Chapter 7: Super deluxe double

John immediately stepped forward to meet Noll.

"Shibuya-san. I'm really sorry for the trouble. I honestly didn't expect this to happen."

"No, it's fine," Noll sighed.

John looked relieved. "I'm glad to hear that."

Gene went to stand next to them.

"... John doesn't seem like the sarcastic type. Why'd he greet you like that?"

Noll seemed to agree.

"John, what did you just say to me?"

John looked confused. "Huh?"

"When you greeted me."

The priest blankly looked at him for a few moments, then he made a difficult face as he tried to recall it. In the end, he blinked.

"... I forgot?"

Gene raised an eyebrow.

"What did the children say after you greeted me?" Noll asked.

John pondered again.

"... Sunshine."

"You said, hello sunshine."

John blinked again, then leaned forward a little.

"I said that? Are you really sure?"

Noll sighed. "So you don't remember..."

"I'm not sure what is going on, but... I definitely would have used 'Shibuya-san'. And I wouldn't have called you by your real name in this situation either."

One of the girls spoke up. "Oh? What's Sunshine-san's real name?"

The two ignored her.

Gene sighed. It was true. In this situation John wouldn't have called him Oliver. If they were talking in a private setting and in English, then perhaps he would have. But even so, John would have defaulted to simply "Shibuya-san", because that's what he usually called him.

"Has this happened before?" John asked.

Noll didn't answer, and instead asked another question: "... have you noticed other odd things?"

"Well, the bunny escaped all of sudden."

"Other than that."

"Um," John looked around and his eyes predictably stopped at the tree. "That tree isn't blooming."

"Correct."

"... Is there something wrong with it? Is it ill?"

"I asked the staff and they claim nothing is wrong with it."

Suddenly, they heard a boy's voice below them.

"It's creepy."

"Yeah, it's really creepy." A girl nodded.

Ryousuke said, "My old man told me it's cursed."

"Why?" Noll turned to look at him.

The boy huffed and looked away. "My old man said I shouldn't talk ghosts."

"You got the wrong one, little guy." Gene said with a grin.

"John." Noll sighed and looked away.

The priest smiled at Ryousuke. "Shibuya-san is not a ghost... Um, what does your father know about the tree?"

Ryousuke looked down at his feet. "He told me a mean spirit lives in the tree."

"Do you know who told him that?"

"Hmm... Some woman... she was a fortune teller."

Noll facepalmed. "Tell your old man she's a fraud."

Ryousuke widened his eyes and glared. "But everything's she said is true! She told mom and pops they'd get pregnant a lot! I got TWO older sisters and ONE younger brother!"

"...Really." Noll didn't look impressed.

"And mom's pregnant again with twins! TWINS! The proof is in the omikuji!"

"Goodness, that sounds horrifying," Noll muttered.

"Noll. Keep it down," Gene said as tried to prod his brother.

Ryousuke knitted his eyebrows and glared at him. "What? Do you have anything against twins? I will beat you up."

Noll sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Trust me. It's far better to be a singleton."

Gene turned his head immediately. "What did you say?"

Noll ignored him.

"I think I agree," Kanna suddenly said.

Ryousuke yelled, "Kanna!"

"Shut up." The girl said. "Maybe she gave him one too."

Ryousuke blinked and turned to look at Noll again.

"Oh yeah, mister! That woman must have given you one too right?"

Noll shrugged. He already looked tired from dealing with the children.

The boy continued, "What about the girl you were with? She got one too right?"

Noll seemed surprised. Gene hummed a little.

"Which girl?" John asked.

"Mai," Noll quickly replied.

Kanna said, "She gives it to couples who are under this tree."

"Eh?!" John widened his eyes.

"We're not a couple." Noll quickly said.

"Oh, I see..."

Gene frowned. He's denying it in front of John?

"That's not relevant. Even if you're not, you will become a couple," the boy said with determination. There was a fiery passion in his eyes. He truly seemed to believe in that woman's powers.

(What a powerful imagination), a thought leaked from Noll's side.

"The kiddo is right though," Gene said. "Ask him why?"

(I don't know why I'm taking questions from you...)

(Well, the boy looks so keen for you to do so... I'd ask him myself if I could.)

"Why?" Noll irritably asked, staring at the sparkly brown eyes of the young boy who waited for his questions.

