Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V5 Chapter 12: “Wait, Are We Actually Having a Serious Talk?” ②

Chapter 12: “Wait, Are We Actually Having a Serious Talk?” ②

“Ahem, ahem. Alright, Onsa, Kirara—get it together already.”

Shinonome clapped his hands in front of his sisters.

That finally snapped them back to reality.

“…Onii-chan? Wait, huh? When did I get out of the bath…?”

“…That was a truly fine performance.”

“…Yeah, sorry. I’m just gonna leave my sisters like this for a bit. My bad.”

Shinonome gave a sheepish little bow.

Natsuki just chuckled and waved it off.

The girls on his side were just as spaced out anyway—

Everyone was kind of mentally checked out, so no harm done.

“Well then, let’s just talk seriously among ourselves for now. Sorry again for how things escalated after that run-in back in Tono. But just to be clear—Abe, or rather, we, have no intention of using Natsuki-kun and the others.”

“Okay. Got it. But… are you saying we should think of you and the Abe family as two separate things?”

“Ah—no, not quite. What I mean is… the Abe family has no interest in getting involved with the oni.”

“…Huh?”

That earned him some puzzled looks.

For psychics in Kyoto, the top priority was defeating Shuten Doji.

Even if they didn’t plan to purge every youkai and oni out there, taking him down was something everyone could agree on.

So hearing that the Abe family—basically the top dogs of Kyoto’s spiritual world—had zero interest in getting involved with the oni?

Yeah. That was a real shocker.

“Oi Oi. Don’t tell me… Wait, are you actually telling me that?”

“Senju-san? Do you know something?”

“Well, kinda… It’s like, old-family shame, y’know? Not every house has it, but…”

Senju clearly had a guess—but he looked pretty uncomfortable bringing it up.

“Senju Nanamori-dono, it’s probably tough to say with the Minazuki family and your Kanna family friend right here. You don’t have to force it. The shame’s all ours. Let me be the one to say it.”

With that, Shinonome gently stepped in, sparing Senju the awkwardness, and started laying out the Abe family’s dirty laundry himself.

“Alright, this is gonna sound pathetic, but… our dad—the current head of the Abe family, yeah, our old man—he’s totally given up on beating Shuten Doji. Like, he’s not even trying. Says it’s impossible. And honestly? That part’s whatever. But what really ticks me off…”

He paused for a beat.

“Is that he thinks we shouldn’t get rid of the oni. ‘Cause if they’re gone, there’s no more money to make off exorcisms.”

“Wow… Okay yeah, we’re definitely turning the Abe family estate into a parking lot. Yup. That’s going on the list.”

Natsuki mentally scribbled it down in all caps:

ABE HOUSE → FLATTEN IT.

“Natsuki-kun, you’re saying it out loud!”

“Oops! Silly me!”

Natsuki stuck his tongue out with a sheepish grin, then mimed zipping his lips shut.

Shinonome just let out a carefree laugh, not the least bit offended.

“Go ahead, flatten it. Who cares about some crusty old family that’s all bark and no bite? If anything, I’ll even help tear it down.”

“We got Abe-san’s blessing! It’s war!!”

“You really are a scary little guy, huh?”

Shinonome joined in on Natsuki’s wild declaration with a grin—

But behind that smile, there was a dangerous glint in his eyes that made it clear he wasn’t just joking.

Shinonome had a rep as someone you didn’t want to mess with.

And now, the other guys were seeing it firsthand.

Natsuki was already chaos incarnate.

But Shinonome?

Yeah… he was low-key insane, too.

The rest of the boys were now silently thinking: “Forget Natsuki—Shinonome’s just as unhinged!”

Then, out of nowhere, Natsuki casually dropped a curveball.

“Oh, right.”

“Hm?”

“So apparently, I used to be childhood friends with Madoka-kun back in Kyoto? Got any info on that?”

“―Hah?”

Kazuto and the others tilted their heads like, why now!?

But Shinonome looked even more thrown off.

All his usual chill?

Completely gone.
For a moment, he just sat there, blank-faced, dumbfounded.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

Yoshimasa: “As expected, even Shinonome Abe can’t keep up with Natsuki-san’s pace.”