She almost reminded him of someone...from long ago... his miko...No, they were nothing alike. Ranmaru vigorously shook his head. His miko love had been serene, refined, tranquil, angelic, weak and Kusanagi was...well, a whirlwind, loud, spastic, fiery, strong, alive, interesting…
Ranmaru shook his head, not liking where his thoughts were going. He was Kusanagi’s bodyguard, her Samurai Butler 62
nothing more. He had a duty to protect her. That was all. Although maybe Kusanagi wasn’t so bad after all.... Kimamura- san interrupted his thoughts, “Keep your sword with you at all times, Ranmaru. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t fail her again.” There was a weight behind that last word that Ranmaru felt.
Kimamura’s expression then turned relaxed as he turned his attention to Katsumi, “Ah, you must be a friend of my darling granddaughter Kusanagi. It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss...?”
Kimamura- san stuck out his hand for Katsumi to take.
“It’s Katsumi.” She shyly gave him her hand.
“Call me, K-san if you want. I think we should really get better acquainted. How would you like to join me for a cup of coffee little lady?” Kimamura- san snuck his arm around Katsumi’s shoulders smoothly.
She blushed slightly at the unexpected attention, “Uh, alright, Mister K- san.”
BONK
Roze had bonked Kimamura- san over the head and began to escort Katsumi out of the room, looping her arm through Katsumi’s, “I shall accompany you as well, I think. I can’t very well leave you alone with this perverted old man after all.”
Kimamura- san pushed himself up off the ground frowning and rubbing his head. A pout formed on his lips and he feigned a hurt expression. “Roze, I’m hurt. Is that what you really think of me? I just wanted to get to know this girl that has actually managed to befriend my granddaughter. Perhaps, she could give an old man a few pointers on how to get on his granddaughter’s good side.”
“Sure.” Roze didn’t sound too convinced, “Watch out for him Katsumi he’s a complete pervert.”
“Oh I see.” Katsumi agreed while nodding gravely. Ranmaru, a slightly bemused expression on his face, watched them go and then turned his attention back to Kusanagi. I won’t fail you again...Oujo-sama.
***
A few days later, the spoiled Oujo-sama was allowed to go back home. Right off the bat Kusanagi ordered several complex dishes for Ranmaru to prepare for her as well as several Bitch 63
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highly advanced, French deserts and had ordered them all to be brought to her private quarters. Ranmaru had prepared all the dishes and desserts perfectly and was confused about why Kusanagi only seemed to become irritated by this. Ranmaru scratched his head thoughtfully - his new Mistress was certainly hard to please.
He set down one of the last cakes he had made on the table before her. Kusanagi raised an eyebrow at the cake not recognizing it, so Ranmaru felt the need to give her a description of the cake. “Opera Cake. It’s made with layers of almond sponge cake that have been soaked in coffee syrup. I have layered it with ganache and coffee butter cream. The cake is covered in a chocolate glaze.” Ranmaru inwardly smirked as he watched the expression on Kusanagi’s face change to one of longing and desire – for the cake that is.
Kusanagi noticed that Ranmaru’s gaze was upon her, however, and quickly schooled her expression. Kusanagi continued to try and keep a straight face as she lifted her fork and took a small bite of the cake. She couldn’t stop her eyes from widening slightly since the cake was the most delicious one she had ever tried before.
Ranmaru was standing close by the small dining table that was in Kusanagi’s bedroom and watched her eat the cake intently. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye when all of a sudden just as she was raising another bite to her lips her hand suddenly stopped. Then a dangerous glint formed in her emerald green eyes. Uh oh...she’s thought of something and with an expression like that it can’t be good. Ranmaru gulped when he realized that he was alone with his new Mistress...in her room...for the very first time.
Was she going to try something? Torture him? Use him like all the other women had? Ranmaru was beginning to feel sick at the thought. Not that Kusanagi wasn’t an attractive woman or that he wasn’t attracted to her but...to simply be used by someone like a tool or toy without any feeling just made Ranmaru feel sick, pathetic, and less like a real man and 64
reminded him of sadly what he had become and been reduced to - A Spell-Collared yokai slave.
