Chapter 3 - An Abrupt Houseguest

There is a stunned silence between us. Tsume pauses before a slightly concerned expression crosses his face. He tilts his head to one side, inquiring further.

"... The... white worm...? Are you... perhaps... referring to me?"

... I didn't mean to say that out loud. I gasp and cover my mouth with one hand, the other still holding me on the side of the bridge.

"I'm sorry- I didn't mean to—"

"N-no... it's understandable..." He stares down at the ground, an expression of depression and defeat worn.

"I'm... not at my strongest right now... so, yes, you're right... I wasn't much bigger than a worm, was I..." It didn't appear to be a question- more of a self realised statement...

"No, no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that-"

"It's okay... No... really..." His figure droops until he's nearly touching the floor, hugging his knees to his chest, head hanging.

"Not many people would know a small snake from a worm if they only looked at it briefly..."

"Look- Tsume, please get up. I'm really sorry - I'm quite terrible with bugs. I didn't mean to offend you. Look- um, is there a place you can stay? Could I walk you home? How did you even know my name?" I climb down from the side of the bridge. He pauses, before shaking his head slowly.

"I... heard it... whilst I was dreaming. And... no..." He looks up at me. Whilst wearing a sad expression before, this one looks pained.

"There is... no place... for me to return to."

"... Oh."

Silence falls around us again. I'm not very comfortable with the silence and glance away from him, turning my gaze to look down the rest of the zen bridge. My way home.

"Well... I think I should ask my family first. They might let you stay over at my place for now." I suggest.

"But I've got to clean up the shrine first, so if you wouldn't mind following me?"

Tsume pauses in thought, before nodding slowly, straightening up from his curled up position. He is about a half head taller, maybe slightly more? He brushes a bit of his hair out of his eyes, before putting a pleasant expression on his face.

"Please lead the way then, Miss Suzume."

We walk through the neighborhood, but there aren't many words exchanged between us. Honestly... it's... really hard to think of something to say! I'm sweating here. Think, think, think!

Tsume is looking around curiously at each of the buildings that we pass by. It seems like he's never been to this part of town before. Most of them are houses, but some have stores built into the front.

"That one sells wagashi sweets. It's a family run business." I explain, pointing to one with dark blue curtains at its front.

"And this one sells chopsticks. My grandma really enjoys looking at them."

Tsume nods and smiles.

"You know quite a lot about your neighborhood."

I blush a little, smiling back in return.

"I'm just a bit too curious for my own good."

We walk past my house and make a left three houses down. The road connects to a bush walk which goes for a little before forking. The right path is a set of steep stone steps which heads up the hill towards the shrine, whilst the path on the left goes further into the bamboo forest.

"They're just up these steps."

The steps barely fit my feet, and the steps' height reach halfway between my knee and ankle. It's an effort to haul myself up here. Every time I make this trip, I always wondered how Grandma did it before I took over. She's so strong...

"Well, we're here!" I announce to him, spreading my arms out wide. A fanfare goes off in my head, a mixture of pride and nervousness. As if to respond, a lone bird sings from somewhere deep in the bamboo forest. A tumbleweed rolls past Tsume and I.

The stone pathway we currently stand on runs a straight pathway up to a shrine no bigger than a shack. The multiple red Torii gates are peeling paint. The terracotta tiling on the roof of the shrine is a mottled grey and green - Grandma told me that when she was small, they were the colour of freshly-ground ink, and had stayed that way due to her parents and eventually her husband. The two prayer bells were rusting and the red and white-braided cords are beginning to fray. Even the donation box's sign painted on by Grandma's husband, formerly a sign maker due to his handwriting, is barely visible.

Tsume takes in his surroundings as he tucks a loose strand of white hair behind his ear, a pleasant smile on his face, before looking back at me.

"It's lovely. I feel so at peace here."

Whew...

"You can rest on the shrine steps while I work if you'd like." I lean my bag against one of the Torii gate's poles as I head to a smaller shack next to the shrine, opening it up to bring out a broom and a rake.

"Thank you, Miss Suzume." He takes up my offer.

He watches me whilst I set about sweeping the bamboo leaves off of the track, picking up dust with it. It's a little unnerving, having someone watch my every move, I must admit. He's watching with such curiosity and intent from those sharp eyes of his.

"So... can I ask what you were doing... lying under a rock this morning?" I attempt to make conversation in order to break this stifling silence. Even the bird which was singing before had stopped. The wind is rustling the tops of the bamboo clumps. I glance up at him. He looks a little surprised, blinking a couple of times before casting his gaze downward and to his left, biting his lip a little.

"Aah- that is- if you don't mind! It's just that... I have a feeling... that I was meant to find you... or something like that." The tips of my ears heat up at my own words.

Tsume doesn't say anything for a good ten seconds. It felt like we were frozen in time. Eventually, he parts his lips as he says,

"Perhaps you were meant to find me. After all, I was so weak then, all I could do was pray to the spirits, my ancestors, anyone who could hear my prayer, that I wouldn't perish then and there beneath that rock."

"What happened? Why were you in such a bad shape?"

"I... remember very little. I just remember that I was unhappy... and that I chose to run away." He raises his gaze to look up at me, his bluish-grey eyes... unreadable. I cannot tell what he is thinking.

