Taking a deep breath, Rin felt the exhaustion and sluggishness settle deep in her bones.
Listlessly leaning against the windowsill, Rin closed her eyes as she reflected on her last few days.
Lost in thought, it was almost as if the cold air blowing into her room didn't matter.
The tickling sensation of wind brushing against her skin, the smell of fresh grass, and the gentle light of the moon, all the little things one can so easily overlook; Rin felt grateful that she could feel all of them.
Thinking back on the incident, she recognized that a lot happened.
There are so many memories and stories from that day‒it was a lot of fun thinking back on it.
From endlessly grinding her alchemy skill to relocating Akyuu to the Hakurei-Shrine, crossing Marisa's and Reimu's path, their three-way duel, fighting Cirno, and so much more...
It'd probably take at least 2000 words to summarize all of it.
It was a lot to think back on.
Indeed, a lot has happened.
So much so that it would take a while for all those memories to be digested.
The world, her thoughts faded like a quiet whisper before she realized it, and her mind drifted away.
A sleep without haunting nightmares, no fear of Rin Satsuki invading, and no hassle from brain activity—just a peaceful rest.
She looked so peaceful that it felt almost blasphemous to disturb her rest.
And so, time passed until the first morning rays tickled her nose, waking her up.
"Good morning, my beautiful white lily. Sleeping, leaning against the windowsill like that, aren't we somewhat defenseless?"
Still dazed from waking up, Rin didn't know dream from reality.
From Rin's view, she was still reflecting on the last days under the moon when suddenly someone called out to her.
"Oh my, still dreaming? Quite the sleepyhead, aren't we? Or is it that you feel comfortable in my presence? Well, none of that matters..."
Hearing the soft and sultry voice was almost intoxicating. Rin wouldn't mind waking up like this every day from now on.
"Rin, it would make my life so much easier if you were to wake now. Could you do this favour for this poor and pitiful maid?"
Feeling her warm breath tickle her eardrums, the brush of her soft lips against her ear, feeling the teasing of an experienced woman, it was as if a lightning bolt ran through her spine.
Reflexively, all her muscles contracted as she jolted awake, flinching, finally coming face to face with her intruder.
Rubbing her eyes, Rin blinked, trying to make sense of the situation.
Realizing that she must have fallen asleep, Rin tried to clear the fuzziness from her mind, the world slowly shifting back into focus.
It took a moment, but her eyes didn't lie.
The first thing Rin saw upon awaking was the face of a certain silver-haired beauty.
Seeing the first-morning sun rays reflect on the image of the wide-eyed grace almost took her breath away.
It took a lot to make the idol's heart skip a beat, yet this maid did it as effortlessly as waking up in the morning.
Seeing Rin awake from her slumber, Sakuya's expression softened as she offered her a gentle smile.
"Awake, are we now?"
Sakuya asked, brushing her bang behind her ear.
"Good morning."
When she heard the maid's greeting, her mind finally cleared the void of her slumber.
Stretching her body, Rin yawned, checking her body's condition.
It seemed it was doing moderately better than yesterday.
Moderately.
"Mrnin', Skuya... Y'don' mind if I go... refresh m'self, do ya??"
The maid chuckled, seemingly amused seeing the girl who seemed so radiant yesterday be so disorientated.
Now that they were in this position, maybe she could repay her back for all she did yesterday?
"And what would you do if I do mind?"
Rin blinked, disoriented and surprised.
Scratching her head, she pondered, unsure how to reply.
"Scream that there is an intruder in my room?"
A pause. Sakuya's previously playful eyes turned sharp, considering whether to continue teasing.
She decided not to.
Seeing Sakuya stand there, Rin tilted her head in confusion, blinking about the situation.
But within those blinks, the distance between them considerably shrunk before Rin noticed the maid's cooling, gloved finger already flicked her forehead.
"Fully awake now? If not, would you like a few extra minutes to wake up properly? I could arrange that."
The maid said with a professional smile, looking up from her pocket watch as she closed it and put it back into her pocket.
Hearing that, Rin could only look at her with a dour expression.
She preferred the time manipulator not to casually talk about time like that.
"Not necessary. I am already disorientated from waking from a dreamless sleep. I don't know how well I could handle if you manipulated my time on top of that."
"Is that the case?"
The maid said absentmindedly, glancing around the room and scanning Rin up and down, a slight, almost imperceptible smirk passing across her lips.
"That explains a lot."
What did she mean by that?
"What do you mean by that?"
Rin demanded an answer, her brow furrowing as she tried to read Sakuya's expression.
"Nothing, nothing at all."
The maid answered with her most innocent expression, shrugging Rin's demand off.
Ruffling her hair, Rin was getting the ever-slight bit annoyed.
This was getting nowhere.
Sighing, she gave up. Sometimes, you need to know when you lost a battle.
