Floating Lanterns III: EOD

Shouichi turned, startled, only to find Ayane wearing a peculiar expression. Before he could process, she added with mock seriousness, "I'm going to touch you..." Her dazzling features betrayed nothing except a faint mischief glimmer in her purple eyes.

"Okay... What the flip?" Shouichi blurted, his face a mask of horror as he instinctively took a step back, arms raised in defence.

And then, her lips cracked into a wide smirk before she erupted into raw, uncontrollable laughter, clutching her stomach, "Hahaha! I'm just kidding! You should've seen your face!"

"Damn you, Ayane!" Shouichi cursed inwardly, shaking his head in exasperation. He sighed, resigned to her endless teasing as her laughter rang out like a victorious melody.

***

It didn't take long for the couple to return to Yoko Sweet Stall, where the store owner greeted them with her trademark, energetic smile. Despite long hours of serving customers, Yoko's cheerful expression hadn't faltered, and the eagerness in her brown eyes was just as vibrant as ever.

Most shops had already closed, leaving only a handful of people lingering on the temple grounds. A few shrine maidens and monks were diligently picking up trash, their plastic bags rustling softly in the cool evening breeze. The festive atmosphere had dimmed, but a serene calm now settled in the air.

Inside the now-closed stall, Ayane, Yoko, and Shouichi sat around a small table, their bodies visibly relaxing after the day's exertion.

"How're you doing, Mom?" Shouichi asked, his gaze lingering on Yoko. She appeared sweatier than usual, her skin glistening under the soft glow of the fluorescent lights overhead.

"Haha, it's been great... and fun!" Yoko replied softly, her hand reaching up to massage her tense shoulder. "I didn't expect us to be this overwhelmed, though," She murmured, a hint of exhaustion in her tone.

"I have to thank you, Yoko-san. It's been an amazing day for me," Shouichi said wholeheartedly, standing and moving behind her seat.

"I'm glad you had fun too, Shou-kun," Yoko replied with a gentle smile, her eyes fluttering shut.

Without a word, Shouichi placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage them with tender care. His fingers pressed into her tense muscles, kneading them with a steady rhythm.

"Ah... That's the spot," Yoko murmured softly, her voice carrying a note of relief.

"Your body's really stiff, Yoko-san," Shouichi observed matter-of-factly, his hands working to loosen the knots in her shoulders. Gradually, the tension melted away, and Yoko's muscles softened under his firm but soothing touch.

"Ahhh, much better," Yoko sighed, her posture relaxing completely. Shouichi continued his work with quiet focus, happy to help her unwind after such a long, demanding day.

"What about you, Ayane-chan?" She turned to ask the black-haired girl who was sipping a cup of tea. 

"Yes! It's fantastic! Thanks for having me, Yoko-san." Ayane politely bowed her head. 

"Oh, my dear! I should be the one thanking you! Your presence definitely brought out the most of the shop... umm, like I had the beckoning cat with me today!" Yoko returned, her words laced with genuine appreciation. Yoko drifted to the counter and soon handed a thick envelope to the foxy girl.

"Please accept this as my gratitude, I've added a bonus for you as well!" Yoko locked eyes with Ayane, implying that she must not refuse under any circumstances.

"Th~Thank you, Yoko-san," Ayane murmured, reluctantly accepting her reward with both hands, clutching it gently to her chest.

"Thanks, Ayane-chan for everything," Shouichi chimed in, watching as she squirmed with uncharacteristic modesty, a stark contrast to her usual prideful demeanour.

Fishing into his pocket, Shouichi retrieved a small Kitsune keychain and an Inu charm he acquired earlier from the shrine office.

"Ayane-chan, I'd like you to have this one," He said, extending the keychain to her. Her purple eyes widened, shimmering with a mix of awe and surprise.

"Ho~ho! Doing this behind your girlfriend's back, are we?" She teased, a mischievous grin curving her lips.

