Chapter 01: First Selfishness?
After driving with the car for around an hour, we arrived at Shirosaki Adventure Land. It was a huge theme park that combined an amusement park and an aquarium.
As it was summer vacation, it was filled with families and couples even on a weekday. Kaorun told me “I will go park the car, so please go ahead of me”, so I watched over the other guest at the entrance all alone.
…Kaorun, hurry up.
I felt uncomfortable, when a woman with her semi-short flattering approached me.
That woman had a well-proportioned figure like a model, wore a sleeveless shirt with a necktie and the beautiful, long legs peeking out of her short skirt were honey for my eyes.
She was a fascinating beauty.
…But on a closer look, that beauty turned out to be Kaorun.
She didn’t wear her maid clothes, so I didn’t recognize her for a moment.
“Forgive me, Nanjou-sama, I made you wait…”
“Nah, it’s fine… But I see you have changed.”
Seeing Kaorun in casual clothes was a fresh feeling and to be honest, she was pretty. That was why I unintentionally stared at her.
“Nanjou-sama, even if you stare that much, my clothes will not become transparent from it. Also, please stop your dirty gaze. How will you take responsibility when I get aroused?”
Kaorun said so easily killing the mood with her usual expressionless.
“…Don’t worry, no one is looking at you with such eyes. Shouldn’t you get your head and eyes checked?”
“You sure speak rudely. Your mouth needs to get checked, Nanjou-sama. And your eyes too. Not to forget to mention your visage, facies and face.”
“Visage, facies and face all mean the same. Don’t hurt me by splitting it in three terms.”
While saying that, I placed a light chop on Kaorun’s head.
Upon that, Kaorun made a slightly uneasy expression and asked.
“Could it possible be that you are dissatisfied that I am not wearing my maid clothes, Nanjou-sam?”
“…Huh? Why would you suddenly mention that?”
“Well, you have a maid fetish, so I believed that you would like to take me around in maid clothes and boast about it.”
“…Actually, I don’t want to be associated with a perverted maid, so please walk away from me.”
“You hurt me so easily!?”
Kaorun puffed her cheeks a bit in a pouting manner.
“Nanjou-sama, when you only say indifferent things like that, I will never call you ‘Master’, no matter how much you beg me for it.”
“I don’t have a maid fetish, so that’s fine by me. And should I ever want to be called that by someone, I would ask Luna for it.”
“…Is that so. I knew it, that person is my rival.”
Kaorun regarded Luna as her rival. But to be honest, compared to the real maid Kaorun, I got the feeling that Luna was far more competent as a maid. I believed that being called “Master” by Luna in maid clothes would ease my heart.
Well, these delusions aside, we came all the way to an amusement park, so we shouldn’t stand and talk here forever, but hurry up inside.
“C’mon, stop the jokes and let’s go inside.”
Urging her like that, I headed to the ticket office together with Kaorun. There we got two free passes from the tickets I got from my mother and went through the entrance gate.
The park was rather broad and I saw a lot of attractions like a merry-go-round, a ferries wheel and a rollercoaster.
“Anything particular you want to ride, Kaorun?”
Like a true gentleman, I asked for the lady’s opinion.
But the lady in question, Kaorun didn’t listen, as she only stared at a nearby family.
I casually looked at the family too, when a little girl spoiled took the hands of her parents and adorable pestered them about wanting to ride this and that.
The parents of the girl accepted it, as they matched their pace to the girl’s and slowly walked towards an attraction.
Kaorun watched that scene somewhat envious.
“…Kaorun?”
When I called out to her once more, Kaorun hastily averted her eyes from the little girl.
“What’s up?”
“…No, it is nothing. Let us hurry.”
Kaorun said covering up and walked away with fast steps.
Kaorun’s unusual behaviour felt out of place to me, but I didn’t say anything and followed after her.
After a while, Kaorun stopped and pointed at the merry-go-round.
“Nanjou-sama, let us ride that.”
“Mhm~ Riding the merry-go-round at our age is a bit embarrassing…”
I was hesitant, when Kaorun gently fondled my chin and showed a charming smile.
“Please abandon your shame here, Nanjou-sama.”
“…And you have a bit of shame.”
I replied wearily, when Kaorun frowned sullen.
“That sounds as if I do not possess any shame. You are being rude, Nanjou-sama. I am a maiden of radiant youth, unlike you, Nanjou-sama.”
“Well, I am a boy… Besides, if you want to ride the merry-go-round, then go alone. I’ll watch from here.”
“…Eh? To say ’If you want to do it, do it by yourself. I’ll watch you curiously from here’…Nanjou-sama, you are a pervert beyond help. What do you take a merry-go-round for? It is not a ridged wooden horse, you know?”
Kaorun said so with red cheeks.
The gazes from those around me hurt a lot.
“…I get it. I’ll ride it together with you. So stop telling weird jokes.”
“You should have been honest right from the beginning. You certainly are a tsundere, Nanjou-sama.”
“…Just to tell you, I won‘t get dere for you.”
“Is that so. A tsuntsun Nanjou-sama just for me.”
While we talked like that, Kaorun and I headed for the merry-go-round.
There I watched over the wooden horses and stood in front of a white horse that caught my eye.
“Oh, what a fantastic fur. I have decided! I’ll bet all my possession on this horse!”
“Daddy, stop with the horse racing already! Get a grip and work properly!”
“Shut up! Back out, little girl. The next one will win big!”
Playing along with the joke, I softly shook off the teary Kaorun. Then I mounted gallantly the horse. After that I showed refreshing smile and held out my hand to Kaorun.
“Okay, your hand please, Mademoiselle.”
“…Uhm, Nanjou-sama, please decide on either being stupid or cool.”
I was cautioned by Kaorun, so I pondered for a moment, then
“Don’t worry, Kaoru.”
I said loudly with a cool smile.
“When I win today, the debt is gone!”
“You choose the stupid one here!?”
The surprised Kaorun glared at me with half-opened eyes.
“Nanjou-sama, when you fool around too much, you will not be popular with the women. Please say something romantic once in a while.”
“Oh, then I should have said “Here, my Princess” and mounted you on the horse with a princess-carry?”
“…If you had done that, I would have made a roar of laughter without a doubt.”
Yeah and I would have gotten infected and laugh with her together.
“Well, romantic remarks don’t suit me. Give up on it.”
“Indeed. Brute remarks suit you better, Nanjou-sama.”
“…What? You’re quite cocky for a maid. Then lewd remarks suit you, dirty swine.”
Since she told me that they suited me, I made a brute comment.
Upon that Kaorun coloured her cheeks red and averted her eyes from me.
“…That was unexpected, so I got aroused a bit.”
“Uhm, I don’t want anyone to think that I know you, so sit away from me, okay.”
“No.”
Kaorun replied with a smile and mounted the horse next to me.
Then the starting signal sounded and with a rhythmical melody, the merry-go-round started to move slowly.
Upon that, the nearby kids showed a smile, but I couldn’t join the children’s naivety and felt only shame.
Within all that, Kaorun watched over the slowly spinning scenery and said quietly.
“…Having fun at an amusement park like this feels like a dream to me.”
“What an exaggeration. You surely have come to an amusement park before?”
I asked with a casual tone. Kaorun shook her head and answered.
“Today is my first time at an amusement park.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. Truth be told, as a child I admired amusement parks, though only for a little bit.”
Saying that, Kaorun narrowed her eyes and laughed.
At that time, I suddenly remembered the story Hijiri had told me before.
Kaorun, born a half-breed between a human and a devil, was being treated like a tool by the exorcists, is what Hijiri told me.
Most likely, Kaorun had only seen amusement parks on TV or in manga.
She herself claimed it to be “only for a little bit”, but… I guess she was actually envious of it? That also might be the reason why she stared so intensely at the family from earlier.
Upon thinking that, I felt my own expression stiffening up.
Still, I clenched my fist and forced myself to smile.
“Then enjoy yourself to the fullest, so that your first visit will become a good memory. If I’m good enough for it, I’ll assist you.”
So I said softly to Kaorun.
Upon that Kaorun was a bit surprised, then a smile bloomed on her face.
While looking at that smile, I thought.
Let Kaorun have a blast today.
* * *
After getting off the rollercoaster, Kaorun and I reached our hands out for our mouth nearly at the same time. …Before we had set the condition of “Whoever screams first, has to pay for the ice-cream”, so we continued to ride attractions with a scream-tendency, but neither of us would give in.
There we decided to ride the Shirosaki Adventure Park’s famous attraction, the huge rollercoaster as a final amusement.
To be honest, both, Kaorun and I underestimated it.
But the warning sign “People with a weak heart please refrain from riding” of the rollercoaster wasn’t just for show and while we didn’t scream, we certainly felt groggy.
“…I feel a bit sick.”
“Nanjou-sama, the world is turning around me. When did I become such an important existence?”
“That’s a rotation dizziness caused by the abnormal semicircular canals. In other words, a misperception.”
I puffed my chest with a “After all”.
“The world turns around me.”
“…I believe that is a misperception too.”
“Well, yeah.”
I nodded and slowly staggered onwards like Kaorun.
“Anyway, in the end our bet could not be settled.”
“…I’m fine with having lost.”
Kaorun said somewhat regretful. I continued while looking sideways.
“Treating you to an ice-cream isn’t much.”
“…Nanjou-sama, my affection points just increased a lot.”
“You sure are mercenary…”
Inadvertently I made a wry smile.
“But well, you’re a hidden conquest character, so raising your affection points is useless.”
“That is not true. My conquest route can be triggered by your own feelings, Nanjou-sama.”
…Mh? By my own feelings? Somehow I got the feeling though that she previously said it depends on money…well, whatever.
I shrugged my shoulders and ignored Kaorun’s words.
Then I suddenly heard various footsteps approaching from behind.
“—Kaorun-san!”
A dignified voice sounded.
When I turned around, there stood the black-haired, cool beauty, Gogyou Hijiri.
Next to her were Luna, Machina, Elni and even my little sister Nazuna.
“Why are you all here…?”
Hijiri took one step forwards, responding to my surprised self.
“Shinobu-kun, I had a matter to discuss with Kaoru-san—”
“Hey, Maid! I heard from Elni! What’s this stuff about a trip to Paradise Lost!”
“I believe such an excessive relationship is not good!”
Not letting Hijiri finish her sentence, Machina and Luna shouted displeased.
Upon that Elni and Nazuna followed after them.
“Shinobu! It’s a good chance, so let’s have fun together!”
“Brother, I want to ride the Ferris wheel!”
…Apparently Elni and Nazuna were only here for the fun.
Amongst them, Hijiri said reserved.
“Uhm, everyone, I have to discuss an important matter with Kaoru-san. So could you stay quiet for just a little moment?”
The moment Hijiri said so pleading— Kaorun took my hand and ran away.
“Ah, Brother and the maid are running away!”
“Fufu, a game of tag, I see. Fine—I’ll wait for three minutes.”
“What leisure stuff are you spouting, Elni! We’re chasing after them now!”
And even faster than Nazuna, Elni and Machina, who said that,
“Wh- Why are you running away, Kaoru-san!”
“Please wait, Shinobu-san!”
Hijiri and Luna came chasing after us.
On the other hand, Kaorun didn’t let go off my hand and continue to run without looking back. We entered a game center in the park and hide ourselves in the shadow of a crane game, where we breathed low.
….Mh, I ended up following without any real sign of resistance, but why was Kaorun running away from Hijiri?
Doubtful, I quietly called out to Kaorun.
“Was that alright? I mean, not listening to Hijiri.”
“Presently I am on a date with you, Nanjou-sama, so I will hear out her matter later on.”
“Eh? On a date? You seriously wanted to go on a date with me?”
“Yes. The reason to why I changed into casual clothes, was for that too.”
…Oh crap. I didn’t notice that at all.
“But why suddenly a date?”
“…As a matter of fact, when I observed the Miss and you and your date before, I came to want to experience the thing called date too.”
“I, I see…”
I was perplexed by the faintly blushing Kaorun and questioned further.
“But, why with me? As a beauty as yourself, you shouldn’t be short on other partners.”
“That is not true.”
Shaking her head lightly,
“You are about the only man that is willing to hang out with a devil as myself.”
Kaorun answered with a weak voice.
These words made my chest sting.
So I reached out my hand for Kaorun and gently patted her head.
“…Ehm, what are you doing out of the blue?”
“Well, just thinking what an honour it is to get a date with such a beauty.”
“N- Na- Nan- Nanjou-sama, that joke was not all that funny.”
On a rare occasion, Kaorun turned bright red.
While patting Kaorun’s head, I declared firmly.
“It wasn’t a joke just now. I’m happy to be on a date with you, Kaorun.”
“…Eh? Uh- Uhm, that is…”
Kaorun turned even redder. I continued softly.
“Besides, I told you that you should have a blast to make your first visit here a good memory. If you’re fine with me, I’ll tag along until the end.”
“…Are you telling the truth?”
“A handsome gentleman doesn’t lie.”
As always, I couldn’t stay serious until the end, since it was embarrassing.
Looking at me, Kaorun said with a sigh.
“…Uhm, that is not really convincing when said by a person, who is neither handsome, nor a gentleman.”
“I’m going home! The handsome gentleman is going home now!”
Shouting resentful, I stood up.
Upon that, Kaorun hastily clung onto my arm.
Instantly, her well-shaped beautiful breasts softly bended on my upper arm and the just right elasticity and warmth of her breasts was transferred through my arm.
That alone made me lose my composure, but Kaorun clung to me even stronger and said anxious.
