Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There have been worse night than this, Sayo knew it all too well.

It was strange to find herself sleepless that night, even with the tiredness with her work, to find yet Risa shaking with her nightmares again. It has been awhile, no, Sayo has been glad that the brunette stop taking her painkillers or having panic attacks since they have been together. Risa has been steadily recovering from her scars with Sayo stayed by her side. While Sayo sometimes wary that she left Risa alone at home, the teal-haired woman was relieved to be greeted back with a smile and Risa seem to enjoy her life at home with house chores. Sayo promised that she would stay close when it is her day off and she knew that Risa would be able to improve herself.

To see the body shaking, breaking in sweat, calling her name in vanity -- Sayo couldn't take it.

"Imai-sa-- Risa." green eyes would jolt open, and that's when Sayo would scope her in an embrace. Risa gripped on her blue pajama as she started to cry. "Did you ... had it again?"

"... Yeah." she sobs. "Sorry, Sayo, I --"

Fingers traveled on the brown tresses slowly, every time she noticed Risa is shaking more, Sayo would tighten the hug.

"It's okay, Imai-san. You're not alone anymore. I'm here." planted a kiss on the forehead, Sayo continued to whisper. "I'm here." she stopped to look at Risa, with her tears still flowing there. Sayo was never good to calm someone who cried, she is powerless, yet she wanted to reach her - she wanted her to know that she's here. "Imai-san."

When Risa tried to smile back, it was a sign that she get to calm herself, even though just a bit.

"Good." Sayo said. "That's a good smile, Imai-san."

"Thank you, Sayo ..."

[As long as you won't be back to those painkillers and look at me, I --]

Sayo spared a kiss on the junction of the reddened nose, before she simply enveloped the broken woman in her arms, hoping to piece her together and she would wake up with her signature grin again.

"Have a good dream."

"I will, Sayo." (because it's in your arms.) "I will."

Chapter Text

It is one of the rule not to watch on where the sight of a hunter is going, since the hunter might fool you with simply a look; there could be pity in it, or sadness painted with an intent to kill. Hunter's eyes are unreadable at best and it is a mandatory to run rather than to face them.

That also applies to /her/, even though she dared not to look beforehand, but the glint of predatory pair of chartreuse caught her off guard and there she was, powerless. And in front of her, is none other than the shorter Femme fatale with her brown locks down, -- even tad sexier than usual, Sayo finds nothing to swallow -- her long bangs covered part of her eyes but her hunger is ever present, roaming slightly to the clothed figure in front of her. Lisa licked her lips. There's a smile, or maybe a smirk, or maybe she chanted some of her seductive spell to make Sayo bound and stay rooted, all the while there's no such strength left after the teal-haired guitarist seen Lisa being so, so—

"... Sayo."

Hell, why she must start to call her with a sultry tone? Hikawa Sayo wanted to curse to the dear air. Her cheek burns as Lisa tried to touch it, slowly, longing strokes are there, and Sayo couldn't contain her hiss.

["It's for your fault to be irresistible, okay? It's not mine."]
 
Silencing Sayo with her lips, one press wasn't enough. Sayo closed her eyes as Lisa moved, languidly taking in two, three, four, five, more and more kiss raining on her lips. The brunette stuck out her tongue as she tried to yank on Sayo's collar to distract her, and it worked magic. Gaining access inside, their tongue lapped, they moaned, the heat escalated further, and the kisses were too good to stop.
When they parted -- as Sayo fell, uneven sighs and saliva trail -- Imai Lisa was torn. She couldn't stop; she wanted more of Sayo, she needed Sayo, she must get Sayo.

"Imai-san? Wait, what are you—" Sayo waited in a baited breath as Lisa, wordlessly climbing atop the bed.

Where does their conversation going last time? The guitarist was talking about Roselia, and then they were not close. Well, they /are/ close, just a brush to their shoulders and sometimes their fingers as they talked on the carpeted floor.

Sayo didn't exactly remember when she stares, from listening to what Lisa was saying to ... simply see her lips; clad in pink balm, inviting. Took a moment for Sayo to register that Lisa stopped talking, knowing that she -- those eyes, her eyes -- seeing the lips with intent. Sayo found herself only blinks when Lisa closed in, a small peck on her lips before the brunette seek her mint green eyes.

'Imai-san's lips are so ... warm' - Sayo wanted to say it, though it's not like it's their first nor second kiss, it's so not her to make small talk of compliments, aloud, especially to the brunette, she would end up being teased later.

Lisa opened her mouth, no words come out; rather, she might be afraid she made Sayo angry with the sudden kiss, and chewed her words instead.

"It's rare for you to be self-conscious, Imai-san." no, Sayo wasn't there to laugh at her. Lisa looked down at that, a crisp laugh as reply.

It was the last of their conversation, as Sayo returned the kiss, rendered Lisa confused at first, but they exchanged no words, no more. Small press, small kiss, another kiss, more kisses; it's getting sloppier and messy, with both parties unable to hold their hands calm, and started roaming, resting to the another as their kisses weren't answers to curiosity anymore.

Lisa knew that Sayo wasn't showing that she doesn't want to back down, or that she wanted to pacify Sayo -- it's their mutual need.

"Sa ... yo." Lisa called the name in whim before their tongues met again, her arms circling around the guitarist's neck. When they parted, they realized that nothing is in order anymore; their brains, their wants, their needs - even their clothes.
What Lisa could only feel is that her body is hot, and Sayo is right in front of her, heaving after their make out. Why must the guitarist stayed on the bed, of all places, with disarray clothes, Lisa cursed inwardly.

She heard her name being called. Ah. Sayo must've been asking why she took off her shirt, crawling with only her underwear on, back at her.

"Sayo." it's the only thing she initially thought as she cupped on the face, Sayo's eyes widened and she could only muster a smile.

“Imai-san—ah.”

Lisa embraced her, sharing the searing hot, barely-covered skin slick in sweat. Sayo heard the breath on her ear but Lisa didn’t do anything – yet, or she was thinking of what to say.

“Sayo,” she repeated. Chill traveled down her spine as the clarity of Lisa’s voice decreased as the brunette keep repeating, as if saying an unbroken chant. It was … hot, sexy – she could easily picture Lisa’s face, how her half-lidded eyes closed and open, how she would stay with the hug until the lips moved to—

—bite on her earlobe. An unconstrained moan escaped her lips as Lisa bites down.

“Please scream for me.”

Chapter Text

"Good work today, Sayo~"

Sayo turned when hearing her name being called. It was a bit after the rehearsal today at the studio, when Sayo decided to lay low and going back to the dressing room because she's tired. Yukina asked what happened, with Sayo answered she needed a breather, and the vocalist told that she doesn't need to worry about being called by the studio owner later, she'll be the one to talk to them. The dressing room was deserted, they were lucky to get one room for Roselia, just in the right time when Sayo wanted to relax.

Risa came in with something on her hand, flower crown of some sort, composed in three-colored flowers. Looking by the shape of petals, it seems that the types of flower is the same. The bassist grinned ear-to-ear as she made her way to where Sayo seated, seeing the guitarist wasn't shot an annoyed look and let her closer.

"What a nice-looking flowers."

"You bet! We got buckets of flowers from everyone on the lobby, and I suddenly think of making this wreath." Risa gleefully put the crown atop Sayo's head. "Mhm. It really looks nice on you too~"

"Imai-san, what's the meaning of this?" Sayo furrowed her brow, though, she made no move to remove the flower wreath from her head.

Risa patted on Sayo's shoulders, before holding on it. She ducked her head lower so their heads on the same level, Risa's mint green eyes watched Sayo by the reflection of the mirror in front of them. "Yukina said you're feeling down, I wanted to cheer you up, that's all." Risa felt the shoulders flinched a bit, before she saw Sayo averted the gaze. "... So, did I do the right thing?"

"Well," Sayo breathed. "At least you /do/ something." Risa chuckled at that. Sayo looked up at the flower crown; yellow, white, and red - lined up in order to make a perfect circle. "What are these flowers?"

"Now, you're getting into the best part." Risa said. "I didn't simply choose it without any meanings~"

"Enlighten me, then?"

The pressure on her shoulders were gone as Risa stood straight. Sayo watched from the mirror as she puffed her chest in pride.

"Yellow," Risa paused. "It means, 'I long for you'."

Sayo could see Risa's expression shifted, from the one with fiery pride, to a stretch of soft smile with tinge of pink colored her cheeks.

"White camellias," Risa continued. "Means 'I'm waiting for you'."

As Risa circled back her arms to her shoulders, as the familiar weight returned, as the warmth started to bubble and not about to breaks, Sayo found her heart guessed the third color's meaning.

"Lastly, red." Risa whispered to her ear. "I'm in love with you."

.

[ Hopefully, the other three won't return to the dressing room soon as they need to exchange some kisses. ]

Chapter Text

[ i. ]

After making up her mind for nth time for nth days that has gone by, Hikawa Sayo gripped tight on her own guitar case's strap. As usual, she had her head held high, her strict air and cool appearance well-showed, and she's opening the door to the studio.

This day, for sure, she'll confess her attraction to someone.

And that someone is-

"Oh, Sayo-san, Sayo-san!" Ako waved from the back of the drum set. "We'll begin after Yukina-san came back. Risa-nee is having emergency shift again~"

'Again?' Sayo felt her inner strength (that she hardly combined out of possible self-shaming and failed confession) dropped to zero.

That someone is not here. Again.

[ ii. ]

This day, for sure, she'll confess her attraction to someone.

Imai Risa, the bassist of Roselia, the gyaru with a heart of gold, the master of cookies -- all in all, it's already uncountable charms of her that makes Sayo fall. Though at first, Sayo herself didn't realize that it's 'love', but after several mulling attempts, and throwing indirect asks to Hina, and even doing some small researches, she concluded that it's the truth and she must face it with all of her might.

This day, one of many practice days that have passed with Roselia, she prayed that Risa would be alone in the studio room and they got a chance for a little ... time to talk, but maybe not today, since she's not even collecting her own heart strength.

That day, though, Risa was perfectly alone in the room - but Sayo's heart is not ready, causing her to simply let the door open with eyes as wide as saucer.

whynowwhynowwhynow

"Huh? Is something wrong, Sayo?"

"It's nothing, Imai-san."

Ah. Another epic fail.

[ iii. ]

This day, for sure, she'll confess her attraction to someone.

She tried another approach, which is a suggestion from a friend (by the initial of HT hailing from a certain coffee shop), to ask Risa out for a walk to somewhere the brown-haired bassist might like. Sayo realized she got a soft spot for accessory shop, so she said to Risa that she 'wanted to buy some accessory for Hina'. This time, she thought she might not fail, as she had been sure to prepare her mentality and her strength of heart, but-

"Sorry, Sayo~ did you wait for long?"

Yeah. How can she expect to be okay when Risa is there, but dressing differently -- with long skirt and simple blouse and had her hair down and, and-

"I, Imai-san? You ... are well-dressed today."

"Huh? Oh. I just got my hair treatment yesterday, so I thought it would be better to let it down instead putting it up like usual, and these clothes? It's a trending model -- ah, whoops, I'm getting carried away, haha. Where should we go first?"

"Um. A-Anywhere is ... fine."

"Sayo? Your face is red, are you okay?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing! It's, it's just the weather is cold!"

"You're cold? Do you want to use my muffler, then?"

"J, Just let's go already!"

Fail count: countless.

[ iv. ]

This day, for sure, she'll confess her attraction to someone.

-yeah, of course not.

She already failed from the start, Sayo found herself unable to make time to think for a better moment to do it. It was like her bad luck keep piling up instead she's leading a word in regard of confession, rather, she could feel Risa unnecessary worries over her strange behavior, thinking that Sayo might be sick or something.

Sayo sighed as she put down her earphones and her guitar, the studio is lonely with only her present as of now.

"If only I can easily say I love her ..."

"... Whom are you in love with?"

A pause.

A very long, agonizing pause.

Mint green meeting with her lighter shades, innocently. Sayo found herself unable to swallow.

Seeing Sayo isn't responding, Risa repeated. "Sayo, are you in love with someone?"

Of course, a plain 'no' won't be excusable, she's already caught red-handed.

"Yes. You."

"Huh?"

"You." a halt. "You asked, right? I-I answered it, you."

Silence prevailed.

.

.

Is she failed, or?

"... Can you wait a bit for a reply, Sayo? M-My heart is racing."

"O-Okay."

[ They didn't say anything for a day after that, though, Sayo already know the answer. ]

Chapter Text

"Please me."

--Was something Risa said to her earlier. In lieu of Sayo arrival that late evening to her house, after a little chat and two together with warm, sweet latte Risa made. The winter nights are pretty chilly to the bones, staying close in the most occasion is what the brunette proposed to her girlfriend when they are alone together.

Did Risa grow ... spoiled? Actually, no, Sayo hardly there when she needed her. Between school hours, between band practices, between Sayo's work with student council and Risa's portion of part time job, it's actually rare for them to be able to meet within easy times.

That night, when Sayo said she'd pay her a visit, as tomorrow is weekends, Risa chose the option to indulge instead to yield.

Though at first, Risa found herself swallows. Knowing Sayo, the turquoise-haired girl wasn't the one who'd roll her tongue seconds after the yes or no question. It wasn't their first nighttime bonding, either, yet Sayo is always Sayo - Risa knew the guitarist of Roselia all to well.

Silence befalls in the room shortly as Risa blurted, and the brunette had her eyes cast down. They were sitting on Risa's bed. Thankfully, she got her cat pillow on her lap to hug into instead staring at nowhere with reddened face and her brain echoing her stupidity.

--When she was pushed to the bed, she forgot her own embarrassment; as Sayo replied her leading question with a push to both wrists and lips dipped down to meet hers.

"Oh, did you think I would say 'no'?" Sayo smiled after the chaste kiss. Risa was even more red, but not from embarrassment. "I, too, doesn't want to end our alone time shortly."

"Sayo--mmph."

Another kiss. Third kiss. Fourth. Fifth - to the point Risa was absent to adhere her clothes already peeled clean.

Sayo isn't the type to do things fast, but she also isn't somebody who loves to tease. Sayo hardly leaves a mark. Sayo hardly stays fixated on the same spot. Sayo -

Risa felt coldness setting in, not long as Sayo's tongue--coated in hot breaths--licking inches of her skin. Sucking, trailing from her neck to collarbones, not biting, it was enough to send Risa on frenzy.

Voices--Risa's--filling the room as Sayo didn't stop. Risa found herself digging through Sayo's scalp, as she was close below, to her core.

The guitarist pulled her head up, watching the mess of her bassist laying there, swallowing saliva, choking back tears, moaning but only one name besides her hiss.

"Imai-san," her tone painted in sincerity. "Allow me?"

"I'm ... always yours, Sayo."

When Sayo welcomed herself to Risa's, lapping her tongue at the already wet, slick labia from all the wait and ministrations. The brunette jerked her hips, meeting the rhytm of how Sayo ate her. It has been far too long, her heart ached, the pool of butterflies below her stomach was about to set free.

Risa came not far from there; Sayo broke away shortly, giving Risa a hug after she was breathing easier.

"Sa ... Sayo?"

"Hmm?"

"You're warm," a pause. Risa returned the embrace. "That ... was warm, too."

"Then, good."

Chapter Text

They were tangled with each other, past the night they continued with their activities this time. Flesh to flesh, kisses to kisses; sharing warmth to each and the other without the sign of stopping.

It simply crossed her mind when Sayo watched her, her turquoise eyes were soft, their hands were still clinging across, though they were staying idle and not rushing like moments earlier.

"Sayo."

"Hmm?"

Risa found her fingers combing through the turquoise tresses in thought. "Can you ..." Sayo moved closer as Risa's voice grows smaller. "... can you, uhh ..."

"Say it?"

"Can you ... leave a mark?"

"Huh?"

"You--you never left anything in my skin." Risa blurted. "So I thought -- ah! No! It's not like it's a bad thing or anything, it's just ... uhh ..." Sayo kept such straight face to the point Risa could only bury herself to Sayo's neck instead to hide the embarrassment. "Sorry, forget I said anything."

"Imai-san."

Ah. How Risa hoped Sayo will scold her, instead, she heard mumbles.

"Your skin ... is so pretty, how can I ever taint it?"

"Sayo--"

"N, never mind. A-Anyways. What do /you/ want? I won't do anything unless you're saying it right."

Risa pondered, long before she eventually whispered her wishes.

.

.

.

[A single bite should be fine, right?]

.

Sayo climbed up again, this time, finding vacant spot to rest her head on latter's neck. She doesn't know where the exact place that Risa liked, so she chose anywhere, nibbling the neck and drinking on the voice Risa made.

Before she bites in, hard--Risa is screaming--and it's now visible that Risa is hers.

Chapter Text

That was a rare morning, she thought. When Sayo opened her eyes, slightly feeling off because waking dizziness, blinding light from peering curtain of the room, and finally, a fresh smell that not feel like hers.

Usually, the brunette would wake up before her, especially in such lazy day off, announcing for Sayo to rise and shine and hit her breakfast’s plate. That morning, however, Risa was still sleeping.

Finding her hand reaching slowly for the unruly long, curly hair that Risa has, stroking it with care and wishing that it won’t alert her from her slumber, Sayo lightly sighed.

— No, no. It wasn’t like Sayo going to pull any pranks on a pranksteer.

Oh, but if she let Risa sleep and with her only basking the morning to see, neither of them will start on making breakfast, right?

“Imai-san ...?” Sayo called in a small whisper, along with a little pressure to her cheek. “Wake up, it’s morning.”

Brown unruly strands.

Such relaxed expression, slightly parted lips, warm cheek—

(—whyshe’ssobeautifulIcan’t—)

When mint green eyes opened, so suddenly that it makes Sayo’s heart nearly leaped out of the cage, her waning fingers froze.

Imai Risa smiled.

“... Sayo ...”

And Hikawa Sayo was taken away in a heartbeat.

—though, Risa closed her eyes again. Snores.

Oh. Heavens. How to wake Risa up again?

Chapter Text

It was a small hall with a spacious yard that they rented for the day. By ‘small’, it only meant to accommodate their families and close friends, to the garden of roses that they wanted to show the world for the day.

Roses, it was the theme that they had chosen among all, to represent both of them, of both colors that they stood with in earlier days. Rose also signifies a special place for both of them - a starting place where everything began, somewhere that they never know such spark was happening and it was real.

The side of hall is divided into two parts, where they arranged as separate changing room. Their close friends already busy with preparation, telling them to be rest assured and leave everything to their hands as they must enjoy this special day.

A wedding between blue and red.

.
.
.

“There … done.” Aya and Himari clicked ‘off’ to the hairdryer. The pinkette then took another spray before she told the bride to open her eyes and see her reflection on the mirror.

Yukina was smiling behind her, ready in her bridesmaid outfit of the same red as Risa’s wedding dress, the opera singer-like rose dress design based her Hidamari Rhodonite oufit from band days. Risa blinked to hear more of Aya and Himari cries of joy, Risa felt like she’s still her usual self with more makeup and fancy dresses of red roses, but now when they dressed her this way--with earnestness and carefulness--the brunette was fully aware of what she’s going to face.

“Imai-san, you … look beautiful,” Rinko was coming from the doorway. “I’m sorry … that I took long in the other side.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, Aya and Himari did a splendid job to do my hair and helping with the accessories~” Risa grinned. “Is Sayo’s outfit that hard to wear?”

“It’s a secret.” Yukina chuckled.

“Now, now, Risa-chan! We still need to do li~ttle more check before we’re ready to let you out~” Aya clapped her hands.

In red team--or so Aya said--there’s Aya, Himari and Rinko helping with Risa’s clothing need. As the one who created the costume before, actually Rinko is juggling to both sides to check whether both teams got it right. Sayo’s--blue team--got more people for reasons, with Tsugumi as the lead. Neither side knows what the other parties outfit would look like, and the surprise would come as surprise when the ceremony begins.

