Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 44 - Chapter 3

Episode 3: Two Childhood Friends

Kotori’s support for Nalfa was working out well. Thanks to her, Nalfa was able to manage her life in an unfamiliar country, and their exchanges on that matter helped to progress their relationship. As a result, they now had new friends, which was a good outcome for the shy Kotori. But that came with its own problems for her.

“Matsudaira-san, could you attend next week’s class committee?”

“Whaaat?!”

It came like a bolt from the blue. The class committee was a group of representatives from all the classes that gathered to discuss matters of Kisshouharukaze High School. Kotori wasn’t a class representative, but her homeroom teacher had asked her to attend, which was a shock. As shy as she was, she couldn’t help but ask for an explanation in a panic.

“What... What do you mean by that?!”

“You get along with Nalfa-san, right?”

“Well, yes...”

“You don’t have to be so modest, Kotori. You’re doing great,” said the teacher.

Nalfa smiled next to her. That embarrassed Kotori, who blushed and cast her eyes down.

“Nal-chan... Jeez...”

Nalfa chuckled as the teacher continued.

“The class representatives have been watching you two and asked for your presence at the committee meeting. As you know, more transfer students are coming in the fall. So they want to see how you and Nalfa-san are doing.”

“I see...”

Kotori was starting to understand what her teacher was talking about. At the start of the semester, four transfer students had enrolled at each school, but that wasn’t the end of it. More would be coming once the facilities to receive them were built. Before that, the students wanted to know what perplexed Forthorthians about Japan.

“Hehe, like me waiting at the green signal forever,” Nalfa.

“Green signal?” asked the teacher.

“As you know, the green signal is called ‘blue’ in Japan, so Nal-chan was confused about why it never turned blue,” Kotori explained.

“I see. That’s the kind of information that the committee wants. There will be more transfer students this fall, so there will be fewer problems if they know about that kind of thing ahead of time.”

“So the committee is trying to take the initiative.” Nalfa smiled brightly. The class committee—in other words, the students—were taking the lead to welcome the new transfer students. As a fellow transfer student, that made her happy. This kind of thing was only happening because she was being welcomed herself.

“Well, I suppose that’s true. So...will you be going to the meeting, Matsudaira-san?” The homeroom teacher stared at Kotori.

Nalfa did the same next to her. Both were hoping that she would say yes, and Kotori could tell.

“I... I understand. I will attend.” Kotori nodded with a sober expression. Truth be told, she wanted to turn it down. She was shy and introverted and would have preferred to avoid talking to the committee. However, there was no logic in refusing. She was Nalfa’s friend and a guide for the transfer students, so she endured her discomfort and decided to participate.

Kotori’s first hurdle was entering the classroom where the meeting was being held. She’d confirmed the location on the paper in her hand, Class 2A, over and over again, but for some reason briefly walked past it. After confirming that there was no one in the hallway, she stood before the door to the classroom. Finally she took deep breaths before knocking.

When she knocked, a voice came from the other side of the door. “I will be right there.”

Before long the door opened and a female student showed her face. Kotori had seen her before. She was one of the members of the student council who had greeted the new students at the entrance ceremony—the vice president.

“U-Uhm, I’m Matsudaira from 1A,” said Kotori.

“Ah! You’re Nalfa-san’s guide!”

“Oh, yes, that’s me.”

The vice president remembered her name, and she smiled as soon as Kotori introduced herself. The nervous expression on Kotori’s face relaxed. All kinds of worries had been swirling in her mind, such as what to do if they didn’t know who she was, but that had been for nothing.

“But you’re pretty early,” said the vice president. “There’s still twenty minutes left before the meeting starts.”

“Uhm...I’m not very good with attention...so I thought it would be best to be here from the start.”

“That’s a wise decision. Come on in.”

The vice president led Kotori into the classroom. The desks had been arranged into the shape of a U to make it easier for the meeting. In the open section of the U were the teacher’s lectern and blackboard. To the left were two special seats, one of which was reserved for Kotori.

“Is there somebody else coming?” she asked. There were two seats, yet Kotori was alone, so the committee must have called for someone else. She wondered who it was and hoped that it wasn’t someone scary.

“Hehe, that’s my seat, Kotori-san.” a voice answered from behind, but it wasn’t the vice president.

Since it was a voice she knew, Kotori was surprised only by suddenly hearing the voice behind her.

