My Happy Marriage (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4  

Marriage Vows

“N-no…I don’t know anything about that horrific thing…!”

A woman shouted in front of Kiyoka, her face contorted in terror. Kimio Nagaba desperately shook her head, unconcerned with her tied-up hair growing disheveled.

Staring down at her was a stern-faced man, his anger and disgust on full display—Nagaba.

Under the darkness of night, the corridor in front of the Nagaba estate’s garden had transformed into the stage of an ugly drama.

Kiyoka looked away from the two of them and glanced at the garden storehouse.

The structure’s traditional white plaster walls and black tile roof were illuminated in the hazy moonlight.

On a normal night, the garden would be quite picturesque, but with more than ten Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit members in the vicinity and the residents of the Nagaba estate coming and going, the atmosphere was quite tense.

And that wasn’t all.

A mysterious, terrifying presence was oozing out from inside the storehouse, one that chilled the body to the core and filled one’s instincts with dread.

“It’s time to change shifts!”

“The arts are deteriorating. Pay attention!”

“Anyone free needs to rest and eat.”

Amid this tense and strained atmosphere, akin to that of a battlefield, the unit members’ shouts rang out nonstop. They were clearly directed at the corridor where Kiyoka stood and served only to create more tension in the air.

“Are you trying to make excuses? You’re the only one who’s gone into the storehouse lately.”

Nagaba raised his voice, sending spit flying as he ranted at Kimio. When Kiyoka returned his sights to them, the only colors he saw in Kimio’s eyes were those of panic and fathomless terror.

“I-it wasn’t me. I don’t know, I don’t know!”

Kimio continued to shake her head back and forth. She looked pitiful and miserable, but her state did not appear to inspire an ounce of pity or compassion in her husband’s heart.

It had been early evening when Kiyoka had gotten the report and traveled to the Nagaba estate.

In addition to Mukadeyama, who had taken command of the case, Godou had also left his post at the station to come here. The scene had been covered in a tense, terrifyingly strange air.

“There’s no mistaking it, Commander. That thing, that cursed relic, is one of the Earth Spider’s legs.”

Godou showed no hint of his usual flippant expression and attitude when he reported the fact to Kiyoka.

It had all started several days ago, when a few members of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit were sent to the Nagaba estate to address the family’s request for help.

One of the Nagabas was exhibiting eccentric, beast-like behavior.

Based on this information, Kiyoka had surmised that it was the work of a low-level animal spirit, and the unit members proceeded to the Nagaba home. There, they discovered that there was indeed a weak animal spirit possessing Nagaba’s mother, and they safely purified it.

But a few days later, Nagaba’s mother began acting strangely once more.

When Godou reported this, Kiyoka sent off unit members to the house a second time. Naturally, he also made sure to tell them to plan to alleviate any potential problems with the victim’s constitution, and to handle whatever came up if it was discovered that the source of her behavior lay elsewhere, in order to prevent another recurrence.

That had been the situation as of early afternoon that day.

But a few hours later, the situation took a frightening turn.

“There appears to be a cursed relic radiating a terrifyingly dangerous aura in the storehouse.”

After getting the above report from one of the unit members assigned to the Nagaba investigation, First Squad Leader Mukadeyama quickly rushed to the scene.

When he went inside the windowless storehouse, he laid eyes on the item that the other unit members had reported to him, and he felt sweat burst from every pore on his body.

Stowed away in a box large enough to hold in one’s arms was a single arachnid leg.

The segment of leg wasn’t from a normal bug but from an exceptionally large grotesquerie.

That alone would have still been fine. From it poured a strange aura filled with a grotesquerie’s power, an uncanniness that made even someone like Mukadeyama—who had gone many places as a Gift-user and gained a wealth of experience—break into a cold sweat and shake uncontrollably.

Instantly judging how dangerous the item was, he immediately dispatched a familiar to Godou, who was in charge of the station, and Kiyoka, who was taking leave from work for the day.

The cursed relic was already powerful enough to feel through the box, but if one tried to touch it directly, their soul would be contaminated—not by the jinxing arts, like what had happened with the spirit from the Burial Grounds, but by the pure essence of the grudge imbued in it.

Even if they kept it in the box, the relic would be difficult to transport, so the unit members at the estate had had no choice but to start sealing it on the premises.

Rushing over, Kiyoka entrusted the situation to Mukadeyama and the others who had already begun sealing it away. After receiving a report from Godou, he then confronted the Nagaba couple, which resulted in the scene before him.

“Mr. Nagaba, I really need to ask about the particulars here and put things in order. Can you save your bickering for later?”

“Tch.”

Nagaba rudely clicked his tongue at Kiyoka, who’d gotten between the couple.

The truth was that Kiyoka couldn’t afford to get tied up with them forever. Sealing the cursed object required the work of four people at a time, switching over in shifts periodically. That was how strong the cursed relic was. And due to the burden placed on the unit members working on the seal, Kiyoka had added himself to the reserves who would swap in as needed.

Even then, there was no way this wasn’t going to be a time-consuming endeavor.

“I—I had no idea, no clue it was a real cursed relic! Please, Commander, please believe me!”

Kimio grabbed Kiyoka’s uniform and clung to it, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“But you were the one who brought that box into the storehouse. Isn’t that right?”

“…Well.”

“We’ve gotten testimony about it from the servants. I need you to be honest about exactly where you got it from, or we can’t do our jobs.”

Under the current circumstances, her excuses were worthless. He had no interest in hearing them.

The only things Kiyoka needed to know were who had given her that cursed relic—a leg of the Earth Spider, of all things—and where it had come from.

Back then, I definitely made sure its heart stopped… As long as it’s still pierced through with that thing, it shouldn’t be able to move, or be moved at all.

The Earth Spider. It was a powerful grotesquerie, born when the country had still been ruled by a military government.

This very grotesquerie was also the fateful foe that Kiyoka had fought desperately to seal away for taking the life of Godou’s father.

His slight irritation grew more severe. However, there was someone who was obviously far more irritated and indignant than Kiyoka there, so he couldn’t let his own feelings show.

“Stabilize the arts! Lose focus for a moment, and the sealing process will be for nothing!”

Godou’s orders rang clear across the garden. Usually, Godou would always confront his enemies with his typically irreverent attitude, no matter how strong they were…

…Provided he wasn’t up against one specific foe in particular—the Earth Spider.

