Chapter Forty-nine: Banquet Affairs and Self-Disclosure

"Are you happy, then?" Qi asked with a mischievous grin.

"As long as it's not unpleasant," the black cat replied, turning her head away to avoid that infuriating smile.

When they returned home, the small cabin was already bustling with activity. Maids, butlers, and other staff moved about—helpers enlisted by Qi through Lady Saori for the party. All Qi and his friends had to do was relax, eat, drink, and chat.

"Ah, Lord Qi, welcome home! Are you satisfied with the party arrangements? If there's anything you dislike, tell me and I'll certainly fix it," Saori greeted him with a cheerful smile, dressed in an old-fashioned, homebody outfit.

"Uh, I really wonder if you have a split personality. You're so shy, but once you put on those glasses, you completely change," Qi said, speechless. His first impression of this young lady was her shy, blushing demeanor; this new image and character gave him quite a shock.

"Oh—this is just my private persona. If Lord Qi really wants to know, well... if it's you, I wouldn't mind," Saori feigned bashfulness, her words inviting wild imagination. Yet, with her nerdy attire and towering height, she only evoked laughter, nothing more.

"Oh, big brother. When did you gain another female—friend? And one with otaku interests, too. You really move fast and quietly," the black cat remarked, eyes narrowed.

Qi was about to explain with an awkward laugh, but Saori beat him to it, smiling warmly as she approached. "Hahaha, Black Cat, you're making it sound like we're strangers. We're old acquaintances, after all..." Saori's attempt at friendly conversation was interrupted by shouts from outside.

"Is Qi home?"

Qi smiled and gestured, then went to the door to find a group of one young man and three young women. The man looked ordinary, his smile awkward, while the three girls were clearly Ayase, Kirino, and Kanako. "Oh, you've all changed outfits, and you look wonderful. Kirino, are you bringing a date to the party?" Qi teased, already guessing the young man's identity.

"Of course not!" Kirino and the boy exclaimed in unison.

"Hello, I'm Kyosuke Takabane, this guy's brother," Kyosuke introduced himself, pointing to Kirino. "She insisted on bringing me to the party. I hope we're not intruding."

Just as expected, he was the legendary protagonist. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kirino's classmate—just call me Qi. Please, everyone come in; the party preparations are finished. There's just one more guest who hasn't arrived yet, but they should be here soon," Qi greeted Kyosuke and invited everyone inside, leading them to the cabin.

After introductions and small talk, the black cat noticed two little heads peeking at the door. With a blank expression, she said, "I'll take my sisters in first," and left the lively scene. Qi smiled wryly, knowing the black cat wasn't comfortable with strangers, so he let her go.

"Rich man Qi, I'm here!" A sudden voice chirped overhead—a young girl's. Qi felt a sense of foreboding. In the sky, a half-loli, half-young maiden, dressed in a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit with a vivid red butterfly bow, descended slowly.

"Plop, plop..." Amid Qi's facepalming sigh, the sound of items crashing to the floor echoed—the belongings dropping from the hands of guests and staff alike.

"Hmm, parties in the real world are so different from those in Gensokyo—why are there so few people? In Gensokyo, there'd be hundreds, even thousands..." she began, only for Qi to cover her mouth. The shrine maiden struggled for a moment, then glared at Qi in a huff.

"That was a marvelous magic performance by this shrine maiden! Everyone must have been startled," Qi said with a forced laugh.

"Oh, such an amazing trick! I'm truly stunned," Saori quickly chimed in, applauding. Ayase and her friends forced smiles and joined in, followed by the rest of the unaware guests, and soon the applause grew louder and louder.

Qi pulled Reimu aside, laughing awkwardly. "Didn't I tell you to walk over? Why did you fly? In the real world, nobody flies around."

"Ah, I forgot this isn't Gensokyo since it's a party. Sorry. But this gathering is so small—couldn't you invite more people? Even youkai or gods would do," Reimu apologized, expressing her dissatisfaction with the party.

"This isn't Gensokyo, after all. Customs are different. Unknown people don't attend parties here, and where would we find youkai in the real world? Even if there are any, they wouldn't show up. It's just a small gathering, but as long as everyone's happy, that's all that matters. Don't worry about the numbers," Qi explained.

After persuading Reimu, Qi brought her before the others and introduced her. "This is Reimu Hakurei, shrine maiden of Hakurei Shrine and my friend. She suggested the party, and its theme is simply to eat, drink, and chat happily, forgetting all worries. Now that everyone's here, let's begin." He saw the black cat returning with her two sisters, now changed into new outfits, so he raised his glass of... soft drink and announced the start of the party.

