In the wake of the Summit War, a yōkai hunter negotiates a pact between her clan and the Heart Pirates. The alliance is fragile from the start, but things are complicated further when her tenuous relationship with the Surgeon of Death takes an unexp...
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"...maybe the weasel was right," Penguin said glumly, slumping over the table in exhaustion. "The part timer clearly still doesn't want to be found, so we should just let her be..."
"We can't give up yet!" Shachi reprimanded him. "Captain's counting on us, remember?"
"But where else is there to check? We've been looking all day!"
"All day?" Shiori knelt across from them, setting down a laden tea tray on the kotatsu. She smiled sympathetically as she began distributing the steaming ceramic cups. "You two must be exhausted then!"
Shachi nodded gratefully and leaned in to take one. He eyed Shiori's relaxed expression over the rim of his cup before taking a tentative sip. It was somewhat of a miracle that they had crossed paths that day to begin with. She had encountered them near Tsukinoya on her way back from an errand and, upon learning of their plight, invited them to have some tea at her home for a short reprieve.
It was a kind offer, though the forwardness of it hadn't quite struck Shachi until now. He flushed a little in embarrassment and looked down. Was it strange to not think twice about it? he found himself wondering to himself. She was a young woman living alone after all, and she'd just let two pirates into her home without a moment's hesitation.
Thinking back to how she'd blindsided Arisa during their first encounter, maybe it spoke volumes of how much confidence she had in her own capabilities. Though it could also indicate a certain level of trust she had placed in them for whatever inexplicable reason. It was hard for Shachi to tell. She was cryptic in her own way.
Hell, everyone on this island seemed to be to a certain extent.
Either way, it wasn't as if he or Penguin harbored any nefarious intentions; they both were just glad for the opportunity to stretch their legs after hours of non-stop meandering.
"Did you say she was here this morning?" Penguin asked, blowing on his tea excessively before taking a sip.
"Yes. I don't know until when, though – I was out running some errands when she left."
"Ugh, of course." Penguin slumped over the low table again with a dejected sigh. "So we're back to square one. Assuming we ever left square one to begin with." He groaned. "...damn it, why did Ikkaku have to mouth off like that?"
"She must have her reasons for hating the Nightingale," Shachi mused, a small pang of guilt accompanying his words. With the benefit of hindsight, he could now clearly remember how genuinely uncomfortable their crewmate had gotten whenever that epithet came up in conversation.
Shiori's eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion at the mention as well. It was gone in an instant, however, replaced by a ruminative look as she clasped both hands around her cup and took a cautious sip of her own.
Penguin presently lifted his chin off the table, wearing a slight frown.
"Hey, Shiori-san. This might be a little insensitive for us to ask, but..."