Right now, Godou was lacking in composure and presence of mind. He was bellowing orders at his terrified unit members without a moment’s hesitation.

If that keeps up, he’s going to get the other men unreasonably worked up.

Though, given what they were up against, it meant they wouldn’t let down their guard, which wasn’t necessarily a problem.

“Hurry up and talk. Depending on the details, we might need every second we can get,” Kiyoka stated coldly, brushing away Kimio’s hand from his sleeve. At this, Kimio’s shoulders jolted in fright before she reluctantly began to speak.

“A traveling priest…paid a visit to our house.”

“A priest?”

“Yes. He wore a woven hat and carried a ringed staff… He was wrapped in vestments and a kasaya stole. However, he had this, well, very sinister and suspicious aura about him.”

“And?”

Urged to continue, Kimio covered her own face with trembling hands.

“He said he would make my wish come true, and that I just needed to make whoever I hated touch the contents of that box… He also told me that charms would become more effective as long as it was on the premises, and that I should try those as well. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t bring myself to touch what was inside the box.”

That was why she’d made her mother-in-law, who had normally treated her harshly, touch it, Kimio explained.

Now Kiyoka was convinced. The charm Kimio had mentioned just now must have been the one she’d cast on Miyo. It hadn’t been anything powerful, and it was strange that an amateur could invoke a charm like that in the first place, merely by making another listen to a story.

But the power of the Earth Spider’s leg had been enough to make Kimio’s weak charm effective on Miyo.

For the first time in his life, Kiyoka felt an almost murderous rage swell inside him, directed at Kimio.

“Where did this priest go?” Kiyoka inquired, stifling his strong emotions. However, Kimio simply said she didn’t know, shaking her head in tears.

At this point, there was no more information he could get out of her.

Reaching this conclusion, he practically scowled at Nagaba and Kimio.

“Your punishment will be decided later. I advise you not to do anything stupid. Try anything funny, and I won’t show any mercy when the time comes.”

“W-wait, please! A-am I being charged with a crime? N-no, th-that can’t be… You’ll help me, right? I—I didn’t do anything.”

“Enough. You would do well to reflect back on yourself and what happened. Just be grateful that I won’t be the one to sentence you.”

Kiyoka left the garden without turning back. Behind him, Kimio’s eyes went empty, cloaking a quiet malice.

At some point, the sun had climbed above the horizon, enveloping the estate in the mild warmth of spring.

There wasn’t a cloud in the slightly hazy sky, and its blue seemed to refresh the heart as it sank into the eyes of everyone who had been awake through the night.

Kiyoka sighed. Facing away from the azure sky, he turned to the large storehouse behind him.

Although the terrifying aura was slowly weakening from the layered seals, there were still vestiges of the potent power hanging in the vicinity.

Half a day had passed since the unit members at the estate had turned their full attention to sealing up the storehouse.

The shadows of exhaustion were carved into their faces, and their movements were dulling.

Weaving in and out among them were the Nagaba servants, rushing around bringing food, drinks, and towels to wipe down with.

The seal would be finished in just a little while.

But while the work here was almost finished, they would next need to escort the cursed relic to an appropriate location.

Visibly fatigued, Godou said to Kiyoka, “Commander…the seal will be finished soon. You should head back home.”

Kiyoka was feeling similarly worn out, though not on the level of complete and utter exhaustion. Nevertheless, he thought that being the only one to abandon the scene was out of the question.

He turned to his aide and shook his head, wearing an uncharacteristic frown.

“No, I can’t leave here.”

“But today’s the wedding! Miyo must be feeling really anxious right now. Don’t tell me the groom is going to ditch the ceremony!”

Godou’s words made Kiyoka imagine how Miyo must have been feeling at the moment.

Last night, there had definitely been a bit of uneasiness on her face when he left her behind at the house, but she made sure not to say a word of about it, or shed a single tear, and merely watched him depart with a determined look in her eyes.

The image Godou described, of Miyo being unable to do anything but anxiously wait for Kiyoka to return, didn’t come to mind.

She would believe in him. Kiyoka was sure of it.

Moreover, he couldn’t entrust everything to Godou, agitated as he was. Mukadeyama was here with him, but he was also tired from the sealing process, and Kiyoka was concerned that some unforeseen situation could occur if he handed the reins to them in their state of discomposure.

I’ll absolutely make it in time for the ceremony.

There were still a few hours left before the ceremony began. If he hurried, he should be able to slip into the venue in time.

He was losing focus. If he didn’t keep concentrating, he felt like his mind would drift elsewhere. He didn’t need to hear it from anyone else—Kiyoka, too, hoped to rush to Miyo’s side as soon as he could.

Yet he couldn’t.

“Calm down, Godou. We still have time.”

“I am calm. If anything, I’m wondering how you can be so composed right now, Commander.”

Kiyoka didn’t answer. Just then, it came time for the people working on the seal to switch out.

“You need to rest. I’ll swap in with the others on standby.”

“Commander!”

As Kiyoka turned around, he was hit with Godou’s outburst hot on his heels, but this was one thing he couldn’t back down on.

In the end, they finished sealing everything after another half hour. The cursed relic, the Earth Spider’s leg, had been bound all over with talismans, and the unearthly aura it radiated had grown weak. Their all-night seal would stop it from immediately posing a threat once more.

But it was already late morning. There wasn’t much time until the start of the ceremony.

“From here, we’ll escort the cursed relic to the station. Carry it carefully and ensure that no one touches it, no matter what!”

“Yessir!” the unit members responded in unison, wearing tense, strained looks on their faces.

From here on out, Kiyoka, Godou, and half of the other members would be tasked with escorting the item, while the remaining men, under Mukadeyama’s direction, would settle matters at the Nagaba estate and continue questioning witnesses and investigating.

“Commander, you can’t push it any closer, right? Leave this to me and get a move on,” Godou said to him, running over. Kiyoka glanced at the clock. At this point, his absence at the venue was probably creating a stir.

If he headed over instantly and changed straightaway, then the ceremony might barely be able to start on time.

An intense impatience had taken root in Kiyoka’s chest with the break of dawn. However, his sense of obligation still won out, and he refrained from turning toward the exit.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. I can’t do that.”

“Are you insane?!”

“Godou.”

Kiyoka quietly addressed his shouting subordinate. Though indignant, Godou immediately choked back his words.

“I can’t entrust the entire escort to you right now. I don’t need to tell you why, do I?”

