Utahime Iori! Wangchuan!

The two of them emerged along the stone-paved road on the north side of Gion.

As they reached the shopping street, its bustle washed toward them: the sweet scent of grilled dumplings, the smell of bamboo and wood drifting from a fan shop, and tourists chatting and laughing.

Aoi Todo walked half a step behind Mai, off to her side. His conversation had already veered from their mission report to something completely unrelated.

"Takada has a handshake event next month. Want to come?"

Mai Zenin paused mid-step.

"...Takada?"

"Takada!" Aoi Todo traced a huge circle with both hands, his eyes shining like two lit light bulbs.

"That idol!"

"The one who sings 'Summer-Colored Love Sky'! She's holding a handshake event in Kyoto next month. I already got a ticket!"

"You actually follow idols..."

"What's wrong with that? Takada is..." Aoi Todo suddenly lowered his voice, his expression turning reverent and solemn.

"The most perfect woman in the world."

The corner of Mai Zenin's mouth twitched, and so did the corner of her eye.

She quickened her pace for a couple of steps, trying to leave the subject behind.

"Not going."

"Why?!"

"I'm not interested in idols."

"You'll understand how wonderful Takada is once you go! Those eyes of hers."

"Shut up."

"And her singing voice."

"I said shut up."

"And her figure is especially-"

"Say one more word about her figure, and I'll..."

Suddenly, Mai Zenin stopped dead.

Aoi Todo nearly ran into her, but fortunately reacted fast enough to brake sharply half a step away.

At the same time, she grabbed his sleeve and yanked him hard to the side.

Aoi Todo stumbled two steps as she pulled him, and they ducked together behind a huge advertising board beside the road.

Aoi Todo blinked twice and actually stayed quiet for two seconds.

Then he tilted his head, his tone so sincere that it only made him more infuriating.

"...Mai, I like tall women with big butts..."

Before he could finish, Mai's fist had already struck his forehead.

It was not a hard blow, but it landed precisely beside his ear.

Aoi Todo let out a yelp, clutched his head, and bent over.

"Idiot!" Mai withdrew her fist, her face already half dark with anger.

"Ow!"

"Don't talk!"

Mai suddenly lowered her voice.

The advertising board displayed a department store's promotional poster, featuring a female model in a kimono with a gentle smile.

They squeezed into the gap between the board and the wall, which was so narrow that Aoi Todo's broad shoulders were almost forced sideways.

"Mai, what's wrong?"

Aoi Todo lowered his voice, though his confusion was obvious. "Not that I mind squeezing in with a girl..."

"Idiot!"

Mai raised her hand and hit his forehead again.

This blow was a little harder than the last, and Aoi Todo grunted and ducked his head.

"Look over there."

She lifted her chin toward the intersection a short distance ahead.

Aoi Todo followed her gesture, looking past the edge of the advertising board and through the passing crowds toward the awning outside a teahouse across the street.

Then his eyes flew wide.

"Oooh!!!"

He gave an extremely quiet but intensely excited cry, his whole body trembling slightly as though an electric current had struck him.

"Isn't that Ms. Utahime?!"

Beneath the awning stood a figure in a loose, off-white linen top and dark trousers.

Utahime Iori's long hair fell over her shoulders. She looked considerably more relaxed than she did at school, idly fanning herself with a round fan.

She had turned her head to say something to a man beside her, wearing a less tense expression that Aoi Todo and Mai rarely saw.

The man had his back to them, so they could not see his face.

But he was tall and relaxed, dressed in a plain black T-shirt and dark gray trousers, with both hands in his pockets as he tilted his head to answer Utahime.

"A major discovery!"

Aoi Todo kept his voice extremely low, but excitement practically spilled from every word.

"Ms. Utahime is on a date!"

"Aaah!"

He covered his mouth, but his eyes shone as though he had discovered a new continent.

Behind the advertising board, he kept rocking his shoulders in little motions, letting out breathy "hee-hee-hees" so suppressed they sounded distorted.

Watching him, Mai Zenin felt her temple twitch.

