your aunt, life had begun to get better. The hole that your parents' death left behind didn’t seem as large the more you were reminded by others that you weren’t alone in all of this.
But when your aunt passes, things only go down hill from there.
The shop closes up shortly thereafter and you cut people out of your life without explanation. Your grades take a hit and you prioritize finding a source of income over school, so your uncle isn’t burdened by your presence. But then halfway through high school, your uncle loses some of his fingers in a bandsaw accident, impacting his ability to work.
You think you might be cursed, the way everything falls perfectly in line around you as if you’re living some scripted epic tragedy. The common denominator always seems to be you.
Not to mention, your recollection gets worse every time things go very wrong. They say enough stress hormones disrupt memory formation. In a way, it helps. You’re not dwelling on what you’ve missed. It makes it easier to prioritize things rationally as they come to you.
Ten years pass until you receive an explanation for all the rotten shit that seems to happen. And the day you make a pact is when everything turns on its head.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
“‘Memory Walking’?” Sho echoes in confusion.
You stand outside of Sho’s food truck with the Vagastrom vice-captain standing by your side. It’s your first week attending Darkwick Academy. You got thrown in a few months into the school year, once the institute caught wind of your pact. It's an unusual circumstance but not unheard of, apparently. Your house placement ended up being in Vagastrom, and after meeting with everyone, this didn’t really come as a surprise to you.
Leo raises a brow at you. He’s leaning on the edge of the window’s counter, sipping on a small carton of milk. “Like, you go into other people’s memories?”
“Nope,” You reply, settling your hand on your hip. “Just my own.”
Sho blinks at the revelation, seeming a bit perplexed. “Huh… That’s…”
Leo snorts out a derisive chortle. “Uh, useless? Did you ask for a refund?”
“Yeah, it’s not really great for combat by any means,” You agree with a shrug.
Sho leans on the counter from the inside, fixing his attention fully on you. “So how does it work? You fully recall a memory and can walk around in it?”
“Yeah. I usually have about five minutes before the vision ends. I haven’t tried pushing farther than that,” You admit.
“No way you can change things that happened,” Leo asserts.
“You’re right, I can’t. But I could potentially see something I wasn’t aware of before, so long as it’s within walking distance. That means I can’t interact with people or objects in these visions.”
“That could be useful, though,” Sho chimes in. “Just maybe a hindsight sort of thing? You could definitely use it strategically in missions.”
Considering your ass memory, it helps to recall a fragment you can’t quite piece together. False memories are a thing of the past. You haven’t been on missions to utilize it yet, but it's sort of therapeutic for you right now.
“Eh, we’ll see about that,” Leo counters with a smirk. “I’ll drag you on a mission to test it out.”
You shrug indifferently at the suggestion. “Sure, I don’t mind.”
“You sure you don’t want any food, [Name]? The gratin has got maybe ten minutes left,” Sho says as he looks over his shoulder.
“I’d be cutting it close if I stayed around much longer. I’m supposed to meet with Dante soon about getting an artifact.”
Sho stands upright again, his eyes flicking somewhere behind the two of you. “Yeah? You’ll have to show me what you got at the garage later.”
“Sure. I’ll head there after class.”
“Leo,” Sho starts, gesturing his hand in a way that's meant to get him to move over. “I have a customer.”
Leo pushes himself off the corner, before following Sho’s gaze. His lips curl up devilishly for reasons unbeknownst to you. “Oh, it’s you.”
“I hope I’m not intruding. Is this a bad time?”
That soft spoken voice. Where have you heard it before?
Just as you’re turning your head, a man approaches the counter. Light brown hair, a wisteria earring, and a purple uniform tie… Hotarubi?
“Nah, you’re good,” Sho replies flippantly. “We were just chatting with the ghoul newbie.”
The man’s head turns and he fixes his violet gaze onto you. The way his brows pinch marginally together for a millisecond is nearly imperceptible. His eyes break away for a moment, in Sho’s direction, before yo-yoing right back to you.
“I see. I heard about a new ghoul transfer from Haku, but I don’t believe we met?” Subaru ducks his head in a cordial bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. May I ask for your name?”
…No way. Do you look that different?
You did cut him off on not the best terms. Considering how turbulent that period in your life was, you struggle to recall how it went down. Surely, your appearance is just throwing him off. But he looks just the same, just grown up.
“Asking my name before giving your own? That’s kind of ill-mannered, isn’t it?”
Your delivery is so monotonous that it probably came off more aggressive than intended. Judging by the way he gapes like a fish in response. Sho just laughs from inside the truck.
“I-I’m sorry…! Where are my manners? My name is Subaru Kagami.”
You introduce yourself in response. And you can’t help but notice how Leo inches around him, closer to your side. If you’ve gathered anything about him this week, it’s that he’s insatiably nosey.
“I know who you are,” You say, offering a small smile. “I haven’t seen you around in a while.”
Subaru presses his lips together and timidly averts his gaze. “...You must be referring to the hiatus. I suppose my whereabouts are not common knowledge to the public, as it stands.”
…He’s an actor. You revealed your name. Is this a performance?
You stare at him. The weight of your gaze causes him to shift restlessly in place. “...Not quite. You really don’t remember?”
Subaru’s expression falters into an apologetic one. “Are you suggesting that we’ve met before? Could it be that you’re in the industry too?”
He must be playing dumb. Is he pissed at you or something?
“...More or less. I used to be anyway.” You narrow your gaze as you play along.
Leo audibly drains the last of his milk before cutting in. “Seriously? You didn’t say all that.”
“You wouldn’t be able to find much on me even if you looked. I studied as a ningyōtsukai for a little while as a kid.”
“Huh.” Leo crushes up the empty carton and attempts to hand it to Sho over the counter.
“Dude, there's a trashcan out there. Do it yourself,” Sho protests in exasperation. He hands over a tied up to-go bag to Subaru. “Here you go. The last of the Donburi.”
Subaru eagerly turns to Sho and accepts the bag, before sliding two yen notes in front of him. “Thank you! It was nice meeting you, [Name]. I’m afraid I have somewhere I need to be, so if you’ll excuse me–”
“Oh, hey. This is more than I need. Let me get you some change,” Sho interjects, as Subaru’s already preparing to flee.
“That isn’t necessary, truly! Thank you again!” Subaru bows again, before he’s basically speedwalking away.
“......”
You stare at his retreating form, a little dumbfounded.
Leo turns his attention on you, raising a skeptical brow. “What the hell did you do to him? He looked ready to piss his pants.”
“Uh… Not too sure.”
A partial truth. Looks like you already have a plan for what you’re doing after your visit with Dante.