Why Has Food Become So Fragrant and Soft?

"So, Huanyue, are you planning to go out and have fun with friends tomorrow?"

"Mm-hm."

"Do you need to prepare anything?" As she spoke, First-Meeting Kurumi unhesitatingly pulled a thick stack of 10,000-yen bills from her shadow.

Seeing the huge wad of cash appear in an instant, Qian Huanyue once again wore her signature blank-eyed expression.

"Huh?!"

"My, is that not enough?" First-Meeting Kurumi tilted her head and pulled several dozen more 10,000-yen notes from her shadow, moving as naturally as if she did not care in the slightest what the original Kurumi would think upon discovering it.

If it were the original Kurumi, she would probably do something similar.

After all, they were both "Kurumi."

Qian Huanyue did not really understand the currency here, but judging from those appealing numbers, it had to be a lot. With a startled gasp, she hurriedly shook her head.

"No, San-san."

"I mean, is there anything you want to eat? I'll bring it back for you with Seraph of Thousand Blades."

"...My," First-Meeting Kurumi tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment. "How about a crepe?"

"Sounds great."

"But you should still take the money, Huanyue."

"It's too much, San-san." Looking at the thick stack of 10,000-yen bills stuffed into her arms, Qian Huanyue felt as if she were holding a hot potato. Even Fukuzawa Yukichi's portrait on the bills seemed to be smiling at her.

So... so extravagantly wealthy!

In the end, she only took two bills and gently pushed the rest of the stack back into Kurumi's hands. "This is enough."

"I'll be back by 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' ability was always especially convenient for traveling.

"My..." In the empty room, First-Meeting Kurumi lowered her gaze to her now-empty palm. The bills that had just been pushed back to her had long since turned into shadows and melted into the floor.

After a moment of silence, she finally shook her head with a soft laugh.

She slowly walked to the window. The white cat Qian Huanyue had brought back, named Dog, was curled up on a cushion, dozing.

First-Meeting Kurumi bent down and picked up the cat, then returned to the sofa and sat down, absently stroking the soft fur at the back of its neck.

The white cat in her arms purred contentedly under her touch, letting out a Hibiki as it kneaded against her lap.

Qian Huanyue planned to keep the two bills Kurumi had given her—they were a friend's heartfelt gift, worth treasuring properly.

When she arrived amid the ruins of the university campus, Qian Huanyue indeed saw Tohka.

Qian Huanyue suddenly felt playful and mischievously opened a small patch of space with Seraph of Thousand Blades' ability, reaching her hand through it.

Knock, knock.

Tohka, who had been looking down at the campus ruins, suddenly felt someone lightly tap her twice from behind. She immediately turned around warily.

"Who is it?"

There was no one behind her.

Qian Huanyue snickered behind the ruins of a teaching building six hundred meters away, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She reached out again, this time gently rubbing the tips of Tohka's hair.

"Qian Huanyue! Is that you?"

"Correct." Qian Huanyue appeared before Tohka in an instant, mischief glinting in her pale violet eyes. "I have a surprise~"

"Honestly!" Tohka dismissed her Angel, puffed up her cheeks, and ran over. "You actually tricked me!"

"I'm sorry!" Qian Huanyue immediately pressed her palms together in apology, though her eyes were still curved in a smile. "Will you forgive me?"

Seeing Qian Huanyue's utterly insincere smile, Tohka suddenly reached out, pinched her cheeks, and pulled them apart.

"Ow, ow, ow..." Qian Huanyue begged indistinctly, yet could not help laughing.

"Since you apologized so 'sincerely,'" Tohka said, proudly lifting her chin, "when we find Shido, take me somewhere with delicious bread. How about it?"

"I'll help look for Shido."

"Mm."

Shiori, who had dark circles under her eyes as she stood sighing over the campus ruins, suddenly felt someone pat her shoulder.

There was no one behind her.

Watching Shiori look around in confusion, Tohka could not help letting out a snort of laughter. She hurriedly covered her mouth, but her shoulders kept shaking as she struggled to hold it in.

The hand that had just patted Shiori had reached through the small spatial rift Qian Huanyue was maintaining.

It seemed people took the greatest delight in mischief while doing bad things, Spirits included.

Shiori turned back in confusion, frowning as she muttered, "Was that just my imagination...?" Before she could finish, her other shoulder was patted again!

"?!" Shiori spun around once more, but there was still no one there.

In the distance, Tohka was already bent over laughing, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

Qian Huanyue also pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh aloud as she silently mouthed, "One more time," to Tohka.

When the third light tap landed on Shiori's head, she finally could not take it anymore and shouted with a touch of embarrassed annoyance, "Huanyue! Tohka! It's you two, isn't it?! Stop playing around and come out!"

"We've been found out~" Qian Huanyue teleported in front of Shiori with Tohka, who was laughing so hard she could barely stand straight.

Tohka was still wiping away tears of laughter as she pointed at Shiori. "Shido... the way you looked just now... hahahahaha..."

This was her first time experiencing the joy of teasing someone.

Looking at the two Spirits before her, laughing together after successfully pulling off their prank, Shiori was both annoyed and amused. Much of the melancholy brought on by her memories had also been washed away.

She sighed helplessly, but the corners of her lips rose on their own.

"You two..." She shook her head, though there was not the slightest hint of blame in her voice. "I really don't know what to do with you."

"Tohka." Qian Huanyue pointed at the Astral Dress. "That's too conspicuous. You need to change clothes."

"...Mmph."

"Should we go buy some at a store?"

Shiori had already started considering taking Tohka shopping. If she brought Tohka to a store, just walking there might cause a commotion.

"Well, of course we'll do it the Spirit way, Shido."

Qian Huanyue took out her phone and pulled up the photos Kurumi had taken earlier for Tohka to see. In them, Tohka wore twin ponytails, bandages around her left hand, and a white dress.

She would be delighted to see Tohka try on that outfit too.

"Mmph, fine. Then I'll make one myself."

Tohka dismissed her Astral Dress and, copying the image, instantly reconstructed a new outfit.

Since the album only had front-facing photos, the back lacked details, but it still looked very nice.

At least, Qian Huanyue's eyes sparkled as she kept taking pictures.

After Ratatoskr stepped in, an entire street in this area was filled with food!

"Wow! Huanyue, Shido! What is this?"

Tohka watched everything around her with the curiosity of a child.

Huanyue had just taken a freshly cooked jianbing from a stall when Tohka finished it in two bites and immediately ran off to try something else.

She bought an enormous crepe at an absurdly cheap price and sent it to First-Meeting Kurumi through her Angel.

Huanyue quietly called Shiori over. "So this was your organization's doing?"

"Mm..." Shiori answered with a slight blush.

"Thank you for that day, Shido." Qian Huanyue was naturally referring to her first date with Shiori.

With a soft sigh, her eyelashes trembled faintly, and a crystalline glimmer appeared in her eyes. "I really do still want to meet Shiori."

Whoa! So dazzling!!

Shiori found herself unable to look away.

--º--

Spirit: Qian Huanyue

Birthday: November 13

Angel: Seraph of Thousand Blades

Astral Dress: Godly Spirit Garment: Thousandfold (made up by Huanyue herself)

Height: 160 cm

Strength: 198

Endurance: 240

Spiritual Power: 770

Agility: 236

Intelligence: 111

Total: 1555