The tram ride downhill to Hshiwara was a muted one compared to their first ride. Lian Xin and Neko were chatting amicably at the driverʼs seat, whereas Rya was half-dozing as she rested on Shunʼs head. 

It really has been an eventful day today, hasnʼt it? Heck, Iʼve never felt this drained even when I was a college student… 

He could tell Rya was trying to stay awake out of politeness. Patting her hand gently, he whispered, “Itʼs alright for you to sleep now, Iʼll wake you up when we arrive.” 

“...mm…” A faint teasing smile appeared on her lips. “How are you so kind to me but so ruthless against Shihime just now?” 

“Er…” He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “I was imagining what I would do if Shihime hurts you. As I thought, did I go too far there?”

Well, thatʼs partially the truth, I guess. No way I can say that I simply wanted to show off in front of her and got carried away…

She turned her head around so that he couldnʼt read her expression. “...itʼs fine, thatʼs how duels work. Besides, I healed her injury with my magic, so sheʼs all okay now.” 

“I see…” 

Rya nodded and closed her eyes, a peaceful look on her serene face. He inadvertently smiled and brushed away a loose strand of hair from her forehead.

Gazing out from the window, he could see a brilliant sea of crimson in the distance. The faint but distinct outlines of traditional Japanese-style houses shimmered as they bathed within the ethereal red glow, giving the eerie illusion that the entire district was ablaze. 

At some point in time, Lian Xin had finished her conservation with Neko and sat down on the bench in front of Shun. She turned around and faced him, but hesitated to open her mouth to speak.

“Um…S-Shun, what did the Tayu Oiran say to you two…when you entered?” 

“What did Shihime say?” he said. “She didn’t tell you?”

Lian Xin shook her head. “The Tayu Oiran told Lian Xin to familiarise herself with Shun and Rya-arisu. It’s rare for Shihime to say such a thing though…”

Looks like Shihime doesn’t want Lian Xin to worry about leaving her side yet. He frowned for a moment. Huh…I guess she will tell Lian Xin sooner or later. I shouldn’t let her know about it yet. 

“Shihime told us to get to know you better too.” He smiled. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other a lot in the near future, Lian Xin.”

“Mm, that’s true.” She glanced out of the window. “We’re reaching our stop soon, you should wear your hat back on your head.” 

“M-must I really continue doing that?”

“It’s part of your disguise, you know? I already glued back the flap for you, so just wear it.”

“...” He sighed and complied with her ridiculous instruction. Turning to Rya, he gently shook her and whispered, “Rya, wake up. We’re here.”

“...so soon…” Rya rubbed her bleary eyes. “Where are we?” 

“We’re about to enter Hshiwara Main Street,” Lian Xin replied, standing up. “Let’s go, this is our stop.” 

As if on cue, the tram jerked to a shuddering halt. With the familiar melodious ‘ding-ding’ chime, the doors swung open. 

“Have a meowful night ahead, ladies,” Neko purred, then added in a nonchalant voice, “Knock yourself out, young soldier.” 

“You damn cat…” 

When he alighted from the tram, Rya quickly came forward and tugged at his hand, pointing at the sky. “Shun, look!”

He glanced up and felt his jaw drop in sheer astonishment. Millions of red paper lanterns floated overhead, moving up and down in wave-like motions. Magnificent torii gates lined the entire length of the street, with elaborate buildings designed in Shinto architecture flanking both sides. Everyone around them was dressed in equally exquisite traditional-style clothes, causing Lian Xinʼs modest kimono to stand out starkly. 

No wonder Lian Xin gave us such flashy clothes to wear. This entire place feels like a real-life fashion show, jesus. 

“Please stay close to me, itʼs easy to get lost here,” Lian Xin said over the din. 

Shun and Rya hurriedly went after her, holding each otherʼs hands just in case they were swept by the flow of the crowd. 

“How far is the teahouse from here?” he asked while they took a rest by the roadside. 

“Right now, weʼre at the tenth torii.” Lian Xin pointed at the torii gate which they just passed. “The teahouse is at the twenty-ninth torii, so weʼll have to walk a fair bit.” 

“A-a fair bit?” He gazed at the street ahead, which was so packed to the brim he couldnʼt even distinguish between individual heads. 

“If we had finished sooner, we could have avoided the crowd,” Lian Xin muttered. “Hshiwara is the busiest after midnight, when the teahouses open their doors to customers.” 

“Why would there be so many people drinking tea this late at night?” Rya asked curiously. 

Lian Xin blinked, as if she wasn’t expecting such a question to crop up at all. “U-um…I think you are getting the wrong idea.” 

Wrong idea? Wait-wait-wait, so all this while the brothels are actually— 

“Teahouses donʼt serve tea in Hshiwara,” Lian Xin replied with a sheepish smile. “We just refer to them by that name.” 

“Huh?” Rya looked dumbfounded for a second before making a ‘oh’ sound and blushing rapidly. “U-u-uh…so we’re staying in a…?”

Lian Xin tried to assure her. “I promise it isn’t as bad as it sounds. The Tayu Oiran did a lot of cleaning up in the streets of Hshiwara when she first ascended to her position.” 

“O-oh?” she mumbled. 

I guess this is Rya’s first time in a red-light district. Shun smiled inwardly as he looked at her flustered face. Well, I wasn’t really desperate to that extent in my previous life, so I haven’t stepped foot into one either. A guy in my college class who travelled to Amsterdam and paid a lot of money for a window girl shared his experience with me, though… 

Lian Xin changed the subject. “I don’t think Shun and Rya would fancy continuing down the main street, so let’s take a shortcut through the alleyways instead.” 

“Alleyways?” he asked, not liking how shady that sounded a bit. 

“It’s where the courtesans of Hshiwara live, so there’s no danger if that’s what Shun is worried about.” Lian Xin shrugged and continued, “There’s a chance that the Shingri might patrol the area tonight, but just don’t attract attention to yourselves by pointing at them or talking loudly and we’ll be fine.”

“F-fine, huh…” The two exchanged uneasy looks with each other, but since both of them were already tired from squeezing through throngs of people, they reluctantly followed Lian Xin into a side road.