My love index is at its maximum.

Her dignified and beautiful oval face was glowing red in the firelight, making her appear elegant and gorgeous. Rather than a geisha, she was more like an empress who ruled the world.

Kana Shimamoto slowly knelt down beside him, picked up the white porcelain wine cup with both hands, and poured wine into his cup.

“Sir, please.” she said respectfully and gently.

Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of allure, like autumn rain pattering on a bluestone pavement, making one's bones melt.

Tsukasa Tazaki picked up his glass and drank it in one gulp.

A bell rang out on the stage, and the dark space surrounded by the pool was once again illuminated by a bright red flame. The scene was truly magnificent and solemn. The once dark pool was now reflected in the lights, creating a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere, as if one were in Heian-kyo, a city teeming with monsters.

Kana Shimamoto picked up a small piece of abalone, held it in her hand, and brought it to his mouth: "Sesame abalone, please enjoy, sir."

Tsukasa Tazaki didn't eat, but instead looked at her with curious eyes: "Shouldn't you say 'I'm starting to eat' before you start eating?"

"Oh," Shimamoto Kana's mouth opened slightly, but she quickly concealed her surprise and asked softly, "Why do you ask that, sir?"

"I'm a guest from China, and I'm a bit curious."

"So you're a distinguished guest from China~" Shimamoto Kana put down her chopsticks, put her hands together and smiled gently, saying in broken Chinese, "Hello, welcome to Kyoto."

Tazaki Tsukasa gazed at her face with deep affection: "Miss, you look beautiful in this dress. I don't plan to go back."

"You flatter me, sir." Shimamoto Kana turned her face away shyly, a slight blush rising on her cheeks. "Speaking of the phrase 'I'm eating,' it has two meanings: one is to express gratitude to the chef for their hard work in preparing the meal, and the other is to express gratitude to the food itself."

"Why should we be grateful for food?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked, as if he were a genuine tourist. "Does food have thoughts?"

"Thank you for saving my life with your own." Kana Shimamoto bent down to refill his glass of wine, then picked up an abalone and held it to his lips. "In Japanese culture, gods reside in food. Even the most common rice has 88 gods hidden in a single grain."

Tsukasa Tazaki ate the abalone in one bite; it was soft, tender, and bouncy.

“The young lady is as beautiful as a goddess,” he said.

"You flatter me, sir," Shimamoto Kana smiled slightly, carefully wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief. "But you can't talk about the gods carelessly. In Japan, people believe that everything has a spirit, and you must always have a heart of reverence."

"Do all things have a spirit?"

"That's right."

"For example?"

“Look over there,” Kana Shimamoto raised her slender finger and pointed to the lantern by the pool, “that little lantern might just be a lantern monster.”

"How scary..." Tazaki Tsukasa feigned a panicked expression and tried to lean into her arms.

Kana Shimamoto skillfully bent down, subtly dodging the attack, and picked up a piece of sashimi, handing it to him: "Sir, please enjoy this bluefin tuna sashimi from Hokkaido."

Tazaki Tsukasa chewed with a sullen expression, finding no taste in his food.

"It's not just the lanterns over there; the brooms, pots, screens, and even the lampstands within reach in this house will absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth after a hundred years and become 'tsukumogami'. When no one is around at night, they will mischievously wander around. If you happen to encounter them, remember to quietly hold your breath and wait for them to disperse."

“I know this!” Tsukasa Tazaki exclaimed.

Kana Shimamoto paused for a moment, then asked, "Huh?"

Taking advantage of her inattention, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

"Oh," Shimamoto Kana gently pushed against his chest with both hands, a blush spreading across her face. "What are you doing, sir?"

“Then let’s call it the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, shall we?” Tsukasa Tazaki lowered his head, inhaling the fragrance emanating from her neck. “Actually, I’m a demon too, you know. You were fooled, weren’t you?”

The air was filled with a warm fragrance that, if smelled for too long, could create the illusion that one had entered a fairyland. He couldn't help but hug the woman in his arms tighter and gently kiss her snow-white neck.

"Master, you can't do that, you'll mess up my hair..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shimamoto Kana's lips were passionately kissed by him.

After a long kiss, Tsukasa Tazaki released the geisha from his arms and examined her closely. The flickering lantern light on the screen beside him made it seem as if her gorgeous kimono and her updo were subtly reflecting a soft glow.

"It has a unique charm," he exclaimed.

"Don't talk nonsense..." Shimamoto Kana's cheeks turned even redder. She pushed hard against Tazaki Tsukasa's chest to separate the two of them a little before saying breathlessly, "Sir, please let me go first."

"What is the main job of a young lady?"

"I drink and chat with guests, and occasionally play the piano."

"Would you like me to drink some wine?"

"Please wait a moment, sir."

Kana Shimamoto struggled to sit up and picked up her sake cup to pour herself a drink.

“That’s not how you feed her~” Tsukasa Tazaki grabbed her wrist and said flirtatiously, “Please drink it, then feed it to me.”

"..." Shimamoto Kana blushed and her eyes were brimming with tears: "Master, this is unhygienic."

"I do not mind."

"But I mind..."

Kana Shimamoto bit her lower lip, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice. The more vulnerable she appeared, the more Tsukasa Tazaki liked her and the more he wanted to bully her.

He pulled her back into his arms and hugged her tightly: "Miss, where are you from? Judging from your accent, you seem to be from Northeast China."

