"I was only gone for a short while—what happened to the two of them?"
Returning once more, Yukari Yakumo looked at Reimu and Marisa, both bruised and swollen, and asked Patchouli with some confusion.
"A duel. They were both trying to push the other into taking the fall. No idea who won, though."
"Of course, I won!"
"You're kidding yourself! I clearly won!"
"Just accept your fate already! Stop trying to drag me down with you!"
Seeing that they were about to start another brawl, Rin walked in, carrying a steaming hot pot. Immediately, the two troublemakers sat down obediently, their previous rage vanishing without a trace. They even poured tea for each other like loving sisters, as if nothing had happened.
No matter how fierce their fight had been, at the very least, it couldn't interfere with dinner.
They could settle things to the death after they ate.
Rin shot them a sidelong glance but didn't expose them. Instead, he gave them a causal order.
"You two, go take a bath. You're all covered in dust—don't go dropping dirt into the hot pot."
"There are fresh clothes in the bathroom. Just grab whatever fits."
"Haiii~"
With the two troublemakers sent off, Rin continued tidying up while looking over at Yukari, as if asking for an update.
She responded with a cheerful grin and a thumbs-up.
"That little paparazzi was acting all tough at first, but a little scare was all it took to settle her. Easy peasy~"
"I think you might be underestimating her."
Rin couldn't shake a feeling of unease ever since Yukari had gone to "handle" the issue.
"Relax, I even stuck around to supervise. There won't be any problems."
"And worst-case scenario, we can just kidnap her again and properly train her until she behaves."
Yukari happily picked up a slice of cucumber with her chopsticks, completely unconcerned.
'It was just a little tengu, after all. What could she possibly do?' Rin didn't argue further. He figured he'd know soon enough once the newspapers started circulating.
"What about Chen?"
"She's still out playing. Seems like she made some new friends. Should I call her back?"
"Let her play for a bit longer. We'll call her after Marisa and Reimu finish their baths."
"Got it~"
Sipping her tea in silence, Patchouli felt a twinge of nostalgia as she took in the lively, familial scene before her.
It reminded her of the warmth of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
Compared to the treacherous infighting and cutthroat struggles back home, this little shop seemed like a nice place to be.
"Patchouli, do you want a drink?"
"Nothing beats cola with hot pot, right?"
Rin's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she quickly nodded in agreement.
As everyone busied themselves once more, time passed unnoticed.
Before long, Marisa was the first to emerge from the bath. Now feeling refreshed and revitalized, her face beamed with energy once again.
"Boss, that bath was amazing, Da☆Ze! I need to get one installed at my place!"
"What about Reimu?"
"She's still soaking. Probably gonna take a while."
"Sit still and stop dripping water all over the floor."
Rin pressed Marisa into a chair, grabbed a towel from her shoulders, and started drying her hair.
"Uwah, Boss, can you go easier? Feels like you're gonna rip my scalp off—ah, wait, never mind!"
With a sudden ruffle-ruffle of intense scrubbing, Marisa immediately fell silent.
Grimacing from the vigorous towel treatment, she still found time to sneak a few slices of cucumber into her mouth.
As she munched away, she suddenly remembered something important.
"Boss, can I take a day off tomorrow? I've been here for two days already, and I haven't been home to work on my renovations."
"I can't just leave my house in ruins forever."
"Sure. I'll go with you and take a look. Maybe I can help out."
"Really? Boss, so you actually do have a normal, non-sadistic side—"
"One day off. You make up for it by working two extra days later."
"..."
A karate chop to the head silenced her. Marisa slumped, thoroughly defeated.
With that handled, Rin turned to Patchouli.
"Patchy, I'll leave the store in your hands tomorrow."
"Mm."
Patchouli sighed lifelessly. The thought of being shackled to the counter all day drained what little energy she had left.
She had to find a way to break this contract soon.
Remilia was still waiting for her rescue.
It might already be too late, but she had to at least make an effort—she couldn't stay trapped here forever!
By the time Rin finally finished drying Marisa's hair, Reimu had finally emerged from the bath.
She seemed to have soaked for a long time, her whole body looking flushed and a little dazed.
Casually rubbing her still-damp hair, she plopped down at the table and picked up her chopsticks.
"Oh, Boss—if there's anything left, can I get it packed to go? I wanna bring some home for my mom."
"Sure, no problem."
"Thanks, Boss~" Reimu grinned.
Meanwhile, Marisa's face froze.
'Wait—home? That meant Reimu was getting released tonight?! Did that mean their earlier brawl, their desperate struggle to shift blame, was all for nothing?! And the only one still stuck here was her!?'
As realization dawned, she turned to look at Reimu in utter shock.
The shrine maiden, now victorious, gave her a wicked grin.
Try to drag her down with you?
Dream on!
"..." Marisa's face turned green.
Her trembling fingers pointed at Reimu, but no words came out.
Recalling the way Rin had gently wiped her hair earlier, she now had the eerie sense that he hadn't been drying her off—he had been preparing her for burial.
No! She couldn't just sit here and wait for doom!
After dinner, she was escaping.
Tonight, this house was a deathtrap, and she had to get out.
Her eyes hardened with resolve. With her rapidly increasing adaptability, she might just have a chance.
Rin, meanwhile, had caught every shift in their expressions but chose to ignore them.
Once Yukari dragged Chen back from the gap, he gathered everyone for dinner.
Yet somehow, what had once been a cheerful and lively atmosphere now carried a hint of underlying tension.
As Patchouli silently chewed on a slice of beef, her gaze flickered between Marisa and Reimu.
Neither of them was going to have a good night.
Would she wake up in the middle of the night to strange noises from the next room?
Realizing that her own sleep might be in danger, Patchouli suddenly felt a chill.