Cow Thief: Chapter 10

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Tokuma’s soles were burned, the skin peeled clean off, making it impossible for him to walk. 

"In weather like this, we’d only be troubling the doctor. I can wait until morning," he said, but Ryoichiro wouldn’t listen. 

Amid the rumbling of thunder, Ryoichiro carried Tokuma silently on his back, walking steadily forward. The umbrella Tokuma held rattled noisily as it deflected the relentless rain. 

Despite the late hour, Ryoichiro unapologetically banged on the wooden gate of the doctor’s house. The doctor assured them that the burns wouldn’t cause infection or lead to the loss of his feet, but with both feet injured, Tokuma’s situation was certainly inconvenient. 

As the elderly doctor applied ointment and wrapped Tokuma’s feet in bandages, he muttered sleepily, "This is quite the predicament." 

By the time they left the doctor’s house, the rain had stopped completely. Near dawn, with no rickshaws in sight, Ryoichiro had no choice but to carry Tokuma all the way back to the rented house. 

"I must be heavy. I’m so sorry," Tokuma apologized. 

Ryoichiro didn’t reply. His silence, coupled with the stiffness in his back, made it clear he was angry. Tokuma felt a deep sense of guilt. 

As Ryoichiro pulled out the key to open the door, a light flickered on in the neighboring room. Holding a lamp, Chie emerged into the garden, dressed in her undergarments. 

"Sensei, you found Tokuma, didn’t you?" 

"Yes." 

"That’s such a relief," Chie said, placing a hand on her chest in relief. 

"You know, Sensei caused such a commotion, going on and on about how Tokuma was missing. It was a huge ordeal! When I heard he hadn’t come home, I thought, well, even a cat sometimes takes a stroll and eventually comes back, right? But Sensei wouldn’t listen. Even I started getting anxious, and by dawn, I was worried we’d find Tokuma’s corpse floating in the river." 

"I’m sorry to have worried you," Tokuma said softly, lowering his head as best as he could from Ryoichiro’s back. Chie’s gaze shifted, stopping at Tokuma’s feet. 

"Tokuma, what happened to your feet?" 

"Oh, it’s nothing serious." 

"This fool almost got burned alive," Ryoichiro shouted in a voice loud enough to startle even Tokuma. Then, without another word, he carried Tokuma inside. 

"Ryoichiro-san, you shouldn’t speak like that. Chie-san came out because she was worried about me…" 

Ryoichiro didn’t respond. He carried Tokuma upstairs and set him gently on the bed. Despite his evident anger, his actions toward Tokuma were careful and kind. 

Ryoichiro, who never so much as fetched his own clothes, rummaged noisily through the wardrobe, throwing a clean kimono toward Tokuma. Tokuma, still wearing his damp clothing, changed into the dry kimono. Ryoichiro stood watching him silently, and as soon as Tokuma finished tying his sash, Ryoichiro exploded. 

"You idiot!" he roared. 

"What the hell was that? A burned woman going mad, vanishing into smoke—what in the world happened? Explain it to me!" 

Startled by the harsh tone, Tokuma’s back stiffened. 

"I’m sorry," he said, bowing deeply. 

"I didn’t ask for an apology! I asked for an explanation!" Ryoichiro barked, his anger rising further. 

Tokuma recounted the events: how Chie’s story led him to discover that Yukie was a camellia yokai, how he tried to exorcise her but was captured and nearly burned alive, and how the lightning strike likely killed the camellia spirit. 

He thought Ryoichiro would understand once he heard the reasons, but as soon as the story ended, Ryoichiro’s anger flared even more. 

"Why did you try to handle this alone?" 

No matter what Tokuma said, it only invited more scolding, and eventually, Tokuma was too afraid to respond. 

"Why didn’t you talk to me before doing anything?" 

"I didn’t want to trouble you with something like this, Ryoichiro-san. You’re devoted to your studies…" 

"Hara is a student under my care! This was my problem from the start. And yet you barged in recklessly, almost getting yourself killed by a yokai!" 

Being called reckless pricked Tokuma’s pride. 

"I wasn’t alone! Kuwaba, my oni, was with me." 

"That useless, ugly cat?" 

"It’s not a cat! It’s an oni that disguised itself as one." 

