Encounter Teacher Keine.

The thin morning mist had not yet completely dispersed as the roads in the Human Village began to fill with travelers.

Reg pushed his old trailer-style stall to his usual spot on the edge of the marketplace, skillfully lowered the stand, and adjusted the plain wooden sign that read: “Reg’s Handiwork Shop.”

On the shelves of the stall, several daily items were quietly displayed: wooden birds, spinning tops, some traditional wagasa (paper umbrellas), masks, totems, hand-cranked generators…

Reg rubbed his chest. As long as it wasn’t an iron weapon, it was generally hard to cause him serious injury.

He habitually sighed, setting out a batch of newly made small wooden birds he planned to display today. This time, he had tried adding articulated joints to the wings.

“No more disasters today, please…”

He muttered softly, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings for potential hazards that could bring misfortune: a bamboo pole leaning obliquely against a nearby shop, a few loose stone slabs underfoot, a malicious-looking stray cat in the distance… His nerves involuntarily tightened.

To him, any of these things could be a cause of death. It was only because he was prepared and vigilant that they didn’t kill him.

However, these things would all cause him intense pain.

The shadow of every accidental death followed him closely.

Just as he was concentrating on the stray cat, debating whether to move locations preemptively, a gentle, clear voice, tinged with a hint of delight, sounded right beside him.

“Good morning, Reg-kun.”

The sudden proximity of the voice startled Reg, making him flinch. He instinctively jerked back and turned sharply.

The movement was too large. His elbow slammed against the metal edge of the trailer stall with a thud, making him gasp sharply in pain.

Fortunately, this was just physical pain, not the fatal start of a Death Reversal.

Oh! It’s not a Youkai! It’s Teacher Keine!

“Hss!”

He winced, rubbing his arm, and looked up at the newcomer.

Keine Kamishirasawa, the half-human, half-Youkai teacher of the Terakoya (temple school), stood in the morning light, a smile of apology and concern on her face.

She was dressed in a simple, dark blue kimono with a pattern, clutching several volumes of stitched books to her chest.

Her eyes were bright and gentle, and at the moment, she looked slightly embarrassed.

“Pardon me, did I startle you? Did you just finish your coming-of-age ceremony recently? I didn’t see you yesterday.”

Keine’s voice was soft, carrying a unique academic quality.

Keine had always been the respected teacher of the Terakoya in the Human Village, and one of the few sources of warm memories Reg could clearly recall from his childhood there.

Compared to Marisa’s direct and slightly destructive form of affection, Keine was closer to Reg’s ideal template of a gentle, intelligent, and ordinary woman.

He remembered her soft voice narrating history lessons and the way she quietly slipped rice balls to a hungry young Reg.

Though, for some reason, that rice ball later fell into a ditch, and the virus it carried ended up poisoning Reg, keeping him bedridden for two days before he recovered.

Reg rubbed his aching elbow and quickly shook his head.

“Not at all! I was just being jumpy. Good morning, Teacher Keine.”

He tried to keep his voice light, but the tips of his ears felt hot despite himself.

This wasn’t the result of Marisa’s brazen teasing, but rather a slightly clumsy nervousness when facing a respected mentor and a beautiful sight.

Especially Keine’s eyes, which seemed to hold both a smile and appreciation when she looked at him, always made him feel a little flustered.

Keine’s gaze swept over the exquisite woodwork on his stall, lingering particularly on the small wooden birds with movable wings for a while. Her eyes revealed genuine delight.

“Are these little birds newly made? The structure is quite ingenious. Is this method of wing connection modeled after the angle of a tit’s wing beat?”

She took a step closer, picked up a small wooden bird, and gently traced the smooth, fine wood grain with her finger. The undisguised admiration in her eyes brought a subtle warmth and satisfaction to Reg’s heart.

Her appreciation always went straight to the core, carrying the respect of a scholar for craftsmanship.

“Ah, yes… I was thinking of trying to make them a bit more fun for the children.”

Reg scratched the back of his head. The feeling of being acknowledged relaxed his tense nerves slightly, like a student praised for their arts and crafts assignment.

“I polished them several times to make sure they were smooth, just in case any splinters might hurt the children’s hands.”

Reg paused. Handing over his “children” (his creations) to others still felt reluctant. If it weren’t for the need to earn a living, wouldn’t Reg fill his own home with all his woodwork?

Keine keenly caught his momentary dip in emotion. Her smile became softer and more graceful.

“You are always so thoughtful. The children at the Terakoya really love those small wooden bookmark planks you helped make last time.”

She carefully placed the wooden bird back down, her voice becoming even quieter.

“Ahem, I’m glad they could be used.”

Reg felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze, lowering his head to pretend to tidy the already neat spinning tops on the shelf, to hide the uncontrollable flush on his face.