"You win, I'll drop this. So, why are you here?"
Satisfied that she won this 'skirmish,' soft laughter escaped the maid's mouth.
She wouldn't admit it if someone asked her. After all, that wouldn't reflect well on a maid serving the Scarlet Devil.
But, ever since the day of the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil incident, Sakuya had found herself quietly holding a grudge against Rin, Marisa, and Reimu. After all, nobody enjoyed being treated like a doormat, especially when that doormat had control over time.
The Spellcard duels were one thing, but the property damage drove the final nail in the coffin.
It took a considerable amount of her mental capacity to maintain her ability over the entire mansion. Still, thanks to it, the mansion is practically indestructible.
Or, at least, it should have been.
But, for some reason, the trio's attacks completely ignored the mansion's temporal properties.
The Scarlet Devil Mansion's bricks and foundation are frozen in time! What abilities and attacks are these three employing to bypass her ability altogether and destroy the mansion?
But, as already said, Sakuya would never admit that she felt that way.
"The reason for my presence is a simple one."
No matter how frustrated she felt, it would never show on her face. Giving Rin a professional smile, Sakuya snapped her fingers, a clear and beautiful sound resonating through the room.
As the perfect and elegant maid, all her actions and movements carried a certain beautiful grace. Even the simple act of a finger snap was done with superhuman precision.
But perhaps the most surprising part is that an envelope magically appeared out of thin air between her thumb and index finger, the two fingers she used to snap.
"My lady has invited you to the evening banquet next week to commemorate the resolution of the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil incident, Lady Satsuki."
...
After closing the window to her room, Rin lethargically sat down on her bed, playing with the envelope Sakuya gave her between her fingers.
"An evening banquet, huh?"
Rin reached back into her memories, trying to recall the memories of her first life.
The life where she was so obsessed with the video game series of Touhou Project.
Fidgeting with the envelope in her hands, it took a moment before she went through all her memories.
But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't recall any mention of a banquet after the incident.
If there was an event like that, she should've known about it.
After all, she knew the Gensokyo timeline back and forth.
"In general, at this point in time, there isn't a lot of material in the series."
Today was the 1st of September 2003.
The closest foreseeable markings in the timeline would be in four days.
From Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red, a Bunbunmaru Newspaper Article in Autumn.
Afterward, nothing much happens on the timeline until winter, when the first five chapters of Curiosities of Lotus Asia happen.
As for events before the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, we have six Bunbunmaru Articles and a flashback from chapter 22 of Curiosities of Lotus Asia.
The first three were about the Prismriver sisters, articles written in 1998, 1999, and 2000, about Lunasa, Merlin, and Lyrica, in that order.
There was a Kourindou article in 2000, an article about Rumia in 2001, and something about the human village in 2002.
Gathering from all of the canon material she knew, there was nothing about a celebration banquet at the Scarlet Devil Mansion for resolving the incident.
As for fan material, there would be a lot to dig through to find a particular instance, especially for doujinshi.
After all, Remilia hosting a banquet, giving a speech, or having her mansion explode were commonly used themes.
However, one particular instance came to her mind.
"Sanbondo's Tactical RPG fangame Fantasy Maiden Wars, particularly the first entry Scarlet..."
It's a must-play recommendation if you are a Touhou fan worth their salt.
It was one of the games that showed the deep dedication of fans to the series.
Sighing, Rin massaged her temple, her head overheating from trying to remember so much history.
If she went down memory lane each time to confirm the existence of an event, there would be no end to it.
Knowing all the canon material was one thing. But it's unreasonable to expect someone to know all two decades of Comiket material and more for Touhou.
Not to mention that some material is just lost media.
Recalling the frustration of missing out on Shimadoriro's 18th work, Little Braver, Rin felt a familiar ache in her chest.
Being bound to the bed, unable to receive access to works of artists you were a big fan of, unable to read the stories they created...
Fate was cruel sometimes.
With a heavy heart, Rin stood up from her bed, throwing the envelope on her table.
If she wanted the perks of being a transmigrator, she would've chosen a denser timeline, like a series from Shounen Jump.
Or, better yet, the oblivion of nothingness.
After all, to live was to struggle. And this minor event? It wouldn't throw her off. There were bigger things to focus on.
She was here to enjoy her life.
As a famous saying was in the fanbase, "take it easy."
There was no need to be in control all the time. Rin knew she didn't stand a chance with players such as Yukari or Okina on board, let alone when she considered all the players who tend to keep by themselves—Yuyuko, Eirin, Keine, Tewi, Eiki, Kasen, Satori, Byakuren, Miko, Hecatia and many more.
A planned joke was good, but the unexpected was still far more entertaining for Rin.
Stretching her body, Rin left her room and refreshed herself, preparing for the day ahead.
Smiling at her reflection in the mirror, Rin made a declaration.
