Tsuki Tsuki Vol 5 Chapter 4

Chapter 04: Most desired Words

On the next day, I received a mail from Hijiri saying “You don’t need to worry about me. Please go with everyone to the festival”.

Kaorun herself was trying to act like always, but while making breakfast she cut her finger with the kitchen knife or she tripped on even grounds, thus unable to hide her agitation.

“Hey, Kaorun.”

“Ehm, Kaorun?”

“Kaoru-sa~n.”

“No, don’t call yourself a corpse.”

“We’re all going to the river now. Do you want to come with us?”

“…We just had dinner, you know? Well, though you didn’t eat much.”

“C’mon, let’s go together. Staying at home won’t solve anything.”

Unable to watch this any longer, I half-forcefully dragged Kaorun with us to the river.

There we decided to wait until evening and invite Kaorun to the festival.

So I hoped that the festival at least would serve as a change of atmosphere.

On top, a large crowd was enlivening the grounds.

Seeing that, everyone had sparkles in their eyes.

“Indeed.”

“Shinobu-sama, please take a closer look at the bottom of the woman in the pink yukata. I dare to say that she is not wearing any underwear.”

Unmeant I followed Kaorun’s look, but

teased by Kaorun, I got red in the face.

There Nazuna came closer with cotton-candy in her hand. Next to her was Elni, playing with a yo-yo balloon in her hand.

“Oh, thanks. I see you got a yo-yo balloon, Elni.”

When I called out to her, Elni proudly showed off her yo-yo balloon. But because she did so too hastily, the balloon slipped out of her hand and burst upon falling onto the ground.

Looking down on the broke balloon, Elni raised a scream.

“Sh- Shinobu~”

“Oh my, you say some clever things, Shinobu-sama.”

On Kaorun’s words, Elni puffed her cheeks lightly and replied.

“…Are you pulling my leg??”

“That’s not what I meant. If you want it, buy some yourself.”

“I’ll give you half of my grilled squid, Shinobu!”

“Yeah, because it’s a calamity to eat too much calamary.”

“…You think so?”

“Brother, Brother. I’ll also share my fried noodles with you!”

Saying my thanks once again, I took the fried noodles from Nazuna, but

“Brother! Shaved ice!”

“Brother, a candied apple!”

…I should give a fair warning here.

“Meow!”

“Then I’ll give my chocolate banana to Luna.”

“Mmg!? E- Elni-chan, such a big banana will not fit. St- Stop. Yahn…”

Like always, Luna was a natural erotic big sister.

“Shinobu-sama, you have cotton-candy stuck to your cheek.”

I replied distracting, since it was embarrassing. I hastily reached out for my cheek.

“Shinobu, not that one, but the other. Should I get it off?”

…No, wait. Damn Kaorun was mimicking me. I should give her a proper warning for once.

“Geez, you’re such a baby.”

A sweet fragrance and the sensation of a warm tongue. Also the warmth from her hand on my shoulder. I looked at Machina stiffly.

She only noticed her own action now, suddenly turned bright red and protested.

“Sh- Shut up! It was said so natural that I ended up doing it on reflex! Besides, Kaoru is at fault for saying such strange stuff!”

I nodded and faced Kaorun together with Machina.

“I’m a Gund*m.”

“Sorry to have bothered you.”

“Right now I’m a Gund*m, but usually I work as maid.”

When I retorted, Elni raised her hand and interjected.

Elni declared proudly for some reason. Then Nazuna also raised her hand and followed up on that.

“Then I work the house chores.”

“In that case, I work as a martial artist. What about you, Machina?”

Seeing Machina at a loss for words, Elni answered in her stead.

“Yes, that’s right. Oho~hoho~! I’ll step on you, so kneel— wait, I’m not a dominatrix! Don’t say weird stuff!”

After Machina pinched Elni’s cheek, she suddenly shifted her gaze onto a target shooting stand.

“A target shooting, as you can see. You stuff a cork bullet into the gun and try to bring down the gifts on the display, so that you’ll get it. …Want to try it?”

“Don’t say that. We’re at a festival, so I don’t think it’s all that bad to act a bid childish. I’ll play too.”

Machina said bashful and stood in front of the target shooting stand with me.

“Shinobu, me too! I might not look like it, but target shooting is my pride!”

Replying so to Elni, I paid the man at the target shooting stand the fee for three people.

On the other hand, Machina, who had claimed it to be a kid’s game, also took up the gun with in a somewhat excited state.

“…I’m not hitting at all.”

