The Familiar Taste of Poison

After that, I had not realized how hungry I was, but I really didn't want to go back to the village. I knew that if I didn't return soon, Chiharu would worry, but if I went back, I knew he'd want to talk about everything so I had to decide if I wanted to eat and have an awkward conversation or starve and be alone like I usually was.

"Damn.." I said under my breath and shivered. The temperature was dropping by the minute and gentle snowflakes had started to drift from the sky. "It's too cold." I said with a defeated tone and started walking back towards the village.

Once I returned to the little hut we were given, I stepped inside. Chiharu greeted me with a smile and a welcome back.

"Lady Karin!" Chiharu said and handed me a box with a lid on it. It was made from wood and I knew what it was instantly. My mouth watered in excitement as I opened it and saw rice and stew in two big compartments.

"Thank god.." I said and sat down next to the small fire Chiharu had built while I was gone. He handed me a pair of chopsticks and I nodded in thanks.

As I took the first bite, all my worries disappeared and I melted into sweet happiness and warmth. Chiharu started talking to me like I was a normal person.

"Yeah it's pretty cold here. How long does winter last on earth?"

I was appalled that he could pretend everything was normal so easily. I couldn't really say anything, so I just listened.

"So, Lady Karin." Chiharu said finally once I didn't answer his question. "Tell me something about yourself."

I drew back my body and stared with wide eyes at my bodyguard. I didn't want to talk, I didn't really know how. I had never had a normal conversation with someone besides the woman that had raised me. Chiharu gazed at me with anticipation and I guess I wasn't going to get the spotlight taken off me until I said something.

"I like to read books." I said quietly. "Books about humans."

"Really!" Chiharu said excitedly. "I like to read books too! I don't like stories that much, I like to actually learn things!"

"Yeah.." I said not really knowing how to respond.

"What else" Chiharu said, seeming ready to explode from excitement that I was actually talking to him.

"Hmm. I like to be alone!"

Chiharu frowned. "Can I ask you about that?"

"I'd prefer you didn't" I said quickly.

"I just want to know why you hate everyone so much.."

I stared at the floor, not really wanting to explain to him why I was such a recluse.

"Please tell me, Lady Karin."

"Chiharu.." I said but stopped. No sound would come out of my throat. My body was screaming at me to run away, but I had to stop it. I had to make at least one friend. I couldn't be scared anymore. "Listen. We can be friends." I said, trying to change the subject.

"Wait, really? You don't want to hurt me anymore?!"

I forced a smile and nodded. "I don't want to hurt you anymore."

Chiharu jumped into the air and grinned so hard it looked like it hurt. "This is probably the greatest day of my life! I want to know more about you! How old are you? What's your favorite color? What kind of demon are you?"

I was annoyed by all his questions, but he was so innocent. He craved to know me, and the least I could do was answer those very basic questions.

"I'm about to stop my quick aging process. I'm fifteen years old. Once I turn sixteen, I will age about every ten years. My favorite color is the color of the sky at night. I'm a demon with the soul of a wolf."

"Wait!" Chiharu yelled. "You're the same demon as me? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we just became friends." I hissed and took another bite of rice and stew.

"Oh right!" Chiharu said and laughed. He looked so handsome whenever he was happy. I found my eyes lingering on him again and tore myself away.

"This food is good. I'll have to give my compliments to the cooks when we get back." I mumbled and played with my food lazily.

"Why compliment them?" Chiharu asked and sat back down. "I was the one that cooked this."

My eyes widened and I stared down at my food. "You c-cooked this?" I asked, trying to resist the very strong urge to smile. "It's so good..!"

I saw Chiharu's face redden. He laughed softly and looked away. "Thanks. When I lived with my family, no one really cooked for all of us. It was every man for themselves so I learned to cook at a very young age."

"Your family.." I said softly and forgetting all the walls I had put up to keep Chiharu out of my head. "If you have a family, why did you leave them to be with me?"

Chiharu looked confused, which embarrassed me. I didn't know what kind of questions were weird and what kinds were normal. He thought really hard for a few seconds before answering.