"Let's do our best today."
...
Walking down the stairs of the second floor, where the guest rooms are located, I made my way to the archives of the Hieda Mansion, located on the first floor, which basically became Akyuu's office, thanks to the amount of time she spent in them.
Usually, checking up on Akyuu's general health was the first thing I did every morning after I refreshed myself in the bathroom, as long as nobody intruded upon my room before it.
But, aside from Sakuya handing her the Scarlet Banquet Invitation, another event managed to squeeze between Rin's usual morning routine.
Opening the door to the archives, Rin almost choked on air seeing the unexpected guest browsing the bookshelves.
Just like Sakuya, she was too a silver-haired beauty with red eyes affected by lunacy.
[Lvl. 56 Half-Human Half-Phantom, Youmu Konpaku]
Of note was that red wasn't her natural eye color. And unlike Sakuya, whose eye color switched with the use of her ability, the scarlet coloration persisted in Youmu's eyes.
Seeing the nitoryu wielder in the archives was unexpected.
Much more unexpected than the Scarlet Banquet invitation.
Her introduction wasn't supposed to happen until the subsequent incident.
After all, there is still a good year before the events of Perfect Cherry Blossom.
Yet, what was the servant of Hakugyokurou's Princess already doing here in the Hieda Mansion?
The sound of the paper door sliding open made the two girls look up from their books, inspecting the new guest.
The smaller of the two reacted with more energy, immediately standing up from her seat and running towards the nurse.
"Rin! You finally woke up!"
The petite girl with purple hair exclaimed, hugging Rin. It was almost as if she forgot yesterday's events‒treating Rin like usual.
But, knowing Akyuu's ability, that was impossible. The correct thing to say is that she left her feelings behind yesterday.
Though Rin ignored her, much more curious, or maybe better said, wary of the unfamiliar face.
Meanwhile, the girl with silver hair gave a cautious expression, unsure how to react next.
Her guard was clearly up.
Noticing her tension, Rin extended her hand with a smile, offering a handshake.
Hesitantly, the half-phantom girl took the hand, meekly shaking it.
"Satsuki Rin. I believe this is our first meeting. I haven't seen you around the village. I am the village's physician."
At this point, Akyuu noticed the shift in the atmosphere. On an ordinary day, Rin would deny her role as a village physician, believing it too much for a nurse like her.
Yet, she introduced herself to Youmu with that occupation as if it were only natural.
"Ah, yes. Kanpaku Youmu. I am nothing but an ordinary girl working as a gardener. It's nice making your acquaintance."
Not noticing the dangerous glint in Rin's eyes, Youmu continued with the handshake as if nothing was wrong.
And then came the time to let go of each other's hand,
After sharing a firm handshake, Youmu wanted to let go of Rin's hand, but instead of letting her hand go, Rin tightened her grip.
"I think I haven't made myself clear enough. I haven't seen you around the village."
Only noticing the tension in the air now, a cold bead of sweat trickled down Youmu's temple.
It was clear this wasn't a normal conversation anymore.
But she had to keep calm. She couldn't afford to disappoint her master.
She needed to make sure to not slip further than she already did.
"Ah, understood."
Came from the half-human girl as she awkwardly nodded her head, acting as if she understood Rin's intent.
"I'll employ your services when anything is wrong with me, and I am in the village."
Hearing that reply, Rin sighed. How long will she keep that facade up?
"I'll be more direct, I am the village physician."
"Yes, I understand. I'll make sure to remember your name?"
Even more direct than.
Giving the gardener a nasty smirk, Rin was done dancing around the topic.
"As the village physician, I know every single human living in this village."
Slowly realizing what Rin was getting at, Youmu's heart sank, her palm sweating as her mind was racing to find an excuse to get her out of this situation.
"And you are with absolute certainty not one of them."
Awkwardly nodding, Youmu gave a forced smile. Trying to remember the advice from her mistress.
'Youmu, for an honest girl like you, instead of trying to clumsily lie, just tell them the truth. As long as they don't know the whole picture, most people are satisfied with just a sliver of it. So, to conceal the big picture, you only have to give them a small part.'
She didn't fully understand her words, but how could she? Her mistress was so much more intelligent than her. It would be impossible for her to understand all the wisdom in her words.
But she had a rough feel of what she meant. That was enough.
Keep it brief, and stop talking.
"Well, I live in a place outside the village. So, it's only natural."
She had to admit it, but she had outdone herself. Just like her master told her.
With that, the Hieda-Servant should finally leave her alone.
Rin sighed. The girl before her actually was as half-baked as described in the material.
Mask off then.
"Likely story, half-youkai."
Youmu's heart skipped a beat when she heard Rin call her that. Since when did she realize?
"I-I d-don't know what you m-mean..."
