Chapter 4. Light in the Darkness

CHAPTER 4

Light in the Darkness

They no longer had any time to lose.

Even as they hurried for all they were worth, Miyo’s mind still restlessly jumped from one thing to the next.

“Where should we head…?”

“If Kiyoka Kudou is still unconscious, I don’t think he’ll be at the Special Anti-Grotesqueries Unit station. The hospital’s a consideration, but personally, I’d wager he’s either at the Kudou main estate or the house where you both lived together.”

Relying on these predictions, they headed toward Miyo’s previous home, with Arata at the wheel of the Tsuruki family automobile.

Though Arata claimed he wasn’t very used to driving, he still managed to speed through the streets without any hints of danger.

From the passenger seat, Miyo prayed for Kiyoka’s safety.

Please, please…

She wanted him to regain consciousness. She wanted to see him looking well.

“I know it may be weird to hear this from me, but…”

Arata meekly began as he continued to drive.

“I’m sure he’ll be okay. Kiyoka is truly strong. If he’d been in peak form, I wouldn’t have been able to beat him in a feat. Though I suppose that’s troubling to admit since I’m part of the family tasked with deterring other Gift-users…”

Then he confidently added, “It’s impossible to believe some roving spirits could kill him.”

Miyo couldn’t imagine what these grudge-bearing souls of the dead that Kiyoka’s unit was up against were like. Thus, all she could do was steadfastly take Arata at his word.

After clearing the central area of the capital, which was choked with buildings and people, they gradually continued on into the quiet suburbs.

But the familiar streets amplified rather than calmed Miyo’s anxieties. Whether she wanted to or not, they made her recall both her calming everyday existence and the despair she’d felt when she lost it all.

“At any rate, you shouldn’t torment yourself. Now that we’re out of the Usuba premises, the barrier that was suppressing your Gift from going out of control is gone, too. If your Dream-Sight powers start running wild again, they’ll put a strain on your body.”

“…Thank you for worrying about me, Arata.”

As Miyo replied in appreciation, a smile somehow found its way to her face.

She probably wouldn’t have been able to do anything if she were alone. Her cousin was someone she could depend on even after knowing what she was up against, so having him here was very reassuring.

“I’ll always be on your side no matter what.”

Since their first meeting, he’d never once wavered. Despite his dissatisfaction with his situation, Arata must have remained steadfast because he was proud of his abilities, his role, his family…and his own effort.

Yoshirou had told her that Miyo and Arata were similar, but he was far more upstanding than her. He shined far more brightly.

“No matter what.”

She could tell those were precisely his intentions. He hadn’t been exaggerating.

“I believe you.”

“Let’s hurry.”

The automobile picked up speed.

The car was surely attracting strange looks since it was tearing down the tranquil country roads with terrifying speed. Nevertheless, it was thanks to their pace that they arrived at the house in the blink of an eye.

No sooner had the car come to a stop than Miyo ran straight toward the entryway.

Just then, right as she placed her hand on the front door, it happened.

She heard a loud crash come from inside the house.

Huh? Wh-what could that be…?

It was quite a loud noise, like something heavy slamming full force into something hard. On top of it, she could make out angry voices, so it appeared there were people inside.

“I’ll go in first. I want you to follow up behind me.”

“Okay.”

Nodding to Arata’s offer as she followed behind him, Miyo stepped into the entryway and saw…

…two familiar men wrestling each other.

“You little! What d’ya mean, you can’t heal the commander?!”

The angry shout had come from Kiyoka’s subordinate, Godou. Beside him was Kazushi Tatsuishi, who was nonchalant as Godou grabbed him by the collar and showered him with fury.

“I mean exactly what I said. There’s nothing I can do for him, so what else do you want me to say?”

“You got a lotta nerve saying that with a straight face! Didn’t you say you’re good at disenchanting?!”

“Please, you’ve got it all wrong. I said I was skilled at
dispelling
, not disenchanting.”

“Screw your semantics!”

Godou had completely lost his cool, which was something Miyo would have never imagined, given his typically casual demeanor. Conversely, Kazushi was as laid-back and unperturbed as always.

“It’s not semantics. You’re his aide and you don’t even know that? Unbelievable.”

“Shut up! Who the hell do you even think you are anyway? After your family was spared, thanks to His Excellency and Kiyoka’s good graces, you didn’t even show up after we sent for you!”

