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Ch. 25: It's not about the journey, it's about the misadventures

"…What?" Ibuki Suika asked dryly, a happy little Tatara Kogasa wrapped around her arm.

Staring at her across from the tea table, laid with steaming warm tea, were the Myouren bunch of Toramaru Shou, Nazrin and Hijiri Byakuren, two of which had very nicely done troll faces on. No prizes for guessing which two.

Hint, it's not Byakuren.

… Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that in the background of the last chapter, while Suika and Kogasa were having their small heart-to-heart, Nazrin, out of impatience, had rushed out of the temple to go investigate, her tigress master close on her heels, half disapproving of Nazrin sticking her nose in other people's business and half wanting to stick her own nose in as well?

… Oh yeah, and did I also forget to mention they were just in time to hear Suika confessing that Kogasa was "someone special" while embracing her?

In the middle of the night?

Under a clear, starry sky?

… Too bad it wasn't daylight, because there could have very well been a rainbow after the rain…

"Sigh, I-I'll ask again… What?" Suika repeated herself even more unhappily, yet her expression of unhappiness at being stared at with such faces by Shou and Nazrin only served to feed the trolls.

"Why don't you look down to your right and find out?" Nazrin somehow got the words out of her eye-to-eye wide smile. Troll magic.

Suika had absolutely nothing else to say or do, so she did as she was told and turned to her right. Right there was a warm Kogasa. Kogasa caught Suika's gaze and smiled a warm smile.

Suika looked away, her face flushed and feeling far from warm. Th-This… This was uncomfortable… Exceedingly so….

"Well, I'm happy to see everything worked out," Byakuren smiled airily, a usual glass of hot tea clasped in her delicate hands. "And I'm glad you're looking much better, Kogasa."

"Thanks!" Kogasa turned her head to face Byakuren and dispensed her a smile as well. It was no matter, she had plenty to go around.

After what just happened hours ago, Kogasa felt as if she was living through the best period of her life, ever. Truth be told, Kogasa had never realized it until now. Never realized that after decades of being abandoned, she had grown a spirit, a heart, a soul. Out of an old, cast-aside umbrella, she had become a full-fledged youkai, and yet all this while she had always seen herself as her former self, that of an umbrella. Until before, she was just some other article. But now, she had become aware of herself. And to think! The very, very first person to help her realize this, to officially and so emotionally acknowledge her as being a person worth calling "special"! The very first person would be… Would be…!

Kogasa looked up at Suika. To say she liked her would be a vast understatement, Kogasa thought whimsically to herself, a small little grin forming on her lips as she studied her dear Suika's face. Suika was avoiding her gaze, her cheeks bright red, but without even looking, Kogasa could tell Suika was extremely uncomfortable. Suika's heart was beating like mad! Realizing her own soul made Kogasa suddenly much more aware of emotions, of hers and of others… And somehow, with Suika like this, it made Kogasa feel a little empowered as well… Maybe even naughty… Giggle!

Kogasa's eyes caught Byakuren's understanding, knowing ones, and was returned with a small little smile of Byakuren's own. Kogasa smiled back. And somehow, this kindly monk knew it all, even if she was just observing from the sidelines- Oh? Byakuren winked and flashed a thumbs up. Go for it, eh? Kogasa winked back, then turned back to the tomato faced Suika once more.

"I-It's like I said!" Suika meanwhile was doing her best to not feed the trolls, and ended up stuffing them. "You've got it all wrong! T'ch! Look! I was just helping out a friend in distress-"

"Yah, you guys look like friends right about now, yup," Nazrin grinned, her arms crossed at the sight of Suika still weighted down by Kogasa around one of her arms.

"Oh? Did you just call Kogasa mere 'friends'?" Shou tsked. "Because from what I understand, she was quite happy to be addressed as someone 'special'."

Gah! "Ah crap! You heard that part?" Suika chastised herself under her breath.

"Yes, we heard that part." Shou and Nazrin had heard what Suika had just said as well.

"L-Listen Kogasa!" Suika panicky turned to Kogasa. Damage control time! "L-Look! I don't mean to say anything to hurt you or what, but when I called you 'special'? I meant it in a, um, friendly kind of manner!"

Kogasa kept looking up at her warmly, understandingly, Shou and Nazrin shaking their heads on the side, a silent 'Just give up!' thought bubble hanging over their heads.

"I-I mean, y-you know! You're someone 'special' as in you're not a stranger to me anymore! You're someone I know! Someone I can talk to! You can understand right? You're a really, really nice person, approachable. Maybe a little clingy on the side but you're someone that I can-"

"It's okay," Kogasa laid a gentle hand on the upper arm of Suika, instantly calming her and silencing the flailing Oni.

H-Huh? Suika was a little confused. Did she… just say it was… "okay"? Whew… I guess she really understands-

"Your heart will be mine someday anyway," a preemptively cheeky smile gave away Kogasa's teasing intention.

"… Gah…!" Suika's jaws dropped, and her chest exhaled without remembering to inhale. "Ga… Ga… GaGaGaGa…!" It seems Suika's forgotten how to speak too…

Kogasa broke into a giggle while Nazrin and Shou roared with laughter, Byakuren sweat-dropping but obligingly showing approval for Kogasa's excellent performance. "Oh silly," Kogasa moved forward and helped Suika manually close her jaws. This was fun! And maybe with a bit more time like this, Suika really will come to fall for her.

