EPISODE 3

LET’S WORK AT THE AUTUMN FESTIVAL! (PART 2: PM)

“Good work~.”

“Yes, good work this morning.”

When Ryouta and Tamaki entered the cathedral room that had been set aside for eating, they praised each other.

There were staff lunches prepared in the corner, as well as bottles of tea beside them.

It was, in a word, sweltering. Ryouta didn’t have the appetite for lunch, but he wouldn’t last through the day without eating.

“Man, I’m tired… I didn’t think I’d be this happy to be in the shade.”

Ryouta had been working under the scorching sun this whole time. He was thankful just to relax inside.

“Yes…I am dark from the depths of my heart, so to be under so much light… It feels like all my sins will be illuminated… I’m sorry! I know you will never forgive me even if I apologize, but I am sorry!”

“I’m not sure what kind of sins you have, Shijou, but I’m sure they’re no big deal!”

“Sigh, I want to go back to the library. That’s where I belong…”

Tamaki gazed off into the distance. Right—she was part of the library committee. Perhaps she was imagining calm, elegant bookshelves in her mind’s eye.

“Libraries are nice. They’re quiet,” Ryouta remarked.

“Yes. There’s no one around, and there’s a slight chill to them. Most of the people are there to study for tests, so they have no intention of reading. Many borrow books but then never return them, even after they are due. Oh, calling students to ask them to give back their lent publications tires me out so much… Those sorts of people don’t often pick up the phone. Some even get angry with me… And then when they finally return them, they’ve made lines in the book with pencils and whatnot. It’s so tiring to erase those… We should just do away with libraries.”

“Be a little more positive about them! You’re a committee member!”

Hey…that felt pretty good.

It was a slightly strange reaction to have, but he’d made a straightforward jab, one he hadn’t been too conscious about. In sports terms, it was like muscle memory.

The weird atmosphere between Ryouta and Tamaki at breakfast had probably eased a little bit.

“The back parts of the library are even worse, you know. The books aren’t in order at all, so it’s like a maze— Oh.”

Tamaki’s face grew red as she was apparently reminded of something unpleasant.

“I apologize for what I did back then… I am truly, truly sorry!”

Indeed—it was in that library where Tamaki had sucked Ryouta’s blood. When Ryouta thought more about it, he realized he’d likely picked a poor topic to pursue.

“Don’t worry about it! It’s fine!”

He had to steer their conversation away from that. Otherwise, a lot could go wrong.

“Oh yeah, why did you become a member of the library committee?”

“It wasn’t because of any negative reasons. I didn’t lose at rock-paper-scissors or have someone tell me that the dark library suited my personality. I ran for the position myself.”

A somewhat confident look crossed Tamaki’s face.

“Hey, good on you! You like books that much, huh?”

“No, that’s not it at all.”

“Then why?”

“Because it meant I’d go home later in the day, lessening the time I have to spend with my family.”

“I’m sorry, that’s too serious for me to poke fun at.”

Tamaki was like an office worker who had a bad relationship with her spouse.

“No, we’re not fighting or anything, but whenever my mother sees my face, she can’t stop complaining. She grumbles about work, about politics, about society, about family. I’m so tired of hearing it.”

“Ah, okay…”

Ryouta wanted to talk about lighter things, but the conversation had taken a turn for the heavy.

“Gasp! Ryouta, you don’t have any family here in this country, do you?! I’m so sorry, I was talking about things without consideration for you… I am a failure of a human being, I knew it. I’m a shriveled-up worm on the asphalt.”

“No, my family is a mess, probably because of the curse, so I’m not that lonely. I mean, my sister lives here for reasons unknown, so it’s fine.”

Rei had a full life here in the Empire now. And she even tutored Shiren every day.

The rest of Ryouta’s family had their fair share of issues, so he never really wanted to see them.

His mother, especially, made him uncomfortable by feeding him dubious food.

Akae Asagiri was Ryouta and Rei’s mother, and she doted to a dangerous degree.

Ryouta was certain that part of it was his curse that made him attractive to humans of the opposite sex, but he didn’t think that was the entire reason. Some portion of his mother’s strangeness was natural.

Oh no, Ryouta had grown dangerously close to digging up memories he’d sealed away. Bury them, bury them…

Ryouta put a bit of the omelet from his lunch into his mouth. He used to check the insides of even the smallest omelets back when he was living at home…

“Oh, that’s right, Ry-Ryouta, you were incredibly popular back in Japan, too, right…?” Tamaki hesitantly asked.

“Japan, too? I’m not that popular here. No one’s confessed their love to me.”

“Oh, ah, you’re right. Ha-ha-ha… Tamaki, you birdbrained girl.”