“…”

“It’s not your fault. I’m not my usual self, either. Not after finding something like that. That’s why it’s better for me to stay right now, if only so we can keep an eye on each other.”

“…I’m perfectly levelheaded.”

“Do you really think so?’

When Kiyoka asked this, Godou went silent.

He couldn’t possibly have been levelheaded. The fact that he kept on insisting otherwise itself proved it. If Godou had been his normal self, he would’ve responded differently.

I definitely won’t make it in time for the ceremony if I end up escorting the cursed relic from here.

Kiyoka clenched his fist hard enough for his nails to dig into his palms.

Just how much embarrassment would Kiyoka experience, and how much anxiety would he cause Miyo, if he didn’t make it in time? The mere thought threatened to turn his sights black with despair.

“Commander, are you really okay with this?” Godou asked once more, forcing the words out. Without Kiyoka noticing, Mukadeyama had come up to see how he was doing.

Kiyoka’s footing became unsteady.

This was his final chance. No one would blame him for abandoning his duty here. But if he did so, he would be dogged by fears and worries.

The mission was simple yet vital. He couldn’t abandon it.

I’m sorry, Miyo.

An apology wouldn’t suffice for this. The fact that he’d abandoned the ceremony would likely scar Miyo for the rest of her life.

She wouldn’t denounce him for it, but there was no question that she would be hurt.

He shut his eyes and gnashed his teeth.

I…

He urgently steeled his resolve with his wavering heart. It was at that moment, when he was going to say it out loud, his lips trembling—

“Ummm, so… We came to provide some backup, but do you actually need us?”

“C’mon… Don’t ask it like that!”

“I—I mean, what else am I supposed to say? Besides, why am I saying this? Shouldn’t you and the other experienced members be the ones to speak up here?”

One of those voices sounded strangely familiar. He looked up to find a group of several people in military uniforms marching noisily into the Nagaba garden.

Their uniforms resembled that of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit but with slight differences. They were…

“The Second Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit?”

Kiyoka locked eyes with the person standing at the front of the group, who was clearly inexperienced and looked rather unreliable.

Kiyoka had seen him before. His breath caught in surprise.

“You?”

“I-it’s good to see you again.”

The man flashed what looked to be a smile. Bashfully bringing a hand up against the back of his head, he bowed slightly in greeting.

In the middle of a comfortable, light slumber, Miyo stood absentmindedly in an empty space.

Though there wasn’t anything there, she thought she heard a faint voice.

“…You do not need to worry. The contents of this box shall solve your troubles.”

“Really…? It will really grant my wish?”

“But of course. It is a miraculous item. I am sure it will erase your worries and make your wish come true.”

When she slowly approached the direction of the voices, she could vaguely make out the gate to someone’s home.

A man dressed as a traveling priest and a woman were talking together. Neither of their faces was clear, and she couldn’t determine their identities.

However, Miyo did get the sense that she had heard the woman’s voice somewhere before.

The woman accepted from the priest what appeared to be a wooden box, big enough to fit in both her arms, and she bowed her head over and over again before closing the gate.

The priest looked up slightly at the shut gate before walking off, his ringed staff in hand.

Against her will, Miyo’s eyes followed after the priest, who was striding along with firm steps.

At some point, however, the priest she’d thought she was following was replaced by a woman wearing a tattered kimono.

What…?

When did they exchange places?

As her sleep-addled mind reeled in confusion, her eyes continued to follow the departing women, ignoring that she was in a dream.

The woman continued walking without any break.

The scenery was cloudy and indistinct, and Miyo couldn’t clearly feel the passage of time. However, she got the feeling the woman had been going for quite a while now.

At some point, the woman passed from a townscape into the mountains, progressing down a wild game trail.

Without ever losing her footing in the overgrown brush, she continued on to her destination with steady steps.

Waiting there was—

“Hnh…”

Miyo’s consciousness rapidly came to the surface, and she raised her heavy eyelids. Her familiar room began to illuminate, and she could tell the sun had already begun to rise.

Sluggishly raising her body up, Miyo stretched out her arms wide.

“What a strange dream.”

She cocked her head at the dream she just saw. But ultimately, she had been unable to see where the woman ended up, so she wasn’t entirely satisfied with how it had concluded.

Miyo got the sense that her Dream Sight was at work here, but she couldn’t really understand the meaning behind her vision.

More importantly, though…

The night had ended.

And the morning of her wedding had arrived.

She wondered just how much time had passed since she started waiting on standby in the dressing room with Hazuki, Yurie, and Fuyu.

Miyo had finished getting herself ready a great deal earlier, and all that was left was to wait for the groom to arrive. But there was no sign of Kiyoka.

The scheduling had been set up with plenty of leeway, but that extra wiggle room was already being exhausted.

“I’m sure it’s fine, but he’s really cutting it close,” Hazuki murmured, her arms crossed and lips pursed in a pout.

Although Hazuki was being considerate and not letting her emotions show too much, Miyo could sense that all three of them were starting to fret.

Was there a chance Kiyoka wouldn’t make it in time?

Whenever doubt would appear on their faces, Miyo would pretend not to see it. Nevertheless, she was fast approaching the limit of her ability to ignore it.

As she distracted herself by chatting idly with Hazuki, Yurie, and Fuyu, the time came.

I can’t shrink back now. I know Kiyoka will make it in time.

She dauntlessly faced forward. She couldn’t let this be enough to upset her. After all, from here on out, she was going to be the wife of the head of the Kudou family.

Clinging to her scant, single drop of hope, she tried not to pay any heed to her anxiety-filled heart.

“Well, here we go then. Get it together.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

At Fuyu’s encouragement, Miyo exited the room with a smile.

From here, the four of them would move to the waiting room. All the relatives who would be attending the bridal procession should be there.

Quietly, Miyo’s group continued to walk.

As they crossed the corridor connecting the dressing room to the waiting room, Miyo looked out the window.

A breeze picked up some cherry blossom petals, sending them into a swirling dance down atop the rock path below, then blew them away again.

Cherry blossoms past their peak bloom, destined only to scatter from here on out.

Their forlornness seemed to reflect Miyo’s sadness at having been left to walk alone on this magnificent day, and she felt a bitterness well in her mouth.