“I am sorry, Nanjou-sama. I was just fooling around. I will apologize, so please do not leave.”
“Y- Yeah. I was just kidding too, so don’t worry. Anyway, get away quickly. We’re standing out and when they find—”
Before I could say it would be bad, I made eye-contact with Elni and Nazuna, who were walking along the passage inside the game center. Both of them came over with a smile when they noticed me.
“Shinobu~”
“Brother~”
Raising their voices, they came to cling to me just like that.
There I agile dodged their embrace, when Elni and Nazuna turned around at the same time and both showed a puzzled expression.
But soon enough their smiles returned and try tried to cling to me once more.
However, I couldn’t afford to be caught here, so I dodged them again.
As a result, tears started to dwell up in Elni and Nazuna’s eyes.
“You dodged twice, Shinobu! So mean! This is bullying!”
“Yeah! Bullying! Brother, bullying isn’t cool!”
“Wait, don’t make hasty conclusions. That wasn’t bullying. It’s my form of communication.”
“I don’t want such bad communication!”
“Yep, yep! Is there any love in it!?”
Elni asked that and I replied suited.
“A little bit, I think.”
“Then it’s fine!”
…It was fine.
I was a bit surprised, when Nazuna reserved pulled on Elni’s sleeve.
“El-chan, that’s not good. I’m sure Brother has lost his love for us. We have to work hard to get it back.”
“…Nazuna, don’t worry. I haven’t really lost the love. It’s always in my heart. What I lost is my fury.”
When I answered like that, Elni nodded in agreement.
“Certainly, I think you have become a bit more calm compared to when I first met you, Shinobu. But, are you fine with that? Regain your former self! Where has Shinomun gone to!?”
“Shinomun has graduated. From now on I’ll live with love, agony and encouragement as my selling points. And with that, farewell.”
While saying so, I took Kaorun’s hand, turned my back to the two of them and started walking.
“…Ah, Brother is running away again.”
“Shinobu! I’m tired of playing tag! Play with us too!”
Right away Nazuna and Elni gave chase, but I apologized to them in my heart and quickly sprinted outside, dragging Kaorun behind me. I increased the pace and continued to flee from them.
In the middle of this situation, Kaorun said somewhat happily.
“Like this, it is just like we are eloping.”
“Hey, don’t fool around and run. Let’s shake these two off quickly and resume our date.”
“Yes.”
Kaorun returned my squeeze of the hand firmly and nodded with a faint smile.
…For a while Kaorun and I walked around the park, but with a good timing we could mix into the crowd and let Elni and Nazuna pass by.
I watched them walk into the distant, then I treated Kaorun to an ice-cream like previously promised. We settled down on a bench.
There we caught our breath, when Kaorun pointed to a nearby attraction—The haunted house.
“Nanjou-sama, let us go inside the haunted house next.”
Along with her words, Kaorun suddenly linked arms with me.
“Wh- Why so suddenly?”
“Well, we are on a date, so I believe this extent is only normal.”
Replying nonchalant, Kaorun walked, dragging me along as we still linked arms.
While agitated by the squishy elasticity of her breasts that stimulated my upper arm, I clad myself in composure and followed Kaorun.
Then, at that moment.
“—So here you are.”
I heard a sharp voice from behind my back.
That voice was Machina’s. That meant… The girls found us?
With these thoughts, I sighed and turned around.
“…Huh? What about the others? You got separated?”
“No. We split up in two groups to search for you. I met with Elni, but she ran off somewhere saying ‘Shinobu won’t play with me, so I’m going to watch the hero show’…”
While saying so, Machina frowned and glared at Kaorun.
“Anyway, why are you walking around while linking arms with Shinobu? Hurry up and get away from him.”
“I do not want to. I am on a date with Nanjou-sama right now. Please do not interfere.”
Kaorun firmly rejected the approaching Machina.
Upon that, Machina was surprised with a “D- Date?” and draw closer to me for some reason.
“Hey, Shinobu! What this date stuff about! You won’t ever do that for me, but you go on a date with this maid?”
“No, well, what can I say…”
Overwhelmed by Machina, I prevaricated.
Seeing Machina like that, Kaorun said teasingly.
“Could it be, you are being jealous, Machina-sama?”
Instantly, Machina’s cheeks turned red.
“Wh- What are you suddenly bringing up! Th- There’s no way I would get jealous over someone like Shinobu!”
“…’Someone like’ sure is a mean phrasing. Do you hate Nanjou-sama, Machina-sama?”
“I didn’t say a single word about hating him!”
Machina raised her voice, whereupon Kaorun laughed quietly and replied.
“Then, you like Nanjou-sama after all?”
“Yes. —No, wait! Why does it have to be one of them? Rather than like or hate, well, I…”
“It is just that your body cannot help but get hot?”
“Yep, yep. When I think of Shinobu at night, I become—wait, no! Don’t make me say perverted stuff!”
Machina showed her special trait of getting tricked and retorting. Kaorun once again said teasingly.
“Truth be told, you are doing perverted things at night when you think of Nanjou-sama, right?”
“D- Don’t be stupid! I haven’t done that yet!”
“…Yet? That means, you have plans to do so in the future?”
“No! Of course I don’t! Don’t say weird stuff!”
While her head turned bright red, Machina desperately denied.
Kaorun ignored Machina and pulled on my arm.
“Nanjou-sama, let us ignore the perverted tsundere and continue with our date.”
“Who are you calling a perverted tsundere! And I won’t let that date happen!”
“…Grr. Why are you interfering?”
When Kaorun asked displeased. Machina took my hand and answered.
“When Shinobu is with a perverted maid like you, he might stray off the right path! Even Tomoe-san said ‘Shinobu is weak against maids, so I’m worried that he might do something strange’ and drove us here with the car!”
…Yeah, I was now aware that the girls came here to the amusement park with the help of my mother.
However, who are you calling weak against maids and will do strange things, is what I strongly wanted to declare.
“…Machina, where is that Tomoe-san now? I have something to tell her.”
“Tomoe-san went to a nearby café. She said she’ll continue with her job.”
While answering, Machina strongly pulled on my hand.
“More importantly, Shinobu, let’s get back together with everyone. Hijiri too, is looking for this maid.”
“Ehm…”
I promised to tag along with Kaorun today… What to do?
When I was troubled on how to react, Kaorun sighed and said.
“Nanjou-sama, any further escape seems impossible at this point. Let us regroup with everyone.”
“….You sure?”
“Yes. I enjoyed the amusement park plenty already. I am satisfied.”
Opposite to her words, Kaorun made a somewhat regretful expression.
So I said proposing.
“Then let’s enter the haunted house lastly and then go to everyone else. You wait here, Machina.”
“…Eh? Wh- Why are you leaving me behind? You want to be all alone with the maid that bad?”
“No, that’s not it. You’re bad with ghosts, right? Will you be fine?”
I hastily asked Machina, who made a lonely face for some reason.
Upon that, Machina strongly squeezed my hand.
“S- Surely, I’m scared, but I’ll be fine together with you. I’m coming along.”
“Ehm, you don’t really have to force yourself when you’re scared, you know?”
“Sh- Shut up! I want to stay with you! C’mon, let’s go!”
Machina said angrily and walked away, pulling on my hand. Right away, Kaorun followed after us and we three entered the haunted house.
The haunted house was an ominous Japanese style building and gave off an eerie aura. Furthermore, the interior was built rather genuine and mixed into a creepy BGM, you could even hear mysterious voices that were hard to differentiate between screams and groans.
…It really felt like something would appear.
I got a bad feeling. Then Machina’s hand squeezed tightly onto mine.
She was scared after all, as her little hand was shaking.
There Kaorun opened her mouth with a slightly quiet tone.
“…By the way, Machina-sama, are you aware that a person went missing in a haunted house?”
“I, I don’t! Actually, don’t bring that up here…!”
Ignoring Machina’s words, Kaorun started talking in a somewhat gloomy tone.
“Apparently it was a day of summer vacation, just like today. A certain girl—- Machina-san came to the amusement park with her friends to play…”
“H- Hey, why does the girl have the same name as me!”
“A mere coincidence.”
Sleekly replying to the flustered Machina, Kaorun continued her story.
“That girl, Machina-san was weak against ghosts, but in front of her friends she played tough saying ’I can enter something like a haunted house all by myself!’ and thus went into the haunted house all alone. Her friends sent her off with a wry smile and waited for her return.”
Somehow, the girl in the story seemed to resemble Machina quite a lot…Was it deliberate? I became doubtful, but didn’t interjected and listened to Kaorun’s story.
“Her friends continued to wait for her. However, no matter how long they waited, Machina-san did not come back. So her friends became worried and searched for her inside the haunted house, but they could not find her anywhere in the end….She was thereby claimed missing.”
Amidst the creepy BGM, Kaorun continued with a “But”.
“Apparently visitors of the haunted house sometimes spot it. The appearance of Machina-san trapped in a mirror and weeping.”
“….Wh- What a lame made-up story. It’s not s- scary at all.”
With her voice trembling, Machina told an obvious lie.
At that moment, suddenly a sad crying voice could be heard.
Upon hearing that fear-inducing weeping, we looked at each other…and timidly faced the direction of the voice. Then,
“Let me out of here…”
We saw the appearance of a girl shedding tears inside a huge mirror, as an attraction.
Right away,
“NOOOOOO!”
Machina raised a scream, jumped up and ran straight for the exit.
“Ah, hey, Machina—”
I tried to call her to halt, but Machina fled with a tunnel vision and she disappeared in no time.
While watching after her, Kaorun said isolated.
“…I never occurred to me that the haunted house might really have a mirror.”
Apparently the mirror in the haunted house was even outside Kaorun’s expectations.
“Don’t you think you went a bit overboard there?”
When I said so reproachful, Kaorun nodded guilty.
“…Yes. I think so too. However, just looking at her makes me want to tease her.”
“Well, Machina certainly is fun to tease.”
“That is not the reason.”
Denying outright, Kaorun tightly clenched her fists.
“…Machina-sama should be the same as myself… yet she is completely different from me.”
I didn’t really understand the meaning of her words.
But Kaorun had really sad eyes and I had no words to offer to her.
I didn’t understand anything and couldn’t say anything.
I slowly reached out my hand for Kaorun and patted her head.
“…Nanjou-sama?”
“For now, let’s go after Machina.”
Just saying that, I took Kaorun’s hand and started walking.
Upon that, Kaorun return the squeeze on my hand and smiled lightly…
Once I got out of the haunted house, I looked around for Machina together with Kaorun, but she wasn’t nearby.
She must have been quite agitated. She might have even escaped far away.
I searched for Machina a bit worried, when I spotted Nazuna in the corner of my vision.
On a closer look, Machina was next to Nazuna and clinging to her still trembling lightly. Machina must have been scared to death by the haunted house, but why was even Nazuna making a pale face?
“Hey girls, what’s wrong?”
I called out to them curiously, when Nazuna approached with tears dwelling up in her eyes.
“Big trouble, Brother. Machina-chan saw a real ghost in the haunted house. What if she’s cursed now?”
Nazuna was still close to crying, as she was genuinely worried.
Inadvertently I made a small wry smile and lightly patted Nazuna and Machina’s head.
“Don’t worry. It’s okay. I was with Machina and there was no ghost.”
“Eh? But Machina-chan said there was…”
“That was just an attraction.”
“Really?”
As Nazuna brought up the matter, Machina averted her eyes awkwardly and said covering up.
“C- Certainly, that was an attraction. I, I wasn’t scared at all, but I thought it would scare Nazuna, so I tried a little act.”
“…You’re so mean, Machina-chan. Why would you do that?”
“Uhh… I, I’m sorry.”
Feeling guilty over her lie, Machina apologized honestly. However,
“I’ll not forgive you! You deserve a punishment, Machina-chan!”
Along with her words, Nazuan swiftly got behind Machina’s back and started to tickle her sides.
“Ahahaha! Stop it, Nazuna! I won’t do it again!”
“Meow, meow!”
“H- Hey, Nazuna, not there… Ahahaha!”
Nazuna clung to the laughing Machina playful and wouldn’t let go.
I watched over these two, when Kaorun slowly came closer.
“Looks, like they are having fun.”
“Yeah, indeed. Why don’t you join—”
I started my sentence—but stopped halfway unmeant.
“…Why is it that Machina-sama can get fawned on like that?”
Eyes filled with envy, a sad profile and bitten lips.
…To be honest, I was bewildered.
Because I never imagined that Kaorun could show such an expression…I didn’t know what to do.
But Kaorun soon enough reverted to her usual inexpressiveness.
“Nanjou-sama, why are you looking upon me with such passionate eyes? Could it be that you are smitten by me?”
She cracked one of her special jokes.
Therefore I replied relieved.
“Well, you’re just so pretty. I think I was smitten because I don’t know much about you. I might have fallen for you, if you weren’t Kaorun.”
“Excuse me, then I would be a total different person.”
“Indeed…”
I made a deep sigh.
“…Hey, why does such a beauty have to be you?”
“Are you dissatisfied?”
“Gravely.”
When I gave an instant answer, Kaorun purposefully pretended to cry.
“So cruel. This is too much. I am going to cry.”
“Yeah, cry all you want. Tears make you stronger.”
Since it was troublesome, I gave a suited reply, when Kaorun frowned sullen and close the distance between us.
“Mh, what’s up?”
“Well, I was just thinking that I should take you up on your words and cry in your arms.”
“…Stop, Lady. Tears don’t suit you.”