“Is that?!” Kotori hurriedly turned around and looked at the other female student. It was a girl with black hair and a rational light in her eyes wearing a school uniform—Kurano Kiriha. “Kiriha-san!”

“Hello, Kotori-san.” Kiriha wore a graceful smile as she greeted her. At school, she played the role of an honors student with a gentle manner and tone. As Kotori had been told this ahead of time, she wasn’t necessarily confused by seeing Kiriha behaving so normally, but it was still surprising.

“Why are you... Oh, there’s a Forthorthian in class 3A too.”

“Yes, Theia-san and Ruth-san are in our class.”

Theia and Ruth had been attending Kisshouharukaze High School for the last two years, and now that the truth was out, Kiriha was yet another person with information on transfer students. The reason she had been chosen out of all of the people the two got along with was simple: she was reliable, and her awareness and ability were highly valued.

Kiriha lived up to those expectations and answered the committee’s questions without faltering. With two years of experience, she wasn’t going to trip over her answers. “Based on my experience, it’s easy for emotional differences to occur, especially when using colors in expressions.”

“Colors? What do you mean by that?” someone asked.

“For example, the color blue in phrases like ‘feeling blue’ is used in a negative sense. In Forthorthe, it’s different since blue is connected to the color of a legendary hero, so it is more a symbol of pride, justice, and compassion.”

“So, feeling blue would have the opposite meaning in Forthorthe?”

“Yes. White also has a special meaning to them, but since it is used in a positive sense in Japan as well, that won’t be a problem.”

“Hmm...then perhaps we should use blue-and-white banners instead of red-and-white ones...”

“Strictly speaking, yes, but going overboard could make the transfer students shrink back, so it would be best to try to avoid using colors that have negative connotations.”

“Different cultures sure are difficult...”

As Kiriha spoke with the committee, Kotori watched her with admiration. Being shy and introverted, it was surprising to her that others could speak so boldly in front of people. Imagining herself doing the same made her shudder.

“Matsudaira-san, do you have anything to add?” Kiriha asked her.

“Uh, m-me?! Uhm, well...that’s right, Forthorthe’s seventh princess loves the color red, so using red-and-white banners shouldn’t be a problem.”

“That’s good to hear. It means we don’t need to change our banners. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome... Pheeew...”

A single question was nerve-racking to her. What would have happened if she hadn’t had Kiriha there to take on the bulk of the questions? She shuddered even more at the thought of that and was exceedingly thankful to the other girl.

Kiriha also had the consideration to notice Kotori’s state. “Calm down. If you ever need it, I will help you.”

“Thank you very much. That’s, uhm, very reassuring.”

There was only a two-year difference between them, yet the gap was huge. Kotori thought herself pitiful, but at the same time, she wanted to know how Kiriha could be so confident.

Eventually, Kotori’s visit to the committee meeting ended without incident. Thankfully, Kiriha had answered most of the questions on her own. Since she was older and had a long relationship with Theia and Ruth, most questions had been directed to her anyway. Some had been posed to Kotori, but she had been able to squeeze out the answers, and Kiriha’s presence had been a big help.

“Uhm, thank you very much for today. I don’t know what would have happened if I had been by myself...” Kotori was aware that Kiriha had saved her, so as they walked side by side, she offered her thanks.

They were currently heading back to Corona House from school, which was to be expected since they’d been at the meeting together, and Nalfa had gone to room 106 to hang out.

“It’s nothing to concern yourself with,” Kiriha assured her. “Everyone has things they are good at and bad at. If I ever struggle with something you are good at, you can help me.”

Now that it was just the two of them, Kiriha spoke as she usually did. Her articulate words and clear eyes demonstrated her strong will. The way that her smile was lit up by the setting orange sun was beautiful.

Seeing that right in front of her, Kotori couldn’t help but think, I’m no match for her... There’s probably nothing she’s even bad at...and yet she’s so humble. She really is amazing.

Kotori admired Kiriha. She couldn’t help but wish she could become like her. Even more so since Kotori was aware of the problems with her own personality.

“Is there anything you are bad at, Kiriha-san?” she asked.

“I’m actually not very good at physical labor.”

“Me neither, but I’m sure that having me there would be better than nothing, so if it comes to it, I will help out.”

“Then I will be relying on you when that happens.”

“Yes.” Kotori nodded and smiled at her.

Kiriha might have been a genius, but she wasn’t all-powerful, so Kotori was happy to find a way to perhaps repay the favor. Having relaxed with that realization, she recalled that there was something she wanted to ask Kiriha.

