When Genichi watched Akeno walk out through the school gate, the setting sun had just fallen across the rooftop of the classroom building, dyeing the entire campus orange-red.
Akeno walked ahead of him at an unhurried pace, her long, straight black hair swaying softly in the breeze.
Every so often, she looked back at him with that smile he could never quite read.
Neither of them spoke along the way, but the silence was not uncomfortable. Instead, it carried a strange sense of tacit understanding.
"Akeno."
Genichi finally spoke.
"I still don't know where you live, so either tell me what this is about, or take me there now."
Akeno stopped and turned to look at him.
"Of course."
Her voice was as gentle as ever.
"But before we go back, could I trouble you to accompany me for one little thing?"
She asked if he "could," but her feet gave Genichi no chance to refuse.
Those smiling eyes looked at him as if she had already decided he would not say no.
Genichi did not refuse.
Akeno turned and continued leading the way.
Genichi followed behind her, watching as she turned onto a familiar street and stopped in front of a supermarket.
"Genichi, come grocery shopping with me."
Genichi looked at the automatic doors of the supermarket, then at Akeno's completely matter-of-fact expression. After a brief silence, he followed her inside.
The supermarket was brightly lit, its shelves packed with all kinds of products.
Akeno pushed a shopping cart ahead of him, stopping from time to time to pick something up, inspect it, and then put it back.
She was surprisingly serious when shopping for ingredients. She carefully checked the place of origin and expiration dates on the labels, lightly squeezed vegetables to test their freshness, and picked up fruit to smell it.
Genichi followed behind her, watching her busy figure, and a strange feeling rose in his chest.
This upperclassman was always so composed and in control inside the Occult Research Club. Yet here, she looked like an ordinary homemaker, carefully selecting ingredients for dinner.
"Genichi, is there anything you want to eat?"
Akeno looked back at him, holding a package of fresh shiitake mushrooms.
Genichi thought for a moment.
"Anything. As long as it doesn't taste bad, I can eat it."
Akeno looked at him and could not help laughing.
"Your standards really are simple."
She did not ask again, but the items in the shopping cart kept increasing.
Fresh vegetables, prepared fish, several packs of tofu, a bag of flour, a bottle of soy sauce, a container of miso…
Genichi looked at the ingredients and thought to himself that Akeno was probably a decent cook.
When they reached the checkout, Akeno took the items out of the cart one by one and placed them on the counter.
The cashier scanned them one after another, and the numbers on the display kept rising.
Then Akeno turned around and smiled sweetly at Genichi.
"Genichi, you can pay."
Genichi looked at her matter-of-fact face, then at the pile of groceries that had already been scanned. After a moment of silence, he took out his wallet and paid.
He did not want to make unnecessary trouble.
Akeno accepted the bagged groceries, and the smile on her face grew even brighter.
"Thank you, Genichi."
Genichi said nothing and simply followed her out of the supermarket.
The sun had already sunk below the horizon, leaving only a streak of dark red afterglow at the edge of the sky.
The lights along both sides of the street came on one after another, casting the small town's evening in a warm and quiet glow.
Akeno walked ahead of him, carrying the groceries with light steps.
Genichi followed behind her, watching her shadow stretch long under the streetlights, wondering what this upperclassman was really planning.
After roughly twenty minutes, Akeno stopped in front of a shrine.
It was a small shrine tucked deep inside a residential district.
The stone torii gate looked old, its surface covered in moss.
Dense trees lined both sides of the stone steps leading to the main hall, casting deep shadows in the dusk.
The shrine was very quiet. It did not seem to receive many visitors.
"We're here."
Akeno looked back at him.
"This is my home."
Genichi raised his head and looked at the torii gate, then at Akeno.
She stood below the stone steps, groceries in hand, wearing a faint smile.
The last light of sunset fell over her, coating her in a soft glow.
"Genichi, sit for a while. I'll go prepare dinner."
Genichi entered the living room beside the main hall and sat down on the tatami.
The room was not large, but it was very tidy.
Soft cushions were placed on the tatami, and an old bookshelf stood in the corner, holding several books that looked quite old.
A faint scent of incense lingered in the air, mixed with the distinct smell of old wooden architecture.
