Tokyo Ravens - Volume 5 - Chapter 1.3

Story 3 - The Tail of Duty 
Tsuchimikado Harutora liked animals. 
He liked dogs, he liked cats, and he didn't just like those, he had also raised rabbits and hamsters. Basically, he liked any animal as long as it had fluffy fur. 
However, he was currently studying at the Tokyo Onmyou Academy and lived in the dorm. The dorm forbid pets, nor did he have any friends around him raising pets. In other words, there were no animals currently around whose fur he could touch freely. 
But...... 
Whether good fortune or bad, the child defensive shikigami under Harutora's hand had a pair of fluffy ears and a fluffy tail. 

During lunchtime, Harutora sat blankly in a classroom chair in the academy building of the Onmyou Academy, an Onmyouji cultivation facility. 
He had already eaten lunch in the academy cafeteria, and since he had nothing to do, he had returned to the classroom and was spacing out before the afternoon classes. 
But...... 
"............" 
"............!" 
"............" 
"............Ah!" 
There was a furred object lying on Harutora's table. That fluffy thing looked like an animal-fur scarf. Harutora leisurely looked up at the sky, not paying attention to the thing on the table, but his hand unconsciously played with it. 
Every time his hand rubbed that thing, a nasal childlike gasp would come from somewhere. No, it wasn't just a voice. Every time his hand moved, that thing would tremble as if it were itchy - or as if it were holding something in. 
Harutora's hand rubbed-- 
"......Nn......" 
Harutora's hand grabbed-- 
"......Uh......!" 
Harutora's fingertips swept across lightly-- 
"......Ah......" 
"Harutora!" 
A sudden angry shout made Harutora cry out in surprise, and he jumped up from his seat. 
He turned around to look. Standing there was his classmate and childhood friend, as well as his master, Tsuchimikado Natsume. Her head of black hair was tied with a ribbon, and she looked like a pretty, androgynous youth - but actually, she was a girl obeying 'family tradition' and posing as a male. 
For some reason, Natsume's body was shaking in anger, and she glared at Harutora with narrowed eyes. Behind her was their buddy Ato Touji. His hands were stuck in his pockets, watching Harutora with a merry smile. 
Harutora frowned and looked back at the two. 
"Wh, What is it, Natsume? And Touji too. Why did you suddenly shout out--" 
"Shut up, Bakatora. Exactly how long are you planning on holding onto that thing for!" 
Natsume interrupted Harutora's question, pointing upsettedly at the thing in his hands and yelling so loudly that saliva flew. "Uwah." Harutora's heart leaped and he moved his gaze to his hands, hastily letting go of the thing in his hands. 
He had just been continuously unconsciously touching - a tail. 
At some time, the tail's master had released her invisibility, and she kneeled on the table facing Harutora. She was a young girl whose age looked to be at most about that of an elementary schooler. She wore a suikan and hakama, with neatly combed hair, very much resembling a Japanese doll. But, her eyes were bright blue, a leaf-shaped tail grew out from behind her back, and a pair of pointed ears sprouted from her head. 
She was Harutora's shikigami, Kon. 
"......Ahem." With grand movements, Kon gently swayed the tail that Harutora had released and coughed lightly, turning her body to face Harutora and the others while keeping her kneeling posture and sitting on the table. 
"Oops, was I touching your tail again? Sorry." 
"......Y, You need not apologize......" 
Ahaha. Facing Harutora, who tried to gloss over things with a laugh, Kon replied that she didn't mind. On her childish face, a faint red tint had even emerged on her cheeks and the corners of her eyes. 
On the other hand, Natsume turned supercilious, glaring huffily at the master and servant pair. 
"Don't think you can pass things over like that. Kon was even crying out, why didn't you notice earlier?" 
"That was because...... I was spacing out......" 
"Really......" Natsume murmured, her tone filled with suspicion. It seemed that she didn't trust the excuse that Harutora had found. 
"Harutora, it seems like recently you're always unconsciously touching Kon's tail...... Could it actually be on purpose......?" 
"N, No way! But I haven't touched a cat or animal in forever, so occasionally I want to touch one......" 
Harutora scratched his head embarrassedly, but that made Natsume take a disdainful expression instead. 
"That's ridiculous...... Listen, Harutora. In the Onmyou Academy, there are very few first-years who use defensive shikigami. In other words, you and Kon are centers of attention here. In order not to shame the Tsuchimikado family name, you have to treat your shikigami in a prudent manner, understood?" 
"Oh......" 
Harutora nodded, his attitude not seeming too reliable. Natsume furrowed her brows angrily again. 
