Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This chapter covers fem!Yuu slowly starting to get used to living in Guren's house as well as getting closer to his subordinates. Because this fic is AU, there will be differences 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 fic possible.
Chapter 7: The First Conversation and Argument
October 17, 2016
"So how do you like this room, Yuichiro? Does it look comfortable enough?" Sayuri asked after opening the door to Guren's old childhood bedroom and letting the newest member of their family inside.
When Yuu looked around, she was surprised to find that her new room was already furnished. And it obviously looked like a boy's room, making her wonder if the master of the house was expecting an addition to his household even before he found her outside of Sanguinem. The room already had a bed, a dresser as well as closet filled with clothes, a night-table, a bookshelf full of books, and even its own bathroom set up with toiletries. After living in the vampire city for four years and having to share everything with the other Hyakuya orphans, Yuichiro considered her new accommodations a luxury despite its simplicity.
"It's wonderful…I don't know what to say…" Yuu answered shyly.
Sayuri chuckled. "Well, a 'thank you' will suffice. I'm sure Guren had a good reason for taking you in. Whatever they are, it's not my place to question him. And I trust his judgment."
"Is this really Guren's room?" Yuu asked curiously.
"Well, yes" her hostess answered. "He's lived in this house his whole life though his family had many houses, condos, townhouses, etc. I think this one was his parents' favorite and they passed it on to him in their will. Guren has kept this room empty for years while he uses his parents' now. I never understood why he kept it the way it was when he last used it instead of making it into a different room, but now I'm glad he did."
"I know…and thank you. I'm not really sleepy yet so it's it ok if I stayed up a little longer to read?"
"Of course, Yuu. Though I'd recommend you try to take it easy, at least for the next few days to let your injuries heal. I also left some sleep medication in your bathroom cabinet in case you have trouble sleeping."
"I understand. I promise."
"Good. Well, I have some things I need to take care of so if you will excuse me…"
"Y-yes, of course! Thank you so much for everything!"
"You're welcome, Yuichiro. Goodnight."
After Sayuri left, the girl started to explore her new room. Since her guardian believed that she was a boy, he accommodated her as such, which was perfectly fine for Yuu; it was really no different than her room in her parents' house when she was still living with them. Since Yuichiro never had a girl's themed room, she didn't feel like she was missing anything; gender-based accommodations certainly didn't exist for the children living in Sanguinem who were forced to share everything in their homes for comfort and survival.
Not like Yuichiro ever complained. She thought it was a small price to pay for having a family who loved her, unlike her dysfunctional parents. Shunsuke and Ayumi Amane may have married for love, but they did not extend that love to their only daughter. With the exception of her late grandmother, Misao, the people who had shown Yuichiro the most kindness were ironically, those outside her blood family from her mysterious dark-haired, pale-skinned "uncle" to the Hyakuya orphans, and now, Guren Ichinose and his friends whom she barely knew.
Why are they being so kind to me? She thought. It's not like I can give them anything in return…
Before the ravenette could ponder the thought further, she heard a knock on her door. When she answered it, Yuu was surprised to see Shigure standing on the other side with what looked like a long gift box in her arms in addition to her newly cleaned livestock uniform. The choker with Yuu's identification tag from the vampire city was pinned to the shirt which was folded over Shigure's left arm on top of the white pants.
When she saw the older, raven-haired woman before her, Yuichiro could not help feeling a little nervous. With her poker-faced expression, it was hard to tell what Shigure was thinking since she was nowhere near as expressive as her friend, Sayuri. Looking at her now, it was hard for Yuu to even imagine Shigure cracking a smile.
"Y-yes? Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked.
The older woman took a deep breath before answering.
"Actually" she began "I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you."
Yuichiro blinked. "Me? Well, that's very nice of you to ask but I don't really need anything."
Shigure rolled her eyes and her expression made Yuu wonder if the older woman knew something she didn't.
"I'm afraid I'll have to disagree, Yuichiro. You may have a male wardrobe but you'll still be needing proper female undergarments."
And with that, Shigure offered Yuu the gift box she had been holding in her arms. Curious, the younger girl took it and when she opened the box, Yuu was surprised to find several sets of matching bras and panties, all with their tags still attached, indicating that they were brand new. It didn't take Yuu very long to figure out that Shigure must have gone out and bought them for her while she was having dinner and talking with Sayuri earlier that evening.
