Shinrabansho: Myriad Souls

Our conversation woke Haru earlier than usual.

When he saw Aoi, he stopped short in the hallway and glared at her openly. Aoi-chan flinched at the look. Before he could say anything, I stepped closer and deliberately pulled Aoi-chan’s arm around me, pressing my hip against hers so he couldn’t miss the message.

The breakup was over.

We were already at the front door. Mom stood there with two bento lunches in her hands, pausing just long enough to glance between us before offering them out.

“Good morning, Haru,” I said brightly. “Have a good day at school today! And thanks, Mom.”

Mom nodded, offering a small smile. She wasn’t completely at peace with her daughter loving another girl, but seeing my face brighter than it had been in a long while, she accepted it.

Haru looked completely bewildered, his eyes darting between me and Aoi-chan. Then his expression softened, and he smiled, nodding.

“Do your best, Onee-chan!”

My parents both turned to look at him. I wasn’t sure if he’d ever called me that so openly in front of them before. The last three weeks had been heavy and quiet, every proper meal I’d eaten had been weighed down by my gloom. We hadn’t talked much. He’d managed to drag me into playing Tekku with him a few times, though, even while I was busy practicing the script Megumi had given me.

Once we were outside and the door clicked shut behind us, Aoi-chan exhaled.

“Get your bike,” she said. “I’ll pedal as an apology for dragging you out this early.” She yawned.

I nodded, echoing her yawn. Breakfast had helped us to wake up some, but being out a half hour earlier than usual left me feeling groggy. I hurried to get my bike anyway. Out of habit, I climbed straight into the seat anyway.

Aoi-chan tapped my forehead when I got back to her.

“Owie…” My cheeks pinkened.

“You’re not driving like that,” she said. “Try to wake up a little more, and don’t fall off the bolts, okay?”

I nodded. “Mm.”

I handed control over to her. She straddled the seat, steady and balanced, and waited while I hopped onto the bolts. She supported my weight easily and pedaled off smoothly, bumping the gate open and turning right. I held on tightly, the same way I had on our date, crouching and hugging her, but this time I consciously lowered my waist and squatted properly so I wouldn’t flash my panties at anyone.

I snuggled against her back, rubbing my cheeks against her.

She’d drilled me mercilessly over the last few weeks, and somewhere along the way I’d gained an even better sense of my center of gravity since the last time we rode together on my bike. Even through day after day of cold-eyed instruction behind the gym, I’d grown. Mostly because I wanted any excuse to be near her., even under those circumstances. To quit would have meant severing the red string connecting us, so I never gave up. At least not until yesterday.

“Hold on tightly, my princess!” Aoi-chan said. “We’re coming to an intersection soon.”

I nodded, focusing harder on the street ahead. “Mm.” Anyway, I pressed closer to her back.

Feeling the bike slowing, I leaned up and peeked over her shoulder, putting my leg down in time.

It didn’t take long for us to reach her apartment building like this. It was the same middle-class complex I remembered from before—clean, well maintained and comfortably within what a student working while going to school could afford.

I woke up more as we stopped, wiping the haze from my eyes. My heart started beating louder.

I might finally get to see the inside of her home!

DOKI-DOKI

I blushed hard as we stopped at the base of the stairs.

Before I could say or do anything, Aoi-chan moved. One of her hands slid behind my knees and closed firmly around the backs of them, while the other wrapped around my upper back, pulling me fully against her chest. I squeaked as my feet left the ground, my body settling instinctively into her arms.

“A–Aoi—!”

She didn’t answer. She just huffed a quiet laugh, adjusted her grip on me, and started up the stairs with me held securely against her chest like something extremely precious.

My heart went completely haywire.

She carried me up one flight, then another, her steps steady and unhurried, like this was extremely easy for her. I clutched at her neck, my face burning as I pressed closer.

She stopped in front of an apartment marked 304. Third floor and the fourth.

I knew I would never forget that number.

Still holding me, she shifted my weight slightly in her arms and supported me against her hip as she fumbled for her keys with one hand. It took her a second, maybe two, but she never loosened her grip on me. The door unlocked with a soft click, and she nudged it open with her shoulder and carried me inside.

The first thing I noticed was the entryway, the genkan. It was narrow but spotless, shoes lined up neatly along the wall. From where I was cradled in her arms, I could see a pair of Aoi-chan’s sneakers below, worn but carefully cleaned, and beside them rested a pair of nicer loafers that looked almost too expensive for everyday use.