“I’m not the one who needs to quiet down, I think…”

Miyo hadn’t the slightest idea what had led these two to be arguing like this.

For the time being, she passed in front of the living room to try and avoid interrupting the pair and made for Kiyoka’s study and bedroom.

Her chest ached with tension. Her hands were trembling so badly that she couldn’t get her fingers on the sliding door.

It’s okay… It’s going…to be okay.

She took a long, deep breath for a moment.

Forgetting to announce herself, she pulled on the sliding door with everything she had.

“Miyo…?”

The first thing she noticed was Hazuki, whose face was blank with surprise.

She shifted her gaze down to find a sight so shocking that the world practically went black right before her eyes.

“K-Kiyoka…?”

Her fianc
é
lay absolutely still on his futon. His already porcelain complexion had grown even paler, as though he were drained of life.

She didn’t want to think about it. In this state, he was so far past the point of frailty that it seemed as if he were a wax doll.

Struggling to move her body before it lifelessly collapsed, Miyo sat down beside him.

“Kiyoka.”

Still overcome with despair, Miyo unconsciously clasped Kiyoka’s ice-cold hand. She could feel a faint pulse when she clasped her hand around his wrist.

He’s alive…

He was breathing. She hadn’t lost him yet.

Tears of relief spilled from her eyes. Suddenly, she felt warm arms gently wrap themselves around her from behind.

“Miyo. Thank you. I’m so glad you’re here. I was so worried that you’d both be separated from each other when the time came to say good-bye forever.”

“I… Hazuki, I’m so sorry…”

Hazuki’s tearful voice made it clear to her just how worried, how anxious, Kiyoka’s sister had been.

Guilty yet happy that Hazuki had believed in her, Miyo was once again moved to tears.

“Don’t apologize. It’s okay. Kiyoka told me everything.”

“But it’s all because I didn’t trust him that things ended up like this… Words can’t express how regretful I am.”

In his current situation, she couldn’t do anything to make things right.

She was glad that Kiyoka was alive. But what if he stayed unconscious and simply…? The terrifying path her mind wandered down overwhelmed her with sorrow and remorse.

“I see, so he was engulfed in the intense grudge of a spirit.”

Suddenly, the voice of the cousin she had completely left behind came from nearby.

Hazuki whirled around to face him and shouted in surprise.

“Y-you…!”

“Right, thank you for your help the other day, Miss Hazuki Kudou.”

Arata gave a cordial smile as he greeted her disingenuously.

“What exactly is the meaning of this, Miyo?”

“U-um, well, you see—”

“I came along with her… I am her cousin, after all.”

He plainly disclosed the whole truth in Miyo’s flustered stead.

Hazuki wavered for a brief moment before she appeared to recall something. Then shock came over her as she put her hand over her mouth and stiffened.

“You’re kidding. Then that means you’re…”

“Exactly who you imagine I am, most likely. Oh, but please don’t get the wrong idea. I have no hostile intentions toward you or Kiyoka, and I’m not looking to meddle in the situation at all. My job is simply to protect Miyo and support her.”

“Well, then…”

Hazuki readily gave up on any further questions, and Yurie, who had been sitting quietly in the corner of the room and staying out of the conversation, interjected to put a stop to it all.

“Miss Hazuki! Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Well, it looks fine to me, I’d say.”

“…I find myself worried.”

Seeing the maid sigh, Miyo cut in.

“Yurie. Arata promised he would be my ally. Please trust him.”

“…Miss Miyo…”

“He’s very dependable. Thank you so much for worrying on my behalf.”

She smiled as she spoke, prompting Yurie to hastily dab her teary eyes with her sleeve.

“Miss Miyo, you’ve grown into such a splendid woman…”

“Y-you’re exaggerating.”

She wasn’t splendid whatsoever. All she had done was shed some of her hesitation.

Once she had decided to believe in Arata, it was important that she maintain her belief. Recent events had made this lesson painfully clear.

Since she hadn’t trusted Kiyoka to accept her, Miyo had not only failed to confide in him about her worries, but also decided to avoid him altogether. Thanks to that, now she wasn’t sure if she would even be able to apologize to him or not.

Harboring doubts about your partner was a recipe for their feelings to drift away from you.

