XXXHolic Fan Fiction ❯ Hitsuzen ❯ chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: himawariXchan1 
read on,my freind
Anime/Manga: XXXHolic Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.22.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
read on,my freind
Anime/Manga: XXXHolic Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.22.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: xxxHolic and all characters are complete property of CLAMP. The story is mine and is based off of CLAMP’s property.
Watanuki sat on the steps by the science classrooms with Himawari. Dômeki was not there, he was sick. Watanuki was happy about this because, well, for starters: No Dômeki and a whole day of Himawari and just Himawari.
“Watanuki-kun, this mini bento you made me is delicious!” Himawari chirped as she popped a little ball of rice into her mouth. Watanuki blushed.
“You’re the delicious one!” Watanuki thought to himself.
“Did you make one for Dômeki?” Himawari finished the box and wrapped it back up.
“Huh? Well…” Watanuki had made something for him, but it was a favor that he owed. “Yes, I did.” He simply responded.
“It really is too bad he’s sick today…I know, do you want to go over to his house after school with me?” Himawari put up a finger.
“Uh, uhm. Sure. If you’re going.”
“Oh, Watanuki-kun. You and Dômeki are such good friends”
After school the two made their way to Dômeki’s, he was sick with a bad flu with a high fever. They were let in anyhow because no one was home.
“Hello, Dômeki.” Himawari whispered. “How are you feeling?”
Dômeki looked up at her as he said “Better than I did earlier.”
“Watanuki made you a lunchbox.”
“I’m not hungry, thank you.”
“WHAT? Why are you so ungrateful?” Watanuki screamed.
“Ow, shut up. Loud noises hurt my head more than usual right now.” Dômeki’s apathy had not gone since he got sick.
“Watanuki, why don’t you go put the lunchbox in Dômeki’s fridge?” Himawari suggested.
“Fine.” Watanuki gathered the food and walked to the kitchen. Dômeki’s house closely resembled Yûko’s when Watanuki remembered…”OH NO! I’ll be late for work!”
He threw the box in the fridge, yet did it carefully. Watanuki took wide stride steps and stopped abruptly by Dômeki’s room. “I’m sorry I have to go before I’m late!” and with that he sped out of the house.
“He’s so strange,” Dômeki said out loud.
“Watanuki-kun is always full of life, you know?” Himawari said sunnily.
“More than you’ll ever know, Kunogi-san.”
“Please,” Himawari laid down next to Dômeki, “Call me Himawari…”
In the mean time, Watanuki was arriving at Yûko’s house. Out of breath, he removed his shoes and entered the house.
“Sorry! I’m late because I went to see Dômeki with Himawari-chan,” panted Watanuki.
“Not good to be late today, Watanuki, dear. You should have come straight here. I’m sure Dômeki will be at school tomorrow,” Yûko murmured.
“Wha-what? What’s wrong?” Watanuki asked frantically, Yûko sounded serious.
“Because today…I feel hungrier then usual! Now chop-chop! I want some fresh tea cakes…and…HARD LIQUOR!”
“What! YOU HAD ME PARANOID! And you’re supposed to have TEA with tea cakes!” Watanuki waved his hands and arms angrily.
“Hahaha, well get started on it, I’m famished! I’ll get the liquor!” Yûko giggled and hopped off in her robes to the liquor cabinet.
Watanuki put on his bandana and apron, and began to look up a recipe for tea cakes. He felt a little weary and tired as he turned the pages, he figured it was the small print and he needed thicker glasses. He found one and gathered up the dry ingredients first. The last thing he went to get was the flour only because it was so high up in a cupboard. He ran to get the stepping stool and sprinted back. He panted, which was unusual for him because it was only about 10 steps and he was somewhat athletic. He didn’t think much of it and reached up to get the flour. He felt faint as he brought the container full of flour down. He slowly and cautiously stepped down and as he put the flour on the counter Maru and Moro entered to help.
“Here we are to help you Watanuki!” the little girls said in unison.
Watanuki handed them a rubber spatula and told Moro to hold the bowl of dry ingredients and Maru to mix it up carefully. He added the flour and sent them off to mix. They giggled and stood off to the side as Watanuki prepared the rest of the cake. He pulled out butter and eggs. He beat the butter in with sugar and all was going well until he cracked the eggs into the mix.
“crack,” went one egg and Watanuki became dizzy.
“clink,” went the other egg. It cracked on the side of the bowl, but he stopped. His head began to hurt, and forgetting about the egg, brought his hands up to his face. It cracked on his forehead, egg ran down his face and neck, shards of shell crept down his glasses and apron. He backed into the counter where Maru and Moro had put the dry ingredients. Watanuki put his hand back for support and flipped the bowl over. Dusty ingredients dumped all over Watanuki as he fell to the ground. Maru and Moro ran to get Yûko, who had a bottle of whiskey that was two thirds empty.
