Chapter 87 – Aya Discovers a Big Scoop.
.....
After finishing the construction of homes for Minami Yume and the Tachibana sisters, Kihara immediately went to the seed shop and bought 20 of each spring crop.
Technically, with his current funds, he could've gone all-in on cauliflower—the most profitable crop at 175 gold per seed—and mass-produced it for maximum profit.
But thanks to his steady fishing income, money wasn't a pressing issue in the early game.
Right now, farming wasn't just about leveling up his agriculture skill—it was about improving the quality of life for everyone.
After all, crops grown on the farm tasted far better than ordinary food. And Pelican Town couldn't rely forever on Akane bringing supplies from another world.
Sooner or later, they had to become self-sufficient.
With a hoe in hand, Kihara expanded the farmland until there was enough space to plant every seed.
Then, he tried something new—he handed the watering can to Rikka Takarada and asked her to water the crops.
In the original Stardew Valley game, spouses occasionally help water crops after marriage as a random event.
But in reality, there was no such restriction.
Rikka completed the task smoothly.
According to the system interface, Pelican Town was currently on Spring Day 14.
Each season lasted 28 days—just like in the game—and any crops not in season would wither once the season changed.
Among the crops he planted, rhubarb had the longest growth time—13 days.
That meant it would mature just before the season ended.
Since Kihara wasn't sure whether Pelican Town strictly followed the game's timing, he decided not to replant after harvest.
He didn't want to end up in the worst-case scenario.
One day away from harvest… only for everything to wither overnight.
With watering duties handled by Rikka, Kihara finally had free time.
Naturally, he headed to the Sunflower Field to train with Yuuka Kazami.
But what surprised him was.
Tatsumaki was already there, chatting casually with Yuuka.
"Wait… Tatsumaki, how do you even know Yuuka?"
"I wandered around Pelican Town a few days ago," Tatsumaki replied. "Saw this flower field from the sky… and we just became friends."
Kihara muttered under his breath,
"Do 'Lolis' naturally attract e
ach other or something…?"
He glanced at Yuuka—currently in her mature form—and decided not to question it further.
Instead, he grinned, excitement rising.
"Yuuka! I'm not the same as before. Today—I'm definitely landing a hit on you!"
"Oh?"
Yuuka's crimson eyes swept over him, sharp and predatory.
She could tell—he had indeed grown stronger.
With a soft motion, she folded her parasol and tapped its tip against the ground.
"Then show me… just how much you've improved."
"Tatsumaki, what kind of relationship is this?"
"She's my master."
"…I really don't want to acknowledge you as my disciple."
"Enough talk—take this! Ashina Style Swordsmanship!"
Kihara pulled out Ebony & Ivory from thin air and fired without hesitation.
Bang!
Clang—!
Yuuka's seemingly delicate parasol turned into a blur, effortlessly deflecting every bullet.
Then—
A dense mass of demonic energy gathered at its tip.
She retaliated instantly with a magic blast.
Kihara wasn't arrogant enough to block it head-on.
At the very last moment, he twisted his body, firing two precise shots at her wrist while dodging sideways.
The magic blast grazed his ear.
BOOM!
The ground behind him exploded.
"Not bad," Yuuka commented.
"At least now you can dodge my attacks."
The next second—
She punched him.
Instant KO.
The gap between them was simply too large.
Since Kihara's physical stats were fixed and couldn't grow like a youkai's through battle.
He had only one method of improvement:
Die. Over and over again.
Eventually, instinct would take over—like a sixth sense warning him of danger.
Even though Tatsumaki knew he was immortal, watching him get obliterated repeatedly still hurt.
She couldn't take it anymore.
"Stop!"
Then she floated into the air, pointing at Yuuka.
"I'll take back my husband's dignity myself!"
One move later—
BOOM.
She was punched straight into the ground.
Instant defeat.
Her psychic powers—normally unstoppable—were completely useless.
To her, Yuuka didn't feel like a single opponent.
She felt like the entire flower field itself.
Pulling out one flower? Easy.
Pulling out the entire land?
Impossible.
"…What the hell?! Why is every random youkai this strong?!"
Kihara pulled the sulking Tatsumaki into his arms, gently wiping the dirt off her face and patting her head.
"Yuuka's one of the strongest in Gensokyo. Losing is normal."
"…Tch."
Still pouting, Tatsumaki pointed at Yuuka.
"Just you wait! I'll beat you one day and get revenge for him!"
Yuuka chuckled.
To her, Tatsumaki looked like a stubborn child hiding behind a parent after losing a fight.
"I train with him here every week," Yuuka said calmly.
"If you think you can win, come join us."
"…Fine!"
Realizing brute force wouldn't work, Tatsumaki quickly changed strategy.
Instead of fighting—
She started taking care of Kihara.
"Here, drink some water."
"Lie down—I'll give you a massage!"
"Hey! Hands where I can see them!"
The overly sweet atmosphere quickly became unbearable.
Even the sunflowers seemed to radiate jealousy.
Yuuka snapped.
Without hesitation, she threw both of them out of the field.
Then she planted a wooden sign at the entrance:
"No Dating or PDA Allowed – Kihara & Tatsumaki Banned."
Meanwhile…
After the massive success of her previous article, Aya Shameimaru noticed her newspaper sales were dropping again.
As a professional journalist, she understood one thing:
The hype was all about Kihara.
While wandering around searching for her next big scoop, she passed by the sunflower field.
The newly placed sign caught her attention.
She walked closer… read it…
And her eyes lit up.
Bunbunmaru News Flash!
Kihara spotted engaging in "wild outdoor activities" with a new girlfriend in the sunflower field!
They were caught red-handed by Yuuka Kazami, who promptly issued a warning sign!
Rumor has it the two women previously clashed, possibly arguing over who was the "homewrecker"!
Additionally—
A shadow resembling the youkai sage Yukari Yakumo was seen nearby…
Suspected to be secretly watching the entire "scene"!
....
Thank you for reading.