The Witch's Toy ✔

9: a stuffed teddy bear

"I wouldn't have thought that disease would bring you right to him."

I glanced at Raphael who looked as if he was reluctant to come, eyes not really focused on anything in particular but the blur of apartment houses in front of us.

His hands were shoved into his the pockets of his black pants, and he spoke through a cream-colored muffler that he'd wound around his bare neck — something he borrowed from my closet. Although he couldn't  feel the cold, or rather, couldn't feel changes in temperature at all, he'd told me that he enjoyed acting like a human being. I told him it was stupid, but he still did whatever he liked.

"Well, I'm still not sure if this is really one of the four evils," I said, voice a little breathy for having to walk faster in order to match Raphael's long strides. "It could just be a spirit lingering in their house that's causing the sickness. My mother used to tell me that they often times made regular human beings fall victim to pseudo-illnesses."

His jaw tightened. I didn't know what was making him so tense.

Letting out a puff of air, I reached out to grab the back of his coat, forcing him to a stop. He turned, brows raised in question. "What's wrong, darling?"

I pressed my lips together, shaking my head. "No, what's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem like you don't want to do this." I motioned in front of me, towards where the girl's home was. "And I honestly don't know why. I thought you were set on the idea that the reason why you're still with me is because you're supposed to help me catch the other four evils. If not, I might as well tell you goodbye and do all this by myself."

"Darling, you're too quick to judge on baseless assumptions," Raphael responded, crimson eyes flashing. He ran his fingers through his hair, glancing away for a moment. "I had only hoped you wouldn't have to meet another one of those cursed demons so soon. You're still recovering from losing Azazel."

My heart ached a little, squeezing against the confines of my chest.

So he knew.

I held his gaze for a few seconds, wavering a little, then broke it, continuing on towards the girl's home. "Sorry for accusing you of something you didn't mean," I murmured.

The last thing I thought he'd be thinking about was me, and it was embarrassing to know that I'd gotten his thoughts so seriously wrong. While he already knew so much about me, I barely knew anything about him. It was frustrating, but it made me flustered that he considered my well-being. But why was I like this? Even with the short amount of time that had passed, he had already showed me more concern than what I usually received in years combined. I should be already used to it all.

We spent the rest of the way in a silence I knew Raphael wanted to break. But as the perceptive person he always was, he understood why I didn't want to talk and kept it like that for me.

When I finally reached the girl's address, I rang the door bell before taking a step back. Raphael stood close behind me, and I had the urge to move away a little, but I didn't.

"Yu Rui!" The girl from before swung the door open, obviously relieved to see that I came. She pulled me into a quick hug that I stayed rigid in. I couldn't see Raphael's face, but I had a feeling that he was either really shocked or amused to see me in such a position. Probably the latter.

I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, looking at her shining eyes, then glancing back at Raphael whose expression was unreadable. "Ah... this is Raphael," I said. "He has more knowledge in a shaman's work than I do, so I brought him with me."