Chapter 103: A Stroll Through the Human Village with Kaguya
The sunset bled across the sky in hues of warm orange and red, its light filtering through scattered clouds to paint the town in liquid gold.
This was the Human Village, the sanctuary for mortals within Gensokyo. Here, under the watchful protection of Fujiwara no Mokou and Kamishirasawa Keine, humans and youkai managed a fragile, yet peaceful, coexistence.
School had just been dismissed at the terakoya, and a gaggle of children burst through the doors, their laughter echoing down the street. Inside the quieted private school, Kamishirasawa Keine sat at her lectern. After neatly stacking her teaching materials, she looked up and spotted Haruto standing in the doorway. A welcoming smile formed on her lips, but it froze when she noticed the elegant figure following just behind him.
"Kaguya?" Keine's eyes widened in surprise. "You're here as well? It's quite a rare sight to see you in the Human Village."
After all, it was always Fujiwara no Mokou who made the trip to Eientei to seek her out. Aside from the few times she had visited the bamboo forest mansion herself, Keine had almost never seen the Lunarian princess venture out.
"It is not," Kaguya muttered, a hint of discontent in her voice. "I have been out on occasion. I have visited the Human Village several times, thank you very much."
"My apologies, my apologies," Keine said, covering her mouth with a hand to stifle a gentle laugh. She spoke as if soothing a pouting child, her tone soft and placating. "You're right, Kaguya, you have come before. It must have slipped my mind." She tilted her head. "Are you two here to see Mokou?"
Haruto nodded.
Keine glanced at the clock on the wall. "School let out a bit early today," she explained with a touch of apology. "Mokou usually arrives in about half an hour. Why don't you wait here for a bit? Or," she suggested, her eyes brightening, "perhaps you could take Kaguya for a stroll around the village, Haruto."
Haruto considered it for a moment before deciding on the latter. "We'll take a walk nearby, then. If Mokou gets back and we're not here, don't wait up for us."
A thought seemed to strike Keine, and her expression grew even more animated. "In that case, how about coming over for dinner tonight? It's been a while since you've visited, Haruto. And it would be a wonderful chance for Kaguya to try my cooking."
"Wouldn't that be too much of an imposition..." Kaguya began, still a little hesitant.
"Sure," Haruto agreed instantly, cutting her off.
During his early days in the Human Village, he had been closest with Mokou and Keine, often tagging along with Mokou to her home for a free meal. He grinned and gave Kaguya's shoulder a friendly pat. "What imposition? It's not like we're strangers. No need to be so formal. Besides, Keine's cooking is incredible. I'll make sure you have a few extra bowls later."
Keine nodded in agreement, her smile warm. "Please, don't be so polite."
Hearing this, Kaguya finally relented with a small nod. "Then... I shall be in your care tonight, Keine."
After leaving the terakoya, they were immediately swept up in the evening bustle. The two strolled along the dirt paths, weaving through a lively crowd of humans and youkai. Vendors hawked their wares from colorful stalls, their calls mixing with the chatter of passersby to create a vibrant atmosphere.
"Come on, I'll treat you to some super cotton candy!" Haruto's eyes lit up as he spotted a particular cart by the roadside, just as the owner was preparing to close up for the day. He grabbed Kaguya's hand and pulled her toward it.
"Old Man Deng, the usual!" he called out.
"Young Bai! Long time no see. It's been nearly half a month since you last came by," the cotton candy maker, a cheerful middle-aged man, greeted him. His gaze fell upon the princess at Haruto's side, and he immediately shot Haruto a conspiratorial thumbs-up.
"The first time I saw you, Young Bai, I knew you were no ordinary fellow. Look at you! It hasn't been long at all, and you're already out and about with such a heavenly beauty. She must be a little princess from some noble family, right? So lovely, and a perfect match for you, Young Bai."
Though the man didn't recognize Kaguya by name, he had certainly never seen a girl so breathtakingly beautiful in the Human Village. The innate nobility and refined grace she exuded were impossible to fake.
"Haven't you heard? The hero always reveals his true power later in the story. It's perfectly normal to start out a little weak," Haruto said, spreading his hands in a gesture of feigned helplessness, completely sidestepping the latter half of the man's comment.
