Cow Thief: Chapter 6

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It was at the end of a rainy June, with the lingering drizzle of the season's long rains, that Ryoichiro Satake and Tokuma Tanaka moved from their previous longhouse into a brick longhouse closer to the university. Even for the rainy season, this year had seen particularly few sunny days. From the neighboring house, the thudding footsteps of children, restless from being unable to play outside, frequently echoed through the thin walls, accompanied by the scolding voice of their young mother. …The dividing walls of the back-alley rowhouses were paper-thin.

Yesterday, as soon as Ryoichiro returned from university, he declared, "We’re moving the day after tomorrow." Tokuma, surprised, almost knocked over the bowl of rice he had been serving. About ten months ago, they had moved from a house with a maid to the longhouse after Ryoichiro had needed money to pay off his family’s debts. Although the backroom store had two rooms and a closet, Ryoichiro had been complaining about it ever since they moved in, saying it was "noisy" and "cramped."

It was understandable that Ryoichiro, the only son of a sake brewing family in the countryside, who had grown up in a large mansion without ever wanting for anything, would find life in a longhouse uncomfortable. However, given that they had no money, it couldn’t be helped. Moreover, he got along well with the other residents of the longhouse and their children, so it wasn’t that he hated the life there as much as he let on. His constant complaints were nothing new, and Tokuma had learned to just nod along with "Yes, yes."

"We’re moving?"

"Yes, aren’t you happy?"

Ryoichiro asked Tokuma, but it was clear from his tone that he himself was the one feeling delighted.

"I’ve been saying that the current house is small and far from the university, making it inconvenient. Professor Minekura heard me, and he spoke to an acquaintance of his. I went to check it out on the way home, and though it’s still a longhouse, it’s much larger than this one."

Despite Ryoichiro’s cheerful tone, Tokuma began to feel uneasy.

"It’s fine to move, but what about the rent? We don’t have much extra money."

"Well," Ryoichiro said, slapping his palm into a fist, "Thanks to the professor’s help, the landlord agreed to let us move in for the same rent as this place."

Since Tokuma’s main concern was money, and if they could move to a larger house at the same rent Ryoichiro wanted, he had no reason to object. "I understand," he replied.

Ryoichiro worked as an assistant in the Department of Botany at the Imperial University. His monthly salary was enough for the two of them to live on, but with the need to repay his family’s debts from their bankruptcy, there wasn’t much room to spare.

Ryoichiro was aware that he was bad at managing money, and whenever he had it, he would spend it all. He seemed to be aware of this flaw, as he gave all his salary to Tokuma. From that money, Tokuma would subtract the amounts for the repayments, rice, and rent, leaving little left for themselves. Tokuma, as long as he was by Ryoichiro’s side, was content and had no complaints as long as they could eat. However, Ryoichiro could not be satisfied with just that. As a botanist, he needed to go on field trips to collect specimens, and he couldn’t let Tokuma sleep outdoors. He also wanted expensive books.

Since they no longer had a maid, Tokuma took on all the household chores—cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Though he was busy every day, there were moments when he had free time. During those times, he would do small side jobs that the neighbors’ wives had introduced him to, adding to their living expenses. Ryoichiro never said it was wrong for Tokuma to do piecework, but he would get upset if Tokuma did it in front of him, so Tokuma would avoid it while Ryoichiro was around. He was considerate of his temperamental master.

On the day of the move, it was unusually sunny, perhaps because of a break in the rain or perhaps because of their good deeds. Ryoichiro and Tokuma loaded their belongings, including bedding, a washboard, and pots, onto a large cart and transported them to their new rental house, which was close to the university.

On the muddy road, still damp from yesterday’s rain, Ryoichiro groaned as he pulled the cart, while Tokuma pushed from behind. Although the load wasn’t heavy, the poor road conditions made the cart unexpectedly difficult to move.

After about half an hour of walking while sweating, the road began to widen. The pedestrian path and the carriageway separated, and the number of shops increased on either side. There were brick buildings that looked almost like Western-style mansions scattered here and there. They had come quite a way into the town. Horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws noisily overtook the large cart, splashing them with muddy water each time, which was unpleasant. Even without that, Ryoichiro and Tokuma’s legs from the knees down were already completely covered in mud.

