As expected, Michiko was at the park just blocks away behind the Mochizuki Brothel. It's fortunate the park was empty so there weren't any ghosts that'd find us suspicious. She was holding a small satin blue pouch, filled with the seeds.

"Mirai-chan!" She waved at me as I ran towards her. I was lucky that I didn't encounter any samurai on the way, nor bump into civilians.

"Where's Kiri no Tsujigiri? Wasn't he with you?"

I shook my head and made a fighting gesture. I honestly don't know what I'm doing, but . . .

"Right! You two separated to escape, didn't you?"

. . . I nodded my head.

"Here." Michiko lifted the pouch on her palm and thrusted it slightly toward me. "My lover helped me unlock the safe room. She's very talented with handiwork. And I thought the pouch would protect the seeds, so . . . " She let out a sweet smile as her pale cheeks flushed.

Oh! Thank goodness. That's a huge reassurance! I opened my palm, keeping a distance. Michiko carefully dropped the pouch into my palm. I mentally sighed in relief and thanked her in silence for the pouch. Benjiro-san did mention that humans can't touch the blue Higanbana. The seeds must be counted, as well.

Blue seed captured, mission accomplished! I guess.

"Mirai-chan . . ." Michiko gently spoke. "I don't get it. You showing up like this—Wait, you, you're not actually dead-dead, are you? Please tell me you're not!"

After all she's been through, I feel like she deserved to know. If only I had the voice to explain things to her, though. It wasn't like I was keeping this a secret anyway. Other than the fact I'm basically—still—human.

"You never said anything, and it hit me. You needed those seeds, right? And Kiri no Tsujigiri was the one you could go to! Even he was a bit, hehehe, crazy."

That's almost correct. She's just like what I remembered her to be. A small smile curved my lips.

"No idea how I ended up in all this, but hey! I'm so glad I did. I never thought I'd walk out of that brothel, not for real. I kept dreaming about running away with her, and now? You and Kiri no Tsujigiri-kun made it real!"

Still, there was something off. What really was her relationship with Kiri no Tsujigiri? She must've read my expression as she began explaining.

"My lover's already packing for the trip. Can you tell Kiri no Tsujigiri I'm seriously grateful? He saved me from thugs even after he did what I asked him! So I promised to help him, whatever it took. That's when my father saw him and assumed the worst. Old man has to ruin everything!

“I ended up pretending to be the Shinigami King's bride to fool Kamoshida while he grabbed the seeds. Crazy plan, but it unfortunately didn't work, and Kiri no Tsujigiri was almost caught. I didn't think I'd see him again, but he promised he'd come back and bail me out . . .

“I tried to keep my distance from Kamoshida as much as possible, but he just got more obsessed. But then, I reunited with her, my lover, at a ryokan I stayed in. And wow, I've never felt that kind of happiness before! I had this gut feeling that Kiri no Tsujigiri would come through again, so I returned . . . and then you showed up."

I was wrong. There was nothing between Azuri and Michiko. It was just Michiko's father seeing something that wasn't there. Strange, but I found myself mentally sighing in relief. Michiko would never be with a mean tomcat like Azuri!

. . . Was Michiko always my concern?

Her father mentioned 'one of his flings.' So there's more than one! Plural! I shouldn't be surprised. He's still a tomcat! But . . . Why did it sting slightly?

"Mirai-chan. I loved talking with you. I wish I could stay a little longer, but I have to head out. Let's meet again, okay?"

She didn't talk with me. Instead, she talked to me.

Nodding my head as if to return her words with an agreement, I opened my lips, wording, 'I'll let your father know you're safe.' 

Her eyes turned wet. She pulled something from her tied raven hair. It was an adorable little crane pin which she carefully dropped on my palm. "Show this to him. I'm afraid he'll need to see proof of that."

With a wide smile, she spread her arms for a hug.

"O-Oh! Right . . . You don't like hugs, hehe!"

I thank her parents for raising you to be so understanding. I wish I had gotten the chance to hug her, too.