Kusanagi sat up and pushed her chair back from the table and began to take off her shoes as Ranmaru watched her actions suspiciously.
“Ah, my feet are just killing me.” Kusanagi began to take her socks off as well and then she sat back down in the chair and began to wave one of her feet in the air. “Oh, servant, I mean Butler- san would you mind giving me a foot massage?” An evil smile was forming on her lips.
Ranmaru, who was on the verge of hyperventilating, blinked. That was it? No, I mustn’t be fooled. She’s just luring me into a false sense of security and then she plans to make her move...
Though Ranmaru’s emotions were in inner turmoil due to the dark memories of HER Kusanagi’s suddenly bitchy demeanor had drudged up, Ranmaru did not show any outward signs of his fear or trepidation. Instead, he continued to wear a cool mask of indifference.
Instead he merely bowed, “Of course, Oujo-sama.” He had to remember not to give her one of his fake smiles. He then went over to kneel at her feet and began to massage her foot. Kusanagi looked down at him and a look of surprise crossed her face fleetingly before her expression once again turned haughty. She watched him massage her feet with a pleased look on her face and Ranmaru noticed with growing unease she was still wearing that evil smile.
Ranmaru was once again very confused . Does she really think that massaging her feet like this is some sort of punishment? No...she can’t be that naive. And Ranmaru had his pride as a Samurai Butler and so concentrated on the task at hand since he at least had to do his very best. Ranmaru happened to be very good at massages...well, sensual massages really, and so he knew all the ‘pleasure points’ that would stimulate a woman and turn her into putty in his hands. Ranmaru broke out a bottle of scented jasmine oil (don’t ask) and slowly began to massage her foot with it.
Despite herself Kusanagi let out a groan of pleasure... Ranmaru smiled ever so slightly, a barely there smile, and Bitch 65
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continued his ministrations. That is until he sniffed the air and smelled the unmistakable scent of Kusanagi’s arousal. Hm, so he had been right all along. His Mistress wanted to use him for sex. Well, it’s not like he had much of a say in the matter anyways if that’s what she really wanted. If she wanted him - she could have him. He belonged to her.
Ranmaru brought his hand up to massage Kusanagi’s leg next...up towards her knee...then up her inner thigh...running his hands towards...
Kusanagi’s eyes that had been shut closed in pleasure and relaxation suddenly snapped open and she glared down at the oblivious Ranmaru angrily and-BAM
Kusanagi bonked Ranmaru over the head - hard. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing pervert! Hentai! ”
Ranmaru looked up and blinked at Kusanagi in surprise. Had he read her wrong? Ranmaru sniffed the air again. No...her scent...she was aroused...He lowered his head and looked at the floor. “But Mistress...isn’t ‘this’ what you wanted...for me to...pleasure you?”
Kusanagi gaped, mouth dropping open in complete and utter shock, “P-p-pleasure me? What in heaven’s name gave you that idea!”
Ranmaru looked up and met her green eyes with his golden ones, “Your arousal.” He deadpanned.
Kusanagi blinked and then spazzed out. “My...WHAT?
There is NO-” She began to deny, red in the face.
“I can smell it.”
Kusanagi turned even redder at this. She seemed rendered speechless for a moment before she frowne
d.
“That’s...disgusting. Yokai are just so...” Kusanagi threw her arms up into the air, “I just can’t believe this! You....!” Kusanagi narrowed her eyes at Ranmaru. “Just what kind of a Samurai Butler are you anyways? It’s like you’re some sort of ex-pleasure slave or something. Ha! Some guy with a dark and tortured past. Heh, like that could happen. There I go again...me and my 66
overactive imagination. There’s no way an emotionless, stoic moron like you could be a pleasure slave. Ha!” Kusanagi shook her head at her own wild and impossible imagination and pinned Ranmaru with a fierce stare.
Ranmaru just blinked back at her wisely deciding to keep silent since what she had just said was 100% on the mark. Heh.
