NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 40: Photo and underground.
Aya found herself amidst a storm of bullets, deftly taking pictures as patterns of colorful projectiles swirled around her. She was focused on her task, capturing the intricate formations in each frame.
Meanwhile, Kusa and Tenshi engaged in a lively game of Jenga. Kusa's nimble fingers deftly removed blocks using tiny, fast-moving lasers, while Tenshi struggled to extract pieces from the increasingly precarious tower. Kusa's tower stood tall and proud, while Tenshi's was on the verge of collapse. In the end, Kusa emerged victorious, leaving Tenshi visibly frustrated.
Unable to contain her frustration any longer, Tenshi unleashed a barrage of large, destructive moves in the vicinity, venting her pent-up emotions.
As they prepared to leave, Kusa handed Tenshi a basket filled with fruits. However, there was a hidden surprise - a comic tucked away at the bottom. Kusa gave Tenshi a playful wink, signaling the hidden treasure. Tenshi fought hard to stifle her laughter, not wanting Iku to discover their secret.
Aya approached the two after completing her task, expressing her gratitude, to which Kusa cheerfully replied, "Bye-bye!"
They departed from the heavens, leaving Tenshi to face Iku's inquisitive gaze.
Iku couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. She turned to Tenshi, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Tell me, Tenshi, what's under that basket?"
Tenshi's face turned beet red as she stammered, "What do you mean!?"
--
Aya soared through the sky, carrying Kusa in her pouch as they contemplated their next destination.
"Should I visit the Underworld?" Aya pondered aloud.
Kusa, nestled comfortably in the pouch, responded, "You can, to be honest."
Curiosity piqued, Aya asked, "Do you know where the proper location of it is?"
"Of course," Kusa assured her. "You can count on me!"
With their destination set, Aya guided their flight towards the entrance to the Underworld.
As they prepared to enter a dark tunnel leading below, an unexpected incident occurred. A bucket suddenly tumbled in front of them, startling Aya, while Kusa couldn't help but burst into laughter.
In the bucket, they found a girl with pale skin, dark teal eyes, and hair tied up in pigtails by white hair beads. The bucket itself was cherry brown with black hoops near the top and bottom. The girl was dressed in a mysterious white robe.
Kisume, the girl in the bucket, quickly apologized, her voice tinged with surprise and a touch of anxiety.
Kusa reassured her, saying, "It's okay, Kisume. You did a good job. I like it, to be honest."
Kisume's face brightened with a smile upon receiving praise, evidently pleased with herself.
Aya, still slightly surprised by the unexpected entrance, chimed in, "You surprised me. This is the first time a yokai managed to do a proper job of surprising people."
Kisume humbly deflected the compliments. "Not at all... It's just lucky."
However, Kusa had something else in mind. She turned to Kisume and said, "Kisume, Aya has a request for you..."
Kisume, clearly nervous, replied, "As long as you don't have to make me wear weird clothes."
Aya, taken aback, turned to Kusa with a teasing tone. "Kusa! I didn't think you were like that."
Kusa defended herself with a playful smile. "Can you blame me? She's such a cute girl, and she just wears a robe? That's blasphemy!!!"
Kisume, flustered by the unexpected compliment, stammered, "Me! Cute?!! N- No- Not at all!"
Kusa contemplated her approach, thinking, "I'll have to ease her into it, so she becomes more comfortable and less shy about it."
Aya, inquisitive, started, "Now that you mentioned it..."
Kisume, eager to change the topic, interjected, "Mou! Let's finish this request!"
Aya adeptly captured the bullets with her camera while Kusa prepared a reward for Kisume. In the basket, along with fruits, were some clothes neatly tucked at the bottom.
--
As they ventured into the dark tunnel, they encountered a girl with brown eyes and blonde hair, tied up in a bun with a ribbon. She wore a black and brown dress, poofy under the waist, with a yellow ribbon around her lower body.
Yamame greeted them excitedly, "Kusa, Aya, let's eat desserts!"
Both Kusa and Aya agreed, and the three of them found themselves in a well-lit space, enjoying some cupcakes.
Curious about Aya's presence, Yamame inquired, "So why are you here, Aya? I know Kusa visits from time to time because of Satori."
Aya revealed, "In truth, I wanted to capture the bullet patterns of the people here."
Yamame, intrigued, probed further, "For what purpose?"
Aya kept it a secret, responding with a mischievous smile, "That's a secret."
Yamame raised an eyebrow, finding it suspicious. She asked, "Do you want mine too?"
Aya nodded eagerly, "If possible."
Yamame agreed, and after they finished the shooting session, Kusa presented her with a basket of fruits. They continued to delve deeper into the tunnel, eventually reaching a bridge that connected the exit of the tunnel to a giant village in the underground.
As they stood on the bridge, a girl with curly blond hair and green eyes appeared before them. Her skin had a slight greenish tint, and she wore an unusual outfit: a brown top with purple borders and a pink sash, while the bottom part of her dress featured a mix of blue, purple, and black with crisscrossed red strings hanging from the bottom edge. She also had a pink scarf tied around her neck and pink puffy arm socks.
Kusa immediately recognized the girl as Parsee Mizuhashi.
Aya, noticing Kusa's reaction, asked, "It seems you are not on good terms with her?"
Kusa sighed, "I want to, but she doesn't like to interact with me that much... After that flower viewing."
Parsee, with a hint of bitterness, commented, "And here we see the most loved person in Gensokyo." Parsee sighs. "How much I wish I had your body. It makes me boil inside how we are almost the same yet different at the same time."
Kusa, trying to ease the situation, advised Aya, "You should start evading, Aya."
Aya agreed, and they managed to take the photos they needed. As they left Parsee behind, Kusa couldn't help but feel downcast. Aya, seeing her friend's mood, attempted to cheer her up.
Aya tried to comfort Kusa, saying, "Don't worry, Kusa. I'm sure her anger towards you is temporary."
Kusa replied with a hint of hope, "I hope so... I guess her jealousy is overtaking her."
Their journey continued in silence until they finally arrived in the underground village. Here, they were greeted by an Oni with long, straight blonde hair, red eyes, and a single red horn protruding from her forehead. She wore a white, short-sleeved shirt with red trim at the cuffs and neck, geta sandals, and a dark blue translucent skirt with red highlights and trim. Her wrists and ankles were manacled, with short, broken chains attached to the manacles.
Yuugi greeted Aya and Kusa with a friendly "Yo!" However, she quickly noticed that Kusa was not her usual lively self. Concerned, Yuugi looked at Aya, who proceeded to explain what had happened.
As they were talking, Suika appeared and overheard their conversation. Suika, known for her carefree and cheerful nature, decided to try and cheer up Kusa. However, her efforts brought forth an overwhelming flood of emotions from Kusa, and she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Suika immediately moved to comfort her.
Kusa's emotional turmoil stemmed from her previous life, where she often experienced jealousy due to her lack of friends and possessions. Over time, she had learned to discard these feelings. However, when she met Parsee, she felt a unique connection to her because she understood the source of Parsee's jealousy. They shared an emotional bond.
However, during a flower viewing event, Parsee saw Kusa with many friends and felt a sense of betrayal. She lashed out at Kusa, hurting her deeply. Kusa couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite and a bad friend for not realizing the pain she had caused Parsee. These memories resurfaced, causing her to become emotional.