In the morning, when he had looked up at the clear sky, Ryoichiro had genuinely felt relieved, but now he wished there were a few clouds. Simply looking down made sweat pour down his face like a waterfall, dripping relentlessly. People were selfish creatures, Tokuma thought with a wry smile. Once one wish is granted, another is soon to follow.

"Ah, isn’t that Satake-sensei?"

From the pedestrian path, a voice called out to them—it was one of Ryoichiro’s students, Hara. The assistant that had been mentoring him had eloped, abandoning both his family and his work despite being married with children. As a result, Ryoichiro had taken over his duties.

Hara approached with the sound of his geta sandals clacking, lifting the brim of his hat as he came closer.

"Even Tokuma-san? Moving into a new house?"

Until Ryoichiro became burdened with his family’s debts, there had been a maid in their household, so Tokuma had not had any specific duties. However, at Ryoichiro’s request, he often went to the university to help with plant collecting or the tidying of specimens, so he had become acquainted with Hara.

Under the sunlight, Hara’s face appeared oddly dull. At first, Ryoichiro thought he was simply sunburned, but his cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were hollow, as though he had lost weight since they last met.

"Ah. I found a good room near the university," Ryoichiro said, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. On his days off, Ryoichiro also wore Western clothes, never a kimono.

"That’s great. You’ve always said that the house was too far from the university and inconvenient," Hara said.

While speaking, Hara held a cloth bundle to his chest, looking a bit embarrassed as he lowered his eyes.

"I’d like to help, but I have some urgent business to attend to…"

"Oh, it’s not necessary. There’s just this small amount of luggage. When we moved last time, since the house was so small, I had to take the specimens and books to the university," Ryoichiro replied.

Feeling awkward about not being able to help, Hara gave a small bow and quickly walked away, almost running.

"Is something wrong with Hara-san?" Tokuma asked, looking concerned.

Ryoichiro placed his thumb on his chin and muttered, "Hmm."

"Do you think so too? Apparently, he’s lost quite a bit of weight. But he doesn’t seem to care. I told him to see a doctor once, but he wouldn’t listen."

"He looked pale… It’s worrying."

Ryoichiro pointed to his own chest with his thumb.

"There’s no medicine for that kind of illness," he said softly.

"Does he have a heart condition?" Tokuma asked.

"Idiot," Ryoichiro muttered. "Hara’s got a woman he’s infatuated with. That’s just the result of a love-sick heart."

Ryoichiro let out a thin sigh.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

After passing through the main street, turning the corner, and entering a back alley, Ryoichiro stopped his feet.

"I see it, over there."

In the direction he pointed, there stood a stylish brick longhouse. It was exactly the kind of place that Ryoichiro, who preferred Western-style clothing, would like. The house, built with stacked bricks, appeared far sturdier than wooden homes. There were about five households in the building, but it didn’t feel cramped; each home had a generous amount of space. The interior must be spacious as well. There was no noise typical of a longhouse, and it stood there quietly, elegantly. From just looking at the building, one could almost believe they had stumbled into a foreign land, but the women coming and going through the door were dressed in kimono, their hair tied up in the traditional manner.

"Is it a two-story house?" Tokuma asked.

"Yes. The ground floor has a kitchen and one room, and there are two more rooms upstairs. Our house is the second one from the right," Ryoichiro replied.

Tokuma found it hard to believe that the rent for this longhouse was the same as the previous one.

"I heard that a foreign couple used to live here. They say we can use the furniture they left behind," Ryoichiro said, his face beaming with pride. "Let's get the things inside quickly and then take a little rest."

He pushed the cart eagerly. But just as they reached the front of the house, Tokuma felt a strange chill run down his spine, as though cold hands had stroked his neck. He couldn’t help but look at the window of the house, his heart suddenly racing. He was taken aback when he saw—through the glass window on the ground floor—an unfamiliar foreign woman with brown hair staring at them intently.

