"Mr. Guest in Miss Haruko's room, how should I address you?" Kogimi asked with a meaningful gaze at Abe Seimei, refilling everyone's teacups after Shinya and Haruko left the room.
"Oh? Do you doubt my identity as well?" Abe Seimei sipped his tea, reminiscing about the last time he had tasted Chinese tea—perhaps when the monk Kukai brought it back from China centuries ago.
"Not at all. After all, isn't it you who placed the spell restraining Miss Haruko's spiritual power? This spell has been passed down through generations for hundreds of years. If it weren't you, the spell would have long since faded."
Of course, Kogimi's judgment wasn't based solely on this fact. After all, knowledge was his very essence.
"Well, you're mistaken. The spell hasn't faded; rather, it's begun to unravel." Abe Seimei poured himself more tea, bypassing the need for any spellwork. His translucent form holding the teapot presented an uncanny sight.
"…Are you implying someone's broken the spell that suppresses her powers?"
Indeed, this was precisely what Kogimi and Shinya had been investigating. But neither he nor Shinya had taken any actions to remove the spell—they prioritized Haruko's safety above all.
"I think you know that better than I do."
Kogimi could only respond with a wry smile, conceding the point.
As Haruko and Shinya reached her room, neither spoke. Even after entering, Shinya hesitated at the doorway, reluctant to come closer.
Haruko sighed. It was as though she were the one at fault!
"Mr. Shinya!"
"Yes!"
Startled by her sudden address, Shinya nearly slipped.
"Stop acting so timid! Have I bullied you?"
"No, you haven't… but you did throw salt at me."
"..."
"...."
At last, their eyes met, and they couldn't help but laugh.
"Mr. Shinya, you're not human, are you?"
"No, Haruko. I'm a youkai."
"Sorry, but don't ask me what kind," Shinya said, cutting off Haruko's question before it left her lips.
"Why? Is it considered rude to ask?"
"No, it's not that… it's just a bit difficult for me to answer. I can't give you a straightforward response." Shinya looked slightly uncomfortable, though he didn't seem offended.
"Then may I ask Mr. Kogimi?"
"Kogimi probably wouldn't tell you either…" Noting the puzzled expression on her face, he explained, "He enjoys being enigmatic. He'd rather you deduced the answer yourself."
"Yes, that does sound like him." She smiled wryly and, almost absently, took up the spirit tablet from the table, wiping its nameplate with her hand. "So, Mr. Shinya, what do you usually eat?"
"Meat! …But I do eat vegetables, too."
"No, I didn't mean that." She already knew he enjoyed meat from their meals together. "I mean… do you eat humans?"
"Humans?" Shinya pondered for a moment before asking, "Are they delicious?"
Unsure if he was serious or simply oblivious, Haruko rolled her eyes, teasing, "…I wouldn't know; I haven't tried."
"I'm not sure about youkai, but certain spirits do consume humans," Shinya answered earnestly. "Spirits fall under the umbrella of youkai, yet most youkai don't intentionally harm humans."
Though a few, of course, did.
"And you, Mr. Shinya?" Haruko leaned closer, gazing directly into his eyes. This tactic, she'd learned from watching her mother handle her father. "Would you harm me, Mr. Shinya?"
"I wouldn't dare!" He retreated, visibly flustered. The truth was, he couldn't answer with full confidence. He might not harm her now, but if, one day, his duty conflicted with her safety, he wasn't sure what he would choose.
"Then why are you avoiding me, Mr. Shinya? Why did you invite me here in the first place? Is it related to Abe Seimei and this spirit tablet?" Haruko pressed, sensing that Kogimi might never give her a straight answer.
"…Let's go downstairs. Kogimi is probably getting impatient. Despite appearances, he has very little patience."
In a rather clumsy attempt to change the topic, Shinya swiftly headed for the stairs, almost as if fleeing.
Haruko decided to let him off the hook for now. After all, the answers she sought might not be ones she wanted to hear.
In truth, her current living situation was quite comfortable. If she left, she doubted she'd find anything comparable.
She sighed, feeling like she was riding a tiger and couldn't dismount—or perhaps, in her case, a lion.
"It's not like I wanted to climb aboard…" she muttered under her breath, gripping the spirit tablet as she made her way downstairs.
"...Judging by the age of the wood and the resin coating... yes, this seems to date back to the Heian period," Mr. Kogimi observed, pulling out a small monocle for inspection but avoiding direct contact with the spirit tablet.
"If a spirit or lesser demon touches the tablet without permission, they're forced to reveal their true form. Some might even perish," Shinya explained to Haruko, noting her suspicious expression.
"Oh?"
"Wait—don't get any ideas!" he blurted nervously.
"I haven't said anything." Haruko shook her head, feigning innocence, though Shinya still broke into a cold sweat. "But back in my room earlier, you seemed ready to touch it."
"That was with your consent, Miss Haruko, since this tablet belongs to you," Mr. Kogimi replied. "If no one can provide further evidence, we can consider this man to indeed be Abe no Seimei."
"So... Abe no Seimei is my ancestor?" Though Haruko had some familiarity with history, she had never imagined having blood ties to someone so well-known.
"Honestly, I should be the one in shock! I never expected my descendant would drive away spirits with salt, as though they were mere snails," Seimei scoffed.
"Yes, I did! And so what? It's not like I'm an onmyoji!( onmyoji : An ancient Japanese wizard skilled in dealing with evil spirits )" Haruko pounded the table, startling the three men seated around it. "I'm a chef! I have nothing to do with any of this! And if no one's willing to explain what's going on, I'll move out!"
While her last statement was mostly an empty threat—after all, she had nowhere else to go and was under contract—it was effective enough. Although Mr. Kogimi remained composed, Shinya was visibly rattled.
"Alright, alright! I'll explain everything!" Shinya conjured a piece of paper and handed it to Haruko.
"This is... the job ad I saw on the telephone pole." She recalled the strange symbol for 'youkai' at the bottom, though the ad had mysteriously disappeared the next day.
"Miss Haruko, most residents in this apartment are youkai, though we do have human tenants—currently out on travel," Mr. Kogimi said, finally conceding the truth. "This building was specifically designed for youkai who live among humans, so we sought a human manager with spiritual abilities. Both Shinya and I are youkai."
"Ordinary people can't even see that ad. And during the interview, those without spiritual abilities would have remained trapped in a loop."
Indeed, the 'loop' he described matched her experience that day, where she had been stuck retracing her steps in familiar scenery, unable to find the way.
"So, we didn't choose you specifically; it just so happened that you fit our requirements."
"If it's safe, why does the manager need spiritual abilities? You want a snack, don't you?!"
"No one's planning to eat you!" Shinya said, exasperated, as Haruko continued to fixate on her culinary interpretations.
As Shinya's attempts to clarify only muddied things further, Seimei looked on with amusement while Mr. Kogimi sighed.
Knowing he'd have to intervene, Mr. Kogimi spoke. "The world of youkai has its own order. Though we may be curious about the human world, living here also means abiding by human rules."
"The desire for a manager with spiritual abilities is purely practical. Practitioners like onmyoji, shamans, or Western healers are typically already aware of our existence."
Reflecting on it, Haruko realized it made sense. People with spiritual abilities, after growing up witnessing such phenomena, would indeed be more accepting of youkai.
"Then… you're not planning to dismiss me, are you?" Haruko asked, fearing her outburst might have cost her the job.
"Not at all. As long as Miss Haruko keeps our secret, we'd be delighted to have you remain here."
With a smile from Mr. Kogimi and a cheer from Shinya, Haruko relaxed. "You're staying, Haruko? That's fantastic!"