Cow Thief: Chapter 8

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After dinner, the two of them went to the bathhouse. On the way back, they took a slightly longer route to stroll along the river. Stones were piled on both banks of the river, and across from them, a line of riverside warehouses stood, casting long shadows onto the river's surface in the twilight. 

The breeze that skimmed the surface of the water was cool. Aware it was improper, Tokuma unbuttoned his shirt, which served as a substitute for a juban (under-kimono), and loosened his kimono slightly. Seeing this, Ryoichiro teased him, "Are you trying to seduce me?" Tokuma glared at him lightly in response. 

As they walked, Tokuma mentioned his earlier meeting with Hara, and Ryoichiro’s expression turned to one of surprise. When Tokuma went on to recount the story of how Hara had first met his current lover, Ryoichiro’s reaction grew even more incredulous.

“She was standing outside his house, you said?”

“You didn’t know?”

Ryoichiro kicked at a loose stone on the road.

“He never told me anything like that.”

“Well, sometimes it’s harder to talk about things with someone you’re too close to. It happened back in May, I think. Apparently, the maid who had been cooking for him fell ill and suddenly quit. He was desperate to find someone new, and that’s when Yukie-san heard about it and came to visit his home.”

Ryoichiro let out an “Ah,” nodding as if recalling something.

“Now that you mention it, I remember him saying something about the cook being unwell around that time.”

“Yukie-san insisted on living in, right from the start. Being a young woman, it seems Hara-san was initially hesitant, but when she said she had nowhere else to go, he couldn’t turn her away. And then—on the very same day—they became intimate." 

Ryoichiro choked, breaking into a fit of coughing. Alarmed, Tokuma quickly leaned over to rub his back.

“Hara-kun? That uptight, straight-laced Hara-kun?” Ryoichiro said between coughs. “You really can’t judge people by appearances.”

“Perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to talk about hiring a new maid because he felt awkward, having gotten involved with her so quickly. Hara-san admitted that he’d acted rashly, but he said he couldn’t resist her charm. When you’ve shared that kind of intimacy, feelings tend to follow, and if the person happens to be both beautiful and kind, well, it’s hard not to fall for them. It seems they’re now living together as if they were husband and wife.”

Tokuma paused for a moment, letting his words settle in the quiet of the evening. 

"From what I’ve heard, this woman, Yukie-san, doesn’t seem like a bad person at all. She seems concerned for Hara’s health. Even though he’s lost weight, he still manages to eat well. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to wait and see for a while." 

Ryoichiro didn’t respond, his lips pressed into a tight line. 

"Ryoichiro-san?" 

"Have you met Hara’s woman?" 

"No. I’ve only heard about her from Hara." 

"That woman is a heartless schemer who uses men for her own gain." 

Tokuma felt a surge of irritation at Ryoichiro’s definitive, prejudiced statement. 

"That’s probably why Hara was so upset," Tokuma said. 

Ryoichiro furrowed his brow deeply. 

"When you came by in the afternoon, I wasn’t here, was I?" 

"...No. I heard you went out to eat." 

"I was planning to go back for the lunch I’d left behind. But as soon as it was lunchtime, a woman handed me a letter that a student had brought from the back gate. It was from Yukie. She wrote that she wanted to talk to me about Hara, so I went to meet her at the soba shop where she had asked me to come." 

Ryoichiro ran his fingers through his hair in an irritated manner.

"The woman said that every night, Hara-kun demanded that she open her body to him, and when she refused, he would strike and kick her, committing terrible acts." 

"That’s... impossible, Hara-san would never..." 

"The woman begged me to hide her away. But I couldn’t believe Hara-kun would do such a thing, so I told her I couldn’t do anything until I heard it from him. Then she asked to meet again, at night." 

When Tokuma asked, "Why at night again?" Ryoichiro muttered in an exasperated tone, "You fool." 

"That woman is trying to seduce me. She’s using her charms to get me involved." 

Tokuma felt a cold shiver run down his spine. 

"She probably plans to switch from Hara-kun to me, but I won’t let that happen. She says she was beaten and kicked, but there wasn’t a single bruise on her face or limbs." 

So shocked was Tokuma that he was speechless. 

"At your suggestion, I thought it through. I shouldn’t judge people by appearances. I was about to accept their relationship, both Hara-kun’s and that woman’s, but then this happened. As we were talking, I became angrier and angrier. If she weren’t a woman, I’d have thrown my soba at her." 

Ryoichiro raised both hands dramatically, as if to flip over a table in frustration. 

