Haruko Isobe stood hesitating at the corner of the small side-street paved in old worn grey granite flag-stones that meandered past The Yokai Cafe. Shoko had asked her to meet her there at eleven, and it was nearly that now… but still she wavered. She hadn’t told her family where she was going nor who she was meeting, they thought she was just going shopping.
Her family would not understand, at all! They’d be terrified that Shoko would do something awful! After all, Shoko was a fox spirit, and she was a Usagi, a rabbit spirit. By all tradition, they were enemies, predator and prey. Usagi by their very nature were not brave, they hid usually, ran if they had to… they did not fight and they certainly did not date kitsune. Although there were stories, but they just stories. No Usagi would ever be brave enough to become a samuari… or so she’d thought.
Haruko had never thought of herself as being brave, her whole life she’d hid what she was, even after yokai like her were supposedly protected by law. Her parents told her that just because the laws had changed over night didn’t mean people had. That it was risking rejection, hatefulness and even possible harm to reveal her nature outside of the safety of their home.
Haruko, even before she’d met Shoko, had trusted her few friends at school. Most of whom were also used to concealing themselves as human. There had been a very few humans, two to be precise, whom she’d told…after what was becoming to be called The Great Revealing. Then the start of the spring term and the new school year had brought Shoko, announcing to everyone what she was, openly being a kitsune for all to see.
Haruko had felt like she’d been hit by lightning, she’d recognised Shoko from the Halloween festival the year before. Long before the existence of yokai was made public. Even back then she’d been open about who and what she was… she’d even told the whole world, putting it into song and putting it on the internet, as part of the band Yokai Metal.
Shoko shone so very brightly in Haruko’s eyes, lit from within by her truth of who she was, that Haruko couldn’t help feel dazzled. Then she’d gotten to know her, and realised that she wasn’t some idol to be admired from a distance, she was real, a person… just a lot braver than Haruko. So brave in fact, that Shoko didn’t even realise she was being brave! She just treated it as matter of fact.
Haruko’s eyes had been opened by Shoko. She didn’t understand why she felt pulled to the fizzing sparkling firework of a kitsune, she shouldn’t ought to… but she did! Slowly Haruko felt that perhaps, she too could be a little bit brave as well.
Not however, it seemed, quite brave enough to enter The Yokai cafe, when doing so would mean admitting publicly that she was in fact, a yokai, and not human like she usually pretended to be. The cafe didn’t exactly bar humans, but it almost all of it’s customers were yokai, or so it was rumoured.
Haruko squealed as she found herself being suddenly pounced upon, tackled and ensnared in a … hug?
“Usagi-chan! You’re early! Why are standing out here though?”
Haruko wondered briefly if her heart could actually beat any faster without bursting? Pressing her hand against her chest, and breathing deeply she looked at the grinning Shoko.
“Please, don’t so that! You almost frightened me to death!”
Shoko grinned.
“Sorry, sorry… but if you drop dead I suppose I’d have to kiss you and bring you back.”
Haruko could feel herself blush, a tingling wave of heat rushing up from her feet to the tips of her ears, leaving her breaking out in sweat. She tried to speak, but nothing came out past the lump in her throat, save for a strangled squeak. Laughing, Shoko took Haruko’s limp hand and tugging on it, lead her down the narrow street, towards the door of The Yokai cafe.
The bronze wind chimes over the door rang a merry arpeggio as Shoko and the still dazed Haruko entered. Shoko grinned as the teenage neko girl dressed in a maids uniform hurried over, bowing as she said.
“Welcome home Mistresses...Oh! You’re early Shoko!”
“I brought Usagi-chan, thought we could have a coffee date before I started work. Usaki-chan’s an artist, a really good one, do you think when you take your lunch break you could pose for her? I’m going to, just before my shift.”
Etsu blinked, taking a moment to process the light-speed torrent of chatter from the excited Shoko.
“A date?! Oh, right… table by the kitchen door then?”
Shoko nodded, making a “Umhmm!” sound of agreement as Etsu caught up with the rest of the conversation..
“Wait… posing...in my uniform?”
“Yup! Usagi-chan is a mangaka! Her art is really good.. please Etsu, I’ll owe you a favour!”
Haruko finally came out of her daze to query Shoko.
