Horrifying. Just horrifying.
Nishimiya Yuzuru swore she had never seen anything so intense in her life. The two people in front of her were moving so fast, they didn't seem human. Afraid of being discovered, she held her breath and covered her mouth, terrified of making even the slightest sound. She slowly and carefully backed away in a crouched position.
But things rarely go as planned. In her retreat, she accidentally stepped on a dry bamboo branch.
Crack!
In the silent grove, the sound was exceptionally loud. She stopped her movement, because she saw him approaching her.
"Um... good evening," Nishimiya Yuzuru stammered, forcing a stiff, awkward smile. After all, she had just been caught secretly following someone. But since she was discovered anyway, she figured she might as well stand up confidently.
"Ah!"
As she stood, she let out a small cry.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke moved quickly, taking a step forward to catch the girl, preventing her from hitting the ground.
"Ouch, ouch!" The pain shooting through her foot made Yuzuru wince.
She secretly studied Ryosuke's face. Though it was covered in dust, it couldn't hide his sharp, handsome features.
His eyes are so scary. I knew I shouldn't have followed him.
Seeing that it was just a kid he had seen at the restaurant, Ryosuke's guard lowered slightly, but he still didn't fully relax. What kind of little girl would follow a stranger into a small bamboo grove in the middle of the night? It was very strange. He followed her gaze down to her fair ankle.
Did she get pins and needles in her legs from crouching for so long and then sprain her ankle when she stood up?
Ryosuke sighed inwardly. He tucked the two swords under his arm and lifted the girl into a bridal carry.
Inside Himura's small hut...
"What is this? So, you don't know this child?" Himura Shinta looked at Ryosuke, bewildered.
He had noticed the kid following them from the restaurant. She was just a kid, not much younger than his disciple, so he hadn't worried about it, assuming they knew each other.
"Here's some ointment. Rub it on her. It doesn't look too bad. You should put some on yourself when you get home, too." Himura Shinta pulled a small bottle from a cabinet. The bottle sailed through the air in an arc and landed in Ryosuke's hand.
Ryosuke was a man of action. He tilted the bottle, and the liquid dripped onto the girl's ankle.
"Eesh~" The sudden sensation made Yuzuru forget her shyness. She leaned back in her chair and gasped.
"Who are you? And why were you following me?" Ryosuke took the towel Himura handed him, wiped the dust from his face, and asked coldly. He felt a bit embarrassed. Being with his master made him feel so secure, he had lowered his guard and hadn't noticed her.
"I'm so sorry for the trouble. My name is Nishimiya Yuzuru," she said in a clear voice.
Nishimiya? The first person who came to Ryosuke's mind was Nishimiya Shoko. He compared their appearances: Shoko had short, light brown hair, while this girl had short, black hair. Their personalities were also different: Shoko was timid and cautious, while this kid was brave enough to follow a stranger into a bamboo grove at night. Even their eye color was completely different.
It must be a coincidence. They just have the same last name.
"So, little Nishimiya Yuzuru, why were you following us?" Himura Shinta asked gently. He wasn't worried about his swordsmanship secrets being leaked. He could tell from the start that the girl had no foundation in martial arts and wouldn't have understood what she saw anyway. A little girl following them at night must have her parents worried.
Yuzuru hid behind Ryosuke, holding onto his jacket. She was a little scared. She had witnessed firsthand just how terrifying the middle-aged man in the red kimono could be. In contrast, the cold-looking Ryosuke didn't frighten her as much. She decided to explain why she had followed them.
"My sister is... she's very naive, and I'm afraid she'll be deceived."
"Because of some special circumstances, my sister is different from other people, but she really wants to make friends and fit in."
"There was someone who pretended to be my sister's friend to gain her trust, and then betrayed her. They only got close so they could bully her more easily."
"My sister was so sad when she came home. She thought she finally had a friend. She said some foolish things afterward. I don't want to see my sister like that again—full of hope, then betrayed, and finally falling into an even deeper despair."
"You two are so strong, you probably can't understand..."
At this point, Yuzuru's voice trailed off and her bright eyes dimmed.
Ryosuke and Himura Shinta looked at each other and fell silent. Though she hadn't said it directly, they could guess part of what had happened. She didn't want to see her sister bullied and wanted to protect her. She was a good kid, but how did that relate to her following them?
"I can understand. I have an older sister too," Ryosuke said. He didn't finish his thought, which was that he also had a classmate who, like her sister, was constantly bullied.
Yuzuru looked up at Ryosuke, her face showing genuine surprise.
"Really, Ryosuke-nii? Ouch!"
She stood up abruptly, supporting herself on the arm of the chair, but the sprain in her ankle made her wince again.
Ryosuke helped her back down, and she sat properly. He nodded, not bothering to correct her use of his name. In his eyes, she was just a little girl he'd met by chance. As for his name, she must have heard it when he was sparring with his master, or perhaps back at the restaurant.
Ryosuke didn't get off-topic. He continued, "You still haven't said why you were following us."
Yuzuru gritted her teeth. "Because my sister came home today and said she made a new friend at school. She was so happy. And that friend's name is Hiratsuka Ryosuke. I'm too familiar with this kind of thing. It's definitely the same as before; he wants to use friendship as an excuse to get close and bully her. There are too many jerks like that!"
Hearing this, the other two men understood everything. It was all a big misunderstanding.
"You've probably got the wrong person. Ryosuke is a good kid. He would never do anything like bullying the weak. I can promise you that," Himura Shinta said with certainty. He knew his disciple's character well. Though he seemed cold, he was a kind and good person.
Ryosuke nodded in agreement.
Seeing that they weren't bad people, Yuzuru realized her mistake and quickly bowed her head in apology.
"Alright, it's getting late. You two should head back. Shizuka-san will probably be here to pick you up soon."
"Then, Master, I'll be going now. Thank you for your teaching today." Ryosuke said, bidding Himura goodbye. He stood and looked at the girl in the chair. "Can you walk?" he asked casually.
Yuzuru shook her head. Seeing this, