Chapter 130: Are You Two Eloping?
After bidding farewell to Komachi, Haruto didn't send Youmu back to Hakugyokurou. Instead, he opened a gap and led her directly to the Outside World.
"Haruto-sama, where are we going?" Youmu asked, her hand still clutching the hilt of her sword out of habit.
"Home."
Hearing that single word, Youmu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She had accompanied Lady Yuyuko to the Yakumo Residence several times before; all she needed to do was conduct herself as she always did.
However, the moment they stepped through the threshold of the Yakumo estate, a lazy, teasing voice drifted from the hallway.
"Oh my, oh my~ Little Haruto has certainly grown up, hasn't he? Bringing little Youmu home already?"
Yakumo Yukari was leaning against the wall, having appeared there at some unknown moment. Her violet eyes narrowed into playful crescents as she looked the two of them over, a beaming smile gracing her lips.
Youmu jolted, her cheeks instantly flushing a lovely shade of crimson. She shook her head frantically, trying to explain.
"Lady—Lady Yukari! It's not like that, I'm just..."
Before she could finish her flustered denial, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into a firm embrace. The boy's fresh, clean scent, mingled with the faint aroma of grapes from his clothes, enveloped her completely.
Youmu's face burned even hotter, the blush spreading down to her ears and the nape of her neck.
"None of your business."
Holding Youmu securely, Haruto shot his sister a sidelong glance and gave a light snort. Without another word, he pulled the half-ghost girl along, heading straight for his room.
Seeing his clear reluctance to chat, Yakumo Yukari shrugged at Yakumo Ran, who stood silently nearby, an expression of pure innocence on her face.
"I didn't do anything at all."
Yakumo Ran offered a weak response. "Haruto-sama... is probably still remembering you beating him up earlier today."
Yukari rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"And can I be blamed for that? I thought the boy was finally coming to confess his feelings to me, but no! He holds my beautiful little face in his hands, and the first thing out of his mouth is a challenge to a duel! Ran, you tell me, how much psychological damage does that do to a seventeen-year-old beautiful girl?"
The corners of Yakumo Ran's lips twitched. She wisely chose not to respond to that question and, murmuring an excuse, quickly took her leave.
In truth, however, they were both mistaken.
Haruto wasn't in a hurry to get away from his sister because he was sulking. He was desperate to figure out how to use the 'Ghost Hand Card' he had just obtained to pull people into the game instance.
The moment he closed his bedroom door behind him, Haruto began rummaging through everything. He dragged three large suitcases out of a gap and started frantically stuffing things into them.
Although Youmu had been to the Yakumo Residence a few times, this was her first time stepping into Haruto's private room. She couldn't help but look around with a touch of curiosity.
It was clean and tidy—immaculately so. This was far beyond her expectations.
She had originally thought that, given Haruto-sama's personality, his room might be more like Lady Yuyuko's… informal and perpetually cluttered. She hadn't expected it to be so orderly.
Seeing Haruto's frenzied packing, looking as if he were trying to cram half the room into his luggage, Youmu tilted her head in confusion but stepped forward to help. She carefully folded a few scattered pieces of clothing and handed them to him.
"Haruto-sama, do you need me to help organize these?" she asked, pointing to a sealed box Haruto had just pulled out from under his bed.
"Oh, sure. Thanks, Youmu." Haruto glanced at it, and seeing that it was already taped shut, he didn't give it a second thought.
While the two were busy organizing, Youmu picked up a folded, thin quilt to place in another box. At the same time, Haruto lifted a heavy suitcase, intending to toss it into a waiting gap. Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.
It was Yakumo Yukari.
She had just popped over to see if the two youngsters were secretly up to anything outrageous.
What met her eyes, however, was a scene that looked exactly like two people preparing to move out. The final, damning piece of evidence was Youmu, who was holding a quilt that was clearly one Haruto used often.
The playful smile on Yakumo Yukari's face froze instantly. Her eyelid twitched, once, then again, uncontrollably.