Her head, decorated with a wig, several sparkling-gold floral hair ornaments, and a bridal silk headdress, felt heavy enough to break her neck. Her multilayered, pure white kimono weighed on her shoulders, and she was beside herself with worry that her obi sash would come undone, and she couldn’t help fretting over the turned-back hem of her kimono dragging long past her.

It feels like my feet are locked in place.

She had tried every trick in the book to walk this far. However, the closer the waiting room, and the ceremony itself, grew, the more her ability to stay positive waned.

The wedding ceremony, the joyous day she had looked forward to so much, was making Miyo’s heart sink heavy and deep.

It was a Shinto wedding of only relatives. She was sure that they would be understanding and have sympathy for her if Kiyoka didn’t make it in time, without her having to explain anything. Miyo understood perfectly well that there was nothing she could do when it came to Kiyoka’s work. Nevertheless.

“Kiyoka…”

If she was really going to spend the rest of the day alone without conducting the ceremony—what exactly was she supposed to do with herself?

She couldn’t let herself cry, or her makeup would run. Despite the thought, her vision blurred. It felt like tears would well up and slide down her cheeks at any moment.

Please come quickly, Kiyoka.

Dragged down by her heavy heart and outfit, Miyo at last managed to reach the waiting room with Hazuki and the others.

“Miyo…”

The first people to come to see her were Yoshirou and Arata, who had come here as her family members.

“You look very pretty, Miyo.”

“Indeed. I’m proud to be your grandfather.”

The ceremony hadn’t begun, yet Yoshirou’s eyes were watery. Seeing the two of them looking just like always, without any hidden implications in their expressions, brought Miyo the slightest bit of calm.

“Thank you very much, Arata, Grandfather.”

Unable to bow her head very far, Miyo politely thanked them both instead, prompting Yoshirou to gently pat her on the shoulder, partly out of encouragement.

Afterward, Tadakiyo came up to her as well, saying Miyo looked beautiful, giving her simple, straightforward praise with his usual twinkling smile.

“Thank you very much, Father.”

As Miyo talked to everyone, suddenly—

“May I?”

Someone addressed her.

A man and a woman came up to her.

They appeared to be married. The man looked to be in his thirties, tall and dressed in formal military attire. He had a masculine, almost feral, visage and a scar under his sharp eyes. The way he walked with a limp caught Miyo’s eye.

The woman was tiny by comparison, looking a few years past twenty, and she was slightly shorter than Miyo—a neat and clean beauty with a composed, mild-mannered aura about her.

Hazuki tactfully introduced the two as they approached Miyo.

“Miyo, this is Mr. Koumyouin, and his wife, Setsu. They’ll be mediating the ceremony.”

“The name’s Koumyouin. Nice to meet ya.”

Miyo bowed slightly upon hearing Hazuki’s introduction, feeling overwhelmed by the vaguely boorish air about the grinning Koumyouin.

“Th-thank you very much for your help with the ceremony.”

“I am Koumyouin’s wife, Setsu. I apologize for arriving right before the start of the ceremony when we’re acting as the mediators. We were supposed to arrive much earlier so we could introduce ourselves,” Setsu said, her eyes frowning with regret. Hazuki responded to her with a smiling shake of her head.

“Nothing you could do about it. Mr. Koumyouin must not be able to easily get away from work, right? After all, he’s the commander of the Second Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.”

“Hearing you put it so kindly like that does make me feel a bit more at ease.”

“I can’t say anything,” Hazuki said. “My little brother’s the groom, and he still isn’t even here yet.”

Miyo was left dumbfounded as she listened to Setsu and Hazuki chat and secretly looked at Koumyouin.

The Second Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit.

The other military group that shared the same duties and scale as the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit, based in the old capital. It was also the original unit of Kaoruko, who had been assigned to the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit for a period of time.

The old capital was where the emperor had resided before the Restoration. It was also a place where many grotesqueries ran rampant. Miyo was told that, as a result, powerful and skilled Gift-users still resided there. It was practically a mecca for the country’s Gift-users.

The Saimoris, the Kudous, and the Tatsuishis had all moved from the old capital when the emperor left, but there were several Gift-user families who had stayed behind.

Miyo couldn’t help but be curious about Koumyouin, as it was his job to unify the enlisted Gift-users in the old capital.

Noticing that she was staring, Koumyouin matched Miyo’s gaze with hers.

“See, I acted as an adjutant in the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit back when Commander Godou was still in charge. I was ol’ Kiyoka’s boss and mentor at the time. Our relationship’s what led me to act as mediator today. Normally, Major General Ookaito would be the better choice, but seeing as he’s unmarried and all…”

The mediators needed to be a husband-and-wife couple. Given that Ookaito was divorced and had no new wife at the moment, he couldn’t fulfill that role.

Understanding this, Miyo nodded.

“Really screwed up my leg here, so it might be a bit inconvenient, but I hope you’ll overlook it.”

Smacking his left thigh, Koumyouin gave a big guffaw. He appeared to have a powerful, though slightly crude, personality. Despite his handsome, well-shaped features, Miyo saw something slightly animalistic in him.

However, she didn’t find him disagreeable in the slightest. Relieved that he was so straightforward, she released the tension from her unconsciously tightened face.

“I’m sorry about him. I’m sure my husband’s uncivilized manner comes as a bit of a shock. Don’t worry, though, I’ll keep a close eye on him during the ceremony to make sure he doesn’t screw anything up.”

“Hey, Setsu. That’s a real awful way to talk about your husband, y’know that?”

“Am I wrong?”

The back-and-forth between Koumyouin and Setsu was cheerful and familiar, like an exchange between friends. Just listening to them, Miyo could clearly tell that they trusted each other.

Miyo’s mind began to wander to her absent fiancé.

If, by any chance, Kiyoka didn’t make it in time…

Even if the ceremony didn’t proceed, they would still be able to become husband and wife. She understood that much, but she still couldn’t stop herself from catastrophizing, imagining that they might be unable to come together in the same trusting relationship as the one she saw before her.

Miyo’s uneasiness swelled as she maintained her polite smile, and Koumyouin gently narrowed his eyes.

“Must be discouraging that Kiyoka ain’t here yet.”

“…It is.”

“It’ll work out, I bet. Heard that the situation’s a real hairy one, see. Seems like it would even take a guy like him a long time to take care of, but I sent some reinforcements from the Second Unit to help before I got here.”

Miyo’s eyes widened.

“You did?”