“If I may have a moment. There’s something I’d like to discuss.”

Arata raised his hand amid the momentarily silent room.

“And what might that be, Mr. Cousin of Miyo?”

“…This is just a guess, mind you. But I believe there’s a way to wake Kiyoka up.”

His words left everyone in shock. Not just the three women, either, as even Godou broke from his scuffle in the living room to appear and ask Arata if he was telling the truth.

“Yes. That said, it will definitely be difficult… It’s a miracle in and of itself that he still draws breath after being showered in the all-consuming grudge of the dead.”

“Kiyoka can be saved…?”

“With the power of Dream-Sight.”

Miyo gulped.

The supernatural ability of Dream-Sight could bring Kiyoka back from the brink. In other words, Miyo held Kiyoka’s life in her hands.

“No way.”

I can’t use my power at all, though.

She hadn’t ever used her Gift consciously. Thus far, it had only run out of control. Controlling it of her own volition and using it to save Kiyoka was an utterly impossible task.

As she took in the gazes of everyone gathered there, a cold sweat formed on her brow.

“Miyo. What will you do? Will you try it, or will you give in?”

“I—I could never do that…”

Arata’s calm eyes unsettled her. It almost felt as though he was testing her.

Was Miyo going to make use of this opportunity or let it go to waste?

The tension now was incomparable with what she had been feeling before. Saddled with everyone’s expectations, she held the life of her beloved in the palm of her unreliable hand.

Can I really use it? My Gift?

She had always wished to awaken a Gift inside her. Yet now that the time had come to use it, her hands trembled nonstop, and she could barely breathe.

Miyo couldn’t stand how ashamed she felt. Nevertheless.

“Arata, do you really think I’ll be able to save Kiyoka…?”

The thought of losing everything without lifting a finger to stop it was too much for her to bear.

If she gave up now, she’d feel guilty for letting Arata betray the emperor himself by accompanying her, and a lifetime of remorse wouldn’t adequately express her own regret.

“I can’t say anything for sure. It’s nothing more than a hypothesis. That being said, I do believe it’s worth attempting.”

Even if it was only the smallest of possibilities, so long as there was hope, she had to try.

Miyo gave a big nod, choking back tears that were threatening to overflow.

“…I understand. I’ll do it.”

With Miyo’s mind made up, Hazuki squeezed her hand.

“Don’t push yourself too far. We’re obviously all worried for Kiyoka, but all of us here are concerned for you, too. Because you’re important to us. Because we love you, got it? Don’t forget that.”

“Thank you. I won’t.”

What wonderful words they were to hear.

A smile welled up from Miyo’s heart. Then, she gently squeezed Hazuki’s hand back.

“Me too. I love you all.”

One by one, she passed her eyes over Yurie and Godou, who had both fixed their gaze on her, and then at Kazushi, who’d joined them just moments ago. As if in confirmation of what Hazuki had said, Miyo could sense their concern for her in each person’s eyes.

Warm feelings bubbled up from her heart. This surely must have been what kindness and affection were supposed to feel like.

“Please teach me, Arata. How can I use my Gift?”

Arata, who had been watching silently over Miyo making her decision, turned toward Yurie with a small sigh of relief.

“Would you be able to prepare a futon set for me? Please lay it out right here.”

“…A futon?”

“That’s right. We’ll have you sleep there, Miyo. When you use your Gift, I bet it’ll separate your consciousness from your body.”

Following Arata’s instructions, another futon was spread out next to Kiyoka’s, and Miyo lay on top of it.

“Next, when employing your Gift, touching the skin of who you’re using it on will make it more reliable. Miyo, grab his hand.”

“Okay.”

She touched Kiyoka’s bloodless, snow-white hand. Though it was cold enough to turn to ice, it felt almost warm to Miyo, whose own hand had gone frigid with anxiety.

When she closed her eyes, it felt as though some murky black substance had traveled through their connected palms and flowed into her.

“What is this…?”

“Do you feel it? That’s a part of the ghost’s grudge. Though now it’s turned into a poison that gnaws at the human soul.”

Poison. Arata’s way of describing it made perfect sense.

She got the vague impression that this murky presence had enveloped Kiyoka, swallowing his heart and consciousness. Miyo needed either to get rid of it or to force her fianc
é
’s enshrouded consciousness back to the surface.