“No, I will cry in your arms, Nanjou-sama. Though I only might pretend to cry and launch a body blow at you, but please do not mind that.”
“Haha, if you get that ardent with me, I’ll give you a passionate kiss as a thanks.”
I backed off one step while laughing. Kaorun brought her face closer and said.
“At that time, I will return that passionate kiss. Needless to say, with my tongue.”
“Stop it, Kaorun. If you were to do that, we would end up in a relationship where our lips pile up lies whenever our bodies touch.”
“…I have been wondering for a while now, but finicky remarks do not suit you, Nanjou-sama. They only sound somewhat comical to me.”
“You also easily say stuff that hurts people…”
“Goes for us both.”
When we talked like that,
“Shinobu! Don’t chat there casually and stop Nazuna!”
Machina sought help.
There I extended both my arms….and tickled Machina under her armpit.
“Hyan! Wh- Why are even you tickling me now, Shinobu!”
Even asked that, I could only responded that it was because it was fun. I continued to tickle Machina wordless.
Upon that Machina laughed even louder and struggled greatly.
As a result, Machina’s voluminous breasts bounced left and right and hit my palm.
Feeling a soft and squishy stimulation on my palm, I hastily tried to stop Machina’s movement, but
“Kyan!”
before I noticed it, I ended up seizing both of Machina’s breasts.
…No, no, while her breasts were certainly moving, I was supposed to grab her shoulders here.
By acting on an impulse, it had turned into an unbelievable situation.
I timidly looked at Machina, when she looked back at me puzzled, as she hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet.
“Ehm, well, what can I say. They’re so soft that I want them as my pillow.”
“…Eh? You mean you want to sleep on my breasts? You’re so bold— NOT! Don’t take advantage of the turmoil! You pervert!”
“No, you’re wrong! That wasn’t on purpose ! It was, well, God’s invisible hand, or rather…”
I made excuses flustered, when Kaorun softly whispered into my ear.
“Nanjou-sama, it is a sink or swim now. How about you cover it up with a finicky remark like before? You might be able to coax Machina-sama with it.”
…I believed that this situation was impossible to cover up.
But you never know until you try. I gave Machina a passionate look and opened my mouth.
“Machina, what I really wanted to touch was not your breasts, but your heart. But it seems I failed. I thought I had seized your heart, but…I was moved by your attractiveness.”
I was trying my hardest in my own way.
Immediately, Nazuna said a “You’re so cool, Brother!”, but Machina turned bright red and looked down.
She must be angry after all. I better apologize honestly now.
So I considered, but Machina said isolated while still looking down.
“…Why are you suddenly saying something so cool. That’s just not fair. I can’t get angry now, even if I want…Stupid Shinobu.”
Huh? I really fooled her?
…Mhm~ It might be weird for me to say it, but getting fooled like that was not good.
I was a bit worried for Machina’s future, when Nazuna pulled on my hand.
“Brother, Brother. Since we’re all here, let’s ride the Ferris Wheel together.”
“…Okay, but weren’t you with Luna and the others?”
“I got separated from them. I’ll call El-chan now, so let’s ride the Ferris Wheel while we wait. You too, Machina-chan, Miss Maid.”
“…Eh? The maid too?”
Due to the incident in the haunted house earlier, Machina seemed somewhat against the idea.
Kaorun lightly clapped Machina’s shoulders.
“Fear not, Machina-sama.”
While saying that, Kaorun made a thump-up.
“I also know a scary story with a Ferris Wheel.”
“I, I see. I would gladly hear it, but I’m afraid I’m not interested in the Ferris Wheel. Don’t mind me and go with the three of you. I’ll call Elni and Hijiri. Shinobu, lend me your phone.”
Taking Kaorun’s joke seriously, Machina told an obvious lie.
Most likely, she didn’t want to have Nazuna see her scared.
Since Machina usually played the older sister around Nazuna…
Well, I could understand her feelings, so I didn’t say anything unnecessarily and handed her my cell phone.
“You know how to use it?”
“Yeah, Elni taught me. …Oh my, your background image is a cat.”
“Yeah, that’s the cat we keep. Right now it is together with our father on the business trip…But you can change it if you want. I wouldn’t mind a sexy shot of you, Machina.”
“Okay. Then I’ll take a picture right awa—- wait, I won’t do that! Just go ride on the Ferris Wheel already!”
With Machina pushing onto my back, we headed for the Ferris Wheel.
Luckily for us, there weren’t many people lined up before the Ferris Wheel and we could board it soon enough.
I immediately sat down on the seat, when
“Meow.”
Nazuna sad down on my lap with a smile for some reason.
I believed Nazuna was behaving too spoiled, but she looked just so happy that I didn’t say anything and just sighed.
Upon that, Kaorun, who sat across from me, giggled.
“Nanjou-sama you are so forgiving towards Nazuna-sama.”
“Yeah! Brother is really kind!”
“Is that so. Well, I would like to be treated kindly by Nanjou-sama too, so from now on I will call him ’Dear Brother’.”
Saying that, Kaorun cleared her throat with a cough.
“I love you, Dear Brother.”
…Not good. Even though I knew it was just an act, I unintentionally became excited.
“Dear Brother, would you like to go the beach on the next holiday? I specially bought a new swimsuit for you.”
“Sorry, but not interested. Go with someone else.”
“…Somehow, you are acting so cold lately, Dear Brother. You were even walking arm-in-arm with some unknown girl before. Dear Brother, who was that person?”
“None of your concern.”
I averted my gaze from Kaorun and lit up an imaginary cigarette.
“…That is how you talk your way out. I knew it…You are having an affair, Dear Brother? Was I just plaything for you? The vow from that night…was it just a lie?”
“There wasn’t anything between us. Remember?”
I replied to Kaorun, who spoke with a crying voice, with a cold smile.
Right away, Kaorun purposefully broke down crying.
“So cruel! First you force me into this little sister play and then you toss me aside like this! You are a brute, Dear Brother! A lecherous beast! A perverted gentleman from the boob planet with a maid fetish!”
“…Hey, wait. Who are you calling a brute or lecherous beast! Don’t say such unwarranted stuff! Besides, what’s that about the little sister play! I don’t remember forcing you into that.”
Inadvertently I forgot my role and shouted.
However, Kaorun ignored me and depended on Nazuna.
“Nazuna-sama, my Dear Brother is being mean. Please help me.”
“Hey, don’t drag Nazuna into this. You’re forbidden to call me Dear Brother, Kaorun.”
“…Such a shame.”
For some reason, Kaorun dropped her shoulders lightly.
There Nazuna raised her hand with an idea.
“Then how about Brother calls the maid with ‘Onee-chan’?”
How did it come to this? I was wary, but since Kaorun’s face brimmed with expectation, I decided to go along with it for now.
“Kaoru-oneechan.”
“Yes, what is it? You want to rest in your sister’s breasts? Or do you want me to pet your head? You really are spoiled, Shinobu-chan.”
Saying that with red cheeks, Kaorun put up her index finger.
“Nanjou-sama, please once more.”
“…Kaoru-oneesan.”
“No, not ‘oneesan’, but ‘oneechan’ please.”
Kaorun showed a strange obsession…and in the end, I repeated “Kaoru-oneechan” countless times. But midway, Kaorun said a sexy, yet weird statement “…Somehow my body is getting hot”, so I decided to ignore it.
I averted my eyes from Kaorun and faced the window of the Ferris Wheel together with Nazuna.
“Uwa, we’re so high up, Brother.”
“Yeah. The—people just look like trash!”
“Certainly. …Incidentally, you two, this Ferris Wheel—isn’t it the best show?”
Kaorun and I made a bad impersonation.
Seeing us like that, Nazuna clapped her hands happily.
“I know about that! It’s from L*puta: Castle in the Sky! It’s Colonel M*ska!”
“If you get it, then kneel down! Beg for your life! Get the stone back from the brat!”
I continued my impersonation, when Nazuna shouted with a serious expression.
“—Baloose!”
“No, Nazuna-sama. The spell of destruction is not ‘Baloose’, but ‘Valuse’. Once the spell is chanted, Nanjou-sama will have say ‘My eyes, my eyeeeeees~!’.”
“Okay. Brother—Valuse!”
“—Shut up, brat.”
“Uhm, Nanjou-sama? That is from a different script. That sentence is from Princess Mononoke.”
“Shut up, pig!”
“I am not a dirty pig!”
No, no one even said that.
“…Actually, why are we chatting nonchalant in a Ferris Wheel?”
“We sure aren’t looking at the scenery.”
Nazuna made a wry smile, when Kaorun lowered her head a bit.
“My apologies. My interesting talk made you two so fascinated that you ended up forgetting about the original enjoyment here…”
“Doesn’t your self-confidence know any bounds?”
“…Nanjou-sama, please do not mimic me.”
“Yeah. You’re being rude to the maid, Brother. Even though her story was so interesting…”
“Eh? Uh- Uhm, thank you very much.”
Kaorun coloured her cheeks red a bit, as she didn’t expect to get praised.
“Oh, you’re being bashful?”
“N- No. Please do not speak of such weird things. And please let be your face the only weird thing.”
“Don’t say I have a weird face! Even like that, some people evaluated my face as handsome.”
“Who are these laudable people?”
“Me!”
Upon Kaorun’s question, Nazuna raised her hand and answered full of energy.
“…Ehm, anyone else?”
“I, myself.”
“Besides you?”
Upon this harsh question, I could do nothing but fell silent.
“…Are you telling me that is all?”
“That’s all.”
I replied with a nod, when Kaorun made a small sigh.
“…How lonesome.”
“Then give me some love if you’re sympathetic.”
“Are you sure? My love is expensive.”
“…I don’t want love that I can buy with money.”
When I acted cool, Kaorun shrugged her shoulders in disappointment.
“You sure are selfish, Nanjou-sama.”
“Yeah, My love is selfish, but I will never hurt only me.”
“—Nazuna-sama, please look over there. It is a flying bird.”
“Hey, I made a stupid remark here, so don’t ignore me and retort.”
Feeling a shred of loneliness, I imitated the two of them and looked through the window again.
We stopp our chatting and enjoyed the Ferris Wheel ride like it was due.
Both Nazuna and Kaorun started a quiet humming while watching the scenery outside. They seemed quite satisfied with the Ferris Wheel.
But when the Ferris Wheel reached the top and started to go downwards,
“…There is one thing I would like to ask you, Nazuna-sama.”
Kaorun shyly broke the ice.
“Nazuna-sama, are you aware of Miss Cow-woman— I mean, Luna-sama and Machina-sama’s, that is, circumstances?”
“Mh? What do you mean?”
“I am referring to, that is, them being…”
Seeing Kaorun at a loss for words, Nazuna must have guessed something. She made a lightly serious expression and opened her mouth.
“I know that Luna-oneechan and Machina-chan are devils.”
“So you were aware of it.”
Kaorun somewhat widened her eyes and asked after a short hesitation.
“…Nazuna-sama, are you alright with it? I mean, these two are devils. You do not consider them scary?”
“I don’t. I mean, they’re both kind and play with me. Besides—”
For a moment she stopped her words, then Nazuna said with a smile.
“They are part of my family. It doesn’t matter that they’re devils.”
“…Family, you say?”
Averting her eyes from Nazuna, Kaorun said somewhat envious.
“I am sure that Machina-sama is pleased about that.”
“Eh? And Luna-oneechan isn’t?”
“Because Luna-sama somewhat resembles myself.”
With a sad smile, Kaorun once again shifted her gaze towards the window.
When I saw her profile then, a pain ran through my chest for some reason.
Nazuna must have felt the same as me. Both of us couldn’t ask her for the meaning behind her words while the Ferris Wheel made it’s way down.
Then we got off the gondola,
“Nanjou-sama, it is about time that I return to the Gogyou Household.”
Kaorun said isolated.
Needless to say, I faced Kaorun surprised.
“…Why? Didn‘t you run away from there? You said it would get bad when you returned…”
“That was all a lie. Therefore, please do not worry about me, Nanjou-sama.”
Kaorun shed off her expressiveness and forced herself to smile.
“…Don’t lie so obvious. I can’t leave you al—”
“Nanjou-sama, it is alright. I do not wish to cause the Miss any inconveniences.”
Cutting into my words, Kaorun moved her gaze.
I followed her gaze and there stood Luna and Hijiri together with Machina and Elni.
They surely had assembled there by Machina’s call.
Noticing our gazes, Hijiri approached us as an representative of them.
“Kaoru-san, I heard about it from my father.”
“I apologize for causing you trouble. I will return to the Master at once.”
“You don’t have to.”
“…Eh?”
With a dignified expression, Hijiri gently embraced Kaorun with both her arms.
“I’ll do something about it. So, please don’t run away anymore.”
—The reason why Hijiri came after Kaorun. It was an action from Hijiri’s feelings towards Kaorun. I was sure that Hijiri had intended to help out from the beginning.
Still, Hijiri’s feelings should be quite obvious to Kaorun,
“Thank you very much, Miss.”
Yet, why was it that Kaorun showed such a lonely expression?
Not knowing the reason for it, that expression of hers alone remained strongly in my heart…
* * *
After that, I told them that I intended to shelter Kaorun at my gramps’ holiday house, when Hijiri appealed that she may come too, whereupon the other girls expressed the same intention.
However, we all didn’t fit in Kaorun’s car. So we split into two groups and headed for the holiday house in Kaorun and my mother’s car.
Along the way, we dropped by at a big department store to buy cooking ingredients.
