"Rika!"
Kaname flew into the yard, and I looked at him.
"Hi Kaname, where's Kyo?"
"The Rengoku house calls to you. You have been requested!"
"Oh, I guess Kyo needed some time and went to the Rengoku house." I said.
I went inside and got into a travel kimono, then left the house.
I slowly walked to the Rengoku house, unsure of how I would greet Kyo. Our last conversation didn't go so well, and he had thrown the jar of sake at the wall. I didn't like seeing him so angry. It wasn't like him.
When I got to the Rengoku house, Senjuro was sitting on the porch, staring at the ground. When I approached, he looked up at me and smiled sadly.
It worried me, because normally he greeted me by jumping up and running into my arms.
"Rika, it's nice to see you here."
"Hey, Senj. Where's Kyo?" I asked.
His smile faded, and he stood and went into the house. I climbed up onto the porch and the door slid open again and Senjuro walked out carrying Kyo's haori.
I watched as he unfolded it to reveal his sword, and he continued to unfold it. My heart sank at the next thing that was revealed.
I reached out and picked up a bunch of tied hair. Red and blonde. Kyojuro's hair. Tears filled my eyes at the realization of Kyojuro cutting his hair. Why would he do such a thing?
"Where is he?" I asked as I looked up at Senjuro.
Senjuro shook his head, and then his eyes glistened.
"It's my fault..." I said.
"Why would he do this? It isn't your fault, but why would he cut his hair? It's always supposed to have been Rengoku pride. When our hair gets long, it turns red." Senjuro said.
I turned to the yard and looked around.
"Kaname? Are you around?" I called.
He flew from the tree and landed on the ground beside me. I glanced down at him, and it was strange that he was here, without Kyojuro.
"Do you know where Kyojuro is?" I asked.
Kaname nodded, but made no move to fly forward. I knelt in front of him and held my arm out. Kaname stepped forward and up onto my arm.
"Can you please take me to him?" I asked.
Kaname shook his head again. If Kyojuro has requested Kaname to keep his location a secret, he would follow those orders above anyone else's.
"Is Kyojuro alright?" I asked.
"He is not injured." Kaname said.
Not injured. But not alright. I carried Kaname to the porch and sat down. I set him down beside me and I leaned forward. Tears filled my eyes again, and sobs escaped from me. If I hadn't done what I had, Kyojuro wouldn't have cut his hair and left.
Where was he? How long would he be away? I needed to see him, to talk to him. To tell him I love him. I caused all of this because of that stupid dream I had. I had to let it go. Giyu was only my best friend. That's reality. Kyo was here and alive, and I loved him.
Senjuro sat beside me, and I stared at the bunch of hair in my hand. Kyojuro cut his hair... I couldn't imagine seeing Kyo with short hair.
Senjuro reached up and felt his hair tied behind his head. I looked up at him, and he fidgeted with it. He took a deep breath and looked over at me.
"I couldn't imagine cutting this." He said.
I pulled Senjuro in for a hug, and he wrapped his arms around me.
"I need to find him. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" I asked.
"No. His usual place of comfort is here. But he only left us with this."
I took the hair and pulled a cloth from my kimono and wrapped the hair in it. I tucked the cloth back into my kimono and stood. With a smile on my face, I turned to Senjuro.
"I'll find him, and I'll bring him home. We need our Kyojuro." I said.
He nodded, and I turned and left the yard. I didn't know where I would look, but if I knew Kyojuro, a good place to start would be the noodle shops in the nearby village.
I walked around and went to each shop, but nobody had seen him. Nobody in the village seemed to have seen him either.
I wouldn't find him there. Perhaps I wouldn't find him until he wanted to be found, but I wouldn't give up.
~~~~~
Two months went by and Kyojuro hadn't returned. I wandered around, never staying in one place. I couldn't return to our home. Not until Kyojuro was with me. Being part of the Demon Slayer Corps meant I always had a home wherever I went. There were Wisteria Houses everywhere. I spent each night at a different one.
I wandered a village, and I heard a laugh. It made my heart flutter because it sounded like Kyojuro. I would never forget the wonderful sound of his laugh. I turned to the source of the laugh, and there was a dark-haired man carrying a child into a house.