“W.w.wait! Wouldn’t I owe her a favour if she’s posing for me?”
Shoko shook her head.
“Nuh-uh, I asked her, as favour to you, so you owe me and I owe Etsu.. you see?”
Shoko looked between Etsu and Haruko as they both said at the same time.
“No!”
“Not really!”
Etsu laughed, shaking her head.
“Hare brained as ever Shoko! Well it doesn’t matter who owes what to whom anyway. I’ll be happy to pose for you... Ah….Usagi-chan?”
“Haruko Isobe, pleased to meet you and thank you very much. Shoko just calls me that because…”
Haruko paused, and looked around the cafe, there really was only yokai here, then shyly she moved her braids, revealing her ears. Etsu blinked, and smiled.
“First time? Don’t worry, you’re quite safe here. Please allow me to show you to your seat mistress… and Shoko, please don’t disturb the other customers.”
Shoko looked contrite and nodded.
“I’ll be good, we are on a date after all.”
Etsu flashed a grin at Shoko and the slowly mortifying Haruko.
“I’ll tell Kokoro-sama. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled, you know what a romantic she is!”
Etsu showed them to a table built for two, tucked into a corner near to the kitchen door, leaving them with a menu each. Haruko buried her face in hers, trying to will away the blush that was threatening to become a permanent feature. After a moment Shoko tapped the top of the stiff card with one finger tip.
“Daily specials are up on the chalk board behind you Usagi-chan, the menu just has the regular stuff.”
Haruko glanced over her shoulder towards the chalk board. When she turned back around, she suddenly found Shoko had leaned forward, so much so that their lips almost touched. Haruko flushed again, and leaned back fast enough her chair rocked.
“Shoko!”
Shoko grinned, unrepentantly unabashed.
“Almost! Oh well, better luck next time.”
Haruko blinked at her, and without thinking spoke.
“B..but why? You could’ve just asked...”
Haruko’s eyes widened as she realised what she’d said, and she clapped her hand over her mouth as if to belatedly try and stop the words falling out. Shoko grinned slowly, slyly…
“May I?”
Haruko shook her head, still wide eyed and blushing. In a strangled whisper she managed to choke out.
“Not in public!”
“Later then?”
Haruko, if at all possible, blushed even redder, but nodded. Shoko still smiling sat back and after merely glancing at the menu said more to herself than anything..
“I think I’ll have the hazelnut chocolate torte with raspberry creme fresh filling, what about you?”
Glad of the distraction Haruko studied the menu, then carefully glanced back over her shoulder at the specials.
“I like the sound of the Parfit with summer berry Mousse, although, what’s the Tea for Two like?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea! It’s a pot of tea, enough for both of us, but it comes with a plate of mini cakes and fancies, whatever Kokoro-sama feels like making that day, so it’s never quite the same each time. There’s a card that comes with it, that you can fill in to tell her which ones you liked and what you thought of them. If enough people like something, that becomes a regular full sized item on the menu.”
Haruko nodded.
“That’s clever, shall we have that then?”
Kokoro-sama herself emerged from the kitchen to take their order… Haruko was somewhat unnerved by the smile on the Oni’s face, at first, but she talked in such a soft voice, and she looked charming in what Haruko thought of as a butlers uniform, that she quickly grew at ease with her.
Once she left their table Haruko whispered to Shoko.
“I like her, she’s kind!”
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Shoko nodded.
“She is! I think it’s because she makes these teeny tiny spun sugar things.”
Haruko blinked, and looked puzzled at Shoko, who shrugged.
“She’s really strong, much stronger than an Oni. Oh, I know she looks a bit, well, a lot like one, but she’s actually an Ogre, from Europe, they’re maybe sort of related Paul-sama says. Kokoro-sama told me she grew up wanting to be a chief, one of those fancy ones, but because she’s so strong she kept ruining things at first. So she learnt to control her strength really well… and that meant controlling her emotions or so she says. So.. she learnt how to be gentle and as she says, you can’t be gentle without kindness.”
Haruko blinked slowly, absorbing the notion, and then grinned slowly…
“You know… that would make a wonderful manga. I wonder if she’d let me make that?”
Shoko looked at Haruko for a moment, then slowly grinned.
