Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 331, Section 17: "Spending Spring Days Together"

After breakfast, the group packed their belongings, completed the formalities, and prepared to leave.

The weather outside has been sunny with hardly any clouds since we arrived in Takamatsu last night.

Masumi bought a ferry ticket to Otogijima at Takamatsu Port.

The all-white ferry, adorned with red stripes, departed from the port and moved slowly through the splashing white waves.

The journey from Takamatsu Port to Ogijima takes about forty minutes, passing by Megijima along the way.

This small island off the coast of Takamatsu City is also known as "Oni-jima" (Demon Island), because according to a famous local legend, it was once the lair of evil spirits.

"Ah, it's the demon that Momotaro fought, right? I know it."

They were so close they could feel each other's breath, yet Mami's voice remained excited and thrilled.

"Thinking about it this way, I suddenly really want to go to the island and take a look."

"Huh? You want to see the ruins of the demons?"

"Pretty much, it would be even better if we could find some wreckage with cursed power along the way!"

Mami's face suddenly drew closer.

"Like a ghost's fingers or something."

"...Just a heads up, you're not allowed to swallow anything of unknown origin, or you might get a stomachache."

Masumi silently rested her elbow on the railing of the ship's side, gazing at the shimmering blue sea.

"No way!"

"It's annoying," Mami said.

"What kind of person do you think I am, Masumi-kun?"

"The kind of person who wore a single eye patch and colored contact lenses during junior high school, claimed to have evil eyes, and was obsessed with all kinds of magic circulating on the internet."

"I, I didn't... wear a single eye patch and colored contact lenses."

"Don't you deny the latter?"

"And I'm not obsessed with magic!"

"Look me in the eyes first."

Clearly flustered, Asami's gaze darted around, and she pouted mischievously, saying:

"This, this isn't my fault! Aren't all junior high school girls like this? They either draw magic circles on the test papers to try to summon the answers, or they train pigeons as their familiars to steal the failed test papers, which makes a mess of the office and gets them punished by the teacher to run laps on the playground."

"...No, I don't think it's normal for middle school girls to act like this."

Masumi seems to have figured out a little about why Mami didn't have any friends in junior high.

"Huh? It's perfectly normal. Masumi-kun probably had bandages wrapped around his arms when he was in middle school, and whenever someone walked by, he would lower his head, hug his arms, and say, 'Hey, behave yourself! You devil on the left!'"

No, not at all.

Masumi sighed quietly.

"Who still acts so obviously like a chuunibyou these days... I was in a sports club from the beginning of junior high, I didn't have the time to indulge in such meaningless desires to show off."

"Eh~~"

Mami deliberately dragged out the sound.

"Masumi-kun is actually a popular guy in the sports club! That's amazing! Masumi-kun must have looked like a girl in distress back then."

"I don't know, I don't quite remember."

"Stop lying to me~ Whether it's the sports club or the light music club, aren't they all just playing around with women all day long?"

"Please stop spreading such false prejudices."

Mami smiled gently and looked up into Masumi's eyes.

"Well, at least for Masumi-kun right now, it should be quite appropriate."

"not at all."

Masumi closed her eyes helplessly and retorted decisively.

"Using the word 'play' sounds frivolous; I take relationships very seriously."

"Huh! They're actually playing the sentimental card!"

Mami braced her arms, adopting a defensive posture.

"Masumi-kun also said that you're not good at picking up girls."

"That's enough."

"—Magic, huh? Come to think of it, I was once fascinated by it too~"

At this moment, Mio interjected, smiling charmingly as she wrapped her slender, fair arm around Masumi's arm.

"Does Masumi want to know what kind of magic it is?"

"Well……"

"The kind of magic that Mio is obsessed with is easy to imagine. It must be the kind of dark magic related to curses or hypnosis."

Then, Masumi turned her head and saw the heiress, who was putting on a gentle act and mocking Mio.

Her gaze was fixed on Mio and Masumi's intertwined arms.

Mio immediately tied a knot between her brows in displeasure.

"...If I knew that kind of magic, the first thing I would curse would be that clueless, philandering cat in the coffee shop."

"Saying such things in front of a priestly family is no different from 'showing off one's skill before an expert.'"

"In the games that Ms. Asami lent me, the shrine maidens always end up in terrible situations, looking just like Rinne that morning in her disheveled and bewildered state~"

"Please, you two, stop bickering all the time."

Masumi pressed her temples wearily, then glanced down at her arm, which was entangled with Mio's pale arm. It seemed impossible to untangle it casually.

Rinne's gaze, piercing my face, hurt terribly.

