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There was an ear-shattering clamor like nothing I've ever heard before.

Even though it was almost winter, the air was unpleasantly warm. Even with my eyes closed, a flood of light pushed through. Horrified, I couldn't open my eyes.

The rich, colorful outdoor scenery was being blown away along with the falling red leaves, and the winter colors were gradually setting in. The tree leaves, now red, that symbolize life, are little by little becoming warped, but as far as human comprehension goes, it only means they are turning red in color. For most of these leaves, they won't be able to endure their own transformation, and will fall to the ground, but there are some that will become completely warped. Those leaves will transcend red, into a color the human eyes can't see. The inhabitants of Gensokyo call this color after the leaves have fallen "the winter color." Humans then say that the scenery has "lost its colors," but it's possible that, amongst the youkai, there are some who can see these winter colors.

The interior of the shop is also painted the colors of winter, but it's not so bad compared to the outside. And that is thanks to human ingenuity.

I had readied one such product of human ingenuity; namely, a "heater." However...

*Knock-knock.*

"Damn it's freezin' outside! It's so cold ya can't even hibernate! ...Hey, s'cold in here, too...what happened to that heater ya always have?"

"Ah, Marisa? Well, I ran out of fuel for the heater."

"Huh? Fuel?"

The heater I use was a discovery from the outside world, and its fuel is also of the outside world; that means that once I run out of fuel, it's rather difficult to obtain more. I've always used the fuel that was in it when I found it, the fuel from other items I've gathered, or other liquids with similar properties.

"Well, don't matter how cold it is; what happened to properly greetin' visitors?"

"I do always greet customers, no matter how cold it is."

"Ahh, if I'dda known your shop'd be like this, I woulda brought the mini-hakkero. Anyway, whatcha gonna do about the fuel?"

Marisa is weak against cold; the intense winter cold reduces her sharpness to one third its usual level.

"For some reason, almost no heaters appeared this year; that's why I couldn't get any fuel."

"Maybe the outside world's winters ain't cold anymore. Lucky devils."

"I doubt there is any way their winters would be warm."

"So, what, then? Do ya plan to just freeze to death like this?"

"I think hibernation would be more appropriate, but I don't plan on doing either. However, it seems I've no other choice. Will I find some way to obtain more fuel before I actually do become frozen?"

It's not like there aren't other ways to get fuel - like going to the outside world, or getting it from some youkai. Realistically, it would be the second choice, but...that involves dealing with youkai...

"Want me to clue ya in on somethin', Kourin? There's someone besides you with a whole buncha stuff from the outside world. And I just so happen to be an acquaintance o' hers.Just the other day, she was sayin' 'one can speak with someone from far away if they are using this item.' I'm guessin' I could talk to her now if I had one...I was kinda suspicious whether it was actually some kinda shikigami though. Either way, I bet someone like that would have your fuel."

"Is she a youkai?"

"'Course she's a youkai."

*Knock-knock-knock.*

"Aaah, so cold, so cold! It seems it got cold all of a sudden."

"Ah, Reimu. Welcome."

About now, people everywhere are making preparations for the winter season; Reimu too has certainly come to pick up some winter clothes. That's why I'm treating her as a customer today.

"Hey, it's cold in here, too! What happened to that overheating heater you always had?"

"Looks like it went for a long summer vacation to me."

"Huh? You're here too, Marisa?"

"Yeah. Right in frontta ya." Marisa explained to Reimu for me about my running out of fuel, and the various ways I might obtain some more. Looks like Marisa really is weak against cold.

"This youkai you're talking about - it's Yukari, isn't it?"

"Yup; she's closest to the outside world. I bet you'd know where to find her."

"No, I don't; I don't even know where she lives. She just comes to the shrine when I don't want her to, and, of course, sometimes she doesn't come when I don't want her to."

"So you...never want her to come...?"

"Anyway, Yukari won't be showing up for a while."

"Taking a wild guess?"

"It's not like drawing 'Great Fortune' from the omikuji; Yukari just never shows up during wintertime."

The verbal duel between Reimu and Marisa - which I could never know if it was for real or not - continued. Of course, I never actually said I was going to ask anything of this youkai; it's just that, if I were to remain without fuel like this, I'd really be in trouble.

"Come to think of it, if you prepare some fried tofu, she will certainly come visit. Well, her servant, anyway."



The next day, I tried putting some fried tofu on the storefront. I didn't exactly expect anything; I just did it as a sort of charm.

The temperature has naturally dropped some more today; seems it really is becoming winter. It's very inconvenient not being able to use my heater as I always have, but it cannot be helped; maybe I'll have to think of another way of warming myself up.

