Nanami Wants To Tie Himemiko's String of Fate Part 1

MIKOTO

After a quick rest, I return to sweeping the yards and the sandō(27) pavement and cleaned the offertory box. My typical Priestess Duty (x_x)

I also personally did the maintenance of temizuya(28) which is usually Tomoe's job to make sure the water flowing in it is clean and available for purification of the believers that may come while Tomoe is accompanying Nanami.

I don't know how long they will be gone but I think they will be back before lunch time.

"Kotetsu, Onikiri", I called the will-o'-the-wisp children after I returned to the temple hall.

"Yes Mikoto-dono?", the two immediately responded appeared behind me.

Even though I still can't see them clearly, at least I can safely conclude that my spiritual spirit is growing since I can already faintly see their forms.

"Can you kindly help me clean the honden(29)?", I requested them and they agreed without a second thought.

"After this, I'll practice the Norito chant and then i'll continue organizing the prayers", I reminded myself with deep sigh. I miss watching animes or reading manga during weekends.

But while I'm here, I should do my best too. Thinking about Nanami and Tomoe, I wonder how are they doing now?

I hope things go well between them and may they find Kotarou without any problem.... like you know,

....more than it supposed to be. (￣ω￣;)

~ʚĭɞ~

Nanami right now is overwhelmed with excitement and glee.

"Tomoe, we're here! It's the town!" ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

"Look at the crowds, the smell of exhaust fumes and the bustling noise. It's only been a week but it already feels so nostalgic".

"Wah, it feels like we've come back to earth", the land deity can't helped but to enjoy the moment.

"Has it been a while since you've been to town, Tomoe?", she asked her familiar with her bright smile.

"Well, yeah. I suppose", he indifferently replied.

"20 years ago or so?" the familiar thought. He honestly can't remember but he doesn't care at all.

Tomoe doesn't like the miasma within the human civilization especially in the towns so he does his shopping for Nanami's daily needs at the hidden realm.

Even as Mikage's servant, he doesn't need to go to human town unless his master asked him to. But looking how greatly things changed in the human world slightly intrigued him for a few seconds.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped", the fox familiar's eyes slightly smiled while watched the land deity's silly happy face while skipping on her feet.

With a tour guide map on Nanami's hand, they stroll the streets. The only information they had from Himemiko is Kotarou's residential area which made Tomoe confident that Nanami might get tired soon and will fail to fulfill the princess's wish.

"Sigh, I wonder how are we going to look for Kotarou-kun", the local land deity girl whined.

"If you're tired, then let's go home and just forget about it. I will send a formal apologies to Himemiko later", her familiar persuaded her again.

"Mooi! Tomoe, how can you easily give up like that", Nanami started pouting once at the familiar's stubbornness.

"Like I said earlier, if it's about Himemiko's wish, I won't listen to it and I don't have plan to be involved in that case", Tomoe explained once more.

Nanami stared for a few seconds, "then why are you accompanying me right now?"

"Guh!" Tomoe jolted. He can't admit that it was because there was a moment he thought Nanami won't come back just like Mikage.

"A-anyway, more importantly, what can you actually really do? Humans and spirits can't be bound together, after all", he stated coldly while hiding immediately his reaction.

"He did just blushed for a second, didn't he", Nanami asked herself while diverted her gaze away from his familiar then she noticed how they're attracting a lot of attention.

"Wow, look at that guy?"

"So handsome"

"I wonder if it's alright to approach him"

"Ahahah, well, it can't be helped", she dryly laughed to herself with a sweatdrop since he's the most eye-catching person among the crowd.

It was lucky that Mikoto reminded her about Tomoe's appearance earlier before they left the shrine. She asked him to changed clothes so she thought it's all covered and almost let her guard down.

Nanami's face turned pale white at the thought, "Mikoto's right. My standards for "human" is dropping and becoming numb!"

"Is there's something wrong?", Tomoe asked her, oblivious to their surrounding.

"Ahh.. n-nothing! Anyways, why don't we have a break first and buy Mikoto some ice cream she wants".

Tomoe sighed and felt he didn't have any choice but to follow quietly behind the human deity girl.

~ʚĭɞ~

"You know, on the days when I got my part-time job salary, I often ate ice cream in this shop on my way back home from school", Nanami shared while eating inside the Ice Cream Parlour. "It's good, isn't it?"

"Hmm.." Tomoe replied after eating a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. "Aren't we here to find Kotarou? If we're already done, then we're supposed to go home."

Nanami smiled helplessly, "I know, I know". "You're thinking about your familiar duties, right."

"Huh? Poverty Momozono-san, why are you here?", they heard a familiar voice from an irritating person who immediately came towards them.

"ISOBE!!!", Nanami was startled. "Why are you here?"

