That evening Ichi took an early stroll home hoping to ditch Reyna's invitation. He admired the evening sun filtering through the trees, the smell reminding him of the forest. The words Myon said haunted him. Why would Reyna need to be possessed by the cat? 

This village makes no sense. Ichi didn't like Miko possessing him without asking, but he didn't want someone he didn't know pulling the cat out of him. Ichi didn't ask Myon the details of how he was supposed to do it. He was relieved enough that Myon didn't shoot him. 

Since he fought the Mountain Lord, Ichi's senses were heightened. Ichi could smell Reyna following behind him. His heartbeat started to thrum. don. don. don. Like drums, he heard this before. This feeling, like the smell after rain falls, it was the feeling of bloodthirst in the air. Like before a fight he used to have at his old school in the city. Ichi smiled to himself, thinking of standing over the dead Mountain Lord.

Ichi turned around and looked at Reyna. The girls shoulder length blonde hair and light blue eyes caught his for a moment before they flickered away from him. Acting shy now? Ichi thought.

"You here about a cat?"

Reyna's eyes tracked the ground as she walked near a treeline, veering off the path and picking up a heavy dry stick and pruning the branches with her hand to make it bare. She swung it around in a circle, the air thrummed as she did. Ichi got excited seeing that. Maybe she'd fight him? Ichi's heart started pounding.

"I suppose this is one way you can have fun with girls," Ichi whispered as Renya met his gaze.

Renya pointed the stick at him like a sword.

"You wouldn't mind dying for me, would you?

"That's a lot of commitment." Ichi laughed, punching a fist into an open palm.

Renya lunged forward, tapping Ichi on the forehead. Ichi lost his balance, falling over.

"Perhaps a stray cat is better company than you. It might be interesting. Being possessed. Never tried that before." Renya slung the stick around her shoulder looking off into the distance.

"If, I give it up that is." Ichi said. He was surprised the words came out of his mouth. Standing up, he walked within Renya's striking distance.

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Renya swung. The speed was a blur to Ichi, but his instinct had him dance back, a stab followed to his face and Ichi swerved out of the way as he felt his cheek sting. Moving forward towards Renya's pretty face, his fist punched straight into her cheek. His fist sunk into that cheek like sinking into sand. Renya looked at Ichi with interest from under his fist, and she knocked his arm aside with the stick. Ichi's balance broke and his feet tapped the ground as he tried to rebuild it.

"Heavy blow," Ichi gasped.

Renya made an impressive flourish at Ichi.

"The Seer's Council gave us a week. 'Have Ichi give you the cat by the end of a week. If not, we'll take it from him for you.' That's what they said. This isn't about you. It's about me. I won't let that happen. No stupid cat is going to live in my body."

Ichi eyed her, breathing hard, he sped forward and launched his fist at the girl. Renya dodged this time, and Ichi took a kick to his gut he couldn't see. Ichi stayed upright, feeling the sting from the hit. That wasn't good, he thought, almost threw up there.

Reyna broke the stick, tossing Ichi a jagged half through the air.

Ichi caught it. Then, examing the dagger edge, he tossed it aside.

"I don't need a weapon like this."

"It wouldn't have done much against me anyways." Renya said with a smile.

"My punch didn't make much of an effect either. Felt like hitting a sandbag. Are all girls made of sand?"

"My cheek felt like sand to you?" Renya felt her unblemished cheek with a concerned look on her face.

Ichi waved his hands at her with his fingers spread out.

"I'm sure that if I liked you, I'd at least lie to you about that."

Renya squinted at him.

"How pretty would you rate me? Out of ten?"

She threw the stick away.

Ichi crossed his arms, eyes traveling over her body. Stopping at her nonexistent chest, then moving to her face.

"Numbers don't convey it well. You're good. Except there," Ichi gestured at her with his palm out, "but, that has it's own charm too."

"'Good'? So seven out of ten?"

Ichi groaned.

"That's going too far for a girl I just punched."

"So I'm over seven then? Since you don't want to say it."

"I don't want to say it."

Renya smiled, walking up to Ichi, she lightly pushed his chest, knocking him to the ground. Renya got on all fours and crawled up to his face like cat, closing the distance between them. Ichi blushed at how close her face was.

"Sex, exists, you know?" Renya said.

"I am aware." Ichi nodded.

Renya leaned past his face putting her lips to his ear. She whispered to him.

"Let's talk tomorrow. I've got to get dressed."

She pulled herself up off of hovering over Ichi's body on all fours. Renya looked down on him, giving him a goodbye wave, then started walking away.

Ichi stood up, adjusting his clothes haphazardly.

"Tomorrow. Yeah."

In the branches of the forest trees nearby there was a familiar girl reading a book. She watched over the two.

"How cute," Syon said.