“By the way, Kiriha-san, can I ask you something?”

“By all means.”

“You act differently in school, right? Why is that?”

Kotori wanted to know why Kiriha acted like an honors student at school. She was still as reliable, yet behaved very differently. At school, she was like any other female student. Kotori knew that Kiriha was of the People of the Earth, and understood that she needed to hide her identity. But she couldn’t imagine there being a need for such a large change in mannerisms.

“How much have you heard from Kenji?”

“He told me where you’re from and what your duty is.”

Her origin was the underground, and her duty was to serve as the commander for the surface invasion army. But since somebody could be listening in, she couldn’t say that out loud, so she’d stated it in a more roundabout way.

“Hmm...if I were to put it simply, it’s not just to conceal my origin and duty. At first, it was to quickly pursue a personal connection with Koutarou, so I chose to act more personable.”

“Oh, I see! In order to get Kou-niisan to leave without using force, you planned to get along with everyone around him!”

“And now I’m unable to retract the original lie.”

Her relationship with Koutarou was close to being finalized. The problems underground had all been cleared up as well. So there was almost no reason for her to continue playing a different character. At best, it was a cover for her identity, but if she were to quit, that would stand out, risking exposure. So she’d missed her timing to stop.

“Standing above others is a tough job,” Kotori noted.

“Not to mention, despite my efforts, the person I wanted to fool the most saw through me,” Kiriha said with a self-deprecating smile. But for some reason, it seemed like a happy smile to Kotori.

“The person you wanted to fool the most?”

“I’m talking about Koutarou,” Kiriha explained, and the joy in her expression grew stronger. It was clear that she was happy that she’d been seen through.

“So you were acting like an honors student in front of Kou-niisan too?”

“Not exactly, but I was lying to Koutarou about why I had come to this city. In half a year, he saw through my lie.” Kiriha smiled as if recalling receiving a present from her lover. Seeing that, Kotori was convinced that contrary to her words, having Koutarou see through her lie had made Kiriha happy from the bottom of her heart. And Kotori felt a deep connection with her.

“I told Koutarou that I came to this city for evil reasons.”

“Evil...” Kotori was puzzled by the word for a moment, but then she understood. Saying that you were there to invade the surface wasn’t a statement easily made.

“It was just an excuse to keep the radical elements from my hometown from running rampant. I had no intention of doing anything bad.”

“So what was your real goal?”

Kotori’s impression and experience from the class committee was that Kiriha could swiftly answer any question. But this time, the other girl hesitated for a moment. She also blushed ever so slightly and squeezed out an answer.

“That’s...uhm... To find...my first love...” Kiriha admitted with a very emotional but pure expression so unlike her usual rational self. It was the first time Kotori had seen the true Kiriha.

“Oh my!”

“So fighting was the furthest thing from what I wanted. In fact, I wanted to get along with the people here.”

“If not, your reunion would have been the worst...”

Kiriha had come to find her first love, so she wanted peace with the surface and had had no intention of invading or attacking. If not, she’d known she would never be able to get along with her first love if she found him. However, there had been multiple plans to reach the surface among the People of the Earth, and they couldn’t completely abolish the invasion plan because of their position. By threatening invasion, Kiriha had stopped the radical faction.

“Indeed...”

Kiriha was very embarrassed by revealing her circumstances. While she was going with the flow of the conversation, it was uncomfortable to reveal how she felt deep down to someone else. If it hadn’t been Kotori, she might not have mentioned it, but since she knew that Kotori wanted fate and purity in her own love, she was able to tell her the truth. She also knew that Kotori wasn’t the type to tell others.

“But Koutarou was able to see that I wasn’t planning anything evil in around half a year. And I was pretty confident in my acting too...”

Kiriha had met Koutarou in the spring two years prior. By the time autumn came around, Koutarou had sensed a contradiction in her actions and begun thinking that, contrary to what she was saying, she had no intention of invading the surface. By the time the winter winds came, that hunch had transformed into conviction.

“Kou-niisan has always had that side to him.”

“Since childhood?” Kiriha leaned in to ask.

Her behavior surprised Kotori. Acting or not, Kiriha had always appeared mature, but when the discussion turned to Koutarou, her usual manner disappeared. Instead, she started acting her age. She didn’t have the same composure, wore her emotions on her sleeve, and had a look of desperation.

