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Locke 17

Vengeance

Mr. All Or Nothing

Title from Old English, Dutch, German, and English:


one who had residence near an enclosure,



particularly one that could be locked; a barrier.







[Modern] [supernatural] [Romance]







Backstory

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The gods and demons have been at odds for the longest time,


waging war against each other through aeons.



It all came to a ceasefire when Touya Ishikawa, a shrine keeper with strong magical powers,


sealed the Demon Lord away with the guidance and aid of the gods.



While several underlings of the Demon Lord lived on,



they proved to be no threat, abstaining from causing a significant havoc in the mortal realm.



That was, until they discovered the truth behind the seal.



Touya's magical power was what fuelled the seal,



keeping it intact and secure.



Even though he has passed away,



his essence ran in the veins of his children,



continuously protecting the seal in his place.



To severe the human's bloodline would mean the instant break of the seal.



The task proved to be difficult, however,



as Touya's descendants flourished and thrived with many a child.



They picked off a few throughout the centuries,



but never managed to completely finish the deed.



They soon learned a traitor of their kind had been assigned to protect the humans from harm.


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Finally, though, an only child was sired.



This may be their only chance to get rid of Ishikawa's bloodline once and for all,



and avenge their Demon Lord.




Primary Cast





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Ishikawa Aika is the current and sole heiress of the Ishikawa household. Raised in a loving family, she is an optimistic and sharing girl who has a saviour complex - helping others is her instinct. Thus, opportunist classmates frequently take advantage of her gullibility, which also becomes a dual-edged sword for Aika as she is both courageous and reckless.


A girl who gives it her all in her performance, she has stellar academic results, although when speaking of a love life, she's getting a huge zero. Aika gravitates towards a feminine and cute fashion, and often dons her hair with flower pins.



Due to an unpleasant encounter with a male pervert, Aika has developed a mild case of
androphobia (fear of men). At such, she moved to an all-girls boarding academy to continue her middle school education.


Her birthday is on the 5th of December. After an accident that left her hospitalised for weeks, recently-turned-16 Aika had been spending her days in the Jinshin Hospital (translate: Mercy Hospital) doing her best to recuperate. However, she soon discovered that the incident was not circumstantial, but rather, a devised plot to kill her. A thwarted assassination shed light on the true identities of her childhood friend Kohaku, and herself.



It so happened that her ancestor, Ishikawa Touya, had managed to seal off the Demon Lord with the aid of the heaven's gods over 500 years ago. The continual of his bloodline is the only way to keep the seal intact, and the descendants of Tachibana Shizuki had been promised service to protect the Ishikawa household until the end of time.





Now, Aika must preserver and survive until her 17th birthday, when her power bides to its fullest, ensuring her safety.


_


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Tachibana Kohaku has known Aika since they were young, having lived in the same neighbourhood, a carefully conceived plan by her uncle Kimitsu. She is energetic but not as upbeat as Aika, a more assertive girl who would do anything to obtain what she needs. Her Achilles' heel is her younger brother, Wakaba, who shares the same birthday (but not year) as her.


By staying close to Aika and absorbing her essence, she has gained a degree of power herself. Kohaku is a mountain-rose demon (gene traces inherited from her grandmother). She has the power to persuade others into a bidding, although this ability dwindles into a weak suggestion if she is away from Aika for too long as the essence wears off.






Early on, she followed Aika to an all-girls' boarding school with the reason that she was worried for her (which she was, only not genuinely as a friend, but rather a paranoid guardian). Over the years, her concern for Aika had developed into a certain level of sincerity.



As it was difficult for her to keep watch of Aika with so many people around, she often skipped out on home visits when the holidays arrived to stay close to her warden. While in the streets, Aika was left unguarded for a moment when Kohaku was distracted with a decoy set-up by the malevolent demons. It was then that the gate keeper was critically wounded by an un-braked van rushing downhill, subsequently leading to the events in the Jinshin Hospital.



She has always felt bad for not being around more for her brother. In order to compensate and maintain their relationship, Kohaku would text or call her brother whenever possible, much to the aggravation of the latter, who complained, "Because of the phone bill you dumped on me, I can't get a girlfriend!".



_



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Tachibana Wakaba is Kohaku's younger brother, born on the same day and month as her (21st March). Because of this connection, he always feels lonely when he celebrates his birthday without her.


