Is It Okay To Have Dinner With The Spider

【五】KESILSNE

Tetsuki stopped outside the koto club room and listened. The music was distorted and shaky but he could see how far they'd all come. Weeks ago, the three idiots hadn't even known what the koto was and Chika had barely known how to play. Now, they could almost completely play the piece.

He'd heard so much about their teacher too. Hozuki Satowa, the awed prodigy of the Hozuki school. She sat next to Chika and barely talked, even if she did, it was mainly about the club. She was a mysterious girl, and cold. But she seemed boring compared to the girl he'd met yesterday.

The sixteen year old boy continued walking. The Spider. He knew who she was and what she'd done. But the person he'd seen yesterday seemed almost incapable of doing all those crime deeds. Killing? She was so skinny that it looked like she didn't eat most days. But he could see the muscular strength in her body that came from fighting all the time.

Tetsuki caught himself wondering whether the encounter was real or not. It almost seemed like a dream, but when he looked at the blood stain left on the ground, behind his house, he knew that the Spider had definitely been at his house. As far as he'd seen, she'd had two wounds, almost green and red at the same time. The bleeding had leaked out of her bandage and left a small spot of red behind his house.

His long slender fingers played with the zip on his school bag. The Spider was meant to be scary, a cold assassin who had no intention of leaving anyone alive. Yet she'd made no move against him. Maybe it was because she was injured, or she didn't want to kill the source of her food. But it seemed strange. Did she not kill those who didn't attempt a murder against her first? But wasn't that the rule in the underworld? Kill all those who got in you way?

"The Spider..." He wondered if she'd come again tonight. Regardless, he'd prepare for it.

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"Oi! Don't step on my feet!"

"Hey, I'm going in first!"

The usual round of arguing and noises filled the house when Chika, Sane, Mittsu and Kota slammed open the doors. Tetsuki sighed exasperatedly and gave a shout. "Turn it down! I'm trying to cook!" He returned to the recipe book. It was a new dish he'd not cooked before but wanted to try for a few days now. The unagi dish had always been his favourite, and he knew Mittsu would love it as well.

Chika burst into the kitchen. "So what are you cooking today, Te-chan? I kinda feeling for omelet rice. Or maybe even fried rice. I just want rice. I'm super hungry. Hozuki drilled us like military guys."

"Yeah? Well I'm cooking unagi today. You can go cook your own rice," Tetsuki shot back, causing Chika to frown.

"But I don't know how to!"

"Stupid."

"HAH?! Who are you calling stupid?! Don't call people that when you're the idiot!"

"Don't eat here anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"And I ain't helping for that test next week."

"I'm really sorry."

"Go away and I'll think about it." Immediately, Chika darted off into the living room. Quicker than rat with a cat on its tail. He couldn't let his grades drop, let alone not eat Tetsuki's food. Tetsuki was probably the source of his comfortable living at the moment.

In the kitchen, Tetsuki gave a small smile. Chika had been crashing at his place for so long that it almost normal to see underwear lying on the floor here. Not having him here would be peaceful, but strange. He'd know if there was something wrong if Chika didn't turn up at his house at least every two days.

"Oh, Tetsuki! Sane, Kota and me won't be staying for long today. We've all got something on at home so just feed us today! Homework won't be necessary," Mittsu told him as he poked his head into the kitchen. "Is that unagi?"

"Okay, but you should do your homework at home," Tetsuki reminded. "And yes, I've been trying this new unagi recipe. Should be good. You try it and tell me today." The taller boy grabbed his kitchen gloves and lifted the hot pot off the table. "And it's ready."

"ITADAKIMASU!" The boys dug into the food like a group of pigs, Tetsuki included. He was pretty worn out today, what with the homework and upcoming tests, and the thought of the Spider. But soon, after two rounds of unagi and rice, the three had left for home, leaving Chika and Tetsuki.

Chika let out a loud burp and squeezed the black cat plushie in front of him. "Ahhh. That was some incredible unagi...!"

Tetsuki hesitated for a second before he opened his mouth to speak. He couldn't help himself from his own curiosity. "So, Chika. You know when you used to hang out with those guys in the streets and bars and stuff." He noticed his friend tense at the mention of his past. "Did you ever come across the Spider?"

The pale haired boy lifted his gaze and locked on to Tetsuki's own dark pupils. "I saw her a few times. Never fought her though. I didn't want to die, if that's what you're asking."

"How was she like?"

Chika let go of his tension. "Mm. I dunno. She's weird. There's this odd aura around her and it's kind of scary to go near her. Her eyes, they could probably freeze your heart immediately. We only saw each other once, but I already knew that she isn't someone to mess with. But apart from that, she looks kinda like a normal girl."

"A normal girl? Like our age?"

He cocked his head. "Yeah, I'm guessing that she's our age. But she's kinda short. I mean, kinda like Hozuki's height. And probably as light as her as well."

As light as her...? Tetsuki wondered where that came from.

"So why do you ask?"

Tetsuki rolled his neck and felt it crack. "I saw her at our school a few days ago," he said semi-honestly. "She seems kinda off. Like a killer, but not like one as well."

"Right? That Spider kinda reminds me of a zombie who used to have a heart."

"Hah?!"

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LIKENESS