Ch.81Ch.6 – Tinker. Tailor. Soldier. Lady.(7)

The hotel provided bathrobes. After tightening the knot, I stepped out of the shower stall. Aurora was leaning back in a chair, sitting with hazy eyes. On the coffee table was a glass of water, and in her hand, a pill.

“What? Never seen a woman take medicine before?”

I asked what kind of medicine it was.

“Tranquilizer. Sleeping pill. I can’t sleep without it. I could drink alcohol until my head splits, but that’s not always an option. What? No. I haven’t taken it yet.”

Aurora didn’t look well.

“It’s nothing. I was wearing that vest for too long pretending to be a man, and my chest was compressed all day… made it hard to breathe… So, could you help me take off the vest? Abashina’s showering and not saying anything…”

Aurora stood up unsteadily from her seat. I moved behind her and took hold of her shirt. I noticed what appeared to be a rather thick bulletproof vest. I heard the sound of the vest’s zipper being pulled down.

“Ugh… feels like my shoulders are being crushed… take it off slowly. Touch anything weird and I’ll kill you.”

The vest was quite heavy. I wondered how she had worn this all day, and still managed to move so nimbly. As I tried to remove the vest by slipping my fingers into the shoulder gap, Aurora snapped in irritation.

“Ah, shit, that hurts! Are you deaf?”

I apologized and lifted it very gently. Under the vest, she wore only a thin cloth garment, soaked with sweat so that her skin was visible through it.

And the bruises too.

From her shoulders down to below her waist, not a spot was unharmed. It looked almost like a turtle’s shell. From bluish swollen areas to blackened settled bruises. I could understand why she couldn’t sleep without sleeping pills. I started to mention the bruises, but Aurora shook her head.

“Be quiet. I know. I know without you saying it. This is why I didn’t want to sleep with you… Don’t worry about it. It’s from doing bad things.”

Aurora’s back hunched slightly.

“Well. At least today’s bruises. They’re from looking after you. Hmm. I did one good deed. Me too. Hey. Just cut this shirt from the back with scissors. It’s… dirty. And the smell…”

But there were no scissors in sight. Besides, putting a blade to the back of someone who had been stabbed in the stomach that afternoon didn’t seem like a good idea. So I suggested that Aurora put her arms inside the sleeves and I could roll up the clothing like removing stockings. I added that it seemed to be sticking to her skin, and might hurt more if handled roughly.

This time Aurora didn’t protest. Instead, she trembled, especially when my hands touched her. After carefully rolling the shirt up over her head and removing it, her upper body flushed red.

“I-I’ll do the rest myself. Th-thank you. Just keep your eyes closed until I get in. I’ll really kill you if you look. Understand?”

I said I understood and turned toward the wall. I heard Aurora turn on the shower. After getting dressed, I went down to the lobby and asked if they had any ointment for bruises. An employee ran off somewhere and returned with a tube of ointment. They said it was also effective for reducing bruising. After giving them a small tip, I returned to the room. I must have dozed off briefly, but woke to the sound of the bathroom door opening. Aurora emerged wearing a white bathrobe, her cheeks flushed pink. Water droplets fell from between her head towel.

“What did you bring?”

I told her I would apply the ointment for her. Aurora frowned deeply. Then she let out a heavy sigh.

“Just. Please. Pretend you don’t know. I really appreciate your concern, but if I were you, I wouldn’t have stood there stupidly like you did earlier today. If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have gotten stabbed and bruised in the stomach. Especially… on a day like today…”

Aurora turned away from me and opened the balcony window. She finished drying her hair in the early summer breeze. Although Kingsport was a declining town, the night was dark enough that such ugly marks weren’t visible. Aurora’s wounds were only visible under bright light. Eventually, after drying her hair completely, Aurora sat in a chair and crossed her legs. The bathrobe lifted slightly, revealing her long extended legs. I asked why she hadn’t been like this at the beach last time.

“You’re persistent. Been playing assistant to Crayfield for so long that you think you’re an investigator now?”

Aurora smiled bitterly, but didn’t respond to my insistence that I was genuinely concerned.

