Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

Upon receiving the letter from Aya Shameimaru, she didn't even finish reading it before riding her broomstick and heading aggressively straight for Sawaya Akina's residence.

It seems there's no easy way to resolve this.

Akina Sawa sighed and helplessly spread his hands, saying, "Marisa, it's not that I don't want to go to the competition with you, but think about it."

"Are we adequately prepared and have enough practice to face this match?"

“Not taking the competition seriously is disrespectful to other players, which is why I chose to withdraw from the competition.”

Marisa listened attentively to all of Akina Zeya's remarks, who was being very serious.

"I think we can start practicing now; even belated efforts are still efforts."

Marisa had no intention of giving up, her pale golden eyes fixed on Akina Zeya.

That's why I don't want to talk to Marisa face to face.

Akina Ze was also in pain, because he could see his own image clearly reflected in Marisa's pupils.

Faced with a girl like this, how many people could cleanly and decisively refuse her?

Even though he had already made up his mind, at this moment, Akina Sawaya's heart couldn't help but waver.

However, wavering is just wavering; a ship sailing in a storm doesn't capsize so easily.

Akina Sawa scratched the back of his head, tactically closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the ripples in his heart.

Once everything had calmed down, Akina Sawa opened his eyes and looked over, his black pupils reflecting Marisa's image.

Akina Sawa also believes that Marisa can see herself.

Setting aside his distracting thoughts, Akina Ze said calmly:

"Marisa, are you really going to give it your all in this match?"

"Of course! Isn't this the most basic thing?"

Marisa hesitated for a few seconds.

The mushrooms in the Magic Forest have been growing very well lately, sprouting up in clumps like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Each one is quite large, with white, tender caps. They're not only great for magical use, but also a good choice to satisfy one's appetite...

"I don't think so..."

Akina Sawa already knew all this, and sighed, saying, "I've looked for you so many times, and you're always picking mushrooms. Since you're too busy, withdrawing from the competition isn't out of the question..."

Nothing happens without warning. Akina Sawa's decision to refuse to participate in the competition with Marisa was not a rash one, but rather the result of a series of setbacks, leaving him with no other choice but to make the decision.

As autumn deepens and the north wind rises, the day of the Manzai Competition is fast approaching. Akina Sawa's attitude has gradually changed from indifference to anxiety and now to calmness.

If the people who brought it up don't care, why should I care?

This is the conclusion that Akina Zeya came to every time he went to Marisa to discuss practice, only to be repeatedly met with closed doors.

"But I don't want to quit yet..."

After being thoroughly scolded, Marisa's voice softened, her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes were filled with a reluctance to back down.

Now that things have come to this, what's the use of showing such an expression? Cutting it off early would minimize the losses, and what's needed now is to give her another push.

Having figured everything out, Akina Sawa, now transformed into a pair of scissors, said expressionlessly, "You can't have both mushrooms and competitions. Marisa, you want to participate in the competition but are unwilling to put in the corresponding effort, underestimating the competition and your opponent."

Looking at the somewhat dejected Marisa in front of him, Akina Sawa's throat was also a little hoarse, but he still continued firmly, "Do you think someone like you... is qualified to participate?"

Akina Ze also felt that he had spoken very heavily, extremely heavily, and he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

Because of Marisa, the Marisa who always had a cheerful smile and was lively and cute, now her eyes were faintly covered with a layer of mist.

"I'm sorry, I was too harsh..." Akina Ze apologized, looking very guilty.

To be fair, an apology is still necessary.

"No, Master, there's no need to apologize. It's my own fault," Marisa said, scratching her head like Akina Sawaya, then turning her head away and sniffling.

"Master's words are wise. I was the one who wanted to participate in the Manzai Competition, and I was also the one who looked down on the competition and skipped class to go mushroom picking every time, so Master..."

Marisa Kirisame turned around, her eyes slightly red, and her familiar summer-like sunny smile returned to her face once again.

She said:

"So...can you forgive me, Master Akina...I promise I'll do my best this time!"

Click...

His heart was pounding, and Akina Ze could feel his blood pressure soaring.

Marisa, you're trying to kill me!

"Tears turned into laughter" is not a suitable description here, but Akina Sawa couldn't find a more fitting one either.

In Akina Zeya's mind, the blonde little girl had suddenly transformed into a young woman, even though she hadn't even wiped her snot yet...

"Hey......"

Akina Sawa also let out a long sigh. He stepped forward, took out a cream-colored handkerchief from his pocket, and tried to wipe the snot off Marisa's face.

He raised his hand and then lowered it again. After hesitating for a moment, Akina Sawa still placed the handkerchief in Marisa's hand.

"Go ahead and wipe yourself clean. You look more like a child than a young girl."

"Hehe, as long as Master Akina promises me I won't withdraw from the competition, that's fine." Marisa wiped her face cleanly with a handkerchief, her eyes slyly peeking at Akina Zeya through the gap.

"I just can't do anything with you... This is the last time."

After saying that, Akina Ze also glared fiercely at Marisa's furtive glances.

Chapter 45

"Eat, eat grapes, don't spit out the grape skins, don't eat grapes, pour out, spit out the grape skins."

After being modified by Akina Zeya, the living room table became a kotatsu, a fatal temptation that rivals even the warmth of a cozy bed in cold weather.

Akina Sawa was sitting directly opposite Marisa, his brows furrowed, looking like an old man, a subway, and a cell phone.

