Chapter 88 - Third Week Of September

"Hmm… Hmm… Hmmmm.." Yoshiko is in a better mood after taking a warm morning shower, feeling fresh washing off the grime and grease that accumulated in her body during her kata training earlier.

While changing her clothes *laughter* *laughter* she hears Chihiro's boisterous laughter from outside and she cannot help but smile.

"Saturdays." She figures that the kids are probably playing in the yard unworried because they do not have classes with her, or training with Kotone today.

Stepping out of her house, she finds Red and the children in the training yard.

She frowns seeing Red holding Chihiro up by Chihiro's underarms. Suddenly, Red throws Chihiro meters up in the air. She is about to scream in panic, but as Chihiro falls back down, Red catches him smoothly, making her sigh in relief.

Her relief is short lived however as she sees Red throw Chihiro high up once again. Her voice gets stuck in her throat, and she can only watch in frozen anxiety at Chihiro laughing unrestrained while rising and falling.

She is about to run to the group and stop Red from continuing the activity but thankfully for her, "Okay… You've had enough." Red puts Chihiro down.

"More! More! Kichirou-san!" Chihiro tugs on Red's sleeve, but Red refuses.

"My Turn! My Turn!" Ran meanwhile, brushes Chihiro aside and tugs at Red's clothes too. 

"No. Or else Teacher Yoshiko will give you more homework…" Red then turns to Yoshiko.

"Good morning, Yoshiko-sensei." He greets.

"Good morning, Yoshiko-sensei!" The children also greet her.

"Good morning, everyone." Yoshiko jogs across the clay road to join the group.

"K-Kichirou-san…" She wants to address what she just saw, but drops the matter.

She just realizes that Chihiro is in safe hands, remembering that Red is an 'A-Class Superioris.'

"Nevermind." She sighs.

"Okay… You kids have breakfast first! Chef-san must be done cooking your breakfast." Red commands the children and the children, all feeling famished, excitedly rush to their house.

"Yoshiko-san. I know it's the weekend, and your day-off, but can you spare me a few minutes?" He then asks Yoshiko.

"Kichirou-san, with the generous salary you're paying me, a few minutes is nothing." Yoshiko finds Red too polite.

"Let's talk over there." Yoshiko leads the way to the patio she is sharing with Gin, where an outdoor table and chairs are set up.

"By the way. Did Kotone happen tell you where she went and when she's coming back?" Red asks as they sit down.

"She didn't tell you? It's been five days since she left." Yoshiko is surprised that Red does not know Kotone's whereabouts.

"She accumulated a lot of vacation days, so I just approved without questions. I just realized my mistake." Red says.

He already knows where Kotone is and what she might be doing. He is just asking Yoshiko to figure out how close she has become with Kotone.

"Well. I don't really know when she'll be back, but I know that she went home to visit her brother, Haruto. I heard that they haven't spent much time with each other since the kids arrived here." Yoshiko says.

"Okay." Red is satisfied with the answer.

"So. It's been more than three months since you've been with us.  How's everything for you?" He asks about Yoshiko instead.

"Everything's perfect, Kichirou-san. There's really nothing to complain about." Yoshiko says as she looks at the view of the mountains and hills. The trees and vegetation that were green when she first arrived in the hill in the middle of summer, are now yellow and orange, giving out a different type of beauty to the unchanging landscape.

"I heard you went for a short visit in the city two months ago?" Red asks.

"Ah. That was when the director of the orphanage invited me out to lunch. To thank me for YOUR donation. I wouldn't have gone if I didn't know him." Yoshiko recounts.

"I see." Red nods.

"You don't miss the city life?" He asks.

"No. I guess I'm enjoying my time here more than I thought I would. Didn't even cross my mind to at least visit." Yoshiko says.

"How about your friends in the city? Don't you miss them?" Red asks.

"Didn't really have friends. More like acquaintances." Yoshiko shrugs.

"Grew apart with the friends you grew up with in the orphanage?" Red asks.

"Yeah. Who knew six years was too long." Yoshiko bitterly confirms.

"Hey, at least I've made a new friend." Her smile returns.

"Kotone?"

"Yes. Kotone-chan." She nods.

"I would love to be friends with Fumio-san too, but he went back to the city before I had the chance to. And Gin-san… well. It's hard to be friends with him because of the generation gap."

"I'm glad to hear that." Red is satisfied that Yoshiko is sincerely happy here.

"Oh. Here's our breakfast." He then pauses the chat, as one of the demons he rescued and subjugated, who took over a chef's body, is approaching the table with a breakfast tray.

While the demon is setting the table, Yoshiko realizes that this is the first time she and Red are eating together, alone. She gets over it soon however.

"Thank you." Red nods at the demon after the table is set.

"No problem, sir. Please enjoy." The demon gives Red a knowing smirk before leaving.

"Let's eat." Red digs in his plate.

Then he realizes the weird look on Yoshiko's face.

"Something wrong?" He asks.

"N-nothing." Yoshiko sighs as she picks up her spoon.

"Come on. You can tell me." Red urges, making Yoshiko pause.

"It's just… Chef-san, the Maid-san, the babysitters. I find it too luxurious." She shakes her head.

"They've been here for two weeks now. Not used to them yet?" Red asks.

"Not really. I'm fine with the babysitters, but Maid-san and Chef-san… I even had to ask Maid-san to not do my laundry for me. Chef-san though, still insists on bringing breakfast to my doorstep." Yoshiko chuckles, remembering the incidents with the demons.

"They're for the kids, but it's nothing for her to include you and Gin in her responsibilities." Red shrugs.