It was just a small circle of friends, so the atmosphere was lively, full of chatter and laughter. At Qi's signal, Saori smiled knowingly and said, "Who would have thought, coming to Lord Qi's party, that I'd meet two familiar faces from the otaku world—Black Cat and Kirino. We were supposed to meet in Akihabara this Saturday, but fate brought us together here. Let's toast to our destiny!"

"What, you're Administrator Saori? I thought it was just a coincidence of names!" Black Cat was stunned.

"No way, you're Administrator Saori? Such luck!" Kirino was equally surprised.

"Ahem, I always thought Miss Saori was some sheltered young lady," Kyosuke choked out.

"Kirino, are you an otaku too?" Kanako asked in amazement.

"Kirino, you... you... Aren't we best friends? Why did you hide your interests from me? Am I so unworthy of your trust?" Ayase's eyes dimmed, as if betrayed by the world.

Saori hadn't expected one comment to provoke such reactions. "Ayase, do you still have prejudice against otaku? Or do you still think all otaku are criminals-in-waiting?" Qi, sensing where things were headed, asked directly.

At this, Black Cat and Saori narrowed their eyes at Ayase, snapping her out of her gloomy daze. "Because of my brother, I've slightly changed my opinion about otaku. Disney teens obsessed with otaku culture—that's not a good thing. Besides, much of otaku content includes... elements... inappropriate for children, which negatively affects minors' mental health," Ayase declared, speaking her mind even in front of so many otaku.

"I can't let that go. What do you mean, inappropriate content negatively affects minors? Is it only otaku who encounter such material? Ask the brother of that flashy otaku girl—he's not an otaku, but doesn't he have a few books in his room? Even my own brother, I've seen traces of certain websites on his computer," Black Cat retorted, launching a venomous attack at all four.

Kyosuke and Qi coughed at once, caught off guard.

"Can't be helped, this is my style. But you—what's with your outfit?" Kirino shot back.

"What, got a problem? Go ahead, say it!" Black Cat raised an eyebrow and smirked, calmly challenging her.

"That skirt—what is it? Ospa? Are you cosplaying Suigintou?" Kirino ignored the stares and fired back.

"Of course not. Where are your eyes? This is Asra—the Queen of Night from 'Cry of the Fallen Demon Beast,'" Black Cat replied proudly, excitement flashing in her eyes.

"Wait, why are we suddenly discussing otaku stuff? Kirino, I still can't accept your otaku interests, and even worse, you lied to me, deceived me. Why would you do that?" Ayase's eyes welled with tears, leaving Kirino flustered and unsure what to do.

"Noise is fine at a party, but no tears. Everyone must be happy," Reimu declared, pouting in displeasure, not understanding the conversation but unhappy with the mood.

The lively party devolved into chaos and shouting. Qi sighed and shouted, "Quiet, all of you!" His authority carried weight with the girls, so the room fell silent.

"Kirino, could you give up your otaku interests for Ayase's friendship?" Qi asked seriously.

"No. And I won't give up Ayase as my best friend just because I'm an otaku," Kirino said firmly, glancing at Black Cat, Saori, Qi, and Ayase.

"And Ayase, do you want to cut ties with Kirino?" Qi turned to the angry, sorrowful Ayase.

"Kirino is my best friend. How could I ever want to break up with her? But I can't accept her interests and her deception," Ayase shouted, her pupils once again shadowed.

"Didn't you say you've slightly changed your view of otaku? As another otaku, do you look down on me the same way?" Qi asked softly.

"N-not at all. You're... a great person. It's just that I can't accept certain things."

"Don't equate otaku with those things. Look at Black Cat, Saori... and Kirino—have any of them changed because they're otaku?"

Black Cat and Kirino couldn't help but show annoyance. Saori laughed, unsure what to express.

"But... fine. As long as Kirino's interests aren't those things, I can accept it. But Kirino betrayed my trust, she..."

"Think about it—when you hated otaku so much, could Kirino have told you about her interests? And don't you also tell some white lies?"

"When have I ever lied to Kirino?"

"That day, after changing clothes, I fainted. You explained to Kirino that I was in your room reviewing study materials. Isn't that a lie? I was actually there when you were bathing..." Qi's voice started loud, but faded to a whisper by the end.

(Tomorrow will be chapter fifty. Please recommend—one vote for every chapter of two thousand words. I’m giving it my all. The Black Cat arc is almost over; the cultivation world is the true main stage—stay tuned.)

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