The wedding ceremony itself went in an unique way, as Risa and Sayo had planned; it will start with a beginning dance, the guests will familiarize themselves with the hall and scenery with accompanying piano and acoustic guitar play (courtesy of Pastel*Palettes). The dance will lasts for a bit, this also the time when Sayo and Risa would meet after so long before the main attraction of ceremony, the proposing, conducted. After the proposing, there would be a little stage for guests to enjoy, opened with both Sayo and Risa playing to Yukina’s present song.

“Risa-san, your back is stiff, are you nervous?” Himari snickered.

“M-Me? O-Oh. No, not really!”

“Don’t worry, Risa-chan, you’re su~per pretty, no reason to be scared!”

“... You’re one to talk, Aya-chan.”

“M-Mou!”

“Now, now, let’s finish this quick.” Yukina added.

They didn’t make the dress long, because it’s easier to walk and suited well for Risa to play bass later. After smoothing away creases and adjusting the rose hair piece, Rinko asked Risa to walk a bit.

“Is … it fine, Imai-san?”

“Mhm! Perfect!” Risa tried to turn. “Thank you, everyone!”

“Okay then, go and seek Sayo-chan! We’ll start the beginning dance!”

.
.
.

The beginning dance.

Risa peeked at the main hall, where the chairs and tables already been set, the guests already coming to hear the announcements, which is made by the MC.

“Hina? Oh there’s Ran, too, guess I don’t need to worry … hmm? Hina’s eyes are red …”

- though, it wasn’t the right time to worry about Hina. She must search for her partner in question. Blue rose, though? Even the guests are wearing rose too as part of the dress code, it would be hard to search for Sayo.

Risa turned her head to see the untouched garden, surrounded by large trees, away from the audience and stage. The patio, one with white marble arches surrounded with roses, was the one that made Sayo and Risa chose to rent this place away for their wedding. Risa checked the rose lining up to cover arches by arches, overlooking the main hall not so far away, but to no one’s noticing.

Sayo … she’s nowhere in sight - or is she still holed up in dressing room, but-

“There you are.”

Risa turned to the voice calling her, by the end of other part of patio, a woman in her blue rose dress. While Risa couldn’t exactly say it’s a ‘dress’ that Sayo wears, still, she couldn’t even say it’s a tux. It was one of special performance outfit that Sayo wore, resembling her own version of coat, with sleeveless arm, a cape, and golden armor pieces.

Her side ponytail, though, Risa rarely seen it; the timing is just right to make Risa fell in love again, with Rinko’s design, and the fact that her betrothed is just … dazzling.

Sayo rested her knuckle on her hips, “Is … something wrong? You look … red.”

“Ah.” Risa darted her eyes all over the place. “No. Well. Sorry. I -” the brunette looked up to see Sayo smiling softly. "I-I was searching for you!"

"About that, sorry. This hair decoration take a bit long and Hina can't stop crying." oh, that explained the swollen eyes of Hina, Risa thought, as she dared to look up to meet Sayo’s wandering eyes. “What is it, Risa?”

“Sorry.” she mumbled. “You … you look, beautiful.”

Silence. Their usual silence, which is between comfortable and awkward since the atmosphere is totally different. Sayo took Risa’s hand for a squeeze, drawn their distance closer to simply saw Risa, who’s getting more red--maybe, maybe she’s the same, too--and pulled single hand up.

“... Earlier, when I asked Shirokane-san of how to find you against the crowd of people, she said,” Sayo breathed. “Take the brightest, the most beautiful rose; I thought it was one of her usual riddles, but …” there was sparkle, Risa could see it, lighting the usual grim pool of green. “When I see you, I finally know.”

There lies a bit of mumbles, which Risa faintly hear but decided to ignore, as Sayo gave her knuckle a kiss.

Awkward, Risa noticed as Sayo pulled, chewing on her lips and shoo away from their passing gaze. Though, that act, even though awkward, already earned her heart a hard tug of warmth.

“Shall we go meet everyone now?”

Soft piano playing and guitar tuning already reaching for next song. Sayo nudged at their joined hand, asking for Risa to take a step together with her, but she didn’t comply. Rather, instead of going forward and ready to greet the guests, Risa pulled Sayo back, taking her collar as she meet the latter lips with small peck.

[It took two seconds, single intake of breath, one ‘I love you’, before Risa smiled, nodding on Sayo’s request to go.

.

It’s time.]

.
.
.

Yukina is the one who’s accompanying Risa, in similar fashion to Hina--who’s donning similar blue rose, purple coat, holding a bucket of blue rose in her hand.

‘Good luck, and have a good life ahead of you,’ was what the grey-haired woman, her dear childhood friend, said before Risa parted ways, joined with Sayo on the altar of promises.

Faintly, as the notes went on higher yet softer in accompanying piano, and the cheer died down, with her facing Sayo in the garden of roses they created, the new tide of time flows.

A ring on her right ring finger, Sayo’s choosing from their days of living together.

A soft smile that painted only for hers in Sayo’s frame.

“You may kiss the bride.”

The kiss itself felt different, while it was not long, not fast - it was as if the garden bloomed by itself to the color that they seek.

.

“Congratulations, both of you.”

Chapter Text

The last thing she remembered before she passed out that time is being surrounded by green light.

Maybe, maybe she was dreaming, since between her and her battles is only her passing in between dead bodies with weary self.

She was badly wounded, that much she’s sure since one of the knight she battled on pierced away her shield and cracked few of her bones, though she wasn’t sure what was even broken, as her own adrenaline boiled even higher to let her finish the surrounding knights in one swoop of her deadly sword dance.

They did won, right? - is one thing she’d gladly be asking but she collapsed not long after trying to walk away and find her troops by the other side of the hills.

.

.

.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Sayo blinked again, the outline of barrack that’s familiar to her coming into view once again. The knight has yet to regain sense of her body, though she noticed her hands are being tied as one with bandages and support board, she must have broke her arms. She peered to her surrounding then, the curtains surrounding her is closed, and finally, the source of voice.

“... Minato-san? You’re safe.”

“Well, barely.” the bard who’s in a troop at the other side of the hill nodded. Part of her clothes are torn and her armor is crooked, but she doesn’t seem to sustain bad injuries. “You need to worry about yourself first, though. You broke your left arm.”

“It’s nothing--ow.”

Yukina heaved a sigh before a smile. “… What I said.” This knight of her troop is prone to be stubborn, she’s famous for it. “In any rate, I’m glad to see you’re recovering. We don’t have to worry about battling for awhile, we have won the war.”

“I-I see.”

“Yukina! Is your friend awake today!?”

A loud step before the part of curtain is open, revealing a brunette. Judging by the attire, of white long robe and red headpiece, Sayo surmised that she’s a white mage or healer of some sort.

“Speaking of which, where … am I? It seems rather crowded outside …”

“You’re in our clinic--or must I say, emergency health facility made because of war.” the brunette mage explained. “We’re currently saving everyone who’s still alive, so it will be rather loud and hectic even at nighttime, please bear with it!” after she mentioned it, there’s another shout, seem to be calling her. “Aw, speak of the devil. Anyways, Yukina, please watch her for awhile until I’m done with my rounds!”

There went chatters and chatters again outside, in which Sayo tried to ignore. Every war always had its own numerous casualties, after all.

“... Who’s that … mage, Minato-san, your friend? She seems awfully familiar with you.”

“She’s my childhood friend, Imai Lisa, she’d be the one taking care of you.” Sayo blinked. “Don’t worry, despite her loudness, she’s one of best mages available here.”

Sayo listened back a bit to the voices out there, catching the familiar yell from earlier. ‘Lisa-san’ this, ‘Lisa-san’ that; everyone called her, she’s hella busy but her tone of ‘Yes, I’m coming!’ is as chipper as it is.

“Then, I’ll be going to West  to see the condition of other troops, I’ll inform Hina that you’re okay, too.”

“Is Hina doing well over there?”

“A few injuries too …” Yukina sighed as Sayo tried to get up again, only to shrink back in pain. “… Please mind about yourself first. You’ll be recovering here for the time being, Lisa will make sure you’re on your best behavior as a patient.”

Yukina spared another sharp stare before she bid a farewell.

Great, just great. This Great Paladin must surrender to injuries --  well, at least she’s not dead and everything is okay, just how she had hoped.

.

“-Time for food!” and her sudden peaceful slumber is disrupted by a sound of old, crinkling wheel rolling the ground, making a loud screech as it stopped.

Part of her curtain is now open, that Imai Lisa carted something beside Sayo’s bed.

“Did I wake you? I’m sorry, we got no smoother food cart for the job.” Risa put away the closing lid to reveal ration soup, also one piece of hard-looking wheat bread. “But you must eat, or not, you can’t have the medicine.”

“I can do it myself-”

“Non, non.” Sayo had a spoon pointed at her. “I’ve heard from Yukina that you’re a very hard-headed knight, let me tell you that you won’t be recovering quickly if you don’t obey!”

“... Why don’t you simply heal with your magic? I mean, you’re a great white mage, right?”

Lisa had this scrunch on her forehead before she beamed, taking on a spoonful of the soup and gave it, “Say a~n.”

“-Hey, answer me.”

“It’s not like everyone should rely on magic, y’know? Sometimes you have to let your body rest and recover on its own. That what makes the body stronger.”

The white mage replied in small voice for that, and for once the Paladin was taken aback.

“I’ve answered your question, so, a~n?”

“...”

“Don’t be embarrassed now~”

“I’m, I’m not!”

“Please eat your food then, Knight-san.”

“U-Ugh. I don’t have much choice, am I?”

“You don’t~” a merry laugh. “Let me repeat Yukina’s words: please behave well as a patient!”

- What a headache, this mage. Just right to make Sayo went out of ammo quick and didn’t have much choice but to obey.

.

.

.

And Yukina really was right, Lisa will make Sayo to be in ‘best behavior of a patient’. Not only her, but even to every patient who’s there, be it soldiers, knights or whatever classes, gender and age. Lisa might not be the only healer available there, but she’s the one who showed her utmost care at handling her assigned patients, carefully asking their needs and fulfilling them - not in such exaggerated way that you’d think the mage is seeking for fame.

‘Magic is not a way to solve everything’ - said the mage there herself, still sounded quite magical for Sayo to adhere, since as far as the battlefield expanded, magic is the only thing she relied to keep herself strong.

“Time for food!” Ah, that time of it again today, the third time of day, always light dinner with a single fruit--usually apples--for dessert.

Sayo has yet to move her arms freely, but they had removed the support board, leaving only the bandage and the cloth so Sayo won’t recklessly move her fractured arm.

Another embarrassing a~n hour courtesy of Imai Lisa.

“I don’t think I catch your name, Knight-san.”

“And how long already you’ve been feeding me and talking about random nonsense while at it?”

“Ahaha, sorry, I don’t mean to anger you, really.” Lisa took away the knife. “So, your name?”

“Sayo.” the answer almost automatically slipping. “Wait, you haven’t introduced yourself.”

“I do think my name is being called numerous time for anybody to remember my name, but okay,” there again, her million-watt smile. “Imai Lisa. Also, I might not look like it, but I’m the Head of White Magician team here.”

“... That’s not surprising. You do look like one.” Or rather, you worked like one, but Sayo didn’t say it.

“Ya~n, Sayo is praising me~”

“Cut it out with the dilly-dally part.”

Lisa grinned again, her trademark sheepish one. “Anyways, I’m finished with the food. Do you want anything else before I applied the potion?”

“No and please make it quick.”

“O~kay!”

Chapter Text

Pearlite skin; almost translucent, almost real.

No, of course I know that it’s real. After all, this skin, this joint, everything is real from head to toe. ‘She’ was a technology that was born to deceive humanity, to deceive oneself, the one who was born from everything but contained nothing of anything.

While I, myself, always found my eyes to stare at such sight of her back, while I’m doing something as to dress her with one of prototypes in my back closet, an unfinished design of a blue cloak that I tailored to match her measurements. For Heaven’s Sake, no, I’m not being somebody with such fetishes of a lengthy skin of her back, I’m but a mere sinner walking on threading more words that worthy of any punishment.

--BUZZ.

“What is Hina’s friend doing here almost everyday, doesn’t she had something fun to do rather than poking on Hina’s lab?”

“No, no! I just left my sketchbook-ah! How-Where did you get that? That’s mine!”

“Imai Risa, Fine Art Sketchbook props? So this is yours. I found it when sorting Hina’s scattered books.” a sigh. “I’m sorry I did take a look inside.” I facepalmed. “It’s … kind of exquisite design, are those your works?”

.

“You’re really a strange one to befriend Hina, not like I can stop you.” she always do that kind one-off comment before brushing off, doing something on her own accord.

.

That was, five years ago, if I recall it right. My hand stopped right there, in the junction between her shoulder blades. Five years later--now, I’m twenty-five, she’s forever twenty, frozen in time, I’m already graduated from college and owning my brand clothing retail. Hina, also twenty-five years old, is renowned but pitied young genius researcher building up her knowledge level from her initial, secret research and even gave birth to another AI like this Sayo, this SAYO>>PROTOTYPE: CODE 01S because of one party’s plea.

.

“Risa-san?”

She looked at me. The doll. The re-creation of the past Hikawa Sayo that once I adored. Hell, she’s not even my creation, I’m just a passerby, I’m just-

“Risa-san, your hands are trembling again, are you okay?”

.

I still remember that day when I changed, Hina’s changed. It started with Sayo’s unfortunate death. She was rescuing Hina from a car malfunction--one car suddenly flying away to her direction from campus parking lot. Sayo was dead, we are too late to save her but then-

-Hina. Hina, she--she was so sad, distraught, her one and only twin is taken away from her, I do understand her pain, I tried hard to make Hina happy again, scolding her to eat well, distancing herself from her unhealthy lab cycles and then one day when I came for the usual stuff on taking care of Hina, she-

“I did it, Risacchi. I transferred Onee-chan’s soul to a new body.”

.

The doll who’s standing in front of me, whose eyes looking straight to the mirror, watching me with her usual stoic and softness that once belonged to the one and only Hikawa Sayo that I only passed, that I only known for slim occasion and fate, the one whose soul Hina had ‘transferred’ to a form of undying body.

‘Artificial Intelligence with embedded soul of human’ so the news exaggerated it.

‘Humanoid Walking Dead’ so the rumor spoke of it.

The day of ‘me’ that taking care of Hina continued, with me also taking care of this ‘Sayo’. As much as I tried to deny, the past keep haunting me, the memories of Sayo that I had, and the memories of Sayo that is planted on her. She is Sayo. But not the same Sayo. She is AI. No she’s not a complete AI. She’s not a human. No she’s a body with the ‘soul’ of Sayo.

.

“Risa-san?”

“...”

“Is something wrong? You’re--”

“-I’m sorry.”

I still didn’t know why I, all off sudden, embraced her from her back. She was warm, of course, I know that she got the warmth of human, even to the softness of her skin thanks to the genius Hina but with a beatless heart.

“Risa-san?”

I gripped on her tight. Somehow, the feeling of afraid raiding myself again; there’s never certainty lies in me ever since I realized that I, Imai Risa, is sure that I loved her, I loved Sayo, not only the past her, but it was because ‘this’ her-

“... Let me stay like this?”

“Alright.”

“Is that the end of your recording, 01S?"

Sayo Series: Code 02C spoke after their minutes of data exchange. 02C was there again for monthly maintenance, Hina--their ‘Maker’--left them alone to get something to eat and drink away for lunch.

Though based on exact same model, 02C is more animated, more ‘human’ than the stoic 01S for a reason. 01S let go off her ponytail, snapped shut her connecting cord from the bridge between her and 02C. 02C nodded, seeming to be thinking, she pried off her blonde bangs.

“I see that Risa-san … your handler, is it? Behaving no different than my handler, Maruyama Aya.”

“Do you understand something, 02C?”

“You don’t know?” 02C snapped. “I think it’s called ‘affection’, but it’s more than how it will be to a ‘friend’ or to a ‘family’.”

“I think I don’t get it.” 01S shook her head. “If I ask Maker, will she tell us something? I see that she was amused by seeing our backlogs.”

“Yes, I agree that we should ask Maker.”

[ Though when Hina opened the door to her lab, she only found two AI having their emergency shutdown with ERROR:OVERHEAT. ]

Chapter Text

i.

She would always comes by there when she had an empty schedule in her agenda, two buckets of different-colored flowers on her gloved hand. She won’t bother to change from her usual work attire, be it bomber jet black jacket and long pants, or her turquoise shirt with white tie—sometimes she even kept her ID tag hanging still, Hikawa Sayo, Investigator, with her boring, stern ID photo.

It’s not like her face doing any bright, anyway.

Her shoes would remember where to go even when her eyes closed: private, secluded Rose ward in East Building of Hanegaoka Municipal Hospital, room 311 and then room 312. Sayo would knock the door twice on each door, while knowing no one would reply back. Sometimes, the nurse would be there to greet her, sometimes not. Sayo then would spare a little smile as greeting before she bowed. She would change the flowers by the pot and she would take a seat there in silence.

Room 311 belonged to her senior investigator.

Room 312 belonged to her close-knit partner in duty.

Sayo would stay, though unable to say, to any of the lying women there – whom had fallen for a state of static in one full year.
Doctors only said that it’s the strange case of ‘blood flow disturbance’ and even though the outer wounds healed, they didn’t cease to wake.

The lone turquoise-haired woman would bow before she left the room, after staying without any gain, and the cycle repeated.


ii.

She took the lift to go down in the crowded lobby of daytime to find another police lounging there clad in her work jet black bomber jacket. Sayo acknowledged this police, but not as they often met in the site of crime – it’s because of her striking red shading over her short black bob hair. Her appearance really fit to be one of undercover cop, almost close to rock band’s vocalist, so to say.

“Mitake-san, what are you doing here?”

The cop turned. “Oh. Good day, Hikawa-san,” her eyes watched the hallway behind Sayo. “I’m here to take victims from the bank robbery earlier.”

“Robbery?” Sayo repeated. “Isn’t it, like, the third time of this month?”

Folding her arms, Ran heaved a heavy sigh. “Yeah. And it’s getting stranger, too. The safe is opened but no fingerprints can be traced from the locks. We found casualties there passed out, but everyone seems to have lost the recollection of the events … I already told other policemen to gather data from CCTV and everything.”

Mitake Ran is one of field investigator that Sayo knew from the Hanegaoka PD. Said to be brilliant in her young age, Ran is trusted with some more field work with her team, also as an undercover investigator much like Sayo has been doing. Sayo’s senior is the one who introduced them together, and ever since, they would bump in the scene of crime often and doing cross-examinations.

“By the way, is Udagawa-san here too? I got a call from precinct that she searched for me. Isn’t she from your team?”

“Tomoe? She’s questioning patients at the moment, if you wanted to wait.” Ran answered. “Or if you’re in a hurry, I’ll tell her to contact you later.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m off-duty as of today, I can wait until she’s finished with her job.”

“Is that so,” Ran nodded to herself. “What business do you have here in your day off—ah.”

Sayo averted her gaze from Ran, who’s grasped of the situation. It’s about ‘that’, it’s about ‘them’, another irregularities, another strange, mysterious question that remained unanswered for one long year. ‘A case’ that everyone in Hanegaoka PD knows—no, the country knows it, for sure—the slaughter, the blood bath that happened, the horrible scene it has caused, and the scar it left for the witnesses.

“They has yet to regain their consciousness, huh,” Ran said in quiet tone. “While they are lucky to be alive, it’s …”

“… Yeah.”

[ That day. The day Sayo had lost everything. ]

iii.

The meeting with Udagawa Tomoe lasted for mere minutes, as they were already running back to the crime scene for data gathering. Sayo left the clipped board of document Tomoe had procured on the seat to her left as she wheeled back to her apartment.