This sense of loneliness infested into a resentment when he learned of his family's purpose: to protect the Ishikawa, which he perceived as a barrier between the two siblings. This grudge is intensified by Kohaku's unwavering devotion towards her guardian duty.



He has a higher affinity to the roots of his bloodline, being Aika's true guardian. By merely being exposed to Aika's presence, he can absorb her essence from her more efficiently than Kohaku, and unlike his older sister, Wakaba retains essence received from the gate keeper.



To reduce the pain of being alone most of the times, Wakaba animated a lotus root into a disfigured living doll to accompany him at home, naming the doll "Ren" (?).



Initially, he wanted nothing to do with his destiny and chose to ignore the existence of Aika.
When the gate keeper encountered a near-death experience, he felt the impact of her survival directly linked to his, and feared that Aika's demise would spell out the same fate for him, and his sister. As a result, he relented and took up his duty as Aika's guardian, replacing Kohaku who acted as reagent until Wakaba was mentally ready.





He appeared before Aika as her guardian after slaying a
jorogumo (spider demon) that masqueraded herself as a hospital nurse in an attempt to kill the garden keeper. Although it was ideal for guardians to keep the truth concealed as much as possible, Wakaba, ruffled and spiteful, spilled every detail to the startled girl.


_



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Suzuki Kuranosuke attended a gokon (crewdate) when his friends needed someone to balance the boy-girl ratio. Feeling uneasy to turn them down, he agreed and went, where he met Aika who was also pressurised into attending.


Seeing such, he made a proposition to her and they fled out from the
izakaya (sake restaurant). After spending the evening together in a closeby manga cafe, they exchanged numbers and became texting buddies.


One day, his friends dared him to send a love letter to Aika, whom they found out had been single since birth, keeping his glasses hostage. Agitated and desperate, he sneaked his way into Aika's school in a flimsy disguise (that worked, much to his surprise). Lost, he stumbled around and saw Aika, who was with Kohaku, a girl he remebered seeing at the gokon.



Not wanting to do his deed in front of the redhead next to Aika, he went into an empty classroom to hide, hoping the two girls would pass by. To his dismay, Kohaku dragged Aika into the room and began discussing about the supernatural with her. In his startled state, he exposed his hideout and admitted to hearing the secret. While Kohaku had intended to kill him, Aika vehemently fought with her to spare his life.



Kuranosuke had since then felt even more fond of Aika, although he is unsure what his feelings for her exactly are. Despite the dangers involved, he often tries his best to support her in any form he can, with the knowledge he holds about the supernatural from his avid interest in
youkai and Japanese folklore.


Secondary Characters



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Ishikawa Ichirou and Ayaka are the protective parents of Aika. The former is an easygoing man, a joker at heart; it is obvious that Aika's upbeat personality was greatly nurtured by his influence. He in unaware of the Ishikawa family secrets as his guardian, Kimitsu, never revealed more than necessary to him. Hence he believes that he and his daughter are just "accident-prone". Oblivious to their mortal bond, Ichirou once confessed to Kimitsu that he would entrust his entire family to his bestfriend should he becomes "unable to take care of them".


His wife is more acute to the underlying tension and has more than once suspected beyond the fabrication tailored by Kimitsu. However, she chooses to remain quiet due to the close brotherhood between her husband and him. Aika is closer to her, and this is reflected in how easily Ayaka tells her daughter's expressions apart. She is in a healthy relationship with her parents, who also adore Ichirou's cheerful spirit.







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Kimitsu is the true guardian of Ichirou, Aika's father, as well as the uncle of the Tachibana siblings. He is a vine demon, and has the ability to manipulate tree vines as well as roots. Usually, he gives off a jovial and goofy impression - a disguise to conceal his utmost serious side, a facet of his personality that only the closest to him know. Kimitsu treats Aika as his own child.


He used to juggle between taking care of his niece and nephew after the sudden disappearance of his cousin, Tachibana Rin, before deciding to put them close with the Ishikawa to lessen the burden of having to simultaneously protect Ichirou's family. He is aware of the strong marriage between his bestfriend and Ayaka, whom he is unsure of how to deal with as he well knows that she suspects his real background, and tries to conceal his less than righteous attention towards her, finding her both a nuisance that threatens his exposure and lovely, intelligent woman.