“It was awful in Japan. Every day was a fight for survival…” Ryouta felt a chill just remembering it.

“Um, I’m sorry for asking something that is entirely private, but—no, I know you might not want me to ask, since it is personal—but, um, did you leave a girlfriend behind back in Japan?”

“No.”

Even if Ryouta could have gotten a girlfriend, he would have had to create a system to protect her from people like Kiyomizu. Otherwise, she would’ve been in extreme danger. Every young woman from the kendo club, judo club, and karate club would’ve been lethal threats. That’s what happened when you were cursed with the sort of magnetism Ryouta had.

“The only reason any of them liked me was because of my condition. I could never, ever date any of them. It’d be wrong. Like taking advantage.”

Ryouta wasn’t sure if true love was a thing, but he was absolutely convinced that the affection he’d experienced in Japan was wholly false.

“Y-you’re right. You are so admirable, Ryouta… Ha-ha… Ah!”

Tamaki’s knee bumped her bottle of tea. Ryouta, sitting next to her, was splashed with a bit of the drink.

“Ahhhhhh! I…I—I—I—I—I was careless! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“You don’t have to apologize that much! It was just a little accident.”

“Ohhh, something to dry it with, something to dry it with…oh, a little towel!”

A single, small cleaning cloth sat beside the lunches that had been prepared for the festival staff. Tamaki immediately took it and started to dry Ryouta’s lap.

“Um, the best thing to do is pat dry, right? Oh, it got on your thighs, too…”

Pat, pat, pat.

Tamaki dabbed Ryouta’s lap.

“Shijou, it’s fine, I mean it, you don’t have to…”

From Ryouta’s perspective, this situation could go wrong very quickly. In short, it looked like Tamaki’s face was right up in his groin.

“Oh, it’s all so wet… I’m sorry, I’ll have it dry right away!”

Pat, pat, pat.

Tamaki patted dry his thigh area with the cloth.

Stop! Stop patting me there!

Ryouta wanted to say it out loud, but he couldn’t just yell something like that without sounding perverted.

“It is so wet. Oh, rubbing it would take out more of the moisture, wouldn’t it?”

“Stop, Shijou! Stop! Listen to me!”

Then the door to the lunchroom slid open.

“Heya~. You should be wrapping up with lunch so—oh.”

Alfoncina’s face froze.

And she shut the door.

“I’m sorry! I had no idea things had progressed that far! I’ll keep people away, okay?! But please be sure to use protection! That’s the one thing you have to do! And please contact us for your wedding needs! We will throw you a splendid ceremony that you will remember for the rest of your life!”

Ryouta and Tamaki listened to Alfoncina’s flustered voice coming from the other side of the door.

“Alfoncina, you got it wrong! So please, come back in! Please!”

“Wait, you want a threesome?”

This was getting out of hand.

“No, it’s for all ages! Rated G!”

It took three minutes to explain the situation.

“Well, now that we have that all cleared up, let me tell you about your afternoon work~. Your next job will be taking place in the shade.”

Hearing that was enough to bring Ryouta relief. He thought he would collapse if he had to go back under the blazing sun.

“Do either of you know what kagura is?”

“I’ve heard the word before…but not what it means.”

“I know. It is a dance to serve the gods.” Tamaki knew a lot about this stuff because she was a member of the library committee.

“Right, what you said is mostly correct, Tamaki. So there’s a building in front of this hall of worship that’s mostly just an open platform without walls, right?”

“Yes. That’s the structure between the entrance and the worship hall when you approach from the main path.”

“That’s called the kagura hall—that’s where the priestesses…I mean, sisters, perform their dances to entertain our god.”

“You’re really set on not using the word priestess no matter what, huh!”

In most temples, there would be a washbasin for cleansing the hands just to the side of the entrance. If you continued straight, you’d arrive at an open kagura hall (if the temple had one at all). The area for worship would located be right behind it. That was where people made monetary offerings and prayed—and that was where Ryouta, Tamaki, and Alfoncina were now.

Even farther back was the inner temple, the area where their deity was enshrined. Often, regular visitors weren’t allowed to see such spots, but some places let people come around the side to visit these more sacred areas directly. That was on a case-by-case basis. Also, in rare instances, there were some structures without an inner shrine, where the rocks or the mountain nearby were the direct subjects of worship.

“That means the time’s come for Tamaki to put her priestess outfit to work!”

“Hey, you just called it a priestess outfit!”

“That means the time’s come for Tamaki to put her sister outfit to work!”

“I still heard you say it the first time!”

Alfoncina had an assertive side to her. “Ryouta, you’ll be taking care of odd jobs as a stagehand, so you’ll get a great view of Tamaki’s dancing~…”

“H-how embarrassing… Why would someone like me dance for a god…?” Tamaki unconsciously hid her face with her sleeve.