"Cat or oni, it doesn’t matter. The point is, it was useless when it really counted!" 

Though Ryoichiro had been saved by Kuwaba countless times in the past, now wasn’t the time to bring that up. What followed was a lengthy lecture, as Ryoichiro berated him for acting independently. By the end, Ryoichiro had even dragged up incidents from Tokuma’s childhood, scolding him for every little thing he could remember. 

Tokuma knew he was at fault, that he had caused trouble and worry. He felt regret and remorse. But as the lecture went on and on, Tokuma began to feel drowsy. With the night giving way to dawn, he couldn’t help but let out a small yawn. 

"Are you even listening to me?" 

Startled, Tokuma quickly covered his mouth and straightened his posture. Ryoichiro was looking at him with sorrowful eyes. Tokuma lowered his head and apologized, "I’m terribly sorry." 

Ryoichiro said nothing. Without a word, he sat down beside Tokuma. Resting his elbows on his knees, he cradled his head in his hands. 

"Is my lecturing that tiresome to you?" 

"Oh… no, not at all. I listen with gratitude," Tokuma replied. 

"The reason I scold you again and again is because I don’t want you to repeat the same mistakes. I’m glad you care about me, but if it results in you getting hurt, that’s unacceptable." 

Ryoichiro raised his head. 

"You’re the only family I have left." 

He gently brushed Tokuma’s cheek with his thumb. 

"I’m not going to marry a woman, so I’ll have no children. But as long as you’re here, that’s enough for me. If I lose you too, what am I supposed to do?" 

Unable to bear Ryoichiro’s sorrowful expression, Tokuma cast his eyes down. 

"I’d curse this world and spend my days in tears," Ryoichiro said, lifting Tokuma’s chin to press a kiss to his lips. 

"Don’t leave me alone." 

The aching tone of his voice washed over Tokuma’s heart. He knew better than anyone that Ryoichiro, who had lost his mother as a child, was a pitiable soul—prone to tears, affectionate, and deeply lonely. And now, the man who loved him more than anything in this lifetime had likely been worried sick because of him. 

"I’m so, so sorry," Tokuma said, bowing deeply. Tears welled up on their own, a mix of joy, heartache, and overwhelming love. 

"I’m the one who wants to cry," Ryoichiro murmured softly, brushing the corners of Tokuma’s eyes.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Two days after the camellia incident, Hara visited Tokuma with an expensive castella cake as a gift. Tokuma, propped up in bed, greeted him, while Ryoichiro sat beside him on a chair he had brought into the room. 

After handing Tokuma the castella, Hara stepped back three paces, knelt on the wooden floor, and bowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground. 

"I sincerely apologize for everything that happened!" 

"Hara-san, please, lift your head," Tokuma said. 

"No, please let me apologize. Tokuma-san, you saved my life. Without your help in freeing me from Yukie, who knows what might have happened to me…" 

"You’d have been killed by that camellia yokai woman," Ryoichiro said arrogantly, leaning back in his chair. 

"Ryoichiro-san!" Tokuma admonished, but Hara replied earnestly, "No, Sensei is absolutely right." 

"The person I was until two days ago was completely lost. Night after night… I’m embarrassed to admit it, but all I could think about was my intimacy with Yukie," Hara confessed. 

"Camellia yokai are said to have an especially strong pull when it comes to lust. It’s no wonder," Tokuma said, trying to console Hara, who had shrunk with remorse. 

"Strong pull or not, that yokai’s allure didn’t affect Tokuma or me much," Ryoichiro said nonchalantly. 

Hara opened his mouth as if to say something, then quickly closed it. He was well aware of the nature of Tokuma and Ryoichiro’s relationship. His expression suggested he wanted to say, If you’re not interested in women, their charms wouldn’t work on you, but wisely, he swallowed the thought and instead said, "It must have been my weak heart." 

Hara explained that he had bought the camellia tree from a gardener he trusted around the end of May. Knowing Hara was studying plants, the gardener had eagerly pitched the tree as a rare find. Though Hara initially laughed off the claim of a camellia that blooms year-round, the gardener’s enthusiasm persuaded him to make the purchase. 

