"Kitsune-sama!"
A sweet, delicate voice suddenly rang out from behind Kaguya, pulling her from her chaotic thoughts. Turning around, she saw an adorable little girl with a bright, beaming smile, her large, beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons. It was Hinami Fueguchi.
Kaguya reached out and gently stroked her head, chuckling as she asked, "Hinami, what's the matter? Wait… what did you just call me?"
"You mean you don't know?"
Touka Kirishima walked over, carrying a tray and setting down a cup of coffee in front of Kaguya. She shot her a sidelong glance and said, "The whole city is buzzing about it. Thanks to you, there's a Fox Fairy shrine being built right across from our café."
"Huh?"
Kaguya was dumbfounded.
"Is it really that exaggerated?" She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do they seriously believe that?"
"You're being way too humble. Your image is all over the streets—people are practically using it as a protective talisman now." Touka crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance.
Because of the shrine construction, the noise pollution was unbearable. The sound of machinery roared from morning till night, disturbing the once peaceful atmosphere of the café. The usual tranquility was gone, and with the constant noise, the number of customers had naturally dwindled.
Hearing this, Kaguya couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. Luckily, most people didn't know what she actually looked like. CCG Headquarters seemed to have realized that encouraging personal worship and superstition wasn't exactly in the public's best interest. So after the incident, they locked down all information regarding Kaguya, issuing a strict gag order. In particular, her personal data and photographs were completely sealed away.
Aside from those who had already known her personally at CCG Headquarters, no one knew that the so-called Fox Fairy was actually her.
Even so, this measure wasn't enough to suppress the public's endless curiosity. Rather than dying down, enthusiasm only intensified, leading to even more shrines being built. Fortunately, the fox goddess images circulating in the public were mostly based on her masked appearance, meaning no one could see her real face. Even those few images that depicted a face were comically inaccurate.
As for the shrines' statues—
Oh, wait, not figures. Statues.
They were similarly based on her masked form, which spared Kaguya a lot of unnecessary trouble.
So in the end… was the mask actually the real identity?
But seeing the shrine overflowing with incense offerings, Kaguya couldn't help but feel a little bitter.
All that money was going to the shrine.
Meanwhile, the real deal—her—Didn't get a single offering.
"Hey."
Just as Kaguya was staring at the shrine through the café window, lost in thought, Touka Kirishima passed by her side.
In that brief moment as they brushed past each other, Touka whispered softly,
"Come up to the second floor. I need to talk to you."
"Talk?"
Kaguya blinked, turning around in curiosity. "What do you need to talk about? Can't we just talk here?"
Touka spun around, hands on her hips, and angrily shouted,
"Just come upstairs!"
Kaguya scratched her head, feeling even more confused. Why was she suddenly so mad?
Was it… her time of the month?
By now, night had fallen.
The dark sky was scattered with twinkling stars. A waning moon hung high above, casting a faint, silvery glow.
A cold breeze drifted in through the window, causing the curtains to ripple like waves, adding to the peaceful stillness of the night.
Perhaps it was because of the recent events with the ghouls, or perhaps it was simply the quiet atmosphere, but Kaguya suddenly felt oddly uneasy.
She didn't know why.
She didn't know what was bothering her.
It was just a feeling like something was off.
Kaguya had no idea what Touka Kirishima wanted to talk to her about.
Knock, knock, knock.
Kaguya lightly tapped on the door with her fingers, the crisp sound echoing in the quiet space.
"Come in."
Everyone in the café had their own room to use as a break room, a place to rest when they were tired. This particular room belonged to Touka Kirishima.
As Kaguya stepped inside, she unintentionally took in the entire scene at a glance.
The room was simple yet elegant, with neatly arranged furniture and a pear blossom-carved wooden bookshelf and desk. It carried a sense of quiet tranquility, perfectly reflecting Touka Kirishima's personality.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Kaguya withdrew her gaze and looked at Touka with curiosity.
"About what happened before… I wanted to thank you." Touka said.
"What are you talking about?" Kaguya was momentarily taken aback, surprised by her words.
"The medicine you gave me before." Touka reached out and took out a small bottle, though it was now completely empty.
Kaguya immediately understood and smiled. "Oh, if you mean that, then there's no need to thank me. Besides, you already thanked me last time."
"No, that's not enough. It might not mean much to you, but to me, it was incredibly important." Touka's expression was unusually firm.
Seeing the determined look in Touka's eyes, Kaguya was slightly stunned. Thinking about her friendship with Yoriko Kosaka and her deep longing for a human life, Kaguya began to understand her emotions a little more.
This was something that Kaguya, as a human, could never truly experience.
"So, to properly thank you," Touka's delicate face flushed slightly, and she reached out to take a small box before saying, "I made this for you. I don't know if it suits your taste, though."
Taking the small box, Kaguya didn't even need to look to know what was inside.
It was definitely red bean dango.
The faintly sweet aroma wafting from the box already gave it away.
At that moment, Kaguya's stomach almost started growling since she hadn't eaten yet.
However, seeing Touka's expectant expression, Kaguya couldn't resist teasing her a little.
"Thanks for the dango, but… if this is all the gift consists of," Kaguya playfully weighed the box in her hand and teased, "don't you think it's a little too small?"
The smile on Touka's face instantly froze, as if her entire body had stiffened.
"Considering how important that medicine was to you, trying to brush me off with just one box of dango seems a bit insincere, don't you think?" Kaguya smirked mischievously.
