Shido? No, Shiori? Yes

Tenguu City

'Shido Itsuka' hurried along the street at a light jog. As someone who handled the housework, looked after her younger sister, and was unusually domestic compared to her peers, her mind was currently filled with supermarket discounts—was there anything more urgent than buying the hamburger steaks her sister liked and restocking the fridge with vegetables?

As she rounded a street corner, 'Shido' failed to notice someone in time. A fragrant breeze brushed past her first, then came a "Bang—" as Shido crashed into something very soft and staggered backward.

"Mm." 'Shido' rubbed her head and blinked, hurriedly steadying herself before helping the other person up. Before her stood an unbelievably beautiful girl, her white hair cascading like a waterfall, dressed in a white gown. From her expression, she seemed to have been hit quite hard as well.

Qian Huanyue took the hand 'Shido' offered and used her strength to steady herself, letting out what looked like a relieved sigh.

As a Spirit, she obviously could not have been this frail. She was only acting this way so she could get acquainted with Shido Itsuka. Since she was a Spirit, it was inevitable that she would meet her sooner or later.

She would be sealed, run into a few main plot events, help everyone out, and finally be supported by Ratatoskr for the rest of her life. After all, that organization had mainly been founded to help Spirits. One kiss in exchange for all that—wasn't that a pretty good deal?

That was right. As a Spirit, she really was this pathetic.

"I'm terribly sorry!"

'Shido' apologized, her face bright red as she was somewhat dazzled by the girl's appearance.

So, so pretty.

"Mm, it was because this is a corner. Neither of us was watching where we were going properly, so don't take it too much to heart." Qian Huanyue's voice was soft. "I should apologize to you too."

Under the sincere gaze of those amethyst-like eyes, 'Shido' turned her head away. A faint blush appeared on her face, and her cheeks kept growing hotter as she had no idea how to respond.

"...Mm."

Just as 'Shido' was about to say something, she noticed the city guide map in Qian Huanyue's hand.

Noticing her gaze, Qian Huanyue openly spread the map out for her to see. As she moved, she unconsciously leaned closer to her.

'Shido' felt as though the air around her had become unbearably hot. Otherwise, why would her face be burning this badly?

"I only arrived in this city recently, and I was using the map to find my way. I didn't expect to look up and run right into you. What's your name?" Qian Huanyue asked gently.

"I-I'm Shido Itsuka! I've lived here my whole life. If you don't mind, where do you want to go? I can take you there."

The heat in 'Shido's' cheeks had yet to fade. Seeing the sincerity in the other girl's eyes, she unconsciously wanted to help her, while a reluctant feeling at the thought of parting with her spread through her heart.

Huanyue cooperatively lit up and clapped her hands, looking rather excited. "My name is Qian Huanyue. Just call me Huanyue. So, Mr. Shido, are there any interesting places in Tengu City?"

"Mm, there are! I'll take you."

The train doors opened with a ding, and the scent of the snack street, rich with the bustle of everyday life, rushed over them.

'Shido' led Qian Huanyue there with practiced ease. "The takoyaki and candied apples here are super famous! My treat!"

Huanyue lightly pinched a strand of her silver hair with her left hand. After staring at Shido until she became embarrassed, she chuckled and shook her head. "Mr. Shido is the one helping me. I should be the one treating you."

'Shido' only felt that the other girl was incredibly special. Her ears were hot, and that feeling persisted even as she accepted the takoyaki Huanyue handed her.

Still, it felt like she had forgotten something.

Forget it. She couldn't remember it anyway.

At home, Itsuka Kotori stared at the empty house while her stomach growled. She angrily crunched the lollipop in her mouth and decided to wait a little longer. If her idiot older sister still did not come back, she would have no choice but to go fill her stomach at a Ratatoskr-affiliated restaurant.

Shido was sitting side by side with Qian Huanyue on a bench, the takoyaki in his hands still steaming.

"Delicious!" Qian Huanyue popped one little round ball after another into her mouth, her eyes faintly gleaming. "Shido, do you come here often?"

Shido scratched his head. "Mm... I used to come here with my younger sister." Mentioning his sister, he suddenly remembered why he had come out in the first place—buying hamburger steaks for Kotori and stocking the refrigerator with groceries!!

