Okay, hi wow it has been a while. I first off want to say, sorry because this story has seen quite a lot of positive feedback and it hasn't been taken care of. Been dealing with some in real life stuff that I won't detail because it isn't important. Now onto reviews. I'm going to answer those by addressing each person individually from now on since I don't get too many to do so and it seems a bit easier.
LoverOfArtemis: Thank you for the kind words. They mean a lot and are good motivation for me to write more. And as long as someone reads that makes me happy. As for updates, I'll try to update more often, but I can't promise a schedule. It really depends on whether I can generate quality stuff without rushing or ruining the story. But I really will try!
Guest 42: I have decided to go ahead and write in third person from this point onwards. And will likely change the first few chapters later on. I think it'll help develop the fic more and make it more enjoyable. I may slip up sometimes though and not catch them.
SekireLord: Yeah, it'll be third person from here on out. I think I can better portray the fic like that. As for him living off his mother's allowance it is mainly due to his grandmother babying him. He is still transitioning and learning as seen in this chapter, so it is about him slowly becoming that way. Though he soon may not be able to go slow!
Ashikabi: Well, he only had a week to do things, with most of it being spent on finding a place. He couldn't just find a job and it fix it, plus he is still inexperienced in this type of stuff.
Those are all the comments from the last time I posted. Thank you all very much for taking the time to review, and I please ask that everyone please do so more. All reviews, whether it be constructive criticism, general comments, questions, or kind words, mean a lot to me. I really do appreciate them all. So, enough introduction stuff, you've waited long enough. Enjoy chapter six.
'Kamado Firm', the giant letters of the front of the building shone bright and were almost intimidating. Well at least Minato thought so, but it was the nicest out of all the realtors they visited and was definitely the best. As he stood outside the building, dozens of people pushing by him and annoyed by his presence, his heart felt like it would pound out of his chest. He had been here just a few days before looking for a new place to stay, but now that he had made up his mind about the card it all felt so real. It scared him a bit, I mean everything was happening so suddenly, just a week ago he was walking home while celebrating his entrance exams and now he's moving into a new place. His body couldn't move, he felt like he might pass out, everything he had been shouldering the past week was catching up to him all at once again. And then it all vanished, a simple squeeze on his right hand snapping him out of his fear induced trance, causing his head to snap in the direction and see Akitsu looking at him with her big beautiful eyes locked onto his. All she had to do was touch him and all his worries melted away, he still couldn't grasp how much she could make him feel, and he would do anything for her. So, he flashed her his big goofy grin, gave her hand a quick squeeze back, and pulled her forward into the building.
Minato walked with a renewed confidence, his hand forever attached to Akitsu's, as he slightly tugged her forward towards the front desk. "Uh, hi. I'm Minato Sahashi and this is Akitsu. I called yesterday to set up a second meeting with Tanaka-san about using your agency.", he spoke out in a clear voice. His voice caught the attention of the secretary working the office, possibly a bit too well, as his body jumped a little before he looked up from his computer. "Oh, uh give me one moment to check.", he replied back with a slight quiver to his voice. As the man searched up the appointment Minato felt Akitsu push herself even closer into him, he gave her a quick glance to see her eyes wandering the room in a daze of curiosity, causing a slight chuckle to escape his lips in relief that he wasn't the only one who felt out of place. "You said you were Sahashi-san, correct?", to which Minato nodded his head, "Yep, you're a little early but it should be fine. You can head on back, Tanaka-san will be in the same room as last time. Hope you find what you're looking for!", came the man's follow up with the last bit the same phrase he had heard his first-time here. Minato gave the man another quick nod before pulling Akitsu along with him into the elevator. A short ride up and a quick walk down a narrow hallway found them in front of the open door of their realtor, her head lifting up at the sound of their footsteps.