The tree the gardener brought was magnificent, though it bore no flowers at the time. Thinking the gardener had exaggerated, Hara planted it in the center of his garden, as he liked camellias regardless. The very next day, Yukie appeared, asking to work as a live-in maid. 

The camellia began blooming the day after Hara and Yukie consummated their relationship. One morning, Hara, having slept in until nearly noon, stepped into the garden to find five blossoms on the tree, which had shown no sign of budding before. Some camellias bloom late in the season, so Hara assumed this was one of those varieties. But the tree continued to bloom daily, showing no signs of stopping even into July. 

Hara grew excited, thinking he might have discovered a new species. However, greed began to cloud his judgment. If he informed his professor, the tree would undoubtedly be taken to the university for study, and the findings would belong to the professor, not him. Hara decided to study the camellia on his own. Fortunately, the tree, though large, was obscured from view by the cherry and magnolia trees planted along the fence, preventing passersby from noticing it. 

Hara started keeping people away from his home, worried the camellia might attract attention. But more than the tree, he didn’t want anyone to meet Yukie. She was beautiful, seductive, and kind. Hara, inexperienced with women, was deeply insecure and terrified that someone might steal Yukie away from him. 

At first, he couldn’t believe that such a stunning woman would care for someone like him—neither handsome nor strong, just an ordinary student. Over time, his lack of confidence turned into a possessive fear of losing her. 

Hara’s growing unease was fueled by Yukie’s insatiable lust. The promiscuous Yukie constantly demanded intimacy whenever she was home. At first, Hara eagerly complied, but over time, he found their encounters increasingly taxing. He loved Yukie, but he lacked the stamina and strength to keep up. 

When Hara could no longer meet her demands, Yukie began to show dissatisfaction. Hara, pained by his inability to satisfy the woman he loved, resorted to giving her other things—rare combs and hairpins, expensive kimonos, and sashes. Yukie seemed pleased enough with the gifts, but nothing brought her as much joy as intimacy. 

Even as their physical encounters dwindled, Hara’s affection for Yukie remained unchanged. But Yukie was different—she began leaving the house more frequently. Troubled, Hara once followed her and saw her entering a soba shop with a strange man. Enraged, Hara stormed into the shop and dragged Yukie home, catching her on the verge of intimacy with the man on the second floor. 

When Hara confronted her about her infidelity, Yukie wept, admitting honestly that her body felt lonely. Even when Hara promised to do his best to fulfill her needs, he knew his physical limits. Slowly, Hara became unable to take his eyes off Yukie, and his interest in his studies waned. It was around this time that he began considering making Yukie his wife in every sense. He hoped that marriage might settle her insatiable nature, even though she seemed incapable of living without a man. 

"The camellia tree that was struck by lightning… I uprooted it entirely and had it burned at the temple," Hara said, sighing deeply. 

"It’s strange. I loved Yukie so much, but when I try to recall her now, the memory feels distant, hazy, and unclear. Perhaps something really was wrong with me back then." 

"Indeed," Ryoichiro said curtly, arms crossed as he sat in his chair. 

"I warned you about that woman, but you wouldn’t listen. If you’d heeded my words, Tokuma wouldn’t have been injured." 

"I’m sorry," Hara said, lowering his head yet again, looking pitiful. 

"Ryoichiro-san, there’s no need to dwell on my situation anymore," Tokuma interjected. 

Ryoichiro frowned deeply, furrowing his brow, and stood from his chair. Placing a hand on Tokuma’s forehead, he asked, "Do you have a fever? Your face is red." 

"It’s nothing serious. The doctor said I might have a slight fever for a few days." 

"Unacceptable," Ryoichiro scolded, pushing Tokuma back into the bed. When they were children, Ryoichiro had often been bedridden, and Tokuma would work tirelessly to keep him from sneaking out of bed. Now, their roles were reversed. 

Satisfied once Tokuma lay down quietly, Ryoichiro perched on the edge of the bed and lightly patted the blanket near Tokuma’s chest, as if soothing a child. 

"By the way, Hara," Ryoichiro said, turning his attention to him, "what will you do about a maid? You’ll need someone to replace that yokai." 

Hara shook his head firmly at Ryoichiro’s somewhat teasing tone. 

"I’ve had enough of women. I don’t want to see one for a while." 

"Then who will cook and clean for you?" 

