Yokai by Dave Ferraro

down, uncertainty
crossing his features, and perhaps disappointment. “You’ll have to
do, I suppose,” he said, stepping forward boldly.
    And then Yumiko noted a green thread
that stretched out from behind him, disappearing into the wall. She
gave the man a second appraising look as she realized that he’d
been marked by a yokai.
    The man bowed. “I need your
help.”

Chapter Four

    Yumiko had just poured tea for herself
and her guest when Madame Mori returned. She entered the
antechamber with a bow and allowed Yumiko to wait on her, as she
appraised her client.
    “ I am Madame Mori,” Mori
announced as soon as Yumiko took a seat across from the young man.
“What can I do for you?”
    The man seemed to be appraising Madame
Mori with as much scrutiny as she did him, but then he bowed his
head respectfully. “I’ve come seeking help. Protection.”
    “ Protection?”
    “ He is marked by a yokai,”
Yumiko told her.
    The man looked up at her sharply, and
nodded confirmation.
    “ What is your name, young
man?” Mori asked.
    “ Forgive me,” he bowed his
head again. “I am Shou Fujiwara.”
    “ Well, Mr. Fujiwara, why
don’t you start from the beginning.”
    Shou nodded. “It happened just an hour
ago. I was getting off of work, and walking along the streets
toward my house, as usual, when I noticed a woman
nearby.”
    “ An hour ago?” Yumiko
interrupted, looking at the clock. It was presently two in the
morning.
    He scowled. “I work at a host
club.”
    Yumiko nodded politely as it clicked
for her. It had only occurred an hour ago, which meant that he
worked in the red light district somewhere. Being a handsome guy,
probably eighteen or nineteen, it made sense that he would be a
host, and working this late.
    Host clubs were where women went to
literally buy attention from attractive men. A man of their
choosing would shower them with attention in the club, flirting
with them, filling their drinks, that sort of thing. The same sort
of thing existed for men, seeking the attention of women – hostess
clubs. Of course, an attractive man like Shou would be in his
element at a host club, where he was paid to have fun and flirt.
Sex with clients was strictly forbidden in the club, but Yumiko was
sure that many hosts and hostesses brought clients to the love
hotel after hours. It was just one little push from what they were
doing at the clubs, although it was considered rude for a client to
ask a host or hostess to see them outside of club hours.
    “ So, you left the club as
usual?” Mori prodded.
    Shou recollected himself and nodded.
“Yes. Like I said, I was walking along, minding my own business,
when I noticed a woman up ahead, in a white kimono. She had a fan
held up to her face. It’s been pretty hot, so I didn’t think much
of it.”
    Yumiko nodded, already knowing where
this was going.
    “ So,” Shou continued,
licking his lips, “She stepped into my path and looked up through
her eyelashes at me, almost shyly, and asked ‘Do you find me
beautiful?’ To be polite, I answered ‘yes, of course,’ and went to
step around her, but she stepped into my path again. I was ready to
tell her off, that I’d had a long day and just wanted to get to
bed, but then she…she lowered her fan.” He swallowed hard. “Her
face was still bleeding from the cut. It ran from one ear to the
other. At first I thought it was makeup, that it couldn’t be real,
but…it was.” He looked away.
    “ You weren’t a believer,”
Mori commented.
    “ No, I…I wasn’t. Not until
this happened. I’ve always been interested in yokai, but as myths
and legends, not as….reality. I just never considered that they
were actually out there.”
    “ Most are non-believers
until they experience it for themselves,” Mori nodded. She waved to
Shou. “What happened next?”
    “ Well, I’ve heard of the
Slit-Mouthed Woman before,” he told her. “As a kid, I was pretty
obsessed with yokai actually, and I always thought that