Morning light streamed in through the window, passing through the paper sliding doors and cutting several pale golden bands of light across the floor.
The bamboo in the courtyard swayed gently in the wind, the dew on the leaves still not dry, glittering under the sunlight.
You was awakened by the sound of birds.
The morning birdsong mixed with the sound of wind through bamboo leaves was quite pleasant to listen to.
He rolled over and glanced at the futon beside him.
The Mochizuki sisters hadn’t come last night.
The futon was folded neatly and placed in the corner of the room, just as it had been before going to sleep.
After the hot spring night two nights ago, he had thought there might be another visit last night.
But in the end, nothing happened all night.
You stared at that futon for a while.
He felt a little disappointed inside.
He rubbed his face and silently scolded himself: ‘You had such a good opportunity the night before last, and you didn’t take it. Even if they did come to sneak into your bed last night, would you have gone through with it? Take it slow, as they say, winning a girl’s heart unlocks more positions. Enduring now for better enjoyment later.’
After this self-consolation, his mindset calmed down a lot.
You crawled out of the futon and slid open the bedroom door.
In the living room, Chihaya and Mai were already waiting at the table.
Both had changed clothes.
Chihaya wore a light blue short-sleeved shirt with a small white lace trim around the collar, her hair loose and not tied up.
Mai wore a white dress with a thin pink ribbon around the waist, her hair tied into a low ponytail at the back of her head.
“Good morning, You!”
Mai’s voice was full of energy, nothing like someone who had just woken up.
“Morning, You.”
Chihaya gave a slight nod, her voice calmer.
“Did you rest well yesterday?”
You yawned.
“Morning—I slept well.”
He subconsciously walked to the table and tried to sit down.
Chihaya frowned and cast a reproachful look at him.
“You—“
Her tone wasn’t harsh, but You felt an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him.
“Go wash up first.”
You was jolted by this presence and jumped up from his seat.
“Yes, ma’am!”
He turned and ran toward the washroom.
Chihaya shook her head behind him and took a sip of tea.
Mai laughed.
“Sister is like You’s mom.”
Chihaya’s face stiffened a little, and she glared at Mai.
Mai shrank her neck and stopped talking, lowering her head as if examining the dishes on the table.
***
After eating, You and the Mochizuki sisters left the Moon Residence and walked toward the inn entrance.
Futaba and Hitomi were already waiting at the door.
Futaba had changed into a light green dress today, the hem just above the knee, revealing a section of pale calf.
Her hair was loose, the ends slightly curled.
She still held that fan in her hand, unopened, twirling it carelessly.
Hitomi wore a light pink top and beige pants.
Her hair was tied into a low ponytail, looking neater than yesterday.
Her face still bore that gentle smile, like the afternoon sun in spring.
Chihaya raised an eyebrow.
“Why didn’t you come eat with us today?”
Futaba grinned, her expression unchanged.
“Hitomi and I had breakfast together today, so I didn’t go look for you.”
She tilted her head.
“Are you jealous?”
Mai quietly grabbed You’s sleeve and moved closer to him.
‘Here they go again,’ she sighed inwardly.
‘But this is my chance.’
Hitomi’s gentle expression twisted slightly.
‘No way? She actually went into someone else’s room yesterday? How did she get a spare key card?’
Chihaya raised an eyebrow.
“Why would I be?”
Sensing the tension, You quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
“Alright, alright. Since everyone’s eaten, let’s go out and have fun together.”
***
The group walked toward the inn entrance.
The front desk had a different person.
It wasn’t the red-eyed girl from last night, but rather the middle-aged woman from before, her hair in small curls and light makeup, sitting behind the counter flipping through an account book.
She was probably the landlady.
You was a little curious.
It wasn’t shift change time yet.
He stepped forward and asked, “Excuse me, where did the young lady working here last night go?”
The woman looked up from her book and smiled.
“Guest, you mean the Tsuchimikado girl?”
“She’s only been here a few days, said she was working part-time during the holidays. Last night she suddenly called and said there was an emergency at home, so she had to leave. She even voluntarily gave up her wages for these few days.”
She shook her head with a hint of regret.
“So I let her go.”
You said, “Oh,” thanked her, and turned back.
The girls stood at the door waiting for him.
When he saw their expressions, he felt something was off—Chihaya was biting her lip, Futaba’s smile had faded a bit, and Hitomi was frowning.
You asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
No one spoke.
Futaba pointed outside with her fan.
You understood immediately—this wasn’t something to discuss here.
