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Shinobu sat at a table for one at the Arataki Gang’s official hideout, eating one of the roasted Lavender Melons she’d just made. Itto and the rest of the gang were sitting around the big dining table nearby, telling outrageous stories to each other over their own melons.
This was one of Shinobu’s favorite places to be: sitting in the hideout in a small corner to herself, watching the rest of the gang smile, listening to the way the air vibrated with their raucous laughter. Sometimes, she would join in on their fun, but the gang already knew her occasional need for space to herself.
She was proud of this place they’d built. Years ago, she and Itto had found this building in the middle of the forest, clearly abandoned and on the verge of falling apart. With the assistance of the rest of the gang, they’d slowly built it back up together, and now the place didn’t look half bad. It was thanks to Shinobu’s legal expertise that they’d gotten out of paying property taxes; youkai who were living in the wilderness were not responsible for it, and Shinobu had used a loophole in that law so that they could avoid paying.
For a group of idiots - herself excluded - who did nothing but sit around all day and pick up odd jobs every now and then, she thought they weren’t doing half bad. It was on days like this that it hit her all over again: she’d never need to return to the Shrine again.
A few short raps on the front door resounded throughout the room. A feminine voice came from outside. “Komaniya Express Delivery!”
The laughter abruptly stopped. Itto said, “Huh. I wonder who that could be.”
Genta, the gang member who was sitting across from him, said, “Obviously, it was a delivery.”
Shinobu stood up. “That’s what they’re claiming, anyways. I’ll go get the door.”
“Sure,” Itto said. “Be careful!” With that, he turned back to his companions and started telling another story. The room was quickly filled with laughter once again, but Shinobu knew that they each had one eye on her in case something happened.
They were idiots, but they were a reliable bunch of idiots.
Shinobu opened the door, revealing a young woman - about Shinobu’s age, she guessed, or maybe just a tad younger - with a cheerful smile on her face. “Hello! I’m Kirara, a courier from Komaniya Express. I have a delivery for a Kuki Shinobu?”
“That’s... me,” Shinobu said cautiously. “I didn’t order anything.” She’d heard of Komaniya Express before, but she was still a little suspicious.
Kirara, impossibly, smiled even wider. Her... tails, Shinobu realized, were happily twirling behind her. If Shinobu had to guess, she was a nekomata. “Actually, I happen to have received this package directly from the sender, so I already know that it’s from a friend of yours! It was given to me personally by a person named Yanfei in Liyue.”
That took Shinobu by surprise. Her suspicion went down as she stared at the box. She realized there was a cute little doodle on the outside that definitely looked like Yanfei’s work. “Yanfei? She did tell me she was going to send me the new edition of a book she wanted me to look over. I didn’t expect it to be delivered like this.” She looked up at Kirara. “That being said, how did you find this place?” Due to said legal loophole from earlier, the Arataki Gang’s official hideout didn’t have an address. Usually, someone from the gang would periodically go to the post office to get all of their mail directly.
Kirara said, “Komaniya Express always tries to deliver with premium service, which means always getting packages where they need to go no matter how obscure the location! It was easy to find this place after asking for directions.”
“I see,” Shinobu said, a little impressed. “Thank you.” She took the offered box and used her dagger as a letter opener to slice it open. And indeed, it was the book Yanfei had promised to send. Setting the box on the floor right inside the door, Shinobu said, “Sorry, I admit I was a little suspicious when you first showed up here. I thought you might be a bandit trying some new tactics.”
“Oh, no no no,” Kirara said, waving her hands in a denying motion, “I could never be someone like that. That’s... probably smart of you to be cautious, though. I always get surprised whenever I’m attacked when making deliveries.”
“You get attacked?” Shinobu was a little concerned by that. This girl just seemed too nice. And Shinobu knew that people with kind faces made the easiest targets.
“All the time! I always make sure to deliver the bandits straight to the police station, though. I understand why they do what they do, but,” Kirara sighed, “I just wish they would stop slowing down my deliveries.”
“You can fight,” Shinobu said, impressed once again.
“Yup! I think good fighting skills just come with being a youkai. I just let my feline instincts kick in, and, mrow !!” Kirara made a catlike sound and mimed scratching an opponent with a clawed hand. It was one of the cutest things Shinobu had ever seen. “They don’t know what hit them!”
Shinobu smiled at Kirara’s antics. She always found it easier to smile with her mask on. It made her feel less vulnerable while doing it. Shinobu said, “That’s very impressive.”
“Thanks! I was actually attacked on the way here. I tied those guys up already, but dragging them back to the city is going to be a pain! I just know I’m going to be late for dinner.”