She reached out and clamped a hand over Aoi Todo's mouth. As her palm pressed against his lips, he could detect the lingering smell of gunpowder on her fingers.

"Idiot, keep your voice down or she'll hear you!"

With her hand over his mouth, Aoi Todo's eyes shifted from excitement to an expression of understanding, and he nodded vigorously.

Still doubtful, Mai released him. He immediately leaned closer again, lowering his voice to a whisper only the two of them could hear.

"Shall we follow them?"

"...Hee-hee-hee."

"Your laugh is disgusting."

"Come on, come on." Aoi Todo nudged Mai's arm with his shoulder, his rugged face now brimming with relish for gossip.

"This is Ms. Utahime!"

"That Utahime Iori! Aren't you curious?"

Mai opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

But her gaze involuntarily drifted over again, landing on Utahime's profile and its rare absence of a frown.

She fell silent for two seconds, then reluctantly pursed her lips.

"...Keep your distance. Don't let them spot us."

"You got it!"

They slipped out from behind the advertising board and kept to the shadows beneath the eaves on their side of the street, trailing the two figures ahead at a moderate distance.

Meanwhile.

Walking beside Utahime, Wangchuan casually glanced out of the corner of his eye toward an advertising board behind them.

He heard that conversation, which remained clearly audible despite their extremely lowered voices.

The corners of his mouth rose ever so slightly, without drawing attention.

Those two were probably Aoi Todo, a second-year at Kyoto Jujutsu High, and Mai Zenin, a first-year.

He neither turned around nor slowed his steps.

He merely withdrew his gaze and returned it to the crowds ahead.

Utahime was looking sideways at him. Seeing him suddenly stop to look elsewhere, she stopped as well.

"What is it?"

Wangchuan looked back, his usual unreadable expression on his face.

"Nothing."

He pointed to a shop with a hanging entrance curtain at the street corner ahead. The scent of grilled fish and miso soup drifted from its doorway, and the afternoon sunlight gilded its wooden doorframe with warm gold.

"Come on. Let's get something to eat."

"Today."

He paused, turned his head to glance at Utahime, and let the curve of his lips deepen a little.

"My treat."

Utahime Iori paused mid-step at that.

An exceedingly rare look flashed through her eyes, as though she had heard something unbelievable.

"...Huh?"

She blinked once, then again, even forgetting to move the round fan in her hand.

"I never thought you'd treat anyone."

Wangchuan had already taken two steps toward the shop. At her words, he turned his head and lifted his chin.

"What, do you think I'm a complete tightwad?"

"Not a complete tightwad." Utahime hurried after him and gave his back a moderately firm tap with her round fan.

"But volunteering to treat me? I think this is the first time since I've known you."

"That just means you haven't known me long enough."

"Come on, Utahime."

"Huh? Wait for me!"

"Idiot!"

She cursed at him, but kept close on his heels.

One after the other, they lifted the shop's entrance curtain and went inside. The wind chime hanging from the doorframe rang clearly, its sound quickly swallowed by the bustle and voices inside.

Behind the advertising board, two heads cautiously poked out again.

Aoi Todo's eyes were as round as brass bells.

"They went in..."

"I can see that perfectly well." Mai crouched beside him.

Aoi Todo turned to look at her.

"Mai."

"Yeah."

"Do you think Ms. Utahime... might also like tall-"

"Say one more word about butts and I'm shooting you right now."

Aoi Todo immediately shut his mouth.

But his eyes still sparkled, locked firmly on the shop's entrance curtain as though he were awaiting some discovery of the century.

Mai sighed, took her phone from her pocket, and checked the time.

Then she looked toward the shop again, fell silent for a while, and muttered.

"...We've finished reporting on the mission anyway."

"Exactly!" Aoi Todo immediately chimed in. "Observing our teacher's private life is an important part of learning too!"

"...You call this learning?"

"Of course! There's something to learn everywhere in life!"

The corner of Mai's mouth twitched, but she did not argue again.

The two of them remained crouched in the shadows beneath the eaves across the street, like two stone statues melted by the sun, staring motionlessly at the little shop with its entrance curtain drawn.