Day of Devotion Kissing Booth [Open]

[Tanuki Rinko]

Rinko sat in the market, a sly look on her face as she watched the passersby. Her wooden booth was obviously cobbled together in a rushed manner, with the writing messily scrawled on the sign. 'Day of Devotion Kissing Booth'. Behind the tanuki girl was an array of people ranging in age, height, and personalities.

​

Through one form or another, all of these individuals had found themselves indebted to the Tanuki family, and today would be the day they paid up. Half of the cast, which consisted of the redheaded man, the ash-skinned man, and the pink-haired girl, looked perturbed by the notion that they were being portrayed as goods to be sold. Meanwhile, the blonde man played with his hair as he looked in the pocket mirror of the blue-haired woman. The rest seemed neutral in their attitudes, but smiled at whoever glanced their way.

Rinko pulled a pointer from her pocket and slapped it against the hanging sign. "Come one, come all! To celebrate the one holiday that gives us an excuse to pig out on chocolate and plaster unrealistic hearts on our clothing, I have some wonderful lips to sell to you today! For only 700 yen, that's right 700 yen, you can get a smooch from an assortment of characters!" She shifted her stick to start pointing at the lads. "You can smooch a good boy, a bad boy, a good bad boy, a half good half bad half boy! I can assure you I've got what you're looking for!" She twirled the pointer in her hand before directing it to the girls. "I've got a girl that's nice, a girl that's not, ones that are obsessed with their looks and are extremely hot." The business girl slapped the pole on the counter in front of her to try and garner more attention. "So step right up! Make this Day of Devotion a day to remember!"

For names and more information on the kissable NPCs, click their portraits.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Setsu was being dragged to another location again, by another Academy instructor. One of the shinobi had been giving a lecture on the use of seduction as a means of gathering information and infiltration into certain locations. The topic wasn’t really elaborated on as the sensei seemed rather uninterested in trying to educate children in general (and wasn’t allowed to talk about anything physical besides kissing), so Setsu had approached after class and inquired about why seduction was being taught as a basic lesson. A prior lecture had demonstrated that shinobi were assigned to missions based on either recommendation or their specific skillsets, with recommendations taking priority over skillsets in certain situations. This seemed to be a very specific method of information gathering, and one that should be covered for people who wanted to specialize in that sort of thing. Setsu also stated that he didn’t want to engage in such acts. The teacher, who was rather angry from having been assigned class duty rather than an active mission, decided to take out his frustration on the poor boy.

This resulted in the current situation. He was plopped down a few meters away from the hastily cobbled together stand with the words 'Day of Devotion Kissing Booth' scrawled on the top. “Look kid, I hate kids. I didn’t want to lecture a room full of ‘em, and I didn’t want to take extra time after class having personal chats with them. So you want a reason to learn how ta’ seduce people? Here’s a reason. If you don’t kiss everyone of those people lined up there, I will personally make sure you never graduate. I see you’ve been saving up your pittance money too, good you’ll probably need all of it.” He shoved Setsu forward, “Now git! And remember, I’ll be watching.” And then he vanished.

Setsu definitely wanted to graduate. Making it as a shinobi was the only chance he had at meeting his family again, after all. So making a brave face and trying his best not to cry, Setsu removed his wallet and approached the stand. “Um, hello. I need to kiss everybody here, or I won’t be able to graduate the academy. At least that’s what I was told. How much do I owe you?”

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Rinko's eyes gleamed as she stared at the boy's wallet. Nothing was more profitable than a kid that left money math to the business owner. She snatched the pouch from the teary-eyed lad and began rummaging through it. "You caught me kid. I didn't think to make a bundle offer. Let me just calculate your fee..." The wallet left the tanuki's hands before she could finish counting the coins. Sonoko, the blue-haired woman, towered over the girl. The smile she gave Rinko sent shivers through her tail. "Now now Rinko-chan. You know full well that this child is being blackmailed. It is not right to do something to someone so innocent." Rinko pouted her lips. "Lady, I'm running a business here. How else am I supposed to make money if I can't swindle noobs like this kid?" Sonoko's eyebrows rose slowly, causing the kind smile to appear sinister. The tanuki's tail puffed at the sight. "Yes Sensei." Sonoko placed the pouch of money back into Setsu's hands. "Here you go dear. Do not fret. I will have a word with whomever claimed you could not graduate." Her eyes flicked to the left, homing in on the now cowering instructor in the crowd. "I will return shortly with payment for such an inconvenience." The refined lady disappeared, leaving no sign that she had even been there to begin with.