She took a moment for a glimpse of the data, someone has finally have a guts to apply as her new assistant to replace her comatose one.
After the incident, Sayo’s quarter has been marked as ‘a place filled with bad omen’, and Sayo left to pursue the case on her own, while juggling to the other works given to her. There have been hard times, get her job rolling without her assistant to lean on or her senior to ask of were taxing and exhausting. One year and no lead; she could only wait for one and only decisive convict to be hanged dead because of their crimes, yet she felt something is amiss. True, Sayo hated the convict because of their crimes, despised them, but she couldn’t let her emotion getting best of her and avert her eyes from the truth. Not to mention, after that case, criminal activities without much explanation are increased in numbers – it was as if the culprit could vanish easily into the thin air, without trace and incriminating evidences.

“Udagawa Ako, 21,” Sayo recited the beginning of the data. “Was in bomb disposal squad? What is she doing here in my department?”

It’s not like Sayo would reject someone, though ‘bomb disposal squad’ has a unique ring to it, since most of investigators came from rather “passive-fields”—for example, fresh graduate from law studies, or several administration staffs. Tomoe did say ‘her sister’ is a greenhorn, that should be shown of ropes for detective leg work firsthand but the red-haired cop ensured Ako is fast-learner.

[ When she remembered about /her/, the grip on steering wheel tightened – of course, no matter how talented somebody is, no one can replace her assistant, her partner— ]

iv.

Sayo’s apartment is one of lavish apartment complex located near the city’s rail transit. For her, an easy way to commute aside with her car is important. Also, this apartment complex is what she liked first time she moved in. She remembered when her senior and her partner helped with the moving in, telling that Sayo was too hurried, they were swamped with paperwork by that day, after all.
Sayo hung her old white coat from her previous work on the same place she hung any of her other jackets by the front door. She would mouth a small ‘I’m back’, before she heard a rustle of chain followed from another room beside the center living room.

The rustling of metal getting closer and closer, the skinny figure clad in white prisoner outfit—with ID number on the chest—showed up. Her tired-looking mint green watched Sayo coming in to the living room. Sayo stopped to see the prisoner—the convict—fidgeted a bit under her gaze, her handcuffed hands brushing toward the collar on her neck, which emitted a continuous green blink.

The brunette prisoner moved her fingers in slow manner, ‘welcome home’, she said.

‘Did the collar hurt you again?’ Sayo asked.

A shook of head.

‘Then, back to your space and don’t bother me.’

Months after that case, with her old title as ‘forensic’ and ‘doctor with knowledge of psychology' profile, Hikawa Sayo taken up an offer she knew she never liked.

Imai Lisa, convict, prisoner number ‘1303’; Sayo had put her under the house arrest to the day she’ll be executed within Sayo’s watch and necessary “adjustment” to monitor her behavior after the ‘slaughter’ she had committed, since Sayo found it strange with her physiological profile. Lisa is not mute nor deaf, but she refused to talk, only showing apparent way to talk with her behavior and now, after Sayo taught her, hand signs, while some of it is restricted because her hands are cuffed.

After this one year of case; seven month of her stay there, Imai Lisa refused to talk and await of her judgement day within silence.

(Sayo hated the convict because of their crimes, despised them, but she couldn’t let her emotion getting best of her and avert her eyes from the truth.—)

Lisa usually nods with her order and retreated to her ‘space’—which is the part of far end from the kitchen—but the brunette convict shook her head. Sayo knitted her brow, displeased.

“What, now?”

She pointed on where she stood, the floor beside the sofa which Sayo usually seated.

“Let you stay there? Why? You can play on your own in your space.”

Lisa shook her head again.

“Oh, well. It’s not like you’ll able to do much with your collar and handcuffs anyway.”

Sayo then took her sofa and checked the documents about Ako from earlier. A note slipped there, ‘interview tomorrow after lunch’ for her to notice. She watched Lisa there, sitting by the foot of the sofa, hugging her feet occasionally while simply being there. Sayo’s expression to Lisa is one of open discomfort, bitterness, coldness, and Lisa would keep her face the same; flat of any smile, or anger – though Sayo knew there’s unexplained sadness in it. Not much could be read from bodily movement alone, as most of expression could easily be discerned within speech patterns, knowing the said person is able to speak normally.

[ How can a single person slay the whole ballroom? Why she claimed to be wrong? Why she— ]

“Convict. How can you still refused to talk about what happened?” Sayo suddenly spoke. Lisa looked up at her with big eyes and head tilt. “We know you aren’t mute, and you’re not even mindless, crazy; you’re just a normal person.”

{ How long can you keep a lie? }

Lisa stood up again, pointing at the door once, and then to where she is standing, Sayo didn’t get what she had meant.

“… You would be dead if you admitted everything is your wrongdoings. I want to believe you’re the killer and all, but your backgrounds didn’t make any sense. I’m enough with this farce.”

Usually, with Sayo said that, Lisa won’t budge – it’s the mind games for the year – and she finally retreated to her haven, her own space, avoiding Sayo’s question to no end. That day, however, Lisa trying to mouth a sentence.

‘They are coming to get you.’


v.

Imai Lisa, convict, prisoner number ‘1303’.—Sayo as of now, already memorized her profile too well—is the woman with same age as her, 24, and was arrested because of her ‘slaughter’ at the ‘Empress Ball’ held by Shirasagi Company one year ago.

Many died that day, but some who’s alive is confided in their comatose state because of ‘blood flow disruption’. Interesting fact of the date Sayo had gathered from Intel, is that she has been kidnapped once as a kid, and has been marked with ‘fear of being enclosed in a small space or room—Claustrophobia’ and also during that time, ‘temporary insanity’. Before the arrest, she was one of the honorary guest of the ball, being one of the promising fashion designer and fashion blogger to the date. The said ball was guarded tightly with the help of police force since Shirasagi Company’s owner received a warning letter of sabotage.

There’s only few people to know that Lisa is being held within Sayo’s supervision: The Chief Inspector, Sayo, and some researchers and Lisa’s appointed medical care. The turquoise-haired cop had put Lisa under the house arrest to the day she’ll be executed within Sayo’s watch and necessary “adjustment” to monitor her behavior after the ‘slaughter’ she had committed, since Sayo found it strange with her physiological profile after some digging. “The adjustment”, being that she’s handcuffed and equipped with behavior control neck collar, which will tighten to the point of choking her to death if she tried to attack Sayo.

As the supervisor, Sayo is able to do anything she wishes for the means of data gathering. While she allowed Lisa to roam free in the apartment when Sayo is not home, the door is locked, the surveillance camera is on, her behavior is recorded by the special collar she wore – Sayo can simply press the button from anywhere to strangle her to obey if she tried anything funny.
Sayo sighed, as she still remembered the scene of the ball room when she entered.

It was horrible sight of blood pool topped with fallen corpse, with only a single woman remained, standing on the center of the red, spreading liquid, concealing her face as she cried and screamed. That time, Sayo regretted to be the one guarding outside the ball, only to witness her partner and the Lead Investigator of that time, appointed as the head of the guard duty, had fallen.
Sayo took her time to compose herself in her car, balling her fist from sudden surge of anger. After awhile, she exited her car and walked to the entrance of the precinct.

Hanegaoka Police Department is located in the center of city’s busy office district. There never been any dull days in work since that fateful day, as increasing cases of strange crime happened here and there. After the Lead Investigator of Second Division, Public Safety Bureau, fallen into a coma, Sayo risen up to take the position as the leader of Second Division, with resolving the ‘ball’ case as a top priority given by the Chief Inspector. At times, Sayo is helping First Division, lead by Mitake Ran, to topple the ‘strange’ case which is happening as of now, hoping that it could eventually lead to an explanation for the ball case.

When she entered the lobby, she spotted the long red-haired Udagawa Tomoe clad in her police uniform—composed in casual black suit with default black pants and black shirt, topped with black tie, with ID card hanging over her neck. She seemed to be engaged in lively conversation with someone of long, purple-colored hair, wearing the dark blue jacket of Hanegaoka PD atop her black shirt and black skirt.

She must be the one Sayo searched, ‘Udagawa Ako’ whom she’s going to be interviewed.

“Oh, it’s Sayo-san.” Tomoe exclaimed, the said purple-haired woman turned. Sayo watched the similar haircut to Tomoe, though Ako is not the same height as Tomoe, she could be described as fairly tall. “This is Ako, the one who wants to apply for your assistant.” Ako bowed at the mention.

“I’m Udagawa Ako!” She introduced herself, her tone contained mild enthusiasm in it, Sayo noted, much like how Tomoe is. “So, where should we begin?”

“Come with me to the Second Division Office in the third floor, then. We’ll talk there.” Sayo commanded.

.
.
.

Sayo flipped at the registration document again after she allowed Ako to sit on the chair in front of her. The cubicles available there were dead silent except from them, Sayo took Ako to her work cubicle, not to the front table belonged to the Lead Investigator.
Ako has few notable achievements included in her pages, but it wasn’t exactly a plus point that Sayo is looking for.

“So,” Sayo put down the board. “What makes you want to be here, away from your old job of dismantling bombs?”

Ako straightened her posture. “I want to exact revenge, and I want to have the truth.”

“… Revenge?”

“That’s all. I won’t go into more details.”

Those red eyes didn’t speak any hesitation, the glare was firm. It reminded her when the Lead Inspector interviewed her before entering the department.

“Then, do you know what’s this department supposed to do?”

“To ensure public safety, and to resolve cases in regard of public safety.”

“I see you’ve done your homework, then,” Sayo continued. “Do you know what assistant’s job is?”

“Helping with your line of work, and doing reports for Chief Inspector and First Division.”

“Well said,” she offered her hand. “Welcome to Second Division, then, Ako-san, it’s a pleasure to be your acquaintance.”


vi.

After giving Ako her first job and showed her cubicle to work, Sayo made a beeline back to her apartment. Sayo made sure she gave a job that even a newbie can work on, making little reports and doing case analysis of the recent bank robbery. The signal of the behavior collar gave a notable blinking red flash, something is happening and Sayo needed to take an action.

Hopefully, it’s just Lisa accidentally pressed the emergency switch as she tripped like one day, not her trying to break the collar free.

The collar will perform defense mechanism if it’s about to be broken, a paralyzing electrocution to involving parties.
Arriving at the grounds of her apartment, she changed her monitor to get the feed from surveillance camera from five different angles in and outside her room, to find the door is open and Lisa was lying motionless nearby the front door.

“What in the world—“

Taking one handgun - her favorite black Desert Eagle - ready within her reach, she took the other route back to her room, using the back stairs from south part of building inside approaching the lift area to the north. No one spotted nearby the alley where her rented room is, Sayo quickly make a haste to open the door wider, Lisa still there, and the living room is in disarray—some of her stored documents are scattered and her glass wardrobe and TV are broken, shattered.

“… Robbery?”

Sayo whispered under her breath as she turned with her gun pointed. No soul is spotted hiding, nothing, nobody except Lisa there.

“Convict, wake up.” The cop crouched to find Lisa is out cold. The collar on her neck emitted the red light, a blunt force mark visible to the right, part of Lisa’s face is bruised. Sayo tried to shake her, after she deactivated the collar with a click. “Convict.”

Mint green eyes opened, but Sayo didn’t witness much of her awakening, as something suddenly hit her back of head. Sayo grunted, writhed in pain as her head was struck. She tried to see who her attacker is, before her back is pushed harshly with a stomp of boots.

“Caught ‘ya.”

It was a voice that the Investigator didn’t recognize. Sayo turned to see a figure stepping on her is clad with mask of flower pattern. The attacker wore something resembled Lisa’s prisoner outfit, but with red color. They used the back of thin sword to attack Sayo.

“Now, I wonder how much will I be rewarded if I take your head too, Investigator Hikawa.” The speech seems to be distorted, maybe the mask has a voice changer. ‘They are coming to get you’—one warning Lisa tried to speak of at the other day echoed. ‘They’—who’s ‘they’? Did Lisa hide something? Is this related to her feigning mute? Is this related to the case?

“Goodbye—“

“—Don’t you dare to touch Sayo!”

Sayo saw something red coming, but it looked unreal. Something of a shape of claw, but red, dripping as if it’s made with liquid, grappled on the way where the masked attacker stood, however, the masked attacker disappeared, only to appear latter on different location. Sayo stood, coughing because of the kick, to see the masked attacker present as if mocking her. She brought her gun up again, but the one greeted the attacker is not Sayo’s bullet.

Lisa jumped forward, the so-called red claw followed, the masked attacker disappeared once again, but the claw predicted, as it reached the next spot where the masked attacker showed up. They dodged the claw with the blade, as it branched away from the tip of blade, and it wounded the masked one with a clean slash akin from a sharp object, across the abdomen.

The claw leaving red trail on its wake, littering the floor with splotches, before it converted back to Lisa—to be exact, back to the wound that’s inflicted on her shoulders, and Lisa fell. The masked one hunched in pain, Sayo took the moment to point the gun to their head.

“With that wound, you won’t be easily escape from me and this gun with your magic vanishing act again,” the gun clicked. “What is this inhumane farce I’ve been seeing?”

“Why … don’t you ask her instead of me?”

Sayo grabbed on the collar of their clothes, pressing the gun on their chin. “You’re the one I’m asking right now so I expect you to answer me. After I’m satisfied, I might let you back to whatever hell you’re coming from.”

“… Esper.”

“What?”

“I said, Esper. We’re Espers.”

Esper—the word shook Sayo, not because it felt unreal, but how /real/ it is, and if this masked one is not lying, to simply surprise her from where Sayo is, then—

“You’re lying.”

“I’m only saying the truth,” the masked one reaffirmed. “Teleportation, and The Sinner’s blood control from earlier; what other phenomenon in this advanced technology can explain except the Esper project? You know, don’t you, green cop?”

“Save your breath to preserve your life.” Sayo pressed again. “Don’t come here anymore.”

“Heh, as if. As long as you keep The Sinner with you, our boss will come to search for you.”

Their ‘boss’, ‘The Sinner’, ‘Esper’ – pieces of puzzle gathered for a bigger picture Sayo has yet to seen. That being said, this ‘masked attacker’ threat seemed to be sound.

She would be in a continuing danger as she pursued ‘the truth’.

Sayo let the masked attacker go, and they quickly ran away, bleeding still. Sayo turned to see Lisa lies on the floor, blood pouring out from her open wound she tried to hold in. Sayo failed to notice the handcuffs have been broken, must be when she fought off with the attacker. Maybe she’s unable to release her power before Sayo disabled the collar, that she finally get the upper hand when she’s free.
Blood Control, Sinner … this Imai Lisa is no ordinary human—Sayo has many new questions she needed to ask, but she must stop the bleeding first. She lifted Lisa and brought her to her study—which is usually off-limits for her.

Sayo kept the layout there similar to her old working space, which is a clinic located in isolated research facility, with bed and numerous medical-related books. Sayo could only keep small number of equipment simply for first aid now, but it would be enough to stop the bleeding, at least. She might need to call for backup later from hospital, to measure her blood loss and to give transfusion.

.

‘Blood flow disruption’ – there’s no mistaking it that she’s the one responsible for Yukina’s and Rinko’s coma.

Should this killer still be alive now?

Is this the truth that Sayo seek?

"Yes, thank you for your help, Uehara-san."

Sayo spoke softly over the phone. Thankfully, that time, she could still reach someone she knew who won't ask too much over her request for packs of blood and a bit of assistance. Since it's impossible to move the convict without arrangement, Sayo decided to treat Lisa there. Uehara Himari, one of the nurses Sayo acquainted through Ran and Tomoe, came quickly to her residence bringing things she had requested.

Though the nurse appeared to be bubbly, it was like how Ran and Tomoe described her, to be 'quick and dependable'.

"Thankfully, her condition quickly stabilized, Doctor!"

"Now, now. I'm not a doctor anymore." Sayo brushed. "I'm sorry to bother you outside your work hours."

"Please don't worry about it! It's my duty to keep the patient safe!" Himari said. "Anyways, how's she? Has she regained consciousness yet?"

Sayo turned to her back, to the patient bed where the convict laid. It's the second blood pack, also in concurrent with her infusion of mannitol. The color has regained to her face, the breathing and pulse in stable lines, but she hasn't opened her eyes.

"Unfortunately, no."

"I-I see." the voice across the line seemed down. "If you ever needed something else, don't hesitate to call me again, okay, doc?"

"Uehara-san, I said, I'm no longer a --" the turquoise-haired investigator sighed. "In any rate, again, thank you for your kind help."

"Right-o, doc!"

BEEP.

"... What a free-spirited nurse." said Sayo to herself. "Makes me reminded of ..."

[ Sayo paused, cursing the pasts that continues to haunt her to no end. ]


.

Sayo couldn't thank the world enough at least the people around her is supportive with her means to pursue the truth. As long as she reported her findings to Chief Inspector and First Division, Sayo is free to do anything she wished or to resort any method she's comfortable with.

Though, this time, she has yet to report why she filed in medical help for Lisa instead of saying 'she injured herself accidentally, and because she's in rather weak condition, packs of infusion also included to help with her blood transfusion'. Sayo felt that she needed to search about this new term she just discovered before taking account to others.

Sayo already said to Ako back in the precinct that she'd take a few days off because this matter, and for the greenhorn to do little paperwork needed in Sayo's absence.

'Esper' - it wasn't new to Sayo, since there has been news and papers about it scattered for technology world to know. To see them roaming free among people without power, it's something that Sayo never know happened. Not to mention, when the attacker talked about how they had a 'boss', seems that it would be a tough nut to crack.

Sayo was sitting beside the bed looking through several Esper-related paper in question when she heard a faint coughing.

"Convict?"

Mint green eyes peered open slowly, Sayo got on her feet to do breath and pulse checking, seeking any indication of wound reopening.

"Convict, can you hear me?"

"... Mm. Yeah. Loud and ... clear." Lisa huffed.

Sayo checked again the blood pack and infusion hanging there, noting how many hours before she needed to change into a new one or put them away. She let Lisa cope up with her waking disorientation with silence, while jotting some new information on the patient's record by the table. Then, Sayo took her wooden chair closer, beside the stand for blood pack and mannitol infusion, before helping Lisa to sit by pulling up the portion of bed.

"... sorry to alarm you, it must be the pressure from the IV."

"No need to be sorry," the investigator paused. To see the day she's able to 'talk' normally with the convict - Sayo was torn between bewildered and happy. The image of her fallen comrades resurfaced on her mind, before the sea of corpses coloring the ball from that time. "Are you okay to speak now?"

"Give me some more minutes."

"... Fine."

Sayo watched as Lisa mumbled something, her eyes were restless, darting her and there down but Sayo.

"So, umm." the convict's lips trembled. "I ... as the masked attacker said, I'm an Esper. My, uhh, my power lies in blood control."

That much, Sayo had known. "And?"

"Will you believe in my story?"

"Depends on what that you speak of."

"O-Okay."

Sayo seen the convict crumpled her own sheet, before, "I didn't kill Yukina."

Yukina.

Yukina Minato; the Lead Investigator when the incident happened. She's the senior to Sayo in her field, whom she looked up to - of her way of work effectiveness and her tireless attempt to solve the case. At first, when she knew that Lisa, in a way, acquainted with Yukina, Sayo was ready to loathe the convict of the mess that happened. However, that's not her job to do so - she needed to get the truth, not mindlessly charged at some initial facts without further investigation. Because of this 'connection', too, Sayo doubted that Lisa would do such thing to Yukina, also her physiological profiles shows nothing of a spectrum of madness.

"Well," Sayo rolled her eyes. "You didn't kill her. Minato-san is still alive, in coma."

"R-Really!?" Her eyes practically bulged. Shock is what's that coated her face, Sayo might conclude.

"Guess nobody told you, huh? After all, you're responsible for many victims, not only her."

The brunette looked away at the sharp glare Sayo gave.

