Chapter 121 - Interlude 2 - Keiko, The Savior, Part 5

No matter how hard Keiko tried, her Spirit Eye wouldn't activate. This was expected, and yet Keiko still felt disappointed, every single time she tried. Back inside the house, she could hear Kaori and Kasumi laughing as they conversed. 

"Seriously, you haven't... in such a long time!" Kasumi said. Keiko could barely hear their words. 

"Kasumi, I don't... It would be..." 

"You have to move..." Kasumi argued about something. "You need to dust off down there!" 

"Hahahaha!" Kaori cackled. "Stop!"

Keiko sighed and stood up, rolling her shoulders. 

"..." For a moment, she tried to picture herself in a similar situation. Surrounded by friends, a smile tugging at her lips, their joyous voices coalescing with her own, but she couldn't. Such a fantasy just felt wrong. Like it didn't belong to her. No matter how much she might have wanted to experience that, she simply had to understand that her path was different. 

Her path was marked with expectations and the responsibility to meet them. And she thought she was okay with that. 

The screen door leading outside opened behind her. Keiko turned her head. 

"Hm?" 

"Keiko!" Kaori said, and Keiko immediately noticed how her voice was... different. "Come in, share a few drinks with us. Take a break!" It was still the same positive, bubbly personality from before, but she felt it was slightly more... real? Something about how she sounded felt more genuine, at least to Keiko's ears. 

She must be having fun then. Good for her. Keiko assumed and she turned around. 

"I.... don't..." Keiko started. 

"I'm not saying we're going to get hammered, Keiko," Kaori was quick to add. "Just a bit to get the blood flowing, you know?" 

"..." Keiko took a deep breath. Her blindfold and the cube tied to her belt suddenly felt so much heavier. Do I... One part of her mind, a part that sounded a lot like her grandmother, told her to tell Kaori 'no' and sit back down, to keep trying. Another part, one that was slightly higher pitched and more energetic, was whispering for Keiko to put her things down and relax for a little bit.

That concept, resting, was foreign to her, but its prospect sounded so sweet that Keiko felt her guard drop in real-time. So, she replied:

"Sure." 

Kaori then walked over and took her hand. By now, Keiko could safely say she recognized her touch. Her palm was calloused, probably from years of fighting, but her fingers still felt soft. Keiko was led back into the house, where Kasumi's voice then addressed her. 

"Oh, Keiko, right?" Kasumi asked. 

"Yes," Keiko replied as she was led to the table, where she sat down. She heard Kaori sit down next to her. 

"Haven't gotten to talk to you much, I was wondering if I was gonna leave without knowing anything about this cute girl who's currently staying with my friend." 

Keiko blushed, trying to straighten out her back and raise her chin to fight her embarrassment. 

"So, when did you get chosen?" Kasumi asked. 

"Um... About two weeks ago," Keiko replied. 

"Okay. Did you have a job or anything like that? Is there a boyfriend, a girlfriend or something waiting back home?" 

"Kasumi, you don't have to interrogate her," Kaori said, chuckling and Keiko was glad she stepped in.

She hadn't noticed it until now, but there was a small separation building between Keiko and her life back home. She wanted to keep it that way. Thinking about the Compound and the people there would only bring her melancholy. 

"Alright, alright, just wondering," Kasumi responded. Then, she tapped her finger against the table a couple of times. "So, ready?" 

"Yeah, what did you bring?" Kaori asked. 

"Nothing terribly special, unfortunately," Kasumi lamented. "But, it's some good wine from Amber. 

"What about me?" Nozomi innocently asked. 

"Nope. You get water. Nice, cold, water though," Kasumi replied. "Just as good." 

There was a bit of silence as Kaori and Kasumi set things up, pouring the drinks onto three glass cups. Then, Keiko felt a tap on her right shoulder. 

"Hey," Nozomi whispered. 

"Hm?" Keiko tilted her head towards her voice. 

"Why do you wear that?" 

Then, Nozomi poked her right eye, over the blindfold. Thankfully, Keiko had them closed but she still backed off a little. 

"Uh... I just wear this to let everyone know that I haven't gained eyesight yet," Keiko replied, squirming a little. 

"Hm?" Nozomi made a curious sound. "Eye... You can't see?" She slowly asked. 

"No, I cannot," Keiko replied and the little girl paused before saying:

"... Maybe it's because of the blindfold." 

...

....

Keiko burst out laughing. She had to hold herself back but a low cackle still escaped her lips. 

"Maybe, maybe..." Keiko replied. 

Soon, Kaori and Kasumi were done. Nozomi was apparently given some water while the others had their drinks raised. 

"Keiko, push your cup a little forward," Kaori indicated and the Zayama did so. She felt her glass cup clank against two others. "Cheers! Go ahead," Kaori said. 

"Um... Okay." 

Keiko hadn't drunk anything like this before, so she was nervous. Still, those nerves were matched by a sense of curiosity, heightened by the risque nature of this. She knew that if the others back home heard about this, she'd be the subject of hushed whispers for several weeks. It was honestly almost exciting. 

She ran her thumbs up and down the glass cup for a bit, before finally lifting it up to her lips. 