“Mistress! Mistress! Come quickly! Watanuki has passed out!” the soulless ones shouted as they lead Yûko to the kitchen.
“Oh my,my. Poor Watanuki… Let’s clean this messy boy up shall we?” Yûko’s voice was devilish as ever as she put down the bottle and ordered Maru and Moro to remove the bandana, apron and his school jacket.
Yûko removed Watanuki’s glasses and cleaned them. She wiped his face with a warm cloth after Maru and Moro laid him down on a spare futon set up in Yûko’s room.
“Misstress, is Watanuki ill?” Maru and Moro asked.
“He’s probably got Dômeki’s flu. I visited him earlier this week and he was in terrible shape, but now I suppose he’s better if Watanuki was late,” responded Yûko.
Yûko put a moist cloth on Watanuki’s forehead. She watched the boy sleep and smiled quietly to herself. Something about him had always intrigued her, and she caressed his face with her hand. He stirred and turned his head toward her hand, he opened his eyes slowly. His head throbbed, his body ached, he didn’t want to move.
“Yûko-san…?” Watanuki weakly spoke and was slightly bewildered.
“Hush, you’re not going anywhere, now eat something. Mokona, bring some fruit.”
Mokona came bouncing out from nowhere, with a ripe flat persimmon. The weather was starting to get cold at this time of year, but the weather inside was just starting to heat up…
Watanuki’s head split with pain, he moaned and his skin felt like paper. Yûko was making hot tea. She was being a “nurse” though she wasn’t doing anything really. She cut up the ripe fruit that Mokona had brought earlier with an antique knife and put a little bit of magic in the fruit.
“Here, Watanuki, eat this. It’s delicious.” Yûko’s voice was same as ever, though there was something in her heart that moved her to take care of this little boy. She almost felt motherly, but, no, it was more than that. She felt it in her heart and it made her happy. She was in love with this boy, this raven-haired soul.
Watanuki nibbled the fruit and tried to sit up, but Yûko made him lay back down. He moaned. He began to fall asleep, wondering why Yûko insisted that he stay there, he was only sick. She stroked his hair and rubbed her thumb on his forehead. It eased his headache and made him feel a way he couldn’t really describe, but he liked it a lot.
The next morning Watanuki woke up feeling much better. He sat up and yawned and was greeted by Yûko’s smiling face.
“Good Morning, Yûko-san,” he said as he stood up and headed towards the kitchen.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Yûko asked rather devilishly.
“To make breakfast, since I’m here.”
“Oh?” Yûko stood up and walked over to him in the kitchen. Her robes hung off of her like many sheets. Watanuki himself was wearing a night yukata. “You’re looking much better today.”
“It was probably just one of those nasty 24-hour viruses,” Watanuki said, cracking an egg.
Yûko put her arms around him and took the eggshells from his hands. “You should rest up, I’ll make us breakfast today.”
“You? Make me? Us? Cook?” Watanuki’s puzzled words spilled a Yûko got close.
“Just because I don’t cook for myself doesn’t mean I can’t. What did you think I did before you came? Ate take-out all the time? Then I wouldn’t have such a nice figure.” Yûko chuckled as she turned to throw away the shells.
“You drink enough to misshape that figure,” Watanuki mumbled, “I’m fine, Yûko-san. Really.”
“Then let’s make breakfast together.” Yûko came up behind Watanuki and gently took hold of his wrists as he flipped the egg. She put her face close to his. “I haven’t cooked in a while.”
Meanwhile, Himawari and Dômeki ate lunch at school, the same spot as always.
“Here, have some of mine, Dômeki.” Himawari offered him some of her food. Watanuki was supposed to give him lunch as a favor.
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Too bad Watanuki-kun didn’t show up. I wonder why he isn’t here…”
“Who knows?” Dômeki’s apathy hadn’t left him.
“Dômeki-kun…you know, I’ve been meaning to say something. I didn’t want to say in front of Watanuki because it’s sort of a…personal thing.” Himawari said sunnily but nervously.
“Yeah, I love you too,” Dômeki said casually.
“You what?” Himawari looked up, wide-eyed.
“I’m not going to say it again, you heard me.”
Himawari jumped and put her arms around Dômeki. She sighed and he patted her pigtailed head. He let a small grin creep across his face.
“How about we go visit Yûko-san’s after school? Maybe she knows what’s wrong with Watanuki,” Himawari suggested, looking up from have her face buried in Dômeki’s chest.
“Sure. Sometimes I worry about that guy,” Dômeki mumbled this, he did care about Watanuki and knew the terrible things that could potentially happen to him.
The bell rang and the two walked to class together, hands tightly holding.
The magic from the fruit had worn off and Watanuki went to lie back down. He’d taken a nap as Yûko slowly but surly finished “breakfast.” She made eggs on a fresh lettuce bed and pudding (the pudding took the most time and she only made enough for herself, oh how typical). She brought the food to Watanuki and sat down beside him and he sat up,looking at the food.
