Fox-Hat and Neko by August Li

Author:August Li [Li, August]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2015-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

AYUMU WOKE on his belly on his futon, feeling sick. He managed to scrabble to his hands and knees and open his window before his stomach rebelled, and he kind of hated Grandpa for serving oyster casserole for their dinner the previous night. The taste was sour on his tongue, in his throat, and in his nose as he expelled the shellfish and stomach acid into the bushes. Afterward he wiped his knuckles across his lips and spit the foulness into the leaves. He gripped the windowsill and dragged in a few deep breaths, and then he found his plastic sandals and wiggled his toes into them before slipping out the window, stumbling, landing on his knees in the garden loam, and then struggling to stand. At least he’d managed to hop over the pool of vomit. Still dizzy, he made his way through the silent streets of Yuuyake, amazed he could stagger to the Inari shrine in the woods.

Fox-Hat, Neko, Chou, and Shizuka met him there. Haruki came running down the path, his cheeks flushed and his chest heaving beneath his ratty T-shirt. He skidded to a stop and grabbed Ayumu’s arms just below his shoulders. “Dude. That… that was a rough one. We did it, though. Got that little girl home.”

“Yeah.” Ayumu leaned his forehead against Haruki’s, the contact, the touch of their skin, soothing him, making it all seem worthwhile. Their lips were so close, Ayumu could feel Haruki’s panting breath against his mouth, against his teeth and gums when he parted his lips. He could taste Haruki’s breath, his essence. Ayumu pulled away. “Thanks for getting me out of a rough spot back there.”

Haruki patted his shoulder. “I know you’d do it for me.”

“So we were successful,” Fox-Hat said. “What about the rest of you?”

“Wildly successful!” Neko leaped to his feet. He began emptying his pockets, dropping jewelry and coins onto a rock. “Look at all this.”

“Neko, we agreed on no stealing,” Chou said.

He canted his head and grinned. “Did we?” He picked up a hairpin tipped in pearls and rubies and wove it into the hair above her right ear. “I want you to have something beautiful, Peaches. You deserve this. Please take it.”

Chou reached up to touch the pin and drew her hand back as if it had shocked her. “I don’t know if I should.”

“But it’s a symbol of my love for you.” Neko batted his white eyelashes and stroked Chou’s cheek with his fingertips. “I’ll be offended if you refuse.”

“I won’t refuse,” Chou said in soft supplication. “But I’m not happy you stole this. I thought we agreed on no stealing.”

“Never agreed.” Neko looked down at his fingernails with great interest.

“Did you learn anything useful?” Fox-Hat snapped, making Ayumu jump. He was tired, on edge, and more responsive to stimuli than he’d be if properly rested. His nerves fired, and his spine snapped straight.

“Quite a lot.” Chou pressed some buttons on her phone and brought up the images she’d recorded before passing it around the circle.

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