Gradually, both the sounds around her and the presence of the people in the room began to recede into the distance. Amid all this, the calm voice of her cousin was the only thing that remained loud and clear.

“Miyo, focus and imagine this clearly. You’ve left your flesh behind and have entered Mr. Kudou’s body as nothing more than a soul. You’re going to locate his soul.”

“Okay…”

Miyo visualized herself as nothing more than an agile floating soul flying inside Kiyoka, who was completely enveloped in the all-consuming grudge of a ghost. Then, she wished for it to become reality.

When she did, she suddenly felt her body grow light as a feather and float up into the air.

Incredible.

Once she opened her eyes, she didn’t see a ceiling above her, but rather a pitch-black darkness extending out as far as the eye could see.

Miyo unconsciously squeezed both her arms around herself. Endless, infinite…this world draped in black in all directions was terrifying. It felt as if she’d get swallowed up in it, too.

But I have to keep going.

Gritting her teeth hard, she took a step forward.

She didn’t have any idea where she even was, but for the time being, she continued moving forward.

Arata’s voice reached her no longer. She was genuinely alone.

Suddenly, all the courage she’d mustered shriveled up; in its place came memories from when she’d been young of being locked away in the storehouse.

Scared and hopeless, Miyo viewed the world before her through a curtain of tears.

It brought home to her how little she had changed. She had always been alone, and no one had ever come to save her. All by herself in a darkness that stretched out into infinity.

Where are you, Kiyoka…?

Miyo trudged through the darkness. She wanted to believe she was moving forward, but since she was surrounded by nothing but blackness, she didn’t have anything to ground her belief in.

How long had it been since she’d gotten here?

Her sense of time was vague. It felt both as though only a few minutes had passed and several hours had gone by. Just then, however, Miyo heard a faint noise.

Is that sound from the outside world? Or is it coming from the darkness?

As she approached the source of the noise, indistinct scenery gradually came into view.

That’s the night sky…

Up above, a clear night sky filled with stars stretched out before her eyes. When she looked down at her feet, she found a leveled-out, dirt
country road, exactly like what she’d see in the real world. There were mountains nearby, vegetation grew thick along the path, and the sounds of insects began to filter into her ears.

Where is this?

The abrupt change of scenery perplexed her.

Although the landscape closely resembled the area around the house she shared with Kiyoka, this place seemed unfamiliar overall. She wasn’t completely clueless about her location, however, since she knew that she was within the boundaries of the empire.

Still, why in the world had she ended up in a place like this?

The smells of nature were so real that she couldn’t instantly determine whether she was in the world of reality or illusion.

But my body should be asleep in the house right now…

In that case, she had to be inside an illusionary world that had sprouted up inside the darkness.

As she stood frozen in blank amazement, a sound of something moving over the grass—probably someone in shoes stepping through the foliage—drifted to her across the subtle breeze.

Someone was there. Miyo knew who it was.

“Kiyoka!”

She couldn’t see him. Nevertheless, she dashed off in the direction of the noise.

Her body was light, and it was easy to breathe. She could keep on running until the ends of the earth like this.

That has to be
—
no, it’s
definitely
Kiyoka.

She was certain, whether it was rational or not.

Kiyoka was fighting against something all alone in this world of night. That something had to be the very thing that had engulfed him—the intense grudge of the dead.

She wanted to see him as fast as possible.

Miyo sprinted down the night road with everything she had.

Emitting dull lights of red, black, and purple, an endless number of murky spirits drew toward him as he wove through the trees.

Though the spirits had a vaguely human form, Kiyoka could scarcely distinguish the genders of these melting clay, doll-like figures as he turned them to ash with his supernatural fire.

Just how long had he been going on like this?

Kiyoka then realized he had been battling nonstop in this forest of night, defeating the endless waves of spirits advancing toward him.

I really thought I had died back there, but…

Kiyoka thought back over what had transpired before he ended up here alone.

That night.

The Special Anti-Grotesqueries Unit had been in the middle of carrying out a large-scale operation to eradicate the spirits that had been released from the Burial Grounds.

Unfortunately, this was prompted by a civilian accidentally coming into contact with one of the spirits on a road at night and losing their life. That was why Kiyoka had been called in on his day off.

