Chapter 6: Spinning Cappuccino (2)

Spinning Cappuccino (2)

I was bullied by my relatives.

I was born into the Momotari family during the Sengoku period, a family that made a living by punishing youkai or monster and ayakashi spirits.

However, I have some monster blood in me - my father is a monster youkai and my mother is human. My father, who disappeared after impregnating my mother, the daughter of the head of the family, was an enemy who had to be killed.

Naturally, my mother's family wanted an abortion. But she stubbornly refused, and instead gave gold coins to the midwife and doctor, begging them not to kill me, and gave birth to me.

So, by the time I was old enough to understand, it was normal for my grandparents, uncles, and almost all of my relatives to hate me, and even as a little girl I believed that this was the case for all children - that my cousins and children from branch families were treated the same way, but I just didn't know it.

However, at some point I realized that that was not the case. I realized that the youkai blood that flowed through me was hated.

At the time, I couldn't help but wonder why they were so obsessed with such things, when I was just who I was.

But as I turned six, seven, eight, my wonder melted away, and eventually resignation took hold.

It was inevitable.

My father killed far too many people. Not just those who made it their business to exorcise monster and youkai, but also ordinary people simply living their daily lives to the fullest, people at the heart of politics and ceremonies, and criminals - he killed them all equally, without any discrimination, over and over again.

My mother must have been a foolish woman to love such a man. It is not an uncommon story for a sheltered daughter to be seduced by sweet whispers, become addicted to pleasure, and go crazy.

But now I feel a little sorry for my mother. Loving someone can make you crazy. It's foolish, but... no, let's stop. This kind of self-defense is shameful.

My physical growth stopped at the age of 12. Perhaps it was my father's blood that caused it.

From that moment on, the eyes of everyone who looked at me grew darker.

"How horrible," "You cannibal," "You're a monster, you dare not pretend to be human."

Though I was never chased away, let alone killed.

Unlike today, the youkai of that era had no qualms about killing humans. Some possessed extraordinary strength.

They needed me to fight them - as a half-youkai, as the awakened one, I possessed both the spiritual powers of a human and the supernatural powers of a youkai, and I was able to use a number of immense and powerful techniques.

To be honest, there have been many times when I wanted to run away, but I have never actually done so.

If I were gone, the powerless people would be the first to be killed, and I could not abandon them.

So I endured, killed, and lived like that.　

Then a turning point came for me. A man appeared and said he wanted to marry me.

At first, I wondered what his ulterior motives were. However, he was just a craftsman with no connection to exorcising youkai. I never found out what his ulterior motives were.

In the end, the marriage was finalized with him becoming the son-in-law of the Momotari family, and we begin living together as a married couple in a detached room that was given to us.

Living with him brings joy to me.

Since my mother passed away, I have been alone. It's inevitable that I feel lonely. However, I had given up, thinking that there was no one to fill that void.

He said he loved me, kissed me, and held me. This happened every day, and before I knew it, I loved him.

I did everything to make him happy, and he made me happy too. Those were very happy days.

However, those days came to an abrupt end. One day, after defeating a rampaging Tengu, I returned home to find his severed head. It had arms and legs, but no torso.　

The moment murderous intent arose within me, a barrier formed around the detached room.

Then, several people appeared. They were all familiar faces. One of them, my uncle, was repeating something like a mantra, "Ise, Ise, I'm going to kill your killer now, I'm going to kill her for you now..."

Ise was my uncle's wife. She was the woman who was killed and eaten by my father.

They took out their resentment for my father's evil deeds on me.

An impurity began to mix with my murderous intent. Perhaps it was pity, or perhaps guilt. I couldn't tell for sure. But I still vividly remember the unpleasant pain I felt at that moment, as if my intestines were being churned open.

They tried to kill me, but it was to no avail.

I was carrying my husband's child. I couldn't allow that child to be killed.

So I killed them. I killed them all.

