InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inevitable ❯ Setsubun ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this bit of cultural exploration… especially for the one with a bit of a sweet tooth. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

 

A Debt of Gratitude: “Surely there must be a fic-worthy holiday,” I wailed… and she came back with more than one to choose from. Thank you for dividing the spoils of your research with me, Fenikkusuken. Now… where's yours?

 

This oneshot was originally posted to Live Journal on January 7, 2008.

 

oOo

 

Setsubun

A Lunar New Year's Eve

 

As soon as his feet touched the cool, hard-packed earth that still surrounded the Bone Eater's Well inside the depths of the wellhouse, Inuyasha set Kagome down and backed up a pace. Though they'd reached a kind of understanding since beginning their shared quest—a willingness to work together to collect the shards of the Shikon no Tama—that didn't mean he was comfortable being so close to the girl. She hadn't stopped talking since they'd left Kaede's hut several minutes ago, and she wasn't showing any signs of slowing down now that they'd arrived in her era. He knew she was excited about something, and he suspected he would know what that something was if he'd been paying any attention at all to her chatter, but he hadn't, so he didn't. Before he could take two steps towards the door, Kagome was in front of him with one hand upraised. “Stay put while I make sure the coast is clear,” she instructed.

 

“Whatever,” he grumbled, folding his arms into his sleeves and perching on the rim of the well. He watched as the young woman clattered up the steps and opened the door panel a crack. She's being extra cautious today.

 

Kagome took her sweet time reconnoitering before she finally said, “Good! I think we're early enough. I don't see anyone.” It wasn't until she turned to call him that she realized the hanyou had already joined her. “Inuy-… oh!” Her nose was mere inches from his chest, the red of his fire-rat filling her view. Startled, she looked up into his face, and he smirked down at her before peering over her head through the partially-opened door. Cold, grey skies hung low over a cold, grey courtyard.

 

“What's going on, Kagome?”

 

“Haven't you been listening to a word I said?” she chided. Thankfully, she was in too good a mood to let his inattention bother her, because her face blossomed with an eager smile. “Today's Setsubun!” she announced.

 

A tightening of his mouth was the only reaction Inuyasha offered as he searched Kagome's face. Finally, he returned his gaze to the chill morning beyond the wellhouse walls. “Oh,” he responded flatly.

 

Kagome hesitated, somewhat puzzled by his lack of enthusiasm. Cautiously, she ventured to ask, “Don't you know what Setsu-”

 

“Yeah. I know,” Inuyasha interrupted gruffly.

 

Before the silence that followed could become awkward, the young woman smiled brightly. “Good. We need to get to the house before anyone arrives. There are always a bunch of people who come extra early, hoping to stand close to the platform.”

 

Inuyasha followed her gesture towards the fabric draped scaffolding that had been positioned off to one side of the main shrine. “What for?” he asked, curious in spite of himself.

 

Grabbing hold of the hanyou's hand, she tugged him towards the house. “This is a shrine, isn't it?” she explained patiently. “People come from miles around for our Setsubun ceremony.”

 

As he allowed himself to be led, Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I figured that part out, Kagome.” Give me some credit. “What I want to know is why people try to stand close to that platform. What's it for?”

 

“Oh,” she giggled. “That's where Grandpa stands when he wards off the evil spirits.”

 

“You get people lining up for the chance to have the old man throw stuff at them?”

 

“You bet,” Kagome chirped, undaunted by the hanyou's sarcastic tone. “Come on, I promised Mama I'd be back in time to help. You can help too,” she added, as if the opportunity was some kind of boon.

 

“Help… how?” he asked warily.

 

“We'll find something for you to do,” she promised offhandedly.

 

“Yeah, right,” he muttered.

 

As they neared the house, Grandpa rounded the far side, heavy gloves on his hands and his arms filled with a bulky, canvas-wrapped bundle. Kagome called out her greeting and was warmly welcomed in return. “Do you need help with that?” she inquired.

 

“No, no,” the old man assured her. “Souta already promised to lend a hand here; you go see what your mother needs,” he directed, dropping the rustling load beside a metal frame and peeling back the covering to reveal a good-sized pile of holly branches. As Inuyasha followed Kagome to the door, he glanced back over his shoulder at the shrine keeper and received what could only be interpreted a grudging nod of greeting. The hanyou hastily returned it before ducking into the house.