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Tachibana Rin was the true guardian of Ishikawa Chie, Ichirou's older sister. After a quarrel between them, Chie sent him away out of anger, and he in turn left for a moment, only to return in panic when he felt his essence source undetectable. In grief that he failed his duty, Rin exalted himself from his family and went off to atone his sins aimlessly. His wife, Nao, left the children to Kimitsu after three years of chronic depression and went off with another man. His whereabouts have since been unknown. 
500 years ago.





"Shizuki, tree dryad. Heed. You have done no wrong all your existence, choosing to live in peace far away from civilisation. For that, you have been granted a human form to dwell the mortal world. In exchange, you are given one mission. You must protect the Ishikawa bloodline from harm, ensuring the stability of the gate seal. Should you fail, you and your descendants will cease to exist."


400 years ago.





"The seal is not invincible! We must destroy the damned priest's bloodline!"


300 years ago.





"Traitors! You have been helping the enemy all along!"


200 years ago.





"Have we no chance? The seal is unbreakable now that the child has grown .."


10 years ago.





"Otou-chan!"


"Kohaku .."


"Please don't leave."


"I failed as a guardian. This is my punishment - an endless sense of loss."


"But-"


"Please promise me you won't follow my footsteps. You'll do well?"


"I'll .. I'll be a good guardian and protect the humans."


"Good girl."


"Otou-chan? Otou-chan!"


"Otou-chan!"


"Nee-chan? What's wrong? Did you dream of our father again?"


A muffled sob.


"Don't think about him! He left us, and our mother as well."


"Wakaba .."


"I only have you, nee-chan. Please be well."


"I'll do well .."


"?"


9 years ago.





"Kohaku, Wakaba, this is Aika-chan."


"Hello! I'm Kohaku, Tachibaba Kohaku. This is my baby brother Wakaba. He's 7, I'm 8."


"Hi .." A bright red face. "I-I'm Aika! Ishikawa Aika! Nice to meet you." A bow.


"O-Oh." The other bowed as well. "Ouch!"


The boy stared at the two girls before snorting. "Don't bow so close to each other."


The two girls looked at each other before giggling.


8 years ago.





"Nee-chan?! Why are you bleeding?"


"The rose grew so fast when I touched it .."


"Nee-chan .."


"This power .. Ai-chan's essence .. is so strong."


7 years ago.





"Ai-chan, why don't you go in to read a manga first? I'll go buy us some snacks."


"Okay! Be careful when you cross the street, Ko-chan!"


"T-That's you .."


A giggle. A chime.


"Back off or I'll kill you."


"What can a stupid little girl like you do?"


"Do you want to find out?"


..


A chime. A cry.


"Ai-chan, what's wrong?!"


"There was a man inside. I think he's a pervert .. he kept looking at me weirdly."


"Wh- ?! I was careless .."


"I want to go home .."


"Yes, let's go home .."


They walked past an alley with a deformed figure glued to the grimey wall, rose vines prickled with thorn coiling over the bloody mess in life.


5 years ago.





"I'm moving out to an all-girls academy with Ai-chan."


"But-"


"I have to protect her at all costs, Wakaba!"


".. I hate all this."


3 years ago.





"It feels lonely without you on our birthday, nee-chan."


A year ago.





"We must kill her before it is too late."


Present Day

The redhead poked her head in the ward door, peering around shyly before leaning closer in to visit her hospitalised friend. "Ai-chan?"
 
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Aika, who had been half asleep, snapped to attention at the call of her name. She glanced towards the entrance and gave the redhead a sleepy smile. "Hi, Ko-chan."
 
"Ai-chan," Kohaku's usually stern voice trembled as she soaked in the sight of her warden in the white patient bed, frame small - and so much more in comparison to the furniture - tucked under the blue sheets that were already greying out. The room looked sad, and unfitting for someone like the Ishikawa heiress.


Soberly, she slid in and closed the door as quiet as she could, throwing a glance over at her friend (flinching again at the scene), a pink recycle bag held protectively in her embrace. With a deep breath inhaled, she exhaled with a shudder and smiled weakly, taking a seat next to Aika's bed, a chair prepared for visitors. The metal legs felt freezing cold on her skin, so she crossed her legs and brought them away from touching the metallic surface.