I got this heater a few years ago. At first, I was considering putting it up for sale, but I changed my mind after I had used it the first time; I couldn't possibly sell a tool so convenient - I mean, hard to use. It could warm up every nook and cranny of the room, and it wouldn't even feel like it was winter. And I didn't have to bother with firewood or dirty chimneys, nor did I need a big installation like a fireplace. I wasn't getting much exercise because I didn't even have to move around as much. It wasn't long before I had begun thinking it would be a shame to sell this item - or rather, more like I couldn't sell it.

However, it has been a long time since I really felt the winter; it's cold. Have Gensokyo's winters really been so cold? Should I try digging up the magical heating furnace I made long ago? Wait...that was the mini-hakkero I made for Marisa.

A knocking sound came from the shop's entrance. Did it trap someone already? It hadn't been more than an hour or two since I had set out the fried tofu; it must be someone who really likes fried tofu, if they were to be caught this quickly.

...But, there was no one inside.

"Ah, do you have a moment? I have some business for your master--" I opened the door, but no one was there. And my fried tofu was gone without a trace, too. Someone had certainly been there, but I didn't think it would be someone so quick to disappear like that. Could it have been the work of a fox...?

It seems I was wrong to think I could get what I wanted without making an effort myself. Just preparing some fried tofu and putting it out is about the same amount of effort as doing nothing.

"Well, this way is a little cold...but if I do it like this, there's no way my prey can escape the trap."

"...So, how long have ya been standin' in front of your shop holdin' fried tofu? That's not the kinda effort ya hafta make."

"Ah, Marisa. You were there?"

"Yup. Right in frontta ya."

"Oh - would you help me by luring in the youkai to my place?"

"And why'd anyone have to do something so stupid?"

"I'm not an expert in luring youkai, you see. I just don't know how to do it."

Marisa said "Fine, fine...let's just go inside for now," and entered the shop. Since I had the fried tofu in hand anyway, I left it by the entrance, and went in after Marisa.

"Not even a dumb fox youkai would fall for that kinda trap."

"Even so, a while ago it looked like it had caught something."

"Whatever. If ya can't use your heater, how can I come hang out at your place? I'll go and search for Yukari."

"Do you really think you can find her?"

"Even though Reimu said what she did yesterday, I've seen Yukari at the shrine sometimes. She's gotta live around there, I'm sure."

And so, Marisa went out to search for Yukari in my stead.

Do I...really want to meet this youkai? Even without the heater, I could find another way to warm up. After all, everyone else in Gensokyo is able to survive the weather without this useful device, and besides, even if I meet this youkai, there's no guarantee that she can supply me with the fuel.

Didn't I just want to know more about the outside world? By using an item connected to the outside world, and by being interested in a youkai connected to it, couldn't it be that I just want to get some more information? I do deal with a lot of mysterious merchandise and, being surrounded by all these items, I am always wondering about the outside world; for instance, there's this box, much smaller than a music box, and made of a white, inorganic material. My ability tells me that this box is an item that can store and play a lot of music. However, until now, it has never played any music for me. Just how do they use it in the outside world, and what kind of sounds does it play...? I took the small, white metallic box, put it to my ear, and closed my eyes; maybe I could hear some sounds from the outside.

I got the impression that there was a conversation coming from outside. Maybe Marisa had already come back, or else a youkai had come by, lured in by the fried tofu...? No, I don't think that's it.

There was an ear-shattering clamor like nothing I'd ever heard before. I couldn't believe such a painful sound could be made by any living creature. I also felt an unpleasant warmth all over my skin; it was as if the ambient temperature had changed all of a sudden. In a winter like this, I don't think I would need heating...even with my eyes closed, a flood of light pushed through. What could be shining so brightly to do that? It's a cold brightness, unlike sunlight or magic light.

Then I had a flash of intuition.

Right now, I must be in the outside world; riding on the outside items surrounding me, my thoughts had flown across the barrier.

But, I didn't open my eyes; what if, after seeing the outside world, I couldn't return to Gensokyo anymore? Humans who are spirited away almost never have a chance to come back again. On the other hand, if I open my eyes believing this to be only a visual and auditory illusion, my thoughts wouldn't cross the Border, and would be back in Gensokyo - but I could miss my chance to see the outside world...which choice would I prefer...?

That's right, wasn't my goal to obtain fuel? I did have a clear objective: I didn't want to get lost in the outside world; only to visit it long enough to complete my task. I had to leave my thoughts at Kourindou - no, in Gensokyo - and let only my body cross over there. Yes, that's a feat humans could not pull off - but I'm sure I could.

For the sake of getting fuel for making my shop warm again, I slowly opened my eyes...



