Today, I am depressed . My summer holidays are about to end in 3 days . My days of laying around and sleeping anytime I want without getting scolded are about to go away in a near future when my school reopens .
"Only 3 days..."
"You don't look very well today, master . "
As I was lying on my bed and letting out heavy sighs, Meru talked to me .
"Why do you look so dejected, Desu?"
"I'm feeling disgusted towards the approaching future . "
Even though I knew that this day will come, I still can't resist feeling down when it comes to it . Meru couldn't understand what I was saying and tilted her head in confusion before proposing to me an idea .
"Right, Desu! I have good news for you, master!!"
"News?"
I moved my sight to the phone and saw a web page opened in it by Meru .
If you're feeling tired, buy this mysterious jar that heals you only by looking at it!
"It has a discount on it today!!"
"Meru, get rid of that website from my phone right now . "
I immediately ordered her to delete the page right away once I took a glance at it . How could she show me something as cliche as this . I only see this kind of articles in manga .
"Why? You can get with half the price, Desu . "
"It doesn't have any effect . All it could do is make you feel the despair and regret of buying it . "
"Is that do, Desu?!"
Her reaction to my advice was genuine . It looked as if it were the first time she knew about it . Seriously, I fear that she may end up being deceived by some weird website one day . As I watched Meru with concerned eyes browsing the website and exclaiming in surprise, this time I heard another voice in my head .
"Y-Yato-sama . "
"Ouka, what is it?"
"Um, I have a little request..."
While listening to her hesitating voice, I waited for her to speak her mind . She told me that she found something that attracted her attention when she was guarding Karen and that she can't hold back her curiosity anymore . So the request was for me to go with her to the place where she saw that item .
"I see . So in other words, you want to look around the city . "
"Yes . Is it no good...?"
She asked for my help with a low voice fearing that it might be rude of her . I was intending to spend the rest of the summer lazing around, but I can't turn her down now that she asked me like this . I was also planning to take her around the city to avoid further troubles the next time I ask for her cooperation . I guess this is the best time I could take her out before the start of the second term .
... Very well .
"Alright, let's do it then . "
"Is it fine!?"
Her voice immediately returned to sound cheerful when she received my consent . I was planning to spend the last three days lying on my bed, so it's about time for me to move around a little bit . With everything decided, I swiftly moved to prepare before my laziness changes my mind .
"Will the little foxes be okay if you leave them alone?"
"Some of them became responsible like Nayame, so it shouldn't be a problem if I left them alone for a day . "
It seems like everything should be fine then . I lifted my back from the bed and stood up . My body felt unusually heavy because I was sleeping for a long time . I stretched my limbs, turned my shoulders around and inhaled a deep breath .
"Well then, I will call again you once I arrive to a good place . Until then, stay with the little foxes . That way you won't have to leave them for so long . "
"Yato-sama..."
Ouka uttered my name in an impressed voice when I considered her children in the plan .
"Yes, I will be waiting!"
"Okay, later then . "
After hanging up the phone, I took out my phone and prepared to leave . Meru asked me a sudden question after listening to our conversation .
"Who were you talking with, master?"
"I was asked by Ouka to show her around the city, so I will be leaving now . "
"And where is Ouka-sama?"
"I will call her there once I arrive to a certain place . She can't leave her children alone for too long, after all . "
I briefly summarized to Meru the content of our conversation since she couldn't hear Ouka's voice . She then made a deeply moved face and started nodding her head on her own .
"Master . You are getting better at treating women, Desu . "
"How did you end up with that conclusion?"
This is the least I can do for her, or that was the argument I prepared to return to Meru before shutting my mouth after she mentioned the day when I made her misunderstood my invite to her to join me as a love confession . I couldn't deny her statement anymore . All I could do whenever she digged down my past and told me that I've grown more mature was obediently agreeing with her . I feel like our relation as master and servant have just turned to the opposite .
Could it be that she's still mad at me for that time? Next time I will try to avoid talking about this topic with her .
I left my room with that thought engraved in my mind .
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"Well then, where should we go first?"
After arriving to a good place, I called Ouka to my side and asked for her thoughts . The place we are at right now is a popular district with many clothing shops, restaurants, fancy sceneries and many other different types of shops .
"Even if you ask me, I have no idea on where we should go first..."
Ouka, next to me, was looking around her with a troubled face . Her reaction is normal for someone who never went to this kind of place . Well, I already know the places where she wants to go, but since I'm not very familiar with this district either, I decided we start walking around first .