It was clear to Shinobu that there was only one thing to do for this way-too-nice, hungry nekomata. She did still feel bad for thinking she was a bandit at first, and this was a good way to make up for it. “Do you like Lavender Melon?” she asked. “I just roasted some for the gang, and I wouldn’t mind giving you the extra.”
“Really?” Kirara’s tails perked up. “You’d let me have them? I love Lavender Melons, but I’ve never tried them roasted.”
“They’re yours if you want them. Come on in.” Shinobu stepped aside, making space for Kirara in the doorway.
Kirara said, “Yes, thank you! Oh, hold on.” Kirara grabbed a small clipboard and page from the pack on her waist. “Here, just sign this to complete the delivery first.” Shinobu took the offered pen and signed the slip, and Kirara pocketed it once again. “Great! Here I come, Lavender Melon!”
As Shinobu set up a space on the kitchen island for Kirara, Genta said, “Oh, you invited her in?”
Before Shinobu could answer, Itto cheered, “Woohoo! You made a new friend?” He shot her a thumbs up.
Shinobu thought that maybe it was a bit soon to say she was a friend, but Kirara shot a thumbs up right back at Itto. “Yup! She said I could have some of the leftover melon! I can’t stay for long, though, I have some bandits to drag to the city soon.”
“Right on!” Itto said, and Shinobu chuckled under her breath. Friend, huh? She could live with that.
When Kirara bit into the watermelon, her eyes twinkled with delight. “Wow, these are amazing! What’s your secret?”
Shinobu couldn’t deny her excited expression. “Since we’re friends now, want to know a secret?”
Kirara shot her a knowing smile, and she knew that her use of the word friend hadn't gone unacknowledged. “Yes, please!”
Shinobu leaned in, removing her mask to whisper in Kirara’s ear. “The rest of the gang doesn’t know, but the secret is to slather them in slime ooze before roasting. Don’t tell them, though - they’ll never eat it again if you do.”
Shinobu leaned back and fixed her mask back into place. Kirara laughed. “So that’s it! That’s honestly pretty genius! I haven’t encountered food like this in the human world yet. You’re secret’s safe with me.” She winked.
“If you want to try other similar things, you should go to Wanmin Restaurant in Liyue Harbor. Their dishes are always really out there, but they taste amazing.”
“Really? I’ve heard about that place, and I guess I’ll need to go now! Maybe we can even go together sometime?” Kirara’s eyes were hopeful, and Shinobu almost sighed. It seemed that now there was a contender for Itto’s infamous pleading puppy dog face.
“Sure,” she said. “I think I’d like that.”
It was a chaotic way to make a friend, but Shinobu found she didn’t really mind.
The next time Kirara knocked on the door, this time shouting, “Hi! It’s Kirara with another delivery!” Itto jumped up.
He said, “Oh. My. God. Do you think it’s for me this time?”
Shinobu said, “Why would it be for you?”
“I dunno. I was just hoping that maybe this time I’m getting a gift. Maybe it’s from my bro Ayato, or maybe even Kujou Tengu! Maybe even the Shogun herself?”
“No one ever said you don’t have big dreams.”
“Exactly!”
“Wait,” Akira, another member of the gang, said from beside Shinobu. “Didn’t you order yourself a new drum set last week?”
“Oh.” Itto’s enthusiasm deflated like a balloon. “Right. Well anyways, I’ll go get the door.”
Shinobu was half-tempted to offer to go to the door too, mostly because she wanted to see Kirara again, but a bit of embarrassment fluttering in her stomach kept her planted in her chair. She didn't want to seem too eager to see her.
Itto’s dejectedness recovered instantly when he opened the door and laid eyes on the package. “Sweet! That’s my drum set, right?”
“I don’t know,” Shinobu heard Kirara say. “I never look inside my customers’ packages.”
After they completed the delivery and Itto signed the delivery slip, Kirara said, “I can’t stick around because I have another delivery to make, but can you give this to Shinobu for me?”
“No problem,” Itto said. “Leave it to me.”
“Perfect! I’ll see you around!” She presumably left, and Itto shut the door.
As Itto walked towards her with a box in his hands, Shinobu sat up in her chair. “What is it?”
“Oh?” Itto wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. “Is our deputy excited for her gift?”
Shinobu sighed. “Just give it to me.” She swiped the box out of Itto’s hands, ignoring his cry of protest. After opening it, the first thing she saw was a handwritten note.
Hi, Shinobu! I got this for you as thanks for the Lavender Melon the other week. I pressed a Silk Flower from Liyue and put it in a frame for you to display wherever you want! I thought that it would be nice to have a reminder of Liyue Harbor, since Yanfei told me you studied there in the past. I hope you like it!
