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V13 Story III – Part 03

“I-I’m sorry, Shirayuki-san,” I said. “Please, lift your head.”

“…”

“Um, I kinda had a reason to avoid—”

“Chest!”

“Yukihito!”

I was struck by another wave of aggression. Yukihito smacked me across the face with a cushion. As I scrambled to get away, Yukihito swung the cushion wildly, continuing the assault. He was brutal. Brutally merciless. He was furious for reasons I didn’t know.

“Lady Shirayuki showers you with love and that’s how you repay her?! Despicable!”

“Chill, Yukihito! You’re talking weird. Ugh!”

“Fate will mete out just punishment for such vile act!”

“Okay, okay, Yukihito, calm down. Hitting him won’t help.”

Yusuke stepped in, quickly restraining Yukihito and pulling him away from me. I rubbed my face and took stock of the situation again. Asato watched me with cold—below freezing cold—eyes, Nanami plopped down in a chair, and Yukihito continued to thrash about. Yusuke sighed. Maihime elegantly tilted her teacup, giving me a wink. Next to her, Kugutsu maintained a stoic expression, clearly thinking, “It’s your fault, so I’m staying out of it.”

I stroked my left arm and patted Shirayuki’s back, then studied everyone’s faces once more.

“I’m back,” I said.

“Do something about her!” they replied in unison.

Their response was entirely reasonable. I turned to face Shirayuki. I was at a loss. I had so much to say, but her defensive posture showed no sign of breaking. Time was running out. I needed to go get Mayuzumi soon.

Among the group, only Asato had a grasp of the current situation. He looked at me, silently asking what my next move was. I crossed my arms, stumped.

Yusuke raised a hand. “Uh, Odagiri-san, what happened to getting Mayuzumi-san back?”

“About that… I’ve got a route planned, and by sheer coincidence, I’ve sorted out how to get there. But before that… I’m glad to see you all, but what are you and Nanami-san doing here?”

“I failed to stop you, and I got worried. Plus, I needed to let the clan head know, but calling would’ve just caused a disaster. Someone’s got to keep her in check, so we came here. And as for this little gremlin…”

“I’m not letting anyone disappear again. Not on my watch! I’m getting involved whether you like it or not. You will pay for ruining my peaceful life!” Nanami bellowed.

Her pigtails seemed to bob. She was genuinely furious, but at the same time, her words were also filled with concern.

I closed my eyes. The people gathered here were all important to me, and it was hard to part with them. But there was no time left. I clenched my fists. I didn’t want to keep the words unsaid and regret it later. There was something I had to say to the person curled up before me. But she was stubborn. There was no other choice. I checked my condition. Perhaps it was for the best that I had collapsed earlier. I felt like I could muster some strength. A bit of drastic measures was possible.

I stood up, placed my hand on Shirayuki’s waist, and gathered my strength.

“Shirayuki-san… excuse me!”

I scooped her up. She stiffened in my arms as I turned her over and laid her back on the bed. Sliding my arms under her legs, I lifted her into a bridal carry and stepped down from the bed. She was heavier than I’d imagined, and I nearly lost my balance, but I held firm. I’d carried her once before in that old abandoned building, but back then, everything had been a blur. Now, she felt heavier. But I was determined not to drop her. Swallowing my nerves, I turned to face the others.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed, except for Kugutsu, who just watched with his usual calm smile.

“Marvelous, sir.”

I almost wanted to ask him what he meant by that.

I glanced at Shirayuki’s face. She was completely frozen, her eyes wide with shock. A moment later, her cheeks flushed bright red, as if she might start steaming. She panicked, her arms flailing as she pounded her fists against me. It hurt—a lot—but I gritted my teeth through the onslaught and took a deep breath.

There was no room for hesitation now, no room for second thoughts. I was going to say what I needed to say. And so I did. Something I would have never said before.

“We’re going on a date!”

The room went dead silent. Then, pandemonium broke. Large tears spilled from Yukihito’s eyes. Nanami slammed her fist on the table. Yusuke clapped. Maihime giggled, pulling Kugutsu closer, while Asato just sighed and rolled his eyes. Shirayuki stopped moving altogether, stunned into stillness. Even her punches stopped.

Holding her close, I took off. A chorus of voices chased us. Their shouts spurred me on, quickening my pace.

“Are you stupid? Huh? Go die, you idiot! Go on your date, you moron!”

“You’ve got a good side, little gremlin.”

“Uhh… as long as Lady Shirayuki’s happy… Congratulations.”

“You’re jumping the gun, Yukihito.”

“This is nice, Kugutsu. I think it’s lovely.”

“Yes, Princess. I agree.”

“Aren’t you gonna say something?”

“And what would I say exactly?”

We burst out of the building and jumped straight into the Mayuzumi clan car waiting for us. I gave the driver our destination, and giving a silent acknowledgement, he drove off.

The car stopped at the station, just as I’d requested. We stepped out.

And in the very next moment, Shirayuki executed a perfect judo throw on me.

I wanted to know why I’d just been tossed onto the pavement in public.

Amid the bustling crowd, I found myself sprawled out on the ground. Shirayuki was behind me, still in the stance she’d used to throw me, panting heavily. The car door clicked shut behind us, then smoothly drove away. Probably for the best.

I staggered to my feet and turned to Shirayuki, who was glaring at me. Her face was flushed.

“Wh-Why did you throw me, Shirayuki-san?”

Shirayuki kept moving her mouth.

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re saying.”

She stopped, pulled out a folding fan from her sleeve, produced a brush, and began scribbling swiftly before shoving it in my face.

“Why didn’t you ask me out in private?!”

“Oh… so you didn’t hate the idea of a date. That’s a relief.”

As I sighed, Shirayuki’s face turned beet red. She wobbled, then sank to her knees, curling up into a ball. I watched her for a moment, but time wasn’t on our side. I quickly went over to her. With her guard back up, I tried to speak gently.

“Shirayuki-san, can you please look at me?”

“…”

“I apologize for embarrassing you, and I’m really sorry for being forceful. But I just wanted to be alone with you, Shirayuki-san. There’s a lot I want to tell you, things I need to say.”

“Stop. This is so embarrassing. I’m going to die.”

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have much time. The express train’s leaving soon, and I wanted to go to Nago City with you. So, if you’re okay with it, I’ll have to carry you again… Gah!”

Before I could finish, Shirayuki’s head slammed into my chin. She sprang to her feet, put away her fan, and glared at me. Her cheeks were still flushed, but her eyes were blazing with fury. Something inside her seemed to have reached a breaking point. I could feel an unusual intensity radiating from her.

“Uh, Shirayuki-san?” I carefully called.

“Hmph!”

The world flipped upside down. It took me a second to realize that Shirayuki had swept my legs out from under me. By the time I caught on, I was already in her arms. As the head of the Minase clan, she was skilled in both martial arts and combat techniques. The strength she used to wield her enormous brush at times was far beyond that of an average person. I had suspected she could carry me if she tried, but I never wanted her to test it out. Holding me up, Shirayuki looked pleased with herself.

“Why am I the one being carried like a princess?!”

“Hmph!”

Ignoring my protests, she took off with a defiant grin. Her arms trembled slightly, but it didn’t look like she was dropping me anytime soon. The gawking stares from the surrounding crowd were unbearable. Some even took pictures. I silently prayed they wouldn’t end up online. Shirayuki pressed on, undeterred. Resigned, I told her where the ticket booth was, covering my face in embarrassment.

This was not how I’d envisioned things going. I looked anything but cool. It was a complete mess.

But as she carried me, I couldn’t help but think that this was the way we should be.