83. Momoka and Chihiro
We returned to the church in the evening, only to find a message waiting for us from Momoka.
"'Meet me at the Wanderer's Inn. Come alone,' huh?"
Fam nodded at my words. It sounded just like a challenge letter.
The Wanderer's Inn was the name of the inn where she was staying.
"Oh yeah, Mizuki. Momoka said she knew you. Apparently you went to the same school for a year back in elementary."
Mizuki touched her chin and tilted her head, searching her memories.
"Kansai girl... Kansai accent... Wait, is it Hii-chan? No, Hitsuda-san?"
She looked at me as if seeking confirmation, but I hadn't heard her family name either.
"Beats me?"
Now it was my turn to tilt my head.
"...What the hell, seriously."
Mizuki slumped in disappointment.
"Hmm, but it has to be her. Back in elementary, she had short black hair."
Her current red hair wasn't dyed—it must've changed when she came to this world.
"I see. She said you mediated some trouble for her, even though you were in different classes."
"It wasn't like that. She was new and kinda sticking out, so I just talked to her—Hii-chan. She kept yapping at me nonstop. I don't remember what about, but a lot of it was Osaka stuff, I think. Whenever we were together, she just talked and talked by herself."
"And?" I prompted.
"Then everyone started listening to her stories."
Momoka had said Mizuki was the one who approached her first, but Mizuki created the opening. After that, Momoka probably just kept talking nonstop. Mizuki said she was popular and famous back then. She must've already been a total beauty. Mizuki knew the influence she had around her—not mediation exactly, but hanging out with her changed how people saw Momoka. In the end, no one got hurt, and Momoka fit right in at her new school. Was that the kind of thing an elementary school girl would think of?
"...You're something else, you know that?"
I wished she'd thought of something like that back during the molester incident. But it felt off somehow. If she could come up with stuff like this, Mizuki should've shown more leadership. Her self-esteem was low, though, and she never stepped forward. Sure, she got scared of guys after that, but it felt like more than just that. Was this the hesitation Momoka mentioned?
"It's not a big deal. Momoka solved it herself."
"Nah, it is. Here, have some stollen as a reward."
I pulled out the stollen we'd gotten earlier, and Ira shot me a glare.
"That's a souvenir from Ira-san. She said she wants us all to share it. I'll head to Momoka's in the meantime."
"Muu! She said to include Cecily and eat it as a trio!"
I pretended not to hear Ira's protest as I left the church.
Fam walked beside me, munching away.
"Momoka said to come alone, right?"
"We count as one person together."
Fam spouted some incomprehensible logic. I had no idea what Momoka wanted, but two of us should be fine. We headed toward the Wanderer's Inn.
"Master, before we go to Momoka's, let's buy a ton of stollen."
She really was a foodie. Her palate was refined.
"Sorry, that wasn't for sale. Some folks we stopped by just gave it to us."
"I see..."
Fam's shoulders drooped.
"Not sure if it'll work out, but let's ask for the recipe and try making it."
"But baking bread while traveling is tough."
She must've helped bake at home before.
"Then once we reach Migurutto."
"Yes."
Fam nodded.
We arrived at the Wanderer's Inn while chatting. It looked just like the inn we stayed at in Rishel. The tavern inside was already bustling. The drunks spotted me and started cheering that the hero had arrived.
I pushed through the crowd to the counter.
"Here to see Momoka."
"Not a rendezvous... probably. She's in her room."
The receptionist gave me a teasing look but lost interest when he saw Fam with me. I got the room number and headed there.
Before that, I left a gold coin and told them to treat everyone in the tavern to drinks.
I grabbed some bread and non-alcoholic drinks since I was hungry.
"Wha—why'd ya bring Fam?!"
Momoka welcomed us in surprise. She was alone.
"Don't sweat it. We count as one person."
I patted Fam's head.
"I am sweatin' it!"
Momoka retorted. So Fam's logic didn't land after all.
"Where's Chihiro?"
It looked like a twin room, but he wasn't there.
"T-Today he's in another room."
Some important talk he couldn't hear, huh?
"Oh yeah, Mizuki remembered you too. Hii-chan."
Momoka's face lit up like sunlight breaking through.
"Really? Yamase-san remembered me after all..."
She pressed her cheeks with both hands, grinning ear to ear.
"So, what's the deal, Hii-chan?" I asked Momoka.
"...Kinda hate bein' called that by ya, Mash. Chihiro calls me that too. If ya gotta nickname me, make it 'Momocchi' or 'Momochin.' Momocchi's 'cause I'm small. Ya can give me a lovin' nickname if ya like me, Mash."
I thought for a second after she said that. Nickname? Even if I thought it was cute, no telling if she'd like it. Total landmine.
"Got it. Monger. Why'd you call me here?"
"...Call me Momoka after all, Mash. Anyway, the thing is... that sword Uta had."
"This one?"
I pulled the double-edged sword Uta had from my storage.
"It's weird, right? Legends say she used a katana."
"There's an inscription on the blade. Maybe it's ceremonial?"
I might figure it out from the diary-like notes on Uta's smartphone.
"Yeah, but ya try to link it to monotheistic myths, and I think of my country's myths..."
"...Yeah, this could be the Ten-Grip Sword from the myths. The mirror, and her Crystal Core."
Momoka nodded. Uta's burial goods matched Japan's Three Sacred Treasures: the sword and mirror as Kusanagi and Yata no Kagami, and the space-creating Crystal Core as Yasakani no Magatama. Probably not tied to one mythology specifically—the myths themselves blended from a common source.