"......And Kon, you too. I warned you many times, don't do that kind of vulgar action again. It's true that you're a shikigami, but you're still a girl...... You have to be prudent in your words and manners." Natsume didn't forget to admonish Kon too. 
"......Pardon my forwardness......" However, unlike her master, this shikigami seemed opposed, replying in a calm manner. 
"Since the master requests, the shikigami must do as much as possible." 
"H, Harutora didn't bring up that kind of request." 
"My master need not take the trouble to speak for this. Once my tail is next to him, Harutora-sama will always touch it vigorously." After saying that, Kon turned her head, waving her tail provocatively. The tail twined around her body, covering her mouth. Then, she glanced at Natsume like that, with her tail covering her mouth. 
"It is fortunate that Harutora-sama enjoys my tail...... I am not shameless, but I am willing to accept Harutora-sama's love if it will fill the void in his heart......" 
"What did you say......!" 
Kon curled her tail, pretending that she hadn't seen Natsume shaking in anger. She always spoke in a stammer in front of Harutora, but once she encountered someone other than Harutora, her attitude would immediately become disdainful. The tone she spoke with and the gaze she looked at Natsume with all gave off a heightened feeling of superiority. 
Natsume gritted her teeth fiercely, glaring angrily at Kon. Touji, who was spectating the fight, made no attempt to hide the wry smile on his face. 
"In any case, you should be a bit careful. Don't play with a little girl in public or you might be taken for a criminal. Though, that kind of action is a crime in the first place." 
"Touji! Mind your choice of language a little!" 
"It is as Harutora-sama says. As a shikigami, there is no need to worry about unscrupulous touching--" 
"Kon! The way you talk about it makes it sound worse and worse!" Harutora hastily cried out. "H-H-However......" Kon managed to talk back. "H-H-Harutora-sama, pardon my forwardness, but do you not desire contact with animals?" 
"Th, That's true......" 
"I-In that case, although I cannot help much, it t-truly saddens me to see you so concerned about others......" 
"Uh, really? But......" 
"I-If you detest the gaze of others, you can enjoy it alone and unobserved in your bedroom--" 
"Kon!" 
Harutora and Natsume shouted in unison, and Touji helplessly shrugged his shoulders. 

This incident happened after school the next day. 
"That idiot...... Bakatora!" 
"Uwah--, oh no, I accidentally......!" 
Harutora had again started touching Kon's tail unconsciously. Natsume's roar made him hastily let go in surprise. 
Harutora and the others were currently in the cafeteria of the male dorm. Fortunately, there were no other dorm students in the cafeteria. Harutora relaxed his breath. Kon kneeled on the table next to him, coughing clearly and casually, but Natsume stared at Harutora with a cold gaze. 
"......There's clearly something wrong with your actions. Could it be that you like tails that much, Harutora?" 
"S, Sorry, it really wasn't on purpose...... Also, really, why didn't you speak up, Kon?" 
"It doesn't matter, Harutora-sama...... It is just skin contact..." 
The kitsune shikigami had no remorse, like always. The expression on Harutora's face became even more helpless. 
"......Yeah, this really isn't anything good. Those mysterious rumors finally stopped spreading in the class, but now I might be suspected again......" 
Just because of Kon's outer appearance, Harutora often suffered ridicule and cynicism from those around him. Though it wouldn't reach the skin contact that Kon had talked about, if he got too much into touching her, it might lead to more unnecessary misunderstandings. 
"I need to be a bit more careful...... Huh? Natsume, what kind of thing are you holding?" Harutora asked as if he had only just noticed that Natsume, who had walked into the cafeteria, was holding a small cardboard box in her arms. 
Natsume wordlessly put the box in front of Harutora. The box had no lid, and Harutora leaned forward, looking into the box. 
"Ah." Then, he exclaimed. There was a cat in the box. 
The bottom of the box was covered with a towel, and a kitten lay curled up on the towel, sleeping deeply. 
It was a small black cat, black as ink from head to tail. It had a small body and didn't seem half a year old yet. Kon, who had also leaned forward, also had a surprised expression, an exclamation also coming from her mouth. 
"Wh, What's up with this?" 
"......Someone put a cat next to the dorm." 
"An abandoned cat? But, why would you......" 
"We'll temporarily be taking care of it." 
"What do you mean, taking care?" Harutora asked back, his face dumbfounded. The expression on Natsume's face was clearly a bit pleased. 
"Fujino-san is helping to find a new owner for this case. She asked us to help take care of it until she finds an owner." 
"Us? Why?" 