“I don’t have a choice. If I’ve buried the old boys, I need to show that I can replace them. So I pushed myself a bit. Besides, a leader has to take bullets and knives to earn the loyalty of their subordinates.”

I asked why she went to such extremes. Aurora hugged her legs to her chest. I averted my gaze slightly. If she pulled her legs any closer, even the small shadow would be lifted.

“Because the White Hand I create must be different from my father’s. Family is about protecting each other. That’s what family is. I’m just creating the family I envision. And for family. I’ll do anything. I’ll be different from my father and brother.”

Aurora looked down at the glass of water and two white pills on the table.

“Then maybe I could sleep peacefully too. Don’t you think? I’ll tell you another secret. I can’t sleep when I’m with other people. Not at all. I’ve been that way since I was little. If you got hit for no reason while sleeping, you’d be the same way. Ah. Enough depressing talk. But. I was thinking while showering. Still, I absolutely can’t stand seeing you sleep with that woman in the next room. You’re probably wondering what I’m suggesting.”

Behind her, by the open balcony, something like white fog began to gather. Aurora had her back to the balcony and couldn’t see the fog. Was it really fog? If it was fog, shouldn’t it be spreading more widely? While I was distracted by the fog, I failed to stop Aurora as she smiled, broke a pill in half, dropped it into the water glass, and stirred it with her finger. Small bubbles formed as the medicine slowly dissolved.

“Let’s. Share this drink together. We’ll go together. What do you think? Don’t worry. There’s no poison or anything.”

Aurora picked up the cup and approached me. She pulled at the knot of her bathrobe, revealing her body clearly. Meanwhile, the fog behind her continued to take shape. Aurora slightly pushed up her chest with her elbows. Her already large breasts rose prominently.

“Pretty, right? Yes. It will be. Because it’s just for you. So…”

“Bang.”

Aurora lost consciousness and fell sideways. I quickly supported her. Abashina rushed from behind, snatched the glass, and threw the drugged water over the balcony.

“Wow. I had my suspicions, but this woman is really creepy. Drugs? She was trying to drug you? What a terrible person. And did you see? The way she was swaying her hips? I thought she had no spine! Add a snake tail and she’d be perfect!”

My face flushed hot at the sight of Abashina. She too was wearing nothing. Belatedly realizing her state, Abashina picked up the bathrobe that had fallen to the floor.

“Ahem. Ahem. I couldn’t help it! My father could easily turn into fog fully clothed, but I’m still inexperienced.”

I asked if this had been her plan all along. Abashina brazenly replied,

“Of course this was the plan. One ‘bang’ and anyone falls into deep sleep. Today, both of you sleep peacefully without incident. And tomorrow, the Beast spends the night playing with me. So.”

Abashina’s eyes turned cold. It was hard to tell who was calling whom creepy.

“I trust you won’t behave like a real beast and pounce on a sleeping woman. I’m going back to the next room, and you know I’m a light sleeper. Try anything funny, and I’ll…”

Fangs slightly protruded from Abashina’s mouth. Just barely.

“…bite you to pieces.”

I tried to explain that what Aurora had offered was just a simple tranquilizer with a sleeping pill, but Abashina had already left. Fortunately, this time she used the front door, not the balcony.

Aurora kept tossing and turning. Even under Abashina’s hypnosis, she seemed uncomfortable with her bruised back. After closing the balcony window and lowering the blinds, I applied the ointment to her back. A sharp yet pleasant scent filled the room. Aurora’s face and breathing seemed more peaceful. After tidying up and washing my hands, I too fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * * * *

May 26, 1929. 6:30 AM

Donald Burgess Hotel, 6th Floor Suite

Kingsport

I woke to the sound of cars passing on the road. Six-thirty in the morning. And I wasn’t the only one awake.

“Don’t turn on the light.”

Aurora muttered, sitting on the bed. She was covering her naked body with the blanket. Morning sunlight peeked through the blinds, but her face wasn’t visible.

“How… did I fall asleep? I didn’t take… the medicine.”

