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Chapter Nineteen: Symphorophilia:

March 1st, 2010.

6:45 p.m.

Tsuzuki had a little shopping to do. Solo shopping for the wedding, that is. He had Anna’s bridal kimono and accessories. He got his clothes. He also bought the rings. Now, what’s next? Every wedding needed a cake. Tsuzuki already had the place in mind.

He purchased Anna’s birthday cake from Fairy Kiss Bakery. The Shinigami already knew the girls there. They got along rather will in those short moments together. But first…

/Must… go… inside…/, he thought. But, the cakes in the window looked so good.

“Eat me!” the cakes seemed to cry out to him. “Eat me! Eat me!” Drool touched the glass just like last time. But, he needed to go inside. The cakes and sticky buns held him hostage where he stood.

I’ve got to go inside/, the Shinigami thought. /I’ve got to. I’ve got to!

Inside, the two ladies watched Tsuzuki drool over the cakes. The younger of the two nudged her sister on the arm.

“Same guy with his fiancée?” she whispered. The sister nodded.

“Yep,” she said.

“Shall I go get him?” the younger asked.

“Go ahead,” the older said. Her sister walked outside to the sweet-loving man.

Tsuzuki battled a losing war with his sweet tooth when he felt a tap on his arm. The Shinigami leapt up with a yelp. The teenaged-girl smiled at him.

“Hi,” she said. “Again.” Tsuzuki blinked at her.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said. The girl looked at him curiously for a moment. Tsuzuki mimicked the look on her face.

“What?” he asked. The girl blinked at him.

“You’re alone?” she asked.

“Huh?” the Shinigami asked. It took him a moment to figure out what she was referring to.

“Oh, why yes,” he said. “She doesn’t know I’m here, in fact.” His young friend looked intrigued.

“Oh, are you here for the…” she began to ask. Tsuzuki nodded.

“Yes, I came for the cake for our wedding tomorrow,” he said. “Are you still open?” The younger girl perked up at the word “wedding.”

“Come with me,” she said. Tsuzuki gleefully followed her into the store.

October 7th, 1966.

Hotaru had gotten rather used to having her new butch friend around. For once since she ended up in Hell, someone treated her like a person. Emiko did a good job protecting her from the perverts in the second circle of Hell. Hotaru felt at ease around her.

One day, she turned to her guard friend.

“I don’t get it,” she said. Emiko looked over at her.

“Don’t get what?” she asked. Hotaru took a sip of the fresh sake her friend brought her from the surface.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked. The other woman gave her a little smile.

“Because you’re letting me,” she said.

“But why?” Hotaru asked. Emiko swirled her beer bottle in her hand.

“Truth is,” she began as she looked out on the barren wasteland. “You remind me of someone I know.” Hotaru leaned in with big eyes.

“Who?” she whispered. Emiko smiled to herself.

“A forbidden love,” she murmured. Hotaru really had to know now.

“What are they like?” she asked, leaning in. The butch demon chuckled to herself.

“Innocent,” she said. Hotaru blinked at her.

“Innocent?” she questioned. Emiko nodded once.

“Pure as the fluffy clouds in the sky,” she said. “Her smiles ate up my loneliness. Her voice made me feel free again.” The butch demon kind of frowned to herself. “But, I couldn’t touch her.”

“Why not?” Hotaru asked. Emiko lowered her beer bottle and turned to the former sales clerk. Hotaru had never seen her look so miserable with her eyes before. Emiko looked ready to cry.

“I’d taint her!” the butch demon said in a choked-up voice. “We are poison as demons. Everything we touch turns to rot. I can’t let her turn into waste because of me!” She buried her head in her hands and groaned. Feeling her pity, Hotaru rubbed on her back. Though she was straight at the time, the former store clerk felt that she had to sty by her friend a little bit longer.

April 11th, 2010.

Hotaru sighed as she watched Akira-kun sleep in his crib in her room. Being a mother is good and all, but…

Hotaru rolled over onto her back. I’m so lonely/, she thought with a sigh. /What will I do? /I’ve been in a relationship so long that I don’t/ how/ to date again! What will I do?!?/

There came a knock on her door. The loli demon glanced over at the sound.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Hoto-chan?” Mike asked. “You okay in there? You’ve been kind down lately. Can come in?” Hotaru rolled in her eyes to the ceiling.

“Whatever, sure,” she said.

“Excuse me,” the American man said. Hotaru watched as he slid open her door. She gave him a little wave.

“Yo,” she mumbled. Mike shook his head at her.

“Oh goodness,” he said. “This won’t work.” He pulled up a chair next to the bed. “Talk to me here. What’s the matter?”

Hoto-chan frowned at him. “I miss Emiko-sama!” she wailed.

“Yes, I know,’ he said. The loli demon over onto her stomach.

“I’m so lonely,” she said. Mike gave her a puzzled look.

“Well, don’t you have a vibrator of something?” he asked. Hoto-chan frowned and hit him on the arm.

“Ow,” he whispered.

“Not like that!” Hotaru snapped. “I miss someone to cuddle with. Someone to talk to. All that relationship stuff, you know?” Mike nodded.

“So, which gender?” he asked. The loli demon blinked at him.

“What?” she asked.

“Do you want a man or a woman?” he asked. Hoto-chan’s face went blank.

“Oh…” she mumbled. There came a long pause after that. Hotaru buried her face back into the pillow. Mike nearly leapt of out of his seat.

“What is it now?" he asked.

“I don’t know!” she wailed.

“Huh?” her housemate asked. Hotaru lifted her head.

“I was with men before I died!” she wailed. “Emiko-sama’s the only woman I’ve ever been with! And now…”

“You don’t know what you want?” he finished.

“No…” the loli demon whimpered. She buried her head back into her pillow. Mike lightly patted her on the head.

“There, there,” he muttered. Then, an idea formed in his head.

“Hey,” he said. “Why don’t I find you somebody special?” Hotaru paused and looked up at him.

“What?” she asked in disbelief. Mike threw up his hands and nodded.

“Why not?” he asked. “You’re pretty lonely and need someone to love again.” Her eyes didn’t trust him by nature.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t hook you up with a pervert. They will be good and single!” Hotaru narrowed her eyes at him.

“Promise?” she asked.

“Yes!” Mike insisted. She only narrowed her eyes at him.

“You better!” she said. The American demon nodded.

“Oh, I will!” he said. Too bad that’s all he had planned out. Time to call in the back-up on this one. /Oh boy/, the man thought as he forced himself to keep grinning.