Natsume scolded him with an "idiot" as her childhood friend asked so seriously, giving him the natural answer. 
"Didn't you say you wanted to feel a cat or dog?" 
"I, I did say that...... But raising a cat is really difficult, especially since I have to go to class during the day......" 
"You don't need to worry about that, I'll make a simple shikigami to help look after it. In other words, we'll leave the day up to the simple shikigami, and you'll handle taking care of the kitten when you return to the dorm after class." Natsume spoke readily. 
Harutora, who had felt confused at first, took some time and finally understood the situation. His eyes glowed. 
"I get it, so you're leaving it up to me to take care of it tonight, right?" 
"Right. I already bought cat food from the convenience store, here." After saying that, Natsume gave the cardboard box to Harutora, putting cans of cat food on the table. 
Harutora stared intently at the sleeping kitten in admiration. 
"Is this a male or a female?" 
"Female, it seems." 
"Name?" 
"We haven't made one. It's better to wait until we find an owner and let the owner decide that kind of thing later." 
"That's true. She's black all over, so why don't we call her Kuro [8] for now." 
"......Your names are always so straightforward." 
Natsume smiled wryly and murmured. The kitten was the only thing on Harutora's mind. 
During the lull, Natsume happened to look at Kon who was next to Harutora. The moment their gazes met, "......Ha." She laughed lightly, seeming very pleased, and Kon's ears twitched sharply. 
"......May I ask what is the matter, Natsume-sama?" 
"......No, nothing." 
Natsume smiled lightly and Kon's ears constantly twitched. 
The gazes of his childhood friend and his shikigami met and gave off intense sparks - of course, Harutora didn't notice this abnormality at all. 
"Harutora, the rest is up to you. Remember to 'love' it properly." After saying that, Natsume immediately left the cafeteria. 
Harutora excitedly replied: "Yeah!", his gaze never leaving the kitten. On the contrary, Kon furrowed her brows, vexedly watching Natsume's back as she left. 
"This cat really can sleep." 
"......Yes." 
"Isn't it hungry?" 
"......I, I am not sure......" 
Kon kneeled properly on the table, respectfully replying to her master who only had the kitten on his mind, her gaze often glancing at her master's face. 
"H-Harutora-sama, do you like cats?' 
"Me? Of course I don't hate them." 
"I, I see...... Th-Then, compared to dogs......" 
"Yeah, I like them both." 
"I-I-I see, I see...... Th-Then as for foxes......" 
"Ah, it's awake!" 
Kon mustered her courage and was about to ask her question when the originally soundly sleeping kitten opened its eyes at once. 
"Ohh, its eyes are so big." 
The kitten's eyes were opened surprisingly wide. It looked at Harutora, then it stared at him without glancing away or blinking, as if its body were frozen. 
"Huh, what's going on, could it be that it's scared of me?" 
"B-But it is just a kitten, so it will not get close to humans--" 
"Come here, you don't need to be scared, I'm not a bad person~" 
"H-Harutora-sama? You really don't need to ingratiate yourself--" 
Harutora reached his index finger out towards the kitten's nose, moving it lightly a few times. The kitten moved over upon seeing that, repeatedly sniffing the scent from his finger. Then, it raised its head to look at Harutora, softly mewing: "Meow." 
"Wah." At the same time as Harutora's mouth split into a grin, "Hmph." Kon puffed up her cheeks. 
The kitten called out, taking the initiative to get close to Harutora, using its head to touch his hand with somewhat clumsy movements. Kon bared her teeth out of anger at this kitten's fearless attitude, but Harutora was extremely excited. 
"Kon, look, it's suddenly sticking to me!" 
"......Th, That is true, Harutora-sama is incredible, as expected......" 
"Come here." 
"Ah, t-t-to think...... you would put it on your lap......!" 
Harutora took the kitten from the cardboard box, putting it on his lap. 
At first the kitten had seemed panicked, and once it sat on Harutora's lap, its body went stiff again. "Huh, what's wrong?" Harutora stroked it gently, and Kon waved her tail, seeming abnormally fretful. 
"What is it, are you cold?" 
"T-T-To be in Harutora-sama's lap and call it cold is far too arrogant......!" 
"But you should be able to relax a bit now, right?" 
"T-T-To be in Harutora-sama's lap and be that comfortable is too presumptuous......!" 
"Ah, it's moving, haha, how cute." 
"............" 
Kon twisted her tail like she was forcefully wringing a towel. 
On the other hand, the kitten sitting in Harutora's lap became more and more relaxed, mewing out softly towards Harutora. "Come, come." Harutora also grinned, extending his fingers to play with the kitten. 
