"'Yaegaki'?" The old man repeated, scratching his head in confusion. "Forgive my ignorance... does this 'Yaegaki' refer to the surname of the Guuji Yae?"
Oops, forgot they don't have the same legends here… and I don't even know any Guuji Yae. His expression flickered for a moment before he explained, "Simply put, it's from a folk tale I heard as a child. A place built by a god for his wife. Later, it came to represent a work ethic—that one's personal feelings have no place in one's work." The latter was a necessary path for any good craftsman, not letting personal emotions and preferences interfere with the job. Only then could the result be new and beautiful.
"Is that so…?" Although he had his doubts about the god the man mentioned, there were regions in Inazuma that worshipped other deities. This was the advantage of minor religions; they were obscure, numerous, and easy to make up on the spot.
"If there's nothing else, then I should go and pack my things. I have a long journey tomorrow…"
…
Inside the room
Yoimiya untied the ribbon holding her hair, letting her golden locks fall freely. She shed her yukata in the bathroom, leaving only a few pieces of cloth and bandages on her body.
"Yoimiya, you're wrapped up even thicker than I am…" Hailing had entered the bathroom before her and, as she was undoing her own bandages, caught a glimpse of Yoimiya's two "compressed packages."
"Haha, well, it's the only way I can move freely, right? Otherwise, they'd just be bouncing all over the place."
As they both "decompressed," Hailing, who had thought her own size was considerable for her age, was surprised to find that the other girl was just as impressive.
"What's wrong?" Noticing Hailing's stare, Yoimiya smiled. "Didn't expect that, did you~ But what are you so surprised about? We're about the same, aren't we?"
This was the first time the two had been so open with each other, and the reason was a man. Only in a private space could they share their true feelings.
"So, Yoimiya, you also..." Hailing didn't beat around the bush as she usually would, but went straight to the point.
"Is it that obvious…" As if embarrassed, Yoimiya started to lather her hair with a washing block. "We've only known each other for less than a day. Does that make me seem forward?"
Hearing her words, Hailing, who was tying up her hair, hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually, me too…" I fell for him in less than a day.
Yoimiya was speechless for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "Ah… then he's quite the sinner, isn't he?"
Then, with a head full of foam, she came up behind Hailing and untied her naturally curly, silver hair.
"Eh?" Not expecting her to suddenly approach, Hailing stammered, "My hair can't get wet, or else later…"
"It's fine, it's fine~ I'll just use my Vision to dry it for you." Yoimiya had already thought of this. She patted Hailing's shoulder to calm her down. "So, how did you fall for him?"
At Yoimiya's question, Hailing hesitated, but she told her anyway. If Yoimiya were to visit the village, the change in population would be impossible to hide. She recounted the events of that day, her despair and her hope. "At that time, I really thought it was the end for me... At least, I wouldn't be able to live a normal life anymore. And, that night…" The rest of her story was a jumble of emotions: confusion, hesitation, worry… A heavy burden that Muramasa had given her an outlet to release.
"And that's what happened…" After Hailing finished, Yoimiya felt that anything she said would be inadequate. It had only been a day; it was still too soon to talk about it freely. She could only silently wash Hailing's hair until it was completely covered in foam. "How is it? Feels good, right?"
"It got in my eyes…"
"Ah, sorry, sorry!"
"Yoimiya, your turn…"
"Ahaha… right? Then…"
After the stories, the bathroom fell silent for a long time, leaving them to their own thoughts. By the time Muramasa returned, the two had just finished changing and were stepping out of the bathroom.
"Welcome back, Muramasa."
Why does it sound like I'm coming home… Muramasa glanced at them. A faint steam was still rising from their bodies. Hailing was wrapped up as tightly as before, though one area seemed to have been liberated. Her eyes were slightly red and swollen. What surprised him slightly was Yoimiya. Her clothes were clearly a size too small, and the half-open front made her visually more impactful than Hailing.
"I'm back," he said, giving the standard reply. "By the way, you two are washing your hair now? Are you not planning to sleep?" he remarked, his gaze shifting to their dripping hair.
"We were just about to dry it," Yoimiya smiled, running her fingers through her hair as steam rose, evaporating the water.
"That's convenient… Well then, I'm going to take a bath too."
…
By the time Muramasa finished, the sounds from outside had quieted down. The two girls, exhausted from the day, had fallen asleep after just a few words.
"Looks like they're both asleep…" Leaving the bathroom, he saw them sleeping back-to-back and lay down on his own bed. Well then, now… He circulated his magical energy, healing the small wound on his hand. No one would suspect anything when they woke up tomorrow.
"Well, goodnight…" he said to the two sleeping girls, then closed his eyes.
Hm?
Suddenly, a weight landed at the foot of his bed. The moment before, the other bed had clearly become half as light.
"Not asleep yet, Yoimiya?"
Sitting at the end of his bed was a clearly drowsy Yoimiya. A late-night impulse seemed to have driven her to act.
"Heehee~" A bright smile was on her face, which she quickly suppressed. "I wanted to talk to you a bit more, Muramasa."
"Do you all like to chat with me right before bed?" Muramasa said pointedly, but he listened to her anyway.
"Well, it's about you, isn't it?" Yoimiya said seriously. "Because I've realized that I've fallen for you."
He had thought she was a block of wood and would be flustered.
"Yes, I know," was all Muramasa said.
"Eh? Eh~!" She clearly hadn't controlled her volume, but thankfully, the other girl was fast asleep.
"Why are you more surprised than I am?"
"No, it's just... when did you know?"
"Just now."
"..."
"Why else would you come to a man's bed in the middle of the night?"
"Ahaha… you've got a point." She seemed experienced, but in reality, she had never even held a man's hand. So, she didn't know the standard procedure and was just acting on instinct.
"Alright, continue," Muramasa said, crossing his legs and looking at the seemingly mature but actually naive girl before him. "I want to hear your reasons."
-------
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