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Baji has never been a fan of the coastal landscape.
Try as he might, he can't find the beauty that others do. For him, it's like a big black and white painting, devoid of life and expression, without much colour, the sky is blue and the sea, too; the sand is white and the foam of the waves, is the same. It is monotonous and boring and makes him think that the artist who paints in the park square puts more effort into his art than God or whoever painted the beach.
When he gets up to the fishing village, his opinion only worsens. The humidity strains itself between the long strands of his hair and leaves an uncomfortable sensation on the touch. The breeze, though slight, brings particles of sand that cling to his eyelashes. The saltiness of the air leaves a horrible taste on his lips. And the seagulls squawk unpleasantly before disappearing over the horizon.
He ties his hair into a ponytail and prays that this job keeps him as far away from the coastline as possible.
The bell rings as he walks through the door of the only inn in town. The place is small and can be, for there is no one in the room but a man eating lunch at one of the two circular tables available. In one corner there is a small bar, not very varied and with no one serving. The only person who looks up to him is the young blond man behind the counter.
"Good afternoon" greets the receptionist enthusiastically "A beautiful view of the sea, don't you think?" He nods to the large window, from which the beach can be seen in all its splendour.
As he gets closer, Baji is able to distinguish him better. He is of medium height and has a bright smile. The evening light illuminates his white skin with a golden hue, letting his eyes stand out more than expected, they are large and deep, almost seemingly lined, of a light blue tone.
He is attractive, and he recognizes it instantly but does not give it more relevance.
"The farther away it is, the better " he gives his opinion.
The blondie lets out a friendly laugh.
"I'm guessing it's not the beauty of the sea that brings you here.”
Baji nods, as he sets the worn suitcase on the floor and takes some seven silver coins out of his pocket.
"I'll be here for a week at the most" he says, leaving the coins on the counter.
The young man checks the coins and, after confirming their authenticity, picks them up and puts them away. From the first drawer, he takes out a key with a number inscribed on the head.
"You're in luck then, in four days it will be the anniversary of the town, you know what they say, small town, big party" he hands him the key "Second floor, number two.”
"Thank you" he lifts the suitcase from the floor and starts to climb the stairs.
When he is on the third step, he hears the young man's voice again.
"And the meal is free that day!”
"I'll keep that in mind!" he replies without looking back.
The second floor has only two rooms, and since the building is three stories, there must be, in total, no more than four rooms, rather few for the only lodging in the village.
The floor is covered with wooden planks that creak with every step, and the walls have been painted a terracotta that enhances the effect of the evening sun. When he walks through door number two, he finds a small but tastefully decorated room. On the walls hang a couple of oil paintings of underwater landscapes, with colourful coral reefs and vegetation he had never seen before. In addition to the bed and mirrored dresser, there is a chair and a table with paper, ink and a pen. Through the window, he could see the end of the cliff and the shore of the beach being caressed by the waves.
Exhausted from the long journey, he strips his shoulders of the weight of the black trench coat and his feet of the leather boots. Wearing only an old shirt, he throws himself between the sheets and sleeps until the next morning arrives and his employer gives him instructions.
♦
In the morning, he hates the sea even more. And the stupid humidity makes him feel heavy and sticky.
He takes a quick bath and decides that whatever the job is, he will finish it in less than two days and return to his wandering life away from the sea.
When he arrives downstairs, he finds no one but the young blond man humming as he arranges the breadbasket in the centre of one of the tables. Baji can't help but notice that the tune is like a long poem, it has no words but seems to tell a story in verses.
"Do you usually sing for guests? " he interrupts.
The boy jumps up and down, before turning around with flushed cheeks.
"I'm not used to having an audience," he declares embarrassed.
Baji approaches with his hands in his trouser pockets. He hates to go out without his trench coat, but the sun forces him to wear only a white shirt rolled up.
"I must be quite an early riser, given that no one is here."
"Actually " the blush deepens and an embarrassed smile accompanies it ", you are the only guest."
Baji raises both eyebrows.
"It's not always like that! " excuses the light blue-eyed one immediately "In spring and summer this place fills up with merchants and amateur fishermen. So you are one of the few lucky ones who came to appreciate the autumn sunsets..."
"Baji " answers the unvoiced question "Keisuke Baji.
"Nice to meet you, Baji " he shakes your hand "I'm Chifuyu Matsuno, you can just call me Chifuyu. You must think I'm a terrible host, I didn't ask your name yesterday."
