Chapter 5: Dealing With Boredom
Author: Geraint
We rode in a luxurious car, with Himiko-san sitting beside me and two tall, muscular men in front—my temporary bodyguards. I stared out the window, waiting for us to arrive.
"We're here!"
Just like Himiko-san said, the place wasn't far from home. If I ever wanted to visit again, walking would be better. As I stepped out of the car, I noticed something odd.
"Huh? Why are you wearing glasses?"
"It's a disguise, Yuki-sama. That guy gets spooked every time he sees me."
"What did you do to him...?"
We arrived at a modest residence with a run-down dojo next door. Himiko-san pressed the buzzer by the small gate, and we waited for a response.
A minute passed. A breeze blew by. Nothing.
Annoyed, she pressed the buzzer again. Still no answer.
"That muscle-head hasn't changed a bit," she muttered, pressing the buzzer repeatedly.
Eventually, the door cracked open, and a small girl peeked out.
"Huh?"
She had shoulder-length black hair, black eyes, and wore a traditional dojo uniform—she resembled the angry girl from the photo.
"Hello. Is your dad home? We'd just like to speak with him—"
Before Himiko-san could finish, the girl shut the door and disappeared inside. Himiko-san's expression darkened, and the two guards behind us shrugged. One was a tall, bald black man in sunglasses, and the other a white man with silvery-white hair—also in sunglasses, making them both look intimidating.
They were actually my mom's personal bodyguards. Since she and Dad were on their honeymoon, they were assigned to watch over us for the time being.
"Come to think of it... I haven't asked your names yet. I'm Akitsuki Yuki, stepson of your employer."
"We've already heard of you from Ojou-sama. Name's Bob," said the black man, pointing to himself.
"You can call me Michael," the white man added.
"At your service, Bocchan!" they chimed together with a pose.
"These two are... interesting, Himiko-san. Where did Mom find them?"
"They lost their teaching jobs and Mia-sama hired them. Their personalities are as unique as their resumes."
The door creaked open again, and the small girl peeked out.
"Umm... is your dad—"
"Dad says he's not here! And he doesn't have any money!" she shouted abruptly, then disappeared inside again.
"Huh?"
"Nao-chan, what are you doing?!"
A middle-aged man in a dojo uniform appeared, picked up the girl, and bowed frantically.
"I swear I'll pay tomorrow! Just give me one more day!" he pleaded, until he noticed our confused faces.
"Huh?"
Realizing we weren't debt collectors, he straightened up, cleared his throat, and suddenly became intimidating.
"Ahem. What business do you have here?"
"The two guys behind me are here to collect your debt," I replied casually, pointing to Bob and Michael.
"HUH?!"
The man immediately dropped to the ground in a deep dogeza.
"I'm sorry! Please! Just give me one more day!"
"Pffffft! Hahaha!" I couldn't hold in my laughter.
"Yuki-sama, please don't tease him too much. He'll really cry," Himiko-san sighed.
"Who said I'm crying?!" the man retorted.
"It's been a while, Mizuno-kun."
The man blinked and stared at Himiko-san.
"Shi-Shiina?!"
"Correct!" Himiko-san smiled brightly.
"GYAAAAAH!" he screamed like a child and clung to his daughter in fear.
"Even though we're adults now, you haven't changed at all! Grow up already!"
"But—but my sword doesn't work on ghosts! I keep seeing them now, all because of you! This is your fault, Ghost Girl!"
"Stop calling me that!" Himiko-san's face turned red in anger.
After a deep breath, she calmed down and glanced at me. I nodded.
"Anyway, we came because you sent a letter requesting Shun-sama's son to be engaged to your daughter."
"Oh, that! If Shun has a son, I'm ready to marry off my daughter right away. I made a promise back when we were drunk."
He grinned at Himiko-san, but she looked away. So that's what happened after Dad broke up with her...
"It seems Shun-sama's son is interested."
His eyes lit up.
"Hoho! I see! I'm glad to hear that. When can they meet?"
"Not anytime soon. Shun-sama and Mia-sama are still overseas."
"Got it. Just let me know when they return. I'm sure my daughter will be thrilled. Hahaha!"
"Thank you very much," Himiko-san bowed and then gestured that we were leaving.
As they began walking away, the middle-aged man noticed me still standing by the gate.
"Huh? Aren't you with them?"
"Nope. I'm just a passing child interested in learning swordsmanship at this dojo."
He squinted at my face.
"Hmmm... You look familiar."
"Just your imagination," I replied, stepping back slightly. I forgot he had attended my parents' wedding.
"You idiotic Dad!"
