Chapter 101: A Gift for the Sage, A Question for the Princess
Leaving the Hakurei Shrine behind, Haruto made a beeline for Eientei.
He handled the twisting paths of the Forest of Magic with the casual ease of someone taking a stroll through their own backyard before stepping through the familiar gates of the sprawling estate. Instead of seeking out Kaguya first, however, he headed straight for the pharmacy to find Yagokoro Eirin.
"Sister Eirin," he called out, a cheerful grin on his face. "I brought you something that might pique your medical interest."
From the depths of a gap, Haruto produced the rewards from his last instance: three thick, leather-bound tomes. They were, quite clearly, the culmination of the Ghost Doctor's six hundred years of research.
'Studying this stuff myself would be a massive headache,'he thought.'Much better to just hand it over to Eirin and let her do the heavy lifting. Then I can just freeload off whatever discoveries she makes.' She was a master of medicine, after all; a gift so perfectly tailored to her profession was sure to be well-received.
"Medicine from another world?" A flicker of curiosity sparked in Yagokoro Eirin's eyes. She accepted the books, her long fingers tracing the strange binding of the topmost volume. Opening it, she began to flip through the pages, and with each one she turned, her initial curiosity deepened into genuine fascination.
The texts chronicled the obsessive journey of a doctor who sought to achieve godhood, a mad pursuit that involved studying the intricacies of both human and ghost to fuse them into a new form of divine life. The medical system recorded within was utterly unique, especially its insights into the nature of souls and curses. While riddled with loopholes and dangerous assumptions, it was undeniably a novel, if heretical, path of study.
"...This is indeed quite interesting." Eirin carefully closed the book and set the collection aside, her gaze softening as she looked back at Haruto. "I appreciate this gift. It happens to fill a few... gaps... in my own research. If you happen upon any more materials of this nature in the future, please bring me a copy."
Clearly in a good mood, she stood and walked over to a towering medicine cabinet, retrieving a small vial filled with a light gray potion from the second shelf.
"This is that Amplification Potion you asked me to make," she explained. "It can increase your physical statistics by two hundred percent. The side effect is a state of weakness that will manifest three days later, though it only lasts for two. If you rest properly during that time, there's a high probability the side effects won't appear at all."
"Thank you, Sister Eirin!" Haruto's eyes lit up. This was a pleasant surprise. He had only mentioned it in passing—a desire for a potion that could provide a short-term burst of power without an immediate, crippling backlash. He hadn't actually expected her to create it for him.
As Eirin handed the potion over, her gaze inadvertently drifted down to the ring on his left middle finger. Her entire body went rigid. In the theater of her mind, a crystal-clear image of Yakumo Yukari's insufferably smug face materialized, causing a vein to begin throbbing at her temple.
"Sister Eirin? Are you feeling alright?" Haruto asked, noticing her sudden stiffness. "If you're unwell, you should get some rest."
He reached into a gap and pulled out an exquisite little clay pot, placing it gently on the table before her. "This is some Winter Melon and Pork Rib Soup. It's good for clearing heat and driving away the summer sluggishness."
Eirin's expression darkened even further. The source of her foul mood was entirely his guardian, but she knew it was wrong to take it out on the junior. Her eyes flickered to the three priceless medical texts on her desk, and with a soft, resigned sigh, she waved a hand.
"I'm fine. Just a bit tired from my reading. The Princess is in her room; go on and play with her."
After Haruto had departed, Eirin let out another quiet sigh before lifting the lid from the clay pot. A refreshing aroma, a delicate blend of winter melon's subtle sweetness and the savory depth of pork ribs, wafted up to greet her.
She picked up the waiting spoon, scooped a small amount of the clear broth, and brought it to her lips. Her eyes narrowed slightly in appreciation. The soup was pure and mellow, not the least bit oily. The sweetness of the melon and the richness of the meat were balanced to perfection.
"Not bad," she murmured to herself.
...
Meanwhile, Haruto had arrived at the room at the far end of the right corridor. He hesitated for only a moment before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
To his surprise, Kaguya wasn't parked in front of her computer. Instead, she was lying on her bed, her beautiful black eyes staring blankly out the window.
