As I was ing myself off ih, alone, as Shaeu was making sure our home resentable, I heard Kana- ing in. “Excuse me. Shaeu, big bro, are you here?”

  Shaeu shuffled out into the hallway. “Indeed, I am here Kana. You will have-have tive Akio, for he is taking a bath-bath right now.”

  “I see. I guess he wants to look his best with all those girls visiting.” Kana- sniggered. “Oh well, you help me? I have a lot of food and drink to carry in. I’ll have to thank big bro again for being generous.”

  “A true male should never-never be miserly.” Shaeu intoned piously. “If you wait just a little while, I am sure-sure Akio will be delighted to assist you. Or…” her voice turned mischievous. “… if you wished to peek, now-now is the best time!”

  Damn, sometimes having great hearing isn’t always a good thing. Shaeu is being as pyful as ever.

  “Wait… no!” Kana- protested. “I don’t… I don’t think of big bro that way! Besides, he’s your boyfriend, you shouldn’t…” She trailed off, and I imagined she was blushing.

  “Are you sure-sure? You look ied to my eyes.”

  “No way, I said I’m not, so I’m not!” Kana- shouted, fetting I was listening.

  As Shaeu ughed, I decided to throw poor Kana- a lifeline.

  “Stop teasing her, Shaeu. And yes, Kana-, I’ll be done in a minute so I carry everything for you.” I called out, and for a moment was silence, before I heard Kana- sigh.

  “You heard that? Ugh, so embarrassing. Sure big bro, I’d appreciate the help. Thanks again for your kindness.” she called back, Shaeu only ughing harder.

  Finishing up my bath I ged in my room, wearing casual clothes, jeans and a t-shirt. Looking at myself in the mirror I noticed the muscles in my arms were looking more defined and toned. All the training in the Boundary was seeming to have a light effey Material body as well. Not bad. I guess there’s still room for improvement, even when I’m pressed for time here ierial so don’t have time to work out.

  Leaving my room I ran into Kana- and Shaeu, both of whom were setting up drinks and snacks i and living room. On seeing me, Kana- gave a thumbs-up. “Looking good, big bro. Still, it makes sehere’ll be a lot of cute girls ing!”

  “Yeah, yeah.” I waved her off. “I’m just here to chaperone, I guess. Though obviously there is one girl I’ll probably o speak to.”

  “Kikuchi-san, right?” Kana- agreed. “Just a heads-up, she’s… quite the gloomy girl.”

  “I see. Well, I hope you get along with her, if I bring Hisuikomushi shrine under is, I’ll o offer Kikuchi-san the opportunity to train along with everyone else. Speaking of, I hear Shaeu has already started w with you? I hope it wasn’t too painful. Oh, and… I’d think very carefully about it if Shaeu talks about a lunar Chakra. I don’t think humans are supposed to have them. I don’t want to put a risk.”

  As Shaeu looked away guiltily, I sighed. Of course. Shaeu always tries to push it too far… As I opened my mouth to chastise her, Kana- broke in, defending her. “e on big bro, don’t be mean to Shaeu. She expined everything to us. Mori-senpai and your sister, they took the risk, didn't they? And if you’d let them, it ’t be that dangerous. Besides…” She smiled as Shaeu her encingly. “…if the worst happens, apparently there’s an emergency treatment that should fix the problems, right?”

  Ugh, I’m starting to get a headache. Shaeu looked away once more, taking great i in the drinks and snacks, and I knew she had been indiscreet. “So, did Shaeu say just what that was?” I pinched my nose, driving away the phantom headache.

  “No, but... she did say it had worked before, so I don’t see the problem?” Seriously, I get the bad feeling she means trying for Lovers’ Link. If that worked that might fix problems like it did for Eri, but even so… there’s no guarahat it would work or she’d evehe Skill at all, and even if it did, the price… ugh. No way.

  Seeing I looked flicted, Kana- was about to ask, when the door chime rang. Shaeu, seeing a way out of my chastisement, quickly piped up. “I see-see our first guests have arrived. I shall get the door, have no fear!”