"Are these for me? Thank you but you didn't have to…"
Shigure snorted but then smiled. Which shocked Yuichiro; she didn't think the older woman was capable of doing so!
"Of course I did. Dressing like a boy on the outside doesn't change the fact that you have a female body, one that's still growing by the day, if you know what I mean, Yuu."
Yuichiro blushed. Young she may be, but she still understood exactly what Shigure meant.
"I know… I'm sorry, but would you mind keeping my secret for now? I know you said you didn't like lying to Guren but…"
Yuichiro trailed off as if she wasn't certain how to explain to Shigure that she wasn't ready for everyone to know that she was a girl yet. Seeing her discomfort, the older woman's expression softened. Although she may give the impression that she was as cold as a pillar of ice, Shigure was still capable of sympathizing with the younger girl's situation.
"It's ok, Yuichiro, I understand. I did promise you and Sayuri that I won't tell anyone, including Guren. And besides, what kind of soldier would I be if I didn't keep my word?"
"I know… and I appreciate it."
Shigure nodded before reaching into her pocket and handing Yuichiro something else, something that she had completely forgotten about when removing her livestock uniform for her hostesses to treat her injuries:
Mikaela's golden heart-shaped locket. The one he gave her as a birthday gift the night they tried to escape Sanguinem together.
"I found this while I was cleaning your livestock uniform; it was in the front pocket of your shirt. Since your uniform was torn and bloody, I considered throwing them away but figured that I should leave that decision up to you since they are your clothes, after all."
Yuichiro took the locket and clutched it to her heart; it was the last gift she would ever received from Mikaela before their tragic parting. She was so glad Shigure had decided not to throw away her livestock uniform and without checking to see if she had anything of value in it. For this locket was all Yuu had left to remind her of her lost orphanage brother.
The girl felt like she was about to cry again but tried her best not to. However, her attempt did not go unnoticed by Shigure whose expression changed to one of concern.
"Yuichiro, are you all right?" she asked gently.
"Y-yes, I'm fine!", Yuu stammered. "It's just that I'm so glad you were careful with my uniform even though you didn't know I had anything in it!"
"Yuu, I haven't survived in the JIDA this long by being sloppy…"
"I-I know! I didn't mean it that way!"
"I'm just kidding, Yuu. I've learned to be cautious while doing laundry because Guren usually forgets to empty out his pockets before throwing his clothes in the hamper. I can't tell you how many times I've found money and other things in his clothes that might have damaged our washer and dryer if I didn't take them out. However, I would prefer you not mention any of this to him, in exchange for keeping your secret, ok?"
Yuichiro couldn't help stifling her laughter.
Is this supposed to be Shigure's way of cheering me up? She thought. The older raven-haired woman certainly had an unusual way of showing that she cared. Not to mention an unusual sense of humor as well.
"Yes, I promise."
"Good, that makes us even then."
"I understand."
"I'm glad" Shigure said before finally handing Yuichiro the rest of her livestock uniform. If she were in Yuu's place, Shigure probably would have wanted to get rid of it but she felt that the younger girl should be the one to make that decision herself.
After handing Yuichiro her new undergarments as well as locket and newly cleaned livestock uniform, Shigure turned and was about to leave the room when she paused and took a deep breath before saying what she had been meaning to since she arrived.
"Before I go, I would like to say one more thing…"
Yuichiro looked up, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes?"
Without turning around, Shigure continued: "What I wanted to say was… that I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or unwelcomed. It's…just my way."
Yuu smiled. "I understand… thank you... for everything you and Sayuri have done for me; you have my gratitude."
The older woman smiled. Even though Yuichiro could not see it due to Shigure's back being turned to her, she could still sense it.
"I'm very happy to hear that… anyway, if there is anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask; I'm here for you just as much as Guren and Sayuri."
"I will…and thank you, Shigure."
"You're welcome. Just remember to keep those undergarments out of Guren's sight if you don't want him asking questions. Good night, Yuu."
Yuichiro blushed at the thought of having to offer an awkward explanation to her new guardian should he ever happen to come upon her female undergarments while believing her to be a boy but kept it to herself. Instead, she simply bade her hostess goodnight.