"Are you two eloping?"
Youmu's hands shook in fright, and she nearly dropped the quilt. Her entire face turned a shade of red so deep it could rival a tomato.
"Lady—Lady Yukari! Please don't talk nonsense! I—I'm just helping... helping..."
Youmu wanted to defend herself, but for a moment, she didn't know how. Looking at the scene from an outsider's perspective, it really did look exactly like that.
Haruto stared at his over-imaginative sister at the door with a completely speechless expression.
"Elope my fuzzy ball! You already know about my Secret Cabin; I'm just moving some things over there."
Regarding the Secret Cabin, it had long ceased to be a secret to the peeping Youkai Sage. Of course, Haruto had never intended to hide it from Yakumo Yukari from the very beginning. The reason it was called a 'Secret Cabin' was simply because its location in the Sunflower Field was exceptionally quiet, and more, it was one of the few places that was difficult for Yukari to spy on.
Yukari looked skeptical but silently closed the door.
Just as Youmu breathed a sigh of relief, the door was pulled open again with a soft whoosh. Yukari poked her head back in, gave the two of them a deeply meaningful look, and then slowly withdrew again.
Youmu shuddered in fright once more.
Haruto was also startled; the woman was as unpredictable as a damn ghost.
After stuffing everything he could into the suitcases and tossing the rest into a series of gaps, Haruto left the Yakumo Residence with Youmu in tow.
This time, the two didn't use gaps for travel. Instead, they dragged their luggage along the winding path, walking at a leisurely pace.
Youmu didn't know where Haruto's Secret Cabin was. Aside from her monthly shopping trips to the Human Village, occasional visits to the Yakumo Residence, or attending banquets, she rarely had a chance to go out.
Along the way, Youmu looked left and right, her youthful face filled with curiosity as she watched the Kedama and other small youkai that popped out from the roadside from time to time. Usually, her days were consumed by either practicing her swordsmanship or finding ways to earn money to support Lady Yuyuko. This was the first time she had ever taken such a relaxed stroll through Gensokyo.
"Are these Kedama?" Youmu asked curiously. She had heard of them but was seeing the fluffy, bouncing creatures for the first time.
Haruto nodded. "They taste pretty good. I've had them a few times when I went to Marisa's place for a meal. The texture is a bit like steak, but not as firm—it's more delicate, juicy, and the meat is plump."
At the thought, he suddenly found himself missing the flavor. Despite their fluffy appearance and being born from raw youki, they actually didn't taste bad at all. Besides, Kedama operated on pure instinct and possessed no real intelligence.
"How about we..."
Haruto was just about to suggest having Kedama for dinner tonight, but when he turned his head, he saw that Youmu was already sheathing her sword. A freshly slain furball lay at her feet, wisps of youki still dissipating from the clean wound.
"Haruto-sama, let's eat this later," she suggested, her eyes bright with expectation.
Haruto's eyelid twitched. He had just been worried that Youmu might find the Kedama too cute and wouldn't be able to bear the thought of eating it.
Clearly, he had overthought things.
After walking a bit further, Youmu finally couldn't contain her curiosity any longer.
"Haruto-sama, where exactly is your Secret Cabin built?"
Haruto stopped in his tracks. Standing on a gentle hillside, he simply pointed towards a spot not far away.
Youmu followed his finger and turned her gaze.
What met her eyes was a nearly boundless sea of golden flowers.
Brilliant sunlight fell upon every single petal, and as a warm breeze blew, the entire field of flowers instantly became a flowing ocean of gold, with layer upon layer of gilded waves rising and falling in a stunning display.
Looking at the sea of flowers before her, Youmu's scalp tingled. She instantly recognized where they were.
Although she had never been to the Sunflower Field herself, its massive scale and the terrifying, oppressive youki it contained were legendary. The only place she could think of was the domain of the Flower Master of the Four Seasons.
So... Haruto-sama's Secret Cabin is in the Sunflower Field?
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