"Bye, Mirai-chan! Promise you'll come back! Sooner or later! Uhm, Not that I wanted you to die early! If you bump into Kenichi-kun and Ayumi-chan, tell them I said hi and that I miss them so, so much! I can't wait to see them again! Even if they came as old grannies! Give Tsujigiri-kun thanksies for me, as well!"

She winked before walking away with a sweet chuckle. My heart felt heavy as I watched her leave my sight. She used to dream about moments like that. Walking toward someone who'd love her back just as deeply. Maybe death gave her that.

Marriage . . . If I weren't the Shi no Hanayome or the head maiden of the Urami Shrine, would anyone still see me as someone who could be a bride? Even thinking of marrying Kenichi feels like trying to fit into someone else's dream. It's just like that weird dream I had. Kenichi definitely wasn't that person in the dream, but someone else. Oh, whatever.

No one would marry a gloomy girl like me, anyway. Aside from the Shinigami King. He's got weird tastes. Anyway, what's the point in imagining unlikely scenarios? I keep thinking about going back to the brothel just to see if Azuri is okay.

I know what he'll do; he'll hiss at me for going back and call me an idiot. Still. Even if it's just him yelling at me, I need to ask him so many things. From what that captain said, Azuri wasn't a common ghost like them, or like the majority of the ghosts in this world.

He'll come back. Soon enough. For now, I should return to the pawnshop and ask Benjiro-san if he knows something about it or if there's anything I could do to be of any help.

❁

Azuri looked so fragile. Cuts, bruises, everything. It shook me more than I thought it would. I just stood there, frozen in worry.

"Shizuka-san." Benjiro-san calmly nodded at me in greeting when I came to the second floor of the pawnshop, in Azuri's room. He was lying down on his futon, unconscious. I didn't expect ghosts could get hurt, let alone get unconscious or even die, as long as they're inside the ghost realm.

The old man beckoned me to sit with them, so I walked towards them and sat beside Azuri as I sat across from the old man, who then bluntly spoke after taking a good look at my face. "Master Kashiki has merely fainted. There's no need to worry." He gave me a gentle smile.

Was I that obvious?

Ghosts are usually resistant to mortal sensations. It was a surprise that they can get injured, faint, but still not die the second time.

"I've brought him here as I was aware of the little chaos he got himself into. The soldiers were quite frail, if not cautious. They were easily incapacitated by my tangerine incense. Before he fainted, the young master informed me that the seeds were in your hands, correct?"

Tightening my hold on the pouch, I nodded.

Hold on a second! Benjiro-san knocked the guards down and carried Azuri all the way here?! With that number of samurai, he's stronger than I thought for handling them! Not just as a ghost but as an old man! 

If I can't get answers from Azuri right now, I should get some from Benjiro-san.

He spoke, "Judging by the look in your eyes, young lady, might I assume that you've learned a bit about this world and require answers?"

It's scary how this old man can almost read minds. I sheepishly nodded. Benjiro-san chuckled before rising, and later returned with the familiar paper and a coin.

"You can simply work out the questions with your lips. I've learned to read a bit of facial language myself." He chuckled haughtily. Placing my index finger on top of the coin on the paper, the first thing I thought of asking was;

'Is Azuri not a common ghost?'

Benjiro-san fixed his glasses before the coin moved on its own as he instantly answered. "He is no ordinary ghost, as most reside in this world. There are different kinds of ghosts you see; common ghosts, undead ghosts, and the shinigamis."

He didn't just brag when he could read lips!

"Common ghosts are self-explanatory. They are harmless and invisible to mortal eyes unless, of course, you enter their realm. They can only haunt treasured possessions and paintings, if unable to tamper with the living.

“They couldn't cross over because of unfinished business, regrets. That's why you'll see some lashing out, and others just stuck in grief. Some, happy with their unfinished business as they were given the chance to live again. Only then would they be able to cross-over once they've found their true peace."

That made me wonder what Michiko's true peace would be, aside from reuniting with her lover.

"Undead ghosts, or what you may recognize in the human realm as the 'urban legends' such as I, can take both physical and ghostly forms. They also have lingering regrets, which mostly stem from strong emotions such as anger, vengeance, and sorrow. They can interact with mortals and roam in their realm in physical bodies, but only for a certain period. They can also maintain their physical form as long as the moon is present in the said realm."