Now that there were casualties, he had no time to waste.

With both the Ministry of the Imperial Household and the military in consensus, the Special Anti-Grotesqueries Unit moved to begin their suppression operation.

First, Kiyoka took command from operational headquarters with Godou. However, the vengeful souls of the deceased Gift-users were both formidable and overwhelming in number, which forced his unit into a very difficult engagement.

Kiyoka couldn’t let this incident keep him occupied for too long. He wanted to settle it quickly and rush to Miyo’s side. Thus, while he was their commander, Kiyoka left the operational headquarters to Godou and joined the front lines himself.

It had probably been the right call.

I guess my real failure was misjudging the power of these vengeful spirits.

The Gift-users continued to possess their powers even in death. Freed
from the shackles of their physical bodies, their souls had grown to surpass the level of strength they’d attained in life.

While the spirits were by no means unbeatable on account of their sluggish movements, which lacked both thought and volition, the power of their hatred definitely posed a threat. Even in his unit, the fight would take a toll on anyone who was remotely flagging in strength.

It had been nothing more than a coincidence.

Kiyoka saw that one of his troops battling a spirit nearby was moments away from falling prey to its intense grudge.

“Watch out!”

Yelling, Kiyoka suddenly jumped between the onslaught of malice and the unit member to sweep the attack away with his Gift, taking out all the spirits in the area with it. Unable to stand against his power, the vengeful souls dispersed like ash, completely extinguished.

However, while he had successfully eradicated the vengeful spirits in a single blow, right before he’d used his supernatural ability, Kiyoka had accidentally come into direct contact with the grudge.

I can’t call it anything less than carelessness.

As he wielded his supernatural abilities left and right at the oncoming spirits, Kiyoka heaved a sigh, recalling his blunder.

Normally, he would have never allowed those vengeful souls to do him in. Gift-user society wasn’t so weak that he could pride himself on being the strongest among them and still lose to those things.

Still, the reality was that the grudge had instantly enveloped his mind. The next thing he knew, he’d been greeted by this constant, all-encompassing nighttime battle. He believed that most of the spirits had been dealt with and that his unit was able to hold their ground without incident, but…

Am I in a dream? Or is this hell?

Kiyoka had lost consciousness and ended up here. He was sure of that. But he had no idea how to make it back to his world.

Though the possibility remained that there wasn’t any way to go back at all, he couldn’t even be sure of that, either.

It was almost as if he was continuing their operation here—or at least reenacting it.

But unlike in the real world, here the vengeful spirits poured forth endlessly, and no matter how many hours passed, the moon never descended from its spot high in the sky. As the abnormal passage of time continued, the possibility that this could go on forever crossed his mind. Strangely, he didn’t feel any physical exhaustion, but the fact that there seemed to be no end in sight depressed him.

Coating his naked saber in supernatural lightning, Kiyoka eradicated the slow-moving ghosts in a single blow.

“Damn!”

No sooner had he erased the spirits than they regained their forms one after the other.

Kiyoka was so mentally worn-out that he could no longer mask his annoyance. It dawned on him that his breathing had grown slightly ragged.

Not in a place like this…

Abandoned, with everything left unfinished.

What would Miyo think if he died? Would she weep again? Or would she live happily with the Usubas? Forgetting all about him.

He closed his eyes and bitterly gritted his teeth as a single line of sweat ran down his face.

“Kiyoka.”

…Suddenly, he thought he heard Miyo’s voice.

There was no way that was possible. This clearly wasn’t the real world. If he could make out her voice here, either his ears were playing tricks on him or a Grotesquerie was trying to confuse him.

A self-deprecating chuckle escaped his lips.

Was he really that discouraged? Enough to unconsciously yearn for his fianc
é
e.

“Kiyoka.”

There it was again.

When he wondered if he had always been so weak, he grew disgusted with himself, and his smile faded.

“Kiyoka. Please don’t fight anymore.”

“Miyo?”

The voice he heard was so clear and close to him that he turned around in surprise.

Flowing black hair and light that shone in her clear eyes like obsidian. There was no mistaking his fianc
é
e, clad in the kimono of a shrine maiden, standing there before him.

Miyo looked straight at him and grabbed Kiyoka’s empty hand… Her slightly rough palm felt warm to the touch.

“Kiyoka.”