But for Ryouta, it was a touching gesture.

It feels like everything today was orchestrated for me…

The thought silently crossed Ryouta’s mind that Tamaki would definitely look good dancing.

And since Ryouta would be helping out, there was no doubt he would get to see the performance up close. He could recuperate from his exhaustion watching her.

“Thank you, Alfoncina. I knew you’d do that for me.”

“It is my job to steal people’s hearts, after all~…”

At that moment, another staff member entered the room in a hurry.

“This is bad. The other pries…sister who was going to dance got heatstroke and collapsed…”

“Whaaat?! We start in half an hour! We won’t make it in time! We can’t serve the divine like this!”

Dark clouds suddenly hung over them.

One person couldn’t do the steps of two, so now they needed a replacement.

I feel like things are looking even better for me now!

Without anyone else to dance, Alfoncina was the only one who could pull it off.

The performance would most certainly have a touch of her more mature allure.

And Ryouta would get a special seat to watch the sight. Fantastic.

“Hmm, who could do this on such short notice…? We barely have enough hands to run the show as is…”

Alfoncina seemed genuinely troubled. Then her eyes met Ryouta’s.

Through his gaze, Ryouta tried to transfer his thoughts to her. You’re the only one who can do this. Surely, Alfoncina understood.

“Oh, yes…that’s our only option.” Alfoncina nodded slightly.

“Yes, that is our only option!”

“We cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs.”

“Exactly! Kagura requires the right number of people!”

“Our only choice is for Ryouta to dress up like a girl and dance.”

“What?”

“Wh-why did this happen…?”

Ryouta’s shoulders drooped—and not in an effort to look more feminine. He’d been forced into a priestess outfit and was now among the other dancers. He wasn’t even wearing underwear. This was the worst.

“Are you okay, Ryouta…? What am I saying? Of course you aren’t. You probably want to die after being so humiliated. I’m sorry, this is all because you’re helping me. Please feel free to curse me after you die…”

“Shijou, please don’t let your negative thoughts kill me off without my permission…”

“Then have your eyes been opened to new possibilities? Now that you mention it, you were wearing my clothes when we first met, weren’t you? Have you always been into this, then? I’m sorry, I was talking about other people’s interests like they’re disgusting. Of course, someone like me has no right to be saying anything about what others enjoy. I will gladly lend you my clothes if you wish.”

“I’m not into that at all! I just didn’t have anything else to wear that day!”

Ryouta was dangerously close to being categorized as a pervert in Tamaki’s thoughts, so he corrected her.

He had made a terrible first impression, but he wasn’t into cross-dressing.

“Yes, it suits you way better than I thought it would. My makeup skills are well-done too.”

Alfoncina was looking at Ryouta with a big smile on her face. He had been made into the very picture of a priestess. Truly, few could scheme better than Alfoncina or Ouka.

“Uh, do I really have to do this…?”

“You don’t have to, but I won’t pay you.”

“I’ll do it…”

Could Alfoncina be using work as an excuse to make poor Ryouta do whatever she wanted…?

“You’re way cuter than I thought you’d be. I mean it. I wouldn’t be able to tell you were a guy unless someone told me. You’re so talented, Ryouta~…”

“I’m not happy about that, y’know.”

The time had finally come.

Unsurprisingly, Ryouta hadn’t practiced the steps at all, but he wasn’t much worse than Tamaki.

“All you have to do is watch what the person in front of you is doing and wave your fan as similarly to theirs as you can. The audience won’t be able to tell if it’s right or not anyway. You’ll be fiiine.”

Ryouta really wondered if it was okay to do kagura so haphazardly.

If the archbishop said so, then it was probably fine.

Ryouta followed after Tamaki as the two made their way to the kagura hall.

A huge crowd had already gathered.

There were four dancers in all, including Tamaki and Ryouta. The other two were college student workers (Kaede, Saiko).

They told Ryouta that if he didn’t know what to do, it would be acceptable to simply stand up straight…

The four slowly stepped onto the stage. Once the music began, they would have to move accordingly.

Now that Ryouta thought about it, he didn’t know what kind of music Alfoncina was going to play. The performance seemed very Japanese, so he wondered if they’d get some ancient Japanese court music.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the autumn festival.” From her spot next to the stage, Alfoncina greeted the audience. “We are selling plenty of official YouRou IKou goods, so please pick some up for yourself. We have all sorts for Rouko, Kouko, Kanpiko, Sonko, Bokuko, Kousonryuuko, and others.”

We don’t need that announcement right now!

He couldn’t complain out loud, so he responded with his inner voice.