Then my mother mentioned that there was a river near the holiday house in which one could play, so all the girls said “I want to buy a swimsuit” and dragged me to a swimsuit store.
When we arrived at the swimsuit store, the girls started to skim through the swimsuits in high spirits.
On the other hand, I bought my swim trunks in a matter of minutes and then waited completely bored.
I couldn’t come up with anything else to do, so I let my gaze absent-mindedly glide over the swimsuit store.
“Shinobu-sam, Shinobu-san.”
Suddenly I was called out from behind.
I turned around and there I saw Luna peeking out her head from the curtain of the changing room.
From there, Luna beckoned me low-key.
“What’s up? Are you going to show me a sexy swimsuit?”
I asked in a casual tone, when Luna coloured her cheeks red and nodded small.
“Elni-chan chose this swimsuit for me. Will you take a look at it?”
“Eh? Elni did?”
…Was that safe? I got a really bad feeling. What if Luna was wearing a school swimsuit or the like?
Such thoughts crossed my mind, when Luna slowly opened the curtain.
Right away, my vision was filled with Luna wearing a daring swimsuit.
A thin Y string was covering barely covering the important parts, but you could safely say that she was mostly naked.
Her tense and melon-big breasts exposed themselves clearly to me and her cleavage of course, but also the side and bottom of her breasts were in plain view. Furthermore, her narrow waist, cute navel and her beautiful legs in the high leg cut were honey for my eyes.
“How is it, Shinobu-san?”
While turning bright red, Luna leaned forward and stroke a pose.
Upon that, her voluminous breasts bounced right in front of my eyes, whereupon the Y string slipped off and gave way for the main part.
In other words, it was completely visible.
Failing to notice that, Luna asked me with a worried expression.
“Uhm, does it look weird after all?”
“No, it’s not weird. It’s really pretty. So much that I want to touch it.”
“That you want to touch it?”
I insisted with my eyes as round as a plate, when Luna followed my gaze down on her own breasts.
Instantly, Luna noticed her immodest appearance, turned red quickly and turned her back to me with a small shriek.
But as a result, now her wonderful bottom was exposed to my eyes.
Moreover, the high leg cut swimsuit was about to slip down from her bottom and made her soft bottom halfway through visible.
Inadvertently I gulped, but as the gentleman I was, I swiftly close the curtain of the changing room.
Needless to say, I was reluctant to do so.
—Anyway. That swimsuit was too daring.
“Could it be, you’re an exhibitionist, Luna?”
“N- No! I was really embarrassed about it! But Elni-chan told me you would be pleased with such a swimsuit…”
Luna’s flustered voice came through the curtain, sounding just like she was talking to herself.
Certainly, I was really happy about Luna’s consideration. But.
“Luna, if possible, could you avoid wearing that swimsuit in front of others?”
“….Eh? Why is that?”
“Sympathize with the complex heart of a boy.”
I don’t want any other guy to see Luna in that daring swimsuit—Is what I couldn’t say, so I vaguely prevaricated.
“Yes. I understand.”
Luna readily consented.
“I also do not want any other guy besides Shinobu-san to see me like that. After all, I am Shinobu-san’s—”
My chest throbbed violently upon Luna’s words.
“Shinobu-san’s exclusive slave.”
…My hopes quickly changed into a sigh.
I dropped my shoulders and opened my mouth while turning my back to the changing room.
“Luna, stop with the slave stuff already. At least make it a maid. A maid, you hear.”
“Ehm, I believe Kaoru-san would get angry then…”
…Yeah. It was quite likely she would.
“Then make it older sister.”
“Eh? Older sister? Shinobu-san, you want me to become an older sister? Then I will call you ‘Shinobu-chan’ from now on.”
“No, no! I didn’t mean it like that.”
I couldn’t express my feelings as I wanted to. I shook my head and crossed my arms.
Mhm~ It was rather embarrassing, but I should tell her properly on this occasion.
After taking a small deep breath, I slowly opened my mouth.
“…Luna, I don’t think of you as a slave. You’re a precious family member. Nazuna, Mom and me all think so. So, stop this slave stuff”
I didn’t want her to call herself a slave.
Whenever Luna called herself that, I felt sad like I had been rejected.
Conveying these feelings properly, I waited for Luna’s reply with my back still facing the changing room.
Then I heard the curtain get yanked open— and before I noticed it, Luna had clung to my back.
“L- Luna?”
I became agitated by the elasticity and warmth of her big breasts pressing on my back, when Luna put her hands on my shoulder and stood on tip-toes.
“Thank you, Shinobu-san.”
Softly, she pressed a kiss on my cheek.
My cheeks turned red by her soft lips and my heart raced.
…Not good. I couldn’t seem to endure the shame.
“W- Well then, about time I take my leave. Don’t say slave anymore. Don’t catch a cold. Brush your teeth. See you next week!”
I cracked a joke to hide my embarrassment and got away from the changing room in an escape.
But, I was a bit concerned about Luna, so I turned around and…she showed a bright smile. Before I noticed it, I also smiled, as I got infected by her happy smile…
After parting with Luna, I sat down on a bench near the swimsuit store. There I waited for everyone to finish their shopping, when Hijiri came out of the swimsuit store.
Hijiri held onto a paper bag on her chest and approached me with a smile.
“Shinobu-kun, you’re already done with shopping?”
“Yeah, I am… You too?”
“Yeah. Kaoru-san chose a swimsuit for me. This will please— No! I’ll seduce you with it!”
“Hee, that’s great… So, where’s said Kaorun?”
I completely ignored the stuff about seduction, when Hijiri made a slightly regretful expression and answered.
“Kaoru-san went shopping for cooking ingredients…”
“I see.”
I made an agreeable response and suddenly remembered.
I should ask about Kaorun, as now with jus the two of us was a good timing.
“Hey, Hijiri. Why did Kaorun run away?”
“…Eh? She hasn’t told you anything?”
“Well, she told me your father coerced her into doing things she dislikes, but nothing specific…”
“I see. And yet you helped her. You’re really kind, Shinobu-kun.”
Saying stuff that made me embarrassed, Hijiri explained properly.
“I think I told you about it before, but we exorcists shelter and manage hybrid devils born between a human and a devil like Kaoru-san. But only on the paper. In reality they’re just used as convenient tools.”
With a somewhat gloomy tone, Hijiri continued.
“So we’re making them undergo special training, so that they can assist us in our job. Every year, around this time, we gather all of them in one place and coach them, so that they can properly do their job.”
Special training and coaching, huh.
By the sound of the words, it seemed like a training camp.
However, it made Kaorun run away. So it must be rather harsh.
I silently crossed my arms and listened to Hijiri.
“There are a lot of hybrid devils, so not everyone participates every year. Only those, who were called out to be the exorcist organisation. Also, Kaoru-san participated a couple of times in the special training.”
While saying so, Hijiri faintly clouded and she continued with a “But”.
“when she came back from the special training for the first time, Kaoru-san stopped calling me by my name.”
Along with her words, Hijiri clenched her fists strongly.
“Kaoru-san wouldn’t tell me what happened. Same for my father. No one would tell me what kind of training Kaoru-san received. But I can somewhat guess what Kaoru-san went through. That’s why I don’t want her to participate in the special training.”
Hijiri’s feelings for Kaorun became sporadically evident in her words.
“…Besides, I was a bit happy.”
“Happy?”
I asked back like a parrot, when Hijiri nodded small.
“Kaoru-san always tells weird jokes, but despite that, she had never been selfish. Because she’s under the impression that she’s a tool for us, she hates to cause trouble for us. She obeys everything. I always hated that…”
Saying remembering, Hijiri softened her expression and continued.
“So when I heard about Kaoru-san from my father, I was certainly surprised, but even more so I was happy. I was happy that Kaoru-san was selfish for the first time. I always keep relying on Kaoru-san, so I wanted to help her and immediately returned from my training camp with the kendo club. But when I saw Kaoru-san…. I realized.”
Stopping her words momentarily, Hijiri smiled powerless.
“That Kaoru-san had intended to return soon enough. She just wanted to play with you before the special training. She had no intention to cause us trouble from the beginning.”
Listening to Hijiri’s story, I suddenly remembered.
About Kaorun showing a bewildered expression, when I invited her to the holiday house.
…Like Hijiri had said, right from the beginning, Kaorun might have intended to return to Hijiri’s house before long. That was why she prioritized going to the amusement park rather than the holiday house.
“Kaoru-san is always like that. It would be fine to cause trouble or to act spoiled, yet she always watches over us from one step behind. She won’t come over to us…”
—I do not wish to cause the Miss any inconveniences.
Suddenly Kaorun’s words floated in my head.
Why did Kaorun keep her distance? Why wouldn’t she reach out for Hijiri? Why…wouldn’t she become a family with Hijiri?
Not knowing the answer, I felt vexed.
Albeit, Hijri laughed quietly and said.
“But, I’m not giving up. During this trip, I want Kaoru-san to realize that it’s okay to cause troubles and to act spoiled. I’ll work hard until Kaoru-san thinks of me as a family.”
“I see…”
Hijiri’s words made my chest a bit lighter.
“But, Hijiri, you say trip, but we’re actually runaways, you know? Realistically speaking, it’ll be hard to keep doing so. Do you have any plans?”
Hijiri showed a smile and a “No worries” to my question.
“I fear that the exorcists are going to come to take back Kaoru-san. But, the special training has a set period. If we manage to escape until that’s over…She should no longer have to participate.”
“…How long is that period?”
“In the past, when Kaoru-san participated in it, she came back after 2,3 weeks. So I don’t think it’s all that long…”
Hijiri said with a wry smile.
“This year it might work out, but next year they will be more cautious without a doubt.”
“Then let’s escape overseas next year. We’re fleeing the country.”
“Fufu. That might be good. Any particular country you want to go to, Shinobu-kun?”
Hijiri surprisingly went along with my half-joking, half-serious suggestion with a smile.
There we considered foreign countries for a while and talked about where we would like to go.
But when we were out of ideas, Hijiri shyly opened her mouth.
“Uhm, there is also something I would like to ask you, Shinobu-kun…”
With such a prologue, Hijiri asked with a serious expression.
“This morning, when I called you, what did you do to Kaoru-san?”
….Mh? Could it be Hijiri was completely misunderstanding after she heard Kaorun’s joking lewd voice over the phone?
“Hijiri, that was one of Kaorun’s pranks. I didn’t really do anything.”
“Really? You really didn’t do anything, well, perverted with Kaoru-san in secret?”
“There is no such thing.”
I denied clearly.
However, Hijiri lightly puffed her cheeks for some reason.
“…Sounds suspicious.”
“Eh, why?”
“I mean, you’re really close with Kaoru-san. And she also likes you…”
“Hee, what an honour.”
I honestly felt happy, but Hijri made a sulking face, as displeased over something.
“…Shinobu-kun, you’re grinning.”
“Attractive, isn’t it?”
“Yeah—wait, no! That’s not what I meant! Ah, but it’s not that it’s unattractive either, ehm… Right now it’s about Kaoru-san! I won’t be fooled even if you make such a handsome face!”
Though it wasn’t really my intention to make a handsome face…
I was a bit surprised by her reaction, when Hijiri suddenly brought her face closer.
With her pretty face close by, a somewhat refreshing fragrance hung in the air. Her long eyelashes, her smooth cheeks and her well-formed lips. I was smitten by all these, when Hijiri opened her mouth with a somewhat worried expression.
“What do you think about Kaoru-san?”
“About Kaorun? Well—”
“She’s my second lover. What are you asking that for now?”
“Yeah, Hijiri, everyone knows that Kaorun is my second lover. My first is Elni—wait, like hell they are!”
I retorted with full power. I turned around with attitude.
…I had no idea for how long she had been standing there, but my gaze fell on Elni, who made a strange face. Elni continued, still having a strange expression.
“Hm. I thought about it and I’m fine with just Elni as my lover. I’ll have Kaorun be my maid.”
“Hey, Elni, is that weird face your idea of my impersonation?”
“Meow!”
Elni saluted like Nazuna.
“Now you’re mimicking Nazuna? You sure love copying people.”
After I shrugged my shoulders, Elni said with a smile.
“Shinobu, a certain imitating artist once said: ‘I only copy people I love’. I’m just the same.”
“…I’m not really sure what you want to say, but what’s up? You need something?”
“Yeah. I came to get you two. Everyone is waiting for you. Hurry up and come.”
Most likely, everyone finished shopping while Hijiri and I were talking.
It would be bad to make everyone wait. I gave Elni a nod and stood up from the bench.
At that moment, Hijiri weakly pulled on my sleeve.
“Shinobu-kun, you haven’t answered my earlier question. What do you think about Kaoru-san?”
“The answer to that question is…”
“The answer is?”
Hijiri gulped down her saliva.
“…revealed after the CM.”
I replied in the form of a joke.
Upon that, Elni interjected with a narration tone, as she played along with my joke.
“Clung to by a silver-haired girl!? One morning, Nanjou Shinobu woke up besides an unknown sleeping girl with silver hair. While Shinobu is unable to comprehend the situation, the girl named Elni claims to be a Goddess…The heart-warming school love comedy ‘Kami Tsuki!’. Selling greatly within my imagination!”
“…Write ‘It’s not a rip-off, it’s respect!’ on the cover.”
I retorted like that to Elni’s long CM, then replied ‘Kaorun is a friend for me” to Hijiri casually.
Then we regrouped with the others and headed for gramps’ holiday house in Kaorun and my mother’s car…
Chapter 01: First Selfishness?