Kotori came to a realization. Ah, she really does love Kou-niisan from the bottom of her heart...

Kotori had feelings on the matter, but since she wanted fate and purity in love, she couldn’t make light of Kiriha’s feelings. Therefore, she started speaking of her memories of Koutarou like Kiriha wanted.

Kotori had met Koutarou when she was in the early years of grade school. Her brother, his friend, had brought him home.

“So, this is Mackenzie’s little sister that I’ve heard so much about.”

“She’s called Kotori.”

“Mackenzie?” Kotori had asked.

“Well, his name is Matsudaira Kenji, so Mackenzie for short.”

She’d chuckled. “I see. What a weird name.”

Their first meeting had been almost ten years ago, so Kotori’s memories weren’t all that clear, but she still had some strong impressions from it, like him saying stupid things, but there had been a dark light in his eyes.

He seems lonely... she had thought at the time. She clearly recalled feeling that way when she’d looked into his eyes. He had appeared aloof but friendly, yet deep down, he didn’t accept others. Kotori hadn’t understood all that back then—it had taken years and an explanation from her brother. Even so, she’d felt that something was wrong from a young age.

When Kotori told Kiriha that she felt that Koutarou seemed like a lonely person, Kiriha was surprised. She hadn’t noticed that when first meeting him. “Your insight is very impressive, Kotori. It took me some time to notice the same.”

As Kiriha said that, she appeared a little sad to Kotori. She was sad that she hadn’t been able to do the same thing Kotori had. Even more so since it concerned her beloved. But Kotori didn’t agree.

“Back then, Kou-niisan wasn’t as good at hiding his feelings as he is now, so insight wasn’t particularly necessary.”

Getting a read on Koutarou’s feelings now was far more difficult than it had been when he was a child. So it made sense that it would take more time for Kiriha to notice. Kotori didn’t think of herself as particularly exceptional. Of course, her personality probably also played a part in her awareness of others.

“I’m sorry for making you worry about me, Kotori,” said Kiriha.

“That’s not... I’m sure that if you had met Kou-niisan at the time, you would have noticed it immediately, Kiriha-san.”

“Thank you. I’ll think of it that way.”

Kotori’s words brought a smile back to Kiriha’s face. Kotori felt a closeness to her, since she was acting more feminine and emotional than usual. Kiriha wasn’t perfect at all times. She was a normal girl, and once Kotori sensed that, she felt like she’d be able to get along well with her.

Kotori had been proved right about her initial impression of Koutarou on the same day. When he left, Kenji had told her what had happened with his family.

“He thinks it’s his fault that his mom died. So he won’t get along with anyone to avoid screwing up and letting someone else die. He doesn’t want to feel that way again.”

“I feel sorry for him...”

“That’s not good, though.”

“Yeah...”

“So if you ever see him alone, you should follow him. You don’t need a reason for it.”

“Won’t he hate me?”

“He didn’t hate me for it.”

“Then I’ll try.”

Kotori hadn’t just been following Kenji and Koutarou around because she liked them. She had also been doing it because Kenji had asked her. That would become the foundation for the respect Kotori had for her brother. She had been moved by Kenji caring for his friends.

Because of that, when Kotori heard rumors about Kenji’s relationships with women, she found it unforgivable. Just where had that considerate brother who’d asked his little sister to support his hurt friend gone?

“I can never accept how he goes from girlfriend to girlfriend like that...” she said.

“I am not trying to excuse him, but in Kenji’s case there are so many women coming at him that he can’t determine who his destined partner is,” Kiriha countered.

“Even so!”

“You’ve started seeing that for yourself since you became a high schooler, no?”

“Well...”

Kotori was actually starting to understand Kenji’s situation. Since she’d begun supporting Nalfa, she’d been speaking with others more, and more boys had started calling out to her. Although they were few, some confessed their feelings for her. It was far more common than when she’d been in middle school, and if there was a fateful encounter among them, she had no way of telling.

“I still want to believe there will be someone where I can tell this is the one for me.” Kotori could logically understand the situation, but her heart wanted to believe that fate would bring her together with the one meant for her. And that when the time came, she would be able to tell. She knew that was a girlish desire, but even so, she couldn’t give up on it.

“I know how you feel. I believed the same and waited for ten years,” Kiriha answered.

“Um, really?”

