Volume 6 Chapter 5 Interlude꞉ The Wandering Andromeda
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It stands to reason that no matter where you are in Japan, the atmosphere of a chain store rarely fluctuates. Consequently, the peculiar void that tends to form around certain individuals remains much the same.
”Hey, haven’t we met somewhere before?” Naoshi asked.
Leaning his hands on the table, he called out with the practiced air of a pick-up artist. The woman, who had been preoccupied with her smartphone, arched her eyebrows in suspicion.
”I beg your pardon, but you must have the wrong person,” she replied.
”No, no, I’m absolutely certain we’ve crossed paths. Forgive me,” Naoshi said.
Without waiting for an invitation, Naoshi moved to occupy the seat directly across from her.
”Honestly,” Mei muttered.
Tsuchimi Mei, her loosely waved hair swept up in a casual style, chuckled as she tucked her pouch back into her bag. Her attire consisted of her usual tight pants, paired with a somewhat loose-fitting top that left her white shoulders exposed.
”You must go around trying that line everywhere, ssu. You really are a wicked man, waaa.”
”Hey now, that wasn’t smooth at all, was it? I figured I had to clear up Mei-chan’s misunderstanding somehow, so I dared to try something I’m clearly not used to, ya.”
It was only yesterday that he had received word she was visiting Kanto¹ on a trip with a friend during the year-end holidays. While Suzuri and the others’ suspicions had hit the mark, Naoshi remained steadfast in his desire to keep Mei, a mere civilian, far removed from anything involving an Exorcist². To that end, he had even gone so far as to enlist Touma Yukinojo to assist him with a minor deception.
(—Though I doubt that’ll work forever, naaa.)
It was a futile hope, really. Shaking the thought away, Naoshi chose to live in the moment.
”Still, talk about a coincidence, ya. To think we’d bump into each other in Tokyo of all places.”
”Hehe, almost feels like fate, doesn’t it? ssu.”
”Definitely. So, how’s the city tour? Are you making the most of it? yan.”
”Yeah. Though it’s overflowing with people no matter where I go, wa.”
”I hear the tourists in Kyoto are getting pretty overwhelming lately too, naaa. Where have you been so far? yan.”
”Senso-ji³, the Sky Tree, Ameyoko⁴—oh, and the Ueno Zoo! The twin pandas were just incredibly cute! waaa.”
”You’ve certainly been busy, naaa. I’ve caught a glimpse of the Sky Tree myself, but what else? yan.”
”Hmm, a museum somewhere? Oh, and I also went to see the Imperial Palace, waaa. People really do jog around there, don’t they?”
”So they say, naaa. But I’m relieved, ya. I was half-worried you’d start saying, ‘Oh, I visited the Chiyoda Detached Palace⁵ as well,’ ya.”
At Naoshi’s words, which poked fun at her local pride, Mei puffed out her cheeks in mock indignation.
”I would never say such a thing! What exactly do you think Kyoto people are? ssu.”
”It was a joke, just a joke, ya.”
Naoshi chuckled, the sound vibrating in his throat. Noticing his lingering amusement, Mei crossed her arms and pointedly looked away.
”Naoshi-kun, you’re the one being ‘typical,’ waaa. Always being so mean.”
”My apologies, it was a poor jest, ya. Look, I’m truly sorry, wa.”
Pressing his hands together, Naoshi offered a low bow. Mei stole a sidelong glance at him, her tone still tinged with displeasure.
”Kyoto or Osaka—which one is the cooler city? ssu.”
”Why, it’s Kyoto, without a doubt, ya.”
”And Lake Biwa? ssu.”
”That’s Kyoto’s, clearly, ya. It’s been Kyoto’s for a millennium already; there’s no way it belongs to a Shiga-saku⁶, yan.”
”What about the Yodogawa⁷? ssu.”
”By all means, ya. You’re welcome to take that one as you please, ya.”
”Then what about Naoshi-kun? ssu.”
”Naturally, I’m Mei-chan’s until the date changes, ya.”
”My, what a well-matured Cinderella you’ve become, waaa.”
”I’m doing my best with magic, yan. So, did you manage to snap any panda photos? yan.”
”Hmm, you want to see them? I suppose I can’t be helped, wa.”
Ending the banter, Mei eagerly produced her smartphone and scrolled through her camera roll. Just as she had claimed, a flurry of photos from famous Tokyo landmarks appeared one after another.
”Aren’t these way too many panda pictures, ya? Didn’t anyone tell you off? yan.”
”But it’s not like I can see them all the time, right? ssu. I wanted to capture a lifetime’s worth, wa.”
”I’m fairly sure there are plenty in Wakayama too, though, naaa… Wait.”
Once the torrent of pandas finally subsided, a photo appeared featuring a black-haired woman roughly Mei’s age. She was someone who had been glimpsed in the background of a few earlier shots.
”Is this your friend? The one from Awaji, uh… yan.”
”Yoko-chan. Why is it you only ever remember she’s from Awaji? ssu.”
”I’ve always been terrible at remembering names for people I haven’t met face-to-face, naaa. Is she doing her own thing today? yan.”
”Yeah. She went to a collaboration cafe for a… V-choober? with a friend of hers in Tokyo, wa.”
”What’s with that pronunciation, ya? You’re not an old lady, yan.”
”But I don’t really understand that stuff, wa. Do you know them, Naoshi-kun? VTubers, ssu.”
”They’re the people who look like anime characters, right? yan.”
