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Chapter 15

X-X-X-X

After Kuwabara got a decent score on his science test and his friend was able to continue working, well...I had no reason to hang around the guy anymore. Still, I did make sure to reward him properly...cat books that he was intently looking at whenever I was in a bookstore. Still, I'm bored since Hinata and Misaki have been going home together to train. I think my last training session hit a sore spot with them...after sending them flying without the use of my Reiki or puppets. It's been almost a week since then too...I'm bored!

"Yusuke, I'm back~!" I opened the door and I stared at Keiko who was sitting beside Yusuke. "Oh, Keiko! You're here today as well?" I asked tossing my bag to the side.

"Atsuko-san said she's going out for a week, are you going to be okay during that time?" Keiko asked glancing at me when I sat down beside her.

"Yeah, I usually order takeout or I can cook something simple."

"You shouldn't do that. Come to my place on occasion, my parents always ask me about you. They're worried you haven't been eating properly after everything that's happened."

"Buu~! I'm bored though and I don't want to be pestered!"

"I'm going to a café with my friends later. You know a lot about those places, right? Why don't you come with me, we can catch up."

"Keiko's friends, huh...?" I thought about it. "Hm..." I'm pretty sure they didn't care much about Yusuke, but they did try to help out Keiko when she was crying during the wake. "Maybe next time. There's some books I wanted to pick up."

"You're quite studious, Yuiko."

"Nah, I just have a hobby I like." Wait, wouldn't it be called more of a job than a hobby...since I'll probably go into making puppets in the future? "Well, I only came home to change then head out for a bit. Are you going to come by again tomorrow?"

"Yes. Someone has to check up on Yusuke and I can't leave it all to you."

"Hm..." I smiled at Keiko. "I can definably leave Yusuke in your hands then, Keiko! Please treat him sternly in the future so he doesn't get a big head!"

"Huh?"

"Well, you two are going to get married in the future, right?"

"Wha-What are you talking about, Yuiko?!" Keiko's face is bright red, this is so amusing right now. "Y-Yusuke and I are just friends! Just friends!"

"Well, I would love to have someone like you as a sister-in-law. If Yusuke lost his chances with you, I would have killed him a dozen times over for it."

"I-I'm going to go then! S-See you tomorrow!"

"Take care~!"

I tried not to laugh, ah, that was relieving. Ah, but now I'm bored. I changed into something simple for today before heading to my usual bookstores. I wanted to see if they got any new books on clothes making or porcelain dolls. It was on the way back did I see something weird...Yusuke...piggybacking Keiko with Kuwabara with him. I kept a certain distance away and I heard how Yusuke gets to return to his body once a month and how he wasn't allowed to communicate with Kaa-chan, Keiko, or myself. Keh, like Keiko and I care. We both heard you. I thought noticing Keiko was indeed awake.

"Hm...I guess I'll return home a bit later today. I'll give the lovebirds some privacy~!"

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I shut my eyes, seeing the world through the eyes of the five puppets I was controlling. They were scattered throughout the mansion and I was using today to practice a bit. It was a lot harder than I thought to do this, but I have to learn. If I cannot control at least five puppets like it is my own body, I'll end up dead in the future. I'm a puppeteer, I control the strings. They're my first line of defense without them, I'll be as good as dead...or so some might think. I also have to train my own body to be able to handle anything without my puppets.

"Rei...I'm in position. Let's begin." I said allowing him to control the puppets.

I got it. You have to last at least an hour, can you handle that?

"I can."

I opened my eyes and I found myself surrounded by the five puppets I was controlling earlier. For the next hour, I spent time dodging, countering, and destroying whatever weapon was in the hands of my puppets. By the end of the hour, I was a mess. My dress was cut up and my hair was a complete and utter mess. I released a small sigh, running my fingers through my hair.

You're getting better.

"Well, I'm not good enough. I don't have an actual opponent who will fight with me. That and you're not exactly teacher material when it comes to fighting, Rei."

Well, you might as well find someone then. I learned through hundreds of years of fighting, Yui. I can't control the puppets as I like in this situation. Your Body Possession only allows you to enter your puppets, not me.

"Hah...I wonder if I can ever put your soul in a puppet..."

At the very least, I can teach you in the real world and become a suitable partner to you in your fighting.

"I get the feeling if I ever do find a way...you might just leave me."

It's possible.

He doesn't even deny it. Rei and I are really drifting apart. At this rate...when we find a way to separate our souls...what will happen to our relationship? I still don't know if I am in love with Rei, but I do care deeply about him. I'll be incredibly sad if he were to leave without a word. I put my puppets away, gathering up the broken weapons.

"Time to go home..." I muttered checking on Rei's condition.

Asleep...as always nowadays. His slumbers are getting longer and longer, it's becoming a huge concern for me...I don't know what to do to help him...if I can at all. I tugged at my hair and I noticed something odd...huh, that café, Dessert Wings? When...when did I get here? I was supposed to head home. Something tells me...that if I go inside, I could get some kind of an answer...I hope. I thought entering the café.

"Welcome...valued customer." The waitress is there as always, but she's dressed differently. She's sitting at a circular table on a three legged chair. "Today, you came with a problem in your heart, did you not?"

