A couple days later, when morning came around, Shizu opened her eyes in bed. The smell of fresh wood and the slight tinge of ash tickled her nose. She yawned, got up, and saw that the small hearth in her room was burnt out.
That would explain the chill in the air, yet it wasn’t that bad.
She scratched her head in a somewhat unlady-like fashion. If her mother was around, she’d be scolded by her for the misconduct in which she carried herself.
She smiled, and while it wasn’t pleasant to remember such a scolding, she at least saw her mother’s face in her dreams and thoughts. Getting to it, she righted herself and got clothed.
She, her brother, her father, and a few of their servants were currently taking up residence in the house of Shisayama’s Village Chief, a mayor of sorts.
His name was Manu and he was a close family friend to King Ozen, Shizu's father. After Manu’s rise to village chief of Shisayama, he had gone to great lengths to serve faithfully to King Ozen. It's funny. Shizu remembered him being that young boy who always played with her brother Yashimu, and how she always used to torment them.
Now he was a village chief, the big man who made decisions. Shizu thought to one day do the same, make the hard decisions for the citizens of her beloved nation, except in her case, she wanted the throne. To do that, she needed merit and as a noble who is compelled to serve the people in matters of war and politics, she would do her utmost.
Getting ready, she pulled out her usual outfit from a drawer. It was a red colored dress that showed much of her skin, though only one of her legs. She would say it was quite fashionable. Her brother, on the other hand, would argue it was too showy.
He wasn’t wrong, the skin tight chest garment showed her ample assets, the frills on her wrist bands and white stockings gave off a feminine allure, and the white top was sleeveless and showed her dainty shoulders.
Now that she thought about it, she really did wear such outlandish clothing. It still fit the Kujyurian patterns and coloring, but design wise, she had made many liberties to change it from its once usual form.
Hmmmm, I don’t get it. This feels right. It’s loose enough, not too warm, and not too many layers. Some people say I’ll catch a cold, but I’m used to the winters here. I’ve grown up all my life in Kujyuri, it's my home, and where my family is.
She smiled and muttered. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
After getting ready for the day, she went to have her usual breakfast with her father and brother. As well as having family time, they discussed today’s events in which Shizu learned it was going to be a full day.
“Sister?” Yashimu called out to her as she spread some honey on a slice of black bread. “Have you gotten your weapon ready yet? It will soon be time to head out for the hunt.”
“Oh, good timing.” She said. “Speaking of that, Kajima should have it all worked out by now. I’m heading over to pick it up.”
“Then the timing is good, I’ll get the soldiers in order.”
Ozen, sitting at the head of the table, nodded his head in satisfaction.
“That’s good to hear. I wish you both luck with the hunt, though I wished I could’ve gone with you. Be sure to have each other's back and no fighting. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes father.” Said Yashimu, though under his breath he groaned. “But perhaps I should be ready for trouble.” Not missing a beat or his implications, Shizu's ears flicked and she turned a red eyed gaze at him. She took a ferocious bit of her toasted bread, a foreboding crunch sounded as she did.
“What! Was that, Yashimu?!”
He sighed and instead looked away in mild exasperation. “Nothing. It.. was nothing.”
The atmosphere was tense for a moment but was going back to its somewhat peaceful setting, Ozen coughed hoping to defuse any remaining smolders.
“By the way Shizu, how has Azi been? Has he been adapting well.”
“He has.” Shizu said, but suddenly paused. “Well, I think he is. He’s learning quite fast, too fast if you ask me?”
“How so?” Ozen wasn’t sure how to understand her explanation, it sounded as if there was more behind her short time with him. She had only spent a day, yet it sounded as if the boy had made an impression on her.
“The boy, Azi, he’s smart in a way, though overly inattentive since everything catches his attention.” Shizu groaned, remembering how troublesome he was to babysit around the village.
“He isn’t ignorant, yet he is naive when it comes to some topics of common sense. You’re right that he’s a foreigner, though where? I have no clue. And get this.” She turned to a servant and beckoned them over.
