Hot green tea was poured over white rice topped with grilled salmon, nori, and sesa. A warm, gentle aroma spread out, tempting the appetite.
After saying goodbye to Shido, Mikoto returned to the shrine and prepared dinner. She already knew how to cook before crossing worlds. Whether Japanese food or Chinese food, she had so confidence in her skills.
[Why are you so skilled at this!]
Tamako Obaa-chan was watching a drama in the living room.
[How many tis have you... kissed?]
The plot seed to be adapted from so ani. As expected of the great nation of the two-dinsional industry.
"Dinner is ready."
Mikoto carried the salmon dish she had made and sat down across from Tamako Obaa-chan.
"Ara ara~.What an irresistible sll. Mikoto will surely beco a good wife in the future."
The tea soup was seasoned just right, and the salmon was delicious. Tamako Obaa-chan praised it without stopping.
"Wh-What are you saying, Tamako Obaa-chan? Really...."
Mikoto's face turned red.
[Kissing, huh...]
Watching the drama, Mikoto rembered today's date. When she had secretly listened to Shido's conversation through the earpiece, he had indeed ntioned the word "kiss."
Just then, the phone on the table rang.
"Ah, it's an email from Shido."
Mikoto picked up the phone and looked at the ssage inside.
"Shido?"
"The person I t today when I was buying salmon. It seems he wants to ask out."
"Obaa-chan, I won't be eating lunch at ho tomorrow."
"Ara ara~. Young people these days are truly impressive. In only one afternoon, he managed to charm such a beauty."
"N-No... it isn't that kind of relationship. We have sothing to talk about. Sothing to talk about..."
Mikoto gave an awkward smile.
"All right, no need to say more. A date is a battlefield for a girl. I happen to have sothing good here. My daughter left it behind. The size should fit too."
"Tamako Obaa-chan's daughter?"
"Mm. She's gone away many years ago...Strange, it should be here... oh, found it."
The old woman searched through the cabinet for a long ti, then finally took out a beautiful piece of clothing.
White fabric, with cherry blossom petal patterns. To Mikoto, it was both familiar and unfamiliar clothing—a kimono.
"How is it? Use this outfit to decide the match!"
Tamako Obaa-chan smiled proudly.
"No... I already said, it isn't that kind of date."
———————
At noon the next day, Mikoto arrived as promised at a restaurant in the shopping district.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Although she was not late, after entering, she found that Shido was already there. There were also two girls sitting near him.
"No, I arrived early..."
Shido turned around, then froze.
Mikoto, standing behind him, was wearing a white kimono decorated with cherry blossom patterns. Although he had known from their first eting that she was beautiful, never before had her beauty struck the heart like it did today.
"Um... I did explain it, but Tamako Obaa-chan insisted that I dress like this."
Being stared at so directly by Shido made Mikoto shyly turn her head away.
"Ow!"
The next mont, Shido was kicked hard in the shin. He turned his head and saw Kotori looking displeased.
"If you keep staring at her with that perverted look, be careful or you'll scare her away, idiot Shido."
"I-I was not staring at her like a pervert!"
Seeing the two of them bicker, Mikoto smiled, then sat down.
After a short round of introductions, she understood the identities of the two girls. Sitting beside her was Shido's younger sister, Itsuka Kotori. Sitting beside Shido was Yatogami Tohka.
"Then I'll keep this short. To help you feel at ease, I had Shido bring Tohka here. As you can see, she is also a Spirit."
"No... even if you say that..."
Looking at Tohka, who was curiously asking Shido what a kimono was, Mikoto smiled bitterly. She had no way to tell whether Tohka was human or Spirit. She could not feel even a fragnt of Spirit power from that girl.
"As expected..."
Kotori sighed.
"Tohka."
"Mm?"
"Actually... all kinako bread in Tengu City has sold out."
"Eh?"
"It might be a whole month before the next shipnt cos in!"
"Ehhh?"
"During this ti, you probably won't be able to eat kinako bread anymore."
"Ehhhhhhhh?"
"Wait, Kotori, what nonsense are you saying? If this keeps going, Tohka will..."
Shido tried to stop Kotori, but it was already too late.
"No... more....kinako bread..."
A gloomy pressure swirled over Tohka's head. The girl hid her face in the shadow of her bangs and spoke while trembling.
"Shido!!! What do we do if there is no kinako bread?"
Boom!!!
As Tohka grabbed Shido's collar tightly, the restaurant floor cracked with Tohka as the center.
"This is..."
Mikoto felt Spirit power from Tohka.
"As you can see, Tohka is a real Spirit. Also, this so called seal is not completely firm. Once a Spirit's emotions got any problem, Spirit power will flow back to them. If Ratatoskr were an organization with bad intentions toward you, you would not be helpless, right?"
Kotori waved the Chupa Chups in her hand and ignored Shido, who was desperately trying to calm Tohka down, as she spoke to Mikoto.
"I understand."
Mikoto nodded. At this point, there was no need to keep doubting them.
The three of them did not seem like bad people. Tohka especially was pure and innocent, and she also looked very happy. She did not seem to have been abused. In that case, there should be no doubt that Ratatoskr was an organization that worked to help Spirits.
"In other words... Yakumo-senpai is willing to..."
Shido's eyes lit up.
"Mm. Please forgive my suspicions from before. I am willing to help Shido seal my Spirit power. I will leave everything to you."
Mikoto stood up and bowed slightly.
"All right, then... shall we begin our date!"
Kotori held her lollipop in her mouth and said with full spirit.
——————
After that, Kotori and Tohka left.
Although Tohka initially wanted to join the date too, she began to hesitate under the attack of a full kinako bread feast. In the end, Shido suggested adding three days of "dinner nu decision rights", and the girl finally left the restaurant with Kotori in great satisfaction, leaving Shido and Mikoto alone.
They ate lunch at the restaurant. Perhaps because of Ratatoskr's support, the dishes were very luxurious and fancy.
"Speaking of which, I still don't know what exactly has to be done to seal Spirit power."
After the al, Mikoto and Shido wandered through the shopping district.
"At the mont, I think we should go on a date first."
"I see. In that case—wearing this outfit was the right choice."
After hearing that, Mikoto raised her head and smiled. The quiet and graceful smile of the Japanese-style beauty was so beautiful that Shido almost forgot how to breathe.
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