Akeno went to the kitchen. Before long, the sounds of vegetables being chopped and pots and dishes clinking together came from inside.
Genichi sat at the low table and listened to those sounds, gradually relaxing.
He looked around the room. His gaze fell on the books on the shelf. Most were about shrine management, while a few concerned onmyōjutsu.
Before long, the fragrance of miso soup drifted out from the kitchen.
Genichi smelled it, and his stomach betrayed him with a quiet growl.
He had barely eaten properly all day.
"Genichi, dinner is ready."
Akeno walked in with a tray. On it were two bowls of miso soup, a plate of grilled fish, a small dish of chilled tofu, and a bowl of white rice.
She placed the dishes on the table one by one, then sat down across from Genichi.
"Thank you for the meal."
Genichi picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of tofu into his mouth.
The taste was unexpectedly good. The tofu was smooth and tender, melting almost as soon as it touched his tongue.
He tried the miso soup next. The broth was rich, the ingredients generous, and he could taste the umami of shiitake mushrooms and kelp.
"It's good."
He meant it.
Akeno smiled, and there was a hint of satisfaction in that smile.
"Then eat more."
The two ate quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words. Most of the time, they simply remained silent.
But the silence was not awkward. Instead, it carried a rare sense of peace.
After finishing the last bite of rice, Genichi set down his chopsticks.
"Thank you for the meal. Now, Akeno, can we talk about the real reason you brought me here?"
Akeno was clearing the dishes. Hearing that, her movements paused slightly.
She raised her head and looked at Genichi, a teasing light flashing through her eyes.
"My, my. Genichi, you really can't wait."
Genichi said nothing and simply looked at her.
Akeno set down the dishes in her hands and stood.
"In that case, let's get straight to the point. Wait here for a moment."
She left the living room, her footsteps gradually fading away.
Genichi sat before the low table, looking at the closed door and guessing what she was trying to do.
A few minutes later, footsteps sounded again, drawing closer from the distance.
The door slid open.
Akeno stood in the doorway. She had changed out of her Kuoh Academy uniform and was now wearing a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit.
A white top. Red hakama. Her long hair was tied with a white ribbon, revealing the slender line of her neck.
She stood in the doorway, backlit, as if her entire body were wrapped in a faint halo.
Genichi looked at her without speaking.
Akeno walked in and stopped before him.
She lowered her head and looked at Genichi. The usual slyness and teasing were gone from her eyes, replaced by a seriousness he had never seen before.
"Genichi."
Her voice was very soft.
"Do you know what I truly am?"
Genichi remained silent.
Of course he knew.
Akeno Himejima was a hybrid of a human and a Fallen Angel.
Her mother had been a shrine maiden. Her father was a Fallen Angel.
Two bloodlines flowed through her, yet she could not fully belong to either side.
And now, she stood in front of him in a shrine maiden outfit, asking whether he knew her true self.
Genichi looked at her, and a complicated emotion stirred inside him.
This upperclassman was always smiling, always using that effortless composure to keep everyone in the palm of her hand.
But now, she stood before him, ready to show him the secret she had hidden for so many years.
"Akeno."
Genichi spoke in a calm voice.
"You don't need to prove anything to me."
Akeno froze slightly.
He stood up and faced her directly.
The two of them were close, close enough for him to see the brief flash of panic in her eyes.
"If you want to say it, I'll listen. If you don't want to say it, I won't ask. You don't need to test me like this."
Akeno looked at him. Something churned in her eyes.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, only to find that no sound came from her throat.
This boy was always like this.
He never pressed. He never forced. He simply stood there quietly and waited for her to decide for herself.
Genichi turned and walked toward the door.
"Genichi."
Akeno's voice came from behind him, very soft, with a faint tremor.
Genichi stopped.
"I want you to see."
Genichi turned around.
Akeno stood in the center of the room. Moonlight spilled in through the window, casting a silver glow over her.
She drew a slow breath, then adjusted her shrine maiden robe with trembling fingers, loosening it just enough to reveal the truth she had kept hidden beneath layers of ordinary life and practiced smiles.
The air in the room seemed to grow still.
Genichi did not move.
He simply stood there and watched as Akeno set aside her final layer of pretense.
Akeno closed her eyes.
Then, from behind her, something slowly unfolded.
(End of Chapter)
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