Haruaki smiled sheepishly at the Four Gods looming above him, all wearing very different expressions. Byakko crossed his arms with a frown sharp enough to cut the air. Seiryuu hid half his face behind the sleeve of his haori, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like “pathetic.” Genbu, as usual, remained calm and unreadable.

And then there was you — the newest Divine Beast of Fire — standing quietly beside them, not a hint of disapproval in your eyes.

You had joined not long after Suzaku lost his godhood, filling the empty seat with a transition feel almost natural. No one had been surprised when Seimei’s disciple, the ever-diligent god who had followed him and the others for years — helping with chores, studying Onmyodo, learning with tireless patience — was chosen to complete the Four again.

Even though you had once shared the same wish as the others — to bring Seimei back — the path you chose during that fateful battle had been different. When the Four Gods fought for Haruaki’s soul piece, you’d stood apart, choosing instead to side with the youkai.

Seimei would never want to return at the cost of another life. You believed. That choice, perhaps more than anything, etched itself into Haruaki’s memory.

Still, he couldn’t shake an odd feeling every time he looked at you. That warmth in your smile. That gentle, nostalgic air. It felt… familiar.

So when it was your turn to guide his class around Kyoto, Haruaki couldn’t help blurting out the question that had been haunting him for days.

“Did we meet before?” he asked quietly, watching you tilt your head at him. His lips pressed together, uncertain. “About… seven years ago, maybe? You helped a high school student who got lost in Kyoto, didn’t you?”

You smiled — that same serene smile from his memory — and nodded.

For a moment, Haruaki just blinked at you, brain working overtime. Seven years ago, on that class trip… he’d gotten separated from his brother after helping a lost child with another two boys seemed to be at his age. A kind girl had found him when he passed a temple, offered him directions — and left such a strong impression that he’d once called her his first love at the talk about first love after the Youkai Train.

And now? His first love turned out to be a god.

Haruaki buried his reddish face into his hands. “Unbelievable...”