"I’ll eat out, and I’ll figure out the laundry somehow. I can’t handle women anymore—not even a feeble old granny. It feels like they’d still come on to me." 

"Hara-san, Yukie was only a yokai by coincidence," Tokuma offered gently. 

"Well," Ryoichiro added with a smirk, "you were just unlucky. Finding a yokai is harder than winning the lottery." 

Hara’s voice was tinged with despair, but Ryoichiro showed no restraint in teasing him. Tokuma lightly tapped Ryoichiro’s knee, as if chastising him. 

"If I weren’t in this state, I could have come to help with the chores," Tokuma said. 

"Absolutely not!" Hara exclaimed, pulling back. 

"I can’t trouble Tokuma-san any further." 

"Indeed," Ryoichiro chimed in, puffing out his chest. "Besides, Tokuma, you have me to take care of, don’t you?" 

Tokuma was slightly taken aback by Ryoichiro’s bold statement, though his expression was nothing but earnest. 

"Still, without a maid, Hara-san might find things difficult," Tokuma remarked. 

"Oh, don’t worry about me. Please focus on your recovery, Tokuma-san," Hara replied. 

A sudden image of Chie popped into Tokuma’s mind. 

"At the very least, I could ask an acquaintance to help with the laundry," he suggested. 

"Is this acquaintance a woman?" Hara asked nervously. 

"Yes, but she’s no yokai. She’s a very kind person," Tokuma reassured him. 

Hara didn’t seem entirely convinced, but knowing he couldn’t manage the household tasks alone, he reluctantly muttered, "Then… can I meet her first before deciding?" 

Realizing he had overstayed, Hara rose to leave, saying, "I shouldn’t impose any longer, in case it affects your health." As he stood, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! That’s right! I have something to return to you, Tokuma-san. I brought it all the way here, but when I released it in the garden, it wandered off somewhere." 

"Something to return to me?" Tokuma asked curiously. 

As if on cue, a familiar voice called out from the doorway of the bedroom, "meow." It was Kuwaba, in the form of a silver-striped cat, with bandages wrapped around the stumps of his legs. Tokuma had already heard from Ryoichiro how Kuwaba’s severed legs had been found in the garden and reattached, seemingly ready to heal. 

"Sensei told me to keep Tokuma-san’s cat at my place until his condition improved, but this cat kept insisting on returning home," Hara explained. 

"Well, Hara’s not much of a conversationalist," the cat’s face twisted and morphed into that of an oni. 

"My legs are back in place, and I’m feeling good, but I’m starving and don’t have much energy. Besides, it’s always livelier near young master here, with all the yokai and spirits gathering around him." 

"Don’t spout nonsense!" Ryoichiro shouted, pointing angrily at Kuwaba. 

"You useless shape-shifting cat! Even as an oni, you’re completely unreliable when it really matters!" 

"My apologies for being useless," Kuwaba retorted, pouting sullenly. 

"Fine, then. Don’t bother coming back. Go let Hara dote on you all he wants," Ryoichiro said coldly. 

"Sensei, if I may, I’d much prefer a normal cat if I were to keep one," Hara said, almost tearfully. 

"I’ve eaten quite a few of the spirits that clung to you, and this is the thanks I get?" Kuwaba growled, wagging his silver-striped tail back and forth before smacking it against Ryoichiro’s ankles. 

"Ow! That hurts, you little—!" Ryoichiro exclaimed. 

Kuwaba shifted his face back into that of a cat, gave a haughty flick of his chin, and trotted down the stairs with light tap-tap sounds. Ryoichiro looked as though he wanted to chase after him, but Tokuma tugged at his shirt, stopping him in his tracks. 

"Kuwaba is telling the truth. He’s dealt with plenty of yokai and spirits for us," Tokuma explained gently. 

"I don’t care!" Ryoichiro snapped. 

Sensing Ryoichiro’s sour mood, Hara quickly excused himself, saying, "Well then, I’ll be off now." As he hurried out of the room, Ryoichiro shouted after him, "Take that cat with you!" 

From down the hall, Hara’s faint voice responded, "Please spare me that!" 

Watching Ryoichiro stand with his arms crossed, exuding irritation from every inch of his body, Tokuma sighed softly, wondering how he might soothe the young master’s foul mood.  

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