“Yup. There’s an unreliable new recruit mixed in with the bunch, but there’s some of my best with ’em, too. Enough for Kiyoka to slip out and still be okay, I’m sure,” Koumyouin said with a shrug of his shoulders. Miyo felt the slightest bit of hope in his words.

Once everyone had finished exchanging greetings, a grave mood settled over the room because of the groom’s absence.

Although people tried to kill time and lift the mood, there were not many topics to discuss right before a wedding. The conversation exhausted itself in no time, and the stretches of silences grew longer and longer.

“…Commander Kudou.”

Arata’s quiet murmur reverberated extra loudly in Miyo’s ear. The single lone whisper brought with it a sense of hopelessness as it reached her.

Kiyoka.

Was it already past the point of no return? They had gone a bit past schedule. A shiver ran through her as she imagined the Shinto priest announcing that they couldn’t wait any longer.

Miyo lowered her eyes and clutched her hands.

I need to find my resolve.

She lifted up her downcast face. She clenched down on her hands with even more force to quell their trembling.

If she let her head hang with tears in her eyes, she would be no different from her past self. She certainly wouldn’t be fit to be Kiyoka’s wife if she made everyone fuss over her.

After all, I’m going to be the wife of the head of the Kudou family from today on.

Miyo gathered strength in her stomach and stood up straight. Then she opened her mouth to address everyone in the waiting room.

It was right at that same moment…

Suddenly, she saw someone in the distance rushing over in a flurry.

“This way, hurry!”

She heard the shrine worker speak with impatience.

Could it be—?

Before she could think about it any further, her anticipation sent her flying out of the waiting room.

“Miyo?!”

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

She heard Hazuki and Fuyu call after her. But her feet didn’t stop. Even though she was dressed in a heavy white kimono that made every movement laborious, she rushed headlong down the corridor.

Kiyoka, Kiyoka, Kiyoka!

Her heart eager, she simply ran and ran, trying her best to avoid tripping over herself.

She probably hadn’t gone very far. However, when she ran to the end of the corridor, that felt long enough to make her feel faint…

…she came face-to-face with Kiyoka, his eyes wide and breathing ragged.

“Sorry for being late.”

Had Miyo ever seen Kiyoka look as panicked as he was now, his shoulders heaving with each breath?

Her tremendous relief outstripped the faint suspicion that this was all in her imagination. The feeling swelled in her chest.

“K-Kiyoka…”

The tears she had worked so hard to fight threatened to spill out, and the strength in her legs waned. She felt like she would collapse at any moment.

“Miyo!”

Kiyoka leapt to support Miyo’s body as she began to sink down. The hand he clasped tightly in his own was trembling and cold. All the courage Miyo had worked up had crumbled away in an instant.

She was overjoyed, and yet it was as though she had relapsed into fear.

“Thank goodness. I’m so glad, Kyoka… I—I truly didn’t know what I was going to do…”

In her relief, the anxieties she had kept down escaped her lips one by one. Her throat quivered, and her voice didn’t come out right.

She hadn’t felt so anxious, or so relieved, since reuniting with Kiyoka after he was imprisoned underground. Despite the fact that not much time had elapsed since that moment, Miyo never imagined she’d feel the same rush of emotions come over her again.

“…But I believed in you.”

When she gave him the biggest smile she could muster, Kiyoka grinned back, his cool eyes softening.

“I knew that you’d trust me and wait, too… You’re beautiful, Miyo.”

Her cheeks grew hot at his whisper, filled with affection. Yet right now, even this slight bashfulness felt comfortable to her, dissolving into joy.

“When I saw you running, I was startled by how pretty you are.”

“You’re quite handsome yourself, Kiyoka.”

“…I spent the whole night in a whirlwind, so I don’t think I’m very presentable right now. I haven’t gotten my disheveled look in order yet, either.”

Kiyoka’s face subtly contorted, and his lips arced into a frown. Miyo smiled at his adorable mannerisms.

“Then please hurry over to the dressing room, change, and get yourself in order. I’ll be waiting.”

“Got it.”

Miyo waved slightly as she watched Kiyoka race off once more toward the groom’s dressing room. In a complete reversal of the night before, when she had watched him from the entryway, her heart was exhilarated, filled with hope and anticipation.

I’m really so glad…truly.

The brief wait she would have until Kiyoka finished getting himself ready was nothing. It was all too easy compared to the fearful and anxious hours she had endured before he showed up.

They had finally gotten this far.

Feeling radiant, Miyo watched the cherry blossom petals outside dance on the wind in the light of the sun.

The sound of ancient gagaku court music resonated loudly beneath the brilliantly clear blue sky.

The cobbled path stretching out through the grounds reflected the sun, and light pink pedals slid off its surface.

In front of her was her younger brother, dressed in his formal military garb and being guided by the priest and the shrine maidens toward the shrine’s inner sanctum. At his side was her younger sister-in-law, dressed in a white kimono and holding a bright red umbrella open behind her.

Though they were simply walking along the bridal procession, she already felt tears coming on as she gazed at the pair.

Those two…will finally be able to become husband and wife.

It had been close to a year since Kiyoka had asked Hazuki to be Miyo’s mentor. She, along with Yurie, had been at her side longer than anyone else.

It had been nonstop turmoil.

Hazuki had felt agony watching them from the sidelines. It had seemed to her as though the gods were conspiring to keep them apart, so she was sure that it must have been much more agonizing and difficult for Kiyoka and Miyo themselves.

And their trials had continued right up until the moment of their union. Hazuki had been worried that Kiyoka might not make it, and she’d almost felt her strength give out when he finally arrived.

But despite their many challenges, the two had never let go of each other’s hands, looking ahead without giving up, to overcome everything. Just how much emotional and physical strength had been asked of them?

Hazuki knew very well.

The spectacle of the cherry blossom trees planted outside the grounds, scattering and raining down their petals like snowflakes over the bridal procession, was exceptionally beautiful and touching. It was as though their union was finally being accepted.

Slow and unhurried, the procession reached the inner sanctum.

The interior of the main wooden shrine, its history palpable, was enveloped in a solemn air.

In the center of the building was an altar with offerings of sacred sake piled around it almost up to the ceiling. Seats for the bride and groom were right in front of it, and the seats along the sides for the attending relatives were laid out in regulated order.

First, Miyo and Kiyoka took their seats in the middle, followed by the mediators, the Koumyouin couple, who sat beside them, before lastly, the relatives all filed to the left and right to take their places.