  Kana- and I exged a look at her flustered speed, and after a moment Kana- started ughing, and I smiled myself. “Seriously, big bro. Don’t worry. Do I look like the sort of girl who would put myself in danger? Shaeu seems to know what she’s doing.”

  “Hey, you’re that girl from the photos.” one of the newers was saying. A pair of girls were at the door, and they were casually yet prettily dressed. On seeing Shaeu they looked very ied. “You look even cuter in person.” The first girl finished, while the sed nodded, looking around with i.

  “Whoa, I remember st time we were here this pce was just a decrepit old outbuilding.” The sed girl said, looking around. “But now it looks really nice. Anyway, damn girl, you are stunning. And that yukata…”

  “I thank you. I do feel I am rather charming.” Shaeu agreed. “Now-now, do e in. You are the first to arrive.” As Shaeu stepped aside, revelling in their pliments, the two girls eaking off their shoes.

  “Mio-, Asami-.” Kana- strode over to them, smiling. “Gd you could make it. I see you’ve met Shaeu already. And this… this is Akio-kun.” She gestured to me to step forwards, so I did, polite greetings.

  “Hey there. It’s always a pleasure to meet friends of Kana-. She and her family have looked after me well. So make yourselves at home. Did you want anything to eat or drink? We have cakes from that famous store a few stops away. I’ve been told they are really good.”

  “Kana-, hmm?” one of her friends, Asami-san, said. “I see, I see. Very suspicious.”

  “I do hear those cakes are great, if it’s the store I think you mean.” Mio-san replied, before looking me over. I felt a bit unfortable under her gaze, but tio smile, not wanting to make a bad impression with Kana-’s friends. After an unpleasantly long moment, Mio-san nodded. “Not bad, not bad at all. But…” Her gaze strayed to Shaeu.

  “Enough of that!” Kana- said, scarlet with embarrassment. “You might as well e in until everyone else arrives!”

  “o get flustered! Obviously we were going to check out the man who has designs on our friend!” Mio-san protested as Kana- tried t them further into the house.

  “Yeah, I mean, he’s a pyboy with geous girls hanging off him. You’ve always hated that type…” Asami-san added, and I held in a bitter sigh. Just what do you think of me, or have been telling people? I’ve my hands full with Shaeu and Eri. I’m not looking for more women!

  ***

  “Oh, so this is that building you were taking about!” one girl said, and Kana- nodded proudly. Looking around I was surrounded by girls, feeling like a schoolteacher on a field trip. Mirls from Kana-’s css had turned up at the main shrine, and her cousin Keomi- was here as well. In addition Marika- was with us too, as it would have beeo leave her out, and sidering she was o Tokyo it was good to find her some more friends, even if they were irls.

  Around the building site there were still workers using maery and assembling frames, since I had paid for stant, seven-day overtime. The basement was now pletely dug out and reinforced, and they had started to assemble the ground and first floors using modur stru teiques. Lucky that the structure of the hill Shirohebizumi shrine occupies erfect for underground stru, otherwise it would have taken ara few weeks stabilising the soil and underlying foundations…

  “It looks like this is going to be a really impressive building.” anirl mentioned. “It’s going up so fast too.” They couldn’t get too close due to safety s, but the rge basement area underground was still visible.

  “Yeah, well as long as you are prepared to pay, anything be done quickly.” I pointed out. “It isn’t quite like that skyscraper that ut up in under forty days in a, but even so… moalks.”

  Several of the girls seemed impressed by that, but Mio-san and Asami-san exged a meaningful gnce. “Suspicious.” Asami-san said, and Mio-san echoed her. “Indeed, Asami-. Very suspicious.”

  Uh, well, I admit it’s a building for training mysterious powers, but… I doubt Kana- has been talking about that? Still, it seemed they indeed weren’t talking about that, as Asami-san asked me a question. “So, why spend all this money building something here, when for the same price you could get a nicer building somewhere else for much less? What’s it even for, anyway?”

  “That’s a good question. It’s… well, kind of like a specialist cram saybe?” I ’t exactly say it’s due to an alliah a Kami… “Let’s just say I have my reasons for why it’s here, and I think it’ll be worth the extra expense.”

