Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. I've been struggling a bit on how to bring Mito Jujo in the story and have her meet fem!Yuu but thanks to my beta reader, I was able to come up with something finally. As a reminder, this is an AU story with versions of events different from the canon story. Please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader and editor ResidentialPsycho for her help in making this story possible.

Chapter 9: The Most Beautiful Boy

October 25, 2016

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

"Phew…" Shinya breathed as he lowered his rifle and wiped the sweat off his brow.

It was a cool, crisp morning but as he had been exerting himself with combat training, Shinya felt as though he was baking in his clothes. As a Hiragi, he had the luxury of his own private shooting range while other snipers in the JIDA had to use the one at headquarters.

Looking ahead, the white-haired man was pleased to see that he had hit all his targets, several clay disks mechanically flung into the air by two fixed stations at high speeds from a variety of angles, precisely, and he expected no less. As the best sniper in the JIDA as well as a son of the esteemed Hiragi family, Shinya knew he had a reputation to maintain and rarely ever spent less than a few hours a day practicing his sniping skills. Unlike Guren, he was a long-ranged, back-up fighter but could still hold his own in melee combat if necessary. However, he was nowhere near as good with the sword as his best friend or with hand to hand combat like Mito Jujo.

"Hey, Shinya!" a feminine voice called from behind him.

Well, speak of the devil… the white-haired man thought as he turned around and saw a pretty young red-headed woman with violet eyes dressed in jeans and a white blouse coming his way, her hand waving in the air to catch his attention.

"Good to see you, Mito, how've you been?" Shinya asked his childhood friend pleasantly.

Like himself, she too, was out of uniform and dressed in civilian clothes. But although Mito also had long, flowing hair like Sayuri and Shigure, she was a bit more tomboyish and preferred jeans to skirts when not on duty. In fact, it's been years since Shinya saw his crimson-haired friend in anything that showed off her bare, shapely legs which was such a pity.

"Same as always" Mito answered coolly as she flipped her long crimson ponytail over her shoulder. "Anyway, don't you think you should call it a day? It looks like you've been at this all morning."

"You're right, I've been practicing since eight and now it's almost noon. So what can I do for you, my lady?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you if you know what Guren has been up to lately. I've hardly seen him outside of work all week. Has he picked up a new hobby or something? Every time I call his house, Sayuri and Shigure always say he's out or busy."

At the younger woman's question, Shinya had to fight to keep a mischievous grin from breaking out on his face as his mind slowly devised a plan to give him a greater chance of winning the bet he made with Goshi a week ago. In addition to the time constraints, they also agreed to certain conditions for victory to be fair.

Such as no telling Guren of Yuichiro's true sex directly or getting someone else to tell him.

But Goshi made no mention of dropping hints, so Shinya technically wouldn't be violating the terms of their wager if Guren found out by "accident" through someone else.

Someone like Mito. Or Yuichiro herself.

"Well, Guren's had his hands full trying to help a new family member fit into his household. That's probably why you haven't seen much of him lately," he answered smoothly.

Mito was shocked by Shinya's revelation and gasped as her eyes widened.

"What do you mean, 'new family member'?" she demanded. "Did Guren just have a child? I wasn't aware he even had a lover to father one with! And if he did, why didn't anyone tell me about it?"

The white-haired man laughed at the absurd notion before taking a cloth out of his shirt pocket to clean the muzzle of his rifle. For as long as he's known her, Mito Jujo was unbelievably gullible and presumptuous; that was the one thing about the young woman that had not changed since she was a young teen and now Shinya was going to shamelessly use it to his advantage.

"Oh, no, nothing like that! He's still single, at least as far as the public knows. But I have to warn you, Mito, you might have a little more competition for his affections now and I'm not just talking about Sayuri and Shigure."

"Oh? How so, Shinya?"

"You mean nobody told you?" he asked innocently.

"Told me what?"

"That Guren just adopted an orphan boy off the streets a little over a week ago."

Mito's eyes widened. "Are you serious? I thought he didn't care for children."

Shinya shot her a playful smirk. "Well, you obliviously haven't seen this child."

"And what's so special about him?"

"Oh, nothing much. Except that he's the most beautiful boy you'll ever see. His name is Yuichiro Hyakuya."

