"Um... I'm sorry."
Facing the angry old woman, Shido lowered his head in embarrassment.
"What's your name, young lady?"
"Itsuka Shi... Shimi... no, Shiori. Itsuka Shiori."
Shido had not thought about what name to use, so he answered in a panic.
"Tamako obaa-chan, Shiori-chan came here to go shopping with me, right?"
"Ah... mm, yes."
The way "Shiori" looked shy was both interesting and cute, but Mikoto still stepped forward on her own and helped Shido out.
"Shopping... perfect. I was just thinking of asking you to go out for me anyway. Can you buy some medicine for me?"
"Mm."
"Then you keep sweeping for now. Shiori, help me look for the prescription. I'm old now, and I can't remember where I put anything."
"Huh? All right."
Leaving Mikoto behind in the courtyard to continue sweeping, Shido followed Tamako obaa-chan into the house.
"Um... may I ask what the prescription looks like?"
"You... are a boy, aren't you?"
Those words struck Shido like lightning from a clear sky, and he froze.
"Um... I..."
"I'm already this old. I can still tell whether someone is a man or a woman. Your outfit is perfect, I'll give you that. But your words and movements are far too stiff."
[This is bad.]
In the end, this was only cross-dressing done overnight. Whether it was his actions, his behavior, or the way he spoke as a girl, Shido was still far from passing.
"I am curious why you dressed like this, but I suppose it's for Mikoto."
"Ah, yes."
Thank goodness she did not misunderstand him as someone with a cross-dressing fetish, Shido thought.
"I also heard what you said earlier. To be honest, I don't know what that child is in despair over. But if this goes on, her heart will die first."
Tamako obaa-chan sighed. She had lived long enough to see countless stories on TV and in newspapers about what happens to people who are not accepted by society.
"Mm. I will save her. Even if I have to risk my life!"
Shido nodded with a serious expression.
"Good! You even had the courage to dress like this for Mikoto. Then I'll believe those words and leave Mikoto to you. Come on... lower your head."
Tamako obaa-chan smiled and took out an amulet from inside her clothes. She placed it around Shido's neck like a necklace.
"What is this?"
"I was planning to give it directly to Mikoto, but I'll leave it with you now. Also, this is the prescription. Take it and go find Mikoto!"
After saying that, Tamako obaa-chan simply chased Shido out.
"Now then, I should get ready too."
The old woman walked back into the inner room and smiled as she looked at the large box on the floor.
———————
Today was Monday, so there were almost no people in the park. Mikoto and Shido walked along a path decorated with bushes and green trees, enjoying the fresh air and the quiet morning.
"Uu..."
But for Shido, even in a place with barely anyone around, wearing women's clothes was still something he could not get used to.
"Shiori-chan looks very cute when she's embarrassed."
Mikoto covered her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono and smiled.
"Ya... Yakumo-senpai!"
Shido made a sulking face.
"Sorry, sorry. But Shido really is cute right now."
"Hah... please don't say that anymore. I'm already embarrassed enough.
What about you, Yakumo-senpai? Weren't you uncomfortable at first?"
"I'd like to tell you how embarrassed I was walking outside after becoming female, but Shido, you should know what kind of welcome I got every time I appeared in this world, aside from this time."
Mikoto smiled bitterly.
"AST."
Only then did Shido remember. Aside from a quiet manifestation, whenever a Spirit appeared, AST would surely attack.
"Exactly. So I had no time to care about wearing women's clothes. Just dealing with their killing intent and hostility was already exhausting. In the end, before I knew it, I got used to it.