That was no human figure. Thinking it was a trick of the light, Tokuma glanced up at the second floor, only to find a similar strange figure there as well. There were mononoke in the neighboring house too, but none were as densely packed as in their own room. Upon closer inspection, even though the five homes were the same in structure, their own room had a distinct, unsettling atmosphere. It was dark, shrouded in an eerie fog.

Mononoke and other yokai were common in the world, even if they weren’t always visible. There were plenty in the longhouse, but they were harmless. Occasionally, they would show themselves and surprise people, but usually they would simply lick dust or overturn a pot lid. But the mononoke in that room was different. It radiated a strong sense of resentment.

"Yes, it's small, but it has a garden," Ryoichiro continued. "It was originally built for foreign craftsmen. It’s a rare luxury to have a garden in a longhouse."

Ryoichiro had said that Professor Minekura had used his connections to find the place for them, but Tokuma wondered if the landlord had a reason for renting it out so cheaply. Just a brief glance had revealed so many mononoke and strange entities. The previous tenants must have had a restless time, unable to sleep well at night. They could have fallen ill or, worse, become possessed. To end up in such a haunted house… Tokuma lowered his gaze and sighed softly.

Unlike Tokuma, Ryoichiro was oblivious to the presence of yokai and mononoke. It was normal, perhaps, for people not to sense such things, but Ryoichiro was particularly oblivious to such things. Moreover, he had a tendency to attract those otherworldly beings more than most.

As a child, Ryoichiro had even been possessed, coming dangerously close to losing his life. Looking back, that incident had likely been the end of Ryoichiro’s natural lifespan. Yet, he had been saved—at the cost of his mother’s life, who, like Tokuma, could "see" the supernatural.

Tokuma didn’t just see them; he had an oni living within him. The green oni used his right palm to come and go, moving as it pleased. Though it came from within him, the oni’s personality was quite different from his own; it was lazy and often complained, saying things like, “How troublesome…”

Tokuma had named the oni "Kuwaba" (Mulberry Leaf). At first, Kuwaba had been smaller than a mouse, but it had grown little by little and was now the size of a cat. Kuwaba’s food was the weaker mononoke and yokai that roamed about. Tokuma would often hear the oni crunching them up in the depths of his body. Even the mononoke that clung to Ryoichiro had been devoured by Kuwaba. However, if a strong mononoke appeared, Kuwaba would quickly retreat into Tokuma’s hand, as it feared being devoured itself.

Stopping the cart in front of the room, Ryoichiro took the key out of his pocket and, gripping Tokuma’s wrist, said, “Let me show you inside.” The foreign woman standing by the window extended her arms, which grew impossibly long, like a rokurokubi, and reached through the glass, pulling Ryoichiro’s arm from the other side. Tokuma, though unaware, felt an urge to enter the house quickly, as though being controlled by her.

“I’m a little tired from walking all this way. How about resting in the shade first?” Tokuma grabbed Ryoichiro’s shirt sleeve, his head lowered in a plea. Ryoichiro gently patted Tokuma’s head.

“You’ve been walking nonstop, haven’t you?”

Still with Ryoichiro’s arm around his shoulder, Tokuma was led to the shade, where they sat down. “Are you all right? Are you tired?” Ryoichiro asked, caring for him. Though quick-tempered and a bit naïve about worldly matters, Ryoichiro was kind. Since they had started sharing a bed, he had become more selfish, yet gentler.

“Rest your head on my lap.”

Though he wasn’t truly that tired, and it was merely an excuse to avoid entering the house, Tokuma could no longer call it a lie. With no one else around, he let Ryoichiro guide his head to his lap. There was something incredibly soothing about resting on the lap of the man he loved.

“May I see the key to the house?” Tokuma asked, looking up at him.

"Here," Ryoichirou said playfully, placing the cold, iron key against Tokuma’s cheek.

“There’s only one, but I’ll have one made for you soon,” Ryoichiro said.

“That’s not necessary,” Tokuma replied.

“You’ll need one too. It’d be inconvenient otherwise.”

