EPISODE 4

LET’S GO TO WHERE THE DEITY IS!

“Hey, we made it! Here it is!”

Alfoncina had led Ryouta and Tamaki to the back of the First Cathedral, saying that it was to avoid retribution.

There, they found a small waterfall. At its foot was a very full basin.

“I dunno. Something about this is giving me a bad feeling. Are you going to make us meditate under this?”

“We’re not here for ascetic practices. It’s for purification. The mountain god is quick to anger, so you could endanger yourself unless you cleanse yourself beforehand. You don’t have to go under the waterfall, but do soak in the pool~.”

“Please don’t say it with a smile like that.”

Ryouta and Tamaki stepped into the water.

“It’s freezing!”

It was chillier than one would think, but waterfalls often were.

Ryouta would have readily welcomed it if he were just putting his feet in, but it was a whole different story when he had to submerge himself completely.

“Oh! It’s so cold! Not even my third mother was this frigid… Oh, but my second father was.”

“Shijou, stop comparing it to parental love! It’s scary!”

First, they submerged themselves to their ankles, then to their hips, stomachs, and shoulders.

It chilled Ryouta and Tamaki to the bone.

“Make sure to stay in there for one hundred seconds, okay? Ooone, twooo, threeee…” Alfoncina started counting exceptionally slow.

Ryouta and Tamaki were the ones actually in the water, so Ryouta wished Alfoncina would count faster.

“P-perhaps I could play a word-chain game by myself to pass the time…”

“Might not be a bad idea.”

“I will go first. Compunction, nightmare, remorse… Oh, I was supposed to start with E, not R; I lost already…”

“That was fast! And who starts off word chain with ‘compunction,’ ever?! Plus, there’s two of us, why are you playing by yourself?!”

“I’m sorry… I’m used to doing it by myself… I don’t want to insult you, Ryouta… I am truly a garbage girl without any communication skills…”

“You don’t have to be sad about it! We’ll play together! Sound good?!”

Though a novel distraction, it might be enough to forget the cold. It was worth trying out.

Since this was a word-chain game, Ryouta figured he’d start off where Tamaki had messed up.

“Okay, then I’ll start. E, e, e… Elephant.”

“T, t, t… Transgression.”

“N, n, n… Nap.”

“P, p, p… Pessimism.”

One player in this game was devoted to dark words.

“M, m, m… Mountain.” “Nonexistence.” “Ear.” “Regress.” “Snake.” “Extinct.” “Team.” “My stepmother…who never looks me in the eye when she talks to me…who never smiles when I’m around…”

“Okay, we’re done! Our word chain is finished! We made a lot of progress, so we can stop here, right?”

“Sixty-eight, sixty-nine, seventy, yaaawn.” Alfoncina yawned loudly, most likely because she had started work so early in the morning.

“Not enough sleep?”

“No, I only slept for about three hours. I got up at five.”

“Archbishop sure is a rough job.”

“But it is fun~. I get to experience a world that normal people don’t get to see. That is enough for me to give my thanks to our goddess,” Alfoncina sounded surprisingly genuine about it. “That’s why I have to pay my dues the only way I can. I’m going to be the best archbishop I can so everyone in this country can be happy. Of course, I don’t think there’s very much I can do on my own, but I can at least pray to the goddess for everyone.”

At some point during her speech, Alfoncina had clasped her hands together in determination. It was a nice spiel.

Tamaki couldn’t keep from comparing herself to Alfoncina as she offered a compliment. “What a strong will. Unlike me.”

“…Alfoncina?”

“What?”

“I’m so sorry for ruining the mood, but please keep counting.”

“You caught me.”

“That was on purpose?! I knew it!”

No matter how much Ryouta believed in this religion, he could never believe his senior classmate.

“I’ll pick up where I left off, then. Thirteen, fourteen…”

“You got to seventy! You definitely counted to seventy!”

“Okay, then I suppose I’ll start around ninety-five or so. Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-niii~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ne…”

“Stop acting like a child, please!”

“One hundred.”

It was finally over.

“And now your cleansing is complete. You can come out now~.”