Still unable to take her eyes off the bride and groom, Hazuki found her seat on the groom’s side of the room, to the right of the altar.

Silence fell over the interior of the shrine.

The wedding solemnly progressed under the direction of the master of religious ceremonies and the shrine priest.

Hazuki couldn’t see Kiyoka’s and Miyo’s expressions from where she sat. Were they feeling nervous, or were they overflowing with joy?

…Whatever the case, I’m sure they both have smiles on their faces.

After all, Hazuki was just Kiyoka’s big sister, and even her chest was swelling with emotion.

Hazuki’s own ceremony had been held at a shrine like this. But thinking back on it, she hadn’t been as content as she felt right now.

She had been nervous, of course, but her elation was far stronger. The most accurate way she could have described herself at the time was probably “giddy.”

Back then, Hazuki had been young, naive, and inexperienced; she hadn’t understood anything.

However, Miyo and Kiyoka probably felt different. After everything they had been through, they were surely being buffeted by a flood of emotions.

That was precisely why Hazuki was so deeply struck by the scene in front of her.

As a smile played on her lips, she gently dabbed the edge of her eyes.

A purification rite, then the ceremonial food offering to the gods, followed by the ritual prayer addressing the god of the shrine.

The wedding ceremony was progressing smoothly.

Miyo found it hard to endure each passing second. She kept her head down at an angle the entire time, not moving a muscle. She was nervous and totally unsure about how she was supposed to convey on her face all the emotions flying through her head.

It took everything she had just to stand and sit as indicated by the master of religious ceremonies and follow the flow of the ritual.

Her one saving grace was her bridal headdress.

It covered her head entirely, perfectly screening Miyo’s eyes and ears from her surroundings, so she managed to get through things without being conscious of the attention on her.

Her white kimono was ever present in her sights as she sat with her eyes lowered.

It was made of pure white silk and was embroidered with an auspicious design of a Chinese phoenix and peonies in gold silk. While this first-class garment was heavy, she felt like she had the support of its past wearers, Fuyu and Hazuki, which brought her relief.

Yet despite everything, as the ceremony got underway, she also felt a bit like this was all happening to someone else.

It’s strange, really.

It didn’t feel like she and Kiyoka would be husband and wife from today forward.

Still, this didn’t bother her.

A short while ago, when Kiyoka had finished his mission and rushed to the shrine, Miyo’s heart had felt plenty full. Just having him with her already made her happy.

The ceremony was a necessary formality, and she already long trusted in the connection they shared together.

Right after that thought crossed her mind, a large hand suddenly extended out from beside her and gently gripped her own.

She couldn’t lift her face, but the feeling of his hand, almost wrapped over her own, put her at ease, and she gently closed her eyes.

Kiyoka’s hand is warm.

Although it was through his gloves, she could clearly feel his body heat come through to her. That alone seemed to light a small fire in Miyo’s heart, instilling her with a sense of security.

At some point, she acclimated to the stiff yet solemn atmosphere in the main shrine building, and her tension and anxiety disappeared completely.

The ritual continued, and it came time for the nuptial exchange of sake cups.

The master of religious ceremonies put down the sacred sake before them, telling them that with this exchange of three nuptial cups, they would have exchanged their vows of marriage. It was difficult for her to stay calm when she thought about what it all meant.

First, Kiyoka slowly took the first sake cup and finished it in three sips.

It’s my turn…

A shrine maiden poured the sacred sake into the cup Miyo held with both hands. It wasn’t a large amount. So little that she worried she might drink it down all in one sip.

She had been told in advance that she only had to pretend to drink the sake. Miyo was easily affected by alcohol, and there was a chance that even this small amount could negatively influence things later on.

The transparent sacred sake quivered inside her cup.

When she looked at the faint reflection of her own face within, Miyo felt a tremendous urge to cry.

Ah, once she’d drunk it all, she would become Kiyoka’s wife.

The almost superficial wedding ceremony had reached the nuptial sake cups stage, and her heart thronged at the fact it was finally becoming reality.

From today forward, Miyo Saimori would become Kiyoka Kudou’s wife. She was going to become Miyo Kudou.

She wasn’t a fiancée anymore. She was one half of a romantic partnership, of a family who lived together. Husband and wife—that was what Miyo and Kiyoka’s relationship would be called from this day onward.

Miyo had been imprudent to think that this ritual was nothing more than a formality.

The shape of all the feelings she’d held until now would change drastically, into the shape they would hold from here on out. She felt the transformation with painful reality.

Putting her cup to her mouth, she pretended to take three sips of the sacred sake.

Once they had both taken three sips of the sacred sake from each of the three cups, their marriage vows would be complete.

Miyo was sure that even if she could hold her liquor, drinking her cup wouldn’t have been easy. Desperate to fight back her tears, she choked up completely.

When they had finished their nuptial cups, Miyo cast a slight sidelong glance up at Kiyoka.

Their eyes met.

Ah, it really had happened.

Miyo and Kiyoka had become actual husband and wife. They would live out their days standing at each other’s side, until death parted them.

Kiyoka stared at her with gentle eyes, brimming with even more love than normal.

I love you.

Even without vocalizing it, Miyo thought she could hear him tell her that.

Me, too.

Had she been able to get it across to him? This love she felt. And this happiness.

After the wedding ceremony had finished, a whirlwind of activity was in store for Miyo.

Due to Kiyoka’s late arrival, the remaining schedule for the day had been pushed back greatly, meaning that she had almost no time to spare before the celebratory banquet following the ceremony.

Notably, while the ceremony had been attended only by relatives, there would be a large number of guests beyond just family invited to the banquet. If they were late at all, they would be causing a great deal of trouble for the attendees.

The Kudou family was very prestigious, so the guests were all of high social status, and many were very busy, making it extra vital to get there on time.

Between changing and moving venues, Miyo didn’t even have a spare moment to sigh with relief.

Naturally, there was also no time for her to feel embarrassed or match gazes with Kiyoka and bask in the wedding afterglow.

Miyo simply followed Fuyu and Hazuki’s instructions, since they had planned today’s ceremony, and went with the flow. When she came to her senses, she found herself in the Imperial Hall’s banquet room, sitting in her bride’s chair.

“Are you okay? Worn out at all?” Kiyoka asked her from the groom’s seat beside her, looking concerned. After nodding at him, Miyo gave a strained smile.

