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.
"Hinatsuru you say?" The host raised an eyebrow. "I had an Oiran named Hinatsuru here. She got sick and left some time ago. It was a house where the sick and broke went." The host said.
"Awesome! Where?" Akai leaned forward, he might be able to find where Hinatsuru ended up.
"I believe she went to the-"
*Hic*
*Hic*
"There's a girl crying." Akai heard the quiets sobs from down the hall using his demon hearing. His protective instinct flared and he got up to investigate.
"It's probably nothing, Sir. You should stay." The host got up to follow him.
Akai ignored anything the man said as he speed-walked down the hall.
"Really, you shouldn't go there." The host got more urgent, seemingly for no reason.
He peeked the corner and saw Zenitsu consoling a crying servant. The room they were in was a mess like someone had trashed it in a rage.
Akai then saw a figure come up from behind them.
It was the Oiran, Warabahime.
Upon noticing her behind him, Zenitsu froze. But why? She was just a woman.
Akai knew soon enough when the stench wafted over his nose.
The stench of an Upper Moon.
Akai felt his pulse speed up and he froze, stuck to the wall with half his face peeking around the corner.
"What are you doing in someone else's room?" Warabahime hissed. Zenitsu still stayed still and frozen. "Hello? are you deaf?" Zenitsu snapped out of his frozen terror.
"I'm sorry for barging in! There was a complete mess and a girl was crying..." Zenitsu blurted.
"You're so unsightly, you make me sick. Wouldn't the world be better if you die?" Warabahime ignored his words and went to insulting him instead. Zenitsu's face turned white as a ghost when met with her glare. "What's with your face? It's pissing me off." Warabahime growled and walked past him and towards the girl that was crying.
"This room is a total mess. And I told this girl to clean it up." Warabahime leaned down and grabbed the child's ear.
"KYAAAAHHHH!!!!" The girl wailed and writhed in pain as Warabahime lifted the girl up by her ear.
"Shut the hell up!!! Don't just Scream!!! Clean up the damn room!!!" Warabahime scolded the screaming servant.
"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'LL CLEAN IT UP RIGHT AWAY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!" The Child pleaded as her ear began to tear, leaking blood down her cheek.
Akai felt his soul burn. He growled and went to put a stop to it. His rage made him temporarily forget who he was looking at.
It seemed Zenitsu felt the same, as he had rushed towards Warabahime and gripped the arm that was holding the child with one hand.
"Get... Your hands off of her...!" In anger, Zenitsu was able to shoot a defiant glare straight into the demon's eyes.
Warabahime only lifted her hand and swatted Zenitsu like a fly. Her casual slap made him fly fifteen feet through a wall. Akai gasped and hid behind the corner. He was afraid again.
"Don't touch me so casually, you maggot-faced brat. You all need discipline. Tough discipline." Warabahime growled. As she said this, the host walked past Akai and towards Warabahime, Akai followed some ways behind.
"Warabahime-Oiran!" The host called, making her turn away from Zenitsu. "You're exactly right! Please! Give us a break!" The Host kneeled in front of the Oiran. "The house will reopen soon, and the customers will show! I will serve a hefty punishment, so please leave these girls be and make yourself comfortable. You must preserve our reputation!" The host pleaded. As he did so, other servants dragged Zenitsu away.
"...Raise your head, master. It's me that is at fault. I've been getting ticked off by a lot of things as of late." Waribahime calmed herself, and began to slowly put on the mask of a kind woman.
"Maybe I was being too rough on the new girl, please treat her wounds." Waribahime muttered. "I'll get everything ready, clean up this mess!" She said as she walked off.
"Yes Oiran!" The servants chimed and ran to tidy up the room and the area Zenitsu had flown through.
Akai could feel her eyes on him as she passed him.
----------
Akai was packing his things, he had to leave. He never got the name of the sick house that Hinatsuru was in, but he knew it was a sick house so Tengen could narrow it down to one area. He just had to grab Zenitsu and go. He wouldn't be able to fight here if he was caught off guard. He got up and went out of his room, he slinked his way towards the room Zenitsu was in. He smiled when he saw the last of the servants tending to him leave. He drew ever so closer to the room. Only to stop in his tracks.
He saw Warabahime rush into the room and slam the door behind her.
"No!!!" Akai exclaimed and rushed to the door. He heard a small scuffle inside. He threw the door open-
Only to be met with an empty room.
Warabahime had taken him. He didn't know where. He didn't know how. But she took him.
Akai felt numb. He felt his cheek flare up and burn. He felt his blood run cold.
She got him. Zenitsu was gone.
Zenitsu was as good as dead.
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🎵Sad boi Akai....🎵
🎵Couldn't do anything to save his friend's life....🎵
🎵If Zenitsu's really dead,🎵
🎵Warabahime's gonna meet Akai's knife. 🎵