Lesson Nineteen: Torii Hearts Who? More Like, Torii Visuals

The next day began with misery.

Eight children trudged into the shrine classroom like their souls had been inconvenienced. Shoulders slumped. Tails dragging. Wings drooping. Even Mon’s hat looked depressed.

Gon pressed his face to the table. ‘They met them. All of them.’

‘Actual celebrities,’ Mon added darkly. ‘With cameras.’

Akashi growled. ‘I could’ve arm-wrestled a dragon prince.’

‘Apparently, the Spirit Idol bowed to them.’ Sumire sighed.

Even socially awkward Kishin made a small, wounded noise.

Honey stared at the ceiling. ‘I wanted to see the shiny fox lady.’

Mutsuki stood at the front of the room and watched the collective sulk pile. He carried the expression of a man bracing himself before stepping into cold water. Youchan lingered by the doorway, already smiling like she knew exactly how this would go. 

He apologized and performed a quick sing-dance solo as the kids requested, just to lift their spirits. Here! I am actually an idol too? No?

But they still complained some more. Youchan had to step in and bribe them with food.

‘Enough heavy talk,’ he said. ‘Time to make all of you pretty, harmless liars. Line up for transformation practice.’

He started with the naturals.

‘Mon,’ he said. ‘Show me your best disguise. Normal human boy. No glitter, no props, no agency audition.’

Mon flipped his hat and tossed it aside with dramatic flair. His body shimmered. His tanuki traits slipped neatly under the illusion, leaving a compact, bright-eyed boy with messy brown hair and the exact face of someone who would accidentally go viral. His eyes still held a little too much mischief.

‘How’s this?’ he grinned.

‘Dangerous,’ Kojiro said.

‘Marketable,’ Gon added.

‘Passable,’ Mutsuki said. ‘Tone down the sparkle by ten percent and you’ll walk through any city without causing a riot. Good job.’

Gon strutted forward. ‘My turn.’

His tails vanished into an illusion, leaving a fluffy keychain dangling from his belt. His ears tucked neatly into his hair. His entire figure softened into a slightly short, very stylish boy with a smug smile and too nice shoes. He snapped his fingers and his glamour added a fake smartphone.

‘This is my ‘‘pretending-to-be-a-normal-student-but-obviously-destined-for-greatness’’ look,’ he announced.

‘You look like a child actor,’ Youchan said.

‘Thank you,’ God preened.

Honey stepped up. He was small, solid and already human-shaped.

Mutsuki smiled. ‘You, Honey, don’t need much. Just, please less glowing eyes when you’re happy. And, no hugging.’

‘No hugging?’ He pouted.

‘Only for your friends.’

He brightened. ‘Ok.’

Meow crept forward.

‘For you,’ Mutsuki said, ‘we try partial glamour. Let the humans think you’re just… very dedicated to cat fashion.’

She blushed and followed. Gentle waves of magic smoothed her real ears into her hair, making them look like cute, slightly too-big accessories. Her tail faded into a belt with a fluffy charm. She looked like a normal cat-girl.

‘Do I look… weird…?’

‘You look like you’re going to a neko cafe,’ Honey said.

‘Humans love that,’ Mutsuki added. ‘Very on trend.’

Meow blushed. ‘Ok…’

‘My turn.’ Kojiro said.

‘Please remove the demon lord crow edge,’ Mutsuki said. ‘Wings, mask, blood color. You’re trying to buy bread, not declare war.’

‘Ok, but I will only show Youchan and Mutsuki.’ He announced.

Mutsuki covered him with an illusion barrier that allows only him and Youchan to see in to. He nodded for Kojiro to begin.

His aura folded in obediently quickly. Wings retracted. The shadow of the tengu mask faded from his face, leaving only human features. His hair darkened to a normal black. His red accents muted to maroon. Kojiro turned out to be a very handsome little boy.

‘Respectable,’ Youchan nodded.

‘Looks like a child version of Sassukey,’ Mutsuki agreed. ‘Afraid you might grow to become more handsome than me.’

Kojiro smirked and looked at Youchan. I’m going to be more handsome than this man! Wait for me!

Kishin shuffled forward like a condemned man.

‘Just the horns and red skin for now,’ Mutsuki instructed. ‘You’re already very close to human. We just want to avoid any fainting.’

Kishin screwed his eyes shut. His horns trembled then morphed into hair. His sharp teeth dulled to semi-normal.

He peeked up. ‘I feel… naked…’

‘You look very cute,’ Honey said.

‘You’ll still be terrifying with the bat,’ Mon added.

‘Very good control!’ Mutsuki praised. ‘This is only for buying food, you won’t stay like this eternally.’

Akashi cracked his neck as he walked forward.

‘You need control,’ Mutsuki told him. ‘Not more power. No more random furry hands when you sneeze. Human to wolf. Wolf to human. Clean transitions.’

‘Hn.’

They worked. Full human. Full wolf. No half measures. After a few attempts and one accidental tail, Akashi got it.

He smirked. ‘I can go to a human playground and nobody will know until it’s too late.’

‘There should be no “too late”,’ Mutsuki said.

Finally, he turned to Sumire.

‘Our princess,’ he said. ‘Ready to try again?’

She floated forward with water shimmering around her ankles.

‘Of course,’ she said confidently. ‘I will be a perfect human lady in one try.’

‘Remember,’ he said, ‘no one is asking you to become less yourself. Just add another option. Another outfit. Like me.’

She nodded and closed her eyes. Magic rose around her, water twining like silk. Her scales shimmered. Her skin glowed. 

Nothing.

She opened one eye. ‘Again,’ she muttered.

She tried manifesting water to her forehead. But without a bowl, it just sloshed back, dampening her hair (Seaweed). Mon and Gon snorted.

‘Problem?’ Sumire snapped.

‘No, no, just, uhh… you are… how do I put this… very… yokai.’ Gon said.

Mon nodded. ‘Yeah, yeah. You need to… uh… downgrade first.’

‘Downgrade,’ she repeated.

‘Like, make yourself plainer,’ Gon said. ‘Then transform that plain into pretty. Right now you’re already at max pretty. There’s no room to move.’

‘Start ugly, then upgrade,’ Mon agreed.

Kishin winced. Kojiro sighed.

Meow’s ears flattened. ‘That’s… not…’

Sumire’s eyes filled. ‘Ugly,’ she whispered.

‘Training ugly!’ Mon corrected rapidly. ‘Temporary ugly!’

‘You want me to be ugly so humans won’t stare,’ she cried. ‘You want me to be less.’

‘We want you not arrested by spirit police,’ Gon said. ‘It’s different.’

‘Enough,’ Mutsuki cut in.

Sumire turned away. Clouds formed around her.

‘I understand,’ she said stiffly. ‘I am… too much. Again.’

A mini storm followed her as she fled out of the classroom.

Mon sagged. ‘We messed up.’

Gon swallowed. ‘We messed up so badly.’

The rest of the class glared.

Honey put her paws on her hips. ‘You hurt Sumire.’

Meow puffed up. ‘Mean.’

Kishin shook his head. ‘Uncool.’

Even Kojiro joined. ‘You two have the emotional range of a brick.’

Akashi warned. ‘You better fix it.’

Youchan rose smoothly from her spot. ‘Leave Sumire-chan to Sensei for now,’ she said. ‘I’ll deal with you two.’

‘We’re doomed,’ Mon whispered.