Elni puffed her chest full of confidence and took a hundred yen coin out of her pocket. Then she flipped up the coin into the air. At once she aimed the gun and pulled the trigger.

The hundred yen coin made a loud noise and rolled away.

Elni chased after the coin…. tripping midway.

“…She’s such a sad fellow.”

—Well, like that we enjoyed the festival. Suddenly a loud BOOM sounded, as the firework started in the night sky.

“Pretty? My profile is?”

Ignoring my joke with a smile, Nazuna looked up to the night sky.

“Let’s go somewhere, where we can see the fireworks better.”
Upon my suggestion, everyone nodded with a smile…

Leaving the shrine, going for a place with a better view on the fireworks— our feet headed to the nearby riverbed. When we reached the riverbed, there were already plenty of other people, watching the endless flowers blooming in the night sky and smitten by the beautiful sight.

Luna leaked an admiring voice.

Luna seemed to have noticed my gaze, as she shifted her look from the fireworks onto me. Then she smiled.

Her soft smile deeply touched my heart and the roaring of the fireworks seemed so far away.

“What is the matter, Shinobu-san?”

I hastily removed my hand from her cheek and scratched my own cheek distracting.

While I felt my cheeks getting hot, I pretended to watch the fireworks, then looked at Luna once more. …She indeed was beautiful.

Enlightened by the fireworks, everyone looked really pretty. Luna, Machina, Elni, all of them… Mh? Kaorun was missing.

“Hey, where did Kaorun go to?”

“Huh? That’s strange. She was here until just a moment ago…”

Nazuna tilted her head while Machina made a slightly worried face.

“Machina, Kaorun isn’t me, so she won’t get lost.”

On Machina’s question, Elni crossed her arms and pondered, but her expression gradually shifted from cheerful to gloomy. Now both Elni and Machina made a worried face.

“…No good. It won’t connect.”

“I’m going to look for her.”

Soon enough, Elni lined up next to me.

“Shinobu, let’s all split up and search. That way, we’ll find her quicker.”

There I turned around and looked at the other girls.

Luna waved her hand lightly and walked off with Machina and Nazuna.

Thinking that, my chest got hot for some reason and with these warm feelings, I searched for Kaorun in the crowd.

Worrying that Kaorun went off somewhere all by herself, I continued to run under the night sky, which started to get cloudy, without stop together with Elni….

The gloomy riverbed, removed from the crowd. There was Kaorun.

“…What are you doing here all alone?”

Kaorun seemed to have noticed Elni and me, as she wasn’t surprised and slowly shifted her gaze onto us. Then she opened her mouth lightly.

“Scared…of what?”

“…Truth be told, I had intended to return to the Gogyou Household after a full day of fun with you, Shinobu-sama. But you were even kinder than I had anticipated and even the Miss covered for me. Luna-sama, Machina-sama and Elni-sama also treated me kindly. That is why…I became scared.”

“It was a night like this on that day….”

“For as long as I can remember, I was in the exorcist organisation. I did not know the faces of my parents. But, just once, I located my parent’s whereabouts behind the exorcists’ back and tried to meet them.”

“I thought that they might help me. That my kind parents might get me out of here. I believed so at the bottom of my heart. Therefore, I continued to walk for a very long time, not feeling any exhaustion.”

“Strangely enough, no one came after me. Escaping was not an option and even if I tried, I was dragged back immediately, yet not a single one came after me. …Now that I think back on it, it was all too convenient. I am afraid they leaked the information on purpose to make me head for my parents.”

“…I had wanted to get help. I thought my parents would help me. However, upon arriving at my parents’ house, my supposedly mother was innocently smiling with her child. They looked so happy that I also…wanted to be part of it.”

“my mother told me, who had come by so suddenly, ‘What’s wrong, little girl? Where’s your mother? You can’t wander off on your own, you know?’. She said that with a very gentle voice. That is why I couldn not say anything back. I came to realize.”

“That I had no place in this happy family. I was abandoned by my mother and forgotten. Once I realized that, I ran away from my mother. I no longer, had a place to return to….All that was left to me was being a tool.”

“…I no longer remember the face of my mother. What I remember instead is that I walked alone under a pitch-black sky. Under a broad sky without the moon or stars, in a world without colours and sounds, I, who is neither human nor devil, wandered about as left behind….”

“—Ahh, this is my life. Without knowing where to go, continuing to walk all alone. This is me, is what I thought.”

