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“Yes.” She shrugged. “But even without spiritual powers, I have the connections to get the job done. I just cash in some of those many favours my father and grandfather did not collect on. Yokai are a long-lived sort. Most are immortal, or nearly so. They tend to keep to themselves, but if they lose their minds, then they can go on a rampage like noh-face. I’ve already solved several cases of my own, and it’s been going well so far.”

“Are you alone?” I asked Rui, wondering.

“The fact is, my parents were killed,” she murmured.

“Noh-face?!” I exclaimed, surging to my feet.

“Oh... no... noh-brains.” She laughed. “Actually, it was a plane crash. They took a trip to America. It was one of those rare accidents. They’ve -- they passed around four years ago.” Her voice was becoming understandably choked.

“Oh... so horrible!” I impulsively threw arms around her. “You lost your parents when you were eleven and you’ve been soldiering alone here in this cramped office? You were raised here?”

....

.......

Suddenly, I gasped and collapsed on the floor. “Aughhhh!” My stomach hurt. She’d balled up her fist and drove it firmly into my guts.

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“I’m not fifteen. I’m twenty!” Rui announced, her body seemingly wreathed in flames. I looked up at her, just flat out stunned.

“How are you twenty?!” I looked up into her small face, seeing only how absolutely adorable she was, I couldn’t believe her claimed age. Her strength, at least, lent some credence to that. What fifteen year old would be able to do that to a twenty-year-old man? Well, perhaps a young athlete could, or a martial-artist, but she didn’t seem the type, despite how much of a tomboy she was.

She knelt in front of me and seized my suit’s collar. “I might have worked pro bono for the sake of Reiko-chan, but you’re going to pay for calling me a child!” She glared at me and I was taken aback by her ferociousness.

“At least if you were a girl, the price would be a kiss, but you’re an insensitive butt-ugly guy. When we get your face back, you’re going to work like a slave as my... Hmmm, no... Not as a secretary... You’d scare everyone off. Ummm..." she floundered. “And you’re noh-nuts... I don’t think getting your face back would fix everything wrong with your life. Ugh, you wouldn’t make a good bodyguard with that kind of constitution!” I could tell she was at a loss for what to do with me. “Y-you’ll work it off! Somehow.”

“Kiss? Really? You’ve taken cases just for kisses? What kind of a genius business owner would do something so stupid? Are you sure you’re not also a noh-brain?” I shot.

She didn’t rise up to that casual insult, though. “I’m not really wanting for money.” Rui shrugged. “My parents left me enough to live fairly comfortably for the rest of my life. I’ve only charged men money, but they tend to back off when they see me. They always judge me based on how I look. They’re incredibly annoying. Since men always act like this, anyhow, why not just turn them away at the door? This way, I don’t have to bother with them at all unless they earnestly approach me.” She eyed me meaningfully.

I sniffled, starting to cry. She blinked and tilted her head. “Are you crying?” She shot me an annoyed look.

I started crying even more. “I can understand you!” Tears rolled from my noh-face again. “People are always doing the same thing to me!” We came from two different ends of the same scenario. People always judge others based only on appearance, as though they truly were books with awkward covers.

“Don’t try to butter me up,” the oni threatened me even after I sympathized with her. “You’re still paying big time, Susumu! I’ll think of something grueling and horrible for you to do later! For now let’s go get that murdering Noh-face! We’re going to see a few friends, because we need information.”

I noh-grinned broadly, ready to go. Darting to my helmet to quickly pull it on. She watched and commented, shrugging, “That’s ridiculous, but it’s better than what is beneath it..." She laughed.

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