"I brought you some things to read," she encouragingly spoke, "for when you're better. The doctor says you should be stress-free these two, three weeks. So get better soon, okay?"


The patient has fractured her right ulna and humerus, so please try to prevent her from using her right arm for the time being until it fully recovers. She also suffered from an infection from one of her wounds, but rest assured, the fever was under control and has now passed. What is most worrying right now are possible side-effects from her concussion in the traffic accident. She may suffer from vision disturbances - whether they are temporary, or not, we will need to observe her further ..





Kohaku gripped the cloth material of her bag tighter and robotically placed it on the floor, resting it against the nightstand next to her friend's bed. "How are you feeling?"
 
Aika had awakened earlier to an empty room. She didn't quite remember what had happened. Some sort of accident? Most of her body was aching and the rest felt numb. When she tried to shift, move her right arm, a sharp shot of pain had gone through her whole arm, leaving her gasping. So she decided to just stay still and go back to sleep, to erase the pain.. when Kohaku came in. She was very glad to see her redheaded friend, though.


The brunette glanced at the pink recycle bag and her features brightened. "Thanks, Ko-chan," she said. She then glanced up at the girl again and gave her a weak smiled. "I'm feeling okay, Ko-chan," she lied, "don't worry about me."


Aika turned her head slightly to look out the window. It was snowing. Right, December. What was the date, though? Aika shifted her gaze back to Kohaku. "Hey, why are you here? It's Christmas holiday already, right? Didn't you promise your brother that you would spend time with him this Christmas?" What happened? she asked herself silently.
 
"Ah, ha," Kohaku let out a strained laugh, "It's actually 2 days after New Years'. You missed the fireworks and eggnog - well, you don't drink much to begin with .."


She took a breath, shivering from both the cold on her skin and inside, and placed a shaky hand on the nightstand, leaning in, "Ai-chan, I'm sorry- I .. I shouldn't have left you out of my sight- I should have protected you."
 
January, huh. Not December. How long has she been in this place? Aika really couldn't remember.


The brunette gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Ko-chan, it's really not your fault. I don't remember what happened but it's probably because I was clumsy and careless again. Please don't worry." Aika's gaze turned sad. "So you didn't go see your brother, huh. I'm really sorry, because I did something stupid..."
 
Amber eyes watered up, but their owner blinked the moist away. "I didn't go see Wakaba, but he came. It's about time he takes initiative in something for once, anyway. He'll be here tomorrow! You'll get to see him again," she offered a small smile, then looked at the window to see a stretch of white outside, afternoon rays of the sun useless to the cold. At least it would warm up soon enough.


"Ah, that's right," the redhead leaned back into her seat again and fiddled with her fingers, tracing a nail along her palm lines. "Have your parents visited you yet?"
 
Aika returned the redhead's smile. "Mm. I haven't seen Wakaba in a really, really long time.. I'm really excited to see him! Although, he'd have to see me like this.. I hope he wouldn't mind." The girl chewed on her lip.


"My parents?" she shook her head slowly. "I don't know. I can't remember. I think I just woke up a little while ago.. no one was here."


Aika looked at Kohaku and attempted to catch the girl's eyes. "Would it be okay for me to ask you what happened?"
 
"No one was here?" Kohaku's red eyebrows came closer together. That's odd. I thought Kimitsu-ossan requested extra people to watch over Ai-chan.





"W-Well," she collected herself and leaned into her seat, taking a deep breath, "Do you remember that we went shopping for Christmas gifts, on the 21st? I said I wanted to get a traditional flute for Wakaba, and they're hard to find so we went to a particular area in the district.


It was busy, of course, such a season. We were crossing the road, and-" She blinked her eyes, trying not to suck herself into a bad memory lane, "And I went off. That's when a van left unparked properly on a steep slope ran its way to you."


She wasn't sure if she could sit here quietly and wait for Aika to react as memories were bound to wash over, so she paced towards the window and pushed the window knob down before tilting the window pane outwards. There was a soft but distinct sound of snow crunching as it floated down over the top of the pane's edge. It sounded like her pride.
 