But they were strong, and used a forbidden technique that would cost me my lifespan, and they destroyed my uterus. I was never able to find my child, but I believe he was somewhere in the pools of dark red blood that were scattered all over the place.

Not only that, their grudge turned into a curse that consumed me. It was a curse filled with the wish that "no evil demon blood would ever remain." Even though my organs regenerated, I was no longer able to give birth to a child.

The incident was blamed on youkai breaking into the house. The head family probably feared that a scandal would spread and that their relationship with the government would deteriorate.

Even after I lost my husband and child, I continued to work at the Momotari House as an exorcist, because I had come to believe that I must not let more people suffer the same grief as my uncle.

I fought hard, perhaps to distract myself from the hatred and sadness.

People around me were now more afraid of me than ever before. It was only natural, considering I wield immense power without aging. I felt like the cold sand was pressing down on my lungs, making it hard to breathe, but there was nothing I could do about it.　

I think it was around this time that the fear and aggravation towards me was at its strongest. I was alone again. Days went by without speaking to anyone other than the bare minimum of conversation with the maids.

But there was a part of me that thought that this was okay. A woman who couldn't bear children, a murderous half-monster, a woman who couldn't protect her husband or child, shouldn't wish to be loved by someone or anyone- I was convinced that it was presumptuous. I let it happen.

Ten years after losing my husband and child, there was a great battle with youkai race.

Lots of blood was shed, but thanks to the efforts of Kyoto's Senrigan users, the humans were somehow victorious. This battle drastically reduced the numbers of youkai, and they began to hide from humans, almost never killing humans indiscriminately.

As demand decreased, the number of exorcists also steadily decreased.

The Momotari family could no longer survive on exorcism alone, so they began to venture into other businesses. Surprisingly, many of the Momotari people had a talent for business, and in fact, their wealth increased even more than when they were full-time. The indescribable expressions on everyone's faces as they realized their true aptitude were quite comical.

Eventually, people came to believe that the youkai had been wiped out and that they only existed in fairy tales, and they gradually forgot about the tragedy that had occurred in the past.

Calm days have arrived. Things are much more peaceful than they used to be.

There was still something of a wall blocking my path, but the fear and aggravation diminished over time.　

However, that feeling of loneliness never went away; in fact, it seemed to be getting worse with each passing year.

However, there was no concrete harm in that, and I thought that a woman like me was better off alone.

At the age of 520, I became the head of the Momotari family.

The reason for this was that some people thought, "Wouldn't it be better for Asahi-sama, who is the most talented, to do it?" but my guess is that everyone just didn't want to bother.

So my workload has increased a little, but since there aren't many evil youkai around anymore, I'm not too busy.

One day, out of a blue, a report came in that someone in the Tohoku region - a 13-year-old boy - had manifested the Eye of the Immortals, Senringan. This was the first time such an ability had been awakened in approximately 450 years.

I had mixed emotions.

While it's certainly fine to celebrate a significant increase in military strength, it's excessive power in today's world. The day when he'll be able to fully utilize his talents will likely never come, and it would be better if that never came.

So I felt a little sorry for him. His talent and the era he was born into are fatally out of sync.

At first, that was all I thought.

There are things called dragon veins. These are like blood vessels through which natural energy flows, running through the earth. The holes through which the energy flowing through the dragon veins leaks out to the surface are called dragon holes.

These are not physical vessels or holes; they merely have the appearance of something on a spiritual level.

One year after I first heard the story of the boy with the Immortal Eye, Senrigan, something strange began to happen at a dragon's hole in the west, and the boy and I decided to go there.

The boy introduced himself as Tachibana Keishu. He was a boy with unique spiritual powers, and despite being only 14 years old, he seemed to me to have a mysterious capacity for tolerance. Being around him made me feel like I was in a sunny spot.

The boy, a local exorcist, and I decided to solve the problem of the dragon hole.

On the way, I exchanged words with the boy. Since it was our first meeting, we only spoke about inoffensive matters, but just as I had imagined, his words penetrated my heart like sunlight filtering through the trees.

