Chapter 02: Red Spider Lilies

Red Spider Lilies (赤い刺青 Akai Irezumi) is the second chapter of the Moon Rabbit Arc and the second chapter in total.

The content of this chapter was written by two people. Text by Rose is written in black, while text by Skylark is highlighted in gray.

Chapter
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT!

The content includes vulgar language, violence and mention of sexual content.


 * Izayoi would have offered to help Kakkou get dressed, but he figured that the action would be mistaken for something less appropriate, since the younger man had definitely branded him a 'pedophile'. Izayoi, languid smile intact at the other's bluntness, just opened the door, pipe dangling in his mouth loosely.


 * The doctor strolled down the corridor at a slow pace, since he knew his new patient could move very well, stopping at a rusted metal door a meter away where a staircase was hidden behind. "Mind the stairs." he said, before ascending, taking a few steps to wait for Kakkou to catch up without making it obvious. Would not want to insult the young man's pride, now would he? Most would expect a similarly rusted door awaited them once they reached the last step, but instead, an out-of-place traditional sliding, paper door greeted them instead. Izayoi slid it open gracefully, the trail of smoke from his pipe lingering as he stepped inside.


 * And it was as if a completely different dimension had built itself beyond the door.

"Here..." he nudged open a door on the left with a foot. A lush guest room straight out of a wood-block painting would be where Kakkou would stay. The walls a calm green, embellished with intricate bamboo patterns. An unused futon was folded nicely in the middle of the room. "I can show you to the bathroom and kitchen also, if you'd like."
 * More sliding doors formed a corridor, same width and height as the garish one on the floor below. Izayoi's presence here was like a missing piece to a puzzle, a perfect fit in this little slice of Time, encapsulated within this one floor of a building. The sound of footsteps upon the tatami flooring was the ultimate ambiance.




 * Kakkou had been following Izayoi like a well-behaved puppy, taking a look at every door and wall in sight of their way, for reasons of orientation, if he ever had to walk around in this building on his own. Once they had reached the rusted metal door, he started thinking that his hope for a comfortable place to stay at would be crushed in a moment, but he tried not to give up on it yet. After all, Izayoi seemed like a person who would not fit into a mess of a home and whatever would wait for him up there could not be worse than-


 * He stopped his steps for a second while walking up the stairs. Worse than what? What had he just been thinking about? His apartment was above average standard and he had never really lived anywhere else, so why did he have a feeling he was trying to remember living at a place worse than this one? He slightly shook his head and continued walking up, catching up with Izayoi just a few seconds afterwards.


 * The old-fashioned door surprised him at the first moment, but as he took another glance at Izayoi, he thought it kind of fitted his looks. Someone who stays true to ancient traditions, he figured. The door was opened, and Kakkou's thoughts about this matter only became more intense. The atmosphere was amazing. Soon he realized that he was just standing there, his eyes wandering through the corridor, and he blushed. He probably looked like a child during its first time seeing a red balloon on a summer festival if he stared like that. Thus he stepped inside, wandering to the door sill of what seemed to be his future room. It was a nice one - Not modern, like the rooms at his own apartment, but there was a nice feeling to it.


 * "Huh?" He turned his head to look at Izayoi, only comprehending his words afterwards. "Oh... sure. That wouldn't be such a bad idea, I guess." he responded. Of course it was better if he showed him around. There was no intention from his side to nose through his home, so it was recommended for him to know where the important rooms where.




 *  [ Oh... someone's gone docile ] Izayoi mused and smiled in satisfaction at Kakkou's reaction. "This way." he nodded his head in the general direction, leaving the room and going down the hall. Not that he would admit, but Kakkou was probably the only guy he had allowed upstairs for a long while. Most of his patients who had no choice but to stay just used the other bed in the clinic. Why was he making an exception


 * He felt like it.

"The fridge is decently stocked, you can help yourself whenever." he commented and let Kakkou have a chance to take a gander at the place. Izayoi was able to cook, but he did not really eat unless he was bored or just had free time, that was when he was not a lazy cat.
 * The kitchen was cozy and a mix of traditional, as well as modern, since he had appliances such as a stove, oven microwave, an electric kettle, etc. But the colors all went well together, so nothing stuck out unnecessarily. The place was immaculate as if it was barely used.




 * Kakkou had to admit that it felt a little odd to look at the kitchen in consideration of the rest of Izayoi's home, but it was probably necessary to throw something new into the classical old-fashioned atmosphere. His own apartment was full of this stuff, though he did not have to pay for anything as long as he took care of Roko, who was sharing the apartment with him. She surely would like this place, he thought. Maybe he would call her again later and ask her if she wanted to pay a visit from time to time.