Once again, Rin sighed. At this point, she had sighed five times since waking up. She wouldn't even be surprised if someone told her she had indigestion.
"Your body temperature is far below 35°C. At 35°C, I would already suspect that someone suffers from hypothermia. So, how should I diagnose you? As already dead?"
Youmu gritted her teeth. She was already exposed. There was no point in pretending anymore.
She didn't want to resort to this. But she was left with no other choice.
If anything, she already felt sorry for what would transpire in the Hieda's home.
The person before her was far more powerful than she expected.
She was a swordswoman, someone with an already solid grip. After all, it was dishonorable to lose grip of your sword.
Yet, no matter how hard she tried to fight back or slip out, Rin's hand wasn't giving her even a millimeter.
But, at this point, she didn't care anymore.
Without regard for her body, Youmu awkwardly twisted her palm, forcefully yanking out her hand with all her might.
A nasty crack rang in the room.
Youmu managed to escape from Rin's grip but dislocated her wrist in the process.
"I am sorry, Miss Akyuu..."
Finally unrestrained, Youmu jumped back to the other side of the room.
Her uninjured hand rested on the hilt of her Katana.
She wasn't supposed to pull out her weapon, not for this mission, but she already lost control of the situation.
She couldn't back out now.
Escape was unlikely. Both the entrance and the windows were blocked.
Diplomacy was even more so. After all, humans feared Youkai.
Pulling out her Katana, the faint ring of drawn steel could be heard from the unsheathing of the prized blade.
"...but, I can't let my mission end here!"
Pointing the tip of Roukanken towards Rin's face, Youmu's phantom half manifested with equal resolve to the human half.
"The things that cannot be cut by my Roukanken, forged by youkai... are next to none!"
The half-youkai declared full of confidence.
Seeing Youmu's determination, Rin faced her with a confident smirk.
Her eyes shifted to a Scarlet similar to Youmu's, lunacy taking hold of her.
Her stance remained relaxed, but she was ready to move at a moment's notice.
"Come at me then."
Rin's declaration was the signal for their Spellcard Duel to start-
"STOP!"
Came from the purple-haired girl they'd been ignoring this entire time, the person who owned the land they were standing on.
Her voice cracked, urgency pushing the petite girl.
"IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT, TAKE IT OUTSIDE!"
She screamed with utter desperation. Fearing the worst.
"Do you have any idea what could get destroyed here? These records are irreplaceable! Even just one of them is worth more than a person could earn in their whole life!"
As her eyes darted between the nurse and the gardener, the lingering tension in the room gradually faded.
Akyuu sighed in relief, seeing the two parties calm down.
Especially when Rin's eyes returned to their usual golden color.
"And you, Rin—why the hell are you egging her into a fight?! You are an insider!"
Awkwardly scratching the back of her head, the previously menacing face turned into a playful one. It seemed she took it too far with her joke.
Meanwhile, Youmu's wide-open eyes reflected disbelief, shocked at Akyuu's revelation.
"She's an insider?"
Akyuu nodded.
"She knows the secret of Gensokyo?"
Another nod.
"She knows the human village is a generator of fear for the youkai?"
"Yes."
The Child of Miare declared with certainty.
"Then why did she attack me?!"
Youmu shouted in frustration, sheathing her swords and ruffling her hair in annoyance. Remembering that her hand was still dislocated, she flinched in pain.
"Ow."
Seeing the girl in pain, Rin again extended her hand toward Youmu.
"You are delusional if you think I'll take that hand again."
Observing the situation unfold, Akyuu was getting sick of it. Walking to her desk, she sat back down.
"Just take her hand."
"But..."
"She's a physician, remember?"
Upon Akyuu's insistence, Youmu hesitantly placed her hand on Rin's again.
"You better not pull anything weird again."
Rin just smiled, holding Youmu's hand.
Then, with one swift movement...
"AAHHHHH! OH MY GOD—IT HURTS! AHHHH, PLEASE NOT LIKE THAT—AAAAHHHH!"
Well, turns out that getting your wrist relocated hurts.
...
After getting her wrist relocated, Youmu put as much distance as possible between her and Rin, glaring at the nurse.
But it was to be expected. After the stunt Rin pulled, it would be too much of her to expect gratitude from the phantom girl.
Rin had expected Youmu to be mad, but seeing your second favorite character glare at you like that still hurt. In fact, it hurt much more than she expected.
It was as if she lost something forever.
But there was no time to second guess herself.
Inside Rin, two wolves were raging for supremacy.
One is a filthy self-inserter, and the other is a shipper.
And in this fight, while one side would be victorious, she would be the ultimate loser.
And it was clear that she'd rather see Youmu get together with Reisen than Rin.
But the problem is that she doesn't know whether she has the self-control to last a year or two until Imperishable Night happens.
So, souring their relationship and burning the bridge at the start was the easiest solution.
