Chapter Sixty-Three: The Four Strings Arc (Part One)

The ritual to honor the Celestial Ox went surprisingly smoothly, without any frightening incidents. Originally, Toka had hoped she might actually catch a glimpse of the Celestial Ox, but after everyone stood by the riverbank for several hours, not a single unusual thing occurred.

When they returned to the Itsuka household, everyone seemed to be in high spirits. The following days passed in tranquil monotony, with not a single ripple of disturbance.

Sometimes, Su Mo wondered if he had somehow ended up in a counterfeit transmigration. Why was it that other protagonists, after crossing into new worlds, fought monsters and leveled up, while his daily routine consisted of nothing but going on dates? Since his arrival, aside from the minor trouble with the AST unit at the beginning, everything had gone absurdly smoothly. Even evil organizations like the DMN Society had never come knocking at his door. It was almost unnatural—there weren’t even any school bullies trying to show off and getting humiliated in return. He possessed all these powers as a Spirit, yet had no opportunity to use them. It was, in a way, excruciating.

Truly, the atmosphere of this world was out of the ordinary.

After several calm days at school, the weekend finally arrived for Su Mo.

June sixteenth. Saturday.

When Su Mo opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the gentle smile of Rinme Itsuka.

“Hm?” He blinked, still not quite awake. “Rinme, why is it you?”

Usually, it was Kotori in her little sister mode who woke him up, but today Rinme had come to rouse him. He felt a bit unsettled, though at the same time, it seemed natural enough—after all, in the story’s setting, it was Rinme who called him to wake each morning. Over time, his mind had accumulated many such false but familiar memories.

“Su Mo, you’re awake. Breakfast is ready,” Rinme said softly, dressed in a pale pink dress, folding his clothes neatly and handing them to him with all the grace of a devoted wife.

The sight left Su Mo momentarily dazed.

Over the next few moments, Rinme’s wife-like tendencies came into full display. If Su Mo hadn’t insisted otherwise, she might have even brushed his teeth and washed his face for him. By the time he reached the living room, the table was already laid out with steaming breakfast dishes.

During holidays, the others would usually gather at the Itsuka house.

But this morning, the place felt unusually empty—there was no sign of anyone else.

“That’s odd. Where’s Kotori and the others?” Su Mo asked, puzzled.

“Kotori said she had important work and left early. Shiori went to take care of her sister, and as for Toka and Yoshino, I’m not sure where they went,” Rinme explained warmly.

“I see.”

Su Mo silently bit into a sandwich. For some time now, a strange barrier had enveloped the city, rendering many of Ratatoskr’s airborne warship’s functions useless. As the commander of Ratatoskr, Kotori was likely overwhelmed with work.

Shiori, on the other hand, was busy with matters concerning Mana Tokisaki, who, being her blood-related little sister, was hospitalized and recovering after being altered by the DMN Society, which had left her with only ten years to live. Ratatoskr was doing its utmost to restore Mana’s body, and as her only family, Shiori had to be by her side.

He understood why Kotori and Shiori were so busy.

But what on earth were Toka and Yoshino up to? And to think Toka had left before breakfast—it was truly shocking.

After finishing his meal at a leisurely pace, Su Mo stretched languidly. With everyone gone, his precious day off suddenly felt oppressively dull.

Rinme seemed to notice his boredom and, with great consideration, approached him. “What do you plan to do today, Su Mo?”

“Yoshino once mentioned feeling lonely being home alone every day. I originally planned to take her out today since it’s the weekend, but she’s not here,” Su Mo sighed regretfully. He really had neglected Yoshino lately.

Though he rarely spent time alone with any one person, he saw Toka and Origami almost daily at school. By contrast, Yoshino was left to watch soap operas by herself.

“I see. So you wanted to go on a date with Yoshino?” Rinme murmured. Then, as if coming to a decision, she nodded. “I understand. I’ll make sure your wish comes true.”

“Rinme, what are you talking about?” Su Mo asked, amused. Yet, due to some mysterious force muddling his awareness, he felt oddly sluggish.

Less than ten minutes later, Yoshino appeared before him as if by magic.

“Yoshino, you’re back?” Su Mo asked, puzzled. “Where did you go this morning?”

“Well… um…” Yoshino stammered, then shyly explained, “Toka said the bakery was selling a limited edition soybean flour bread today, so she dragged me out early to buy some.”

“No wonder Toka skipped breakfast,” Su Mo realized, half exasperated, half amused. “So why did you come back so soon? And where’s Toka?”

“That’s what I was wondering, too,” Yoshino said, scratching her head in confusion. It felt as if some strange force had compelled her to return. The rabbit puppet on her hand, Yoshinon, piped up, “Maybe it’s because Yoshino missed Su Mo so much! Don’t let her down, Su Mo!”

“Of course I won’t. Since you’re back, Yoshino, would you like to go out with me today?” Su Mo invited.

“A date?” Yoshino’s face lit up with delight, and she nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes!”

“In that case, let’s go!” Su Mo reached out his hand, and Yoshino, without hesitation, placed her small hand in his.

Holding Yoshino’s tiny hand, Su Mo felt the odd sensation that he was a parent taking his child out to play. In his heart, Yoshino was more like a little sister or even a daughter—someone who needed his care.

As Su Mo and Yoshino left, Rinme appeared in the doorway, watching their retreating figures.

“A date, huh? I’m so envious,” she sighed. “I hope everything goes well!”

…

With Yoshino in tow, Su Mo considered where children liked to go most—an amusement park, of course.

Upon arriving, Yoshino’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she gazed at all the attractions. What delighted her most was having Su Mo there with her.

“So, Yoshino, what would you like to try? The haunted house adventure or the Ferris wheel and roller coaster?” Su Mo teased, knowing these activities would surely challenge her timid and shy nature.

He had already decided to steer her toward gentler rides like bumper cars and the carousel. But to his astonishment, Yoshino pointed to the haunted house and said, “I… want to go there!”