"............" Kon was listless for a while, but then she immediately reinvigorated herself, feigning calm and swishing her tail grandly, making it wave here and there. 
"......P, P-P, P-P-Perhaps a young cat whose fur has not yet grown is cute, but considering what it feels like, it doesn't compare to......" 
"Okay, I'll bring you back to my room." 
"Ah, H-Harutora-sama......" 
"Kon." 
"Yes." 
"Help me bring the box and the cat food back." 
"A, As you command......" 
Harutora left the dorm cafeteria holding the small cat, walking joyfully without even looking at Kon. 
Kon's tail drooped in dejection and she sat on the table for a while. Not long afterwards, she slowly put the canned cat food into the cardboard box, then carried the box with both hands, jumping off from the table. 
"......H-Harutora-sama really treats animals gently, ah, ahaha......" She showed a smile, muttering as if she did not mind and chasing after Harutora with quick steps. 

"A cat? Doesn't our dorm ban pets?" 
"Well......" 
Harutora joyfully explained what had happened yesterday night to the puzzled and wondering Touji. 
Because they hadn't seen each other in the cafeteria this morning, he hadn't had the opportunity to mention the cat to Touji. Harutora could only take advantage of the time before the first class started to explain. Touji seemed not very interested in the contents of his explanation, staring at him with a suspicious gaze as he spoke. 
"A kitten, huh?" Touji twisted his mouth in mocking after hearing Harutora's explanation. "I wouldn't do something as tiring as looking after a cat." 
"Taking care of it isn't tiring at all, actually. That cat sticks to me a lot." 
"Isn't taking care of a cat that sticks to you just as troublesome?" 
"No, it really listens to me! It was really obedient this morning, as if it noticed I was about to be late! Also, it meowed before I left like it was telling me to be careful outside!" 
"That should be coincidence." 
Harutora leaned across the table as he spoke, receiving Touji's rebuttal and wry smile. 
"Also, could the fact that you overslept this morning have to do with the cat?" 
"Yeah, because it stuck to me too much and was pestering me for the whole night wanting me to play with it and didn't let me get a good sleep." 
"See, it really is troublesome." 
"But I don't feel tired! On the contrary, I feel like my mood becomes happy once I see it!" 
"Really? Wasn't that kitten just born a while ago? How could a kitten who was just abandoned get close to someone so easily." 
"What, everything I said was true." Harutora spoke excitedly. "Right, Kon." Then, he asked for agreement from his shikigami. "Isn't that kitten very cute? It really sticks to me, right?" 
As a defensive shikigami, Kon was always hiding herself around Harutora, but once Harutora called, she would immediately appear. 
But, for some reason, she didn't reply when Harutora called for her. 
"That's weird, Kon?" Harutora called out again. 
Just then-- 
"................................................Yes." 
A shikigami with fox ears and a talk appeared next to Harutora, an unusual gloomy presence radiating from her whole body. 
Her ears and tail drooped listlessly, and even her fur seemed gloomy. 
Harutora couldn't help but be dumbfounded, and Touji couldn't conceal his surprise either. 
"............Do you have orders, Harutora-sama..................?" 
"Uh, not really. B, But, what's wrong with you? Did something happen?" 
"............What...... do you mean?' 
"Huh? You seem...... like you don't have any energy." 
After hearing Harutora say this, Kon's mouth moved slightly, smiling mournfully like a withered cactus [9] . 
"......Harutora-sama need not be concerned, I am the same as always......" Kon twisted her mouth again upon saying this, her smile lost and regretful and her gaze blank and sluggish. In one night, her satisfied self as she let Harutora touch her tail had ceased to exist. 
"......She hasn't been attacked, so what's up with the 'lag' phenomenon?" Touji said. 
'Lag' mainly happened with the shikigami received external impacts, leading to an instability of their materialized form. It was a phenomenon where distortions or blurriness appeared in the external form. Simply put, Kon was currently enduring trauma equivalent to an external impact. 
"......May I ask...... do you have any orders, Harutora-sama. I am Harutora-sama's faithful shikigami, so I will obey to the fullest of my ability and fulfill Harutora-sama's requests......" 
"A-Actually, there's nothing big...... Anyway, Kon, why does it seem like the tone you're speaking with is a bit resigned?" 
"It is nothing...... Please command me as you will, Harutora-sama." 
"Uh, it really isn't anything important... It's just Kuro. It seems to really stick to me, right? I just wanted to ask you to tell Touji that." Harutora spoke with a bit of apprehension. 