"You too…"
SSSSSS
After Shigure had left, Yuichiro took her new undergarments out of the box and carefully put them away in the dresser with great care, all while hoping Guren wasn't the kind of person to go through other people's drawers. But from what Sayuri and Shigure said of him, it didn't seem likely.
Guren sounds like a very busy man. Probably too busy to go through my things, I hope… she thought.
But just in case, Yuu felt it was best to hide her female undergarments under some of the boys' clothes in the bottom drawer. After they were tucked securely away, she took the shirt of her old livestock uniform and held it up with both hands to the light of the lamp on her night table. As she expected, there were five long tears in the back where Ferid had scratched her but surprisingly, Shigure had managed to get the even the bloodstains out in addition to the dirt Yuu picked up while walking through the sewers of Sanguinem.
As she looked over her livestock uniform, Yuichiro found herself pondering over what she should do with it. Since it was a reminder of her time as a prisoner of the vampires, logic dictates that she should throw it away. But the uniform was also one of the few things Yuu had left to remind her of her lost family so she could not bear to get rid of it. The same was true of the choker with her ID tag so Yuichiro chose to put them in the pocket of her uniform shirt before hanging it along with the matching pants in the closet.
With her clothes put away, the only thing left was the gold locket Mika had given Yuu. Since she was alone, the girl thought it wouldn't hurt to wear the gift so she unclasped the necklace and fastened it around her neck. The cool metal felt oddly nice against her skin and for some reason, it made Yuichiro feel a bit closer to her late brother. Looking at the books on the shelves reminded Yuu of how much she enjoyed reading and how she and Mika would sometimes stay up late after the rest of their brothers and sisters had gone to sleep and read books together.
But since it had been so long since she had lived on the surface world, Yuu felt like all she wanted to do for now was look out the window while sitting up in bed until she was tired enough to sleep. By now, night had fallen and Yuichiro could see the full moon accompanied by countless stars in night sky outside her window. For someone who had not even seen the sky in almost half a decade, the sight was a wonder to behold. How she wished that at least Mikaela had been here to see it with her. Not like Akane and the younger kids wouldn't have loved it as well.
At the thought of the blond boy, Yuichiro frowned. Although Sayuri had assured her that her family's deaths were not her fault, Yuichiro could not help but wonder if she had unwittingly put the idea of escaping Sanguinem inside Mikaela's head because she had often expressed her wish to return to the world above.
If I had not acted so discontent with our life in Sanguinem, would Mika and the others still be alive now?
Now that she was alone, Yuu's frown deepened and her lips quivered as she finally allowed herself to cry over her lost family again. No matter what anyone said, deep down she knew that Mika had made that bold and suicidal escape plan for her more than any of the others because no one in their family talked about wanting to return to the human world more than she did, not even Akane.
And in a cruel, ironic twist of fate, only Yuichiro herself had reaped the success of her brother's plan even though she was not the one who sold herself to a vampire lord for money, food, and favors as well as the opportunity to escape their underground prison. Mikaela himself would never again see the world he had painstakingly planned to escape Sanguinem for.
It should have been me, she thought sadly. Mika, Akane, the others, they all deserve to live so much more than I…
Yuu placed her hands on her temples, shut her eyes, and took a deep breath for a moment before reaching for the tissue box on the night table. The bed she was sitting in was warm, soft, and much more comfortable than the simple futon she had used on the living room floor of the Hyakuya orphans' townhouse in Sanguinem where all the kids had to huddle together to stay warm when they slept. It had been years since Yuu had slept on a bed and she had to admit that she did miss it very much. God only knows where she would be sleeping now if Guren and his friends had not found her after she escaped from Sanguinem.
And knowing Mikaela, Yuichiro was sure he would have wanted her to go on with her life and be happy, just as Akane or any of the younger kids would.
But how can I be happy knowing my life costed them theirs? She thought in despair.
Knowing that she wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon, Yuichiro was about to turn in when she heard a knock at the door. Thinking it might be Sayuri or Shigure, Yuu gave her permission for the visitor to come in since she didn't feel like getting up to answer the door. Considering how tired she was, the ravenette was sure her visitor would understand.
"Come in!"
When the door opened, Yuichiro was surprised to see that her visitor was none other than the master of the house himself.
"Oh… hi, Mr. Ichinose. What can I do for you?"