 

Inside, everything smelled good, and Inuyasha followed Kagome—and his nose—towards the warm, toasty smells emanating from the kitchen. He'd been to Kagome's home often enough to know that Mrs. Higurashi could usually be found there. “Is that you, Kagome?” called a familiar voice.

 

“Yes, Mama. We just got back. Oh, I'm so excited!” The young woman hurried forward for a quick hug, then made a dive for a bowl on the counter. “Mmmmm,” she hummed with approval as she munched. “Tastes good!”

 

Mrs. Higurashi chuckled and turned to smile warmly at her daughter's companion. “Welcome, Inuyasha. I'm so glad you could join us today.”

 

The hanyou simply nodded, unsure how to answer, or if an answer was even expected, and leaned against the doorframe. For her part, Kagome was glorying in the fact that her running commentary had found an appreciative audience, and if it was possible, she was talking even faster than she had been earlier. Before long, both women were trading news with escalating levels of excitement that had Inuyasha flattening his ears slightly just to muffle the sound. Setsubun, huh? Memories tugged at him, and he lost himself in thought as his eyes idly followed Mrs. Higurashi's deft handling of the large frying pan in which she was toasting soy beans.

 

“I spoke with my sister Sakura last week,” Kagome's mother revealed, a smile played across her lips.

 

“No!” the girl returned, eyes widening. “What did Aunt Saki say?” she demanded, hands clasped pleadingly before her.

 

With a firm shake, the current batch of toasting beans was set to rattling against hot metal. “Oh, you know how Sakura is about her favorite niece…” Mama replied, teasing her daughter a bit by refusing to answer outright.

 

“Did she say yes? She must have said yes!” Kagome squealed, hopping in place.

 

Her mother laughed, and using both hands, transferred the golden-brown soy beans onto some toweling to cool. “Yes, she said yes. You'll find her kimono laid out on my bed waiting for you. Why don't you go have a bath? I'll help you with your hair when I finish here.”

 

“Are you sure?” Kagome asked, though it was obvious to Inuyasha that she wanted nothing more than to be out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Apparently, her mother could see this as well, because she shooed the girl away.

 

With Kagome gone, Inuyasha was at a loss, unsure what to do or say. Mrs. Higurashi seemed to recognize his discomfort because she pulled a stool over and stationed it next to the cooling soybeans. “Here, Inuyasha. Sit and keep me company for a bit,” she urged. From the refrigerator she pulled a cold drink, which she pressed into his hands, then she poured a few handfuls of soybeans into her frying pan and slid it back on the heat. “Are you familiar with this Setsubun tradition?” she asked curiously. “I must admit, I don't know how far back it goes.”

 

“The beans? Yeah. I know about the beans,” he confirmed, studying the writing on the side of the can she'd given him with sudden interest.

 

“I see,” she replied conversationally. “Most of these will be used in the public ceremony this afternoon,” she explained, pointing at a partially filled wooden tray. “But I'll hold back enough for us to use later.”

 

Gold eyes rose to meet hers, but she couldn't read the thoughts he guarded. “You're gonna throw beans in the house too?” Inuyasha wondered aloud.

 

“Yes,” she said evenly, giving the soy beans a little toss. “We always do… right after dinner. How many beans will I need for you, Inuyasha?” she asked casually.

 

“Huh?”

 

“It's traditional to eat one bean for every year of your age,” she said matter-of-factly. “Don't you do that part in your era?”

 

“I do kinda remember that part,” he said slowly, embarrassed to have forgotten. “I was pretty little the last time… it's been a long time…” he trailed off vaguely.

 

Mrs. Higurashi glanced at him with a patient smile. “How many?”

 

The hanyou reached out to pluck a cooled bean from amidst the rest and rolled it gently between his fingers as he thought. When he finally glanced up at Kagome's mom, she was still waiting. “I'm not exactly sure,” he hedged.

