Mustn't let my mind wander... Kumiko thought while going through the photos she'd taken and doing her best to view them in an objective light, which was difficult when Tsutomu had made it a point to flaunt his borrowed body like he had been posing for an erotic magazine.

She studied the one in which he leaned against her bedroom wall with chest thrust slightly forward to emphasize his trim but athletic physique. He really was a sight to behold, and the soft, pleading gaze he had given the camera was almost too much for her heart to handle.

Why must you do these things? Don't you know how hard it is for me?

Centuries had passed, but Kumiko could recall Ichiro giving her a similar look the first time he'd confessed his love and on their wedding night when they had been about to know each other intimately. So, to have Tsutomu staring up at her in such a way seemed wrong, and she wondered if now was a good time to confront him about it.

She raised her head while hearing a cluttering on the other side of the house. It was clear that either Yukari or Tsutomu was up to something, so she placed the rest of the photos aside before standing up to investigate the sound.

An angry shout from Yukari startled her as she reached for the kitchen door. She withdrew her hand and stopped to decipher the rest of her guest's words.

"I told you to turn the fire down low, for heaven's sake! Now the soup is-"

"What do you mean? Tsutomu raised his voice to defend himself. That's what I did!"

"Well, not soon enough!" A sudden clang told Kumiko that one of them was stirring aggressively enough to hit the side of the pot. She became aware of the acrid smell of burning starch and wrinkled her nose. They must have found the tonjiru she'd cooked earlier and tried to heat it on the stove, thus leading to this current debacle.

She twisted the door open, dreading what she was about to witness. Yukari immediately dropped the soup ladle and backed into Tsutomu in a rush to get away from the stove, prompting him to grunt in surprise.

"It's his fault!" Yukari exclaimed while regaining her balance and stepping towards the pantry. "I was just trying to fix-"

"That's not the impression I get," Kumiko managed to say calmly despite feeling like she was dealing with a moody child. "I think you're both to blame."

Tsutomu gave her a disbelieving look. "What do you mean?"

Kumiko sucked in her breath. "Well, Yukari could have given you clearer instructions. But, at the same time, you could have been more vigilant."

He sighed. "I guess you're right. I haven't helped in the kitchen for years, so I was out of my depth."

"And maybe I shouldn't have expected as much from you," Yukari added with a roll of her eyes. "You're clearly still a beginner."

Tsutomu opened his mouth to protest but seemed to decide against it. He faced Kumiko again. "So, why are you here? Do you need my help with something?"

Kumiko glanced down at the photo in her hand. "Yes. Can we talk?"

He swallowed. "Of course. I'll let Yukari turn off the stove." She led the way, and he followed until they were back in her bedroom.

"So, what's this about?" he asked as she turned around. "Is it the photos?"

Kumiko didn't know whether to be impressed or dismayed by that question. She looked into his restless eyes and tried to shake the image of his naked body from her mind. "Yes. One in particular."

"Oh."

She raised the photograph in question for him to see. "I'm finding it hard to ignore your expression here. What does it mean?"

Tsutomu shifted his eyes as if ashamed of himself. "I wanted to look relaxed and confident, but I was also uncertain about the whole thing. After all, it's not every day that a man takes off his clothes and poses naked for a woman."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense." Kumiko sighed and lowered her hand. "I can only hope you're telling the truth."

"I am. You have to trust me."

Kumiko could not think of any further argument, so she gave the photo one last glance before addressing the other matter on her mind. "Explanation accepted. Now, about Yukari..."

"Yes?" Tsutomu's eyes darted towards the door.

"I want you to take her out."

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Neither of you can be around if my plan is going to work," Kumiko clarified. "Use whatever excuse you like, as long as it gets you both far away from here."

"Oh," Tsutomu muttered, sticking both hands in his pockets. "Is there any location you think would suffice?"

Kumiko took a deep breath while jogging her memory for places that might be quiet at night. "Yes. You could head out to the countryside or even go to the beach."

"Are you sure? I haven't done those things in years..."

"Then maybe it's time that changed."

Tsutomu stared at her with unease, then let out a sigh. "All right. I'll give it a try."

"That's good to hear," Kumiko said as her entire body relaxed. "I really appreciate your help."

A few seconds passed before Tsutomu simply nodded and shuffled towards the door. He disappeared from her view, and as the sound of his footsteps faded, all she could do was hope that he was qualified for the task.

******

After having a day and a half to contemplate the meaning of her dream, Akane still hadn't found an easy answer. Was it solely a product of her own mind, or had the young man from the department store manifested himself in it as a warning?

Legend told that powerful beings such as kitsune could invade the dreams of their victims, and though they were rumored to have died out long ago, Akane knew that it was better to be safe than sorry. She needed to find this young man soon and uncover his secrets, lest she would risk having her own history being aired for all to see.

The only problem was how. She had no idea of his name, age, address, and even profession, so tracking him down would go about as well as trying to find a needle in a haystack.

With a heavy heart, she lowered herself from the ceiling and settled upon the dusty wooden floor of her bedroom. There had been a time when she could rely on her minions to carry out such an endeavor, but she had made the mistake of sacrificing most of them in the police station fire on Wednesday.

Akane lowered her head in defeat. Maybe there was no choice but to wait. If her suspicions about him were true, then she had to be ready to unleash hell if he ever came her way.

There will be no peace or surrender between us. I cannot let myself be subjugated!