君の言葉は紅い音

[twomeals]

.......



.......

Sato-san, we're home~



Don't just say "we're home" like there's nothing wrong, you idiot! S-Sato-sama, we had a really good reason...!

There's no need to tell me your reasoning. ...Nevertheless, it seems you two already know why it is I summoned you here.

Y-yes sir! Er, my sincerest apologies!!!

...Sorry.

I suspected you'd do this at some point, but to choose today of all days....I suppose I should have expected that from you two.

...Sato-san...

You're angry, aren't you? Because we broke the rules...

.......

No. I'm not angry.

...Okay...

...However, Yue-kun. The master has not yet given you permission to descend from the mountain.

You will of course be given appropriate punishment for sneaking out on your own. ...Do you understand?

.......Yes, sir.

.......Now, what should I do with you?

.......

We're really in trouble, huh, Kurogitsune....What do we do?

.......fault.

...Kurogitsune?

I'm the one at fault.

.......Oh?

Er, wait, Kurogitsune?

...Sato-sama, I'm the one who led him down from the mountain.

Despite knowing that my duty is to protect him, I wanted more than anything to show him the festival...

That's why it's my fault, Yue hasn't done anything wrong! If you're to give punishment, please place it on me alone!

...What are you talking about, Kurogitsune? I'm the one who said I wanted to go.

Idiot, it doesn't matter which of us wanted to go to the festival, it's all the same in the end! I'm the one who told you about the festival and invited you to go with me, even though I knew you couldn't go.

.......Because I wanted us to go together.

....Even if you say that now...

...Kurogitsune. I can sympathize with your reason for taking Yue-kun with you to the festival.

However, the master's command is absolute. You broke that command, knowing full well your own responsibility. ...That being the case, I hope you are prepared for the consequences.

Yes, sir, I'm ready....I have been from the start.

...Hm. A fine response.

That's...Sato-san, Kurogitsune did all that for me. Please don't scold him too badly.

As much as I'd like to, I cannot abide by that. You two disobeyed the master's command, after all.

.......But...

However, in deference to Kurogitsune's spirit, I will allow you to be exempt from punishment.

...Huh...

It seems that he is willing to protect you, at any cost.

...Please wait, that's--

It's fine, Yue, I don't want you stickin' up for me.

...What are you saying, Kurogitsune?

Just shut up already. Sato-sama, please, go ahead. I can take it.

...All right. Now then...

.......Kurogitsune...



...Let's see, first thing tomorrow we will go together for ascetic training beneath the waterfall, after which we will clean as we patrol the mountain. After breakfast we will clean the inner sanctuary, and then perhaps clean the archives in the afternoon.

We will patrol around the mountain again before dinner, after which is cleaning the front shrine. The next day I'd like to do some spring cleaning in the main hall, and I was thinking of tidying the area around the sacred pond... Moreover the shrine office has recently been in need of major cleaning, and the storehouse outside... Oh, and then there is weeding in the rear garden to do, as well as the roof being in need of repairs, and then..................



.....................I-I expected something like this, but it's still pretty hard to believe it's nothing but cleaning...ugh...

.......Sigh.

Hey, what's with that blatantly fed-up look! You're makin' me mad!

But you already knew about this, didn't you? That Sato-san's love for cleaning is more like a cleaning mania.

Still, the schedule he's layin' out's gonna be way beyond hard...There's only 24 hours in a day, y'know...?

I tried to stop you, too. But you had to go and act all cool, accepting his challenge like that.

Shut up! This is where we're different! Kids should stay out of it!

Maybe I should try doing it too though, for once. We're accomplices, after all.

You'd run out of stamina and energy and collapse from hunger partway through, so no. You'd just add another chore to the pile.

I'll be fine, because someday I'm gonna be a cool an' brawny man like Sato-sama...!

..........Brawny...?



.......? What are you whispering about, you two?



Urk-! Nothing!

Nothing at all~, ahaha...

???: .......Fufufu, you two really do get along well.

...Eh...

.......Ah.



???: Did you enjoy your first visit to the world below?...Yue.



Yue: ...Miko-sama...



Mikoto: Today is a special day, the night of the festival. I can't blame you for being attracted by all those bright lights.



Mikoto: .......Isn't that right, Sato?