“Yûko-san, this doesn’t look…bad.” He didn’t know what to say, but honestly it wasn’t much of a breakfast.
“Eat up. It’s good for you and it’ll make you feel better.” Yûko always insisted on something.
Watanuki ate, it tasted average but he appreciated it. He spotted the little bowl of yellow pudding as Yûko sat stirring it.
“Would you like some, Watanuki?” Yûko offered it up.
“Oh, sure. Wait. It’s not poisoned, is it?”
“Watanuki! I’m insulted.”
“W-well, it could be!” Watanuki finished his breakfast. “Thank you for breakfast, Yûko-san.”
“Oh, it was my pleasure.” Yûko leaned in close to sick and sniffling Watanuki. “Now try…”
“Mistress, Watanuki has guests!” Maru and Moro cut in before Watanuki’s lips touched the spoonful of pudding as Dômeki and Himawari walked in behind them. Holding hands, mind you. They bowed and greeted Yûko.
“Oh, Watanuki-kun. Here you are.” Himawari chimed.
“Yeah, I’m sick…” Watanuki shot a glance at Dômeki.
“You missed class today. Nothing urgent, but we have a test in gym on Thursday,” Dômeki informed, ignoring Watanuki’s stare.
“I knew that, they told us yesterday!”
“I wasn’t at school yesterday.”
“Oh. Oh yeah.” Watanuki blushed. He blinked as he spotted the two holding hands. “Hey…Himawari, you’re holding … hands with…” he trailed off.
“Oh! Dômeki and I are going out now!” Himawari chirped with utter joy.
“Well, now that we know where you are and that you have my flu, we’ll be going. If you’re lucky you’ll be better by Thursday.” Dômeki and Himawari said bye to Yûko and began to exit, Watanuki was silent. “Hey,” Dômeki said, “get well soon.” And walked out the doors.
Watanuki sat there and sighed.
“I’m sorry, Watanuki.” Yûko said smoothly.
“What? Oh no…sure I liked Himawari…but it doesn’t really bother me for some reason. I can’t say why, just a few days ago I was crazy about her, but now I really don’t know why I seem so indifferent about it. It’s ok, at least I know she’s happy. Now, how about that pudding?” Watanuki was taking this surprisingly well.
Yûko smiled and picked up the small spoon. “It’s warm.” She said after licking some pudding off of the spoon.
Watanuki leaned towards Yûko as she moved to spoon slowly to his mouth. He ate the pudding out of the spoon and swallowed.
“Wow, this is delicious, Yûko-san!” Watanuki was in awe at the taste.
“The last time I made this pudding was about a month before you came. I never really had the desire for it since then, but when you’ve got a chance to make something why not?” Yûko spoke while putting spoonfuls of the pudding into her mouth. She scraped the bowl with the spoon and gave the last of the pudding to Watanuki.
“I never knew you could cook, Yûko-san,” Watanuki sniffled and yawned after swallowing.
“That’s because with you around I never had to. Go back to sleep.” Yûko gathered the dishes and handed them off to Maru and Moro who carried them off to Mokona to wash.
Watanuki lied down again, the food warm in his stomach, but his head was congested and had a terrible headache. He moaned in pain.
Yûko took the boy’s glasses off and rubbed Watanuki’s temples with her slender fingers, moving her thumbs in circles on his forehead. Once the pain decrease Watanuki began to think.
“Why…why with Dômeki? But why don’t I care?” Watanuki closed his eyes. “Then again, I just liked Himawari because she was adorable. She’s so cute, she’s so sunny all the time, and she’s always a good friend…but it was always balanced with Dômeki.”
Yûko began to sing an old Japanese lullaby, her smooth voice singing quietly.
“Yûko’s very motherly. She’s done so much for me. Now that I think about it, even before I got sick she protected me.” Watanuki drifted to sleep.
Yûko stroked Watanuki’s hair as she finished the song.
“These past few days have been good. So good to see you’ll be better by tomorrow. You’re such a poor creature with such a problem. I’m glad I can help and not only because I benefit from your service… you might not even want to see me when I get rid of your issue. Hmm and that’s pretty soon too. I’d say about two weeks. Oh you silly boy.” Yûko let her thoughts be spoken out loud, knowing the young boy was now in dreamland. In a way she was depressed that this raven-haired, glasses clad boy was going to be leaving her, but a contract is a contract.
Yûko placed a gentle kiss on Watanuki’s warm forehead as she stood up. She looked sadly at the boy, meanwhile Dômeki and Himawari walk happily to the park.
“You were well aware that Watanuki liked you. You blurted it out to him, you saw the shock in his eyes,” Dômeki spoke, not looking at Himawari, who hung on his arm affectionately.
“He liked me, you love me, and I love you. I saw the shock in his eyes, but it was all too good news to me. I suppose it was a bit insensitive, though. Should we go back and apologize?” Himwari looked up at Dômeki for a response.