Mio's pink lips curved into a dangerous smile. She snorted through her nose, then gave Masumi a broad smile.
"Alright, Masumi, let's ignore that meddlesome cat and continue enjoying our trip."

"I'm a cat that steals fish, and isn't Mio just a defeated golden retriever? She's as pitiful as a lame, defeated dog that's been drenched in the cold December rain."

"Even if you quote famous writers to attack someone, it won't change the objective facts."

"Oh dear, should I say that I underestimated Mio, or should I say that Mio has a deeper self-awareness?"

"Waaaaah, Mio-neechan, Rinne..."

Qian'ai, standing to the side, gestured awkwardly with her hands in the air, trying to smooth things over, and forced a sweaty smile as she said:

"You two, since you're on a trip, don't be so tense!"

The amethyst and obsidian sparkled in the sunlight, their light colliding in the air. After hearing Qian'ai's words, they looked over together as if searching for new prey.

"babble!"

When Chiai saw those two eyes, she was so frightened that her shoulders trembled and she quickly hid behind Mami.

"Sister Mami, those two are so scary..."

"It's alright, it's alright, Qian'ai, don't be afraid..."

Asami gently stroked Chiai's head repeatedly and said softly.

“Masumi…look…”

Unaffected by the tense atmosphere, Haiyue gently tugged at Masumi's sleeve.

Hearing the call, Masumi turned her head and saw a paper crane lying in her small palm.

The paper crane appears to have been made from the wrapping paper of "Kincho Manju," a specialty of Tokushima Prefecture, which they bought at a shop before boarding the ship.

I don't know if she was just bored or if she wanted to show off to Masumi that she could fold origami cranes.

The paper crane in Haiyue's palm spread its wings smugly, bringing smiles to Masumi's face.

Haiyue's hair is longer now that of her lover than when they found her.

The hair that used to make her look immature, like the delicate buds of a plant, has now grown into roots that add a touch of maturity to her profile.

The jellyfish girl stared straight at him, as if she had something to say.

Masumi asked:
"What happened again?"

"...Aren't we...going to get off the ship?"

Haiyue tilted her head curiously and pointed to the small island on the horizon.

Her bare fingertips were unpainted, yet they sparkled.

"Ah, due to time constraints, we'll only be visiting Ogijima this time. Is Umizuki interested in this island?"

Haiyue quietly shook her head.

"I just want to be with Masumi...where we go...it doesn't matter..."

"That's it."

Masumi gently stroked the top of her head.

"I'm very happy that Haiyue said that, but I also hope that Haiyue can have more things she likes."

"Ah."

Haiyue nodded vigorously with great enthusiasm.

"I like ○... mmm!"

Before she could finish speaking, Masumi reached out and covered her mouth with her hand, her voice tinged with helplessness:
"Let's think of something else, okay?"

◇

As the ferry gradually disappeared into the distance, Takamatsu Port lost its outline and was gradually stretched into a horizontal line with varying heights.

Next came a lush, green island. After about forty minutes of sailing, the ferry docked.

It really is "Cat Island". As soon as we got off the boat, we saw a calico cat swaggering around near the port.

"Ah, Rinne, look, that cat's color is just like Tama's. No wonder it's Cat Island."

Chiai pointed to the fluffy little animal not far away, and Rinne looked over and exclaimed in admiration.

"Yes, you came to the right place..."

On the third day of their trip, the group strolled around a small island in the Seto Inland Sea.

Ogijima is a typical island in the Seto Inland Sea, with houses built against the mountainside.

The island is full of slopes, some of which are steep hills that are practically mountain trails, making walking on them feel like you're doing some kind of sport.

Fortunately, for Kobe residents who frequently climb hills in their daily lives, this way of walking is not difficult to adapt to.

Except for a certain homebody who rarely leaves the house, even a few times a year.

"Ugh! I'm so tired!"

Asami plopped down on her suitcase as if she was exhausted, and opened her arms to Masumi.

"Masumi-kun! Please push me along."

"Go by yourself."

Masumi refused decisively.

"Then, Chia..."

She then turned to her soft-hearted childhood friend and gave her a pleading look.

"No way, Mami-nee isn't legless."

Qian'ai was afraid that she would soften her heart, so she quickly turned her face to the other side.

"Hey, what's wrong with that? I just suddenly felt like cosplaying Summer Pocket."

Mami sighed deeply.

Ascend the slope to a slightly larger open space, where several cats of different colors are lying on the ground, lazily basking in the midday sun.

"Shall we rest here for a bit?"

"Before Masumi even says a word, that philandering cat is already unable to move."