"Miss Suzume... when I said before... that I do not have a place to return to... it was a half-lie. I do have a place to go back to. But..."

"You don't want to go back?" I ask. The wind picks up, chilling, and with enough strength to pick up Tsume's hair. It flows like liquid behind him.

"No, I do not."

"Hey, Erika? Are you up here?" A voice calls. I turn around, clutching my broom close to me as I see Miya running, or rather, crawling up the steps.

"Miya! What are you doing here?"

"Grandma wants you to pray at the shrine and then head back! She said for you to come quickly-" Her gaze drifts over to Tsume behind me and her eyes narrow a little.

"Who's this?"

I glance back at Tsume.

"Erm- this is... he's from my school!"

"Oh." She doesn't seem convinced, or perhaps there's something else on her mind.

"Well, he'd better head home now, it's getting late-"

"Ahh, Miya... that's the thing..."

—————————————————————

Tsume sits at the table, looking rather nervous as he faces three women- Miya, my mother and Grandma. I sit next to him, feeling equally nervous.

I've grown up mostly with strong women around me in this household. Father left the household when I was small, and I barely knew Grandfather before he passed away. My gaze flickers to Miya, whose eyes are narrowed slightly as she glares at Tsume, before her gaze switches to me. I quickly look away to my Mother, who has her arms crossed. She looks as if she just got home - she hasn't changed out of her office attire yet. Her eyes are scanning him slowly too, albeit less aggressively than Miya, but her expression is unreadable.

Grandma sits with a cup of tea and sips from it slowly. Her eyes are closed. Also unreadable.

"It is very nice to meet you all. My name is Tsume Hinomori." Tsume bows his head.

"I'm indebted to Erika for saving my life."

"Erika. Explain." Mother speaks up.

"Um- yes! Well... I was hoping that... Tsume might be able to stay with us."

"Why?" Her tone is sharp and cuts in just after I finish my sentence.

"Why-? Well..." I trail off, thinking hard. Why should he stay?

"I... I think he should stay because... the spirits spoke to me about him. They told me to save him... and protect him."

There is silence. Miya looks surprised, blinking. Mother raises an eyebrow. I feel Tsume turn his head to look at me, mouth agape.

"What—?" His voice is barely above a whisper.

The silence falls upon us. Grandma finishes sipping her tea and closes her eyes, a low long grunt coming from her chest. Eventually, she opens her eyes again and looks over to Mother.

"Mayuko, what do you think of your daughter's behavior? Is it that of someone who is willing to stash away a boy for selfish reasons?"

Mother says nothing. Grandma leans forward to see past Mother and sets her gaze on Miya.

"Miya, does it bother you that this young man will be staying with us?"

"... well, as long as he can help out with the chores and he's not some pervert, he can stay."

"Miya!" I yelp, half getting out of my chair. The wooden legs squeak in protest for being treated so roughly against the polished floor.

"Don't say that!"

"You can't just assume people won't be like that just because you saved them, Eri. Geez, you're dense." Miya crosses her arms and hmmphs.

"Tsume-" I straighten up and bow several times his direction for Miya's behavior.

"I'm so sorry about this- please excuse my sister's behavior- I'm sure she doesn't mean it-"

"You know I totally mean it-" My sister begins to retort.

"Pfft-" A sharp puff of air escapes Tsume, but not before he covers his mouth with one hand. He's hunched over a bit. His arms- no, his whole body, appear to be trembling slightly as he turns away from me, giggling behind his hand. I blink, confused yet amazed.

"I-I am sorry..." He struggles to speak between withheld laughter. This doesn't appear to be working as it's just making him laugh more.

"It is just... your family... is very interesting. I did not... mean any disrespect by laughing." Straightening up, he wipes tears from his eyes as he looks over to Miya and nods once solemnly, before bowing to her from his seat.

"It would be a great honor for me to help out with chores in your household. I am in your debt for letting me stay here."

Mother gets up from the table with a hard scrape of her chair.

"I'm off. There's still work I need to do. I'll eat dinner later." She walks out of the kitchen and shuts the door behind her.

Grandma nods to herself slowly, eyes closed once again as she hums in thought.

"Erika... I'm glad you brought this up. Miya. Could you please show this gentleman to the guest room? He will require a change of clothes too."

"Oh- thank you, Grandmother." Tsume smiles. "But please, the room will be plenty enough. I can get my clothes myself."

Miya gets out of her chair.

"This way." She says, leaving the room. Tsume gets up and follows after her. I go to follow them, but Grandma stops me.

"Erika, I need to speak with you."

I sit back down. Grandma looks me in the eye with the same smile she usually does, but her eyes are serious. I remain quiet to let her speak.

"Erika. I must speak with you of another duty which belongs to your role."

"Another duty?" I echo her words. There is more to my duties than hearing spirits, praying and laying out offerings?

"Yes. I was hoping this could be saved until you finished school, but the spirits appear to have decided otherwise. In the five generations between my mother and you, you are the only one who can understand."

Understand what? Grandma is already on her feet, shuffling over to the altar which sits at the room sectioned off from the dining hall. Grandma and Asura, my older sister, have photographs sitting on it. She comes back out and places a folded piece of silk into my lap.

I open it to find...