“Umm excuse me, but could you fetch me something?” She requested a brush, ink, and some paper. The servant brought the said items for her in seconds and Shizu began writing as she explained.
“He knows of a language I haven’t heard of. It’s odd, but this might be a clue to his past.” Handing the scribbles she remembered to her father, Ozen looked them over.
“Yes, these are quite strange. I’m not even familiar with this script.” He handed it to Yashimu, who added his own two senses as he reviewed his time in the academy.
“Well, this isn’t anything in our capital’s library, it might be a kind of code or some kind of encrypting. I see similar phonetics to our language.”
“You think he’s a spy?” Shizu was dubious of that idea. “I don’t think that’s likely, the kid doesn’t even know his way around a sword, let alone fighting with one.” She explained how Azi had an eye for detail yet lacked any ability for the martial arts, let alone espionage with how fickle his demeanor was.
To Ozen and Yashimu, Azi sounded quite the young academic, though they knew Shizu was exaggerating how weak he was. Thin as a branch and thick headed as a mountain, they were obviously insults made from Shizu’s dislike of the child.
“I see, I understand Shizu, but if you don’t mind. Could you check on him today.” Asked Ozen.
“I can, but why? Besides his intelligence and that boorishness of his, there isn’t anything else of interest. So I’d say you should probably focus on your efforts somewhere else if you're looking for competent talent. We do need more soldiers since the north is getting rowdy.”
“Maybe, but you won’t know how people are if you don’t get to know them first. You’ve been somewhat distant with the common folk lately. I know it's because you want to spend time with your sister Rulu, but don’t you think it’s right for you to give her some distance?”
Shizu’s eyes flickered with a somewhat scowling intent. She got up and glared a hard stare at Ozen. It made him stiffen but he recovered like the strong king he was. Even still, Shizu had her mother’s force of will, somewhat overly so.
“I’m going to have to put a pin in that last point. For now, I will take my leave.” Shizu, not minding the amount of abusiveness she put in her tone, grabbed a final piece of honey toast and left.
As the door closed behind her, Yashimu sighed.
“And she says the boy is boorish, yet she’s exactly the same.”
“Well what can you do?” Ozen sighed. “I did spoil her as the eldest and she’s a go-getter of sorts.”
“Don’t you mean pain in our butts?”
“Perhaps you are right, but let’s not let her hear that.” Though Ozen changed his mind and agreed in his inner thoughts. Again, the father son duo sighed this time in unison in affirmation of how much trouble Shizu was.
***
Winter in Shisayama and in the nation of Kujyuri itself was always cold. Of the nations of the Empire, Kujyuri had the most snowfall of all the other nations.
Because of that, Shizu was used to seeing people shoveling away at the snow in the village. Of course they were cleaning up what sparse footpaths and pathways the village had. While they didn’t have stone tiled roads like the capital of Yamato, the dirt paths did fine for what they needed.
People hawked their wares and set up makeshift shops on the side of the road.
“I can sell it to you for 2 bronze coins.”
“Too much, how about 1 bronze coin and 3 copper coins.”
“Nah, what about 1 bronze coin and 9 copper coins! It’s a deal you know, it’s hard to come by this kind of item in this season.”
“Hah! Are you being cheap with me and don’t give me that! I know your game”
“Sir! I have no idea what you mean, but if you insist that I am, then how does 1 bronze coin and 6 copper coins sound? That’s the lowest I can go.”
“Hmph! Fine, you got yourself a deal, but don’t think you got the longer end of the stick this time.”
“Oh, I’m fine with whatever part of the stick, as long as I make a profit.”
Men and women shared laughs all around, some argued while others were more peaceful. It was as lively as ever in the village. The commerce was flowing and Shizu made a note to keep an ear out, you never knew what kind of things you could learn on the street. She gazed around the shops and was glad to see her people so happy, even in this cold climate.