All that sorrow on Chifuyu's face looks funny, almost adorable.
"Would you like to have breakfast? I really didn't expect to have guests, I only have bread and milk. Do you want me to bring milk? " he asks, running over his words.
"Okay, just bread " he picks up a loaf of bread and holds it up in front of him to reassure the boy "I should go, but thank you."
"Sure, I'll be here " Chifuyu leans on the edge of the table while Baji moves away towards the door, but calls him before he leaves "By the way, will you take the room cleaning?"
"I'd prefer to do it myself."
"Of course, goodbye, Baji."
The village spreads out on one of the rocky strips of the inlet, while on the other, much lower, the fishing boats are lined up in a row. No more than thirty pastel-coloured houses are completely built and inhabited. But his attention is drawn to the fenced lots and frames with building materials nearby.
The people are quiet, not like some of the other flamboyant towns he has visited, though their stares and whispers make him uncomfortable.
When he finally manages to leave the town behind, he tries to circle the beach as far away from the sand as possible. Although it is inevitable to feel it polishing his boots as he approaches the largest building in town. Near the dock, the doors of the long fishing warehouse open wide, from there, workers with bent trouser boots come and go, loading boxes of fresh fish from one side to the other, while the fishermen on the dock set sail in medium-sized boats with large nets.
"It's lush, isn't it?"
Baji turns. Next to him is a middle-aged man with short yellowish hair. He doesn't answer and just waits for the man to introduce himself.
"I have been impolite " he excuses himself ", I am Kisaki Tetta "the man who sent him a letter requesting his services ". You must be Baji, I'm sorry to have interrupted your gaze at our expense.
"Actually " he returns his eyes to the sea ", I thought it was curious how little they go into the sea and the copious catch they get.
"This coast is blessed. It is enough to reach the mouth of the inlet to fill the nets."
"Even in autumn."
"First time on a dock, eh? " he changes the subject with joviality ". The village subsists thanks to the gift of the sea. And it is for the sake of this village that I called you."
Baji looks him in the eye, inviting him to continue.
"My father was mayor, he died five years ago, but it was he who boosted our fishing system and painted us as one of the main trading points of the country. Although he must have noticed that we are still a small town " with his finger he points to the area of undeveloped land ". Before him, we never planned to expand, however, now it is one of our main goals. But there is a downside, you must have noticed the small influx of tourists, despite the beauty of this coast. You could say that we are not popular, and it is not because of our manners, it is because of a legend that haunts us like a curse. A creature that lives among us and kills lives and illusions."
"Do you know what kind of creature it is?"
"The bane of every sailor, a siren."
Baji watches him with a stoic expression, although inside he is quite intrigued.
"There have been no sightings of sirens for over a hundred years, and in all of history, I know of no reported cases of sirens settling on populated coastlines. They are creatures that live on small islands and lost spots in the ocean. Are you sure?"
"Two months ago a trader disappeared on his third day here. Last year it was two, and the year before that, two more. It has been like this for a long time. We have ignored this situation as much as we could, but we will never build a real city as long as we live in fear of their constant presence."
In his expression there is determination and hunger, Baji doesn't know if it is a hunger for revenge or for money. But, again, he's just doing his job and that's it.
"Do you know who it is?"
"No " he denies although it sounds like a lie ", and we don't know how to catch him either."
"Catch him? A man, huh? " he snorts with amusement "This is interesting. You'd better not hold back any information," he warns.
Kisaki furrows his brow and sighs defeatedly.
"I have my theories. And I'd rather keep them to myself until you confirm that you know how to get rid of that thing " his eyes are calculating and scrutinizing him, trying to read his mind.
"I have my theories," he smiles slyly. You must know that no one has ever killed a siren before, yet siren captures have been reported. What exactly do you mean by «get rid of»?"
Baji has never gotten along well with control, yet in his life, he often deals with guys like Kisaki. Greedy for power, eager to exert control over everyone and everything, natural or supernatural, they just want to feel that nothing moves if they don't want it to. They all have that look greedy.
"I want you to kill him, his bloody image to be extinguished from the face of the earth and his poison to dry in the sun with his unholy body.”
♦
The rest of the day, Baji spends among books and diaries of former hunters.
Information is as scarce as his desire to take on the case.