“I don’t need your permission; I’m getting out anyway… I’m about to freeze to death…”

“Ooh, I’m so cold that my vision is going white… Perhaps this has cleansed my heart somewhat…”

Tamaki, who was in front of Ryouta, stepped out of the pool first.

“My priestess uniform is so heavy… Almost like my own heart.”

Water streamed out of the fabric, evidence of how much liquid it had absorbed.

“Oof, it does look hea— Oh.”

Ryouta looked at Tamaki and noticed a critical issue.

Wearing nothing but a priestess outfit → Submerge in water → It goes see-through (with nothing underneath)

“Gaaaaaaahhh!”

“What is it, Ryouta? Did you sprain your foot? Are you about to drown?”

Tamaki turned around.

No, seriously, Ryouta had no words to describe what it looked like around her chest. It was incredible how see-through Tamaki’s outfit had become. Ryouta didn’t think Tamaki could look sexier if she were naked.

“I can’t say why, Shijou, but you have to leave. Now.”

“Why? Oh, I see, you don’t want to be around me, right? Of course. No one would want to breathe the same air as this garbage…”

Tamaki was beating herself down.

“That’s not it! But you have to leave right now, before something bad happens!”

“Then please, tell me why!”

Tamaki brought her hands together as if she was praying.

That movement brought her breasts right to center stage.

Bwa-boing, pyoom (Ryouta imagined such noises).

“Grrraaaaghhhhhhh, this is too muuuuuuuch!”

Ryouta wondered if he was being tested.

He pondered if he could ever be without embarrassment—as one might look at a famous nude painting and think, “Ah yes, she is naked, hurrah for nakedness”—and instead have an open heart and clear mind.

No way. Ryouta’s nose was on the verge of bleeding, which would be a sure sign of what was going through his mind.

With a gesture, Ryouta demonstrated what the problem was. He pointed to his chest with his right hand.

Here, look here.

“What, is something wrong with your stomach? …O-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh no! Now I’ll never get marriiiiied!”

At last, Tamaki had caught on.

But it was probably too late. The image was burned so clearly into Ryouta’s mind now…

“No! I may be a social outcast, but I don’t want to be the kind of person who strips for attention!”

Snap, snap, snap.

Alfoncina had taken out a camera and was taking pictures.

“Yes, wonderful! Tamaki, you should come to the idol industry, too~. You could rule the whole world, the whole world!”

“You skeevy scout! And don’t actually take those pictures!”

Tamaki ran off, still wearing her waterlogged priestess outfit.

It was almost like strength training for athletes.

“This is the true thrill of a festival~,” Alfoncina declared as if she were a visitor watching the fireworks.

Ryouta made her delete all the snapshots.

“You’re the most evil person on the entire cathedral grounds, Alfoncina.”

“Now that you’re done cleansing yourself, take this.”

Alfoncina handed over a plastic bag she had ready for Ryouta.

There was fried tofu inside.

“What is this?”

“Abura-age.”

“I can tell it’s not cabbage or radishes or anything. But what are we using it for?”

“That’s your offering to the deity. It’ll get angry if you go to say hello without bringing anything with you.”

“So it won’t be as angry if I give it abura-age in a plastic bag? Okay.”

Ryouta had a feeling this would only upset it more.

“It’s fine. Abura-age has been the most popular with it so far~. Considering how fast the offerings disappeared, I’d say it ate a lot of it. It requested more abura-age from the convenience store, you see.”

“It did? What do you mean?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m just talking out loud~.”

Ryouta wasn’t sure if he knew too many deities who ate abura-age, but he had no choice but to do this.

“Once you finish this task, I’ll pay you for your work.”

That’s right—Ryouta had to see this through so that Tamaki could get her yukata.

“The entrance up to the mountain is over there.”

Alfoncina pointed to a sign.

SANCTUARY BEYOND THIS POINT. NO UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY.

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RETRIBUTION YOU MAY FACE.

CLEANSE BEFORE ENTERING.

“It’s a small mountain. The climb shouldn’t last more than an hour, even if you take your time. I should get back to work too.”

“As the archbishop, your schedule must be packed.”

“My manga deadline is soon~.”

“If there’s any day you should be doing archbishop work, it’s today!”

“I’m praying for you two, so do your best!”

“Wait, Shijou…?”