“Additionally, the body pillows are all out of stock.”

I mean it, we don’t need that information!

“Now, we will have a dance dedicated to our deity. Music, start!”

Ryouta wanted to yell, “We’re dancing to this?!” but he had to concentrate on the steps.

This is the Sacred Blood Empire national anthem… The tune doesn’t match at all…

The two college students in front of Ryouta and Tamaki began to move, gracefully fluttering their fans, paying no mind to the song at all.

They didn’t even need the music, then…

Surprisingly, the audience didn’t seem to mind the mismatched song and dance as they watched the performance.

Maybe this was standard for them.

Suddenly, Ryouta thought he caught a glimpse of familiar faces.

At the far back of the crowd stood Shiren and Kiyomizu.

Oh no, I’ll die of shame if they find out… Don’t notice me, please don’t see me…

“Tamaki really dances beautifully. The other three are doing a pretty good job, too. Song choice is great.”

“I am well aware that you have no sense when it comes to music.”

Phew, I guess they haven’t noticed yet…

“By the way, Kiyomizu, has Ryouta always been into stuff like that?”

“I don’t think so, no. But I love Ryouta dearest. I wouldn’t mind if he liked to cross-dress.”

He’d been found out.

“It is a lot of work making ten thousand sacred yen, huh? The working world is a harsh one.”

“I don’t even need to work, since my family is rich. I could even support Ryouta dearest, too.”

“What?! I have just as much economic power as you. I sometimes buy sizes other than small at McD*nald’s, too! I don’t try to last on a hundred sacred yen for as long as possible or anything!”

“I can see how small-minded your ideas are now.”

Hey, concentrate on the dance, Ryouta thought at the chatting pair. Even so, he didn’t actually want too many eyes on him.

He had to concentrate on the steps, too. As he watched the three young women in front of him, he realized how high-quality Tamaki’s dancing was.

Her movements were so gentle. She was beautiful, almost as though she had been born for this performance.

Even an amateur could tell she was exceptional. She so enraptured Ryouta that he started to slow down a bit, but that was inevitable.

The song eventually came into an end. Ryouta knew there was one more track after this. He wanted one that went a little better with the aesthetic.

This is the worst choice!

Ryouta wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. His stress was building. This was probably a stretching song meant for kids. Who was it who picked this out?

Not only that, but it was also strangely more difficult than the last one. Since the lyrics talked about stretching, it kept drawing Ryouta’s mind away from the dance. It was so hard to focus. He didn’t want things to get more complicated than they already were.

Who can do that?!

Ryouta wanted to scream, but he still couldn’t.

This isn’t even for humans!

He couldn’t interject. This situation was causing a lot of agony for the one who typically took on the commentator role.

And then Ryouta saw more familiar faces.

Ouka, Sasara, and Rei were sitting in special box seats reserved for high ranking Imperials.

“Oh, I really hope Ouka doesn’t notice. She’d make fun of me for it forever…”

Unfortunately, Ryouta’s concern had already come to pass.

“Pfft.”

Ouka brought her hand up to her mouth and laughed slightly. And he was the reason why. She’d found out. She definitely knew now.

It was over. It was all over.

On the other hand, judging by the demeanor of Sasara and Rei, they hadn’t noticed yet.

“How elegant. I am certain that the gods are satisfied with this.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before, but I’m so touched!”

Sasara, especially, seemed spellbound.

It was almost like the face she’d make after creating a new Ouka body pillow. (That was a ridiculous example, but it wasn’t so far out of the question for Sasara.)

“The girl in the back is so dashing…”

Gulp. Ryouta was the girl in the back.

“There is an evanescence, yet a boyish strength to her. I doubt many girls could dance like that…”

Yes, that’s because this young woman was a boy.

“Aww, I really thought we’d be seeing Ryouta here~,” Ouka said readily. She was clearly provoking him.

“That is impossible. It is unprecedented for a man, much less a human, to stand on the ceremonial kagura stage. If that boy pulled such an outrageous trick, even as a joke—”

Sasara pulled her sword a few inches out from its sheath, then immediately clicked it back into place.

“—I would cut him down.”

If she finds out, she’ll kill me…

“Awww, but aren’t men and women equal in this day and age? I’m sure it’s fine. Surely just a little fun couldn’t hurt?”

“With all due respect, while we must correct any social or economic disadvantages caused by the gender gap, this situation counts as neither. The truth is that some activities have been adapted for women, and some activities have been adapted for men. Simply wanting to remove all differences and destroying tradition is a narrow-minded way of thought. That is why, if Ryouta Fuyukura steps into the kagura hall, I will cleave him in two.”

