"Not that it's not good to see you, but... Why are you here, Chi-chan?"
Rindō let out a breath when he opened to the door to find the Yagura Branch Director and his friend standing there. Behind him, he could see his friend's nephew standing there as well.
It was normal to see at least Chishi here, but to see his nephew here as well meant that there was something going on.
"I want to assume that you're here for the ones who stayed the night yesterday, but I doubt that's it."
"I'm guessing that Yuki already left. But either way, you're right. I'm not here for them."
"So then what do I owe this sudden appearance?"
He waved down to Shokubutsu and got a wave in return. It was a good thing that he was able to respond to that much, even with his uncle around.
Shokubutsu had always been a good kid, so seeing him like this only added to his cuteness. Things were even better when he saw how Shokubutsu would fidget slightly, but not back down.
He's trying to show his willpower by not backing down. Keep up the good work there.
With his assurance that Shokubutsu would be fine, he turned back to his friend to see what kind of reaction he would be getting here.
None of them had expected Chishi to come by since they had been focused more on the upcoming match later in the night.
"He's here for a meeting with me, right?"
Everyone turned to sound of footsteps and voices. One was of a grown man while the other...
"Hi there, Shobu! Are you the only one here!?"
"...I am...for now... ...Pyrínas went to get...the other two..."
A small girl was held within the man's arms. The thing that stood out the most were her heterochromatic eyes of green and blue. Even while her arms were around the man's neck and her voice was raised near them, no one flinched back and only watched as the girl happily stayed in the man's arms.
The first to react was the man. The entire time he had been standing there Rindō had gotten a business feeling from him, even with the casual clothing he wore. His expression had been rather rough until the girl began to speak. That had been when he broke.
"(So you're friends are coming here then?)"
"(Uh-huh! The two of them are coming while you have your talk!)"
"(I see. I can't wait to meet them.)"
Rindō tried to understand what the two were saying using context clue, but it did little when they were only speaking with happy voice.s All he could gather was that it involved the other children that were usually seen around the Yagura Branch.
Chishi seemed to have taken pity on him since he placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile.
"Don't worry. I don't understand them either."
"That doesn't really make me feel better."
"Not my fault," he said with a shrug. "But, well, they're here because of me. Someone had contacted my branch to get in contact with me. Apparently, they had found out that their child likes to hang around my branch and wanted to speak to the one charge of the branch."
The man looked to the two of them and nodded.
The girl in his arms continued to smile, so this might not have been a bit thing.
"That's right. I wanted to meet the person who has been watching over my daughter."
Isn't that Pyrínas?
This man probably knew that Chishi was not directly taking care of his daughter and instead was making sure nothing bad happened.
Either way, it seemed like things were meant to be casual here.
"I haven't introduced myself yet," the man said.
Even with a child in his arms, he gave a bow to them. He understood Japanese courtesy for someone who had been speaking a foreign language.
"I am Jonas Schneider. Michelle's father. Nice to meet you all."
.
"Tamakoma Branch Director Rindō Takumi. Nice to meet you."
"Yagura Branch Director Akasora Chishi. This is my nephew, Tenryū Shokubutsu."
The first thing Arisa heard after waking up were voices of men who were much older than her. Each one of them had a distinct sound to them that reminded her of her former teacher. The main difference was that they all sounded as if they were having a casual conversation instead of sounding stoic.
Rolling over a bit, she found that her hand was touching something as it fell off of her stomach.
Where am I again...?
Her mind was still hazy from just waking up. Opening her eyes and adjusting to the light took a few seconds, but getting her mind to properly wake up took longer than that.
Something she noticed was that she was not in her bed and instead on something much more slim. There were sections where cushions were placed and the space she had to stretch her legs was much shorter than she was used to.
...Is this a sofa?
It would make sense as to why it was so small. The tight space for stretching her body kind of sucked, but it wasn't anything she could not deal with.
So then what had she touched and why was she on this sofa to begin with.
That's right. We went to the Tamakoma Branch yesterday and ended up staying the night. Then I am probably on their sofa right now. But then...
Her hand had touched something. She tried to feel around as she slowly woke up. Her fingers reached the end of it and noticed that there were thin things at the end of it. Threading them through her fingers, she felt the tips to notice that they were hard when compared to the rest of the squishy parts she had just felt.
Grabbing it a bit more, she felt that her hand fit rather well in it.
But what is it...?
Slowly opening her eyes, she looked down to where her hand was.
What she saw was...
"Oh."
The thing she had been feeling and grabbing had been someone else's hand.
Futoyuki's hand.
A bit of heat began rising up her neck as she slowly took back her hand.
That is...a pretty embarrassing way to wake up.
