Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

Looking at Akina Zeya's ordinary face, she really couldn't understand it.

This completely ignited Onozuka Komachi's gossip-loving spirit. Who said Grim Reapers don't like gossip?

......

Click~

The sound of the door bolt turning.

After much deliberation, Aya Shameimaru finally decided to take the initiative and play to her strengths while avoiding her weaknesses.

She walked out of the bookstore with her hands behind her back, smiling faintly at Akina Sawa without saying a word.

Aya Shameimaru considers her unique perspective and proactive approach to be her strengths.

Having been a reporter for so long, Aya Shameimaru has witnessed too many bad things caused by being muddled, indecisive, and has long since learned enough experience to no longer hesitate.

And this result now seems to have been perfectly validated.

it is more than words.

"You heard everything?" Akina Ze asked awkwardly. Although he did it on purpose, he felt awkward now that the person in question had actually come out.

“I thought you would be upset that I suddenly moved in and bothered you.” Aya Shameimaru’s fingers were tangled together behind her back.

By forcibly moving him to the Akina mansion without consulting Akina Sawaya's wishes beforehand, Aya Shameimaru was undoubtedly acting forcefully.

Dominance always leads to resentment. Although it may seem small, it can accumulate into big problems over time. But she had no choice but to do it, because hoping that a wooden person would suddenly become enlightened was probably something that would never happen in a lifetime.

"might have."

Upon hearing this response, Aya Shameimaru's eyebrows almost furrowed, and she bit her lip.

Moving here so suddenly, it seems I've caused some disturbance after all...

But before her heavy thoughts could spread, she felt a warm, strong hand grasp hers behind her back, fingers interlaced...

On the other side, Akina Ze found it amusing that she was wallowing in despair right in front of him, but he didn't care about the atmosphere right now. He walked straight over, held her hand tightly, and then led her to sit down on the tatami mat.

"you listen to me."

With his hands on his shoulders, looking down, Akina Sawa stared intently into Shameimaru Aya's light brown eyes and said:

“I get up early every day to plant and water the crops, eat three meals a day, and go to bed on time at night. Life is peaceful, but it is also a bit boring.”

"I'm so glad you've come."

Being stared at in such a way she had never experienced before, and realizing that the reflection of herself in Akina Sawaya's eyes was too weak and sweet, Aya Shameimaru quickly turned her head away, but the earlobes exposed under her shoulder-length black hair were clearly tinged with a crystal-clear blush. "I understand!"

But Aya Shameimaru felt that the pressure on her shoulder hadn't disappeared; instead, it was getting heavier, and a warm breath was approaching her.

It was still daytime, unlike the mysterious atmosphere under the moonlight last night. Faces were clearly visible... Aya Shameimaru hurriedly closed her eyes, but didn't push them away.

On the wall, the two shadows gradually drew closer...

"I said wait a minute!"

The sudden sound made the two people facing each other hurriedly move away to cover themselves.

Komachi Onozuka, who had been hiding in the shadows and eavesdropping, finally couldn't stand the public display of affection and revealed herself.

Chapter Ninety-Seven (General Passage)

A girl suddenly emerged from the shadows.

Wearing a Japanese-style blue dress and red, shoulder-length pigtails, with a sharp scythe slung over her shoulder, she exudes an aura of extreme danger.

Onozuka Komachi had a cold face.

If you stumble upon something shameful but can't leave immediately, how can you take control and avoid an awkward situation?

Based on years of experience, her answer is to pretend not to care and remain calm.

If she doesn't show that she cares, she won't feel embarrassed. That's what Komachi Onozuka does every time she gets caught slacking off by Shiki-sama.

Of course, expressing indifference doesn't necessarily require a cold face; a playful or joking demeanor is also acceptable.

Click~click~

The clock on the wall was swinging.

For a moment, Akina Sawa and Shameimaru Aya were completely fooled. They looked at each other in confusion, realizing from their bewildered eyes that neither of them recognized this guy who had suddenly appeared.

