After Haruko conceded, Shu didn't tease her further; the two of them simply enjoyed the cherry blossoms in silence, sipping sake. Haruko couldn't help but notice that Shu seemed to always have a sake cup in his hand.
"I wish I could enjoy cherry blossoms with you forever, Haruko. But, unfortunately, the lion below can't wait any longer." Shu pointed to where the others had been. They must have been up in the tree for quite some time because everyone else was gone, leaving only Shinya leaning against a cherry tree.
Oh no, she was still wearing Shinya's coat.
"Shu, take me down!"
Shu shrugged, scooped her up in one arm, holding his beloved sake cup in the other, and floated down just as smoothly as they'd come up. Not a single drop of sake spilled.
"Goodnight, Haruko. Let's drink together again sometime."
Before she could say goodnight, he'd already vanished.
Not wanting to keep Shinya waiting any longer, she ran toward him.
"Oh, you're back," he said, showing no trace of anger or impatience, but somehow this only made Haruko feel guilty, as though she'd been caught sneaking around.
"I'm sorry, Shinya. Here's your coat."
Without a word, Shinya took the coat, pulled a lighter from its pocket, and then draped the coat over her head.
"Keep it on."
Haruko was momentarily stunned but then slipped into the oversized coat, which hung on her like a robe.
When Shinya pulled out his lighter, she assumed he was about to smoke, but he simply examined it briefly and slipped it back into his pocket.
"Aren't you going to smoke?" she asked, curious. She was sure she'd seen him smoke before.
"I quit."
"Quit?" She'd seen him smoking just a few days ago! Did demons not get addicted to cigarettes?
"How was it? Did you have fun today?" Shinya didn't answer her question but instead ruffled her hair and casually changed the topic.
"I did! Thank you, Shinya!"
"No need to thank me; Kogimi arranged it all."
But it was Shinya who had brought so many blankets. Haruko wasn't oblivious to kindness; she was fully aware of who had shown her thoughtfulness.
Their conversation trailed off. It was strange; she and Shinya rarely found themselves without words.
As they neared her apartment, Shinya suddenly stopped.
"Haruko, could you get something for me? There's a hair ornament in the coat's inner pocket."
Puzzled, she reached into the pocket and pulled out an orange, sun-shaped hairpin that looked handmade. If Natsumi saw it, she would probably tease her relentlessly.
"It's a charm. If you don't mind, you could wear it," Shinya muttered, seemingly unable to find the right words and finally giving up.
"I'm not like Kogimi; I don't know how to make you happy. But…I hope you'll stay at the apartment."
This guy is really just a big kid.
She put the hairpin on, then pointed at the little sun and asked him, "Does it look good?"
"…How childish."
As soon as he said that, she turned and headed toward the apartment.
"Sorry! I was joking! It's cute! It really suits you! Wait for me, Haruko!"
Despite his teasing, she often wore the hairpin. Though it didn't reduce her encounters with spirits or strange occurrences, having it with her brought a sense of peace.
With at least one strange event a day, she figured she'd adjust in time, especially since most spirits and little demons steered clear of her. In fact, once she got used to it, even creatures like the kappas fishing by the river or the old rat yokai chasing cats began to feel rather charming.
Her main reason for coming to Tokyo was to study, so she couldn't afford to let these occurrences disrupt her education.
Though her classes were rigorous, she found them interesting. Japanese cuisine was a breeze for her, but Western and Chinese cuisine posed challenges. Table manners and other details requiring memorization were especially tough. Even her nutrition teacher, Mr. Fukuda, often sighed at her quiz scores.
Despite reviewing her lessons each night, her mind went blank whenever she needed to demonstrate proper table etiquette. And though she memorized basic formulas, she was always a few steps behind others in calculating calorie and vitamin intake.
During breaks, she would read the books that Kogimi found for her. Though most were written in archaic language, somehow they felt less tedious than diet research reports.
Perhaps, as Seimei suggested, it was because she was "on the same wavelength" as these books.
"Seimei, what does this character mean?"
"It's 'Kui,' which refers to the Big Dipper here." Although Seimei joined her in reading, he rarely offered explanations, and she didn't like to bother him with questions.
"Well then, it's my turn to quiz you."
And that was why. Every time she asked Seimei a question, she had to answer one of his in return, within five seconds, no less. And the questions were absurdly challenging.
"A Hannya and a Kijo (Two female monsters ) both ask you who is more beautiful—how would you answer?"
What was she supposed to say?! She'd read about these spirits, but there was no standard answer for a question like this!
"Um…wait…let me think!"
"Time's up. Go brew some tea."
Seimei announced her five seconds were over, leaving her defeated on the tatami mat, scooping a large spoonful of roasted rice tea. If she'd had time, she probably could've worked it out.
"The correct answer is to tell the Hannya she's more beautiful. Most of a Kijo's resentment comes from men, so she generally wouldn't harm a woman. But the Hannya…she might take your skin off at any moment."
"Are there still Hannya around?" Haruko couldn't imagine seeing one in Tokyo, where women, regardless of age, looked beautiful and often seemed younger than they were.
"In today's Japan, there are probably more Hannya than ever. Hannya represent women's frustration with aging. Nowadays, women's standards for appearance are higher than ever." Although, he thought, some had grown lax in terms of character.
Haruko nodded, half-understanding, and then asked Seimei, "So what would you do if you were in that situation?"
"Me? I'd make both reveal their true forms, incinerate the Kijo's bones, and seal the Hannya to hand over to the underworld guards."
Well, they were clearly on different levels. Haruko pouted but said nothing, placing the tea on the table.
Just as she was about to resume reading, her phone buzzed. She intended to check the message later, but upon reading it, she immediately held her phone up, beaming at Seimei.
"Seimei! I got paid!"
Seeing her joy, Seimei couldn't help but compare her to a child receiving New Year money. He casually asked, "Is there something you want to buy?"
"Yes! Tamarind, licorice, saffron, turmeric, fennel, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves!"
"…Are you planning to brew some elixir or something?"