ACT 10

"Are you feeling okay? Have you hurted anything? Your cheek? Your wrist or whole body?" Mitsuri showed the expression of anxiety toward a man whom she accidentally threw him down. She was not only asking but she also poked and searched if there were any bruises on his body.

Obanai tried to remain collected. He made an awkward noise.

"I'm really fine. That's not hurt me that much. Rest assure" he confirmed her and felt startled when facing her mixed-feeling face in such nearness. "Not a big deal" He knew he tended to be familiar with her from time to time but felt on the edge for her skinship and nearness every time. It can't help to have an electrifying feeling that jittered his body when she touched his hand, flipped to see if an y bruises.

"Are you sure? Haven't you always acted tough when you got injuries?" She prod him with a teasing sound.

"Kanroji, it's not much and it's from an accident so.."

"Oh my gosh, you're gonna come up with" His sound zipped within his lip suddenly when a girl spoke. "You're gonna say 'don't you need to worry about me, you don't have to think of it much, it's not your responsibility or you should not feel guilty and regret about it, am I right?" Obanai didn't answer but stayed quiet. Unsure, he hid his face from her as he felt embarrassed.

Her smile finally appeared across her charming feature "Got ya! Awww Iguro-san I don't why you always hold yourself like this. Sometimes, you need to take it out, at very least, when you're off duty would be enough and just to let you know, It didn't bother me at all to have expressive version of you" Mitsuri paused and stood up, checking her skirt before gathering herself up "I'm gonna go get a First Aid so you wait here a second. I'll be fast" she hurried off the room, left him with her stepping sound.

"Umm o-okay" his answer was delayed and out after she closed the door.

As it appeared, Insect Pillar was out to her duty today so Mitsuri felt responsible form the previous accident. That's why she's willing to take care of him by herself while the rest of Pillar who were anticipating an arm-wrestling match, agreed and called off the day. He's glad they never knew the fact he didn't pass out like they thought and she cried in panic. However, why dud he had the painfully nervous feature on his face?

"I should not be here" With anxiety, Obanai looked around and felt unsettled so that's why he cannot sit still. Seemed like holding Pandora box, he never thought it would appear to him as well because he was in her place. Her real place, under the same roof, he was being into the girl's place. The faint feminine scent of her greeting his nose, a touch of womanly decoration waved hello to him, her cute little stuffs manifesting her persona.

Obanai looked around the living room a fifth time when she's out. He cannot put his mind at ease as he's present in her place alone like this. It's not supposed to be in this way. His face wore the guilt expression. Tried to will up, Obanai convinced himself that he's not an opportunistic jerk but it's all an accident and unavoidable circumstance. He scratched his face with a hot sensation over his face.

"How it ends up like this..isn't it a sin? Do I have to repant it?" The story also had a bit of detail. With a sense of responsibility for her, Mitsuri carried him to her estate in a bridal style, as she decided to treat him with her own. Obanai hid his crazy red face under the strand of his hair because his head laid over her plane of chest at that time, no room to refuse and walk away. It was the reason why he ended up here. He still remembered the bare touch of her breast left lingering on his face, he shook his head to control his hormonal urge to think something unacceptable to her.

the shoji door slid by herself. Mitsuri made her presence to the room, Obanai jerked slightly, sat normally like nothing to be concerned about. "Come on in Kanroji"

"I made you a tea" Mitsuri appeared with a proud smile, served and put a mug of hot tea in front of him. Obanai thanked her and received her toothy smile reciprocally.

"Go drink it" She sat and fixed her eyes at him intently. Obanai pretended to blow the stream but his eyes wandered vigorously because he didn't know why she stayed like this. Blinking again and again, it seemed like she was waiting for something.

Obanai's unsure why she stared like that, sipped it right away, the tea sure still too hot, willing to swallow down "it's good, good" He said and got her exclaiming sound of relief to be able to make a decent tea for him. He's glad he could take a guess at her action.

"Awesome! I though it's not good enough for you as you made a very perfect tea for me every time when I visit you so I decide to make it for you" Obanai felt a smile coming across his face, absolutely she couldn't see it as it's hidden behind bandage, a triample proud cheered him up.

"You did good for Oolong Chinese tea" Obanai explained, gave her a compliment but conversely, he got a frown from her instead, waiting for her saying.

"Oh..Oh is that Oolong? I thought it's green tea" Mitsuri sniffled her mug "Eh! is it different? I-I thought it's green tea so I bought it in order to make it for you" Her voice turned to falter in confusion, running back to the kitchen in order to see the box.