Kotori was puzzled. Kiriha had supposedly come to the surface to find the older guy who was her first love. But right now, she was clearly showing affection for Koutarou. Since the man in question was older than her by quite a few years, it couldn’t have been Koutarou, but her words made it sound like her first love had been fulfilled.

Confused, Kotori looked at the other girl questioningly.

“What is it?”

“Kiriha-san, you came here to find your first love, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Did you find him?”

“Indeed. It was a struggle but I did.”

“But you love Kou-niisan, don’t you?”

“Hm? Ah, that’s what you mean. Hehehe, I wasn’t clear enough in my explanation.” Kiriha could understand why Kotori was so confused. In order to explain, she pulled a card out of her pocket. “My relationship with my fated beloved is a little complicated. I guess that’s why you can call it ‘fated’...”

It was an old hero trading card, its color dulled. Letters were scrawled on the surface. Kiriha looked at it with great affection, as if to say that it was proof of fate itself.

Kotori had been told that Koutarou had gone to the past. However, it was a very long and complicated story, and when Kenji had told Kotori about it, he had missed some stuff. Kiriha’s meeting with Koutarou was one such detail.

“Wow, how did you get this?!” Kiriha had asked.

“I got it a while back. I’ll give it to you, Kii-chan.”

“Really?! It’s a sparkling card, you know?!”

“Yeah. You wanted one, right?”

“Yes!!! Thank you, Onii-chan!!!”

Kiriha’s first love was actually Koutarou on his way home from the past. When Kiriha had run out to the surface and gotten lost, Koutarou and Clan had helped her. The People of the Earth’s radical faction had been trying to murder Kiriha and pin the blame on the surface dwellers to sway public opinion. However, thanks to Koutarou and Clan’s efforts, Kiriha had been safely returned to the underground.

“Take care, Kii-chan.”

“Yeah. You too, Onii-chan.”

“I’ll be okay...”

“That’s a lie. Kii knows that you’re weak, Onii-chan.”

“And as long as you know that, I will be okay.”

“Aha, this is almost like a confession!”

“It’s pretty similar. I’m exposing my weakness, after all.”

“That’s true.”

During the process, Kiriha had learned how Koutarou felt, and she had accepted the darkness within him and forgiven it. At the same time, she felt like she had to save him, just as he had saved her.

“Here, Onii-chan. Think of this as Kii and take good care of it.”

“Are you sure? Isn’t this precious to you?”

“Yes, this is my thanks for the card! From today, it will protect you instead of me! And...I would be happy if you looked at it from time to time and thought of Kii.”

When they parted ways, Kiriha had given Koutarou her mother’s necklace as a keepsake. She had said it was as thanks for the card, but she’d actually had a different reason for it. She had hoped that her mother would watch over Koutarou, and that necklace and card had guided him and Kiriha. Following that, they were reunited and understood how important they were to one another.

Kotori thought that Kiriha had first met Koutarou two years ago, but shockingly, it had happened twelve years ago. The effects of Koutarou going back in time had affected more than just Forthorthe.

“So your first love was Kou-niisan, who happened to be on his way back...”

“Yes, it surprised me too. I never imagined that he had traveled through time.”

“But thanks to that, you were able to stop an invasion, so that’s a big win.”

“I think so too. In short...it was a fateful meeting.”

“Yeah, it absolutely was.”

“And I believed in my childish impression for more than ten years.”

“That’s fine. I like that too!” Kotori nodded. Kiriha’s fateful encounter and her earnest, pure feelings lasting for over ten years was the kind of thing Kotori idealized. Her eyes sparkled and rejoiced as if it had happened to her directly. “Awww, that is just an amazing love. It really is fate. I’m so happy for you, Kiriha-san!”

“Indeed! Thank you, Kotori.”

It seemed like Kotori’s feelings had spread to her companion, or perhaps Kiriha had remembered her old feelings, as tears formed in her eyes. She very rarely showed her tears in front of people, but like Kotori, she believed it was fate.

“As Kou-niisan’s little sister, I thought I’d have to do something to keep strange women from approaching him...” Kotori mused. Since she had set that precedent with Kenji, she didn’t want Koutarou, who was like a brother to her, to have a haphazard love life as well.

“To be honest, I am aware that I am a strange woman,” Kiriha admitted.

“That’s just because it’s hard to believe where you’re from. Kiriha-san, you pass. You get a full score, so you can go out with Kou-niisan!”