They are beings as ancient as they are mysterious. Women (very few men) attract sailors with their singular beauty, almost always with their voice, but it seemed to be more a metaphor for their charms in general. It could be one or an entire crew, but they would lose their sanity, swept away by desire, they would give up everything, for life would lose meaning away from those beings. It was unclear whether they would devour them or just drag them into the depths. They hunted in herds, near atolls and straits, at night and as far as possible from coastal populations. They could take bipedal forms and walk among humans if they wanted to, but it was impossible for them not to stand out, either for their attractiveness or their eccentricity, either way, they could not stand long periods out of the sea.
Cunning and beauty, a terrifying combination.
♦
On the third day, he takes charge of the fieldwork. It is vital for a hunter to communicate, he has been hunting monsters for almost half his life and one thing is clear to him, no one knows the case better than the people themselves. So he spends the day in the square and small businesses, like a journalist interested in the culture of the people.
It has never been so difficult to get information out of civilians as on that day.
Very few want to talk about the siren. They just grimace uncomfortably or dismiss it as old gossip.
It is irritating and suspicious.
In the afternoon he returns to the inn. At one of the tables is the town shoemaker with a fisherman playing poker while drinking beer. Behind the bar of the small bar, Chifuyu is cleaning some glasses, when he sees him enter, he smiles broadly.
Baji approaches the bar and plops down on one of the high chairs, exhausted.
"Still can't find what you're looking for?”
"Not exactly, and the humidity is killing me.”
Chifuyu laughs.
"A drink?" he tempts.
"What are you offering? " Baji straightens up.
"Well... " Chifuyu turns slightly and points to the barrels and bottles behind him "I have beer, whiskey and… " he purses his lips "more beer.”
"Beer is okay.”
Soon he has a mug full of golden liquid in front of him. The taste isn't bad, but he tasted better.
"What was the song you hummed this morning?" he suddenly blurts out, pulling Chifuyu out of the reverie he fell into from watching the sunset through the window.
"Nothing specific, I heard it as a child and from time to time it slips from my memories to my tongue.”
"What are the lyrics about? " he asks, interested.
Chifuyu's smile widens and his turquoise eyes sparkle with flecks of opal.
"It's a song that lingers, about the dawn of night, it helps when in the morning I miss the stars " he moistens his lips before continuing ". I don't really understand many parts of the lyrics but it's always on my mind.”
"Is that why you see the sunsets?” Baji's jar is half full.
"It's the best part of the day when it ends. It's a symbol of renewal for me.”
Baji watches silently as the blonde locks sway in a soft, steady rhythm, framing the delicate features. The sun is dying out on the horizon, saving its light for others, but those last lights caress Chifuyu's face, it is just as he says. It almost seems to glow. Cyan and cerulean, there are so many shades of blue dancing in his eyes that it is mesmerizing.
"The sea is even more beautiful at night when the stars caress it like the wind caresses the carillon. From here, you can see a landscape like no other, we can go out to see it if you wish" he proposes in a sweet and melodious voice.
Baji finishes his beer before answering.
"I'll decline the offer" he replies with a sideways smile "I need to sleep.”
"Sure" Chifuyu looks him straight in the eyes ", call me if you need anything.”
♦
The next morning finds Chifuyu sitting on a rock at the edge of the cliff. He is barefoot and his toes are playing in the grass as the breeze ruffles his hair.
The edge of the cliff is the highest part of the cove. From there you can see the beach, with men entering into the teal blue sea and the mouth of the inlet that connects it to the seeming infinity of imperial indigo.
“Doesn't it look beautiful to you today?” Chifuyu turns his head slightly and greets him with a pink-lipped smile.
”The sea in the inlet or the sea beyond it?” he walks up to stand next to him. "The one that reaches the beach has a greener shade, the one that reaches the ocean is a deeper blue" he ponders.
”Which do you prefer?”
”Neither.” he answers, shrugging.
”Hey!” protests Chifuyu between soft laughs "It's beautiful, everywhere, they are pieces of the ocean, gifts, small proofs of the beauty it keeps for itself and its loved ones.”
”Isn't its immensity exasperating?”
”Isn't its immensity captivating?” he replies.
”I don't think it is in a good way.”
”You're afraid of adventure” he mockingly challenges.
”There is no adventure, just a lot of water.”
”You must come from a big, refined and boring city," he emphasizes each word with his finger.
Baji shrugs.
”I travel a lot, I've seen more amazing things than an infinite blue cloth.”