"Let's start by going to the places you found last time . "
"Yes, right . "
There was a single main street in front of us, so losing sight of Ouka is nearly impossible . After deciding on what to do, Ouka and I started walking . Luckily, the place wasn't so cramped due to the end of the summer holidays . We could walk and watch around us leisurely .
"Oh, found it . "
Not even a short while had passed until I found the first place place Ouka wanted to go to . The moment we arrived, she got too excited and pointed at it while screaming, 'there, there' with a low voice . It was a crepe stall .
Why am I not surprised?
According to what she said, she never smelled the sweet odor of crepes in her world so she wanted to taste it at least once . Ouka sparkled her eyes while fixing her gaze on the stall .
"Alright then, let's go get one . Which one do you want?"
"Um, what about the one with beans on its top . "
She pointed towards a certain crepe in the menu placed outside the stall and chose it . After hearing her order I went to buy one from the stall .
"One number 5, please . "
"Thanks you very much . Please wait a moment . "
The employee received my order and started preparing the crepe in a careful manner . For some reason, crepes are pretty expensive . I paid for the crepe and handed it to Ouka who was waiting in the back .
"There you go . "
"Thank you very much!"
Ouka expressed her gratitude in a delighted voice . Her happy reaction made me feel that the crepe was somewhat worth its expensive price . I smiled back to Ouka but then noticed the gaze of the employee behind me . When I turned around, I found her looking at me with a dumbfounded expression .
I wonder what's wrong...
The moment I wondered to myself, I noticed that not only the employee was looking at me with that face, but even the people around us . They were all looking at me... No wait . They were all looking at the crepe I gave to Ouka .
"What's that? A magic trick?" ← Random Pedestrian 1
"It's floating, wow!" ← Random Pedestrian 69
"How did he do that?" ← Random Pedestrian 666
I even heard some of them whispering incomprehensible words to each other .
Floating? What do they mean?
It took me a while to come up with an explanation of their whispers while gazing at the crepe .
"Ah, so that's why..."
I finally understood what was going on . Ouka is a Youkai and a Youkai doesn't appear in front of ordinary people who don't have enough magic to see them . In other words, nobody in this place except for me can see Ouka . The only thing they could see was a crepe floating in the air .
This is bad .
"Ouka, let's move . "
"Eh? Y-Yato-sama?"
"I will hold onto this crepe until everyone else calms down . "
"N-No way~"
Ouka looked as if she were about to cry when I took the crepe from her the moment she was going to make the first bite . It can't be helped now . We should avoid attracting people's attention . I grabbed her hand and took her with me somewhere out of sight of ordinary people . Luckily, there was a side street near us where we could hide and wait for our surroundings to settle down .
We should be okay here .
I checked around me to make sure that nobody was looking at us .
"Um, Yato-sama?"
"Yeah, sorry for dragging you with me all of a sudden . Here . "
I gave Ouka, who was still unable to see grasp the situation, the crepe back and apologized to her . Her confused expression got immediately replaced with a cheerful one when she got back her crepe .
"The crepe will look as if it's floating on the air since you're invisible for normal people . "
"Is that so . I am sorry for not realizing it . "
"Don't worry about . "
Ouka apologized to me while bowing her head and I replied to her with my eyes fixed on the side of the street . I need to watch out if anyone is nearby until Ouka finishes eating . I continued looking around me when suddenly, I remembered something .
... I feel like I've already experienced this flow of events .
I experienced a similar situation of waiting for a person to finish what they are doing only recently with Karen and Saya . At that time, I met with Korola out of pure coincidence .
Is it going to be Metron this time? Yeah, no way...
I shook my head left and right trying to convince myself that nothing will happen . It feels like I raised a flag just by having that thought, but I guess life isn't so simple to go exactly as I imagine . Besides, it's impossible for someone who is heavily cuffed to escape here to Earth . Those were the few justifications I used to convince myself, though, the classic flow of events would never let me unbetrayed .
The next moment, I saw a familiar face walking in the main street . He had blonde hair and golden eyes . He was wearing normal clothes but his face was extremely similar to that of the person I hate the most . It was at that moment that I started believing in the existence of flags .
"Yee, it feels good . "
Metron was making a fresh expression from succeeding in escaping . He looked similar to a prisoner who didn't see the outside world for decades .
Just what did he do to succeed at escaping... Why?!