Without listening to "Kanroji, it's okay. Whatever it is, I like every tea in fact" she ran out and he heard her stomping sound going to the kitchen.

He chuckled slightly at her childish reaction, heard her hurried back again "It actually is! I didn't look at the label so I bought a wrong one for you, oh god I should be more careful" her hand still held a tea box, her slump face and weak sound were enough to signify she's disappointed. But her intention to make him a tea was like a lovely powerful arrow shot to his heart. She always cared and paid attention to every little thing to everybody around her. It made the blood in his heart pumping a warmth through his body. He wanted to calm his heart from being swelled by her.

"What are you talking about? I like every tea" Obanai immediately spoke and gulped all from the mug. He even gave a thumb up to her.

"What a relief! I thought you're not gonna like it" her refreshing mood had him feel content and relieved as well. "But how come you tell exactly right when you just sip it"

"Mnn..its color and scent look similar but Oolong is more soft and subtle while green tea is more strong but the taste might be a bit intense" Obanai explained "somehow, you can mix fresh milk with hot green tea. You will get a new flavor and texture" her eyes widen in a funny way for a new discovery. Obanai also stated he's a tea lover, that's why he's able to know some properties and tips to do it.

He automatically led the conversation, explaining how the difference temperature can affect the outcome of tea flavor as well as how to prepare tea and tools. He mislooked, that he had more confidence talking to her.

After topic of tea went out, Mitsuri jumped in "alright I think it's about time now"

"About time what?"

"For first aid. Look I brought a first aid kit box and then I will not let you get out of here unless you will not let me treat you, Iguro-san" she pretended to do a spooky move, threading her fingers creepily and shot an dangerous gaze with a maniac smile to him, added a eerie laugh as well. Obanai wanted to say no but he had no choice to protest.

"Not take you too long, I promise" Mitsuri managed to get Snake to sit down, no protest or anything as he used to be. She cleaned his slight wound on his left cheek, just a scratch and puffed when she bandaided him with a small colorful band-aid. She also folded his sleeve up to check if any bruised under his garment. None was found so she moved behind and took his large haori out decisively. Obanai was taken aback and looked at her in perplex

"What're you doing?" She stopped.

"I don't know you got any wound on your body so I think I need you to undress, I presumed apprentice in Butterfly estate also asked patient to take off their cloth or else it might be defected"

Obanai shook his head quickly "No way"

"Why not?"

"Not the right time.." he's not buying her idea.

"When is it, Iguro-san come on at least just clean it" it's not about cleaning the wound that he's afraid.

They both conflicted with each other for a while as their stood in a opposite view - she wanted to be responsible for her action, even though she rarely saw a shirtless man but it would look rather nervous of her to be with a shirtless man, only this thought made her heart throb and slight flush but she did good at making a serious face to show how determined she was. On the opposite, he didn't like the idea of letting people touch his body, it should be the necessary case like checking the body and also he would not allow it to happen..he cannot freaking definitely took off his cloth in front of her because it was kind of embarrassing, wasn't it? What's about her touch? imagined she threaded her finger on his body, only thought also made his body jerk and felt on edge.

Till they settled down in this way. Obanai will go and check his body by himself at the toilet. She waited outside the toilet, folded his favorite haori in her hand. "Found any bruises?"

"There's none," Obanai answered after looking at the reflection of himself in the mirror, and buttoned his shirt up in the same way before opening the door and meeting her. She looked at him a second before moving her gaze to haori.

"Iguro-san look at this" she pointed with a serious tone that he never heard beforehand. Obanai moved closer, wondering what she meant.

Mitsuri answered as he still didn't give one "lots of cut and scratch over your haori, look there and there and oh there!" They both started walking to the living room as they sat at their own spot, Kaburamaru slithered to the shoulder spot of Obanai when he arrived.

"There's a lot, Iguro-san. You should get it repaired before it's getting more ruining since it's your favorite haori" she reasoned while Obanai nodded dumbly because he never looked at it before and of course, he followed her point and found an abundance of evident cuts.

"I will give it to Sewing Department" Obanai said but still got a unreadable expression from her. She made a puffles cheek and pouted her lip. What did it signify? He fail to read her.

She's still silent while he sipped a last drop of tea to show how much he liked the tea she made. Obanai stuttered "Kanroji, what's it. Tell me then, don't make a silence like that" her silence and protesting stubborn glare made him unsettled.

A flick in her eyes "why don't you ask me to repair it?"

"Hah?" He's flambergashed by her statement, trying to read and reconnect the situation. "I don't think so because there's a person who will take care of this" Obanai explained.