As Tokuma stared at the key, Ryoichiro’s fingers gently caressed his cheek and forehead. Tokuma closed his eyes in a daze, only to suddenly feel a sharp, killing intent that sent a shiver through his body. He opened his eyes and saw the foreign woman by the window, her expression twisted with malice, watching them intently.

“Ryoichiro, I’m a little thirsty,” Tokuma said, looking up at him.

Ryoichiro’s face softened with a pleased smile. “Water, huh? I’ll go find some.”

He stood up and walked off, searching for a well. Once Ryoichiro had gone out of sight, Tokuma softly spoke to his palm.

“...Please come out the size of a mouse.”

Before long, an oni, the size of a mouse, appeared on his palm. Tokuma hid it within the sleeve of his kimono as he spoke.

“There’s a foreign ghost in the second house from the right. Can you eat it?”

Kuwaba, the oni, looked human at first glance, but it had two golden horns on its head and green skin. Its mouth stretched nearly to its ears, with fangs jutting out. Its deep blue eyes were large and bulging.

“I think I could eat it, but I’m not particularly hungry,” Kuwaba said, scratching its head.

“I just ate the spider and the raccoon that had attached themselves to the young master,” it added.

“Don’t say that. It’ll be troublesome if it attaches itself to Ryoichiro. ...It’s daytime, so please stay in a form that won’t be noticed.”

With a grumble of complaint, Kuwaba transformed into a silver-striped cat. Tokuma hurried to the house and unlocked the door with the key Ryoichiro had lent him. Through the crack, Kuwaba, meowing in a rather strange manner for a cat, darted inside. Tokuma shut the door and returned to the shade, sitting down again as if nothing had happened. Looking up, he saw that the foreign ghost had vanished from the window. Perhaps it had sensed Kuwaba’s presence and was hiding.

Soon, Ryoichiro returned, holding a teacup in his right hand.

“I went to fetch some water, but I forgot the container. The woman from the house next door lent me this.”

Tokuma accepted it with a “Thank you,” took a sip, and then handed it back to Ryoichiro.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to drink anymore?”

“Ryoichiro, you must be thirsty too.”

At this, Ryoichiro narrowed his eyes and smiled gently.

“I drank three cups by the well. Come on, don’t hold back, drink it all.”

Pressed to drink, Tokuma took another sip. Ryoichiro sat beside him, staring at him intently, making him feel uneasy, as if his gaze could pierce him. Unable to stand it any longer, Tokuma pleaded, “Please don’t stare at me so much.”

“You’re mine, so I can look at you however I want.”

“But…” Even after being together countless times, there were still parts of him that felt unfamiliar. His hands trembled with nervousness, and he felt like he might spill the water from the cup. He hurriedly drank it all in one gulp. A little dripped from the corner of his mouth, and before he could wipe it with his fingers, Ryoichiro gently brushed his thumb against Tokuma’s lips.

“Sorry…” Before Tokuma could speak, Ryoichiro slid his thumb between his lips. He couldn’t make a sound. The thumb moved slowly between his lips, and though Tokuma knew that if he moved his body even a little, Ryoichiro’s finger would pull away, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

With every movement of Ryoichiro’s thumb, a faint shiver ran down Tokuma’s spine, and his unease grew. “Lick it,” Ryoichiro said, and Tokuma hesitated, then gently licked the tip of his thumb. At that, Ryoichiro pulled his finger away, but then placed the thumb Tokuma had licked into his own mouth.

As soon as Tokuma realized he had been kissed through the touch of Ryoichiro’s finger, his face turned bright red, all the way to his ears, and he looked down. Ryoichiro caressed Tokuma’s flushed cheek.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, though it was clear he knew the reason, asking in a teasing tone. Despite the searing embarrassment burning through his back, Tokuma couldn’t deny the strange pleasure that mixed with it.

When the heat in his face had finally begun to subside, Ryoichiro spoke quietly.

“The woman who lent us the teacup lives in the house next to ours, on the right. She said something odd to me. Apparently, tenants who move into that room end up leaving shortly afterward. There’s a rumor that something not of this world lives there.”

Tokuma swallowed hard, the lump in his throat rising.