I told her she hadn’t taken it. I just said she had fallen asleep as if collapsing. I didn’t think I should mention that Abashina had hypnotized her with a “bang” from behind. Aurora felt various parts of her body.

“What’s this? Why is my body so sticky? You didn’t…”

I told her I had applied ointment to her back.

I also told her the half-truth that I had only applied ointment, and if I had done anything inappropriate, Abashina in the next room would never have stayed quiet.

“Did you see?”

I asked what she meant.

“The bruises. Did you see them?”

I said I hadn’t applied any to her stomach, only her back. Aurora buried her face between her knees.

“…I told you not to look.”

There was a strange tearfulness in her voice.

“I didn’t want to show you things like that. No woman in the world wants to show a body covered in bruises to someone she wants to look good for.”

I honestly told her that some of the bruises were because of me, and I couldn’t bear to see her in such pain all night. After a long silence, Aurora took a deep breath.

“At least you seem sorry. Then. Apply the ointment. But don’t turn on the light. And keep the blinds completely closed.”

Sitting on the bed, Aurora turned toward the wall. I followed her instructions and lowered the blinds to completely block the light. Still, some light seeped through. The bruises weren’t visible, but her delicate silhouette was clear.

Thinking about it, she was always covered in something. Men’s suits. Bulletproof vests. Even robes. Shamelessness. Pride. But somehow she, slightly trembling, looked fragile and precarious. So delicately and intricately formed that it seemed she might shatter if touched wrongly.

Aurora pulled down the blanket. I applied ointment to my fingers and spread it on her shoulder.

“Ugh…”

Aurora’s shoulders hunched. I apologized. I also told her to let me know if it hurt too much.

“No. No. It’s fine. Just a little slower. Gently, softly. Circle the ointment with your fingers, until it gets slightly sticky.”

Instead of spreading it widely at once, I applied it bit by bit. My fingertips became slightly sticky. With each touch of my fingers, Aurora’s body grew a little warmer. After finishing her neck and shoulders, I moved down to her back.

Perhaps growing accustomed, small moans of pleasure replaced her cries of pain. Her body became increasingly moist. Yet I could still feel a gentle vibration through my fingertips. That throbbing, warm, moist sensation was an expression only an honest and passionate heart could make.

“I was a bit… harsh… yesterday, wasn’t I?”

I reassured her that it was understandable. Aurora lowered her head.

“Ah. Aah. There… press a little deeper… I, I, I didn’t mean it yesterday, just, ah! Just, I didn’t want you to get hurt, afraid you might get hurt, ah, ah, ahh…”

Aurora trembled, clutching the blanket. For a moment, it seemed as if her body radiated heat like sunshine. A pleasant scent of skin mixed with the sharp fragrance of herbs.

“Keep going… keep going… more… Yes. Ah. No. Slowly. Slowly. More gently… Yes. Yes. Good. That’s… there aah… what, what should I do now… I feel like I’m going crazy…”

Suddenly, Aurora bit down on the blanket. While doing so, she pressed down on my thighs with both hands. She spat out the blanket, but her breathing became more rapid. The vibration of her heart grew more intense between my fingertips.

“For the first time, really for the first time, I slept comfortably without medicine. We didn’t do anything, yet I was just beside you. I don’t know how long it’s been since I slept so well. I want to sleep more…”

A very solid misunderstanding had formed, and I didn’t know how to resolve it. So I pressed a little harder on the slightly indented area between her back and shoulders. She should have cried out in pain, but instead let out a strangely sensual moan.

“This, this is strange. It hurts, it definitely hurts, but it feels so good… You feel it too, right? Right?”

Her fingers painfully squeezed my thighs, so I told her yes.

“It’s unfair… if it weren’t for that woman next door… I would have… I would have embraced you by now…”

Aurora removed her hands from my thighs. Instead, she gently took both my wrists. Then she pulled my hands to her front. Left hand to her heart. Right hand to her stomach. Moist, soft, throbbing, and warmly alive. The warmth that only one human could give to another.

I gently embraced her with both arms. Aurora trembled with an “ahh,” at the spot where she had been stabbed and bruised.

“Don’t just say you’re sorry… do it… the front too, just like this.”