Mitsuri let out a whine "Please let me do it, think it as my apology to hurt you today" she clasped her hands together in a pleading way, her eyes squinted shut when implored him. "Lemme do something for you"

"I don't wanna bother you"

"Not at all, I'm fine with it and I can finish it today"

"Whatever you'd like to b-but don't let it distract you from your work, Kanroji. Rengoku-san's gonna lecture you so long then if you're not handling your work well" Obanai raised a white flag and felt considerate at her offer. He humbly accepted, pretended to make an authoritative voice to warn her but deeply glad.

"Come on, it's not a biggie! I can do it right now" Mitsuri ran to take her tool kit out, came back cheerily and managed to weave a string to a needle, looked pointedly and began to sew the first cut calmly

"See 's done" She proudly showed him. His smile coming over his face, she also could tell he sigh and smile at the same time because his eyes crinkled shut.

"Thanks, Kanroji"

"My pleasure, Iguro-san. I'm so glad I could do something for you even a little thing. I think it's my way of living after all" Obanai hummed at her sincere answer. His eyes tried to evade out but was vain, roamed to her hands, wanna hold herslike arm-wrestling and admitted how these all meant to him in front of her eventually that she's too good to do this for him.

"Kanroji, I don't know how to say thank you properly what you did for me is so much and too good for me" Obanai looked into her eyes, tried to communicate in deep level which his words cannot convey his authentic meaning. When it came to the particular moment, he had lost at his words.

Mitsuri stopped her doing, a faint curl of smile widened "Awwww I'm also glad you hold my offer in high respect like that. Actually I don't feel obliged by it, I just wanna help you and you being you yourself also put me into comfort as well, if you didn't realise. You're a reliable and warm person that I know I can rely on your shoulder" Grinning, Mitsuri rested her head onto his left shoulder.

"Oh is it?..so cool" Obanai let out a weak laugh, tried to answer to contribute in a conversation. "If you need any things, don't hesitate, come and ask me then" Obanai spotted a moment flicking on her feature. A fain feminine smile on her face. She adjusted, lowered herself a bit down in order to crane her head onto his shoulder height.

"Sure I'll ask you" Mitsuri made a soft giggle. Obanai watched from start to the end bemusingly. "Whenever you'd like and ha-ha the weather's really fine, isn't it? Look there are lots of birds in your garden today. How amazing" He attempted to lead a conversation to surrounding to lessen his shyness.

"Sure is! I want everyday to be calm and beautiful like today. I think our life, um no it's rather be everyone could have lived a better life" She paused after binding a string on the cut and bid the string after fixing "What will you do if you're in a world without demons?"

This question rang an alarm bell in his head. Obanai fell silent and was uncertain. At this point, he realized his life had nothing to do except exterminating demons. How sorrowful and dimly his life is.

"I'll go first then..um..I think I could go out and eat out with you every day ha-ha I will explore a lot of food and make a delicious dish" he glared at her quietly and realized it's his turn.

"No idea. I still don't know it" Obanai answered bleakly.

"Perhaps, you're afraid to express it," Mitsuri said. "You may not notice but I'm so comfortable around you and I want you to feel comfy around me as well. It's not from my attempt but you stay put and stay tuned to me so well. Not many men, I'm fine to hang around. You and Rengoku-senpai are dear people in my life. You know, you also gave me a dareness to not afraid of men"

"Oh really" When he knew her perspective, he wished he could have been more higher than her, height around Sanemi or Giyuu would be enough. To offer her a shoulder to lean on when sitting and walking, how did it look like to stare at her face from above. If also, he would have a brother figure to her like Kyojuro as well, she at least can has a special bonding with him. He also wanted to have the courage to establish a relationship like Tengen, he would pull her closer by his left hand and hold her in a not too tight embrace. For making a masculine contact in order to let her feel the strength and warmth. There were several things he would wanna do to her when, if only, it should be in another life, not this world.

"Sorry, I was carried on when it's about my life, ha-ha" She said with a weak smile.

"Umm..why don't you live your life to the fullest? So you will not regret afterward" oh he felt he sounded like his friend, Kyojuro, so much for this piece of advice to her. He also reached his hand, touching her shoulder. He could sense her tense slightly under his touch.

Mitsuri jerked slightly, blinked to process the thought "I will, Iguro-san"

"Then come on, stand up" Obanai stood up and walked down from veranda. She looked puzzled and her mouth gaped from a question. He offered her a hand "let's go out and explore the town nearby. I think it's gonna be good to take a walk for sightseeing in a new environment" his new position provoked her grinning. It felt so fresh for her to have someone ask outside the compound.

