Kajai locked the door behind them and turned to Himiko, who had a look on her face as if she were expecting something. He walked past her, but she didn't move, so he stopped in his tracks. "What..."
She looped her arm in his and Kajai noticed how close in height they were. She began to walk and he did the same, but not before gazing at the almost translucent state of her eyelashes. Himiko was pretty, he'd known that before they met, but seeing her up close left him transfixed.
"Is there something on my face?" She asked.
It took him several seconds to remember how to talk. "Ah, no...There's not...There's nothing wrong...with...with your face..."
Heavy storm clouds sat over Yumekoji, the earth was saturated with water and a crisp clean smell came from the grass.
"Kajai."
"Yes?"
"Have you always lived here?"
"No. I lived on the main island and attended middle school in Tokyo. But I moved here for the quiet atmosphere."
"But why?"
They passed a thick mass of trees. Glowing eyes appeared in the dark, and the witch saw that several cats were watching them. Himiko stared at them as they walked down the hill.
"Do you leave your parents after maturity here?"
Kajai stopped. "Some people do, but..." His eyes were on the cloudy sky. "My parents died a long time ago."
They were both silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry." Her voice lowered to a whisper.
Kajai shook his head. "Don't apologize." He spoke the words with such apathy Himiko wondered how many times he had said them. He continued. "You didn't know, and I don't remember them anyway."
Himiko looked him in the eye and before he could say anything held him in a tight hug. Kajai froze, even as Himiko squeezed him.
"I'm sorry." She said again, and he knew it had a different meaning.
"I'm...alright." Kajai responded, even as his voice was breaking.
"It must have been hard." She murmured. "A journey like that is always hard, especially alone."
"...." Kajai felt warm. Part of him wanted to cry, but the tears would not come.
"Thank you."

They came to a fork in the road, and a truck passed them by.
"Where exactly are we going?" Himiko asked, her arm linked with his again.
"A few places, actually. Yumekoji has a supermarket, but to get the best prices you have to go to smaller stores."
Their first stop was a fruit and vegetable stand. Kajai took a folded reusable bag from his back pocket and Himiko was shocked when he turned the small star shape into a much larger bag.
"Hwaah!? I thought you said you couldn't use magic!"
Kajai laughed. "It's not magic. It's just good design. See?" He folded the large bag back down until it resembled a star again.
"Ohhh." Himiko clapped slowly. "Interesting."
"Uh..Yeah." Kajai unfolded the bag again."So, we're going to need...cucumbers, potatoes, carrots..." He picked what he needed and placed the vegetables in his bag.
A small elderly woman sat on a chair next to the vegetables. She held out her hand. "That will be 480."
"Yes..." Kajai plucked the appropriate coins from his wallet.
"F-Four hundred and eighty!?" Himiko exclaimed. "That's a lot of money."
"Not really." Kajai, tucking his wallet away. "Our currencies are different. Yours is based on the type of metal and area, right?"
"Right." Himiko nodded. "You don't use gold as currency anymore?"
"Well ...No. Depending on where you are in this world we use other things to represent it."
"Like...Notes from a bank?"
"Right."
Kajai looked up. "Next stop is...Butcher Takeda."
As they walked up the street, Himiko looked around. "People are staring..."
"We don't get many visitors on the island, so if you look a little different, you'll stand out. Here we are."
They walked into a small shop. Different cuts and packs of meat sat on ice packs, ranging in price depending on the origin and cut. Kajai was silent, studying the meat carefully. It had been a while since he had cooked for more than one, and he was intent on getting his money's worth.
Himiko glanced back and forth between Kajai's face and the meat, unaware of his inner turmoil.
When he had secured enough to produce 'decent portions', they continued their walk to another grocery store. This one kept its vegetables inside, as well as four rows of sauces, appliances, packaged food items, and cooking supplies. A bored girl on her phone sat behind the counter, not giving them a glance when they walked in. A mumbled " ..'elcome ['rashai]" was the only indication she was aware they had entered.
"--Getting onions and soup stock here."
At the sound of Kajai's voice the girl looked up from her phone, just as Kajai and Himiko disappeared into an aisle.
When they returned with supplies, Himiko stared at the rows of gum near the counter while Kajai placed several items down.
The girl at the register stared at them.
'Ojunko is with a foreign girl?'
While they were not in the same class, she knew who he was. In fact, she was sure everyone on the island knew the mysterious 'half', Ojunko Kajai.
"How much?" Kajai asked, with his hand dipped into his wallet.
The young woman glanced down at the items on the counter. "Two onions, one box of stock, are you buying that too?"
Himiko looked up, as she was holding up a tiny kaleidoscope. "Oh, I beg your pardon." Himiko put the toy down.
After they left, the girl pondered their relationship. Relatives? Cousins? Or could it be...?

They walked further down, towards the bay. Yumekoji's shops were all neatly lined up on one street, which lead down to the bay where one could use the ferry, buy fish, or go to the Familia Mart.
Himiko watched a car pass them by.
The stop at the fish market was quick, and the heavy smell of fish led Himiko to stay outside.
When Kajai returned, he found her watching passersby.
"Interesting..." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The smell of the sea was irritating her, but she tried to stay in high spirits.
"There are so many interesting things Mortals have created, just to make their lives easier."
"Like what?" Kajai asked as he exited the shop.
"Freezers, plastic packaging, food preservatives, automobiles, electricity for light..."
"Nowadays cars use electricity too."
"Really!?" Himiko's eyes widened.
Her closeness caused Kajai to freeze. "....A-Ah..."
"Mortals are really amazing..." Himiko pointed ahead. "What is that strange glowing place?"
"That's the Familia Mart."
A few teenagers sat outside, chatting. Entertainment was limited on the island, so many of the island's youth spent their time hanging out either around or inside the store.
"Can we go in there?" Himiko asked.
"Sure."
As they entered, the Familia Mart tune chimed, causing Himiko to look up in surprise. As they walked from aisle to aisle, Himiko picked up new and exciting things she had never seen before.
"Kajai, what's this!?"
"A manga anthology."
"What's this!?"
"Toothpaste."
"Oh, but what is this?"
"A capsule machine."
At the sight of her confused face, Kajai resolved the issue by showing her how to use the device."Put the coin in there. Turn the handle and..."
"Wow! Something came out!"
Kajai laughed. "Open it."
Himiko pried the capsule open. "This is...A tiny figurine?"
"Nn. There are different characters, so you can collect them all."
"May I play again!?"
Kajai looked away, smirking. 'Like a kid in a candy store...' "I guess, just one more time..."