I at least had heard that hybrid devils like Kaorun were treated like tools. But coming to know what it meant in reality….made me freeze on the spot, unable to say anything.

“…From then on, I ceased to think and just lived as a tool. Still, I met the Miss. The Miss, as a first, treating someone like me as a person. She gave me a place to belong to. So I thought that I wanted to stay by her side, become her family, but…”

“Returning to the exorcist organisation will get this denied again. They will tell me that I am a tool and cannot become the Miss’ family. I am scared of that. The closer I get to everyone, the more unbearable is the thought of getting it denied…I am getting so incredible scared.”

Not daring to show tears, she looked down while her shoulders continued to tremble lightly.

—I want to protect her.

I couldn’t stand seeing her like that. I wanted to show her a smile, so I reached out my hand for Kaorun.

Sentiments implied, I gently patted Kaorun’s head.

After patting her head….I gently offered her my hand.

Kaorun looked at my hand for a while, but after a moment of hesitation,

she showed a smile and took my hand.

But on the way, Elni, who had stayed silent the whole time, opened her mouth hesitantly.

Kaorun stopped upon these words and Elni continued while looking at her sadly.

Elni’s tone was a mixture of gloominess and sadness.

But after a short silence, she said quietly.

“…It’ll hurt because you still feel for your parents, even now, right? Because you still believe in them. Even with such a faint hope, it’ll always hunt you. Keeping it vaguely won’t save you. You properly have to find… an answer.”

“Humans are bound to die one day. You don’t know if that will happen tomorrow or in a year. This might sound extreme, but you might not ever see her again if you don’t meet her tomorrow. If you have something to ask of her, it’s better that you hear the truth from her mouth.”

“If you’re too scared, you can take Shinobu with you. Shinobu is reliable, so he’ll help if something happens. You also have Hijiri. You have a proper place to return to, Kaorun. Don’t pay any mind to what others say. Just believe in Hijiri’s words, that you are her family.”

Kaorun seemed troubled, but looking at me, she asked worried.

The answer was obvious.

I replied with a big nod.

Determined like that, I once again patted Kaorun’s head.

Probably because the fireworks had ended, the riverbed had turned quietly, as if the earlier crowd had never been there.

Amidst that, Elni broke the ice.

“Look into it, you can actually do that?”

“I’m a Goddess after all. I have a few friends amongst the exorcists. I think, I’ll know about it soon enough.”

I was somewhat surprised. Kaorun smiled softly and said.

“I see. Then how about dropping by tomorrow or so?”

On Elni’s words, Kaorun showed a bewildered expression.

“Make hay while the sun shines, right? If it’s close by, you better go quickly. You’ll only suffer when you delay it.”

Kaorun nodded, but her expression was gloomy and she continued to walk once again wordless.

Kaorun showed a slightly surprised expression, but returned the squeeze of hands with a smile. So we three headed for the other girls at the shrine while holdings hands.

…At night, I went out into the garden of the holiday house and called Hijiri.

“Hijiri? Where are you right now?”

“That your father is there means… something happened?”

When I asked worried, Hijiri answered quietly.

“Scared?”

Hijiri’s voice trembled.

“Whatever it is, Kaorun won’t hate you for it. Everyone can tell on a glance that she loves you. So hurry up and come back.”

There I opened my mouth to change the topic.

The moment I said that, I could hear a gasp through the phone.

“No, Elni suggested it. Kaorun seemed to be hesitant, but decided to go anyway. I’ll tag along, so if you like, you also—”

Hijiri cut into my words with a small voice. She added a “…Sorry”.

I asked with a firm tone, but Hijiri wouldn’t answer me.

“Hijiri, I have a favour to ask.”

“Kaorun might come back hurt after meeting her parents. Therefore, I want you to tell her then that she’s your family.”

“Of course. That’s what Kaorun wants.”

“…Thanks, Shinobu-kun. Can I entrust Kaoru-san to you tomorrow?”

Replying in a soft tone, I ended the call with Hijiri.

“Shinobu-san?”

I turned around and there stood Luna.

“Well, just…”

“Just now, I heard from Elni-chan. That you are going with Kaoru-san to meet her parents tomorrow…”

“No, she did not tell me anything. But I could tell by watching Kaoru-san that something had happened. And that she is worried about meeting her parents. …But even though I noticed that, I… ended up feeling jealous.”

A faint pain ran through my chest on that word.

“…Have you ever felt like seeing your mother?”