“…Is it really, truly you, Miyo?”

“Yes.”

Miyo nodded definitively.

He must have really been losing his mind to believe this illusion. Despite this, Kiyoka’s body moved on its own, bidding him to toss his saber aside and firmly wrap her delicate form in his arms.

“Miyo…Miyo.”

“Kiyoka?”

Now he realized.

While he didn’t want to admit it to himself, it appeared he truly had been frightened. Wholly focused on fighting, without knowing whether he was alive or dead.

The warmth of her body alone brought him so much peace.

“…Miyo. Is that really you?”

“That’s right.”

“Why are you here?”

“I came for you.”

“I’m not dead?”

“Of course not!”

Kiyoka couldn’t help laughing at her tone, so forceful and strong.

“‘Of course not’?”

“That’s right. If you died, I’d be so sad, I couldn’t do anything but follow after you.”

“Well, don’t be so hasty.”

However, he was glad as long as neither he nor Miyo was actually deceased.

Kiyoka separated from her, picked up his saber, and once again mowed down the vengeful spirits that were closing in behind them.

In any case, he needed to do something about the constant stream of ghosts, or the two wouldn’t be able to calmly talk with each other.

“…I’ve had quite enough of these things. Miyo, do you know of any way to dispel them and get us back to the real world?”

“Yes, um…maybe.”

While her commanding air had almost made her unrecognizable to him, Miyo frowned with uncertainty. This, too, lasted only a brief moment before she moved forward to stand side by side with Kiyoka.

“What should we do?”

He was ashamed to admit it, but right now, Kiyoka couldn’t figure out a plan to break through the deadlock. Even as he posed this question to Miyo, a new group of vengeful spirits appeared.

Miyo placed her hands on her chest and stared at the ghosts. Then, she whispered to him in a voice so imperceptibly quiet, he thought it would disappear.

“Kiyoka, will you hold my hand?”

“Got it.”

When he did, he felt her ease the tension in her shoulders with relief.

Standing silently under the light of the moon, his fianc
é
e looked beautiful and divine. It surprised him that he was having these thoughts.

Then Miyo did something extremely simple.

“Disappear.”

A single word. Yet the effect was tremendous.

The myriad spirits immediately grew hazy before slowly disappearing like smoke. The ghosts Kiyoka had exhausted himself battling for so long had vanished in an instant.

Stunned, Kiyoka was briefly at a loss for words.

“Miyo, just what was that?”

“…I don’t really understand it all myself. It seems to be the power of Dream-Sight.”

A Gift that exercised almighty power in a person’s dreams.

It did make sense that if this current situation was occurring in Kiyoka’s unconscious mind, it would be within the purview of Dream-Sight’s powers. Little wonder, then, that Miyo had been able to both come here and erase the vengeful spirits.

He
did
wonder when she had mastered that technique, though.

“I guess you’ve become a proper Gift-user of your own, huh.”

Kiyoka muttered to himself, which made Miyo’s eyes open wide.

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“O-oh, no, it’s just… It feels a bit strange to hear myself actually called that.”

Miyo tilted her head slightly, her eyebrows pensively furrowed.

It appeared she hadn’t really dwelled on that too much. Kiyoka felt as if she had a drastically different presence to her, but apparently, he had been wrong.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

Miyo walked down the completely unlit road still holding Kiyoka’s hand.

The moonlight was all they could rely on, but she wasn’t apprehensive in the slightest. While she had been filled with nothing but anxiety when she had walked the path alone, just having Kiyoka at her side raised her spirits more than she could have imagined.

She felt deep, wholehearted solace that she’d been able to reunite with him and come to his rescue.

“Quiet, isn’t it?”

Kiyoka remarked softly.

There wasn’t anyone else there besides the two of them. The only things they could hear were the sounds of insects and the flowing river water.

Though the circumstances were entirely different, Miyo recalled their night from before. The night the two of them had sat side by side and gazed up at the moon.

“But it’s a little lonely.”

“…It is. This place, is this the inside of my dreams?”

“Um, well. It’s probably something like that, I think. I don’t really comprehend it fully myself.”

Not only were there so many things she still didn’t understand, but it also still didn’t feel as if she had actually used her Gift. Miyo had simply prayed. Prayed that she wanted to save Kiyoka.