A few noticed her and their lips curved into a smile.
“Oh Lady Shizu, please have a great day.”
“Lady Shizu, Send your brother my regards.”
“Ah Shizu, is Rulu doing well?”
The people, mainly wives, children, and elders, gave her their respects as she passed by. Giving them a wave, a curt nod, or a quick reply was enough to satiate them. She dared not try to be too overly friendly and was glad that some kept their distance.
But off in a corner of the street, she spotted a group of young men who were eyeing her up. Her lips tightened and she could feel their dirty intent all over her, so she sent them a sharp look and they immediately cowed like little boys.
There really aren’t any good men in this nation. Not even the nobles can stand to speak to me.
This wasn’t a rare occurrence. Shizu had made a name for herself with her failed attempts with her suitors. Some believed she was unmarriable but she thought that that wasn’t the case.
It was only because no one could fit her standards. For a second, Azi came to mind, how he took her punch, stood up unhindered, and talked a good game against her. She hadn’t felt that humiliated and out of sorts in such a long time.
It was a challenge and she liked those kinds of situations, to feel bested and then the desire to overcome, though she shook her head to ward off his invasion into her head. She especially tried to shake off how he was older than her. That was a revelation most interesting yet also mind boggling.
Perhaps he could..
No, no no no, he’s freaking annoying and that smile, that smug smile like he thinks he knows better. Oh, I wish I could punch him.
She sighed. Unfortunately, he wasn’t nearby and she wouldn’t punch him out in the open if she couldn’t help it, she wouldn’t disgrace herself so openly. Shrugging off the cold and uncomfortable unsettling within herself, she moved ahead, redoubling to make her way to Kajima’s to only see how he was doing, nothing else, nothing more.
Arriving within less than an hour, thanks to how she didn’t have to lug Azi around, Shizu stepped into Kajima’s workshop, and this time, she remembered to knock.
“Oh?” Kajima turned in surprise to hear her courtesy. As she entered, he flashed her a sarcastic smile. “So you can remember, hmmm?”
“Of course I did, come on Uncle, it's only been 2 days, I don’t forget things that easily.”
“Well, good for you. Hope you remember the next time you come though, or else I’ll throw more than my hammer at you.”
“Jeez.” As intense as her Uncle Kajima was, he meant well. People could get hurt if they suddenly entered his workshop. It was frighteningly hot inside, sharp tools were all about, and sparks were flying when he forged metal.
Getting injured in here was likely, so his precaution was warranted.
“Huh? Wait a minute.”
Noticing that a certain someone wasn’t here helping her Uncle like he had promised to do, Shizu took another glance around.
“So, did the little pipsqueak give up on being your assistant? I don’t see him anywhere?”
“Actually.” Kajima paused and took off his goggles to speak directly to her. “Azi’s actually been a big help lately. He’s been learning the basics like making charcoal, splitting wood, and he even knows how to sharpen some knives. That last one could use some work, but overall he’s pulling his weight.”
Kajima sounded impressed, which was odd to Shizu. Her Uncle was a well known blacksmith in the nation, so for him to give Azi such praise meant that it was truly impressive progress.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“Well where is he then? If he’s so good at doing the work here as your assistant, shouldn’t he be working now? It isn’t even the afternoon yet.”
“He’s taking a break, or well, he’s studying.”
“Studying? Why?”
“Have you already forgotten? Oh, of course you would.. Well.. he’s learning the local language and I didn’t want to dump too much work on him all at once. So I let him have some time to himself. He’s using it pretty well.”
“He’s not slacking off, is he?”
“How should I know? All I can say is that he’s a busy body. How about you go check on him? And while you’re at it, I can get your weapon finished up early.”
“You mean it.”
“Yeah.” Kajima waved his hand at her, trying to abide with the glimmer of expectation in her eyes. “I was planning to give it to you after lunch, but I can do it now. Just go check what Azi’s up to, and if you can, bring him a treat. I’ve got some biscuits in the kitchen, so give him that as a snack.”