Ryouta remembered that Tamaki had simply run off.

“I suppose I’d better go get Shijou…”

Ten minutes later, Ryouta met back up with Tamaki, who had changed into a dry uniform.

“I cannot believe you saw something so unsightly…”

Unable to say No, your breasts were fantastic, Ryouta instead chose something else to talk about.

“I really wish Alfoncina would keep the shenanigans to a minimum…”

“What is that, by the way?”

Tamaki was eyeing the plastic bag.

“Abura-age. We have to give this as an offering. I really wonder if this is enough to appease a vengeful god…”

“I’m ready for whatever happens regardless.”

Surprisingly, Tamaki nodded vigorously.

They had gotten this far, after all. Nothing remained but to see this job to its end.

“Yeah. We need to get paid.”

“If we need a sacrifice, I’ll do it… I will make sure that you make it home alive, Ryouta. I said I would take on this job, anyway…”

“Please don’t act like it will come to human sacrifice…”

“But…certainly, I would like both of us to come back if we can…”

Tamaki looked up at Ryouta with wide eyes.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

The two of them slowly made their way into the holy grounds.

—Three minutes later.

Shiren and Kiyomizu stood at the very same mountain path entrance.

“Looks like the thing ran this way.”

“A mountain would be most optimal to get away from us. Oh, it looks like there’s some kind of sign on the fence there.”

“Where? I’m light on my feet, so let me go have a look.”

Shiren turned to face the fence. Her stride wasn’t especially dignified, but it was indeed light.

SANCTUARY BEYOND THIS POINT. NO UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY.

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RETRIBUTION YOU MAY FACE.

CLEANSE BEFORE ENTERING.

“Sanctuary…beyond this point… No…un…author…ized…entry. We are not responsible for any ret…retri…button…you may face. Clean…cleans before entering.”

Shiren didn’t know how to pronounce a good handful of those words.

“I am not entirely sure what retributton and cleans before entering might mean. Why does it sound like instructions for some fantasy board game?” Kiyomizu asked.

“I wonder why… Hmm, for some reason, those parts of the signs were so smudged that I just couldn’t read them. They’re so smeary that even up close, you can hardly read them at all,” Shiren replied.

“You sound strangely like you’re reading off a script, but I’ll let it pass. Hmm? If this is a sanctuary, then that means Ryouta dearest and Tamaki Shijou should be nearby. That’s what those lesbian priestesses said, at least.”

The college girls who had danced the kagura had mentioned Ryouta and Tamaki going to visit the deity.

“We can trail Ryouta dearest as we search for the bunny. That’s two birds with one stone!”

“Yeah, and there’s no guarantee that the bunny girl won’t hurt them. We need to hurry after her.”

No sooner had Shiren and Kiyomizu stepped into the forest than there came a voice.

“The impure must turn back.”

“Hmm. It says the impure must turn back.”

“I should be fine. My name is Kiyomizu Jouryuuji, which means ‘serene water, pure streams temple’—I cannot be impure. Someone with such an unadulterated name cannot be so.”

“My heart is clean, so I’m in the clear, too. No worries.”

And so, they both ignored the voice and pressed onward.

Somewhere up ahead, Ryouta and Tamaki arrived at a vermilion-lacquered bridge.

Below it was a deep crevasse, like a ravine, with a river flowing at the bottom. It must have been upstream of the waterfall where the two had cleansed themselves.

There was a sign standing next to the bridge.

GOD PASSES THROUGH HERE. CROSS BY THE BRIDGE’S EDGE.

“This is unusual. Isn’t it usually supposed to say, Don’t cross this bridge?”

What’s more, common sense told Ryouta and Tamaki to cross right in the middle, not on the edges. But here, it appeared to be the other way around.

It scared Ryouta. If they got this wrong, something terrible could befall them.

“We can interpret this exactly as it’s written.”

With a calm expression, Tamaki stepped onto one edge of the bridge.

She slowly shuffled along the side.

Tamaki was typically the one to follow behind Ryouta. Curiously, that wasn’t the case this time.

I will get my yukata. And then we will walk together on this festive day. I will be happy, at least on my birthday!

She hadn’t told anyone it was her birthday. She didn’t want to have others waste their energy on her. And happiness that came with others paying attention to her never lasted long.