But judging from her attire, she didn't seem to be an ordinary human. Knowing full well that he didn't have a picture of this girl in his mind, Akina Sawa was the first to ask:

"you are?"

"It's just a minor matter, nothing to worry about."

She skillfully picked up the conversation, and without wanting to linger for even a moment, Onozuka Komachi maintained her composure and walked out of the house.

The underworld's 'veteran' investigator accidentally exposed herself after witnessing a prime-time drama up close, and she didn't want to lose face like that.

Yes! This is to avoid bringing shame to the underworld!

Once you step out of this door, the world will be yours to explore, since neither of these two knows her!

"Wait, you must be Onozuka Komachi, the one who often comes to Gensokyo to slack off, right?"

It was a tentative inquiry, but Aya Shameimaru's tone was one of certainty.

For a moment, Aya Shameimaru was stunned, but she quickly figured it out by looking at the red-haired girl's outfit and the large scythe on her shoulder, along with some fragmented clues she had gathered from previous events.

Aya Shameimaru was certain that the person in front of her was the ferryman of the Sanzu River—Komachi Onozuka.

She had always heard that a Grim Reaper liked to wander around Gensokyo, which led many humans who witnessed her to think that their lives were about to end, resulting in many funny incidents, which were also published in the Ayabu News.

But news of the approaching death spread rapidly throughout the human world, causing widespread panic.

So later, in order to appease the residents of the village, Aya Shameimaru's newspaper also came in handy. Someone published some content in a small section of her newspaper, the main idea of ​​which was that although there was a person who looked like a Grim Reaper, she was not actually a Grim Reaper.

This move reassured many people, but Aya Shameimaru herself had never actually met Komachi Onozuka.

Actually, she didn't want to publish those contents because she hadn't done any on-site investigation. But for some reason, Hieda Akyuu from the Hieda family came to her door to beg for it. So in the end, Aya Shameimaru agreed. After all, she didn't write the content, and the author's name, Hieda Akyuu, was specially marked under that section, so it was as if she hadn't gone against her original intention.

"I'm not, it wasn't me, I've mistaken you for someone else." Faced with the accusation, Onozuka Komachi chose to deny it three times.

"It's you! I remember that kind of scythe only exists in the underworld!"

Death lurking in residents' homes? She definitely wouldn't let such good news material slip by!

"Okay, I admit it was me, but I really was just passing by."

Seeing that she couldn't deny it, Onozuka Komachi feigned innocence and tried to explain.

"Oh? So tell me, what exactly are you trying to do hiding in the corner?"

"Sigh~"

Faced with the relentless questioning, Onozuka Komachi was finding it difficult to cope. However, instead of answering the question, she turned to Akina Sawa, who was watching the scene unfold, and asked, "That blonde girl from earlier, are you two very familiar with each other?"

"You mean Alice? We must be acquaintances, right?" Akina Ze replied without much thought.

We've only met a few times in a year, and when we do meet, it's mostly because of Marisa. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we're just acquaintances.

"Just an acquaintance...?" Onozuka Komachi muttered to herself after receiving a response.

Since they're just acquaintances, she doesn't need to keep slacking off, right? It's time to be professional and let them know what death is all about.

After a few short exchanges, Akina Ze felt the atmosphere suddenly change, and an ominous premonition arose.

Although he didn't know why Onozuka Komachi's aura had changed, the gradually building tension forced him to add:

“Although we’re just acquaintances, we have a very close relationship.” — Through Marisa.

"That's okay."

Like a balloon suddenly punctured by a needle, Onozuka Komachi's aura vanished, and she returned to her lazy, unambitious self.

This time, without waiting for Aya Shameimaru to ask a question, she ran wildly towards the door and left.

......

Watching Onozuka Komachi's figure disappear into the distance, Akina Sawa was also completely baffled.

What on earth is she here for?

Why are you camping out in my house?

What does this have to do with Alice?