This was not just due to the quality of his spiritual power or his aura, but also because he had not the slightest bit of discrimination or prejudice against me.

It's true that their loathing and fear of youkai has decreased compared to the past, and their hostility towards me is less noticeable. But it hasn't completely disappeared. An immortal half-youkai like me still isn't truly accepted.

People are cruel. Humans are creatures who want to eliminate those who are different from themselves.

But the boy was different. I couldn't see any trace of such intentions or feelings from him. He's a mysterious child. And a warm-hearted one at that.

The boy, who had used his immortal eye to see deep underground, blurted out, "There's a lump in the dragon vein. What's this? Is it a lifestyle-related disease?" he asked, "By lifestyle habits of the earth, do you mean that it's caused by human awareness of environmental issues?" The boy laughed and said, "That's just a figure of speech. Forget it," and laughed some more, "Asahi-sama is quite a strange person." I felt a warmth in my heart.

The reason why Senri-gan users were hailed as the strongest was not because they could see within or see through illusions, but because they could absorb the natural energy flowing through the dragon veins into their own bodies and use it for magic and physical strengthening.

The boy absorbed the energy-based mass and used it to create an ungainly shikigami. Thinking it was probably a frog, I asked, and he replied, "...a rabbit." He seems to have trouble with shikigami, I thought, smiling to myself.

The lump disappeared, and the dragon veins and dragon holes returned to normal. Everyone praised him, saying he had the immortal eye, but the boy seemed uncomfortable and would occasionally look at me as if pleading. I thought he was cute, but maybe I just have a bad personality.

Even after returning to Tokyo, I continued to keep in touch with the boy using something called Smartphone.　

I was shamelessly attracted to that boy. It was crazy to have feelings for someone so much younger than me. But talking to him eased my pain. I'm not lying.　

But I am a half-monster. A mother who abandoned her own child to death. A woman who tortured the one she loved. A disabled woman who cannot give birth.

So, I kept these feelings a secret. Or so I thought. If I could occasionally hear his voice, if he smiled at me, that would be enough. Or so I thought 

One night, with my eyes closed in my futon, I couldn't sleep because of a frustrating numbness.

It was like heated, melted starch syrup pulsating deep inside my body, a sweet tingling sensation - I was in a terrible state of arousal.

Maybe it was wrong to talk to him before bed. I could only think about him.

What does he think of me? What kind of woman does he like? Does he already know women? How does he touch women? How can I make him happy?

Before I knew it, I was reaching out. I pulled the covers over me, thought of him, and then I reached there and feeling climax after a hundreds years.

A few days later, we met again in the Ezo region. He and I had been sent there because a spirit had been causing rain—a different spirit from normal rain.

Thanks to his Senrigan, we were able to find the spirit quickly.

It turns out that the spirit had been crying over a broken heart. After pouring out its feelings in the palm of his hand—the spirit was only about three inches in size—it seemed to regain some composure and reluctantly left. The sky was clear.

It was that evening. We were at the hotel we had booked—due to a misunderstanding on the hotel's part, we ended up staying in a double room—and we were chatting as usual.

I was happy. I shouldn't want more. That's what I thought.

But there was a beast living inside me. The beast was lonely, and lustful.

The beast wanted his heart, his affection.  I want him to break in, to carve it into me. I long for him to make me believe in love.

Our eyes suddenly met, and my words were cut off.

My breathing was soft and spasmodic, and my eyes were moist. We were sitting side by side on the bed, so there was very little distance between us. Anyone would have interpreted this as a female in heat trying to seduce a male.

I wasn't intentionally acting seductively. It just happened naturally.

Unable to look away or move, he blinked. Then I felt his lips. A fleeting kiss, just for a moment.

•　

•　

•

I was excited like a child, wondering how many days it had been since I last saw Kei-kun. I had arrived two days earlier than planned, and even though I had come to search for Ginpatsu-chan, I was genuinely happy.　