Kon's mouth twisted again upon hearing that. 
However, her smile this time was different from before. It wasn't sorrowful, but disdainful instead. Though it was fleeting, she had already clearly shown - Yes yes, that's right, I know your heart only has that little thing, I know, anyways - that sort of helpless atmosphere. 
"Yes, Harutora-sama. It is as Harutora-sama says, that cat is quite, extremely, abnormally close to Harutora-sama." Kon replied. 
"Right? Touji, that's what I said. Also, Kon, isn't that thing very cute?" 
"Yes, Harutora-sama. It is as Harutora-sama says, that cat is extremely cute, nothing has such flattering wiles as it." 
Kon kneeled properly with her back straight, chanting words that echoed her master. She looked empty, her expression dim, and she often waved her tail like a disgruntled child with a temper. 
Hearing their conversation - actually, noticing the attitudes of this master-servant pair, Touji showed an insightful expression, casually saying: "......Ah...... Don't involve me about that kind of thing, it's really too troublesome......" 
"Huh, weren't you listening, didn't I just say it wasn't troublesome? Right, Kon?" 
"Yes, Harutora-sama. It is as Harutora-sama says......" 
"It's really very cute, it wasn't willing to get close to me at the start, but later it started sticking to me and refused to leave--" 
"Yes, Harutora-sama. It is as Harutora-sama says......" 
"And it was mewing for the whole night, trying to get me to pamper it." 
"Yes, Harutora-sama. It is as Harutora-sama says......" 
"Once it finds an opportunity, it runs over to play with me, and it always licks my face, it's so bothersome." 
"Yes, Harutora-sama. It is as Harutora-sama says......" 
"......Harutora, stop talking." 
"Huh, why?" 
"You don't need to say anything more." 
"Yes, Harutora-sama. It is as Harutora-sama says......" 
Kon repeated the same sentence, and Touji sighed deeply. 
"......Never mind that, Natsume's move worked. It seems like your desire for animals is satisfied." 
"Haha, that's right. I just need to think of seeing Kuro when I go back to the dorm and I naturally won't touch Kon's tail anymore - Kon, I'm really sorry for doing that to you before." 
"..............................You need not apologize......" 
The atmosphere surrounding Kon became heavier and heavier, and Kon sounded like she was muffled by the atmosphere. 
Harutora's words seemed to have given her the finishing blow. Her figure began slowly vanishing as she hid herself of her own accord without waiting for her master's approval. 
However, just then - "But, Kon's tail is still the fluffiest, it feels the best." Once those words were uttered, Kon's dead and soulless eyes instantly widened. 
"H, H-H-H, Harutora, Harutora-sama! Is that true?" 
"Huh, of course, it's completely different......" 
The master was confused by his shikigami's abrupt change in attitude, but he still nodded. 
Kon unconsciously turned around, tightly clenching her fists. One could almost hear her cheering loudly inside her heart. 
"E-E-Exactly so! Though Kuro is cute, unfortunately it is a just-born kitten! Its fur is merely mediocre - not worth mentioning." 
"Yeah, that's right......" 
Harutora was taken aback by Kon's momentum, nodding again. Kon straightened her ears and tail, looking ready as if in a competition that had been tied at the last minute and was entering overtime. 
Touji smiled wryly, his expression complex. "......So." He scratched his bandanna that was like his trademark. "Before you find an owner, you're temporarily taking care of that cat? What's it doing now? Did you leave the cat in your room?" 
"Right, but I didn't just leave it in my room alone, the simple shikigami Natsume made should be helping to look after it...... Ah, maybe we can figure out what it's doing right now. Is Natsume in the classroom?" 
"How could she be late...... But come to think of it, I didn't see her in the dorm cafeteria today either." 
Harutora and Touji looked towards the classroom, quickly spotting Natsume's figure in a seat near the window. 
But, she looked strange. Her head swayed back and forth, as if she were sleeping in her seat. 
"Huh? Is Natsume sleeping?" 
"How curious." 
The two of them glanced at each other, standing up and walking towards Natsume's seat. 
"Natsume." 
Natsume immediately woke up when Harutora called out. 
"Huh? Ah, H-Harutora-kun--?" 
She unconsciously let out her high-pitched girl's voice and hastily concealed it. She looked at Harutora from her seat, a blush emerging on her face. 
"Natsume, are you alright?' 
"I, I'm fine, I just accidentally fell asleep......!" She lowered her head, replying bashfully. She said she was fine, but her actions were very suspicious. 
"That's weird, you're the same as Harutora. Why do neither of you have enough sleep today?" 