A loud voice rang out, followed by a flying dropkick that sent the man tumbling.
A girl in a sailor uniform landed gracefully, then quickly bowed to me.
"I'm so sorry about my dad! Please forgive him!"
"It's okay..."
Before I could finish, she grabbed my hands and stared intently.
"You want to learn kenjutsu here, right?! Great! I'll give you a 50% discount on your first three months! Don't worry, I'll be your personal instructor—not this scary old dude."
She glared at her dad.
"I may not look like it, but I've mastered most of his techniques. You can count on me!"
Rumble~
Her stomach growled. She froze in embarrassment.
"Pffffft...!"
"P-Please don't laugh..."
"I'll join your dojo. Please take care of me." I smiled.
"Thank you very much!"
She turned around and covered her face, trembling in shame.
---------
It's been more than nine months since I started my sword training at Mizuno family's dojo and I mostly swinging bamboo sword everyday with Kaho-san. We sparred together sometimes which made me quickly learned her techniques then I adjust it to my own. This made me able to create techniques that combines with my magic power and abilities.
Wiping my body in the changing room after our training, I noticed someone staring me and when I looked at the entrance, I saw the small girl named Nao-chan which was Kaho-san's little sister.
"Nao-chan?"
"Onee-chan wants you stay longer with her--"
Kaho-san suddenly appeared and grabbed her little sister, covering her mouth. Her face seems to be very red and she was panicking.
"What are you saying, Nao-chan? You shouldn't disturb your big brother. He needs to go home and rest after our intense training--Huh?" she spoke with agitated tone.
Her eyes widened when she looked at my lean body which was full of sweat and she immediately closed the door.
"I'm sorry!"
"It's fine. I forgot to close the door while I'm changing."
When I finished changing to my casual clothes, I packed up my uniform in my bag then I carried it on my back with my bamboo sword which was called Shinai. I came out of the changing room and I found Kaho-san in casual clothes waiting for me outside the room.
"Hm? Kaho-san? Don't you have to prepare for your exams next week?"
Kaho-san has a flushed cheek, touching her index finger out of shyness.
"I've been wanting to ask you this, Yuu-kun."
She's calling me with first name basis since I haven't revealed to her my family name. I told her to just call me straight with my first name until she changed it to a nickname when we got a little closer.
"Which middle school are you attending?"
"Nope, I study at home and I have private tutor for home schooling." I responded, shaking my hand.
"Eh! Don't you want to go outside and attend school?"
"Nah, it just a waste of time. I have more freedom if I study at home. Also, I can come here whenever I want and train." I said, grinning then her face turned red again and she became embarrassed.
"Okay then... see you next time, Yuu-kun. Alright. Let's go back, Nao-chan." she ran back to her house with her little sister. I can see smiling from behind.
---
When I return back home, taking off my shoes from the entrance.
"I'm home!"
I entered inside the house and I saw Mom and Dad sitting on the couch together while looking at my mom's huge tummy and they are both caressing it.
"Oh. Welcome back, Seir?" Dad waved his hand to me.
"Look, Yuki-kun. I just felt the baby in my tummy moved. She's gonna be born soon and you'll become a big brother."
Dad was the one who did the check up and found out that it was girl.
"Okay..."
I don't want to feel interested about it when Mom suddenly got astonish.
"Oh! She moved again."
One step to walk away when I suddenly appeared in a blink of eye close to Mom then I moved the side of my head close to her tummy and hear what's going on with the baby.
"I thought you weren't interested, Seir."
"Shut up! I'm just being curious."
"Ufufu..." Mom giggled.
It didn't take that long and three weeks later, Mom was brought to the hospital and she finally gave birth. Dad was smiling affectionately at the baby girl in his arms then he decided to handed her over to me.
"Seir, you're a big brother now."
I was speechless, holding the new born child in my arms and it was a different feeling. Something I never felt before because I was raised by the demons to take lives from humans. A feeling of caring that you'll never let her get hurt and will protect her no matter what happens. This baby child just became very valuable to me, the new member of our family.
"Wow."
Yuuka on my side was amaze and she happily poked the baby's cheek.
"I am now an Onee-chan. What do you think, Onii-sama? Isn't she adorable?"
"Yeah... the cutest thing in the world." I responded.
"Huh?" Yuuka looked surprise when she glanced to me.
"Mom, Dad. What will be her name?" I asked my parents then they smiled to me.
"It's Fuyumi."
