See You Soon

Baby sunflower

After a meeting with the officials of the underworld, Abeno goes off into the Mononokean to think. Aoi decided to stay at the Birdcage to be with the princess, so he had given the yokai there all of the meals written on a checklist to know how to prepare the food and when to feed her. He decided to stop by each day to give her the medication, monitoring her until he feels like she is safe to continue her stay.
Inside the Mononokean, he takes off his red robe and sits down to do a few assignments he's left untouched. The emptiness only echoed the intrusive thoughts about the new regions and Ashiya. It was already getting colder, and he wasn't sure whether or not the Mononokean could travel in areas where Aoi has not gone before. He continued to scribble down in his notebook,
"Hey, are you able to travel in area's you've never gone before?" The Mononokean only scribbled a question mark on the scroll. He explained the situation, which intrigued the tea room.
[If the previous master has not been there, then I'm not sure if I could.] It wrote.
[At most, I can be at the location where the sea of trees are.]
Abeno gives it some thought, setting down his pencil to think. Was there any other yokai that he could rely on to find where the barrier beyond the fog was? There were no books that he could find in the library, nor officials to rely on. It was like walking into a maze, unsure which area to go to nor if it would lead to anywhere. At times like these, he wished there was someone beside him to sort out his thoughts. The feeling in his chest clenched with each passing minute, picking at his cuticles unconsciously. As the current master, the feeling of uncertainty was recurring similarly to when Aoi left. The self doubt, anxiety, and imposter syndrome colliding into one being- struck with the undeniable reality of time itself. The tea room feels the silent pressure, understanding his thoughts and emotions. The little boy that grew up in this ever changing environment has slumped to his old habits.

Many years ago, there was a man that worked for a small shrine near the mountains. His body portrayed a different type of language, seeming to be disinterested in cleaning the rocks and leaves that place themselves on the steps as the wind passes. In fact, many people who came to visit this shrine assume he was an ex-convict due to the sharp eyes and small scar on the left side of his temple. His lips closed together like a grimace as he ran the broom back and forth, taking the small spider webs at the bottom of the stairs with it. The extreme short brown hair, clearing the nape of his neck made him wince with every gust that the earth offered.
However, there is one who would always chuckle watching the young man that jumped from the cold. A girl that would come visit once a week to give thanks to the shrine. She was a university student. Although they lived in the same town, they were separated by the red line that divided the town, making them attend different schools. She was stunning, and he has a hard time looking at her whenever she comes to visit during the weekend. Her hair was slightly darker than his own brown hair, but in his eyes, it glistened ever so brightly. They each would steal glances at each other while they were occupied.
While she tossed money into the saisen*, she would tuck her hair behind her ears as she gave a short prayer. A hidden mole behind her ear- he started placing his hand on the broom, setting his chin on top. If his hand could caress her face, sliding his thumb behind her ear to rub it ever so slightly he would-
A loud cough emerges from himself and quickly turns around to sweep. She turns around, seeing the boy with an odd posture, sweeping up the dust rather than sweeping it away. His ears were red. She tilts her head, perhaps the fall weather was making him chilly. She walks over, unwraps her red scarf and places it over his exposed nape.
"You'll get cold if you don't cover your neck!" He turns and covers his mouth with the back of his hand. The redness from his ears spread to the apples of his cheeks,
"T-Thank you..miss."
With a happy grin, she trots back down the stairs to catch the next bus.
Her movements matched that of the wind, but this wind was that of spring breeze. Like a bird, she flew wherever it took her. It was something he enjoyed and looked up to. If he could watch her fly from a distance, that itself made him happy.
After his daily routine, he would spend his time inside a tearoom located north of the shrine. This tearoom is a little further back in the ryokan (inn). It was his family's home and business, and he's spent generations living inside this small home. It's learned at a young age to keep it clean as he carries spirits into the home, they'd want a clean place to stay. The scroll displayed an old proverb from his great grandpa. The chime would be wiped inside and out to keep the dust from collecting. The tearoom has held up well over the generations, and has never looked any different. The memories are ingrained within the walls, and it made him feel at peace whenever he was in here. A small sound comes from the porch located right outside the door. To others in the neighborhood, it was a stray cat that seemed to surveillance the area in its free time, but would sometimes disappear for a few months. However, the family has always passed along a saying that "one who is around the black cat will be blessed with protection."
"Aoi-san, it's a pleasure for you to come visit."
The black cat pierced inside the young man's sharp eyes. She enters inside the tearoom, jumping onto the perch under the scroll and licks her paws to rub her face.
She was a quiet cat and never caused any trouble. He remembers in his childhood how his grandfather would open the door for her to come in and enter, treating her to some soy milk whenever we had any. Perhaps, this was the childhood cat's baby? Every generation seemingly had a black cat, but would assume by the time the black cat leaves for a few months, she may have given birth to new babies. He gets up, bending his back to rub the cat's head. Not many animals enjoy his company due to his scary faee. In fact, there was a tabby cat that ended up scratching him when he was younger right on his head. He was a good student, and passed high school with an above average grade. Instead of entering university, he stuck to working at the family business and the empty shrine.