“Yeahhh… it would. I mean you’d have to change details I suppose, but the Ogre who became a famous pastry chief and opened a little cafe somewhere in France… I’d read that!”
Haruko nodded enthusiastically, then stopped as she was struck by a thought.
“Wait, you said she was European? Why did she come here to open a cafe?”
Shoko shook her head.
“Nuh-uh.. Kokoro-sama was born here, her family are from Europe. They’re refugees just like the oni. But it’s her ambition to study in France, they have a whole academy for that in Paris, and then she wants to open a cafe there. That’s why she makes all different sorts of things, she’s practising. Plus the cafe here is so she can afford to go to Paris.”
“Ohhh…. She sounds like a very dedicated sort of person!”
Shoko nodded.
“She is, yes. Strong as she is, her will is stronger!”
Silence fell between them for a moment, Haruko was somewhat frantically trying to think of what to say, when she looked up and caught Shoko’s gaze...and it occurred to her that maybe she didn’t know what to say or do next either. After all, from what she’d said, Shoko had little experience too.
And like that, Haruko’s anxiety fled, and her lips curled up in a small smile.
“So… you don’t know what to say either?”
Shoko laughed and nodded.
“Yeah! I don’t really know all that much about dating. I was trying to think what next!”
Haruko laughed, and Shoko joined in, as the tension in the air vanished like morning mist in spring.
With a smile Haruko suggested.
“Perhaps we should just.. not think about it too hard. Stop trying to make it a date, and… I don’t know, just talk maybe?”
Shoko nodded.
“Ok, sounds good to me! Umm… you go first. I’ve been told I talk too much!”
Haruko shook her head, then holding her thumb and first finger a hairs-breadth apart replied.
“Well… maybe a tiny bit, but not really.”
Shoko giggled, and gestured for Haruko to go on.
For a moment her mind went blank, and then she said.
“Ok.. how about.. what do you want to be or do when you’re older? I mean, you know I want to be an Illustrator or mangika when I’m old enough to have a job, and you said about Kokora’s ambitions, but what’s yours?”
Shoko stared at Haruko for a second, her mouth hanging open in surprise, then she shook her head.
“I don’t know… I mean, it’s going to be ages before I have to worry about that!”
Haruko sighed… thinking she’d messed up once again.
“Sorry, sorry… just...I thought… I mean you must have something you want to do, don’t you?”
Shoko slowly shook her head and then shrugged.
“Never thought about it really...It just seems so far off.”
“Well, you’ve got a job in a maid cafe, and you’re part of a famous band, you going to carry on as a musician maybe?”
Shoko looked thoughtful.
“Maybe…. I mean I used to think I’d grow up to be a temple guardian like my mother did… but now that I think about it, that seems … limiting? I mean, I don’t have to, do I? People don’t really need that now. Yokai metal is fun… but from what Suz-metal has said in her emails, it sounds like doing that full time is hard work, and I think it would quickly stop being fun then, and that’s even before she became a Goddess! Now she’s working ten times harder!”
Haruko looked at Shoko wide eyed.
“You… exchange emails with her!”
“Um… yes? We became friends when we did that concert at the Tokyo Dome, and then she wanted to know about being a Goddess, and Inari isn’t very good with technology so I said she could email me, and I’d ask her, and in exchange she helped me with Yokai Metal stuff...ah, we’re putting together an album you know. But we kinda got talking about stuff outside that too… and.. Um, Haruko, you know you’re not breathing, right?”
Haruko drew in a deep breath, and then let it out in a long sigh.
“Shoko… you’ve got to stop saying these sorts of things like they’re just...not important. There are people who'd kill to know Suz-metal!”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I don’t talk about it. But I trust you. You’re a fan, but not a creepy one. I mean, you knew who I was for ages, and said nothing. You’re not freaking out because I’m talking to you…”
Shoko looked at Haruko, and then smiled.
“Ok, maybe you are freaking out just a bit, but that’s not because you’re an Otaku.”
“Thanks! I’m nowhere near dedicated enough to be an Otaku, I mean I’ve only got two Yokai metal posters up in my bedroom..”
Haruko clapped her hand over her mouth, going bright red again, as Shoko threw her head back laughing.