"Ah Sahashi-san I'm so glad to see you again, please come in and have a seat.", her warm friendly voice invited them. They took their places opposite of her desk, with Akitsu standing close to Minato's chair, her eyes glued to him as they were most of the time. "Well, I'm happy you chose to use our agency after all. I just knew we could find you the perfect place. So did you decide on one of the places I showed you on your previous visit?", she spoke as if she were his friend. Minato was just as impressed as the first time by her friendly yet professional attitude, and he couldn't help but smile back. "Not exactly. I was hoping we could look over them once more. If that's alright?", he replied. Her smile only seemed to brighten at his words and she nodded her head. "Absolutely, that's no issue!"
The next hour and a half were spent going through the many housing options before they were able to find the perfect one. It was a pretty nice two-bedroom apartment in the middle of the northern part of Shinto Teito, it wasn't anything fancy or really expensive but it was comfortable and was something Minato could hopefully afford later when he stopped using the MBI card. The signing of the paper work was exhausting with more dotted lines to sign than Minato had done in his whole life, but before long the place was his. "Okay now with everything signed, we'll just need the down payment and first month's rent! How would you like to do that?", Tanaka-san spoke out with giddiness from completing another sale. Minato let out a sigh at those words, his hand drifting towards his pocket with his wallet. He found the black "MBI" card tucked in there, and with his mind made up he handed it over to her. The rest of the process was a blur of her verifying the balance being paid and going over the terms of the lease once more, before she finally pulled out the keys and handed them over as she walked them down to the lobby. "Here you are! I just know you'll be happy with your new apartment. As I said earlier you are set to move in today, everything has been completed and your card is on file. Please remember if you need to change your payment method to contact us ahead of time, just so we can avoid any confusion! If you have any further questions or need me for anything in the future, please don't be afraid to call. And enjoy your new home!", her friendly voice rang out for the final time with a quick wave. Before Minato could even say 'thank you' she was already walking back towards the elevators causing him to shrug his shoulders and start guiding Akitsu towards the exit.
The walk back to their old residence was one filled with silence, mainly due to Minato playing over the fact he had just made his first major decision as an adult. Well besides deciding to take Akitsu in, but he doesn't count that considering it wasn't a decision in the first place, he never would have said no to her. He still felt those fears hovering around him on whether he made the right choice, but the touch of Akitsu in his hand and the fact that he was closer to making his dream a reality, he couldn't help but have a small smile form on his face. The moment felt right to him. The couple stopped at a small shop to get a meal for Akitsu, considering her stomach was competing with the traffic in terms of noise, and to hopefully hold her over until dinner. Minato really would hate to have to deal with a hungry Sekirei while moving his stuff.
When they arrived back at the old apartment it was already getting a little late into the afternoon, so they decided to get onto the actual moving portion of the day. Minato had planned on carrying the two bigger boxes himself, while Akitsu carried the smaller one, but as he struggled to walk with them, he felt her take both of them from his grasp. "Hey, woah don't overdo it. I don't want you hurting yourself, I can handle those. Just carry the other one.", he spoke out worriedly. He really was concerned she would hurt herself if she did things like that.
"I will carry them. I won't let anything burden you Minato-sama.", came her short reply. She didn't seem fazed by the weight at all, but it still worried him nonetheless. "Are you sure? I don't want you thinking you have to do everything; I care about you. And those are really heavy.", came his own reply. A small smile formed on her lips as a faint blush crept onto her face at his words.
"I am sure. It is nothing.". she answered in her normal manner. The few words brought him enough relief to relent about the issue, but he still felt extremely bad about the situation. "Okay, but if you need to rest or have me take them let me know. Don't overexert yourself. Let's get going before its dark." was his final words on the subject. He really hoped she didn't hurt herself for his sake.