That way, she wouldn't need to wonder what could have been.
Not that Youmu was aware of any of that.
To the phantom girl, Rin might as well be hostile toward her.
Neither Akyuu nor Youmu are privy to Rin's inner turmoil.
"Rin..."
Looking at Rin, Akyuu's voice cracked. To the chronicler, the nurse might as well have been an enigma.
They had barely reconciled after yesterday's interview, yet Rin had already put her mask back on.
Rin promised that she would be honest during the interview, and so she was.
None of her words were a lie. All she said was the unconcealed truth.
Yet, all the while, Akyuu had difficulties understanding what was behind her mask.
She wasn't someone with lofty aspirations—her dream was to enjoy life with her friends.
She wasn't someone with much desire—her hopes were simply that everyone around her would stay healthy.
Her worries weren't extraordinary either—her biggest fear was not leaving a mark in the world.
Even her character didn't divert much from a normal person—to help those in front of her to the best of her capabilities, as long as it was within them.
But neither those nor that explained why sometimes Rin would act the way she did.
Rin was a walking contradiction.
She acts flashy but never seems to desire the attention it would get.
She was secretive but never in a way that suggested she was hiding something.
Sometimes, she was dull, other times excessive, but always unpredictable.
It was as if she was following a script only she was aware of.
Thinking back on their conversation, the last question she asked Rin might have been out of personal curiosity instead of her job.
The question of...
"Rin, are you wearing a mask?"
The nurse's eyes widened, her pupils dilated, and her breath stopped.
Somehow, somewhere, Akyuu hit Rin where it hurts.
"Akyuu, please elaborate on the question. Because, as you can see with your own eyes, there is no mask on my face, and I can assure you that this face isn't a human skin mask."
The nurse jokingly answered, gently pulling on her face. In hindsight, not all that gently, since Rin's neck had a nasty bruise where she pulled on her face.
Still, her next question wouldn't miss its target either.
"To clarify then. Rin, are you building walls around your heart? To quote famous playwright William Shakespeare, if the world is a stage and the people in it are the actors, Rin, did you ever play a role that was "you" and not what you wanted others to see you as?"
Rin bit her lip, avoiding eye contact with Akyuu.
Something that completely shattered Akyuu's image of Rin for a moment. Not only did she never see Rin avoid eye contact, but Akyuu couldn't imagine Rin actively avoiding looking back into someone's eyes.
The idea of an unconfident Rin seemed like a foreign concept to her, but it also showed something else.
At that very moment, Rin was vulnerable. She bared her heart out for Akyuu to see.
Rin trusted Akyuu, so even if it was ultimately just another "role," Akyuu knew she couldn't betray Rin's trust.
After a while of hesitation, Rin opened her mouth, her expression a forced smile.
"I wouldn't even know where me starts and acting begins."
Not a yes or a no. Not even a perhaps or probably...
Just a confirmation of the circumstances.
She was almost afraid to ask, but...
"Then, was it all a lie? Our friendship, your concern, the time we spent together..."
...her mouth already opened before she could stop it.
Honestly, she didn't want to hear the answer either, keep the status quo going. Listen to Rin whisper sweet nothings into her ears.
But it was already too late to turn back.
Awkwardly scratching her cheek, Rin was visibly flustered, ringing to find the appropriate words.
"Akyuu. Even if something is born out of a lie, the memories born out of them are undoubtedly yours. Both joy and happiness, grief and frustration, these feelings are genuine, and I can't take them away from you."
But even if it was the truth, the pain of betrayal hurt as much as the weight of her emotions toward Rin.
"Besides, even if most of my actions are just acts, my words only a lead to lead me closer to my goal, and my thoughts just schemes..."
If she was admitting to all that, what purpose was there to keep listening to her-
"...I love you-"
"Enough Rin. I heard e-hnghn!"
Was that just a confession?!
"And not just you, Reimu, Marisa, Keine, Sakuya, Meiling, Cirno, hell, even Yukari, Remilia, Patchouli, Daiyousei, all of you are so near and dear to my heart. Even if I have difficulties expressing things with my twisted self, even if I can't share my emotions with others, I want to spend my time with you all, get to know you better, grow closer to everyone, and live the rest of my life out here..."
Akyuu's mind raced, still digesting Rin's sudden admission of her feelings.
She heard words of love, but surely she meant it platonic? Or did she?
Was she even aware of how her words would sound to others?
Still, the weight of Rin's emotions was incredibly intense, and Akyuu couldn't handle it.
"Besides, did you think I was faking my injuries? Our little Akyuu-sama is surprisingly bold, isn't she? Accusing me of playing her when I am putting my life on the line here. I might be twisted, but even I am not that twisted..."
This is where their interview stopped. After hearing Rin's confession, Akyuu was blushing too furiously to concentrate, not to mention that they were out of questions, so Rin was dismissed then.
