"So, what did you eat? Was it good?"
Haruko, lost in thought about the ceremony, was interrupted by Achi, who had come for dinner. His cheerful voice filled the room as he slurped down spaghetti, eagerly pestering Haruko for details on the menu.
"There were so many delicious things! Strawberry mousse, scones with blueberry jam, little cucumber and tuna sandwiches, and..."
"Wow! Sounds amazing! Though I haven't tried any of it!" Achi chimed in with enthusiasm.
"They sound like treats for girls," Shinya muttered, only catching the word "sandwich" but imagining all the sweets as cloying. He preferred meat, like tonight's tomato meatball pasta.
"I want strawberry mousse…" Miss Shimo murmured, barely touching her pasta but having already finished most of her garden salad.
"Not a fan of pasta, Miss Shimo?" Haruko asked.
"I like it cold," she replied.
"I could blow on it for you, Miss Shimo!" Achi offered, his eagerness making Haruko and Shinya stifle laughter.
Miss Shimo glanced at Achi with icy disdain, then pushed her plate just out of his reach, making Haruko and Shinya laugh outright.
Still chuckling, Haruko offered, "How about I bring you a small bowl to cool it faster?"
Miss Shimo nodded, ignoring Achi's look of longing, and handed her plate to Haruko. Feeling a little sorry for Achi, Haruko went to the cupboard to find a suitable bowl—only to discover her breakfast dishes, now washed and put back in their usual place.
Mr. Shinya always set the table for dinner, so Haruko had no idea when the dishes had returned. She took out a bowl, split some pasta for Miss Shimo, and couldn't resist staring at the breakfast bowl, half-expecting it to vanish again.
But it stayed put, the pasta steaming gently.
"So strange…" she murmured, handing Miss Shimo the cooled bowl.
"Here, Haruko—ahh." Miss Shimo, noticing Haruko's gaze on the pasta, offered her a forkful.
"I'll take it!"
As Achi stood up, attempting to intercept, Haruko placed a hand on his forehead, keeping him at bay, and ultimately, the pasta found its way into her mouth.
"Mmm~ Delicious! It's even better when Miss Shimo feeds me!" Haruko exclaimed, savoring the meal.
Seeing Achi's defeated expression, she couldn't help but laugh aloud: "Ha ha ha, how cute. You think you can steal food from me? I grew up with three younger siblings—I'm a pro at food snatching!"
"...What's strange?" Shinya, having finished his pasta and now slowly working through his salad, patted Achi's shoulder before turning to Haruko.
"This morning, I took the rice and side dishes upstairs, but when I went back to grab the miso soup, the food was gone," Haruko continued, her voice puzzled. "I even placed the miso soup on the table, and when I went to take a shower, it vanished, along with the dishes. But just now, the dishes reappeared."
Shinya, chewing his salad as if it were rubber, swallowed and made his verdict: "Ah, I know who the culprit is. It's Achi."
"Wait! Wait! What are you saying, Shinya?!" Achi quickly explained, and Miss Shimo clutched her pasta protectively to her chest.
"Just a joke," Shinya said with a grin. "I'll check your room later to see if there's any sign of a broken window or door."
"Miss Shimo! See? Shinya said it's a joke! I would never steal your food! Really!" Achi insisted, though Miss Shimo didn't even acknowledge his plea, shaking her head with a firm "No."
After the meal, under Achi's insistence, the task of cleaning up was handed over to him and Miss Shimo. Of course, Haruko and Shinya didn't miss the opportunity to tease him.
This was, after all, Haruko's first time inviting a man into her room. Back home, she had lived with her parents, and since her relationship with her ex-boyfriend had never been serious, she never had the chance to bring him over.
Fortunately, she didn't have many personal belongings, and nothing she'd mind showing.
However, as soon as she opened the door, she realized she had made a significant mistake.
"Is this... an ancestral tablet?"
Because her room was sparse, lacking a sense of home, Shinya's sharp eyes immediately spotted the ancestral tablet on her desk.
Oh no. This wasn't the sort of thing that should be found in a young woman's room.
"Uh, this is something my mother forced me to bring when I came to Tokyo," Haruko hurriedly explained. "I'm told it's a tablet for my ancestors, so I had no choice but to bring it. I had nowhere else to place it, and I couldn't just throw it away..."
Shinya didn't respond but simply glared at the tablet with a look of hostility.
"May I have a closer look?" he asked.
"Uh, sure..."
After receiving Haruko's permission, Shinya reached to pick up the tablet. But just as his fingers neared it, a force pushed him away, sending him crashing into the wall.
"Shinya!" Haruko gasped, stunned by what had just happened. Had he been thrown back?
"I... I'm fine." Shinya grasped Haruko's hand as she reached out, standing up, but his gaze met her panicked eyes.
"Shinya... your face..." she whispered.
It was bad. Shinya instinctively lowered his head, but this only raised Haruko's suspicions further.
A fiery totem-like pattern had appeared on his face, the same as the tattoos on his arms. The totem glowed eerily, radiating both warmth and danger, a feeling Haruko recognized all too well. She knew instantly that Shinya was just as aware of the change on his face.
"This is truly sad, Haruko," a leisurely voice came from behind her. She turned to see a figure in her room, one who seemed as if he had stepped out of a Heian-era play.
The man wore a black hat and a flowing white Kariginu( かりぎぬ A kimono rope for ancient Japanese court officials), embroidered with intricate talismanic patterns on the collar and cuffs. The hem of his robe and sleeves flared out dramatically, fluttering as if in sync with the ambient air. Talisman charms adorned his chest, and a peachwood staff hung at his waist, secured by a black belt with a white towel and pen hanging from it. Upon closer inspection, Haruko realized the man's body seemed semi-transparent.
"To think you would let another man touch your ancestor's tablet. Don't you understand its significance?" His voice dripped with amusement as he saw Haruko's shock, tightening her grip on Shinya's hand.
Seeing her reaction, the man smiled in delight, drawing an ornate folding fan from his waist and gently bringing it to his lips.
"Moreover, someone like him—a creature of the youkai—shouldn't be so close to it."