“The deity always moves along the middle of passages in shrines, so it is customary for humans to walk on the sides. That is why we should cross the bridge but stay by the edge.”

“I knew you’d figure it out, Shijou! What a smart answer!”

“It was my intuition.”

“How so?”

“I am always in the corner… I’ve never walked in the center of anything… This is a divine path, so I could hear my mind telling me that the likes of a human shouldn’t walk in the center…”

“The punch line is always negative, isn’t it?”

Together, the pair safely crossed the bridge.

—Five minutes later.

“It says, ‘Cross by the bridge’s edge.’ So we should cross this bridge, I suppose.”

“Of course we will. I cannot forgive Tamaki for walking alone with Ryouta dearest in an empty forest.”

“Ryouta might be okay, but Tamaki is a weak maiden. We need to help her.”

Shiren and Kiyomizu traversed the bridge, strolling right across its center.

“You’re so considerate of your friends, Shiren. Tamaki must be so happy about that.”

There was a slightly bitter edge to Kiyomizu’s voice.

“Of course she is. That’s what friends are for. Hmm, this overpass is really high up…”

Shiren was afraid to look down, so she kept her eyes trained ahead of her.

Ryouta and Tamaki were just a little farther beyond.

Shiren had to wonder what they were feeling as they walked together.

Perhaps they were chatting gleefully, as if they were going to a picnic. Or maybe the two were getting even more chummy with each other.

Shiren pondered if she’d only be a third wheel if she joined them. She knew that Tamaki was joking when she’d said “sweetheart.” It was a lie to get both of them out of that situation.

But what if, even if the odds were slim, that truly was the sort of relationship Tamaki had with Ryouta?

What should I say to them…?

Minions were not romantic partners. It wouldn’t be unusual if Ryouta had a different amorous interest.

Would I be able to congratulate them and wish them well? I’d have to. Only a child would throw a fit in that situation. It’s not like I have any other option, so I can’t get all worked up over it…

Suddenly, Shiren sensed something approaching from behind. No sooner had she detected this presence than someone ran into her and Kiyomizu.

“Bwuh!” “Eek!”

Shiren was knocked off her feet.

“Geez! Watch where you’re running! We almost fell off the bridge!” Shiren snapped at the offender.

Kiyomizu had jumped off the bridge and was holding on with a single finger of her left hand.

“Ryouta dearest isn’t going to save me, so I’ll get up on my own… I’ve got this…!”

She hauled herself back up on the bridge with spirit alone.

So who was this person who’d so rudely collided into the two young women?

It was the rabbit-eared girl.

“Hey! Why’d you come from behind?! You got a head start on us, didn’t you?! Is this a trail with infinite loops?!”

How did the enemy they were pursuing end up at their back? It didn’t make sense.

“…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​…​I got lost.”

“You’re dumb as a dog.”

“I’m not a dog! I’m a fox!”

“That’s not what I meant! And you’re a bunny!”

“I’m a fox, hop.”

“Listen, are you trying to pick a fight? If you’re going to add a cute speech quirk, at least be original about it. Give me your parents’ number. I’m going to file a complaint with them.”

“No!”

And then the bunny-eared girl ran off again.

Luckily, she’d dashed off toward where Ryouta and Tamaki were.

“Wait!”

“Wait!”

Back with Ryouta and Tamaki, the two continued up the mountain without any real issues or accidents.

They came across a sign that informed them that the upper shrine was two hundred yards away.

“It seems like we’ll be arriving safe and sound. I can hardly believe this is my life.”

“Yeah, there was barely any danger.”

It was so peaceful that it almost made Ryouta sick. He would be happy if they could keep going without anything happening, though.

“You’ll finally get your yukata.”

A lot had happened, but it turned out to be a fun day for Ryouta in the end. If his mission was complete after this, then so much the better.

Shiren might even compliment him on a job well done.

All because he’d done a kind deed for someone else. That, in a way, could also be called service.

“Um…I have a favor to ask of you,” Tamaki began.

“What is it?”

“Once we get paid, do you think you could come to the yukata shop with me? I want you to be the first to see me wearing it.” Tamaki spoke quietly, but there was a power behind her words.