"Well, I got too old to stay with my family. I had to venture off on my own so I could become an adult."

I didn't know that people left their families once they got to a certain age. If I would've had a family, would I have to leave too? What was the point of having a bunch of people you care about if they make you leave after a while?

"I see.." Was all I could say. My entire life I had fantasized about having a big family and eating dinner together every night and joking with each other every day. Right then, all those happy thoughts melted away into cold and lonely ones. I didn't want a family anymore.

"Hey, don't be sad." Chiharu said softly and moved closer to me. "You don't have to be alone anymore. Friends are family in my book, and now we're friends!" Then he gave me one of his super warm smiles and I fell into a trance. Why did Chiharu affect me in such ways? How did he have complete control over me using just one smile?

"Why.." I said softly, looking away. "Why do you want to be friends with me? Why do you try so hard to make me like you? After all I've done to you..? I gave you that black eye for christ's sake."

Chiharu chuckled. "Because you want a friend. I know you do. Everyone does. You just don't know how to process your emotions. I want to help you get better at that. I think you're a really nice person, Lady Karin. You've just pushed that part of you so deep down that whenever it surfaces you freak out and push everyone away."

I sighed and closed my eyes. "I just.." Then I growled. "I don't even know why I'm talking about this with you."

"There you go again." Chiharu said and put a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to hide your good side, Lady Karin. I won't judge you, I promise."

"Damn." I hissed. "You've got a point, but if you break your promise, I'll rip your head off."

Chiharu stood up and stretched his arms. "It's a deal. So, just checking up on you, you feel alright, right? The poison isn't hurting you still?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I purified the wounds when I ran out of here. I'm just a little tired now."

"Well, we got our target. Why not go back home?"

I sighed, longing to be in my bed. It had soft pillows and warm blankets and smelled just like me. I loved my bed almost as much as the bathtub. "Well, usually whenever I take a mission in the human world, I stay for a few days to make sure no other threats appear."

Chiharu warmed his hands up by the fire. "But do you really have to?"

I ran my finger over the wood on the floor and thought about it for a few moments. "I don't really have to, but even I were to go back to our world, It would have to be by at least tomorrow because I do not have the energy to open the gateway again."

Chiharu nodded. "I can understand that. I guess I need to learn to do all these things in case you're unable to." He paused and sighed. "I'm not as prepared to be a bodyguard as I thought."

Damn. I wished Chiharu hadn't had said that. It felt as though he was fishing for a compliment and I was the one who has to give it to him.

"If we rest now, I can get us back.." Then I forced the next words out of my throat with all my strength. "And I can teach you to use your element and how to open a portal."

Chiharu's eyes lit up and I knew I had made him happy. The surprising thing was that I didn't feel stupid for saying it. I actually liked making him happy. Despite the freezing cold and the semi-warm fire, the thing that warmed me the most was seeing him smile because of me. It wasn't something I was used to, but If I liked doing something, i was going to continue doing it.

For once, I smiled and kinda laughed. It was impossible for me to be unhappy at Chiharu now. I didn't know why he made me so happy but he did.

"Everything makes you happy, doesn't it?" I teased.

Chiharu playfully rolled his eyes. "You'd be surprised, actually, how everything makes me mad."

Mad? He never seemed mad around me besides when I was hurt by the demon, but he was mad at the demon not me. I felt as though he was just being rough on himself.

"Mad, please. You're like a constant ray of sunshine." I argued.

Chiharu shook his head. He had a serious expression, so it was hard for me to not believe him.

"If everything makes you mad, how come you've never been mad at me?"

Chiharu gasped. "So you noticed." He said under his breath and looked away. "I actually can't tell you because I don't know myself. You're the only person that doesn't trigger my uncontrollable anger."

"That's odd." I said quickly then found myself yawning. "Hey, i'm pretty tired, so I think i'm going to sleep." then I paused. "Uh, thanks for talking to me and saving my life, Chiharu."

Chiharu laid next to the fire and let out a relaxed sigh. "Thanks for giving me a chance, Lady Karin."