"Ah—!"

Shido sprang up from the bench, nearly dropping the takoyaki in his mouth.

"Oh no! I forgot to buy hamburger steaks for my sister Kotori!" He grabbed at his hair and spun anxiously in place. "Huanyue, sorry, I need to hurry to the supermarket, or my sister Kotori will get mad!"

Seeing his flustered state, Qian Huanyue could not help laughing. She pointed to one side of the city guide map. "Then Mr. Shido should still make it in time. There happens to be a supermarket nearby. I'll go with you to buy them, as thanks for being my guide today."

Shido froze, then was gently pushed forward by the girl before he could react.

"How could I let you do that?" she asked, her face slightly red.

"It's what friends should do." Her steps were light, and her silver hair gleamed softly beneath the setting sun. "Doesn't Mr. Shido want to get there sooner?"

Friends?! So in her heart, we were already friends?

Shido felt his cheeks redden slightly.

After crossing two streets, they indeed found a neat supermarket. Shido was delighted to discover that the hamburger steaks were not only on sale, but also looked exceptionally fresh. He carefully picked them out, occasionally explaining to Qian Huanyue how to judge the quality of the meat.

Qian Huanyue occasionally nodded along, responding with little sounds of "Oh, oh" and "Mm-hm."

"Shido is really good at this." Qian Huanyue leaned against the shopping cart, resting her cheek on one hand as she watched him.

"Sorry, I ended up talking so much without noticing." Shido looked embarrassed. He had been rambling like an old granny just now. Would Huanyue find him annoying?

Even her younger sister could not always withstand her nagging.

"This is all useful everyday knowledge." Qian Huanyue lightly tapped the edge of the shopping cart with her fingertips, a gentle smile rippling through her violet eyes. "I've never heard any of this before. It's really interesting."

For Shido, who had no experience sealing Spirits and almost no experience interacting with girls aside from his sister, and who rarely interacted with people of the same sex, those words were like a deep-sea torpedo exploding violently underwater. His heart felt as though fireworks were going off inside it, bouncing and thumping without end.

At the checkout, Shido insisted on paying, but Qian Huanyue gently pressed down on his wrist. "We agreed earlier. This is the part I'm treating you to." Her fingertips were slightly cool, yet the touch made Shido's ears burn.

When they left the supermarket, Shido looked at the full shopping bags in his hands and finally let out a sigh of relief. "I really have you to thank today. Otherwise, my sister Kotori really would have gotten mad."

"I'm glad I could help." Qian Huanyue tilted her head slightly. "But as repayment, Shido has to take me somewhere else next time, okay?"

The setting sun dyed her white hair a warm gold. Those amethyst-like eyes were especially bright in the dusk, and Shido stared at her blankly, forgetting to respond for a moment.

Was she an angel?

"Then it's settled." Qian Huanyue chuckled as she took two steps back and waved at her. "Be careful on the way home. Say hello to little Kotori for me."

Only after her figure disappeared around the street corner did Shido belatedly realize—they had not even exchanged contact information.

"Ah! I forgot to ask for her phone number or email!" Shido stood there with the shopping bags, looking annoyed with herself.

Meanwhile, after turning several corners and confirming that Shido could no longer see her, Qian Huanyue slowed down. The gentle, perfect smile on her face faded slightly, replaced by a trace of triumphant slyness and... a tiny bit of guilt.

"Successfully made an acquaintance. Mm, not bad, not bad."

Just as she had thought, as a Spirit who knew the plot, getting in touch with Shido Itsuka ahead of time would make it easier to approach the other Spirits. She trusted Shido's character too. Getting to know her early was simply the wisest possible choice.

"But..." She touched her wrist. It still seemed to retain the warmth of Shido's palm, along with the suddenly quickened pulse she had felt when she pressed down on Shido's wrist at the supermarket checkout.

"This girl really is just like in the anime—a pure-hearted, easily embarrassed good girl..."

That feeling... wasn't unpleasant.

It was even a little more interesting than she had expected.

She looked back in the direction Shido had left, the corners of her lips lifting almost imperceptibly as she spoke softly.

"Then, Mr. Shido Itsuka, see you 'next time.'"

On the other side, Shido opened the front door with shopping bags in hand and an uneasy heart.