“You know you’re spoiling him, right? And didn’t he say he’s not a kid?”
“Ahhh.. well, youth is youth, and 27 or not, he’s got that young energy still inside of him. Now go on, or I’ll postpone the work on your weapon.”
“Alright Alright, I’m going, I’m going.”
Heading inside, Shizu got a plate and filled it with a few biscuits. Knocking on Azi’s door, she called out.
“Azi? Are you there? Kajima wanted me to give you something.” She expected a quick reply, but all she got in return was silence.
“Hey, if you’re in there, can you open the door?”
Still, no one responded. Irritated, Shizu took a breath and opened the door herself. Luckily, it wasn’t locked, but when she went inside, she realized why no one had answered.
Laid all around on the ground were a trail of papers, opened books, and scrolls. Shizu followed the trail and found Azi sleeping in a futon bed in the corner of the room. A half opened book was covering his face and she could tell he was in a deep sleep with how his chest moved as he breathed and how still he was.
“Wow, what a slob.” Shizu huffed, and placed down the plate of biscuits on a table nearby. Gathering up the scattered pages, she found that a few had those unique scribblings of his while others were of a mix of Yamaton and those unrecognizable scribbles.
“Oh, so he was practicing how to write our language. Hah, I wonder how far he’s gotten.”
Getting the last of the papers and books from the ground, she moved to pick up the book on his face. With a delicate hand, she pulled it off of his eyes.
“Pfft!” She almost bursted out into laughter since the look on Azi’s face as he slept was so hilarious. He had a wide and stupid smile while a line of drool ran down one side of his cheek.
“H-he really looks like a kid.” She said, trying to hold back another bout of laughter. Giving his face a poke, Azi grimaced in his sleep and mumbled a few unintelligible words.
“Hmmmm.. How soft..” She found his cheeks were obviously round like everyone else's, but the touch of his skin was different. It wasn’t hard or rough like a grown man’s was, instead, it was pudgy and a little jiggly, as if he were still a kid.
“Heh heh heh.” Finding a chance to get some payback, or well, some good fun, Shizu prodded his cheek, getting cute wincing reactions from the so-called grown man Azi said he was.
“Ah.. hmm.. Ugh.. ahhh.” He groaned in his sleep, all the while Shizu relished in the moment.
“Not so tough when you’re asleep now are you? Who’s the child now, huh!”
Keeping her voice down to a whisper, Shizu continued to prod and poke. She was surprised how deep a sleeper Azi was, she had been messing with him so much, yet he didn’t even seem to mind. Sitting down next to him, she became a bit bolder.
First, she touched a finger to his forehead, she then placed her whole palm on his head. He purred, or that’s what she thought he did when his lips curved into a smile.
Hmmmm.. He’s kind of cute. Though, not as cute as my Rulu, but for a boy and as plain as he is, he has his good side. I’ll admit.. for now.
Suddenly, Azi turned over and his hands came out from under the blanket. They reached and grabbed for the air. Startled, Shizu was about to get up, thinking he was stirring awake, but was stopped dead in her tracks when she felt her tail get grabbed.
She gritted her teeth and was about to punch the insolent commoner for his conduct. She reeled a fist back, but flinched as the ever growing sensation of his touch on her tail became so prominent she almost muled. He nuzzled his head into the long mass of fluff in his grasp.
“Heh heh heh, D-Dad I.. I love.. It.. Thank.. You.. hmmm.”
Seeing and hearing his mumblings, Shizu slowly unclenched her fist as Azi lulled into a deep and more content sleep. She sighed, finding him hapless and pitiful.
So you at least remember your dad. She thought and, while not entirely sure if it was exactly the same, paralleled how she had seen this before. It was some odd years ago that her father returned from the capital and gifted Rulu and her a stuffed animal.
While not her type of gift, her little sister Rulu on the other hand took to it with great glee. Dad, I love it, was what she said, and as if playing out in front of her again, Shizu couldn’t help but smile and be happy for Azi.
