Chapter 43 – Kaya does a strange dance

If the place where I live is a high class residential district, Kaya’s is a regular middle class one.

It has apartment complexes for people living alone, houses for two-generation families, and everything in between. This area where buildings of different sizes stand next to each other is different from the high class residential district, where every single street light has to be looked after, or the commercial street with its showy stores. It’s fair to say that no care at all is put into aesthetics here.

This point is proven when I look to the side of the road and see trash rolling around. It’s not like no one cleans it, it’s just that they can’t catch up.

This place can’t hope to compete with the other two in terms of beauty, but I kind of like it here. My parents’ house isn’t here, but it’s in a middle class residential district too.

Kaya’s place is in the corner of a compact two story building. It’s not high class or anything, but it’s definitely not the place for someone with no job.

“Hey there Weiss. What brings you here?”

Kaya greets us with a smile after we suddenly show up here. She really does have nothing to do.

She’s supposed to be penniless, but she’s wearing brand new loungewear. I’m sure Sieglinde lent her some money.

Contrasting with her clothes is her unkempt hair, that shows she was just lazing around. That’s convenient for me.

“Sorry, but can I come in?”

“…? Sure, but there’s nothing here.”

“That’s fine.”

Kaya’s room is equipped with the bare essential furniture, but it really is just the bare essential. It feels empty.

She prompts me to sit down at the table, but I say no and jump right into it.

I’m not planning on staying here too long.

“I know this is sudden, but I want you to look after the angel bear for a week.”

“Beary!”

Ririi stands on her tippy-toes and holds Beary up.

…Do I have to say that in front of people… It’s embarrassing.

“…I want you to look after Beary.”

“Eh…”

It doesn’t look like she’s too happy about my request.

She glances at Beary in Ririi’s arms, and frowns even harder.

“Why don’t you ask that scary woman, Sieglinde? She’s a big shot, isn’t she? She even got me this room really fast.”

Says Kaya as she looks around with a satisfied expression on her face. Her face is like she’s saying this is the castle she always dreamed of.

“She’s busy. I think she could figure something out, but I don’t want to bother her if I can help it. And you know a lot about angel bears, don’t you?”

“Not really, all I did was patrol. So there you have it, ask someone else.”

Kaya says while gesturing like she’s wiping her hands.

…I really wanted to ask her, but it looks like that’s not going to be possible.

“All right, I’ll ask someone else.”

I’m lying.

I put the white coin I placed on the table to be her payment back in my pocket, and she reacts to the metallic sound.

She points at the table and my pocket, and speaks like she’s flustered.

“Eh, wai… Did you just put something there?”

“The white coin I was going to pay you.”

“White coin? How much is that?”

“A million zeni.”

“Buoh!?”

Kaya spits out, and starts coughing with her eyes glued to my pocket.

“A-a-a-a-a million!?”

“It’s a long time, so I figured it’d be reasonable.”

Actually, I just have no idea how much people usually pay in these cases. It’s not like I ever asked anyone to look after a pet.

“Ahh… Ahh…!”

…Maybe a white coin is too intense for someone used to making fifteen thousand zeni a year.

She’s staring at my pocket with bloodshot eyes, breathing heavily, and drooling.

She slowly turns to Ririi, and inches her way towards her. This creeps out Ririi, who takes a step back.

“Fue… Ah!”

But Kaya doesn’t care, and quickly snatches Beary from her arms.

She did it just like a purse snatcher. She’s not a criminal, is she?

“Kyu…”

Beary sounds sad in her arms.

“Leave this little guy to me while you’re gone. You can count on this angel bear master.”

“…Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

Kaya taps her chest full of confidence, as a cloud called worry starts hanging over my heart.

“Of course! How many angel bears do you think I’ve raised so far?”

“Didn’t you say you don’t really know a lot about them?”

“You must have misheard me. Come on, gimme my payment.”

She sticks out her hand, and while I’m still not feeling too sure about this, I place the white coin on it.

“…Kyaho! I’m rich!”

Kaya starts doing a strange dance with Beary still in her arms. Is that a dance people in her village offer to god or something? It looks silly, but she looks happy.

“Hey, I think it goes without saying, but I’ll be taking that back if anything happens to Beary.”

“I know. Even I treat living beings with respect. Don’t you have something to do? Go go.”

This time she’s really pushing us out.

“Guhehe…”

“Kyu…”

We leave Kaya’s place, with Kaya’s face that’s smiling so much that it looks like it’s melting, and Beary’s sad eyes behind us.

I’m kind of worried, but I’ll just have to trust her.