"Because..." Ryousuke waved a finger. "It's a super deluxe DOUBLE omikuji!"

The boy grinned. The other children ooh'd and aah'd. Gene doubled over in laughter.

Noll slowly moved his gaze to John, and spoke in English with a deadpan voice: "...I don't understand Japanese religious practices."

John looked absolutely baffled. "Me neither."

Gene excitedly poked his brother. "Ask more! I want to know more about this! Do me a favour, bro!"

(Gene. Will you stop using me as your proxy?)

(PLEASE.)

Noll began to look desperate.

(...What question?)

"I don't know! Just ask the kid something."

His brother sighed and turned to Ryousuke.

"What about the business dealings?"

"That's what you are curious about?" Gene said and fell over in disappointment. He knew he shouldn't have left it up to Noll.

Kanna replied instead. "Mommy and daddy's business is going well."

"They're twins," John explained, gesturing at Kanna and Ryousuke with a wry smile.

Oh.

Noll and Gene stared at the boy and the girl. Well, that makes a whole lot of sense.

Ryousuke continued, "The omikuji said they both got great blessings for their business. They run a successful candy store with loooots of staff members."

Kanna nodded.

"A lot of visitors all over the world visit our store every day," she said, and then stared fixedly at Noll's eyes: "How about you, Sunshine-san? Is your business going well? Will you get married?"

Ryousuke cornered him from the other side with a big smile: "Wil you have lots of children?"

Without responding, the young man turned around and walked away. Gene caught a flash of a visibly distraught face and looked down at the grass.

"Children, huh..."

Ryousuke and Kanna appeared somewhat embarrassed of their own pushiness when John shook his head a little. They awkwardly decided to join the other children who had lost interest in "Sunshine-san" and were playing with the bunny.

The priest went after Noll. Gene followed him.

"...Shibuya-san." John said with a worried face as he caught up.

Noll stopped walking.

"Matsuzaki-san told us she is going on holidays. When is she leaving?"

That's right, Gene thought. If there was anyone with an affinity with trees, it would be her. She's the key to solving this case. If it was a case.

"Um... If I'm not mistaken Matsuzaki-san left a few days ago."

"When will she return?"

"Within three months."

"Three months?"

"Didn't you hear? Matsuzaki-san will backpack for three months in the US."

After John and the kids left, his brother spent the next few minutes glaring at his book. Gene could practically read the words 'Where is Matsuzaki-san when you need her' on his face.

"Look, I know you're mad, but could you listen to me?"

(What.)

"Why didn't you tell John you're dating Mai?"

Noll seemed caught off guard by the topic.

(Why would I?)

"Because you are dating her?"

(... We're not dating.)

Gene frowned. "But you confessed! And she accepted!"

Noll sighed.

(That doesn't mean we're dating. Mai told me she was invited to do an omiai before I confessed.)

An omiai? Gene's expression went blank.

"Wait... When did she tell you?"

(Who knows. You were asleep back then.)

Gene facepalmed. An idiot. My brother is an idiot.

"Why aren't you telling me the crucial details..." He groaned.

Noll shrugged.

"But... why? From what you've told me she doesn't even have family to speak of."

His brother sighed.

(The matchmaker is her old teacher. She's the one Mai lived with during middle school after her mother passed away. The omiai partner is that teacher's nephew. Mai called her to tell about us, but apparently the teacher already arranged a meeting.)

He explained that with a monotonous voice.

Gene took a few moments to let this information sink in.

Okay. He could understand Mai's side. She wasn't in an easy position. And Mai probably felt that she owed the woman a lot after her mother's death. It would cause her former teacher a lot of embarrassment if she turned the nephew down before even meeting him.

Wait.

"But she is turning him down, right? I mean, she did loudly proclaim that she would never have an arranged marriage."

Noll nodded. It seemed like he trusted her to do just that.

(I told her to sort it out first. So I'll just have to wait.)

"Okay. I can get behind that. ...I guess," Gene muttered.

Noll must have been disappointed, but he didn't show it on his face.

Still, it didn't set well with Gene. It didn't make any sense. Although he couldn't put his finger on why.

Author's note

The boy/girl twins definitely stole some scenes: Kanna is the pragmatic, but opportunistic older sister. Her younger brother Ryousuke is a dreamer who looooves his big family. I had fun writing them!

Anyway, here ends the double chapter. I hope you liked it.