"A beautiful boy?" Mito asked as her face scrunched in disbelief. "I don't think Guren swings that way, Shinya. If you said he was a girl, I might have believed it."

"Oh, I didn't believe it either. Until I saw Yuichiro myself, that is. The kid is so gorgeous, I swear he makes even me tremble with desire!" the white-haired man laughed as he made a gesture of fanning himself. *1*

Mito gulped. Could it be true that her squad leader, whom she's wanted ever since she was a young teen, had refused to take another lover after Mahiru's death until he found a young boy attractive enough to make him lean in that direction?

"No way! Guren would never choose a kid over me! Especially a boy!" she thought frantically.

"How old is this kid?" Mito demanded.

"He just turned twelve."

"That can't be! I don't believe you!" Mito almost shouted, jealously apparent in her voice.

Shinya shrugged his shoulders. "Then why don't you go see for yourself, Mito? Even Goshi agrees with me, and we both know he couldn't tell a convincing lie even if his life depended on it."

"Alright, I think I will!" the crimson-haired woman snapped as she spun around and left. Surely, Shinya must be lying or exaggerating and Mito wanted to see what exactly it was this Yuichiro boy had that she didn't.

All the while, never realizing that her white-haired friend had just played her like a harp.

Humming happily, Shinya decided to resume his training a bit longer after Mito had finally left while imagining how hilarious and entertaining it would be to have a certain blond-haired idiot with a goatee clean his dirty laundry for a year…

SSSSSS

"Hey, Yuu, I believe you've missed a spot," Guren said in a sing-song tone as he watched the young "boy" clean the kitchen floor from his seat at the breakfast table while he sipped at his coffee mug. Well, more like brunch since it was a little past noon. Guren normally started his work days early but today he had the luxury of coming in a bit later than usual.

His young ward stared at him for a moment and narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing as she went over said spot again; the ravenette was on her knees next to a bucket of water and scrubbing the floor with a dirty washcloth. They both knew that it was completely spotless. The floor was so clean that one could almost literally eat off of it and anyone with eyes in their head could see that but Yuichiro knew Guren was deliberately testing her to see how well she could control her temper. Even so, that still didn't make his order any less infuriating and the girl couldn't shake the feeling that her guardian was absolutely enjoying this.

And she wouldn't have been far off. It was true that Guren was trying to help Yuichiro grow a thicker skin so that she wouldn't give in to an enemy's taunting on the battlefield and fall into a trap but that didn't mean he couldn't derive some entertainment from it as well. As soon as Yuichiro had recovered enough from her injuries, Guren had her performing the most unpleasant cleaning tasks around his home and garden. He had expected his ward to be up by sunrise to help Sayuri with breakfast and maintain the house while they as and Shigure were at work until everyone came home in the evening when Yuu was expected to help cook dinner as well.

However, this arrangement was only to be temporary until Guren enrolled Yuichiro in school which he planned to do before the next semester began. He knew very well that the "boy" had a lot of catching up to do considering that "he" had missed almost half a decade of school while in vampire captivity. Still, the lieutenant colonel had no doubt Yuichiro could catch up quickly for he could tell that "he" was an intelligent child with a lot of potential both in the classroom and on the battlefield.

But before Yuichiro could pick up a sword (or any weapon), she must first learn patience and discipline.

After Yuu had finished wiping the already spotless floor, she turned to her guardian and asked:

"Is this good enough, sir?"

The mocking lilt in the girl's voice was more subtle than before but Guren still caught it nonetheless; he just wasn't bothered by it. After all, he was trying to teach Yuichiro to control anger and frustration which were essential to survival on the battlefield, not how to mask her emotions though there may be situations where that could be useful as well.

"It's acceptable," Guren answered simply as he set down his coffee cup and gave her a smirk. "Good job, Yuu."

"I'm glad you approve, sir" she answered pleasantly. "But while I'm at it, would you like me to clean that spot on your face as well?"

As soon as he heard that, Guren's smile vanished. "What spot?" he demanded.

As a man who prided himself on his fine looks as well as his skill with the sword, Guren Ichinose disliked looking anything less than impeccable in front of others whether they were his superiors or subordinates. He also had a meeting with Kureto and the other Hiragi higher ups scheduled for later that day so Yuu's words alarmed him.