  At that most of the girls started giggling and muttering to each other. Kana- looked away, her ears pink, while Mio-san and Asami-san were once more exging loaded looks. “Hmm, I see. So it was that.” Mio-san mused.

  Leaving the girls to chat and giggle as we moved back towards my home, I noticed that one of the girls was not mixing with the group, instead holding herself a bit apart, looking downcast and ill-fitting. Gesturing to Marika- to e over, as she was an outsider too, I started talking to her, remembering the name she had given when she arrived. “Takagi-san, wasn’t it?”

  As I talked to her, she jumped, surprised, looking up at me with her gsses half-covered by her long bangs, hiding her eyes. “Are you talking to me?”

  “Who else is here?” I ughed, and she looked down again. Seeing her rea, I apologised. “Sorry, I’m not mog you, I promise. I was just curious as you don’t seem to be fitting in with the others.”

  “I too am new here.” Marika- said politely. “So I uand groups of new people be a little frightening. Still, Izumi-san and her family have been very o me, and of course I trust in Akio-sama, so I have faith everything will work out.”

  Still with the Akio-sama, I see…

  “I… I know them. I just don’t like them much.” Takagi-san admitted, surprising herself, gng around furtively to see if anyone had heard her, but the irls were all ughing and poking fun at an embarrassed Kana-. On seeing that, she tinued. “I’m only here because I worry about Kikuchi-san. The irls have never liked her, so… I thought they might be going to bully her or something.”

  Well, that’s actually surprisingly brave of her. I know what it’s like to ck fideo be ho I still had fshes of unworthiness, w I wasn’t able t Shaeu, Eri and my family and friends the happihey deserved. But then, everyone supports me, so I do my best. And I will succeed.

  “You don’t have to worry about that.” I assured her. “I was the one who wao speak to Kikuchi-san and her father. They also run a shrih a long history. I have some business with them, nothing more. But it’s pretty det of you, looking out for a cssmate. You must be a good friend.”

  At my praise she sighed, looking down once more. “I’m hardly her friend. I just… I don’t like the pirls in css. Always looking down on the rest of us, treating us like we are lesser, just because we aren’t pretty.”

  Ouch. Girls have it hard too, I guess. Marika- looked a bit unsure of what to answer, so I decided to step up.

  “Hey, don’t be so down on yourself. A ge of hairstyle, a bit of make-up, I’m sure you could be cute enough.” At my words she let out an unintelligible noise. “… besides, I get it, I do. I was hardly mister popur myself. School was rather tough. Uni wasn’t so bad, but it’s not like I ever dated or anything up until a few weeks ago. You’ll always have ces to rei yourself if you put in an effort. Besides, Kana- is a nice girl, I don’t think she’d bully someone over nothing.”

  Damn, the minute I said that just happeo be the time the versation with the irls entered a lull. Now several of them were ughing at me, and Kana- was trying to scuttle off, her friends holding her arms so she couldn’t escape.

  On drawing everyone’s attention, Takagi-san shrank in on herself. Still, on seeing my kind smile she made up her mind to keep talking, annoyed. “Hardly. Don’t lie to me. I’ve heard the irls talking. Why should I listen to a handsome, rich guy who is cheating on a couple of geous girls? Winners in life like you ’t uand what us at the bottom think! Besides, you only like Izumi-san because she’s pretty, what do you really know about her? So shallow…”

  Ouch. That hurt my feelings a bit. At her tirade Kana- and several irls looked insed, ready to speak up, but I held up my haing my Majesty, and everyone fell silent, hanging on my every word. I looked at Takagi-san, and she flinched aerhaps expeg me to be angry, but my smile soothed her.

  “Now I get that you feel a bit out of pce. Still, if you sh out at others, aren’t you doing just what you accused the irls of?”

  “I… well…” she began, but I shrugged, interrupting.

  “Look, I’m not mad, okay? If anything, I guess I should be fttered you felt able to have a go at me like that, right?” My smile robbed the words of any sting, and Takagi-san looked down again, a little flushed. “I’m not lying. Up until a couple of months ago I was single, w a dead end freeng job, and while I’ve been told I always had det enough looks, without fidence… well, even girls who might be ied couldn’t get over my wall of inferiority. I had a childhood friend, Eri. I always used to look out for her. She was shy, just like you. I mean, really shy, she was famous for it on our hometown.”

