"Koka, I'm home!"
Taki Toru, dressed in her office lady attire, returned to her cramped rental apartment. Her exhausted body collapsed heavily onto the bed as she let out a long, weary sigh.
After resting for a good while, she regained some energy. She pulled out her phone and scrolled idly through the pages, her eyes glazed over, it was unclear if she was actually processing anything she saw.
A moment later, Taki realized that Koka hadn't responded to her. She stood up, puzzled, and began searching while calling out its name.
"Koka?"
She quickly searched every corner of the twenty-square-meter room, but there was no sign of him.
"He didn't get so angry that he ran away from home, did he?" Taki scratched her hair, a hint of dissatisfaction on her face. "But it's not my fault. Why does he keep nagging me to find a boyfriend? Just going to work is tiring enough."
After pouting in anger for a moment, she sighed helplessly. She put her shoes back on and dragged her tired body out the door. She checked several of their favorite eateries, but found nothing. She had no choice but to head home for the time being.
"Maybe he'll just come back tomorrow?" she comforted herself.
…
Several days passed, and Koka was still nowhere to be found.
After searching multiple times to no avail, Taki grew increasingly frantic. Finally, she took the initiative to dial a number she hadn't contacted in a long time.
"Waaaah, Natsume... Koka is gone. Can you come and help me?"
"...Where are you?"
Before long, a now-matured Natsume appeared before her, with a calico cat perched on his shoulder.
"Natsume, Nyanko-sensei, Koka is missing. I can't find him anywhere." Taki looked anxious, tears welling in her eyes. "Does Koka not like me anymore? Is he abandoning me?"
"Taki, can't you see him?" Natsume's gaze landed on her shoulder. Sitting there was a doll-like yellow figure, the very Koka that Taki claimed had vanished.
His body was dim and lusterless. He sat there with his head tilted, gazing at Taki with a soft, gentle look, seemingly indifferent to the stares of Natsume and Nyanko-sensei.
"Eh?!" Taki froze. She followed Natsume's gaze toward her own shoulder, but she saw nothing there.
"Koka... Is Koka there?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Yes," Natsume nodded, his expression complicated.
"That's wonderful... Koka didn't leave me." Taki forced a smile, reaching out to brush her fingers against her shoulder. "It's okay. I know the circles. We'll be able to see each other again very soon."
As she spoke, she moved to find a pen and paper.
"It's useless," Nyanko-sensei said, narrowing his eyes. "He is nothing more than a lingering obsession now. Your circles won't have any effect."
"?!" Taki went still.
"Nyanko-sensei, what do you mean by that?" Natsume sensed an ominous undertone.
"It means he died a long time ago. At his core, he is just a spiritual body constructed from spiritual energy. Once that energy is exhausted, he naturally dissipates into nothingness."
"...How is that possible?" Natsume gritted his teeth as he looked at the blurred silhouette of Koka. Just as the cat said, he was devoid of any presence; only a single obsession remained.
Accompanied by a single crystalline teardrop, the pen in Taki's hand suddenly clattered to the floor.
"Nyanko-sensei, you're joking with me, right? We just had an argument a few days ago. Koka was full of energy. I couldn't even win against him in a debate."
Seeing Nyanko-sensei remain silent, she turned her hopeful eyes toward Natsume.
"Natsume, you tell me. You guys are lying to me, aren't you? Trying to play a prank on me? But this joke is too mean; it's not funny at all. Haha... uuhuhu..."
As she laughed, Taki's tears fell like a string of broken pearls, splashing against the floor.
"Why? Why must Koka leave me?"
Natsume turned away, unable to bear the sight. He asked Nyanko-sensei, "Sensei, is there any way to save Koka?"
"How could I have the power to bring the dead back to life?" Nyanko-sensei shook his head. "Right now, there is only one way left."
"What way?"
"Who do you think created Koka in the first place?"
"You mean..." Natsume remembered. "But isn't he..."
Hearing this, Taki abruptly lifted her head, light returning to her eyes. "That's right! If we find Kami-sama, he can definitely save Koka!"
She remembered now. Kami-sama had told her long ago that being with Koka came at a price. Only now did she finally understand what he meant.
"Mhm." Natsume didn't have the heart to dampen her spirits. "I'll go with you. It'll be faster with Nyanko-sensei's help."
"..." Nyanko-sensei curled his lip, but seeing the heartbroken Taki, he didn't complain and silently agreed.
…
The shrine that Aomori had previously taken over had been renovated and expanded. It was now a famous sightseeing spot in the region. It had a new name: the Blue Fox Shrine.
The Blue Fox Shrine was famous not only for its beautiful environment but also because the Miko in charge was an incredibly powerful psychic who had resolved numerous paranormal incidents.
Nyanko-sensei transformed into his true form to carry Natsume and Taki to the foot of the mountain, but he was forced to stop there. They had to walk up the stone steps honestly.
"Tch, the barrier here is the most annoying thing ever."
Faced with Nyanko-sensei's grumbling, Natsume could only offer a wry smile and shake his head.
When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, a serene woman dressed in Miko attire suddenly appeared before them. Upon seeing her, Nyanko-sensei's ears immediately drooped to the sides.
"Kikyo-san, we have a favor to ask," Natsume said.
"Please, save Koka!" Taki bowed deeply.
Kikyo glanced at Koka and nodded. "We'll talk at the top."
Under her lead, Natsume and the others bypassed the crowded areas and reached the inner sanctuary. There, they met a Miko wearing a fox mask. She had long, flowing black hair, bright eyes, and a transcendental aura. A three-tailed fox lay beside her.
Just one look at her caused the sorrow in Taki's heart to lessen significantly.
"Are you... Yotsuya-san?"
"Yes." Miko Yotsuya nodded gently. After greeting everyone and learning the situation, she looked at Koka on Taki's shoulder.
"I am sorry, but I do not have the power to save him. Or rather, no one besides him can save Koka. However, he hasn't appeared for a very long time," Miko said apologetically with a slight bow.
"How can that be..." Her hope shattered once more, and Taki fell into a deeper state of grief.
"However, I can restore him for a few minutes. You should use this time to see each other one last time."
"Thank you..."
A golden light shot from Miko's eyes and landed on Koka. His previously ethereal, transparent body gradually became solid.
"Koka?" Taki could finally see him again.
Koka's large eyes shifted, reflecting Taki's tear-streaked face.
"Don't be sad, Toru. I was meant to fade away. It was only because of your wish that I returned to this world; now I am simply returning to my original path. Over these seven years, I've watched you grow from a high schooler to a college student, and then enter society as a worker. My heart is completely satisfied. My only regret is that I won't be able to see you get married and have children. You're usually quite smart, but you're a bit slow when it comes to romance. I'm worried about whether you'll find a good partner and if you'll stay happy. Well, whatever. If I say any more, you'll just complain that I'm nagging. Toru, thank you for staying with me for so long. I was very happy. Goodbye, Toru."
"Koka... being with you... I... I was very happy too..." Taki was already sobbing uncontrollably.
…
After seeing off Natsume and the others, Miko touched the mask on her face and murmured, "Aosora-sama, will we ever have the chance to meet again?"
"Heh, of course."
A warm palm pressed against her head, stroking her hair gently.