“You’re right. I’ll pray that such a truth doesn’t get out. You know, the girl in the back really looks familiar~.”

We might be childhood friends, but you need to stop!

“Is that so? Who does it—?”

Ryouta’s eyes met Sasara’s.

“Ah—”

An expression of surprise crossed Sasara’s face for a moment, and she opened her mouth.

Ryouta wondered if she’d noticed him. It could spell his doom if she had.

This song was a prayer for good health, by the way!

The whole tune had so many things Ryouta could’ve commented on.

In all his worry about Sasara, Ryouta had completed the dance before he knew it.

“That must have been difficult for you, Ryouta…,” Tamaki said to him the moment it was over.

“I’m tired, honestly… I want to change before things get any worse. I need to get out of these clothes and hide the evidence.”

Unfortunately, Shiren and Kiyomizu were making their way toward Ryouta and Tamaki.

Ryouta didn’t want anyone to hear them say, Good work, Ryouta, or anything.

He hurried toward the cathedral building, knowing he had to get out of there fast. The priestess garb wasn’t meant for running, though.

Much to Ryouta’s dismay, an even more dangerous foe came straight toward him.

“The dance was wonderful.” Sasara smiled, waiting for him in his path. She was in her natural, proper young lady mode, probably because Ouka wasn’t around.

Ryouta always forgot this when Sasara and Ouka were together, but the Tatsunami household was of noble lineage.

From the way Sasara was conducting herself, it seemed she hadn’t realized who he was yet.

“Thank you. Um, pardon me, but shouldn’t you be guarding Her Majesty…?” Ryouta managed to pitch his voice higher, trying to disguise himself.

“Lady Ouka ordered me to come here. She found something about that amusing.”

Naturally, this was Ouka’s doing.

“Your performance was a fantastic mix of grace and strength.”

“Thank you…”

“So, you must have a name. Uh, if possible, could you tell me what it is? My name is Sasara Tatsunami.”

“Oh, yes, I know that already…”

“You do? Why?”

Oh no, Ryouta shouldn’t have said that. “You are famous among the Imperial Guard. The name Tatsunami is famous among those who safeguard the emperor. Maybe even the most famous.”

Famous for being the craziest of the guard, anyway.

“My, what an honor! And what is your name?”

“…Ryouka Asakura…”

He probably should have separated it a little more from his real name. But he’d panicked and made up a last name that was a mix of Asagiri and Fuyukura. Sasara would figure it out in no time…

Beside Ryouta, Tamaki stood flustered, a look of terror on her face. She wasn’t especially close with Sasara, so it was probably hard for her to change the subject to rescue poor, floundering Ryouta.

“I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before, but at the same time, I haven’t.”

“You must be imagining things. You must be.”

Either way, Ryouta had to get through this—and the second that thought came to him, Shiren approached.

Stop, Shiren! Stay away! This is an emergency!

But Shiren was still getting closer.

Now that he’d given his (fake) name, it was time to get out of here.

“Well, I have another job to attend to—”

“Oh, wait. I want to talk more with you, so perhaps we could meet somewhere later.”

It’s kinda scary that Sasara still doesn’t know.

What should he do? He could just give Sasara a random time and then make his escape, but then he’d be standing her up. That seemed an awful thing to do, but there was no way he could actually meet Sasara while dressed as a girl. Regardless, he didn’t have the time to entertain such a request.

All sorts of thoughts passed through Ryouta’s terrified brain.

He had one chance.

In the worst-case scenario, he’d be killed, but…his mind was made up.

The plan was to pull a Cinderella and yell, “Oh, the midnight bell tolls!” and get out of there.

It was a cruel tactic, but perhaps it was cold enough to stun Sasara.

“Oh, the midnight bell tolls! The spell is lifting!”

Give me that look of shock at my heartlessness. Or disgust at how awful I am.

It was fine, so long as Sasara recoiled.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Suddenly, Sasara burst out laughing, then fell to the ground and rolled back and forth. What was Ryouta going to do now?

She wouldn’t want to be seen like this. It was so bad, Ryouta couldn’t move.

“Are you all right?! I’m not sure if that last part was supposed to be a laugh or what, but are you okay?!”

“I’m sorry, I was raised in a strict household, so I have a low threshold for comedy…”

Ryouta had to wonder why she hadn’t giggled at the dance he was just in, but that was probably normal for the Sacred Blooded.

“Can you stand?”

Lending Sasara a hand, Ryouta helped her up.

“You are so kind. Your heart would understand the path of the knight. You remind me of a gentleman I know.”

“Oh? And who would that be?”

It was probably another one of Sasara’s fellow knights. Crap, the longer this conversation went on, the fewer chances Ryouta had to escape…

“His name is Ryouta Fuyukura.”

