87. Protecting the Heir (1)
"The so-called year-end soba is, you see."
Han Seoyeon, sitting on the sofa watching the New Year special on TV, suddenly opened her mouth as if recalling something.
"Do you start eating it when midnight passes, or do you eat the last bit of tsujalgal when the day changes?"
"That question is really out of the blue and has no nutritional value..."
Ninomae replied with an incredulous tone. But since Han Seoyeon herself thought it was a somewhat valid question, she didn't press her further.
"In the first place, there's no need to eat it across midnight. We just eat it normally before the year changes."
With those words, Ninomae held a Barbara Knight doujinshi she had bought at the comic fair in her hand.
It was a heartwarming story about an IF scenario where a character who died tragically in the main story joined the player's party and lived. If Han Seoyeon's memory was correct, she had already read it once. Reading it again suggested that she must have liked it.
"So, is the tradition to eat it with the midnight bell ringing...?"
"In the first place, why would you think that? There's no such culture in Korea either."
Ninomae said that while slightly wiggling her feet, and accordingly, Han Seoyeon's leg twitched for a moment.
To describe Ninomae's state more specifically, she was lying horizontally on the sofa, using Han Seoyeon's thigh as a leg cushion.
At first, she had been lying horizontally but had kept her knees up so as not to touch Han Seoyeon, but as she read the manga, her mind drifted to that side and her posture gradually relaxed.
Thanks to that, by now, her foot was firmly placed on Han Seoyeon's leg.
"So, it's not really 'year-end food' but food eaten on December 31st, right?"
"Well, um."
Ninomae trailed off, thinking about the soba ingredients she had bought from the supermarket today.
There was no traditional obligation to eat soba on New Year's, but since Han Seoyeon, who was Korean, had never eaten it before, she had quickly bought the ingredients.
Han Seoyeon had said "In the end, it's just a different timing for eating soba, isn't it?", and it was somewhat correct. But ever since she learned of Ninomae's destructive eating habits, Ninomae had shown no compromise regarding meals.
If Han Seoyeon had done anything wrong, it was casually saying in front of Ninomae, "By the way, I haven't eaten it before," without thinking.
"Anyway, please look forward to it. I got the recipe from my mother's home, so."
She couldn't not look forward to it. Han Seoyeon smiled faintly and nodded her head.
"My mother really knows how to cook. She used to run a restaurant in the old days."
The way Ninomae continued explaining looked quite pleased. Still, it seemed that the relationship with her family wasn't too bad, Han Seoyeon muttered to herself.
"Are you planning to go to your parents' house this time as well?"
Then, as if recalling last year's events, Han Seoyeon asked that question.
"Um. My mother did say something like that. Probably she'll come by once in January."
"If it were up to before, she wouldn't want to sleep over for just a day or two. But..."
Ninomae added.
"But during that time, I'm worried if Sion-san will eat properly."
"No, it's not like a child, right? You won't suddenly throw a fast food party the moment Ninomae-san disappears, will you? You scolded me properly to eat meals properly."
"That's true, but..."
Han Seoyeon said, and Ninomae had no choice but to agree. This person wouldn't do anything to worry about her.
If Ninomae was worried, she would send daily meal photos even if it meant taking pictures of the meals.
"Um..."
But then, why did it still feel uneasy? It was strange that she felt this way even though she was leaving a grown adult Han Seoyeon alone at home. What was the mysterious reason for this unease...?
"...Ah."
Then, Ninomae suddenly realized the reason and sighed. Upon thinking about it carefully, it was an incredibly simple story.
'I thought I was going to be lonely.'
Because living with Han Seoyeon had become too familiar, and because it was too enjoyable. When she thought about spending a few days without her, it felt a bit lonely just from that.
"Not a child, though..."
Ninomae let out a dry laugh. It wasn't something a child would do, refusing to go to her relatives' house because she couldn't see her friend's face.
...Of course, unlike such a child, Ninomae was in a position where a bit of 'perversion' was allowed.
"If the time comes, would you mind going together?"
If she was unsure about her own feelings, she wouldn't hesitate at this point where she had confirmed her emotions. Ninomae immediately offered a solution to Seoyeon.
"Me?"
"Won't it be okay...?"
Ninomae, as if worried that she might be rejected, poked Han Seoyeon's leg with her toes.
"No. As long as you're okay with Ninomae-san, I don't mind."
"Ehehe, that's a relief."
"More importantly... won't you move your leg?"
Han Seoyeon twitched and her body shook slightly, as if ticklish. From how her thigh had been tense earlier, it seemed she had been quite bothered by it.
"This is a bit embarrassing to say now that it's come up, but... I have this fetish..."
Casually dropping a stone and hitting a frog, or casually extending a foot and making Margarita's heart stop. It was what Ninomae had unconsciously done by extending her leg... but.
With those words, Ninomae peeked over the book with just her eyes and looked at Han Seoyeon.
"Saying that without even touching me is something, isn't it."
"If it's touching, I want to do it right now. I just haven't done it because it might disturb reading the book."
Ninomae, who was so focused on the manga that she didn't even notice she was using her knee as a pillow (though the direction was opposite), didn't want to disturb her rare enjoyment of the comic fair merchandise.
"Pii... what is that?"
Ninomae made a sullen sound as if puzzled, but from her expression, it seemed that the consideration wasn't that bad.
"I'll go prepare to make soba. If I don't hurry, the year will change."