“However, when I looked inside, I didn’t see anything strange, nor did I feel anything off about it,” Ryoichiro continued. “Tokuma, I know you can see these things. Is there something bad in that room?”

Looking at the house, Tokuma noticed that the dull haze that had covered it was now gone. Kuwaba must have eaten the foreign ghost. He felt a sense of relief but also hesitated, unsure of how to explain it. After all, Ryoichiro had been so proud of finding such an affordable and spacious room. If he were to tell him honestly about the troublesome ghost, Ryoichiro might be disappointed.

“There are some yokai, but they’re not ones that would cause harm to anyone,” Tokuma said, telling a small lie.

“Yokai?”

Ryoichiro raised his voice and stood up.

“I can’t let you live in a place like that. I’m going to talk to the landlord right now.”

Tokuma hurriedly clung to the angry man. Though he was glad that Ryoichiro cared for him, it was more important that Ryoichiro, not himself, be safe from any yokai or ghosts.

“There were a lot of yokai in the old longhouse we lived in,” Tokuma said.

Ryoichiro widened his eyes in surprise.

“Yokai and ghosts are everywhere. It’s harder to find a house that doesn’t have any. It’s not that this one is particularly full of them.”

Even after Tokuma explained, Ryoichiro still looked unconvinced.

“As I mentioned before, the yokai there were harmless, just like children’s pranks, and they’re rather endearing. Besides, moving again would be troublesome. This place is affordable, with many rooms, and it’s close to the university. You can bring back the books and specimens you’ve left in the classrooms, can’t you?”

Ryoichiro still looked doubtful. He seemed to dislike the idea that something unpleasant had attached itself to the place.

“It must be Western-style inside, right? Please show me around.”

When Tokuma begged, Ryoichiro sighed and, reluctantly, took Tokuma’s hand and began to walk. As soon as he opened the door, Kuwaba sprang out with a “meow,” and Ryoichiro let out a loud shout.

“Wha—why is a cat inside the house? I locked the door!”

“It must have followed the landlord, who came to check on the room, and got trapped inside.”

As Tokuma spoke, a sudden idea struck him.

“Perhaps the strange rumors we’ve heard were caused by the cat. Maybe people mistook the noise of the cat inside the house for the presence of some supernatural being.”

Ryoichiro looked at him, then sighed with a “Hmph.”

“Just a cat? There’s no way people would leave because of that.”

His words, meant to reassure, only made Tokuma fall silent in response.

The rare layout of the longhouse allowed entry with shoes still on, and the interior opened immediately into a hallway. On the right side lay a spacious room, approximately 12 tatami mats in size (around 19.8 m² or 213 ft²). Its walls were made of wood paneling, and despite the summer season, the room felt pleasantly cool inside. Furnished with a table and chairs, an old, faded sofa upholstered in dark crimson fabric, and a simple shelf along the wall, the room had a modest charm.

At the end of the hallway was the kitchen, which was also surprisingly large. A staircase connecting to the second floor stood between the living room and the kitchen.

“This is it. The view from upstairs is quite something,” Ryoichiro said, tugging Tokuma along as they climbed the stairs.

The second floor contained two rooms. One was an empty space, about 6 tatami mats in size (roughly 9.9 m² or 107 ft²), while the other was a larger room of 8 tatami mats (around 13.2 m² or 142 ft²). The larger room had two oversized pieces of furniture resembling sofas placed against opposite walls.

Thanks to Kuwaba, the small oni residing in Tokuma's palm, the room was now free of any ghostly presence. Even the yokai that had been gathered by the window had disappeared as well. Despite saying he wasn’t hungry, Kuwaba had likely eaten a few of them.

Ryoichiro walked between the large sofa-like pieces and opened the central window. “Here, take a look.”

At his urging, Tokuma looked outside. The flat terrain helped him see far into the distance. The street below was bustling with people riding rickshaws, and the rooftops of the shops stretched in rows. Beyond them, the river sparkled in the sunlight… A cool breeze blew, and Tokuma felt his lips curl into a smile.

“This is a beautiful view.”