”Have you?” Chifuyu frowns ”Like what?”
”Mountain ranges, lines of frozen mountains vying to reach the sky. Caves, dark with jewels brighter than stars.
”Very cold and very creepy," he pouts.
Baji lets out a laugh.
As the breeze intensifies, Chifuyu looks fragile, like a leaf about to be plucked from a tree branch by the wind.
He looks about to go with the zephyr, off to the edge, where the clear blue of the sky meets the indigo of the ocean.
Baji wonders what is holding him back.
♦
The next day, the streets are crowded and bustling. Every doorway is decorated with pink and orange flowers, and neighbours laugh as they help each other to hang garlands from one pole to another. All the children are in the square, equipped with their paints, supporting the old village painter, who draws motifs with chalk on the sidewalk.
At the reception of the inn, he finds Chifuyu chatting happily with some women as they weave extensive fishing nets and decorate the joints with paper flowers. When he sees him coming down the stairs, he makes the gesture of getting up, but Baji stops him with a gesture and a smile of greeting.
The day passes between preparations and bustles, while Baji goes into the small library. Among scrolls and loose papers, he does not find much information. He even has the feeling that the village appeared out of nowhere.
When he returns to the inn in the afternoon, he finds Chifuyu hanging garlands while humming a different song from the past days. He immediately recognizes the melody, all the villagers were humming it that morning, it is happy and fast-paced, he remembers seeing some children jumping while singing the story of a sailor who arrived with a blessing from the ocean for him and his, and never needed to sail out to sea again.
“It's a catchy song, don't you think?“ Chifuyu smiles at him and jumps off the stool he was using for support, to finally approach him.
“I imagine it has been passed down from generation to generation, although it sounds quite modern. I'm intrigued, all day I haven't seen a single number on the ornaments. How old is this town?“
Chifuyu grimaces thoughtfully.
“Twenty? Thirty? Fifty?“ he tempts before shrugging his shoulders “I have no idea.“
“If you don't know“ Baji leans his hip on the counter “What exactly are you celebrating?“
Chifuyu lets out a chuckle.
“Does it matter? Celebrations are fun. Tomorrow," he warns, pointing his finger at him, "fewer questions and more dancing.“
“That will be complicated“- he tilts his head, letting some black locks caress his cheekbone and adorn his fangy smile “-, I don't know how to dance.“
The blondie is about twenty centimetres away, but he shortens the distance with small steps as he looks at him with those huge and captivating blue eyes.
“It's lucky you're here, then," his eyes glowed like a cat's in the dark, "You couldn't find a better guide than me.“
His lightly tanned skin framed his soft-edged features and the small upturned nose connected the crystalline sea of his gaze with the pink half-open lips.
With the palm of his hand, he caresses his chin, the skin soft under his touch and Chifuyu leans against him, letting his thumb brush his lips.
“I know it would be like this.“
In a quick, practised motion, he flexes his fingers and strikes just below his chin, shaking his head sharply and knocking the blondie unconscious.
“It’s a such shame“ he whispers to the unconscious body that drops against him “but it's better not to touch you“
♦
It is late at night when Chifuyu wakes up.
The stars must be twinkling in the dark sky, but Baji has closed the curtain, so the only light above them is from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling of room number two.
Baji watches the eyelids pucker as Chifuyu regains consciousness. The jaw that previously dropped on his chest begins to rise and, as a first instinct, he tries to move his hands, but his range of motion has been severely reduced. Chifuyu wakes up and is soon aware that both his arms and legs are firmly attached to the chair he is sitting in.
“W-What?“ he moans, bewilderedly assessing his surroundings until he comes upon Baji sitting on the edge of the mattress “Baji? What's going on?“
Baji is sure that Chifuyu already understands the situation, but he has to hand it to him, he looks genuinely frightened.
“It was a good day's fishing," he replies cynically.
“What are you talking about?“
“It's not every day you catch a siren.“
The place falls silent and Baji wonders how much longer Chifuyu will pretend.
But the blond ducks his head and lets out a heavy sigh. He looks up through his bushy eyelashes and there is a sly smile on his lips.
“I suppose I should give you credit. How long have you been noticing?“
“Honestly? I knew it from the beginning. You're not exactly ordinary.“
Chifuyu lets out a light laugh.
“Flattering," he concedes "Then I must assume you want a reward since if you were a monster hunter it wouldn't make sense to wait so long to capture me. Unless..." his eyes twinkle with amusement "unless you don't know how to kill me."