I asked myself while fixing my gaze on Metron in the distance . I shouldn't have thought about meeting someone so carelessly . For now, let's not get involved with him and wait until he leaves . I remained watching him from a far distance until I noticed a silver haired woman approaching him directly .
"Metron-sama . "
"EEEh!!? R-Rene-chan!?"
"I came to take you back with me . "
Unlike Metron's astonished voice, the woman called Rene spoke in an indifferent voice . She was probably an angel judging from the short conversation they had .
"How did you know I was here... No, more importantly, aren't you too fast to catch me?"
"Metron-sama, the next time you feel like escaping, please check your body . "
After listening to Rene's advice, Metron promptly moved his hands around his body with a stunned face . He then suddenly stopped his hand that was on top of his chest pocket and took out the item inside it while trembling .
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"T-This is..."
It was a tiny flickering crystal . I guessed that it's something like a transmitter from its shape .
"Y-You got me..."
After throwing the crystal on the ground, Metron hid his face with his hand, while looking vexed . This angel is pretty clever .
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"Well then, Metron-sama . Let's go back . "
The moment Rene approached him with a step, he asked her to stop . It looks like he didn't give up yet .
"If you get any closer, I will scream here and now . "
"What are you saying all of a sudden..."
"In this place, people believe in children more than adults . "
Apparently, Rene understood his intention and froze in her place without speaking a word . I'm sure that she's already troubled by him breaking the rules by interfering in this world, so she doesn't want him to cause an uproar again .
Seriously, this annoying kid .
He doesn't stop causing troubles for everyone around him . I felt a little irritated by Metron who continued resisting Rene from taking him back .
I guess it can't be helped...
"Ouka, wait for me here . "
"Hoe? Y-Yatho-shama?"
After leaving Ouka who had the crepe stuffed in her mouth, I approached Metron from behind .
"Fufufu, I can't allow you to catch me here—-"
"Come on now, little boy . You shouldn't act like that . "
Interrupting his words, I grabbed his hands and talked in monotone . Metron let out a confused voice from the sudden voice he heard behind him .
"You shouldn't talk to your big sister that way . "
"W-What is it so suddenly!? Get away from me... I'm not a little boy!"
He couldn't speak properly as his brain was doing its best to keep up with what was happening . He promptly turned around to see the face of the person behind me and turned pale .
"Eh, Wait, what are you doing here?!"
"You shouldn't cause troubles to people . "
Ignoring his confused question, I continued talking in a monotone voice . That way, we won't stand out inside the crowd . Metron shook his legs back and forth and struggled to get away from me while screaming . All that the people around will see is a child who is being too noisy . I could feel some gazes directed at us, but they eventually lost interest and continued with what they were doing . My acting is working . I handed over the struggling Metron to Rene .
"Take him and next time be more careful . "
"Thank you for your cooperation . Kamiya Yato-sama . "
She received him from me and expressed her gratitude .
"You know my name?"
"Yes . I have heard about you in my work a few times . "
Her answers were brief .
She heard about me in her work . Well, whatever now .
"How about you bind him to a chair next time using chains or something?"
"Isn't that too cruel?!"
"I was intending to do so from the time he escaped . "
"Eh, seriously...?"
Rene agreed to my suggestion . Metron made a frightened face as if he weren't believing what she said and waited for an answer that didn't come back .
"Huh, you're kidding, right? I mean, you wouldn't do something so cruel to your boss, no...?"
Noticing that she wasn't intending to reply to him, he kept asking her in a reluctant attitude until she answered him briefly in a cold tone .
"Metron-sama, you are going back to finish your work . "
She didn't show any sign of taking back her words . Metron dropped his sight downwards as if he gave up after hearing her merciless words .
"Well then, Yato-sama . We shall be taking our leave . "
"Don't let him escape next time . "
Bidding me farewell, Rene walked away while carrying Metron in her hands .
What a pitiful fellow, he is just making his fetters heavier by escaping .
I let out a faint sight as I watched the two of them off . Both him and Korola ended up being arrested .
Seriously, are all Gods irresponsible like this?
I turned back and walked to Ouka while wondering by myself .
"Ah, Yato-sama . What happened?"
"Nothing in particular . "
I randomly replied to Ouka and avoided explaining what happened to her . She looked at me with doubting eyes but soon forgot about it . It's kind of ridiculous to tell her that I caught a God who escaped from his job, anyway .
"Anyway, let's go to the next place if you're done eating . "
"Ah, yes . Let's go . "
While changing the topic, Ouka and I resumed our walk in the main street .
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