Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

Moreover, the temperature from her cheek pressed against her calf was very comfortable... Alice slowly closed her eyes.

......

Chapter 111 A Brief Time

Lift the curtain.

Her skin was so delicate and fair that it seemed as if it could be broken with a touch. Alice lay on her side.

Akina Ze hadn't noticed it before, but now, upon closer inspection, he noticed a faint dark circle under Alice's fair eyes.

The surrounding fair skin made her stand out even more.

It seems that the curtain was lifted, allowing a cool breeze to slip inside.

Alice, who was fast asleep, twitched her eyelids and slowly opened her brown eyes. The first thing she saw was Akina Zeya's concerned face.

"Ugh... Go away."

Still in a soft, drowsy state after waking up, Alice reached out and pressed her palm against Akina Zeya's face, trying to push him away.

Unfortunately, Alice landed right on Akina Zeya's chin, where some stubble from the morning's shavings still remained.

Alice instinctively withdrew her hand, then looked up at the ground with a pitiful expression, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Ouch! You bad guy, you pricked me with a needle!"

"Cough cough, I didn't..."

Akina Ze quickly turned his head away, because Alice was not only not awake, but her collar and other clothes were also slightly disheveled, making it easy to see a bit of white skin underneath.

After a brief exchange, Alice's dazed mind finally regained control of her body. She blinked and realized what she had just done.

"..."

hum!

Alice's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, like a steam engine. She ripped off the curtain, locking herself inside, and summoned a magic mirror, frantically fixing her disheveled hair and the revealing collar of her dress...

"Whoo~"

Outside, Akina Ze also gently adjusted his breathing rhythm to calm his mind.

He dared not remain seated, but instead stood up and took a few steps forward to try and avoid hearing the rustling of fabric behind him.

He still has that much gentlemanly manners... although the main concern is that he might not be able to control himself.

After a while, Akina Ze also heard Alice crawl out of the picnic table.

To avoid embarrassment, Akina Sawa didn't mention what had just happened, but said in a light tone, "Marisa has left. She said your sandwiches were delicious."

"Hmm..." Alice's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Why do I feel like I'm the villain who forced a girl into this situation...? Akina Ze also turned around, about to explain the situation.

But then he saw Alice with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes shy and unable to look him in the eye, her fair face flushed, as if she wanted to speak but was too shy to do so.

Geek!

Akina Zeya's pupils contracted slightly.

The warm winter sun shines through the treetops, casting dappled shadows, and a beautiful woman shyly awaits to bloom...

Oh no, that's the sound of falling in love.

......

Above the Human Village, Marisa Kirisame was flying.

With his head held high, the wind blew across the brim of his wide-brimmed wizard's hat, causing his long, golden curls to sway in the breeze.

The exquisite tablecloth on the picnic table was imprinted in Marisa Kirisame's mind.

She had seen this thing before—at Alice's house.

Everyone thinks she's careless and stupid, but Marisa doesn't believe she is.

"Alice...why?" Marisa Kirisame murmured, pressing her hand to the brim of her hat.

The free wind could not blow away the confusion in her heart.

Marisa Kirisame and Alice are good friends, just like she is with Reimu Hakurei.

She had just discovered that Alice was hiding inside the picnic table.

But for some reason, at the time, Marisa Kirisame didn't want to point out the situation, perhaps because her subconscious was telling her otherwise.

You are good friends, so you should get along well and not quarrel...

Now, alone, freely flying in the boundless sky, the shelved thoughts in Marisa Kirisame's mind come rushing back.

Could they be in that kind of relationship...?

Marisa Kirisame hesitated, her usually sharp mind seemingly filled with mush, unable to come to any conclusion.

But... their intimate time alone together at midday, the sandwiches they made together, and Alice hiding away...

So... why did Alice hide?

Upon thinking of this, a sudden surge of inexplicable anger welled up in my heart.

"She knew perfectly well... so why did she still do it!"

They're supposed to be good friends... Marisa Kirisame gritted her teeth, a mix of indescribable bitterness and anger welling up inside her.

So, if Alice and Master Akina... really are in that kind of relationship, should I choose to give my blessing...?

Realizing this problem, Marisa Kirisame immediately wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.

Just then, Marisa Kirisame saw a familiar courtyard—the Akina residence.

As if possessed, Marisa Kirisame lowered her broom and landed in the middle of the courtyard.

Because she was visiting without prior notice, Marisa Kirisame tried her best to be discreet and not make a sound.

"What are you doing there?"

Before Marisa Kirisame could take more than a few steps, a questioning voice came from behind her.

She turned her head stiffly and found Aya Shameimaru leaning against the railing under the eaves, gazing at the blue sky.

"Hehe, you've been found out."

As if giving up on herself, Kirisame Marisa no longer concealed her actions and walked directly to Aya Shameimaru's side, looking at her.

Slightly reserved and hesitant, Marisa Kirisame finally spoke what she wanted to say.

"Did you know that Master Akina and... Alice are having a picnic?"

When mentioning the name Alice, Marisa Kirisame emphasized it.

“I know,” Aya Shameimaru replied calmly, gazing at the sky.