Still, if there was something that she gained from that conversation, it was the knowledge that none of Rin's actions were meant to be malicious.
Breathing in, Akyuu calmed herself, knowing it would be pointless to snap at Rin.
Understanding that girl, she might even enjoy it.
Still, some questions had to be asked, and some consequences were unavoidable.
Her gaze narrowed, and Akyuu glared at Rin.
"Why did you provoke Youmu? Was it really necessary to push her like that?"
Her words were sharp, her expression impatient. Types like Rin had to be dealt with directly and straightforwardly. And even then, it would still be hard to control her.
Rin just shrugged, giving her a cocky smile as if she had just the words. Whether it was just an act or her own feelings, it was always difficult to tell with this girl, but maybe that was because the person in question didn't know themselves.
"Me knowing the truth or not, it hardly matters. After all, to non-insiders, having an unfamiliar face so close to the Child of Miare, especially if it's a Youkai, half or not, is not a good look, don't you agree?"
As expected from Rin, it was a good argument, but that's not what Akyuu wanted. She didn't want a justification from Rin. What Akyuu wanted was to understand her.
"Be that as it may, but the servants are wholly attentive to me. Walking with their gazes lowered, as long as Youmu didn't show hostility, they probably wouldn't have noticed."
Rin just chuckled, narrowing her eyes until they were just slits. Was she teasing Akyuu? Why was she acting like a fox?
"Well, I won't linger on this matter since I know you are never in danger, Akyuu. Still, leaving it to luck is a bit reckless. If anything, I would be more assured if someone were to act as a guarantor in cases like this. Someone like Reimu or even Marisa would do nicely. Keine would be perfect, but we both know how busy a woman she is."
She wasn't really wrong, was she?
Maybe if the people here knew Youmu better, she'd have an argument to stand on. But the servant of Hakugyokurou's Princess was hardly a frequent guest, unlike the shikigami of the gap sage.
And unlike that fox, Youmu was entirely inept at spells.
Akyuu just sighed, knowing it was pointless to continue like this. As she expected, the most painless way to deal with Rin was to be as direct as possible.
Meanwhile, in the corner, Youmu was confused by the whole exchange, not understanding what was happening.
Her wrist had stopped hurting long ago, and along with it, most of her anger toward Rin.
Youmu was a simple girl, so fazing out from the situation, the phantom girl returned to reading the book about cherry blossoms she had picked out.
In the meantime, Akyuu gave up thinking.
There was no point in dissecting Rin's mind, no hidden meaning to search for.
She stopped thinking and just started talking.
"So, are those your real thoughts and feelings or are you putting on an act?"
Rin actually flinched this time.
"Akyuu, what are you doing? You can't be so direct!"
"What do you expect me to do then? I can barely understand you at times!"
"What answer are you expecting from me then? I don't even know myself!"
"Just tell me if you just saw a cute girl and decided to tease her out of nowhere because of it!"
"Wha- What are you accusing me of, Akyuu? Am I really that type of person in your eyes?"
Suffice it to say, Youmu had already faded the room out of her attention.
No matter how hard those two would argue or what they would say about her, even if the room were to crash down, she was wholly unaware of it all.
But, one small impression would linger in the corner of Youmu's mind after her encounter with Rin.
She couldn't help but wonder... was Rin always like this?
...
Ultimately, after her heated argument with Akyuu, both lost, and Rin was thrown out onto the street.
She wasn't allowed back into the manor until night.
Standing out on the street, Rin pondered how to pass her sudden influx of free time.
Today was a weekday. Also, it was still noon, and Gensokyo was perpetually stuck in the late eighteen hundreds.
There wasn't much infrastructure for entertainment, and today was neither one of Alice's puppet performances nor a Prismriver live show.
Looking around, everyone seemed healthy, and there was no line on her usual bench where she would perform cheek-ups on people.
By all means, today was a peaceful and idyllic day.
"Haah..."
It was beautiful and sunny... and a bit too peaceful for Rin's taste.
"Don't be frustrated Rin Satsuki, peace is good."
The nurse said out loud, completely ignoring the stares of the surrounding passersby.
There was just nothing to do, nothing exciting happening.
Around this time, she would gather herbs, tend to Akyuu, or brew potions.
But now that she was locked out of her home, that was not an option.
With nothing to do, nobody to entertain, and no immediate problem to solve, Rin was bored.
Completely and utterly bored.
She sighed.
Scratching her head, she tried to think about her usual methods of passing time.
That's right‒she would read one of the countless books from the Hieda library.
"Gah- Akyuu told me to not show my face until evening!"
Stories‒that's how she filled the empty hours.
Whether they were real or fiction, right before her or far away, immortalized in books, music, plays, movies, games, stories have always filled her time.
But now, she was left dry on the street with no way to pass her time.
