Day 29 Yokai
You had a normal and happy life honestly. Going to school, exploring the nearby forest, making friends, and gaining a job at the nearby tavern once you were nineteen. Waiting tables, bringing orders, and helping to clean up at the end of the day. There was even a local man your age that took interest in you. Your parents encouraged you to accept his offers to court you, but you haven't decided if you liked him that way.
However things were about to change.
The winds churned and a faint storm rolled along the sky on your twentieth birthday. Exactly twenty years after the dreadful move long ago.
The pub you worked at was alight with excitement. A group of hunters were in the middle of the large space. Laughing over the successful hunt they managed to bring in, celebrating by drinking ale and feasting. A few other patrons also were around the area minding their own business and eating away in the cozy warmth the tavern provided in the middle of the windy storm outside. You gathered up the plates from the hunters' table from their third round of food and just did your job of bringing it up to the bar to be taken away by another worker. Nothing out of the ordinary for you tonight-
That was when the door opened up with such a loud sound that it startled everyone who was in the pub to stop talking and look over. Wind from outside swept throughout the building and made you blink from the sudden rush of air hitting your face. Candlelights flickered but thankfully didn't go out.
Silence continued on around the gushed pubs and many of those faces turned from curious to horrified.
A clattering tray fell to the floor from a fellow waitress's hands as she stared. Many eyes continued to stare at the thing that came in from the storm. The door slowly creaked closed again behind him allowing the wind to be closed off once more. No one moved. No one spoke. No one dare looked away.
...STEP. STEP. STEP. STEP.
His feet turned as he began walking around the massive group of men seated in front of him and towards the other side of the room.
STEP. STEP. STEP. STEP.
Each step he took seemed to heavily echo through the bar entirely as the tallest figure they've ever seen slowly walked with heads turning to follow his movements. Walking, walking, and walking. You froze in your tracks as the tall form just slowly walked past you without a word or even looking your way or really at anyone for that matter. Going all the way to the farthest table in the far corner, silently pulling out the chair allowing the legs scraping against the floor to sound out, before he wordlessly sat down in it. Staring straight ahead at nothing. The silence was deafening with only the fire crackling in the fireplace, and the wind outside to make sound.
"Get me bowl of tonkotsu and sake!," he grunted out. Hand reaching up to rub his temples.
His voice made you jump. It wasn't because he said it in a rude or threatening way, but because he still didn't look at anyone. Just kept staring into the void at nothing. It was incredibly eerie. In question you finally broke away from staring at him to look at your staring boss. The chef looked as stunned as the rest of everyone else in the tavern but eventually he turned to slowly walk back into the kitchen area. Maybe he had the right idea. Give the man the food and hope he leaves once he was done.
You only turned back to watch along with everyone else as the faint sounds of food being made in the back carried on. What was the creepiest part of it was that whoever this man was, never stopped staring ahead. Didn't even move once the entire almost half hour you all were anxiously waiting for the food to be made. Like he turned to stone. Felt like eternity before the chef slowly came from the back, startling you with his footsteps. He went back to staring at the man as you slowly and shakily picked up the tray scooted towards you. It felt very heavy in your hands as you held it and slowly took step after step towards the table at the farthest corner of the building. Your very steps seemed to echo through the building itself as you approached closer and closer and closer. His eyes never looked up at you as you approached. Never moved an inch as you got close enough to place it down on the table. That's what you were gonna do. Just place it on the table and scoot it closer to him.
Until his hands reached out.
You completely froze as a hand reached out to grab the bowl of hot tonkotsu off the tray. A second hand grabbed the bottle of same next.
You stood still and frozen as the man finally moved. The entire time he still didn't look at you until the hot tonkotsu bowl and chopsticks were raised to his face, and finally his face reacted. Turning up to you with red eyes and a thin line on his lips.
"What?!"
You were too frozen in shock and slightly fear to respond..However you couldn't bring yourself to stare at him for long, too focused on the fangs between those lips and the two horns protruding from the tops of his head and the pointed ears.
Yokai.
This man..was a YOKAI.
