"I'm saying, you've already changed to your fifth outfit, when are you finally going to decide?"

Aside from the color and pattern, aren't all your kimonos the same style?

Ju Huang sat casually in the armchair, his long legs pushing off the ground, causing the chair to spin around him, his hair flying up and revealing his arrogant eyebrows and eyes.

He turned around again, and as if he saw something, he reached out and pressed his hand against the edge of the table to steady himself.

His well-defined hand was about to touch the folding fan, but missed in the next second.

"……whispering sound."

Kii Kanade was wearing a light blue kimono embroidered with exquisite patterns, clearly worth a lot of money. A silk sash accentuated his figure, and he unfolded a folding fan to cover his mouth.

"how?"

"...Didn't you say you were just going out for a short while?"

Ju Huang's expression was strange. She couldn't help but stand up and take two steps back.

"You look just like a peacock spreading its tail feathers."

As she spoke, Ju Huang decisively took out her phone and snapped a picture.

"I'm going to send it to Xuecun."

"He wouldn't make such a fuss like you do."

After all, Masashi Yukimura has seen enough of these past few days.

Although she had received some recognition, Kii Kanade still stood in front of the dressing mirror, repeatedly adjusting the details of her clothes.

Who exactly are you going to see?

Ju Huang put down her phone, marveling at the sight.

"If I hadn't known you for so long, I might have thought..."

You've fallen in love.

Kii Kanade paused in his movements, his inscrutable expression reflected in the mirror.

"...Why do you say that?"

"Because love is such an irrational thing."

"It makes you become unlike yourself."

"Think about it, were you ever this concerned about what others thought of you before?"

To Tachibana no Ou, the Kii Kanade of the past was like a delicate but lifeless human-shaped ceramic, always maintaining the demeanor of the Kii family heir, concealing all her emotions behind the blank fan.

That smiling mask is disgusting to look at.

It's not much better now, but a crack has quietly appeared on that bloodless face, revealing a few genuine breaths.

Kii Kanade's eyelashes trembled, but she erased it all by smoothing out the creases in her sleeves.

When he looked up again, his smile was as usual.

"You haven't been to class for a week, and you've been researching this?"

Ju Huang chuckled but did not pursue the matter further.

He spun around in his chair again, his voice nonchalant.

"Of course I have important things to do."

"Oh, right."

"You grabbed me and started me picking out clothes as soon as we arrived, and I almost forgot my original purpose."

"Xuecun should have already told you... I'm in love."

"Perhaps it's a difference in customs; we never call unrequited love 'love' here."

"..."

Ju Huang pressed her temples and took a deep breath.

Since I needed his help, I did it.

He endured it.

He pretended not to understand the implied meaning in Kii Kanade's words.

"I met him on the first day of school, but after that I went through all the files of first and second graders and couldn't find him."

“I now suspect… that although he is about my age, he may not be a student of the Strange Tales Academy.”

"Perhaps they're here to accompany their siblings to school? The academy shouldn't allow ordinary people who aren't attending the master's ceremony on New Year's Eve to enter."

"In short, I used all the connections in the Hanabishi-kai, but in the end I still couldn't find that person."

"so?"

"..."

This guy is definitely holding a grudge against me for pointing out his thoughts earlier.

Ha, you petty person.

I owe you a favor.

"That's all?"

Ju Huang narrowed his eyes, like a feline, his pupils shrinking to a thin slit. The silver cross chain around his neck was tossed up and down, making a crisp sound.

"Don't go too far."

"I see."

Having established the bottom line for the negotiations, Kii Kanade readily agreed.

He just happens to need the Orange Phoenix right now.

“Teacher Tianhai has contacted me several times already. You should at least show up in front of him next Monday.”

"...You, did you plan to make this request of me all along?"

"Just a coincidence."

Kii Kanade's voice was gentle, but her actions in driving people away were ruthless.

"The time I had arranged to meet is almost up, so I think you can go now."

"I don't want to stay at your house either."

Before Kii Kanade could urge him again, Tachibana Houji stood up and walked towards the door. But just a second before he left, he suddenly turned around, a smile appearing on his lips.

"What I just said was indeed inappropriate."

"How could a noble young master like you possibly fall in love and become someone else's captive? You're destined to be alone forever..."

Upon seeing Kii Kanade's indifferent expression, Tachibana no longer concealed her feelings; instead, her smile widened.

What I mean is—

"I believe in you, Kii Kanade."

"You will always remain as clear-headed as you are today, watching from above as the world falls into depravity."

Amen.

He took the cross from his neck and kissed it as if in prayer.

-

In today's world rife with supernatural tales, gods are no longer distant beings.

It's not surprising that people like them, who deal with monsters all year round, have their own beliefs.

However, people like Ju Huang, who wear a cross around their neck, a Buddhist amulet around their waist, and a talisman from some unknown shrine on their phone, are extremely rare.

But this is consistent with the Hanabishi-kai's consistent style, which prioritizes strength.

However, the Kii family, as a symbol of tradition, has always scorned such practices.

Before arriving at Kawashura Park, Kii Kanade had never taken the joke's curse to heart.

But as he looked at the person in front of him, those words echoed in his ears as if on repeat.

The boy's tall, slender figure stood with his back to him under a cherry blossom tree.

Soft sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a hazy glow on him and illuminating even the outline of his hair, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

The surrounding noise fell silent, with only the rustling of the breeze. Cherry blossom petals fell one after another, sprinkling on the boy's head and shoulders.

Kii Kanade couldn't help but take a step forward, the crisp sound of his footsteps on the tree branch startling him from his daze. He slowly turned his head.

Everything seemed to be filtered through a blurry lens; Kii Kanade couldn't see half of his face turned to the side, only his snow-white skin, almost transparent in the sunlight, was visible.

"...Ignored?"

Kii Kanade murmured.

He could see the boy turn around, but he couldn't see his face at all. He could only see his rosy lips opening and closing, as if he was saying something, but he couldn't hear anything.

Kii Kanade couldn't help but take another step forward.