Well… Kogasa expected as much. After all, she and Suika had just met. And now that she thought of it, Suika always seemed to show some sort of shyness and resistance when around her. But it was alright, Kogasa thought as she fussed about with Suika's still slack jaw, Suika not showing the slightest consciousness about what was going on around her now, almost as if in a stroke. It was alright. For now, Kogasa just loved to be by Suika's side. And after all, what were a few days or even months compared to a few decades of waiting?

Eventually, Kogasa looked at Suika lovingly, she'll close that gap!

"But of course you're going to have to take me with you now, right?" Kogasa asked a slowly regaining consciousness Suika. "You can't just throw me aside now that you've taken me in."

"I… I guess I have no choice…" Suika slumped her shoulders and sighed. "But Reimu's not going to like this… I mean, she's already letting me stay in for free."

"So I guess that means you're going to have to look for a job to help contribute to the household!" Nazrin was grinning that stupid grin again. Suika simply shot her a look, too tired to go "Gah!" for even one more time.

"O-On a much shorter notice!" Byakuren held out a hand to stop the teasing before it got out of control, "Does that mean that Suika-san and Kogasa-chan will be returning to the Hakurei Shrine tomorrow?"

"I-I suppose so?" Suika scratched her head. It was, after all, what they had come to the Myouren temple to do in the first place. Ask directions.

And just exactly how long did it take to procure those directions?

"I'll help guide you!" Shou most eagerly and innocently offered.

"You don't have to go that far to troll them, Shou-sama," Nazrin deadpanned.

"Wh-What? ! But I wasn't-"

"Ah-Ah! But it's really late now!" a slightly embarrassed Byakuren interrupted her two noisy disciples, and turned to them for a moment to hush them up. Really! Sometimes the two would just forget themselves…! "Why don't you stay the night here?" she kindly offered Suika and Kogasa.

"A-Ah… Okay, sure why not?" Suika gladly took the offer. She had had a really tiring day…

"Oh, and by the way…" Byakuren's kindly façade peeled off slightly, "We're out of rooms, so the two of you will have to share the same one! "

… Suika's eyes bulged out of their sockets. Byakuren maintained a poker-straight smile.

…G-Gah! ! ! Suika rushed out of the room, unable to tank the onslaught any further. Shou and Nazrin looked at their master with great admiration in their eyes.

"Heh… Nicely done, Byakuren-sama."

"Yes, most nicely done, Byakuren-sama."

"Thank you, thank you! Fu fu fu! You two still have much to learn, it seems- Oh?" Byakuren noticed Kogasa staring at them with a wry smile, arms crossed, feet apart, a mixture of mischief and slight anger at her dear owner being bullied. "Oops! Forgot about the protective girl- Uh, female friend there!" Byakuren placed a hand over her mouth and silently giggled.

"T'ch… Really," Kogasa unfurled her arms, "You're going to make Suika regret ever picking me up, and that's not going to help me is it?"

"Ah… Most terribly sorry for my own misbehavior, Kogasa-san," Byakuren rose, smiling, her two youkai disciples doing the same on either side. "But…" Byakuren reached out with a gentle hand and ruffled the young youkai's hair, startling her a little, "Here's wishing you fortune in the coming years ahead!" Byakuren cheerily said, Shou grinning to her right and Nazrin giving her a thumbs up on the left.

"U-Uh! I'll be fine, don't worry!" Kogasa smiled back at the much older trio, before turning to leave the tea room to join what would be an extremely resistant and agitated Suika in the guestroom.

"Bye bye!" Shou waved cheerily.

"Have fun guys!" Nazrin was mirroring her tigress master.

"Give the Hakurei miko our regards!" Byakuren shouted after Suika and Kogasa.

"Thanks! We will!" Suika was returning the goodbyes along with Kogasa, and the two got one last look at the grounded Palanquin Ship turned Myouren Temple before turning around and heading off back towards the Hakurei Shrine.

"Well, if Byakuren is right, we have some walking to do…" Suika groaned. "Who knew that stupid Yukari had gapped me this far?"

"W-Well, it did take Reimu one entire Touhou game to reach here…" Kogasa suggested.

"And then there's the problem of how to explain to Reimu," Suika sighed.

"Explain… what?" Kogasa asked.

Suika looked at Kogasa pointedly, "What? You of course, silly!"

"Ah… M-Me?" Kogasa pointed at herself.

"Yes! You!" Suika accusingly but teasingly jabbed a finger in Kogasa's direction. "Can you imagine what Reimu would say if I suddenly broke into her house with you in tow?"

"W-Well, just say I'm some random abandoned umbrella you picked up on the side!" Kogasa shrugged.

"H-Hey, that's not funny!" Suika's expression suddenly became a shade more serious.

"I'm joking, I'm joking!" Kogasa sheepishly put up her two hands and umbrella in front of her defensively. "Although…" she narrowed her eyes in Suika's direction thoughtfully.

"… What?" something in the back of Suika's head tingled. Kogasa's expression spelled trouble…

"I don't mind… being called an umbrella," Kogasa began slowly, building up tension, "Because… You're my very dearest Suika-sama! "

… Thump!

Once more, Suika lay slain before a shocked Kogasa. Guilt washed over the purple umbrella, which was quickly washed over by a slightly perverse, joyous feeling. Kogasa grinned.

"Well… I guess I could get used to this role reversal!"

How many of you would like to be owned by a loving Kogasa? *Raises hand**Sees people giving weird stares* *Slowly lowers hand*