"I'm home..." Shido put down the groceries. Out of habit, she raised her hand and smoothly removed the soft blue short-haired wig. In an instant, silky blue hair cascaded down like a waterfall over her shoulders, revealing her true appearance. Beneath the wig,

was an adorable face identical to Shido Itsuka's, yet clearly softer. Her brown eyes looked gentle, her features more delicate, and her dark blue hair took away some of a boy's gallantry and added the graceful softness of a girl.

Yes, the Itsuka family had always raised her as a boy.

Ever since she could remember, she had been required to live as a boy named Shido Itsuka. She did not fully understand the reason. It seemed to be some sort of insistence on the part of her adoptive father, Tatsuo Itsuka.

Over time, she became accustomed to hiding her true gender with wigs and somewhat androgynous clothing, playing the role of an "older brother" while taking care of her nominal younger sister, Kotori.

At present, the only people who knew her true gender were probably Kotori and her parents, who were away on business.

"Big—Sis—!" A long, resentment-filled cry came from the living room.

Kotori Itsuka was sitting on the sofa. Even her distinctive white ribbon seemed somewhat wilted from its owner's displeasure. She had a fresh Chupa Chups in her mouth, crunching down on it loudly as she bristled. "You still know how to come home?! Where are my hamburger steaks?!"

"I-I bought them!" Shiori hurriedly raised the shopping bag like a talisman that would save her life. "They were on sale, and they're really fresh too!"

Kotori suspiciously leaned over and checked the contents of the bag. Her expression eased somewhat, but her cheeks remained puffed out. "Hmph, bad big sister, where in the world did you go to buy them? You came back so late! Did you run into some bad woman and forget your cute little sister?"

"Uh... well..." Shiori's face uncontrollably began heating up again. The image of that white-haired, violet-eyed girl appeared in her mind. "On the way... I met someone asking for directions, so I helped her out a little."

"But your face is all red, Big Sis." Kotori eyed her suspiciously.

"M-My face isn't red!" Shido instinctively touched her face, only to find that it really was hot again. Under her sister's scrutinizing gaze, she grew even more flustered. "She was really just... a girl who had only just arrived in Tengu City and didn't know the way around..."

"A girl..." Kotori nearly wanted to switch the white ribbon on her head to a black one. Still in her 'innocent little sister mode,' she could not lose her temper. She merely bit through the candy in her mouth, secretly thinking that she would investigate inside Ratatoskr's Fraxinus later. Hmph, that vixen who had stolen her sister's heart.

After switching herself back into 'innocent little sister mode,' Kotori puffed out her cheeks and changed the subject, pointing toward the kitchen. "For dinner tonight, I want double portions! To make up for my wounded heart after waiting so long!"

"Yes, yes, I'll make it right away."

Shiori smiled helplessly yet indulgently, carrying the ingredients into the kitchen. As she tied on an apron and began working, her thoughts drifted away again.

The tempting scent of hamburger steaks drifted out from the kitchen, but Shiori Itsuka's thoughts crackled and leaped like oil in a frying pan, impossible to calm.

That soft sensation... the springiness when she had bumped into her...

Those violet eyes, so close at hand...

That gentle, beautiful, dazzling smile.

"Friends...?" Shiori murmured softly, her spatula slowing. A strange, scorching emotion fermented in her chest, leaving her both confused and somewhat intoxicated.

When she had faced Qian Huanyue today.

That flushed face, racing heart, helplessness, and uncertainty over where to look—it was exactly what textbooks described as the symptoms of lovesickness! But... biologically, she was a girl!

"What is wrong with me..." Shiori turned off the heat in distress and plated the cooked hamburger steaks.

Had it been too long since she had lived normally as "Shiori," to the point that even her sexual orientation had become strange? Or perhaps... deep inside, the suppressed "Shiori" also longed, like an ordinary girl, to admire, approach, and even... fall in love with another wonderful girl?

The instant that thought surfaced, Shiori's face turned scarlet, and she nearly dropped the plate.

"No, no, no! It must be an illusion!" She shook her head hard, trying to fling those dangerous thoughts away. "I just think Huanyue is very pretty, very nice, and very special! Y-Yes, it's admiration! Pure admiration!"

Huanyue... would I be able to see her again?