“Nah, I’m sure he’s fine. He’s got Yûko-san, after all.”
“She’s such a nice woman to let Watanuki stay while he’s sick,” Himawari laced her fingers between Dômeki’s.
“And also a very peculiar one,” Dômeki thought to himself, “How about some hot tea?”
Himawari shivered. “Oh yes, that sounds like a great idea!” She huddled close to him as they walked in the bustling area of the city.
Watanuki recovered over the next three days (though he was better, Yûko insisted that he stay longer) and he finally went to his apartment after work. He felt like Yûko had been treating him nicer than usual.
“Must just be because I was sick,” he assumed confidently.
But Watanuki noticed that she had been oddly chipper towards him. She let him stop to get some tea while he was running around town with her dry-cleaning, but it seemed she made him do more work. Still, he stood firm that it wasn’t anything big.
One week later, Yûko he sit down with her during dinner. She looked at him with her devilish smirk and said: “Congratulations, Watanuki. Your wish has been granted.”
Watanuki was in shock. “I…I am? Really?” He stood up and danced. “Yes! I’m finally free of those terrible things I see every day!” He looked over at Yûko. “Oh um…I don’t mean you…”
Yûko laughed and nodded. “Well, Watanuki, you’re free to go and live as you will.”
Watanuki bowed, gathered his things and left for what he thought would be the final time. Yûko waved, dressed in a heavy kimono, with layers of stiff cotton and silk.
“Yes!” Watanuki sang and danced like a fool on the way home. “Yes! I am free! No more demons! No more spirits! No more strange things! Yes!” He reached his apartment and stopped to find his key. “But this also means no more Yûko-san and more ‘go home after school club’ for me. Oh well…” He found his keys and unlocked the door. The apartment was cold as he walked in and set his things down. He turned on the heater and shivered as he took off his long school jacket. He sat down on the floor in front of the table. “Hmm, what am I going to do now? Himawari and Dômeki won’t want to hang out like they used to now that they’re a couple…maybe I should get a job somewhere, but where?” Watanuki thought and leaned over the table. “Hmm…Yûko-san…” As hard as he tried, he could not get his mind off of that witch. She was always there, whether he liked it or not and just like that…she was out of his life. “I could still visit her, but I don’t need to, why do I want to?” He lied down with his arms sprawled out and sighed.
Yûko, meanwhile sat thinking to herself. “A contract is a contract, Watanuki has not been the first to make such a contract, and I have fallen for each of their charms. None of them came back, that means none of them felt the same way, but it is fate.” Watanuki had left a mark in her that no one had etched in years, but it was different. She wished him back, but she grants wishes, she doesn’t make them. She tried not to think about it as she got up to make dinner, something she hadn’t had to do in a long time.
The next day, Watanuki applied for jobs at Duklyon Café and a small pastry shop down the street from his apartment. After school he walked home. He thought to himself as he walked. “I wonder if I qualify enough for the jobs. Working as a servant for a witch for a year isn’t really work experience. I wonder how she’s doing, I hope she remembered to water the indoor plants and only wash certain clothes in the washing machine and…” he stopped in mid-thought. He looked at his surroundings. “This is the way to Yûko-san’s.” He turned around and started walking the other way towards his place. It was a slow shuffle of his old shoes and it was full of sluggish uncertainty. He looked back expectantly, as if he were to see something. Abruptly, he spun around and sprinted. Schoolbag in hand, feet on the hard sidewalk, he could see his breath on the cold air, but he ran and ran and ran the route to Yûko’s house.
“I want to see you.” He kept thinking, and kept sprinting as if his legs were taking him to her house like they did the first time.
He reached the gates and ran through them, as they were luckily unlocked. He huffed and felt a stitch in his side as he knocked on the door. His heart was pounding fast and when faster as his witch opened the door. Yûko was surprised but did not show it, and it was quite as she didn’t say a work to Watanuki.
“Yûko-san, I…” Watanuki panted.
“Come inside, won’t you?” Yûko said in a so horribly casual way. Watanuki went inside and caught his breath.
“Yûko-san, I had to come back.” Watanuki said after taking his shoes off.
Yûko stood in front of him with a devilish smile. “Don’t play with a witch’s heart, Watanuki dropped his bag and said, “I’m not,” with great sincerity. He brought his hands up, cold and shaking, he put them on Yûko’s face. He pulled their faces closer and put his chapped quivering lips on hers, so warm and supple, their eyes shut.
“You came back,” Yûko said after the kiss.
“I never want to leave,” Watanuki replied as his heart pounded still and his head dizzy. “Oh, please Yûko-san…” Yûko put a long finger on his speaking mouth.
“Hush, I’ll see you tomorrow after school.”
Watanuki smiled and blushed, and shivered.
“But before you leave, let’s get you warmed up,” Yûko laughed devilishly as she does so often.