The young man blinked at her for moment before smiling and Yuichiro could not help thinking how much he reminded her of the "uncle" whose name she could no longer remember when he did that.
"My, what a polite kid you are! I wasn't expecting that after seeing you pull a gun on me the last time we met!" he exclaimed.
Yuichiro blushed as she recalled the bluff she made with Ferid's vintage revolver when she first encountered Guren and his friends. She was merely being cautious which should only be natural after her betrayal at the hands of the vampire lord who had been providing for her family in exchange for Mika's blood. Even if the gun was loaded, Yuu would have never considered using it unless Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure proved to be real threat to her life.
"Well, I didn't know who you were so I hope you understand" Yuu snorted as she crossed her arms and tried to give Guren her most serious look, all the while hoping he wouldn't notice the blush that stained her cheeks.
What's wrong with me? She thought. Why am I feeling this way over someone I just met?
Yuichiro knew that if Akane could see her now, her brunette sister would probably tease her relentlessly about crushing on this handsome older man while pretending to be a boy herself.
"Actually, I do" Guren said, much to Yuu's relief. "You are smart to be cautious of strangers. I would have done the same in your place."
"Thank you… So, if you don't mind my asking, why did you save me?"
Guren smirked. "Would you rather I had left you to die?"
Yuichiro gave him an incredulous look.
"You sound just like Shigure when you say that!"
"Do I?" he asked. "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment but thank you."
What, is he making fun of me now? Yuu thought in frustration but resisted the temptation to ask so instead, she said:
"I didn't mean to sound ungrateful."
"I know you didn't" Guren said as his expression softened. Yuichiro couldn't help sneaking a glance at his beautiful violet eyes before averting her gaze so he wouldn't catch her staring. Not knowing what else to say, the ravenette remained silent as she waited for the older man to speak again.
"I did ask you earlier if you were interested in helping us exterminate all the vampires. Are you… still interested?"
Yuu's eyes lit up at the mention of vampires.
"Of course!"
Guren smiled as if he had expected her to say that all along.
"I knew you'd say that. But you can't fight them as you are now; you need to get stronger. And I can show you how."
"Really? What do I have to do?"
"Whatever I tell you to. Simple enough?"
"That sounds a little vague."
"I know. There's more to becoming a good fighter than strength alone."
"I suppose…"
Guren opened his mouth as if to say something else when his eyes caught sight of the locket around Yuu's neck.
"What's that?" he asked curiously.
Realizing that the older man meant Mika's locket, Yuu almost gasped. For the second time, she had completely forgotten all about it and would not have worn the feminine piece if she knew Guren was going to pay her a visit.
Thinking quickly, she clutched Mika's locket in her hand and simply said: "Oh, this? It was a gift from my orphanage brother, Mikaela."
Guren tilted his head slightly as he took in sight of the odd trinket. A heart-shaped locket was a rather unusual gift for a boy to give another boy. And as soon as she saw the curious look on this face, Yuichiro realized her mistake and not just because she had revealed that it was from Mikaela, who was a boy. Since a locket was a gift meant for a girl, it would have looked suspicious no matter who she said it was from.
"That's…interesting. Is it real?"
Yuichiro fiddled with the locket between her fingers.
"I don't know. But it doesn't matter, its the thought that counts…"
"I suppose you're right. In any case, how are you feeling? Sayuri and Shigure told me the cuts in your back looked quite nasty. They were made by a vampire, weren't they?"
At the mention of her injuries, Yuichiro turned her head slightly, away from the searching gaze of her new guardian. Sayuri and Shigure had made sure to dress the gashes on her back securely and the bandages provided great relief; the possibility of scarring did not really bother the girl as much as she thought they would.
"Yes… but I feel fine now; your friends said they weren't serious. Sayuri told me to take it easy until they heal…"
"Good to hear…just make sure you don't bleed in my old pajamas and other clothes, ok?"
Despite knowing that Guren was most likely only teasing her, Yuichiro found herself scowling at him before scoffing.
"As if I would! Just because I was vampire livestock for years doesn't mean I've forgotten about personal hygiene!"
"I was only joking, Yuu. Are you normally this easily riled?" the older man asked with a grin.
I can't believe this guy! Yuu thought in frustration. Is he trying to pick a fight with me?
The ravenette could not help thinking how her first conversation with her new guardian was also slowly turning into their first argument as well.
