A cocktail party is a form of invitation-based social gathering that originated in the West and continues to be widely used today due to its relatively simple and economical format compared to formal banquets. It holds an important place in people's social interactions and is often used to commemorate and celebrate birthdays for social groups or individuals or to establish and strengthen relationships.
In Japan, a country heavily influenced by the West, cocktail parties have become a very common social form. The Japanese have combined Western-style cocktail parties with their own local cuisine and banquet customs, creating a unique Japanese-style cocktail party.
The cocktail party that Byakuya, Elza, Shinji, and Sakura are attending is a typical Japanese-style cocktail party. It includes Western-style alcoholic beverages, drinks, and cold appetizers, as well as Japanese-style soups, grilled dishes, fried dishes, simmered dishes, and sashimi.
However, regardless of the form of the cocktail party, it is not a buffet-style event where one can freely indulge in eating and drinking. Moderation is the basic etiquette of a cocktail party, and in addition, Shinji, as the head of the Matou family (externally) and Byakuya's son, attracts a lot of attention. Every move and action requires careful consideration, which is why Shinji has never liked participating in such events.
Except for today, there is an exception. He is interested in this family, or more accurately, interested in a person within this family.
The Asakami family, whose main branch is located in Nagano, once had a prominent reputation in the mysterious world.
Unlike the European immigrant Matou family, the Asakami family is a native Japanese family whose main business is "exorcism."
In Japan, the term "distortion of nature" is referred to as "ma," and exorcism is the act of repairing that distortion. It could be phenomena that have been distorted or species that have been distorted. The Asakami family was once one of the four most famous exorcist families in Japan, but now their population has declined, and they are gradually declining due to poor management and a large amount of debt, on the verge of bankruptcy.
Tonight's cocktail party seems like an ordinary social event, but it is the Asakami family's final struggle. The reason they chose to hold it in Mifune City instead of Nagano is that the main branch could no longer afford to host a large-scale cocktail party and had to rely on the influential Asagami family, a branch family in Mifune City, for help.
The Matou family had several dealings with the Asakami family in the past, particularly in terms of spiritual land leases, and Byakuya and Asagami Construction Corporation, a subsidiary of the Asagami family, had several collaborative projects. That's why they received the invitation. It was a coincidence that Shinji mentioned he had something to do in Mifune City, and Sakura insisted on going with her brother, so they took the opportunity to bring the two children along. Originally, they planned to drop them off at the Matou family's villa and attend the cocktail party themselves, but Shinji, contrary to his usual behavior, requested to attend the party once he learned that the Asakami family was the host, leading to the scene that unfolded before the cocktail party.
At the cocktail party, Shinji successfully met the person he wanted to see.
She was a girl several years older than Shinji, with long purple hair that resembled Sakura's. Her gaze was cold, and she appeared very calm and composed. Her small and refined face was incredibly cute, with a pointed chin and a subtle sense of balance that evoked the image of a Japanese doll.
Her long hair extended to her back, and her sideburns were slightly raised from the roots of her ears, symmetrically draping down to her chest. Her forehead was neatly trimmed, exuding the unique aura of a noble young lady.
The girl's name is Asakami Fujino, a major character in the third chapter, "Remaining Sense of Pain," of the anime series "The Garden of Sinners" ("Kara no Kyoukai"). She is also one of the four main tragic heroines in the Type-Moon universe (though she strongly objects to being referred to with derogatory terms).
Currently, she remains as pure and innocent as a small flower, quietly blooming in the corner, seemingly forgotten by the whole world.
Shinji lowered his head as he walked past Asakami Fujino. Perhaps due to a lack of concentration, he accidentally stepped on her foot.
"Sorry, sorry, did I hurt you?"
Shinji quickly apologized, though his head was still moving, his eyes never left Fujino's face.
"It's okay, it doesn't hurt at all."
Fujino's voice was soft, displaying good manners.
"No, please don't force yourself. My family always says I have heavy footsteps. I've even broken the stairs at home a few times. If I hurt you, you must tell me—"
Shinji leaned forward eagerly, his face adorned with an innocent smile.
"—Or maybe, sister, you simply can't feel pain at all?"
Fujino's slender body trembled, and the highball glass slipped from her hand, revealing an unmistakable panic on her serene face.
Seemingly prepared in advance, Shinji swiftly reached out with his left hand and effortlessly caught the highball glass, not spilling a drop of juice.
"Don't say you're not forcing yourself when you're in so much pain that you can't even hold a cup. Let me support you and take you to rest over there."
"Ah, okay."
Shinji's smiling face filled Fujino with inexplicable fear, but she couldn't refuse his request and could only let the boy, who seemed smaller than her, assist her as they left.
At the cocktail party, the guests were required to stand, with no fixed seating or positions. Only a few seats were arranged on one side for older or tired individuals to take a brief respite.
The spot where the two of them were located was the deepest part of the resting area, where the lighting was the dimmest.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, much better."
"Indeed, sister, you can't feel pain." Shinji deliberately controlled the force of his previous step. Not only did she not feel any pain, but she might not even have noticed being stepped on.
The sudden remark caused Fujino's slightly improved complexion to turn pale once again. She looked at Shinji with a frightened gaze, her mouth moving, but no sound came out.
"There's no need to deny and don't ask me how I know. Just know that I might be able to restore your sense of pain."
Shinji's smile on his face remained unchanged from beginning to end, but in Fujino's eyes, this smile gradually transformed from a terrifying urge to distance oneself to an irresistible attraction, as if it were the temptation of a "demon."
"Are you telling the truth?" Fujino couldn't help but ask.
"Of course, it's true. What comes next must be kept secret, and you must not tell anyone."
"Okay."
With Fujino's affirmative response, Shinji extended his finger and engraved a rune on the center of her forehead, then flicked the location of the rune with force.
Accompanied by the sound of nails hitting the skin, an unfamiliar sensation traveled through Fujino's peripheral nerves and entered her brain.
It was a feeling that originated from instinct, an unpleasant feeling. It was also a warning, a warning for the body to stay away from danger.
If it were a normal person, they would take action to eliminate this feeling as soon as possible. But Fujino was different. Being unable to feel pain, she genuinely yearned for this feeling, this feeling that made one's inner self feel uncomfortable.
"This is..."
"This is pain."
Shinji said as he flicked Fujino's forehead again, this time with even more force, leaving a shallow red mark on her fair skin.
"So... this is pain."
The red mark didn't affect Fujino's beauty. Her entire face turned flushed, and her eyes emitted an inexplicable excitement. Even the air in front of her seemed to distort. She pleaded with Shinji in a completely different tone.
"Can you do it again?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't." Shinji shook his head. "I only made you temporarily feel pain. It didn't truly restore your sense of pain. If you want to regain your sense of pain, come to the Matou family's annex tomorrow morning. As for the reason, just say that I want to spend two days in the city of Mifune and hope you can be my guide—"
"—Will you come, Asakami Fujino?"
PS: Best Girl is Here!
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