“Ever since I was small, I have always been wondering how my mother looks like, what her voice is like or how she smiles. And I believed that she was a gentle, smiling person, that she had a reason for abandoning me.”

“But everyone except me knew my mother. Saying ‘The whore disappeared and left a troublesome kid behind’, they all talked bad about my mother. It seems my mother was hated by everyone.”

“I thought that at least I had to love my mother. I decided to take her side, since being only hated would be too sad. That’s why I still love my mother, even now. If I could meet her…I would like to do so.”

…I found it stupid. She should just curse her and cry. But, even more so, my chest became hot from sadness. The forced smile on her profile strangulated my heart.

So I gently reached out my hand and embraced Luna.

Because she was a devil, she would get abandoned again if she caused trouble.

So I should tell her once and for all.

Along with my words, I tightly embraced Luna.

While I felt Luna’s warm body, I thought.

Luna and Kaorun were always walking a step behind and watching us.

Still, both Luna and Kaorun were reaching out their hands.

If we held them dear, we had to do this….or the distance between us would never by bypassed.

It wasn’t my role to grab Kaorun’s extended hand. The only one who could grab Kaorun’s hand and pull her along was… Hijir.
…When I suddenly looked up to the night sky, I saw two small stars twinkle mellow in the clouded sky.

—This is my parents’ house. Like that Kaorun guided me inside, where an adorable maid greeted us with a “Welcome, Master, Milady”.

“—Wait, this is just a maid café!”

Kaorun continued half-wearily.

“Well, I was indeed interested. But, today we came to meet your parents, right? You said it’s close to the holiday house, but you didn’t mean this café, did you?”

For a moment a shadow dropped over her expression, then Kaorun opened her mouth with “More importantly, Shinobu-sama” to change the topic.

“A pervert and a gentleman?”

“Fufufu.”

We laughed dubious, then the waitress (maid) approached our table in a bit frightened state with our orders.

“Write ‘Pervert Maid’ on hers please.”

“Well then, please write ‘Pervert Gentleman’ for this man.”

The waitress was perplexed by our unexpected answers. However, she really write what we told her and then left quickly.

“Yes. Moreover, she did not cast a deliciousness-increasing spell on it.”

“Well then, you cast the spell instead then please, Shinobu-sama.”

“…Enough of that. Please cast the spell properly.”

When I replied as such, the expressionless Kaorun formed a heart with both her hands

and chanted the spell.

“…Please wait a moment. You promised to do it as well, Shinobu-sama.”

“Ignored? You take pleasure in putting me to shame, do you not? As expected of a perverted gentleman.”

“I am not that perverted.”

“Incidentally, Shinobu-sama, I heard that the Chinese mindset of a balanced meal to prevent illness implicates the traditional medicine that eating liver is good for your liver and that eating heart is good for you heart.”

“Going by that theory, when I eat this omelette rice, I would turn into a ‘Pervert Maid’, would I not?”

“…Next time, I will serve you an omelette rice with ‘Boob Alien’ written on it, Shinobu-sama.”

“I will let you touch them. Though only if you marry the Miss, that is.”

Like that I ate my omelette rice while chatting with Kaorun, but Kaorun ordered a dessert after finishing her omelette rice and was reluctant to leave the store.

Kaorun was more talkative than usual and avoided the topic of her parents. But we couldn’t stay here forever.

“About time we go.”

“No.”

“There’s no poin tin delaying it any further. I’m with you, so be brave.”

Then we left the maid café and drove in Kaorun’s car for a while, when we got onto a peaceful residential street.

That fact pierced my chest hurtful.

“…It’s here?”

“Don’t worry. I’m with you.”

Probably in middle school? It was a cute girl in a school uniform.

“Do you need something?”

I answered with a glance to the nameplate, whereupon the girl energetically shouted “Mom, you have a guest!” inside the house. Then she approached us while leaving the front door open, gave us a bow with a smile and left for some place.

“Hello.”

Shifting back my gaze to the front door, there stood a beautiful woman, smiling gently.

But she was completely different from the image I had of her in my head. She appeared really kind and nothing like a person that would abandon her own child.

“Ehm, nice to meet you, I guess?”

Instantly, Ayaka-san lowered her head with a sorry expression.

“…No memories?”

“The doctor said it’s ‘Memory Loss’. He encouraged me with ‘They might return some day’, but I still don’t remember anything.”

Upon Kaorun’s cracked voiced question, Ayaka-san put her index finger on her cheek and answered.

Saying so remembering, Ayaka-san invited us inside the house with “Would you like to talk inside?”.