One day, that would be Kyo. My hand went to my belly, and I smiled. I believed Kyojuro would come back to me.
At least I knew it would be easier to spot Kyo in a crowd, because even with short hair, he was still blonde, and there weren't many blondes around.
I turned away and continued to walk. I longed to see him again. My heart missed him. I missed his arms around me.
"Rika?"
I turned at the familiar voice. A pair of blue eyes approached, and I smiled.
"Hi Giyu, what are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here? You should be at home, resting." He said.
"I know, but I need to find Kyo. I can't be at home when he's not there. It doesn't feel right."
Giyu looked sideways. His gaze caught on something and he stared. Giyu always was one to stare into the distance.
"I think you need to wait for him to be ready. He will return when he's ready."
"Giyu, in your travels and missions, have you come across anything at all that might tell us where he is?" I asked.
Giyu remained silent, and his gaze met mine. Did that meant he knew something? Or was he just being Giyu?
"I hope that if you knew something, you would tell me." I said.
"What if Rengoku is happy as he is now?" He asked.
"Then I'd accept it, but I just want to know that he's alright. If I knew he was happy, and that he was where he wanted to be, then I'd accept it, and I would be happy for him. I'm just worried about him." I said.
"I know nothing, but if he hasn't returned after all this time, maybe he wants to stay where he is."
"I don't think he would have abandoned his family. Maybe me, but never Senjuro."
I looked up, saw a crow flying overhead, and I gasped. That crow. I knew it.
I took off, following the crow, leaving Giyu behind. I knew Kaname very well, and I recognized the long feathers that stuck out of his wing. He was the only crow that had those.
Kaname flew away from the village and through a forest. I almost couldn't keep him in my sight, but could follow. He slowed down and circled in the sky. I heard a whistle, and he flew down into the trees.
I lost him, but perhaps if I kept in that direction, I would come across him. I walked through the forest, trying to remain silent. Eventually I came to a clearing, and I found Kaname perched on the shoulder of someone.
It wasn't Kyojuro. Who could this have been? My temperature sensing has been off since I've been pregnant, and the baby's temperature kept interfering with my senses. So who was that person?
Was Kaname assigned to another slayer? I hid behind the tree, watching the man and the bird interact. If I could see his face, maybe I could recognize the slayer.
The man was of regular height, and with short black hair. He wore a blue juban and hakama. I watched as he held a cracker out to the bird and he snatched it. The man held a finger up, scolding the bird, and he bowed his head.
I tried to step closer to get a better look, but my foot hit a twig and it snapped. The man's head turned, and I quickly hid behind the tree. Wings flapped and footsteps approached.
I looked at my feet and forced them to move forward. I ran from my hiding spot, hoping the man wouldn't find me. Fast footsteps approached behind me, but I couldn't look back to see how far he was. If I did that, it would slow me down.
The footsteps fell far behind me, and I heard them give up, but I continued to run. I left the forest and went back to the village.
I wish I had seen his face. I would have tried to ask the villagers if they knew him. All I had to go on was black hair and blue juban. But was that an everyday wear the way Kyo did? Or was that because he ventured into the forest and needed something easy to move in?
One thing I knew; Kaname had found a friend. He would be back here. I was sure that Kaname probably also visited Kyojuro. Next time I found him leaving the village, I would follow him. To Kyojuro.
This village would become my home for the next while until I found a closer lead to Kyojuro's whereabouts.
A week later, I still hadn't seen Kaname. I wondered if he stopped only because that man called to him and gave him a cracker.
I sat at a table in a noodle shop, and the food had just been delivered to my table. I picked up my chopsticks and ate. Shortly after I started eating, a woman came and sat down at my table in front of me.
"Hi there, I'm sorry to be a bother, but I came to warn you." She said.
I finished the bite I had in my mouth and sat up straight. I looked at her and she smiled at me warmly.
"Warn me? About what?" I asked.
"There has been a man watching you. He's sitting behind you, and he hasn't stopped staring. I only want to warn you because he has been watching you strangely. I think you may be in danger." She said.
