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Ranjin is quite the place. Very similar in many ways to a village in old Japan with the addition of mamono -- exotically beautiful monster women -- and magic. I’d come here two months ago with nothing but the clothes on my back and a sakura sapling I’d been in the middle of transplanting. One minute I’d been placing the tree in a newly-dug hole, the next I was waking up with the plant clutched in my arms and surrounded by not-quite-human women wearing eager expressions. I don’t recall how I got here, but the village elder says that I died back in my world and it’s probably best that I don’t remember. Since I had nothing better to do I accepted their invitation to help out with their annual village festival.
I managed to keep a smile pasted onto my face through the endless handshakes and hugs that marked the end of the festivities. When the parade of well-wishers finally ended I slipped out of the town hall and made my way down a less-traveled trail through the bamboo grove at the edge of the village. I expected to find the person I’d been hoping to speak to at the end of that path. It had already been dusk when I left the hall, and by the time I reached the end of the trail it was dark. Fortunately a full moon bathed the land in silvery light. When I emerged from the rows of bamboo the the river that provided the town with water and occasional travelers sparkled like a constellation of fireflies. I couldn’t help but pause a moment to take in the beauty, but I soon resumed my course toward a bend in the river. The woman I sought had shown me her favorite thinking spot last week, and that was where I hoped to find her.
I soon reached a place where the river narrowed, and the swiftly flowing water drew a curtain of sound that hid my approaching footsteps from the horned figure I’d come to find. It also hid the sound of her sobbing from me, but I could see that in the shaking shoulders of her moonlit silhouette. Poor, sweet Nakone was crying as expected. How could she not? She had spoken incessantly about the festival and the associated beauty contest, and there was nothing in the world that she’d wanted more than to win. When the judges had instead placed the crown on the head of the tall, graceful Yui -- who had spent the entire time I’d known her making it clear that it would be she and not some “stunted little runt” who would marry the new arrival -- I could practically hear Nakone’s heart fall out of her chest. Yet despite her obvious disappointment she’d put on a brave face as she congratulated the winner. Nakone had fled the hall shortly after. My festival duties hadn’t allowed me to follow her right away, but I was here now.
I started to call out to her, but an inarticulate cry of anguish stopped me cold. For half a minute Nakone poured out her pain in a single grieving breath while the river carried her wails downstream like paper boats. After refilling her lungs she started rummaging through her sleeve pockets and hurling their contents into the river. “Stupid, useless cleanser!” she screamed as she threw an expensive-looking jar. A bottle of, “Stupid, useless tonic!” followed, with a canister of “Stupid, useless herbs!” soon after. She continued with, “Stupid, useless vitamins! Stupid, useless sharpener! Stupid, useless polish! And most of all… STUPID! USELESS! NAKONEEEE!”
Well. There was no way I was going to let her throw that last item in the river, and in the state she was in I wouldn’t have put it past her. I stepped forward and said, “You are neither of those things, dear lady.”
The bubalus spun to face me, over-rotating slightly in her surprise, and the look of anger on her face collapsed into embarrassment when she recognized me. She was short for her kind, barely half-a-head taller than I, with her dark hair done up in an elaborate updo that belied her usual homespun charm. She was most endearing in her yukata despite being disheveled, and the mascara running down her cheeks was easy to overlook in favor of the elegant curve of her gleaming pearly horns. She wiped her face on one oversized sleeve, managing only to smear already ruined makeup, and made a futile effort to compose herself. “Minoru. Of course you’d be the one to find me,” she said. “I guess Yui couldn’t be bothered to do her own gloating. So, have you two set a date yet?” At my confused look she elaborated, “For the wedding?”
“Ano… I’m not marrying Yui,” I said.
“You’re not?” Nakone’s expression turned from frustration to confusion. “But, the contest… the special prize… ?”
I nodded. “I gave Yui her prize… the little cherry tree that I brought here with me. As the only living plant ever to arrive here from my world it’s certainly special.” I smiled as I took a step closer. “Her mother was very pleased. She’s already planning to market ‘Outland Cherries’ when the tree bears fruit.”
“That sounds like her,” Nakone said with a smirk. “So… what are you doing here?”
I took another step forward. Nakone looked like she wanted to back away but thought better of it. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine,” said Nakone. “Just perfect.” I took another step forward to almost within reach. I tried to hold her eyes, but she looked away. “Pretty good for someone who spent a foolish amount of money to become not as pretty as she thought she was.”
“I have to agree with you there. All that money was wasted.” I took the last step to get within reach and stretched out my hands to stroke her horns. Nakone closed her eyes and shuddered as I ran my fingertips across the top of each horn starting at the base, then swept them along the upturned curves and back along the bottom sides to rest on her cheeks. “There’s no need to spend money to become pretty when you’re already beautiful.” At those words she started sobbing again. I let her wash my hands with her tears for a moment before pulling her face to mine to gently kiss her. We stayed connected like that for a dozen heartbeats before I let my hands fall to her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. Her horns made it a little awkward, but the feel of her nestled against me was worth it.
Nakone’s sobs turned to girlish giggles, and she pushed me back to arm’s length. “Too bad there wasn’t a contest for flattery,” she said, “You would’ve won.”
“That’s all right,” I replied. “I have my prize.” I pulled her into another kiss, and when we separated I took her hand and turned us onto the path back to the village. “I even got your parents’ permission to court you already.”
A sly grin took over the bubalus’s face. “Really? Did they tell you what ‘courting’ means for mamono?”
“Ah… no,” I said. “I thought perhaps we would do activities together?”
“Yes… activities.” She started walking faster and pulled me along with her. “Come on. I’ll show you when we get into the bamboo.” The sultry smile she tossed over her shoulder told me exactly what sort of activities she had in mind. I smiled and thanked the spirits that I was well-rested. Nakone had won my heart, and now she was ready to claim her prize.