MARRIED TO A KITSUNE

CHAPTER XIII

The second Honoree saw Inari's statue at the honden*, she knew she had woken from a long dream. The only thing is, she can still feel Yuuji's warm soft hand intertwine on hers. She turn her head on him him and when her eyes met his, he quickly withdraw and took several step backwards.

"You're the one holding my hand you know." Honoree shrugged.

"Are you crazy? Why would I do that?"

Honoree took the moment to sort out what emotion she should feel. She's dissapointed for not being allowed to stay the week at her grandfather's, understanding the implication if she does, and yet she's grateful that Yuuji accompanies her all along.

"Come with me Yuuji-san. I'll introduce you to Ojii-san."

"You don't mean to tell him Im a..."

"Of course I won't tell him, not that he'll believe me if I do." she flashes him a wry smile.

They saw two young girls toss a coin at the offering box and utters a short prayer as they passed by at the offering hall.

"Everything is the same as I remember it when I left ten days ago."

Takao was closing their house's entryway when Honoree spotted him. She run to him in an instant and wrap him around her arms. The look of mix surprise and confusion was apparent on Takao's face when she let go.

"Oh Ojii-san, I missed you."

Takao looked at her with squinting eyes. "Did you just bump your head while scrubbing the honden's* floor Hono-chan?"

Honoree embraces him again. "I do wish I had." she chuckles. "Ojii-san, I like to introduce to you Yuuji-san, a friend of mine." she turned to Yuuji while speaking, a gentle smile never leaving her face. "Yuuji-san, this is my grandfather." Honoree noticed that Yuuji's fox's ears and tails are gone and he looked human.

"A friend?" Yuuji said. He said it not in the way of asking but clarifying. He wanted to say that Honoree's married to him but Honoree flashes him a smirk as if saying that he should be silent or else she'll eat him alive.

"What a pretty boy," Takao smiled at him then shift his eyes to Honoree. "Im glad you have a friend other than Ayame-chan. Go on, bring him inside. I have other works to do so I'll see you at lunch."

Yuuji and Honoree watched Takao walked away. When they're alone, Yuuji demanded an explanation from Honoree. What he said earlier meant that Honoree will not reveal what his true identity is, but not what his true relationship to her. She should at least told Takao the truth since he's her grandfather.

Honoree's expression changed and she looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think sixteen year old girls at this modern times get married already? Dummy."

"What did you just called me?" he hissed.

She wave a hand on him. "I've got a lot of things to do before we go back. Come inside, I'll show you my room."

Just as Honoree was the first human to step off at the kingdom, it was Yuuji's first time to walk on a traditional japanese home. He was just looking at Takao's house from the shrine for a hundred years and he never expects that it will be a lot different from their mansion. Honoree instructs him to change his shoes first to a simple slipper at the shoebox adjacent to the entry way before walking inside. The doors are made of paper screens, allowing little light to come through and the floors are built on wood. When Yuuji sniffs the air, he noticed that Honoree's smell lingers in every corner of the house.

Honoree's room is upstairs and when they got there, she rush to the electricity outlet and connects her mobile phone. Its been out of battery for a couple of days. "This is my room Yuuji-san, you can do whatever you want in here. I have a lot of video games at the drawer, feel free to play. But don't ever touch anything on my study table. I'll goo down for a minute and get us a sweet."