“Nope, you’re just a pervert. I’m beginning to think I better set down some ground rules since you seem completely clueless about a little thing called ‘personal space.’ Number one, don’t try and read me with those yokai senses of yours, it’s totally creepy and you’re just going to end up misunderstanding things. Because two, even if you smell, you know…” Kusanagi looked sideways in embarrassment. “Smell something. That doesn’t mean that I actually want you. Because I don’t. Let’s make that clear now. I mean, obviously my body is having a reaction to you but that has nothing to do with this. What matters are my heart and my feelings. I wouldn’t do something intimate like that with someone unless…” Kusanagi frowned, hesitating, her brows furrowing. “Argh!” She ruffled her hair in exasperation. “Alright, I’ll just come out and say it. Unless…I WAS IN LOVE WITH
THEM OKAY? YOU HAPPY NOW? MOU! I can’t believe I had to say that out loud!” Kusanagi waved her hands frantically in the air before her as her face turned even redder. Ranmaru’s eyes widened and he was looking at his Mistress in a mixture of slight wonder, awe and shock. He had completely misjudged his Mistress and made a complete fool out of himself (and her). His Mistress was nothing at all like HER. His new Mistress deserved his respect. She was a real lady. Even if she was perhaps a bit bitchy at times. Ranmaru bowed low before her, “Forgive me, Oujo-sama. I never meant any disrespect. I...deserve punishment.” Ranmaru kept his head bowed.
Kusanagi however didn’t take him seriously and broke out laughing, “Oh, so melodramatic. I forgive you, baka-san. Just don’t do it again. But if you want punishment...” Kusanagi tapped her chin thoughtfully. Ranmaru gulped as she got that same mischievous glint in her eye again. “How about you go and clean out the stalls and cages in my menagerie.” A cat’s paw smile formed on her face that said ‘Gotcha.’
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Ranmaru fell over.
***
Ranmaru continued to observe his new Mistress throughout the week but still couldn’t figure out his fascinating Mistress. At times she eerily reminded him of HER. But then ended up surprising him by doing a 180-degree turn around and being nice or just acting incomprehensible. Kusanagi’s orders and punishments from Ranmaru’s perspective were a joke. They were nothing compared to what he had once been forced to endure. But Kusanagi acted as though she were making him do absolutely horrible things. Although she did seem incredibly irritated, angry and annoyed when he managed to carry out her insane orders flawlessly or took her ‘punishments’ without batting an eye. Also, his quiet and stoic nature seemed to get on her nerves a lot and occasionally she randomly started to shake Ranmaru and yell something along the lines of ‘Show some emotion DAMMIT!’. Yes, his new Mistress was a handful but she was also very interesting, fun to watch, and completely unpredictable.
He tried to think back to a time when he had had so much fun...and then he would remember his miko love...and then sadness would overtake him.
No it was better not to think of her. And to...move on. Ranmaru thought that he and his new Mistress were getting along rather well - at least from his perspective. Ranmaru had gotten into the habit of following Kusanagi to school and after the hair yokai incident Kusanagi hadn’t ordered him home either. Ranmaru saw this as progress. Was this because he had gained some of Kusanagi’s trust somehow? Or did she perhaps realize she couldn’t fight this battle on her own anymore? Or maybe deep down she was actually simply afraid. Whatever the case Ranmaru was glad that the stubborn Oujo-sama was allowing him to be near her. That way he wouldn’t fail her again.
Ranmaru was peeking out from behind a tree that he was watching Kusanagi from as she ate her lunch under another tree, 68
which was not too far away from himself when he realized there was someone else sharing his hiding place on the other side of the tree.
Both stalkers turned to look at each other in surprise before Katsumi let out a frightened shriek. “Eeee~! It’s a perverted stalker!”
Katsumi then grabbed her school bag and proceeded to hit Ranmaru mercilessly and repetitively over the head with it while yelling: ‘ Hentai! ’ ‘Pervert!’ in time with her blows. Ranmaru calmly removed his mask as blood tricked down his face, “Oi Lady Katsumi, it’s me.” He informed her gruffly. Katsumi blinked when she recognized Ranmaru. “Oh! Oh my goodness! Ranmaru- san! What on earth are you doing here, like totally?” She was looking at Ranmaru with a somewhat starry-eyed gaze.
Ranmaru nodded in Kusanagi’s direction.