"Th-Th-Th-That has nothing to do with Harutora." Flustered after hearing Touji's remark, Natsume immediately rebuked him, clearly panicked and angry. 
"I slept very late last night to make the shikigami that would look after the cat!" 
"Right, Natsume, I came to ask you about that. Can you figure out what Kuro's doing right now?' 
"I-It doesn't have that function since it was a rush job." 
"Huh? But you said you worked until very late......" 
Harutora didn't understand. Just then, the bell for class happened to ring. 
"Hurry up and go back." Natsume urged them to leave, and they returned to their seats. 
"......What is that girl doing?" 
"Who knows?" 

After school let out, Harutora returned to his dorm a bit late because he had to stay back to receive after-school tutoring. He was worried about Kuro, and hurried home. 
The kitten lay on the sheets that Harutora hadn't made, curled up and sleeping soundly. 
Harutora relaxed his breath. 
"Hi, you returned really late." Touji from next door walked over. "This thing is the cat you were talking about, right? I saw it just now, it's been sleeping the whole time." 
"I, I see, that's good. Natsume's attitude in the morning was very strange, so I thought there was a mistake with the simple shikigami or something." 
"The shikigami was still looking after the cat when I returned to the dorm. Natsume had just taken the shikigami back. She's in her room adjusting it." 
"I see, I should go properly thank her in a while." Harutora sat directly on the tatami after saying that, lightly touching the kitten's head with his fingertips. 
"This thing sleeps like a pig. Do all kittens sleep like that?" Touji spoke with his arms crossed. 
"It's because she played around too much last night." 
"Oh...... But it seems like there's no toys a cat could play with in this room." 
"It's a bit different from other cats, it doesn't like playing with balls and wool, and it only likes climbing on me." 
"It would be nice if you were that well-liked by girls." 
"I'd rather be well-liked by cats." 
Harutora replied leisurely to Touji's teasing. 
Maybe hearing the chatting of the two, the kitten woke up. It looked at Harutora, meowing flightily and played with the finger stroking its head. 
"Oh, you woke up, you little thing~" 
Harutora joyfully tickled the kitten and the kitten frolicked happily. A merry scene unfolded. 
"So this is how it was. No wonder the little fox was so jealous." Touji laughed quietly as he spoke. 
"H-H-Harutora-sama." Just then, Kon suddenly appeared next to Harutora, her immature face unusually severe, as if making her decision to go on the offensive. 
"What is it?" Harutora asked. Kon breathed deeply. 
"I-I-If I may be so presumptuous, I believe it is inappropriate to let someone unfamiliar climb on Harutora-sama's bed--!" 
"What's wrong, Kon, why are you suddenly saying that kind of thing. I can't do anything about it either, Kuro jumps in right when I go to bed......" 
"M-M-My point is, letting this cunning - No, you should not spoil it so much, th-this cat is just an animal! H-H-Harutora-sama, please reconsider--!" 
Her breathing was erratic as she raised opposition. It seemed that she had accumulated quite a lot of depression just from yesterday night. 
"It's true that it would be troublesome if fleas got into the sheets. You should at least help it bathe." Touji proposed casually. 
"Gyah!" Kon cried out, her face pale as if the opponents had kicked in the winning ball. "That's true." Harutora nodded his head in agreement. 
"In that case, it's decided to have it bathe as soon as possible. Touji, want in?" 
"I'll go after I eat." 
"Okay, then I'll head out first--" 
"P-P-Please wait!" 
Just as Harutora was picking up the kitten, Kon quickly grabbed his leg, stopping him from moving. 
"B-B-Bathe! B-Bathe? Y-You're going to b-bathe with that?" 
"Right." 
"T-To think you are so forward?" Kon's tail trembled because of the great shock. "N-N-N-Not only do you share the same bed, you even bathe together? H-Harutora-sama, what drives you so far?" 
"It's just helping a cat to bathe, you don't need to be that shocked." 
"This is an important matter! I-I still hoped to...... Ah, no! Please don't misunderstand, Uh...... H-Harutora-sama needn't be bothered, please allow me to wash the cat......!" 
"It's alright, I helped cats bathe before." 
Harutora's attitude was casual, strongly contrasting with the panicked shikigami. Incidentally, as a defensive shikigami, Kon was always around Harutora, and Harutora only ordered her not to enter when he was in the showers or bathroom. 
"......That's weird? What's up with her, why's she suddenly so stiff?" 
Harutora blinked, staring at the kitten he held in his chest. When the kitten who had been playing so happily at first heard about bathing, its body had instantly frozen. 