"Yippy!" She put her hand on his and started running out together. She forgot her sewing task but he told her not to worry about it. Kaburamaru helped to navigate them. They sneaked out of the compound without any eyes on them. Finally he could reach her for the first time without awkwardness.

Their hands departed from each other when their feet found their pace while running to the nearby town as a first time visitors, spending time together as they lived within their own world. When they were under the tree, the flower descended to her head very decently. Both of them looked at it together, Obanai reached it, touched slightly and gilded it down to tug at her left ear.

"It matches your hair color" He said, with eyes squinted shut to show how happy he was and she laughed at his unexpected and immediate comment. They were running and jogging together around the town, like turning into young and wild children.

"This one's beautiful" Mitsuri pointed to a wind chime on the rack of the vendor. "I think the sound of black one's better" Their journey and conversation flowed so smoothly like water to another topic about the snack in the next vendor.

"Huh? A rain?" Obanai spoke and drew her attention upward to the sky. A drop of water descended on the right cheek before it plunged heavily. .

Their fairy-tale time was as smooth as their picture because the rain accidentally fell down from a clear sky unusually. Townspeople moved quickly from the drop in commotion to not get wet. They both startled, without any preparation, and nearly soaked because they had no umbrella or anything to cover them.

"Get under the roof" Obanai led a way ahead of her to find any covers. He grabbed her wrist in order to pull her away from the rain. A couple settled together under a shade of one small shelter. it's not wide to protect them from the rain but still better to get soaked.

"Look like it's not going to stop soon" He said.

"We can use my haori," Mitsuri said afterward. Hurried, Mitsuri took her arm out of haori and was stopped by Obanai.

"No you should not" He grabbed her hand "You'll get sick" and another reason was he's afraid the rain would dampen her uniform more and more till it might demonstrate her curve and curl but he's frustrated because didn't know how to say to her without making her not see him as a pervert.

"I'm very fine, Iguro-san I'm not get sick easily" She forced her another hand out and stretched it out to cover both of them, Obanai was grumbled slightly and help her with another angle to cover him from the rain but seemingly, it's not water-proved that much so they decided to stay at that place together for a while.

"So sad it's raining otherwise we're gonna have some fun together" Mitsuri said with a sheepish grin and a slight slumped face.

"Let's say next time, I presume. We can't predict and challenge the nature"

Their body stayed very closed under the white haori, her shoulder touched his chest, then absolutely she could feel his warmth to lessen the cold out of her body. Obanai looked at her face all the time, and felt blushful when her cheek painted in soft pink for what reason that he cannot be so sure. But it's so cute and precious in his eyes. Looking closely like this, he felt she's more beautiful than under normal circumstances.

"I'm gonna note to myself next time I should take an umbrella as well ha-ha. Sorry to be stuck a rain Iguro-san and caused you a problem" Mitsuri apologized but he shook his head.

"It's not at all. No work today. You don't have to worry it"

With a standing position, Obanai stood behind her slightly, cleared his throat after having a new idea. He reached another angle that she grabbed it signalling he would take Haori and cover both of them. Her hand slipped out automatically from Haori when she saw him doing so and raised her eyes to him with a faint blush. He felt like it's a man's duty to take care of her, realizing that she took a great care of her hair too much everyday so he also didn't want her hair soaking by the rain. He jerked when feeling her hand touching his cheek, rubbing a drop of water out of his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked for a confirmation.

"Very okay" She evaded her eyes from him. Waggled, Mitsuri's head slowly laid to his right shoulder effortlessly, pretending he would not notice and felt her wright.

"Tell me if you need any things" Obanai uttered. He flushed at her action but stood still for her and felt so masculine for the first time to have her rest on his tiny body. He threw a victorious punch over the air in his head.

When the rain pitter and patter, they ran back to the compound and made a stop at Flame Pillar estate as he found and invited them to get in and warmed up before getting back.

"I'm not gonna take medicine. It's bitter" Mitsuri refused after Kyojuro handed her a pill that helped to alleviate the fever. Obanai took it and tried to convince her so.

"I think you should, Kanroji-kun or else you'll get a cold and tomorrow you also have a patrol duty" Not long till she refused, she coughed and also had a running nose. Her face was reddened when both men stared at her pointedly. She whined like a kid why on earth she spilled a runny nose in front of them. If she moved her hand, it would be rubbed on her face, if she moved her hand out, they would see it.