“Sorry, sorry, I’m not laughing at you, Usagi-chan... well, a little bit at your expression maybe.”
Haruko giggled…
“Yeah, it’s ok. I guess that was a bit funny...I honestly wasn’t going to talk about being a Yokai Metal fan.. but I guess it’s part of who I am so…”
Shoko nodded.
“I get it… I don’t talk about being a fan of Baby Metal to Suz. I mean, she knows but.. well she’s a fan of Yokai metal too, so.. I suppose it’s just sort of.. mutually embarrassing? Especially if they’re right there, you know? But there’s a bit of me that goes ‘squee!’ when she emails me, like last time she sent me a rough studio recording of something they were working on, looking for some input and I just… well can you imagine being the first to hear something that no other fan has?”
Haruko nodded hard.
“I think I would just faint! That would be so cool!”
Shoko grinned… and was about to say something when Kokora appeared bring their order. Haruko stared at the three tiered cake stand piled high in tiny little delectables, some of which had tiny heart-shaped sugar cookies on them or heart shaped pink icing…
Shoko smiled.
“Thank you Kokora-sama, but really you didn’t need to go to this much trouble.”
Kokora smiled, carefully not showing her teeth, and shook her head.
“Oh, it was no trouble! I had these cookie cutters left over from valentines day, so it was just the work of a few minutes. Now you two young things enjoy yourselves, and don’t worry about the start of your shift Shoko-chan, I’m sure we can manage if you want to linger and chat with Haruko-chan for a while.”
Kokora hustled away, humming to herself, and with a big smile plastered to her face. Shoko sighed.
“Perhaps coming here wasn’t such a good idea… I forgot what she can be like..”
Haruko sat blinking at the bounty in front of them, then sighed.
“I don’t think I can afford my half of all this…”
Shoko didn’t say anything, she just held up the note that was folded under one of the cakes and showed Haruko it.
‘Don’t worry’ it read ‘it’s on the house. Good luck!’
There was a heart drawn on the bottom of it.
“Oh… that’s... kind of her.”
Shoko sighed and nodded.
“That’s Kokora-sama, romantic to the core. She hid it under a cake she knows I like, so I guess she thought I’d see it and not worry about paying for everything so I could impress you.”
“Oh. Um… Well, she’s supportive.”
Shoko grinned.
“That’s one way of looking at it. I’d say she’s trying to play matchmaker.”
Haruko blushed, yet again, and ducked her head.
Shoko chuckled softly, and teasingly murmured.
“You know I can see the tips of your ears going red? Speaking of, doesn’t it hurt to keep them down like that all the time?”
Haruko looked up and slowly nodded, then shook her head.
“It used to… I mean, it still does but I’m used to it now. It’s like wearing shoes that are just a bit too tight.”
“You know you don’t have to do that here? In fact, I’d like it if you didn’t keep hiding them, you have such pretty ears, all velvety fuzzy softness and kinda golden brown, like aged honey.”
Haruko stared at Shoko for a moment, not knowing what to say or how to feel. Tentatively she asked.
“Y.you… like my ears? You’re not joking are you?”
Shoko emphatically shook her head.
“No, not joking. I really do think they’re pretty and I’d love to see them more, and touch them if you’d let me. I keep thinking they must be all warm and soft…”
Haruko gulped, swallowing against a sudden lump in her throat. Shyly she reached up and undid the elastic hair ties that both held her braids together, and contained her ears within the thick ropes of hair. Shaking her head, she allowed her chocolate brown hair to spill over her shoulders in glistening waves, while her ears, freed from their prison, sprung up above the crown of her head.
Shoko made a small squealing sound of delight, clasping her hands together, to keep herself from reaching out.
“That’s better! They’re glorious! I mean, all of you is pretty, but they’re one of your best features… that and your eyes..oh and that cute dimple..”
“Shoko, enough! Stop, please...I’ll die of embarrassment! You’re joking, right?”
“I’m serious, truly, I mean it! But… I’ll stop if it’s really upsetting you. I don’t know why it would, but ok.”
Haruko sighed, and frowned slightly.
“It is… but honestly I don’t know why. I..I guess I’m not used to being complimented like that?”
Shoko tilted her head looking at Haruko and then shrugged.