 

She nodded, and seemed willing to help him jog his memory. “Where did you leave off counting the last time you celebrated Setsubun?” she ventured, turning her attention back to the soybeans in her pan, which had begun giving off the nutty smell that meant they were almost done. She reached for a nearby canister and sprinkled a couple spoonfuls of its contents over the last batch of beans. “Grandpa has a bit of a sweet tooth,” she confided with a wink, and the toasty smell took on sugary notes.

 

While she focused on her task, Inuyasha's mind was elsewhere, his thumb running back and forth over Tetsusaiga's hilt, his brows drawn together in concentration. “I think it was thirty-two… thirty-three maybe? I don't really remember,” he finally admitted.

 

Mrs. Higurashi blinked slowly as she scrambled to adjust her perceptions. She didn't speak as she scattered the sugar-coated beans onto a separate tray to cool, but once her hands were free, she gave the hanyou her full attention. “I see… so you're actually more than… a century?” she guessed.

 

Inuyasha fidgeted under her thoughtful gaze, and though he wasn't sure how she'd react to the truth, he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. “It's actually probably closer to two,” he mumbled, averting his eyes uncertainly as silence stretched.

 

“Isn't that a wonder,” she murmured softly, and the hanyou's eyes jumped to her face. Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, eyes shining with awe. “So old, and yet so very young,” she added, almost to herself, before clapping her hands together with crisp finality. “Let's just start there then, with an even two hundred,” she decided, “and we'll add one more next year.”

 

That's it—no disbelief, no questions, no awkwardness? More relieved than anything, Inuyasha managed a nod of agreement. When she began scooping cooled soybeans into their tray and let the subject drop, he was grateful. His age had always been a source of pain and confusion, for it had set him apart just as much as his silver hair and dog ears. He had been the household oddity—a strange demon-child who never seemed to get any bigger. It had taken him so long to grow old enough to understand the hatred of the human children who shot past him as they grew… and to defend himself against their cruelty. Their distrust of the hanyou in their midst had made him the brunt of most Setsubun observances, and he'd been chased mercilessly by bean-throwing bullies—Oni wa Soto! Oni wa Soto! Get out, Ogre! It wasn't just beans, either; snow, chunks of ice, even rocks had been flung after his small, fleeing form. The year his mother had died, they had driven him out for good.

 

A small sound pulled Inuyasha from his ruminations, and his ears swiveled to follow the quiet pad of sneaking feet. Must be the twerp. Tiptoeing steps broke into a run, and a wild—if somewhat muffled—yell roared towards him with a rush of youthful exuberance. Inuyasha waited until the last possible moment to turn and intercept Souta's pounce, catching Kagome's little brother midair and swinging him up so that he dangled from the hanyou's strong grasp. Huh.

 

“Inuyasha!” the boy protested, squirming to be set down. Mrs. Higurashi laughed at the picture they made, but the hanyou just stared. Souta wasn't dressed normally; the loose, black clothing with its red piping was obviously something special, intended for the Setsubun ceremony later. More startling was the boy's mask—red face, curving horns, and bared fangs leered down at him. Inuyasha cocked a brow at his wriggling captive just to let him know how pointless his struggles were before carefully setting him back on his feet.

 

Mrs. Higurashi dried her hands on a towel and untied her apron. “I'll just go check on Kagome now,” she announced, moving towards the stairs. “Souta, behave,” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared.

 

“Yes, ma'am,” the boy dutifully replied before turning back to the hanyou and pushing his mask back so that it rode on top of his head. “Did I scare you?” he asked hopefully.

 

“Nah,” Inuyasha replied dismissively, then tapped the plastic mask experimentally with a clawtip. “What's this for?”

 

“I'm an oni,” the boy grinned.

 

The hanyou studied him critically. “You're pretty small for an oni,” he decided.

 

The kid's eyes took on a shine Inuyasha had seen before. “You've been around oni?” Souta wanted to know, clearly impressed by the thought.

 

“Not more'n necessary, but yeah, I've seen 'em,” admitted the hanyou reluctantly, not sure if it was wise to let on just how often Kagome had gotten close to that particular variety of youkai since she'd been visiting his time.

 

“Are they like this?” the boy asked, holding out the stylized mask.

 

Inuyasha frowned at it. “Not really.”

 

Souta stared down at his oni mask in consternation. “Well, what does a real one look like?”

