Sunset Ghost

Growing Bonds

サンセットゴースト
Sunset Ghost
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第8章
成長する債券
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"Kageyama, I'm bored." Hinata flipped onto his stomach, gazing up at Kageyama where he sat at the counter, reading a book. The dark-haired boy spared a glance the ghost's way but otherwise said nothing, the rustling of paper filling the air as he turned the page. Hinata, however, persisted, flipping himself to a sitting position with a pout. "Kageyaaammmmaaa."

"I'm busy," Kageyama told him shortly, turning another page, though he really wasn't reading it anymore. Instead, he watched Hinata's reaction from the corner of his eye. The boy puffed out his cheeks childishly with an irritated huff. "Kageyama, you're so mean! I want to do something fun!"

"This is fun, shrimp," he replied, hiding a smirk behind his hand as he turned the page again. He'd been playing with a plethora of different nicknames for Hinata, deciding to deviate from his usual selection, which was restricted to 'idiot' and 'dumbass'. So far, 'shrimp' seemed to warrant the funniest response.

Yes. Just as Kageyama predicted, Hinata squeezed his eyes shut and wailed petulantly, "Kageyaammmmaaa, quit teasing me! I told you not to call me shrimp!" For some reason, he didn't get mad like he did with most of the other nicknames, but instead embarrassed. Kageyama guessed someone had called him it before as an insult—he was pretty shrimpy, after all. Nevertheless, it was hilarious messing with him like this. He just made it too easy.

He wasn't a complete sadist, though, so he closed his book and turned his attention to Hinata with a placating smile. "Okay, I'm sorry. What do you want to do?"

Hinata seemed startled by the apology and the question, as if he hadn't actually been expecting Kageyama to agree to do something else in the first place. Kageyama couldn't help but laugh a little at how impulsive he was. "Oh, um..." He paused, thinking it over for a moment with a frustrated expression. "Hmmm... Oh!" He popped up from his spot on the floor faster than a jack-in-the-box with an excited smile. "I got it, I got it!" He beamed. "Let's go out and dispel some Yokai!"

Kageyama rolled his eyes. "Why are you so happy saying that? It's weird. And besides, we can't do that without Yachi-san, and she's off in Shinogama all day today." Honestly, Hinata had the common sense of a toddler. After their experience a few months ago at the railroad crossing, you'd think the boy wouldn't want to go anywhere near a yokai ever again, but unfortunately, that wasn't at all the case.

In fact, Hinata seemed very persistent that they go as he shot Kageyama his signature puppy-dog look. "Pleaaasseee, Kageyama? Yachi-san told me there were a few low-level ones close by that she was too busy to take care of, so why don't we do it for her? I'm sure she would appreciate it!" He stuck out his bottom lip. "Come on, it will be easy!"

"God, okay. Just stop making that face already." Kageyama pushed him back by the cheek and stood, ignoring the ginger's annoyed huff and unknotting the green apron from around his waist. He slung it over the back of his vacated chair and stretched, glancing through the open back-room door to see Yachi's mother, Madoka, sitting behind the counter, reading a fashion magazine.

"Madoka-san, is it alright if we go out for a while?" he called back to her. The woman didn't even look up, waving her hand at them lazily. "Go ahead! It's dead around here, anyway." She glanced at them with a sly smile and a slight giggle. "The day is young, and so are you! You boys go and have some fun."

"Ah... Okay," Kageyama said cautiously, slightly unnerved by her impish facial expression. Did she know something he didn't? Was she going to dock his pay for leaving and was having a laugh about it? But... she didn't seem like the type that would do that, so what then... Gah, whatever.Grabbing his jacket from the rack by the door, Kageyama pushed open the door with a sigh. "Come on, Hinata. Hurry up or I'll leave you behind."