“The only reported sightings of sirens are by sailors and pirates“ he avoids the question “, no more than ten episodes documented by survivors. The last one, one hundred and twenty-eight years ago.“
Chifuyu just watches him with no intention of interrupting.
“What is a siren doing living among humans?“
“Surviving“ he replies, listlessly.
“Why are you still here?“ insists Baji.
“Why not?“ he counters “fewer and fewer ships are setting sail. Two centuries ago it was common to meet lost sailors, now they follow specific routes, they are not guided by the wind, they are dark steam engines that suffocate life and dull the sky. There are few of us left.“
As well as indignation, there is resignation in his voice, like a true one is born accepting. It makes Baji wonder how old he really is.
“Sirens go in groups. Where's yours?“
“You didn't hear me“ he rolls his eyes, jaded “. There are few left. This is my way of surviving.“
In Baji's mind, the pieces begin to fit together.
“How old are you? How many years have you been here?“
“I hate interrogations," he mumbles, but answers anyway “. I'm thirty-five years old, I've been here for twenty-five. Now get off me, will you? Nobody in the village will be very happy about you keeping me here.“
He's lived there since he was ten. And the only thing he knows about his people is an old song and that there are few of them left. Baji reasons that an adult siren would not choose to live so confidently among humans.
“What dealings do you have with these people?“
Chifuyu frowns, growing increasingly irritated.
“I live here," he stresses, "and they know what I am. My presence nourishes their shores with marine wildlife and they bring in outsiders so that I can live.“
He was kidnapped, he concludes to himself.
“I still don't understand“ it's curious, everything about this case is at least curious “how did you get here?“
“And why does that interest you?“ He clicks his tongue defensively “You don't know how to kill me, and the villagers won't let you find out.“
The circumstances surrounding the case are really none of Baji's business. But since he's not clear on what to do at this point, it's in his interest to buy time.
“They sold you out," he confesses "They called me to get rid of you.“
Chifuyu's expression is one of surprise and disbelief before he covers himself with a mask of coldness.
“You're lying," he hisses.
“Didn't your parents teach you not to trust humans? Because mine instilled in me a distrust of all living things.“
“It has no sense“ he tries in vain to hide his dismay “. They gain nothing...“
“You answered it yourself“ a part of him feels sorry for the betrayed creature “. Artisanal fishing is losing ground. In a few years, large steamships will sail from these shores and the population will abandon the nets to decorate their facades and smile at the tourists. They no longer need you.“
Across the sea in Chifuyu's eyes, a thousand explanations swim as his heart and mind resist processing the perfidy.
Baji is silent until a cry through his teeth echoes through the room. The sound is unnatural, but there is so much emotion in it that Baji can only recognise it as the most human bark he has ever heard. It flares like a sore on his skin and for a moment he feels that the vileness of a thousand men has fallen on him too.
He has to stand up to shake the invasive sensation from his being.
“Kill me.“
Baji raises his eyebrows at the resolve in his opponent's voice.
“That's what you wanted, isn't it? To beg for my death, to make existence meaningless until I'm forced to tell you the best-kept secret of my people.“
Baji doesn't answer. Certainly, it was one of his goals.
"There were three of us in my group," he begins to narrate, his shoulders slumped and his eyes full of nostalgia, "I have no parents, it is the ocean that gives us life, it is we who honour it until death envelops us. One day, I wandered away from the group, saw a fishing boat and thought I could lure it in. The storm lashed fiercely while the sun smiled, indifferent. When I woke up I was offered food, there was not much I could do, I was a child, I was brought here and grew up here. Every year they bring two outsiders, that's all I need to live. In return, they fill their nets from spring to winter."
"Why do you ask to be killed, why don't you beg to be free? You could have escaped a thousand times, offshore you’re unrivalled, Were you trained well?"
Far from being offended, Chifuyu's face softens and he lets out a small laugh.
"More than half my life has been spent here. To return to the ocean would be to swim aimlessly until I perish from exhaustion."
Baji has lived a wandering life since he was born, first with his mother and now alone. His mother used to say "Life calls, you just have to feel on your skin the whisper of its breeze, and look for it. Freedom does not lie still, and neither do you". To stay in one place while dreaming of landscapes that his heart longs for and his mind draws is a sensation alien to him. The creature in front of him, who should be powerful, was instead reduced to a sad pet.