She went into the kitchen and put a kettle of water on the stove. The she took Watanuki by the hand to her room and began to unbutton his school jacket as she shut the door behind her and turned off the light.
Watanuki sat on the steps by the science classrooms with Himawari. Dômeki was not there, he was sick. Watanuki was happy about this because, well, for starters: No Dômeki and a whole day of Himawari and just Himawari.
“Watanuki-kun, this mini bento you made me is delicious!” Himawari chirped as she popped a little ball of rice into her mouth. Watanuki blushed.
“You’re the delicious one!” Watanuki thought to himself.
“Did you make one for Dômeki?” Himawari finished the box and wrapped it back up.
“Huh? Well…” Watanuki had made something for him, but it was a favor that he owed. “Yes, I did.” He simply responded.
“It really is too bad he’s sick today…I know, do you want to go over to his house after school with me?” Himawari put up a finger.
“Uh, uhm. Sure. If you’re going.”
“Oh, Watanuki-kun. You and Dômeki are such good friends”
After school the two made their way to Dômeki’s, he was sick with a bad flu with a high fever. They were let in anyhow because no one was home.
“Hello, Dômeki.” Himawari whispered. “How are you feeling?”
Dômeki looked up at her as he said “Better than I did earlier.”
“Watanuki made you a lunchbox.”
“I’m not hungry, thank you.”
“WHAT? Why are you so ungrateful?” Watanuki screamed.
“Ow, shut up. Loud noises hurt my head more than usual right now.” Dômeki’s apathy had not gone since he got sick.
“Watanuki, why don’t you go put the lunchbox in Dômeki’s fridge?” Himawari suggested.
“Fine.” Watanuki gathered the food and walked to the kitchen. Dômeki’s house closely resembled Yûko’s when Watanuki remembered…”OH NO! I’ll be late for work!”
He threw the box in the fridge, yet did it carefully. Watanuki took wide stride steps and stopped abruptly by Dômeki’s room. “I’m sorry I have to go before I’m late!” and with that he sped out of the house.
“He’s so strange,” Dômeki said out loud.
“Watanuki-kun is always full of life, you know?” Himawari said sunnily.
“More than you’ll ever know, Kunogi-san.”
“Please,” Himawari laid down next to Dômeki, “Call me Himawari…”
In the mean time, Watanuki was arriving at Yûko’s house. Out of breath, he removed his shoes and entered the house.
“Sorry! I’m late because I went to see Dômeki with Himawari-chan,” panted Watanuki.
“Not good to be late today, Watanuki, dear. You should have come straight here. I’m sure Dômeki will be at school tomorrow,” Yûko murmured.
“Wha-what? What’s wrong?” Watanuki asked frantically, Yûko sounded serious.
“Because today…I feel hungrier then usual! Now chop-chop! I want some fresh tea cakes…and…HARD LIQUOR!”
“What! YOU HAD ME PARANOID! And you’re supposed to have TEA with tea cakes!” Watanuki waved his hands and arms angrily.
“Hahaha, well get started on it, I’m famished! I’ll get the liquor!” Yûko giggled and hopped off in her robes to the liquor cabinet.
Watanuki put on his bandana and apron, and began to look up a recipe for tea cakes. He felt a little weary and tired as he turned the pages, he figured it was the small print and he needed thicker glasses. He found one and gathered up the dry ingredients first. The last thing he went to get was the flour only because it was so high up in a cupboard. He ran to get the stepping stool and sprinted back. He panted, which was unusual for him because it was only about 10 steps and he was somewhat athletic. He didn’t think much of it and reached up to get the flour. He felt faint as he brought the container full of flour down. He slowly and cautiously stepped down and as he put the flour on the counter Maru and Moro entered to help.
“Here we are to help you Watanuki!” the little girls said in unison.
Watanuki handed them a rubber spatula and told Moro to hold the bowl of dry ingredients and Maru to mix it up carefully. He added the flour and sent them off to mix. They giggled and stood off to the side as Watanuki prepared the rest of the cake. He pulled out butter and eggs. He beat the butter in with sugar and all was going well until he cracked the eggs into the mix.
“crack,” went one egg and Watanuki became dizzy.
“clink,” went the other egg. It cracked on the side of the bowl, but he stopped. His head began to hurt, and forgetting about the egg, brought his hands up to his face. It cracked on his forehead, egg ran down his face and neck, shards of shell crept down his glasses and apron. He backed into the counter where Maru and Moro had put the dry ingredients. Watanuki put his hand back for support and flipped the bowl over. Dusty ingredients dumped all over Watanuki as he fell to the ground. Maru and Moro ran to get Yûko, who had a bottle of whiskey that was two thirds empty.
“Mistress! Mistress! Come quickly! Watanuki has passed out!” the soulless ones shouted as they lead Yûko to the kitchen.