“…What?”

“He has terrible language, but he always thinks and acts for other people ahead of himself. I believe when people speak of ‘natural-born saints,’ they are referring to people like him.”

“O-oh, I see…”

Ryouta had never imagined she’d start complimenting him like this. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if she found out, then.

“Oh, now that I’m thinking about him, your voice sounds somewhat similar to his.”

O-o-o-oh no…

“I feel like this might even be fate. Ah, if you have time after this, why don’t we have some tea together?”

Ryouta glanced at Tamaki.

Save me, Shijou!

Sasara was going to find him out at this rate. Ryouta could feel the noose tightening.

Tamaki nodded. She then clasped her hands together and started taking deep breaths, in and out.

You don’t need a ritualistic practice to calm yourself down for this!

Then Tamaki started saying, “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by its toe…”

I’m telling you, we don’t have time for this outlandish preparation!

Tamaki nodded slightly. It looked like she’d made up her mind. Her lips parted, and from them slipped a single phrase…

“Hands off my sweetheart!”

*  *  *

Tamaki Shijou yelled in a way that was completely unlike her.

Not even her parents had heard her shout like that. The unexpected outburst left a silence in its wake.

Everyone stopped.

Even Ryouta.

What…sweetheart? What does she—?

“Oh… This girl is yours, Shijou?”

“Yes. That is why we were dancing together. I am sorry for raising my voice…”

I see, she lied to stop Sasara, who kept asking me to meet her somewhere later… I got the wrong idea for a second there. I mean, Shijou’s face is bright red.

Tamaki took Ryouta’s hand.

“Let’s go, Asakura.”

“Yeah, now.”

The two of them jogged off and went inside the cathedral.

As he fled, Ryouta caught glimpse of Shiren and Kiyomizu’s faces, which he thought he saw go stiff, but he was imagining things. Probably.

“Pant…pant…” (← this is Ryouta)

“Huff…puff…” (← this is Tamaki)

Both of them struggled to catch their breath.

Despite how active they’d been in the morning, this had proved the more tiring task. They’d used up a lot of mental strength.

“Er, so—”

“Thank you,” was what Ryouta was going to say when he looked up at Tamaki.

But he couldn’t finish his sentence.

Oh no—he couldn’t help but remember what she’d said when he glanced at her.

“Hands off my sweetheart!” “Hands off my sweetheart!” “Hands off my sweetheart!” “Hands off my sweetheart!”

What she’d yelled earlier just repeated over and over in Ryouta’s head.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Um, how many times do you want me to apologize…?”

“Just once is fine, Shijou.”

“Even though it was an emergency, I just had to say something that would make you uncomfortable… You would hate to live in a fictional world where you were my sweetheart, wouldn’t you? I wouldn’t complain if you charged me for damages…”

“No, I wasn’t uncomfortable at all. I was happy, actually.”

“You were?”

Tamaki looked at him with wide, shocked eyes.

Both of them went red in the face.

“O-o-o-o-of course, I was happy that you helped me out…”

“Y-y-y-y-yes, of course. Ha-ha-ha…”

The very moment Ryouta thought they’d gotten a little closer, they grew too embarrassed to hold a proper conversation. Or maybe they had gotten too familiar with one another.

A change of subject was in order.

“Oh yeah, this means we’re done with our afternoon work. We should be able to get our pay now.”

Ryouta remembered hearing they’d have to work until evening, but the quicker this wrapped up, the better.

“I can finally get that yukata…”

In spite of herself, a smile crossed Tamaki’s face.

Oh no. She was so precious right now.

Considering how negative Tamaki typically was, her smile held a destructive power of a whole different magnitude.

“Yeah, I’m glad, too…” Ryouta was so nervous that he had no valuable input.

Alfoncina chose that moment to enter.

“My~. That was so good~! You’re exploding in popularity! You’re the talk of the town! It was almost like a dance like that existed in the past!”

“I am honored to hear your praise,” said Tamaki.

“Of course. We got compliments that everything besides the music was perfect.”

“I knew the music was awful…”

“We got a AAA rating. Incredible!”

“Is this an insurance company?!”

“And so, I’m hoping to debut the idol unit Mikagura Sisters. Look forward to it.”

“Why are you trying to sell us like pop stars?!” Ryouta would never go on TV and perform in this outfit.

“Aww, but we already decided that you’re going put out a CD. Look, here’s the poster. Ta-daa~!”

Alfoncina unfurled a large sheet.

“Are these gang member names?!”

“What? These are real Sacred Blooded names. That’s Tamaki’s true name right there.”

“She’s right… It’s so difficult to write. I hate it…”

Ryouta vaguely recalled that the Sacred Blooded had eerie real names like that.

