Arrietty secretly agreed with Miyamizu Mitsuha that Miss Mori Tsukisa was a crazy liar.
Although Mitsuha didn't know about the Little Sprite's existence.
Just like those masters who wrote immortal masterpieces. Modern people hold books, crossing long stretches of time and space, listening to long-dead people tell a story that is either moving or sad—people in front of the printed words, besides marveling and experiencing emotional ups and downs as the text changed, felt most understood.
It was as if the author, long dead in history, had lived with them day and night, understanding them meticulously and precisely.
Arrietty was in this situation now—the Little Sprite held a record book, looking tearfully at the skeptical Miyamizu Mitsuha through Mori Tsukisa's Black hair.
Finally, I found someone who understands me!
Someone finally knows how much of a liar Mori Tsukisa, this troublemaker, is!
Oh My Lord! Miyamizu Mitsuha! If I weren't a sprite, I would definitely make you my best friend!
Oh... then I'd ditch this naughty monster who only grows in body but not in brain! We'd run away together!
Flipping her hair, Mori Tsukisa covered her mouth and quietly turned her head: 'If you say what you're thinking, and I hear it...'
'Your little candy for today...'
Silence.
"Your Majesty, you seem to be..." Arrietty's tone rose, her words full of humility: "Why are you even more beautiful today?!"
"Getting prettier every day! Oh dear, what will I do in a year..."
Mori Tsukisa blinked, took out a candy ball, popped it into her mouth, and mumbled: "Thanks, but it's too late."
"...Huh?"
The girl pointed to her bulging cheek: "Your share for today is here." She even poked the candy ball with her tongue, her cheeks puffed up high... "Mori Tsukisa! I'm going to kill you!"
Actually, whether Mori Tsukisa was a shrine maiden or had magic didn't have much impact on Miyamizu Mitsuha's life—at least for teenagers of this age, accepting this was obviously much simpler than for those in their thirties or forties.
Oh, people in their thirties or forties could also accept it, but with a different attitude.
"Attitude?" On the way back, the girl, casually embracing Mori Tsukisa, thought: with a face and... figure like Mori Tsukisa's, even if she were a devil, it would be hard to refuse her.
"What attitude?"
Mori Tsukisa smiled strangely: "Have you ever wondered why 'saviors' in manga are always young Boys and girls?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha 'hmm'd': "It's simple, because they can resonate with the readers of the manga."
"After all, most readers and buyers are Children of this age."
"Not quite," Mori Tsukisa shook her finger in disagreement: "I 'thought—really—hard for a long time' before... coming up with this World-shattering secret!"
Arrietty: Never mind that I'd never be interested in the nonsense you 'thought hard' about... the main point is, do you usually think about these things?
What is this World-shattering secret?
Mori Tsukisa pushed Miyamizu Mitsuha's arm away, walked a few steps ahead of the girl, and spread her arms.
'One day, a deity descended beside Mr. Fukunaga, a 35-year-old corporate slave.' The girl vigorously thrust her hips, trying to make her stomach look bigger: 'When the deity descended, Mr. Fukunaga, the corporate slave, was working overtime.'
...What a realistic story.
'The deity said: The World is about to be destroyed, young—cough, handsome—cough, hmm... hardworking man! Go save the World!'"
Mori Tsukisa pretentiously pushed away a non-existent table, grimaced, struggled to stand up, and said gruffly: 'What did you say?! The World is going to be destroyed?!'
'The deity sighed heavily: That's right, you are the chosen one, only you can save the World, save humanity!'
'Mr. Fukunaga, the corporate slave, picked up his computer screen and hurled it to the ground, smashing it to smithereens!'
'The World is ending?! He grinned in surprise: There's such a good thing?!'
Miyamizu Mitsuha:...Although I know you're talking nonsense, it... actually makes some sense.
My Lord, absolutely do not choose such a person to be the savior.
Then the World would truly be doomed.
Miss Sen's self-sacrificing performance gradually brought Miyamizu Mitsuha back to normal. She pointed at the girl standing in the sunset and smiled. Mori Tsukisa looked at Miyamizu Mitsuha, and despite the short distance, cupped her mouth and shouted:
"Mitsuha! Become an excellent shrine maiden! Come to Tokyo to find me!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha, annoyed, quickly took two steps and grabbed the girl's hand, looking left and right, afraid of being embarrassed: "Shh—you really are something, you're leaving soon, but I still have to live here!"
"So what? Everyone likes you."
Miyamizu Mitsuha only learned today that this was how the townspeople viewed her—she had always thought that everyone disliked shrine maidens, disliked the Miyamizu family, disliked... her.
"The affection of strangers is fleeting; people still need to live happily for themselves." Mori Tsukisa's sudden burst of wise advice made Miyamizu Mitsuha pause.
"Live happily for myself..." The girl repeated, then nodded: "Tsukisa is right..."
Arrietty rolled her eyes.
Mori Tsukisa lives too happily for herself, to the point where all living beings around her suffer. Human, you truly don't understand her.
Walking one after another, as they neared the Miyamizu home, Mori Tsukisa had already told Mitsuha, who longed for the big city, about many interesting places. When it came to visiting in person, the issue of money was brought up again.
"I don't want to ask Grandma for money... I've saved some already."
Mori Tsukisa could probably guess how much the girl's'saved some' amounted to, given her monthly income of only a few thousand yuan. She thought for a moment.
"Kuchikamizake."
"Huh?"
Mori Tsukisa pointed to her mouth: "You can sell Kuchikamizake."
"Who would buy something like that..." Miyamizu Mitsuha said with a complicated expression: "You said the same thing to Yotsuha, and that Child told me to live stream the making of Kuchikamizake, and then sell it to..."
Mori Tsukisa burst out laughing: "Your sister is a genius..."
"She's a troublesome Child who doesn't know her place and tries to trick her sister." Miyamizu Mitsuha rubbed her face, looking exhausted: "How can I do something like that in front of so many people..."
"But you'll make a lot of money." Mori Tsukisa's eyes darted around, adding a few more points to the suggestion: "You can do it this way..."
"First make the Kuchikamizake, no, don't make it so complete, and then, use your feet to finish the final process."
"When selling, divide it into two types: the single-mouthed one is the 'Beginner' version."
"The one with foot-treading is the 'Advanced' version."
Miyamizu Mitsuha:...I absolutely cannot introduce Mori Tsukisa to Yotsuha.
These two little rascals are definitely going to cause a huge incident.
She didn't want to see on the news one day... 'Major Incident!'
'The Miyamizu Shrine Maiden Actually Did Such a Thing!'
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