Katsumi nodded knowingly, “Aha, naruhodo, I see, you’re watching over Kusanagi. Sooo, you’re Kusanagi’s bodyguard huh? That is like sooo cool! Like oh my god. I mean I knew Kusanagi was rich and everything but I had no idea the yakuza were like after her! That’s just awful! But I guess that could explain a few things...” Katsumi trailed off thoughtfully. Ranmaru’s interest was piqued. “What things?”
Katsumi seemed surprised that Ranmaru had actually been paying attention to what she had been saying and blushed.
“Oh! Well...there are these crazy rumors at school that Kusanagi is cursed or something. She used to read people’s fortunes with tarot cards but then people started dying around her and then they began to blame Kusangi because she had predicted it. Of course there was no proof...but that didn’t stop them from dumping the blame on her. But if the yakuza are after her it’s no wonder the people around her tend to get hurt. Maybe that’s why she chooses to be alone...”
“Alone?”
Katsumi nodded, “She’s always alone. I...noticed it. She pushes people away but I think that deep down Kusanagi is neither a bad person nor what everyone calls her, a bitch. Ah, but maybe that’s just me teehee~” Katsumi bonked her head playfully, sticking out her tongue. “Everyone thinks she’s some Bitch 69
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kind of juvenile delinquent since she’s always beating up people and has all those piercings but I think it may just all be an act.”
Her blue eyes sparkled.
Ranmaru gave a surprised look to the cat girl who seemed to be more perceptive that she appeared. Appearances could be deceiving, Ranmaru knew this all too well. “Perhaps, but what were you doing here?” Ranmaru couldn’t help but ask. Katsumi blushed, “Oh! I, well, I was just worried about her...you know. That’s all really...I just want to be her friend.”
That was when Kusanagi noticed the two of them making a complete racket and stalked over to them angrily, her temple throbbing in ire. “Aha! What the hell do you two weirdos think you’re doing?”
Katsumi and Ranmaru both jumped at the sound of Kusanagi’s loud, shrill voice and her sudden appearance. Scary.
“Bunch of weirdo stalkers!” Kusanagi turned her glare on Ranmaru, “And would you stop coming to school dressed that way! You look way too suspicious! It’s embarrassing! Mou!
Baka! Weirdo! Hentai! ” She then turned to glare in Katsumi’s direction next, her flipped-up black hair flying, “And as for you-”
Kusanagi suddenly stopped and stared at Katsumi for a moment, Ranmaru noticed. No, she was staring at a point directly behind Katsumi but when Ranmaru turned to see what Kusanagi was looking at he didn’t see anything there. How odd. If it had been a ghost or spirit Ranmaru would have been able to see i
t because of his immense spiritual power.
Kusanagi seemed to catch herself though and quickly recomposed herself before continuing to glare at Katsumi.
“You’re annoying! So just leave me the hell alone! Hmph!”
Kusanagi turned on her heal, flipped her hair and stomped off. Ranmaru quirked his head at her puppy-dog like. What had that been all about?
Katsumi sniffled as tears filled up in her baby-blue eyes, her cat ears pressed against her head sadly. Ranmaru looked down at his all black outfit - was it really that suspicious? “Lady Katsumi, what would be...more suitable 70
attire to come to school in?”
Katsumi’s emotional state did a 180, and her blue eyes sparkled playfully, “Oooo~ you just leave that to me! I have the purrfect plan.”
And that was how Ranmaru ended up ‘borrowing’ a male student school uniform from Akai Bara Academy and coming to Kusanagi’s school wearing it. Of course, the new ‘transfer student’ caused quite a stir among the female student population since Ranmaru was quite handsome but what caused even more of a stir was that Ranmaru and Katsumi were oftentimes seen together.
Ranmaru was pleased that he was now able to stalk, err, keep an eye on Kusanagi without bringing too much attention to himself. Though he couldn’t really help all the attention he was automatically getting just from being good looking. But that week, Ranmaru noted that Kusanagi’s behavior seemed to get stranger and stranger. As if she was hiding something...dire. She also did not look well. There were dark shadows under her eyes from obvious lack of sleep. Was she having nightmares? Ranmaru wondered worriedly. And her eyes seemed to nervously dart from different students as if she expected to see the appearance of ‘something’ or maybe
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