What she drank was the strangest thing. A mixture of a sweet taste with a fire-like spice though as it slid down her throat. She coughed twice as the spicy sensation continued. 

"It feels like my throat is burning, is this normal?" Keiko asked. 

"Yep, that's alcohol for ya," Kasumi replied. "You get used to it, don't worry." 

I don't plan on doing this again once I return to the Compound, so I doubt I will.  Keiko replied in her thoughts. 

"Oh, gosh, I really needed this~" Kaori said beside Keiko. 

"I'm glad I could help then," Kasumi responded. Keiko took another sip and the feeling was still just as strong as the first time, but now that she knew what to expect she prepared her body more appropriately for it. 

Keiko didn't talk much after that though. Mostly, Kasumi and Kaori spoke amongst each other, going over shared memories while Keiko slowly downed the contents of her glass cup. It was interesting to hear though, but what they talked about sounded like the stuff of fairytales. 

"Remember when we ran into that one half-demon? Back at Amber?" 

"Ohh... I forgot her name... or maybe I'm just too drunk," Kasumi chuckled. "She really had a soft spot for Ash, didn't she?" 

"Yeah!" Kaori's tone was so enthusiastic that her voice filled the entire house. "She nearly kissed her one time." 

"Wait, wait, I never heard about this," Kasumi replied. 

"I was sooo jealous," Kaori laughed heartily. "Oh gosh... It feels like such a long time ago." 

They were silent for a brief moment before Kasumi cleared her throat. 

"... Keiko," Kasumi suddenly said. 

"Hm?" 

"You never answered. Do you have a special someone waiting for you back home?" 

Keiko shook her head. 

"No, I do not." 

"Oh, that's surprising..." There was something strange about how she said that like she was insinuating something. Keiko didn't quite understand though. 

"Kasumi, stop it," Kaori said, and now Keiko was certain there was something she wasn't picking up on. She didn't care too much though. Instead, she finished her drink and leaned back against the chair. 

"So, Keiko, when was the last time you got laid?" 

"KASUMI!" Kaori yelped. 

"... Got laid?" Keiko asked. This wasn't a phrase she could say she'd ever heard before. 

"You know, when's the last time you had sex." 

"Oh. Never." 

Keiko answered that as simply as she could. It was the truth, after all. 

"Really? What's the farthest you've gotten though?" 

"Um, what do you mean?" Keiko asked. 

"This is ridiculous..." Kaori muttered. Kasumi kept going though. 

"Like, kissing, groping, licking, you know? What have you done?" 

"Um, none?" Keiko shrugged. 

"Seriously?" Now, Kasumi really sounded shocked. 

"Wait, actually?" Kaori joined in. 

"Is this really that surprising?" Keiko asked. "I... I haven't done anything of the sort before." 

"... Well... This was informative, I'd say." 

Thankfully, the questions stopped after that. 

---

Kasumi and Nozomi left about an hour later, as the night had settled in. 

"Are you sure you want to go? You're more than welcome to stay over, it's dangerous out there." Kaori said. 

"Thank you, but I do have somewhere to be in the morning, so I'd rather get going. But, promise, I will visit again soon," Kasumi told her. "As for you, Keiko, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you enjoy your time here." 

"Thank you. Safe travels." 

"Take care," Kaori added.

With that, Kasumi and her daughter promptly left. Keiko heard a horse galloping away from the farm. Kaori then held her hand. 

"So, where do you want to go?" 

"I'd... like to sit down for a little bit," Keiko responded. "I feel strange." 

"You're probably tipsy, come on. I'll get you some water too, it helps."

"Thank you." 

Keiko bowed and was led to a couch. A moment later, Kaori sat next to her and handed her a cup. Keiko drank from it and her throat felt better. 

The two sat in silence for a while. Keiko steadied her breathing, feeling calmness overtake her as Kaori spoke up again later. 

"So, you really haven't even kissed someone?" 

"I haven't," Keiko confirmed. 

"Wow. I..." Kaori chuckled. "I didn't see that coming. I mean, you'd said you were a virgin, but I didn't know you were that inexperienced." 

"It doesn't matter," Keiko quickly said, and it was almost like the drinks were speaking for her right now. "It's not like anyone would want to do anything like that with me. I have my work to focus on. I will be fine." 

Another silence. This one stretched for so long that Keiko worried that what she said sound  that pathetic. 

"Do you want to try it?" Kaori asked. 

"... What?" Keiko asked. 

"You know, do you want to try it?" She reiterated casually. It took Keiko some time to respond. 

"But, how? With who?" 

"With me," Kaori quickly answered. 

Keiko was so confused. She felt some butterflies in her stomach, shifting in her seat and straightening her posture. 

"Do you... Do you want to...?" Keiko couldn't even finish the question. 

"Yeah, it would be fun," Kaori answered. "Besides, it's just a kiss. Trust me, it isn't that big a deal." 

"It isn't?" Keiko asked. 

"Yeah... Only if you want to though. What do you say?" 

With that question, Keiko was left pondering the matter for a few seconds.  I... I suppose I would like to know what it feels like. 

Just thinking about what it could be like, to feel someone else so close to her, made her heart race. 

"I..." Keiko said. "Um... Okay."