After the performance, Miss Shimo left on her own. Leviathan, who had initially tried to offer to escort her home in a display of gentlemanly politeness, retreated under the glare of her sleep-deprived and fierce gaze. Haruko couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for both Miss Shimo, who had been dragged here against her will, and Mr. Leviathan, who seemed to be at the mercy of everyone around him.
"Really, Miss Shimo doesn't need to be so wary of me! Unlike Achi, I am a gentleman from France!" Leviathan, self-proclaimed French gentleman, munched on his rice ball, occasionally adding pickled lotus root and radish salad to his meal.
"Oh? For a French gentleman, you speak Japanese quite well…" Kogimi, who had bought all this food, barely touched it himself as he focused on teasing Leviathan. Meanwhile, Shinya remained engrossed in his steak, entirely unrelated to the cherry blossom viewing.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Leviathan, are you used to Japanese food?" Haruko remarked, enjoying the meal, which had all been sourced from a high-end restaurant.
"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?"
…Are you even trying to keep up the foreign act? At least make a show of it. Watching him handle chopsticks more skillfully than herself, Haruko shook her head and refrained from pressing further.
"Haruko, is there anything else you'd like to eat? If it's not enough, I can have more sent over," Kogimi offered.
"Oh, no, I'm completely full."
Haruko politely declined, having eaten to the point of bursting from the delicious food.
"Are you sure you've had enough? Maybe a bit more?" Shinya insisted, trying to cut her a piece of steak.
"No, really, I can't eat another bite."
Glancing at the remaining food, she noticed that most dishes were meat-based since the group, except for herself and Miss Shimo, consisted of men. The water buns had been devoured solely by Miss Shimo, and what remained in abundance were mostly desserts. The bottom layer of the bento box, however, remained untouched.
"What's in this bottom layer?"
"It's the sakura meat sashimi that Mr. Shu requested," Kogimi answered, prompting Haruko to remember that Shu had not yet returned.
"Sakura meat?" At the mention of meat, Shinya immediately perked up and asked, "What kind of meat? Is it tasty?"
"It's horse meat, which, thanks to its vivid color, is known as sakura meat," Haruko explained, her culinary encyclopedia providing Shinya with this morsel of knowledge.
"Oh, I have to try it!"
"No way! You've already had so much meat, and Shu hasn't had any yet! Leave some for him!"
"Just one bite!"
"One of your bites is three times the size of a normal person's!" Haruko insisted, defending Shu's food by stepping back with the bento in hand. "I'll take this to him."
"Just hope it doesn't get eaten…" Shinya muttered as he, resigned, returned to his steak.
"You're such a glutton, Shinya!"
Seeing Haruko make a playful face and slip away with a laugh, Shinya sighed; that wasn't what he'd meant at all.
"I was saying I hope Shu doesn't end up eating her."
"Hahaha… worried? You could chase after her, but she might think you're trying to steal her food and end up resenting you," Kogimi remarked, not missing a chance to tease Shinya, even as Leviathan kept his head down, determined not to become Kogimi's next target.
…Please, Haruko… come back soon!
With Kogimi casting him as the entertainment in Haruko's absence, Shinya silently wished for her speedy return.
Haruko, holding the box of sakura meat, now cloaked in Shinya's jacket, arrived beneath the largest cherry blossom tree but saw no sign of Shu.
"Shu? Are you there?" she called toward the tree.
Waiting a moment, and hearing no response, she assumed he had already left and turned back toward the group. But after just a few steps, she suddenly felt herself lifted from the ground, floating upward, beyond her reach to the earth, drifting up toward the cherry tree's branches.
"What? What's going on?" She flailed as though drowning, clutching the bento to keep it safe. As she rose over ten meters into the air, she glanced down and spotted Shinya fifty meters away. She waved frantically, shouting, "Shinya! Help me! I need help!"
Seeing him about to rush over, Kogimi held him back, waving toward Haruko and then pointing behind her.
Turning, she saw Shu seated comfortably on a thick branch, smiling at her over the rim of his sake cup.
"Shu! Was this your doing?" Her surprise left her momentarily speechless, though she wasn't exactly afraid of heights. Yet, the sudden floating sensation was enough to unsettle anyone.
Shu said nothing but extended his hand, and she floated closer until she could reach him. Without thinking, she grabbed his hand, only to find herself pulled into his embrace.
"The view from up here is better, isn't it?" Shu made no mention of how he had spirited her into the tree, leaving a bottle of sake to float by, filling his empty cup. He brought the cup to her. "It's cold up here, isn't it? A sip might warm you up…though I only have one cup. What should we do, Haruko?"
…Not only was it cold, but a frigid aura emanated from Shu, penetrating even Shinya's jacket and chilling her to the bone.
She should have asked him to put her down, yet somehow that thought never even crossed her mind.
"…Could we perhaps share it?"
Wait—Haruko Yamashita, what are you even saying? Even if Shu's charm is undeniable, you should restrain yourself. She shook her head, handing him the bento box, feeling an instinctive urge to escape. Amidst the falling blossoms and moonlight, and with the nearly ethereal aura Shu exuded, she worried she might lose her self-control.
"Forgive me; I felt dizzy for a moment. Please enjoy this; I'll head down now."
She realized, however, that descending alone was impossible. A two or three-meter drop would be manageable, but not a ten-meter one.
Giving Shu a long, scrutinizing look, she found herself met with a look of pure innocence.
"What's the matter? Don't want to share my cup?"
Clearly, he had no intention of letting her refuse.
"No, nothing like that. Please, may I borrow it?"
At her words, Shu's face lit up with satisfaction, and he brought the cup to her lips. She tried to hold it herself, but he wouldn't let go, so she let him pour it for her. When she finished, his fingertips brushed over her lips, leaving her bewildered.
"Th-thank… you," she muttered, her tone less than friendly.
"You're most welcome, Haruko." Content, Shu filled his cup, letting a few drops overflow, trailing along his fingers. He licked his fingers with ease—the same fingers that had brushed her lips moments ago.
"Shu, you truly are incorrigible."
"Flattery will get you nowhere." He shifted, holding her more securely. "This is cherry blossom sake aged for twenty-one years; best enjoyed chilled."
Haruko paused; she was twenty-one herself, and although it was likely a coincidence, she had a strong suspicion he was toying with her.
Noting her silence, Shu smiled, as if contemplating his own thoughts. "What do you think? Did it taste good?"
"It was… delicious."
"Liar. You were far too tense to have tasted anything at all." He chuckled, placing the cup to her lips once more. "Another sip?"
Thus, Haruko found herself drinking again, unable to resist his teasing. Despite the sake's mildness, she hadn't planned on drinking so much, and something had to be done about Shu's endless provocations.
"Have something to eat, won't you?" She lifted a piece of sashimi from the box, holding it up close to Shu, steadying her other hand beneath it, ready for any mishap.
To her surprise, Shu calmly leaned forward, taking the piece directly from her chopsticks, his gaze full of mischief.
At that moment, Haruko wanted nothing more than to fling herself from the tree. What was she doing, competing with Shu? She knew she was hopelessly outmatched by this centuries-old yokai.