”Ah, Yoko-chan scolded me too, but she said you’re not allowed to describe them like that, wa.”
”Eh…? Then how am I supposed to say it? yan.”
”Who knows? ssu. She was so grumpy I didn’t even get a chance to ask, wa.”
”Well, you’ll have to find out for me later, naaa.”
”Hmm, well, I’ll let you know once she tells me, naaa?”
”I’m counting on you, ya.”
Mei giggled, resting a hand against her mouth.
”Still, if you’ve taken such a liking to the place, Mei-chan, maybe you should look for a job here after graduation? yan. You’d have an unlimited supply of pandas on the weekends, ya.”
However, as Naoshi spoke, the light in her expression suddenly vanished.
”I wonder? It might be difficult, wa.”
There was a trace of listlessness buried in her words. Realizing he had inadvertently stepped on a landmine, Naoshi tried to pivot gently.
”…Is moving to the capital that hard, naaa? I’d figure more shops mean more opportunities, ya. Depending on your criteria, yan.”
”Yeah. And also—”
Mei trailed off, her gaze turning distant as if looking at something far away.
”My big brother won’t allow it, wa.”
”Your brother, not your parents? yan.”
”No. My brother is already the one calling the shots at home, wa.”
”Hah, if he’s your brother, he must still be quite young, ya. That’s rather impressive, waaa.”
”You’re saying that, even though you’re younger than him, Naoshi-kun. I’m not sure what it is you do exactly, but aren’t you entrusted with important business trips for your family’s work? ssu.”
Since he was concealing his true profession, her assessment was the exact opposite of reality. Given that he was still a novice struggling through his studies, Naoshi’s wry smile was anything but an act.
”Well, just because I’m exceptional doesn’t mean others can’t be, ya.”
”That might be true, but… ssu.”
”Well, hair salons are everywhere, naaa. For that matter, wouldn’t your current part-time job work out fine? yan. That shop with absolutely no business sense, ya.”
”…Honestly, there you go being mean again, wa.”
When Naoshi resorted to his sharp-tongued teasing, a smile finally returned to Mei’s face.
”I’m sorry, Naoshi-kun. It’s still a way off, but I’m just anxious about life after graduation, wa.”
”Well, it’s the rest of your life we’re talking about, naaa. Nothing to apologize for, ya. If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry for being so thoughtless, ya.”
”Hmm… thank you, wa.”
”More importantly, how much longer are you staying? yan. Isn’t your school break about to end? yan.”
”Yeah. I’m taking the Shinkansen back this Saturday, wa.”
”Hoh, then you’d better make the most of the rest of your trip, naaa.”
Confirming that she would be safely away by the day of the expected decisive battle, Naoshi felt a quiet wave of relief wash over him.
”Yeah. It might be the last time I’m ever able to come, wa.”
But her follow-up words were heavy. Her expression was far too somber for him to dismiss it as a mere exaggeration. Perhaps the prospect of leaving home was even more daunting for her than Naoshi had realized. And while it was a path he had chosen for himself, Naoshi—who lived his own life bound to a family legacy—found himself unable to offer her any easy alternatives.
”What about you, Naoshi-kun? When are you heading back to Osaka? ssu.”
Before he could dwell on the thought, Mei shifted the subject.
”Hmm… let’s see, ya. Probably by the end of the month, or even if I run into next month, I’ll be home early on, ya.”
”Okay, I’ll be waiting for an invitation then, wa.”
”It’ll have to be after work settles down, but I’ll be in touch, ya.”
”Make sure you’ve properly settled things with the women here first, okay? ssu.”
”Mei-chaaan, have a heart, ya.”
As Naoshi pulled a pitiful face, Mei’s expression broke into a genuine peal of laughter.
—
Summary:
Naoshi reunites with Tsuchimi Mei at a Tokyo cafe, engaging in their usual teasing banter. Mei shares her sightseeing adventures but becomes somber when discussing her future and her brother’s strict control over her life. Naoshi is relieved to confirm Mei will return to Kyoto before his upcoming battle. They part with a promise to meet again in Osaka once things settle.
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Character Insight:
This interlude highlights the parallel yet contrasting ‘shackles’ of both characters. Naoshi is bound to a dangerous duty he hides from others, while Mei is bound to a traditional family structure that limits her personal freedom. Despite Naoshi’s deceptive facade, his genuine concern for Mei’s safety and his shared feeling of being ‘trapped’ create a deep, unspoken resonance between them.
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Behind the Scene:
The mentions of regional pride regarding Lake Biwa and the Yodogawa are classic tropes in Japanese comedy used to illustrate the friendly rivalry between Kyoto, Osaka, and Shiga residents. The term ‘Shiga-saku’ is a particularly local jab that adds flavor to Naoshi’s fake Kansai persona.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Mei – A young woman with loosely waved hair tied up. She is a student from Kyoto visiting Tokyo for vacation. She has a slender build, often wearing tight pants. She feels pressure regarding her future and her strict brother.
• Touma Yukinojo – The head of the Touma family, a prominent exorcist clan from Kanto. At just 21 years old, he is regarded as the strongest exorcist in Japan, known for his exceptional swordsmanship and mastery over fire. He is also referred to by the title ‘Ice Blade’, which scatters spirits, and is noted for possessing the ‘Divine Eye’, a unique ability that further enhances his prowess. Yukinojo is described as a handsome young man with the blood of a snow woman.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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