/jp/ - Otaku Culture

You were late, of course. Your work at the lumber yard concluded late today despite your best efforts, all because your boss was making you work the mills instead of your usual job of being the only idiot ballsy enough to travel far enough from the village to scout for properly sized trees. It was for your own sake he said, considering your condition wasn't tip top you were grateful, yet it got in the way now when it mattered.

Finished with your bath you slipped on your clothes after you hurriedly dried your hair and body, it wouldn't do to smell like a dog after all! You owed Reimu that much after all, she was the one that enabled your habit to be able to explore Gensokyo as you pleased to seek your thrills not to mention bailed you out several times.

As you hurried out the door of your bungalow nestled in the lower class residential of the village you could've sworn you saw a flash of red out of the corner of your vision. It drew your attention, not in any small part thanks to the red rukurokubi that still haunted the occasional nightmare you had but as you turned you realized it must have been the stress getting to you.

You rushed to the village's gate, hoping that you didn't keep her waiting long. A part of you felt foolish for rushing so fast, especially since Reimu herself seemed rather aloof about the whole thing.

When you were last at the shrine making your usual donation you got your fortune told as well, mostly just to make the trip worthwhile rather than that you put much stock in things like fate. It was as you were lingering around the grumpy faced miko making small talk that she sighed, "If you're not going away then just come inside already! I got some new tea leaves that I wanted to try out..."

Aunn was conspicuously absent after you greeted her at the Torii, for some reason still avoiding looking at you too hard even after you gave her a treat and headpat, much to your disappointment. In the end it was just the two of you in familiar living room of the shrine with tea between you both and a pleasant breeze of cold mountain air keeping the heat out.

Reimu looked bored as you chatted about this and that, making you keep up the conversation yourself, as the minutes wore on and Reimu kept her involvement in the conversation minimal you decided that its better if you hurry up with your business as the conversation lulled. "Miss.Reimu I know I've been a bit of a thorn in your side" Reimu seemed to perk up a bit as you spoke in the same even tone as before, "so to make up for it I was hoping I could take you out to that pricey restaurant off the canal..."

She seemed to be thinking it over with a complex expression when you added on, "of course its not a date or anything! Aunn is more than welcome to co-" However, Reimu seemed to have made up her mind rather fast at the mention of Aunn joining and interrupted you, "Its fine! Aunn has to watch the shrine after all!" You were about to insist that it was fine but something about Reimu's expression made you think twice, you promised to yourself you'd get Aunn an extra large treat next time...

Finding the distinctive miko you waved as you shouted, "Miss.Reimu! over here!" Reimu looked rather grumpy as she trotted over to you. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, but I had to work a bit longer tha-" you began only to be cut off, "its fine! I didn't wait here long lets just get a move on already..."

You didn't know why but Reimu seemed rather uncomfortable being seen with you, at least somewhat, and kept glancing around as if keeping an eye out for someone in particular, you thought for a second maybe she would've been embarrassed to seen by a friend with you but there's no way Reimu would be embarrassed by anything!

As you gave a few glances of your own to the miko at your side you noticed her messy hair, it was as if she very quickly flew around and didn't even have the time to pat it down properly. You figured she must be busy and started feeling bad about dragging her out, "You know Miss.Reimu I thank you for humoring me and all... but if you have something you need to do don't worry about me."

The miko's face seemed to snap her head towards you like a dog that just spotted a rabbit, "Huh? W-what do you mean by that?!" You scratched your head and put your thoughts together, "Well its just... You keep searching around for something and it looks like you're in a rush. If you're busy today there's no need to worry about keeping our appointment"

Reimu's face looked for a second as if she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar by her parent and as she formulated a response a new voice piped up as a peculiar black and white witch materialized from the crowds, "Oh its Reimu? I thought you said you were going home da ze~!"

The mortified look on Reimu's face flashed by so fast you would've thought it was a lie if you didn't have your eyes on her for the millisecond it existed.