  “Yeah, well she doesn’t seem so shy now.” Kana- pined. “She really tore into me whe. I don’t think she likes me much.” There was ughter at her expense, lightening the mood, and I shot her a brief thumbs-up behind my back to thank her.

  “In any case… she finally worked up the ce to fess to me at a festival. I… well, I accepted because I wao make her happy, not that I felt I deserved a retionship with her. But you know…” I tinued, bending down until I could look Takagi-san in the face. “… if you try to make others happy, be kind to others, you’ll be happier yourself. After all, it’s easier to believe in what others think of you. Even so, unless you learn to love yourself, it’s meaningless. You worry about Kikuchi-san, so you must be a nice girl. Take some pride in that. And have some fun. You came all this way, right?”

  “Indeed.” Marika- chimed in, happy to have something she could say. “Kana-san, Keomi-san and her family have been very good to me, to say nothing of Shaeu-sama. They will treat you with kindness, I am sure.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Takagi-san.” Kana- agreed. “I may only be pretty, as you say, but I’m not petty enough to bully you over a pliment.” She snickered. “Nor will I do anything to block the pns big bro… err, I mean Akio-kun has going on. Kikuchi-san and I will end up being friends in time, I’m sure. Marika- too.”

  “And me, and me!” Keomi- piped up as well.

  “So, take some advice from someone older.” I finished. “It be difficult to take a first step, but you either gather your ce and do it yourself, or let someone who cares about you give you a push. But… at least for today, pretend that you fit in, and who knows, you might well have fun and want to do it again.”

  Having given my advice, which while I didn’t say it as smoothly as I would have liked, was heartfelt, she nodded, and one girl, who was Noguchi-san, if I recalled correctly, jumped in. “Yeah, it’s a party, right? I hardly wait… besides, I am just dying to ask… what was it like to fight yakuza? Izumi-san won’t tell us much about it, but my cousin is in the police, and they said it was a real big mess…”

  As irls echoed her, curiosity in their eyes, especially Mio-san and Asami-san, I unched into a somewhat edited tale of my heroics, earning a lot of praise and admiring looks. Beside me, Marika- had taken the hand of Takagi-san and led her back to the group. Watg them go I smiled warmly. Yeah, Marika- is really mature for her age. If she shows such diligen her training with Shaeu, who knows how far she might go…?

  ***

  On finishing the tour of the shrine grounds we returo my home for the party, where Shaeu was finishing up preparing (well, that or sg off and pying games), I found two people waiting outside, one of whom I reised. On seeing me, his eyes went wide, but after a nervous swallow, he bowed to me. His daughter, earing shrine maiden clothes, was standing nervously behind him, her own gaze taking in the rge number of girls from her css uneasily.

  The priest still looked a bit frail and pale, which was unsurprising sidering he had been in a a in hospital for a month. Still, he mao introduce himself and his daughter. “Good afternoon. I am Kikuchi Shuta. I have e at your request. This is my daughter, Maiko.”

  “He-hello.” she stammered, bowing herself.

  “Seriously, o be so nervous.” I reassured them. “Maiko-san… I call you that, right, or it’s going to get fusing?”

  Maiko-san agreed, still nervous, so I tinued. “Maiko-san, why not spend some time with the irls? There’s food, drinks and games inside. My… my friend Shaeu is inside and she’ll take care of you all. I’ll be back ter when I’ve discussed my business with Kikuchi-san here.”

  “Don’t be shy, Maiko.” Kikuchi-san sighed. “No-one will bother you here.”

  “Right.” Kana- agreed. “I know we doly hang around together at school, but we both are daughters of the shrines, aren’t we? So we should get along. There’s a few girls you wouldn’t expect here, see?”

  On looking around, Maiko-san nodded slowly, very surprised to see girls like Noguchi-san and Takagi-sa.

  “In that case, I’ll see you ter big bro. I hope your business goes well.” She grinned. “You girls are going to just love Shaeu. e, e!” With that she ushered everyone inside, leaving me aloh Kikuchi-san.

  “Right then. Shall we head to the main shrio talk?”