After driving with the car for around an hour, we arrived at Shirosaki Adventure Land. It was a huge theme park that combined an amusement park and an aquarium.
As it was summer vacation, it was filled with families and couples even on a weekday. Kaorun told me “I will go park the car, so please go ahead of me”, so I watched over the other guest at the entrance all alone.
…Kaorun, hurry up.
I felt uncomfortable, when a woman with her semi-short flattering approached me.
That woman had a well-proportioned figure like a model, wore a sleeveless shirt with a necktie and the beautiful, long legs peeking out of her short skirt were honey for my eyes.
She was a fascinating beauty.
…But on a closer look, that beauty turned out to be Kaorun.
She didn’t wear her maid clothes, so I didn’t recognize her for a moment.
“Forgive me, Nanjou-sama, I made you wait…”
“Nah, it’s fine… But I see you have changed.”
Seeing Kaorun in casual clothes was a fresh feeling and to be honest, she was pretty. That was why I unintentionally stared at her.
“Nanjou-sama, even if you stare that much, my clothes will not become transparent from it. Also, please stop your dirty gaze. How will you take responsibility when I get aroused?”
Kaorun said so easily killing the mood with her usual expressionless.
“…Don’t worry, no one is looking at you with such eyes. Shouldn’t you get your head and eyes checked?”
“You sure speak rudely. Your mouth needs to get checked, Nanjou-sama. And your eyes too. Not to forget to mention your visage, facies and face.”
“Visage, facies and face all mean the same. Don’t hurt me by splitting it in three terms.”
While saying that, I placed a light chop on Kaorun’s head.
Upon that, Kaorun made a slightly uneasy expression and asked.
“Could it possible be that you are dissatisfied that I am not wearing my maid clothes, Nanjou-sam?”
“…Huh? Why would you suddenly mention that?”
“Well, you have a maid fetish, so I believed that you would like to take me around in maid clothes and boast about it.”
“…Actually, I don’t want to be associated with a perverted maid, so please walk away from me.”
“You hurt me so easily!?”
Kaorun puffed her cheeks a bit in a pouting manner.
“Nanjou-sama, when you only say indifferent things like that, I will never call you ‘Master’, no matter how much you beg me for it.”
“I don’t have a maid fetish, so that’s fine by me. And should I ever want to be called that by someone, I would ask Luna for it.”
“…Is that so. I knew it, that person is my rival.”
Kaorun regarded Luna as her rival. But to be honest, compared to the real maid Kaorun, I got the feeling that Luna was far more competent as a maid. I believed that being called “Master” by Luna in maid clothes would ease my heart.
Well, these delusions aside, we came all the way to an amusement park, so we shouldn’t stand and talk here forever, but hurry up inside.
“C’mon, stop the jokes and let’s go inside.”
Urging her like that, I headed to the ticket office together with Kaorun. There we got two free passes from the tickets I got from my mother and went through the entrance gate.
The park was rather broad and I saw a lot of attractions like a merry-go-round, a ferries wheel and a rollercoaster.
“Anything particular you want to ride, Kaorun?”
Like a true gentleman, I asked for the lady’s opinion.
But the lady in question, Kaorun didn’t listen, as she only stared at a nearby family.
I casually looked at the family too, when a little girl spoiled took the hands of her parents and adorable pestered them about wanting to ride this and that.
The parents of the girl accepted it, as they matched their pace to the girl’s and slowly walked towards an attraction.
Kaorun watched that scene somewhat envious.
“…Kaorun?”
When I called out to her once more, Kaorun hastily averted her eyes from the little girl.
“What’s up?”
“…No, it is nothing. Let us hurry.”
Kaorun said covering up and walked away with fast steps.
Kaorun’s unusual behaviour felt out of place to me, but I didn’t say anything and followed after her.
After a while, Kaorun stopped and pointed at the merry-go-round.
“Nanjou-sama, let us ride that.”
“Mhm~ Riding the merry-go-round at our age is a bit embarrassing…”
I was hesitant, when Kaorun gently fondled my chin and showed a charming smile.
“Please abandon your shame here, Nanjou-sama.”
“…And you have a bit of shame.”
I replied wearily, when Kaorun frowned sullen.
“That sounds as if I do not possess any shame. You are being rude, Nanjou-sama. I am a maiden of radiant youth, unlike you, Nanjou-sama.”
“Well, I am a boy… Besides, if you want to ride the merry-go-round, then go alone. I’ll watch from here.”
“…Eh? To say ’If you want to do it, do it by yourself. I’ll watch you curiously from here’…Nanjou-sama, you are a pervert beyond help. What do you take a merry-go-round for? It is not a ridged wooden horse, you know?”
Kaorun said so with red cheeks.
The gazes from those around me hurt a lot.
“…I get it. I’ll ride it together with you. So stop telling weird jokes.”
“You should have been honest right from the beginning. You certainly are a tsundere, Nanjou-sama.”
“…Just to tell you, I won‘t get dere for you.”
“Is that so. A tsuntsun Nanjou-sama just for me.”
While we talked like that, Kaorun and I headed for the merry-go-round.
There I watched over the wooden horses and stood in front of a white horse that caught my eye.
“Oh, what a fantastic fur. I have decided! I’ll bet all my possession on this horse!”
“Daddy, stop with the horse racing already! Get a grip and work properly!”
“Shut up! Back out, little girl. The next one will win big!”
Playing along with the joke, I softly shook off the teary Kaorun. Then I mounted gallantly the horse. After that I showed refreshing smile and held out my hand to Kaorun.
“Okay, your hand please, Mademoiselle.”
“…Uhm, Nanjou-sama, please decide on either being stupid or cool.”
I was cautioned by Kaorun, so I pondered for a moment, then
“Don’t worry, Kaoru.”
I said loudly with a cool smile.
“When I win today, the debt is gone!”
“You choose the stupid one here!?”
The surprised Kaorun glared at me with half-opened eyes.
“Nanjou-sama, when you fool around too much, you will not be popular with the women. Please say something romantic once in a while.”
“Oh, then I should have said “Here, my Princess” and mounted you on the horse with a princess-carry?”
“…If you had done that, I would have made a roar of laughter without a doubt.”
Yeah and I would have gotten infected and laugh with her together.
“Well, romantic remarks don’t suit me. Give up on it.”
“Indeed. Brute remarks suit you better, Nanjou-sama.”
“…What? You’re quite cocky for a maid. Then lewd remarks suit you, dirty swine.”
Since she told me that they suited me, I made a brute comment.
Upon that Kaorun coloured her cheeks red and averted her eyes from me.
“…That was unexpected, so I got aroused a bit.”
“Uhm, I don’t want anyone to think that I know you, so sit away from me, okay.”
“No.”
Kaorun replied with a smile and mounted the horse next to me.
Then the starting signal sounded and with a rhythmical melody, the merry-go-round started to move slowly.
Upon that, the nearby kids showed a smile, but I couldn’t join the children’s naivety and felt only shame.
Within all that, Kaorun watched over the slowly spinning scenery and said quietly.
“…Having fun at an amusement park like this feels like a dream to me.”
“What an exaggeration. You surely have come to an amusement park before?”
I asked with a casual tone. Kaorun shook her head and answered.
“Today is my first time at an amusement park.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. Truth be told, as a child I admired amusement parks, though only for a little bit.”
Saying that, Kaorun narrowed her eyes and laughed.
At that time, I suddenly remembered the story Hijiri had told me before.
Kaorun, born a half-breed between a human and a devil, was being treated like a tool by the exorcists, is what Hijiri told me.
Most likely, Kaorun had only seen amusement parks on TV or in manga.
She herself claimed it to be “only for a little bit”, but… I guess she was actually envious of it? That also might be the reason why she stared so intensely at the family from earlier.
Upon thinking that, I felt my own expression stiffening up.
Still, I clenched my fist and forced myself to smile.
“Then enjoy yourself to the fullest, so that your first visit will become a good memory. If I’m good enough for it, I’ll assist you.”
So I said softly to Kaorun.
Upon that Kaorun was a bit surprised, then a smile bloomed on her face.
While looking at that smile, I thought.
Let Kaorun have a blast today.
* * *
After getting off the rollercoaster, Kaorun and I reached our hands out for our mouth nearly at the same time. …Before we had set the condition of “Whoever screams first, has to pay for the ice-cream”, so we continued to ride attractions with a scream-tendency, but neither of us would give in.
There we decided to ride the Shirosaki Adventure Park’s famous attraction, the huge rollercoaster as a final amusement.
To be honest, both, Kaorun and I underestimated it.
But the warning sign “People with a weak heart please refrain from riding” of the rollercoaster wasn’t just for show and while we didn’t scream, we certainly felt groggy.
“…I feel a bit sick.”
“Nanjou-sama, the world is turning around me. When did I become such an important existence?”
“That’s a rotation dizziness caused by the abnormal semicircular canals. In other words, a misperception.”
I puffed my chest with a “After all”.
“The world turns around me.”
“…I believe that is a misperception too.”
“Well, yeah.”
I nodded and slowly staggered onwards like Kaorun.
“Anyway, in the end our bet could not be settled.”
“…I’m fine with having lost.”
Kaorun said somewhat regretful. I continued while looking sideways.
“Treating you to an ice-cream isn’t much.”
“…Nanjou-sama, my affection points just increased a lot.”
“You sure are mercenary…”
Inadvertently I made a wry smile.
“But well, you’re a hidden conquest character, so raising your affection points is useless.”
“That is not true. My conquest route can be triggered by your own feelings, Nanjou-sama.”
…Mh? By my own feelings? Somehow I got the feeling though that she previously said it depends on money…well, whatever.
I shrugged my shoulders and ignored Kaorun’s words.
Then I suddenly heard various footsteps approaching from behind.
“—Kaorun-san!”
A dignified voice sounded.
When I turned around, there stood the black-haired, cool beauty, Gogyou Hijiri.
Next to her were Luna, Machina, Elni and even my little sister Nazuna.
“Why are you all here…?”
Hijiri took one step forwards, responding to my surprised self.
“Shinobu-kun, I had a matter to discuss with Kaoru-san—”
“Hey, Maid! I heard from Elni! What’s this stuff about a trip to Paradise Lost!”
“I believe such an excessive relationship is not good!”
Not letting Hijiri finish her sentence, Machina and Luna shouted displeased.
Upon that Elni and Nazuna followed after them.
“Shinobu! It’s a good chance, so let’s have fun together!”
“Brother, I want to ride the Ferris wheel!”
…Apparently Elni and Nazuna were only here for the fun.
Amongst them, Hijiri said reserved.
“Uhm, everyone, I have to discuss an important matter with Kaoru-san. So could you stay quiet for just a little moment?”
The moment Hijiri said so pleading— Kaorun took my hand and ran away.
“Ah, Brother and the maid are running away!”
“Fufu, a game of tag, I see. Fine—I’ll wait for three minutes.”
“What leisure stuff are you spouting, Elni! We’re chasing after them now!”
And even faster than Nazuna, Elni and Machina, who said that,
“Wh- Why are you running away, Kaoru-san!”
“Please wait, Shinobu-san!”
Hijiri and Luna came chasing after us.
On the other hand, Kaorun didn’t let go off my hand and continue to run without looking back. We entered a game center in the park and hide ourselves in the shadow of a crane game, where we breathed low.
….Mh, I ended up following without any real sign of resistance, but why was Kaorun running away from Hijiri?
Doubtful, I quietly called out to Kaorun.
“Was that alright? I mean, not listening to Hijiri.”
“Presently I am on a date with you, Nanjou-sama, so I will hear out her matter later on.”
“Eh? On a date? You seriously wanted to go on a date with me?”
“Yes. The reason to why I changed into casual clothes, was for that too.”
…Oh crap. I didn’t notice that at all.
“But why suddenly a date?”
“…As a matter of fact, when I observed the Miss and you and your date before, I came to want to experience the thing called date too.”
“I, I see…”
I was perplexed by the faintly blushing Kaorun and questioned further.
“But, why with me? As a beauty as yourself, you shouldn’t be short on other partners.”
“That is not true.”
Shaking her head lightly,
“You are about the only man that is willing to hang out with a devil as myself.”
Kaorun answered with a weak voice.
These words made my chest sting.
So I reached out my hand for Kaorun and gently patted her head.
“…Ehm, what are you doing out of the blue?”
“Well, just thinking what an honour it is to get a date with such a beauty.”
“N- Na- Nan- Nanjou-sama, that joke was not all that funny.”
On a rare occasion, Kaorun turned bright red.
While patting Kaorun’s head, I declared firmly.
“It wasn’t a joke just now. I’m happy to be on a date with you, Kaorun.”
“…Eh? Uh- Uhm, that is…”
Kaorun turned even redder. I continued softly.
“Besides, I told you that you should have a blast to make your first visit here a good memory. If you’re fine with me, I’ll tag along until the end.”
“…Are you telling the truth?”
“A handsome gentleman doesn’t lie.”
As always, I couldn’t stay serious until the end, since it was embarrassing.
Looking at me, Kaorun said with a sigh.
“…Uhm, that is not really convincing when said by a person, who is neither handsome, nor a gentleman.”
“I’m going home! The handsome gentleman is going home now!”
Shouting resentful, I stood up.
Upon that, Kaorun hastily clung onto my arm.
Instantly, her well-shaped beautiful breasts softly bended on my upper arm and the just right elasticity and warmth of her breasts was transferred through my arm.
That alone made me lose my composure, but Kaorun clung to me even stronger and said anxious.
