“Hey, what did you do while I was sleeping?”
“Huh?”
Margaret spoke to Kent after they left the shop. Her face was unclear in the dark night road, but he assumed she was smirking. Rachel walked a little ahead, happily twirling around, perhaps to sober up. Therefore, this conversation was between the two of them.
“It’s about Lookmii. The way you treated Kent before and after I fell asleep in the shop was completely different. It was like… yes, the eyes of a predator.”
“Could it be that she was trying to eat me? Do shop fairies eat people?”
“They don’t eat people!”
When Kent replied jokingly, Margaret shot back with a clear retort as if manga impact lines had appeared.
“…I’d like to say that, but I wonder? Basically, they can live as long as the shop remains, even without eating anything, but like Emily, some of them eat for pleasure. So, there might be some who eat like that.”
Margaret said to Kent in a lowered tone.
“Eat what?”
Rachel suddenly turned around and joined the conversation, facing Kent.
“Hey, sister. That way of speaking sounds lewd.”
“That’s just you overthinking it, older brother. What are you comparing what to what? Huh? Lewd?”
“Hearing that line makes me want to eat an an-kake fried rice, even though I’m full.”
“An-kake fried rice?”
“Your conversation is on such a high level that I can’t understand it.”
Margaret said, astonished, having overheard Kent and Rachel’s exchange.
“Speaking of shop fairies’ meals, I remembered, did Mike…” No, never mind.”
Rachel was about to say something but suddenly her face turned red, even in the dim light of the night road. She embarrassed, covered her chest with both hands.
“If the magic power of a contracted fairy runs out, their very existence disappears. If they ask for something to replenish their magic power, don’t refuse. If that method isn’t acceptable, there are other alternatives, so consult me or Catherine.”
“I will. Thank you for worrying about me, Auntie.”
Margaret, sensing something, gave her advice. Rachel seemed to calm down a little after hearing it.
“However, Kent, you had a slight incident before, but I’ll warn you again as a reminder. If a fairy contracted to someone else approaches you wanting your magic power, absolutely do not share it. If you share it in this state, it will create great resistance, causing you to waste magic power, and very little will enter the fairy. They become unable to move when their magic power depletes, so both of you be careful.”
“Okay.”
“I understand.”
Rachel and Kent responded to Margaret’s warning.
“Especially you, Kent, be careful.”
Finally, Margaret emphasized to Kent. She probably had a hunch about most of it due to Lookmii’s change in attitude.
“Well then, I guess this is where I part ways. A lot happened today, but in the end, it was fun. …Sigh, my schedule is packed with official duties from tomorrow until the New Year, so this is the last time I can go out for fun this year. Kent, Rachel, let’s meet again after the New Year.”
“The Queen’s job must be tough.”
“I plan to relax, but Auntie, you have a tough job. Good luck.”
“Well, I should be grateful just to be able to come out and play like this. I’ll do my best to fulfill my duties.”
They walked while chatting, and when they reached the main street, Margaret said with a disappointed expression. Once they were on the main street, there were streetlights, and she could see their faces.
“Well then, see you again. Happy New Year to both of you.”
“Happy New Year.”
Kent and Rachel waved goodbye to Margaret and watched her go. She disappeared into the crowd.
“She’s gone.”
“Yeah.”
Margaret had done most of the talking along the way, so the sudden silence returned between them.
“Ah, that’s right. Big brother, you were going to buy me something, right?”
“Now that you mention it, I do recall saying something like that…”
Kent remembered the promise after Rachel mentioned it.
“Then let’s go to a shop right away!”
“Whoa, hey, don’t drag me.”
Pulled by Rachel, Kent began looking around shops to buy her a present.
“Ugh, this one’s closed too.”
“A lot of the shops are closed at this hour.”
They walked around town looking for a good shop, but due to the late hour, only a few restaurants were open, and most other shops had closed for business. As a result, Rachel’s present had still not been obtained.
“Hmm? Wait a minute. Come to think of it… Before that area, I think there was a shop that handled accessories.”
Kent recalled an area where many shops were still open at this hour.
“Big brother, do you know of a shop? Then let’s go there. Lead the way. Hurry, hurry.”
Although there was a slight problem bringing Rachel to that area, he thought he could manage since the shop was before it, and Kent led her there.
“Whoa, big brother, what are you planning to do by bringing me here???”
As they reached the area where the shop they were looking for was located, Rachel spoke to him with an obviously flustered expression. The area Kent had brought her to was the red-light district. Even at this hour, there were people, and most of the shops were open. However, most of these were establishments that provided sexual services for men.
“No, that’s not my intention for bringing you here. Ah, found it. This is the shop.”
The shop was located at the border between the red-light district and the normal commercial area. It was a shop that dealt in accessories, and there was demand from customers buying gifts for women working in the red-light district, so it was open at this hour.
“This place is adjacent to the red-light district, but it’s a normal commercial area, so it’s a regular shop. …Probably.”