The walk towards their new home was relatively quick. Minato had already lived decently close by, one of the reasons he chose the place was because he knew the area. Though it was a tad bit uncomfortable since he kept getting dirty looks from everyone they passed, for what he could assume was for having Akitsu carry all the boxes, which only further made him feel bad about the situation. When they arrived at the address the couple was greeted to a building similar to Minato's old place, though it was quite a bit bigger and nicer. It was clearly meant for people more well off than a first-year university student. The outside was painted a fairly fresh and modern violet color yet the style of the house was more traditional, so it felt both young and old at the same time. The building actually looked more like a house, except there was two front doors and yards separated by a bit of an aged brown fence. Minato was a bit surprised since the place was advertised as an apartment, he thought it would be more like his old one than this, though he wouldn't say he's disappointed. His eyes glanced towards the other yard as they walked up, he couldn't quite tell if someone else lived in the other apartment, but he'd find out in time. With a quick rummage around in his pockets to find the keys and a flick of the wrist their new home officially became theirs.
He and Akitsu took off their shoes as they entered and he had her set the three boxes close by the door. The inside of the "apartment" was quite the sight as well. They were greeted into a small area that opened into a medium sized living room, which separated off on the left into a slightly smaller dining room and kitchen. On the right was a narrowish hallway that led down into the two bedrooms and the bathroom as well as had a side opening that let out into their small yard. The place was definitely smaller than his grandmother's house, but it was a huge upgrade from his other place. The couple spent a little time exploring their new residence, with Minato finding himself more immersed in Akitsu's reaction than anything. The way her head always tilted slightly to the left when she found something interesting or curious always gave him a warm feeling. It was the most adorable sight he had ever laid his eyes on. After their little look around Minato decided to go ahead and finish the last bits of the move. "It's late but we may as well unpack now since there isn't much. Do you mind doing the food and kitchen stuff, while I work on our clothes and books?", he asked and received a quick nod. "Great, if you have any questions about where something goes just come get me.", he said as he began carrying the two boxes containing either clothes or his books to the main bedroom.
As Minato was getting ready to unpack their clothing and put it away, a glaring issue in the couple's immediate move in came to light. 'Wait, where am I supposed to put these without a dresser. AND WHERE THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO SLEEP TONIGHT! Dammit I knew I was forgetting something.', were his thoughts on the matter, self-loathing seeping in at the fact he was stupid enough to forget such a big detail. 'Okay, to-do list. Get furniture. Find job. Research MBI and the Sekirei scheme or whatever it's called. God life has gotten stressful fast', as he began to get lost in his thoughts on the many complications now flooding his life Minato heard a small bang come from the kitchen area. With a lightning-fast reaction, he was down the hallway and through the living room standing in door way of the kitchen, with the sight of that made all the blood rush to his face. There was Akitsu, her kimono having somehow ridden up and nearly displaying her butt completely for the young man, though the act of her practically lifting their fridge was the main thing that caught his attention. At least that's what he would claim whenever this is mentioned in the future.
"Akitsu! What the heck are you doing?!", his exasperated and embarrassed voice rang out. He still couldn't get over how crazy things had gotten since she came into his life. "I'm getting a spoon.", came her smooth reply as if what she said fit the scenario perfectly. She placed the fridge back down a moment later and brought up a wooden spoon. "See.", she once more stated with the same lack of emotion. The single word brought a smile to Minato's face and soon had him genuinely laughing at the strange situation. Giggles continued to roll through his body as he soon wrapped his adorable Sekirei into a hug, her head tilting to the side in the way he loved probably confused by his reaction. After a minute of just enjoying the moment, he pulled back and looked down on her with a smile still on his face. "You're adorable.", he simply stated causing her cheeks to gain that light pink dusting he always saw whenever she became flustered. It was one of the few small signs of emotion he saw from the woman, but he had come to cherish it like all the rest.
