102 Hot Spring Male Travel

Though he was somewhat taken aback by the astonishing fact that, in a world that seemed so ordinary at first glance, many tiny worlds that belonged to completely different systems could somehow coexist and blend together in harmony—and by the staggering number of such worlds, each with its own wildly distinct and intricate nature—Koma, astonishingly self-restrained, made no remarkable display of surprise in the middle of the street.

After standing still and discreetly surveying the café for a moment, he saw that the atmosphere between Natsume, Natori Shuuichi, and Tōga Ren was entirely calm and amicable. With his nerves steadied, the fox spirit soon resumed his original plan and, carrying Mokana and the two little snow-rabbits, walked toward the town market to shop.

There were Mokana’s favorite snacks, a cocoa powder from a brand Koma had recently taken a liking to, a new cleanser Xuan and Cui wanted, and four seasonal outfits Koma had selected for the two shikigami.

His arms and hands held six large shopping bags to the brim. Without his Sora-bite-grass storage space, the mere task of bringing these things home would have been a headache. He had the strength, of course—but carrying home so many items, some of them women’s clothes that anyone but Koma would find utterly impractical, is never easy to explain if people see it.

“Master Koma, really, you truly don’t need to spend so much.”

Xuan, resting on Koma’s shoulder as he slipped the last large bag into the storage space, spoke softly. She looked even clearer and more translucent than she had when she first became a shikigami. She gave a small, unconscious ear-shake, then shuffled up to rub her cheek against his.

That intimate little gesture drew a low, soft laugh from the fox.

“It’s not extravagant at all. With Xuan and Cui looking this good, how could they spend all day in that one shapeshifted kimono?”

—said Koma, then rubbing the two rabbits’ cool little heads, which were chill-cold yet never cold to the touch.

The fox’s smile was so gentle and intoxicating that both little rabbits could not help blushing, each of them silently thinking the same thought: he himself was the one who looked best.

The picture of both snow-rabbits, faces flushed, obediently tucking in at the shoulders of the youth was so lovely, so dazzling, that even in the sharp winter wind, many people unconsciously slowed, some even stopped outright, their eyes repeatedly drawn back to them.

The fox spirit’s beauty needed no proof. As for Xuan and Cui, in recent days they had stayed by his side constantly, were continuously nourished by the altered spiritual force mixed with their altered yōkai power, and their refined new bodies had nourished and soothed their souls. By then, all prior wounds they had suffered had already healed. Their snow-white forms had become ever more crystalline and luminous, and with long green ears and ruby eyes flashing with a strange light...

—like exquisite craftsmanship itself, impossible not to admire.

With the three together they were like a giant beacon. It was hard not to be noticed.

Conscious of this, Koma did not even wait for the pedestrians to fully react; he hurriedly slipped away with the trio. It was fortunate that Mokana’s look was so unusual and adorable that he never forgot to place an invisibility barrier over her whenever they went out. Otherwise—

The image of his three little cuties being swallowed up by a crowd of onlookers rose in his mind, and Koma shivered.

***
From the town center, the crowd gradually thinned, and Koma’s pace slowed to match it.

Carrying Mokana in his arms and with Xuan and Cui draped over his shoulders, the four-person household returned home at an unhurried rhythm.

Turning the last corner, home almost in sight, Koma took a key from his pocket and, while still talking gently to Xuan, was startled by a sudden cry from Cui on his other shoulder.

“Who are you? What do you intend to do to Master Natsume?”

At once Koma turned. Not far ahead, Natsume was pinned by a tangle of paper creatures, sprawled against a handsome young man with short, light-brown hair.

“Ah… this is—”

Before the man could answer the accusation, it was the immobilized Natsume, who had no room to move, who spoke first.

“It’s a misunderstanding, Cui.”

Cui had always been a little quick-tempered since her past as a malevolent spirit, and Natsume’s speech came fast, as if fearing she might once again lunge at the man behind her.

“This is Mr. Natori Shuuichi, a friend of mine. He wanted me to ask you for help and told me to bring him back here while waiting for you. On the way, I got into a little trouble—there were yōkai trying to attack me, and it was Mr. Natori who drove them off.”

“As for how things are like this now…” Natsume’s cheeks reddened. “That was just my own clumsiness and terrible timing! It wasn’t Mr. Natori trying to attack me…”

Cui’s icy blue eyes watched him for a while, then turned away with a hint of reluctance and said nothing further.

Koma, who had been quietly watching Natori and Tōga Ren (or, more precisely, the pair’s reaction) all along, saw no sharp surprise or hostility in them. When Natsume finally broke free of the paper fetters, he nodded and said:

“I understand. Come inside and say what you need to. The temperature out here is no place for a proper conversation.”

So Natsume had brought him here himself...
It seemed this Natori truly held an unusual weight in the boy’s heart.

Koma lowered his eyes and quietly concealed a fleeting look—an unmistakably lively one.

***
“So that’s the situation. Natsume told me you are a very strong spiritual practitioner, so he dared to ask me to bring us to you, and I hope you won’t blame him for that.”

Seated around the warm fireplace on soft sofas, with tea and snacks brought by Xuan and Cui, Natori explained why he had come seeking Koma’s help.

Koma did not answer at once.
Of course, he was not trying to tease Natori for sport.
Yet what he had known in outline, though already somewhat fuzzy, came from the original story, and there were simply too many discrepancies.

