“Hup!”
Outside the door of the dilapidated shed, the Shu Maiden—or Reirin, the one wearing her face—adjusted her grip on an armful of straw pillows and mats. The sun had long since set, and a brilliant moon hung in the sky. The chill in the night air was enough to turn Reirin’s breath white, but she was in such high spirits that this served as nothing but another source of joy.
After deliberately exhaling a few breaths to watch the white puffs form beneath the moonlight, she broke into a delighted grin. It was so cold—and she was having so much fun.
This chill would probably be quite tough on those unaccustomed to it. I hope the others are doing all right.
Although the bedding blocked her view, she managed to reach out from under it and nudge the sliding door open. Without a single brazier to warm it, the inside of the shed was freezing, but it was still a fraction warmer than the outdoors. Reirin tiptoed across the dark, cramped space, careful not to accidentally kick anyone.
“Excuse me, ladies. I borrowed some straw pillows and mats from the locals.”
The four Maidens who had accompanied her to Treacherous Tan Peak were resting in the shed.
Yesterday afternoon, following her confrontation with Genyou and her fight with Keigetsu, Reirin had worked out a new plan to catch the sorcerer. From there, she had explained the situation to the other Maidens—or forced their hands into helping, really—spent the whole night transporting them to Treacherous Tan Peak, and arrived earlier that afternoon. The girls had helped her to teach the locals a song with a certain goal in mind, but the rigorous travel itinerary combined with the work of instructing a large group had worn them out. By dinnertime, their throats were all sore, so they had asked the locals to clear out a shed and allow them to sleep there. Assuming they would want to wipe themselves clean and change clothes, the men had volunteered to stand watch from a short distance away.
And with all that settled, Reirin had offered to take on the task of carrying the bedding over.
“If using your robe for a blanket is too cold, try wrapping yourself up in one of these mats as well. Then, once you’ve all had a short rest, er…what would you say to taking these straw pillows and having ourselves what they call a ‘pillow fight’?” she bashfully suggested. When there was no reply, she tilted her head to one side. “Hm?”
Upon setting the bedding aside and straining her eyes in the darkness, she was surprised to find all the Maidens lying in an exhausted heap, none of them having so much as changed clothes.
“A-are you all right?!” she exclaimed in a panic. But when she crouched down to check their breathing, she heard the rhythmic sounds of sleep and murmured, “Oh dear.”
Here she thought the Maidens had been holding it together, but it seemed they had reached the limits of their stamina.
“They’re sound asleep…”
Even Kin Seika, who always stood with her head held high, had practically passed out on the floor. Gen Kasui seemed more likely to be a night owl, yet she had slid to the floor with her back propped against the wall and dozed right off. Ran Houshun had probably made the conscious choice to go to bed, as she was curled up in a corner of the shed.
As for Kou Reirin—or Keigetsu, currently trapped in her body—she appeared wary of the cold. She was lying in the very center of the shed, the place where she would be least likely to feel any drafts, and wrapped up in multiple robes like a caterpillar. Although her long cascade of hair poked out from the bundle, it was impossible to tell whether she was lying on her back or stomach.
“Um, ladies…?” Reirin hesitantly called out. She felt bad about disturbing their sleep, but her loneliness had gotten the better of her. After all, they had still been awake when she left to pick up the bedding a few minutes ago.
For instance, Keigetsu had been complaining, “Argh, my feet and my throat are killing me! You’re a slave driver, Kou Reirin!”
And Seika had countered, “Then would you kindly cease your screaming? It’s exhausting to listen to. While you’re at it, move out of my way.”
And Houshun had asked, “Erm, does anyone have any candy, perchance?”
And Kasui had said, “Do you mind if I stretch my legs? I’m bound to kick you if you stay where you are.”
The shed had been abuzz with activity, not a beat missed in the conversation but everyone managing to talk past one another. Given how little experience Reirin had with group activities, she had been struck by the quintessential “girls’ school” atmosphere of the scene. She’d been dying to join in on the fun as soon as she brought the bedding over, but alas.
“H-hello? Is no one awake? No one at all? Really?” she whispered, cupping both hands around her mouth. She could hear some very soft snoring, but it was possible not all of the Maidens were that deeply asleep yet. “Erm, you’ll get better rest if you sleep in a more comfortable position, so why don’t we rearrange ourselves and use these pillows? Ideally, we could lay them out five in a row. And then we could gossip. Perhaps even have ourselves a pillow fight…”
No one responded to her suggestions. Well, a low snore drifted over from Kasui’s direction, but that was it.
Reirin let out a whine, burying her crestfallen face in her hands. “I was too late.”
Due to her weak constitution, Reirin had never gotten to sleep over at a friend’s house or travel in a large group the way her brothers had. It had been a long-cherished dream of hers to spend the night among a group of fellow kids, indulging in gossip and having fun throwing pillows at each other.
“Weh… But I wanted to stay up talking…and have a pillow fight…”
“How do you still have the energy for that?” came a voice dripping with resentment, accompanied by a wriggle of the cocoon of robes.
Reirin’s face lit up, and she crawled over to where she assumed a head was buried under the mountain of garments. “Lady Keigetsu! You’re still awake? I knew I could count on you!” she gushed, though she endeavored to keep her voice down.
“You just woke me up.” Keigetsu peered out from between the robes to glare at Reirin. “Give me a break… I had to climb Treacherous Tan Peak for the second day in a row…and first we had it out with His Majesty…and to make matters worse, tomorrow is the Day of Ultimate Yin. Let me get some sleep, for mercy’s sake…”
She didn’t hold the glare for long before her eyelids started to droop.