"Oh my, maybe it knows it's about to take a bath?' 
"Don't get scratched." 
"Yeah, but at the start it was like this even when I held it, so it should get used to bathing before long, right?" 
Harutora spoke relaxedly, walking out of the room while carrying the kitten. Touji left with him, and only the devastated Kon was left in the room. 
"......I, In that case......" 

The dorm was furnished with showers and a large bathhouse. Natsume, who was posing as a male, used single shower stalls, but Harutora used the bathhouse. 
"Damn, there are so many people." He walked into the changing room while smiling wryly, quickly taking off his clothes. 
As he unclothed, the originally frozen kitten suddenly lost its calm, turning around in place and obviously a bit panicked. In this case, it would be best to finish quickly, Harutora thought. He carried the kitten by the neck with one hand and walked towards the bath. 
The bath was filled with steam. The kitten wailed. 
"Yo, Tsuchimikado, you're really early today." 
"Huh? What's up with the cat in your hand?" 
"Sorry, I'm helping it bathe, I'll be done soon." 
Harutora bowed his head and apologized to the senpais who had entered the bath ahead of him as he walked forward. The kitten being held by the neck mewed, obviously extremely terrified. Harutora chose the innermost seat in order to keep from disturbing the others. 
"Alright, calm down." Harutora pressed the kitten against his bare chest. The fur on the kitten's body made him itch. 
The kitten cried out strangely and even its fur stiffened. Fortunately, the kitten didn't bite or scratch, it just continually let the sound of heavy breathing. 
"Don't worry, you don't need to be scared, it's just a bath." 
Harutora reassured the kitten with a smile, and the rigid kitten could no longer suppress itself from trembling. He didn't get what had happened. He thought that maybe the kitten was overly tense and might have momentarily lost control. 
Whatever - Harutora gave up on the thought of washing the cat. Just then-- 
"I-I-I-I am here!" 
A young girl rushed into the bathhouse. 
"H-H-Harutora-sama! Pardon me, but I have come to wash your back! Harutora-sama, where are you!" 
That girl was Kon. 
The sleeves of her suikan had been tied up with cord and a towel was wrapped around her head. She wasn't wearing shoes, but held tightly onto a sponge and soap. 
The interior of the bath went silent for a while. 
Then, the guys' exclamations began to sound, instantly reverberating throughout the bathhouse. 
"Tch! Kon! What are you doing here?" 
Harutora called out, stunned, but the other guys shouted roughly one by one, covering his voice. But Kon's tolerance also had limits. Her blue eyes were wide, especially since - though the private areas were covered with towels - this place was the male bathhouse, after all. 
"Hey, d-don't block the way! H-H-Harutora-sama! Harutora-sama!" 
Fireballs shot in all directions and shrill screams sounded everywhere in the bathhouse. The dorm students scrambled to flee the bathhouse. 
Some escaped into the bath, some pointed showerheads towards the foxfire that Kon had shot out, and some threw bath water - whole buckets of it - towards the foxfire. 
Mist and steam rose gently and screams filled the air. Soap bubbles and towels were everywhere. 
The naked guys fled everywhere. Kon became even more panicked with the bathhouse in disarray. She was completely drenched, and the scream emitted from her mouth echoed in the bath like ultrasound. 
"Kon! Stop--!" 
Harutora couldn't help but stand up and the kitten took the opportunity to jump from his arm. 
The kitten jumped down, reflexively turning its body and getting tangled up with the towel around Harutora's waist. It fell to the ground with the towel, sprinting straight towards the bathhouse exit, still dragging Harutora's towel. 
"Ah! Kuro, don't run--!" 
"Ah! Harutora-sa--" 
Kon noticed Harutora, uttering a ear-piercing scream and hastily covering her eyes with her hands. Hence, the soap in her hands fell down and slid on the bathhouse tiles. In addition, the kitten, whose vision was half-obscured by the towel, ran over and just happened to stop on the soap. 
The kitten instantly slipped. 
"Mew!" The kitten wailed, thrashing its limbs as it slipped, perfectly colliding with the nearby Kon. The kitten reached out its claws, ferociously grabbing onto Kon's body. 
There was one scream after another. 
The kitten slipped and Kon also fell over. The cord on her sleeves loosened and tangled up with the towel. The cries of the kitten and Kon overlapped as their bodies tangled together. Foxfire scattered everywhere and the cries of the dorm students resounded through the bathhouse...... 
"......Why......Did it become like this......" 
Dumbfounded and completely naked, Harutora looked at the scene before him. 