"How do I do it?"
Chifuyu looks up again, in sorrowful hope.
"Far from the sea. Homesickness will kill me."
It's quite complicated. He can't wrap up a siren and mail it to the top of a mountain. But to carry it, it's dangerous.
"Fine," he decides, "I'll lock you in a trunk and throw you in a river. You're a saltwater fish, fresh water should kill you," he reasons.
Chifuyu purses his lips and shakes his head as he thinks about it.
“I've never thought about it before," he confesses, "What if it doesn't work?“
“I'll bury you alive," he says.
“Funny," he replies sarcastically, "Will we depart now?“
Baji gets rid of his boots and throws himself on the mattress with his hands behind his head.
“At night with you? No way.“
♦
In the morning, he goes across the village with Chifuyu behind him. The money has been collected, though Kisaki looks at him suspiciously when he explains that he cannot kill him on the spot. He tries to avoid the crowd, but Chifuyu insists on crossing through the main square, wanting to cause as much discomfort as possible before leaving, despite having his hands cuffed, he walks tall and proud. The music stops, and people have the decency to look down when Chifuyu greets them. Even when they leave the village behind and walk a considerable seven kilometres, the blondie refuses to look back.
It is only at the train station that Chifuyu turns around. The sea is no more than a light blue streak merging with the sky. The cliff with the inn that used to be his home has been reduced to an indistinguishable dot on the horizon.
Chifuyu shrinks back in his seat, his knees against his chest, and the train departs with a loud hiss of steam. Baji feels the urge to cover him with a blanket, though he doesn't know if it's so that he won't see him again or so that he can get some comfort.
The journey is long, and at some point, he is forced to tuck him in with a blanket, as his sleeping body trembles.
When they reach the capital, Baji wants to gag him. His words are no longer a threat to his life, but they are a threat to his mental stability.
The blondie chatters and complains a lot.
"Why are there so many carriages, can't they walk?"
"The air stinks, it's smoky and disgustingly dry."
"You promised to drown me in a river, there is none here."
He buys new tickets and they only have to wait two hours, but they are the most eternal hundred and twenty minutes of his existence.
Back on the train, dusk arrives and Baji falls asleep, but between blinks, he can make out Chifuyu's melodic voice intoning melancholy verses.
When hours have gone by
I'll close my eyes
In a world far away
We may meet again
But now hear my song
About the dawn of the night
Tomorrow will take us away
Far from home
No one will ever know our names
But our song will remain *
In the blink of an eye, he seems to see a wave surfing the sand beneath the sea of his eyes.
♦
The village at the foot of the mountain is a long stop.
Baji leaves Chifuyu sleeping in the room of the inn, he knows he won't escape, but binds his hands and feet anyway.
There are five vampires to hunt, the pay is good and it shouldn't take more than ten days. All he has to do is track them down and ambush them.
While he spends his evenings investigating, Chifuyu just hums or tastes the food brought to the room. Judging everything based on the taste of the fish and seafood. After seven days, he only approves of the taste of chicken and resents the taste of beef.
At night he rests his chin on the window sill and counts the stars. In the mornings, when the sun rises over the darkness, he hums his song.
"This place is boring," he snorts ". The only thing you can hear is the wind rustling in the trees."
"That, plus your incessant chattering" Baji sighs, he's close to finding the vampire nest, at least that's what he feels.
Chifuyu untangles his legs and gets up from the mattress, walking over to the table full of papers and reports.
He takes a look and gives his opinion.
"Gross" he wrinkles his nose "how can they drink human blood?"
"You eat humans, don't you?"
Chifuyu smiles, enigmatic.
"Never claim such a thing."
"So you just take them as offerings?"
"Maybe," he shrugs, "I won't give my jailer that much information. I've already told you how to kill me, so make do with that."
"It's been two weeks and you're still very much alive" Baji leans back against the back of the chair and cocks an eyebrow.
"I won't give you the pleasure of knowing in how many days you'll get rid of me either," he replies, smugly. I'm still waiting for you to drown me in a river to test your theory.
"I have two more cases pending. I promise I'll finish them and throw you in the mightiest river I can find."
Chifuyu claps his hands together, pleased, though with his hands tied the sound is faint.
"Let's see," he leans over to read Baji's notes on the attack locations, "If I were a vampire...".