“Oh, big brother, you said ‘probably.’ Still, there aren’t many other shops open, so let’s go in.”
Rachel resigned herself and, pulling Kent’s hand, entered the shop.
“Welcome. Oh, it’s unusual for a normal couple to visit this shop. Please take your time looking around.”
As they entered the shop, a man who seemed to be the shopkeeper spoke to them. There were a few other customers inside, but they were mostly men who had come alone. As the shopkeeper said, Kent and Rachel were the only mixed-gender pair in the shop.
“We look like a couple! Hehehe.”
“Whoa, don’t lean on me like that.”
Happy to be mistaken for a couple, Rachel linked her arm with Kent’s and leaned her body against him.
“It’s fine, it doesn’t cost you anything. You wouldn’t mind having a cute girl like this clinging to your arm, would you, big brother?”
Although she smelled a little of alcohol, a sweet, feminine scent emanated from Rachel.
(No, no, she’s my sister. …But she’s soft.)
Kent wrestled with himself, fighting the temptation emanating from Rachel.
“Big brother, how about this one?”
“It suits you.”
“How about this one?”
“It suits you.”
“Big brother, are you even looking? You’ve been giving the same comment for a while now.”
It seemed his responses to Rachel had become perfunctory because he was fully focused on resisting temptation.
“Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”
“Because I was so attractive?”
“D-Don’t say silly things.”
“Waaaaah, big brother is blushing. For a naughty boy like you, this is what happens. Hya!”
“You hit me, you hit me!”
“I’m hitting you!”
Rachel, perhaps a little drunk, was acting a bit boldly. She changed the angle of her arm and pressed Kent’s arm against her chest. The soft sensation was transmitted to Kent’s arm.
“Customers, please refrain from making out in the store. It’s disturbing to other customers.”
“S-Sorry.”
Chided by the shopkeeper, Rachel hastily withdrew her arm. Looking around, she saw that the other male customers were sending murderous glares at Kent.
“Tch, happy couples.”
“They don’t know how we feel… Explode!”
Feeling the jealous gazes, they couldn’t leave as there were no other shops. It seemed the best course of action was to quickly decide on a present for Rachel and leave.
“Big brother, I want this one.”
“This is a ring, isn’t it?”
What Rachel chose was a ring. She had already selected one that seemed to be her size. The price wasn’t as high as she had expected.
“Alright. Excuse me, I’ll take this.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
Kent paid the shopkeeper for the ring.
“Then, big brother, I want you to put it on my finger.”
“Well, it’s hard to put on by yourself. Alright. Stick out your finger.”
“Here.”
“Huh?”
What was presented before Kent was the ring finger of her left hand.
“It’s not like the customs you’re thinking of in this world. It’s just that this is the only finger where a ring of this size fits!”
“Is that so? Then I’ll put it on.”
Kent believed Rachel’s words and slipped the ring onto her left ring finger.
“Thank you. Big brother.”
Rachel looked very happy. Seeing her smile, Kent felt glad he had bought her a present.
“Christmas is over.”
“Yeah. Well, I didn’t really feel it being here.”
Emerging from the shop, Kent and Rachel walked home holding hands. The time had already passed midnight. Thinking about work the next day made him feel a little down, but he rarely went out at this hour, so he wanted to cherish their time together. Even at night, there were streetlights, and as they moved away from the brightly lit commercial district towards the suburbs where Kent and Rachel lived, the number of lights decreased, and as people were asleep, their houses were dark, enshrouded in darkness.
“But, big brother, even though a few unpleasant customers came today, I had fun.”
“Yeah. A lot happened, so it wasn’t a boring day. You usually would have been finishing up costume making after Christmas.”
Kent recalled his previous world and spoke with a faraway look. In his previous world, after Christmas, he would have been rushed with the production of cosplay costumes for a large doujinshi sale event held at the end of the year. Kent, unfortunately, had also been forced to help from morning till night on days he didn’t have work, which was now a bitter memory.
“I see, it’s already that time of year. There’s nothing I can do about it now, but it’s a shame I can’t participate in the event.”
Although her expression didn’t change in the darkness, Rachel’s disappointment at not being able to participate in the event, which had been half her reason for living, was palpable, and Kent’s heart ached.
“Thank you for today, big brother. I’ll treasure this. Good night.”
“Yeah, you have work early tomorrow, so be careful not to oversleep. Good night.”
Arriving in front of their house, Kent parted ways with Rachel. At the farewell, Rachel waved her left hand energetically and then went around to the back entrance of the shop.
“I’m home.”
“Mm, welcome back.”
“Huh? Hanako is still awake?”
Kent gently opened the front door, expecting everyone to be asleep. But his prediction was wrong, and Hanako greeted him. She toddled over to Kent and hugged him.
“Mmm, I want some magic power replenishment.”
Kent knew Hanako had been working hard on various things, so he decided to grant her wish.