“When the view is this good, doesn’t it make you feel like you’re someone important?” At Ryoichiro’s playful remark, Tokuma chuckled softly.

“By the way, what are these large sofas for?” Tokuma asked, pointing at the strange furniture.

“Ah, this?” Ryoichiro said, sitting down on one of them. “Apparently, the first foreigner who lived here left them behind. They’re called beddo—Western sleeping platforms.”

Tokuma had heard of beds before but had never seen one in person.

“So this is a bed,” he murmured, examining it with great interest.

“They say foreigners don’t take off their shoes until they sleep, so they keep their beds raised like this. You could just lay out a futon on the wooden platform here and use it as is.”

While he thought unnecessarily about what would happen if someone fell off the bed during the night, Tokuma sat down next to Ryoichiro. The bed creaked slightly under his weight.

Ryoichiro wrapped his arm around Tokuma’s shoulder, and when Tokuma turned to look at him, he was kissed. The warmth of Ryoichiro’s lips, mixed with the scent of sweat, made Tokuma feel lightheaded, as if he had drunk too much alcohol.

“Please stop… At least until it gets dark…”

Tokuma weakly pushed against Ryoichiro’s shoulder with both hands.

“Why can’t we?”

When asked, Tokuma was at a loss for words. Ryoichiro’s childish eyes were looking down at him.

“It’s because it’s still light outside.”

“There’s no rule saying it’s forbidden to do this in the daytime, is there?”

Ryoichiro’s fingers slid down Tokuma’s neck with a teasing touch. It tickled, and Tokuma shrugged his shoulder involuntarily.

“What if someone sees us?”

“It’s the second floor. Who could possibly see us? A bird? Or maybe a tengu?”

Tokuma fell silent. Ryoichiro seemed pleased by his victory, grinning widely. Though Tokuma loved him dearly, at moments like this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated.

“I haven’t even moved in my things yet. If we keep playing around, it’ll be night before I can finish unpacking.”

Tokuma stood up abruptly. Ryoichiro didn’t press him further with any more persistent invitations.

When they stepped outside, a woman was in the garden. She was dressed in a garment with arrows and kasuri patterns, her hair styled in a traditional Japanese knot. She appeared to be around thirty, standing with graceful posture. Her slender body gave her a sharp look, with strong, thin eyebrows, yet from her thick lips emanated a faint, mature feminine charm.

“Is this your cat with the silver stripes?”

At her feet was Kuwaba, in the form of a cat, winding itself around her. Kuwaba adored women. He often said to Tokuma, “Why do you like that young master? He’s such a fool.”

“Ah, thank you for the teacup earlier,” Ryoichiro’s voice came from behind them.

Kuwaba detached itself from the woman and quickly darted behind the longhouse. Kuwaba was not fond of Ryoichiro. Once, when Ryoichiro was late returning home, he had sent Kuwaba to check on him. In retaliation, the drunken Ryoichiro had grabbed Kuwaba by the tail and swung him around, much to Kuwaba’s outrage.

“Was the person who was feeling ill your housemate?”

Ryoichiro answered with a simple, “Yes,” and Tokuma lowered his head, introducing himself, “I am Tokuma Tanaka, the servant.” It seemed that this woman had been the one who told Ryoichiro about the supernatural occurrences in the house.

The woman introduced herself as Chie. She alternated her gaze between Tokuma and Ryoichiro.

“I thought you were a student, since Satake-san said he was a university professor.”

“I don’t have a wife, so Tokuma takes care of me.”

At that moment, the sound of a cat mewing reached their ears, and an ochre-colored cat came trotting up. It seemed to belong to the woman. She scooped it up into her arms as she spoke.

“So, if you’re a university professor, you must be studying something very difficult, right?”

“It’s not that hard. I spend my days just picking grass and such.”

Chie tilted her head, puzzled.

“Ryoichiro-san does research on plants at the university,” Tokuma added, and Chie responded with a surprised “Oh.”

“If you’re a professor of plants, then maybe you’d know something about this… About twenty years ago, I saw a red camellia that bloomed all year round. I wonder if such camellias really exist in this world.”

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