"... I didn't do it. It wasn't ... me ..." Lisa winced. "I ... I've been suppressing my power this whole time, why could it happen?"

"Suppressing your power?"

"I'm taking some medications," the brunette explained. "When I was a kid, I was kidnapped ... they - the kidnapper - gave us Esper powers, but not many of us are able to control it correctly ... so years after we're set free, they sent us some medications to help controlling our powers, but it was more like anonymous package, and I knew the purpose of medicine from a friend."

So the kidnapping related to her 'Esper' power, and trace of medications in her data after the crime happened. Lisa mentioned 'us', it might point to the "Who had kidnapped you?"

"I ... don't remember. Nobody remembers."

"You befriended that attacker then, perhaps?"

"No, I ..." Lisa fidgeted. "I-I don't know whether she's already within their area or not."

And looks like Lisa is aware whoever attacking her.

"Who's this masked attacker?"

"They are Espers wanting to revolt against our 'creator' that the government always covering up for," Sayo noticed the strange pause, but Lisa reeled away before she got the chance to strike. "... is what I can say. I don't really know much about them."

"I see," Sayo might need to look up some documents about this official Esper research later. "I can't say you're not wrong by your explanation. I have my layers of suspicion, but it's not wise to question everything to a person whom just awakened."

"Sayo, please, believe me-"

"And since when you could freely call me like an old acquaintance, convict?" she spatted. "I wish next time I'm questioning you, you won't be hiding the crucial pieces."

[ Why she's still hiding something? ]

Chapter Text

Ayakashi-kan, or Mansion de Ayakashi.

A celebrity mansion on outside which housed youkais and other reincarnations inside. Celebrity thing aside, what's distinguishing them from mere mortals is that each one of the residents wield a bodyguard, a special kind of bodyguard named 'Secret Service' - in short, SS, or SSA, whom also one of youkai lineage.

While the building and placement of the room look almost the same for each stairs from outside, the residence allowed of special requests, such as how the Room number 3 fared.

Positioning by the far side to back, with large window facing the backyard of the mansion, usually it would be better to turn off the lamps and let the clear skies bathing in stars lit the room.

That night, when stars lining to its finest, while moon is nowhere to search for, the residence of Room number 3 will find herself in no need of sleep. The owner of turquoise hair would sit by the edge of large windowsill, which was atop of where her bed is, pulling on her black nightgown, hugging her feet while watching, counting the stars.

Orihime. Night; two things associated with her, are maybe the reason she found the moonless night to be of her solace, to be her way to seek such escapade in brewing insomnia.

"Princess, you can't sle--"

"--And how many times I told you not to call me that?"

The fox was coming without knocking on the door again. This brunette clad in her black and white tux might be her Secret Service Agent, but she wanted some length of privacy.

"Can't help it~" oh, tehepero no jutsu again? "When you're seeing stars like that, all that comes into mind is 'Orihime'."

"... Well. I am Orihime. Reincarnation of it, so I might say." Sayo sighed. "What brings you here? Think I've said that I want some time alone."

Imai Risa scratched her cheek, "It's starry night. You should be thinking of her again, your twin sister."

Ah. How the Secret Service Agent had learned of her past.

The reason Hikawa Sayo, being somebody with strong reincarnation of Orihime, to live someplace away from home by the foot of useless meaning of Secret Service Agent's help, is only to avoid the reincarnation of Hikoboshi, and the very person she's in odds with - her twin sister; someone who's of a bright side of the world, bested with every talents Sayo wished she could have -- how can a glimmer of envy not sprouted so easily?

"And what, pray tell, you're trying to imply with that?" Sayo lashed. She hated a bit how the fox would always smile despite her harsh treatment.

"Hmm, I was thinking, maybe I can help you to sleep by sleeping together with--ow! What's the pillow for!?"

"... Insolent fox!"

"And why you're being high-and-mighty like princess now, Sayo~" Risa whined. "Don't you say once that it's okay if we slept together?"

"Don't be so cocky." the turquoise-haired girl scoffed. "Your tails were warm, that's all."

"Oho~"

"That's it! End of conversation, step out from this room or I'll rain pillows at you."

"O-O-Okay, sorry, sorry!"

.

.

.

A fox always meddling with her way.

Though, Risa is not an ordinary fox youkai, and sometimes Sayo couldn't help but to wonder why is even Nine-Tailed Fox like her becoming one of the Secret Service Agents.

Nine-Tailed Fox, in Risa's case, Tamamo-no-mae, is regarded to be one of three dangerous evil youkai of history. While dangerous evil youkai might bring bad omen or coated in dark magic, her level of purity because of Orihime's blood will nullify it. Sayo just understand how it worked when she saw the newest addition to Ayakashi-kan, Shirasagi Chisato - a Shuuten-douji incarnate - with her curse being repelled by her Agent's purification skill.

.

Wait, doesn't Secret Service Agents chose their own masters?

.

When wondering, Sayo was unaware as she trying hard to sleep as the stars started to wane, a fluff of something replaced her blanket, even her pillow.

Fluttering red fluff of warm nine tails.

"... Did I say to go away?"

Risa was right beside her, grinning, maybe she did her magic to teleport again, she had done it so many times.

"Did you? Your eyes didn't tell it that way." Risa shuffled her pointy fox ears. "So I sneaked again."

"There's no helping you, huh?"

"There you were in daze again so I easily slip in." the fox chuckled. "Something bothering you?"

"I was thinking why are you even here," Risa's ears flicked. Sayo patted on it. "I mean, you could be a master instead of a servant."

"Aand why would you think so?"

"Just ... maybe? I don't know how the recruitment level between SS and masters works."

When Risa let her fluffy big tails to be Sayo's bed, she'd occasionally curls it, so it might hug Sayo closer to her. They would talk like this side-by-side, a small distance in the darkness of night, stars peeking them from behind the curtains.

"Let's say, we want to be someone we wish to be for our masters. Be it a strong or a weak youkai, it doesn't matter." Risa answered. "Your eyes. Yes. It's the stars in your eyes when I first saw your photo ... your stars looked lonely, so I ..."

There slipped a blissful silence.

"... I think I said too much, Sayo."

"Hmph. Maybe you are. Your blush is visible, Imai-san."

"H, Huh?" blinks. "You're not angry or irritated or ... or something?"

"I'm used to your cheesy lines, I think."

.

[My stars looked lonely, huh? While I'm the stars itself--]

.

"Still not sleepy?"

"Not yet. I want to see stars on your eyes too. Don't know if 'starry eyes' can only be seen with fox's eyes only."

"Let's see you try~"

"Fine."

There’s one secret the Secret Service Agents hiding from their Master, or maybe, if the Masters are keen enough to observe, they might know it: no one in SSA ever appointed to a wrong Master because it’s the SSA who’s choosing their own Master.

In case of Tsugumi and Moca of Room One, they are childhood friends and it was as plain as day. As for Aya, SSA of room number five, she already told Risa before her Master--one of three dangerous evil youkai, Shuuten-douji--comes by that Aya befriended her Master through being a ‘fake fan’ to the said ex-actress letter, though without the latter knowing.

That night, with Aya still chatting over whatever day of her and her Master with Moca nodding and laughing in-between Aya’s stupidity, for once Lisa didn’t join the fun. The Masters are now not present inside Ayakashi-kan attending to several internal family matters outside.

It’s one of creed of SS not to follow their Masters around for such familial problems.

“Risa-san, we haven’t heard why you choose to be the SS for Orihime~” Moca swung by in her Ittan-momen form, swaying over the nine-tailed beast.

“Ah, Moca-chan, don’t ask Risa-chan, she’s always in deep thought if Sayo-chan said she’ll be going home-”

“Aya.” Lisa bared a glare. Though Aya should be more glaring than her since Aya is in her Raijuu form, just kidding.

“Oh, oh. I think I know~” Moca said again. “Is it because the contract will terminate if Sayo-san decided to finally go home?”

“W-Where have you heard that, Moca!?” Aya shook her head and chanting she didn’t say a thing. “… Is your contract like that too?”

“Yup~ me and Tsugumi are bounded that way~” the white paper explained. “Anyway~ back to the topic again, why don’t Lisa-san tell us about it~”

“Right, I’m curious too! I mean, what is Master-level youkai like you doing as a SS?”

“Said someone who’s also a Master-level youkai, you heavenly being, Raijuu.” Lisa laughed dryly. “Guess I should tell you two, huh? Since I’ve known each of your stupidity-”

“Risa-san! That’s blackma~il! No fa~ir!”

“Ahaha, I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” Lisa shrugged. “I … well, it’s kind of embarrassing to tell.”

Both of them shooting Lisa with twinkling eyes of curiosity already, though.

.
.
.

Several years ago,

Being the one with the reincarnated power of one almighty youkai, Risa’s parent opted a few marriage proposal with fellow high-leveled families of youkai lineage or the likes quite often, especially after Risa turned 17.

That one time, her parents escorted her somewhere saying that it’s another marriage prospect, but in a form of ballroom event. That time, her parents said to her to find the high level reincarnation there and Risa must at least talk to everyone once before reporting back and her parents will tell her about who Risa is going to be paired of with.

Risa talked to various different person of different ages, gender, even some of them already have an occupation, be it from their family business or some plain office worker, and then-

“Stop clinging to me!”

Risa saw two siblings--twins, if Risa telling from their similar hair and eye color, and their same dress pattern. The taller one with longer hair then stepped away from the crowd in furry, the shorter hair one tried to call her ‘older sister’ to no avail.

Now when she studied them closely, she could see it: the stars on those eyes.

Risa didn’t know why her eyes--Tamamo’s eyes--caught ‘stars’ sparkling on anyone’s eyes easily. That way, though, Risa knew how one might feel, or just knowing the state of whatever one person is thinking.

The retreating girl ran to her way, bumping her.

“Are you okay?” Risa asked, noticing the star in that eyes blinked a little, and then it dimmed - cold, lonely.

“It’s not your problem. Leave me alone.” she spatted.

Risa watched that back going out the ball room and disappeared, before the ‘younger sister’ caught up.

“There she goes …” she slumped her shoulders. “Sorry, did Onee-chan hurt you?”

“No, well,” Risa turned to the closed door. “I do think she’s the one who’s hurt.”

“I see.” the younger sister sighed. “By the way … are you … Nine-Tailed Fox?”

“Huh?” huh, how did she know? “… How can you guess it?”

“So you’re the one going to be my fiancee.”

Risa was agape. “W-Wha!?”

“They did say Fox smells of trouble. And you smell like a Fox, so,” the younger sister making this kind of sentence that Risa didn’t quite get, but Risa nodded anyway, topped with nervous laugh. Sometimes Risa forget she has a very strong scent of Fox though, it’s given. “Anyways, I don’t really give a thing about marriage. Onee-chan declined some of her suitors too, I wonder why. I mean, that way, she can finally be away from me.”

“Why … so? You looked like you wanted to be with your sister.”

“Huh? You haven’t heard about me from your parents?”

.

There lies the famous tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi there on the papers. But then, it wasn’t easy for two siblings to get along, while they shared a great bloodline of a legendary pair who’s said to be separated but finding their ways together.

When Hikoboshi explained about ‘Orihime’ more, Risa finally understood why those stars on her eyes were so sad.

Risa shared more talk about Orihime and Hikoboshi as her parents insisted to meet her fiancee often, and her curiosity about ‘Orihime’ had piled up.

“Your sister wanted to live alone?”

“She tried, also to dodge her suitors from coming since she said that ‘they wanted nothing but Hikawa wealth’.” Hikoboshi stated. “Maybe she’ll be going to Ayakashi-kan next.”

Mansion de Ayakashi - the mansion specialized for youkai. Of course, it’s not like a high class youkai family will let their successor to roam to the world of normies in such unstable state.

“I do want Onee-chan and I to come in good terms, but,” the girl sighed. “I think it’s better for Onee-chan to decide if she wanted to be away from me, but … I guess the power of our blood will get in the way.”

“What do you mean?”

“If she ever choose to live on her own; will she be able to suppress the great sadness of Orihime when she’s away from Hikoboshi, especially on Tanabata day and any day within full moon with starry night skies?” Hikoboshi said. “I’d be sad too if anyone beside her can’t accompany her well, not to mention, Onee-chan is … sensitive.”

“... Sayo is … envious about her sister’s brilliance, but being Orihime and Hikoboshi, they in actuality shouldn’t be separated unless there’s some pact for it.” Risa continued. “Sayo eventually come here to be away from Hikoboshi’s cloud and becoming independent but her Orihime blood can’t resist the sadness from being away so at times Sayo is … weak and sad and I -- wait, Aya, why are you two crying!?”

“Uu … poor Sayo-chan!” Aya sobbed.

Moca stayed in silence with an urge to cry but she hold it in.

“And so, umm, I still think I’m stupid to follow her here to answer my curiosity about her but … Hina approved me as someone that might be able to help her when she’s sad …” Risa scratched her cheek. “Am I … doing a great thing?”

Curiosity? Was it really all of it?  Or because that her stars looked so lonely?  Sometimes Risa think of it, recalling the day when she meet Sayo again, with the young Orihime didn’t remember of who she is, being very hostile and closed.

“If you’re talking about spending the time out there when it’s starry night, I think you did something great~”

“M-Moca! When did you saw it!?”

“Tsugu is the one who saw you two, not me. Don’t forget that she’s a wolf that might seek the moon often~” the ivory-haired SSA answered. “Sayo-san was looking okay, nestling on your fluffy fur after crying a lot--”

“S, Stop it! P, Please don’t say about it anymore!” Risa was beet red, flailing her hands to conceal her blush of embarrassment. “Mou, Moca!”

What she had known of ‘Orihime’ was impractical back then, not until when she saw how weak she is because the effect of her blood, it all came to her that she--Imai Risa--wanted to protect her and she didn’t want any harm done to her, also she wanted to return her to Hina, the one who entrusted Sayo be in her care.

But after the contract has been fulfilled, what will become of her, can she let Sayo go, just like that?

Chapter Text

The usual practice day, Sayo would always be the one who come early, greeted the staff in the lobby, confirming Roselia’s studio booking, and started tuning her guitar the moment she came in the booked room.

If no one else is coming shortly after her tuning process, Sayo would begin to strum some of Roselia’s songs, usually the one came up into her mind. She would try playing one song, going through the verse and ignoring the parts of others, simply to test herself and noting some room that she could improve or discuss later.

And then, if nobody is coming after she finished a song, Sayo would continue to another - however, not that day.

“Sa~yo.”

The prankster is here, or so Sayo thought. The guitarist did hear the door swung open, but since she was too occupied with her guitar at the moment, she didn’t bother to turn and greet whoever was coming in the studio room that Roselia rented.

Sayo stopped on C key, holding her pick in place when she felt another hand joined at the place of hers, slender and thin fingers brushing to mimic her manner. Risa was resting her chin on Sayo’s shoulder, her body closing in as she grasped Sayo’s guitar and fingers.

“What is it, Imai-san?”

“Teach me how to play?”

“In this position?” Sayo smiled, Risa shouldn’t be able to see it, though. Nor Sayo is able to picture how merry Risa giggled, her voices and breaths tickled her ears. “Won’t it be better if you take my guitar instead?”

There was a hum, “Can’t it be like this? I do want to see how you usually play as I’m learning it.”

Risa felt the shoulder below her chin relaxed, before Sayo entwined her hands with Risa’s, making the bassist’s fingers now pressing the guitar’s fret board to make C key and the other right on the sound hole, holding the pick. Sayo’s hands didn’t stray away after Risa found the position, it stayed, copying an exact same manner as Risa’s earlier.

“I’ll guide you to play …” Sayo sorted her mind to the selection of songs sprung inside her mind. The one with easy chords, slow BPM, “… Hidamari Rhodonite.”

Risa clung herself closer, as Sayo cued the song will start. The guitarist told the transition between chords slowly as she ran her fingers gently on Risa’s. Sayo also told her right hand not to automatically pick on the strings as she usually played the bass, or to follow her usual bass chords.

After awhile, Sayo grasped tight, simply telling Risa to stop, just before the refrain.

“Sayo?”

Their joined fingers are still there. Risa was more to embrace her now rather than just slipping her arms between Sayo. The guitarist took her left hand crossing on the bassist’s--which were pressing on a key--and her right hand to scoop on the other hand.

They said, calluses from playing string instruments would wear off after a long time of practice, and just as Sayo felt when their fingertips touched, Risa’s hands are smooth, with a little hint of roughness but not within all, and it were thinner compared to hers. Yukina ever said about Risa’s nails are broken because of picking the strings after not playing for a long time, and now, what Sayo studied is a manicured short nails, not polished, not too long to hinder to play the bass’ strings. It was perfect, and Sayo couldn’t help but to examine it as it brushed both her skin and her curiosity.

Feeling the pair of eyes trained on her, Sayo let out an intake of breath, “I’m sorry,” she turned a little to catch Risa’s eyes over her left shoulder. “I see that you’re not fit to be a guitarist just yet.”

Sayo watched Risa blinking, her gaze averted right away, “Oh,” she looked below, Sayo followed. Risa was about to retract her hands now, though the position was unbearably comfortable. “Yeah.”

“Wait, Imai-san.”

“Hmm?”

“Your hands,” Sayo sensed as Risa’s fingers flinched, but Sayo caressed it instead, holding it in place. “They are soft.”

She garnered Risa’s blush, and an open lips, before it’s closing again. “Y-Yours are smooth, too. Even smoother than mine.”

They tapped on each other’s fingers against the fret board; entwining, feeling, pulling away from another reluctantly, making a little sound over the strings, and then closing it again, on different keys but the same sensation as their fingers touched and touched again.

“Imai-san?”

There was a sigh in the call of her name now, Risa noticed. It was when Risa leaned to Sayo’s side, when Sayo turned to make their faces inched close.

And their lips danced, meeting its partner.

Chapter Text

Sayo already had her plan in mind to buy ham and egg toast as usual when she arrived at the foot of the cafe, holding onto her unfinished paper, reports and graphs that due tomorrow. Even the standing board by the front aisle speak aloud of food and drinks that is special of the day, Sayo would always operate on low budget, asking for ham and egg toast, and the grandma there would notice her a moment later, she would ask for bitter warm tea by then if her stay there was long.

The cafe itself wasn't special, but Sayo loved it because it's calming, silent - as if no one ever find it existed by the junction of two faculties in this college main grounds - also, no one will find her or bother her with unneeded noises.

Sayo approached the bell by the cashier, but the one who came out unveiling the curtain from kitchen area is nowhere the usual old granny in her fifties.

"Welcome~" freshly-baked smile, so Sayo thought. This woman looked young, perhaps their ages are not far apart. The brunette had her hair down, tied handkerchief on her forehead, and the usual white apron adorning her black knit sweater. A nametag on her chest says 'Imai Lisa'. "Oh, if you're granny's regular, she'll be absent for a month because of her backache. I'll be taking your orders~"

Sayo made an 'o', sweet fragrant followed from this new clerk's wake, she almost forgot what exactly to order as her mind suddenly flashed to the selection of cakes by the food counter.

"I'd like ham and egg toast," she paused, those warm green eyes trained on her, still with the freshly-baked smile. "... that's all."

"Would you like our special hot chocolate, too? It will warms you up through the winter and flurry of task." feeling self-conscious, Sayo retracted her papers. Also, she almost fall for ordering it, such a nice service tone.

"Oh, umm, maybe later. Just ham and egg toast for now."

"Okay! I'll take it to your seat later on."

Sayo picked the seat by the rows of right alley away from the counter with the biggest table. She would sit facing the direction of the door so when there's a crowd coming, she will pack and go away to find another silent place. While this cafe is barely unnoticed and she rarely find herself to go away after hours, she always done such precautions.