"Stop for a moment."

"Ok?"

Hearing Akina Sawa call for a stop, Marisa stopped reciting the tongue twister and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

I assumed that Marisa, with her usual magical demeanor, would find reciting tongue twisters—far simpler than spells—a piece of cake, but...

Akina Sawa also admitted that he was wrong, and terribly wrong!

Marisa recited those few simple tongue twisters with such a stutter that even Akina Sawa couldn't believe it.

Damn it! Do magicians not need to chant spells when casting magic?

Faced with Marisa's puzzled expression, Akina Sawa also looked bewildered as he peeled the orange that Niqua had painstakingly peeled open and was about to eat it, swallowing it whole.

As the sweet juice flowed into his stomach, Akina Ze finally snapped out of his daze, recovering from the shock of his uncertainty about the match's prospects and the collapse of his image of the mage in his mind.

"First of all, Marisa, I have a question for you."

"Why is it that you find it so...difficult to recite even a few simple rhymes that Cirno can recite so easily..."

Akina Ze also placed one hand on Nikua's forehead, who was waving her hands and unleashing the Invincible Wind and Fire Wheels, and asked seriously.

"Eh!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Marisa's cheeks turned red at a visible speed, and her two dimples puffed up like a sullen punching bag.

"Master, this is too much!"

"Huh? What did I do wrong?"

"You still say it's not going too far! You're clearly mocking me for not even being as good as Cirno."

I didn't say that!

Akina Ze slowly chewed the orange in his mouth, juice dripping down between his lips and teeth.

After a pause, Akina Ze continued, "When it comes to reciting rhymes, you really aren't as good as Cirno."

"I, Cirno, am the strongest!"

Cirno, seemingly sensing something, instinctively arched her left arm and placed her right hand on it, looking like a reliable older sister.

"Wow!" The great fairy stood under the big rock, her eyes full of hearts, looking at Cirno with admiration.

"That's outrageous! I'm a mage, how can you say that to me!"

Marisa jumped off the chair in a huff, but thankfully, her size prevented her from knocking over any other items in the room.

"Right is right, wrong is wrong. Does Marisa want to be the kind of person who only wants to hear good things and doesn't want to hear a single bad word?"

Akina Ze also calmly said.

"Well, it's not that bad."

Upon hearing this, Marisa deflated like a pufferfish, collapsing onto the sofa.

Akina Ze also walked over, patted the gray dust next to the sofa, and plopped down on it.

He looked at Marisa, who had her back to him and seemed somewhat sullen, and said, "In that case, Marisa, you should continue practicing. Remember, diligence can make up for lack of talent, and the early bird catches the worm."

"I never thought I, Marisa, would be spoken to like that one day..."

Marisa sighed, arched her back, and slowly sat up. Her slightly wrinkled skirt draped naturally, and Marisa's expression gradually became ferocious.

"It's just a rhyme, I refuse to believe I can't recite it!"

"I hope so," Akina Ze echoed from the side, but his eyes were fixed on the ceiling. The scene he had just witnessed left him with a moist sensation in his nose.

I absolutely mustn't bow my head at this moment, or my innocence will be ruined!

Hearing Marisa's stammering rhyme reciting itself again beside him, Akina Sawa stiffly raised his head, his mind racing with thoughts.

Hehe, I've been reciting for so long and Master hasn't said anything to me yet, it must be because I'm reciting much better than before.

With this thought in mind, Marisa recited even louder, her voice filled with a confidence she hadn't shown before.

Akina Ze could only listen helplessly from the sidelines.

The wind rustled the fallen leaves, roosters crowed, dogs barked, and Marisa was reading aloud.

-----------------------------

Leaving aside the matter of the secluded courtyard, another incident occurred at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

This matter is not big or small.

But this made the young lady very angry.

"Sakuya! Explain to me why the pudding I specifically put in the fridge is gone?"

Remi sat on the chair with her legs crossed, arms crossed, her face clearly showing anger, and her calves and even the tips of her little leather shoes were shaking uncontrollably.

On the table beside her was a cup of warm black tea, but Remi didn't even glance at it. Instead, she stared at the head maid, Sakuya Izayoi, kneeling on the ground with her half-closed, wine-red eyes.

"I'm absolutely furious!"

Remy slammed her hand on the table with a loud bang, causing the teacup on the table to bounce and spill tea all over the table, dripping down the edge.

As for Sakuya Izayoi, the head maid, she simply knelt quietly on the ground, not getting up even as the floor got wet.

Because she knew that Remi was truly angry, and Sakuya also understood that remaining silent was the best course of action at this moment.

Although Izayoi Sakuya maintained her usual calm and composure, her fists were clenched.

Not only was Remi furious, but Sakuya was equally furious.

Sakuya was furious because she hadn't fulfilled her duties as the young lady's maid and hadn't prepared delicious pudding for her. No matter what the circumstances, if the young lady didn't taste the pudding herself, it was an absolute dereliction of duty as a maid!

At this moment, Sakuya wished she could give that pudding thief a three-and-a-half-page Ora!

"Sakuya"

A half-moon hung by the window, and Remilia stretched out her toes to nudge Sakuya's chin.

The brown leather shoes reflected the luster of the bright moonlight.

"Gulu~"

Sakuya swallowed blankly, her eyes fixed on the young lady's smooth, white legs.

The blazing red flames gradually took on a rosy hue.