Yellow and orange encroaches upon the roofs. It won’t be long before the road becomes tighter packed than potted meat.

Boiled cockles? They’re a little small right now, though. Later, mayhaps. I’m not having duck noodles for supper again. And I’ve eaten far too much chicken and pig’s blood jelly for the week. Hm. Yes. Soba does sound nice. I—

… someone returns my gaze.

A man at the road’s middle. The black spot on his upper right arm and the tufts of hair that sprouts from it. The unevenly shaved hair around his mouth. And the penis fetish hanging from his neck.

“tch. Do you intend on not greeting your senior, Unshun?” He must be twenty-three by now.

“Ah.” Clasping my hands together, I briefly bow; my thumb resting at my nose. “My mistake. It -has- been some time.”

“I think that much is self-evident.” Xong returns a nod. The Night Watch officer shifts his eyes away from my face. A long sigh is let out as he notices a kiseru around my waist.

“You know, I don’t approve of this. Nevermind what I did- what I do. Is being a barber so stressful, it pushes you to smoke, junior?” It’s nice to know listening to him is as grating as ever.

“Lice is one -hell- of a thing, senior.”

“Whoa. What’s with the hostility?” The senior puts his hands up and steps a bit further back.

“I do not… understand?” A puzzled expression strikes my face. My brows are starting to hurt from all the tension and twisting it does.

“That sounds a little too coarse.”

“I- that— that wasn’t my intention, senior.” I am certain my tone was not so different than before. Whatever. “fault mine. again.”

“Hm?” He appears vexed, as if my previous words disappeared into the air before it reached his ears. “fuckin’ dog’s cunt.”

“The fuck did you say, junior.” His hands drop to his hips. The fingers curl, in imitation of a claw. It does not make him any less a coward.

“How sharp your ears become. So suddenly.” Interesting, is it not, how my —quieter— murmurs reach his ears fine.

“That’s out of line, junior. You will be taking that back.”