To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

25 • Late Winter Gift

Muichiro wiped the blood staining his sword, lost in his thoughts. Huh? How did I come to be here again? Wasn't I with Inori? His head tilted backward, staring at the ceiling. Oh, right. I got a new mission and told her to go home first.

"Tokito-sama, is there anything you need?" The owner of the Wisteria House, a kind old man, asked. "If there is anything that could satisfy your stay here, please don't hesitate to tell me."

"Anything I need?" Muichiro tilted his head to the side. Oh, right. Didn't Inori celebrate her birthday a few days ago? Did she celebrate it? Her birthday is during winter, I think? He remembered her telling him she was born during a snowstorm. Mine is during the summer. Inori said it's cool how our birthdays contrast. I think she gave me something for my birthday? I think she did. He kept it somewhere he could easily see, he was sure of it. Is it a tradition? Should I give her something too? I want to give her something. What should I give her?

"Yes? Is there anything you need?"

"A gift...where can I buy it?"

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

Muichiro walked through the bustling streets with half of his mind high up in the clouds. What were those clouds called again? Why is the sky blue again? Inori knows, doesn't she? She said someone taught her about the skies and the stars and space a long time ago.

"Caw! Muichiro!" Ginko landed on his shoulder. "Don't space out! You'll bump into bumpkins!"

"What would Inori like?" He asked the crow. "It's her birthday, right?"

"On the eighteenth," Ginko begrudgingly answered, ruffling her feathers until it slapped against Muichiro's face. "And I don't know! Just buy her something sweet or something!"

"Why do you hate her so much?" But Muichiro didn't really care about that, too busy looking left and right for anything that caught his attention. He half-listened to Ginko's obnoxious cawing as he walked through the crowded market.

Muichiro stopped from stall to stall, ignoring the grumbles of the vendors when he left without buying anything. Inori likes sweets, maybe I should buy her something sweet? I think her favorite was mochi? No, isn't it anpan? Or was it manju? He couldn't remember. But, uh, who was it again? I think someone likes to give her food. I want to give her something else.

There was a stall that sold pretty kimonos, and he recalled how she got cold easily, shivering even though nobody else was, then laughing it off, saying things like she didn't feel cold or anything. But, uh, the wolf with the scars, what was his name again? He gave her a haori, right? The one she wears all the time.

He stopped by a stall selling jewelry. Inori's butterfly hairpin too, she got it from someone, er, the butterfly lady from the Butterfly House, the one with the nice smile. But she wears them all the time, so maybe I should give her something she can wear too.

Inori liked the stars, Muichiro was sure of that much, at least. But only that much. Should I buy her something related to the stars? It was the only thing he knew she would like. Yeah, something related to the stars should do. Muichiro kept walking with his mind high in the clouds, occasionally bumping into people and ignoring their protests.

"You've been staring at that for a long time." The vendor's comment snapped Muichiro out of his daze. Huh? What am I doing here again? Oh, right. I'm buying a gift for Inori. "Are you planning on buying that? I don't really think it suits you."

Muichiro stared down at the golden earrings that caught his eye. It was three simple golden stars connected by one line, no gemstones or anything decorating it. But for some reason, he felt like he should know something he didn't, and he felt like Inori would be happy to receive that. "That's a, um, a constellation? What was it again?"