"Pfft~ Ahahaha! A human serving a vampire. It's quite interesting. Aren't you scared?" Mokou asked with amusement. "At first, it was scary, but now I feel grateful to be here serving her. I owe her a lot, after all," he answered.
"Hm? Why not? It's hot as hell out here," Shun replied casually.
"Well, about that..." Mokou started to say as the group turned onto a new path. They were greeted by the sight of youkai standing in line, and some of them were engaged in an intense bullet of battles nearby. The sound of exploding bullets filled the air around the shop. "Ah, I see," Shun said, his eyes widening as he took in the chaotic scene before them.
"Welcome, welcome!" a girl in a blue dress adorned with numerous pockets around the hem of the skirt, and a green hat with a white wispy symbol on it, greeted them enthusiastically. "Try out our new product!" she exclaimed, extending her hand toward them.
"That must be the mochi ice cream!" Cirno exclaimed, flying excitedly towards the shop, with Daiyousei following closely behind. "Isn't it dangerous here?" Shun expressed his concern. "Well, don't worry about it. We also keep things under control. I wouldn't want the bamboo getting destroyed either," Mokou reassured him with a confident smile.
"Oh? If it isn't the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion!" a girl wearing a white blouse, a black short skirt, and a tokin landed in front of Mokou and Shun. She then took a snapshot with her camera. "Hey, delete that," Mokou demanded, looking at her with a dissatisfied stare.
"Ahahaha~ Don't worry, I'll make sure to edit it! But really, it's nice to meet you, Mister Shun!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hand and shaking it energetically. "My name is Aya Shameimaru, the Newspaper Reporter of Gensokyo!" she introduced herself with a wide grin. "Ahh! You're that journalist who wrote an article about me!" Shun exclaimed, recognizing her. "Ahahaha! Did you like it?" Aya asked, eagerly awaiting his response.
"Well, I sorta didn't like the fact that you took a picture of me without permission. Wait, how did you even manage to take a picture of me through the window outside!?" Shun asked, perplexed.
"That's a secret~" Aya replied mischievously, maintaining her enigmatic smile.
"So, Tengu, what are you doing here?" Mokou inquired.
"I'm here to make a newspaper article about the mochi ice cream! You could say that Nitori and I are working together on this," Aya answered, proudly holding up her camera.
"What a great strategy," Shun commented, giving slight applause. "Haahhh~, no wonder some of them are wandering into the forest randomly. It was your doing..." Mokou remarked with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Indeed!" Aya responded proudly, reveling in her own cunning plan.
"Hm? By the way, Shun," Aya began.
"Just call me Shun," he interjected politely.
"Right, Shun. Is it true that you can't shoot bullets?" Aya asked, retrieving her pencil and notepad, eager to hear his response. "Well, yeah, I can't shoot bullets. I'm just a human, after all," Shun replied
"Oh, I see, I see," Aya exclaimed, scribbling notes in her notepad. As she continued writing, she asked another question. "Is your Mistress planning to start a new incident?"
Shun glanced away, his expression unreadable. "...No comment," he replied, keeping his response vague. "I see, I see! So the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion will also be an accomplice," Aya concluded, making her own assumptions based on his answer.
"Huh?! I don't even know what you're saying! Erase that!" Shun exclaimed, attempting to grab Aya's notepad. However, Aya grinned mischievously and swiftly sidestepped his reach. "I was just kidding!" she reassured him with a playful tone.
"You better..." Shun responded with a glare, still slightly annoyed. "Ahahaha, what a scary face~" Aya teased, seemingly unfazed by his glare. "Well then, I gotta go send the newspaper!" With that, she swiftly flew away, leaving Shun to shake his head and let out a sigh.
Shun let out another sigh, expressing his weariness from the conversation with Aya. "I'm already tired of talking to her," he voiced his thoughts. Mokou nodded in agreement, acknowledging Aya's annoying nature.
"Aren't you going to try out the mochi ice cream?" Mokou asked Shun.
"Ah, yes, I will... but what about you?" Shun inquired, turning his gaze toward Mokou. "Hmm, no thanks," Mokou replied, indicating that she wasn't interested in trying the treat. Shun nodded, understanding her response. "Wait here," he said to Mokou, as he made his way to patiently wait in line.