His hair is still shiny and the strands that caress the tip of Baji's nose feel soft. It gives off an unmistakable scent of salt and wet rocks, and even the breeze, as it sneaks through the strands, evokes the sound of waves crashing against the shore. He is himself a piece of the ocean, just like the sea.
"Am I wrong?"
Chifuyu's voice brings him out of his musings.
"What?"
The blondie snorts and turns his head to look him straight in the eye.
"The teacher's cottage," he responds with obviousness ". It's the only one in the village, and the victims had children, except for the fourth one, but she was his neighbour. The cottage is right at the entrance to the forest. It's obvious."
Up close, his gaze is uncharted water, inviting him to dive in until he loses the sense. His breath is the zephyr that moves the sails of ships; and his lips, are the coral reef that hides from the unholy human hand.
"True."
♦
The next night, the moon shines over the dark cloak and the stars are with her, illuminating the three bodies that lie pierced with wooden stakes at his feet.
Only two remain, albeit very skilful ones, and one of the stakes has been left abandoned at the entrance to the forest.
Hunting vampires was one of the first things he learned, garlic and stakes are never missing from his luggage. The real problem is his supernatural strength and speed.
He manages to avoid the claws of one and corner the other against a tree with his dominant hand, and before it scratches him or bites his arm, he drives the sharp stake into the middle mediastinum. The creature's jaw quivers and loses its strength. But before it can turn, the weight of the last remaining one impacts with it and throws it to the grass, dislocating its shoulder against a tree root. Fangs enlarged, he is about to pounce when a pitiful cry escapes his lips, and Baji instinctively thrusts forward and kicks his body deeper into the wooden weapon that barely protrudes from his chest.
As the vampire's body falls limp, he can see it.
In front of him is Chifuyu with a huge grin and hands on hips.
Wild and esoteric.
"I thought I'd tell you earlier, you need to improve your seafaring knots."
Seeing his eyes, he finally understands what Chifuyu meant when he said the stars caress the sea.
♦
“Let go, I'll do it.”
”Don't be stubborn, you can barely stand up.”
Baji sits on the mattress, holding his injured arm.
”Do you know how to do it?”
”Please," he snorts smugly, "I've worked in an inn for a lifetime. How many drunken fights do you think I've seen?”
A voice in his head insists it's a bad idea. But Baji can only think that Chifuyu didn't do anything suspicious the last two weeks, even when he could easily get out of his restraints.
”Okay, do it.”
Chifuyu reaches over and grabs the shoulder blade and arm. In one swift movement, and with a loud click, the bone is returned to its socket.
Baji lets out a snort to keep from screaming.
”See? Simple.”
Baji looks up, Chifuyu is still close to him, and his senses are at war internally, between touching and not touching.
”This gets me out of the handcuffs, doesn't it?”
”Of course.”
♦
At the train station, Baji buys a fruit cake for Chifuyu, who eats enthusiastically while snooping in the souvenir shop.
The journey is uneventful. Chifuyu keeps his face pressed against the glass, asking a lot of questions about the scenery. And Baji is happy to answer each one and tell an anecdote or two.
The next case is of goblins stalking a mining camp. Listening to each worker tell their version is exhausting, dusk is already falling and all he can think about is going back to the inn with Chifuyu and telling him everything he found out, only to hear him share his theories with him.
When he reaches the room, Chifuyu hums his song to the descending sun once more.
“Do you think it's a collective hallucination?“ he asks after recounting the facts.
“I think they are goblins“ Chifuyu differs “, but they are harmless, they just want to scare you, so far they haven't harmed anyone and they haven't stopped them from extracting minerals, they just want to have fun.“
“That's possible.“
“Great!“ Chifuyu jumps up, excited “Now that we've solved this, where shall we have dinner?“
“Dinner? You don't need to eat to live“ he reminds him.
“Uhm no“ the blondie rocks back on his heels “, but it's fun“ he emphasises with a huge smile.
The sun is still shining, and although Baji denies it, the idea of spending more time with Chifuyu excites him.
“There is a food stall two blocks away.“
♦
The last job he has pending is the appearance of a Poltergeist in a hospital. It's a simple case and doesn't take more than a few hours. Back at the lodge, he buys milk bread for Chifuyu. But when he opens the door to the room, he finds him tucked under the blankets with a downcast expression. Although the blondie cheers at the sight of him, he doesn't move from his spot.
"Hey," he greets in a tremulous voice, "How's work? Is that milk bread? So sweet, I'll eat it later."