Yuichiro grinned but said nothing as she gave him a mischievous look, turning her head and hiding the lower half of her face behind her shoulder which made Guren unsure if the "boy" was speaking the truth or just pulling his leg. In the end, he couldn't resist so Guren finally got up from the breakfast table and made his way to the bathroom to see himself in the mirror. If his ward ended up making him look the fool, she'll be cleaning the shower stall with a toothbrush later tonight.

Unfortunately, the lieutenant colonel never made it to the bathroom for he heard the doorbell rang as soon as he stepped into the living room which had to be crossed before he could reach the nearest restroom. Normally, either Sayuri or Shigure answered the door for him but since they had already left for work, Guren had to do it himself. He was tempted to ignore the visitor and head straight for the bathroom but the doorbell rang again, this time more persistently which made him wonder if it could be an urgent matter that required his attention. It wasn't unusual for Tenri or Kureto Hiragi to send a messenger to Guren's home when he was needed on short notice.

Guren bit back a groan of frustration as he gave in and finally made his way to the door, forcing himself to be patient and take care of business before he can see himself in the bathroom mirror. He also knew Yuichiro was nearby and that he would look like a hypocrite if he couldn't refrain from expressing displeasure at something like an unwanted visitor while he was making her scrub the kitchen floor spotless.

As soon as he answered the door, the lieutenant colonel wanted to snap at the person on the other side as he had often done with the Hiragis' messengers in the past when they caught him at inconvenient times. That was, until he saw a familiar female face with fiery red hair and a temper to match which stopped him in his tracks. The look of fury on Mito Jujo's face made even him hesitant to cross her at times.

"Yes, Mito? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing… It's just that I've hardly seen you much outside of work lately and wonder what it was that was keeping you so preoccupied until Shinya told me you were helping a new family member fit into your home," she answered. The displeasure in Mito's voice was apparent, making Guren wonder what exactly Shinya said that riled her up so much.

"Well, yes, I've had my hands full over the last week," he admitted.

"About that, is it true what Shinya said? That you picked up an orphan boy from the street and took him into your home? I find that highly unusual considering that you wouldn't even take in a stray cat or dog when you were a kid." *2*

"Mito, that's absurd! I'm not keeping this child as a pet, are you kidding me?"

"Come to think of it, you don't really like kids either, Guren. So what's so special about this one?"

Guren narrowed his eyes and looked at his childhood friend suspiciously. What was all this really about?

"Why are you asking me all this, Mito? What exactly did Shinya tell you?" he demanded.

Honestly, the lieutenant colonel wasn't sure if he wanted the answer to that because he knew very well that his best friend had a way of playing with words and took a perverse delight in misleading and confusing others, especially him and the rest of their friends.

Before Mito could answer, they both heard a voice call out from behind Guren.

"Hey, Guren, your breakfast is getting cold. Do you want me to pack it for your lunch again?"

Looking over Guren's shoulder, Mito finally saw what had been taking up so much of her superior's (and love interest's) time over the last week and her eyes widened.

For a moment, the crimson-haired woman could not say a word as she stared at what was possibly the most beautiful child, male or female, that she had ever seen. And Mito did not doubt that the child was indeed a boy from the short hair and male attire "he" wore. So Shinya wasn't lying or exaggerating after all.

Guren himself turned around and saw Yuichiro standing in the doorway leading to the living room from the kitchen, returning Mito's stare.

"Umm…who's that?" the child asked innocently.

As soon as she recovered from her shock, Mito glared at Guren and he wasn't sure if she was going to cry or try and beat him up.

"So that's why you've been ignoring me, Sayuri, and Shigure all these years! I had no idea your interests and preferences have taken a one hundred and eighty degree turn, Guren!" she accused.

Guren started at Mito in bewilderment. Has the woman lost her mind or something?

"Mito, what are you talking about?" he demanded. "You aren't any making sense, woman! Stop speaking in riddles!"

Instead of trying to make herself clear, Mito finally exploded when she realized that her superior simply wasn't getting it.

"Well, if that's the way you really feel, then I see no point in discussing the matter with you any further, sir. Good day!"

And before Guren could say another word, Mito Jujo furiously stormed off, her long crimson ponytail swishing behind her.

After she had left, Yuichiro could not help asking "What's up with that lady? Did you do something to make her mad, Guren?"