The herb storage was stocked up. It was a peaceful day, and there was nothing to do.
She could hardly visit a pub, bar, or izakaya right now. Daylight drinking was something she didn't want to be associated with.
There was also no idle gossip to listen to since everyone was working right now.
Squatting down with her feet together, Rin thought about locations where she could find stories.
In addition to the Hieda Manor, there should be books at Suzunaan, the Voile Library, probably at Kourindou, and maybe the Hieda Temple School.
Furthermore, Tengu Village should have newspapers, Eientei treasures, and Senkai Taoist scriptures.
Lastly, knowing Yukari, there should be something to read at the place where she lives.
Once again, Rin sighed.
She had only considered some of those locations out of sheer desperation.
After all, each was more unrealistic than the last.
Let's forget for a minute that Rin didn't even know how to find the gap realm‒just being close to Yukari gave her goosebumps.
As for Senkai? Good luck with that. Forgetting that she didn't have the power to access it, the Divine Spirit Mausoleum won't appear for another eight years until Ten Desire happens, and Kasen, who also lives there, won't leave isolation for another seven years for the first chapter of Wild and Horned Hermit.
Eientei? It would take another year until time resumed at that place again, and the Princess and Moon Sage went out of hiding in Imperishable Night.
Rin wondered why she even thought about the Tengu Village. Tengu and the general Youkai Mountain were extremely xenophobic and wouldn't let outsiders breathe in their general direction.
Even the Moriya Shrine had to drive a hard bargain just a bit before Mountain of Faith.
At this point, with how often she sighed today, her soul would sooner or later leave her body.
"That leaves the Hieda Temple School, Suzunaan, Kourindou and the Voile Library."
Let's see...
Suzunaan is the perfect place to get books; it is a book rental, but there was one small problem. Rin didn't know its location.
Regarding Rinnosuke from Kourindou, he might have books, but good luck getting him to share them.
Lastly, the Voile Library was a no-go. It felt rude (and improbable) for her to gain access to the Scarlet Devil Mansion without an invitation or being friends with Remilia.
Even then, she would still need permission from the Unmoving Great Library personally to touch the books.
Well, there was only one location left.
The Hieda Temple School, borrowing its name from the Child of Miare, was a Terakoya where the Half-Hakutaku Keine Kamishirasawe would teach the children of the human village.
Yes. Aside from Suzunaan, it was also a perfect place to borrow books.
Having set her goal, Rin sprung on her feet and, with a light step, skipped towards the school.
Considering that it was still noon, class probably wasn't over yet. Rin hoped Keine wouldn't mind her intrusion too much.
Then again, they had quite a close rapport together. The Hakutaku teacher would probably forgive her.
The only thing she hoped for was that no fearful punishment awaited her at the end of this route.
Rin really didn't want to get headbutted.
After a while, Rin finally arrived at her location. It was a quaint building with several paper doors and small windows to look through.
Looking into the room, Rin saw that the class was still in session, and it seemed that the teacher, Keine, was teaching history.
Weirdly, it was fun to watch. Usually, history lessons at school are dreadfully dull, especially for students with low interest in that subject. Falling asleep in such cases wouldn't be uncommon.
Yet, each student was attentively paying attention to Keine's class and was actively participating.
Keine really poured her heart and soul into creating her lessons. She genuinely hoped her students would learn just one thing from her lessons, hoping it would benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Her commitment to teaching and making learning enjoyable shone in her actions as she carefully wove her insights into stories and events, hoping they would spark curiosity.
It was visible that she tried to ignite a love for learning that would stay with them long after the experience ended.
In fact, her lesson was so engaging that even Rin couldn't help but get pulled into her lecture, and before she realized it, it was already lunch break.
One after the other, the children were slowly flooding out of the classroom to get their food.
Still digesting the information she learned, Rin was caught off guard when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.
"Oh my, Rin-sama, what brings you here today? I hope you're not eyeing the children for anything shady. Because if that was the case, I would have to send you on your way, Rin."
"Haha~. You don't worry have to worry about that, Keine. I already have Akyuu, what more could I possibly want?"
If Keine's previous words were in jest, her next wouldn't be.
The mere thought of Keine's infamous headbutt made Rin shiver, scrambling to explain herself before it could happen.
"I am just joking! It's a joke!"
Waving her hands in panic, Rin tried to carefully pick her following words,
only for her focus to falter at the last moment.
Today just wasn't her day. Nothing went her way since she woke up. No, even a bit before that.
She was quickly getting tired, especially of playing the fool.
Noticing the shift in tone, Keine looked at Rin with concern.
"Is everything alright, Rin?"
Rin ran her hand through her hair, her fingers pausing at her temple.
Why was she so restless today?
She slept well today, and when she woke up, she was greeted with the sight of a beauty.