That was why even when her fianc
é
referred to her as a Gift-user, it had felt like the words were for someone else.

“…Kiyoka.”

“What is it?”

There was one thing that Miyo needed to express to him above all else.

She had to do it now. Now was the only chance she would have to tell him.

“I’m sorry.”

Miyo stopped walking and gave a deep bow.

She had gotten so many things wrong.

That Kiyoka was kind and would accept her no matter what. Miyo had been so concerned with herself that she hadn’t understood his feelings. Deep down, a part of her had even suspected that Kiyoka
couldn’t
comprehend her feelings.

How could she have been so foolish? She was so irritated, it made her hate herself.

Terrified of what sort of answer she was going to hear, Miyo closed her eyes.

But she only heard a deep sigh from up above.

“I’m the one who should apologize.”

“Huh?”

“Sorry.”

When she raised her head, Miyo saw Kiyoka awkwardly shifting his eyes to and fro.

“I lost my head and said some unreasonable things to you. Though I know telling you that I didn’t mean to hurt you isn’t an excuse.”

“No!”

Miyo vigorously shook her head.

“I was in the wrong. You’ve showed me so much kindness, and I simply wasted it all.”

“That’s not true.”

“I didn’t see what was really important. It was the exact same with my studies. On top of selfishly insisting on them, I stubbornly forced myself to keep going with them, until I ended up ignoring everything around me. I tried to do everything all on my own, but in the end, it didn’t amount to anything…”

Hearing herself spell it all out made Miyo depressed.

She wanted family. She wanted to become family. But in spite of her desire, the person with the worst understanding of what
family
really meant was Miyo herself. Taking everything on her shoulders and without saying what needed to be said, she had wasted the opportunities that Hazuki and Kiyoka provided her to grow closer and share her burdens with them.

Bonds weren’t formed by one-sided approaches, but by two people both trying to grow closer to the other.

“I’m sorry. When I said that I didn’t care whether I stayed with you or the Usubas—that was all a lie. If you’ll forgive me, I want to be with you. Please. Let me stay at your side from now on.”

Bringing out all the courage she could muster, Miyo confessed her true feelings.

She was scared Kiyoka would hate her or find her annoying. She worried that she would never be able to recover if she confessed everything and still wound up being rejected.

But she would never be able to build a trusting relationship with people by refusing to move forward and keeping herself at a standstill.

Kiyoka was silent for a moment, but after a short while, he sighed as he tried to collect his thoughts.

“That was always my intention, even if you didn’t ask.”

“Kiyoka…”

“If you’re all right with someone like me, I’d like you to come back. Can you choose me over the Usubas?”

Her eyes filled with tears.

Was it really okay for everything to go exactly how Miyo wanted? Was this proof that she was simply in a dream where everything she wanted came true? She couldn’t help but be suspicious.

But even if this was all a dream, she had only one answer.

“Yes. If you’ll have me.”

She had gradually warmed up to the two men of the Usuba clan. But she still wanted something different. A different place she wanted to call home and a different person she wanted to be with.

Miyo sniffled between her tears, then felt a big warm hand gently rest atop her head.

“I’m glad. I didn’t know what I was going to do if you said you didn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“I—I would absolutely never say anything like it.”

“I wonder about that.” Kiyoka smiled. “…Still, though.”

“Huh?”

“I actually intended on going to the Usubas myself to take you back, but having you come for me instead makes me look like a total fool…”

Miyo couldn’t help smiling a little as she watched Kiyoka slump his shoulders, dejected.

She felt as if she had witnessed a rare departure from his typically stately and dignified demeanor.

“It’s okay, Kiyoka. You’re always so very charming, no matter what you do.”

“…Really now?” he questioned suspiciously.

The two of them gripped each other’s hands even tighter, advancing through the darkness with sure steps.

When she at last lifted up her heavy eyelids, a brown wooden ceiling spread out over her hazy vision.

Her mind was dulled, and her whole body felt as heavy as her eyelids.

For a few moments, Miyo stared vacantly up at the ceiling.

“Are you awake?”

Kiyoka abruptly peered over at her with his gorgeous face, which was still beautiful even when fresh from slumber. Her heart skipped a beat from the surprise.

“K-Kiyoka…
Cough!
”

“Calm down. Take a second before trying to talk.”