Although the child's question was innocent enough, Guren wasn't in the mood. Even he hadn't the slightest idea what Mito was talking about or what he could have possibly done to upset her so. The unexpected (and unpleasant encounter) with his subordinate and childhood friend had made him completely forget about his intention to check his face in the mirror.

"Never mind that, Yuu. I better get going to work soon so go ahead and pack the rest of my breakfast. Remember, I expect to see the laundry and dishes done by the time I get home. Don't forget to mow the lawn too."

Yuichiro, who realized that her guardian wasn't going to check himself after all, tried her hardest to stifle her laughter and simply said:

"Yes, sir!"

SSSSSS

Ding dong…

"Yuichiro, can you get that please?" Sayuri asked. "I've got my hands full with cutting the meat here…"

"Sure thing!" Yuichiro answered happily. If it was Guren, she knew he was likely going to be in a sour mood and hoped that a nice, warm dinner would cheer him up.

"Remember, don't open the door for anyone you don't know without asking me first, ok?"

"I know, Sayuri!"

When Yuichiro looked out the peephole, she found that it was Shinya and not Guren like she had been expecting since he usually came home around seven or so unless he called and told them he was working late. But since the white-haired man was no stranger, Yuu did not hesitate to let him in.

As soon as she opened the door, Shinya smiled before bending over and patting her on the head.

"Well if it isn't my favorite little 'man'!" he joked with a wink.

Yuichiro giggled. "I'm happy to see you too, Shinya! Hey, what's that you got behind your back?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, you mean this?" he answered innocently as he handed Yuu the gift bag he had been hiding behind him. The child's eyes brightened when she saw it.

"You got me a present? But my birthday was last week!"

"It's close enough" the white-haired man assured her.

"What is it?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

"Sure, I guess."

Looking inside the gift bag, Yuichiro was astonished to find a small make-up kit with a set of brushes, some lipsticks, and a few bottles of nail polish, things she had no idea how to use since all of them were considered luxuries in Sanguinem. Only female concubines of vampire nobles had access to make-up and nail polish in addition to nice clothes, good food, housing, and health-care. Yuu did, however, recalled Mika giving Akane a bottle of nail polish as a gift once but her brunette sister never used it since she didn't know how to any more than Yuu herself did.

"Do you like them, Yuichiro?"

"Well… I do. But I have no idea how to use them," the girl answered with a worried frown.

"Don't worry about that. You'll have plenty of time to figure it out. So what are you and Sayuri making for dinner tonight? It smells delicious!"

"Oh! I forgot, how silly of me!" Yuichiro said in embarrassment as she stepped aside and let Shinya in. "Sayuri says we're having Kobe steak with steamed rice and vegetables tonight. Is Goshi with you?"

Shinya shook his head. "Not this time, Yuu. He said he had some work to do tonight. It's probably for the better considering how much he ate the last time he was here. But don't you DARE tell him I said that, ok?"

Yuichiro laughed. "Yes, I promise."

"Good. Well, I'd better see what I can do to help you too out. Where's Shigure?"

"She's upstairs vacuuming. And sorting out Guren's dirty laundry."

"Oh, is she?" Shinya asked.

At the mention of laundry, his lips twitched up in a smile. Hopefully, Goshi had started taking lessons from his maids or their lady friends because with the way things were going, victory would surely be his.

"Hey, Shinya, what's so funny?"

"Hmm?" the white-haired man looked down at the curious face of the object of his wager with Goshi.

"You were smiling and laughing a little. Did I do something funny?"

"No, of course not. I was just thinking how cute you would look if you grew your hair out and got all dolled-up."

Yuichiro blushed. "Well... I'm not ready for that just yet," she confessed.

"I know, I know. But I got you those things so you'll have them when you are ready, know what I mean?"

"Oh… I guess. Thank you, Shinya."

"Good. By the way, is Guren home yet?"

"Not yet. I hope he's not working late again tonight. He wasn't in a very good mood when he left for work this earlier today."

"Oh, really? Why is that?" Shinya asked innocently, knowing full well the reason for his best friend's sour mood.

"Well, earlier today, a red-haired lady came to the house. She seemed to be pretty mad at Guren after she saw me. I think they were arguing about me but I don't' really understand what they were saying. Was she a friend of his?"

"Oh, you mean Mito? Yes, we've both known her since we were teenagers."