Yes, Sakuya was technically intruding on her private, but that hardly bothered her, and neither did the fact that the flow of their conversation was out of her hands for the most part.
After finishing her morning routine, she met two legendary super cuties, Akyuu and Youmu.
Considering that she provoked Youmu and Akyuu threw her out of the house, another person might be outraged and frustrated, but not Rin.
Then what caused her foul mood?
Was it her boredom?
Yes, she was a girl who chased elation and entertainment, but it didn't affect her that much when it was missing.
Or, at least, it shouldn't.
No matter how hard she thought about it, that stuffy feeling in her chest shouldn't be there.
Rin was about to sigh again, but Keine stopped her before she breathed out, putting her hand on the nurse's mouth and holding it shut.
"I don't know what you are going through Rin, and considering how busy you are I can't even begin to guess, but there is a saying, Rin..."
The teacher didn't know whether her words were appropriate, but seeing Rin now reminded her of her students.
Such a miserable face wasn't becoming of someone who was so much younger than her.
"Every time you sigh, you let out a piece of happiness, Rin. So, instead of letting your worries eat you up, you can always come to me to talk about your problems. If it's within my power, I would be glad to lessen your burden even a little bit."
Rin flinched when she heard those words.
Just yesterday, Akyuu had suggested something similar to Rin.
Rin bit her lip, blood drawing from it.
The lump in her chest refused to fade, one that was not physical or mental but emotional.
No matter how much she tried to push it to the back of her mind, it would return bigger.
Feeling the warm liquid brush against her palm, Keine finally removed her hand from Rin's mouth, noticing the blood.
Startled at the unexpected emotional response, Keine gently smiled at Rin, pulling out a handkerchief.
"You know, whenever I see you, Rin, you always seem to be in a rush. Going from place to place, never stopping, always keeping yourself busy, always keeping yourself occupied..."
Like a gentle mother, Keine softly patted Rin's lips with the handkerchief, wiping the blood off her lips.
"...it's almost as if you are running away from something. As if the phantom of something is always chasing you."
After confirming that Rin's lips weren't torn, Keine put away her handkerchief, now gently staring at the lost girl.
"But, if you keep running like this, you'll wear yourself out. Even immortals get tired from continually having to flee. So, Rin, even if it's painful, you need to face the memories you've lost."
Keine was right.
Each of her words hit her where it hurt, to the point that Rin couldn't even say something witty back.
But humans were hardly logical creatures, and neither was Rin.
For the first time in a while, emotions that she usually could keep in check slipped from her grasp.
In the first place, shouldn't someone like her, who was a Soul Idol, know where the problem lay?
So, Rin just scoffed at Keine.
"That's easier said than done."
Keine wasn't offended, she wasn't hurt, she wasn't even upset.
Only a wry smile of understanding crept on her face.
"It is, right? Asking you to confront your demons that very well might not exist. But my words still stand, no matter how unreasonable they sound. Sooner or later, you will need to face the things you are trying to avoid, and when that day arrives, I hope the outcome will be a satisfactory one."
Rin was truly and utterly lost for words. It was to the point that she even forgot the feeling that plagued her chest.
But before Rin could continue to linger on those thoughts, an unnatural gust of wind swept through the small courtyard.
It was a breeze too strong to have formed naturally on a calm summer day, something only a Youkai could have created.
And after a moment, with the sound of wings larger than any currently living avian creature, it was clear who or what created the sound.
[Lvl. 75 Traditional Reporter of Fantasy, Aya Shameimaru]
Talk about a Youkai, and they will appear. At this point, it was only a question of time before a certain crow tengu would show up in front of her.
"Bunbunmaru Newspaper, Aya Shameimaru on the scene. Would you two be so kind and grant me permission to interview you on the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil incident?"
Just like that, whatever moment Rin was going through was gone.
Everyone's beloved Tengu Reporter made her entrance.
...
With a powerful gust of wind, a woman dressed in a white blouse and a short black skirt landed gracefully before us. Her eyes revealed a glint of curiosity and playfulness, like a predator observing its prey.
Of note were her red eyes and short black hair, particularly her red eyes.
Unlike the scarlet tint seen in those afflicted by lunacy‒like with Sakuya's, Youmu's, or even Reimu's, Marisa's, and Rin's eyes‒the red coloration in Aya's eyes was something else.
It was natural, devoid of the bloodshot appearance of lunacy, a fleeting symptom of a condition.
No, her eyes were clear, unwavering, and naturally inhuman.
But that was hardly the giveaway that showed that the person before them wasn't human.
No, her identity was already long revealed by the massive, black crow wings attached to her back.
A tengu of legend.
"Oh? Did I walk in on something heavy?"
Came from the mouth of the new arrival, a confident smirk on her face.
"Well, perfect timing then! Nothing like a bit of serious talk to set the stage for some serious journalism."