The Good Demon [KNY]

Part 32: Search and Sanitation

Akai sat on a comfy-looking chair in the lounge of the place, he stayed to look for clues about Hinatsuru, Uzui's wife that had been stationed here.

"God, this floor is dirty." Akai stared at the crumb-ridden space. The main area was neglected compared to the tidy rooms of this house. Having grown up with only his dad, he got used to doing all his housework. So this sad display of housekeeping just pissed him off. Akai growled and grabbed a broom from a small servant who was walking by. He went to sweeping immediately, not caring what the girl would say.

"Um... Mister..." The servant turned around. But upon seeing Akai's progress, she decided to leave him to it.

Akai worked all of the debris in that area into a neat pile and left the broom leaning against a secluded wall to be picked up at some point.

"I'm back." Akai heard Zenitsu behind him.

"Good, don't stay near me." Akai said, staring off into nowhere like he didn't even know Zenitsu was there.

"Why were you sweeping?"

"Get outa here...!" Akai hissed through his teeth.

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Akai managed to sneak in a lot of cleaning here and there. From fixing beds to rearranging tacky houseplants.

"Here ya go, little guy..." Akai whispered as he placed a small houseplant in the spot he deemed most fit. Akai was actually impressed with his stealthiness.

"What are you doing?"

"Crap."

Akai turned to see the master of the Kyougoku House.

"I'm cleaning." Akai didn't want to waste the man's time.

"Why? You're a guest." The man said.

"Well, I'm a weird guest." Akai said and turned around.

"...Come with me." The host turned and told him to follow.

"Okay." Akai nodded and followed, but he had a hair comb hidden in his kimono that he'd be able to make into a knife.

Akai was brought to the host's office. Where he managed transactions and records. Akai sat on the floor with the master, who gave him a non-hostile look.

"Why are you really here?" The host asked.

...

...

...

"How did you know..." Akai asked.

"One, you don't pay to see an Oiran. You earn a night with an Oiran through many visits to the Oiran's specific house." The host started. "Two, you don't act like a normal client. Normal customers only ask for an hour or two of time. At most a night. You asked for three days. You also did cleaning all throughout this building, where other men don't give a damn about this place other than the women." The host added. "Three, you barged into a closed house. The sign said so right in the front of the building, yet you still showed up." The man finished.

Akai gulped and he felt his knees get heavy.

"From what I've seen, you aren't from here. Why sneak into this place?" The man asked.

"Want the truth?" Akai asked.

"Yes." The host replied.

"I am here to find a woman, my friend's sister. Her name is Hinatsuru." Akai began with a story that was very much not the truth, but the host didn't need to know that. "She ran away from my friend's family and went here, he's been looking. for her ever since. He got a lead and sent me here to learn about where she might be." Akai finished his cover story.