Ichiro allowed himself to smile when Kumiko's spirits were renewed from eating the ball of rice. "What did I tell you? You needed it after all."

Kumiko's lips pouted, though her lively eyes did not deceive him. "Bold of you to take credit. I was going to ask you for food anyway."

"Whatever you say..." Ichiro turned away from her before remembering that they were simply walking ahead for the sake of it, and he didn't know if this road was the right one. He ceased to smile as his throat tightened. Curses, what should I do? She'll think I'm a fool for sure...

"Is something troubling you?"

Ichiro tried to keep his breath steady even while his feet began to slow down. "No, everything is fine. I know where we're going."

Kumiko sighed and rushed forward to block his path, forcing him to stop. "You can't fool me. I can see that you're unsure of yourself."

"What?" Ichiro feigned confusion in the face of her furrowed brows and determined eyes.

"It's all right to admit your weakness. I won't respect you less."

Her unwavering stare eventually got the better of him, and he relented. "I suppose you're right. I have never been in these parts before."

Kumiko gave him a smile of sympathy. "Fortunately, I have. I can guide you to that tea village and keep you from straying." She reached out to take his hand, causing his skin to heat up.

"That's good to hear." Ichiro nodded, then chose to make known something he found strange. "You seem quite well-traveled for your eighteen years."

Kumiko's mouth twitched, then she turned around and gave his hand a tug. "Come on. You said we had to find lodging by evening, didn't you?"

Her sudden rashness struck Ichiro as strange, just like many other things she had said and done since they'd met. He'd been willing to come to mundane conclusions until this morning, when Kumiko's crafty behavior had become too evident for him to ignore.

The combination of her beauty, unusual worldliness, and the warning given to him by the monk Ginji, caused Ichiro's thoughts to race. If Kumiko was a kitsune, then did that mean her affection was all an act? And, if so, why had she chosen to spare him thus far? Did she see some merit in keeping him alive?

Ichiro hoped that his earlier questions hadn't provoked her enough to consider abandoning him, or worse, ending his life. Contrary to his previous vow to accept all misfortune, he now wanted to live a long and fruitful life no matter what. I must not question her any further if I value my safety. She could destroy me for suspecting too much...

And, so, Ichiro held his tongue as they left Kyoto behind and found themselves traversing once more past tiny villages and rolling fields. Peasants bent themselves over while hard at work, and the Ichiro wondered if they saw less of a traveling merchant like him. However, he laid eyes on Kumiko and surmised that her presence alone would be enough to demand their respect.

His guess proved correct when a skinny man with untidy hair stood up straight and gaped at Kumiko. After some time, the man then turned to the woman toiling beside him and rapped her on the back. "Matsu, there's the girl I told you about! The one who fought with supernatural strength!"

Ichiro couldn't believe what he was hearing, so he turned to Kumiko in the hope of receiving an explanation. Unfortunately, the blood had drained from her face, and she stared blankly ahead.

"Kumiko?"

"Yes?" She swallowed and returned to her senses. "Those two are lunatics. We should leave."

"Of course." Ichiro whispered, despite knowing that his confusion remained unresolved. He followed Kumiko as she began to run at a speed that he swore wasn't possible for a young woman of her stature. He increased his pace to keep up with her as the voices of the peasant couple rang in the distance.

"Hey, where are you going? I want to thank you for saving my life!"

"Rikichi, get back here this instant! You're not leaving me for a younger woman!"

******

"What was that all about?" Ichiro managed to say after releasing a few pants from his lips and laying eyes on the just as spent Kumiko. "Are you acquainted with those two?"

Kumiko shook her head, then looked up at the sky. "It's a shameful story. I tended to that man's wounds once, and he became drawn to me..."

"I see," Ichiro replied, feeling ready to accept the explanation until he remembered what the male peasant had said upon seeing Kumiko. Until now, the idea of her being a kitsune had been mere conjecture, but this latest occurrence was too damning to overlook. Was it her habit to find vulnerable men and charm them the way she had done with him? He clenched his teeth, wanting nothing more than for the possibility to be false, since the opposite would mean that he was just a pawn in her schemes, and she would dispatch him when the time came.

"Ichiro?" Kumiko murmured with an innocence that only haunted him more. "Why are you glaring at me like that?"

"Please tell me the truth," Ichiro found himself demanding despite his earlier vow to remain silent about his suspicions. "What really happened between you and that farmer?"

"I..." Kumiko glanced from left to right, then drew a deep breath inward, at a loss for words.

Ichiro narrowed his eyes, finding her silence unbearable. "Well?"

"It's nothing," Kumiko said all of a sudden, gaining enough confidence to stare him in the face before vanishing swiftly like she had never existed at all. Ichiro felt his heart jolt as he looked upon the empty space and tried to comprehend what had happened.

Had he really been so starved of companionship that he'd conjured a beautiful girl in his mind and persuaded himself that she was real? There were plenty of people insane enough to sink to such depths, and perhaps he had joined their ranks.

No, it can't be true. Many have acknowledged her presence, and we were so familiar with each other that night...

Ichiro curled his fingers tight. He knew that the pleasure of lying with Kumiko was different from what he could achieve on his own, so he called her name in the hope of receiving a response.

Silence greeted him instead, and he swept a hand across his scalp, fearing that he had gone mad after all. He paced back and forth, unable to proceed with his journey after losing someone who had become so dear to him.

"Kumiko!" Ichiro cried out again and was taken by surprise when her soft voice sounded behind him.

"Ichiro, I'm still here..."

He spun around just in time to see Kumiko's body take shape again. Her worried eyes set upon him, yet all he could do was smile in relief until a change in her appearance forced him to retreat.

"Kumiko, your hair. It's turned red..."