"...What...kind of place is this place...?" Today, it wasn't a café on the inside either...it resembled an antique shop lined with various items. "It was a café before, but it is now an antique shop."

"That's right, this isn't a normal place, but the details would only bore you." The woman smiled at me and that's when I realized it...her face...what does her face look like exactly? "Ara, you realized it, didn't you?"

"I...please excuse me..." I slowly stepped backwards. I have to get out of here...it's not safe...! "I have to go home."

"Don't you wish to help the one that shares your body?"

"...!"

"Won't you join me for a cup? You see, I'm sorry if I scared you, but I am not a bad person."

"..."

"I have some chiffon cake today."

"Two slices please and some whipped cream!" I was already sitting across from her and she released a small giggle. "What kind of tea are you serving?"

"Lemon milk tea, if that is alright with you."

"That's fine." The woman placed the cake in front of me along with a cup of tea. "So, who are you?"

"I wonder about that myself sometimes. In truth, I merely like to help out lost little children like yourself."

"I'm not lost."

"Not that kind of lost, dear." She pointed at me...more specifically my heart. "That kind of lost."

"..."

"Won't you please tell me your problems?"

"I...I just want to help Rei somehow."

"Even if it means you two will one day separate?"

"I...I don't want that, but..."

"I understand."

"Huh?"

"My situation was similar to yours, met people that I never wanted to separate from them...because you feel that the next time you meet might not ever come due to how different you two are."

"Yes...that's..." That's exactly how I feel. "Do...do you meet them?"

"On occasion."

"Is it painful?"

"Sometimes."

"..."

"You will not always be with someone, it is practically impossible. Like with a parent and a child, when the child grows up into a fine adult they leave...and the parent is sad that their child will one day have a child of their own."

"But...in our case..."

"Have you ever spoken to that person about your feelings?"

"...No..."

"Sometimes, we do selfish things because we are blinded." I stared at the woman and...I knew her mouth was set in a small frown despite not seeing her face. "In truth, I did something just as selfish without consulting the one I love."

"Your lover?"

"No, no, nothing like that. In truth, our relationship is the same as always, but...there are days where I wish it was a bit more. To forget, I allow myself to find comfort in the arms of another."

"B-But...don't you...love him?"

"I do."

"Then why won't you-ah."

"Ah, indeed. Just like you, I am afraid of rejection. Well, I doubt it would be a very hurtful rejection, but the two of us will not be together all that much. I have my work, he has his."

"So...you won't tell him?"

"I think I might if I could ever get drunk enough."

"...?"

"I suppose we're both alike. We don't want to talk to the person we care about most because we fear their answer." I saw her reach for something on the shelf nearby. I can see a bit more...her nails are painted white...with red and black flowers on them. She reached for a small box and she placed it on the table. "Why don't you take this?"

"Huh, but..."

"The next time you come by will be the last. During that time, please give to me something that will pay for this."

"What...is it?"

"I wonder. In truth, it is an item that I obtained long ago...I'm sure you will find a way to open it."

I picked up the box, it's wooden...and it has a small lock. It fit into my hands perfectly. I suddenly found myself on the streets again and I turned around to see...huh, wait, this is the bookstore near my house. What...the heck is going on? I began heading home, trying to use my wires to forcibly open it. When that didn't work, I attached my wires to it to cut into it, but...holy crap is that thing hard! I can cut through steel like it's butter, but I can't cut through something that is like a wooden box!

"What is in it anyways?" I questioned shaking it a few times.

There's certainly something inside, I can hear it rattling about. I tried to move my wires through the cracks, but it won't work! What the heck is this thing? No, more importantly...what the hell did I accept? When I got home, I put into my backpack for safekeeping. I'll ask Hinata about it tomorrow...maybe he would know about unique items. More importantly...I looked around the room and the area surrounding my brother's soulless body. Trash...piled up quite high.

"I wasn't even gone that long and it's already starting to pile up..." I muttered handling the cleaning.

If I wasn't around, I suspect that the trash would be piled up even higher...and it'd be even worse. I stifled a small yawn, it's already nighttime so I'll go to bed early and then go to school immediately. I want to find out as much as I could about that mysterious box I got from that woman. Still, I felt the two of us were quite alike...but...what does she mean that the next time I go by will be the last?

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Chapter 15 Ends

The shopkeeper is actually another character some might be familiar with if you've been reading my other stories, but who will be kept secret since it's a bit of a future spoiler~! If you know who, I won't confirm or deny since that point of her story hasn't come to an end yet! As for what is in the box...that will be revealed further off into the future. Oh, right, almost forgot. Someone mentioned something about Yusuke and Yui being hanyo since Raiden is their father, but that's not it at all. Raiden is their ancestor and Yusuke only awakened his demon side in canon due to atavism, when traits from their ancestors reappear generations later. In Yui's case, her demon blood is slowly being awakened due to Rei's soul being mixed up with her body. In canon, Yusuke awakened it only after dying the second time and only then it was because he was strong enough. Nothing else to add at this point so that's all for this time around! Bye-bye~!