"I don’t like loose women like her. But even knowing she’s a bad sort, when she leaned on me, I was dizzy from her allure. If they lived together and she invited him, Hara-kun wouldn’t have stood a chance." 

Unconsciously, Tokuma grasped the hem of Ryoichiro's shirt. 

"Will Yukie-san come to see you again?" 

"I don’t know. Even if she does, I won’t acknowledge her. And no matter what you say, I’m going to tell Hara-kun to cut ties with her." 

Ryoichiro took Tokuma’s hand, and they walked along the riverbank, Ryoichiro striding with large steps. Tokuma’s previous intentions to secretly support Hara’s romance had completely vanished. Instead, he was now filled with a fleeting, painful jealousy at the seductive charm that had so easily bewitched Ryoichiro, the charm of a woman he had never even seen before. 

"I don’t like the woman, but what bothers me most is seeing Hara-kun growing thinner. They say the doctor found nothing wrong, but something’s off. I feel like if this continues, Hara-kun might die, and I’m really worried."

◇:-:◆:-:◇

The day after Tokuma had that conversation with Ryoichiro, as the sun began to dip low in the west, he was in the kitchen preparing the evening meal when he heard a woman’s voice calling from the entrance: “Excuse me, may I come in?”

It wasn’t Chie. Tokuma, curious as to who it could be, opened the door and froze when he saw the woman standing there.

She was a woman as beautiful as a flower. Her skin was as white as snow, with lips a deep red, reminiscent of a camellia. Her large eyes, framed by long lashes, gleamed with a vibrant depth. Her face was small, oval, and slightly melon-shaped, with her hair arranged in a somewhat old-fashioned style, but it suited her face perfectly.

Her kimono was a modest dark navy, but the dark color only accentuated her pale, flawless skin and her beauty. The back collar of her kimono hung slightly low, exposing her white nape. While it was a touch undignified, it created a form that exuded an intense sensuality, the line of her neck and the curves of the garment weaving together into something almost intoxicating.

Suddenly, Tokuma thought of Chie. Chie often wore her kimono in the same way, with the collar hanging down at the back.

"Is this Satake-sensei’s house?" 

The woman spoke in a voice as beautiful as the roll of a bell. 

"Yes, it is." 

Her large eyes, as though appraising him, swept over Tokuma from head to toe. When she tilted her head slightly, a faint scent of face powder filled the air. It was the same scent he had smelled once before, when it had lingered on Ryoichiro. This woman, surely, was Yukie, Hara’s lover.

Tokuma clenched his teeth and braced himself, mentally preparing for whatever came next. 

"Is Ryoichiro not home yet?" 

Her eyes narrowed, and she asked, "Are you a student?" 

"No. I work here, taking care of Satake-sensei’s daily needs." 

Tokuma’s tone had automatically become more formal. 

"I see. My name is Yukie. Would it be alright if I waited inside until Satake-sensei returns?" 

"I’m afraid I don’t know when Satake-san will return," Tokuma replied. "It would be improper to keep you waiting so late. Would you kindly return this evening?" 

Yukie furrowed her brows slightly. 

"I was told by Satake-sensei to wait here, as we have matters to discuss." 

Tokuma could hardly believe it. Ryoichiro, who had been so adamant about not wanting to see Yukie, had invited her over? But perhaps he had made an actual appointment with her. After all, Ryoichiro had once admitted that he had almost been swayed by her charm, if only for a moment. So, he might have thought that a three-way conversation, with Tokuma present, was a better solution than leaving them alone. But now that Ryoichiro wasn’t there, Tokuma had no way of knowing the truth. Reluctantly, he invited Yukie into the living room.

He prepared a token cup of tea, and when he entered the living room, he found Yukie sprawled across the long couch in an utterly unrefined manner. Her kimono had shifted, exposing her snow-white legs. When Yukie noticed him enter, she casually straightened her kimono and adjusted the folds of the fabric with a relaxed gesture.

"I’m sorry for my poor manners. I’ve been walking for such a long time, my legs are tired."

She murmured, then placed her fingers at the neckline of her kimono and pulled it slightly open. A glimpse of her slack, unrestrained cleavage appeared. Now, Tokuma understood clearly why Ryoichiro had called the woman "vulgar."

"This room is so hot, isn’t it?"

Tokuma placed a cup of tea on the round table next to the couch, then opened the window behind him. Even if she hadn’t mentioned the heat, he had intended to open the window anyway. With Yukie in the room, the air was thick with the scent of face powder. It wasn’t that he disliked the smell, but knowing that it was the same fragrance worn by the woman who had seduced Ryoichiro made his stomach turn. On one hand, he wished for Ryoichiro to return soon, but on the other, he didn’t want him to meet this woman.