She said that and put down the book, standing up from the sofa. Han Seoyeon followed her gaze to her long legs with a bit of regret but didn't stop her.
"...Huh?"
But soon, Han Seoyeon checked the open doujinshi and her eyes widened.
It was the table of contents page. Recalling, she had no memory of turning the pages. Until just before, she had only thought she was concentrating on reading it carefully, but maybe not...
'In the first place, she wasn't reading the book?'
If Ninomae, who was Japanese, hadn't made the mistake of reading books backwards like foreigners do, then it meant she hadn't turned a single page during that long time.
Then, it was hard to see Ninomae's wiggling of her foot on Han Seoyeon's thigh as an unconscious action. Rather, it was more like she was pretending to concentrate on the book and deliberately---
"No way."
"That 'no way' would be right."
"...?!"
The casual mutter. When the answer came back, Han Seoyeon was startled and turned around.
It was Ninomae, who had gone to the kitchen, standing behind the sofa backrest.
"Ninomae-san...?"
"I went to this trouble to show Sion-san the leg she likes so much, so."
She leaned her chest on the backrest and extended her body forward. Then, Ninomae met Han Seoyeon's gaze.
"...Were you tempting me?"
"...If I say so?"
Han Seoyeon gulped.
Ninomae, while saying that, her cheeks were flushed red. Feeling the warmth on her face, she sighed inwardly that this tempting character didn't suit her.
"Won't you do it from now on?"
"You're going to make soba, right? And that was just a coincidental action I did at the right time."
"If you miss this chance, it's over." Ninomae said.
"That's... the biggest mistake of my life."
"Too exaggerated. ...Well, maybe next year there's another chance."
But when Han Seoyeon looked disappointed, she turned her head to avoid the gaze and added very softly.
Han Seoyeon's expression brightened with those words. Even if it was next year, it was the point where only a few hours were left. It was practically a positive answer.
Of course, it didn't mean she could run over right at midnight and do it.
"Sion idiot. You're too happy."
With such an easy-to-read reaction, Ninomae kissed her cheek briefly and grumbled. ...It had only been a week since they started this intimacy, but their distance had decreased quite a bit.
The subtle joy mixed with a heartbeat was still the same as the first time, unchanged.
"Want to help make soba?"
"No need. It's not that complicated that two people are necessary."
Han Seoyeon, who had lightly hugged Ninomae's head and returned the kiss to her cheek, asked that, but Ninomae shook her head.
Now that she was used to magic, her repertoire of tasks she could do alone had increased. For simple cooking, it was even more convenient to do it alone.
"Sion, just watch TV comfortably."
"Um, thinking about handing over the chores to Ninomae-san and lazing around, I feel like a useless human..."
"Compared to asking if you can lick my leg once, you're much better, so don't worry."
"Uuuuum..."
Han Seoyeon was reluctant, but since Ninomae said that, there was no other way. For now, at least, she decided to do some minimal cleaning and closed the manga Ninomae had been reading and placed it on the table.
Only after seeing her return to relaxation mode on the sofa did Ninomae let out a satisfied "Huuung".
×
"Waa~ Akane-chan. Long time no see~"
Takaku Shrine. Akaba Akane, who had been sweeping the precinct with a broom, looked up.
Among her acquaintances, there was no one else who spoke in such a relaxed, energy-draining voice. No, wait, from afar, the familiar figure of a person appeared.
"Sakuragi Oka."
There was no way another woman who destroyed the sense of distance like that existed. Akane muttered the name bluntly.
"Yeah yeah. It's Oka-niisan~"
"Niisan...?"
"Ara? Maybe 'mama' was better?"
"Either way, it's not good, idiot."
The response was a bit too cold, but for this kid, it was just right.
The evaluation of Anathema 1st Gen's Kitayama Maya, whose real self was Sakuragi Oka, by Akane was that of a weird, perverted, or 'on the first day I saw the face, I want to put my finger in' madwoman.
"What's the matter here?"
"Visiting the shrine at the beginning of the year isn't weird, is it?"
"No, usually it's the shrine near home."
According to Akane's memory, Sakuragi's place was quite far from this shrine. Coming to a shrine at this distance was definitely not a common thing.
"Well, I came to see Akane-chan's face~"
"Haa... yeah. I thought it was some boring thing."
"If you say that, you'll get hurt."
Akane frowned and pushed away the Sakura who was clinging to her in a way that didn't match her size. It was meaningless resistance because there was a power difference.
"Ah. You were there too?"
And only then did Akane notice the person behind Sakuragi. Because she was smaller than Sakuragi, she had been hidden behind her.
Akane called out to her while being hugged by Sakuragi.
"Natsugahara."
"O, long time no see, Akaba-san..."
A girl muttering in a small, squeezing voice. Unlike Sakuragi in kimono, she had her head down deeply under a white hood and a mask, so her face couldn't be seen, but it was clear who it was.
Of course, the only person who wears a mask in daily life among acquaintances is one person.
Natsugahara Hina. A colleague from the agency who also portrays Rokumondera Aki from the 1st Gen, the miko.
"Well, whatever. Come in. I'll give you something to drink."
Akane finally managed to peel off Sakuragi and said that.
"Um, um, Akaba-saang..."
"What now?"
"If possible, could you speak in a slightly more domineering tone...!"
"...Just come in, you damn pervert."
"Uhehehet..."
Is there really only one normal person in the 1st Gen? Akane sighed and headed to the guest room behind.