125 – Side Story. After Story (4)
Kenichi tried hard to sleep, but Suma didn’t come as relentlessly as usual.
It was the day Ichimaru Shiki returned.
His heart fluttered, filled with joy, as a sense of excitement clenched his heart.
It wasn’t because he was a homos*xual.
Kenichi had not experienced love yet, but he had a ‘pure’ feeling that made his heart flutter when he saw smiling characters in boys’ comics, so he never viewed men with romantic emotions.
His beloved teacher and a close friend who got along well had returned, so why wouldn’t he be happy.
The current excitement was more about the joy of a unique friend coming back to life and a sense of camaraderie.
Yes, he couldn’t do it earlier due to the circumstances, but he wanted to clash swords with him.
He wanted to fight Ichimaru Shiki, his master, friend, and formidable opponent.
During their separation, he must not have weakened.
During this time, Kenichi wanted to confirm the progress he had made and the gap between them.
Driven by an insatiable desire that couldn’t be fulfilled by practicing swordsmanship, Kenichi rushed out of his bedroom.
“Shiki!!!”
Kitagawa Kenichi, whose head was filled with swordsmanship after two years of wielding a sword, dashed off.
Converting his cross necklace into a sword, he sped towards Ichimaru Shiki’s room.
His body, which could be called superhuman, swiftly traversed the vast Shehehei family mansion.
Arriving at the annex where Ichimaru Shiki resided, Kenichi approached without a second thought.
However, his heightened senses warned him of impending danger.
…There was no sense of presence from inside the room.
It was not just the absence of anyone in the room that was unsettling; it was a matter of magic being unable to intervene in that space due to a mysterious interference.
In other words, Ichimaru Shiki hoped that no one would detect what was happening in that room.
Therefore, Kenichi stood still in front of Ichimaru Shiki’s room.
What came to his mind was the lewd sounds he had heard in Shehehei Rin’s parlor before – sounds that the host claimed were just massages.
Immediately after, he recalled Shiki’s face, smudged with lipstick marks, and Sawamura Sento, who had been clinging to his side.
Swallowing hard, Kenichi considered sensing where Sawamura Sento was within the mansion.
But he hesitated, fearing the consequences that might follow.
Yes, Shiki… we are still underage, aren’t we?
“Darn it.”
Feeling a sense of inexplicable defeat in the unknown situation inside Ichimaru Shiki’s room, Kitagawa Kenichi transformed his nullifying sword back into a necklace and quietly retraced his steps.
It was a Christmas Eve tinged with a coldness in the side.
***
“Let’s have a party!”
It was breakfast time after dawn.
Everyone gathered to eat, including gourmand Ichimaru Shiki, Sawamura Sento, and Kenichi.
Kenichi, with dark circles under his eyes, blinked at the sudden sound.
“…A party?”
“Yes! Since it’s Christmas and Shiki-chan is back, we should celebrate! Yesterday, Shiki herself insisted she was fine, so we let it go, but we can’t overlook today, right?”
Just like Kenichi, Shehehei Rin, the host who seemed tired with dark circles under his eyes, was present, looking like he had a sleepless night.
But finally, his spirits seemed to revive, evident from the slight uplift of the corners of his mouth.
Despite the announcement to everyone, the people at the mansion couldn’t hide their amusement at Shehehei Rin, who consistently gazed only at Ichimaru Shiki.
Once a host who wandered aimlessly without Shiki, he now seemed more spirited than ever upon her return, igniting a fervor for life like never before.
…The only unsettling factor was the intense glare directed at Shiki from Sawamura Sento, who meekly handed her fish bones on the side. Nevertheless, for now, it was a relief to see everyone in high spirits.
With a fiery enthusiasm, Shehehei Rin declared, “It’s a party! A Christmas party! Shiki, you have no plans today, right?”
“Yes, I have nothing scheduled for today.”
“In that case, let’s spend time together today. You’ve been working non-stop until now.”
As Rin gazed at Ichimaru Shiki affectionately, she smiled back at him. This time, however, Sento’s face beside her soured slightly.
Feeling a sense of foreboding from the gradually cooling demeanor, Kenichi shivered.
…What is about to happen?
Just as the tension between the two women was about to escalate, urgent footsteps were heard from outside.
Light footsteps reverberated on the floor as Ichimaru Shiki, with a faint smile, watched Jingi Mun swiftly open the door.
“──Hey! Sinister little rascal!!”
The blond-haired young wizard, Eris Betelgeuse, appeared with flushed cheeks and shouted.
“…Have you been well all this time?”
Ichimaru Shiki replied with a smile as usual.
“Thanks to you.”
Seeing Eris chuckle inexplicably, the self-proclaimed fool, Kitagawa Kenichi, sensed an ominous sign.
No, it was more due to his heightened senses as a supernatural being detecting wandering gazes within the room.
The three women gathered here exchanged glances.
…It wasn’t a particularly affectionate atmosphere.