She peered behind me, and I turned my head. I didn't see anybody watching me. Everybody was focused on their food.
I turned back to the woman, and she narrowed her eyes.
"He turned around when he saw you turn your head." She said.
I turned around again, scanning the tables. And then my eyes landed on someone. His back was to me. It was the man from the forest. He wore the same blue juban.
I turned back to the woman and smiled.
"Thank you for the warning. But I can handle myself. Don't worry about me. Ill be alright." I said to her.
I stood up and pushed my chair from the table. I was going to confront him. He clearly wasn't a demon slayer, and Kaname had just chosen a random stranger who happened to have a cracker on him.
Just as I stood up, and my chair moved, he did as well. He left money sitting on the table and abruptly walked out of the shop. He seemed to be in a hurry.
I stood there and stared. Who was that strange man? I stepped toward his table, and on it was a bowl of noodles, untouched. Did he only order so that he could act like a customer and watch me?
My heart raced. Maybe I was in danger after all. I turned back to the woman and smiled at her. I sat back down at the table and continued to eat.
"It looks like he got nervous and ran." She said.
"It doesn't matter." I said.
"Well, I should go now. I wish you well in your future! Please take care of yourself." She said.
The woman stood and waved to me, then walked away. I finished my noodles and stood. I looked back at the table where the man sat and was bothered. Why was he watching me?
I left the noodle house and made my way back to the Wisteria House. As I walked, I thought about the man who seemed to watch me. Did he recognize me as the person who saw him in the forest? Was that why he was watching me?
I entered the house and was greeted by the owner. She thanked me for staying with her, and I went to my bedroom. I went to a box that I set aside and opened it. I pulled out a cloth and tucked it into my kimono.
My hands put the box back, and I made my way from the house. I sat down on a bench at the edge of the village and stared out. I wanted Kyojuro back.
I pulled the cloth from my shirt and stared down at it. I opened it up and stared at the bundle of hair. I held it to my chest, and tears formed in my eyes.
"Kaito!"
I turned and an elderly man was standing, searching for someone. I folded the hair back up and tucked it back into my kimono. I stood and approached the man.
"Have you lost a dog? Or perhaps a child?" I asked.
"No. Kaito is a friend of mine who told me he was going to meet me here. You haven't seen anybody walk by, have you?"
"No one has been through here since I've been sitting here. I hope Kaito finds you." I said.
"Thank you. Since Kaito moved to the village, he has been a close friend of my family. He is not normally late like this."
"I will keep an eye out for him. If I come across him, I will tell him you've been searching for him." I asked.
"He would be wearing a blue haori most of the time. Thank you, my dear." He said.
I bowed my head and went back to the bench and sat for a minute. I watched the old man stand and wait, and I was upset. Whoever this Kaito was should have left him waiting.
I stood and made my way into the village. I stopped by a woman who was sitting on a bench, reading a book. I sat beside her and turned to her.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but do you know a man named Kaito?" I asked.
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. It looked like she knew Kaito.
"Oh yes! Kaito. I know him! Do you have business with him?" She asked.
I pointed down the road, and the woman looked in that direction.
"Well, I met an old man down that way, and he was waiting for Kaito. It seemed that Kaito doesn't normally keep people waiting, so I wanted to see if I could help the man by finding him." I said.
"Oh yes, Kaito is always very punctual. And he's so dreamy. His wife is a very lucky woman! The two of them are expecting a child." She said.
"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm thrilled for Kaito." I said.
"If you're looking for him, you might find him at a noodle shop. I hear he loves noodles."
"I see." I said.
"Oh, there's Kaito!" She said, pointing down the road.
I turned, and sure enough, there was a man walking down the road wearing a blue haori. I stood and approached the man.
"Kaito!" I said.
He flinched, but ignored me, and continued walking.
"Kaito!"
I ran after him, then he picked up speed and ran too.
"Kaito! Someone is waiting for you! He needs your- agh!"
I tripped and fell forward, crash landing on my knees, just barely catching myself with my hands.
Kaito stopped ahead of me, and I glanced up at him. His blue eyes met mine. He turned away, and shaking his head, he walked away.