"Here, your ham and egg toast." whoa, it startled her, that was fast, usually the granny will take three more minutes. What surprised her more, is that the new clerk brought along a cup of tea and a small decorated plastic bag in addition to her order. Sayo picked up the small bag to find star-shaped cookies inside, before she looked up to see 'Imai Lisa' smiling again, holding her tray.

"... Wait, I didn't order ... these?"

"It's today's special, I see you didn't read the notice board," Lisa giggled. "As for today, any purchase of food will be rewarded with complementary jasmine tea and special Lisa's cookies."

Blinking, Sayo opened the bag to see the cookies, and there's a small note inside.

"Well then, have a nice day and I hope you'll finish your assignments." the brunette bowed.

-- Right, she shouldn't automatically wanted to return back to the front aisle and order hot chocolate now, should she?

Chapter Text

Risa didn’t know why she has yet to be called for a chocolate-making class that day with a simple message ‘emergency’ by Sayo. It didn’t take her to rush in a blink of eye, thinking something bad happened when she saw Sayo on her house’s sofa, sitting with a sigh, staring on empty wrapping paper in front of her.

“Hina … ate it all.”

Oh. It also didn’t take Risa a minute to reply with something that might hurt Sayo. “It’s … chocolates for Roselia?”

Sayo numbly nodded. “… Anyways, she’s out for her work so if I’m about to make it now, it will be safe but I can’t seem to find more motivation so I called you,” side glance to Risa. “To help me making chocolates.”

‘How to make my hopes up that I’m eventually your motivation, Sayo’. Risa giggled to herself. Sayo showed her Hikawa house’s kitchen and opened shelves to search the equipment.

“Well, then.” Risa tied her hair up. “Do you still have the ingredients or should I shop for more?”

“I still have enough materials. Can you get it from the fridge?”

If she remembered correctly, Sayo took a photo of her results and she got the shape just right. Risa winded up a bit when Arisa said about tempering chocolates the other day, thinking she had told Sayo about the same - perhaps she should let Sayo did the tempering and she did a little helping. Risa opened the fridge to get the pack of chocolate and milk, while Sayo readying the stove and bowl.

“’Kay, Sayo. Make it again. This time, you should be able to shape it even better~”

“O-Okay.”

“Why are your hands shaking there~? Come on~”

“I’m, I’m sorry, it’s because the teacher is watching, I-”

“Aww, really, it’s not like I’ll scold you if you do wrong~” Risa jeered. “Don’t forget the right temperature~”

“Yes.”

.

.

.

The chocolate that Sayo made has shaped greatly, Risa applauded Sayo’s achievement and then they proceeded to wrap it up with the wrapping paper and ribbon which Sayo had prepared before. For Hina, for Tsugumi, and then for Roselia members, a total of six blue-colored bags. Sayo even counted at how much she got for one bag and there’s no difference in six bags.

“Is this all?” Risa tied up the last bag.

“Yes it is.” Sayo lined up in a bucket, taking a notice so that Hina won’t get her hands on it and brought it to fridge again.

Risa watched the plate of leftover chocolate on the table, which is mixed between what Risa had tempered out of fun and Sayo’s. Sayo was glad that the chocolate turned fine; smooth and glossy, and she shortly thanked Risa after it.

Chocolate is delicate; in which if you don’t temperate it correctly, making it to melt in right temperature, it will be difficult to harden it as you liking. It is because chocolate has a unique traits of having different crystallization state depending on the temperature, called ‘polymorphism’. Chocolate, when melted in hot temperature past it’s actual melting point, will take colder temperature to make it harden, is the reason when you wanted to melt chocolate, watching the thermometer is a must.

Risa sometimes found the fact is rather ironic, as chocolate becoming the symbol of Valentine Day, as the noun ‘love’ is also changing in many, many forms that could not easily be grasped or to make it into a shape. Maybe, maybe a little of people would think of it as irony, but when Risa poked on a chocolate while in silence, she couldn’t help but to think that.

“You aren’t going to eat it, Imai-san? You like chocolates, don’t you?” Sayo woke her up from her reverie.

“Oh - I can eat it?”

“Of course, it’s a waste of leftovers if we don’t eat it.” Sayo took one of them. “Well, Hina might ate it later, but … just eat some.”

Risa picked one, biting it slowly and savoring the sweet taste filling her senses, “Mhm, it’s really good~ Sayo, you should try some too-”

Sayo didn’t bother to pick one from the plate, she inched closer to plant her lips instead on Risa’s open mouth. Pulling away, Sayo got herself to sigh, mumbling before covered her lips and reddened face.

Risa was still not processing. It was when Sayo pointed at a pink-colored bag on Risa’s lap, Risa breathed out a tiny ‘oh’.

“... Thankfully, I can save the chocolate I made for you.” Sayo looked on her feet. “So, umm, h-happy Valentine?”

[ -their next kiss wasn’t chocolate-flavored, but it’s still sweet anyway. ]

Chapter Text

“Risa-san, is everything okay?”

“No, Moca.”

Risa stretched herself over the table, letting her butler attire crooked. The dining place is void except for Risa, Moca and Tsugumi who’s eating. Moca tended the table for Tsugumi, her Master, and got the bread for her own, which Tsugumi only chuckled. It was quite late at night, and because of Tsugumi’s wolf youkai tendency, sometimes she’d go to eat at a strange hours such as midnight.

Another tiring day for Risa today, though. It has been three months since she’s working there and assigning to a master but she experienced the kicking away instead of accepting. While she already got details she must watch out from Hina about her older twin sister, incarnation of Orihime, she found herself dealing with something listed in other check lists. At least this month, Sayo didn’t insist on ending their master and SSA contract again, also Risa already keep safe distance to watch her and only went away if Sayo hushed her. The brunette Secret Service Agent will try to give her morning salutations, see her off to school, make sure she ate properly and walk away if she’s sleeping or studying or she gave a strong glare for Risa to stop hovering around.

Secret Service Agent is what made Ayakashi-Kan a special place. Even though the youkai herself can guard away from any disturbance with their own power, it’s already the custom there to be guarded by a Secret Service, while the ‘Master’ never requested directly for one. Secret Service Agent usually dressed alike butlers with black coat, buttoned up shirt with accompanying tie, and black gloves. There also an optional dress shirt, but with pants, it’s easier to move around in emergency.

“Be patient, Risa-san~ or maybe you can start writing your resign letter~”

“Moca!” Risa gave another groan. “You too, Tsugumi, don’t laugh~”

“I’m sorry, Risa-san. But it’s nice to see you still pumped up on getting to know Hikawa-san.” the brown-furred beast grinned. Tsugumi was wolfing down meat in her wolf form, but she’s eating properly on the table. Moca was ready to hand in more meat slices.

Little that she told anyone about her circumstances and Sayo, though she did say about her being ‘watching over Sayo because someone asking her to do it’, which is half the truth.

“Sayo-san is … descendants of Orihime, is she?” Moca asked.

“Oh, yes, she is. What about it, Moca?”

“Did you see that everyone had the bamboo tree decoration up everywhere? It’s going to be Tanabata soon~” the Ittan-momen SS added. “I think Tomo-chin is told to bring in and set up those bamboo trees, maybe Ran accidentally used it up for her own Ikebana~”

“How do you even decorate flower with bamboo stems, Moca?” Risa facepalmed.

“Oh, but sometimes Ran used a strange compartment as flower vase, Risa-san.” said the wolf.

“... I think I’ll help Tomoe with it later.”

“We’ll do the decorating tomorrow after school, ri~ght?” Moca turned to Tsugumi, who’s barking happily as an answer.

Tanabata, huh? Now when Moca mentioned it, will Sayo going to meet up with Hikoboshi--Hina--or spending time there?

Risa already learned the length of story from Hina and all of the lores and facts pertaining Tanabata itself, however,  thinking back of what Hina ever said,  Sayo wanted to be ‘independent’, meaning she would not be coming back to her home and will break away the ‘dependency to meet with Hikoboshi’.

Was it a good thing, really?


x x x


The next morning, Risa waited quite long outside room number three. It was as Moca said, Risa checked the calendar that it’s indeed the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar, just like the legend said. The forecast wasn’t exactly friendly if anyone wanted to go star-seeing, since it’s said to be raining around noon and continued all day.

Risa wondered why Sayo has yet to show up per usual, brushing past her without saying anything and going down for breakfast. Also it’s a normal school day, not a weekends which Sayo had her meal delivered to the room instead she’s going down.

After waiting for another fifteen minutes, now it’s seven past forty-five, Risa knocked the door.

“Sayo?”

No answer.

Louder knocks. “Sayo? You’re not going to school?”

No answer. Or Sayo is not even in there to begin with and left already? But Risa has been awake since five, her keen fox ears shouldn’t be missing even slightest door opening.

Risa tried to give a very loud knock. “Sayo?”

-Huh? The door is not locked? Risa tried to open the door, thinking once she’s going to burst the door open but it seems to be not needed.

Sayo had her own room in special manner, sporting a large window with deep windowsill next to her bed with an apparent reason unknown to Risa. The room itself is small compared to other SS and Master room she knew, Sayo only had her bedroom area and study area there on the center, the washing and changing room is close to the door leading to Risa’s personal room. Sayo didn’t request kitchen, maybe because the dining room below already got everything covered.

The sky outside was cloudy, several soundless lightning strikes already there. Risa noticed the bed remained untouched, and Sayo, the turquoise-haired girl has been hugging her feet while sitting on the windowsill, burying her face to her joined knees. It’s unknown whether she had changed to her today’s uniform or she didn’t change at all from the last night Risa had seen her.

Risa hastily approached Sayo, climbed the bed, but the closing hand was quickly tossed away by Sayo.

“Don’t come closer.”

“Sayo-”

“Leave.”

“What’s wrong, Sayo? I-”

“I said. Leave.”

Sayo didn’t bother to lift her face, only raised her voice. For once, Risa didn’t obey, she took Sayo’s wrist, staying despite the struggle.

Sayo was crying.

No, it looked like she didn’t cry for some while ago, her eyes are red and puffy, not to mention the dark circle adorning it. Biting her lips, Sayo tried to pull away from Risa’s hold, but the Fox didn’t falter.

“Your hands are cold,” Risa’s gloved hand reached for her chin, which also stone cold except for tears trailing down to her cheek. “And you look pale. I can’t leave you like this, something must’ve happened.”

“It’s not of your concern.” she yelled.

“But it is. I’m your SS Agent. It’s my duty to make sure you’re okay.”

“I said, leave! Leave, you useless Fox!”

“I won’t leave.”

Outside, it started to rain. Risa didn’t know why and how long Sayo has been shedding her tears but it didn’t even stop, despite her being more angry than sad. The Fox watched those eyes, filled with anger, pain and agony, and maybe something more, and those stars that the Fox always seen in every of living human eyes.

[ Risa didn’t know in what state Sayo’s mind is - it was like a pit of darkness, yet it wasn’t exactly void of light, those stars twinkling in her eyes were calling. ]

Warm light engulfed both of them, though, Risa could visibly see her own magic field collided with this sudden spark of energy. Risa had never seen Sayo in her true form--the one that could be channeled by the blood of their ancestry--which is the personification of stars itself, Orihime. As if responding to influx of magic, Risa showed her own true form, not wanting to be dispelled by the magic of the stars that directly denies her. Showing the grace of her golden nine tails, she grasped on Orihime’s magic, trying to stabilize the hatred which the stars had to the Fox.

It was raining outside, but several trail of birds started to flock, before it disappeared, as the rain gotten harder and the windows are fogged.

“... Leave.” Sayo clenched on Risa’s hand weakly. Her crying didn’t cease to end. “Please, leave …”

“I won’t.”

Seeing no more resistance from the magic and the physical body, Risa eventually carried Sayo up from her sitting position. The princess was weakening, since the influx of the connected magic wasn’t as strong as before and her body grew colder, but she was fully awake. The fox wasn’t exactly sure if she could just lie her down and let her be, since she might just return to sit down there on the windowsill--her chartreuse eyes, while it was crying, it was fixated there for some reason--so the fox hugged the body as she sat on the bed.

“If you are wondering,” Sayo breathed. “This is … maybe the drawbacks I got from not fulfilling what Orihime inside me wanted, and it doubled as Tanabata this year rained. I can’t close my eyes even though my body is weary, and I’m crying because the sadness, this won’t easily end until Tanabata ended.”

“Then, why not meeting with Hikoboshi? I can help you.”

“I want to be independent,” the princess explained. “Also … you’re not magpies that can bridge the connection between me and Hikoboshi.”

Perhaps the birds chirping earlier, it was Magpies - birds that said to bridge Orihime and Hikoboshi in the day they could only met. But as it rained, and this Orihime refused to meet with Hikoboshi, Orihime couldn’t help but to cry, again and again - is what the fox can understand.

“Sorry if I’m just a useless Fox.” Risa smiled wryly. “Sorry.”

“... It’s not your fault.” there, the princess sighed. “By the way, never thought a fox is this fluffy.”

“Umm, princess? Why are you touching my ears now?”

“Since when you’re allowed to call me princess?”

“Well, uhh, you’re Orihime? I’m just … doing the right manner.”

“Don’t call me that, I hate it.”

“But princess~” Sayo coughed. Risa instinctively shifted her to a straighter position. “… Do you need some water?”

“No, no, I’m fine.”

“Have you eaten?”

There was a silence. Risa can see Sayo was about to lie, but she didn’t.

“... Not yet.”

Risa sighed. “Can you manage until I make you some food? I’m, I’m really worried to even leave you for a second, y’know?”

“I’ll be okay,” Sayo coughed again. “I’ll try, but can you leave me sitting on the windowsill?”

“... Alright. I’ll try to be quick with food.”


x x x


Udagawa Tomoe and Mitake Ran, who were setting up Tanabata decoration by the lounge, were surprised by Risa in her nine-tailed fox form bolted to borrow the kitchen. Ran was cutting up colorful papers for Tanzaku, and Tomoe lined up the bamboo trees. Tomoe is SS for room number seven, and Ran being her Master also a well-known Ikebana prodigy from such young age.

“Risa-san?” Tomoe tried to ask, showing up to peek at the kitchen area to see Risa fumbling between the ingredient vault, refrigerator and the stove.

“I’ll explain later, and don’t worry, this is not full-scale emergency!”

“Haha, Ran is alerted because you’re in youkai form, I’ll tell her that it’s nothing serious,” the red-haired woman waved. “Good luck, Risa-san.”

“O, Oh! Wait, Tomoe! Can you help me to find a cart to bring these? You can continue with the decorating, I’ll call you once I’m finished!”

“Aye, aye~”


.

What Risa noticed when she entered the room again, was the fragrance of Lotus that filled the room. Sayo was not turning or answering to her call again from outside, and the fox had think of the worse.

“I said I’ll be fine … you don’t have to … cry like that.” Sayo sighed as Risa burst into the room, when Sayo gazed back at her with a weak smile between her tears.

“But--!”

“Okay, okay, so … you brought me the food.” the princess looked at the cart beside her bed. A bowl of pipping hot soup and there are more.

When Risa settled the bowl, though, she didn’t give the spoon when Sayo reached.

“-I’m going to feed you.”

“Eh? W-Why? I’m-”

“Princess. I won’t let you doing anything but resting until the Tanabata is over.”

“Oi, Fox-”

“No excuses, you know that I won’t budge.”

.
.
.

It was a day in summer with rain, but Sayo’s hands remained cold even after she ate, and Risa put her blanket around her as she sat, refusing when Risa offered her tails as a blanket.

“So you’re descendants of Tamamo-no-Mae?”

“I think? When my mom showed the scroll of it, I do think my power resembled hers, rather than usual Kitsune youkai.”

“Then that means you can induce poison gases? It won’t be safe for me.”

“... Hey, now, it doesn’t like I spew poison mist automatically~”

Just like Sayo said, she can’t sleep or rest, so Risa managed to talk with her instead to pass time and hoping that it would ease her pain somewhat. As the time walked, Sayo’s tears got eased, and she responded to Risa’s conversation rather animatedly.

The rain is lessened as it was going to be dark soon, black skies ready to hover on the horizon.

“Can I have a request, Fox?”

“It’s Imai Risa if you forget my name.”

“Imai-san.” she repeated. “Can I request something?”

.
.
.

The rain, thankfully, was letting up when evening came. Through clouds of night, stars still could be visible by then, though not as many as how it would be with a clearer sky and fair weather. Bringing Sayo in her arms, Risa walked slowly to the rooftop area. The fox remembered that there’s small gazebo on the vast rooftop of Ayakashi-kan, at least there would be a place to sit and a protection away from rain if the rain going to continue.

Sayo wanted to see the stars closer, she said, and so she asked to be brought there.

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar, the night when two stars meet, Vega and Altair, celebrations and festivals for this couple is going on down there and every side of the town, but the girl in her arms wasn’t the one who’s happy or writing on her wishes.

Risa stood by the spot where she could see the stars better, it’s when Sayo raised her hands, as if to grasp the stars above, and whispered.

“Why this really hurts?” the princess wailed. “Why, even though I only inherited her blood, not her wish or her will? Why it hurts so much?”

“Shall we go back? You’re crying and shivering again.” Risa wiped on her tears.

“... Yeah.”


x x x

Insisted that she doesn’t want to leave, Risa bundled herself--her tails, mostly--as she watched Sayo to sleep. The princess said that slumber never comes in easy in the day of full moon or the day where stars are the brightest, saying that she already used to it but The Fox didn’t want to go away. The effect from Tanabata should be lessened as the day is about to end, Sayo should be able to sleep soon.

“Such persistence, what a troublesome person.”

“Ahaha, I’m proud to be a troublesome~” Fox ears flicked.

“... Whatever.”

“It’s warm and makes you sleepy, right, my tails~”

“S, Shut up …”

Risa ran her hand to the turquoise hair, “Take your rest. Don’t feel any worry. There’s nothing wrong for being sad or weak.” the Fox smiled. “I’ll stay with you, no matter how you are.”

“... Sly fox?”

“Aww, there you ruined my speech, but anyways,” Risa sighed. “Good night, Sayo.”

“Mm, good night. And …” Risa’s fox ears perked up. “Thank you.”


.

Risa couldn’t do anything to ease her pain.

The Fox couldn’t do anything for The Princess, after all.

Chapter Text

“Good work today, kaichou-san.”

Sayo went inside the student council room, her series of phone calls just ended. The meeting of student council that day started without her, as she was getting a phone call regarding Hikawa Estate business. She told her vice president and secretary to take over the meeting and to tell her the digest of it later.

Shirasagi Chisato, the secretary of student council, took her seat again after she bowed. “Is everything going well? You seem to be pleased.”

“I might say it’s quite a good news on my end, the advice Minato-san told me proven to be going really well,” Sayo took the usual chair of the square table where the meeting usually being held. Looks like her phone calls taking too long that everyone already out, and sunset color filling the room with Chisato alone on her assigned place, sorting papers. “Then how’s today meeting, Shirasagi-san?”

Chisato handed a block of document Sayo needed to read, and Chisato took her glasses on as she set up her notebook for Sayo to see graphs of some club funds, also some data about the students going in detention or to put it simply, on the high end of Disciplinary Committee radar.

Seeing one name is no longer there, Sayo smiled.

“... That concludes today’s meeting.” Chisato closed the notebook. “I guess there’s another refreshing matter aside your work, kaichou-san?”

“You read me too much, Shirasagi-san. And now, please call me with the usual, we’re no longer in a meeting.” Sayo chuckled. “But well, there are some things that’s still in my mind.”

“For example?”

“A certain stupid person bothered me.”

Chisato had herself blinking. “Hmm? So somebody in the school tries to mess with you? Such a brave feat of her,” Sayo noticed Chisato had her own sigh. “Just like someone I knew.”

“Maybe we’re prone to have problems with stupid person,” the turquoise-haired girl shrugged. “But this stupid person ... How do I put it?”

“Getting on your nerves?”