A spirit no one would dare mess with in fear of enduring it's wrath. Why on earth was there a yokai in the middle of your town and in the tavern ordering food? You had no idea. Perhaps it was just passing through and got hungry. You just hoped that he wouldn't stay. Shaking you only bowed before slowly backing away a few steps as he continued to stare at you. Before he turned back to start quietly eating the food.
The entire time the entire plate remained silent and watchful as he ate. What felt like an eternity must've really been only maybe half an hour before his bowl and plate were emptied and the bottle drank. Not wanting to offend him you tried to remain calm and polite as you approached him again and shakily began to pick up the dishes and place them back on the tray. His now neutral face stared at your work before you bowed to him again and turned to return the tray to the bar-
"Girl," his voice had you freezing up on the spot, "Get me more sake and meat. I don't care what dish it is ...Bring me some of that daifuku too."
You paused mid step taking the tray back to the counter before whirling around wide eyed at the man who was still looking right at you with that stare before you exchanged shocked glances with the chef. How did the Yokai know that there was daifuku in the kitchen when your boss hadn't written it upon me sign behind the bar with the other food items for the day?! After a moment your boss motioned for you to silently come over. You did and the same pattern repeated after he took away the tray. Only this time he wasn't looking into the void. Instead he just stared at you softer. Perhaps having a full stomach eased his irritation.
It wasn't creepy or had you feeling anything bad though. It felt more like a customer waiting for service to be provided to him which technically it was since he ordered food, which arrived quickly and you took to him but it was so strange to be serving a yokai sprit. The same thing played out. Everyone watched in silence as he ate what you served him silently as you waited to collect the dishes. You once again did again and this time when you turned-
What's your name, Girl?"
Once more you paused wide eyed and turned to look at the spirit staring at you... Everyone's shock reignited anew as silent looks were given to one another in question. What should you do?! He wanted what?! Your name?! Why did he want your name?! You didn't know what to do! Looking around it looked like no one else did either. Feeling your throat tighten you swallowed thickly before shakily replying.
"Y-Y/n. ..What's your name?"
The words left your mouth before you could stop yourself. It surprised both yourself and the man who blinked before raising a curious brow at you.
"Sekido," he grunted out.
"That's..a very nice name."
".....Yours suits your gentle face."
"Oh. T-Thank you."
You just turned back to get the remaining dishes to the bar as the man slowly took his time getting up, pushing in his chair, and reaching into his pockets for some yen to leave on the table and pay for his food. By the time you were done with the dishes and turned around, you found the man smiling down at you. Gosh..He was..tall.
"I'm walking you home," he bluntly stated without room to argue.
You were put on the spot right in front of everyone else staring at you with the man still smiling at you. He wanted to walk you home?! Why? Did he plan on robbing you?! He was a yokai spirit so was he looking to haunt you?! Your parents?! You didn't know what to say. You wanted to say no..But would he be offended if you did? Would he become angry? What would happen if you made him angry? You didn't know what he'd do. He's..been pretty tame so far but no one did anything to make him angry.
Deciding to bite the bullet, you gulped again before nodding. "A-Alright."
You felt like you were walking to your death sentence as everyone watched you silently make your way outside in the windy air with the spirit right behind you. The squeaky door closing behind you like a coffin lid behind closed.
You stiffly walked your way down the street home with the wind blowing your hair back. You didn't look at him but you knew he was there. You felt his presence looming next to you as you both walked. You could run. Maybe if you were fast enough you could lose him and get home before he knew which house was yours. However you dreaded what might happen if you offended the spirit so you kept your mouth shut and walked. Maybe he was only doing this to return what polite service you gave him? You hoped so and hoped to not see him again after this.
Five minutes of silent walking later and you felt relief full you as you came upon your front door. Hoping to end this as fast as possible, you turned to politely bow to him. "T-Thank you for walking me home."
"Your service better be provided to me again when I return."
...You blinked. Looking up at him. "What?"
He grunted. "I said that you better be the one that serves me again when I come back through here. You're pleasing to the eyes."