"Heh? We've done much freakier things behind Misaki's back..." Shouichi mused internally, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. He quickly shook off the memory of the lover's pond, pushing the thought to the recesses of his mind.

"Sneaky little creature…" Her playful jab brought laughter from both of them, the sound echoing warmly in the quiet store.

"And… this one is for you, Mom. I think it suits you perfectly," Shouichi added, offering the Inu charm to Yoko.

"Thank you! The puppy on it is absolutely adorable," Yoko replied, her face glowing with gratitude as she leaned in to embrace him with a tender warmth. 

Unexpectedly, a red Omamori charm dangled just a few millimetres from his nose. "Eh?" Shouichi yelped a little.

Meanwhile, Ayane's face was flushed a deep shade of crimson, her gaze darting anywhere but at him. Blushing like a shy child, she mumbled in a mix of insistence and awkwardness, "Take it! It's... a good luck charm, a real one!" Her voice wavered, as if both informing and coercing him to accept her offering.

"Huh? Is this for me?" Shouichi tilted his head to the side, disbelief shining in his eyes, "Oh, so she did lie to Misaki after all... You are just as crafty as I am, Ayane-chan," Shouichi dissected in his mind.

"Of course, who else? Dummy!" Ayane snapped, her blush deepening. She glanced at him briefly, her eyes meeting his for just a moment before retreating again.

"Thanks, Ayane-chan." Shouichi took the charm into his palms, inspecting its intricate design. A warm smile graced his lips. "This is the first gift I've ever received from a girl… I'll definitely cherish it!"

"You better!" Ayane retorted, quickly crossing her arms as if to guard her flustered heart. Tsundere to the core, she added with a huff, "But don't think this means I'm going easy on you. You'll need all the luck you can get for the mid-terms! Not that it'll matter — there's no way I'm letting go of my rank 1 spot!" Her voice carried a mix of playful teasing and genuine embarrassment.

Shouichi chuckled to himself, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. He had long since graduated from the Academy of Morimura Ayane's Grand Psychology and could now read her like an open book.

If he were to categorise her, Ayane was an eccentric cocktail of personalities — a peculiar mix of kuudere (cool and reserved), tsundere (playfully combative), and perhaps, just a teeny, tiny bit of yandere (possessive and obsessive).

Granted, he wasn't entirely confident about the yandere part. The evidence was scarce, but something told him that if Ayane ever got herself a boyfriend, the glacier might crack, revealing an unexpected side of her lurking just beneath the surface.

Without warning, Ayane burst into laughter, her giggles ringing out like a melody. "Haha… hahahaha…" She covered her mouth, the joy on her face infectious. Her gleeful, dopamine-fueled laugh was so endearing it pulled him along, leaving them both laughing uncontrollably.

That evening, under the gentle glow of the lantern-lit night, Shouichi's heart brimmed with contentment. From the quiet moment at the pond with Ayane, to the engrossing fire ceremony with Misaki and the others, to this shared laugh — it was a constellation of perfect memories. Moments like these, he knew, would stay etched in his heart for eternity.

***

The next morning...

In the quiet precinct, the sharp ring of the landline phone shattered the stillness, echoing off the walls. A young female officer stepped forward, her crisp, light blue uniform catching the overhead fluorescent light. Picking up the receiver, she brought it to her ear with practised ease.

"This is the Kurohashi Police Department. How may I assist you?" Her tone was professional, but her relaxed posture betrayed a hint of boredom. She leaned casually against the table, her long, slender legs crossing as she shifted her weight.

The voice on the other end said something that made her freeze.

"...What?" She blurted, her shock cutting through her polished demeanour. Her voice spiked an octave higher, trembling with alarm. In a flurry of motion, she pinned the receiver between her shoulder and neck, freeing her hands to pull out a crimson notebook from her pocket. The tension in the room shifted as she hastily flipped it open, her pen poised to capture the urgent details spilling through the line.