However, that feeling didn't last long. I saw it. I was heading to Kei-kun's house, trying to sneak around, hoping to surprise him.　

Kei-kun and a girl two or three years younger than him were walking happily through the city.　

Sure, she may just be a friend or a relative. But my heart cleaves, and I feel pain with each beat.

It's not because I'm jealous.

Watching the two of them walking side by side, perfectly natural, I naturally thought that a girl her age would be more suitable for Kei-kun, rather than a woman like me.

That girl is probably a youkai. But she's probably just as old as she looks. Cases like mine are extremely rare.

Plus, she's probably not incapable of bearing children. I have no logical basis for this, but it must be true. She can do things I can't.

And most importantly, she looks pure, unlike the woman who left her child to die.

"..." I continue holding my breath.　

Enough is enough. I've had enough dreams. I've received so much warmth. It's time to end it.

Kei-kun, you don't need me in your life. Maybe all those kind words and cute smiles up until now were just something he did reluctantly because he couldn't resist them because of our position. Maybe he was just putting up with the lust of a woman he didn't love.　

Guilt, regret, relief, hatred, love, self-loathing, loneliness, sadness, gratitude, and many other selfish emotions arise in my heart and weigh down on me, a tiny person. It's painful, just painful.　

"..."　

--I ran away.　

•　

•　

•　

•　

"Let's end this now."　

Suddenly, I received this RINE from Asahi-sama.

I was in my room, grinning with glee at the thought of meeting Asahi-sama tomorrow, when this happened. What on earth happened?　

I immediately replied, "I'd like to talk to you. Can I call you now?"　

One minute, five minutes, ten minutes passed, and I held my smartphone in my hand, panicking, thinking, "No way! This is bad! This is bad!", when finally, after 15 minutes had passed, the notification sound rang.　

"A woman like me is not suitable for you, Tachibana-san. I realized that once again yesterday. From now on, we'll just be boss and subordinate. Thank you for all the happiness you've given me so far. Goodbye."

My heart leaps and I find it hard to breathe, as if I'm being dragged to the bottom of the ocean.

Calm down, I try to stay calm.

Read the message again.　

"...Yesterday?" he muttered.　

Something flashed in my mind.

In other words, maybe he saw me shopping with Touko yesterday.

Yesterday, we had gone to the station to buy clothes and miscellaneous household items for Touko. For some reason, Asahi-sama's schedule often gets moved up, so it wouldn't be so strange if she was there.　

"...Did you think I was cheating on you?"　

That may be the case, but reading the message, it seems a little different.

So, is it possible that she's simply tired of me and the text itself is meaningless? But she seemed to be having fun when we talked the day before yesterday. Was she just acting? No, no way. There was no such vibe. Is it just that I'm too slow to notice? It's possible, but it doesn't feel right. So, after all...　

"...Haha," a sudden sense of humor welled up inside me and I couldn't help but laugh.

Even though I kept acting cool and saying things like I wasn't sure if I had romantic feelings for Asahi-sama, and that our relationship would end if she got bored of me, when I actually got dumped, I didn't have the slightest intention of accepting the breakup.　

"..."　

I really adore Asahi-sama. Or rather, I think I love her.

Since she doesn't seem to be answering the phone, I send RINE. "Please give me a chance. I'll meet you, talk to you, and if that doesn't work, I'll give up."　

After a while, I got a reply: "I'm at the hotel where I stayed the first time I visited your house."　

"..." The thought crossed my mind of whether she was the type of person who would get extremely grumpy if I forgot an anniversary, but I put it aside for now.

It was 7:42 pm.

I stood up, changed into some nice pants and a polo shirt - I think there was a dress code - stuffed my wallet and smartphone in my pockets, and left the room.

I remember the hotel clearly. I'll go there for now, and then...what am I going to do? Will I tell her my true feelings? I don't know. I don't know, but I want to see her. If it's allowed, I want to hug her.