“Meddling with your business.” Sayo corrected. “But when you saw a different side of that person, it’s just ... It feels like you finally ‘know’ what is that person aiming at.”

“Is it for your good deed?”

“Can’t really say,” Sayo rolled her eyes. The image of the certain person resurfaced, her new ‘step sister’ of months ago. “However, if you put it that way ... Right. No harm done, though you misunderstood them, and ...”

Chisato smiled at that, somehow, before she said. “You ended up hated them, huh.”

“When thinking about it now, I no longer hated this person, though, rather ...”

Sayo scrunched her forehead, thinking back. When that person--she--came to her life, it was another problem to already mountain of it.

Not to mention, her first day in school already spelled a trouble, as much as her younger twin has fared.

Then again, she’s there when Sayo needed the most and she wasn’t a bad person per se - she’s such a hardworking girl who takes care of others.

“... I ... What is it called? I don’t know what’s this, admiration, maybe? Or simply astonished? Surprised?”

“Attraction, is what you call it when you’re wanting to know them more.” Chisato quipped. “... when you want more than knowing, it’s called, affection.” Sayo saw the smaller blonde making circle on the table. “and by the time affection is bubbling, it’s ... it’s what you call as love,” the finger stopped. “Is what I can summarize from my own case, Sayo-chan. I don’t know about yours.”

--Huh?

“Love ...?”

“Hard to admit, hmm?” Chisato smiled again, as she got off from her desk and grabbed her yellow sweater and bag. She took off her own Hanegaoka blazer. “Not everyone finds love as a solace of an answer, though.”

“Shirasagi-san.”

“I’m sorry, kaichou-san, but I’d like to stop this conversation for today, we can continue on next time,” her wide smile doesn’t falter, Sayo knew what’s behind it, though, her secretary has tough mask for mere public view. “If you excuse me.”

[ While Sayo’s thought danced on a certain brunette, Chisato got a pinkette in mind; but their thoughts nowhere symmetrical. ]

It has been four hectic months since Risa joined Hikawa family as her father had remarried. Dealing with different personality twin sisters was a challenge. While Hina might be open and don’t mind of Risa’s joining the family, Sayo was a rather hard step sister to approach. Because of their grandfather’s insistence, Sayo also tasked to monitor the business growing within Hikawa Corp. on top of her student council’s responsibilities. Risa, Hina and Sayo were living in a separate home from the main family because it’s nearer to the school, and as Risa mentioned as ‘hectic’, there was never a day without a problem. Slowly, though, Risa got Sayo to trust her, and Risa helped Sayo and Hina mending their distance because of Sayo’s jealousy of Hina and Hina’s bad tendencies on doing things in her own pace.

Risa was home to find Hikawa residence is silent again. When she dropped her belongings--her bag and plastics of tonight’s dinner--she noticed her phone buzzing.

‘Sorry, Risacchi, I’ll not be home today. Want to accompany Aya-chan and her sob story also Maya-chan’s got a new game! I’ll notify Onee-chan, too!’

“Haha, as cheerful as ever, eh, Hina?” Risa giggled to herself, she scrolled up to see there’s more text. “Hmm? ‘P.S, have you tried the aroma oil I gave you? It has a very good relaxing effect, maybe it will be good for Onee-chan too~’ oh, right, that aroma oil.”

That time as Risa get to know Sayo, it was hard to say that what she felt to Sayo is of a simple familial connection. But as a stepsister, and maybe it’s still long, long way to go for Sayo to finally acknowledge her as a ‘family’, Risa tried to put it aside and do whatever she could to support Sayo. Risa confided to Hina many times about this condition, and one of the things that Hina gave was this small bottle of aroma oil. Hina gave Risa this bottle of aroma oil not long ago, said to be a good charm to help Risa’s relationship with Sayo.

“Hmm, so I just need to apply it anywhere? Ah, it smells good, maybe I’ll just spray it to myself ... and done!” Risa hummed. “O-Oh, it’s already 7 PM. Sayo might be back soon if she’s not busy. I need to get the dinner ready~”

Risa shuffled through her shopping bags. She put down several things she bought as stock in the refrigerator and top shelves of their lavish kitchen.

“I wonder what shall I make for dinner ... Full course Japanese set meal? Or Western-styled dish?” Risa skimmed between a cookbook in her head, and nearly dropped some eggs when she came into one recipe. “Fluffy Omurice! Right, it should be great!”

Taking her favorite pink rabbit apron, Risa rolled up her shirt and getting pumped up to cook.

[After all, she could only support and like Sayo from great distance, right?]

“I’m home.”

Sayo took of her shoes and smell a sweet fragrance of omelette. Risa must be cooking, or she had already finished, is what she thought.

“Welcome home, Sayo.” still with her apron, Risa approached the front door. Sayo eyed her older stepsister with a soft gaze. “The dinner is ready, and oh, Hina said she’ll stay over at Maya’s place.”

... Strangely, Sayo picked another sweet fragrance, which is not related to the food, but Sayo tried to ignore it. “I’ll go to my room for a bit then I’ll join you, Imai-san.”

“Okay~”

(‘Did she put on a new perfume or something? It smells rather ... strong.’)

Risa. Imai Risa. The same year as her and her older stepsister by trade. A girl who spells trouble because her outer look of gyaru fashion. At times, she’s even in blacklist of Disciplinary Committee and that created another headache for Sayo as a student council president. However, as Sayo get to know her, Risa was not a person seeking for Hikawa’s wealth nor wanting to get in Sayo’s way. Risa was trying to be a responsible older sister, and she tried to help Sayo in things outside corporate business.

And Risa is someone that she--

“Sayo, is something wrong? You’ve been staring at your door for awhile.”

Eh?

Sayo blinked. She was not moving in front of her door, just like Risa said. Sayo turned to see Risa, her face contorted in concern as she suddenly examined her face.

“Are you overworking again?” that sweet smell again, what’s with that smell- “Sayo?”

“I’m ... alright. Don’t worry about it, I was wondering about some things earlier on the way home.” is what Sayo could say, and of course, omitting the part of Chisato’s conversation about a particular person.

Risa voiced a long hum, perhaps of disbelief. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Mm.”

.

Risa is quick to worry, she felt it herself. Risa was the one who found Sayo collapsed in the student council office alone because of overwork, and it grown inside her to not Sayo pushed herself anymore. Though she might unable to show it that much, because Sayo might think she’s being nosy, Risa would watch for the signs, and tried to approach it carefully.

This time, it was about the same. It’s been awhile since Sayo went to her room and she was being kind of weird earlier.

Should she knock the door? Should she ask whether Sayo is doing okay? Would she be branded noisy again?

Shaking her head, Risa decided she must check up on Sayo, if the turquoise-haired girl spatted on her, it would be for another issue.

Risa tried to knock first. Softer, and then louder ones.

No response.

“... Sayo?” pleasenotlikethattimeagainpleasenot--

Sayo was sitting on her bed, visibly grasping on her own bed sheet. She also looking down, not even lifting her face when Risa was entering room a bit noisy on purpose. “Sayo?”

Not when Risa was of close proximity when Sayo finally meet her gaze. The usual calm green eyes are clouded, also Sayo’s face was flushed, her breath went heavier.

But wait, this isn’t a fever, it’s more like--

“S-Sayo?”

A rather sudden, rough pull. Risa is now lying on Sayo’s bed, watching as Sayo towering over her in such haze. The brunette tried to call Sayo’s name a few times, which is replied with nothing but a thorough stare - Risa could only shivers.

Sayo wasn’t ... drunk, right? Risa found no apparent trace of alcohol.

“... Imai-san.”

“Y-Yes?”

“It’s ... all your fault,” an index finger is tracing to Risa’s lips, making a line down to her neckline. “It’s your fault that I ...”

Their kiss--Risa’s first kiss to Sayo--wasn’t exactly memorable. Rather, Risa could say those lips were hungry, waiting, and Sayo pulled to fulfill something akin of frustration. Sayo only pulled a bit to unbutton part of Risa’s shirt, before she dipped again to melt their lips together.

“Sa--Sayo. Stop--”

Sayo wasn’t listening, as if she was under of some spell. The student council president nudged on her collarbone.

“Mm. You’re so ... warm.” she slurred. One hand reaching on Risa’s abdomen. “I’d like to have some more ...”

-- and it stopped. Sayo was not moving and her breath eased, she was knocked out.

Risa found her strength to push Sayo away, finally, though not so strong so she would fall off. After putting Sayo in more comfortable position atop the bed, Risa burst out of the room, seeking for nearby sink water to calm her warming nerves.

Those hungry-looking eyes, she couldn’t easily forget it. And her calling voice, like she could forget-

“Is it the ... aromatherapy’s fault? But ...” Risa bit down her lips. Her hands trembled.

[Was it really, Sayo’s true color ...?]

Chapter Text

"Yes, thank you for your help, Uehara-san."

Sayo spoke softly over the phone. Thankfully, that time, she could still reach someone she knew who won't ask too much over her request for packs of blood and a bit of assistance. Since it's impossible to move the convict without arrangement, Sayo decided to treat Lisa there. Uehara Himari, one of the nurses Sayo acquainted through Ran and Tomoe, came quickly to her residence bringing things she had requested.

Though the nurse appeared to be bubbly, it was like how Ran and Tomoe described her, to be 'quick and dependable'.

"Thankfully, her condition quickly stabilized, Doctor!"

"Now, now. I'm not a doctor anymore." Sayo brushed. "I'm sorry to bother you outside your work hours."

"Please don't worry about it! It's my duty to keep the patient safe!" Himari said. "Anyways, how's she? Has she regained consciousness yet?"

Sayo turned to her back, to the patient bed where the convict laid. It's the second blood pack, also in concurrent with her infusion of mannitol. The color has regained to her face, the breathing and pulse in stable lines, but she hasn't opened her eyes.

"Unfortunately, no."

"I-I see." the voice across the line seemed down. "If you ever needed something else, don't hesitate to call me again, okay, doc?"

"Uehara-san, I said, I'm no longer a --" the turquoise-haired investigator sighed. "In any rate, again, thank you for your kind help."

"Right-o, doc!"

BEEP.

"... What a free-spirited nurse." said Sayo to herself. "Makes me reminded of ..."

[ Sayo paused, cursing the pasts that continues to haunt her to no end. ]


.

Sayo couldn't thank the world enough at least the people around her is supportive with her means to pursue the truth. As long as she reported her findings to Chief Inspector and First Division, Sayo is free to do anything she wished or to resort any method she's comfortable with.

Though, this time, she has yet to report why she filed in medical help for Lisa instead of saying 'she injured herself accidentally, and because she's in rather weak condition, packs of infusion also included to help with her blood transfusion'. Sayo felt that she needed to search about this new term she just discovered before taking account to others.

Sayo already said to Ako back in the precinct that she'd take a few days off because this matter, and for the greenhorn to do little paperwork needed in Sayo's absence.

'Esper' - it wasn't new to Sayo, since there has been news and papers about it scattered for technology world to know. To see them roaming free among people without power, it's something that Sayo never know happened. Not to mention, when the attacker talked about how they had a 'boss', seems that it would be a tough nut to crack.

Sayo was sitting beside the bed looking through several Esper-related paper in question when she heard a faint coughing.

"Convict?"

Mint green eyes peered open slowly, Sayo got on her feet to do breath and pulse checking, seeking any indication of wound reopening.

"Convict, can you hear me?"

"... Mm. Yeah. Loud and ... clear." Lisa huffed.

Sayo checked again the blood pack and infusion hanging there, noting how many hours before she needed to change into a new one or put them away. She let Lisa cope up with her waking disorientation with silence, while jotting some new information on the patient's record by the table. Then, Sayo took her wooden chair closer, beside the stand for blood pack and mannitol infusion, before helping Lisa to sit by pulling up the portion of bed.

"... sorry to alarm you, it must be the pressure from the IV."

"No need to be sorry," the investigator paused. To see the day she's able to 'talk' normally with the convict - Sayo was torn between bewildered and happy. The image of her fallen comrades resurfaced on her mind, before the sea of corpses coloring the ball from that time. "Are you okay to speak now?"

"Give me more minutes."

"... Fine."

Sayo watched as Lisa mumbled something, her eyes were restless, darting her and there down but Sayo.

"So, umm." the convict's lips trembled. "I ... as the masked attacker said, I'm an Esper. My, uhh, my power lies in blood control."

That much, Sayo had known. "And?"

"Will you believe in my story?"

"Depends on what that you speak of."

"O-Okay."

Sayo seen the convict crumpled her own sheet, before, "I didn't kill Yukina."

Yukina.

Yukina Minato; the Lead Investigator when the incident happened. She's the senior to Sayo in her field, whom she looked up to - of her way of work effectiveness and her tireless attempt to solve the case. At first, when she knew that Lisa, in a way, acquainted with Yukina, Sayo was ready to loathe the convict of the mess that happened. However, that's not her job to do so - she needed to get the truth, not mindlessly charged at some initial facts without further investigation. Because of this 'connection', too, Sayo doubted that Lisa would do such thing to Yukina, also her physiological profiles shows nothing of a spectrum of madness.

"Well," Sayo rolled her eyes. "You didn't kill her. Minato-san is still alive, in coma."

"R-Really!?" Her eyes practically bulged. Shock is what's that coated her face, Sayo might conclude.

"Guess nobody told you, huh? After all, you're responsible for many victims, not only her."

The brunette looked away at the sharp glare Sayo gave.

"... I didn't do it. It wasn't ... me ..." Lisa winced. "I ... I've been suppressing my power this whole time, why could it happen?"

"Suppressing your power?"

"I'm taking some medications," the brunette explained. "When I was a kid, I was kidnapped ... they - the kidnapper - gave us Esper powers, but not many of us are able to control it correctly ... so years after we're set free, they sent us some medications to help controlling our powers, but it was more like anonymous package, and I knew the purpose of medicine from a friend."

So the kidnapping related to her 'Esper' power, and trace of medications in her data after the crime happened. Lisa mentioned 'us', it might point to the "Who had kidnapped you?"

"I ... don't remember. Nobody remembers."

"You befriended that attacker then, perhaps?"

"No, I ..." Lisa fidgeted. "I-I don't know whether she's already within their area or not."

And looks like Lisa is aware whoever attacking her.

"Who's this masked attacker?"

"They are Espers wanting to revolt against our 'creator' that the government always covering up for," Sayo noticed the strange pause, but Lisa reeled away before she got the chance to strike. "... is what I can say. I don't really know much about them."

"I see," Sayo might need to look up some documents about this official Esper research later. "I can't say you're not wrong by your explanation. I have my layers of suspicion, but it's not wise to question everything to a person whom just awakened."

"Sayo, please, believe me-"

"And since when you could freely call me like an old acquaintance, convict?" she spatted. "I wish next time I'm questioning you, you won't be hiding the crucial pieces."

[ Why she's still hiding something? ]

Chapter Text

“… So, care to explain what have happened?”

Thankfully, the alley was silent that night, even the moving pictures already deep within slumber. Neither of their wands lit for a little helping light, just a flicker away from the Hufflepuff Common Room’s lighting that figured their faces.

The two girls of different Houses faced each other, one of them is a culprit for a little ‘incident’ happened just a minute ago in Hufflepuff’s Common Room. The said trespasser is a Slytherin, who smartly transfigured their robe, knew the secret password and able to get away from the ghost guarding there – well, this Slytherin witch is not your ordinary prankster, she is someone who reigned tall in score roster in every tests for every subjects, even rumored to have passed O.W.L level as early as her fourth year.

--However, that’s not an issue here. Her trespassing to another House’s Common Room is the main problem. The Hufflepuff brunette crossed her arms on her chest, tapping her fingers in wait as the said turquoise-haired Slytherin has yet to say a thing since she brought her away.

“Please … don’t tell your Prefect about this …” a low mutter. The brunette hummed, but she waited as the trespasser continued. “I-I was only doing my job as Slytherin’s Prefect.”

“And that is?” the brunette continued with a sing-song voice. “Is trespassing another house's Common Room included as one of Prefect’s job?”

“Look, I—“ there was anger in those glimmer of green, also frustration; the brunette stopped snickering. She was the one who found the Slytherin causing ruckus and brought her outside, she has the right to interrogate. “I got a letter that someone going to put a prank on Hufflepuff Common Room and making it look like it’s a Slytherin doing it.”

The brunette rolled her eyes to the state of the room earlier; scatter of books, whooping fireplace … it was like, serious kind of prank Charm being used or some usable prank items combined to do the deed. Her mint green watched the Slytherin Prefect again, her gaze fueled in regret. It was in the middle of dead night when the brunette decided to have a little read out of her assignments to find said culprit and the state of Common Room.

“I … should’ve told your Prefect instead of solving things myself. I’m, I’m truly sorry, I don’t mean any harm. Please don’t report me, I’ll do anything so that you won’t tell any soul. Just, please.”

It’s her plea again—the brunette thought. It must be regarding of her position and her reputation. Though, such uptight and serious person like her—Hikawa Sayo, fifth year, Slytherin pureblood—won’t have a heart to put a prank in other House. If telling about the situation and evidence, however, everything will point to her, unless someone covered her for it.

With a little long sigh, the brunette said, “You’ll do anything? Okay, I’ll take up on that, then.” The answer shook Sayo from her state of down-turning eyes quick. Oh, how the brunette hoped her own face doesn’t look too smug. “I’ll cover up for everything, don’t worry. But you have to keep on that promise.”

“Guess I have no choice,” Sayo massaged her temples. She ignored when the brunette offered that negotiation handshake, though. “We shouldn’t be here long. I’ll … talk to you somewhere tomorrow, you’re a fifth year too, right? Do we have any same class?”

Sayo is indeed well-known as stoic smart-ass, alas, she must say that Sayo is a stupid to miss a basic fact – Lisa personally wanted to laugh when she was posed with that question.

“Yeah, I’m fifth year too,” she tilted her head. “Just try to come to a Prefect meeting for once, oh Slytherin Prefect, I’m always there.” Lisa was really, really hope she got a moment to relish that shocked face of Sayo there. “I’m Imai Lisa, Hufflepuff Prefect. Remember it well, Sayo~”

And the door to Hufflepuff Common’s Room closed, with Sayo still stood agape by the entrance.

Chapter Text

Sayo still remembered how Hina’s letter went from that night.

That night she returned to her apartment after a day of work, she found an eye-catching envelope in bright blue amidst the dull papers of bills. When she opened it, the letter only spoke of minimal choice of words;

Please come and see how much I’ve grown, Onee-chan. xoxo Hina.

And after the letter ended barely, several tickets littered on her shoes. Sayo picked up the single airplane ticket, a hotel booking check and a small name card. The surprise didn’t end there, though, as Sayo saw the date and hour of plane’s departure – it’s five hours from now.

Rewinding the turn of event on the back of her mind didn’t help her away from the jet-lag, however.

There by her ‘destination’, Sayo couldn’t help but wonder why she quickly decided an okay to the invitation. She packed barely as the hotel booking said it would be a four days and three nights. Then, she stopped a taxi and the rest after that went away in a blur. It was as if Sayo was hypnotized, but Sayo was fully aware what she’s been doing.

She was brought to a southern Japan where there’s lots of beach, almost like a perfect summer holiday to be. Sayo phoned her office to tell she would be away for ‘business trip’ – thankfully, her position allowed some lengths of day off.

There has been three years since she last saw her twin sister. While Sayo is choosing the normal life in normal kind of office work after she graduated from college, Hina embraced her own will to be ‘free’. Sayo didn’t know what’s on Hina’s mind though. Her twin was getting a straight Cum Laude, not to mention she also got several acknowledgements with her degree and there she fled from home seeking her own ‘path’—Sayo didn’t mind either way as long as Hina kept the touch with family.