After a few minutes, Shun returned with a plastic bag containing the mochi ice cream in his hand. He then picked up one mochi ice cream and offered it to Mokou.
"Eh? Why? I said I didn't want it," Mokou protested.
"Hmm, then consider it my treat for guiding me and the fairies to this shop," Shun replied with a warm smile.
Mokou stared at him for a moment, a smile slowly forming on her face. She reached out and accepted the mochi ice cream. "How sly of you," she chuckled, appreciating the gesture.
"Speaking of fairies... Where are they?" Shun inquired, looking around.
Mokou pointed towards Daiyousei and Cirno, who were both lying on the ground. "Right over there, knocked down," she said. Shun looked in the direction that Mokou pointed and saw Daiyousei and Cirno lying on the ground. "Ahh, I think I can already guess what happened,"
"Now then, how about I guide you back," Mokou offered with a smile. "Yes, please," Shun replied gratefully.
Mokou led Shun back through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, guiding him safely to the Human Village. Along the way, they engaged in friendly conversation and got to know each other better. As they reached the outskirts of the Human Village, Mokou bid Shun farewell.
As Shun approached the gate of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, he noticed Meiling, the mansion's gatekeeper, engrossed in reading a newspaper. Curiosity piqued. He approached her.
"Miss Meiling? What are you reading?" he inquired. "Oh, Shun! Where have you been? Lady Remilia and Miss Sakuya have been looking for you!" Meiling exclaimed. Shun averted his gaze and responded, "About that...I'm sorry."
"A-anyway, You have to say that to Miss Sakuya and Lady Remilia." Shun nodded, acknowledging Meiling's reminder. "I understand, Miss Meiling. I will make sure to inform Miss Sakuya and Lady Remilia about my whereabouts and apologize for my absence," he assured her.
"So, what are you reading?" Shun asked, his curiosity piqued. Meiling looked up from the newspaper she was engrossed in and smiled at him. "Oh, it's an article about this new mochi ice cream that's been all the talk in Gensokyo. It looks incredibly delicious, but as the mansion's gatekeeper, I can't just leave my post to try it." She sighed wistfully.
"No, don't worry about it. Actually, I brought some mochi ice cream with me!" Shun exclaimed, offering Meiling a piece. "Really? Thank you, Shun!" Meiling's eyes lit up with delight as she hugged him tightly. "M-Miss Meiling..." Shun blushed slightly, feeling a little flustered.
"A-anyway, where's Miss Sakuya and Lady Remilia?" Shun asked as he was about to enter. Meiling paused for a moment, a slight nervousness evident on her face. "Hmm, Miss Sakuya is probably preparing for dinner, and as for Lady Remilia... I think you should go check on her," she replied with a forced smile.
"...I see. Thank you, Miss Meiling," Shun nodded appreciatively before entering the gate and making his way inside the mansion. "You're very late, Shun," Sakuya said as she stood in front of him. "Erm... Let me explain," he said nervously. "Fine, but keep it short since Miss Remilia is also going to punish you," she said.
"Look, I actually wanted everyone to have an ice cream mochi that has recently been the talk of Gensokyo," he said, showing a plastic containing mochi ice cream. "I see, but Lady Remilia ordered you to buy her sunscreen, correct?" Sakuya said, glaring at him.
"Here it is..." Shun reached into his jetted pockets and pulled out the sunscreen, holding it up for Sakuya to see. He kept his gaze lowered. "Good, now wait here for Lady Remilia," Sakuya said, her voice firm yet composed. She turned around and began to walk away, her footsteps echoing
"Miss Sakuya!"
"Hm? What is it?" Sakuya asked, turning around to face Shun once more. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply, expressing his sincere apology. Sakuya's smile softened slightly, understanding. "It's alright, but do remember that you are a butler of Scarlet Devil Mansion," she reminded him gently, emphasizing the importance of his role.
"Yes, of course, Miss Sakuya," he replied, watching as she disappeared down the hallway. As he straightened himself, he heard a familiar voice coming from the top of the stairs. "Lady Remilia." He remained in his bowing position. "I'm sorry for my absence today," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. Lady Remilia let out a mischievous giggle. "Fufufu~ It's alright, but you should be prepared for the punishment I'm about to bestow upon you~"
"I am fully prepared!" he says confidently. Remilia smiled mischievously. "Good~ because I'm about to give you the absolute best time tomorrow~"