Aika's eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to remember. She then closed her eyes. She remembered going to a particular area in the district in search of a traditional flute for Wakaba.. she remembered that much. She remembered Kohaku suddenly running.. a flute had caught her eye, perhaps? She remembered turning and looking up the slope that led to wear she was standing, by the side of the road. A van.. a van! By the time she turned to look, the van was already halfway down the steep slope. She remembered other people shouting, but she didn't remember anything else. Though what had happened was obvious. She got hit by a van.


So she had been careless. If only she had been aware of her surroundings... The brunette opened her eyes and let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, Ko-chan," she said quietly. She looked down at the faded blue sheets.
 
A shiver ran up her spine and made her shudder, hearing Aika's apology. Kohaku turned around and shook her head, lips pursed. "I-"


"-the patient- Oh," the door, left unclosed when Kohaku entered, was an easy entrance, "well, hello there," the doctor, in his white coat and spectacles' glory, was carrying a clipboard, presumably the latest notes on Aika's health. Behind him, a boy with blonde hair and orange-white-striped shirt was trailing nervously. He looked younger than what would be his real age, with the pink headphones around his neck, and jeans that were purple fitting him like a fashion model.


".. you!" Kohaku snarled, "Suzuki, what are you doing here?"


The boy jumped in his skin. "I came to visit Ishikawa-san!"
 
Aika turned at the voice. "Hi," she replied to the doctor's greeting, a small smile back on her face. She then noticed the blonde-haired boy that followed the doctor inside.


"Suzuki-kun!" Aika's smiled widened. "What are you doing here?" That was a stupid question, she realized, as soon as she said it. Of course he came here to visit her, right? Though he really didn't have to..


Aika then glanced at Kohaku, hoping that her redheaded friend would be decent to Suzuki this time (she wasn't exactly friendly at the gokon).. although that 'greeting' of hers was already bad start.
 
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Having his motive chorused by both girls within such a short span of time, Kuranosuke flinched. He really did get ahead of himself; after all, Ishikawa-san had only talked to him through texting ..


"I heard about your accident through a friend of mine-"


"People were gossiping about Ai-chan at your school?!"


"-and, what? No, no! They just talk about her because .."


"Because what?"


"Haa! Doctor, all this shouting must be bad for Ishikawa-san, right?" He looked pleadingly at the doctor, who was already veiled with a stormy expression.


"Yes, I do request that you lower your volumes. This is a ward room." He looked pointedly at Kohaku, who sniffed in distaste and folded her arms, turning away from the duo.


Kuranosuke exhaled in relief and adjusted his glasses before pacing shyly to the side of Aika's bed. The chair seemed to be appointed as the most popular furniture of the day. He fiddled with the wires of his headphones before offering a bright, warm smile, a very different temperature compared to the snow outside. "Long time no see, Ishikawa-san." He didn't comment on the poor fortune of reuniting under such circumstances. "How are you?"


Kohaku flared again in the background, but the doctor made another subtle snap at her, all the while making notes in the room. "Please ignore me, I'm just observing the patient's condition and her speech, visuals and movement impairment, if any."


The redhead had a sour expression, arms folded even more tightly.
 
Aika's eyes went back and forth from Suzuki to Kohaku. She parted her lips to say something, but the doctor responded before she got the chance to say anything, so she closed them again. She was thankful, though. Their voices weren't exactly soft, and they were starting to give her a slight headache..


"Mm," the brunette responded quietly, a small smile on her face, "long time no see, Suzuki-kun. I'm fine, thanks."


She didn't know what else to say. She hadn't expected Suzuki's visit at all.. after the gokon, they've only spoken to each other via text messaging. And even though they've done so frequently, talking in real life is quite different.


"T-thank you, for visiting. It's very nice of you.. Though you really didn't have to."
 
Despite the embarrassment, Kuranosuke laughed his regular laugh. "Everyone needs a blonde friend to cheer them up while they're sick! It's the generic manga element."


"Yeah, the dumb blonde," Kohaku quipped.


The blonde's spirit deflated like a whoopie cushion sat on by a sumo wrestler. But he bounced back as quickly. "I brought you music, Ishikawa-san!"


The doctor cleared his throat and took a few imposing strides to the bed, his shoes clicking ominously. "Please make sure it is only relaxing music. Any stress to the patient will be detrimental."