"Why do you think she was so mad at him?"

"Oh, I have no idea," Shinya lied smoothly as he moved his eyes slightly to the side. He tried to sound ignorant of the situation, but Yuichiro suspected that he knew something he wasn't telling her. However, she decided not to call him out on it.

"Um… anyway, I better go put these in my room and help Sayuri finish dinner before Guren gets back. I think he'll be hungry by then so if you'll excuse me…"

"Of course, Yuu. Take your time, I'll help her in your place for now."

"Ok!" the child said excitedly as she turned and quickly ran up the stairs to her room to put her new gifts away.

After Yuichiro was gone, Shinya made his way to the kitchen where he found Sayuri cooking some steaks in a pan. The rice was almost done and so were the vegetables, indicating that she and Yuu must have already done most of the dinner preparations before he arrived.

Without turning around, the younger woman asked, "Is that you, Shinya? I thought I heard you and Yuichiro talking at the door. What were you two talking about?"

"Oh, nothing much," the white-haired man answered coolly. "I just told little Yuu that I thought Guren was lucky to have such a cute new family member."

"Is that all?" Sayuri asked. For as long as she's known him, the white-haired man rarely ever told a flat-out lie, but he didn't always tell the whole truth either.

"You wound me, my lady," Shinya said as he placed a hand on his chest and feigned hurt. "Have I ever lied to you?"

In response, Sayuri finally turned around and gave him a displeased look. Puzzled at her behavior, Shinya asked:

"What? What did I do wrong?"

"Shinya, I know you and Goshi love playing games but I still oppose anything between the two of you that could end up hurting Yuichiro or humiliating Guren like that stupid bet!"

The white-haired man stared at his childhood friend with his mouth agape.

"How did you know about that? Did Goshi say something?"

"He didn't have to. You two weren't that discreet so Shigure overheard you while she was setting up the dinner table!"

When he heard that, Shinya found himself cursing his carelessness under his breath. How could he forget that the dinner table was set close to the door leading out to the backyard patio, especially since he's visited Guren's home countless times in the past?

Not knowing what else to say, Shinya apologized.

"I'm sorry, Sayuri. Neither Goshi nor I want to see Yuichiro hurt. As for Guren, he's a big boy so I wouldn't worry about him."

"So what are you going to do, my lord?"

"Look, Goshi and I agreed not to tell Guren the truth about Yuichiro. We also agreed not to have anyone tell him either. But you have to admit that even if we say nothing, she isn't going to be able to hide it forever. If you and Shigure truly care about Yuichiro, then please help her become more comfortable with her gender so that she can finally tell Guren herself. As for me, I'll just drop by every now and then to help her along."

Sayuri fell silent at her friend's words. As much as she disapproved of Shinya and Goshi's bet, she knew he was right.

"Ok, fine. We'll do our best so long as you two don't blow it for us. It would also help if you stopped adding fuel to the fire by involving Mito as well."

Shinya almost slapped his forehead when he realized Sayuri also knew about Guren's confrontation with the obsessed and hot-tempered crimson-haired woman as well. Yuichiro must really trust her and Shigure to tell them everything.

"Alright, I promise," he assured her. "Anyway, is it ok if I helped you with dinner?"

"I'm almost done anyway. And besides, I can't ask a guest to help with preparations."

"Please, Sayuri, I insist. At least as an apology."

The younger woman looked at him for a moment before sighing.

"Fine, if you insist, you can set up the table for me. Shigure is still busy cleaning the laundry."

Relieved that his lady friend had finally calmed down, Shinya made a gentlemanly bow and smiled.

"Your wish is my command, my lady."

SSSSSS

As soon as the table was set up and the food set out, Shinya and Sayuri heard the doorbell ring accompanied by a few knocks to the door. No doubt, the master of the house has returned and the white-haired man excused himself to let him in.

As he predicted, Shinya found his less than happy best friend at the door with his JIDA uniform jacket draped over his arm and a frown marring his normally pristine features.

"Hey, nice to see you back, Guren. How was your day?" Shinya asked casually as if nothing had happened.

Guren glared at his so-called best friend whom he just knew was behind his unpleasant encounter with Mito earlier that day.

"You bastard…" he growled.

Shinya offered his most reassuring smile as if that would make everything all better.