"Forget that" he leaves the paper bag on the table and approaches his partner "What's wrong with you?"
"A little cold" he plays it down ", I think the distance is starting to get to me."
It's been a month since they left the coast. And in those weeks, Chifuyu saved his life and become his partner. Baji has never had anyone beside him. It is a strange feeling of fullness when he talks to him, or simply when he sees him.
He has almost forgotten that the purpose of his fellowship is Chifuyu's death.
"Give me space" he lifts a corner of the blond's blanket.
Chifuyu looks at him questioningly but obeys and leaves enough room for Baji to lie down properly.
The bed is small, but they both manage by lying on their sides.
"Better?" unconsciously, his voice lowers in volume.
"Better" he confirms, also quietly.
The room falls silent. And once again, Baji feels he can hear the magical sound of the waves emerging from the body next to him.
"I told you my age," Chifuyu breaks the silence ". Tell me yours."
"Do I look old to you?"
"Yes," he jokes ". Actually, you look like someone who ran for a very long time without stopping."
"I'm thirty."
"Wow” he's surprised ”. You're younger than me, you don't look it.”
Baji snorts and smiles.
”Not all of us are born to be eternally beautiful.”
He can feel Chifuyu's breath mingle with his, and his own hazel eyes feel like they are swimming in crystal-clear water. The whole world collapses and worldly realms fall, all lose sense, just for that being who whispers to the wind. The universe need not exist, not as long as his ethereal beauty remains intact.
”Do you think I am beautiful?”
His hand meekly caresses the other's face.
”What have you done to me?”
He presses their lips together and reality destroys itself.
The dermis on his back is torn with blunt nails again and again, and his lover's porcelain skin is coloured with bruises at every corner. Sweet words, cries, gasps, whispers and moans, it's human, animal and divine at the same time.
Slow, desperate, sweet, wild. One night is too short and, at the same time, too long to love each other.
♦
The light of the next day finds them huddled together.
Baji is the first to wake up, and if it were up to him, he would spend his whole life on that mattress with that man who lies on his chest. He traces gentle circles over his scalp and when he pulls his hand away he notices something. There are blond strands on the pillow and on his fingers.
Lethal and beautiful. That's what his crush is like. A free fall that ended in the foam and then the apparent calm of the ocean, but as he sinks deeper, all deadly labels fall away. It is virgin territory, arcane to the human world.
There is no good judgement left to plead, it has lost everything and gained so much more.
♦
When they get off the train, Chifuyu looks at him dumbfounded. But Baji pretends not to notice and opts to take a carriage to take them to the village he has in mind.
Baji knows that Chifuyu is aware of where they are going, it is impossible for him, of all people, not to recognise how the humidity in the air is increasing by the metre.
After the village, they have to cross a small forest, until finally, at the end of dusk, they arrive, at the top of a cliff.
“What do you think you are doing?“
Chifuyu is disgruntled, although there is annoyance and disbelief in his voice, his eyes dance with genuine happiness because the ocean awaits.
“We couldn't go back to the fishing village, I had to find another cliff overlooking the sea" he replies without giving it much thought.
“This was not the deal.“
“You have to go, you're dying“ Baji tries to avoid his accusing and demanding gaze.
“I know! I know I'm dying, away from the sea, that was the idea, wasn't it?“
The sunset has come. The sun is just a faint dot on the horizon and around it dance shades of pink and orange. But the mauve takes centre stage as it elegantly introduces the dark blue of the night sky.
He gently turns Chifuyu's body to admire the setting sun. He starts, and with painfully slow steps they reach the edge. At their feet, the sea roars, embraced by the vast, imperial ocean.
“It is no longer like this. You accused me of fearing adventure, but that's really you, you fear swimming beyond the horizon. But that's where you belong.“
“And now will you let me go?“ he tries to sound reproachful but fails “By the will of your soul?“
Baji smiles and connects their gazes.
“You have made me love you, I am bound to you. All this time, you held the chain. So, now decide, because the last sane thought I have, is that I have lost my sanity.“
Chifuyu entangles his fingers in the black hair at the nape of his neck and closes the space between them. He kisses his lips and the last ray of light is extinguished.
Night dawns, and he knows there is only one way to guard hearts in love.
“Come with me, Keisuke.“
He barely feels the leap. Because he's already fallen from a thousand cliffs, always into the same sea.