"Of course!"
The Love Pillar sounded so sure of herself... so utterly sure!
Tetsu no Sosuke didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He nodded. "Do you have anyone in mind?"
"Of course." The Love Pillar counted on her fingers. "The Rock Pillar, the Water Pillar, the Wind Pillar... Any unmarried male Pillar is a possibility. You were on my list too, but you're married, so I crossed you off. Though now it seems you have a lover as well... If I'd known that earlier..."
"A lover!?"
A sudden voice cut their conversation short.
Tetsu no Sosuke turned his stiff neck and saw Shinobu Kocho staring at him, dumbfounded. No... furious.
Somehow, everything had taken a turn for the worst.
"Tetsu no Sosuke!!!"
Shinobu Kocho stormed toward him. "You have to explain yourself!!"
"..."
Tetsu no Sosuke glanced at the Love Pillar. Thinking she understood what he meant, she hurriedly said, "Insect Pillar, don't misunderstand. This is..."
"Be quiet!"
This time, Shinobu Kocho wasn't merely acting fierce. She was genuinely terrifying.
The Love Pillar froze in fright and shut her mouth, not daring to say another word.
All five feet of Shinobu Kocho radiated menace as she advanced on Tetsu no Sosuke, step by step. "What exactly is going on?"
"It's a misunderstanding," Tetsu no Sosuke said at once. "The Love Pillar thinks I like men."
"Even if it's a man... Huh?" The fury drained out of Shinobu Kocho like air from a balloon. "Men?"
"...She thinks the Serpent Pillar and I are involved," Tetsu no Sosuke said with a sigh. "You saw what happened yesterday, didn't you?"
"So you were the Serpent Pillar's so-called 'lover' yesterday?" Shinobu Kocho's face twisted. What kind of nonsense was this? How disgusting!!!
"Like I said, it was all a misunderstanding." Tetsu no Sosuke