"Aw, come on, don't be that way, Guren. You know how obsessed Mito is with you. She was bound to find out sooner or later."

"And so you think that makes it ok to use Yuichiro to provoke her?" the other man demanded. "You think I don't have enough problems as it is?"

As if in exasperation, Shinya threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender before answering.

"Hey, Mito was the one who showed up at my shooting range and demanded to know why she hasn't seen or heard from you that much over the last week. What was I supposed to say?"

"That I've been preoccupied?" Guren sneered.

Shinya scoffed. "You know that wouldn't have satisfied her; she would have demanded specifics. And she did."

"I find it funny how you can't seem to use your gift for sweet talk and fibbing for anyone's benefit but your own, old friend." Guren accused. "Mito looked so angry I thought she was going to tear me limb from limb."

"But she didn't, so it's all good, don't you think? Besides, dinner is almost ready. Would you like me to send for Yuichiro?"

Guren stared at Shinya. "What? Isn't he helping out in the kitchen like I told him to?"

"Yes, he was until I came. I gave him some things to put away in his room while I helped Sayuri in his place."

"What things?"

"Just a few items to help him feel more at home," Shinya answered, deliberately refraining from telling his best friend what exactly it was he got Yuichiro.

Guren looked at him suspiciously but before he could question his friend further, Shinya said:

"Anyway, dinner's almost done so why don't you come in already? I'll hang up your jacket and help clean up after as an apology."

After a long tiring day, the lieutenant colonel did not want to argue with his friend any further so he finally relented. After handing Shinya his jacket and taking off his shoes, Guren finally made his way to the dinner table. From the look of things, Yuichiro had already finished putting away whatever it was that Shinya got her and was helping Sayuri put the food on the plates while Shigure filled the water glasses.

As soon as everyone was seated and the food set out, Yuichiro turned to her guardian and asked, "How was your day, Guren?"

Guren shot Shinya a look of dismay to which the other man returned with a playful smirk before he sighed and answered, "It was a bit rough but ok, nothing I can't live through. I'm just glad to be back home. Anyway, have you completed all the tasks I set out for you?"

"Yes, sir! Everything is clean and in order."

"Good. Then you can take it easy for the rest of the evening but I expect you to be up at the usual time tomorrow, understood?"

"Understood," Yuichiro answered in a sing-song tone before digging into her plate. Sayuri and Shigure noticed the child's happy mood and looked at each other but said nothing.

Dinner passed by with almost everyone making small talk to try and pass the time and meal more pleasantly. Everyone except the master of the house himself as he silently ate, too preoccupied by his thoughts to contribute to the conversation but shooting his best friend a look of annoyance every now and then which Shinya pretended not to notice. Guren would have invited Mito over for dinner if not for their argument earlier that day; the fact that Yuichiro was now living with him was also going to make the crimson-haired woman's presence in their household scarcer as well.

After dinner was over, Shinya stayed behind and helped with the cleaning as he had promised though he knew Guren still wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. But if it meant winning his bet with Goshi, the white-haired man was still willing to play it a little dirty so long as no one was seriously hurt, including Yuichiro herself.

Although Sayuri and Shigure obviously frowned upon the wager between him and Goshi, Shinya tried to convince himself that he was doing this for Yuichiro's own good as well and that it couldn't hurt to drop hints so that Guren would be able to figure it out on his own. It also helped that he had managed to convince Sayuri that he was going to help Yuichiro along so that she wouldn't keep nagging at him about his and Goshi's bet.

After he had finished wiping down the cleared dinner table and swept the floor around it, Shinya put the broom away and went to join Guren as he stood in the doorway that led from the dining room to the kitchen and watched Yuichiro help Sayuri wash the dishes in silence while taking a swig of his bottled coke. *3*

Normally, boys complained more loudly about performing housework than girls but Guren found that his ward was surprisingly compliant, at least more so than he would have been if he didn't grow up with the luxury of servants to maintain his home.

"So how's it been going with the kid?" Shinya asked. Normally, he would have asked Sayuri for a coke as well but thought it best to refrain from doing so while both she and Guren were displeased with him.

"He's been adapting to his new life pretty well," Guren answered. "I see a lot of potential in him."

"You mean as a soldier or a household servant?"