“I suppose when you put so much effort into not being noticed, it shouldn’t be a surprise that no-one’s noticed how pretty you are Usagi-chan. but I see you, and their loss, my gain!”
“Oh….Oh! Maybe that’s why… I’m not used to being seen!”
Shoko tilted her head, looking at Haruko, and then smiled slowly.
“Ok, that makes sense… but do you think you could get used to it? Because I was thinking, how would you like to join the band? I’ve heard you singing in class! You’re good!”
Haruko’s eyes went wide as she stared at Shoko in shock.
“Oh.. Oh no..no no nonoono! I couldn’t possibly! I mean, me? On stage? In front of everyone! I wouldn’t be able to speak, much less sing! I’d die, really!”
Shoko nodded slowly…
“Um.. yeah… Ok, perhaps that was a bit too much of a big step for you. Still, how about recording a track for our album? There’s one song we’ve been trying, that we’re not sure about putting in or not. It’s a duet, but the problem is, well… it’s kind of about two yokai facing society together, and while everyone’s sure I should sing one part, we’ve tried doing it with just about everyone and it just doesn’t sound right. I mean.. it might not work with you either, but it’s worth a shot or we’ll have to leave it out. Which would be sad, because it’s such a sweet song…”
Shoko looked down at the table, pensively stirring her tea for a moment. Without thinking Haruko reached across and put her hand over Shoko’s, and as the uncharacteristically sad looking Kitsune looked up at Haruko she blurted out.
“Of course I’ll so it! I’d be thrilled to sing with you, as long as it’s not in public.”
“Really? You mean it?”
“I do Shoko, really I do...I mean, recording a song for Yokai Metal? Of course I would! Especially if it’s with you!”
“Yay! I’ll tell Rin as soon as I get back home, and we’ll set it up… ahh… you’re not going to be able to go to the recording studio in Osaka are you? It’s ok, we’ll set something up! Oh I know, if we record it in the old mine we’ll get such great acoustics.. or we could do it in Paul’s workshop, and catch the sound of the river as a background! The songs got water themes in it so that would work too!”
Haruko held up her hand, palm outwards.
“Slow down Shoko! You’re making me dizzy!”
Shoko grinned sheepishly.
“Sorry Usagi-chan… I get carried away.”
“Well I felt like I was being carried away by a set of rapids! If you’re going to pull me along like that, you’ll have to slow down a bit for me.”
Shoko grinned.
“I bet Paul-sama would say that makes us a good team...”
Haruko’s face fell as a thought struck her suddenly.
“Oh...I just thought. My parents won’t let me. It’d be too dangerous they’ll say. I mean, if people found out who I was, there are stalkers out there after all..”
Shoko shrugged.
“So? We won’t tell them, and we’ll can use a stage name for you on the record. Umm… Sakura Usgai perhaps? That sounds nice. Besides.. a love duet between a fox spirit and a rabbit spirit? Oh! I know, we can change a few of the lyrics to reflect that! That would be great!”
Haruko blinked.
“A L..lo..love duet! You didn’t mention that!”
“Didn’t I? You don’t mind do you? I mean… honestly, it’s about a lot more as well! Defiance of society’s expectations, forbidden love and kindred souls, about being young and yokai… it’s all things we both know about because that our life right now. It’s relatable Rin says, to other young yokai like us, and because it’s genuine, it’s really about us...and it would be even better if you would sing it with me because then it really would be about us! Which is where we were going wrong before because you can;t sing a duet like that with someone you don’t feel… ummm.. you know.”
Haruko took a deep breath after weathering Shoko’s torrent, and then sighed deeply.
“Ok, Shoko. I take your point. I’ll do it, because you’re right. It is a song a lot of people like us will take to heart. Like it or not, Yokai Metal is important, as well as being fun, and that’s something that sounds like it will speak to a lot of yokai like us, so it should be done right!”
Shoko grinned broadly.
“I could kiss you right here, right now!”
“Eep! Please don’t!”
Shoko shook her head, still grinning.
“I know I know! I won’t, now. Later though! Now, lets eat up! Kokora-sama would be offended and hurt if we don’t do her work justice!”
Haruko blushed, giggling at the incongruous idea of the fearsome looking Ogress being upset because they didn’t eat her pastries.