Hakurei Shrine. The shrine at the very edge of Gensokyo. Marisa went there to look for Yukari. When leaving Kourindou, she noticed the fried tofu still in front of the shop, and decided to take it with her so it could be put to a more effective use.

"Heeey! Are ya here?"

"Hm? Of course I am, right in front of you."

"Not you, Reimu; I mean Yukari."

"What happened? And why are you holding that fried tofu...?"

"You were the one who said she'd show up for fried tofu."

"Not her, her fox shikigami."

"Exactly, and since Kourin obviously has no idea how to catch a youkai, I had no choice but to come here so you could catch one for me."

"Oh, I see. Rather selfish of you, isn't it? Anyway, how about we have tea while we talk?"

Marisa and Reimu drank tea while they argued about how to catch Yukari.

"Hm, Yukari...maybe she's already hibernating?"

"When ya say 'hibernate,' that just means she never shows up anywhere, right? And we don't have a clue where she lives. What if she's actually gone vacationin' in the southern islands?"

"That may be. ...By the way, where are those southern islands?",

"We don't hafta go that far. But there really isn't any way to call her?"

"I guess there's only one other way...but if I do that, she'll get angry..."

"So there is a way?"

"Well, there is...but if I do it, she'll show up only to tell me that it's dangerous and I should stop."

"The point is that she'll show up - that's what matters, right?"

To these girls, words like "dangerous" are hardly a deterrent.

"But it means purposely attempting to weaken the Hakurei Border; what if the ones who are close to the outside world get sucked into it...?"



There was a flood of light. It was a very bright, cold light. It was so bright that I could hardly see. And there were some voices speaking in what didn't seem to be Japanese. The hot, foul air was making my head hurt. So this is the outside world...I had seen it in things like books that drifted in, but I never imagined it would be so noisy and unpleasant. I had to calm down and look for some fuel, and then I should calmly look for a way to go back to Gensokyo.

My eyes were becoming accustomed to the light. This archway here was something I recognized...is this a shrine? And there are a great number of people here, too...

"Oh, this will not do! You ended up all the way here! You shouldn't come here, because you are not human, you see?"

"?"

The cacophany suddenly stopped. The light also went away, and I had the white box in my hand again. The surroundings were gloomy, but somehow I could see...it was the usual interior of Kourindou.

It looked like I had just fallen asleep for a little while. Since it was so dim, I lit a small lamp, and put the white box back on the shelf.

If I just keep falling asleep like this, there was no way I could achieve my goal. I was curious if the fried tofu in front of the store had lured any youkai, so I opened the front door. Unfortunately, all that had happened was that the fried tofu had been taken.

"Then it was a fox's doing after all...?"

I could see the shapes of Marisa and Reimu in the distance - and of yet another girl, who seemed to be lecturing them as they walked; quite an unusual scene.

"Why, nice to meet you. Please call me Yukari Yakumo. Are you the person who wanted to meet me?"

The youkai in front of me, wearing gaudy clothes and carrying a gaudy parasol, had the sharp eyes characteristic of someone who isn't human. And she had an ominous smile.

"Ah, greetings. I wanted to meet you for a bit of a business proposal..."

I guided Yukari inside the shop, and explained the circumstances that had led to my calling her, like the fuel for the heater.

"Is it electric? Or kerosene? Or maybe even nitroglycerin? Well, whatever the case, it's a simple request. I have an undending supply of any of those...and we should help each other in times of need, after all."

She wore a wide smile. I knew it was definitely ominous.

"As expected from a youkai."

"As expected from me."

Having said that, Yukari started to walk around the store, her long skirt fluttering silently.

"This shop of yours...it only has articles that are quite out of fashion. The latest trend, you see, is in portable objects: portable things to speak with people from far away, or portable devices that display the records of other people on a small screen..."

"We don't particularly care about fashion here; I just deal with items that I like."

"Ah, this white box...this is a fashionable item."

"Oh, that. That is supposed to carry a lot of music, but I have yet to understand how to use it."

I have the ability to know the name and the use of an unknown item just by looking at it; however, this ability does not tell me how to use it.

"If you put this to your ear, you will have odd visions like the ones you had earlier; that's because you are not human."

Again with the wide, ominous smile.

"Hey, turn that heater on already! It's freezing!"

"Aren't you a little impatient, Marisa? I have barely begun to speak to the lady--"

"Oh, I already turned it on. See? It's full of fuel, is it not?"

Indeed, it was now completely full. "When did you...but I was here the whole time...how in the world did you do that?"

"We should help each other in times of need."

With that, Yukari stuffed the white box she was holding into her clothes.

I was quickly regretting having met this youkai girl.

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