Chapter Text
Sounds of scurrying footsteps filled the small, plant-filled house at the outskirts of the village. A burnt smell permeated the air, and faint clinks of glass rang forth every few seconds. Kiyoko sighed contently, leaning back in a rocking chair with her eyes closed. She fanned herself with the flat edge of her pointed hat, waving off the stifling heat coming from the cauldron in the corner of the room. A small cough interrupted her reprieve.
“Excuse me, Miss Shimizu,” a small voice squeaked, “I think I added too much frog’s mucus into today's potion.”
Kiyoko opened her eyes slowly, setting her hat back onto her head. A blonde girl dressed in baggy black robes stood in front of her, fiddling with her sleeve nervously.
Kiyoko smiled at her. “No worries Yachi, I have plenty in store for now. We can make another tomorrow.”
The girl, Yachi, nodded quickly, short hair bobbing with the motion of her head. “Thanks, Miss Shimizu! I’ll go clean out the cauldron!” She scampered off, grabbing a bucket and a ladle on her way.
The chair rocked back as Kiyoko stood, straightening out her purple skirt that had crumpled during her nap. Sunlight streaked the blooming potted plants around her, reflecting off of glass vials and coloring the room with speckled green shadows. Humming to herself as she flitted around shelves and tables filled to the brim with books and vials, she reached a gloved hand up to a hanging plant, ripping off three leaves from it. Turning around again, she took a pestle and mortar from a hanging shelf. Sprinkling the leaves in, she picked up the pestle and crushed them until only a green paste remained.
“Yachi, could you bring me the bat’s drool please?” She called turning her head to Yachi, who was bent halfway over the cauldron, rag and brush in her hand. At the sound of Kiyoko’s voice she quickly straightened, smudges of soot on her cheeks.
“Right away, Miss!” She scampered out of Kiyoko’s line of sight, reappearing shortly with a jar clutched in her hand.
“Just a few spoonfuls.”
“What’s this mixture for?” Yachi asked, adding the slimy black jelly into the marble bowl.
“You’ll see,” Kiyoko answered with a quiet giggle.
Yachi’s eyes lit up. “Shimizu! What are you planning?” She clapped her hands together, a bright smile on her face. “Oh, we haven't done anything mischievous in a while! I wondered what was taking you so long!”
Kiyoko grinned back at her, mixing the two substances into a gray sludge. “This will be a very special week for us, Yachi.”
Yachi gazed at her intently, the half cleaned cauldron forgotten.
“You know the ancient witch's manual by heart, don't you?” Kiyoko continued as Yachi nodded vigorously. “Then you must also know what potion bat’s drool and a certain special ingredient make…” Kiyoko winked at Yachi with a smile.
Yachi’s lip quivered, eyes going big. “Miss Shimizu…”
“And you must certainly know the age old tradition associated with this potion when a senior witch mixes it
Kiyoko continued, now spooning the sludge into two separate jars, rummaging through the shelves to find a lid. “I think it’s high time you graduate from my teachings and earn your permanent title of ‘Witch.’”
Yachi’s eyes filled with tears, and she lunged across the counter, hugging Kiyoko tight. “Thank you, Miss Shimizu,” she sobbed, digging her face into Kiyoko’s shoulder.
Kiyoko patted her back, smiling gently. Yachi’s sobs soon quieted, and she pulled back, wiping her red splotchy cheeks with a hand. “But, Miss Shimizu,” she said suddenly, gasping. “If I'm no longer your apprentice, that means…”
Kiyoko smiled devilishly, nodding. “Exactly, Yachi. I expect you will help?”
A smile slowly spread over Yachi’s tear streaked face. “You bet!”
__________________________
The rock bounced against the wall of a house, falling flat at his feet. He swung his leg back, scuffing the ground as he kicked it again.
“Hey, Tanaka! Don’t you have anything better to do?” A window banged open above the wall he was using as target practice. A blonde haired man hung out the window, pipe clamped between his teeth. “Go play ball with the other boys or something!” he hollered.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Tanaka muttered, scuffing his foot against the ground. The man swung the window shut again with a clatter.
Boring. That was the word Tanaka used to describe his village. Boring, boring, boring. Everything in his life was dull, and flat, and gray. The thatched roofs of each house looked the same to him, the white walls all scuffed in the same places. All of the eighteen years of his life had passed in a blur, no splashes of color to saturate his life. None, except…
Two years ago, something had happened that would change the course of his life. The weather had been nice that day, and his best friend Noya had suggested they take a walk through the woods at the edge of the village. Suddenly, a peal of laughter had broken the usual silence of the forest, and Tanaka stopped them in their tracks to listen. A low voice was murmuring something somewhere to their right, inside a large willow, and Tanaka carefully parted the long strands of leaves. His eyes had wandered around the spacious clearing underneath the tree until they caught on a pair of dark blue eyes fixed on him. A loud sizzling and a cloud of smoke threw him back, knocking over Noya as he fell back. But Tanaka had seen her, a tall woman with long dark hair and pale skin with an aura that made his heart ache and his head spin.