 

“For one thing they're a lot taller,” the hanyou stated blandly. He thought back to his most recent encounter with an oni, the one that had been in the company of his bastard of a half-brother. That one had been downright massive.

 

Kagome's little brother bobbed up on his tiptoes experimentally. “How much taller?”

 

“A lot… and they smell worse,” Inuyasha added.

 

This revelation made Souta's face scrunch up thoughtfully, and finally he asked, “What do they smell like?”

 

“I dunno, just… bad,” shrugged the hanyou, deciding it was time to divert the boy's tenacious curiosity. “How come you're dressed like an oni?”

 

“Grandpa's going to throw beans at me!”

 

Inuyasha reached up to tug at an ear thoughtfully. “You seem pretty happy about it.”

 

“Yeah!” Souta confirmed excitedly. “It's part of the ceremony. It's fun!”

 

Just then, the family patriarch could be heard coming through the front door. “Souta? Where are you, m'boy?” he called as he slipped out of his shoes.

 

“Here, Grandpa.”

 

The old man poked his head into the kitchen on his way towards the back of the house. “The tree is ready for you.”

 

“Okay, Grandpa,” Souta replied, moving towards the refrigerator and pulling out a covered bowl. “Say, Inuyasha? Do you wanna help me with these?” he invited.

 

The hanyou nodded and followed the boy out the front door. All those spiky holly branches had been lashed to the metal frame he'd seen earlier, so that now they haphazardly stuck out in every direction in a rough semblance of a tree. Not much to look at, he decided. “What're you planning to do with it?”

 

“We get to add these,” Souta announced, peeling back the foil that was shielding the bowl's contents from view.

 

An unexpectedly foul odor hit the hanyou's senses in a wave, and he jumped back with a startled yelp that he immediately tried to cover with a growl. “What in the hell are those for,” he snapped as he hid his nose in his sleeve.

 

“They help keep the evil spirits away,” Souta announced. “Mama already strung them for me, so we just gotta put 'em on Grandpa's `tree' here.” He lifted one of the sardine heads by its hanger—string that had been threaded through the gills—and looped it over a branch.

 

“Whatever you say, kid. Let's get it over with,” Inuyasha sighed, reaching for one of the smelly adornments. The holly branches the old man had selected were of a particularly nasty variety, with needle-like spikes at every point. The hanyou took care not to run afoul of the prickling bush and was grateful to see that Souta was being cautious as well. Within minutes, Buyo turned up and began twining around their ankles, begging for a share of the sardines.

 

“Do you think it works?” the boy asked after a few more fish heads had been suspended.

 

“Guess so. I'd certainly steer clear of something that smells this bad.”

 

“It is pretty awful, isn't it,” agreed Souta happily. “Kagome hates this part of Setsubun,” he confided, then leaned closer, eyes wide. “Do you think it's because she's really an oni?” he whispered conspiratorially.

 

Inuyasha registered the teasing glint in the boy's eyes and snorted. “I dunno about that, kid.”

 

Souta laughed at his own joke and reached for the last of the sardine heads. He hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Inuyasha. “Can we give this one to Buyo?” he wheedled. The hanyou took the fish from the soft-hearted boy, cut through the string with a flick of his claws, and handed it back so Souta could offer the smelly treat to the old cat. Then the two stepped back to admire their workmanship. The entrance to the Higurashi's family home now had a fierce guardian, warning off anything with sensitive skin and sensitive noses. “It's pretty good,” Souta decided in a smug voice.

 

“I guess between that thing and Tetsusaiga, an oni wouldn't stand a chance,” Inuyasha acknowledged.

 

Souta led the way back into the house, carrying the empty bowl towards the kitchen. “You've never done fish heads before?”

 

“Onions,” replied Inuyasha in a faraway voice. “I remember Mother hanging bunches of onions at the doors.”

 

“I guess that's almost as good,” assured the boy.

 

Kagome's mother had returned from upstairs, now resplendent in a kimono with deep shades of blue and bronzy-gold. As he waited his turn at the sink and followed Souta's suit in soaping up his hands, Inuyasha risked several peeks at the traditional costume. His mother had worn something similar for special occasions; the colors were different, but he remembered the cranes, just like these, with their silvery-white feathers.