Upon hearing what Kiriha had to say, any reservations Kotori had about her disappeared. She believed in her own fate and therefore respected other people’s fates. She recognized not only Kiriha’s personality, but also her destiny, and wholeheartedly approved of a relationship between her and Koutarou.

“Thank you, Kotori.”

“Fate is guiding you, Kiriha-san! Please make Kou-niisan happy!”

“The problem is that there are another eight being guided by fate.”

“That certainly is troubling.” Kotori furrowed her brows. Through all kinds of experiences, Koutarou had developed a deep bond with nine girls, including Kiriha. And since Kiriha was saying it, none of them had a half-baked relationship with Koutarou.

“That’s what’s bothering him.”

“Aha, that is just like Kou-niisan.” Kotori wasn’t very worried, and she soon smiled again.

Koutarou had said that he was looking for an ending that would bring smiles to the most people. And Kotori was planning on waiting for that. Hearing what Kiriha had to say, she once again reassured herself that Koutarou wasn’t strong or weak enough to irresponsibly date someone. 

Upon returning to room 106, the first thing Kiriha and Kotori heard was the heavy sound of two large things colliding.

“Urk!”

They also heard the sound of someone having the wind knocked out of them, at which they kicked their shoes off and rushed inside.

“Koutarou?!”

“Kou-niisan?!”

Nalfa lay collapsed with her limbs spread out. Moreover, there were potato chips scattered across the room, and a bowl lying in the corner. And below Nalfa was Koutarou with his head pressed against a pillar. It was clear what had happened.

“Sanae, Clan-dono, take care of Nalfa!”

“I understand!” Clare cried. “Sanae!”

“Yeah! Glasses, you get her hands.”

“On three... One, two, three!”

Nalfa, who’d brought in snacks from the kitchen, had tripped on the bump leading to the inner room and fallen. Koutarou had caught her, so she was unharmed, but his head had struck the pillar. At least, that was how Kiriha interpreted the situation. Given the circumstances, she felt it would be best to leave Nalfa to Clan and Sanae while she looked after Koutarou, so she jumped down to his side and carefully held him up.

“Ow ow ow...” he grumbled, frowning as he stirred, but Kiriha stopped him with a stern stare and a warning.

“Don’t move. A head injury can be dangerous.”

She slowly laid him down on the floor, then looked over his injury with the utmost care.

“You look a lot more dangerous, Kiriha-san,” he replied. “I’m fine, so you don’t have to worry.”

“How do you feel? Any nausea?”

Kiriha was serious. Even with Koutarou cracking jokes, her expression didn’t waver. Normally, his reply would be enough to make her smile, but she knew how careful one had to be with head injuries. No matter how strong a person was, an impact to the brain could bring down anyone.

Overwhelmed by Kiriha, Koutarou answered her question just as seriously. “I’m fine. I don’t feel ill.”

“Is your vision narrowed or blurry?”

“No.”

One step at a time, she looked over his head, acting like he was a valuable, one-of-a-kind treasure.

It looks like there’s no need for me to step in...

Kotori looked at Kiriha and smiled. She had actually been trying to do the same thing, but because of her personality, she had been a little slower to act and Kiriha had taken the initiative. The most Kotori could do was give her a hand.

But when I look at her like this, I can tell that Kiriha-san really does love Kou-niisan... Kotori thought as Kiriha carefully looked Koutarou over. Even if she’d hit her own head, Kiriha probably wouldn’t have been so thorough. She was going to such lengths because she loved him. There was nothing more precious to her than Koutarou. That much was clear just from looking at her, and the depth of her feelings moved Kotori.

Will I be fated to have an encounter and experience that kind of love too? I hope so...

Kotori longed to one day experience the same kind of love that Kiriha felt. She had yet to find her destined loved one, or perhaps she had but had not realized it yet. Although she didn’t know which one was true, this was something she sincerely longed for—even if she did feel a little guilty for thinking about it while Kiriha was desperately looking after Koutarou.

After her rough diagnosis, Kiriha concluded that Koutarou’s injury wasn’t serious, but there was still the off chance that something could be wrong, so she didn’t let Koutarou move until Clan could bring over her medical device to draw a final conclusion.

“Kiriha-san, I’m really okay,” Koutarou protested.

“Please just lay still a little longer.”

“I... Okay...”

