Forbidden Knowledge Vol.1 (Marisa Kirisame X Male Reader)

Chapter 9 - Shooting Star

The morning sun filtered through the window, casting soft beams of light across the room. I shifted under the blanket, my body still sore but far better than it had been days ago. Reimu's remedies, combined with some much-needed rest, had done their job. I still had bandages wrapped around my hands and head, but the pain was manageable now.

I sat up slowly, letting out a quiet sigh as I looked around the familiar room. Marisa and Reimu had insisted I stay at the shrine for a while until I was back to full strength. It was strange, this feeling of being taken care of—being part of something. I had spent so much of my life isolated, alone with my thoughts, guarding the library and its forbidden knowledge. But now, I had people who cared about me, people I'd risk my life for without hesitation.

A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hey, lazy bones, you're not still sleeping, are you?" Marisa's voice called from the other side.

I smirked. "No, I'm up. Come in."

The door slid open, and Marisa strolled in, her usual cocky grin plastered on her face. She looked like she was up to something, which made me suspicious immediately. "How are you feeling today?" she asked, her tone light and casual.

"Better, thanks to you and Reimu," I said, pulling the blanket off and swinging my legs over the side of the futon. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just checking on you." She walked over, hands on her hips, her grin growing wider. "I figured since you're finally up and moving around, it's time to... y'know, repay a certain favour."

I raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure where she was going with this. "Favour?"

She huffed dramatically, crossing her arms. "Yeah, you know! The whole saving-Reimu-and-protecting-me thing! I said I owe you one, remember?"

I chuckled. "I remember, but I didn't expect you to take it this seriously. You don't owe me anything, Marisa."

"Too late," she said, wagging a finger at me. "I've already decided what we're doing today. But it's a surprise, so don't ask too many questions."

I blinked, surprised but intrigued. Marisa was rarely this secretive, which meant she had something big planned. "Alright, I won't ask. When are we leaving?"

"Right now," she said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up onto my feet before I could protest. "You're well enough to walk; Reimu said so."

I let out a sigh but followed her, grabbing my jacket from a chair. "You're really not going to tell me where we're going, huh?"

"Nope!" Marisa flashed a grin as she tugged me outside. "But trust me, you're gonna love it. It's something I guarantee you've never done before."

That much was obvious. There were plenty of things I hadn't done before, especially now that I was in Gensokyo. Marisa, with her unrelenting energy and knack for mischief, would probably see to it that I experienced all of them.

The day passed in a blur of small talk and banter as we made our way across Gensokyo, heading toward the cliff tops. The further we walked, the more I felt something warm and comforting in the air. Marisa was clearly excited about whatever she had planned, practically bouncing as we walked. Eventually, as the sun began to set, we reached the top of a cliff overlooking the vast, open landscape of Gensokyo. The sky was tinged with hues of orange and pink, the horizon glowing like a painting.

"Here we are!" Marisa announced with a dramatic flourish, spinning around to face me. "Perfect timing."

I stared at the view in awe, the beauty of it catching me off guard. The vastness of the sky stretched out before us, with the stars just beginning to peek through the fading light. "It's beautiful..."