After resting up in her assigned hotel room and accessed the situation, Sayo descended to the front desk again. She brought a small name card enclosed in Hina’s letter and hoping that the receptionist have a clue what the card could be. There’s only a ‘Seaside Serenade’ there, printed on plain turquoise card. Sayo deducted that it might be ‘somewhere’ Hina ended up to in this place, somewhere near the beach where she is proudly saying ‘Come and see how much I’ve grown’.

“Oh, Seaside Serenade? You’re in luck, miss.” The receptionist said. “It’s the greatest bar here, located close to the coast. You can take fifteen-minute walk to north from here to get there.” There Sayo knitted her brows. Bar, she said? Hina works (?) at a bar? “They are open around evening if you want to visit.”

And now seems like the receptionist is reading her mind, Sayo decided to put the conversation to a stop and retreated. She glanced on her wristwatch, it’s still four more hours to 6 PM, she could use a power nap and little guessing on ‘what is Hina doing at a bar?’ answers.

.
.
.

Turned out, her blind guesses are wrong.

An image of ‘bar’ in Sayo’s mind was one hell of a place filled with drunkard and people randomly dancing, but the square area called ‘Seaside Serenade’ wasn’t like that. Outside, the place looked like usual beach huts, sporting the wood construction and surrounded by palm trees. It doesn’t look like they have an additional terrace or separate lounges for some ‘outdoor party’, every surprise waited for her inside.

As she opened the door, what welcomed her was not the blaring music from the DJs, but it was a soft tune of acoustic guitar. Sayo draws her sight by the corner right, where most people coming are piled there, watching the main stage lies there and occupied nearby bar table to request drinks from the shelves. The turquoise-haired woman did spot the DJ table set and the said guitar player sitting on their throne going on and on with their riffs.

Sayo couldn’t help but to tap her heel at the plywood flooring upon the comforting, jazzy tunes they produced. Now this is no ordinary rowdy bar, Sayo thought to herself. She’s not exactly good with loud boom of DJ tunes, but hearing the jazz got her exhilarated.

Not long, the guitarist put a last strum. The crowd cheered and clapped as they made a great finale. The guitar player by the purple hair stood up, then they removed the red fedora as they bowed.

“That’s from me as an opening act,” the voice sounded deep, though, Sayo caught a slight feminine tone in it. “I’d like everyone to enjoy the night with DJ Michelle after this, and don’t forget the usual password for my special Fleeting Martini at the table. See ya.” Ended with a wink.

Sayo was sure she caught the collected squeals from … women? A lot of women? And there the DJ table was lit with the … uhh, scratch that, DJ in bear costume. The crowd intensified by the side of speakers and drink tables, and Sayo didn’t spot any familiar Hikawa Hina anywhere.

“Umm, hello, do you care for a game?”

Sayo didn’t realize somebody approaching her, and it was from the opposite side where another door separated two areas laid. She squinted her eyes to see the familiar fedora and similar getup as the guitarist from before, though this woman wore net stocking, also quite well-endowed. The brunette brought a long billiard stick with her – Sayo deduced that it is what’s the staffs there are wearing.

“Game?” Sayo managed to ask.

“8-ball billiard,” the brunette pointed at the translucent door to her back. Her cattish smile is intact as she continued with her offer. “We currently have a promotion for free single round, in a different area less crowded than here,” Sayo let her lips loose, the brunette staff caught it as a sign that she is ‘right on the mark’. “So, care for a game?”

Hikawa Sayo wasn’t that great billiard player, but at least she knew the ropes. This is the second time on ‘I didn’t know why but I easily accepted the offer’ day on her end. Now, directed by the brunette staff to the pool table at the next room, she told Sayo to wait as she prepped the game table.

The staff was right about the other room being less crowded than the DJ area. This ‘other side’ is getting the same bar counter corners like their other half, but the grounds are filled with several pool table. There’s only one bartender occupied the counter, tending to selection of wine from casket to casket over several patrons stationed by the stools. The latter room seem to be soundproofed, this pool game area get no voice leaks at all – only a soft hum of easy jazz flowing by the jukebox located nearby the bar counter.

“Here you go,” the brunette staff handed Sayo a stick. The turquoise-haired woman eased her grip, making sure she felt comfortable holding it. “Do you want me to give a little tutorial?”

“I’m alright.”

The brunette then took a hold of her stick, her free hand glided over the table to take away the triangle guarding the eight balls of eight color by the sea of green. “You’re doing the break shot, Miss.”

Sayo held her breath, break shot – if she’s doing this right, she might lucky to score a ball or two. The turquoise-haired woman has yet to know whether this staff is good player or not, but she hated to lose and being looked down as a noob. Steadying her posture on the table, she angled her stick to the white ball. Sayo opted to not hit it strongly for now.

The white ball hit the other eight, breaking the triangle.

Sayo is a bit unsatisfied how the low-numbered balls went away from the holes, though she hid her disappointed sigh. Her eyes trained at the yellow, ball with number one then, and she proceeded with another shot aiming north of the table.

The ball rolled smoothly to hit the yellow one and to the north, closing in to the left holes. She glanced at the staff watching how the balls are going; it’s going to be her luck streak.

“Say, you’re not from around here, aren’t you?”

The brunette asked casually, hindering Sayo’s concentration to the table. Sayo’s fingers clenching tight on the stick, wondering how the staff knew. Well, she might not be wearing simple tank tops or those bright-colored, beach-themed shirt, isn’t wearing a twist front halter top and pants are passable for going to the night bars?

There, the brunette spared a smile to Sayo’s silence, “Oh, no. I’m simply guessing. It’s alright if you want to concentrate on the game instead talking,” she gestured to the white ball. “Your turn; I didn’t get any ball in.”

The staff is just being friendly – not like she knew Sayo to begin with, she should just return the gesture.

“You’re right, I’m not from here,” Sayo moved to her target ball and scored a hit. “I’m here to visit my sister.”

The brunette hummed, she crossed her fingers to rest her chin within stick’s support, watching as Sayo got her second hit. “That sounds fun.”

“Not really, I have yet to find her,” Sayo moved away to get the brunette playing her turn after Sayo’s failed attempt to score another one. “This is one great unique bar, though. Never thought I would see one.”

“It makes me happy to hear that,” her tone is cheerful, also she beamed and become a little red. “To tell you the truth, well, I ever think once that this idea won’t come into reality.”

Sayo listened intently to the brunette staff’s consistent rants--she would keep it long, but fueled with excitement and a space for Sayo to implore more instead her spouting everything. For example, when the brunette said about the drinks selection, she left a hint of cocktail passwords, in which Sayo asked out of whim.

The turquoise-haired woman tried to hide her surprised face when knowing that this staff is also one of many owners reigning the bar. The said brunette only chuckled to her awkward pause after she revealed the news, maybe Sayo didn’t hide her shocked look very well.

By the end the white ball rolling to hit a wrong-numbered ball from what Sayo had intended, her mind is no longer to the game. Her ears occupied with the sing-song tone of said brunette’s stories. Sayo couldn’t help but to smile when she--for oh-how-many-times--made another faulty shot.

The brunette didn’t play directly to her turn. She pulled away and sat at the table space beside Sayo. “How about tasting our wine for a change? Don’t worry; the first glass is free because you played the game.”

“Huh, how generous. Didn’t you say the game’s free?”

“Well,” Sayo caught a roll of the mint green eyes, before a tongue click. Sayo was sure she could see a glimpse of blush, but it’s not exactly important. “Let’s say it’s because I feel like it?”

While she didn’t find the reason plausible, Sayo responded with a slight shrug accompanied her nod of agreement. “Up to you, Boss.”

.
.
.

As she didn’t want to bother more with kind, free service of said brunette, Sayo excused herself to restroom after a glass of wine. The wine that the brunette picked for her was exquisite, tasted right in bitterness to suit her tongue. Sayo would love to ask for the wine’s name, but she had decided to pull away.

Her next plan is to disappear in the crowd from earlier to try and seek Hina for real. The music has shifted from hard-boiled DJ mixes over some songs and the stage is preparing for a change of personnel again. This time, the purple-haired person from earlier entered again with their white guitar again, two others followed from behind, one Sayo recognized as the person with short brown hair and unique laughter as she served wine to the pool table area, and the other - is no one but her twin.

Of course, Sayo couldn’t call for her as Hina prepped the stage and about to do something with an acoustic guitar handed to her by the brown-haired staff. The latter then sat by a box Sayo noticed as a cajon, and there the purple head took over the mic sending crowd wild.

“I hope you’re all prepared for our usual Escapade Acoustic Night, sweethearts.” and there the ever-present squeals again, Sayo sighed. “Tonight, however, somebody different will sing her heart out,” the crowd responded with busy chatter. The purple-haired staff there was unfazed, she proceed to continue her opening act. “She said she’d like to present a song to someone she just meet to seal her beautiful, fleeting encounter of the night. I hope you’ll enjoy our performance.”

The red eyes turned to see Hina by her left, Hina then took the mic stand nearby close to her. “No, no, we didn’t add another personnel! It’s just our usual bassist singing. Come on out, don’t be shy~ the person you’ve meet must be hearing you loud and clear.”

The next step closing in the stage was of a loud thump, there’s a wailing yell of ‘You don’t need to add those parts to the opening!’ Sayo watched left and right to see that the audience laughed at the commotion - which is, very natural. The stage’s lamp is dimmed again, and there the beginning of guitar jam started -- a familiar brunette taking up the center, red bass in tow.

[ Now then, will Sayo’s remaining time of two nights be able to seek the brunette’s True Name? ]

Chapter Text

At first, Roselia have agreed to go to summer festival together – by ‘together’ it’s the five of them.

.

Five minutes after the agreement, Rinko bailed out; she wanted to do something in the weekend with her family, she said.

Ako followed suit after a while, saying that Tomoe asked her to go on Taiko practice with elders.

A bit longer later, Yukina then joined with ‘I’m not interested if it’s not five of us, let’s reschedule’.

And so, Lisa has been holed up with a private chat with Sayo after then.

.

‘Everyone can’t come! While I already prepared yukata for it’, complete with sad emoticon, sent. Sayo paused for quite some time before replying.

There’s something fishy with everyone suddenly backing down out of already meticulous plan, yet, Sayo couldn’t put a lid on what’s so suspicious about it. Ako and Rinko were pumped about it earlier and Yukina seemed to be enthusiastic to see the festival by the shopping district; then there goes bam, their cancelation which left Sayo with big question mark in her head.

Faced with Lisa’s query by then, though, those nagging feeling dissipated, switching to what kind of replies she should make to Lisa’s message.

‘Do you still want to come to the festival this weekend, then? I can go with you.’

The reply from Lisa didn’t wait for a minute. ‘Sayo, are you sure?’ there’s a sign that she’s still typing for the next line – the line which took Sayo aback, her phone almost slipped away from her firm grasp. ‘It’s a date then?’

Sayo blinked, a lot. Date, Lisa said. She said date.

Well, it’s true they are going out, and added up the fact that it’s only two of them together to the summer festival at night, nothing could be more obvious. That being said, however, Sayo found herself pausing again, sweating hands clutching her phone and her face reflected by the dimming screen, she was red as tomato.

The turquoise-haired guitarist rolled to her back on the bed, letting the phone away from sight. Sayo get ahold of her warm face, and then down to her warming chest.

.


‘Yes, it’s a date.’ And it was sent after a round of composed breathing.

Every night during summer, a festival would be there around shopping district, the stalls will continue up to the steps of the shrine. While the food stalls already opened around afternoon, it would be livelier at night since there would be several performances from townspeople like Taiko performances or folk dances.

There’s also fireworks watching as well. As the fireworks usually displayed around weekends, weekends would be the most crowded time to visit the festival. Of course, most people would love to seek the memorable parts of the festival. It is quite given that crowd usually will gather around at the moment fireworks is ready to be launched.

It’s not like Sayo disliked being in crowd much, she just happened to wonder a bit at how to walk around and enjoyed the stalls within these big crowds of people coming and going.

Usually, Sayo would be that person who’ll come thirty minutes before appointment. That Saturday night, however, everything seems to differ by a single word ‘date’ plastered there.

Sayo was sure she will be late: choosing yukata to wear is harder than she thought. Hina was there to be her extra “mirror” and eventual color checker plus color picker. There wasn’t much selection of yukata available at home, and Sayo’s choice landed on a dark blue yukata with white Lily ornament. Her mom helped to do her hair up after she finished on wearing the outfit.

Now, by the foot of the night festival crowds, Sayo has been waiting for ten minutes at an empty bench she could find outside the stalls area.

At times, Sayo would check her phone, waiting for a message whether Lisa would be late, or something like ‘Don’t leave me to the fun, Sayo!’ to put her mind at ease. Her idle thoughts wandered again at how to survive the crowds, and then back to the opposite way searching for the brown-haired bassist.

‘Date’—her heart thrummed in anticipation again. Taking short sighs in-between, Sayo then chewed on her lips. That night, it will be a walk alone together with stronger, more intimate atmosphere unlike how they usually walked back from practice. Sayo found herself drawing blanks at what she had planned to do there all of sudden.

“Sayo, have you been waiting?”

Lost at her own reverie, she didn’t pay attention to the upcoming guest in front of her.

While Sayo had expected Lisa will choose red color for her yukata selection—because red suited her well—Sayo didn’t expect she would see Lisa away of her usual ponytail for the night. The brown tresses were tied at the little ends, which is let loose by her right shoulder. Lisa got a white chrysanthemum as part of her hair ornament, aligned by the side of her right bangs.

Sayo was also late to notice the usual mint green eyes sparkled differently the moment she is aware of Lisa’s appearance.

If only there’s a better word to describe Lisa aside ‘breathtaking’ – of course, Sayo didn’t say it out of embarrassment.

“… Sayo? Sorry, are you angry that I’m late?” Lisa shied her watch away from stern-looking guitarist. There goes her usual dry laugh, in which made Sayo’s heart sank in regret. “I’m, I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Imai-san.” Sayo cut short as she got up. Swallowing her nervousness and wondering where the disappearance of her neat plan went off to, Sayo offered her hand to Lisa. “… Let’s go?”

The excitement has yet to begin.

What they were doing first is to look around and see how many people in there and where they could safely walk without being lost in the crowd.

Their connected hands aren’t separated from the moment their walk started.

“It sure is lively~” Lisa remarked in sing-song voice. Visible redness by her cheek explained her vigor about the surrounding. “Where should we go first, Sayo?”

Sayo took a single glance to the shrine, before seeking the full food stalls by her left. “How about we pay the respect first? The crowd by the shrine seem to be thinner now.”

“Okay!”

They were treading the way pretty slowly, though maybe it is because they are wearing wood flip-flops. Part of Sayo wanted to enjoy the time they have together, also to match Lisa’s rhythm when walking. The guitarist might not know what the bassist is thinking right now, but seeing the wide smile on her face, Sayo surmised that she had done a good deed.

“Does your foot hurts?”

“Hmm? No?” Lisa answered. “How about you?”

“I’m alright.”

“Well, let’s just say something if either of us wanted to take a break~” Lisa beamed.

“Of course.”

There was this … twinkle that Sayo sees in Lisa when their eyes met. They were not that far apart from each other, or it can be said that they are glued together hand-in-hand because of how crowded the sea of people coming from the direction from and to the shrine.

Was this brown-haired girl is this beautiful? Sayo thought to herself.

“Sayo? You’re spacing out again.”

That smile is exceptionally sweet. Lisa is always one to worry, even more than how Sayo tried to be attentive. The brunette is an expert to look over somebody, too expert that sometimes she neglected her own well-beings.

“Sorry. It’s just-“

“Hmm?” now it’s her cattish smile there, Sayo could say she meant no harm, though.

“—you’re beautiful.”

Ah, she said it. And just then, their connected hands went slack for a moment. Both of them got their eyes widened. The buzzing voice of the crowd drowned them as they are stopping, beet red.

.

Lisa took the initiative to clasp their hands again, coughing to her other hand instead as if trying to ease the tension.

Wait, was there a tension at the first place?

“Ah, err. L-let’s go! We can … go to eat straight after coming to the shrine! Yeah!”

Lisa blurted nonsense, and Sayo couldn’t do anything else but to nod in agreement.



Next, Lisa looked up to the dozens of food stalls after paying the respects.

Thankfully, the somewhat awkward air has died after they took a moment of prayer. The mention of fireworks from the passerby elders surely getting Lisa all hyped, Sayo could tell by how she swung their connected hands.

Soon after a little skimming over stalls, Lisa took Sayo to stop.

“Anything you want to get, Sayo?” Lisa turned to see Sayo is glancing to her direction as well. There lies a pause.

“The cotton candy is nice. I tried them once when I watched Tomoe-san practicing Taiko.” Come Sayo suggested.

The brunette nodded. “Then, how about we split one box of Takoyaki together? It smells nice.”

“Sounds good.” Sayo agreed. “Since the fireworks might start soon, how about we go search someplace to settle? We can leave the games after fireworks.”

Since the Takoyaki booth is closer, they bought Takoyaki first.

Somehow, Sayo felt that there’s no need for them to split up and buying things simultaneously. It was a bit hard to find Lisa in the crowd earlier. It would be hard later if they are happened to be separated, so Sayo suggested that they stayed together.

As Sayo waited for Takoyaki to be done, while watching the stall owner spun the dough into Takoyaki balls easily, Lisa surprisingly leaning to her shoulder.

“I-Imai-san?”

She inhaled a deep breath. Sayo could sense the ripple from how her head bobbed close.

“I’ve been wanting to try this.” Lisa chuckled. Her voice is a hushed whisper to Sayo’s ear. Not to mention, she really looks comfortable.

“Am I being to clingy?”

“No, well-“

“It is embarrassing, must I admit. Don’t worry, Sayo, I’m embarrassed right now. But I still wanted to be close.”

The old man by the stall made a comment about how nice it is to be young, adding more to the plate of embarrassment for Sayo. Lisa laughed it off, replying that they won’t pay an extra even though they are being praised. The old man was quite amused that the little chatters continued for a bit.

All in all, it is very warm – Lisa is too precious right now. Sayo opted to feel the calluses on Lisa’s fingers, and her smooth toe nails grazing on her skin as to ease her embarrassment.

They took a spot on a slope of hill nearby the shrine as people assembled close to the fireworks site. There’s no place to sit, but there’s a stone fence where they placed the Takoyaki for both of them to eat, the cotton candy remained unopened in the plastic, and two bottles of red and blue Ramune—carbonized cool drinks staple in any summer festival times.

The townspeople were using speaker to announce that the fireworks will start soon. It is also informed that there will be a lot of fireworks than usual tonight, noting that it would be a worthy show.

When Sayo popped her Ramune, the first fire is lit on the sky, sparkling to a shape of flower.

It was amazing to see the fireworks up close, how the ringing voice left a muted noise in your ear before everything else is coming back to you.

Sayo felt a tug on her arms. Lisa, who’s equally hypnotized by the power of the fireworks is there, her mint green eyes reflecting the spark of fire.

This so-called date has been progressing with no plan. Sayo was sure she had things planned from where they will go to where they will take breaks. The turquoise-haired girl already know the nook and cranny of the festival area as she was there before to watch Taiko performance, and magically, Sayo has seem to forget everything but the fact that she’s walking together with Lisa right now.

Because they are eating Takoyaki, their hands are separated right now – though not their closeness. And now that they are watching the fireworks between their eyes and speak with a minimum mouth movements as the fireworks is too loud, they are between arms reach again.

‘Sayo.’ – She can see how Lisa’s lips moved. ‘I love you.’

“Wha—“

Okay. That was another unexpected flare Sayo doesn’t expect. That makes two. 2 – 1 to Lisa’s outright win.

The fireworks ended not too long after that, Sayo could finally hear Lisa humming happily to herself.

“Imai-san, that’s–that’s cheating, you know?”

“What’s cheating? Isn’t this the date between you and me? I can say it anytime~”

[ She's that beautiful, breathtaking prankster of gyaru who'll loves, cares and adores you to the deepest part of her heart. ]

Chapter Text

Ayakashi-kan.

