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“Thank you for agreeing to come over to Watatsumi Island Traveller.” Kokomi greeted you as you met up with her at her hideout.
“It’s no big deal, I’m always happy to help you.” You assured her. “So what happened?”
“A while ago, I started to receive some letters lately and the contents of it,how should I say it… that makes me feel strange.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Take a look at this.” Kokomi said as she handed you a letter.
Oh Divine Priestess,
The moment I set my eyes on you, I felt that my breath had been taken away.
When I first laid my eyes on you, I found myself drowning in your beautiful orbs.
Whenever I see your silky hair flowing in the wind, I feel my heart skip a beat.
Oh Divine Priestess, it’s such a blessing to get to know a divine being as yourself
So please accept these feelings of mine
From Your Secret Admirer
“Is this… a love letter?”
Kokomi blushed as she nodded. “And this is just one such example. Recent letters even came with small trinkets and such.”
“Anyway, I would like you to find out who the sender is and for you to ask them to stop sending me such things in the future.”
“Why don’t you ask Gorou or any of the other troops for help? Or make a public announcement about it?”
“It’s… it’s kinda embarrassing, especially with the nature of this issue. Plus I do not want the offending party to feel embarrassed when working with me in the future.”
“I understand. I will see what I can do,”
“Thank you so much Traveller,” Kokomi said with a grateful look.
Boy does she look cute. It is no wonder that she is receiving love letters. You thought to yourself as you felt your cheeks slightly heating up.
You started walking around the island, talking to the locals and the army to see if you can get any useful information. However, you had no such luck. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw someone looking out of the ordinary. The clothes the figure was wearing doesn't match the uniform of the Watatsumi Army nor the clothing the Islanders are wearing so you presumed that he is a visitor. Just then, the figure turned around and started waving at you. You walked towards the figure.
“Hey there, you must be the traveller right? What a surprise to see you here!” The guy cherrily said. “By the way, the name is Shikanoin Heizou, nice to meet ya!” He said as he stretched out his hand. You took it and shook it. With a smile, you introduced yourself to Heizou.
“So what are you doing here at Watatsumi Island on this fine day? Are you here for some sightseeing? There are indeed many beautiful landscapes to admire out here.” Heizou asked.
“Actually, I’m here by the request of Kokomi. She had asked my help for a problem that came up.”
“Wow, to be invited here by the Divine Priestess herself. Such luck! When I first arrived here, she actually set some eyes on me as if I’m some sort of criminal! I guess I understand where she came from, especially since I came here wearing my Tenryou Commission uniform. Hahaha…”
“You are in the Tenryou Commission?” You asked, surprised..
“Indeed. I am the Number 1 detective of the Tenryou Commission. Nothing is impossible to solve as long as I am here” Heizou replied haughtily.
“Hey urm, so what did the Divine Priestess ask you to do? I am happy to help you with it.” He looked at you enthusiastically. A little bit too enthusiastic.
Not wanting to crush his spirits, you relented. You gave a brief explanation of what Kokomi wanted you to investigate.
“Pfft, is that it? That’s easy! I already know who did it. In fact, that person is standing right in front of you right now!”
Wait, what did he just say?
You stared at him for a few moments before the words he spoke registered in your mind.
“Are you saying that YOU were the one sending love letters to Kokomi?”
“Yea, it was me. But man, it’s slightly upsetting to know that she wants me to stop sending them.” Heizou said dejectedly. You couldn’t help but feel bad for him.
“Well it seems that problem has been resolved. I will see you around Heizou,” You bade Heizou farewell as you started to make your way back to Kokomi.
“WAIT!”
Uh oh . You thought to yourself. You do NOT like where this is going.
“You were part of the Resistance, weren’t you? That means that you must have interacted with the Divine Priestess quite a fair bit.” You reminisced the time you spent with Kokomi during your time in the Resistance and the time she invited you for the Victory feast. “I guess you can say that.”
“So you should have some interaction with her to a certain extent right? Then you should have some idea of her likes and interests of that sort right?” You nodded slowly. Yeap, you definitely do not like how this is going down.
“AMAZING!” Heizou exclaimed with glee as he punched the air with gusto. “You will indeed be a huge help to my endeavour.”
“Your… endeavour?”
“My endeavour in courting the Divine Priestess, of course.”
Of course it had to be that. You felt dumb for asking that in the first place.
“Anyways, what does the Divine Priestess like to eat?”
“Kokomi loves to eat simple food, her favourite being the Bird Egg Sushi.”
“Bird Egg Sushi? That’s it?” Heizou asked, surprised. You nodded.
“Ok then that settles it. I have a couple of specialties from Narukami Island that I was saving for my snack. Apart from Bird Egg Sushi, I will also whip up a couple of Watatsumi’s local delicacies as well. With that, the three of us can have an amazing picnic! This way, I can take this chance to have some interaction with her and ask her out in person after which. Hehehe I am such a genius!”