A faint, thin sound of a cat’s meow reached his ears. When he peered out the window, he saw the white kitten crying. It was the same one he had rescued from the ladder the day before.

"Chie-san will worry. You should go back over there."

As Tokuma spoke to the kitten, he sensed a presence behind him. The moment he turned around, Yukie had already collapsed onto him, clinging to him in a desperate manner. The scent of face powder grew stronger.

"Wh-what’s wrong?"

"I feel unwell... I’m dizzy."

Yukie’s voice was soft and hoarse.

"That’s no good. Please lie down."

Tokuma gently lifted Yukie and laid her down on the couch.

"My chest feels tight."

Yukie grabbed the collar of her kimono with both hands.

"Would you loosen my obi for me?"

"Ah, no, that is…"

He hesitated, unsure about touching a woman's obi (a wide belt that is worn with traditional Japanese clothing).

"My chest feels tight, and it's unbearably painful."

Her tearful plea caught Tokuma off guard. He reached for Yukie's sash, though he had never untied a woman's sash before, and it took him some time to loosen it. Despite Tokuma only loosening the sash, Yukie took it upon herself to untie the cords around her waist. Gripping the folds of her kimono, she threw it wide open along with her undergarments, exposing her white, ample bosom.

Tokuma, startled, took a step back.

"It hurts... ah, it hurts. Please, come closer."

A pale hand beckoned Tokuma, who had stepped back. Unable to ignore the suffering woman, even in her half-naked state, he cautiously approached. As he did, her arm seized him. Her fingers were cold, and the texture of her skin felt... wrong. He recognized the sensation, yet couldn’t recall it clearly. It wasn’t silk, but something much softer, more moist...

With a sudden, strong pull, she yanked him toward her, and his body swayed violently. Unable to brace himself, Tokuma found himself falling on top of the woman, her kimono now loose and disheveled beneath him.

"I’m sorry."

He tried to lift himself up, but Yukie wouldn’t release her grip. Worse still, she pressed his hand forcefully against her full, ample chest. Panicked, he tried to pull away, but her strength—despite her slender frame—was overwhelming, like that of a man. His hand couldn’t move.

"Let go of me."

Tokuma tried to pull his hand away, but Yukie, on the contrary, pulled him closer. As they struggled, Tokuma fell to the floor, and Yukie, half-naked, landed on top of him. Straddling the man, who lay on his back, Yukie pressed his hands down as he resisted and brought her body closer.

Her cold, red lips brushed Tokuma’s cheek.

“P-please, stop…”

Tokuma cried out loudly. At that moment, the sound of the front door slamming open echoed.

“Tokuma, I’m home.”

It was Ryoichiro’s voice. For a brief moment, Tokuma felt relief, but the woman jumped off him, screamed, "Kyaaa!" and ran to the corner of the room.

"Eh?"

Tokuma muttered softly. He didn't understand why Yukie had suddenly screamed or why she was now running to the corner of the room.

"What was that noise? Tokuma, where are you?"

Ryoichiro entered the living room and froze, looking shocked. There he saw Tokuma sitting by the couch and Yukie, in disarray with her kimono, crying in the corner of the room. No matter how anyone looked at it, the scene clearly suggested that Tokuma had attacked her.

"Sensei, what’s going on?"

From behind Ryoichiro, Hara’s figure appeared. As soon as he saw Yukie, he shoved Ryoichiro aside and rushed into the living room. When Hara put his arm around her shoulder, Yukie’s crying intensified, and she wailed even louder.

"The servant of Professor Satake... suddenly... he..." 

"What the hell?" 

Hara turned on Tokuma with blazing anger in his eyes.

"It’s a misunderstanding, Hara. I didn’t do anything."

As Hara lunged at Tokuma, Ryoichiro stepped between them, holding Hara back in a restraining grip.

"Stop it, Hara."

"Don’t stop me! I’ll kill this bastard!"

Face flushed red, Hara shouted in fury. Tokuma sat there, dazed, unable to move.

"Calm down. There’s no way this man would lay a hand on a woman."

"Are you defending this man who assaulted my fiancée?" 

Hara yelled, his voice filled with rage. Ryoichiro clicked his tongue softly in frustration.

"Tokuma, get out."