Seeing Aya Shameimaru's indifferent demeanor, Marisa Kirisame's anger flared up once more, and she couldn't help but ask:

"Why didn't you stop it? Why are you so calm?"

Hearing this, Aya Shameimaru finally turned around, glanced at Marisa Kirisame, who seemed to be throwing a tantrum like a child, and chuckled:

"Why stop it? Happy times are always short-lived, and I am just looking for my own happiness and joy during this time."

"...Aren't you resentful?!" A short time? Marisa Kirisame didn't want to understand this concept, so she pressed for an answer.

“Willing? Heh…” Aya Shameimaru chuckled twice, not directly answering the question, but instead speaking seriously to Marisa:

"So, you want me to stop you?"

"I......"

Upon hearing this, Marisa Kirisame was stunned for a moment, then her round earlobes turned visibly red. "I-I'm not!"

Suddenly forced to confront the girl's feelings, Marisa Kirisame was at a loss and grabbed a broom to run away.

"In the end, she's just a human little girl."

Watching Marisa Kirisame's departing figure, Aya Shameimaru stretched, shook her head, propped her face up with one hand, and continued to lean against the railing.

"I wonder what Ze also likes to eat? Should we make some Monster Mountain specialties tonight?"

......

Chapter 112 Intricate and Complex

A dazzling display of sparks rose, but in the next moment, they faded like wilted flowers, losing their color.

The laboratory, which had briefly lit up, fell into darkness again.

After removing the experimental protective gear from my face, my golden bangs were soaked with sweat.

After conducting numerous experiments over a long period, all of them ended in failure... Marisa Kirisame sat on the floor, dejected, leaning against the wall.

But she knew the reasons for all the failures in these experiments... Although she bit her lip and stubbornly tried to face the problem, she was defeated every time. Her mind was in turmoil, and her hands trembled, leading to failure.

That embroidered tablecloth was like an indelible stain, etched into her mind, constantly reminding her of it...

If it were anyone else, Marisa Kirisame wouldn't feel this bad, as long as it's a goal that can be achieved through hard work.

Marisa Kirisame always chooses to take the initiative, leaving her competitors far behind.

But...that's Alice...

With this thought in mind, Marisa Kirisame pulled down the wide brim of her hat to cover her eyes.

The scene of the three of them lying on the roof of the Hakurei Shrine, gazing at the starry sky, is still vivid in my mind...

For Marisa Kirisame, Alice is one of her best friends.

She didn't want to ruin this friendship, even though Alice had already taken the first step to do so, but Marisa Kirisame still refused...

Looking at the dark and messy lab bench, Marisa Kirisame realized that if she continued the experiment tonight, it would only end in failure.

She walked wearily out of the laboratory, glanced at the windowsill, where the boots that had been washed and dried all day were laid out, now smelling wonderful and odorless.

Marisa Kirisame shook her head. Her feelings were very complicated, but she didn't want to see Master Akina, fearing she wouldn't be able to control her emotions.

After thinking for a long time, Marisa Kirisame stepped out of the house, mounted her broom, and flew through the night sky without looking back.

......

"That's strange, coming to see me so late."

Reimu Hakurei knelt on the tatami mat, and although there wasn't a single tea leaf in her teacup, she still pretended to be drinking tea.

It's not that the Hakurei Shrine ran out of tea; it's just that drinking tea closes to bedtime, and it's not good for sleeping at night.

Reimu Hakurei sipped her water, her black eyes slightly raised as she looked at Marisa Kirisame across from her, whose distress was palpable.

"I have something I want to ask you..."

Marisa Kirisame sighed as she took off her hat and placed it aside.

“I can tell.” Reimu Hakurei put down her cup and shook her head. “Tell me, what made you come to see me so late?”

“Here’s the thing,” Marisa Kirisame said, organizing her thoughts. “I have a friend, I mean, let’s say I have a friend.”

"Um, what happened to your hypothetical friend?" Reimu Hakurei asked.

Marisa Kirisame hesitated for a long time before saying the next sentence, but looking into Reimu Hakurei's calm eyes, she mustered up her courage and said, "My friend has some special feelings for someone, really just a little bit."

"Hmm, and then?" Reimu Hakurei asked, her fingers gently stroking the rim of the glass.

After a pause, Marisa Kirisame continued, "But she discovered that another close friend of hers also had some special feelings for that person."

"Let me explain first. My friend really only has a little bit of... well, special feelings for that person. She doesn't know if her other friend feels the same way, but that's what she thinks," Marisa Kirisame explained quickly and indistinctly.

Reimu Hakurei stopped what she was doing, gently put down the cup, and looked directly into the eyes of Marisa Kirisame, who was speaking and whose cheeks were gradually turning red.

"So, what is your question?"

Upon hearing this, Marisa Kirisame interlaced her fingers and said hesitantly, "But my friend doesn't want to ruin her friendship with another friend. What should I do in this situation?"

"Whoo~"

After hearing the question, Reimu Hakurei sighed, stood up, turned her back to Marisa Kirisame, and walked to the window, gazing at the starry night sky.