That night, the miserable screams in the dorm bathhouse continued for almost ten minutes before Harutora forced Kon to dematerialize. 
The manager Fujino lectured Harutora fiercely for a while, and his punishment was the loss of that day's dinner. 

"I-I-I-I-I am extremely sorry......!" 
The next morning, Kon bowed her head and apologized for the trouble she had created to the students in the dorm cafeteria. In the end, she kneeled on the table, apologizing to her master Harutora. 
Although Harutora was annoyed, upon seeing his shikigami with her head bowed to the table, he still helplessly said: "Anyways, things are over." 
Actually, he also truly wished that he could forget that incident as soon as possible. The students who had been involved in the trouble definitely also had the same thoughts. 
"It's fortunate that I didn't go bath first." Touji gloated as they ate breakfast. 
"Did you hear that the cat was taken away by Natsume?" 
"Right, it seems like Natsume was helping to look for an owner along with Fujino-san. After that commotion happened yesterday, she hastily thought of someone who could raise it - She took advantage of yesterday night to give the cat to the shikigami and finished the matter." 
Even after that terrible commotion happened, Harutora's expression still looked a bit lonely as he explained the matter. He hadn't been able to properly say goodbye to Kuro because he had been preoccupied all the way until the middle of the night. 
"But anyway, the dorm forbids pets, so it's good to quickly find an owner for it. I hope it can be happy there...... And Kon too." 
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What does that mean?" 
"Please let me touch your tail occasionally. Once in a while will be enough." 
"H-Harutora-sama......!" 
Upon hearing her master say those words half-jokingly, tears momentarily swelled in the corners of Kon's eyes. 
"But I'm a bit worried, I don't know whether Kuro was hurt or not. I feel like I saw it have 'lag' effects just like Kon at the end." 
"What, did you see the cat turn transparent?" 
"My eyes were probably tricking me, I'm just scared that maybe it was affected by Kon's aura. It would be best if that didn't happen." Harutora spoke worriedly. 
"Idiot." Touji laughed. "That proves that you were panicked too at the time. It isn't a shikigami, how could it have 'lag'." 
"E-E-Exactly, Harutora-sama. I-If that cat were a shikigami, it would not be able to deceive me!" 
"Also, who would do that kind of thing? Who would be bored enough to make an abandoned cat shikigami and even make it with so much detail that none of us would notice......" 
Touji, who had originally dismissed that idea, suddenly frowned after he was half-finished speaking, going silent. "What's wrong?" Harutora asked, and Kon looked at Touji with a troubled face. 
Just then-- 
"G, G, Good morning! Harutora!" 
Natsume appeared in the dorm cafeteria, greeting him. 
For some reason, she was stammering just like Kon, nor did she look at Harutora when she greeted him. She turned her head to avoid Harutora's gaze. It could be seen from the side that her entire face was flushed red. 
Touji's expression became even more serious since her actions were too unnatural. He stared at Natsume with a sharp gaze. 
As always, Harutora completely failed to notice that Natsume's wasn't quite right. "Ah, Natsume. Sorry a lot about yesterday, I gave you so much trouble......" He felt guilty, apologizing to Natsume. 
He had created a heap of trouble and had even made Natsume help him with the aftermath. Of course he had prepared himself to be scolded about 'tainting the Tsuchimikado family name'...... But strangely, Natsume didn't get angry. 
"Th, There wasn't anything you could do about yesterday! Th-There was no helping it! T-To think such a thing would happen in the bathhouse, no one could expect that, s-so there was no helping it!" 
"Do you think so? I'm really moved that you say that...... Ah, Kon, hurry up and apologize to Natsume!" 
"A-A-As you command. I am extremely ashamed of the trouble I have stirred up......" 
"It, It's alright, you don't need to feel bad about it! Let's just pretend nothing happened yesterday! It was a dream! It, It was just a dream, completely a dream from every angle......!" 
Natsume was inexplicably agitated, her gaze never turning to Harutora. Harutora didn't get what she was saying, but fortunately she seemed willing to forgive him, so he didn't ask anything more, just replying: "Oh, alright!" and nodding. 
The three of them ate breakfast. 
"Alright, then I'll get pumped up and do my best today as well!" Harutora said, standing up and collecting his utensils. 
Kon followed behind her master, and Natsume also - her cheeks still red - stood up from her chair. 
"......Natsume." In the end, Touji, who hadn't said a word after Natsume appeared, called out quietly. 
"What?" 
"Your tail's showing." 
Natsume reflexively turned her head, looking down at her waist and unconsciously cried out lightly. 
"Meow."