“Oh my,my. Poor Watanuki… Let’s clean this messy boy up shall we?” Yûko’s voice was devilish as ever as she put down the bottle and ordered Maru and Moro to remove the bandana, apron and his school jacket.
Yûko removed Watanuki’s glasses and cleaned them. She wiped his face with a warm cloth after Maru and Moro laid him down on a spare futon set up in Yûko’s room.
“Misstress, is Watanuki ill?” Maru and Moro asked.
“He’s probably got Dômeki’s flu. I visited him earlier this week and he was in terrible shape, but now I suppose he’s better if Watanuki was late,” responded Yûko.
Yûko put a moist cloth on Watanuki’s forehead. She watched the boy sleep and smiled quietly to herself. Something about him had always intrigued her, and she caressed his face with her hand. He stirred and turned his head toward her hand, he opened his eyes slowly. His head throbbed, his body ached, he didn’t want to move.
“Yûko-san…?” Watanuki weakly spoke and was slightly bewildered.
“Hush, you’re not going anywhere, now eat something. Mokona, bring some fruit.”
Mokona came bouncing out from nowhere, with a ripe flat persimmon. The weather was starting to get cold at this time of year, but the weather inside was just starting to heat up…
Watanuki’s head split with pain, he moaned and his skin felt like paper. Yûko was making hot tea. She was being a “nurse” though she wasn’t doing anything really. She cut up the ripe fruit that Mokona had brought earlier with an antique knife and put a little bit of magic in the fruit.
“Here, Watanuki, eat this. It’s delicious.” Yûko’s voice was same as ever, though there was something in her heart that moved her to take care of this little boy. She almost felt motherly, but, no, it was more than that. She felt it in her heart and it made her happy. She was in love with this boy, this raven-haired soul.
Watanuki nibbled the fruit and tried to sit up, but Yûko made him lay back down. He moaned. He began to fall asleep, wondering why Yûko insisted that he stay there, he was only sick. She stroked his hair and rubbed her thumb on his forehead. It eased his headache and made him feel a way he couldn’t really describe, but he liked it a lot.
The next morning Watanuki woke up feeling much better. He sat up and yawned and was greeted by Yûko’s smiling face.
“Good Morning, Yûko-san,” he said as he stood up and headed towards the kitchen.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Yûko asked rather devilishly.
“To make breakfast, since I’m here.”
“Oh?” Yûko stood up and walked over to him in the kitchen. Her robes hung off of her like many sheets. Watanuki himself was wearing a night yukata. “You’re looking much better today.”
“It was probably just one of those nasty 24-hour viruses,” Watanuki said, cracking an egg.
Yûko put her arms around him and took the eggshells from his hands. “You should rest up, I’ll make us breakfast today.”
“You? Make me? Us? Cook?” Watanuki’s puzzled words spilled a Yûko got close.
“Just because I don’t cook for myself doesn’t mean I can’t. What did you think I did before you came? Ate take-out all the time? Then I wouldn’t have such a nice figure.” Yûko chuckled as she turned to throw away the shells.
“You drink enough to misshape that figure,” Watanuki mumbled, “I’m fine, Yûko-san. Really.”
“Then let’s make breakfast together.” Yûko came up behind Watanuki and gently took hold of his wrists as he flipped the egg. She put her face close to his. “I haven’t cooked in a while.”
Meanwhile, Himawari and Dômeki ate lunch at school, the same spot as always.
“Here, have some of mine, Dômeki.” Himawari offered him some of her food. Watanuki was supposed to give him lunch as a favor.
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Too bad Watanuki-kun didn’t show up. I wonder why he isn’t here…”
“Who knows?” Dômeki’s apathy hadn’t left him.
“Dômeki-kun…you know, I’ve been meaning to say something. I didn’t want to say in front of Watanuki because it’s sort of a…personal thing.” Himawari said sunnily but nervously.
“Yeah, I love you too,” Dômeki said casually.
“You what?” Himawari looked up, wide-eyed.
“I’m not going to say it again, you heard me.”
Himawari jumped and put her arms around Dômeki. She sighed and he patted her pigtailed head. He let a small grin creep across his face.
“How about we go visit Yûko-san’s after school? Maybe she knows what’s wrong with Watanuki,” Himawari suggested, looking up from have her face buried in Dômeki’s chest.
“Sure. Sometimes I worry about that guy,” Dômeki mumbled this, he did care about Watanuki and knew the terrible things that could potentially happen to him.
The bell rang and the two walked to class together, hands tightly holding.
The magic from the fruit had worn off and Watanuki went to lie back down. He’d taken a nap as Yûko slowly but surly finished “breakfast.” She made eggs on a fresh lettuce bed and pudding (the pudding took the most time and she only made enough for herself, oh how typical). She brought the food to Watanuki and sat down beside him and he sat up,looking at the food.
“Yûko-san, this doesn’t look…bad.” He didn’t know what to say, but honestly it wasn’t much of a breakfast.