Even when told to leave, Tokuma couldn’t move, his limbs trembling and unable to stand. Ryoichiro shoved Hara, who had been struggling in his grasp, aside, and then moved toward Tokuma, who was crouched down. Finally helped to his feet by Ryoichiro, Tokuma was pulled into a strong embrace, pressed tightly against Ryoichiro's broad chest.

"...This man knows nothing of women."

At Ryoichiro’s words, Hara let out a sharp, mocking laugh, his voice high-pitched. 

"Even if he doesn't know women, he must know how to do it, right?"

Ryoichiro lifted Tokuma's chin and leaned in to kiss him. Tokuma, startled, tried to pull away, but Ryoichiro chased him down, taking his lips forcefully. The kiss was fierce, their tongues tangling, and it continued for a long time. During this, Hara didn’t speak, only watching them in silence.

"Tokuma knows only me. That’s the kind of man he is. He couldn’t hurt a woman, not even if he tried."

Then, turning to Yukie, who was staring at them with a shocked expression in the corner of the room, Ryoichiro shouted.

"You seduced him, didn’t you? But when things didn’t go your way, you made it look like he assaulted you. How unfortunate for you."

Hara turned to Yukie, his voice weak as he asked, "Is that true?" Yukie didn’t answer. She stood up silently, quickly adjusting her obi.

"Yukie, say something! Is what Satake-sensei said true?" 

Hara reached out toward her, but Yukie sharply swatted his hand away.

"A man who can’t even protect his own woman isn’t worth my time."

"Don’t say that."

Yukie pushed Hara away and stormed out of the living room. Hara, his back hunched, chased after her. Once their presence disappeared from the house, Tokuma collapsed, unable to keep his balance. Ryoichiro embraced him tightly. Tokuma’s chest hurt. Compared to his own doubts—how he’d feared that Ryoichiro might have fallen for someone else, just because he had caught a faint scent of a woman’s perfume—Ryoichiro had trusted him, even after witnessing such a scene. This thought made him both happy and ashamed of his own narrow-mindedness.

"I’m sorry."

Ryoichiro’s body tensed slightly.

"What are you apologizing for? No way..."

"The truth is, I was attacked by that woman. But I think if I had been more careful, none of this would have happened."

Ryoichiro muttered, "Hmm."

"It’s rare for a man to be attacked by a woman who comes to visit him."

"That’s true, but..."

Ryoichiro’s shoulders shook, and a laugh, soft but hearty, escaped his lips.

"You're cute, you know. I can understand why a woman might want to try something with you."

Reaching into his trouser pocket, Ryoichiro pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped Tokuma's cheek. The handkerchief became stained with a red mark—the mark of a woman’s lipstick. Ryoichiro tossed the soiled handkerchief into the trash.

"There's no shortage of wicked women, but that one was something else."

Ryoichiro sighed as he stroked Tokuma's head.

"I had planned to have an honest conversation with Hara and the woman, but look at how badly that turned out. I’m sorry you had to go through that."

"It’s fine. It's just... Hara-san..."

"I don't want anything to do with that infatuated fool anymore. Let him drown with that wicked woman if he wants to."

Ryoichiro spat the words dismissively, then stood up. "I’ll go change my clothes," he muttered, his mood clearly heavy. Ryoichiro had tried to arrange a discussion with Hara for his sake, but it had all been ruined. Tokuma felt the weight of it all. He had his own doubts, but after everything, he knew that as a man, he wouldn’t suffer the same harm from being attacked.

"…Tokuma?"

A voice came from the garden. Looking out the window, Tokuma saw Chie standing there, holding a white kitten.

"I was just looking for this little one. I didn’t mean to overhear, but the window was open, and it just kind of... got to me."

"I’m sorry for causing a commotion."

There wasn’t much else Tokuma could say in response.

"Well, that’s fine. But there’s something I want to ask you. Oh, it’s not a big deal. The woman who was here earlier—"

Hearing her mention the woman, Tokuma’s heart sank. He knew she was talking about Yukie.

"Yes?"

"That woman... what was her name? She looked a lot like a woman who worked at a shop I used to be at."

When Chie mentioned her old job, Tokuma couldn’t help but feel uneasy. If she had worked at a brothel, then Yukie’s past, too, seemed to fit in a way that made sense.

"I don’t know her last name, but I think she said her first name is Yukie."

Chie fell silent as she stroked the kitten’s head.

"Do you know her?"

The fact that Chie had worked at a brothel made Tokuma wonder if the woman she was talking about might have been another courtesan. The possibility didn’t shock him—if anything, it made sense, given what he knew about Yukie.