With Sonoko gone, the rest of the kissable candidates visibly relaxed. The ashen-skinned man was the first to walk off. "To be honest, I think I'm breaking continuity by being here. I should probably head out before the Gods strike me down." Rinko was about to grab the man by the sleeve, but was interrupted by the pink pigtailed girl. "Now that Sonoko isn't here to yell at me, it's time to swindle the swindler. Remember last month when you borrowed Saka and Soko to manipulate the emotions of your customers during the art exhibit? You thought we didn't notice, but of course we did. You made use of them for eight hours, and knowing that they're celebrities, I'm sure you can estimate how much they go for." Rinko gulped loudly, and she continued. "You are done with our services today. In fact, let your father know that I'll be contacting him later this month to handle one of my teaching shifts. It's the least you can do." Clenching her fists, the student nodded in defeat. The temperamental girl strutted away, followed by the redheaded man. "Tsk. 700, for these lips? I'm at least worth 5000."

The blonde man and two pairs of twins were left. The man flipped his hair and gave a shrug. "I'm afraid I need to go pick up Fuwa-Fuwa-sama from the groomers, so I must take my leave. Do call me if Osu-chan shows up. If he's going to cheat on his wife, it should at least be with these beautiful lips." With a limp wave, Zoro was gone. Rinko puffed out her cheeks and stamped her foot. "No fair! You all owe my dad, so you owe me!" She turned to those remaining, to find the female twins gone. The male twins, Saka and Soko, laughed boisterously. "Looks like you're running out of options Rinko-chan!" The defeated girl slammed her head on the counter and groaned. The boys sidled up to either side of Rinko. "You know what would make you feel better? A kiss." They pulled the girl up by her shoulders and lifted her chin. Rinko felt warm inside, and her heart began to flutter. She closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation before snapping to attention. "You shitbags! Don't use your creepy emotion powers on me! Let me go!" She began to struggle, but their grasp was too tight. They chuckled quietly. "Well, you may be able to resist our powers...but can he?" The boys looked to Setsu and grinned. "You want to kiss Rinko-chan, right kid? She's really pretty and smart and soft." They stroked her head as they pushed her closer to Setsu's face. There was no use struggling. Her eyes pleaded with the boy inches from her. "Please tell me you stacked Gen save..." She closed her eyes in preparation for what may or may not come.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Luckily for Setsu, Mochizuki-sensei was near the booth, though he could only guess as to why. But the boy wasn’t about the look a gift-horse in the mouth. He knew the instructor had just saved him a lot of money. And she had also promised to deal with the individual who claimed he wouldn’t be able to graduate. He was extremely grateful for this. Now he wouldn’t have to kiss anyone. While the boy did wonder what it would be like, Setsu was a bit of a romantic. He liked stories of saving princesses and slaying large lizard-like creatures that occasionally breathed fire. And then they fell in love and kissed. Something like paying money to get kissed seemed too easy.

With the departure of Sonoko though, Tanuki Rinko’s control over the rest of her ‘goods’ evaporated. The nervous-looking man with the ashen skin, tried to quietly bow out and exit stage left. The cute pink-haired girl immediately dropped the nice girl act and harshly served the Tanuki girl some just desserts. While Setsu understood that the would-be con artist admittedly had it coming, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Rinko. She left with the red-haired bad boy as the latter complained about how his lips were priced. The extremely fanciful looking individual mentioned he had other business to attend to, picking up a ‘Fuwa-Fuwa-sama’ or something. Setsu had no idea what he was talking about, but assumed it was important.

Tanuki Rinko began to throw a hissy fit since her scheme didn’t pan out the way she had envisioned. Setsu felt slightly guilty seeing as it was sort of his fault it had all fallen apart. All that was left now were the twin pink-haired boys who were playfully teasing the young girl. He approached them, intending to apologize for the damage he did to her scheme, and then suggest that maybe she find more willing participants next time. It was no fun being coerced into things against one’s will. He knew that first-hand. He didn’t hear most of their conversation but all three noticed him walking towards the group. One of the twins called out to him, “You want to kiss Rinko-chan, right kid? She’s really pretty and smart and soft.”

Without missing a beat, Setsu continued advancing towards the restrained Rinko. She was very pretty, and those ears and tail did indeed look very soft. But he just wanted to apologize for ruining her clever plan, that was all. The girl looked right at him, muttering, “Please tell me you stacked Gen Save…” Setsu’s heart skipped a beat. It was really hard to look her in the face. He briefly wondered what she meant by Gen Save, but couldn’t focus on it because his mind was too busy dealing with these sudden feelings concerning the girl. She had beautiful eyes, they were a warm brown color, like the Devotion Day chocolate he had seen being sold on his way over. No focus Setsu, you’re going to apologize.