If not for it being Futoyuki then she was certain that she would have had a bigger reaction. But not only was it him, he was still asleep.
Nothing to worry about. Right, there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Just forget about what he said the other day.
...Dammit! It's even more in my head now!
She covered her face for a moment to calm down.
It was embarrassing to think about, but it had been something he chose to not take back.
So was he serious...?
"Good, at least one of you is awake. Get that lump up. We need this space."
Hearing the voice suddenly above her, Arisa moved her hands to see Akasora looking down at her while leaning over the sofa. Behind him was the Tamakoma Branch Director and another man she was not familiar with.
She gave a small noise along with a jump, but she made sure not to be too loud. Everyone else was likely up already, but there had been no one coming out just yet.
This was a perfect chance for her to wake up and clear her mind.
.
Akasora waved off any concerns as his brother's student began dragging Futoyuki away with a slight laugh. There was nothing out of the ordinary with that.
He moved over to sit where that student had been sitting and looked around the room. The lack of bodies moving around had caught his attention, but it was not something that bothered him.
The people in my branch tend to be lazy when they wake up. And I doubt that anyone really has a reason to be up right now.
They had come early to make sure that Takumi was fine with this meeting. And even if he wasn't, there wasn't a reason to care about it.
"By the way, when does Yōtarō normally wake up?"
"You don't have to worry about him for a while."
"That's good."
Tilting his head a bit, he gestured for Takumi to see Michelle's reaction to that name being said. While doing so he made sure to have his mind on something else instead.
Jonas must have noticed the movement from the way he raised a brow.
"Ah, don't worry about it. It's just a difference in personality. It isn't anything bad. Takumi and I would have done something if that was the case."
"That's good to hear. And I didn't mean to offend."
"It's fine. I understand. Shokubutsu here is my nephew, but he's basically my son too. I can understand where you're coming from with wanting to protect your daughter."
"Chi-chan likes to prioritize relationships over his work," Takumi said from behind the couch. Shokubutsu leaned a little closer to him, making him stick out his tongue a bit. "You don't have to worry about a thing with him. He will always make sure that the kids are alright. It's why he took in his student and all three of his siblings into his branch."
"You're talking too much, Takumi."
The way Takumi backed away with his arms up meant he was not all that sorry.
What an annoying guy.
Michelle laughed from her spot next to her father.
It was a it embarrassing to have her hear his thoughts, but it had been because of that reason that he made sure to keep track of everything he was thinking.
"Anyway, is this meeting all you came here for?"
"Do you not want us here?"
"It's more like I want my branch members to be ready for their match tonight."
"That's great. Then they can stick with us and watch my soon-to-be branch members fight. I hear the two squad are pretty familiar with them."
It had been the real reason he came over with Shokubutsu. Watching the last match for Kotowari Squad was something he refused to miss, but it was also something he wanted to check over with others. The brother and sister from his branch might not care for anyone other than their sister and both Futoyuki and Arisa might see it as something else.
But Tamakoma had people who knew everyone involved in the match better than the rest of his squad members.
It would be good to have them around to see their reaction to the match.
"Will you have enough time for your meeting then?"
"It's fine. This is an informal meeting. And isn't it more to see the people your daughter has been around the whole time, right?"
"That's right. If what Mr. Rindō has said is true, I want to see just what you are like. Having Michelle and her friends around will be a good way of determining that."
Maybe it was his way of being polite, but Akasora found himself chuckling at how Jonas was acting.
You can hear me, right? Your dad is a good guy, so make sure to keep being a good girl for him, okay?
From her spot next to her father, Michelle nodded happily while swaying a bit in her seat.
"Well, with that being said, will you be staying to watch the match as well? I'm assuming you don't have any connection to any of the squads, so it's fine if you would want to leave when it starts."
"That's fine." Jonas shook his head. "My wonderful wife is actually doing the commentary for one of the matches, so I hope it's the one you are going to be watching."
"You sound like Chi-chan back in the day."
"You're making us sound like a bunch of old men with nothing better to do."
Responded to that might start a fight, so Takumi did the only thing he knew would prevent that.
He grinned and flicked his fingers to the side.
This guy is going to-
He stopped his thoughts before he could fully express them.
With Michelle still around he needed to maintain his composure both externally as well as internally.
"Well, disregarding that guy over there," he said while jabbing his thumb at Takumi. "I've been told that someone who came back is going to be doing the commentary for the match, so it might be your wife. Besides her, I know that my student's partner and one of his former teammates is also going to be commentating on it."
"Ah. Ketsu is also going to be a part of that."
"So both Konami and Kagerei are commentating today? Are we sure things will be fine?"
Takumi shrugged.