“Wait, but Kokomi-” Before you could finish your sentence, Heizou had sprinted off. As Heizou began chatting up the locals to learn more about Watatsumi’s local delicacies, you slunk away to inform Kokomi of the unexpected turn of events.
“Traveller you do not need to apologise. It can’t be helped.” Kokomi assured you. Still, you couldn't help but feel guilty. Now, Kokomi will need to deal with Heizou and his shenanigans.
“I… I never expected that someone from the Tenryou Commission would have taken a fancy to me.” Kokomi said as she blushed slightly. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to meet him, though I admit I am slightly curious over the person who has been writing me those letters. You two can meet me at Mouun Shrine when you’re ready,” Kokomi then proceeded to make her way to Mouun Shrine. As for you, you went back to the village to find Heizou. “Hey there Traveller!” Heizou waved to you as you made your way towards him. “I was wondering where you went off to.”
“I just went to inform Kokomi about your plans,” you replied. “We are going to meet her at Mouun Shrine when you’re ready.” “Sweet! I have the food prepared. Let’s go and meet her now!” After placing the cooked delicacies into your NRE gadget, the two of you made your way to Mouun Shrine.
When you and Heizou arrived, Kokomi was already there. She was back facing us, her silky hair swaying in the gentle breeze. It was indeed a sight to behold. “Kokomi, we are here!” You called out. She turned to face the two of you, flashing you her signature soft, beautiful smile. Beside you, Heizou cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.
“Hello Traveller, hello Shikanoin-san. It’s nice to finally meet the person who has been sending me those letters in person.”
“Likewise, I’m honoured to be able to meet the Divine Priestess in person like this,” Heizou said as he gave a small bow.
The three of you sat down on the ground. You materialised your NRE gadget and set out the food that Heizou has prepared. Soon a spread laid before all of you. You proceeded to have an enjoyable feast with Kokomi and Heizou, making light conversation with them.
“This has been a delicious meal. Thank you so much for the food, Shikanoin-san,” Kokomi said as she relished a tri-colour dango. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve eaten delicacies from the mainland.”
“It’s no big deal. I'm glad you enjoyed it.” Heizou replied bashfully.
“Urm Sangonomiya…?” Heizou started, as he fidgeted slightly.
Here it comes… Good luck comrade. You held your breath.
“Please go out with me!”
“EHHH?” Kokomi became flustered, her face turning a deep shade of red.
“I… I…” Kokomi stuttered. “I'm sorry! I don’t think I’m ready for this…”
“Why is that? Have I done anything wrong?” Heizou asked, tone slightly panicked.
“Shikanoin-san, it is nothing against you. I’m sure you are a nice person. But this is all too sudden.”
“If that’s the case, I do not mind waiting for to be ready, no matter how long it takes!” Heizou exclaimed.
“You.. don’t have to do that Shikanoin-san. Plus, some of my troops are still wary over the Tenryou Commission, especially after what happened during the peace talks. If I were to be seen with someone in a Tenryou Commission uniform outside of the formal setting…”
“So my Tenryou Commission uniform is the main problem huh. If they are not to your liking, I can take it off..” Heizou said as he reached for his top.
“
You idiot,”
You cursed under your breath.
A shriek, a slap and a thud.
It all happened in a split second. Before you could realise, Heizou was lying on the ground a few metres away from them, unconscious. Kokomi's face was flushed red, tears forming in her eyes and her palm crimson.
“Ahem, Traveller I’m sorry that you have to witness this scene. Would you be so kind as to escort this rude lout of my sight?” Kokomi asked as she hurriedly composed herself. You quickly agreed, fearing that you would meet the same fate as Heizou there on the ground.
I have to remind myself to never get Kokomi mad… You thought to yourself before lifting Heizou onto your back before walking away.
You carried Heizou to a nearby beach and laid him on the sand. You then sat down by his side and waited for him to wake up.
“Urgh, what happened? Why does my cheek sting?” Heizou muttered as he regained consciousness.
“Pretty big of you to ask that. I’m honestly surprised that the slap was all Kokomi gave you and that she didn’t immediately boot you off the island.” You grumbled.
“So it was Sangonomiya that gave me this red handprint on my face?” Heizou’s eyes sparkled with joy. T hat was a reaction that you were not expecting.
“Such an honour to be slapped by her… I will treasure this feeling for eternity. If she didn’t kick me off Watatsumi, that means she doesn’t mind my presence on the island. I got to work even harder to court her. No case is too big for the Number 1 detective in the Tenryou Commission. By hook or by crook, I will find out the Divine Priestess’ likes and have her fall for me.”
You groaned in frustration as you listened to Heizou ramble on.
Kokomi, I’m sorry, I tried my best. But this is something that even the Traveller isn't able to resolve.