"Kaito. The old man needs your help. Are you going to abandon him?" I asked.
Kaito shook his head again and continue to walk ahead, ignoring me. He was strangely silent.
I stood and approached Kaito, and when I reached my arm out for him, he shoved it away aggressively. How was this man married? He seemed so unlikable.
I guess some people must have been able to get by on looks alone. No wonder she wanted to get away from him.
"Kaito, I don't know you, but you can't keep an old man waiting. He needs your help, and he's expecting you."
He growled and walked away, still not turning to me. His head was angled to the ground as he walked. He tried to keep his face hidden from me. All I saw were blue eyes before he turned.
"Kaito..." I called. "Kaito? You somehow remind me of... Kyojuro..."
He froze mid-step.
"I am not Kyojuro."
He said it in a low voice. I didn't recognize it. I knew he wasn't Kyojuro, but there was something about him.
"I am Kaito." He said.
I knew Kyojuro's voice. That wasn't it. His voice carried kindness to it. This man before me only seemed angry.
"The old man is waiting for you, Kaito."
I felt a rushing pain in my side, and I knelt on the ground. I groaned as I tried to push away the pain.
"Rika!"
I glanced up, and my gaze met Kaito's. He looked down the road to the source of my name. His eyes narrowed, and he quickly turned away.
I turned to the running footsteps, and Giyu was approaching me. He stopped and knelt in front of me, and inspected me.
"What happened? Why are you on the ground?" He asked.
I glanced back up at Kaito, and in a huff, he walked away.
"Giyu. I need you to leave." I said, my gaze never leaving Kaito's retreating form.
Kaito stopped walking, and his head slightly turned. I stood up and turned to Giyu.
"Are you al-" Giyu began.
"Please, Giyu, I need you to leave. I need to talk to... Kaito." I said.
Giyu turned to Kaito and stepped forward. He put his hand on Kaito's shoulder, and Kaito aggressively shoved him away.
"I don't know who you are, Kaito, but if you hurt Rika, you're going to pay. She's my best friend, and her husband is a comrade of mine. I'm watching out for her while he's away. If any harm comes to her, and I find out it's because of something you did, you'd better watch out. I'm not letting a single thing happen to Rengoku's wife."
Giyu shoved Kaito and walked away angrily.
"Rika, I'm here. If you need me, just call for Kanzaburo."
He walked away, and I stood. I ignored the pain in my side and approached Kaito. I had a fifty percent chance that what I was doing was the wrong thing. But I felt I needed to do this.
Kaito stood there, staring at the ground in front of him. I positioned myself behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. His head shot up, and he inhaled sharply. He turned, and I loosened my grip. He pulled away from me.
"You're... Rika, right?" He asked.
His voice was extremely low, like he was forcing it out.
"You know who I am. Kyojuro. You know that I'm yours. And that I always will be." I said.
He turned away. "I know who Kyojuro is, but that isn't me." He said.
"I also know who Kyojuro is. And you're right. It's not you."
He turned back to me, and I smiled up at him.
"My Kyojuro has the most wonderful smile in this world. His flame colored eyes are the most beautiful. His blonde hair..."
I reached into my kimono and pulled out the cloth and opened it. Kaito looked down at it and his eyes widened.
"His beautiful long blonde hair. I love to run my fingers through it. The warmth I feel when I hug him, and the way it warms up my entire body when he wraps his arms around me, fills me with happiness. There's nobody in this world that makes me as happy as he does." I said.
Kaito looked down at me, and his eyes narrowed.
"Maybe Kyojuro knows that there's someone else you care for, and that if he stayed away, the other man could take his place and care for you and your child."
"He doesn't know that. Because I think he knows deep down that he's the only one I could ever truly love. I think he knows that all I've ever been able to think about is him. And that since his been gone, my heart has been broken, and can't be repaired until I'm held in his arms again." I said.
Kaito turned around. "I have something I need to do. And then... I'll take you to Kyojuro. Somewhere that you and Kyojuro can talk."
"Thank you."
"Go wait by the edge of the village. I'll meet you there when I'm finished."