"I know. But… us non-superiori have it rough…" Yoshiko starts, but hesitates.

"May I speak freely?" She asks.

"Please." Red is willing to hear her out.

"Us non-superiori have it rough in the real world. So, if these kids grow up in luxury, not getting their hands dirty, not training their discipline with chores… I don't know how they'll face the world once they become adults." Yoshiko expresses her concern about the recent addition of the servants.

"Hah. That's too huge of a jump in conclusions, don't you think?" Red is amused.

"I-… You're right." Yoshiko realizes it.

"I'm just saying stuff, Kichirou-san. Sorry." She apologizes.

"It's fine. You do have a point. But at their age, their martial arts training is enough to instill self-discipline to them for now." Red acknowledges the concern, making Yoshiko feel a bit better.

"Kichirou-san. May I ask… these… new employees of yours. Something's strange about them." Yoshiko says as she looks at the newly built houses beyond Gin's and her houses.

"How do you mean?" Red asks.

"Like… They are friendly, don't get me wrong. It's just. They're too professional... All the time." Yoshiko struggles to explain.

"Distant?" Red helps her.

"Yes." Yoshiko nods.

"Distant. They're all cordial and all, but they draw the line. Like they don't want to be too close or something." She adds.

"Heh. Don't worry about them. Give them time." Red shrugs.

"Besides. That's how they were trained. They used to serve some rich family or something." He makes an excuse for the demons' strange behaviors before dismissing the subject.

<><><>

Chofu Combat Gym, 8AM.

"Kotone. Long time no see." Fumio greets Kotone as she enters the combat room he reserved.

"Phew… Yeah. A month." Kotone is glad to see Fumio, but her excitement to see Fumio is dampened by what is about to come.

"So. Spent enough time with your brother yet?" Fumio asks.

"What? You feel jealous?" Kotone scoffs.

"Hah. Good one." Fumio chuckles.

"You must have missed each other so much. Even Haruto wasn't available. I had to ask for one of boss' new guys to be my assistant in the shop." He smirks.

"Well?" Kotone can only shrug, not bothering to explain.

"Anyways. What is up with you? Are you sure you want to do this?" Fumio asks.

"I don't know, but…" Kotone deflates at the question.

"I'm not sure but I feel like Kichirou-san is hinting that I need more fighting experience." She sighs.

"How so?" Fumio asks.

"He just is…" Kotone does not want to explain.

"He's that mean?" Fumio frowns at the face Kotone is making.

"No. It's just how nice he is about it that's irking me."

"Huh…" Fumio knows the feeling.

*bang*

*bang*

Someone starts banging on the combat room's door, making Fumio and Kotone turn on their Fukashi and Kotaru disguises, respectively.

"You ready?" Fumio asks.

"Y-yeah." Kotone takes a deep breath.

Soon, Blade Tornado and Fire Colossus enter the combat room.

"Fukashi-san." Blade Tornado just nods at Fumio but, "Ahah! Long time, kid!", he greets Kotone cheerfully.

"Hello, Blade-san… Fire-san…" Kotone greets back.

"You know me?" Fire Colossus asks, finding it odd that Kotone seems to be too happy to see him, even though they are meeting for the first time.

"I-I…" Kotone gets caught off-guard by the question.

"Kotaru here saw you fight once, Fire-san." Fumio is quick on his feet.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did." Kotone immediately jumps on the excuse.

"I see." Fire Colossus nods.

"So, Kotaru-kun. Fukashi-san said you need some sparring partners?" He asks.

"Yes. I thank you in advance." Kotone bows.

"Fukashi-san. You said he's green. Am I really needed here?" Fire Colossus asks.

Kotone gets burdened and leans closer to Fumio.

'Yeah. Why's he here? He's a B-Class superioris!' She whispers.

'Then don't waste their time. You don't want to disappoint them.' Fumio whispers back.

'You-' Kotone is about to protest but Fumio already moves things along.

"Fire-san. I wouldn't have asked for you if you won't gain something from this." Fumio replies to Fire Colossus' question.

"She's like a younger me. Isn't that fun?" He adds.

"I guess." Fire Colossus is interested, seeing Fumio back Kotone up.

"Looks like I'm gonna get my ass kicked again." Blade Tornado, on the other hand, sighs.

"Huh.. That's not the confident Blade Tornado I know." Fumio frowns at Blade Tornado's lack of confidence.

"Hah… I am STILL confident, but I'm not fuckin stupid." Blade Tornado scoffs.

."Yo, kid. Let's go. You're Old Phantom's student. I won't go easy on you." He removes his jean jacket starts warming up.

'Kotone. You're stronger than him now. But you have to be careful of his blades.' Fumio starts giving Kotone a pep talk.

He is very nervous for Kotone, but Kotone herself not only wanted a spar, she even asked for a dangerous one.

Meanwhile, Fire Colossus goes to sit on the floor to the side, ready for the show to start.

"Alright. Let's start barehanded." Seeing that the two are done warming up, Fumio gestures Blade Tornado and Kotone to the middle of the room.

"So, kid. You didn't exactly put up a fight last time. How frustrated were you then?" Blade Tornado starts taunting Kotone.

Kotone clenches her teeth remembering the first time they met.

"I'm not the same person anymore." She replies, trying to calm herself down.

Blade Tornado sees the anger in Kotone's eyes, and he smirks.

"Oho… That was the first time you were beaten up, right? Seems like it got to you more than I expected."

He spots Kotone wince.

"I feel that you're a lot stronger now, but have you grown teeth?" He taunts further.

"Enough talk." Kotone pounces on Blade Tornado.