With my left hand, I fumbled for the ointment container. Unable to turn my head, I relied on touch alone, but my finger sank deep into the container, getting too much ointment. As Aurora kept slightly shifting her body, I carefully applied it to her stomach.

“Ah.”

A stimulating scent wafted from the mixture of slick ointment and sweat.

“Ah, mm, ah. Ah. Slowly, ah. Uh. Mm, ah! Ahh, ah! No. Continue… continue… please… please continue…”

The bruised area seemed wider than I thought. If the injury went deep, it could be serious. I tried to lift my hand slightly to rub more gently, but Aurora pressed my hand down firmly.

“No. Do it. Just like that. Please. Please… hic… I, I, I. I!”

Aurora twisted her body and embraced me with both arms. Before I could say anything, her lips pressed against mine with an “mmph,” and her sticky, warm body entwined with mine. When her clothes came off, revealing not the strong, fierce exterior but the delicate, tender waves of her heart, I simply remained still.

“See. I’m… I’m, I’m so wet… what should I do now. Without you, I’ll have to soak in drugs and alcohol again just to sleep. I’ll spend my days longing for last night. I’ll never sleep like this again…”

Aurora sobbed with her face buried in my chest.

“You won’t stay by my side forever. So why are you doing this to me… I still can’t push you away. I tried to speak harshly and act like I disliked you… but my body seeks you, what should I do? What should I do now?”

Aurora fell on top of me while embracing my back.

Bang bang bang.

“Wake up, sleepyheads!”

It was Abashina’s voice.

“Devilish girl…”

Aurora sighed heavily. I could feel her heart kicking against her ribs in protest, but her body was already cooling down.

Bang bang bang.

“Time for breakfast! I’m opening the door!”

“Don’t go. Don’t go. Please. Just let her see. Let her see how much we love each other.”

Aurora pressed down on me more firmly.

“I don’t want to give you up. I won’t. Why should I hand you over? She can live well without you. I’ll die without you. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me…”

I persuaded Aurora that Abashina would worry. If we didn’t show our faces, she might think assassins had gotten to us and really open the door. Tears flowed from Aurora’s eyes, but she nodded with effort. Then she released me and pulled the blanket over herself.

I put on my robe again and opened the door. Abashina, with a vibrant expression, turned on the light switch. She sniffed the air, then pulled my ear.

“Beast. What happened? I smell fox.”

I had no time to make excuses. Abashina pulled me close, consumed my lips, and opened my mouth with her small, salty tongue. Only after an “mmm, mmph” did Abashina separate from me.

“I thought I could only read blood? I can read any bodily fluid. But this… isn’t from the Beast? Ugh.”

Abashina wiped her lips and tongue with her hand.

“Hmph. At least you didn’t go too far. The Beast didn’t pounce. You controlled yourself well. Anyway, hurry and wash up. If I smell even a drop of fox scent… I’m going to eat first. I’m hungry.”

Abashina whisked away to the first-floor dining room. Aurora was still under the blanket. Only after I closed the door did she rise. Without a stitch of clothing.

“Hold me.”

I did as she asked.

“In the end, you got up to reassure that woman. Even though I begged you not to leave. Yes. I was one step too late, wasn’t I? But so what?”

Aurora’s arms tightened around me.

“People should live as they’ve always lived. I prefer taking things. Let that woman like you all she wants. Let her like a woman she can never have. Because I’m going to take you.”

My back started to hurt. Her lips branded my shoulder like a seal. Her chest too seemed to swell with anger.

“I can’t live without you now. And I’ll make sure you can’t live without me either. And, fox scent?”

So she heard. Aurora released me. Her entire body brimmed with energy like an excited matador.

“She doesn’t know how clever foxes are. Assistant. You shower first. Hurry up and come out. Then I’ll shower, so be ready.”

I said if I had known this would happen, I would have applied the ointment after washing. Aurora looked at me as if I’d said something absurd.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Of course I need more. This time, not just my back and stomach, I’d like you to apply some to my chest too. It feels a bit tight. What are you doing? Hurry up and undress. We don’t have much time.”