"Tokyoites".

Kana Shimamoto pressed her fair fingers against his lips, preventing him from kissing her indiscriminately.

"Tokyo, that's a great place."

"The master has been there?"

"To be honest, Miss, I met a librarian in Tokyo. I fell in love with her at first sight, and we even had a very romantic encounter."

Kana Shimamoto, slightly out of breath, asked, "What is it?"

"Would you like to try it, Miss?"

"Master, please don't bully me..."

"I won't bully you, but please feed me some wine first, miss."

"..." Shimamoto Kana nestled in his arms, turned her face away, picked up the wine cup on the table, and took a small sip.

She held the sake in her mouth for about a minute, then turned to look at Tsukasa Tazaki, her misty eyes filled with a longing to pour out her heart to him.

In the blurry light and shadow cast by the lamp, her delicate face gradually drew closer.

The wine is rich and mellow, but it cannot compare to the fragrance of a beautiful woman.

Tazaki Tsukasa's breathing became more and more rapid as her hand touched the obi (sash) of her kimono on her back.

To make a woman in a kimono submit, you must first untie the kimono's obi (sash). He fumbled around for a while, but the sturdy knot at the back of the woman's kimono remained unmoved.

“Um, sir…” Shimamoto Kana sensed something and abruptly looked up: “It’s getting late, I need to go home first…”

As she spoke, she tried to get up and leave.

But he held her waist very tightly, and she couldn't move. She turned her head to the side and silently protested with her mouth tightly shut.

"Miss, let's leave together."

Tazaki Tsukasa, panting, kicked the sliding door of the screen shut, blocking the view from the stage.

Kana Shimamoto's shy expression deepened, even her fair neck turned red.

“Master…” she shook her head helplessly.

Tsukasa Tazaki still wouldn't let go.

One hand was still struggling to untie the kimono's obi (sash), while the other hand was quietly slipping under the hem of the kimono.

The sturdy knot was truly difficult to untie, and Tazaki Tsukasa, growing impatient, simply started to haphazardly untie it. In the blink of an eye, the belt buckle was undone, and the belt made a slight sound. The once indestructible belt seemed to loosen on its own, quickly springing open to both sides, as if foreshadowing the beginning of a complicated and uncontrollable relationship.

As if just realizing the gravity of the situation, Shimamoto Kana hurriedly shook her head and said, "No, not at a time like this! The gods are watching! Master, you absolutely cannot do this! Please, spare me..."

With a stern face, Tsukasa Tazaki stared at the woman trying to escape, and finally commanded in an ultimatum-like tone, "Stop talking and turn around."

"master……"

With a trembling voice, she uttered her last words and then scrambled around the cramped space, using both hands and feet.

The performance on the stage continued, telling the story of a traveling monk who stayed overnight at a hunter's house in the mountains and encountered a ghost that transformed into a beautiful woman.

After a long while, the screen door was opened a little, and a cool evening breeze blew in.

Kana Shimamoto knelt upright, her eyes lowered as she carefully tidied her disheveled hair and straightened her collar.

On this chilly autumn night, the geisha's slender, white fingers, like bamboo shoots, miraculously restored her kimono to its original state, and her hairstyle was perfectly styled, making it a true aesthetic performance.

Tazaki Tsukasa reached out and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace: "Come here, have a drink with the master."

"master……"

Kana Shimamoto leaned against him, her body limp and weak. The warmth of the heat intensified her fragrance, creating a rich and unique scent that was characteristic of mature women.

The two snuggled together, drinking and eating, while watching the performance on stage.

The lanterns' glow illuminated the pond, reflecting everything in a beautiful scene. Gazing at the stage, I had a vague feeling that the monster wearing the terrifying mask was about to become real.

"How wonderful~" Shimamoto Kana murmured to herself as she gazed at the shimmering water. "This mysterious stage is perfect for staging plays that can touch people's hearts and explore their emotions."

“The stage, separated by the pond,” Tsukasa Tazaki said, casting his gaze toward the dark Higashiyama mountains behind the stage. “Looking at it, one gets a sense of mystery, as if one is far removed from the human world.”

"Maybe those monsters are real." Shimamoto Kana smiled dreamily.

"Don't talk nonsense. What if you're really bewitched by the demonic aura on the stage and dragged to a distant ancient time?"

“It would be nice if just the two of us went there.” Shimamoto Kana leaned against his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat. “Wherever we go, just remember to take me with you.”

Tsukasa Tazaki smiled and kissed her forehead: "I definitely won't miss it."

"Here, have a piece of sea urchin to nourish your body." Kana Shimamoto scooped up a whole piece of sea urchin sashimi with a spoon.

At 10 p.m., the stage lights were turned off, the bonfire was extinguished, and the surroundings became pitch black.

The silence was a stark contrast to the previous liveliness; everything was quiet and still, shrouded in darkness.

After leaving Gion, the two took a taxi directly to a high-rise hotel.

After checking in at the counter and receiving the key, I went up to my room on the 18th floor. There was a half-sized entryway where you could take off your shoes, and further in was a spacious Western-style guest room.

"Finally, it's just the two of us left..."

From shopping to Gion Corner, and then taking a taxi here, there were always other people around. She could only suppress her small movements while watching the play. Now that she could finally be alone with her, Shimamoto Kana felt at ease and had a sense of liberation.

"I'm a little drunk..." She leaned against Tsukasa Tazaki without realizing it.