First, Natori had indeed come to invite Natsume on an onsen trip.
And although it had become a week-long holiday instead of the original two-day-and-one-night excursion, this time Natori had also not told Natsume that he was going to use the trip to check on the intentions of a certain monster sealed near that inn.

Moreover, traveling with them would be Natori’s industry friend—the so-called “shadow-actor titan” Tōga Ren—and his “junior,” Kiyoko Motou.

They, too, were the reason Natori came to ask Natsume for help in the first place, and why help eventually reached Koma through Natsume.

“Ms. Kiyoko has been beset by some personal issue and seems to have been entangled with a resentful spirit. Minor mishaps and small injuries in her work have become routine. During a recent recording program, she almost lost her life because of it.”

When the black-haired handsome man spoke this—at Natori’s signal—his expression and tone were outwardly calm, yet both Koma and Natsume immediately caught, for just an instant, a trace of startled fear behind that calm.

Koma figured this was likely the greatest reason Natsume had brought them. This soft-hearted child has always found it impossible to stand aside idly when he could help someone in need.

“I definitely will not blame Natsume.”
Under Natori’s oddly provocative, almost testing gaze, it seemed as if he understood at once. Koma smiled, then playfully ruffled Natsume’s soft chestnut hair.

“After all… we are such good friends, after all.”

Then, without giving Natori any time to react, Koma gently let go of Natsume’s hand, smiled, and stood.

“Besides,” he said, “I haven’t had a good soak in a long while. So, this time, let me thank Mr. Natori and Mr. Ren in advance for their kindness.”

Natori’s handsome face suddenly tightened for a moment.

“No, it is we who should thank you, Koma. I’m grateful you chose to lend a hand.”

A smile curved his mouth—one so bright it made Natsume’s face go tense—and he too stood, giving Koma a slight bow.

The two men’s gazes met hard in the air. Whether it was a mere illusion or not, Natsume felt a faint whiff of gunpowder in the room.

“Mr. Natori… Koma…?”

Natsume blinked, wondering why he felt there was something amiss between his two friends.

As for Tōga Ren, one of the petitioners who should have spoken up, he remained perfectly composed, lounging back on the sofa and smiling as if watching a play, then lifted his teacup and took a careful sip.

“Mm—this black tea is very well brewed.”

And so, in that seemingly idyllic atmosphere, the whole party set out the next day for the hot-spring resort already reserved by Natori and Tōga Ren.

*****
While traveling, they changed trains and buses several times. When the four humans and four familiars got off for the final time and prepared to walk to the mountain inn, it was close to noon.

Cat Teacher, full of energy, led the way with a made-up little song about “onsen boiled eggs” and “onsen buns,” humming happily. Koma carried Mokana and balanced Xuan and Cui on his shoulders while Natsume, Natori, and the others followed at a gentle pace.

The sky was bright, and from the mountain road the surroundings unfolded in lush forests and layered ridges of hills.

The transfers had been tiring, but the fresh mountain air and grand scenery kept everyone in good spirits.

“Earlier I mentioned Ms. Kiyoko—because of her condition, Ren already sent her ahead to the inn through her manager, Mr. Sakichi.”

Natori glanced up and looked toward the large inn sign not far ahead.

“Are you tired, Natsume? Just hold on a little longer and we’ll be there.”

The boy lowered his eyes; a smile passed over his face.

“I’m fine, Natori. You and Mr. Ren, though…”

“Can you really take a whole week off?”

Although Natsume did not know the workings of the entertainment world well, he knew stars at their level were usually overloaded with constant, busy schedules.

Natori looked at his black-haired friend with a smile.

“I’m fine. As for Ren…”

“For Ms. Kiyoko… I think it probably doesn’t matter much, either.”

Tōga—the great demon-king of actors?—only gave him a brief, cool glance and said nothing.

Natori smiled at him, clearly unconcerned about the response.

Watching their exchange, Natsume felt both envy and a little sting.
Sensing the shift in his expression, Natori was about to speak when a car horn suddenly sounded behind them.

“Excuse me, is the inn we’re headed to the Shimo Inn?”

When they all turned, a middle-aged man with two side whiskers leaned out from the driver’s seat of a slowly arriving car.

“Eh? Could it be you…?”

Natori’s eyes widened in surprise.

Author’s note: The hot-spring trip continues. =w=

Koma seemed to catch something from Natori’s unusual behavior. But whether that means anything definite or not was unclear. The Cat Teacher faction’s author says he has no idea—just staring at the sky in silence.

As for Tōga Ren, from *Skip Beat*, also translated as *The Diva Who Goes the Next Stop*, there is no time for an introduction right now. If you’re curious, please look it up yourselves, dear readers.

The bonus image for this chapter is the true “doll-hormone disperser,” Natori Shuuichi—
I swear I didn’t crop this one on purpose to include subtitles! A very serious face.

And finally, the usual preview for next chapter: Chaos in the Inn. Who is the bearded man they meet on the way, and does the situation become even more tangled with a new arrival? Once they finally check in, the first thing is, of course, to soak in the hot springs. What will happen then? Stay tuned for the next chapter of *Yokai Koma*: *Chaos in the Inn*!

P.S. Thanks, Xixi-zaxi, for tossing in a landmine! Big hugs for Bo, one—=3=. Then keep the fun rolling and give me a little room to continue, =w= I’m very good and very easy to take care of →