…How was Kaorun feeling right now? And what was going through Ayaka-san’s head?

Her look was quite gentle. But, Kaorun absolutely avoided to look into these eyes.

I couldn’t take the long silence, so I opened my mouth. Ayaka-san nodded a “Yes” with a smile.

…Her father, huh. Since she also forgot about Kaorun, it was safe to assume that Ayaka-san’s current husband was a different man than Kaorun’s father.

When I asked to confirm, Ayaka-san shook her head.

Ayaka-san told us happily, but in contrast, Kaorun’s expression got gloomier.

Even if she expected it already, it surely wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

…There might have been no meaning in coming here.

Because she painfully realized that fact, Kaorun couldn’t say anything.

Despite that, Ayaka-san didn’t seem offended by it and showed a gentle smile. And while still wearing that gentle smile, she opened her mouth as she remembered.

“…My name is Kaoru.”

“The fragrance of a soft wind, the fragrance of the fresh green leaves, the fragrance of blooming flowers, at the time of that sweet smell…because you were with me…the world seemed more beautiful…So, the child will…”

“…Hey, when did I met you? Right now, I remembered a bit of my past. My words just now, someone….someone really precious told them to me.”

“You see, it seems I gave birth to a child before I lost my memories. Could it be, you are—-”

Shaking off the reaching out hand,

Kaorun denied strongly.

“Indeed. You really…. say some… strange things.”

Before I could bring up anything,

Kaorun stood up. Without any time to stop her, she left the living room. Soon enough I chased after her, whereupon Ayaka-san called out to Kaorun.

On these words, Kaorun bit down on her lips while her shoulders trembled lightly. But as she couldn’t endure it, she slowly turned around and reached out her hand for Ayaka-san.

Only I could hear that squeezed out word.

Ayaka-san asked back while tilting her head.

Yet, Kaorun slowly put down her extended hand and turned her back to Ayaka-san.

Leaving behind just that, Kaorun grabbed my hand and ran out escaping.

“Was that alright? She’s your mother. Why didn’t you admit it?”

This woman. That way of calling was just too sad.

That were most likely Kaorun’s true feelings. But, was she content with just protecting it? Was she really content with not being able to touch that smiling face or feeling the warmth of her mother?

“Shinobu-sama, just seeing that smile is enough for me.”

I couldn’t say anything more and just returned to the car while firmly holding her hand.

The man had a finely chiselled face like an actor, but had a sharp glint in his eyes and a strict appearance. His whole body emitted an aura of dignity.

Asked by the man, I nodded for now.

After that short self-introduction, Sougo-san faced Kaorun.

Upon this soft-toned question, Kaorun looked down and lightly shook her head.

Sougo-san made a faint sigh and after a short hesitation, he opened his mouth.

Instantly, Kaorun raised her head and her eyes rocked in confusion.

“Your father was a devil named Kyoura. He took the lives of many humans. Even famous exorcists were killed by him. But in the confrontation with us, he lost his own live. Not because we were stronger. But rather because he protected the infant you, without killing anyone.”

“At his death, Kyoura said: ‘At least save this child’. He was a proud devil, but he lowered his and pleaded to a human. Your father, protected you until the end.”

“Originally, you, who inherited the blood of a strong devil, should have been disposed off. However, against all opposition, Sougo-san let you live. That alone should have been enough, yet he even took you in a few years later. …The reason you are alive is because of Sougo-san’s efforts. Gratitude is the least you—-”

Sougo-san quietly cut into Tachibana-san’s words, then pulled out something from his pocket and held it out to Kaorun.

What he held out was a small, white envelope. That envelope had dark red spots everywhere.

“…A letter?”

Upon that, tears gradually dwelled up in Kaorun’s eyes.

When I asked softly, Kaorun wiped her dwelled up tears and started to read out the letter aloud.

“Kaoru, when you read this letter, I’m no longer in this world. So I believe I have to tell you, my daughter, properly.

But, the worthless guy I was, your mother, Ayaka still loved me. She granted me, a devil, warmth for a first time.

However, Ayaka is different. You, Kaoru, are different. You are different from me and should become happy.

So Ayaka won’t remember you.

Same for me. When you were born, for the first time I knew how it is to cry of happiness. What happiness is. How wonderful life is.

When that happens, you’ll be under the control of their organisation. It’ll be hard and you might stop resisting against being used as a tool.

However, your life is my salvation.

Kyoura.”

After finishing reading out the letter, Kaorun pressed the paper lovingly onto her chest.