It was a it concerning, but at least Kagerei was a respectable person on most occasions.
Although he used to be a bit of a brat before with an impulsive streak.
But that was in the past and with his former squad. The changes he had made since then were a positive thing for him that ended with him joining Takumi's branch.
Akasora found that he couldn't say much since he only knew those squad members best as they were now and understood how they were back then.
"...It feels like a lot of the squads from the past are nothing but trouble."
"At least that one had an Operator to keep them in line. The one you looked after was filled with nothing but wild people."
"Not Ariake. But he was starting to learn some bad habits from them. Particularly from his captain."
Speaking of which.
"Where did that idiot student of mine go? He isn't much of a morning person, so I would think that he would try and sleep in until the match started."
Takumi took a spot at the end of the sofa, next to Shokubutsu. The way his nephew leaned more towards Takumi felt bad, but there was nothing to do about it.
No matter how much he wanted to do something about it.
Takumi had noticed the response and gave his own with a grin while patting Shokubutsu's hair.
This guy!
Michelle's laughter could be heard from next to her father.
"Yuki said that he wanted to make sure he got a good spot to watch the match. Basically, he went to get a room for himself and anyone he wanted to take with him."
There was more to it than that. Takumi knew that as well.
Saying it bluntly or thinking of it too much would quickly alert Michelle to what they meant by it. That left them to rely on their knowledge of each other to get the message across.
And it did.
That student of mine really is an idiot...
There was not helping his thoughts.
He waved off Michelle's questioning gaze.
...What is going on inside that room?
Five minutes had passed since Takeshi reached Tsukiko Squad's operating room and been told to stay outside.
Takeshi was gathering attention standing in front of the door.
The morning as starting to end as the day was finally begging, so everyone was moving around to do their own things or go watch one of the daytime matches. That meant a lot of agents were passing by behind him.
"Oh, what's this? Was that terrible Shooter finally kicked out?"
"Oh, dear. That terrible Shooter finally pushed his luck too far with Asano."
"Hey, check that out. Yeah, that!"
...That last one might not be about me.
Lobo: "Hey, Take. There's a new 'what did that terrible Shooter do this time' discussion thread up. Do you mind if I beat down anyone who put something in that thread?"
Honest Sister: "Send me the link."
Shooting Star: "I will have a talk with all of them."
Izumo: "It's fine. Just don't pay them any attention."
Salvation from his own self deprecation arrived in the form of Eri's voice from inside.
"Takeshi. You can come in now!"
This time, he made sure to pay attention, so he stepped inside while the crowd watched and commented.
.
"It feels good to be outside of their gazes."
"Yeah, that makes sense," said a voice from the side.
Eri's general section had always been to the side of the room where there was little mess.
Her teammates would tend to take up the better part of the room while she was always fine with her own side.
However, sometimes all of their things would get mixed up whenever their squad's Operator would begin a new project. Looking from the door, the majority of the things in the room had been moved to the side. That made it easier to see some of the paint mark on the ground that might not have been covered by a cloth when using paint.
Takeshi first noticed a curtain separating the main area from the other two.
And next...
"Eri-san."
Eri sat on a chair she had moved to sit next to the nearby table. She always had excellent posture, but he did notice one difference from the usual way she held herself.
She was wearing something that revealed more of her neck and shoulders.
She normally wore clothing that covered most of her body, but now she fixed her collar and blushed.
"U-um, Takeshi. I plan to dress like this from now on."
That was a disappointment.
...She isn't the type to do something like this on a whim or just because she felt a bit impulsive.
But on the other hand...
...Maybe this is her way of being considerate? I'm still not too sure about these sorts of things.
Both reasons felt like they were truth, so if this was what Eri wanted...
"I see. I feel like this might something someone else pushed onto you, but... If you feel like you need to change something, I will support you however I can."
"Eh? Oh, uh... I guess I got used to being a bit flashy after this season. Our squad managed a lot of things during this time."
So...
"I started to feel like maybe doing a bit of changing would be fine."
Takeshi nodded and stepped closer to the chairs and table.
Eri's shoulders briefly rose, but he didn't let it bother him. He kneeled in front of her.
"I need to do everything I can to ensure we can at least be happy while we are int his relationship, no matter how new to these things I am."
"Right. But..."
"But?"
She lowered her head.
"Should I really be doin this? I was trying to match the lifestyles of the people who tend to be around you to make you feel more comfortable."
"It's arrogant to think you can understand someone just because you live the way they do. ...I learned that because of your help."
"But do you think I can understand you better if I don't live the way they do?"
Takeshi did not attempt a right response. He knew that it was fine to be wrong now.
He only touched her nose for a moment and then took her hand. The back of that hand was smooth, but it also showed some wear from previous actions and daily work that she had put in to her lifestyle.