"What do you think, Shinya? You know as well as I do that he must learn how to be patient and control his emotions before I would to dare trust him with any weapon. Our own teachers trained us the same way since we were toddlers or have you already forgotten that?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten, Guren!" Shinya scoffed as he ran a hand through his snow-white hair. "Like I could ever forget the time we both ended up having to scrub the floors, shower stalls, and toilets of the JIDA cadets' bathroom for two weeks after I tried to defend you when you dissed the almighty Tenri Hiragi because you couldn't keep a lid on your temper! And we were lucky Kureto intervened and convince 'father' to slap us with cleaning duty instead of having us taken out and flogged for your insolence!"

Although he was annoyed, Shinya made sure to keep his voice down so that Sayuri and Yuichiro wouldn't hear him. Shigure had already left to fold and put away the household's clean laundry upstairs so he wasn't worried about her overhearing this time.

Pleased that it was he who had finally ruffled his best friend's feathers, Guren smirked. Although it had been almost ten years since that incident, he could tell that Shinya was still at least somewhat bitter about it.

"I'm glad you remember that, Shinya. And since you do, then you of all people should appreciate and understand perfectly well what I'm trying to do for Yuichiro."

Although he held his tongue, deep down, Shinya was worried for the disguised girl he and Guren were watching now. If his best friend believed Yuichiro was a boy, it was certain that he would try and train her like one. And Shinya knew that Guren had sent more than a few of his admirers home crying in the past with his brutal training regimen and could only pray that Yuichiro would be alright when he did finally decide to give her a weapon and train her in the fighting arts.

But maybe, just maybe if Guren found out the truth beforehand, he might reconsider that decision so Shinya quickly searched his mind for a way to help that along faster.

"I do appreciate it, Guren. And I know you only have your ward's best interests at heart. By the way…"

"Yes?" Guren asked curiously when he noticed the other man left his sentence unfinished.

"Don't you think little Yuichiro is rather cute?"

The question caught Guren completely off guard and he stared at Shinya.

"What?"

"Exactly what I said. Isn't Yuu-chan cute?" As he said this, the white-haired man's lips curved in a mischievous smile as he tried to stifle a laugh.

As he listened to Shinya's words, understanding slowly dawned on Guren and he was starting to wonder if he might have said or done something to make his best friend think he had a thing for little boys. Mito's behavior from earlier that day also started to make sense as well.

"Just what do you imply, Shinya?" Guren asked suspiciously.

"Nothing! I just wanted to know your thoughts on your new ward."

Guren shot another look at Yuichiro before answering. "Well… he does look rather feminine and delicate for a boy," he confessed.

"Precisely. But don't you think Yuichiro looks a bit too feminine and delicate? Are you sure he'll be able to withstand your training?"

"If he wants to be a soldier, he has no choice," Guren said simply. "Otherwise, I'll have to find some other use for him. And besides, it's not like you to discriminate against females. Even if Yuichiro was a girl, I believe he can still do it." *4*

"Hmm… maybe you're right," Shinya agreed as he realized the irony of Guren's words. Deep down, the white-haired man couldn't help feeling disappointed that his best friend didn't take his hint the way he had hoped but Shinya wasn't about to give up just yet.

After all, he still had a year. Or more accurately, eleven months and three weeks before time was up and either he or Goshi would have to fulfill the unpleasant terms of their bet.

Either way, the future of a certain little girl has already been decided.

Footnotes:

1. In the LNs, Shinya often joked about liking Guren in a romantic sense which kind of leads me to believe he may be bi-sexual since he and Guren were said to be rivals for Mahiru's affections as well.

2. As children and teenagers, it was unlikely that Guren or anyone in his squad had time to take in stray animals to raise as pets because of their intense training as soldiers but I had Mito mention Guren's disinterest in adopting a cat or dog as well as dislike of children just to make a point.

3. In my first draft of this chapter, I originally intended to have Guren drink beer while watching Yuichiro and Sayuri wash dishes but was informed that alcohol consumption can be dangerous and risky for any JIDA soldier with a cursed demon gear since it made them more vulnerable to demonic possession so I changed it to coke instead.

4. The JIDA does not usually discriminate against soldiers on the bases of gender so Guren was confused at Shinya's questioning of his plans to train Yuichiro just because she looked too feminine and delicate for a "boy". The Hiragis only care about results, not so much who delivers them.