Chapter 400: If I Had Known Earlier...
The walk from the station back home was one Sakurai Saki made alone.
Hayasaka Ai had returned to her mother's house the moment summer vacation began, probably dropping by to visit in a few days. Shinomiya Kaguya stayed behind in Tokyo—apparently she was a bit afraid of Kyoto, since nothing good ever happened when she came back.
Being detained when returning from Kyoto before… just thinking about how last year Kaguya was forbidden from going out for an entire month made Sakurai Saki feel that perhaps the Shinomiya family ought to be destroyed.
Unfortunately, Kaguya had a kind heart like a Bodhisattva, so she would never do something like that. And Sakurai Saki himself had no reason to take action.
Walking along the Pontocho district near the Kamo River, passing through the old-fashioned street, Sakurai Saki stopped in front of Kitsunetama-ya — his family's shop.
Since the shop was operating normally today, he didn't enter through the front to avoid disturbing customers, and instead circled around toward the door beside the kitchen.
As soon as he opened it, Sakurai Saki didn't see his mother.
'Strange.'
She was usually here making wagashi—except in winter, when she would get a bit lazier.
"Young master? Why did you come back already?"
The last time he returned was during New Year's, so he hadn't seen the kitchen staff in charge of this place back then. Today he happened to run into them.
There were four women in total. The one who spoke was one of them, the other three continued working but glanced up and smiled at him.
"Chie-nee, where's my mom?"
"Boss is probably upstairs? Your Ibuki-nee is chatting with a customer in the hall."
"Ibuki-nee doesn't matter, you didn't need to mention her. All she does every day besides slacking off is… well, nothing, right?"
"If she hears that, Ibuki will definitely get mad." Chie placed the freshly shaped wagashi into the steamer. "Although… it is true she usually doesn't do anything."
"Getting paid without working. Kitsunetama-ya sure has some questionable employees."
Sakurai Saki sighed and headed upstairs.
After he left—
In the kitchen, one of the staff suddenly asked Chie: "Chie-nee, is Boss sick? I saw her face looking flushed this morning. If we let the young master go see her, will he catch it?"
"... Sick? It's not that serious."
"That's good."
"She just entered mating season."
"Eh? Mating season?"
"Well, she's a fox after all. As long as a fox has once had relations with a man, every year at irregular times she enters mating season, and only her partner can cure it."
"What? Foxes are that pure? But I heard in stories that foxes love seducing men." The staff member said this with a truly shocked expression.
This was the first time she had heard something like this.
"I'm not too sure either. Boss told me about it while gossiping once. Maybe only celestial foxes are this pure… Wild foxes wanting fast cultivation often absorb yang energy, that's quite normal."
"Wait—since when does Boss have a partner? Isn't she always fiercely against interacting with men?" The voice dropped to a whisper.
"I heard it was… (mumbling)."
"Huh? Really? No way, I don't believe it!"
"Why not?"
...
Sakurai Saki went upstairs. First he returned to his room to put down his things, then he prepared to tell his mother that he was home.
She had been missing him so much—she might even think he only returned every few years.
Even though when he saved Kaguya last time, he had come home briefly.
His adoptive mother was becoming increasingly clingy… he really didn't know if that was good or bad…
He lightly knocked on her door.
"Ibuki, is that you?"
"No, it's me." Sakurai Saki was just about to open the door when he heard Jinguuji Tamaki's voice— filled with rejection:
"Treasure, please, don't come in."
"Why? Why can't I come in?"
"Mama isn't feeling well…"
"Are you sick?" Sakurai Saki immediately grew anxious.
No wonder he hadn't seen her downstairs earlier—so she was sick?
But… can gods even get sick?
After living together for so many years, Sakurai Saki had never once seen her fall ill.
"… Something like that." Jinguuji Tamaki's voice sounded weak, as if she was desperately trying to endure something.
Sakurai Saki was silent for a few seconds, then he directly pushed the door open and stepped in.
As soon as he entered, he immediately saw Jinguuji Tamaki lying face-down right in the middle of the room.
A blanket was wrapped around her, a few tails sticking out from under it, playfully swaying at their tips.
In addition, Sakurai Saki also saw two fox ears on top of her head…
'Is it that serious?'
Just what kind of illness was it, to the point even her fox form was showing completely.
"Don't look at me…"
"How could I not look, if I don't look at you, how do I know what's wrong with you." Sakurai Saki walked up to the blanket, then sat properly on the tatami floor.
Jinguuji Tamaki tilted her face to look at him, on her beautiful face, the seductive tear-mole beneath her eye emitted a strange allure.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, even her breath carried fragrance.
"Don't say anymore…"
"I'm not familiar with yokai habits, but if there's anything I can help with then just say it… if really not, I can go find someone…"
"Baby, hurry and go outside, please, Mom is about to not endure it anymore."
Jinguuji Tamaki struggled to support herself up, trying to push him out, with that movement, the kimono on her shoulders slid down a bit, revealing the alluring skin beneath.
She panted little by little.
"No! If you're sick, you have to treat it, dragging it out will only make it worse."
"Then… can little one help Mama with an injection?"
"Where's the needle? If you have medicine then you should've said it earlier."
"Here."
(Note: Omoshiroi~)
...
Evening.
Inside the wagashi shop.
At the dining table, Sakurai Saki chewed food in small bites.
Had he known he would also get [beep] at home, he would rather die than open that door.
"Does this dish suit your taste? I heard sea cucumber and sea urchin are very nutritious, so Mama specially went to buy some." Jinguuji Tamaki slightly tilted her head, her expression gentle like the spring breeze of March.
Thinking back to her 'beast-like' appearance a few hours ago, Sakurai Saki felt his waist ache a little.
"Tasty."
"As long as you like it." Jinguuji Tamaki's expression was a bit shy.
She had already told the other party to hurry and go outside, but this brat didn't perceive her condition at all, and even kept leaning closer.
"Baby, this time when you're back, how long will you stay?"
"Around a dozen days?"
"Then eat a lot, nourish your body, or else you'll be exhausted. Mom once saw a cow plowing too much and dying right in the field, it was around the Kyūju era, that day I was strolling in the fields, suddenly I saw a young water buffalo collapse to the ground, its four legs trembling, dying horribly…"
Sakurai Saki's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.
He seemed to have seen his own future.
...
The next day.
Sakurai Saki woke up from bed, rubbed his eyes, preparing to go for his morning run along the Kawagawa.
He still maintained his good running habit, day after day.
Finished washing his face, just put on his shoes, chatting with the staff in the shop when his phone vibrated with a message——
Nakano Itsuki: Are you there? Come outside and talk for a bit.
Itsuki taking the initiative to invite him out was something Sakurai Saki absolutely did not expect.
...