Tanaka had been in a daze the next few days, which hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of his friends. Daichi stayed longer than usual at the baker’s, murmuring to Suga, who would listen with intensity as he pulled bread out of the oven.
One morning, Noya had barged into his room, smiling brightly. “Good morning! How are you today?”
“I’m fine,” Tanaka answered with a yawn.
“Mm, that's good, that's good.” Noya bounced on the balls of his feet, clearly excited to tell him something. “You know what I found out?”
Tanaka looked at him quizzically. “What, that Daichi’s dating Suga? I thought we all knew that by now, I mean who spends half an hour getting one loaf of–”
“I know what the matter with you is,” Noya interrupted with a smile. “Hold on, what’s this about Daichi and Suga?!”
“What?”
“ You mean they’re together?! ” Nishinoya gripped Tanaka’s arm, bouncing with excitement.
Tanaka pried his friend’s hand off of him. “Uh, yeah, they might as well be kissing in the middle of town and it would be less obvious. You’re just an idiot, Noya.”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Am no-- Tanaka, don’t change the subject! I came to tell you what was wrong with you.”
Tanaka turned away from Noya, tying on one of his shoes. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“I was in town today at the market with Asahi, and we saw her!” Noya planted himself in front of Tanaka.
Tanaka lightly shoved him a step away. “Saw who?”
“The witch!”
Tanaka felt shivers go down his spine as his mind flashed back to those blue eyes looking at him. “I don’t-- I don’t know who you mean.”
“Of course you do! Kiyoko Shimizu, that’s her, that’s who you saw in the forest, it must be!” Noya made a comically spooky face and waved his fingers in front of Tanaka’s face. “I bet she bewitched you!”
“Kiyoko…”
“Bewitched! You’re totally bewitched!” Noya laughed.
“I think I love her,” Tanaka grasped Noya’s arm. “I love her.”
“Woah, woah, let’s not get too hasty! I was joking about her casting a spell on you, you know.” Noya sat down across from Tanaka, his eyebrows creasing. “She didn’t actually, did she?” He put the back of his hand on Tanaka’s forehead.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Noya shrugged, “Yeah she’s pretty, not really my type I guess.” He patted Tanaka’s face and checked his forehead again.
Tanaka nudged him away. “I’m fine, I swear.”
“So…will you stop moping around if you meet her?”
Tanaka shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
“Yes you can! We’ll just go back into the forest, find wherever it is that witches live, and bam!” He made a face at Tanaka. “Love!”
“No, Noya you don't understand! Witches can't marry! Not unless a certain… requirement is met!”
“Oh… and what is that requirement?”
Tanaka stood up, pacing the length of his small room. “I don't know, I think I read about it somewhere, but I can't remember!”
“Why don't we just ask her?”
Tanaka stopped in his tracks, turning on his heel to look at Noya. “Are you crazy?! That's like, basically asking to marry her!”
“Hmm, you're right.” He tapped a finger against his chin pensively. “What should we do then?”
Tanaka looked at him helplessly. “I don't know.”
Six months went by with no solution, and the issue had passed from the minds of his friends.
She began popping up in town more frequently. Every few weeks, Tanaka would be standing idly by a market booth, inspecting the quality of the potatoes or bantering with his friends when she would flash by, skirt and robes fluttering, stopping by some of the booths quickly to buy an herb or root. Tanaka would be left stricken the entire day, and his friends started to call these days of unresponsiveness his ‘love spell’ days.
Tanaka’s bare feet kicked up puffs of dust as he walked through his small village. His last ‘love spell’ day had been two, no, had it been three months ago? He didn't know. He had stopped keeping track, telling himself to forget her for good, to find someone else. That was easier said than done. A sound behind him made him turn his head.
“Tanaka!” Noya ran up to him, waving his arms in greeting. “Have you seen Asahi around? He promised to buy me a pie to make up for the pants he ripped today in the shop.”
“Did he rip his own pants or someone else's?”
“Someone else’s,” Noya said with a wave of his hand. “He’s way too strong for his own good. Went to tear a thread out the seams and instead ripped the whole leg in half. You should’ve seen his face, he was mortified!” Nishinoya laughed loudly.
A deep timbre cut through the sharp peals of laughter. “Are you talking about me again, Noya?” A tall figure appeared behind him, long hair tied back in a bun. “I didn’t mean to rip them, I promise!” He wrung his hands, a worried expression on his face.
Tanaka laughed at the sight of the flustered giant. “I won’t tell anyone if you buy me a slice of pie too.”
Asahi sighed. “I’ll buy us all a slice of pie.”
They made their way through the village to the small bakery, Noya chatting animatedly about his day. Tanaka cut in occasionally, providing snarky remarks to his narration. They reached the quaint shop, a wooden sign hanging above the doorway. Noya pushed the door open, exclaiming loudly, “Hi, Suga!”
Suga, who had been leaning on the counter, chatting amiably with Daichi, glared at the trio in the doorway. “Don’t slam the door so hard, Noya!”