'What's she doing?'he wondered.'Daydreaming? Does she have something on her mind?'
This was the first time he'd ever seen Kaguya lying around doing absolutely nothing. Could it be that the ring incident had her so flustered she was still thinking about it, trying to imagine his reaction? He felt it was highly probable, but he couldn't just ask her directly. Whether it was true or not, he'd almost certainly be branded a clueless idiot for even bringing it up.
As if sensing the door had opened, Kaguya turned her head slightly. The moment her eyes landed on Haruto, her delicate body gave an involuntary tremble, and she hugged her pillow a little tighter.
"Haruto, what are you doing here?" she asked, quickly arranging her features into a flat, lazy expression.
Before he could answer, she seemed to think of something, and her eyes curved into a sly smile. "You couldn't have missed me already, could you? We've been apart for less than a day."
"You're overthinking it," Haruto deadpanned, refusing to take the bait. "I'm here to get my fishing rod."
Kaguya's voice was faint. "Even though you're in my bedroom, and a great beauty such as myself is lying on the bed, all you can think about is that broken old fishing rod of yours."
Haruto ignored her, his eyes scanning the room. He spotted his fishing rod peeking out of a cardboard box full of junk in the corner and promptly stored it in his gap.
Then... an awkward silence descended upon them.
After a moment, Haruto broke it. "So, what was that all about earlier? Why did you suddenly give me a ring?"
Kaguya's expression froze. She tilted her head. "Didn't I tell you? I saw you didn't have any accessories, so I gave you one."
A look of pure exasperation bloomed on Haruto's face. He knew she would say that. "Then why did you make me wear it on my left middle finger?"
"Hmm?" Kaguya immediately put on an innocent, wide-eyed look, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
'Just as I expected!'he thought.'Trying to play cute to get away with it!'
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had predicted. With a sharp thwack, Haruto slammed his palm down on the bed right beside her. Kaguya flinched and sat bolt upright. The next moment, his hands were on her shoulders.
His gaze was deadly serious as he went all-in.
"You don't happen to like me, do you?"
"..."
Her shoulders were held fast, preventing her from turning away. Kaguya could only stare back, her eyes wide with an expression of pure disbelief.
"Huh? I... like you? Although, if you—"
Before she could finish her flustered sentence, Haruto had already slipped a translucent ring onto her left middle finger. For a split second, she panicked, thinking he was angry and returning her gift. But a second glance revealed that he was still wearing the original one on his own hand.
He had specifically given her a ring. It was the same style, on the same finger, and he had even put it on for her personally.
Kaguya's mind went completely blank, a fierce blush spreading across her cheeks. She could already imagine the utterly shocked expression on that turkey Mokou's face when she saw this.
Haruto, however, said nothing more. He simply stood up and headed for the door.
Kaguya was stunned for a moment before she snapped back to reality. She scrambled to grab him before he could leave, slamming the door shut with a loud boom.
"What do you want?"
Before Kaguya could begin her interrogation, Haruto threw up his hands to protect his chest, taking two wary steps back as if terrified by her predatory glare.
"I sell my skills, not my body," he declared. "Even though we're bros, I still have to maintain my bottom line." He paused, then added with a thoughtful look, "Unless you're willing to pay extra."
Those two short sentences successfully choked the words right back down Kaguya's throat. A tiny version of herself in her mind was frantically tearing its hair out, screaming, "Damn it, damn it, damn it all!"
After struggling to compose herself for a long moment, she finally managed to ask, "What was that just now? Why did you suddenly give me a ring, too?"
"A return gift," Haruto said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "As a fine young man of Gensokyo with proper values and conduct, if you give me a gift, I am of course obligated to give one in return."
The familiar, self-righteous phrasing left Kaguya momentarily speechless, but she pressed on, unwilling to let it go. "Then... then why is it the same style of ring? And why did you have to put it on my left middle finger?"
"There just happened to be an identical one at home. As for wearing it on the left middle finger—" Haruto's gaze was clear, his voice a perfect mirror of her earlier feigned innocence as he delivered the counterattack. "Doesn't it symbolize eternal friendship?"
His look said it all: You were the one who put it on my hand like that first.
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