I really don't understand...

"Pfft~" Aya Shameimaru couldn't help but laugh out loud. "That guy is a Shinigami, can't you see her intentions in coming here?"

"Huh?" Akina Ze was still confused.

“Hey, you idiot! Look at that cherry blossom tree in your yard.” Aya Shameimaru pointed to the tree in the yard and reminded him.

"The lingering aura of the dead on it is still quite strong. You must have gotten it from Saigyouji Yuyuko, right?"

"Mm." Akina Ze nodded as well.

"That makes sense now. There were rumors that a lot of ghosts had appeared around here, which was probably caused by your cherry blossom tree."

Aya Shameimaru was also very perceptive; although she wasn't present that day, she guessed very accurately.

"Indeed, a lot of undead appeared inexplicably that day, and Captain Mokou had to come to the rescue in the end." Akina Ze also recalled the events of the previous few days and said truthfully.

“Those spirits probably didn’t appear out of nowhere; they’re likely from the underworld.” Shameimaru Aya shook her head and explained, “Moreover, it’s not surprising that Onozuka Komachi, a Shinigami, would come here to investigate such a large-scale movement of spirits.”

"As for why she mentioned Alice, you'll probably have to ask her yourself," Aya Shameimaru added.

Aya Shameimaru also knew that Alice was the daughter of the Demon Lord, but she didn't tell Sawaya Akina, so it wasn't appropriate for her to speak for him.

......

Chapter Ninety-Eight: This is How It Should Be

Upon discovering that the ghost binding her had suddenly disappeared, Cirno got up from the ground, ignoring the dust on her skirt, and rushed towards the Akina mansion ahead.

Cirno skillfully flew over the wall and crept along the corner towards the house step by step.

Approaching the window, Cirno held her breath and peered intently into the room, but heard no loud noises.

"Oh no! Could it be that he tied everyone up using that cheating trick?" She was startled and was about to rush in immediately, but then she thought that if she rushed in now, she would definitely repeat the same mistake. She hadn't figured out a way to deal with the ghost yet.

"Damn it, if it weren't for the fact that I wasn't full, how could I possibly lose to her?" Cirno rubbed her stomach, intending to outsmart her.

What does it mean to win by intelligence? In Cirno's mind, it means to lurk behind the enemy and then strike them on the head when they are not paying attention. As long as the person falls, you win.

Cirno often used this trick on those three mischievous fairies, and it never failed her, although they would quickly retaliate in the same way.

With a large, thick block of ice frozen in her right hand, Cirno quietly walked to the window, wanting to check the situation inside and confirm the location of the enemies and hostages.

And so, right under Akina Zeya's nose, a large blue bow quietly appeared, followed by light blue hair, a smooth forehead, and a pair of wide-open blue eyes.

"What are you doing...Cirno?"

Seeing Cirno completely stunned, Akina Ze said helplessly.

Paji~

The puck in her hand slid vertically down, free-falling through the air, and struck Cirno squarely on the ankle.

......

"So you're worried that person will hurt us, and that's why you want to protect us?"

"Only you, excluding the guy next to you!"

Sitting on the tatami mat, Cirno touched her swollen ankle with teary eyes.

Fairies only turn into elements and disappear into the air after they die, but living fairies can be injured and feel pain just like humans.

The other guy Cirno was referring to was Aya Shameimaru. She only wanted to protect Zeya Akina and Daiyousei. As for Aya Shameimaru? He was just a bad guy who liked to bully fairies.

Aya Shameimaru does not deny this. In the world of yokai, fairies are indeed the lowest of the low. But as for bullying, it might be that when she was traveling at high speed across the ground, the air currents she accidentally stirred up blew the fairies in the trees around.

"Let me bandage you up."

Seeing Cirno's distress, Akina Ze also took out a roll of bandage from his medical kit. This was one of the odds and ends he had won in a lottery after spending all his money.

"I don't need that. This little problem can be solved with just a little blowing."