For a moment the two just stared into each other's eyes, and then without much thought he gently lifted up her chin and brought her lips to his own. It was a soft and gentle kiss, one full of the same raw love and care that their first one held, as the two savored the moment of being in each other's arms connected. Lights filled the room as Akitsu's icy wings seemed to unfurl themselves, Minato's eyes flashing open for a quick moment to get a look at the beauty before closing them once more due to brightness. The kiss was broken off after a few moments and lights disappeared, causing his eyes to open once more and be met with a similar serene look on Akitsu's face to the one when they first became bound as Ashikabi and Sekirei. A gentle smile once more found its way onto his lips, the couple just standing there within each other's grasp, Akitsu pushing herself further into the man that had saved her and made her whole. The moment was like a painting, neither moving or saying a word for some time, until a familiar noise filled the room. With a low rumble Akitsu's stomach announced its presence, her mid-day snack having finally worn off and it in need of further sustenance.
A chuckle slipped its way out of Minato. "It's pretty late, we should probably make dinner and get to sleep. It's been a long day and I'm tired.", his words followed afterwards. A nod of her head was Akitsu's agreement with his statement, so the two began working on making the mediocre meal that had been usual for them the past week. Well, more of Minato preparing it and Akitsu watching as he did so, but it was nice, until Minato remembered one more thing from earlier. "Hey Akitsu. Did I ever take you clothes shopping for more day clothes and, ahem, uh underwear?", he asked awkwardly with his eyes finding the ramen packet in front of him very interesting as he did so.
"Ah, no. Just shoes.", came her regular short response. A blush of embarrassment flooded his cheeks once more at his forgetfulness. For someone who was considered quite the genius by the people who knew him, he could really be an idiot sometimes. 'I wonder if it comes from my father's side of the family. Anyways doesn't matter. Add clothes shopping to the to-do list. God we're going to be busy for quite a bit.', his thoughts continued as he cooked. The remainder of the night was spent with him planning their upcoming days in his head, while Akitsu proceeded to slurp down more ramen and rice than humanly possible. She really was an endless vacuum when it came to food, Minato was kind of curious if all Sekirei ate like that.
Before long the two retired for the night. Though their sleeping situation wasn't exactly comfortable, with Minato laying out a couple of covers and old baggy clothes for them to lay on, Akitsu didn't complain for a second. In fact, she seemed quite content with the conditions, laying down and curling into Minato with sleep finding her soon after. Minato would struggle to find the same success though, his mind seeming to race with thoughts of his upcoming tasks. He was somewhat mentally berating himself; he hadn't thought ahead and it left them sleeping on the floor. He wouldn't let that happen again; he wouldn't make the same mistake. His eyes drifted down to the woman snuggling as close as possible to him. He would be better for her; he would make sure of that. And with that final thought, he let himself begin to drift off to sleep taking comfort in the cold that surrounded his love.
However, outside a man sat in a familiar van. It was the man who had bumped into Minato and slipped the new card into his wallet. "Yeah, they're moved in without any issues. From what I've been able to pick up he plans on finding a job now. Seems he doesn't want to keep using the "MBI" card.", the man named Ren spoke into his phone.
"Mhm, I see. Minato really is my independent boy. Make sure he finds a job that will accommodate his situation well, Ren-san. I wouldn't want any issues with his schooling or the relationship with that Sekirei woman.", came the reply from the other end. It was the same woman as before, her voice holding that same protectiveness it did the day before.
"Will do, Sahashi-sama. I'll call in a few favors. I'll keep you updated on any further developments.", he said before ending the call. A sigh escaped his lips afterwards, the long day beginning to catch up to him as well. He began to start up his car to leave, when his eyes caught a grey flash on a building opposite of Minato's. He looked on for a few minutes to see if he could catch another glimpse, but found nothing. "Hm, interesting", he mumbled out to himself as he began to drive away. "Interesting."
Brief end note. This chapter is mainly focused on ending the Sekirei plan introduction arc, and giving the relationship between Akitsu and Minato more meaning. I want the relationships to hold value and not just exist because "destiny". Yes, the harem will expand and probably be big, not fully decided on who is in it yet, but I don't want it to just be Minato having a bunch of random girls he happened to kiss. So, I want to really bring depth to the relationships especially for Akitsu, the next girl, and my favorite silver haired psycho. The next chapter will have more plot progression and MAY introduce the next possible harem member.