"Patchouli, sometimes I feel that knowing too much might not be a good thing." After playing with Flandre until she was satisfied and left, Kars said to Patchouli beside him. He felt that the more he knew, the more aware he was of dangers.
"Is that so? But it's not entirely bad, is it? At least it lets you know what kind of behavior is dangerous, and prevents you from doing anything troublesome again." Patchouli thought it was a good thing that Kars had gained some self-control in this area.
"And this is something you needed to know anyway, Kars. Otherwise, if you keep running around Gensokyo with that fearless attitude, who knows what kind of trouble you might cause? I certainly don't want you to turn out like that Ice Fairy in the Misty Lake."
"Is this the so-called price of growing up? Suddenly gaining so many things to worry about." Kars had previously thought such things weren't worth bothering with, but now he realized he was indeed too young. The adult world was far more complicated than he had imagined.
"Isn't it a bit early for you, a still-growing kid, to be talking about this?" Koakuma rolled her eyes at Kars's sighing. A creature over a hundred years old discussing the struggles of growing up was truly odd.
"If you find it so terrifying, then just don't do those things. How else would you encounter them? So, have some self-awareness. Though, whether you'll even encounter similar situations is another question entirely." Koakuma reminded him.
She really couldn't imagine such things happening to a child like Kars. It seemed completely unbelievable, unless all the yokai in Gensokyo were shotacon, and while a few might be, it was impossible for all of them to be.
"Oh, you're right!" With Koakuma's reminder, Kars realized she was correct. Flandre and Little Auntie's situations must be special; the chances of anyone else he knew exhibiting that behavior were almost zero.
"Thinking about it this way, I feel so much more relaxed! Thanks, Koakuma! Otherwise, I might not have slept well tonight." Kars patted his chest and smiled at Koakuma in gratitude.
"I was merely stating a fact. But that doesn't mean you can go back to behaving the way you used to."
"I know that, and besides, I don't do those things anymore. After all, I've already matured somewhat." Kars puffed out his chest to make himself look a bit taller, trying to add weight to his assertion.
"That would be for the best." Koakuma hoped so. She didn't want to hear Kars proposing marriage to anyone else again. Every time he did something like that, her heart would leap into her throat.
"Why do you sound like you don't believe me, Koakuma?"
"Why would I be like this? Don't you know the reason yourself?"
"While that's true, I've realized how foolish it was to propose marriage right away. I've decided to change that and won't recklessly do that anymore." Seeing Kars's confident expression, Koakuma became curious. Had this fellow actually come up with a good plan?
"So, what exactly are you planning to do? Tell me about it."
"Hmm, what do you think about bringing up the topic of whether they like sunbathing when I talk to someone?"
"Sunba… sunbathing?!" Koakuma, who was full of anticipation, instantly lost all curiosity and felt foolish for having any expectations of him in the first place.
"Yeah, isn't that a great topic?" Kars believed this was an excellent opening. Koakuma wanted to say something, but on second thought, she decided not to. This was much better than proposing marriage upon meeting. Plus, since he was a child, saying something like that wouldn't seem too odd.
"Whatever makes you happy." Koakuma thought it best to just leave it at that. If Kars thought this was a good approach, she didn't need to say anything more, as there was nothing inherently wrong with the question itself.
"See? Koakuma, you think so too. This way is definitely better. After all, the sun is truly wonderful. Only a few special people dislike the sun." Kars started looking forward to meeting someone who felt the same way and discussing how wonderful the sun was with them. That would be a truly delightful experience.
"I wonder who I'll get to discuss this with?"
"It will definitely be a gentle, mature older sister, as that's the type you always choose." Koakuma didn't need to guess to know what kind of person it would be. But would Gensokyo really have such a yokai?
"You're right!" Kars laughed. Since he was using that standard to choose, he would surely be talking about this with someone like that. It was an obvious prediction.
So, where is the gentle, mature older sister he was looking forward to meeting?
"Teaching the children gardening at the Terakoya?" In a flower field blooming with countless sunflowers, Kamishirasawa Keine extended an invitation to the green-haired, red-eyed girl with short, curly hair in front of her. The girl wore brightly colored clothes: a red and dark-red checkered vest over a white long-sleeved shirt with a yellow tie, and a matching knee-length skirt. She looked like an ordinary human.
However, this person could certainly not be considered ordinary. After hearing Keine's invitation, a benevolent smile spread across her face. She seemed interested in the proposal and, to Keine's delight, accepted.
"Yes, I agree."
"Thank you in advance, Yuuka." After receiving her agreement, Keine also smiled happily, thrilled that she had found another person willing to teach at the Terakoya.