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Returning to this place felt as if it had only been yesterday.
As the shadow cast by the shrine's torii gate drifted eastward with the setting sun, the bustle within the shrine gradually quieted down.
Inside the traditional room, the beautiful woman lay sprawled atop her kimono spread across the tatami mat, her arms wrapped tightly around the boy's neck.
Her eyes remained closed, lips slightly parted, as she lingered in the afterglow, savoring every second. Only after a long while did she slowly open her beautiful, tear-brimmed eyes.
"Your Spiritual energy... it's just as abundant as it used to be..."
Her voice broke with the rhythm of her heavy breathing. Beneath the dusky sunset pouring through the paper windows, her white chest gleamed with a thin sheen of sweat, rising and falling from the lingering exertion.
"And... you've grown up too…"
The latter part carried an unmistakable meaning beyond the surface.
Just like a cat seeks out warm hearths, foxes instinctively gravitate toward those brimming with spiritual energy.
And even the mighty Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox was no exception.
Leaning down once more, Keikain Bokue gently captured the stunning woman's soft red lips in a kiss, chuckling lightly.
"Yasaka-nee, you're still just as beautiful as ever."
"Am I?"
Simple words — yet for Yasaka, they were like receiving a precious, long-coveted gift. Her golden-brown eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
"Although... it's a little regrettable, you know..."
"Hmm?"
Bokue raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her words.
Yasaka exhaled softly against his lips, her breath warm and fragrant.
"If you hadn't left Kyoto for a full ten years... maybe I'd have grown even more beautiful by now."
If her earlier comment about him "Growing up" could be brushed off as innocent, this line was blatantly teasing, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
"Ten years isn't that long."
With a grin, Bokue slipped an arm around her slender, supple waist and shifted sideways to lie down.
But before he could settle, four or five fluffy golden fox tails caught him mid-fall — while the remaining ones draped themselves over the two of them, forming a soft, portable cocoon.
Yasaka's body was incredibly soft.
Despite her ample curves, she maintained a flawless balance of fullness and slenderness, lush without a hint of heaviness. Holding her felt like embracing a lively bundle of warm, springy cotton — almost enough to make someone want to merge her into themselves completely.
Nestled together under the canopy of fox tails, Bokue pressed even closer, their chests lightly brushing, exchanging each other's scent in the warm, enclosed space.
"For Yasaka-nee, ten years probably feels like just a few months,"
As he spoke, a slender finger pressed against his lips.
Yasaka lowered her gaze slightly, the corners of her mouth flattening into a thin line.
"But for a human... how many decades do they get in a lifetime?"
"..."
The mood suddenly shifted — the conversation veering toward the heavy topic of mortality.
"Let's not bring that up. We should enjoy this moment."
Bokue cut her off gently, tapping her lips with his finger.
"Besides, the sun's almost down now. Kunou..."
"Mmm, I know."
Yasaka fell silent for a moment, then closed her eyes briefly.
When she opened them again, the mountainous terrain surrounding Yasaka Shrine had subtly shifted — imperceptible to the untrained eye.
"Alright. With the changes I made, Kunou should be back soon — maybe half an hour or so."
"Perfect. Just enough time for one more round."
"Eh?"
The fox-tailed beauty hadn't even reacted before his soft lips sealed hers again. The thick curtain of fox tails parted, and once more her back pressed firmly against the tatami mat.
"Wait, half an hour... isn't that too short—"
"Not enough?"
"But we have to shower too..."
"Then let's skip it."
"But... it'll be obvious..."
"It won't."
As the boy's movements intensified, Yasaka's voice grew increasingly fragmented — until eventually, it dissolved into breathless, incoherent syllables.
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Meanwhile, somewhere along the forested mountain path, a young fox girl hurried along, anxiously clenching her small fists as she looked up at the darkening sky.
She was flustered — she'd gotten herself lost. In her own family's mountains, no less. If she didn't hurry, her mother would worry for sure.
"Ughhh—how did this even happen today?"
Normally, her patrol routes were fixed, no room for error. She had never gotten lost before. Sure, she had rushed a little today because she was excited about Bokue-nii's return — but how had she ended up this far off course?
If she kept wandering like this...
Huh?
Spinning around instinctively, she found a familiar trail stretching out before her — and her eyes widened in shock.
"W-what? Wasn't this road different earlier?!"
Had she been caught in some kind of illusion?
But... on a mountain protected by her mother's Yōki barrier, getting trapped in a maze spell shouldn't even be possible.
Still, there was no time to dwell on it. Matching the surrounding scenery to her memory, Kunou quickly pinpointed the correct path and sprinted off at full speed.
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Half an hour later, in front of Yasaka Shrine.
"Mother! Bokue-nii!"
Bounding up the stone steps beneath the torii gate, Kunou spotted two familiar figures standing outside the shrine — and her heart leapt with joy.
Unable to hold herself back, she broke into a sprint, launching herself at the boy with the grace of an Arctic fox pouncing for prey. She slammed into him full force, then turned her head toward the fox-tailed beauty standing nearby.
"Sorry, Mother! I'm late!"
"It's alright. You're home now — that's all that matters."
The lingering blush on Yasaka's face was barely hidden by the crimson twilight. She smiled gently, her voice soft.
"Come inside. Dinner's ready. It's not every day we're all together — let's enjoy it properly."
From the outside, they truly looked like a perfect little family.
"Okay!"
Kunou bobbed her head enthusiastically.
But standing so close, she couldn't help noticing something odd.
"Huh? Mother... you look really red. You're sweating a lot, too... your hair's sticking to your forehead…"
"Eh?!"
Caught off guard by her daughter's innocent observation, Yasaka faltered for a split second — unable to respond immediately.
After all, the time she was supposed to spend freshening up had been... ahem, otherwise occupied — at someone's insistence. They had barely managed to whip up dinner and tidy the scene before Kunou's return. She hadn't even had time to properly wash up — just hurriedly thrown her kimono back on to cover the remaining traces.
Thank goodness it was summer — if it were winter, she might have been literally steaming by now.
"J-just a little, I guess. It's pretty warm out today."
For once, the fox-tailed beauty had to lie — and she averted her face slightly in embarrassment.
Luckily, little Kunou was too naïve to think too deeply about it. She simply assumed her mother had been waiting outside too long because she was late.
"Sorry, Mother... for making you wait so long."
The fox girl bowed her head, feeling guilty.
But the next moment, her mother's warm hand gently patted her head.
"It's fine. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters. Come on — it's too hot out here. Let's head inside."
"Mm!"
However, Kunou didn't notice — as Yasaka turned back toward the shrine, a faint, milky-white trickle slid down along the inside of her ankle, dripping onto the wooden floorboards at the entrance.
Pooling into a small, shimmering puddle.
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