"You have an odd sense of humor, Mr. Ichinose", Yuichiro answered through gritted teach as she tried to keep a lid on her temper.
"Don't call me 'Mister', kid. It makes me feel so old and I assure you, I'm not that old yet. Just Guren will do."
"Fine, then you can just call me 'Yuu'", she shot back, matching his snappy tone. If Yuichiro had spoken to her parents or even the Hyakuya orphanage director that way, they would have thought her disrespectful. But she found to her surprise that Guren did not seem the least bit offended or even annoyed.
In fact, he found her attitude rather amusing.
"Yuu? But you're so small", he teased. "How about 'Yuu-chan'?" *1*
"No way!" the girl snapped. Only Mika was ever allowed to call her that.
"And why not?" Guren challenged.
"Because I say so, Mr. Ichinose." Yuu sneered.
Not that finally annoyed him. When she saw Guren scowl at her remark, Yuichiro knew she had just found her guardian's pet peeve.
Guren knew it too. Not like he would ever admit it to his new ward. But the grin she shot him told him that it was useless trying to hide it.
"Never mind, then, Yuu." he finally said. "Anyway, I got some work to do. Try to get some sleep; I expect you up early tomorrow to help Sayuri with breakfast. If you're going to be living in my home, you'll have to earn your keep. You may need to take it easy for now but that still doesn't mean sitting on your ass and doing nothing, got that?"
"Ha! You're on! If you think a few scratches are going to slow me down, then you got another thing coming, Guren!"
"Good to hear! I better get going now. Sweet dreams, Yuu!"
"Good night!" she snapped.
After Guren had left, Yuichiro laid in bed with her arms crossed as she thought over their first conversation AND argument. Somehow, the girl just knew this relationship was getting off to rocky start and was only going to get shakier from here. Handsome her new guardian may be but his attitude was insufferable. However, Yuu was determined not to let him get to her that easily.
Two can play this game, she thought.
For the next hour or so, Yuichiro found that she could not fall asleep due to the constant thoughts of everything that had just happened over the last two days keeping her awake. She might have been able to fall asleep after Shigure had left if Guren had not shown up and riled her the way he did. Remembering that Sayuri had left her some sleep medication, the ravenette grumbled as she finally got up and went into the bathroom to dig up the bottle of sleeping pills the older woman was kind enough to provide for her before taking it down with a glass of water
SSSSSS
October 18, 2016
"Yuichiro, can you get me some tofu and green onions from the refrigerator, please?" Sayuri politely asked her new kitchen assistant.
"Yes, Sayuri" the girl obeyed as she dug through the large refrigerator for the items the older woman requested before asking curiously "What are we having for breakfast?"
"Oh, just some rice, steamed fish, vegetables, and miso soup. Is that ok, Yuu?" *2*
Yuichiro was startled. "Isn't all that more suitable for lunch or dinner?" she asked.
Sayuri gave her a questioning look. "This is what Guren normally has for breakfast. Shigure and I aren't too terribly picky with food so we just go with what he likes. Why, was there something else you prefer?"
"Well…I don't mind, I'm grateful to be getting any food at all. I just thought people normally eat those things for lunch or dinner."
The older woman looked at her young assistant, obviously confused.
"But Yuu, all these things I'm making are what people I know normally eat for breakfast. What did your parents normally feed you when you still lived with them?"
"Its been a while since I've lived with my parents but I remembered that my mom would make me and my dad things like toast or eggs and bacon for breakfast. Sometimes she might give us cereal or beagles with cream cheese. We also drank milk and orange juice or at least my mom and I did. My dad preferred coffee."
"Oh… I get it, you mean a western-style breakfast! I don't think I have any of those things you mentioned except coffee but I since I have to go grocery shopping later, we can get them. For now, are you ok with eating what we have?"
Yuichiro smiled and nodded. "Of course! Food is food like my sister, Akane, used to say. I'm sorry if I sounded ungrateful."
Sayuri smiled. "Its ok, Yuu. I was confused when you didn't know what Japanese people normally ate for breakfast until I realized how westernized your parents were and that they raised you to like those kind of foods. I'm not too familiar with western cuisine but I'm open to trying out new things as long as they're good. I think Shigure and Guren might appreciate having something new every now and then too." *3*
"Trying out new things is good" Yuichiro agreed before setting the tofu and green onions on the counter that was already laden with rice and fish, as well as a few other things they needed to make breakfast. As they finally got started on cooking, Yuu found the task nostalgic and frowned as it reminded her of how she used to cook alongside Akane.