“Yes…a little bit. But I’m okay.”

“Good.”

Kiyoka’s expression slacked a little. He looked relieved.

The spacious, luxurious banquet room in the Imperial Hall quickly filled with a crowd of over one hundred people.

The Imperial Hall was a facility built a few years prior for social events, and it had become one of the most popular upper-class wedding venues, along with the Imperial Hotel.

The still new building was almost blindingly brilliant and beautiful, with high, ornately designed Western ceilings, sparkling chandeliers, and tables covered in snow-white tablecloths.

The Kudou family had privately booked the room, which was spacious enough to use as a dance hall.

The feast was truly focused on luxury, so as not to bring shame to the prestigious family.

The guest list was filled with leading figures in the government and military who had relations with the Kudous, and while Miyo didn’t recognize many of them, there were also many faces she was familiar with.

She saw Arata and Yoshirou Usuba, her relatives who had also joined the ceremonial procession at the shrine. Also present was Ookaito and his son, Asahi, as well as Hana, the servant who had taken good care of Miyo when she lived with the Saimoris, and her husband. There was Sasaki, the butler at the Kudous’ villa, and his wife; the doctor Unan, as well as the members of the Special Anti-Grotesque Unit; the Tatsuishi family—now under the command of the Kudou family—and other Gift-users.

Normally, servants would never be invited to an event like this, so Miyo thought it was broad-minded of the Kudou family to allow them to come.

It seemed like most of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit hadn’t arrived yet, and though their numbers were currently few, the rest would still make sure to show up, even when they were so busy that Kiyoka himself had almost failed to make it to the ceremony in time.

While it did make Miyo happy that so many people had come to her wedding, the strangeness of it was overpowering.

When she candidly conveyed this to Kiyoka, he chuckled slightly.

“You have a point there. Even if they have some connection with the Kudous, there are still a lot of guests here I’m not too familiar with myself. It’s not unreasonable to feel a bit overwhelmed… I’m not exactly the best with superficial socializing, either.”

“Right.”

Miyo wasn’t at all surprised by Kiyoka’s confession. Given his personality, she imagined he wasn’t very good at handling the surface-level relationships that developed between families and people in his position.

If Miyo compared when she first met Kiyoka to how long she’d known some of the guests, she likely would have come across as a newcomer. There were many people here who had known him long before she ever had.

Still, she didn’t feel any sense of inferiority about it.

In this past year, Miyo had spent a long, intimate, and profound time with Kiyoka. While she couldn’t claim to know everything about him, she believed she had come to understand a small part of him.

Above all, she knew her heart, full of affection for him, wouldn’t be bested by anyone.

“You were beautiful in your white kimono, but this one looks great on you, too.”

“Tee-hee, thank you. Mother and Sis specially picked it out thinking that it would complement me.”

The colorful wedding kimono she was wearing for the banquet started as light pink at the shoulder and gradually darkened into red at the end of the sleeves, the shade a sublime combination of cuteness and charm. The pattern embroidered on the garment, which featured two white cranes, cherry blossoms, and flowing water, was brilliant as well.

Fuyu and Hazuki hadn’t told Miyo how much it had cost, but she was sure that it had been quite expensive.

Miyo felt so happy that she was now able to hear that such a brilliant and beautiful kimono suited her.

In the past, even when praised, she hadn’t been able to sincerely show her gratitude.

Not that I completely believe all the compliments I receive, either.

Miyo smiled bashfully at Kiyoka.

With a toast, the banquet began.

Lavish Western dishes were brought out one after another, and the guests were treated to more liquor than they could possibly drink. However, Kiyoka and Miyo were focused solely on greeting the guests, so they barely had a spare moment to taste anything themselves.

They exchanged pleasantries with ministers, assemblymen, military generals, young men, middle-aged men, elderly couples, and many others. No matter who they were, each was high in rank and title, so Miyo found interacting with them anything but easygoing.

It feels like my cheeks are going to cramp…!

When she’d attended a high-society party before, she had neither been the hostess nor played a major role in the proceedings, so there had been some time for her to breathe.

However, things would not be that way today.

Since Miyo and Kiyoka were sitting in the most conspicuous seats of all, there was a line slowly forming in front of their table of people coming to greet them.

Greeting everyone wasn’t just a mental strain—it was also a physical one. She needed to maintain her posture, hold her smile, and politely thank each guest…all without a spare moment to relax.

“Congratulations to you both.”

After she’d managed to struggle through the greetings and well-wishes from the nonstop flow of guests, Ookaito came over to them, bringing Asahi along, with a slightly wincing smile.

“Thank you, Major General,” said Kiyoka.

“Thank you very much,” said Miyo.

They were relieved to see a familiar face.

“C-con…congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Asahi averted his eyes in embarrassment as he spoke; it was a heartwarming sight. Miyo let a genuine smile spread across her face as she thanked him.

After Ookaito, the Kudou family approached them in a casual, relaxed manner.

“I’m so relieved you were able to get married, Kiyoka,” Tadakiyo said with a laugh. It was unclear whether he was joking or he truly felt this way. At this, Fuyu said—

“You were taking it all so leisurely that Kiyoka almost let marriage slip him by, you know.”

—with a cutting tone while hiding her mouth behind her fan.

“Huh? Really? I worked pretty hard at it, I think. Set up a lot of marriage offers, for one…”

“Except you didn’t breathe a word of the Saimoris’ proposal to me at all.”

“Well, that was because I figured you’d immediately reject the idea if I did.”

“Excuse me? Why, you say it like I was the one preventing Kiyoka from getting married.”

“Come on now, you two. Can you stop bickering in front of the happy couple, and all the guests and relatives, too? It’s disgraceful.”

Hazuki caustically put a stop to Fuyu and Tadakiyo’s dispute as it started to heat up. Neither appeared able to offer any sort of rebuttal and fell silent.

“Commaaaander!”

Once the conversation with Tadakiyo and Fuyu was interrupted, Godou suddenly stepped forward with a glass in hand. His face was beet red, and he was clearly drunk.

Kiyoka frowned.

“Godou…you’ve definitely had too much to drink, haven’t you?”

“It’s fine! After you left, I had a hell of a time with the escort work, okay! We handed it off to the Ministry of the Imperial Household’s arts practitioners for the time being, but everyone was all worn out after being on edge for so long.”