“Eat up. It’s good for you and it’ll make you feel better.” Yûko always insisted on something.
Watanuki ate, it tasted average but he appreciated it. He spotted the little bowl of yellow pudding as Yûko sat stirring it.
“Would you like some, Watanuki?” Yûko offered it up.
“Oh, sure. Wait. It’s not poisoned, is it?”
“Watanuki! I’m insulted.”
“W-well, it could be!” Watanuki finished his breakfast. “Thank you for breakfast, Yûko-san.”
“Oh, it was my pleasure.” Yûko leaned in close to sick and sniffling Watanuki. “Now try…”
“Mistress, Watanuki has guests!” Maru and Moro cut in before Watanuki’s lips touched the spoonful of pudding as Dômeki and Himawari walked in behind them. Holding hands, mind you. They bowed and greeted Yûko.
“Oh, Watanuki-kun. Here you are.” Himawari chimed.
“Yeah, I’m sick…” Watanuki shot a glance at Dômeki.
“You missed class today. Nothing urgent, but we have a test in gym on Thursday,” Dômeki informed, ignoring Watanuki’s stare.
“I knew that, they told us yesterday!”
“I wasn’t at school yesterday.”
“Oh. Oh yeah.” Watanuki blushed. He blinked as he spotted the two holding hands. “Hey…Himawari, you’re holding … hands with…” he trailed off.
“Oh! Dômeki and I are going out now!” Himawari chirped with utter joy.
“Well, now that we know where you are and that you have my flu, we’ll be going. If you’re lucky you’ll be better by Thursday.” Dômeki and Himawari said bye to Yûko and began to exit, Watanuki was silent. “Hey,” Dômeki said, “get well soon.” And walked out the doors.
Watanuki sat there and sighed.
“I’m sorry, Watanuki.” Yûko said smoothly.
“What? Oh no…sure I liked Himawari…but it doesn’t really bother me for some reason. I can’t say why, just a few days ago I was crazy about her, but now I really don’t know why I seem so indifferent about it. It’s ok, at least I know she’s happy. Now, how about that pudding?” Watanuki was taking this surprisingly well.
Yûko smiled and picked up the small spoon. “It’s warm.” She said after licking some pudding off of the spoon.
Watanuki leaned towards Yûko as she moved to spoon slowly to his mouth. He ate the pudding out of the spoon and swallowed.
“Wow, this is delicious, Yûko-san!” Watanuki was in awe at the taste.
“The last time I made this pudding was about a month before you came. I never really had the desire for it since then, but when you’ve got a chance to make something why not?” Yûko spoke while putting spoonfuls of the pudding into her mouth. She scraped the bowl with the spoon and gave the last of the pudding to Watanuki.
“I never knew you could cook, Yûko-san,” Watanuki sniffled and yawned after swallowing.
“That’s because with you around I never had to. Go back to sleep.” Yûko gathered the dishes and handed them off to Maru and Moro who carried them off to Mokona to wash.
Watanuki lied down again, the food warm in his stomach, but his head was congested and had a terrible headache. He moaned in pain.
Yûko took the boy’s glasses off and rubbed Watanuki’s temples with her slender fingers, moving her thumbs in circles on his forehead. Once the pain decrease Watanuki began to think.
“Why…why with Dômeki? But why don’t I care?” Watanuki closed his eyes. “Then again, I just liked Himawari because she was adorable. She’s so cute, she’s so sunny all the time, and she’s always a good friend…but it was always balanced with Dômeki.”
Yûko began to sing an old Japanese lullaby, her smooth voice singing quietly.
“Yûko’s very motherly. She’s done so much for me. Now that I think about it, even before I got sick she protected me.” Watanuki drifted to sleep.
Yûko stroked Watanuki’s hair as she finished the song.
“These past few days have been good. So good to see you’ll be better by tomorrow. You’re such a poor creature with such a problem. I’m glad I can help and not only because I benefit from your service… you might not even want to see me when I get rid of your issue. Hmm and that’s pretty soon too. I’d say about two weeks. Oh you silly boy.” Yûko let her thoughts be spoken out loud, knowing the young boy was now in dreamland. In a way she was depressed that this raven-haired, glasses clad boy was going to be leaving her, but a contract is a contract.
Yûko placed a gentle kiss on Watanuki’s warm forehead as she stood up. She looked sadly at the boy, meanwhile Dômeki and Himawari walk happily to the park.
“You were well aware that Watanuki liked you. You blurted it out to him, you saw the shock in his eyes,” Dômeki spoke, not looking at Himawari, who hung on his arm affectionately.
“He liked me, you love me, and I love you. I saw the shock in his eyes, but it was all too good news to me. I suppose it was a bit insensitive, though. Should we go back and apologize?” Himwari looked up at Dômeki for a response.
“Nah, I’m sure he’s fine. He’s got Yûko-san, after all.”