“I’m sorry…,” for ruining your business plans today. Setsu’s face inched closer to Rinko’s, “...I just couldn’t help it…,” I was forced to come here after all. His right hand lightly rubbed her the top of her head, gently brushing her left ear. “Rinko-chan’s pretty and smart so…,” you’ll be able to find a new business opportunity soon enough. The Tanuki girl’s lips were soft, just like the twins had said, and surprisingly a little sweet. It lasted for just a moment, then Setsu pulled away, cheeks flushed and sending fleeting glances towards Rinko, still under the twins’ spell.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

The twins burst into laughter as the two children locked lips. Rinko wanted to push the kid away, but found her arms limp as noodles from the vigorous petting she'd received from the twins and Setsu. When the kiss was finished, she found the strength to wipe her lips. Ugh! So dry! Has this kid never heard of chapstick?! Despite her complaint, Rinko's heart wouldn't stop slamming against her chest. How could she get so excited over a country bumpkin like this? Sure, you couldn't walk five seconds without stepping in a deep pile of tragic backstory, while this kid was an innocent, reluctant hero type. Was that it? His kind was a commodity in the village? Yes, that had to be it. There was no way she was attracted to this little dweeb. Rinko was just excited to find a boy she could pawn off to old ladies that wanted a precious little whippersnapper to ogle.

Rinko was snapped out of her thoughts when a hand slammed onto the counter. It retracted, leaving in its wake 1000 yen and a pack of cigarettes. "Keep the change." The tanuki looked up to see Sonoko with a dangerously sweet smile. From the woman's shadow, Rinko caught the sound of a man's screech. "Setsu-kun, I shall investigate into the abuse of power that has found its way into your ring of instructors. The next time a teacher claims they will fail you, come to me." The woman turned her attention to Rinko. "I am afraid business calls Rinko-chan. You understand. I will repay my debt at a later time. Is that acceptable?" The girl reluctantly nodded. "It's not like I was getting much business anyway." Sonoko gave both children a pat on the head before power walking away. With Sonoko officially gone, Saka and Soko took their leave as well, giggling the entire time.

Rinko huffed loudly as she pulled out a hammer from behind the counter. "Guess I gotta get rid of this now. Hopefully I can get reimbursed for the time I didn't use." The girl's ears drooped as her eyes began to water. 1000 yen wasn't nearly enough to cover the costs of booth space rental or even the materials to make the stand. Feeling drained from her emotional high earlier, Rinko broke down. Her upper body flopped onto the counter as she buried her face in her arms. "I-I just want to be as good as m-my dad! Why is it...so h-hard?! Waaaaaaaah!"

WC: 415
[MFT]

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Mochizuki-sensei patted both boy and girl on the head before leaving to deal with Setsu's unfortunate instructor. While this meant the end of Rinko-chan's kissing event, Setsu couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful. Maybe he'd be able to go to classes without fear of being coerced into things against his will. Though this time nothing especially bad came out of it, he thought while absent-mindedly touching his lips. He'd even managed to apologize to Rinko-chan! Right, apology by kiss was the best way to convey your sincerity…, the thought trailed off in his mind as the twins’ emotional influence wore off. Oh no! What did I do? She's going to have a baby now! Lost in his panicky thoughts, Setsu failed to catch Rinko’s grumbling. So when her grumbling turned into a full on breakdown, jolting Setsu out of his introspective worrying, the boy immediately assumed that his kiss was the cause.

Beginning to tear up himself, Setsu rushed around the stand and did the only thing he could think of, he hugged the sobbing girl and tried to gently rub her head. It was what Setsu's parents had done whenever he was upset or feeling down, so the boy thought it applicable in this situation. The furry ears were a little hard to navigate around, but Setsu assumed they were very sensitive and tried to be gentle when touching them. They were very soft and fluffy. Uwah! I'm getting distracted, the young student thought to himself, I need to comfort her! “Um, I'm sorry Rinko-chan, I'll take responsibility properly. I don't know much, but I'll do whatever I can to help,” Setsu tried to speak in a reassuring tone, but he couldn't help it if his voice cracked a little. He was only ten after all.

MFT
WC: 298

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Rinko's ears twitched as the small palm maneuvered around them. Who does he think he is? He's acting like some hotshot senpai that knows exactly what to do and say to make me fall in love with him only to reveal that he's just a naive nice guy that has five other girls he's stringing along and I have to watch as he gets a one-off with each one before he eventually breaks my heart by choosing the mysterious girl that's actually a clone of his mom. She wanted to make a break for it, hoping that she could outrun whatever ridiculous plot was following this kid, but something told her it was no use. The tanuki girl grabbed Setsu's sleeve and rubbed her snotty, tear-stained face on it. My only hope is to stake claim to my preferred stereotype now before the other harlots show up.

Rinko pulled herself up and attempted to look confident despite her puffy eyes. "I demand to be the kanedere! Give me your money!" She held out her hand for Setsu's wallet, but flinched back when she remembered the earlier look in Sonoko-sensei's eyes. She waved her hand to decline her own offer. "Ah, no, I mean...hm. Oh! Time is money, so I'll take that. So, um, you shall use your time to save me time by taking down this stand in record time!" She recovered a bit of her previous poise and gave a hardy nod. "And since time is precious, I'm going to go use mine elsewhere. Bye." Rinko trotted off, plotting her next scheme.

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