She stepped out of her shoes without putting me down, careful not to jostle me as she lifted one foot and then the other. Automatically, I kicked off mine too. I didn’t want to make a mess of her apartment the first day I got to visit. I felt absurdly aware of how close I was to her, how steady her breathing was against my ear. I kind of wanted to stay in her arms like this forever, as impractical as that might be.

I turned my neck to look around as she carried me inside. Just off the entry was a small door to the toilet room. It was simple, utilitarian, and immaculately clean. Farther in, I could glimpse her washroom with a compact sink and mirror, everything arranged efficiently. Beyond that was the changing area, and past it the bath room itself, with the shower head and a deep soaking tub. Everything looked newer than I expected, like the building had been renovated before she moved in. 

The apartment opened up into her living room. It was one large, clean, rectangular space. There was a low table and a television set up on a tidy cabinet. Against the opposite wall was a low sofa, dark and sturdy-looking, with a folded blanket placed carefully over one arm. A small bookshelf nearby held textbooks, notebooks, and a few worn paperbacks. There was no clutter, but also no wasted space. Everything had a place.

Early morning sunlight streamed in from the balcony windows on the far side, casting warm rectangles across the floor. A small dining table sat neatly against one wall, with two matching chairs. They weren’t cheap ones, solid hardwood, smooth-edged. The kind of furniture parents bought when they wanted their child to live well, although either the tall or low table could be used for eating.

They’re wonderful... too good for me, Aoi-chan had said. I could understand at least a little why she felt that way.

The kitchen entranceway was just inside the main hallway, compact but impressively equipped. A proper gas stove beneath a beautiful counter. A microwave that looked barely used beside a rice cooker, with a kettle and toaster oven stacked neatly on a shelf above. There was even a small food processor tucked away, like someone, most likely her mother, had believed she might someday want to cook more than just survival meals.

A half-eaten container sat on the counter, the food long gone cold. It looked like she’d started eating yesterday but then lost her appetite halfway through.

She hasn’t been eating well either.

The apartment’s furnishings were too well put-together for a teenager living alone. She was being well taken care of in terms of furnishings, even living on her own.

Aoi-chan finally slowed and bent, setting me down carefully on the living room floor like she was reluctant to let go. I felt the same way.

Past the living area, I saw a closet, and beside it another door leading to her bedroom. Her balcony stretched along that side of the apartment, the glass doors letting in the morning light.

Aoi-chan crossed the floor to the balcony and slid open that door. A faint breeze that smelled like the city waking up drifted in.

Before I could linger any longer, Aoi-chan tugged my hand gently.

She pulled me down the short hallway and straight into her room.

The space was small, but it was definitely hers. A neatly made bed dominated one side of the room, its sheets pale and carefully tucked, a single extra pillow set aside like it had been adjusted more than once. A low desk sat beneath the window with textbooks stacked precisely, a lamp angled just so. On the wall above it hung a few framed photos, nothing too flashy, just quiet moments frozen in time. Everything was clean, orderly, and warm in a way I hadn’t expected.

My heart started pounding the moment I stopped analyzing and started feeling the place on an emotional level.

This is where she sleeps!

I drifted toward her bed without really meaning to, my fingers brushing her mattress as if to confirm it was real, my face feeling hot. I rolled onto her bed. Far from feeling sleepy right then, I rubbed my face against her bedding. I caught the faint scent of her body, my heart racing. I couldn’t help giggling softly.

Aoi-chan noticed.

I blushed and flipped over, looking away.

“I get to repay you for what you did to me earlier, Sumire-chan, so make sure you pay attention.” She stripped deliberately in front of me in a sexy way that drew my attention back to her. Steam poured out my ears as she did a little dance. “That cute wiggle you did drove me crazy, you know. I’m going to get your blood rushing so much, you won’t be able to fall asleep.” She winked at me. 

She stripped off each item of clothing she wore, her shirt, her bra, her shorts, her socks. She ended by wiggling out of her panties too, posing in a way that felt like she was accompanied by the explosion behind transforming sentai heroes. I buckled. If I was standing, my knees would be too weak to support me. I blushed all the harder.

She giggled teasingly as she strode to me, completely nude, and dropped down onto me. She undid her ponytail and let her hair spill around my face and brushed her lips against mine, driving me mad.

My eyes went hazy like in the karaoke room on the spot.

We can’t do this right now… Aoi-chan… we… Ahhhh…

Nothing came out of my mouth except for little whimpers.

I’d have lost control if she hadn’t spoken right then, herself.

“If we weren’t so pressed for time, I’d have a very hard time controlling myself.”

She kissed me softly, brief and gentle rather than passionate, but our tongues caressed for a long-feeling moment before she pulled back. I was a quivering puddle on her bed just from that much. She rushed over to her dresser.