“I am sorry, Nanjou-sama. I was just fooling around. I will apologize, so please do not leave.”
“Y- Yeah. I was just kidding too, so don’t worry. Anyway, get away quickly. We’re standing out and when they find—”
Before I could say it would be bad, I made eye-contact with Elni and Nazuna, who were walking along the passage inside the game center. Both of them came over with a smile when they noticed me.
“Shinobu~”
“Brother~”
Raising their voices, they came to cling to me just like that.
There I agile dodged their embrace, when Elni and Nazuna turned around at the same time and both showed a puzzled expression.
But soon enough their smiles returned and try tried to cling to me once more.
However, I couldn’t afford to be caught here, so I dodged them again.
As a result, tears started to dwell up in Elni and Nazuna’s eyes.
“You dodged twice, Shinobu! So mean! This is bullying!”
“Yeah! Bullying! Brother, bullying isn’t cool!”
“Wait, don’t make hasty conclusions. That wasn’t bullying. It’s my form of communication.”
“I don’t want such bad communication!”
“Yep, yep! Is there any love in it!?”
Elni asked that and I replied suited.
“A little bit, I think.”
“Then it’s fine!”
…It was fine.
I was a bit surprised, when Nazuna reserved pulled on Elni’s sleeve.
“El-chan, that’s not good. I’m sure Brother has lost his love for us. We have to work hard to get it back.”
“…Nazuna, don’t worry. I haven’t really lost the love. It’s always in my heart. What I lost is my fury.”
When I answered like that, Elni nodded in agreement.
“Certainly, I think you have become a bit more calm compared to when I first met you, Shinobu. But, are you fine with that? Regain your former self! Where has Shinomun gone to!?”
“Shinomun has graduated. From now on I’ll live with love, agony and encouragement as my selling points. And with that, farewell.”
While saying so, I took Kaorun’s hand, turned my back to the two of them and started walking.
“…Ah, Brother is running away again.”
“Shinobu! I’m tired of playing tag! Play with us too!”
Right away Nazuna and Elni gave chase, but I apologized to them in my heart and quickly sprinted outside, dragging Kaorun behind me. I increased the pace and continued to flee from them.
In the middle of this situation, Kaorun said somewhat happily.
“Like this, it is just like we are eloping.”
“Hey, don’t fool around and run. Let’s shake these two off quickly and resume our date.”
“Yes.”
Kaorun returned my squeeze of the hand firmly and nodded with a faint smile.
…For a while Kaorun and I walked around the park, but with a good timing we could mix into the crowd and let Elni and Nazuna pass by.
I watched them walk into the distant, then I treated Kaorun to an ice-cream like previously promised. We settled down on a bench.
There we caught our breath, when Kaorun pointed to a nearby attraction—The haunted house.
“Nanjou-sama, let us go inside the haunted house next.”
Along with her words, Kaorun suddenly linked arms with me.
“Wh- Why so suddenly?”
“Well, we are on a date, so I believe this extent is only normal.”
Replying nonchalant, Kaorun walked, dragging me along as we still linked arms.
While agitated by the squishy elasticity of her breasts that stimulated my upper arm, I clad myself in composure and followed Kaorun.
Then, at that moment.
“—So here you are.”
I heard a sharp voice from behind my back.
That voice was Machina’s. That meant… The girls found us?
With these thoughts, I sighed and turned around.
“…Huh? What about the others? You got separated?”
“No. We split up in two groups to search for you. I met with Elni, but she ran off somewhere saying ‘Shinobu won’t play with me, so I’m going to watch the hero show’…”
While saying so, Machina frowned and glared at Kaorun.
“Anyway, why are you walking around while linking arms with Shinobu? Hurry up and get away from him.”
“I do not want to. I am on a date with Nanjou-sama right now. Please do not interfere.”
Kaorun firmly rejected the approaching Machina.
Upon that, Machina was surprised with a “D- Date?” and draw closer to me for some reason.
“Hey, Shinobu! What this date stuff about! You won’t ever do that for me, but you go on a date with this maid?”
“No, well, what can I say…”
Overwhelmed by Machina, I prevaricated.
Seeing Machina like that, Kaorun said teasingly.
“Could it be, you are being jealous, Machina-sama?”
Instantly, Machina’s cheeks turned red.
“Wh- What are you suddenly bringing up! Th- There’s no way I would get jealous over someone like Shinobu!”
“…’Someone like’ sure is a mean phrasing. Do you hate Nanjou-sama, Machina-sama?”
“I didn’t say a single word about hating him!”
Machina raised her voice, whereupon Kaorun laughed quietly and replied.
“Then, you like Nanjou-sama after all?”
“Yes. —No, wait! Why does it have to be one of them? Rather than like or hate, well, I…”
“It is just that your body cannot help but get hot?”
“Yep, yep. When I think of Shinobu at night, I become—wait, no! Don’t make me say perverted stuff!”
Machina showed her special trait of getting tricked and retorting. Kaorun once again said teasingly.
“Truth be told, you are doing perverted things at night when you think of Nanjou-sama, right?”
“D- Don’t be stupid! I haven’t done that yet!”
“…Yet? That means, you have plans to do so in the future?”
“No! Of course I don’t! Don’t say weird stuff!”
While her head turned bright red, Machina desperately denied.
Kaorun ignored Machina and pulled on my arm.
“Nanjou-sama, let us ignore the perverted tsundere and continue with our date.”
“Who are you calling a perverted tsundere! And I won’t let that date happen!”
“…Grr. Why are you interfering?”
When Kaorun asked displeased. Machina took my hand and answered.
“When Shinobu is with a perverted maid like you, he might stray off the right path! Even Tomoe-san said ‘Shinobu is weak against maids, so I’m worried that he might do something strange’ and drove us here with the car!”
…Yeah, I was now aware that the girls came here to the amusement park with the help of my mother.
However, who are you calling weak against maids and will do strange things, is what I strongly wanted to declare.
“…Machina, where is that Tomoe-san now? I have something to tell her.”
“Tomoe-san went to a nearby café. She said she’ll continue with her job.”
While answering, Machina strongly pulled on my hand.
“More importantly, Shinobu, let’s get back together with everyone. Hijiri too, is looking for this maid.”
“Ehm…”
I promised to tag along with Kaorun today… What to do?
When I was troubled on how to react, Kaorun sighed and said.
“Nanjou-sama, any further escape seems impossible at this point. Let us regroup with everyone.”
“….You sure?”
“Yes. I enjoyed the amusement park plenty already. I am satisfied.”
Opposite to her words, Kaorun made a somewhat regretful expression.
So I said proposing.
“Then let’s enter the haunted house lastly and then go to everyone else. You wait here, Machina.”
“…Eh? Wh- Why are you leaving me behind? You want to be all alone with the maid that bad?”
“No, that’s not it. You’re bad with ghosts, right? Will you be fine?”
I hastily asked Machina, who made a lonely face for some reason.
Upon that, Machina strongly squeezed my hand.
“S- Surely, I’m scared, but I’ll be fine together with you. I’m coming along.”
“Ehm, you don’t really have to force yourself when you’re scared, you know?”
“Sh- Shut up! I want to stay with you! C’mon, let’s go!”
Machina said angrily and walked away, pulling on my hand. Right away, Kaorun followed after us and we three entered the haunted house.
The haunted house was an ominous Japanese style building and gave off an eerie aura. Furthermore, the interior was built rather genuine and mixed into a creepy BGM, you could even hear mysterious voices that were hard to differentiate between screams and groans.
…It really felt like something would appear.
I got a bad feeling. Then Machina’s hand squeezed tightly onto mine.
She was scared after all, as her little hand was shaking.
There Kaorun opened her mouth with a slightly quiet tone.
“…By the way, Machina-sama, are you aware that a person went missing in a haunted house?”
“I, I don’t! Actually, don’t bring that up here…!”
Ignoring Machina’s words, Kaorun started talking in a somewhat gloomy tone.
“Apparently it was a day of summer vacation, just like today. A certain girl—- Machina-san came to the amusement park with her friends to play…”
“H- Hey, why does the girl have the same name as me!”
“A mere coincidence.”
Sleekly replying to the flustered Machina, Kaorun continued her story.
“That girl, Machina-san was weak against ghosts, but in front of her friends she played tough saying ’I can enter something like a haunted house all by myself!’ and thus went into the haunted house all alone. Her friends sent her off with a wry smile and waited for her return.”
Somehow, the girl in the story seemed to resemble Machina quite a lot…Was it deliberate? I became doubtful, but didn’t interjected and listened to Kaorun’s story.
“Her friends continued to wait for her. However, no matter how long they waited, Machina-san did not come back. So her friends became worried and searched for her inside the haunted house, but they could not find her anywhere in the end….She was thereby claimed missing.”
Amidst the creepy BGM, Kaorun continued with a “But”.
“Apparently visitors of the haunted house sometimes spot it. The appearance of Machina-san trapped in a mirror and weeping.”
“….Wh- What a lame made-up story. It’s not s- scary at all.”
With her voice trembling, Machina told an obvious lie.
At that moment, suddenly a sad crying voice could be heard.
Upon hearing that fear-inducing weeping, we looked at each other…and timidly faced the direction of the voice. Then,
“Let me out of here…”
We saw the appearance of a girl shedding tears inside a huge mirror, as an attraction.
Right away,
“NOOOOOO!”
Machina raised a scream, jumped up and ran straight for the exit.
“Ah, hey, Machina—”
I tried to call her to halt, but Machina fled with a tunnel vision and she disappeared in no time.
While watching after her, Kaorun said isolated.
“…I never occurred to me that the haunted house might really have a mirror.”
Apparently the mirror in the haunted house was even outside Kaorun’s expectations.
“Don’t you think you went a bit overboard there?”
When I said so reproachful, Kaorun nodded guilty.
“…Yes. I think so too. However, just looking at her makes me want to tease her.”
“Well, Machina certainly is fun to tease.”
“That is not the reason.”
Denying outright, Kaorun tightly clenched her fists.
“…Machina-sama should be the same as myself… yet she is completely different from me.”
I didn’t really understand the meaning of her words.
But Kaorun had really sad eyes and I had no words to offer to her.
I didn’t understand anything and couldn’t say anything.
I slowly reached out my hand for Kaorun and patted her head.
“…Nanjou-sama?”
“For now, let’s go after Machina.”
Just saying that, I took Kaorun’s hand and started walking.
Upon that, Kaorun return the squeeze on my hand and smiled lightly…
Once I got out of the haunted house, I looked around for Machina together with Kaorun, but she wasn’t nearby.
She must have been quite agitated. She might have even escaped far away.
I searched for Machina a bit worried, when I spotted Nazuna in the corner of my vision.
On a closer look, Machina was next to Nazuna and clinging to her still trembling lightly. Machina must have been scared to death by the haunted house, but why was even Nazuna making a pale face?
“Hey girls, what’s wrong?”
I called out to them curiously, when Nazuna approached with tears dwelling up in her eyes.
“Big trouble, Brother. Machina-chan saw a real ghost in the haunted house. What if she’s cursed now?”
Nazuna was still close to crying, as she was genuinely worried.
Inadvertently I made a small wry smile and lightly patted Nazuna and Machina’s head.
“Don’t worry. It’s okay. I was with Machina and there was no ghost.”
“Eh? But Machina-chan said there was…”
“That was just an attraction.”
“Really?”
As Nazuna brought up the matter, Machina averted her eyes awkwardly and said covering up.
“C- Certainly, that was an attraction. I, I wasn’t scared at all, but I thought it would scare Nazuna, so I tried a little act.”
“…You’re so mean, Machina-chan. Why would you do that?”
“Uhh… I, I’m sorry.”
Feeling guilty over her lie, Machina apologized honestly. However,
“I’ll not forgive you! You deserve a punishment, Machina-chan!”
Along with her words, Nazuan swiftly got behind Machina’s back and started to tickle her sides.
“Ahahaha! Stop it, Nazuna! I won’t do it again!”
“Meow, meow!”
“H- Hey, Nazuna, not there… Ahahaha!”
Nazuna clung to the laughing Machina playful and wouldn’t let go.
I watched over these two, when Kaorun slowly came closer.
“Looks, like they are having fun.”
“Yeah, indeed. Why don’t you join—”
I started my sentence—but stopped halfway unmeant.
“…Why is it that Machina-sama can get fawned on like that?”
Eyes filled with envy, a sad profile and bitten lips.
…To be honest, I was bewildered.
Because I never imagined that Kaorun could show such an expression…I didn’t know what to do.
But Kaorun soon enough reverted to her usual inexpressiveness.
“Nanjou-sama, why are you looking upon me with such passionate eyes? Could it be that you are smitten by me?”
She cracked one of her special jokes.
Therefore I replied relieved.
“Well, you’re just so pretty. I think I was smitten because I don’t know much about you. I might have fallen for you, if you weren’t Kaorun.”
“Excuse me, then I would be a total different person.”
“Indeed…”
I made a deep sigh.
“…Hey, why does such a beauty have to be you?”
“Are you dissatisfied?”
“Gravely.”
When I gave an instant answer, Kaorun purposefully pretended to cry.
“So cruel. This is too much. I am going to cry.”
“Yeah, cry all you want. Tears make you stronger.”
Since it was troublesome, I gave a suited reply, when Kaorun frowned sullen and close the distance between us.
“Mh, what’s up?”
“Well, I was just thinking that I should take you up on your words and cry in your arms.”
“…Stop, Lady. Tears don’t suit you.”