I ran out of the house.

•　

•　

There are only two so-called upper-class hotels in my town. I found myself standing in front of one of them, a hotel that lacked the imposing presence and capital to be called a towering skyscraper.

Near the front entrance, a man who appeared to be a security guard was looking bored.

Only guests are allowed into the building, so I sent RINE a message saying, "I've arrived in front of the hotel. Can I come to the lobby now?"

This time, she replied immediately, "Yes."

Okay, let's go, so I said "Good evening" to the security guard, entered the hotel, and headed to the front desk.

"...Welcome. Welcome to the New Gabarin Hotel. Are you staying here tonight?" the brown-haired front desk clerk asked, sounding a little suspicious - it's understandable why she reach like that to a third-year middle school student that comes alone at this time of night.

For a moment, I considered using my Senrigan to cast an illusion on her, but the security camera on the ceiling above the front desk threatened, "You can't fool my eye lenses. Don't underestimate me," so I meekly asked, "I have an appointment with guest Momotari Asahi-sama, so may I use the lobby?"

The front desk clerk was a little taken aback, but said, "Yes. Please make sure to make your stay enjoyable."

"Thank you," I replied, and turned around to see Asahi-sama getting off the elevator.

She suddenly looked away. I was sad.

•

•

"I can't believe it," said Asahi-sama, sitting upright on the plush sofa. "And whether that girl is your lover or your friend, my conclusion remains the same."　

When I explained that there was nothing going on between me and Touko, this is the response I got.

"Can you tell me the reason why?"　

Asahi-sama opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She hesitated for a few seconds, then finally managed to squeeze out, "There's no reason."　

Does that mean that she somehow started to dislike me, or got bored of me, or maybe her feelings have turned to another man...? Part of me wonders, but when I look at Asahi-sama's pained expression and swollen eyes, I think that's not the case.

Maybe, but I vaguely thought that it might be the case, and pretended not to notice, thinking it would be insensitive.　

However, I'm not in the best of spirits right now, so I'll venture a deeper question. "Does it have anything to do with the resentful spiritual power in Asahi-sama's stomach?"

"--" Asahi-sama's breathing seemed to stop for just a moment. Then she frowned in confusion and said, "...As expected."　

It seems that Asahi-sama had used a technique to conceal the spiritual power that was covered in vengeance, but that was not enough to impede the Senri-gan. I had been aware of its existence since the first time we worked together.

And there's another strange thing I noticed while we were dating: she's never turned down my request for sex with something like she's on her period, and we always do it bareback.

It could be that she was just waiting for the right timing because we couldn't meet that often, or that she hadn't had their first period because her physical growth had stopped, or conversely, she could have just gone through menopause during her hundreds of years of existence.

However, when you also consider that a spiritual power, likely a curse, is entangled in her uterus, a body without periods, in other words...　

Asahi-sama sighed. With a tearful face, she said, "I can't become a mother. My womb is cursed."　

"..." I felt the urge to scream that I didn't care, but held myself back.

"This is punishment," Asahi-sama said, her voice trembling. "My father caused so much sadness to so many people. I, too, am a murderer. I am a woman who failed to protect the person I loved, the child I loved." Then, in a faint voice, she continued, "I'm sorry I hid it from you until now. I'm sorry I'm such a woman."

So that's the message - "A woman like me is not suitable for you, Tachibana-san." I see. I get it now.

As I tried to organize my thoughts, I realized there wasn't much to organize, and while thinking to myself, what am I doing?

I called out "Asahi-sama."　

Her otherworldly, beautiful eyes are directed at me.　

"You are really beautiful," I said with a smile, then put my stupidly simple thoughts into words.　

"I love you."

"..."　

It's embarrassing to say it out loud, but I think there are times when it's necessary. Probably.　