“…Kaoru-san, we are responsible for the death of your father. So I thought it’s only natural for you to hate us. I thought that we had no right to become your family. But, still—”

“I won’t give up on you! I love you, Kaoru-san! Love you so much! I want you to stay with me! I know I’m being selfish. I’m sure I’m pretty selfish. But, I don’t want you to be gone, Kaoru-san! I still want you to be a sister to me from now on!”

That hand, without any hesitation, was grabbed by Kaorun. Clinging onto Hijiri with her shoulders trembling and sobbing….Kaorun cried.

…Ah, right.

—The person for Kaorun to fawn over wasn’t her mother, but Hijiri.

But even if she couldn’t fawn over her own mother, even if she couldn’t see her anymore, Kaorun had Hijiri with her. She had a family with Hijiri.

Looking at Hijiri and Kaorun embracing each other, I really considered them to be sisters.

“Nanjou-kun, I heard about you from Hijiri and Kaoru. ….You seem strong.”

I lightly shook my hand, but Tachibana-san interjected with a smile.

“I see. No wonder that he has such a good look then. That’s a rocking pair of eyes.”

Sougo-san said somewhat happily, then opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“None.”

But Sougo-san grabbed me at my shoulders and said.

…Huh? For Sougo-san, the marriage of Hijiri and me was already a determined matter? …This situation was extremely bad. Seeking help, I faced Hijiri and Kaorun.

“Shinobu-kun, come over now. I’ll help you with your training.”

I had not a single ally here.

“Well then, come over once you went back. Kaoru and Tachibana can bring everyone over with the cars. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

Actually, I became a bit interested in it. But when we got back to the holiday house, Sougo-san’s expression twisted when he saw Elni and turning on his heels, he went back to the car.

“Ohh, I knew it, it’s you, Sougo. It’s been a while.”

“Don’t be so cold. I’ll tell your wife about that.”

Apparently, Elni was acquainted with Sougo-san.

However, it seemed that Sougo-san had a weakness with Elni. When Elni declared that she was coming along with me to the Gogyou mansion, Sougo-san said “Make it some other time” hastily and after taking us home, he went home.
—Well, like that, the short life at the holiday house came to an end.

The night after coming back from the holiday house, I was laying absent-minded on my own bed.

“Good evening, Shinobu-sama.”

“Shinobu-sama, just like Santa Claus comes in through the chimney, I come in through the window. Please do not give it too much thought.”

“Eh? Stealing your heart?”

When I straightened up my upper body and asked, Kaorun answered with a slightly serious expression.

“Information?”

“No, wait a sec. Wasn’t Sougo-san going to do something about that?”

“…Don’t tell me, something happened?”

“…Why? The special training is hard, isn’t it? Why would you specially go there then?”

“Another reason?”

Saying so, Kaorun smiled lightly.

“…I see. I’m looking forward to that.”

“Now that’s a deal! Come back quickly and show off your wonderful maidness.”

“…So, I have a little favour to ask of you, Shinobu-sama. May I have your permission?”

“I will allow myself to do so then. Uhm, when I return safely…would you please grant me a reward? I am still a bit uneasy, so I believe I can give my best with that…”

When I asked, Kaorun turned bright red up to her ears and looked down.

She answered with a quiet voice.

“It is fine. That alone is enough for me.”

“I had never known that having your head gently petted by a man could feel so pleasant and made me so happy…”

“With such a reward, I can overcome anything.”

My cheeks turned hot from the embarrassment, but I replied with a firm nod.

“Uhm, I feel bad for only asking favours of you, so I would like to thank you in some way, also considering the latest case…”

“Th- Then I will merely express my feelings of gratitude.”

Instantly, a sweet fragrance tickled my nasal cavity.

And I felt a warm and soft sensation on my cheek.

It took me a few seconds to realize that.

“…Your ears are bright red, Kaorun.”

“Th- They are not red or anything. You are imagining that. It is a misjudgement. You merely are under that impression. It is also late at night, so I will excuse myself. Good night, Shinobu-sama!”

I softly called out to her.

“Th- That I cannot do! When I hear your voice, I will get aroused!”

After I thought how she couldn’t be honest like always, I made a wry smile, just when Kaorun turned around slowly and said reminding with her cheeks still red.

“Yeah, I won’t. So give it your all.”

Nodding firmly, Kaorun showed a smile.

Watching Kaorun leave through the window, I once again lay down on my bed and closed my eyes…

Chapter end