Chapter 17.

“Since I was twelve years old, I’ve dedicated myself to this noble profession: Monster Hunter. My routine consists of scouring places where Kappas are suspected to be, armed with a net, a knife, and a bag of cucumbers. When I find one, I throw a cucumber to distract it and take the opportunity to approach stealthily. Then, I try to catch it with the net and empty the plate on its head. If that doesn’t work, I bow to it and hope it imitates me. Once I have it subdued, I put it in the sack and take it to my client, who is usually a temple, museum, or collector who wants to have a live or stuffed Kappa, as they are very valuable.”

“It’s not an easy task, as Kappas are very slippery and dangerous. Sometimes, they resist violently and bite or scratch me. Other times, they try to drown me or drag me to the bottom of the water. I’ve had to fight against many of them, and I’ve suffered several wounds and scars. But I’ve also managed to capture more than a hundred, and I’ve earned a reputation as the best hunter in the country.”

“Kappas”

The Great Hunt

Great Hunter, Seiji Okabe

The task that Professor Kyoko had assigned them was arduous and demanding: they had to prepare a report on Wild Beasts, those mysterious beings that inhabited the most remote corners of the world. To do this, they had to consult a series of ancient and dusty books, full of illustrations and legends, which the professor had carefully selected.

In the library, silence reigned among the tall shelves filled with books. Only the scratching of a pen on paper could be heard, where Shiori’s delicate hand traced lines of elegant calligraphy. She had her brow furrowed in concentration as she consulted a thick leather-bound volume on the walnut table.

Sitting next to her, Ritsu eagerly turned the pages of another book. His eyes shone with enthusiasm at the stories and illustrations of fantastic creatures that paraded before him. Occasionally he would exclaim in amazement and point out a drawing to share with Shiori, who nodded distractedly without taking her eyes off her own text.

He had always liked stories about these beasts. Seeing them reminded him of his aunt reading him his favorite tales.

At the other end of the table, Shinji had a distant look in his eyes. He lazily rocked back and forth in his chair, looking bored, yawning and scratching the back of his neck, showing no interest in anything. His book had remained open on the same page for a while, forgotten in his apathy. It was evident that Shinji would rather be anywhere else but there.

Suddenly, the scratching of Shiori’s pen stopped. She then looked up at Shinji with a frown.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Ritsu, tell that lazy Shinji to focus on the kappa section and not on the tengu,” she ordered sternly.

Shinji snorted and slowly rolled his eyes towards her with a defiant gesture, as if the mere act of looking at her was a superhuman effort. A dense atmosphere of hostility seemed to fill the air, electrifying the space between them.

Despite her previous promise, Shiori had still not spoken to Shinji.

“Friend, tell the bossy lady that I’m not an idiot and I know perfectly well what I have to do,” Shinji muttered in a hoarse voice, laden with irony.

At his words, Shiori abruptly stood up, her fists clenched and her eyes sparkling like burning embers.

“Do you know what you’re doing? Really?” she exploded, and her shrill voice echoed off the walls with the force of thunder. “Since we started, you’ve done nothing but stare at the ceiling like the most useless slacker on the planet! Doesn’t this evaluation mean anything to you?”

Shinji slowly straightened up until he was sitting, his eyes fixed on hers, provocative. His lips curved into a mocking smirk.

“Friend, tell the boss lady not to talk to me like I’m her lap dog,” he muttered in a deep voice. “I don’t need her to tell me the obvious. This task is a total waste of time. I’d rather stick with humans, who are already complicated enough. Besides, what good will it do us to know about beasts that no one has seen? Who says these things really exist? Maybe they’re just old wives’ tales.”

Shiori’s face flushed with anger until it took on the crimson hue of a ripe pomegranate. Her delicate hands closed into trembling fists as she breathed raggedly.

“Ritsu! Tell this foolish idiot that these are reliable sources, written by legendary sages and explorers. They’re not simple inventions,” she snapped. “These creatures have shaped our folklore for centuries. They embody great mysteries and ancient secrets. If that brainless blockhead isn’t interested, it’s because he’s nothing but a soulless ignoramus!”

Shinji let out a mocking laugh.

“Tell the pretentious know-it-all that they’re just myths with no real basis,” he scoffed. “If she’s so fascinated by them, it’s because she lives in fairyland, completely oblivious to the real world. She’d better abandon her stupid fantasies if she doesn’t want to end up as a bitter old spinster telling stories by the fire.”

Shiori narrowed her eyes and a dangerous smile appeared on her lips.

“Ritsu, tell cowardly Shinji that he’s actually afraid of these creatures,” she said challengingly. “That’s why he avoided inviting me to Tsukimi! Afraid that I would see him shivering under the full moon.”

Shinji’s face flushed with fury and indignation.

“Tell that liar that I didn’t invite her because I can’t stand her!” he roared. “Because she’s an insufferable pain. I’d rather spend the evening alone than with that meddlesome know-it-all! I can’t stand her voice or her hateful face.”

Ritsu, who had been uncomfortably repeating what each one said, felt he couldn’t take it anymore. He closed the book he had in his hands and stood up from the chair, with a gesture of weariness.

He wasn’t anyone’s babysitter.

“Enough!” he exploded, raising his voice for the first time. “I won’t continue to be the messenger for your endless quarrels. If you have something to say to each other, say it face to face. And if you can’t resolve your differences, at least respect the work we have to do. Professor Kyoko entrusted us with this task, and I won’t let you ruin it with your absurd fights. So, please, stop arguing and get to work... or better yet, both of you go to hell!”

Ritsu was breathing heavily, his fists clenched, glaring alternately at them. Then, without another word, he turned around and left, slamming the door. Perhaps this outburst was just what they needed to reconsider. With a little luck, this incident would mark a turning point, a new beginning in their stormy relationship.