/jp/ - Otaku Culture

"I have a feeling that you," Reimu poked Tenshi in the cheek with her finger, "Weren't the only one to lose a bet." She looked at me. "Nice shirt." I looked down and brushed some imaginary dirt from it. It was pretty nice, actually. Reimu and Marisa had already gotten drinks, so I assumed that Oseki was still working, since I had a feeling we'd be in for a long wait if Kagerou was the only one serving. "Okay, er...I just wanted to figure out where everyone's at. With Eientei, and all." I looked over from Tenshi to Reimu. "I mean, Eirin seems to be better – Or more normal, at least, but I still feel like we haven't properly resolved everything, so I just wanted to know what's going on." I'd learnt at this point to trust Reimu's instinct, so I asked her what she was talking about.

"Oh!" Kagerou, carrying a tray with two cups of green tea on it, suddenly remarked, startling me. "I heard Doctor Yagokoro saying that she wanted you to come back and meet her, right? When we were leaving?" She spoke to me, and I nodded. She had said that, but I hadn't quite committed to anything. "Uh. Um, sorry. Didn't mean to intrude." She continued, backing away.

"No, hold on." Reimu called, beckoning her back over. "You were there too. Did Eirin seem weird to you?"

"Um..." Kagerou paused, frowning. "Maybe a bit during the fight...? She seemed more normal the next day." That sounded about right, I thought. "But, um, she asked you to come back, right? Maybe you shouldn't go alone." She addressed that last bit to me, and I nodded. That had been my thought, too.

"Want me to come with you?" Reimu asked me seriously. I thought about it. I knew it probably shouldn't be Tenshi or Marisa. Even if she was a profession, I wouldn't have been surprised if Eirin had a grudge against them, Marisa for killing her princess multiple times, and Tenshi for throwing a keystone at her head. Therefore, the decision really came down to a few choices. Reimu was high on the list, of course. She knew most of my traumas anyway, and she was easily strong enough to help me if Eirin got any strange ideas. Yamame was another option. I trusted her with anything, though she hadn't heard most of the traumas in full. There were some other options. I trusted Lady Kasen with plenty of things, and I especially trusted her to be willing to keep me safe, but I knew she was busy with Raki and the Hot Spring Town and who knew what else, so perhaps not.

Well, there was no reason it could only be one person, or the same person each time, so I shrugged and said to Reimu that I was happy for her to come with me, though I wasn't sure when I wanted to go. "No rush, I guess..." Reimu intertwined her fingers and rested her chin on them. "Let's just hope Eirin doesn't start asking for payment." That...was a good point. I didn't really have a job, and Reimu didn't have much money to spare with winter coming up. That offer from Lady Hecatia crossed my mind again. I wanted to talk to Reimu about it, but I figured that being a celestial, Tenshi would have some choice opinions about it, so I kept my mouth shut until I could talk to Reimu on her own. Marisa probably wouldn't have minded, but I wasn't sure that she wouldn't tell Tenshi. Their relationship still baffled me. Were they together? I caught Reimu's eye, and she looked over at the two of them. Tenshi was in the process of stealing Marisa's drink, and Marisa was trying to steal one of the peaches from Tenshi's hat with no effect. Reimu looked back at me, and we exchanged a look that meant that neither of us had any idea.

Perhaps it would just remain one of life's great questions.