Daichi glanced at them, smiling. “What are you guys here for?” He deftly jumped over the counter, landing next to Suga. “I’ll serve them, you go take the bread out of the oven,” he murmured, nudging him with his hip.
“You’d think you work here with the amount you help around,” Suga joked, pulling on gloves and heading to a furnace in the back of the room.
“Maybe I will someday,” Daichi said. Suga blushed, opening the oven to reveal writhing flames encircling a batch of loaves. He pulled the bread out deftly, setting it down on a rack to cool.
“So you guys came for…”
Noya rolled his eyes, jumping up to sit on the counter. “ Not to watch you two flirt, that’s for sure.”
“Oh is that so? Well sorry to tell you that love is all we sell here.” He circled strong arms around Noya before he could protest, lifting him in a hug and pressing a smooch to his cheek.
Noya wriggled in his grasp, making a blargh sound. “Daichiiii!”
Asahi laughed, stepping forward and grabbing a few bronze coins from his pocket. “We came here for three slices of pie, actually.”
Daichi released Noya back onto the counter, who scampered off quickly, hiding behind Tanaka. “I should get free pie for the rest of my life for the torture I endure here,” he said, rubbing his cheek.
“Now, now, Noya,” Tanaka said mock somberly, “I’m sure deep down you really care about all of us.”
Noya stuck out his tongue. “As if!”
Asahi walked over to them, holding a tray with three slices of delicious looking cherry pie.
“I call dibs on that one!” Noya yelled, pointing to the slightly larger piece.
“I saw it first!” Tanaka retorted, pushing Noya out of the way to get to Asahi.
Asahi held the tray up out of their reach. “Relax, there’s enough for everyone.” He took a slice and handed it to Noya, who immediately took a bite.
“Sho good!” He mumbled thickly, already somehow managing to smear the sticky sauce around his mouth. He swallowed quickly. “Suga, this is amazing!”
Tanaka reached eagerly up towards Asahi. “I want my piece too!”
“Alright, alright.” Asahi handed him the slice, taking care not to drip syrup onto the floor.
Tanaka took a bite, moaning around the mouthful. Suga’s baking never disappointed. “He’s right Suga, this is great.”
Suga waved off their compliments. “Daichi helped make it.”
“You did most of it,” Daichi deflected.
“Whoever made it,” Tanaka said, already half done with his piece, “Marry me immediately.”
Daichi and Suga shared a quick glance, looking down and blushing quickly.
“I second that,” Daichi said, looking at the ceiling nonchalantly.
Noya made a gagging motion, his pie already finished. “I think that’s our cue to leave.” He wiped his sticky fingers on his pants, swinging the door open again with a bang. Tanaka and Asahi followed, Suga yelling after them to stop banging the door.
“Those two better get married soon, the tension in there is hot enough to bake a pie,” Tanaka whistled, taking another bite of his treat.
“Do you think they will? I mean, do you think they want to?” Asahi said.
“Of course they do!” Noya eyed Asahi’s pie hungrily. “Speaking of marriage, you guys got your eye on anyone?”
Asahi blushed furiously, lifting his pie higher as Noya clawed at it. “Ah, I guess.”
“Really? I wouldn't have guessed,” Tanaka said thoughtfully. He racked his brain for who Asahi meant, coming up with only a few suspects.
“What about you, Tanaka? You still hung up on that witch?” Noya asked, chewing the last of Asahi’s pie, which he had successfully coerced from him.
Tanaka’s bright mood deflated slightly at the question.“Nah, I’m over her.” Asahi looked at him doubtfully.
Nishinoya slapped his back cheerily. “Don't worry, you’ll find someone soon enough.”
Tanaka nodded dejectedly. “Yeah, I guess.”
They rounded a corner, coming to the town square. Well, calling it a town square would be an over exaggeration. It was more like… ‘Large Dirt Clearing’, or, ‘People Meet Here Sometimes.’ A post with royal decrees and local news stood in the middle of the square. They walked over to it, squinting at the important looking paper pinned in the middle.
“Town Announcement On The Eve of The Fifth,” Asahi read. “That’s today isn’t it?”
Tanaka racked his brains, thinking of what could be so important that the whole town would witness it. “What do you think happened?”
Noya shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe someone’s cattle got stolen or something.”
“Maybe they're announcing the annual crop festival, although it’s a bit early for that,” Asahi mused.
“Whatever it is, I’ll meet you guys here later then. We need to get back to the shop,” Noya said, grabbing Asahi’s sleeve and tugging him along. “Bye, Tanaka!”
“See you later!” Tanaka called after them. He glanced at the sun, which was starting to crest in its path downwards. He estimated he would have a few more hours before dusk arrived.
______________________
Yachi leaned against the side of the house, panting. Hanging up the notice secretly had been harder than expected. She was happy to do it though, as it was all part of her graduation ceremony. Once her breathing had calmed, she darted out from behind the house, returning quickly to the witch’s cottage within the forest.