"Yuichiro, are you ok?"
Yuu looked up at her hostess in surprise, the sudden question almost making her cut her fingers on the knife she was using to cut the tofu as Sayuri had instructed.
"Careful!" the older woman said as she gently placed her hand over Yuu's while checking to see if she had indeed cut herself. Luckily, the younger girl was unhurt.
"I'm ok!" she insisted. "Its just that being in the kitchen like this kind of reminds me of my sister. We used to cook together like this for our family all the time."
"Really? You had to cook every day? Didn't the vampires provide you with food?"
"They did…but nothing great, just enough for us to stay alive. Mika was the one who actually provided us with anything decent from the vampire lord he was 'serving'. Thanks to him, we actually did eat well, at least compared to the other kids in Sanguinem. Without Mika, Akane, and me, the younger kids would have had to live off of those nasty-tasting nutrient-replenishing drinks and bland dry rations the vampires gave us."
Sayuri chuckled. "Sounds like they were lucky to have you; cooking is an invaluable skill. Did your sister teach you how to cook?"
Yuu shook her head. "I already knew a little from helping my mom and grandma before I was taken to Sanguinem. Akane told me she learned a little from her mom too. We actually got better by cooking together every night."
"I see. Maybe you can show me a few things as well. I only know traditional Japanese cuisine but I'm sure learning how to make foods from other cultures would be fun and delicious too."
"I would like that."
"Good…well, we better hurry. Knowing him, Guren would probably be grumpy if he comes down and finds that his breakfast is not ready yet. He doesn't have much time to eat before work."
"Um, well, he could try getting up earlier if he wants more time for breakfast."
"I'm sure he would if he didn't have to work so late sometimes."
Yuu frowned when she realized how thoughtless her comment was.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't think."
"Its ok, dear. You can help set up the table after we finish here."
"Right."
After about another twenty minutes or so, breakfast was on the table and ready to serve by the time Guren and Shigure arrived. As soon as he sat down, Yuichiro handed him a plate of steamed rice, fish and vegetables with his miso soup as a separate side dish while trying to keep her cool as if their argument last night had never happened. It was unfortunate that their bickering didn't change the fact that she was starting to get butterflies in her stomach from having him sit right next to her. If it didn't look rude, Yuichiro might have gotten up and moved to the other side of the table.
"Well, good morning, Yuu. Did you sleep well?" Guren asked politely. Yuichiro was relieved that his question was sincere and that he wasn't trying to tease her.
"I did, thank you" she answered. "What about you and Shigure?"
"I slept all right; as much as someone like me can, anyway…" Guren answered as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Same here." Shigure added quietly. Unlike Guren, she preferred hot tea with her breakfast. Shigure may have been a woman of few words but her gratitude was apparent in her eyes when Yuichiro poured her a cup.
Guren watched his new ward quietly for a moment as he noticed how meticulous Yuichiro was for a boy but said nothing for it was not of import. What did matter was helping her get re-adjusted to life in his home and on the surface world after having spent almost half a decade underground.
"I take it you had no trouble helping Sayuri with breakfast, Yuu?" he asked.
Yuu shook her head. "None, whatsoever."
Guren smirked. "Good. Then I trust you'll have no trouble running some errands for me, today?"
"Of course not!"
Shigure frowned at her superior's suggestion. "Sir, I must advise against that since Yuichiro has been on the surface for less than three days and doesn't know his way around this area yet."
"I know that, Shigure. I'm not asking him to do it alone. He'll go with Sayuri and help her with anything she needs, right, Yuu?"
"Yes, sir." the girl answered.
"Good boy. Well, I better get going now. I'd love to stay a bit longer but I don't want to be late for work. Would you mind packing some of this food for me so I can have it for lunch instead, Yuu?"
As he asked this, Guren's voice became a teasing lilt as though he assumed Yuichiro did not like being treated like a maid and was deliberately seeking an annoyed reaction from her.
However, the ravenette wasn't going to take the bait, especially not in front of Sayuri and Shigure. She could tell the older man was doing this to get back at her for calling him "Mr. Ichinose" after he told her he didn't like it because it made him feel old.