---
Few months later,
At home when Mom and Dad are resting after coming home from their work, Himiko-san and I helps each other to look after the child. Himiko-san was speechless watching me change the baby's diaper using my magic and the dirty diaper folded itself then it went straight to the trashcan. The baby now was floating beside me while giggling as I read a book in my hands about how to take care of a new born child.
"I can't get used to this." Himiko-san mumbled.
"Himiko-san, do we still have enough baby milk?" I asked.
"Well, I think it's going to ran out tonight."
"Okay then, I will go outside and buy. I'll leave Fuyumi to you."
"Sure."
The baby floated towards Himiko-san then she took her.
I wore my jacket then shoes then I ran outside.
"I'm going now."
At the supermarket, not only baby milk but I also bought some groceries and my big cart was filled when I fall in line at the counter. Looking around while waiting, I noticed a girl wearing a sailor uniform which looks very familiar with her long black hair. I tried to call if she's really someone that I know.
"Kaho-san?"
She stopped picking up groceries in the shelves then she glanced towards me.
"Oh, Yuu-kun! It's nice seeing you shopping here too." she looks happy and excited when she saw me.
"We're going ran out of baby milk for my little sister so I need to come here and buy."
"Same here. We ran out of fresh milk for Nao-chan."
"Children really eats a lot."
"Well, it's for their own growth after all."
Coming out of the supermarket, we walked together for a bit while talking then we stopped and sat on the swing of the nearby park to rest. I bought two cans of drinks at the vending machine then I returned back to her and gave her the other one.
"Thanks, Yuu-kun."
Sitting to the swing next to her, I noticed that she's a bit down and daze when she slowly opened the can then sipped on it.
"Kaho-san, is something bothering you?"
"Huh!"
She was surprised and became flustered when I asked her.
"No, it's nothing! I'm doing fine! It's just that..."
"If it's fine with you, I would like to hear it. It's also bothering me when I noticed that you're kind of low-spirited lately. Sometimes you become distracted and daze during our training in the Dojo."
"Oh! So, you've noticed it." she sighed then showed a sad smile on her face.
"What happened?"
"Well, I just found out that I just got engaged to a son of rich family because of that idiotic Dad of mine. Now, I'm going to be married to that rich son once we reach the right age."
"You have a Fiance? If you don't like it, you should have declined the engagement."
"My Dad has already received a lot of funds from this rich friend of him in order to save the Dojo. Just like him, I will also do anything in order to save the Dojo. It's kind of difficult for me to decline now."
"Okay, I kind of understand your situation now but what about you? What do you really want?"
When I asked her that question, tears fell from her eyes then she glanced to me, gazing with each other. I took out my handkerchief from my pocket then I wiped the tears on her face. I felt kind of bad for her but if she doesn't really like it, she has the right to decline and choose her own happiness.
I sighed, standing up.
"Let's go. I'll walk you home."
"Huh. Wait! You don't have to do that, Yuu-kun! I'll be fine by myself."
"I know you're strong, Kaho-san. But you're still a girl. Just let me walk with you."
"--Okay." she replied while being embarrassed.
When I arrived to their residence, I saw a familiar looking black car parked in front of her house.
"Huh?"
"Oh, this is Akitsuki-sensei's car."
Kaho-san recognized it and she knew the owner.
"He's my father's friend and a doctor who often comes here to visit Dad. He is an amazing doctor."
"Okay..."
"If he's here today means..." her expression became serious.
She ran inside her house then I decided to follow after her. As we entered the living room, I found my Dad drinking sake with Kaho-san's father.
"Dad?"
When her father noticed her, he called for her.
"Nice timing! I'm just talking about your engagement to my friend's son."
"Kaho-chan. You've gotten pretty big. Just like Ichirou told me, you really look like your mother when she was younger. Beautiful but very scary." my Dad said until he saw me standing behind Kaho-san.
Dad and I stared at each other for a moment then I became furious.
"Seir?!"
"Dad, what are you doing here drinking while Himiko-san was working tirelessly looking after the baby?"
Kaho-san and her father was surprised when I called the doctor my 'Dad'.
"Eh?"
"Wait! I was just trick here by this big guy that he needs an immediate medical attention and he asked me to come here immediately! He told me that it was emergency! Please don't tell your Mom!"
I stared intensely at Kaho-san's father and he became nervous then I just sighed.
"Fine..."
"Shun, is that kid your son?" Kaho-san's father pointed.
"Huh? He haven't told you?"
All of them glanced to my direction.
"Sorry for my late introduction. My full name is Akitsuki Yuki." I slightly bowed.
"Wasn't your son's real name Seir?"
"Seir is just my nickname." I responded then Kaho-san and her father was speechless and both of them are shock.
(To be continued.)