He gently rubbed Miyo’s back after she started coughing from sitting up in a rush.

“Are you okay now, Kiyoka?”

She studied her fianc
é
from head to toe as she spoke.

It appeared not much time had passed since Kiyoka himself had woken up, as he still wore his evening
yukata
with his hair hanging loosely down. His complexion was pale, clearly that of a sickly man. Both his tone and expression, however, were stalwart, and it appeared he’d fully returned to consciousness.

“I’d love to say I’m fine, but it’s a hard claim to make when I’m this weak.”

Kiyoka heaved a troubled sigh and put up his hair.

His sluggish movements showed exactly what he meant, and while he didn’t seem quite back to normal, Miyo felt relieved that he looked better.

“I-I’m so glad.”

“Sorry for making you worry.”

“Sniff.”

She couldn’t stop the tears pouring down her face.

Her fear and anxiety had been so tight in her chest until now that she’d felt almost unable to breathe. Finally, at long last, she could feel alive again.

“Don’t cry now… Honestly.”

The next moment, Miyo felt his embrace, and his hand caressing her
cheeks, as though he were calming a young child… She was sure to look back on the moment later in embarrassed horror, but for now, Miyo held fast to Kiyoka’s hug and broke into a flood of tears.

“All right, that’s enough crying.”

“K-Kiyoka.”

“What is it?”

“Um, treating me like a kid is a little embarrassing…”

Beginning to get her tears under control, Miyo was beset with an intense sense of shame. Though she tried to raise her face from Kiyoka’s chest, she couldn’t bring herself to do that or separate herself from him.

However, Miyo’s modest protests had absolutely no effect on him.

“But you stop crying if I do this.”

“Th-that’s… That’s not true.”

Now that she thought about it, she seemed to recall another time when he’d comforted her as she sobbed in much the same way.

H-how embarrassing.

She really was a small child if being wrapped up in his arms and having her head patted was enough to soothe her tears. She was already nineteen, and this had happened twice now. Truly unbelievable.

Miyo felt like burying herself in a hole somewhere.

“Ummm, mind if I cut in, you two?”

Hazuki, who was clearly holding back laughter, interrupted the pair. Her voice instantly brought Miyo back to her senses.

Oh no.

She had completely forgotten. If this was her house in the real world, then obviously that meant everyone was still there. In other words, right before everyone’s eyes, she…

The instant it dawned on her, a shameful heat ran from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, which only strengthened Miyo’s urge to let loose an embarrassed scream.

“
Tee-hee-hee.
Well, clearly you two have made up, then. Oh, what a relief!”

“Indeed. I’m so glad.”

Godou meekly agreed after Yurie and Hazuki spoke.

“But this is too much for a bachelor like me to look at.”

“What’s this, Godou, you’re not used to fooling around? So is that frivolous attitude of yours all an act?”

“…………”

After Kazushi’s unnecessary comment, the two were about to erupt into another brawl, but when Kiyoka gave a stern “Cool it,” they instantly stopped.

“Pipe down, both of you. Miyo’s getting flustered.”

“I—I am…not…”

While she wasn’t flustered, she
did
feel as if she would never recover from this lifetime’s worth of shame.

“Miyo.”

Her cousin, who had been silently watching until then, called out to her flatly.

“Arata…”

“It seems I’ve been relieved of my duties, so I’ll be heading home now.”

Miyo was unsure what to say to him at his dispassionate declaration, absent his usual smiling face.

In truth, she wanted him to stay there a bit longer, but she also felt it wasn’t right to insist he stay.

“If you’ll excuse me.”

“Arata. Thank you very much.”

Miyo adjusted herself into a proper position and bowed with all the gratitude she possessed. Already making his way out of the room, Arata turned back around and forced a smile.

“I don’t need any thanks. I was simply doing what I wanted to do.”

“I know… And I’m sorry I can’t go back with you. But if you are punished for this, I beg you to let me know. Should that happen, as a member of the Usuba family myself, I’ll accept it with you.”

“You have my word.”

Arata nodded, pulling back the folding screen before Kiyoka, too, called to him.

“Arata Tsuruki.”

“What is it?”

“…Sooner or later, I’m challenging you to a rematch. I won’t lose next time.”

“Will you now? Well, I wish you luck with that.”

Arata grinned before finally departing the room.