 * "I won't need much, thank you." he mumbled in response to the other's comment. This was probably the first time he was staying at someone else's place and it felt... he wasn't sure, but it did not necessarily feel positive. Somehow it felt like being a bug that was feeding on someone else's food and home. [ Huh... Fitting enough ] He shrugged silently and took another look around. It was definitely a comfortable place, this residence.[1]


 * "Umm... I don't want to be rude by asking this, but would it be possible to invite a friend over whenever she has time? It's not like you have to say yes, but I think she'll get a little lonely if she can't see me for more than a week..." How much he disliked asking for a favor. Or being stuck at a place without being able to see the only person he trusted. Hopefully Izayoi did not decline his request, or else he would be sure that the coming weeks would suck.




 * The sudden politeness made Kakkou seem more endearing in Izayoi's whimsical eyes. He really did seem more and more of a child when one took his job away from him. Maybe it would not be so tedious having a big kiddie around? It was not like he had much to hide enough to deny someone a visit to his home... and speaking of which- "A girl?" he figured it must have been the girl from that call earlier. "I don't mind... wouldn't want to keep her from you, it's never nice to upset a girl." He smiled and turned from the kitchen, heading to the bathroom opposite.


 * It was more of a mini-onsen, the entire room of real bamboo wall and flooring, a sink on the right side along with a shower. There was a refreshing feel about the place. The little onsen could probably fit three people if Iza wished. A kinky idea, but no... He liked his baths to just be peaceful and purely for cleansing purposes. Although... one did make exceptions. "There's spare towels you can use in your room, but no baths for you until those wounds have healed enough."




 * There had almost been a smile on Kakkou's face when Izayoi accepted doing him this favor, though of course he did not allow himself to show a certain weakness by smiling. It meant he could call Roko later... and then he would have to describe the way to her, because she did not leave the house as often as him and therefore had absolutely no sense or orientation in the big city. Where did he put the note with the address anyway? Probably somewhere inside of a pocket of his coat.


 * He was so lost in thoughts that he only realized that Izayoi had started moving again when he was already out of sight, so he rushed to follow him. The bathroom was a beautiful room, just like the rest of the apartment. It was a shame he was not allowed to take a bath for a while. Taking a bath here would definitely be relaxing after an exhausting day. Then again... He would not get exhausted for a while, would he? Work was forbidden for now, thus he would be forced to stay here and be bored all day. Not very promising, but it was not like he could do anything about it.


 * "Heh... About that girl..." His heart began to feel heavy as he spoke. There was something he did not get to mention yet and he feared Izayoi could change his mind if he mentioned it now. Kakkou hesitated for another heartbeat, before he found the courage to ask his question. "It is very important that she does not go outside during the day... so would it still be alright, if she came here at night? There's also the possibility of waiting until there's some really bad weather, that would work too... But it has been sunny for a while, so I won't put my hopes on that..." What Kakkou said most likely did not make sense. Izayoi seemed like a pretty tolerant person though, so maybe he would understand without questioning why this thing had such an importance to him.




 * A part of him did wonder what the girl's relationship to Kakkou was. Maybe a sibling? That phone call gave him a similar vibe of siblings. No offense to the man, but Iza could not imagine him to be the type who would be in a relationship. Not with a job like that and not to mention his prickly demeanor. Oh, he was attractive in his own right. What girl would not like a tall, dark and handsome hitman? But Iza doubted Kakkou could put up with female attention without his fingers twitching for the trigger: the easiest way to end flirtation.


 * He let confusion show on his face at hearing Kakkou's further request, breathing out slivers of smoke to the side. How odd... Was this a condition of sorts for the girl or just an arrangement? But who was he to judge. His habits were irregular and unusual on many levels anyways. "Hmmm... That's fine. Let her know to not wander into that room-" He pointed with his pipe to the last room down the corridor. "Yes? That's my only condition for anyone I let up here... Apart form that, make yourself comfortable." he nudged Kakkou's chin up slightly with his pipe before leaving the bathroom.


 * "Are you hungry or need something to drink before you go rest?" he asked, looking over his shoulders at the young man. Izayoi doubted anymore visits would be paid to him today, which was good. He did not really want Kakkou to see him busy with another 'patient'.




 * Once again, Kakkou was relived that Izayoi did not refuse to allow Roko visiting him. It was a weird think to ask, sure... Roko was different from other humans, but he could not talk to anyone about it. It was a desire to tell someone, and maybe he would be allowed to one day, but this was not that day. Especially not because Izayoi was a complete stranger. The promise to keep quiet about whatever he said did supposedly not apply to anything that was said or done while he was staying in his apartment. He was a patient, still, but it all seemed too risky, no matter how much he wanted to share this secret with someone.


