/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45164255 (4/4)
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I breathe in, then out, preparing myself. The memory of that day with Yukari—feels so long ago—when I asked about her objectives with the HSE resurfaces, and I gulp air. I have a hunch she has deeper objectives than simply 'reuniting Anon and Reimu', and the loose threads are scarily easy to connect: Fertility decreasers make sense. Increasers? Don't. Her constant sessions with him, her much more frequent visits to Eirin…

… Is Yukari…

I swing my head, pursing my lips, nape sweating. Releasing a breath, I walk through a gap to her office, the woman herself not sparing me a glance, entranced in her work. I straighten my spine, conjoin my sleeves, appearing as proud to be hers as ever; "Yukari-sama." I call in that tone that eludes conversation, her pen released as her purple, deep eyes stare into mine. "My experiments near their end, so I wanted to share the data I've collected."

She narrows her eyes slightly, and then comprehension comes. "About Reimu?"

"Yes—my time of observation has shown me great change; she is docile and prone to not tackle things with either violence or disassociation. But I also noticed something lacking." I paused, giving her enough time to absorb the information—but also to measure my own words. "She wanted to take care of someone. Reimu was suffering from empty nest syndrome, making whatever development come with a notch of depression, as she had no one to share it. Therefore, I sent my shikigami to aid her, and I can safely say Reimu has become a treat to be close by. Chen loved her so much that she knitted pieces of clothing for her. All the love propelled Reimu to rebuild the Hakurei Shrine entirely." I stopped, hiding my smile, though it was an easy task considering the weird feeling in the air… Yukari just listened. She's not one to only listen. Yukari makes conversations, not participates in them. I gulp the chilly feeling, ready to finish, ears perking, tails bushy. "So, Yukari-sama… Reimu is now someone who can be trusted again with responsibilities—she's nurturing, calm, hardworking, and rehabilitated. To me, her punishment is done."

That meant one thing: releasing Anon to Reimu and see if they can successfully rebuild their marriage.

At least, that's Yukari's plan.

The wall clock ticks and tacks, Yukari's eyes closed, hands together immobile. I pace a bit in place, growing tense with her silence. It lasts almost an entire minute. "I see." She simply says. "Keep watching her."

H-Huh…?

"B-But Yukari-sama… there's nothing more to watch—"

"Ran, are you that easily fooled?" I stop, body freezing with her words, and stare—if only the latter could kill… "Reimu changed. I'll trust you in that. But for how long? Keep Chen around her, collect more data through the winter—we'll see if Reimu did really change, or is just faking it to have her man back." Then Yukari grabbed her pen again, keeping on with her work.

Now, I should've left the room.

… Yet…

That's unlike Yukari. To waste resources like this, to deny my word and brush it aside like it had no weight to it…

Once upon a time, she saw me as an extension of herself and therefore dignified of respect, and likely still does—as it seemed days ago with the Amanojaku and the human—so it's something else that’s keeping Anon here. My chest swelled, mouth plain, eyes a bit broader; she noticed all that, narrowing her eyes with a question. The fertility increasers; the constant sessions with Anon; visits to Eirin… "Yukari-sama… Are you trying to get—"

"Perhaps." I freeze, staring at her piercing eyes—eyes that undressed me and my treachery. Yet, blinded by something else, she can’t see what I hide underneath her control. "Any problem with what I do or do not do, Ran?"

"N-No, I was just curious… Why Anon specifically? You could have any man in the world—" use of force or not, that's the truth. "He is Reimu's husband…" I point out the obvious.

Yukari stares, and that scares unlike anything else: she doesn't have an answer. Didn't she think about this…? Does she not—

"Ran."

"… Yukari-sama?"

"Leave me be, and return to your functions."

The pressure in the room rises through the roof with simple words, and I can feel death creeping in my veins, animal instincts screaming, gaps I use so carefree metaphorically staring back at me—a power not mine… And that I'll use against its own master. I gulp again my fears and terror, nod and, going through a gap, leave her office.

I immediately collapse from the pressure on the wooden floor of my office, eyes on the ceiling, chest clenching, heart nearing 140bpm—my hand clutches my breast, eyes shut tight, gasping for air and trying to calm myself down, sweat drenching my hair and back, free hand pulling my hat off.

This information… What exactly can I use it for? Can I use it for anything? Yukari wants to get pregnant from Anon, and she does not know why…

The most probable answer comes in the form of a question: ‘Is Yukari in love with him?’

The answer scares me.