“No, I will cry in your arms, Nanjou-sama. Though I only might pretend to cry and launch a body blow at you, but please do not mind that.”
“Haha, if you get that ardent with me, I’ll give you a passionate kiss as a thanks.”
I backed off one step while laughing. Kaorun brought her face closer and said.
“At that time, I will return that passionate kiss. Needless to say, with my tongue.”
“Stop it, Kaorun. If you were to do that, we would end up in a relationship where our lips pile up lies whenever our bodies touch.”
“…I have been wondering for a while now, but finicky remarks do not suit you, Nanjou-sama. They only sound somewhat comical to me.”
“You also easily say stuff that hurts people…”
“Goes for us both.”
When we talked like that,
“Shinobu! Don’t chat there casually and stop Nazuna!”
Machina sought help.
There I extended both my arms….and tickled Machina under her armpit.
“Hyan! Wh- Why are even you tickling me now, Shinobu!”
Even asked that, I could only responded that it was because it was fun. I continued to tickle Machina wordless.
Upon that Machina laughed even louder and struggled greatly.
As a result, Machina’s voluminous breasts bounced left and right and hit my palm.
Feeling a soft and squishy stimulation on my palm, I hastily tried to stop Machina’s movement, but
“Kyan!”
before I noticed it, I ended up seizing both of Machina’s breasts.
…No, no, while her breasts were certainly moving, I was supposed to grab her shoulders here.
By acting on an impulse, it had turned into an unbelievable situation.
I timidly looked at Machina, when she looked back at me puzzled, as she hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet.
“Ehm, well, what can I say. They’re so soft that I want them as my pillow.”
“…Eh? You mean you want to sleep on my breasts? You’re so bold— NOT! Don’t take advantage of the turmoil! You pervert!”
“No, you’re wrong! That wasn’t on purpose ! It was, well, God’s invisible hand, or rather…”
I made excuses flustered, when Kaorun softly whispered into my ear.
“Nanjou-sama, it is a sink or swim now. How about you cover it up with a finicky remark like before? You might be able to coax Machina-sama with it.”
…I believed that this situation was impossible to cover up.
But you never know until you try. I gave Machina a passionate look and opened my mouth.
“Machina, what I really wanted to touch was not your breasts, but your heart. But it seems I failed. I thought I had seized your heart, but…I was moved by your attractiveness.”
I was trying my hardest in my own way.
Immediately, Nazuna said a “You’re so cool, Brother!”, but Machina turned bright red and looked down.
She must be angry after all. I better apologize honestly now.
So I considered, but Machina said isolated while still looking down.
“…Why are you suddenly saying something so cool. That’s just not fair. I can’t get angry now, even if I want…Stupid Shinobu.”
Huh? I really fooled her?
…Mhm~ It might be weird for me to say it, but getting fooled like that was not good.
I was a bit worried for Machina’s future, when Nazuna pulled on my hand.
“Brother, Brother. Since we’re all here, let’s ride the Ferris Wheel together.”
“…Okay, but weren’t you with Luna and the others?”
“I got separated from them. I’ll call El-chan now, so let’s ride the Ferris Wheel while we wait. You too, Machina-chan, Miss Maid.”
“…Eh? The maid too?”
Due to the incident in the haunted house earlier, Machina seemed somewhat against the idea.
Kaorun lightly clapped Machina’s shoulders.
“Fear not, Machina-sama.”
While saying that, Kaorun made a thump-up.
“I also know a scary story with a Ferris Wheel.”
“I, I see. I would gladly hear it, but I’m afraid I’m not interested in the Ferris Wheel. Don’t mind me and go with the three of you. I’ll call Elni and Hijiri. Shinobu, lend me your phone.”
Taking Kaorun’s joke seriously, Machina told an obvious lie.
Most likely, she didn’t want to have Nazuna see her scared.
Since Machina usually played the older sister around Nazuna…
Well, I could understand her feelings, so I didn’t say anything unnecessarily and handed her my cell phone.
“You know how to use it?”
“Yeah, Elni taught me. …Oh my, your background image is a cat.”
“Yeah, that’s the cat we keep. Right now it is together with our father on the business trip…But you can change it if you want. I wouldn’t mind a sexy shot of you, Machina.”
“Okay. Then I’ll take a picture right awa—- wait, I won’t do that! Just go ride on the Ferris Wheel already!”
With Machina pushing onto my back, we headed for the Ferris Wheel.
Luckily for us, there weren’t many people lined up before the Ferris Wheel and we could board it soon enough.
I immediately sat down on the seat, when
“Meow.”
Nazuna sad down on my lap with a smile for some reason.
I believed Nazuna was behaving too spoiled, but she looked just so happy that I didn’t say anything and just sighed.
Upon that, Kaorun, who sat across from me, giggled.
“Nanjou-sama you are so forgiving towards Nazuna-sama.”
“Yeah! Brother is really kind!”
“Is that so. Well, I would like to be treated kindly by Nanjou-sama too, so from now on I will call him ’Dear Brother’.”
Saying that, Kaorun cleared her throat with a cough.
“I love you, Dear Brother.”
…Not good. Even though I knew it was just an act, I unintentionally became excited.
“Dear Brother, would you like to go the beach on the next holiday? I specially bought a new swimsuit for you.”
“Sorry, but not interested. Go with someone else.”
“…Somehow, you are acting so cold lately, Dear Brother. You were even walking arm-in-arm with some unknown girl before. Dear Brother, who was that person?”
“None of your concern.”
I averted my gaze from Kaorun and lit up an imaginary cigarette.
“…That is how you talk your way out. I knew it…You are having an affair, Dear Brother? Was I just plaything for you? The vow from that night…was it just a lie?”
“There wasn’t anything between us. Remember?”
I replied to Kaorun, who spoke with a crying voice, with a cold smile.
Right away, Kaorun purposefully broke down crying.
“So cruel! First you force me into this little sister play and then you toss me aside like this! You are a brute, Dear Brother! A lecherous beast! A perverted gentleman from the boob planet with a maid fetish!”
“…Hey, wait. Who are you calling a brute or lecherous beast! Don’t say such unwarranted stuff! Besides, what’s that about the little sister play! I don’t remember forcing you into that.”
Inadvertently I forgot my role and shouted.
However, Kaorun ignored me and depended on Nazuna.
“Nazuna-sama, my Dear Brother is being mean. Please help me.”
“Hey, don’t drag Nazuna into this. You’re forbidden to call me Dear Brother, Kaorun.”
“…Such a shame.”
For some reason, Kaorun dropped her shoulders lightly.
There Nazuna raised her hand with an idea.
“Then how about Brother calls the maid with ‘Onee-chan’?”
How did it come to this? I was wary, but since Kaorun’s face brimmed with expectation, I decided to go along with it for now.
“Kaoru-oneechan.”
“Yes, what is it? You want to rest in your sister’s breasts? Or do you want me to pet your head? You really are spoiled, Shinobu-chan.”
Saying that with red cheeks, Kaorun put up her index finger.
“Nanjou-sama, please once more.”
“…Kaoru-oneesan.”
“No, not ‘oneesan’, but ‘oneechan’ please.”
Kaorun showed a strange obsession…and in the end, I repeated “Kaoru-oneechan” countless times. But midway, Kaorun said a sexy, yet weird statement “…Somehow my body is getting hot”, so I decided to ignore it.
I averted my eyes from Kaorun and faced the window of the Ferris Wheel together with Nazuna.
“Uwa, we’re so high up, Brother.”
“Yeah. The—people just look like trash!”
“Certainly. …Incidentally, you two, this Ferris Wheel—isn’t it the best show?”
Kaorun and I made a bad impersonation.
Seeing us like that, Nazuna clapped her hands happily.
“I know about that! It’s from L*puta: Castle in the Sky! It’s Colonel M*ska!”
“If you get it, then kneel down! Beg for your life! Get the stone back from the brat!”
I continued my impersonation, when Nazuna shouted with a serious expression.
“—Baloose!”
“No, Nazuna-sama. The spell of destruction is not ‘Baloose’, but ‘Valuse’. Once the spell is chanted, Nanjou-sama will have say ‘My eyes, my eyeeeeees~!’.”
“Okay. Brother—Valuse!”
“—Shut up, brat.”
“Uhm, Nanjou-sama? That is from a different script. That sentence is from Princess Mononoke.”
“Shut up, pig!”
“I am not a dirty pig!”
No, no one even said that.
“…Actually, why are we chatting nonchalant in a Ferris Wheel?”
“We sure aren’t looking at the scenery.”
Nazuna made a wry smile, when Kaorun lowered her head a bit.
“My apologies. My interesting talk made you two so fascinated that you ended up forgetting about the original enjoyment here…”
“Doesn’t your self-confidence know any bounds?”
“…Nanjou-sama, please do not mimic me.”
“Yeah. You’re being rude to the maid, Brother. Even though her story was so interesting…”
“Eh? Uh- Uhm, thank you very much.”
Kaorun coloured her cheeks red a bit, as she didn’t expect to get praised.
“Oh, you’re being bashful?”
“N- No. Please do not speak of such weird things. And please let be your face the only weird thing.”
“Don’t say I have a weird face! Even like that, some people evaluated my face as handsome.”
“Who are these laudable people?”
“Me!”
Upon Kaorun’s question, Nazuna raised her hand and answered full of energy.
“…Ehm, anyone else?”
“I, myself.”
“Besides you?”
Upon this harsh question, I could do nothing but fell silent.
“…Are you telling me that is all?”
“That’s all.”
I replied with a nod, when Kaorun made a small sigh.
“…How lonesome.”
“Then give me some love if you’re sympathetic.”
“Are you sure? My love is expensive.”
“…I don’t want love that I can buy with money.”
When I acted cool, Kaorun shrugged her shoulders in disappointment.
“You sure are selfish, Nanjou-sama.”
“Yeah, My love is selfish, but I will never hurt only me.”
“—Nazuna-sama, please look over there. It is a flying bird.”
“Hey, I made a stupid remark here, so don’t ignore me and retort.”
Feeling a shred of loneliness, I imitated the two of them and looked through the window again.
We stopp our chatting and enjoyed the Ferris Wheel ride like it was due.
Both Nazuna and Kaorun started a quiet humming while watching the scenery outside. They seemed quite satisfied with the Ferris Wheel.
But when the Ferris Wheel reached the top and started to go downwards,
“…There is one thing I would like to ask you, Nazuna-sama.”
Kaorun shyly broke the ice.
“Nazuna-sama, are you aware of Miss Cow-woman— I mean, Luna-sama and Machina-sama’s, that is, circumstances?”
“Mh? What do you mean?”
“I am referring to, that is, them being…”
Seeing Kaorun at a loss for words, Nazuna must have guessed something. She made a lightly serious expression and opened her mouth.
“I know that Luna-oneechan and Machina-chan are devils.”
“So you were aware of it.”
Kaorun somewhat widened her eyes and asked after a short hesitation.
“…Nazuna-sama, are you alright with it? I mean, these two are devils. You do not consider them scary?”
“I don’t. I mean, they’re both kind and play with me. Besides—”
For a moment she stopped her words, then Nazuna said with a smile.
“They are part of my family. It doesn’t matter that they’re devils.”
“…Family, you say?”
Averting her eyes from Nazuna, Kaorun said somewhat envious.
“I am sure that Machina-sama is pleased about that.”
“Eh? And Luna-oneechan isn’t?”
“Because Luna-sama somewhat resembles myself.”
With a sad smile, Kaorun once again shifted her gaze towards the window.
When I saw her profile then, a pain ran through my chest for some reason.
Nazuna must have felt the same as me. Both of us couldn’t ask her for the meaning behind her words while the Ferris Wheel made it’s way down.
Then we got off the gondola,
“Nanjou-sama, it is about time that I return to the Gogyou Household.”
Kaorun said isolated.
Needless to say, I faced Kaorun surprised.
“…Why? Didn‘t you run away from there? You said it would get bad when you returned…”
“That was all a lie. Therefore, please do not worry about me, Nanjou-sama.”
Kaorun shed off her expressiveness and forced herself to smile.
“…Don’t lie so obvious. I can’t leave you al—”
“Nanjou-sama, it is alright. I do not wish to cause the Miss any inconveniences.”
Cutting into my words, Kaorun moved her gaze.
I followed her gaze and there stood Luna and Hijiri together with Machina and Elni.
They surely had assembled there by Machina’s call.
Noticing our gazes, Hijiri approached us as an representative of them.
“Kaoru-san, I heard about it from my father.”
“I apologize for causing you trouble. I will return to the Master at once.”
“You don’t have to.”
“…Eh?”
With a dignified expression, Hijiri gently embraced Kaorun with both her arms.
“I’ll do something about it. So, please don’t run away anymore.”
—The reason why Hijiri came after Kaorun. It was an action from Hijiri’s feelings towards Kaorun. I was sure that Hijiri had intended to help out from the beginning.
Still, Hijiri’s feelings should be quite obvious to Kaorun,
“Thank you very much, Miss.”
Yet, why was it that Kaorun showed such a lonely expression?
Not knowing the reason for it, that expression of hers alone remained strongly in my heart…
* * *
After that, I told them that I intended to shelter Kaorun at my gramps’ holiday house, when Hijiri appealed that she may come too, whereupon the other girls expressed the same intention.
However, we all didn’t fit in Kaorun’s car. So we split into two groups and headed for the holiday house in Kaorun and my mother’s car.
Along the way, we dropped by at a big department store to buy cooking ingredients.