"I was just a kid, so I didn't really understand my own feelings until now," I continued, "But then Asahi-sama dumped me and I realized it. I can't imagine a life without you. I'll always need you from now on. No matter what your past may be, the Asahi-sama I know is responsible, kind, a little strange..." I paused. "You're the cutest person in the world. That's why I love you."

Silence fell, and then a single tear trickled down Asahi-sama's cheek. Then, as if a dam had burst, tears began to flow.　

I moved next to Asahi-sama, who was covering her face with her hands and crying hushed up, and rubbed her back.

That's a small back. It's too small for Asahi-sama, who has the tendency to take on too much.

I think so.

•　

•　

After a while, Asahi-sama calmed down and smiled shyly, saying, "I'm sorry, I showed you such an embarrassing side of me."　

"It's not embarrassing," I said.　

"Fufu," Asahi-sama sighed softly, and then said my name, "Kei-kun." And then, "I love you too."

"..." I'm trying to force my facial muscles not to grin, but it might be impossible.

To put it simply, I really want to do it. I want to do it right now. I want to forget about work and school and just do it.

However, Asahi-sama changed the air around her and said, "By the way," in a darker tone. I was shocked. "Is it true that nothing has happened between you and the girl from yesterday?"

"Nothing, really," I answered quickly and profusely, without missing a beat dozing.

"Hmm, is that so?" Asahi-sama pursed his lips slightly and said, "Younger girls are better, aren't they? I'll give you a little leeway. So don't worry about it," as she unleashed her pressure (spiritual and demonic powers).

"It was a misunderstanding. I'm not lying. I'll try my best to endure it--"

"You tried your best to endure?" Asahi-sama's face became malicious. "So, that means you had very strong lust for that girl, right?"

Oh, what? I thought it was resolved? That's strange, I thought, breaking out into a cold sweat. "No. I'm only thinking about Asahi-sama. It's true. I'm not a lolicon, so I don't find Touko attractive. Asahi-sama is the only one who's special to me. I'm not lying. The only one I love is Asahi-sama."

"...Hmm, I see. I see," Asahi-sama said, her cheeks flushing red, muttering to herself that this is just the way I am.

Meanwhile, I secretly quirked the corners of my mouth, thinking that maybe Asahi-sama was surprisingly easy to fool.

"Ahh!" Asahi-sama let out a quiet shriek. Touko had suddenly appeared.

As usual, Touko had a sleepy face that made it hard to tell what she was thinking, and as she looked at Asahi-sama from close range, she softly said "comrade" - and then immediately kissed her.

Huh?! Why?!

"Huh?!" Even Asahi-sama, who has lived for an eternity, was surprised by this, and her eyes widened. It was a rare sight in many ways.

After a few moments, Touko removed her lips and, still with a sleepy expression, invited Asahi-sama, "Now... let's take a bath together, three of us." -- the air froze.

"...Kei-kun?" Asahi-sama smiled. Except for his eyes.

"Yes..." I couldn't look her in the eye, so I bowed my head.

However, Asahi-sama peered at my face from below, deepening her elegant smile and asking, "Did it feel good?"

"I..." I started to say, but Touko interrupted me, saying, "Your junior just got really hard."

"Hehehe..."

"..."

What should I do...?

I glanced towards the front desk and my eyes met with the woman from before - who immediately looked away.

I turn my gaze back to Asahi-sama. It's scary.

But, as expected. "Asahi-sama, you're so cute."

"I won't be fooled by words like that," she said, and somehow it felt like Asahi-sama's pressure had eased.

It's easy. I think I can manage it.

I chuckled to myself.

"Kei-kun, be prepared." The pressure increased.

It seems impossible.

Author's Note:

Who is your favorite heroine?

1. Hitotose Sora: TS maidens are justice.
2. Hitotose Haruka: Big brain.
3. Mikami Asami: Sexy busty succubus.
4. Momotari Asahi: Widow legal loli 
5. Yagami Touko: mysterious and sexy loli.
6. Sakaki Sakura: sensible but touches people body a lot