A sea of golden-green sunflowers surrounded an elegant Western-style mansion.
The wind blew, and the tall sunflowers swayed. Beneath the sunlight, their golden petals shone like real gold.
Above, white clouds drifted. One cloud after another scattered from the distant horizon across the nearby sky.
The scene looked like a painting created by a brilliant landscape artist.
This was the first time Yuto had seen such beautiful scenery. A distant and peaceful atmosphere filled heaven and earth, scattering clean fragments of light into his heart.
This place might be perfect for retirement.
For a moment, Yuto's thoughts wandered as his gaze turned toward the mansion.
On the platform in front of the door, a beautiful woman with green hair sat, looking at him.
"Yuuka!" Yuto called toward her.
A few strands of light seemed to flicker in her eyes. It was a sight more beautiful than the golden-green sunflowers.
She stood up from the chair, and in the next instant, she disappeared. Without a sound, she appeared beside Yuto.
That startled him before he realized it.
"I was just about to walk over," Yuto said with a smile.
Yuuka looked into Yuto's eyes, her gaze was calm, yet it carried a strange pressure.
"There is no difference between you coming over and me coming here."
Her words were a little gentler than when she spoke in the restaurant.
Though that was only relative; in truth, her voice still carried a cool edge.
However, Yuto had known her for quite some time, and he could sense the difference in Yuuka's words.
That made warmth rise in his heart.
"So this is the Sunflower Field?" Yuto smiled, then looked around.
That boundless sea of golden-green flowers was enough to shake anyone's heart. It was too beautiful.
Every sunflower stood tall, almost like a small tree, and each bloomed with vitality.
They grew densely together, and whenever the wind swept across them, the entire field swayed like waves of wheat.
Yuto could not help showing admiration. He did not quite understand why Reimu and the others looked so stiff whenever the Sunflower Field was mentioned.
This place was clearly beautiful.
"Do you like it that much?" Yuuka asked in a calm voice.
Yuto smiled and nodded. "Who wouldn't like a place this beautiful?"
Yuuka gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Then her gaze swept across the surrounding flower field once more.
That look was almost like a warning...
"Do you usually live there, Yuuka?" Yuto looked at Mugenkan, his tone carrying a hint of amazement.
The mansion could not exactly be called luxurious, but it was imposing, and at a glance, one could tell it carried an expensive elegance.
Yuuka nodded, then said, "Come inside and have a look."
Her words left Yuto no room to discuss it.
As always, they carried her particular domineering quality.
Yuto did not mind since he had grown used to Yuuka's forceful way.
Following Yuuka, he walked up to Mugenkan.
The closer he got, the more he felt the presence of the Western-style mansion. Although it was only a building, Yuto somehow felt as if he were facing a mountain.
The pressure coming from the mansion itself was far from ordinary.
Just as surprise rose in his heart, Yuuka glanced at her residence.
In that instant, the pressure Yuto felt disappeared.
It was as if he had experienced an illusion.
Yuuka led him around the mansion.
The inside was clean, yet there was no one there. There were no servants, no little fairies, not even a kitchen. After thinking about it, Yuto could more or less understand.
A youkai like Yuuka probably did not need to eat in the first place. Although she came to the restaurant every day to eat flower cakes, that was likely because it satisfied some other kind of enjoyment for her.
"There really isn't anyone else here?" After walking through the mansion, Yuto could not help asking.
"It has always been only me." Yuuka's calm answer made an emotion rise in Yuto's heart.
Yuuka living alone felt natural to him. From the time he had known Yuuka, Yuto had reached one conclusion: he did not think she was someone who enjoyed noisy places.
Now that he had come to her home, that impression was even more certain.
"Where are Yukari and Reimu?" Yuto asked about the others.
Yuuka pressed her lips together so faintly it was almost unnoticeable, then answered his question.
"One is probably still sleeping. The other should be at the Hakurei Shrine."
Even without Yuuka saying their names, Yuto knew who she meant.
He chuckled and nodded.
Then a certain place came to mind. He had mentioned it to Yuuka and the others before.
"Yuuka, could you take me to the Human Village?"
Faced with Yuto's request, Yuuka nodded.
She had agreed to be his guide today. Naturally, she would not go back on her word.
Yuto followed Yuuka out of the mansion. The two walked side by side in a certain direction. Although Yuuka could fly, she did not.
The sunflowers parted for the two of them like respectful servants.
Their heads lowered, as though greeting their queen.
Yuto could not help marveling at the sight.
"Each of these children has its own life. Their awareness of the outside world is no weaker than that of ordinary people."
Yuuka's explanation made Yuto understand.
This was Gensokyo, a land of fantasy where youkai and humans lived together. Anything could happen here, and nothing would be too strange.
Once they walked out of the Sunflower Field, a parasol appeared in Yuuka's hand.
When going outside, she was accustomed to carrying one.
"Let me," Yuto spoke when he saw Yuuka preparing to open the parasol.
He understood why girls liked carrying them.
Today, Yuuka was his guide, so out of courtesy, he felt holding the umbrella should be his job.
Yuuka paused.
Then she nodded and handed the parasol to Yuto.
As the two exchanged it, their fingers brushed against each other.
It was only for an instant, yet the faint coolness at the tips of her fingers still stirred Yuto's heart.
After Yuuka withdrew her hand, her fingers curled inward, but that small detail did not enter Yuto's eyes.
Pop.
The Western parasol opened, and Yuto held it over Yuuka.
Her entire body was shaded, while half of his own body remained exposed to the sunlight.
Yuto had left a small distance between them.
After they walked a few steps like this, Yuuka shifted closer to him.
"You should shade yourself too." Her voice was calm, and her eyes avoided looking at Yuto.
Yuto froze, then smiled. "Mm."