I couldn’t help gazing at her perfect backside as her hips swayed whenever she moved.

DOKI-DOKI

She’s absolutely no fair…

Her uniform was folded neatly on her vanity. She got a fresh pair of panties and bra and snugged the panties over her toned hips and then the bra, drawing her breasts tighter against her chest.

Unhurriedly, she crossed the room and pulled on her school uniform. She then pulled on each item, smiling over her shoulder at me, enjoying the effect of her kiss and reverse-stripping on me. It was almost as effective.

I melted down.

DOKI-DOKI… BADUMP

I was loath to leave her apartment. Even though it was the first time I’d been inside, it already felt like a second home to me, especially considering that she’d insisted on carrying me inside.

I wonder what’s going on inside her mind… but I’m really happy anyway. Wasn’t something like that a thing that married couples do? The thought had me squealing on the inside. Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!

I couldn’t help daydreaming about moving in with her. It was completely her fault that I was fantasizing about it. In my thoughts we were sharing a day-to-day life together, exactly like a married couple, but I didn’t tell her that was what was on my mind.

She clearly needs someone to take care of her. I’d cook every meal… and then every night we’d—

The thought of curling up with her in her bed hit me all at once, and I turned scarlet, fidgeting.

Kyaaaaaaa!

Aoi caught my expression and giggled, putting her arms around me. “What are you thinking about, my little baka?”

“N-nothing…” I stammered. It was far too embarrassing to say out loud.

“Sure,” Aoi-chan said, clearly not believing me. She winked as she locked her apartment door. Then she paused, and freed a key from her keychain, and took my hand gently, but solemnly.

“You’re welcome anytime at my place, my princess,” she said, trusting me in the way only lovers did.

I nearly fainted, my eyes wide, as my fingers closed around her spare key, my heart pounding.

“A-Aoi-chan!” I stammered.

“Is this what you were thinking about? Or were you thinking about spending some time with me tonight?” Aoi winked.

DOKI-DOKI

My hand held that key so tightly to my chest it was as though I was afraid it’d evaporate or fly away from me if I didn’t.

“I love you so much Aoi-chan… Thank you…” My eyes were welling with joyful tears. Impulsively, I threw my arms around her and held her even tighter than the key, nuzzling against her face and covering it with kisses like butterfly wings.

In the middle of all my little kisses, she seized my lips with hers and shared a passionate kiss with me right there outside her apartment. Her tongue caressed mine and mine was quickly dancing around hers. A neighbor walked past us with a pink face, doing her best to look anywhere else and failing.

“Nnnnn…” I mumbled.

Aoi giggled a little as we kissed.

Two high school girls kissing each other passionately.

When the kiss ended, I gazed at Aoi lovingly, wanting to stay in her arms like that all day.

“I love you too, my princess.” She breathed, brushing my bangs away from my eyes, and my heart fluttered.

Baku floated above them, half-hidden in the morning air, watching the moment unfold.

He lifted a thick sleeve and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, snorting softly at himself.

“So she chose to live, after all,” he murmured. “Ah… youth! To be able to make such beautiful faces.”

His gaze lingered on them a moment longer, gentle and fond.

“Such love must be protected. I admit I’ve always been weak against such sentimentality.”

His expression sobered.

“And so I must protect them from that nightmare stalking them.”

He adjusted his grip on his cane and drifted higher, already thinking ahead.

“I will watch them carefully,” he added. “…and that obnoxious tanuki as well.”

A low chuckle escaped him.

“I wonder how she’s been enjoying her time as a classroom mascot ferret.”

He shook his head, amused. It might have been a little cruel to play a trick on her that lasted a whole three months, but he couldn’t stop himself. 

“If only she hadn’t threatened to dump a bucket of filth all over me like that, I might have given her a more flattering role,” he mused. “Still... this arrangement may prove useful. At times, she seems to sense its location better than I do. I imagine her animal instincts play a role.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, his attention turning inward.

“Every time the nightmare appeared, Pon-chan ran straight toward it. Despite that, the nightmare remains wily… extremely difficult to capture.”

He frowned.

“I wonder why it only watches them for now. Has it not attempted to attack them yet? Does that perhaps mean that it’s more benign in nature than I fear?”

He paused for a long moment.

“…Either way, it’s an aberration that does not belong in my dream world,” Baku said quietly, “... One that I need to understand better.”

He drifted on, thoughtful, the morning light passing cleanly through him as if he were nothing more than a dream himself.

This apartment is only a little representative of Aoi’s. It’s a bit too chaotic!

(Also I cannot fix Aoi’s eyes. The generator is having an aneurysm now. 100% incompetent and useless. ’^^)