"Listen," he said. "I gained a lot form you and everyone else who has helped me, so you are already connected in that way. There is no doubt that any of those other people will stand up if someone says you do not understand me."
And...
"And if anyone does say that to you, I will do what I can to prove you are in the right."
She glanced up at him and then took both of his hands.
...Eh?
"Sorry. I guess I wanted to do my part for us too."
Sensing that there was more to this, he gently took back his hands and...
"How about this instead?"
.
Eri was initially surprised because it had not been too long since she had worn his scarf.
...Oh.
She remembered.
She couldn't believe it had taken her even this long, but she remembered that these feels had been here even before they had fought each other.
She had completely forgotten, even though she was the one had just said she wanted to do her part for them.
That had helped her remember where the two of them had always been.
"Ha...ha..."
A few gentle laughs escaped her while her shoulders and head shook. The soft fabric now covering her neck felt nice.
"Yes...that's right."
She had been so happy recently it had slipped her mind. She had forgotten how she had only been able to watch him grow after his captain had failed him.
And the happiness she had found was short, but it felt so long that she had lost sight of that.
But the point wasn't just to be happy.
"I want to be happier. I always want to fine even greater happiness on the horizon."
That same thought had occurred to her a lot recently as she saw the others interacting and experienced so much herself. She felt certain the speak all around her, from her own squad to everyone else, hoped for the same thing.
She had grown a bit flustered and not known what to do once she found herself in a relationship, but...
...It's okay to change.
She had been told of how changes could occur when they had ended up going on a double date with Ikoma and Shiraishi. It was not something bad, it was when she decided to be happy with the person beside her instead of being happy for herself or generally the people around her.
If she had found even more happiness with him and if she was going to fine more in the future, she should accept it all.
So she took his hands again and gave them a squeeze. And...
"Takeshi, do your best in your last match."
Encouraging him her was more than just helping him as a person at this point.
She said that as someone now in a relationship with him.
"Doesn't the top tier seem like a better place for you all to be in?"
.
Takeshi took a deep breath.
...So that's where she was going with this.
That's pretty bold of her. Actually, she can get surprisingly bold in the best way when she gets fired up about something, but this is something new for her.
But, he thought, squeezing her hands back. He knew the blush on his cheeks could be seen without his scarf.
That was fine.
"Right. The top is where I am going to be meeting you."
There was a good reason to do this.
"I had said that we should continue winning together. If we both reach the top then I don't doubt that we will see each other and find a way for the both of us to keep winning no matter the situation."
Also...
"Now that we are at the last match of the season, we no longer have to worry about not spending time together."
"Oh, um, that decision had nothing to do with this." She shrank down a little. "And it has been fun."
"What has?"
"Right." She nodded and intertwined their fingers. "We got to see how Ikoma-san and Shiraishi do things, right? Well, in a way, we can use them as a basis on what to do and what not to do."
But...
"Their way of living in a relationship will be far different from out own, something I came to realize and something that has been told to e a few times already by others at this point. But overall, we know we can enjoy each other and talk to each other whenever we want." She squeezed again. "It has been a lot of fun."
So...
"I don't think I can go back. And..."
Takeshi realized where she was going with this. It would be fine for him to say it, but...
...She needs to say this for herself.
So he held his tongue and let her speak.
"I can't go back, so I have decided this will be my new normal. Because that will bring me even greater happiness."
"Right," he said and fixed the scarf.
She smelled nice, she was soft, and she was warm. He found it hard to believe someone so wonderful cared so much about him. And...
"You did well."
This time he would help her. He knew she would have been worried if she was allowed to do things the way the others did. That was not something he could solve for her. It was her problem.
But if there was anything he could feel full of himself about, it would be that he was now in a position to help someone who had already done a lot in helping him better himself. Something his own family chose not to do.
And in the end, Eri had reached her own decision.
Instead of asking if that was fine to do, she had accepted it as normal. So...
...I should be happy for her.
She had only viewed him as another Shooter and fighter on the battlefield, but now she would be seeing him as someone important. As long as she doesn't end up like her captain or Senpai, there isn't really a problem. I think not saying that would be better, though.
So from now on, they would place themselves side to side and live while discussing their days, their plans, pointless things, things they had noticed about the people they cared for, and so on.
"I think we are doing well."
"Yeah." She nodded. "I think so too."
"Right." He nodded too and wrapped his scarf one more time around her. It covered the top of her shoulders. "So...would it be too much if we made a promise right now?"
"A promise...?"
Eri sounded uneasy about it already, so he gave his response.
"You hold on to my scarf until the both of us have won. Not just with each other, with everyone else."