The group left the inn and walked a few steps onto the street.
You looked around.
It was still very early; there were no tourists on the street.
The shops on both sides were still closed, their rolling shutters tightly pulled down.
“Can you tell me now?”
Futaba glanced at Chihaya.
Chihaya spoke.
“You, the surname Tsuchimikado is no ordinary name in the Shinto world.”
‘Is it really?’ You thought inwardly.
‘Aren’t shrine maiden surnames pretty straightforward? Like Mochizuki, Tsukuyomi, Hitsuki or something? Tsuchimikado doesn’t seem related to gods at all.’
“What’s so special about this name?” he asked.
Hitomi added, “The Tsuchimikado family is descended from Abe no Seimei, the head family of onmyoji.”
You was stunned.
Abe no Seimei?
The great onmyoji who always seems so badass in various anime and games?
He was puzzled.
“Why don’t Abe no Seimei’s descendants use the surname Abe?”
Hitomi continued, “During the Kamakura period, the Abe clan was granted a new surname by the Emperor and split into branches. The Tsuchimikado family became the head family of onmyoji. They reached their peak in the Edo period, managing nearly all onmyoji and the Bureau of Onmyo throughout Japan.”
She paused.
“After the Meiji period, the government ordered the abolition of the Bureau of Onmyo, and the onmyoji lost their official status. The Tsuchimikado family no longer held their transcendent position.”
You still didn’t quite understand.
“How do you know that Miss Tsuchimikado is from the head family of onmyoji? There must be others with the same surname.”
Futaba took over the conversation.
“Because of her eyes, Divine Child.”
She opened her fan, her tone teasing.
“Didn’t you wonder why her eyes are red?”
You finally caught on.
So they weren’t contact lenses?
That was strange.
Asians usually have black or dark brown eyes.
Why would she have red eyes?
“Is it because of bloodline?” You asked.
Chihaya nodded.
“That’s right. Legend has it that Abe no Seimei’s mother wasn’t human, but a great fox demon named Kuzunoha. Although this rumor is hard to verify, every few generations the Tsuchimikado family does produce someone with red eyes.”
She paused.
“And red eyes are exactly a mark of fox demons. It’s said that Tsuchimikado clan members with red eyes have high spiritual power and are natural geniuses in onmyodo. They internally call this ‘Heavenly Crimson.’”
Mai added, “But after the Meiji period, the Tsuchimikado family gradually declined. I heard the last ‘Heavenly Crimson’ dates back to the Taisho era.”
You processed all this information.
Descendants of Abe no Seimei.
Fox demon bloodline.
Red eyes.
Head family of onmyoji.
So many details, but he was more confused than before.
“So—”
He thought about his wording.
“Is this Miss Tsuchimikado a very powerful person?”
Chihaya shook her head.
“Not necessarily.”
“Not necessarily?”
“Although the Tsuchimikado bloodline remains, since the Meiji period, due to the increasing rarity of powerful demons and ghostly beings, and the loss of official status, most of the onmyodo teachings have been lost. Even if she has talent, without systematic study and training, she can’t use it.”
Hitomi added, “Still, the fact that she’s working here suggests her financial situation isn’t great. The Tsuchimikado family has indeed fallen on hard times these days. I heard even their main family estate is about to be sold.”
Futaba closed her fan and tapped it against her palm.
“Divine Child, you’re asking a lot. Are you interested in her?”
You was taken aback.
“No. I’m just curious. The descendant of Abe no Seimei, with inherited onmyodo—how could I not be curious?”
Futaba smiled, saying nothing more.
Chihaya glanced at You, also silent.
Mai tightened her grip on You’s sleeve.
Hitomi stared at her own feet, lost in thought.
Sunlight spilled over the eastern ridge, dyeing the entire street a pale gold.
A crow cawed in the distance, the sound unusually clear in the quiet morning.
You stood among the four girls, still thinking about last night’s young woman with her cold expression, alluring features, and red eyes.
He had barely glanced at her last night.
Now that he recalled, he only remembered those red eyes and that icy face.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” he called out.
“Where are we going today?”
“The Hakone Glass Forest,” Mai said.
“Sister looked it up last night.”
You glanced at Chihaya.
She nodded, without explanation.
The group walked along the street.
The sun shone from behind, casting long shadows of the five people onto the stone pavement ahead.
The shadows overlapped, impossible to tell whose was whose.
Tsuchimikado… huh.
Too bad I don’t even know her name.
But if fate allows, we might meet again.
You thought this to himself inexplicably.