 * "Thank you..." He quickly bowed his head, then looked to the room his company was pointing at. It got him curious. What could he possibly be hiding in that room that he was not allowed to see? It seemed like he was not the only one with secrets that better stayed unshared. For a split second he had been about to open his mouth and ask about that room, but before he could manage to say something, he felt the pipe at his chin, which led him to huff quietly. Just who did this guy think he was?


 * "Fine with me." he answered to what he had said about the room at the end of the corridor. "And no, I don't need anything." Contrary to his words, he felt how his stomach was protesting and the sound of hunger coming from it during the next second only made it worse. "...Or maybe a little snack." he mumbled, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment.

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 * <font color="#848484">"...A snack it is~" Izayoi chortled languorously, waltzing back into the kitchen. He had some stuff ready to make a lunch with, but could not get started because the patient before Kakkou had came to visit. Izayoi dismantled his pipe after dumping the ashes into the bin and went to wash his hands at the sink. When was the last time he made food for someone else? Well, Kakkou did not exactly ask, but he was not going to let an injured person get food for themselves when he could help it.


 * He then went to the fridge, taking out a large and a small bowl, sealed with cling-film. Humming idly, he set it on the counter, reaching for the cupboards to get out a chopping board. His movements looked rehearsed, despite how unused the kitchen seemed at first glance. "I'll bring it to your room if you don't want to stand around." Since he lived alone, he never thought of getting extra chairs or a table to sit at in the kitchen. Why was there a spare room for a guest then? Ah, Izayoi would not reveal the reason anytime soon. It made him feel embarrassed...


 * With a large rice spoon, he scooped out a good amount of sticky rice from the bowl onto his left hand. With his right he picked a piece of salmon from the smaller bowl and started molding it into an onigiri swiftly.

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 * Just watching him prepare some food increased Kakkou's hunger. He had not noticed how hungry he was, but it made sense - There had been requests to fulfill the whole day and he had worked through them without much of a pause. That was why he had promised Roko to go out for dinner, which was not possible anymore. Having to leave her alone let his worry grow like aggressive ivy on a stone wall. Agitated by these emotions he left the room, without responding to Izayoi. That man was not dumb, he would get that he was heading to the guest room if he just left like that.


 * His feet stopped after a few footsteps and he found himself looking down the corridor again, his gaze focused on the mysterious door. A stranger did not really need to trust him, right? Maybe he would break this non-existent trust at some point and try to take a look inside. What was that door thinking anyway - Standing there, being all secretive, making fun of him. What an arrogant door. Wait, why was he getting angry at a door? He quickly shook his head to get these thoughts out of his mind. [ Come on Kakkou, you are better than that. ] he told himself and turned away, stumbling back to the room he would be staying in.


 * After entering, he took a moment to examine the interior closely, poking every thing here and there like a curious kitten, before unfolding the futon and flopping down on it with an exhausted sigh. Izayoi would probably take a while, so he took out his cellphone once more and dialed the same number he had dialed back in the surgery. This time it took quite a bit longer for his female friend to pick up, but eventually he heard the munching sound of her voice. "Stop eating when picking up the phone." Kakkou complained, knowing Roko was having the promised dinner without him right now. The girl sounded like she wanted to say something, yet before she was done swallowing her bite, he continued speaking. "Do you still have that address they gave to us in case one of us gets sick or wounded? It's where I am currently staying at. I've asked permission and the doctor said it's okay to visit me during night from time to time."


 * There were loud, incoherent noises all of a sudden and Kakkou figured she was searching for the address. Soon he received a response and could go on. "Make sure not to leave before sunset and wait some time afterwards, to get sure the sun is gone. I'll be mad at you if you let yourself get burned to death and I lose my job because of that." Although it was clear that he was joking, his voice sounded serious and intimidating. Nothing but a half-heartedly insult followed as response and he heard a clicking sound, telling him the other side had disconnected from the call. "Just what am I gonna do with her..." he sighed loudly and let himself fall back onto the futon, his arm resting on his forehead as if he was trying to block out an imaginary sun.

Author's Note

 * [1] Somehow it felt like being a bug that was feeding on someone else's food and home. [ Huh... Fitting enough ] He shrugged silently and took another look around. It was definitely a comfortable place, this residence.
 * This part of the chapter is actually a wordplay between the Japanese word for Cleridae (かっこう) and Cuckoo (カッコウ) which are both romanized as "Kakkō". With the phrase "Fitting enough" Kakkou referred to his name in combination of the cleridae being a bug and the common habit of brood paratism (laying their eggs in the nests of other birds) of the cuckoo.

Important Events

 * Partly revelation of Izayoi's ancestry (Continued during next chapter).