Shinobu placed the letter aside and took the frame out of the box. The silk flower was beautifully pressed, and Shinobu was again impressed by Kirara’s abundance of skills.
As she held the frame in her hands, her stomach filled with butterflies again, but this time not from embarrassment.
The next time Shinobu saw Kirara, it was because there was a package for another member of the gang. Shinobu offered to get it, mostly to get a chance to talk to Kirara again. Kirara was bouncing from foot to foot, looking nervous even with a smile on her face.
That was something that Shinobu was beginning to notice. Even though Kirara was all smiles and high energy, her energy was almost too high and she always seemed to be in a rush. Even the first time they’d met, as they ate Lavender Melon together, Shinobu had noticed a bit of stress in Kirara’s shoulders. She ate too quickly, like she always had somewhere to be.
Shinobu called over Akira, who was the package’s recipient, and he signed off on the delivery. As he took the package inside, Shinobu said, “Hey. I’ve noticed that you always seem a little stressed. Are you alright? Does the gang make you uncomfortable?” In that last question, there was another one that Shinobu was too afraid to voice. Do I make you uncomfortable? Shinobu knew that sometimes she could have an intimidating presence. She usually liked that fact, but she didn’t want to drive Kirara away.
Kirara’s eyes shot wide open. “No, it’s not that at all! Genuinely! It’s just... how do I say this? I just always want to make extra sure that all of my deliveries go perfectly. I don’t want to be late or make any missteps.”
“I didn’t realize your work stressed you out so much. I was under the impression that you liked your job.” With how much Kirara smiled, even when working, anyone would think that doing package deliveries was her favorite thing in the world.
“I do like my job. Making deliveries is one of my favorite things! I love having the chance to see different parts of the world. It’s like every day is a new day for sightseeing!” Kirara’s expression became thoughtful. “But... I guess you could say that it stresses me out sometimes. I don’t want to mess up or lose my job. Lady Kitsune told me that if I want to fit into human society, I must work. Working is the only way I can have any worth in human society, so I take my job seriously.”
There were a load of things wrong with that last statement, but Shinobu was careful not to follow her knee-jerk reaction to it. She still didn’t know Kirara very well, and it would be hypocritical to judge her for her beliefs and how she lived her life. After all, the Arataki Gang was formed to give a home to people who were judged by society. But, she couldn’t let Yae’s statement stand just like that.
Shinobu asked, “Would you... mind if I gave my opinion on that? Keep in mind though, I’m a bit biased against Guuji Yae.” Shinobu had run away from a life as a shrine maiden, after all.
“Sure,” Kirara said, looking a tad concerned. “I’m a little nervous about what you want to say, though.”
Shinobu was careful with her word choice. “I think... you can have worth even if you don’t work. I barely do, and the rest of the gang barely does either. And while we may not perfectly fit into the mold the residents of the city want for us, we have friends. We get along with people. We aren’t shunned in the least.”
“That’s true,” Kirara said. “I think that you all are very respectable people here. And if even an oni can be respected without having a job, then maybe I could, too.”
“Well,” Shinobu corrected, “maybe ‘respected’ is a stretch. But it’s not really because he’s a youkai. It’s just because of who he is. Just... I don’t know.” Shinobu sighed. “I guess I’m just trying to say that I used to be similar. I ran away from life as a shrine maiden, and needed a way to stand on my own two feet, and fast. I thought that perhaps, skill certifications would make me worth something to society. That it would give me a means to live. I threw myself into getting certification after certification. Looking back, I would say it was too many.”
Shinobu had the thought that maybe she was oversharing now, but Kirara was looking at her with interest, so she continued. “The thing is, those certifications did help. I would not have gotten to where I am today if not for all of those skills I learned during those years. But now, I try not to tie my self worth to it. Those certifications gave me a means to provide for myself, but I would still have worth even without them.”
Shinobu had the dreadful feeling that she’d been too preachy, too oversharing, too critical of someone who she could barely call a friend. But she also thought it would be a disservice to not speak her mind, so she didn’t retract her words. She instead waited with held breath, as Kirara had a thoughtful look on her face.
“Hmm,” Kirara said. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thanks!”
“You’re not mad?”
“Of course not! I want to integrate into human society, so your opinion is really valuable. And besides, you’re my friend, and I can tell that you were just trying to give me a bit of friendly advice. Really,” Kirara grabbed both of Shinobu’s hands and held them between them, “there’s no harm done.”
Shinobu let out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For alleviating my fear of offending you. For understanding.”