 

Three large baskets of foil and cellophane pouches had been lined up on the table, and Mrs. Higurashi directed Souta to take the first one out and place it inside the Shrine so it would be close at hand for the ceremony. Inuyasha studied the little packages, and Kagome's mother answered his unasked question for him. “They're filled with small things—lucky beans, trinkets, toys, candy, talismans, blessings. After Grandpa has driven away the evil spirits with the beans we toasted earlier, these are thrown out to our visitors to wish them luck in the upcoming year. They're… gifts.”

 

Setsubun is still the same, but it sure is different,” murmured Inuyasha thoughtfully as he dropped a crinkling cellophane packet of candy-coated peanuts back into its basket. “It's better now.”

 

Mrs. Higurashi considered the hanyou boy for a moment. “Didn't you like Setsubun?” she pried gently.

 

Inuyasha looked away, but answered in a very quiet voice. “No… I can't say I did.”

 

“What does Setsubun mean to you, Inuyasha?” she asked.

 

The hanyou darted a wary look at her with his distinctive yellow-gold eyes. “It's like the saying—Oni wa Soto. Get out, Ogre. It's the day when humans drive the youkai away—or those who are part youkai.”

 

Kagome's mother frowned slightly at this summation, and moved to the hanyou's side. With a firm but gentle hand she steered him out of the kitchen and into the living room. As they walked, she said, “This is the last day of winter, and Setsubun is a time for the last things of the old year. It gives us the chance to say goodbye to the past so that we're ready to welcome with open arms all the new things the coming year holds.”

 

The hanyou grumbled something indistinct, but the sound of a door opening and closing upstairs interrupted them, pulling both pairs of eyes towards the stairs. Slowly, carefully, Kagome descended the steps, her white tabi the first thing to come into view as they peeped out from under the edge of her kimono. The delicate fabric was all in shades of pink, pale at the shoulders, shifting through progressively deeper shades until it became a rich cerise near the floor. She was circled with festoons of embroidered cherry blossoms, piled in great clusters along the hem and scattered across her sweeping sleeves. Even her hair had undergone some mysterious transformation, having been gathered up in a smooth twist and hung with dozens of pink and white ribbon flowers. Inuyasha's eyes widened as the girl he spent most of his days with reached the bottom step and smiled shyly at them… at him.

 

Mrs. Higurashi took in the hanyou's suspiciously glazed expression and smiled encouragingly at her daughter. “You and your Aunt Sakura always did favor pink; you look like springtime, sweetheart—simply beautiful!” Kagome's eyes sparkled with pleasure at the compliment. “Inuyasha,” Mrs. Higurashi called softly, gently bringing the hanyou out of his momentary stupor with a gentle touch on his arm. He looked at her guiltily, realizing he'd been caught staring, but she ignored his flustered state. “Inuyasha, it's true that we say `Oni wa Soto; Get out, Ogre!' at Setsubun, but that's only the first part. Don't forget the second half—`Fuku wa Uchi; Come in Happiness!'”

 

Inuyasha blinked in astonishment. That's right! He'd forgotten that there was a second half to the saying. “Come in Happiness.” He mouthed the words experimentally as he stole another glance at Kagome, with her blushing cheeks and her cherry blossom finery. Today was Setsubun, but no one was driving him away; he'd been invited in. A new beginning? Maybe if he welcomed these new things with open arms, happiness would find him as well? With his eyes fixed on the free-spirited, oft-frustrating girl he needed more than he liked to admit, Inuyasha hoped so.

 

oOo

 

End Notes: This year, Setsubun falls on February 3, 2008. It is the last day of the period known as Daikan (Sever Cold), one day before the time known as Risshun (Spring Begins). Setsubun (literally, “sectional separation”) originally referred to any of the twenty-four divisions (lunar and solar) that make up the Japanese year, but the Setsubun associated with “Spring Begins” gained importance because it marked the completion of the annual cycle. As the last day of the lunar year, it celebrated as a sort of Lunar New Year's Eve.

 

This oneshot was written in response to the Live Journal community iyfic(underscore)contest's prompt for Week 126—Holiday. 3,708 words.