“S-sure…”

The question had been so bold that Ryouta blushed. Had Tamaki always been the type of person to announce how she felt so openly…?

“Thank you. I want to create as many memories with you as possible. I won’t be around for very long.” A delicate smile formed on Tamaki’s face.

“Don’t tell me you’re terminally ill or something…?”

“Oh, no. I just don’t know when the convenience store will go bankrupt, forcing me to flee into the night.”

“That’s what you mean?!”

“It is not a joke! That is how unstable things are at home… It’s like being lost at sea on a simple raft… That’s why I don’t know when it will be the last time I’ll ever see you—even though I want to be with you forever.”

“What…?”

That was ever so close to a confession of love…

Tamaki was also reeling from her own words; the corners of her mouth quivered. She was like a little girl whose parents had scolded her, ready to burst into tears at any moment.

“I—I mean, anyone would want to be close to the people they know well, right…?”

“Y-yes, you’re right…”

But that didn’t mean either of them had found solid ground yet.

Walking over the uncertain terrain, their walking pace quickened and slowed in an inconsistent way. Maybe that was why Tamaki tripped over a stone.

“Ahhh! Oh, oh, oh…”

“I’ll keep you up. Hold on to me!”

Tamaki finally stopped flailing when she flew into Ryouta’s chest.

“I-I’m sorry…oh.”

“No, I’m glad you’re okay…ah.”

Both of them realized what was going on.

At some point, they’d ended up with their arms around each other. It was the sort of embrace that was a precursor to a kiss.

Ryouta couldn’t help but acknowledge how fast his heart was beating as he felt the warmth of Tamaki’s body on his own.

He could fall in love like this.

They were in a remote mountain; no one was around to get in their way. And since this was a sanctuary, there wasn’t a soul to see them, either.

“I’m sorry, I’m a little anemic, so I think I’ve gotten somewhat dizzy…”

“Okay, be careful.”

“So, um, I know I have no right to request such a thing, but…”

“What is it?”

“Could I have some of your blood, Ryouta?”

Even Ryouta knew that it would just be a makeshift measure.

I want your blood was the same as Let me bite you.

If she had asked, Can I make you my minion? Ryouta would absolutely have said no. He was Shiren’s minion.

But a faint haze clouded Ryouta’s consciousness. He could hear a voice echoing in his head. “Let me suck your blood,” it demanded.

Right, Shijou drank some of my blood in the past, so I guess I’m kind of her minion…

The Sacred Blooded had a limited ability to manipulate their minion’s spirits.

It wasn’t enough to control their every decision outright, but it could tip a heart that was on the fence between two choices in one direction.

“Okay.”

If Ryouta had been 100 percent in his right mind, then he wouldn’t have given that answer. His brain felt so dazed and sluggish that the words had seemed quite natural, however.

“Can I have your left arm? Like last time…”

Ryouta presented his left arm, just like Tamaki asked.

“I’m sorry—haum.”

There was a slight sting, and Ryouta’s head grew even foggier. It wasn’t like he suddenly couldn’t think about anything; it felt more like the scope of what he couldn’t process got bigger and bigger. He was losing the faculties of decision making.

They say I’d become her minion after three minutes of blood-drinking, but I’d probably die if this went on for ten.

Die wasn’t exactly the right word, but it was correct to say that Ryouta would never come back. The person he was now would completely vanish.

At this point, it was difficult for Ryouta to even care about that. The voice in his head wouldn’t allow any logical reasoning. Instead, it drowned out all other things with constant whispers: “Please be my minion, please be my minion.”

This is bad… I couldn’t face Shiren like this…

Even those feelings were growing vague and losing all form.

“You have the world’s most delicious blood, Ryouta…”

Ryouta didn’t know if that was something Tamaki had said out loud, or if his ears were playing tricks.

“If you were mine, then you wouldn’t ever have to leave my side…”

Two minutes had probably passed already.

How many more seconds until he was her minion?

Suddenly, Tamaki let go.

“That’s enough.”

The expression on her face seemed like it was smiling, but also like it was sad.

“I would need Shiren’s permission for any longer than that.”

