Predicting The Future

Maria’s reply arrived five minutes after Youchan sent the photo.

“Good. If they’re laughing, he’s healing. Keep him alive until tomorrow.”

Youchan snorted softly into her sleeve. ‘Yes, Maria-sama,’ she murmured dryly. ‘I’ll protect him… from his own students.’

She glanced toward the sakura tree again.

Mutsuki lay on the picnic mat like some tragic fairy-tale character mid-respawn, one arm hugging a crumpled paper lotus, the other flopped dramatically across his chest. His sparkly kid-made crown, Best Sensei (Probably a Boy), was still perfectly perched on his head. And around him, eight little yokai were staging an illegal photoshoot and growing increasingly rowdy.

‘Okay, okay! One at a time,’ Youchan whispered frantically, waving her hands as quietly as possible. ‘He’s asleep! We respect naps in this household!’

A shrine maiden shouldn’t indulge in such chaos. Yet Youchan had several weaknesses: overeager children, Mutsuki asleep with petals in his hair, and, she was only just discovering this, soft men who looked unexpectedly fragile. Or maybe just Mutsuki in particular.

Also, she still hadn’t figured out how he slipped into her barrier without detection. Only particular members of her family could bypass her wards like that. That alone earned him a teasing photoshoot.

‘FRONT ROW IS MINE!’ Tanuki Mon declared, puffing up like a raccoon balloon.

‘You’ve been in four pictures already!’ Kitsune Gon hissed, his fox ears flicking indignantly.

‘I’m making art!’ Mon defended, pulling a glittery confetti popper from his hat.

‘If you spray glitter near my painting,’ Kappa Sumire hissed elegantly, ‘I will drown you.’

‘Can we make him look like a prince?’ Maneki Meow asked, paws trembling with petals.

‘He already looks like a prince!’ Honey Bear said proudly. ‘Let’s make him a sleeping prince!’

‘He looks like a vampire whose battery died,’ Werewolf Akashi snorted. He was right. That’s what Mutsuki was.

Oni Kishin gasped. ‘C-can we make him a bunny?’

‘He’s already got whiskers!’ Mon pointed dramatically.

‘That’s marker,’ Youchan sighed. ‘Your indelible marker…’

They all cackled.

Sumire delicately dabbed blush on Mutsuki’s cheeks with a sakura petal because his face could “use some color.” Meanwhile Meow tried to “gently decorate him with petals” and dumped the entire basket on his legs. No explosions this time. Gon summoned an illusion of floral sparkles so huge Youchan could’ve sworn Mutsuki winced from the magical dander.

‘Gon!’ she hissed. ‘Low-level magic only! Low level!’

‘I just wanted to copy the fireworks from Sensei’s concerts!’ Gon pouted. ‘Also, this is low for me.’

‘That is the problem,’ Youchan muttered, facepalming.

At last, under her strict supervision and mild despair, each child took a turn.

Mon (Tanuki):
Pretended he was pulling Mutsuki from his magician’s hat. Nearly dropped the hat, summoning several questionable objects before catching it with a triumphant pose.

Gon (Kitsune):
Draped his fluffy fox tail over Mutsuki’s shoulders like an expensive stole. Winked at the camera like a scandalous co-star.

Sumire (Kappa Princess):
Sat beside Mutsuki, fanned herself dramatically, and pretended he was fainting from her beauty.

Meow (Maneki Neko):
Formed a heart with her paws. Then tripped and faceplanted mid-photo.

Akashi (Werewolf):
Flexed behind Mutsuki as if he had knocked Sensei unconscious. Created a fake red bump on Mutsuki’s head for realism.

Honey (Bear Spirit):
Placed his clay bear sculpture beside Mutsuki’s cheek and whispered, ‘They match.’

Kishin (Oni):
Peeked shyly from behind Mutsuki’s shoulder, horns faintly sparkling.

Kojiro (Tengu):
Hovered above like a disapproving gargoyle muttering, ‘Idiots.’

