"Mr. Shinya! Run!"
Finishing her words, Haruko turned to dash out the door, but she collided with something solid. She opened her eyes to see the front of a man's kimono, but it differed vastly from her father's… She looked up abruptly, only to find the man's smile deepening as he reached to touch her face.
Startled, she shrieked and stumbled backward, landing directly on the floor. Just moments ago, this man had been by the desk, but now he was blocking their way out in an instant—he must be a gh…gh…
She continued to retreat until her head knocked against the desk behind her. There was no escape left.
"Haruko! Calm down, you're safe!" Mr. Shinya's tattooed markings remained vivid on his face as he approached Haruko, reaching to lift her up. But before he could, she scrambled to her feet.
"Sorry, Mr. Shinya!" She grabbed the salt container they'd brought up during breakfast and hurled the entire contents toward the two men, shouting, "Evil spirits, be gone!"
Neither of them expected such an action, and both were thoroughly showered in salt.
For a moment, the world fell silent.
If the scene wasn't chaotic enough, Kogimi arrived, drawn by the commotion. He opened the door, finding Mr. Shinya and the unknown man covered in salt, while Haruko clutched the empty container, bewildered by what had just unfolded.
"Mr. Kogimi! Help me!" Haruko, grasping for any hope, tried to throw herself toward him for safety, only to be seized mid-air as Shinya gripped her collar and pulled her back.
"Har-u-ko Yamashita."
"Eek—" She turned her head and saw Mr. Shinya's tattoos had vanished, yet his furious expression was even more terrifying without them. "Mr. Kogimi, help!"
"Shinya, release Miss Haruko. You're scaring her."
Kogimi spoke gently, and Haruko nodded frantically in agreement. Yes, yes, I'm about to die from fright. Mr. Shinya reluctantly let go of her.
Freed from his grip, Haruko dashed behind Mr. Kogimi, peeking out cautiously. This time, her fear wasn't from the supernatural; she sensed that neither of these beings intended her harm.
…Though after dousing them with salt, she felt too embarrassed to face them.
"…This isn't the best place for us to stay. Let's move to the dining room, and you, sir, are welcome to join us," Mr. Kogimi said, with a flick of his wrist. The salt scattered on the floor vanished. Haruko watched, wide-eyed. Could Mr. Kogimi not be human, too?
Shinya sighed, his hair and coat briefly igniting in flame, which vanished in an instant along with the salt covering him.
Finally, the unknown man merely dusted off his clothing. The salt didn't scatter onto the tatami mats but disappeared as if into thin air.
Not understanding what was happening, she could only gape, fish-like.
"Let's go. I'll explain everything." Mr. Shinya looked like he wanted to pat her head but hesitated, as if afraid she'd be frightened. He finally sighed and followed Kogimi out of the room.
She glanced back at the man. Though he smiled warmly, she still felt a bit uneasy around him.
Yet, looking closely, he reminded her of someone familiar.
The mysterious man bore a striking resemblance to her youngest brother, Fuyuhiko. The thought eased her heart.
"Miss Haruko, please have a seat. I'll make some tea—Chinese tea, if you like?"
"I'll do it!"
"No, Miss Haruko, please wait a moment. It'll be ready soon."
Once in the dining room, Mr. Kogimi went to the kitchen, leaving Haruko awkwardly standing. She glanced at Mr. Shinya, then at the unknown man, finally breaking the silence herself.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Shinya… I shouldn't have thrown salt at you. My apologies."
Whoever Mr. Shinya truly was, he had been helping her look for the one who stole her food. From beginning to end, he hadn't harmed her—she'd been the one to overreact.
"…Uh… it's fine…" Her sudden apology left Mr. Shinya visibly uncomfortable.
Both looked down in embarrassment, while the unknown man nonchalantly broke the awkward silence.
"Haruko, aren't you going to apologize to me?" The man's tone was affectionate, almost grandfatherly. "I didn't expect my great-great-granddaughter to use such an old-fashioned method to ward off spirits."
"…Who are you?! Why are you in my room?" And did you steal my breakfast? she fumed inwardly, though the last question went unsaid.
"Me? As you suspect, I am the spirit attached to the talisman you carry."
Haruko recalled that just as Mr. Shinya reached for her talisman, this stranger had appeared.
"Are you…my ancestor?" Her tone was uncertain, but the idea made sense, explaining his resemblance to Fuyuhiko.
"My name is Seimei, Abe no Seimei."
"Abe no Seimei? You can't be serious!" Mr. Shinya looked at the man who claimed to be the legendary onmyoji, then back at Haruko.
"Ask that man, and you'll have your answer." Abe no Seimei gave Mr. Shinya a mischievous look, unfazed by the hostility directed at him.
Just then, Kogimi emerged from the kitchen, his hands empty. A purple clay teapot, teacups the size of sake cups, and a plate of unfamiliar pastries floated behind him, arranging themselves in an orderly procession.
"Please, Miss Haruko." Mr. Kogimi gestured, and the plate of pastries landed before her, while the cups seemed to find their respective places. One cup stumbled, quickly hurrying into position before the teapot poured fragrant Chinese tea into each cup.
Once seated, Mr. Kogimi lifted his cup, took a sip, and made a gesture to Haruko, who quickly picked up her cup, sipping delicately like a kitten.
Delicious! The tea smelled divine and was so smooth, without a trace of bitterness!
"This is a Chinese herbal tea to calm the mind. The pastry is osmanthus cake, a Chinese delicacy."
Haruko nodded, appreciating the rare treat. She picked up a translucent piece of osmanthus cake and took a bite. The flavor was exquisite, and she wondered if the petals inside were real osmanthus blossoms.
Finishing the cake and taking another sip of tea, she felt revived.
"Now, let's get to the main point…"
"Wait!"
Just as Mr. Kogimi was about to explain, Mr. Shinya interrupted him. "I oppose revealing our identities to an unknown individual."
He was referring to the man who claimed to be Abe no Seimei. But in truth, Haruko just wanted someone to explain everything. She needed to know what kind of situation she'd landed herself in.
"Well, if I must, I'll offer a gesture of goodwill." Abe no Seimei folded his fan, yet remained seated, instructing, "Haruko, fetch my true form."
"I can retrieve the talisman…" Mr. Shinya raised his hand as if to cast a spell.
"You won't be able to, Shinya. Miss Haruko, please fetch the talisman," Mr. Kogimi interjected, and though Mr. Shinya's expression grew darker, he ultimately obeyed.
"That's more like it," Abe no Seimei chuckled, his serene smile as enigmatic as the mythical fox spirit he resembled.
"My compliments," Mr. Kogimi's words of humility made Haruko ponder what kind of…spirit Mr. Kogimi truly was.
She looked between Mr. Shinya and Mr. Kogimi, then nodded.
"I'll go with you," Mr. Shinya offered, adding cautiously, "if you're comfortable with me joining."
"…Alright."