Then my mother mentioned that there was a river near the holiday house in which one could play, so all the girls said “I want to buy a swimsuit” and dragged me to a swimsuit store.
When we arrived at the swimsuit store, the girls started to skim through the swimsuits in high spirits.
On the other hand, I bought my swim trunks in a matter of minutes and then waited completely bored.
I couldn’t come up with anything else to do, so I let my gaze absent-mindedly glide over the swimsuit store.
“Shinobu-sam, Shinobu-san.”
Suddenly I was called out from behind.
I turned around and there I saw Luna peeking out her head from the curtain of the changing room.
From there, Luna beckoned me low-key.
“What’s up? Are you going to show me a sexy swimsuit?”
I asked in a casual tone, when Luna coloured her cheeks red and nodded small.
“Elni-chan chose this swimsuit for me. Will you take a look at it?”
“Eh? Elni did?”
…Was that safe? I got a really bad feeling. What if Luna was wearing a school swimsuit or the like?
Such thoughts crossed my mind, when Luna slowly opened the curtain.
Right away, my vision was filled with Luna wearing a daring swimsuit.
A thin Y string was covering barely covering the important parts, but you could safely say that she was mostly naked.
Her tense and melon-big breasts exposed themselves clearly to me and her cleavage of course, but also the side and bottom of her breasts were in plain view. Furthermore, her narrow waist, cute navel and her beautiful legs in the high leg cut were honey for my eyes.
“How is it, Shinobu-san?”
While turning bright red, Luna leaned forward and stroke a pose.
Upon that, her voluminous breasts bounced right in front of my eyes, whereupon the Y string slipped off and gave way for the main part.
In other words, it was completely visible.
Failing to notice that, Luna asked me with a worried expression.
“Uhm, does it look weird after all?”
“No, it’s not weird. It’s really pretty. So much that I want to touch it.”
“That you want to touch it?”
I insisted with my eyes as round as a plate, when Luna followed my gaze down on her own breasts.
Instantly, Luna noticed her immodest appearance, turned red quickly and turned her back to me with a small shriek.
But as a result, now her wonderful bottom was exposed to my eyes.
Moreover, the high leg cut swimsuit was about to slip down from her bottom and made her soft bottom halfway through visible.
Inadvertently I gulped, but as the gentleman I was, I swiftly close the curtain of the changing room.
Needless to say, I was reluctant to do so.
—Anyway. That swimsuit was too daring.
“Could it be, you’re an exhibitionist, Luna?”
“N- No! I was really embarrassed about it! But Elni-chan told me you would be pleased with such a swimsuit…”
Luna’s flustered voice came through the curtain, sounding just like she was talking to herself.
Certainly, I was really happy about Luna’s consideration. But.
“Luna, if possible, could you avoid wearing that swimsuit in front of others?”
“….Eh? Why is that?”
“Sympathize with the complex heart of a boy.”
I don’t want any other guy to see Luna in that daring swimsuit—Is what I couldn’t say, so I vaguely prevaricated.
“Yes. I understand.”
Luna readily consented.
“I also do not want any other guy besides Shinobu-san to see me like that. After all, I am Shinobu-san’s—”
My chest throbbed violently upon Luna’s words.
“Shinobu-san’s exclusive slave.”
…My hopes quickly changed into a sigh.
I dropped my shoulders and opened my mouth while turning my back to the changing room.
“Luna, stop with the slave stuff already. At least make it a maid. A maid, you hear.”
“Ehm, I believe Kaoru-san would get angry then…”
…Yeah. It was quite likely she would.
“Then make it older sister.”
“Eh? Older sister? Shinobu-san, you want me to become an older sister? Then I will call you ‘Shinobu-chan’ from now on.”
“No, no! I didn’t mean it like that.”
I couldn’t express my feelings as I wanted to. I shook my head and crossed my arms.
Mhm~ It was rather embarrassing, but I should tell her properly on this occasion.
After taking a small deep breath, I slowly opened my mouth.
“…Luna, I don’t think of you as a slave. You’re a precious family member. Nazuna, Mom and me all think so. So, stop this slave stuff”
I didn’t want her to call herself a slave.
Whenever Luna called herself that, I felt sad like I had been rejected.
Conveying these feelings properly, I waited for Luna’s reply with my back still facing the changing room.
Then I heard the curtain get yanked open— and before I noticed it, Luna had clung to my back.
“L- Luna?”
I became agitated by the elasticity and warmth of her big breasts pressing on my back, when Luna put her hands on my shoulder and stood on tip-toes.
“Thank you, Shinobu-san.”
Softly, she pressed a kiss on my cheek.
My cheeks turned red by her soft lips and my heart raced.
…Not good. I couldn’t seem to endure the shame.
“W- Well then, about time I take my leave. Don’t say slave anymore. Don’t catch a cold. Brush your teeth. See you next week!”
I cracked a joke to hide my embarrassment and got away from the changing room in an escape.
But, I was a bit concerned about Luna, so I turned around and…she showed a bright smile. Before I noticed it, I also smiled, as I got infected by her happy smile…
After parting with Luna, I sat down on a bench near the swimsuit store. There I waited for everyone to finish their shopping, when Hijiri came out of the swimsuit store.
Hijiri held onto a paper bag on her chest and approached me with a smile.
“Shinobu-kun, you’re already done with shopping?”
“Yeah, I am… You too?”
“Yeah. Kaoru-san chose a swimsuit for me. This will please— No! I’ll seduce you with it!”
“Hee, that’s great… So, where’s said Kaorun?”
I completely ignored the stuff about seduction, when Hijiri made a slightly regretful expression and answered.
“Kaoru-san went shopping for cooking ingredients…”
“I see.”
I made an agreeable response and suddenly remembered.
I should ask about Kaorun, as now with jus the two of us was a good timing.
“Hey, Hijiri. Why did Kaorun run away?”
“…Eh? She hasn’t told you anything?”
“Well, she told me your father coerced her into doing things she dislikes, but nothing specific…”
“I see. And yet you helped her. You’re really kind, Shinobu-kun.”
Saying stuff that made me embarrassed, Hijiri explained properly.
“I think I told you about it before, but we exorcists shelter and manage hybrid devils born between a human and a devil like Kaoru-san. But only on the paper. In reality they’re just used as convenient tools.”
With a somewhat gloomy tone, Hijiri continued.
“So we’re making them undergo special training, so that they can assist us in our job. Every year, around this time, we gather all of them in one place and coach them, so that they can properly do their job.”
Special training and coaching, huh.
By the sound of the words, it seemed like a training camp.
However, it made Kaorun run away. So it must be rather harsh.
I silently crossed my arms and listened to Hijiri.
“There are a lot of hybrid devils, so not everyone participates every year. Only those, who were called out to be the exorcist organisation. Also, Kaoru-san participated a couple of times in the special training.”
While saying so, Hijiri faintly clouded and she continued with a “But”.
“when she came back from the special training for the first time, Kaoru-san stopped calling me by my name.”
Along with her words, Hijiri clenched her fists strongly.
“Kaoru-san wouldn’t tell me what happened. Same for my father. No one would tell me what kind of training Kaoru-san received. But I can somewhat guess what Kaoru-san went through. That’s why I don’t want her to participate in the special training.”
Hijiri’s feelings for Kaorun became sporadically evident in her words.
“…Besides, I was a bit happy.”
“Happy?”
I asked back like a parrot, when Hijiri nodded small.
“Kaoru-san always tells weird jokes, but despite that, she had never been selfish. Because she’s under the impression that she’s a tool for us, she hates to cause trouble for us. She obeys everything. I always hated that…”
Saying remembering, Hijiri softened her expression and continued.
“So when I heard about Kaoru-san from my father, I was certainly surprised, but even more so I was happy. I was happy that Kaoru-san was selfish for the first time. I always keep relying on Kaoru-san, so I wanted to help her and immediately returned from my training camp with the kendo club. But when I saw Kaoru-san…. I realized.”
Stopping her words momentarily, Hijiri smiled powerless.
“That Kaoru-san had intended to return soon enough. She just wanted to play with you before the special training. She had no intention to cause us trouble from the beginning.”
Listening to Hijiri’s story, I suddenly remembered.
About Kaorun showing a bewildered expression, when I invited her to the holiday house.
…Like Hijiri had said, right from the beginning, Kaorun might have intended to return to Hijiri’s house before long. That was why she prioritized going to the amusement park rather than the holiday house.
“Kaoru-san is always like that. It would be fine to cause trouble or to act spoiled, yet she always watches over us from one step behind. She won’t come over to us…”
—I do not wish to cause the Miss any inconveniences.
Suddenly Kaorun’s words floated in my head.
Why did Kaorun keep her distance? Why wouldn’t she reach out for Hijiri? Why…wouldn’t she become a family with Hijiri?
Not knowing the answer, I felt vexed.
Albeit, Hijri laughed quietly and said.
“But, I’m not giving up. During this trip, I want Kaoru-san to realize that it’s okay to cause troubles and to act spoiled. I’ll work hard until Kaoru-san thinks of me as a family.”
“I see…”
Hijiri’s words made my chest a bit lighter.
“But, Hijiri, you say trip, but we’re actually runaways, you know? Realistically speaking, it’ll be hard to keep doing so. Do you have any plans?”
Hijiri showed a smile and a “No worries” to my question.
“I fear that the exorcists are going to come to take back Kaoru-san. But, the special training has a set period. If we manage to escape until that’s over…She should no longer have to participate.”
“…How long is that period?”
“In the past, when Kaoru-san participated in it, she came back after 2,3 weeks. So I don’t think it’s all that long…”
Hijiri said with a wry smile.
“This year it might work out, but next year they will be more cautious without a doubt.”
“Then let’s escape overseas next year. We’re fleeing the country.”
“Fufu. That might be good. Any particular country you want to go to, Shinobu-kun?”
Hijiri surprisingly went along with my half-joking, half-serious suggestion with a smile.
There we considered foreign countries for a while and talked about where we would like to go.
But when we were out of ideas, Hijiri shyly opened her mouth.
“Uhm, there is also something I would like to ask you, Shinobu-kun…”
With such a prologue, Hijiri asked with a serious expression.
“This morning, when I called you, what did you do to Kaoru-san?”
….Mh? Could it be Hijiri was completely misunderstanding after she heard Kaorun’s joking lewd voice over the phone?
“Hijiri, that was one of Kaorun’s pranks. I didn’t really do anything.”
“Really? You really didn’t do anything, well, perverted with Kaoru-san in secret?”
“There is no such thing.”
I denied clearly.
However, Hijiri lightly puffed her cheeks for some reason.
“…Sounds suspicious.”
“Eh, why?”
“I mean, you’re really close with Kaoru-san. And she also likes you…”
“Hee, what an honour.”
I honestly felt happy, but Hijri made a sulking face, as displeased over something.
“…Shinobu-kun, you’re grinning.”
“Attractive, isn’t it?”
“Yeah—wait, no! That’s not what I meant! Ah, but it’s not that it’s unattractive either, ehm… Right now it’s about Kaoru-san! I won’t be fooled even if you make such a handsome face!”
Though it wasn’t really my intention to make a handsome face…
I was a bit surprised by her reaction, when Hijiri suddenly brought her face closer.
With her pretty face close by, a somewhat refreshing fragrance hung in the air. Her long eyelashes, her smooth cheeks and her well-formed lips. I was smitten by all these, when Hijiri opened her mouth with a somewhat worried expression.
“What do you think about Kaoru-san?”
“About Kaorun? Well—”
“She’s my second lover. What are you asking that for now?”
“Yeah, Hijiri, everyone knows that Kaorun is my second lover. My first is Elni—wait, like hell they are!”
I retorted with full power. I turned around with attitude.
…I had no idea for how long she had been standing there, but my gaze fell on Elni, who made a strange face. Elni continued, still having a strange expression.
“Hm. I thought about it and I’m fine with just Elni as my lover. I’ll have Kaorun be my maid.”
“Hey, Elni, is that weird face your idea of my impersonation?”
“Meow!”
Elni saluted like Nazuna.
“Now you’re mimicking Nazuna? You sure love copying people.”
After I shrugged my shoulders, Elni said with a smile.
“Shinobu, a certain imitating artist once said: ‘I only copy people I love’. I’m just the same.”
“…I’m not really sure what you want to say, but what’s up? You need something?”
“Yeah. I came to get you two. Everyone is waiting for you. Hurry up and come.”
Most likely, everyone finished shopping while Hijiri and I were talking.
It would be bad to make everyone wait. I gave Elni a nod and stood up from the bench.
At that moment, Hijiri weakly pulled on my sleeve.
“Shinobu-kun, you haven’t answered my earlier question. What do you think about Kaoru-san?”
“The answer to that question is…”
“The answer is?”
Hijiri gulped down her saliva.
“…revealed after the CM.”
I replied in the form of a joke.
Upon that, Elni interjected with a narration tone, as she played along with my joke.
“Clung to by a silver-haired girl!? One morning, Nanjou Shinobu woke up besides an unknown sleeping girl with silver hair. While Shinobu is unable to comprehend the situation, the girl named Elni claims to be a Goddess…The heart-warming school love comedy ‘Kami Tsuki!’. Selling greatly within my imagination!”
“…Write ‘It’s not a rip-off, it’s respect!’ on the cover.”
I retorted like that to Elni’s long CM, then replied ‘Kaorun is a friend for me” to Hijiri casually.
Then we regrouped with the others and headed for gramps’ holiday house in Kaorun and my mother’s car…