"Same name. That woman you mentioned—she looked just like a courtesan who worked at the shop when I was about ten or so. She was the star of the place, beautiful, and skilled in everything... She must be around forty by now. But the woman from earlier? She looked no older than twenty. She could be that woman's daughter."

Chie apologized for asking such strange questions and left. But Tokuma was unsettled by the conversation and followed her out into the garden.

"What is it, Tokuma?"

"About the courtesan you worked with, the one you mentioned earlier... could you tell me more about her?"

Chie tilted her head, considering.

"It’s not really a big story. There was a woman named Yukie, just like the one you saw. She was beautiful, very skilled, and popular with the men. But there’s something... strange about her. A lot of her customers ended up dying while they were with her."

Tokuma swallowed hard, his throat tightening.

"Now, it’s not that uncommon for a man to... you know, pass away with a woman, but Yukie, she had an awful lot of men die in her bed. She was extremely lustful, couldn’t go a moment without a man, and ended up seducing and killing the lover of one of the other women she worked with. She became hated by all the other prostitutes, they called her an oni-onna—an oni woman."

Chie seemed to be lost in the past as she spoke, as if recalling the things she’d once known.

"She was beautiful, but cold. Used men like disposable objects. Come to think of it, the men who married her seemed to wither away, losing all their strength and vitality. They’d shrink up, just like that young man who followed her out earlier."

Tokuma felt a shiver run through him at the implications of her words.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Ryoichiro dismissed him, saying, "I don't know that infatuated fool anymore," but Tokuma couldn't stop worrying about Hara and Yukie. Perhaps it was because he had heard from Chie that there was a woman similar to Yukie. He had sent Kuwaba, in his oni form, to Hara's house to observe them.

At dawn, a meow came from outside the window. Slipping out of the bedroom, Tokuma opened the back door, and the silver-striped cat leapt inside. In the kitchen, Kuwaba, having returned to his oni form, licked his mouth with his red tongue.

"I saw something quite interesting. Those two... they were together all night long," Kuwaba said.

Tokuma's ears turned bright red.

"Is that so?" he replied.

Kuwaba muttered, "But..."

"That young man is going to die soon. The woman is draining both his vitality and spirit," he continued.

Tokuma's heart chilled with a cold shiver.

"Are you saying Hara-san is going to die?" Tokuma asked.

"He’s already been drained by the woman for quite a while. Just a few more days, and he’ll be done for. I forgot to mention, but that woman isn’t human," Kuwaba replied.

As Tokuma clenched his teeth, Kuwaba narrowed his eyes.

"You must have had a faint suspicion yourself, which is why you had me go and check on them," Kuwaba said. "She’s a fine imitation of a human, looks just like one, but inside, she's a yokai."

Yukie’s dangerously alluring, almost otherworldly charm went beyond the realm of humanity. Add to that her touch and her incredible strength. There had always been something strange about her. If Yukie was a yokai, it made sense that she had killed so many men and had never aged.

"Can you eat that?" Tokuma asked.

Kuwaba answered, "Impossible."

"That’s a very old yokai. Stronger than me. Its favorite food is a man’s vitality and spirit, so as long as that’s still around, it seems unlikely it’ll get eaten."

"Then, should we just keep Hara away from that creature?" Tokuma suggested.

"Do you think that lust-filled student could stay away from a yokai like that?" Kuwaba scoffed.

"Is there no other way?" Tokuma asked.

"Hmm..." Kuwaba tilted his head, considering.

"That yokai originally comes from somewhere else," Kuwaba said. "The woman is just a temporary form."

With creatures like yokai or mononoke, sometimes the entity itself moves around, and other times, its original form remains somewhere distant, with only its detached soul taking on a human shape to move about. The yokai possessing Hara seemed to be one that originated elsewhere.

"Then, if we deal with its origin, will Hara be saved?" Tokuma asked.

"Yes, that’s right."

"Do you know what kind of yokai Yukie is, Kuwaba?"

"She's been made to resemble a human so perfectly, I can’t tell. I don’t think it's far off, though."

Kuwaba muttered, "I'm getting sleepy," and returned to his palm. The kitchen was starting to brighten with the morning light, so Tokuma began preparing breakfast.

Now that he knew Hara was possessed by a yokai, he couldn’t just leave him be. If things continued like this, he would truly die. Right now, he was drowning in lust, blind to everything around him, but he had once been a kind-hearted young man.

And if Hara were to die, it would be his own master—the one who had dismissed him with the words, "I don’t know that infatuated fool anymore"—who would mourn his loss the most.

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