Seeing the huge gates and the place she once hated to come back, it feels different now when Sayo was coming back from a trip to her original home. She was being called by her family upon some issues, and this is one of many times she is willing to go there and face her twin, the Hikoboshi reincarnation.

Reciting Hikoboshi’s name in her mind made her recalled the stars above, which is glittered the sky, perhaps tomorrow night is one of that sleepless starry night again.

This time of ‘now’, however, she felt that the night won’t be as cold anymore.

Though, she still have a sliver of doubt in her mind, as the conversation of the said ‘problem’ her family told her, is ever present echoing inside her ears.

“Welcome back, Princess.”

Again, Sayo think she already being as quiet as possible to open the door, even leaving her entourage car to walk so she would come back undetected.

The person is standing there welcoming her beyond the huge closed gate. A young woman dressed in full set of jet black suit, flowing brown hair tied up in loose pony, the cattish smile that could be seen as half-mocking-

“... I said I don’t want to be called that, Fox.” though with an indignant huff she said, she spared a small smile.

“Should I help you with your luggage, then?” Risa chuckled.

“I can manage.”

‘The contract will end once Sayo decided to go home.’ - the passing thought get her breath hitched.

“Is something wrong, Sayo?” Risa stopped to see Sayo paused from running her cart. Though the Nine-Tailed-Fox kitsune ears were not visible, Sayo should have known that aside from smell, Risa could catch even the softest of a squeak she uttered.

“No,” (she is not going home yet. Maybe. She isn’t. But-) “It’s nothing.”

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The night was kind of late in the horizon, which also explain the deserted lobby and dining hall there when they entered. There are still a faint noise coming from the kitchen area, probably the chef are cleaning up and going to call it the day.

Risa, whom happened to catch Sayo’s gaze wondering there, asked, “Have you eaten yet, Princess?”

“Not yet, but-“

“You can always ask for food, y’know? Skipping dinner while you have a tiring day might not be a good idea.”

Sayo sighed. “-it’s already late, Fox.”

“Tsugumi usually eats around this hour, you can always ask,” Risa responded, mentioning a certain nocturnal wolf from another room. “Or, well, if you’re that concerned on bothering the kitchen staffs, I can be the one who’ll make some food for you.”

The tired look in her face morphed into a deadpan. “Huh? You … make me a food? You don’t … like a type who cook.”

She’s more like the type who finish the food, or so Sayo might judge from how she looked: sporty, with her playful and cheerful persona, not a type who will spend time in the kitchen.

Sayo expected that Risa would say she can’t cook, or that she can cook barely something easy and told her to wait there until the food is ready. Her response made her mind goes into a halt once again.

“Did you remember your first Tanabata here? I’m the one who cooked that porridge for you,” Risa gave a big grin. “Is there anything you want me to make? I can cook mostly anything.”

First Tanabata—the day she showed how weak she is.

After that, slowly, she’s accustomed by how sly her assigned SS Agent is.

And then—

“… Sayo?” Risa bended forward a bit to catch Sayo looking down to her feet. Her cattish smile remained, though more flat, as if Risa had caught the sadness within her eyes.

“Anything is fine.” Sayo answered shortly.

Thankfully though, the Fox didn’t pry anymore and just nod.

“Wait there, I’ll be back soon!”

[ First Tanabata—the day she showed how weak she is. After that, slowly, she’s accustomed by how sly her assigned SS Agent is. And then, she must accept her fate and will be going home soon. ]

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That weekend, her parents requested for Sayo to return to home as there’s an important matter to discuss.

Somehow, coming back to home doesn’t feel that bad anymore – she already get in good terms with Hina, and she has been used with the ‘drawbacks’ because of the Tanabata and moonless night. She finally got the taste of being independent, which she really liked. Then again, she felt like coming back home wasn’t that much of an issue and she could go there any time without feeling angry or sad.

The news her parents break out to her, however, wasn’t any near of good.

‘We have arranged a marriage for you this time, as the last time we haven’t had any luck with Hina. This will decide the future of Hikawa clan.’

It’s not like Sayo would detest Hina for that; it is also the selfish of her to ‘run away’ to Ayakashi-kan for the first place, so her parents’ request weighed heavy on her shoulders. Should she decline, her mother hinted that there would be a huge backlash over their name, being a well-respected and high-leveled youkai.

‘There’s no way to avert your gaze from the problem anymore, Sayo.’—she kept repeating to herself time-to-time before coming back to Ayakashi-kan. The meeting between her and her assigned betrothed would be as soon as next week. Her father gave her a bit of time if she needed to do something in Ayakashi-kan during that time since she won’t be coming back there anymore after the engagement party.

“Here’s your Steak!”

The clatter in front of her waking her up from her reverie, followed by a beaming Fox.

The steam and sizzling sound from the said steak distracted her, also the cluster of freshly fried potato strips right beside the meat. The arrangement looked rich and extravagant, not to mention that it smells really good – Risa really proved that she can cook.

“Go dig in.”

“Oh, uhh, are you sure that it’s not what the kitchen chefs made?”

“Aw princess, that’s rude~” Risa feigned hurt. “You can watch me in the kitchen if you are curious.”

Setting foot in Ayakashi-kan that night, though, Sayo never feel any more miserable.

She already found a place called home.

She already found someone she could trust.

At first, she hated this place and the loneliness that slowly rots her body.

But now, Hikawa Sayo is-

“—Hm!? These are … really good,” Sayo blurted after her first bite over the juicy meat. She could see the fox grinned wide, she could even imagine if there’s her usual Fox ears, it would be flicking fast. “Are you sure that it’s not what the chef made?”

“Maybe because I put lots of love in it that it tasted really good?” Risa joked.

“Hey, don’t ruin my plate.”

“Mou, Sayo~ can’t you take a joke for once~”

--This week would be the last. She has to leave. She is leaving this place.

Sayo still remembered how Risa mentioned the stars in her eyes looked lonely.

Up until now, she doesn’t understand what does that meant, and finally shrugged it to the point that it’s only fox’s eyes which able to see this so-called stars.

Being a reincarnation of Orihime, studying about astronomy and indulging about stars and skies in general have become her hobby. While she’s not as fanatic as her younger twin about astronomy, Sayo can say whether there’s a mention about ‘stars’, it would get her interested.

Sayo gazed at her own reflection in the mirror, pausing as she suddenly contemplates about that ‘stars’ in her ‘eyes’.

This week, she behaved much like the usual Sayo that everyone knows – she would say no to every Risa’s tries to help, she would distance away to most of conversation, she would answer barely when Moca asked something, or when Tsugumi needed help over her homework, or when Chisato just needed a time away from her whining SS Agent.

She has always been avoiding Risa to begin with, so it shouldn’t be strange if she did it per usual.

Distance; between Orihime and Hikoboshi is also the distance.

Here; she’s trying to distance herself away from someone who’s always been near, since she would not be seeing them again.

She would no longer coming to Ayakashi-kan.

This room would no longer be her home.

She watched her own green eyes shone like usual beyond the mirror, there was no regret in its glint.

“But … why?”

[Why her eyes streaming with tears now?]

 
To preserve a good relation between great Youkai families is one thing circulating between Youkai-incarnate communities. Arranged marriage and yearly or specific monthly parties between two great families is but something common to happen. If one family failed to carry the tradition, not only the great lineage name would be tarnished, but also the person themself - they will condemned as someone’s not good; a ‘bad blood’ to the other Youkai.

Hikawa Sayo has been aware of this since the time she is told by her parents that she’s an incarnation of Orihime and her younger twin is Hikoboshi. This is not the first time that Orihime and Hikoboshi born in one same family. Thus, the supposed marriage between Orihime and Hikoboshi incarnation would not happen - things should be okay as they maintained a good relationship between siblings to avoid the ‘drawbacks’.

However, Sayo had underestimated this ‘drawbacks’ and the creed between big Youkai families. She declined her parents will to go for an arranged married (mainly because Sayo is disgusted by people who only wanted Hikawa’s wealth) and had a bad break on her relationship with her twin sister, resulting her on running away to the mansion inhabited by youkais, Ayakashi-kan.

In Ayakashi-kan, everyone who roomed there is facilitated with one Secret Service agent - or to be short, SS agent. This Secret Service agent is also a reincarnation of Youkai, who may or may not be assigned with the Owner consent but the SS agent would be ‘the right person’. The nature of SS agent is a mystery to their owner; it is like a top-notch secret of some sort.

Her hopeful thought to start a new life shattered as she experienced first-hand how the drawbacks will haunt her at that time; her first Tanabata year away from home in Ayakashi-kan. How Orihime’s sadness haunted her, taking toll on her, made her feeling weary and unable to rest.

The Fox she’s assigned to may be a ‘traitor’, an evil incarnate belonged to Nine-tailed Youkai, but during that time, only her SS agent who’s able to help her. Risa dispelled her high level of purity easily with her cursed power. Her presence becoming a neutralizer to her uncontrolled power from Orihime.

The SS Agent too, listened to her whims that night. The Fox may not be the magpies, but she helped Orihime in her blood to see the ‘stars’.

The sadness might not be dissipated from her blood, the sleepless night when the night sky is brimmed with countless stars might not disappear. However, in such hard times, her SS agent dutifully handled Sayo as if it has been a second nature to her.

And if Sayo chose to go home, the contract will be terminated automatically without consent of the Secret Service Agent, as it is the terms of condition of the contract itself.

.

Sayo opened her eyes to the darkness of her room. The room number 3 of Ayakashi-kan that belonged to her – the only room with a big, round-shaped window supported by a spacious windowsill, garnished without curtains for the very means to overlook the stars easily.

Tonight, the sky is moonless, but the stars glittered everywhere, lighting the dark night. Moonless night, starry skies: two conditions to the cause of her insomniac state.

Sayo didn’t know when she fell asleep, though. She only remembered that she cried while thinking about several stuffs and—

“Sayo, are you awake?”

No wonder it feels so, so warm on her bed.

Ever since that first Tanabata in Ayakashi-kan, and to some sleepless nights, a certain Fox will sneak to her bed. She would abuse her nine tails as a pillow, a bed, and a blanket for Sayo to sleep. Her keen Fox ears would catch smallest sound or tiniest rustle, Sayo couldn’t faked sleep or pretended to not be comfortable around starry night.

They said when you’re lying on somewhere warm and fluffy, it will induce sleepiness. Sayo partly hated it that it is an undeniable fact—she couldn’t deny Risa’s furs are soft, warm, comfortable, fluffy, nice-

“Sayo?”

The SS agent knitted her brows. She used her fingers to pry off Sayo’s bangs, eventually startled the young girl. The turquoise-haired girl has been used to sleep side-by-side with the Fox already that this condition where the fox tails hugging her close to the brunette is not surprising her anymore. No, she is still thinking about her house—Hikawa clan’s condition.

“Are you sure you are okay? It’s not that, uhh, open-eyed sleep like fish does, right? Usually you’ll yell at me for doing this …”

“Of course not. I mean, for the fish one.” Sayo fought a blush. “I was busy thinking.”

“You seem so tired that you sleep right away when I curled my tails earlier, though.”

Sayo’s eyes widened. “D-Did I?”

“Mhm! Wish I got a camera to commemorate it~ Kidding of course. Please don’t stare at me like you’d want to cut my tails!”

The Master huffed at the antics. Since when she’s used to this sly nature of a Fox? Not every Fox is a prankster, yes, but Imai Risa is specifically a descendant from Tamamo-no-Mae, one of ‘bad’ fox youkais in history.

“This may be close to break my boundary as an SS agent but … actually, you can always talk to me if you have a problem with your family,” Risa said. Her smile stayed there, but Sayo knew she is serious. “I might not be able to help, but I can always lend an ear.”

At the mention, Sayo frowned.

Tomorrow, as Risa might know from her schedule of the week, Sayo would be coming home again to Hikawa’s residence. The SS agent didn’t know that it is a banquet to formally introduce Sayo to a family of youkai that will court her.

If everything went smoothly, Sayo would stay permanently at Hikawa’s residence until the time of proposal, hence, she wouldn’t be back to Ayakashi-kan anymore.

Her family is okay if Sayo would like to say a few goodbyes to the inhabitant of Ayakashi-kan, but nothing more than that. The contract between her and this Fox will be voided as well.

Can she mustered to say farewell? This night might be the last night they will be fooling around like this.

Was this is called as ‘fooling around’, though? All the SS agent has been doing is to comfort her away from sadness, for Sayo to accept her weakness as one of things that composed herself, for Sayo to know that there’s someone who’ll always care.

How can she discard such warmth—such feelings that she called as home—easily?

Sayo leaned to Risa, resting her head next to the Fox’s chest. A silent gesture that she selfishly wanted to do for herself. Sayo listened how Risa’s heart fluttered from the sudden movement, before it eased again.

The incarnation of Orihime expected for the Fox to smell like a grass, or something like musky, wildlife scent that might help you recall a grassland area. Her shirt smelled sweet like Sakura blossoms, though not sickeningly strong alike a cheap perfume odor. It is reminding Sayo of standing between rows of Sakura trees, watching the beautiful pink petals danced slowly down and littered the road.

“What now, are you cold?”

Risa got her snicker as she said it, though the Fox created out a protective shell with her arms and all of her tails without waiting for Sayo’s answers.

“Kind of.” She lied.

“Don’t worry, Risa’s furs are always free for grabs~”

“You know, I would love to have a Fox fur coat someday.”

“Princess, that’s sounded a bit extreme.”

“I’m joking.”

[Sadly, about her decision on leaving – it cannot be converted to any sarcastic joke. ]

‘We have arranged a marriage for you this time, as the last time we haven’t had any luck with Hina. This will decide the future of Hikawa clan.’

When Sayo stepped in to Hikawa’s residence and meeting with her mother and her maids for preparation, it is the very lines that she kept on repeating.

Arranged marriage is nothing new in the lives of families with reincarnated spirits. The customs stayed to make sure the next lineage would retain the same quality of spiritual power, and to separate youkais from a society where normal human lives.

The age of 17 is the earliest age for a young woman to be introduced to her suitors—a formal kind of exchange between two families, not simply a banquet consisted of several youkais or spirits families for simple introductions.

While the young woman may have a freedom to choose between suitors, the one that should be chosen must belong to the same level of spiritual powers. For example as Hikawa clan has Hikoboshi and Orihime—a spirit close to Gods and Goddesses—they should choose a high-leveled spirit of equal spiritual power and/or a powerful youkais.

The introduction would start later around 7 PM. As to wait the families to come, a small banquet with performers will be held (Hina arranged who’s coming to guest and who’s performing). Then after introduction from both parties, it is said that everyone will let Sayo and the fiancé/fiancée to spend some time alone for the night. The setup is quite strange for Sayo’s liking, but she already opted to face everything head-on.

From what Sayo can get while hearing the maids as they paced here and there with decorations and helping Sayo with the kimono, her fiancé/fiancée would be someone around 24, coming from highly-respected family in youkai community with lengthy history of heroism (this one, Sayo can chalk it up as mere housewives’ exaggeration). This person also had coming once to the banquet that’s hosted by Hikawa clan years ago.

Much to Sayo’s surprise, everyone said that this person is blessed by her twin to be her betrothed. As far as Sayo could recall, Hina has quite of an enigmatic assortment of friends – how can her younger twin said that this person Sayo has to meet is “the one”?

“Wow, Onee-chan! You looked so pretty!”

Hina showed up to the dressing room later at the evening. She got the same kimono to wear like Sayo, but with a shorter fabric length and brighter blue color. Sayo has this white magpie motif running from her obi along with assortment of colorful flowers gracing the sea blue fabric. Her usually long turquoise hair is propped up with golden hair stick and sash.

In her hand, Hina brought a big red Carnation. Sayo stayed still as Hina put it up to complete her hair.

“Why red Carnation?”

“You’ll see later, Onee-chan~” Hina flashed a wide smile. “I can’t wait! This will be so boppin’!”

“I hope it isn’t one of your prankster nature in play.” Sayo managed a chuckle.

Hina pouted, “Come on, how I could ruin one of my sister’s big day? This person is perfect for you, I know it!”

“Okay, okay.”

‘This will decide the future of Hikawa clan,’—Sayo should thread her words and manners carefully. She shouldn’t tarnish her clan’s name and her parents’ expectation.

Around 10 PM, the said ‘highly-respected youkai families’ has yet to come. The performance on the stage by the main area has moved to a Rakugo after dinner, in which Sayo decided to take a break in her room for a while.

Her room is located far south from the main hall, close enough to reach the front roadblock. Sayo chose an ‘isolated’ room that time so Hina couldn’t come back and forth to bother her.

The room only serves to welcome her to sleep for a night as she is staying at Ayakashi-kan. Though, no one dared to come in there except to clean up as she’s leaving, her things stayed where they always are and they left spacious area nearby the window untouched.

The tatami room felt so ominous right now to Sayo; it is an odd feeling to be there after all this and not to the Western-style room like in Ayakashi-kan.

There’s no more crowds coming from other rooms’ inhabitant—no more late night Tsugumi wolfing down for meat, no more complains from Chisato about her SS agent, no more Aya whining after Chisato shooed her out, no more Tomoe and Ran’s banter, no more-

There would be no Fox anymore.

Sayo found herself gazing far away to nothing in particular, out to the boundless sky without stars.

Heck, she detested that mansion at first with its Secret Service policy, why would she missed her sly Fox Secret Service Agent now? Why she couldn’t find an answer up until now?

“Is this ache, similar to how Orihime longed for Hikoboshi? Isn’t it—“

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(Wait. Does she really … fall for the Fox?)

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A loud siren broke out the silence of the Hikawa’s residence yard. An unfamiliar siren but Sayo knew what purpose it had in time it was placed.

An intruder is having an unlawful entry to the house area; an intruder that must be defeated.

It is not rare for someone, with or without a spiritual power will risk to break in Hikawa’s residence for wealth or for kidnapping. Their spiritual barrier security might be the best to detect on someone coming in, but it doesn’t repel an intruder directly.

Alerted, Sayo channeled her Orihime form.

The robes of Orihime granted protection against to any powerful youkai. She could channel the power of the Stars from the jewel embedded on her chest to create impenetrable shield or shooting an energy beams as an attack stance, or she could summon Orihimie’s lyre bows for additional weapon. The nature of Orihime power also can detect any youkai within broad range and enables Sayo to determine whether the youkai is strong or not.

Her readings didn’t pick up anything in her range, Sayo started to worry about what happened to the main area.

Before Sayo could leave her room and bolt away to check, her energy reading spiked to sense a vengeful darkness closing in her way.

“Show yourself, vile assailant! I, the descendants of Orihime, will take you on!”

From the direction of her opened window, a gust of wind directed to Sayo’s way, bringing out flutters of pink Sakura petals along with a sweet scent. Golden sparkles radiates as the flower petals gathered like a cyclone, taking in a form of huge being clad in blood red kimono, showing her shoulder skins down to her valley of voluptuous bosom.

A graceful display of nine tails soon fluttered, so the wavy brown hair that Sayo always known. Especially the flicker of those two pointed ears – but the golden sparks marching with her red fabrics exudes elegance, just like the heiress once fooled the Emperor with her beauty.

“Sorry that I’m late, the preparation takes some while,” her laughter is nowhere menacing as how her presence is glaring threat to the purity of Orihime. But it wasn't her usual merry laughter. It carries a weight of charisma and Sayo couldn't bring any words to comment. “And I didn’t expect the barrier protection is up.”

The brunette knelt down, her hand spread to take the Princess’ hand. Just like that time when she first penetrated the holy power with her cursed energy, the barrier trickles to specks of golden dust. The Fox took the Princess backhand for an offering kiss.

“My name is Imai Risa, a descendants of Tamamo-no-Mae. I’m here to be the one who'll steal your heart, Hikawa Sayo.”