Why Did the Food Taste So Good?
"So, Huanyue-chan, you're going out with a friend tomorrow?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Do you need anything?" As she spoke, First-Meeting Kurumi pulled a thick stack of 10,000-yen notes from her shadow without hesitation.
Qian Huanyue stared at the sudden handful of cash, her eyes turning into her trademark little dots.
"Huh?!"
"Oh? Is it not enough?" First-Meeting Kurumi tilted her head and drew several dozen more 10,000-yen notes from her shadow. She did it as naturally as could be, without the slightest concern for what Kurumi might say if she found out.
Kurumi herself would probably have done something similar.
After all, they were both Kurumi.
Qian Huanyue didn't know much about the currency here, but judging by the pretty numbers on the notes, it had to be a lot. She let out a "Whoa!" and hurriedly shook her head.
"That's not it, San-san."
"I meant, is there anything you'd like to eat? I can bring it to you with Seraph of Thousand Blades."
"...Oh." First-Meeting Kurumi touched a fingertip to her chin and thought for a moment. "How about a crepe?"
"Sure!"
"But take the money anyway, Huanyue-chan."
"It's too much, San-san." Qian Huanyue looked at the thick stack of 10,000-yen notes stuffed into her arms. It felt like holding a hot potato, and Fukuzawa Yukichi's portrait on the notes seemed to be smiling at her.
So... so rich!
In the end, she pulled out just two notes and gently pushed the rest of the stack back into Kurumi's hands. "These are enough."
"I'll be back this evening." Before leaving, Qian Huanyue thought for a moment, then turned back and gave Kurumi a bright smile. "Thank you, Kurumi."
Seraph of Thousand Blades was always especially handy for getting around.
"Oh..." In the empty room, First-Meeting Kurumi lowered her gaze to her empty palm. The money Huanyue had pushed back to her had already turned into shadow and melted into the floor.
She stood silently for a moment, then shook her head with a soft laugh.
She walked to the window, where the white cat Qian Huanyue had brought home, named Dog, was curled up on a cushion, dozing.
First-Meeting Kurumi bent to pick her up, returned to the sofa, and idly stroked the soft fur at the back of the cat's neck.
The white cat purred contentedly in her lap and began kneading.
Qian Huanyue planned to keep the two notes Kurumi had given her. They were a gift from a friend, after all, and worth treasuring.
When she arrived at the remains of the university campus, Qian Huanyue spotted Tohka just as she'd expected.
A mischievous impulse struck her. She opened a small rift in space with Seraph of Thousand Blades and reached through.
Tap, tap.
Tohka, who had been looking down at the campus ruins, suddenly felt two light taps on her back. She spun around at once, alert.
"Who's there?"
There was no one behind her.
Six hundred meters away, behind the ruins of a classroom building, Qian Huanyue stifled a giggle, her shoulders trembling.
She reached through again, this time gently ruffling the ends of Tohka's hair.
"Qian Huanyue! Is that you?"
"Correct." Qian Huanyue appeared in front of Tohka in an instant, mischief shining in her pale-purple eyes. "Surprise!"
"Oh, come on!" Tohka dismissed her Angel and ran over with puffed-out cheeks. "You tricked me!"
"I'm sorry!" Qian Huanyue immediately pressed her palms together in apology, though her eyes were still crinkled with laughter. "Will you forgive me?"
Seeing Qian Huanyue's utterly insincere smile, Tohka reached out, pinched her cheeks, and pulled them apart.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Qian Huanyue's plea came out muffled, but she couldn't help laughing.
"Since you apologized so 'sincerely,'" Tohka said, lifting her chin triumphantly, "once we find Shido, you have to take me somewhere with delicious bread. How about it?"
"I'll help you find Shido."
"Mm."
Shiori, who had dark circles under her eyes and was standing amid the campus ruins, lost in thought, suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.
There was no one behind her.
Tohka watched Shiori look around in confusion and let out a snort of laughter. She hurriedly covered her mouth, but her shoulders kept shaking as she tried to hold it in.
The hand that had tapped Shiori had been hers, reaching through a small rift in space that Qian Huanyue was holding open.
Apparently, playing pranks brought out the mischief in anyone, Spirits included.
Shiori turned back with a puzzled frown and muttered, "Was I imagining it...?" Before she could finish, someone tapped her other shoulder!
"?!" Shiori spun around again. Still no one.
In the distance, Tohka was doubled over laughing, nearly in tears.
Qian Huanyue pressed her lips together, struggling not to laugh aloud, and mouthed, "One more time," to Tohka.
When a third light tap landed on top of Shiori's head, she finally lost patience and called out, flustered and annoyed, "Huanyue! Tohka! It's you two, isn't it? Stop playing around and come out!"
"You found us!" Qian Huanyue teleported in front of Shiori with Tohka, who was laughing too hard to stand straight.
Tohka was still wiping tears of laughter from her eyes as she pointed at Shiori. "Shido... the look on your face just now... Hahahaha!"
It was the first time she had discovered how much fun it was to tease someone.
Shiori looked at the two Spirits, huddled together and laughing over their successful prank. She was exasperated, but she couldn't help finding it funny too. Even the sadness stirred up by her memories had faded a little.
She sighed helplessly, though the corners of her mouth rose despite herself.
"You two..." She shook her head, without a trace of reproach in her voice. "I don't know what to do with you."
"Tohka." Qian Huanyue pointed at her Astral Dress. It drew far too much attention. "You need to change clothes."
"...Mm."
"Should we go buy some?"
Shiori was already considering taking Tohka clothes shopping. But if they went to a store, the walk there alone might cause a commotion.
"Well, we'll do it the Spirit way, of course, Shido."
Qian Huanyue took out her phone and showed Tohka a photo the Kurumis had taken earlier. In it, Tohka wore her hair in two low ponytails, had a bandage wrapped around her left hand, and was dressed in a white dress.
Qian Huanyue would love to see Tohka try that outfit too.
"Mm. All right, I'll make myself one."
Tohka dismissed her Astral Dress and, using the picture as a model, instantly formed a new outfit.
The photo only showed the front, so the back of the outfit lacked detail, but it still looked lovely.
Qian Huanyue's eyes lit up, and she kept taking photos.
Thanks to Ratatoskr's intervention, the entire street in that area was lined with delicious food!
"Wow! Huanyue, Shido! What's this?"
Tohka took it all in with childlike curiosity.
Huanyue had barely taken a freshly fried scallion pancake from a stall before Tohka finished it in two bites and ran off to try something else.
She bought an enormous crepe at a ridiculously low price and sent it to First-Meeting Kurumi with her Angel.
Huanyue quietly called Shiori over. "So your organization arranged all this?"
"Mm..." Shiori admitted it, her cheeks faintly red.
"Thank you for that day, Shido." Qian Huanyue was, of course, referring to her first date with Shiori.
She sighed softly, her lashes trembling as her eyes glistened. "I really do want to see Shiori-chan again."
Whoa! She's dazzling!!
Shiori found it hard to look away.
Spirit: Qian Huanyue Birthday: November 13 Angel: Seraph of Thousand Blades Astral Dress: Godly Spirit Garment: Senban (Huanyue made up the name herself) Height: 160 cm Strength: 198 Endurance: 240 Spiritual Power: 770 Agility: 236 Intelligence: 111 Total: 1,555