Whatever he was remembering, it was good and she wasn’t heartless enough to deny him a chance to remember his past.
She brushed his disheveled head of black hair as he continued to nuzzle her tail. As much as she disliked him, she could be compassionate of his situation and allow him to touch her tail this once if it gave him some comfort with his amnesia.
While improper of anyone to touch another person’s tail, she reminded herself that if this would allow him to remember or have some semblance of peace, then so be it. She was a noble and she wasn’t that faint or petty to think that this slight against her meant any real harm.
“Huh?!” A loud yelp escaped her as a wet sensation on her tail caught her attention. Azi was tearing up, his lips trembling and his hands tightening as if grasping for anything to hold onto for dear life.
“D-dad.. Where.. Where are you.. Don’t.. No.. don’t go.. I’m.. I’m..”
“It’s okay, It’s okay.” Shizu whispered and patted his head. His hands untensing, Azi fell back into a content sleep. He nuzzled closer to her tail, tears still in his eyes.
Mofu mofu, mofu mofu.
He made an odd sound as he continued to touch her, burying her brown fluff into his cheeks. A pleasant warmth ran up Shizu’s back, and she stifled an embarrassing moan.
She had no clue as to why he had suddenly had a nightmare, but that was a small concern to what was happening now.
Beginning to regret letting him touch her tail so much, Shizu slowly moved away but Azi’s hands seemed to chase it. Eventually, her tail was free but as she got up to leave, Azi’s eyes blinked awake.
“Huh? Ugh.. My head.” He groaned, blinking a few more times as his vision cleared. “Hm? Shizu, what are you doing here? And why is your face red?”
“What? Huh? It is?” Touching her cheek, Shizu realized just how hot and bothered she had become. Getting her tail touched was a sensual experience and it would be for anyone since it was a commonly sensitive area of their body.
After shaking herself to focus, she coughed to help change the topic. “It’s just the cold. I rubbed my face with a hot towel, that’s all.”
“Oh I see, but why are you in my room?”
“Hmph!” Tilting her chin up, Shizu moved away and then came back to thrust a plate of biscuits to him. “Kajima told me to see what you were up to and give you a treat. Though, I’m not surprised that a slob like you is sleeping in the middle of the day.”
Azi couldn’t refute that and scratched his head in embarrassment. Taking a biscuit, he bit into it.
“Well you see, I actually fell asleep since I was so tired after this morning’s work. I stayed up last night studying and I had just finished reading a book. Looks like I fell asleep when I was trying to read another.” Blinking again, Azi’s head shot up as his eyes went wide. “Oh yeah! I almost forgot.”
Moving over to his desk, he shuffled some papers around, looking for something but was perplexed when he reached for one of the books that were supposed to be on the ground.
“Looking for this?” Shizu placed the book he was looking for in front of him. “You know, you should really keep the place clean. It’s only been two days and you already made a mess.”
Again, Azi had no retort, it was his mistake and he did get too deep into his studying. But he wouldn’t admit that it was a pressing fault, he had a more important concern.
“Yeah Yeah~. I’ll make sure next time. Anyway, let’s see.” He flipped through the book and reread his scribblings on the papers nearby. His eyes darted around at a speed even Shizu couldn’t keep up with.
“What are you doing?” Shizu asked. “What’s the point of all these scribblings you made?”
Keeping himself focused, Azi explained as his tone became serious.
“I’m finding the pattern in Yamaton and my own language that I remember. It seems they share the same vowels, though the phonics are used in a variety of ways. I have the basic language almost understood but I still need to practice writing Yamaton.”
Surprised, Shizu was astonished that he had made such progress in learning the local language, it had only been 2 days and she didn’t think she could achieve the same.
“There!” Azi exclaimed. “I found it, okay, so if these are the key words, no.. letters, and these are the correlating strokes, then I guess.. I’ll need to learn to write these.”