"Hey, hey, I'm the one who's asking you. And having a guy with you... so sketchy", Isobe throw a scandalizing look between the two.

The local land deity's face darkened, "It-It's not like that. Go away!" She really hope to avoid this guy but he keeps bugging her.

"Oh, he's the guy who's at school the other day", he was talking about the event when Tomoe brought a sumptuous meal at school on Nanami's first day at school.

"What was with that, anyways? Too cheesy! You even have a cutie who claims to be your personal assistant, where's she? Not with you?", the annoying guy continued. "There was something kinda phony about everything"

"This person is someone she knows from school too?" Tomoe quietly observed their quarrelling. In his eyes, they just seems having a casual normal exchanging of words.

"Hey, it's true that you were evicted from your house? Lots of rumors are flying around about your father running away from home because of his great debts and that your house got confiscated and you camp in the park, you know?", Isobe started his tease to humiliate their poor-stricken classmate. A complete bully for no reason.

"T-that's not it! My Dad got a job transfer", Nanami evaded the truth.

"Who are you fooling? Your old man is forever unemployed, right? Did you mistake that with running away from home?"

Tomoe started to feel that this classmate is getting on his nerves.

"Hey, hey, tell me the truth". Isobe pats Nanami's shoulder, trying to pressure her. But fox yokai interpreted it in a flirting act; totally the opposite way.

He instantly pulled the human girl deity instinctively. "Let's get out of here"

"Eh? What's wrong?", Isobe laughed mockingly, thinking that they just wants to escape.

"Hold on a sec–", the bothersome guy didn't finished his words. On his forehead is the familiar's pointed nails.

"Do not touch her so casually, you stinking brat!", Tomoe's expression is stiff and serious, completely intimidating Nanami's classmate.

Blood drained from Isobe's face because of fear.

"Wait", Nanami realized something. She recognize those murderous intent, just like last night with Himemiko's familiar.

"STOP IT!", she yelled right onto Tomoe's ears. All she needs is a resolved conviction to bind him to her words and follow her command.

"Are you alright Isobe?", Nanami asked her stupid classmate out of guilt while Tomoe spaced out, trying to clear the buzzing pain inside his head.

"Si-sir customer", a young man working at the parlour assisted the almost-fainted Isobe.

"You! What are you thinking, trying to start a fight like that? It's dangerous! he's a human, you know? (╬ Ò﹏Ó)"

ﾉ\__ﾉ\ ('益'╬) "Don't shout close to my ears!" Tomoe raised his voice too. He feels so furious. No, more than furious. He can feel a mix turmoil inside him.

He just did her job of protecting Nanami, why is she angry at him instead? "You can't even do your work properly and yet you always gives me orders like you know what you are doing. How immature you are!"

"I'm here to do my work! That's why we're here in town, remember?!", Nanami refuted.

"Ummm.. c-ustomers...uhm, please don't fight inside the store", the bespectacled young man tries to stop the their squabbling. But the two didn't gave attention to his pleading.

"I did not come all the way to town just to have ice cream. We are supposed to look for Urashima Kotarou"

"That's why I came here to find Kotarou-kun, right?!"

*heavy tension* (💢▼益▼) ⚡ ('△'💢) ↑                     ↑ Tomoe           Nanami

They only stopped when the surprised young man approached them closer, "Um, I am Urashima Kotarou, how can I help you two?"

"Kotarou-kun? Are you really Urashima Kotarou-kun?" Nanami can't believe it. Just earlier they were looking aimlessly for an hour or so. She didn't thought they would just easily find the person their looking for here, working at the ice cream parlour that Mikoto insisted them to go.

The boy who introduced himself as the Urashima Kotarou awkwardly smiled at the two bizarre customer, especially the young lady who addressed him casually.

"Y-yes", he slightly bowed and showed his employee ID of the parlour. "Do I know you, Miss?"

"Ah! No, no, actually we just want to talk with you", Nanami delightful smiled.

"I...umh.. I'm still at work so... if it's alright, I'll talk with you after my shift", Kotarou replied while fidgeting. He immediately excused himself after they set the time and place they're going to meet up later.

After leaving the shop, Nanami secretly peeked at the tall handsome guy with silverish hair walking besides him.

"Still badmood?" She asked. But looking at his sour face, it's obvious that he's still angry.

Tomoe didn't replied. Instead, he inquired her something. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Huh?" (・・ ) ?

He looked at the confused deity girl, "We're going home, right? Or do you prefer to stay here till evening just to wait for Urashima Kotarou?"

"Since you... seems to have many lingering feelings about this world", he mumbled the last sentence, not too viable to Nanami.

She, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. "Ah! You're not angry anymore?" It wasn't the reply she's expecting. Honestly she thought he's lash back to her again.

Tomoe didn't replied her question again. "Hurry up or else, the ice cream will melt".