“No way would anyone connect Kaede with ‘Abominable Calamity Badger.’ And I feel bad for calling Saiko ‘Psycho’!”

“For now, I plan on printing about three thousand of these and putting them up here and there.”

“Why am I the only one in the group whose full name isn’t printed?!”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff. Good work, you two~. Your work for the afternoon is all finished~.”

Right, this meant Ryouta and Tamaki’s work was complete.

But for how dangerous Alfoncina had made this job out to be, it had wrapped up pretty quickly.

The kagura had been perilous in its own way, however.

“Then this means I can finally get my yukata. I’m so happy that I think I might be the luckiest girl in the world…”

Even if it was an exaggeration, there was no questioning that this was indeed a happy ending.

“Yes. So I hope you can keep this energy up for the final evening portion.”

““…””

Ryouta and Tamaki froze.

What was the “evening portion?”

“Remember? Didn’t I tell you that you would be working into dusk?”

“Then don’t say things like ‘morning’ and ‘afternoon’ like that’s all we had to worry about…”

“Not to fear, this job’s quite simple. I’m going to have you make an offering to the original deity of Akinomiya Shrine~.”

“The original deity?”

“This place was once Akinomiya Shrine, remember? Naturally, it was built to honor a local god.”

“Then it should be in the inner shrine, right?”

The god of the Holy Church of the Sacred Blood, the Goddess of Blood, had a statue in the cathedral.

“Oh, when I say ‘local god,’ I mean a more primitive deity.”

Meaning it inhabited some natural feature nearby…

“There’s a mountain right behind the cathedral. The original deity they revered is there. Your task is to go say hello so that it doesn’t get angry with us. Actually, today’s celebration isn’t a festival for the Holy Church. We did this because I was afraid of the retribution we might incur if we did away with the old god’s annual commemoration.”

Ryouta felt like Alfoncina had mixed a particularly vicious word into her explanation.

“Be careful~. The mountain god is a rather petty sort~. Ancient tradition says that once it gets angry, we have to make a sacrifice to satisfy it~…”

Evidently there was danger in the work for Ryouta and Tamaki, after all.

“Does that mean…you would have…me…act as…the sacrifice?” Tamaki asked, faltering, at the shocking truth.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.”

“Alfoncina, you’re supposed to say no in order to make Tamaki feel better…”

“Well, you’ll be all right. There is a system in place to make sure that no one suffers any divine retribution.”

“Sweet, sweet, sweet…”

“Heart, heart, heart…”

Shiren and Kiyomizu sat on metal chairs in the festival’s dining area with their heads hung low.

Despite being surrounded by lively people enjoying food, the pair looked like the world had ended three times over.

It was all because of what Tamaki had said a short while ago.

The line in question: “Hands off my sweetheart!”

By “sweetheart,” had she meant that kind of sweetheart?

It might have been a misunderstanding, and Shiren and Kiyomizu wanted to check, but they found themselves lacking the energy.

If Ryouta said, “Obviously. We’ve been dating for three weeks now,” then neither of them would be able to get out of bed again.

“This has to be a mistake… Tamaki was the one who said it, after all, not Ryouta dearest…”

“Yeah, I know that, but I just can’t muster the strength…”

“If you let your head droop too low, then your hair will touch the ground. Keep your chin up.”

For some reason, Kiyomizu was doing the comforting now.

“Oh gosh, it’s really on the ground! That’ll dirty your hair. Keep your head up! Or at least cut your dumb pigtails because they’re way too long!”

“No, I think I’m okay with this now.”

“You cannot be. They are too lengthy!”

“No. I mean with Tamaki and Ryouta.” Shiren gave a heavy sigh. “Tamaki is my friend, and as long as she’s happy, then I should be happy for her too.”

“Do not lie! You are just making yourself more upset! Be honest! There is a very high chance that the ‘sweetheart’ thing was a mistake—but still, you speak nonsense!”

Suddenly, the two despondent young women heard a voice coming from one of the stalls.

“Thief!” someone exclaimed.

“Thief…?” Shiren lifted her head, a look of wrath on her face.

“The cause of all this was some looter that got into the convenience store…”

“You’re right… It’s all their fault…”

Shiren’s and Kiyomizu’s anger flared up again.

But they then overheard a conversation that drew an even more significant amount of their attention. Beside them sat the two college girls, Kaede and Saiko, who had danced earlier.

“I heard they’re actually going up into the mountain; both of them.”

“Wait, but isn’t the god up there supposed to be super violent? They’re risking their lives. Even if one of them is a guy…”

It was immediately apparent that they were talking about Ryouta and Tamaki. If the gossip was to be believed, the two had been tasked with a perilous job.