Lying on the tatami while Kiriha was peering at him from so close was strangely embarrassing. He wanted to run away, but with her looking so worried, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Koutarou knew that she was truly worried about him, and since acknowledging that would mean acknowledging her love for him, he was all the more desperate to hide his embarrassment. It would have been so much easier if Kiriha had just been teasing him.

“Kii, the medical device says that Koutarou doesn’t have a serious injury,” Clan confirmed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. There’s no need to worry.”

Clan had brought a small and simple medical device, but it was in no way inferior to the cutting edge of Japan’s medical technology. And if her device said that it was okay, there was no cause for concern.

“Hah...finally...” Koutarou let out a sigh of relief. Once Kiriha heard the results, she had returned to normal. With that, relief washed over Koutarou. Kiriha might be mischievous or tease him again, but that was preferable to her looking at him like she was about to cry.

“I am so sorry, Koutarou-sama.” As if she’d waited for the atmosphere in the room to relax, Nalfa came up to him.

Kiriha made room for her, and Nalfa came forward, apologizing while she bowed.

“You were hurt because of my carelessness!”

“You don’t have to shrink back like that. I’m just glad nobody was hurt,” he replied.

“I will be more careful next time! If I ever were to hurt you, I would never be able to go back to Forthorthe!”

Since Koutarou had hit his head as a result of protecting her, she had been just as worried about him as Kiriha was, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes. She continued to apologize profusely. Even though Koutarou had said that there was no need for that, it was such a serious incident for a Forthorthian that Nalfa could do nothing else. Kiriha smiled, finding her behavior cute.

“You looked just as cute worrying about Kou-niisan a few moments ago, Kiriha-san,” Kotori observed with a smile. To her, Kiriha and Nalfa were two birds of a feather—being cute and teasing were rather similar.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s what made me think that you really love Kou-niisan.”

Nalfa wasn’t just worried about Koutarou because she knew him personally, but also because he was a legendary hero to all Forthorthians. However, that wasn’t the case for Kiriha. All of her concern came solely from her affection for Koutarou.

“But in that regard, you are the same,” Kiriha replied.

“Huh?” Kotori’s eyes opened wide as Kiriha’s words caught her off guard. For a moment, she interpreted the response as being told that she loved Koutarou too.

“You looked quite worried yourself. That was very cute as well.”

With her misunderstanding swiftly corrected by Kiriha, Kotori was able to accept the explanation.

“Oh, of course! He’s been a childhood friend and like a brother since I was young.”

“A childhood friend, huh...” Hearing that term, Kiriha smiled and slightly narrowed her eyes. In that moment, Kotori felt like she was able to peer into the depths of Kiriha’s heart. “Kotori, how do you really feel about Koutarou?”

Kiriha had posed a question that seemed to support the misunderstanding Kotori had had a moment earlier. Kotori’s eyes opened wide once more.

“How do I...”

“I mean it just as I said. I can tell that you love Koutarou, but is it as a childhood friend, or is it...”

Kiriha didn’t finish her question, but Kotori knew what she was going to say.

As a man. Kotori even asked herself that from time to time.

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. She didn’t really know how she felt about Koutarou. While she admired the idea of love, she had no experience with it herself. Maybe she did love Koutarou as a man, but she had no conviction in that. She’d treated him as a brother for too long, and she was also worried about the cold part deep down in Koutarou’s heart. “Kou-niisan is Kou-niisan, and I can’t really think of it any other way right now. But...”

“But?”

“But I don’t think it’s clear that Kou-niisan is not my fated partner.”

Koutarou was Kiriha’s destined partner. She knew that much. However, there was no guarantee that the same wasn’t true for Kotori, and she felt like she couldn’t outright dismiss that possibility. Kotori loved Koutarou enough that she didn’t want to reject it.

“There are a lot of precedents. Conversely, very few have rejected it.”

Kiriha smiled wryly. As far as she knew, there were nine girls who felt that their fates lay with Koutarou, herself included. And she couldn’t ignore the possibility of it becoming ten. It wouldn’t surprise Kiriha. But like Kotori had said, there was no need to reach a conclusion right now.

“Well, anyway...you can hold your head high, Kiriha-san,” Kotori told her. “It’s fine if he’s your fated partner, for now.”

“For now, huh? You’re strong, Kotori.”

“Hehehe, I believe in fate more than anyone.”

It was important not to force her feelings. Otherwise, she might miss the destined moment when it came. Kotori wanted to believe that there was a person fated for her too, and that was fine. After all, that was how Kiriha had been reunited with Koutarou.