Not yet satisfied with their Shenanigans Level: 9,999, the children begged Youchan to join. She refused. They begged harder. She refused again. Honey Bear hugged her leg and looked up with quivering moon-sized eyes. Youchan folded instantly.

She sat beside Mutsuki, sighing. ‘Okay… just one.’

Immediately— POOF!

Mon threw petals like confetti.

‘POSE LIKE YOU’RE IN LOVE!’ Gon shrieked.

‘EXCUSE ME?!’ Youchan yelped.

Before she could escape, petals rained down like a romantic storm.

‘THEY’RE GETTING MARRIED!’ someone howled.

She suspected Gon, but Meow also looked suspiciously delighted. Kojiro, in righteous fury, attempted to blow the petals away with his wings, only making the scene even more romantic.

‘Stop meddling, you flying pest!’ Sumire snapped, despite floating on her personal water cloud.

Kojiro made one final dive-bomb toward the camera. When the photo developed, a blurry black heart hovered in the corner. It was him.

‘NOOOO!’ Kojiro wailed.

‘If you were going to help out, just say so.’ Sumire patted his back as he knelt in despair.

The kids cheered wildly, declaring: ‘COUPLE PHOTO: ATTAINED!’

Even if Youchan died inside, she can’t deny was also having a great time.

Once photoshoot mania subsided, Youchan handed out snacks with the dead-eyed calm of someone who had survived a natural disaster. The children gathered in a half-circle around sleeping Mutsuki like obedient familiars guarding their summoner.

‘Eat quietly,’ Youchan whispered.

To her shock, they did. Sumire even poured tea like a court lady.

Honey raised a paw. ‘Youchan… can I ask something?’

‘Of course.’

‘What kind of man do you like?’ Sumire butted in. But everyone anticipated for the answer just the same.

Youchan covered her mouth and giggled politely. ‘This is not something kids your age should be seriously asking.’

Silence.

‘Oh ok… I think I might like “soft” people.’ Youchan almost whispered.

‘So me?’ Honey said, finally getting back the attention that Sumire took.

Youchan nodded and cuddled Honey, urging him to continue his earlier question.

‘Why did Miss Maria make us write about Sensei before we met him?’

‘Hmm.’ Youchan smiled softly. ‘Maybe she wanted to know what you expected. It helps her understand your hearts.’

‘But we’re kids!’ Mon said, crumbs everywhere. ‘We’re bad at expectin’!’

‘That’s why it’s good practice.’

Sumire nodded primly. ‘I wrote that Sensei should be refined, intelligent, and punctual.’

Gon pointed at the unconscious, petal-covered Mutsuki. ‘He’s sleeping on the grass.’

‘Maybe he’s emotionally punctual,’ Meow offered.

They giggled.

Kishin tilted his head. ‘Why we gotta help a grown-up?’

‘Because everyone needs help,’ Youchan said.

‘Even Sensei?’

Her smile softened. ‘Especially Sensei.’

Honey puffed his chest proudly. ‘Then we help him like he helps us! We’ll learn together!’

‘That’s very mature,’ Youchan praised.

Honey raised a finger. ‘I’m six and a half.’

‘Ah. My apologies.’

Soon, the sugar rush dipped. Tiny yawns bloomed. The shrine settled into its soft, late-afternoon hush. Youchan tidied the area, fixed Mon’s crooked hat, wiped Meow’s face, and ensured everyone had their charm-tags. One by one, they stepped through the shrine’s concealed portal. A ripple of warm light leading to their homes beyond the veil.

‘See you tomorrow, Youchan!’

‘Bye-byyyye!’

‘Tell Sensei we didn’t bully him too much!’

‘We definitely bullied him too much!’

‘We aren’t allowed to bully each other, nobody said anything about teachers.’

‘SHHHH!’

And then, silence...

Well, almost. Mutsuki snored softly, still wearing whiskers and petals. Youchan sighed, hands on her hips.

‘You really are trouble, Sensei,’ she whispered. Mutsuki responded in the form of sneezing a petal off in his sleep.

‘You given me too much unwanted work and unwelcome teasing from the children.’ She complained. But the smile tugging at her lips was saying otherwise.