The distance between them grew smaller.
By the end, although they were not pressed together, Yuto could still feel the body temperature of the girl beside him.
Unlike an ordinary person's warmth, hers carried a faint coolness. Under the umbrella, the two looked like a couple walking together.
Unfortunately, no humans or youkai were around to witness this scene.
Only a narrow gap had opened in the air. Inside that gap, a single eye was watching the two of them.
That gaze was filled with intense interest and excitement.
It looked like the gaze of a peeper.
The same shadiness. The same excitement.
Yakumo Ran felt helpless!
She saw that her master was once again using a gap to peep at someone.
What? You ask why the fox girl knew Yukari was peeping?
Was that shady, cautious, excited, and thrilled smile not enough proof?!
Only a peeping maniac could show that kind of smile!
Sigh—
The fox girl could not help sighing.
She really did not want her master to keep peeping at other people like this. Recently, whenever she went out, she could hear people discussing her master.
And the topics they discussed were always things like "peeping" and "shady."
As her shikigami, Ran had started being looked at with suspicion and contempt wherever she went.
Aaaahhh! Honestly! She had not peeped at anyone!
'Yukari-sama... If this continues... Our reputation will be finished!'
...
The Human Village.
It was formed by ordinary humans brought into Gensokyo when it was first established.
At the time, there had been very few people.
Later, people gradually entered by coincidence. Most of them eventually gave up on life in the outside world and chose to remain in this isolated space.
As the Great Hakurei Barrier became more complete and tightly sealed, people stopped wandering into Gensokyo.
Even so, the Human Village had formed a self-sufficient cycle. Even if no more outsiders entered, it would be fine.
From its earliest days as a tiny settlement, the Human Village had grown to more than a hundred households.
For humans, several generations had passed. For youkai, however, it was barely more than taking a long nap.
Yuto followed Yuuka all the way from the Sunflower Field to the outside of the Human Village.
Along the way, they crossed low hills, passed through dense shrubs, and stepped over clear streams.
Everything they saw was pure natural beauty.
Yuto's heart felt relaxed and peaceful. Whenever he asked questions out of curiosity, Yuuka answered him calmly.
This was the longest conversation they had ever had.
The atmosphere between them was harmonious and comfortable. Because Yuto had received Yuuka's youkai essence, his aura had shifted slightly toward hers.
That made the sight of the two walking together carry an indescribable sense of compatibility.
"So this is the Human Village?" Yuto looked at the village gate.
Its structure had an old-fashioned charm, and the material was wood. It did not look luxurious, but it carried a calm, pleasant beauty.
"That's right," Yuuka said faintly. Walking and talking with Yuto had put her in a good mood. She simply did not show it.
"Speaking of which, we didn't see many youkai along the way," Yuto smiled.
He had heard Yukari and Reimu say that Gensokyo was a paradise for youkai. Under ordinary circumstances, one would see signs of youkai every few steps in the wild.
Yet he had walked all the way here with Yuuka in peace.
There had only been natural scenery, he had not seen a single trace of those youkai.
After hearing Yuto, Yuuka fell silent for a brief moment.
"Perhaps your luck was bad." Her calm voice carried no emotional shift.
Yuto smiled helplessly.
"I suppose that's the only explanation." He gave a faint sigh.
Beside him, ripples passed through Yuuka's eyes. "Do you want to see those small youkai that badly?" There was confusion in her tone.
"I was curious because Yukari and the others made it sound lively. If I don't see them, then that's fine too." Yuto smiled, and Yuuka slowly lowered her eyelids.
"You will see them," she said.
"I'll leave it to fate." Yuto gave a soft laugh.
"What is the Master of Flowers doing here?!"
At that moment, an anxious voice rang out. It sounded like the sharp cry of a bird.
Yuuka's brow shifted slightly, and she casually looked forward.
Under Yuto's amazed gaze, a tornado of flame appeared.
There was a vague human figure inside it. The flame vortex dispersed, revealing the person within.
It was a handsome, boyish girl with a heroic air. Several red ribbon ornaments decorated her white hair, and her face possessed a lively sharpness.
The white shirt she wore made her look cooler and more striking.
A small flame burned in her open palm. She seemed nervous, and her eyes carried clear wariness.
Her question received no response from Yuuka.
Yuuka gave the girl a cold sidelong glance before looking away.
Being ignored angered the girl, but for some reason, she did not dare flare up.
She had no choice but to turn her eyes toward Yuto instead.
The instant she saw him, her gaze trembled.
A human!
She was seeing a human standing beside Kazami Yuuka! And he was holding a parasol for her!
???
Fujiwara no Mokou's brain practically froze.
"Hello, my name is Kamisaka Yuto. I'd like to take a look around the Human Village. Is that all right?"
Yuto guessed the girl was someone responsible for guarding the Human Village.
Otherwise, she would not have appeared here.
He had heard Reimu mention the village had dedicated security personnel.
When Yuto spoke, Yuuka turned her gaze toward Mokou.
Her calm eyes were like a well without ripples, steady and still as a mountain.
The moment Mokou heard Yuto's name, her mind jolted.
She remembered hearing Yukari mention that name in a drunken haze last night!
She had gone to the barbecue place and ended up drinking too much.
She only remembered Yukari telling her that someone would come to the Human Village, someone called Kami-something Yuto, and that she should treat him properly... As for the specific details, she could not remember them clearly.
Now, looking at Yuto, her heart pounded nervously.
Fine, he came.
That was one thing.
But why did he have to bring that tyrant with him?! How was she supposed to handle this?
This was way too difficult!
She had felt Yuuka's threat in that earlier look.
Although she could revive endlessly, that did not mean she wanted to provoke her.
After all... That woman was a true tyrant!