【Ch. 12 - Shopping For Two ①】

A week has passed since the signing of my contract with Takeda. I've spent most of that time acclimating to living in the mortal realm as well as accompanying my new master for his first rounds of training. If you could call it training, anyway.

It ended up being mostly introductions and some super basic study materials about the spirit world, so I didn't actually have much to do in the end. For all intents and purposes I simply just followed him and answered the occasional question.

All of this combined, alongside being told I didn't have to perform my messenger duties, resulted in me ending up with a lot of free time. While it was useful for getting used to my new living accommodations and whatnot, that could only keep me occupied for so long.

Oh yeah, before I forget, in regards to the 'present' Kitohana-sama left me on that first day, I found a note the next morning tucked inside the raiments:

『I do hope that the transition to your new abode is proceeding apace, my dear Tama-chan. As a house-warming gift, I have taken it upon myself to craft a most auspicious gift! These raiments enclosed within are imbued with a number of beneficial wards and blessings.

I do believe they to be well suited as an official dress for your upcoming Shikigami duties. I am, of course, not so boorish to require you to don them at all times, but I believe for official duties under Takeda's domain, it would be most suitable.』

And yet you are boorish enough to force them on me at all! Not to mention, with the way its worded, I'm more or less mandated to wear it for my official duties, regardless!

What an absolutely unfair situation.

Takeda has not seen me don them yet, but it would only be a matter of time before I have to appear in front of him in that outfit. Thinking back to its low cut, it would no doubt draw attention to the unfortunate state of my physical development. That damned kami.

"Haaaah."

I sigh deeply.

"Is something wrong, Tama?"

Speaking of Takeda, I was sitting next to him on a train downtown as I recall all of this. Why? Well, to stave off some of the boredom from my new-found time off, we were heading out to shop. Granted, I did actually have a legitimate reason for doing so beyond boredom. My new residence was ill-equipped for the long-term.

Before my move, I lived within my familial estate and only had short stints to my mortal residence for official duties. Now that the situation was reversed, I was in need of more household necessities. I had asked Takeda for some assistance in this matter and he seemed eager to tag along. With his release from his old occupation, I wonder if he too had too much spare time.

"Nothing. Just thinking back on some irritations."

"...Did Kitohana-sama contact you?"

"Thankfully, no. But it is related to her."

Unsurprisingly, Takeda picked up on the nature of our new superior quickly. Well, it would have been more surprising if he did not. First encounters with her tend to leave a strong impression, and his was particularly chaotic.

"Really? She's contacted me a few times... though I feel like I'm losing years of my life every time."

"Hoh? She has been particularly silent to me, whatever is she bothering you about?"

Kitohana-sama had been disconcertingly quiet in regards to myself, not sending as much as a whisper my way since that first day. The fact she had been apparently been in frequent contact with Takeda instead was worrying, to put it mildly.

Of course I am technically two rungs down the hierarchal ladder as it were, being Takeda's Shikigami and whatnot. She wouldn't have much reason to bother me directly in any normal situation, but I cannot believe that she wouldn't do so for such a mundane reason. Rather, I doubt she even cares about something as tedious as a hierarchy in the first place.

"Um... it's, Er... Just checkups on my well being and training. Yeah."

Hm? He seems to be hiding something. Not to mention, there was a rather obvious blush which he was particularly inept at disguising. Suspicious. I lean in towards him, and look him straight in the eyes. He immediately adverts his gaze.

"Was that really all?"

"Urk. Well... She uh, 'teases' me a lot during it and its pretty... intense. Yeah."

"Haah."

I sigh and fall back into my seat. I figured this would be the case. With a brand new toy now directly under her thumb, she's most definitely excited to push boundaries she normally would not with the typical worshippers or subordinates.

"Even if you have her favor or even her permission, I'd scarcely recommend indulging in the offers she grants you. If anything, I'm not entirely sure what she would do if you were to actually act on whatever impulse you may have."

"I don't really think you need to tell me that..."

"It still bears repeating."

Thankfully, Takeda seemed to have enough common sense to resist whatever she was offering. Still, I couldn't help shake the feeling this wasn't all there was to this story but there was no point in prying much further. The less I know about her machinations, the better for my sanity.

We continued to make idle conversation until the train pulled into our destination. The actual procurement of my necessities didn't actually take too long afterward. Takeda had apparently been living alone for quite some time, so he led me fairly efficiently through all the necessary shops.

An exceedingly high domestic score.

"What is this feeling of defeat...?"

"...I'm not entirely sure what's getting you so depressed, but we did finish rather early."

For one reason or another, he seems to be worrying about something, but this atmosphere is telling me that I shouldn't pry somehow. I give him a quizzical look for a moment before moving on.

"Since it would be a waste to simply head back now, I figure it would be good to continue our little shopping trip together. How about it?"

Most of my purchases were appliances and such so the bulk of it was to be delivered. Which is to say, we were carrying very little at the moment and with such a short amount of time passed, this would do little to solve my spare time issue.

Surprisingly, it took a little while for Takeda to respond to my suggestion. In fact, he himself seemed to be surprised I had proposed it in the first place. I could even notice a tinge of embarrassment.

"Um, sure, yeah that sounds... good?"

For a response to such a mundane suggestion, he did seem to be choosing his words oddly carefully. Did I perhaps err somewhere? Perhaps I should explain my intentions more clearly, it would do us no good if he misunderstands me somewhere odd.

"...I'm unsure why you're reacting like that. This is a good opportunity to get to actually understand each other more. I'll remind you that we have not spent much notable time together since our first meeting."

Even when I was accompanying him on trainings, he was often being dragged about by those curious about his existence. I spent a lot of time simply tearing him away from such curious passerbys.

"It would be prudent for us to improve our working relationship, yes? Think of it as one your company social outings or some such if you must."

"Ah... of course. Right."

Hm? He almost seems disappointed now. Strange. His mood seems to be fluctuating quite readily today. I can't help but shake a feeling that this is due to something Kitohana-sama has planted in his mind or some such. Perhaps this outing was a better idea than I thought? If it ends up that it's actually the case, the sooner I deal with her machinations, the better.

"Great. Shall we be off?"

With this newfound motivation, I gesture for him to follow me. There were, in fact, a few stores which I wished to visit if we had the chance. With the situation as it is, it would seem the opportunity to visit them all has presented itself.

We were already in the middle of the commercial district, so it did not take long to arrive at the first destination on my list.

"Hm. Good. I was hoping to get your opinion on this."

With a nod I look back at Takeda once we were just outside the entrance.

"W-wait. You want my opinion on this?!"

"Yes. Quite. I rarely ever get recommendations from others that are not my younger sisters with regards to this and I figure a male's input would be valuable. As you are the first of such acquaintances that are not family, this is a good opportunity."

Hm? Takeda was staring at me with his mouth agape at me quite intensely for some reason.

"This is a lingerie shop, though?!"

"Yes?"

I only tilt my head in response. Was there something amiss?

Afterword

"My! How most unfortunate for our poor Takeda. Tama-chan has quite the unfortunate disposition you know~! As you had already turned her down in a prior encounter, it seems she no longer even postulates the notion that you may be conscious of her!

How grand, I mean, how unfortunate for our poor Takeda's state of mind when considering the ramifications of such a misguided viewpoint from our little Tama-chan. Especially considering a certain wondrously grand kami did not deign to inform him of this little tidbit. Ufufu.

Well, it is not as if there would be unseemly developments even with this situation. Despite appearances, that girl does have her sense of shame."

As always, a certain kami seems to be observing from the wings.