“Anytime.” Kirara gave Shinobu’s hands a squeeze. “I know you just said to take it easy, but I really do need to get to my next delivery. Talk to you later?”
“Yeah,” Shinobu said. “Talk to you later.”
The gang knew at this point to let Shinobu answer the door for any deliveries they might have. Komaniya Express seemed to send Kirara to their door every time, probably because she was the only one who could find them with their lack of address.
Shinobu opened the door once again to Kirara with a stack of letters in hand. Kirara smiled, holding up the letters. “Hi, Shinobu. I just have some letters this time.”
Inside, the gang was playing awful music on random instruments, and the sound drifted out into the evening air. “Thanks. Sorry about the noise,” Shinobu said.
“No problem!” Kirara smiled. “I like the sound of people having fun.”
Shinobu thought that Kirara looked less stressed this time. There was less nervous energy in her stance, less anxiety in her voice. Whether it was due to her advice or not, Shinobu was glad.
Shinobu said, “Was this your last delivery? You’re welcome to come in.” They still hadn’t met outside these deliveries, but Shinobu usually invited Kirara inside if she had the chance. Soon, she wanted to ask Kirara to spend time with just the two of them, but something had stopped her thus far. It was as if taking that step would mean a lot more to the both of them.
“Sure!” Kirara said. “I want to see what the music is all about.”
They went to Shinobu’s regular corner. There was only one chair at the table, so Shinobu let Kirara have it as the guest. Shinobu was content to lean against the wall, arms crossed, as they both observed the gang playing music.
Itto was on his new drums, and Genta was playing the triangle intensely, as if he was doing a solo. Takuya, who wasn’t a member of the gang but often visited the hideout, was the only one playing half-decently. His work on the shamisen was the only thing saving their song from being nothing but noise. Everyone else was dancing to the music without a care in the world.
“Why don’t you join in?” Kirara asked.
“It’s not my style. Sometimes, I just like to stand aside and observe everyone in their element.”
“That doesn’t make sense!” Kirara said. “Isn’t it more fun to join in?”
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t know how to dance, and I’m not as willing to make a fool of myself as these guys.”
“Really? You don’t know any dances? I remember you said you’ve gotten certifications for a lot of skills. Is dancing not one of them?”
Kirara had gotten to the answer without even trying. Shinobu, a bit reluctantly, admitted, “I know a few simple ballroom dances. I took a course on it while studying law in Liyue.”
“That’s perfect!” Kirara shot up from her chair and rounded on Shinobu. Shinobu felt her face heating. Did Kirara not even realize how close she was, how she was basically trapping Shinobu against the wall? None the wiser, Kirara said, “Lady Kitsune made me learn that too, saying it was an important part of surviving in the human world. The chance to dance hasn’t come up yet; I thought she was a liar! Come on, dance with me!”
As Shinobu stared into Kirara’s excited eyes, her face burning, she decided that this was Kirara’s revenge, even if Kirara herself didn’t even know it. Of course if Shinobu took it upon herself to give Kirara advice, Kirara would eventually take Shinobu outside of her comfort zone in exchange. Shinobu butts into her business, she butts into Shinobu’s.
But maybe that made them good for each other. Shinobu said, “Fine. Let’s dance.”
“Yes!!” Kirara cheered, her tails waving excitedly.
As they made their way into the thick of it, and they took up a ballroom stance, Kirara was smiling all the while. She said, “Are you ready?”
Shinobu’s face was still burning. “Ready.”
To the gang’s credit, they only made a few suggestive noises as they started dancing. Shinobu felt ridiculous, slow dancing to horrible, fast-paced music in the middle of the gang’s party, but as she stared into Kirara’s smiling eyes, she thought that there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
Come to think of it, they’d never gone to Wanmin Restaurant together like they promised.
Shinobu took a chance and pressed her forehead to Kirara’s, and Kirara let out a gasp of surprise. Shinobu said, “Come to Wanmin Restaurant with me. Just me and you.”
By the way Kirara’s face turned red, she definitely understood that it was an invitation for a date. “Um, s-sure!” Kirara said. “I’d like that a lot.”
It was crazy to go on a first date in a foreign country, but Shinobu knew it was exactly Kirara’s style. And maybe this - slow dancing in such an unfitting place - was both of their style. It just felt like them.
As their dance slowed to a stop, Kirara asked, “So? How was the dancing?”
Shinobu removed her mask so Kirara could see the smile on her face. “It was good. I’d gladly do it again.”
Kirara beamed, and Shinobu’s chest filled with so much affection that she laughed. As everyone knew, laughing like this, with her full chest, was something she rarely did.
But Kirara didn’t judge her in the slightest. She just laughed along with her.