"So, your family sent Remilia to help you find a match? You're so young. Is there really a need to rush this?"
Although Kars had grown from a child into an adult, he was still very young in vampire years. Patchouli wondered if the vampire girls willing to meet Kars had some unusual motivations.
"Well, my mother said so, so I'm just doing what she says. It's just that none of those girls liked sunbathing with me." Kars sighed with melancholy.
"Why wouldn't they dislike it? What good reason does a vampire have for liking the sun?" Anyone who heard that a vampire liked the sun would surely think they had gone mad.
"Isn't it a delightful thing to befriend something so beautiful?"
Befriend? He certainly has a lot of nerve saying that. Let's see if you still say that when your sun-friend cooks you alive!
Koakuma scoffed quietly. When that happened, she was absolutely going to laugh at the brat!
"I don't really have the right to stop you from liking whatever you like, Kars, but I think you should control your sunbathing habit a bit. Too much sun is not good for your health." Patchouli didn't understand why Kars was so obsessed with the sun. Still, as his former caregiver, she felt obligated to discuss the issue with him. It would be terrible if he actually developed a serious problem from it.
"I won't. I'll keep the situation under control. Look at me now—I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? Do I look like I have any problems?"
Patchouli examined Kars from head to toe. He looked energetic, strong, and healthy. Indeed, there was nothing outwardly wrong with him. Could sunbathing really have this kind of effect?
"It's a shame you grew so quickly, though. I wish we could have spent time together like before." Patchouli truly enjoyed holding the child-sized Kars, telling him stories or teaching him simple magic. That process was very meaningful to her. Now, she supposed, she would be sitting in Kars's lap while he held her. Thinking about it, that doesn't sound so bad either.
Hearing this, Kars instinctively rubbed his head. He remembered how, whenever Patchouli held him, his head was often subjected to the pressure of two large, heavy masses. Listening to Patchouli's stories with those two things resting on his head always made him feel heavy after a while.
"Exactly! He's not cute at all now that he's grown up." Koakuma nodded in agreement. He was much easier to bully when he was small, and he wouldn't have been able to scare her like he just did. Especially now, if Kars really tried anything, her small frame wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Thinking about this, Koakuma began to worry about her future. If Kars played another prank, she would be hard-pressed to deal with it, and she wouldn't even have anyone to complain to—Lady Patchouli clearly favored Kars.
Will I really have to pay the price for all the things I did to Kars back then? Koakuma felt her immediate future darkening.
"Alright, I still have work to do. Kars, if you want to read or find someone to play with, find Koakuma."
"The work you have to do—is it related to Little Auntie Remilia's plan to conquer Gensokyo?"
"Remilia told you about that, did she?"
Kars nodded slightly. "Yeah. Little Auntie Remilia said she's going to block out the sun over Gensokyo so we can go anywhere we want, and then she'll help me find a wife. But I don't like the sun being gone."
Sensing Kars's distress over this, Patchouli wanted to pat his head, but her height wouldn't allow it. Even standing on her toes, she could only reach his chest.
"Kars, Remilia is doing this for both you and Flandre. Try not to complain or dwell on these things too much, or you'll make Remilia sad."
"I know. That's why I haven't said anything to Little Auntie Remilia. Besides, she told me to be an obedient boy, and if I don't listen, she won't find me a wife."
Patchouli smiled faintly. "Don't worry. Your auntie will definitely find you a cute wife. Now, go play by yourself."
"Okay."
After watching Patchouli leave, Kars turned to Koakuma with a brilliant smile.
"Now, it's just the two of us, Ko… A… ku… ma."
"Wh-what do you want…" Koakuma involuntarily took a few steps back from Kars's radiant smile. This clearly meant he was about to do something to her again, right?
"Why, I want to play a game with you! You loved playing with me when I was small, didn't you? Now it's my turn to play with you. And no one is going to interrupt us."
Koakuma: (´இ皿இ｀)
Don't say it like that! It sounds terrifying!
Koakuma, shrouded in Kars's shadow as he slowly advanced, began to panic.
N-no! I need to channel that fighting spirit I had earlier! I was just chasing Kars all over the place! So, this guy is nothing to be afraid of!
Koakuma tried to psych herself up, recalling her earlier burst of aggression. Feeling slightly more composed, she mustered her courage, looked up at Kars, and intended to display her overwhelming dominance…
Staring back at the tall, strong Kars, her momentary resolve instantly evaporated.
It's no use! I feel so much pressure looking at Kars now! He's just a century-old brat…
"Heheheh… So, you're not going to resist? That saves me some trouble. Well then, I won't hold back." Kars saw that Koakuma made no moves other than retreating and assumed she had given up. He slowly reached out his hands toward her.
Koakuma, accepting her fate, closed her eyes, ready to let Kars's hands touch her.