Two weeks had slipped by since Tohka's spacequake rocked Tengu City.
In that time, Tohka had lived as a perfectly ordinary girl—just another face in the crowd. Shuo made sure of it. Every weekend, he took her out—dates, walks, little adventures. Anything to help her blend in, anything to see her smile.
Not that everyone was thrilled. Nia, for one, spent those days sighing dramatically, grumbling about her confiscated phone and her plummeting household rank. Life just wasn't fair.
But for Tohka? Human life had become a joy. Her innocent, airheaded charm won her friends wherever she went.
Well, most friends. Origami Tobiichi was the exception.
Their daily squabbles were legendary. And every single time, Tohka came out the loser. Shuo had hoped she'd gotten smarter, but… nope. Still the same lovable ditz.
At least the fights stayed verbal. If things ever got physical, Shuo's headaches would be epic.
Leaving the supermarket, Shuo glanced up. The sky was a blanket of gray, rain falling in a soft, endless curtain.
He summoned an umbrella with a thought and wandered into the drizzle, letting the cool air settle over him. Rain always brought him a strange, peaceful comfort.
At the next intersection, he slowed. Something about the old shrine across the street caught his eye—not the building itself, but the figure dancing in the rain out front.
A little girl, maybe ten or eleven, twirled through puddles in a rabbit-eared green cloak. The hood nearly swallowed her head, blue hair spilling down both sides like ribbons.
Her face—porcelain, doll-like, almost too perfect for real life—reminded him of Kotori's age. On her left hand, a goofy rabbit hand puppet bounced with every step.
She was alone, but she didn't seem lonely. If anything, she looked… enchanted.
Shuo smiled.
"At last—the number one cutie among Spirits. The Fourth Spirit, Hermit—Yoshino."
Just then, a ripple of familiar spiritual energy brushed past him. He didn't even need to look.
Kurumi.
She'd shown up during Tohka's arrival, too. Always lurking, always watching.
This time, Shuo knew—she was here for Nia. Or, more accurately, for Nia's Angel, Rasiel.
Seconds later, Kurumi's presence faded.
Shuo let her go, turning his attention back to the shrine.
Yoshino was still hopping through puddles, her laughter soft and sweet. Every time she smiled, Shuo felt his heart lighten.
She was just too adorable.
So cute, he thought, that if someone hit her, she'd probably cry for hours.
"Splash!"
Suddenly, Yoshino's foot slipped. She pitched forward, face-first toward the ground, and her rabbit puppet—Yoshinon—flew off her hand.
Shuo reacted instantly, appearing at her side in a blur.
He caught Yoshino and snatched Yoshinon out of the air.
"Yoshino, are you okay?"
She froze, eyes wide. Then, as if waking from a dream, she wriggled free of his arms and stumbled back, putting as much distance between them as she could.
Only then did Shuo remember—Yoshino was painfully shy, terrified of strangers, barely able to speak when she first appeared.
"P-please… don't… don't come near me…"
Her voice trembled, her body shaking as she backed away.
"Please… don't hurt me…"
Shuo's chest tightened. He knew that fear—the kind that came from being hunted, from endless AST attacks.
This little girl had suffered more than anyone should.
He took a cautious step forward.
Yoshino retreated until her back hit the shrine wall. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for pain.
But instead of violence, she felt something gentle—a familiar warmth on her hand.
A large, warm palm settled on her head, ruffling her hair through the hood.
The rain stopped. The clouds parted, and a sliver of sunset painted the shrine gold.
"Yoshino, don't be afraid. No one here will hurt you."
She peeked out, one eye at first, then both—wide, luminous, uncertain.
This stranger wasn't like the others. His touch was gentle, his smile kind.
She didn't feel afraid. In fact, being patted on the head… felt really nice.
Just as Yoshino was starting to relax, her rabbit puppet suddenly piped up.
"Ara! I just woke up and already see Yoshino getting her head patted by a pervy big brother!"
Yoshino's cheeks flared pink. She shook her right hand, embarrassed.
"Mmm… Yoshinon…"
Shuo's expression soured.
"Yoshinon, care to explain how I became a 'pervy big brother'?"
Yoshinon turned to Yoshino, then to Shuo, voice smug.
"Well… you did save me and Yoshino, but you still touched both of our bodies, didn't you?"
The puppet's mouth opened wide, cackling.
"Trying to deny it? You totally took advantage of Yoshinon while rescuing me! What a perv! But since you saved us, consider it a special reward!"
Shuo could only stare, mouth twitching.
Okay, he was a perv, sure—but surely no one, not even him, could be attracted to a hand puppet… right?
"Anyway, thanks, pervy big brother!"
Yoshinon waved, mouth flapping in a cheery farewell.
"Bye-bye, pervy big brother!"
Yoshino bowed, her voice soft and sweet.
"Th-thank you for saving Yoshinon…"
Yoshinon chimed in, teasing.
"Oh my, Yoshino, have you fallen for this pervy big brother?"
"Yo… Yoshinon!"
Yoshino's face burned red. She mumbled her puppet's name, then, in a swirl of light, vanished from sight.
Shuo shook his head, chuckling.
"That pervy rabbit… But I bet I'll see you again soon, little Yoshino."
His figure faded into the evening rain.
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