Ryouta, are you sure you’re okay with this work…?

Shiren realized that this wasn’t the time to be moping around.

“But isn’t that what Her Excellency is after?”

“What do you mean?”

“Putting both of them in danger to make romance bloom or something.”

“Oh yeah, I get what you’re saying. They’re still a little hesitant with each other, so maybe this is their chance for some physical contact. Aww, that’s so nice, an autumn festival romance!”

“Yeah. Those two look like they’d be all over each other, but instead, they’re both holding back. I guess the plan is a kind of shock therapy.”

“Yeah, if you put on enough pressure, you’ll make couples.”

“…Hey, Saiko, it’d be nice if we could be a couple like that, too.”

“Wait… Kaede, what do you mean?”

“Saiko, I like you………a lot.”

“What are you talking about, Kaede? You know we’re both girls, right?”

*Things got gayer after that, but since it has nothing to do with the main story, it has been omitted.

Shiren and Kiyomizu looked at each other, but not in a romantic way at all.

“Did you hear that, Kiyomizu?”

“How could I not? My ears are not for decoration.”

“Doesn’t sound like they’re all over each other yet.”

“That is what I’ve been saying!”

“I think I’m gonna go to the mountain to keep Tamaki safe. I’m worried about it being just the two of them.”

“It is historically inevitable that I will join you, since Ryouta dearest will find himself in danger.”

And so, Shiren and Kiyomizu’s united front officially began.

“Then we should seal our oath with a handshake again.”

“Yes. The two of us have the strength of a hundred.”

As they were about to shake hands—they heard another yell, “Thief!” followed by rapid footsteps. The next moment, Shiren and Kiyomizu felt that something slam into both of them.

““Gah!””

With a yell, both Shiren and Kiyomizu toppled over. It seemed like the one who collided into them had fallen too.

“Watch where you’re going! It’s not very polite to run in the middle of a festiva— What?”

When Shiren saw what had knocked them back, her words faltered. Something was off here.

It was a young woman with short, bobbed hair. She was about as tall as Kiyomizu. None of that was particularly unusual. The problem was that she had rabbit-looking ears growing out of her head.

“Hey, bunny girl, who are you?”

The rabbit-eared young woman whirled around and looked away.

“Hey, you. No one else here has bunny ears but you. Stop playing stupid.”

“These aren’t rabbit ears.”

“Then what are they? Tell me.”

The petite girl fell silent.

They sure looked like rabbit ears to Shiren, and despite the girl’s protests, there weren’t any obvious alternatives.

“…”

“Hey, what is it? Tell me. I’m very open-minded, so I’ll listen to any excuses you have. I don’t push in anyone’s eyes but my minion’s.”

“……”

“They are bunny ears, aren’t they? It’s not really going to solve anything here, but I know you’re a rabbit.”

“………Waaah!”

The bunny girl started to cry.

“Wait, wait! No need to cry! Calm down! Accept who you are!”

The sudden tears got Shiren rather flustered.

She’d had no idea that this strange girl would burst into tears at this. It left a sour taste in her mouth, though, as if she’d bullied a child.

This kid was a little more energetic than that, however.

“Nuh-uh! You’re wrong! I’m not a bunny! I’m a fox!”

Poff, poff, poff. The girl was weakly hitting Shiren.

“Shut up! No fox has long ears like that! You’re more like an animal that’d get eaten by a fox! And don’t hit me! I am the younger sister of the emperor! I’m important!”

“Hmph! Then I’m even more important! I’m a fox!”

“I don’t understand you! Ugh, I hate children and their terrible logic!”

Then Kiyomizu said, “Gasp! This is the one!”

Kiyomizu was staring at a white bag. The bunny-eared girl had been carrying it.

“This sack! All things considered, this creature must be the culprit! Catch her, and this whole ordeal will be settled!”

“What?! I wondered why you would suddenly hit another person, but now I see that you’re an evildoer! I’ll take you to Big Sis and have you fined!”

“—You can’t catch me!”

The rabbit girl instantly snatched up the bag and took off.

The phrase too fast for the naked eye was perfectly apt for how swiftly she moved.

“That thing runs much quicker than me… Who is she…?”

“‘Who is she?’ She’s a bunny. C’mon, we need to follow her. She’s the root of all evil! And we need to teach her about how painful life can be!”

“Indeed we will! We’ll make her change her ways!”

Shiren and Kiyomizu dashed off at full speed after the convenience store thief.

“But we also still need to follow after Ryouta dearest, don’t we?”

“C’mon, we’ll get that little bunny girl squared away in, like, five minutes.”

“Understood!”

Shiren and Kiyomizu’s eyes flared with the fires of revenge.