Mio narrowed her obsidian-like eyes, slightly curving her lips, and looked at Rinne beside her with a meaningful gaze.

As expected, the heiress squatted on the ground with her knees drawn up, a gentle smile on her lips, and gently stroked an orange cat that was lying on the ground sunbathing, occasionally stroking its fur.

The orange cat purred contentedly.

"Miss Mio~ Miss Mio~"

Mami called out Mio's name.

"Ok?"

"There's a snack shop over there, wanna go check it out?"

"why me?"

"Because you're the only one left here who hasn't been charmed by the cat."

Asami said matter-of-factly.

Haiyue and Qianai leaned against each other, feeding a calico cat with cat treats they had just gotten from a gashapon machine by the roadside.

After hesitating for a moment, Mio nodded.

"Ok."

She glanced at Rinne with concern, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw that Rinne was still focused on playing with the cat.

Because there were no other strangers around, the heiress naturally let out a "meow~" sound.

Seeing how engrossed she was, anyone would feel a little reluctant to disturb her.

Masumi looked at her with a smile.

I don’t know if it’s a side effect of me often asking her to dress up as a cat to entertain me, but Rinne’s senses have become as sharp as a cat’s.

As if sensing the gaze fixed on her from behind, Rinne remained crouched, turned her upper body around, and gently waved to Masumi.

Does this mean I should also go over and squat down?
As Masumi was puzzled, Rinne narrowed her strong purple eyes slightly, then waved her hand slightly, her urging was quite obvious.

He then took two steps forward and squatted down in front of Rinne.

The next moment, a soft, fragrant palm landed on Masumi's head.

"what?"

Masumi tried to look up, but Rinne pressed his head down forcefully, and all he could see were the heir's snow-white canvas shoes.

So this is...?

"Weren't you staring at me so intently just now because you were jealous of the cat?"

Rinne gently stroked Masumi's crown with a comforting touch, her gaze towards him exceptionally tender.

"how could it be possible."

Masumi gave a wry, helpless smile.

"My possessiveness isn't so pathological that I'd be jealous of a cat... By the way, was that a female or male cat you were petting just now?"

“All the cats on Ogijima Island have been spayed or neutered, so I think there’s probably no difference.”

"I see, then I'm relieved."

"Ok?"

"No, I mean..."

Rinne suddenly flashed her brightest smile of the day.

I don't know when it started, but she became able to naturally show a gentle expression.

"Cats are cute, aren't they?"

"Ah."

Masumi nodded.

"So, between me and the cat, who do you think is cuter?"

"Eh!"

What does this count as?

Just as Masumi was cautiously considering the trap in the question, Rinne continued:
"However, no matter which side you choose, I'm afraid I won't be completely satisfied."

"If that's the case, then the girl who asked that question is really malicious."

Masumi sighed in distress, and seeing his troubled expression, Rinne laughed as well.

Rinne no longer fails the subject of smiling.

Then, she gently touched Masumi's fingers with her fingers that couldn't hide her feelings.

Their overlapping fingertips habitually intertwined, and heat was transferred between their touching skin.

This made Masumi feel as if spring had unexpectedly visited his fingertips.

"That place is beautiful too."

Rinne gazed into the distance as she spoke.

From here, you can see the sparkling sea directly. The locals may be used to this scenery, but it is a novel and exciting experience for people from outside the island.

The sea breeze caressed my cheeks, carrying grains of sand that gave me the illusion that the wind was touching my skin.

...With such a beautiful view before her, Masumi's consciousness was involuntarily pulled in the opposite direction from the Seto Inland Sea.

"Yes."

Masumi pretended to enjoy nature, but she couldn't take her eyes off the girl's profile.

The sound of my heartbeat was so loud that I even ignored the sound of the waves.

"lie."

"Uh?"

"You've been staring at me the whole time, haven't you?"

Rinne looked extremely annoyed.

"Like a pervert or something..."

"Because Rinne can only be seen now."

The reason why Masumi was staring at her seemed to be this:

"...That's a profound answer."

Rinne shrugged as she spoke, while Masumi gave a self-deprecating smile.

"Yes, it's really profound."

His current greed, as if he wanted to savor every single moment of his lover's life, suggests that he is now terminally ill.

Whether he is in an unfamiliar place or his familiar hometown, he hopes that they will be by his side anytime, anywhere.

Masumi thought more than once during this journey that she wished time could stand still at this moment.

On this small island far from the hustle and bustle, time seems to have truly slowed down.

The kittens live freely on this island, and time can do nothing for them except make them grow old.

(End of this chapter)