“Oh… Yeah…”

Clarity finally returned to Ryouta’s mind. He wondered what would have happened if Tamaki had kept on sucking…

“You’re still her minion, after all,” Tamaki said, as though reminding herself.

“All right, let’s go.”

The two of them resumed their trek.

They were almost to the upper shrine, where the deity was.

A tree by the road suddenly caught their attention.

“The bark has been stripped off that tree… How sad; it’s like me.”

“Empathizing with a plant isn’t really necessary, but we do need to be careful. Bears strip bark like that.”

Bears had a habit of peeling trees bare, which meant it was very likely a bear lived nearby.

Ryouta often spent time in the mountains away from people because of his curse that made him attractive, so he’d come across such sights before.

“A bear…? What should we do? I’m scared…”

“The bears around here are herbivores, so there’s nothing to worry about so long as we don’t make it angry. But we don’t want it to eat any of our gift for the god. I don’t know if bears eat abura-age, though.”

Ryouta had a whole pack of abura-age with him. According to Alfoncina, it was to be an offering.

“I want to put this down as an offering already. Abura-age is way heavier than I thought…”

At that moment, Ryouta and Tamaki heard quiet footsteps approaching at their heels.

“Wh-what is that?”

Ryouta whirled around, but he saw nothing.

Something animallike dashed across their path so quickly that he thought he’d imagined it. And the footfalls faded into the distance just as swiftly. Whatever it was, it seemed to have only been passing through.

“What was that? It gave me the creeps…”

“Oh, Ryouta… The bag…” Tamaki, shivering, pointed.

“Hey—it’s gone.”

That little beast-creature had nabbed it.

“That was probably the same one that came to the convenience store… I’m sorry. Even my previous experience couldn’t save the abura-age in time…”

“No use crying over spilled milk and all, but what should we do…? We’re out of an offering.”

Could they give their greeting empty-handed?

“I know it’s a pain, but we might be able to—”

“I’ll go!” Tamaki declared loudly.

She was so close to getting her yukata. What an unsatisfying way to end her mission, failing after coming so far.

“I’ll apologize to the deity and make it understand. I’m good at apologizing.”

Tamaki took Ryouta’s hand.

“Wh—?” Ryouta’s heart skipped a beat.

Tamaki was changing. She was still negative, but it was a more forward-thinking sort of negative.

“If anything happens, I will take responsibility.”

—Five minutes later.

“Gah! A bear! There’s a bear!”

“Fool! The likes of a wild beast cannot stop Kiyomizu!”

Shiren and Kiyomizu, who were chasing after that little bunny girl, had run straight into a bear.

“Damn! We’re so close to our goal, but all this trouble is keeping us from catching up! We won’t be able to help Ryouta…Tamaki like this!”

“It’s time for you to hibernate!” Kiyomizu spat out a blowgun dart, and it stuck right into the bear’s chest. “All right, that should put it to sleep!”

But the great beast was still moving to attack Shiren.

“Hey, Kiyomizu, it doesn’t look like it’s working…”

“The sedative on the darts can take up to two hours and twenty minutes for effects to show.”

“You idiot! It can stay awake through an entire movie! Make it go to sleep faster!”

Kiyomizu blew another projectile that hit its mark.

This time, the creature fell over on the spot. It had come right up next to Shiren, by the way.

“This one puts it to sleep in a second.”

“Yes, that’s the one you should have—”

Vwoop! The bear got right back up in front of Shiren.

“But they wake up in five seconds.”

“At least put it to sleep for five minutes! Gah, it’s gonna grab me! Do it, quickly!”

Another dart made contact. Finally, on the third try, the bear went to sleep properly.

“I’m glad you’re here, Kiyomizu. You saved me. I can’t believe I’d ever end up being thankful that you’re around.”

“Well, if there was ever a time to properly thank me, it’s now! You are essentially ripping Ryouta dearest and Tamaki’s relationship apart!”

“I mean, that’s not exactly what I…”

Kiyomizu turned her blowgun toward Shiren and exhaled hard. A dart stuck in the dirt right next to Shiren’s foot.

“Gah! Hey, watch it! Think of what would happen if someone as small as me got a dose of sedative big enough to put a bear to sleep!”

“I am sorry. I suddenly wanted to kill you, but I am fine.”