It appeared that the Special Anti-Grotesque Unit members, led by Godou, had rushed over to make an appearance at the banquet as soon as they’d finished their work.

“The Ministry’s arts practitioners aren’t going to be able to handle it themselves.”

“Well, we’ve spared some of our own personnel to help, and if it really is too much, they’ll send another request for support anyway. But unlike us, the Ministry of the Imperial Household has the accommodations to store shady items like that, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Kiyoka’s brow furrowed even deeper as Godou shrugged and comically made himself sound irresponsible.

“Don’t go drowning your worries in booze now.”

“…I know.”

Miyo certainly felt concerned about the gloom she briefly saw flicker across Godou’s face, but this wasn’t a situation where she could speak up, so she silently watched how their conversation played out.

“Hey there, got a minute for me, you two?”

Koumyouin casually raised his hand and called out to them. Kiyoka courteously bowed to the man.

“Thank you very much for acting as our mediator today, Commander Koumyouin.”

“Oh yeah, congrats to ya both. Y’know, Kiyoka, even I never woulda thought the day’d come when I’d be acting as a mediator at your wedding. Ah-ha-ha!”

“I agree. I was surprised to learn you have a family of you own in the first place.”

“You never change, do ya?”

Kiyoka and Koumyouin engaged in some friendly banter. Between Setsu and Kiyoka, Miyo had to assume that anyone familiar with Koumyouin would crack jokes with him like this.

Koumyouin quelled his hearty laughter before he moved off to the side and said, “Some of my folks insisted on saying hi.”

Two people then appeared from behind him. A man and a woman, each dressed in a military uniform.

Miyo’s eyes widened the most they had all day.

She had known that they had both been invited. However, she hadn’t thought that they would appear in front of her like this.

“Kaoruko… Kouji…”

The woman dressed in uniform was her friend Kaoruko Jinnouchi. The man was her childhood friend she hadn’t seen since parting ways a year prior, Kouji Tatsuishi.

“It’s good to see you again, Miyo. Congratulations on your wedding, truly.”

“H-hey there, Miyo. Er, rather, um, Mrs. Kudou. Congratulations.”

Miyo was dumbfounded by Kaoruko, congratulating her with faint tears in her eyes, and by Kouji, wearing a slightly stilted smile on his face.

“U-um…th-thank you, both. Er, Kouji…you joined the military?”

“Huh? Oh, right, I didn’t say anything about it. Yeah, th-that’s right. Right now, I’m a new recruit in the Second Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit…”

Miyo and Kouji both grew somewhat awkward and stilted.

She would have never imagined that Kouji would join the Second Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit. She found it hard to fully comprehend.

However, standing in front of Miyo was the very same childhood friend with whom she had spent all those years.

His gentle looks and mild-mannered tone hadn’t changed in the slightest from back then.

But…

The weak unreliability he’d had about him had fallen by the wayside, replaced by a dignified aura. His appearance was well kept, and he wore a military uniform well.

He was the same as the Kouji of the past, yet different. He had changed after what happened as well. Just as Miyo had herself.

“I decided to undergo training. I’m going to give this my all.”

Just like he had declared to her back then.

As Miyo sat there in silence, too taken aback to say anything, Kaoruko tapped Kouji lightly on his shoulder.

“Kouji joined up with the Second Unit a little bit before I came out here temporarily, and now the senior unit members are really putting him through the wringer.”

“Hrk… Well, that is true. Just remembering it all makes my stomach turn.”

In contrast to Kaoruku, her voice filled with cheer, Kouji pressed down on his gut with a haggard hand.

However, from their responses, Miyo could clearly tell that Kouji was doing a good job in the unit.

“You really helped out back there, Kouji Tatsuishi. Thank you.”

Kiyoka let out a sigh as Miyo gave him a look of confusion.

“The Second Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit got sent over to take care of the escort work for me. It’s thanks to them that I was able to make it to the ceremony in time.”

Apparently, several people, including Koumyouin, Kaoruko, and Kouji, had come from the Second Unit’s base in the old capital to lend Kiyoka backup.

Save for Koumyouin, they had just barely arrived in time, taking over the extremely important, dangerous, and urgent duty Kiyoka was charged with and carrying it out in his stead.

Thanks to this, Kiyoka had been able to just barely slip into the ceremony on time. Kaoruko and Kouji, plus Godou and the other unit members who’d stayed, had rushed to the banquet immediately after finishing up their mission.

Miyo couldn’t possibly thank them enough for doing everything in their power for her and Kiyoka’s wedding.

“Thank you… Truly, thank you so very much, Kouji, Kaoruko.”

“You’re very welcome, though that’s a bit weird to say, really… We were just doing our job, for one, and you’re my childhood friend. Of course I’d lend a hand.”

Kouji laughed awkwardly, his brows downturned; he was exactly as she remembered him. Kaoruko nodded along firmly as well.

“You’ve got that right. I’ll help out as much as I can if it’s for my friend.”

“Thank you…”

Her connections had become so strongly linked. They weren’t relationships built with such purposes—to come to her aid, or to support her when she needed it—in mind.

Nevertheless, when Miyo thought of how all these people with whom she had built up trust and sincerity had reached out a helping hand in her moment of need, an almost unbearable happiness filled her chest.

I’ll be there to give it my all when they find themselves in trouble, no matter what, she vowed. She wouldn’t forget this debt. No matter how many years later it may be, she wanted to repay them for it.

“Anyway, I’m doing fine and dandy myself. My Gift’s still weak and all, but right now, I’m trying to master some techniques to take advantage of it in battle. It’s just like the commander told me—it’s not about the Gift you have, but how you use it.”

“Aye. Kouji, you’re a weak-kneed wreck, but there’s some promise in ya. Got plenty of options available.”

Koumyouin agreed, smacking Kouji on the leg.

“Ow, um, Commander…please don’t call me weak-kneed.”

“What’s this? Trying to look cool in front of your childhood friend, eh?”

“D-don’t say that sort of stuff, either…!”

Pleading with his superior, his face bright red, Kouji then seemed to come to his senses, neatly adjusting his posture, clearing his throat with a cough, and turning back toward Miyo.

“U-um, Miyo.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been holding on to this for you. Though I’m a bit unsure if it’s something I should be giving you during a celebration like this…”

Miyo straightened her posture upon hearing Kouji stiffly announce this to her with a conflicted look on his face. Looking down at what he handed her, she asked what it was, then she widened her eyes in surprise.