This had to be a message she left for us.
"So?"
"'So' what?!"
I wanted her conclusion, but she threw it back at me.
"You're Kansai, right? Own your words and give it a punchline."
"I just thought it. Figurin' it out's your job, Mash."
"..."
"You called me here just to tell me this?"
I asked Momoka. For something this minor, no need to summon me or keep Chihiro away.
Momoka glanced at Fam without answering.
I looked at Fam too, but she just listened to our convo with a straight face.
"I wanted to be alone with ya. I-I wanted to thank ya!"
"A kiss?"
Her face went beet red as she turned away.
"Ya knew when ya said come alone! Why bring her?!"
That's what I was hoping. Fam definitely noticed too—that's why she tagged along.
"...Felt like a duel challenge."
"If ya think that, let's duel. If I lose, ya get me—do whatever. If I win, I get Yamase-san."
What was she gonna do with Mizuki?
"Hold up, you've got over a year on me in experience. And no brag, but I'm weak. Never seen you fight, but I can't imagine winning."
"We'll see..."
She eyed me suspiciously.
"You're changing the subject. You said you'd kiss me if I saved the town."
"...I said I'd think about it."
Momoka fidgeted. She'd planned to if I came alone, but now she was backpedaling.
"Don't worry about Fam. She's the photographer starting now."
I pulled my smartphone from storage and handed it to Fam.
"No way! At first I didn't get it, but Fam's your main girl. I know it now! What're ya makin' her do?!"
I hadn't meant to act like that, but had I been that obvious in just a few days?
"Ya think yer a poker face, Mash, but it shows. And Fam's moves—she's always closest to ya, and ya let her, even with other girls."
She was right—I thought I kept a straight face. Unconsciously leaking my thoughts, huh? Even knowing that now, Fam's intuition was still nuts, but she'd read my expressions too. Fam and I locked eyes. She looked away awkwardly.
"Fam won't do anything. Just check the pics with Chihiro later."
Back on track.
"Don't!"
Momoka panicked.
"Why? It's your big sister's shining moment. You two on bad terms?"
Obviously not, but worth asking. They were summoned as partners.
"Talkin' to ya drives me nuts! If she ain't mad, just kiss me already. If ya want, go all the way."
"For real?!" I got hyped and slipped into Kansai-speak. "But why?"
"I wrestled with it too. Givin' myself to some old dude like ya—really okay? But we're from the same world, ya saved our town, and Yamase-san's with ya..."
Momoka said something ominous. Bad feeling. I wanted to grab her before Fam stopped me.
"Hey, ya ain't forcin' Yamase-san or anything bad, right?"
My eyes darted. Momoka noticed and sighed.
"Master did do harsh things to Mizuki, but that's what she wanted."
Fam backed me up outta nowhere. But it felt laced with malice.
"Whatever. Yamase-san'd handle it herself if she hated it..."
Momoka convinced herself. Mizuki had high standing in her mind.
She sidled up to me like she'd made up her mind.
"Mash... We might only have ten years left. No regrets. I'll start likin' ya now. Treat me precious."
She stared into my eyes.
"You sure? No one else you like? Like Chihiro?"
"Wh-Why bring up my brother?!"
She stepped back, clearly shaken.
"Didn't you know? Goddess summons the best-matched pairs. And when transferring, your body adapts a bit to this world—can shift toward your partner's tastes."
"...That so. So this red hair's Chihiro's type?"
She shook and fluffed her ponytail.
"Dunno about that, but..."
"But there's same-sex pairs too, right? Not everyone's a couple. Me 'n Chihiro... we just did show-and-tell as kids."
"What?! Spill the details."
Second Kansai slip today. Momoka covered her mouth realizing her slip, too late.
"...Chihiro found a porn mag in Dad's bookshelf. We looked together. That night in the bath, we showed each other. After that, no more baths together."
This world was primitive compared to ours. Hiding physical porn mags on a shelf in an info society? Chihiro's dad risked kids finding it to cherish old-school paper—true man.
"Parents find out?"
Getting caught by parents would be mortifying and awkward.
"Nah, I just got embarrassed sharin' baths."
"Oh, different. You really just showed?"
"...I touched his if he touched mine. Then we washed each other."
"More details."
"It was different from the mag. So we rubbed to make it big, peeled it back. He did the same to me. Said a red bean popped out. He fiddled with it, but I couldn't see, so no clue what he was doing."
Western mag, huh?
"No mirror check?"
"Was so hyped and confused, got scared after. Never checked or touched myself since."
No-masturbation type?
"M-Monthly, right before my period," she corrected while I stayed quiet.
"...You're doing it more."
"Ugh... But since comin' here, Chihiro's always around. Haven't done it. Promise."
She fidgeted, rubbing her fingertips. Fam stared intently, ears twitching now and then. Prime age for lewd curiosity.
"Back to it. Who touched first?"
"Me..."
"Did he put it in?"
"J-Just touched. I'm a virgin, so if ya like me, check later... C'mon, forgive me already. Once I'm yer girl, I'll tell more..."
She covered her face. Her words and gestures had my sadist side raging, but time to stop.
"One last thing. Did it feel good?"
"Honestly, no clue, but I got wet. Passed it off as bathwater."
"Great story. I'm touched!"
I gripped her shoulder hard.
"Where?!"
"Fam, snap some nudes of Momoka. Show Chihiro, ask what changed how."
"Idiot!"
Momoka's yell echoed.
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