“Cut it out!”

“You cut it out!” Kiyomizu was clearly irritated.

“What…what do you mean?”

“What exactly are you trying to do, playing the good guy now of all times?! It is clearer than day that you’re acting to make sure Ryouta dearest and that woman don’t end up attached at the hip! Stop with the unbelievable lies that you’re doing this to protect Tamaki!”

“B-but, but it’s not a lie…”

Shiren’s gaze dropped to the ground. There rested the dart that had missed her. Something about it seemed to be furiously criticizing her.

“What does that mean? You will tell me everything.”

“I’m not lying when I say I want to keep Tamaki safe. She’s a dear friend to me. Without her, I don’t think I would be who I am.” Shiren slumped. Her long pigtails looked as if they might touch the ground again. “But then, it was only recently that we grew close enough for me to call her a friend. I always pretended by saying we were ‘buddies.’ I thought I would only cause her trouble if she became friends with the daughter of a criminal… But she still always watched over me…”

Shiren’s mother was a Japanese woman, said to have been the previous emperor’s lover—Sairi Fuyukura. Two years ago, right after someone assassinated the emperor, she vanished. Many of the Sacred Blooded thought it was Sairi who did the deed, so Shiren was kicked out of the Sarano family and treated as a civilian named Shiren Fuyukura.

That was why, until Ryouta came along, and before Ouka officially started treating her as her little sister, Shiren had been alone. The only one who had supported her was Tamaki.

Of course, it wasn’t as if they hung out every day. Tamaki likely felt some distance between them, too. Even so, the other girl acknowledging Shiren’s existence had saved her. That was why, for as long as Shiren lived, the fact that Tamaki was dear to her would never change.

“Ah, I see. I understand now. They always say that one can never betray a best friend.”

“Don’t say it like it’s not true!”

“Then let me change my question.”

“Okay, what?”

“Between Ryouta dearest and Tamaki, who is more important?” Kiyomizu wouldn’t allow any pointless answers. That much was plain in her eyes.

“Well, uh…I don’t think it’s about choosing who’s more important.”

“That’s why you’re short and have small breasts.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you of all people!”

“If we can finish this without you having to make a choice, then that would be best. But I cannot guarantee that you won’t have to choose. For example, an unbelievably strong enemy is attacking both of them, but you can only save one of them. If you hesitate, then both of them will die!”

Shiren felt Kiyomizu’s words tighten around her. In a way, the sensation gave form to her hesitation.

“That won’t—”

“—happen? You have no reason to say that. That is part of saving someone,” Kiyomizu spoke, then put her blowgun darts away. “But I won’t tell you to give me an answer right here and now. It is an important question, so have a good think about it in that lower-than-average brain of yours.”

“Oh…uh…”

When Kiyomizu said that to her, Shiren couldn’t mentally gather herself quickly enough.

“What’s your answer?” Kiyomizu sounded like a big sister scolding her younger sibling.

“O-okay…”

“Say it loud and clear. Though you may have lived for someone else, whether you will be happy is a different question. You may not be rewarded for your work. But if you do nothing, then you will absolutely be unhappy.”

Kiyomizu patted Shiren on both of her shoulders, as though persuading a friend.

“And you are miserable right now! You’re even worse than Tamaki! You have been unable to face your feelings honestly; how are you going to be happy now?!”

A faint smile broke across Shiren’s face. “Thanks… You’re a good person.”

Kiyomizu had given Shiren the cold, hard truth. And Shiren was happy for it.

For two years, people had kept their distance from Shiren, treating her like something untouchable. Recently, however, Ryouta, Kiyomizu, and everyone else was stepping into her space. It was almost too crowded.

“What?! I am not happy to be complimented by the likes of you!” In slight embarrassment, Kiyomizu made an uncomfortable face.

“I’ll think hard about your question.”

What was Shiren to choose? Friendship or romance? It was the sort of binary choice that showed up often in the manga she read. But when faced with the same decision herself, Shiren couldn’t easily decide. The need to do so could be fast approaching, however.

Ryouta, Tamaki.

“I’ll find my answer in my own way. Shiren Fuyukura never goes back on her word.”

Shiren balled her fists tightly and ran on ahead.