Azuri must be an undead ghost, then. I couldn't help but be curious about what his lingering regrets are. Since I had restricted an urban legend like Benjiro-san's abilities to interact with the mortal realm because of the chant, maybe it only works on undead ghosts. They're more powerful than the common ghosts, after all.

"As for the Shinigamis, they are deities of death who were bestowed upon the divine power to deliver death upon mortals and on religious affairs. Consider them akin to a shogun of the underworld. Few shinigamis are known as Izanami, Enma, and your soon-to-be husband, the Shinigami King."

He didn't need to emphasize that.

"Some shinigamis recruit skilled undead ghosts to assist them in continuing their legacy of delivering mortal souls for them to feed while they are under a deep slumber of idleness, to preserve their mental and spiritual prowess, and prevent them from turning into wraiths."

'Wraiths? What are those?'

Benjiro-san continued, "Shinigami turn into wraiths when they've lost sight of their duties or regain traumatic memories, which are their only source of spiritual peace. Their wrath would allow them to exterminate both humans and ghosts, maybe even themselves."

That's just terrible!

"The way they maintained themselves seemed fragile like glass. In Master Kashiki's case, he has been fulfilling his duties as the Shinigami King's henchman, in hopes to bring peace to his master by delivering the bride, for good. Should the Shinigami King have his peace, his lingering regrets that took the form of the winter threatening your town would cease."

Now I understand. A bit.

Azuri has been taking many lives all for his master. For the winter to stop. While I admired his sense of duty, there's still something I couldn't understand. Something I quite couldn't place my finger on. I'll just ask something else that's been bothering me.

'Why did Azuri try to steal the blue seeds before?'

Benjiro-san paused for a moment. "The Higanbana seeds were not only for the sake of undoing your curse, but it also had something to do with the shinigamis. Especially the Shinigami King. However, I'm afraid I am not the right person to provide a proper explanation. You may save your further inquiries for the young master."

He then chuckled to himself, "Compared to Master Kashiki, I am merely a servant to the Shinigami King. My role is to simply assist, guide, and reduce any . . . havoc, should the need arise."

I can sense his growing annoyance behind that smile from here. Benjiro-san then cleared his throat, a signal for me that I can let go of the coin as he was done explaining.

"Shizuka-san. I must trouble you to watch over the master while I brew a cup of kampo to lessen the disorder of his mind and body." Benjiro-san sighed as he rose.

There's still something I'd like to ask!

He stopped before the door and turned to me, "Undead ghosts like him also have a tendency to turn mentally unstable upon abrupt personal crises. Similar to the Shinigamis. Drinking kampo calms them down." After that, he left and slid the door close, leaving me alone with the sleeping Azuri. It was as if he answered before I even spoke. Somehow, that didn't surprise me.

That moment in the chamber felt like Azuri's hatred towards Mochizuki cracked through. Made me think of Kuchisake-onna on how she falls apart whenever she asks people if she's pretty, like she won't accept anything other than a 'no'.

I sat still, silently observing Azuri. His sleeping face was peaceful and unmoving like still rivers, almost looking like he's dead for real. Like a corpse. He was still in his kimono stained with blood and dust. Leaves stuck around in his messy hair and bruises around his pale skin. His weapon was placed on the corner of the room.

The dimly lit lantern provided a calming ambience for relaxation and tranquility, yet I wasn't honestly feeling much ease.

While I'm here, I should tend to his bruises. Curse or not, I can't pretend he hasn't helped me. The medical kit should be around here somewhere. Oh. Treating his injuries would mean . . .

Stay calm, Mirai! Just imagine yourself as a doctor like Kenichi. Aloof, composed, unfazed, and unbothered!

To think that I've never seen a man's body in such a way, Kiri no Tsujigiri would be my first, of all people! No, no, no! Nevermind that. I'll just keep watch instead!

When Benjiro-san returned, I decided to take a warm shower to clear my thoughts and wash all the cold sweat and dirt away from the escapade.