Listed in order, a number of common keystrokes and symbols used in the Yamaton language were written into Azi’s personal notebook. It had his name on its brown cover and of the recorded keystrokes, Shizu recognized them as the basic alphabet she had learned as a child.
Yet again, this astonished her.
This fast? He’s learned this much in two days? And without any help?
“Hmmm?” Noticing her gaze, Azi turned to look over his shoulder. “What’s wrong? Something up?”
“N-no, I was just wondering how you’ll umm.. figure out the special characters next.”
“Special characters?” Azi thought for a moment and then understood what Shizu was referring to. “Oh, you mean those. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around them but they’re hard to get a grip on. They can mean so many different words, yet they only have a singular meaning in context.”
“Yeah, those characters are special. I know a few but learning them all takes a lot of time.”
“Hmm.” Azi looked over at Shizu. “How proficient are you at using them?”
“A little, I haven’t used them much, but I do know the most common.”
“Do you mind if I could talk with you about them?”
“Uh um.. Sure?” Shizu didn’t want to get involved with Azi, but his immense intelligence drew her in. She wanted to see what else he could do, on top of that, she wondered if he was remembering his past, the dreams and nightmares seemed to signal that he was.
A voice then came from the door.
“Hey! You two care to join me for an early lunch. I’m all finished with work.” While they couldn’t see him, they knew it was Kajima and going by the smell that was wafting into Azi’s room, he and Shizu could already tell he had food cooking.
A stomach rumbling growl came from Shizu, which had Azi smirking at her.
“Hmph! Stop looking at me like that.” She punched him and he doubled over on his chair.
“Ah.. Oof. Can’t you be delicate, I was only joking around.” He groaned and got up on shaky legs. Shizu puffed her cheeks up, going a bit red, and quickly left the room.
***
Finishing up lunch, Kajima turned to Shizu at the table.
“So? Any plans today?”
“Yes, In fact I’ll be heading into the forest to work on hunting monsters.”
"You still have work to do for the hunt?" Kajima raised a brow. "I thought you all hunted more than enough to cull the population in the area these past few days, what happened?"
"We did, but Yashimu suggested that we investigate further. Something unnatural has occurred and a few merchant caravans have been under attack in the past couple days. I told him we should just go on another hunt, but now that Yashimu has full command, he wants to do some extensive investigations in the forest today, it's going to be long and boring.”
"If it's only an investigation, how does having me and Azi join you sound?” Wanting to get Azi outside of the house since he had been cooped up in his room these past couple days, Kajima jumped at the chance to let Azi stretch himself out.
“I'll be able to show Azi how to properly navigate the nearby forest and a few other essential skills."
"Well that sounds good to me, but.” Shizu gave a weary look to Azi who seemed somewhat unsure if he was ready. "Do you think you can keep up?"
"I-I’m not sure, but I would like to try, and it sounds more interesting than staying indoors again all day."
“Well, then it's decided.” Said Kajima.
With everyone in agreement, Azi, Kajima, and Shizu began packing bags with camping equipment, food and water for several days, and started to equip their weapons and armor. They also did some last-minute maintenance on their equipment to ensure their integrity.
Kajima, equipped with a halberd that was more than equal to his 2-meter height, was giving it one last sharpening. He also wore a metal chest plate with thick arm and leg greaves which had a wave-like pattern across their metal surfaces.
Under the plates of metal was thick leather armor that acted as insulation to help maintain his body's heat. Azi had learned this was a regular pattern for armor made in Kujyuri to help face the cold climate.
Shizu on the other hand had grabbed her weapon that she left with Kajima for maintenance. It was a strange piece to Azi because it didn’t look like a weapon at all. It was a red and white metal umbrella and, to his surprise, it held a katana within the umbrella's long and slightly curved handle.
Additionally, Shizu decided to wear some thicker stockings that went all the way up her thighs but he didn’t think it would do much to ward off the cold. When he glanced at Shizu's overall attire, he questioned why she would still wear her current outfit.