Kaguya, for her part, maintained a placid expression, but the corners of her lips curled upward almost imperceptibly. She was clearly in a good mood. Both of them chose to pointedly ignore the part about them being a "perfect match."
The stall owner set to work, his hands a blur of motion. Yet, after a considerable amount of time, the cotton candy was still not done.
Kaguya grew a little puzzled. "Does it truly take this long? It is only two servings of cotton candy, is it not?"
In her experience, a simple cone of spun sugar took a mere dozen seconds to make. Even the more complex designs took a minute or two at most. The production area of the cart was shielded by semi-transparent frosted glass, revealing only blurry shadows from the outside. Through the haze, she could see the colors of the sugar growing increasingly vibrant and its volume expanding dramatically.
"My apologies, my apologies!" the stall owner called out with a laugh. "It's just that the Super Invincible Supreme Edition that Young Bai ordered is a real challenge to make, so it takes a little longer."
'Super Invincible Supreme Edition?'
Kaguya couldn't help but raise a delicate eyebrow. She had seen cotton candy before, but what in the world was a "Super Invincible Supreme Edition"? Could spun sugar really be crafted into something so fancy?
A moment later—
"Here you are, you two! Your Super Invincible Supreme Edition cotton candy is ready."
The instant the stall owner handed over the finished products, Kaguya immediately retracted her earlier skepticism. Her eyes went wide.
'Is this… really cotton candy?'
Before them were two impossibly lifelike Transformers, constructed entirely from spun sugar. The edges were sharp, the details were immaculate, and the sugar seemed to have been deliberately compacted for structural integrity. Each one stood a full half-meter tall.
"Incredible," Kaguya finally breathed out after a long, stunned silence.
"Of course! Haven't you heard the saying about the Great Hakurei Barrier? It's a sieve! Any ordinary folk without a single strange element to their name can't get in!" Haruto declared proudly, already licking his own sugary creation.
Kaguya's eyelid twitched. 'Does the Great Barrier of Gensokyo really have such a saying?'
The stall owner laughed heartily. "Don't listen to Young Bai's nonsense," he explained, his tone laced with gratitude. "When I first arrived here, I only knew how to make regular old cotton candy. He was the one who taught me all these new styles."
"What teaching? I just threw out a few suggestions," Haruto said dismissively. "Told you to try making some Kedama or other youkai, you know, things with more complex shapes."
"And I still have you to thank for it. This time, it's on me. My treat for the both of you," the stall owner insisted, waving his hand cheerfully.
Haruto was more than happy to accept, especially since he'd just realized he didn't have a single copper coin on him; he'd given all his remaining pocket money to Reimu.
After a few more pleasantries, Haruto and Kaguya took their leave.
Kaguya followed a step behind him, curiously turning the bamboo skewer in her hand. The Bumblebee figure, spun from golden sugar, sparkled in the light of the setting sun, looking astonishingly real.
"If you don't eat it, it'll melt," Haruto pointed out.
"This concubine is a bit reluctant," she admitted. "This cotton candy is made too beautifully."
The words had barely left her mouth when Haruto leaned over and, like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey, took a massive bite of her confection, chomping Bumblebee's head clean off.
"If you won't eat it, I will," he said, smacking his lips. "Mm, mango flavor. Not bad."
Kaguya froze for a second, stunned, before shouting in a fit of pique, "Eat your own! What is the point of stealing this concubine's!"
Without waiting for a response, she swiftly leaned forward and took a large bite out of the Optimus Prime in Haruto's hand, sinking her teeth into the exact spot he had just licked.
The sweetness melted on her tongue, and her eyes immediately lit up. "Not bad at all."
"Of course," he said with a smug grin. "Look who recommended it."
They continued their walk. During his first two years in Gensokyo, Haruto had spent most of his time in the Human Village. He was intimately familiar with its people and its hidden gems. He dragged Kaguya to eat oden from a street-side stall, pulled her into a crowd to watch a lively street performance, and led her through the most bustling, vibrant alleyways he knew, sharing a world she had rarely seen.
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