.......You're being overindulgent again. How can we expect to discipline them this way?

Fufu, my position is not one which requires me to speak of discipline. Festivals are fun, don't you agree?

.......Hmph.



Miko-sama, you're not mad?

.......It was certainly wrong of you to break the rules. But you two seem to understand that well enough.

.......Hey, Kurogitsune. I guess this means we're saved.



...T-that was scary...I thought I was gonna get my tail pulled out...

Don't worry, it's still there.



Now then, what did you think of your very first festival, Yue?...Did anything enjoyable happen?

Please, tell me all about it.

Yes, of course. ...It really was my first time, and everything I saw was so shiny and loud, it was all really interesting somehow.

I knew a little about towns from books and TV and what people told me and stuff like that, but seeing it for myself was really different.

...I see. So you enjoyed it, then.

Yes. I enjoyed it a lot.

...I'm glad to hear that. Fufufu.

Ehehe, but I wish you could have come with us too somehow, Miko-sama.

Really now. If you had told me in advance, I would happily have slipped out with you.

Okay then, I'm inviting you for next time then. Don't forget, okay?

Fufufu, when that time comes, we'll have to take a route that ensures we aren't discovered.

Right, we'll keep it a secret from everyone.



.......Sigh...

...Sato-sama? Is there something wrong, sir?

Honestly, Mikoto-sama spoils Yue-kun so much it's troubling...

.......I don't think there's anything we can do about that, though...

Actually, I think you're pretty soft on him too, Sato-sama...

Did you say something?

.......No, sir.



.......Ah.

Hm? What is it?



Come to think of it, I picked this up at the festival. Would you like to have it, Miko-sama?

...A pinwheel?

It's supposed to be your favorite tsubaki flower.

..............Fufu...

...Miko-sama?

...Never you mind. It's beautiful. Thank you, Yue.



It's just something I picked up, though....Since I don't have any money.

No, I don't mind. ...Fufu, this is strangely amusing.

...Huh...?

I was given this same thing as a present before. Because it resembles a tsubaki flower, as you said....How nostalgic...

...Ohhh...



.......

.......



Thank you, Yue. I'll take good care of it.

.......That reminds me.

Hm?

I met a mysterious person, in the place that was selling these pinwheels.

.......Mysterious...?

Yes. He was different from the other humans, somehow. For some reason...I really felt like I knew him.

.......

I thought it was really weird, how nostalgic it felt, even though it was the first time we met.

.......Really now...

Ah, and I met another one after that. He was a really strange person. But I'm kind of curious about him, too...

.......I see. So you found them.

...Eh...?

This may have been a surprisingly good opportunity. Don't you think so, Sato?



.......I'm somewhat reluctant to agree.



.......What's going on...?

.......



Say, Yue. Would you like to see those two again?

...Eh...

Would you like to descend the mountain once more, and meet those two again?

.......

.......I'm not really sure.

...I see.



.......Yue...

.......



Well then, Yue....Firstly, become friends with those two.

...Eh?

And then...You can discover for yourself why they appear to be so different from other humans.

.......Discover...

If your vision proves correct, eventually, one of them may become necessary to you....Shall we prepare for that time?

...What sort of preparations?

.......

Listen carefully, Sato. You too, Kurogitsune. From now on, Yue will descend every day to the world below, to prepare those two as his partners.



...I suppose I have no choice.

.......Yes ma'am. I understand.



...Hey, Kurogitsune, what's going on?

.......I had a feeling this was gonna happen.

.......Eh...



.......I suppose there is no such thing as early or late, in this regard.

How interesting it is, this thing called a festival. It truly holds quite a strong power of attraction.



Miko-sama, I don't really get what's going on, but...

What is meeting those people supposed to be in preparation for?

.......A simple thing.



Yue. I command you. Descend the mountain, and go to the humans' town...to prepare for the Meal.

Either of those children will be fine. The one you desire most of all,

...will be your Meal.



.......Meal...



Now, I won't tell you to hurry. Feel free to take your time, it's alright just to meet them at first.

...You have until that "Time" comes.

...Time...



.......Huh? Yue?

.......Kurogitsune....

.......Hey, are you okay...?

.......Sorry, I'm kind of...dizzy...



Kurogitsune: ...Oi, Yue!? Hey...!!!

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