Ryosuke was immersed in his impression of Tamayo, completely oblivious to the change in atmosphere around him, and continued to describe based on his feelings.
"Her personality is quite gentle, she has a good temper, is very tolerant, and her temperament... hmm, very special. There's a kind of settled charm to it. She's also older than me, and her figure..."
He tried hard to recall the outline of Tamayo in her dignified kimono, carefully choosing his words.
"...well-proportioned and voluptuous, quite nice."
Huh?!
Rika was completely dumbfounded!
She subconsciously looked down at her own slightly immature small frame...
Rika: Σ_(꒪ཀ꒪」∠)!
Ryosuke-nii! So you like that type!!!
Wuwuwuwuwu...
No way! Starting today I'm going to drink milk! Eat papaya!
I don't believe it!
My fate is up to me, not the heavens!!!
Unaware of the roaring in Rika's heart, Jigoro beamed with joy, nodding repeatedly, automatically imagining a gentle and virtuous woman from a good family.
"Good, good! Gentle and virtuous is a blessing! 'A wife three years older holds a gold brick' (proverb meaning an older wife brings good fortune). Being a bit older is nothing! She'll know how to care for people! Quickly tell me, exactly how old is that girl?"
Ryosuke was still thinking about Tamayo's temperament settled over four hundred years, so he answered smoothly.
"Exactly how old? Hmm... just a bit older than you, Grandpa..."
"Pfft—!"
The water Shota had just drunk sprayed out like a water arrow, his eyeballs popping out of their sockets.
Bro, seriously!
You fxxking went out to kill demons and hooked up with a sugar mommy?!
Rika suddenly raised her head. The blood drained from her pink cheeks instantly, leaving only blankness and dullness, as if she had been struck by invisible lightning.
At this moment, countless ridiculous scenes flashed through the girl's mind:
Ryosuke affectionately holding the arm of a white-haired, wrinkled old woman.
The old woman trembling as she handed him a bowl of soup, and Ryosuke holding her hand to feed her.
"Grandma baby~ careful it's hot..."
The girl's worldview and her glass heart shattered gently.
Jigoro's kindly smile also froze, then cracked inch by inch.
The hand holding his cane trembled violently.
The wrinkles on the old man's face seemed to deepen by countless lines in this instant.
The entire Momoyama fell into a deathly silence; even the noisy insects stopped chirping.
Jigoro gave a few dry coughs and spoke earnestly.
"Ryo... Ryosuke..."
"Hmm?"
"I know killing demons involves facing great psychological pressure. You... if you..."
Jigoro choked up, the corner of his mouth twitching wildly.
"If you feel uncomfortable in your heart, you can tell Grandpa. You must never do anything wrong!"
Deviant! This is deviant behavior!
Ryosuke scratched his head, feeling baffled.
"Oh, okay—"
Jigoro stumbled back into the house, step by staggering step.
Looks like I have to let Rika interact with Ryosuke more!
Good thing I asked today!
What in the world is this!!!
Ryosuke frowned. Just as he turned around, Rika rushed into her room with red eyes and slammed the door shut heavily!
Bang!
The world was quiet again.
Ryosuke looked at Shota, who patted his shoulder with a sigh and a face full of admiration!
"Good brother! 'If you become rich, don't forget us'!"
"Are you sick?"
Ryosuke rolled his eyes at him.
Shota didn't care and went back to his room happily.
After all, the current Ryosuke was a living warrior in his eyes!
He didn't care who Ryosuke was with, as long as he didn't mess with his little sister!
Ryosuke sighed, feeling his head swell as big as a cow's.
They seem to have misunderstood something. Forget it, the more I explain, the darker it gets. My liver still hurts.
...
For the next few days, the atmosphere on Momoyama was very strange.
Jigoro's sighs increased.
During training, the way he looked at Ryosuke was incredibly complex, mixed with self-doubt like, "Did I teach the child wrong?"
Finally, to nip Ryosuke's terrifying thoughts in the bud, Jigoro always intentionally or unintentionally directed Ryosuke towards Rika.
"Ryosuke, go help Rika turn over the drying herbs."
"Ryosuke, this wooden stake is a bit crooked, go fix it with Rika."
"Ryosuke, the water tank..."
Unfortunately, the results were minimal, and even counterproductive.
Rika withered visibly.
The lively girl who chattered like a little sun was gone.
She became very quiet, often spacing out during training, and couldn't even eat properly. Her whole face was written with "I! AM! NOT! HAPPY!".
When Ryosuke spoke to her, she would either lower her head with a soft "mhm" or avoid his gaze and find an excuse to slip away quickly.
Shota, as her brother, even with nerves as thick as roof beams, finally sensed something was wrong.
This evening, after training ended.
Shota spotted Rika spacing out under the corridor and sat down beside her.
"Rika! What's wrong with you these past few days? No energy for anything?"
Shota grinned, trying to use his usual cheerfulness to dispel his sister's depression.
"Who bullied you? Tell Big Bro, I'll go beat him up!"
Rika slowly turned her head, her big eyes covered in a layer of undissolvable grievance and confusion.
She looked at Shota for a long while before asking softly.
"Brother... am... am I ugly?"
"Huh?"
Shota was dumbfounded.
Ugly? His sister is ugly?!
From childhood to now, he, Kirigaya Shota, could thump his chest and say:
On the entire Momoyama... No! Within a hundred miles! His sister Rika is the cutest! The prettiest!
Every time he accompanied Rika down the mountain, which of those boys from nearby villages at the market didn't steal glances at her?
"Who?! Who dares to say you're ugly?!"
Shota's knuckles cracked loudly, veins popping on his forehead.
"Big Bro will go gouge his eyeballs out for you to play with as marbles! Daring to call my sister ugly? Tired of living!"
Hearing Shota say this, Rika became even more depressed.
She sobbed, casting her gaze towards the figure in the training ground, her voice filled with incomprehensible grievance.
"Then... then why... why does Ryosuke-nii like an old woman older than Grandpa?! I'm not bad either!"
Huh?
Because of this?!
Shota's teeth ground together as he glared hatefully at Ryosuke, who was practicing Total Concentration · Constant.
Great! The root cause is here!
It's all because of this bastard! Saying he likes grandmas! Making his precious sister so sad!
At the same time, Jigoro also looked at Ryosuke, his eyes full of worry.
Three gazes, like three arrows, all focused on Ryosuke.
Ryosuke, who was just thinking about where to go kill some "small breads" (demons) to fill up his ten-year lifespan, suddenly felt a chill.
The next second, he met three pairs of staring eyes.
The courtyard was deadly silent; the air seemed to freeze.
Ryosuke felt his scalp tingle under this "three-court joint trial."
He blinked blankly, his voice innocent.
"No... why are you all looking at me?"
Ryosuke was completely baffled.
He had been honestly training his Breathing Style these past few days and hadn't done anything!
Seeing Ryosuke's innocent look, Shota felt like if he looked one more time he would explode!
"You guy!"
"Caw—"
Just as Ryosuke was at a loss, a piercing cry tore through the air.
The dark blue hummingbird landed on his shoulder, delivering orders.
"Urgent report! Urgent report! Yasui Ryosuke! Kanoe Rank order! Caw!"
"Suspected demon activity in Yamagata Prefecture! Go investigate immediately! Depart at once!"