It was revealing, though not overly so, but had parts removed that revealed much of the outer side of one of her thighs and the front of her hip, not to mention that it didn’t look all that thick and made for walking in the cold.
Concerned by her lack of armor and her slightly revealing outfit, he passed her a coat.
"You should really wear some more armor and at least cover yourself properly when you go out of the village. Your outfit also draws too much attention, don’t you think?"
Shizu cocked a brow at him.
"Not to worry Azi, I am used to this attire, and this is actually my usual clothes for when I go on hunts or expeditions. Extra armor makes it hard to move so I decided not to wear it to ensure that I can move properly."
A bit of pride welled as she swung her umbrella, feeling the weight of it in her hand. It was like it was back in its rightful place.
"Also, I am quite agile." She puffed out her ample chest which drew Azi's attention for a moment. He quickly looked away to tend to his own business of packing the camping gear.
Noticing his reaction, Shizu grinned as she thought to herself.
Oo-oo-oh, so he is still a man, heh heh heh, time for some payback.
Shizu drew close and lowered her tone in a more inviting manner.
"What are you looking at Azi? Did something catch your interest?"
“N-no, I was..”
As Azi turned in the direction of Shizu's voice to respond, he was befuddled by the appearance of her chest so close to his face. He realized how short he was when compared to Shizu and that he was unprepared to handle her ‘charms’, since he felt himself go red.
He was taken aback and could not speak a word for a few moments as his gaze was locked to her bountiful chest. After feeling his mind being thrown around in his head, he noticed he had been looking too long and was irked by that smug look Shizu was giving him.
He didn't know why he felt so flustered but attempted to step away to calm down. It was futile. Shizu followed up and also took a step forward as she pushed up her chest with her arms crossed under them.
"What's wrong Azi, do you need some help with your armor?" She said with a sultry smile.
"Ummm, no I-I'm fine." Stuttered Azi. “P-please.. Stay away..”
He could tell that she wasn’t trying to seduce him, she was trying to get him riled up and tease him. He wouldn’t have it, so he tried to keep a straight face, but couldn’t.
"Oh come on Azi. What’s wrong? I insist. Let me help you." Shizu’s smile grew at every passing second.
A glint sparkled in Shizu’s eyes and she continued to give Azi a smile with no trace of sincerity. She then attempted to bear hug him with all her might as she wanted him to feel what it was like to get his space invaded like he did with her and her tail.
Dodging her attempt, he reacted by taking a large step back, but this was followed by another step forward by Shizu and another step back from Azi. This cycle continued until Kajima saw Shizu chasing Azi around the house with an evil look in her eyes.
“Stay away. I said stay away! Help! Help! Monster!” As he ran, Azi’s face was beet red and he looked terrified as if his life was in danger.
“Don’t call me a monster, Now come here you! You should be honored to get my attention.”
“No way, I think I’ve gotten more than your attention, you’re trying to get one on me, aren’t you!”
Shizu clicked her tongue and Azi ran faster to avoid Shizu's mischief. Now a spectator, Kajima let out a breath and spoke in a soft tone that neither of the two ‘children’ running around could hear.
"Ah, to be young again. Ha ha ha. Isn't that right Luna?" Kajima smiled and reminisced to a loved one of his past. His wife would likely scold him for letting people run in the house, but he knew she’d find this scene funny as well.
Relaxing himself into a chair, Azi let out a terrified scream as he was eventually caught by Shizu who gave him a forceful bear hug. It was so forceful that all Azi could hear were his bones creaking as they strained to keep themselves from snapping.
He began flailing around like a puppy in distress and could feel a constricting pain spread through his body. But, he also felt a pleasant softness against his face as it was buried into Shizu's chest.
His flailing only lasted for a few moments as he soon passed out from a lack of oxygen. Or was it a heart attack? He couldn’t tell at this point since he could only hear the rapid beat in his head.