And Yuichiro sure as hell wasn't going to give him that satisfaction; her pride wouldn't allow it.
"Of course, whatever you say, sir," Yuu answered as she managed to imitate the lilt Guren used on her just a moment ago. Her tone did not go unnoticed by her two hostesses and they looked at each other in confusion as if trying to guess what exactly it was that their superior said to the child last night to make her behave this way.
Shigure gave Sayuri a questioning look but the honey-colored haired woman simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders as if to say:
"Who knows?"
Guren himself, however, pretended not to notice the exchange between his two subordinates. Considering how long they've known him, it wouldn't take long for either woman to figure it out but he knew they were much too polite to say anything.
Yuichiro, on the other hand, got up to fulfill her guardian's "request" without another word. If Guren had any idea what kind of life she had lived in Sanguinem before he rescued her, then he should know better than to assume that she was a pampered brat who was afraid of hard work.
He could be testing me, Yuu thought. If I act like I'm afraid of a little housework and running errands, he'll think I'm afraid to fight too and won't train me. And I can't let that happen because I need to get stronger to beat the vamps for Mika, Akane, and everyone…
As he witnessed Yuichiro's subtle act of defiance, a smiled played on Guren's lips.
Good, the kid's feisty. I like that, he thought. Before the lieutenant colonel could teach her how to fight, it was important for Yuichiro to learn patience since impulsively charging head-on into battle before she was truly ready would just get her killed and real quick.
And what better way to test and teach the "boy" patience than to make "him" do housework and other awkward tasks that have been traditionally women and girl's work in previous centuries?
After she had neatly packed her guardian's leftover breakfast in some containers for his lunch, Yuichiro placed them in a reusable lunch bag Sayuri had given her and handed it to Guren as he was getting ready to leave for work.
"Will there be anything else, Guren?" Yuu asked politely.
"That should be all, Yuu. Sayuri may need your help with grocery shopping later so try not to slow her down, ok?"
Yuichiro caught herself before a scowl of annoyance could appear on her face. She knew this was another one of Guren's "tests". If Yuu couldn't control her anger, she wouldn't survive long on the battlefield either since anger also disrupted focus.
Although the ravenette had managed to keep a look of displeasure of showing on her face, her guardian was sharp and knew right away that she was displeased at his remark. Not that anyone else would have liked it but Yuichiro had managed to resist making a rude retort. Instead she said:
"I won't. Have a nice day, sir."
Smart kid, Guren thought when he heard the mocking lilt in Yuu's voice. He knows how to mask rudeness in the form of politeness. Even I can't do that. Maybe he can teach me a thing or two… *4*
Anyone who caught her mocking lilt might have called Yuichiro out on her rudeness but Guren pretended not to notice. In fact, he enjoyed this little game with his ward. In addition to the other purpose he intended for the "boy", Yuichiro's presence would definitely provide some much-needed entertainment as well as an extra set of hands to take care of his house.
"I will. I hope you have a nice day too, Yuu" Guren said pleasantly as he put on his JIDA uniform jacket and walked out the door with his lunch bag.
After her guardian had left, Yuichiro actually found herself smirking in satisfaction. If the man wanted to play mind games, she was more than happy to oblige.
Footnotes
1. To my knowledge, only Mikaela calls Yuichiro "Yuu-chan" in the canon story but I had Guren suggest it to tease fem!Yuu and be the start of their "love-hate" relationship of constant bickering.
2. I looked up traditional Japanese breakfast meals and found that they were quite different from what most western cultures eat; they consist of foods that most people in the U.S and Europe may associate with lunch or dinner. Since fem!Yuu's parents were into western culture and costumes, she naturally prefers foods like eggs, bacon, toast, milk, orange juice, etc.
3. In the LNs, Sayuri normally cooks for Guren and I deliberately made her ignorant of western food while fem!Yuu is ignorant of traditional Japanese foods so that they can grow closer and bond through learning new dishes from each other.
4. Male!Yuu is bull-headed, straight-forward, and bluntly rude to others when he wants something or gets annoyed or angry. In my AU, fem!Yuu is more indirect in expressing her desires and displeasure (as is the nature of most women in general) and is smart enough to mask rudeness in the form of politeness and make subtle insults as I will demonstrate in future chapters ;)