This kind of liking from Teacher Keine lacked the coercive and dangerously playful quality of Marisa. It was more pure admiration and warm concern.

This made him feel safe, yet it also made the chasm between his desire for an ordinary life and the curse he carried seem clearer and more tragic.

How far could he, a mortal, walk with such a gentle, long-lived Youkai?

“Oh, that reminds me.”

Keine seemed to recall something. She adjusted the books in her arms, her gaze still smilingly fixed on Reg’s lowered face—or rather, the back of his neck, which was exposed as he arranged the items.

“Last night, I passed by the edge of the forest and saw a large flash and explosion. I heard Marisa was responsible again… Reg-kun, you weren’t caught in the blast, were you?”

The sudden concern stiffened Reg’s actions.

The memory of being directly targeted by the Master Spark last night, the sensation of his soul being torn apart, instantly surged from the depths of his memory. He subconsciously straightened his back.

Teacher Keine is as meticulous as ever.

“I’m fine. She just wanted to test out a new spell.”

Reg took a deep breath, raised his head, and forced a stiff but trying-to-be-normal smile.

“It was just testing new small fireworks. The spectacle was a bit grand, but we both dodged out of the way beforehand.”

The cost of death and the profound emotional entanglement with Marisa—he didn’t want this gentle teacher to know a single word of it.

Some pain was destined to be endured alone, slowly, in that dark room.

Keine’s eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, gently watched his slightly evasive glance. She didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she only nodded. The clear affection was contained within her concern, and she didn’t press the matter further.

“That’s good. Reg-kun’s craftsmanship is so excellent; it would be a loss to the Human Village if you were injured.”

She smiled gently, tucking a stray lock of silver-white hair behind her ear with an elegant and composed movement.

“I’d like to take one of these wooden birds. It would be a perfect teaching tool for the Terakoya, letting the children observe the clever bio-mimetic structure. Did I bring money today?”

Keine reached into her pocket, searching for her wallet.

“Teacher, there’s no need to rush the payment…”

Reg fumbled to wrap up the wooden bird.

The sunlight shone on Keine’s gentle profile and also on his slightly reddened ears.

This brief moment of peace, to him, was a rare and precious piece of the everyday life in this world full of unexpected events.

So cute!

Keine’s eyes were watching Reg continuously.

Keine’s fingers, fumbling in her robes for her wallet, paused for a moment.

He was so real, so primal. Not just wanting to touch, but wanting to completely consume.

Possession!

To make him a permanent part of her history!

He’s come of age. Truly come of age… which means Reg can now become the husband in her history.

Keine knew that this man in front of her had, in the past, spent time with her. There was no escaping it. This was unavoidable. Fate had brought them together. Let’s start dating today…

Keine searched through several pockets for a while, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Oh dear, how unlucky.”

She smiled apologetically, spreading her hands.

“I left in a rush this morning and forgot my wallet at the Terakoya.”

Keine’s gaze flickered between the stall and the books in her arms.

“It’s okay, Teacher Keine! You take it first. We can settle up later when it’s convenient.”

Reg hastily pushed the small, movable-winged wooden bird forward.

Keine nodded, no longer declining, and carefully reached out to take the wooden bird.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the smooth body of the bird, the heavy volumes of stitched books in her arms tilted. The hard corner of one book grazed the back of Reg’s hand, which he hadn’t fully pulled back yet.

Reg immediately snatched his hand back as if he had been burned.

“Ah!”

Keine let out a soft exclamation, quickly securing the books, and asked with concern,

“I’m so sorry! Did I bump you? Are you hurt? There’s Youkai power in here; I was planning to deliver it to Suzunaan as a Youkai book today.”

“I’m fine! It doesn’t hurt!”

Reg answered quickly, putting his hand behind his back. A faint sting and itching came from the spot that had been grazed.

Thankfully, it was just a graze of the skin. No big deal.

Keine looked at him deeply, her gentle gaze sweeping over the hand he was concealing behind his back. She didn’t press for details.

She finally took the little wooden bird, her fingers gently stroking its cleverly jointed wings.

“It’s made so meticulously.”

She praised it again, her genuine appreciation clearly audible in her voice.

She cradled the small wooden bird carefully in her palm.

“Then I’ll take this now for the children to admire. This afternoon… if it’s convenient, could you come to my Terakoya? I have something good to show you.”

“What kind of ‘good thing’?”

Reg suddenly grew wary. Could it be a Master Spark, just like Marisa?

No, Keine doesn’t have that kind of personality. It must just be some books she wants to give me, right?

Reg loved reading books because some magic books could increase his understanding of the world.

Although it was only a hobby, in this boring Gensokyo, reading was Reg’s only form of entertainment.