"Is this okay for you, Ishikawa-san?" He grasped both muffs of his earphones and took them off, placing it in her lap as he fumbled around for a play button on his iPod Touch.


>>> Music <<<
 
Aika shot Kohaku a quick look that said 'please stop being mean to him' before turning her attention back to Kuranosuke.


She looked at the earphones on her lap and reached for them curiously, putting them on. As soon as the music greeted her, a smile started to grow on her face. The music sounded like bells.. sort of. Or maybe a xylophone. It was a nice tune- she decided that she liked it.


Aika took the earphones off when the music had stopped, and she smiled up at Kuranosuke. "Thank you, Suzuki-kun."
 
The blond hummed in a triumphant note, causing the redhead to skulk.


As the doctor moved closer, his elbow bumped into Kuranosuke's black glasses, knocking it off in an accident. It bounced in his lap before sliding off the side onto the floor. Kohaku visibly tensed, but the blond seemed to be reeling in from the occurrence still.


"Oh, sorry," the doctor blinked and glanced away from his clipboard. The other male waved it off with a laugh and fetched his glasses from the floor. He wiped it with his shirt, all the while smiling at Aika in a friendly manner, unlike the female Tachibana who suddenly stalked towards the entrance, frantically glancing around.


The hallway was quite empty.


"It's time for Ishikawa-san's check up," the doctor spoke with an implying tone. Kohaku, without a pause, insisted that she'd stay. On the other hand, Kuranosuke seemed ready to excuse himself.


"I'll visit again tomorrow," he waved with a grin. As his footsteps made a somber pitter patter towards the door, the blond male took a momentary pause next to the redhead, whose eyes narrowed at him. He left.


The doctor, oblivious to the tension in the air, was content to get his job done. He extracted a flashlight from his coat pocket and made a gesture at Aika. "Ishikawa-san, I'm going to need you to look at the light for a few seconds, okay? Try looking left and right as well."
 
When Kuranosuke's glasses fell, Aika's eyebrows raised in surprised. "Are you okay?" she asked. The brunette was oblivious to Kohaku's restlessness.


"Mm, okay then. See you tomorrow, Suzuki-kun. Thank you!" the girl said to Kuranosuke when he said his farewell. She gave him a smile and raised her hand to wave at him to find that it was shaking slightly. She quickly brought it back down.


"Hm? Oh, mm." Aika did as the doctor instructed. She looked at the bright light for a couple of seconds before looking left, then right. Her head was starting to throb slightly.


"I-is everything okay, doctor? Will I be able to get released soon?"
 
The doctor was unnervingly close, although he also kept a professional (yet intimidating) posture as he bent over.


"Hmm.. your pupils are dilating and contracting as expected," the doctor scribbled onto his note, metal tip making skritch skritch sounds on paper. "No retina damage from initial observation as well." His face was barely concealed from Aika's vision by the board; dark eyes peeked over at her in scrutiny.


"Yes, yes. You should be able to leave in ten days to 2 weeks.. We just need to have your bones properly healed up before discharging you." With a smile, he slipped his pen cap over the edge of the board and kept the stationery there, already making his way out. "Visiting time will be over in half an hour, miss," he reminded with a gentle voice that held the edge of steel.


Kohaku merely spared him a paranoid glance before pushing herself off the wall to close the door. She took a moment to collect herself, then hesitantly strolled towards Aika, sitting at the chair again. She grimaced at the leftover warmth from Kuranosuke. It felt disgusting.


"Ai-chan, have your parents ever told you about stories of gods and demons? Ancestral mythology?"
 
Aika didn't find the doctor intimidating at all. She let out a soft sigh of relief when he finished checking her. "That's good," she said quietly, more to herself. Then she processed the the last bit of what he said and snapped her head up to look at him. "Two weeks?!" The brunette sunk lower on her bed, under the covers. She stared gloomily at the pale wall across from her. Two weeks! How was that 'soon'?





Aika was so immersed in her own thoughts that she didn't even realise that the doctor had left. Kohaku's question finally snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned her head slightly to look at the redhead, who had sat back in the chair beside her bed. Aika chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to think back on stories her parents told. "Hmm.., " she began, "ancestral mythology?" Aika shook her head. "Not any more than the usual stories. My family is Shinto, but we're not really that religious."
 

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