Seeing Touka's face darken further and further, Kaguya figured she had teased her enough—after all, what if she got angry?
Just as Kaguya was about to raise her fingers and jokingly suggest "At least two boxes,"
Touka suddenly strode forward, grabbed Kaguya by the collar, and yanked her in.
In Kaguya's stunned gaze, Touka leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against Kaguya's.
Looking at the blushing face just inches away, tinted with a faint pink, as if slightly intoxicated, her quivering eyelashes revealing her inner shyness and unease, Kaguya could even feel the slight dampness of sweat in her palms.
At this moment, time seemed to both slow to a halt and race forward in a fleeting instant, as if caught between a breath and an eternity.
The sensation was so intoxicating that it was impossible not to be completely immersed in it.
After a while, their lips parted gently, yet neither of them spoke.
Even so, they remained in each other's embrace.
"This should be enough, right?"
Touka Kirishima turned her head away, speaking softly. "Forget what just happened. Understand?"
"If I'm not mistaken…" Kaguya suddenly spoke. "You like me, don't you?"
"W-what? That's ridiculous!"
Touka snapped her head back, her face flushing red, as she shoved Kaguya away and shouted in frustration, "Stop assuming things! How could I possibly—"
"But…"
Kaguya grabbed her shoulders and, with a serious expression, said firmly—
"I like you."
Touka was stunned.
She stared at Kaguya for a moment, then reached out and pried Kaguya's hands off her, lowering her voice.
"How can you say something like that so easily? Do you think this is some kind of game?"
Seeing Touka's expression, Kaguya suddenly laughed.
"What's so funny?!"
Touka bit her lip, her voice filled with frustration. "Do you think this kind of thing is something to joke about?!"
Feeling mocked, Touka angrily swung a fist at Kaguya, but her punch was soft and weak, nothing like her usual combat strength.
Before it could even land, Kaguya effortlessly caught her wrist.
Touka struggled a few times, trying to break free, but when she failed, she lifted her head, glaring at Kaguya in frustration.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't mocking you, nor was I joking."
Kaguya's smile faded, and she spoke with seriousness.
"I just think… this is natural. There's nothing strange about saying it out loud."
"Natural?!"
Touka yanked at her wrist again, her chest rising and falling as she snapped, "You arrogant idiot! What makes you so sure I like you?!"
Kaguya tilted Touka's chin up, her lips curling into a smirk.
"Then… who folded the paper cranes in your room? Don't tell me it was Hinami—hers don't look that bad."
"You… you looked through my stuff?!"
Touka's face instantly turned scarlet.
She immediately flew into a rage, and this time, when she raised her fist to punch, it was no longer a soft tap—
It was a full-force barrage, like cannon fire.
"Hey, hey! Are you trying to kill me?!"
Kaguya dodged, but Touka's punches came down like a storm, making it nearly impossible to evade.
Each hit stung painfully, and since Kaguya couldn't use chakra to shield herself—otherwise, she might hurt Touka—
She was left gritting her teeth in pain.
Finally, she'd had enough.
Kaguya lunged forward and pulled Touka into a tight embrace, holding her firmly.
No matter how much Touka struggled, Kaguya refused to let go.
"Let me go! Let go!"
Touka thrashed violently, furious and embarrassed, shouting in anger.
"You brat! You're getting way out of line!"
Before Touka could finish speaking, Kaguya kissed her.
Touka's eyes widened in shock, and at first, she instinctively resisted. But as the kiss deepened, her body gradually relaxed, and a hazy emotion surfaced in her gaze.
"Let me go… let me go…" Touka murmured softly, though there was hesitation in her voice.
Yet Kaguya didn't respond, her hands continuing to roam over her body as she gently removed her clothing. Though there was a layer of underwear, it did not diminish the smooth, elastic sensation of her skin.
"Y-you… you can't just do this… let me go."
Perhaps it was because Kaguya had broken down the barrier between them, making their emotions clearer than ever, but Touka seemed more vulnerable than before.
She didn't dislike Kaguya—not at all. In fact, she had long felt a strange restlessness, something that made her unable to sleep at night, something that made even her favorite strawberry shortcake lose its flavor.
Now, at last, she understood what she truly wanted.
She also understood what had been missing in her heart.
And maybe… she had just needed a reason to accept it.
In the end, she let out a small sigh, her arms slowly reaching up to wrap around Kaguya's neck. Her lips curved into a soft, content smile, as if a weight had been lifted.
Sensing Touka's acceptance, Kaguya's actions became gentler, her usual playfulness giving way to tenderness.
...
By dawn, as the first light of day broke over the horizon, Kaguya found herself kicked out of Touka's room.
"That girl is way too violent," Kaguya muttered, rubbing her side where she had been shoved.
And all because she had teased Touka with, "You say no, but your actions say otherwise." That one line was enough to make Touka furious, throwing Kaguya out and canceling their morning training session.
Still, Kaguya couldn't help but admire Touka's athletic figure, honed from years of training, possessing both grace and flexibility—perhaps even more so than a professional dancer.
And that unforgettable, breathtaking expression Touka had when she got caught up in the moment…
The contrast between her usual fiery personality and her rare softness was simply too captivating.
Of course, there was also a downside—Kaguya had teased her too much, and in retaliation, Touka had bitten her on the neck hard enough to leave two tiny red marks.
Now, Kaguya was stuck with the evidence of Touka's flustered frustration—clear bite marks on her fair skin.
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