“She’s such a nice woman to let Watanuki stay while he’s sick,” Himawari laced her fingers between Dômeki’s.
“And also a very peculiar one,” Dômeki thought to himself, “How about some hot tea?”
Himawari shivered. “Oh yes, that sounds like a great idea!” She huddled close to him as they walked in the bustling area of the city.
Watanuki recovered over the next three days (though he was better, Yûko insisted that he stay longer) and he finally went to his apartment after work. He felt like Yûko had been treating him nicer than usual.
“Must just be because I was sick,” he assumed confidently.
But Watanuki noticed that she had been oddly chipper towards him. She let him stop to get some tea while he was running around town with her dry-cleaning, but it seemed she made him do more work. Still, he stood firm that it wasn’t anything big.
One week later, Yûko he sit down with her during dinner. She looked at him with her devilish smirk and said: “Congratulations, Watanuki. Your wish has been granted.”
Watanuki was in shock. “I…I am? Really?” He stood up and danced. “Yes! I’m finally free of those terrible things I see every day!” He looked over at Yûko. “Oh um…I don’t mean you…”
Yûko laughed and nodded. “Well, Watanuki, you’re free to go and live as you will.”
Watanuki bowed, gathered his things and left for what he thought would be the final time. Yûko waved, dressed in a heavy kimono, with layers of stiff cotton and silk.
“Yes!” Watanuki sang and danced like a fool on the way home. “Yes! I am free! No more demons! No more spirits! No more strange things! Yes!” He reached his apartment and stopped to find his key. “But this also means no more Yûko-san and more ‘go home after school club’ for me. Oh well…” He found his keys and unlocked the door. The apartment was cold as he walked in and set his things down. He turned on the heater and shivered as he took off his long school jacket. He sat down on the floor in front of the table. “Hmm, what am I going to do now? Himawari and Dômeki won’t want to hang out like they used to now that they’re a couple…maybe I should get a job somewhere, but where?” Watanuki thought and leaned over the table. “Hmm…Yûko-san…” As hard as he tried, he could not get his mind off of that witch. She was always there, whether he liked it or not and just like that…she was out of his life. “I could still visit her, but I don’t need to, why do I want to?” He lied down with his arms sprawled out and sighed.
Yûko, meanwhile sat thinking to herself. “A contract is a contract, Watanuki has not been the first to make such a contract, and I have fallen for each of their charms. None of them came back, that means none of them felt the same way, but it is fate.” Watanuki had left a mark in her that no one had etched in years, but it was different. She wished him back, but she grants wishes, she doesn’t make them. She tried not to think about it as she got up to make dinner, something she hadn’t had to do in a long time.
The next day, Watanuki applied for jobs at Duklyon Café and a small pastry shop down the street from his apartment. After school he walked home. He thought to himself as he walked. “I wonder if I qualify enough for the jobs. Working as a servant for a witch for a year isn’t really work experience. I wonder how she’s doing, I hope she remembered to water the indoor plants and only wash certain clothes in the washing machine and…” he stopped in mid-thought. He looked at his surroundings. “This is the way to Yûko-san’s.” He turned around and started walking the other way towards his place. It was a slow shuffle of his old shoes and it was full of sluggish uncertainty. He looked back expectantly, as if he were to see something. Abruptly, he spun around and sprinted. Schoolbag in hand, feet on the hard sidewalk, he could see his breath on the cold air, but he ran and ran and ran the route to Yûko’s house.
“I want to see you.” He kept thinking, and kept sprinting as if his legs were taking him to her house like they did the first time.
He reached the gates and ran through them, as they were luckily unlocked. He huffed and felt a stitch in his side as he knocked on the door. His heart was pounding fast and when faster as his witch opened the door. Yûko was surprised but did not show it, and it was quite as she didn’t say a work to Watanuki.
“Yûko-san, I…” Watanuki panted.
“Come inside, won’t you?” Yûko said in a so horribly casual way. Watanuki went inside and caught his breath.
“Yûko-san, I had to come back.” Watanuki said after taking his shoes off.
Yûko stood in front of him with a devilish smile. “Don’t play with a witch’s heart, Watanuki dropped his bag and said, “I’m not,” with great sincerity. He brought his hands up, cold and shaking, he put them on Yûko’s face. He pulled their faces closer and put his chapped quivering lips on hers, so warm and supple, their eyes shut.
“You came back,” Yûko said after the kiss.
“I never want to leave,” Watanuki replied as his heart pounded still and his head dizzy. “Oh, please Yûko-san…” Yûko put a long finger on his speaking mouth.
“Hush, I’ll see you tomorrow after school.”
Watanuki smiled and blushed, and shivered.
“But before you leave, let’s get you warmed up,” Yûko laughed devilishly as she does so often.
She went into the kitchen and put a kettle of water on the stove. The she took Watanuki by the hand to her room and began to unbutton his school jacket as she shut the door behind her and turned off the light.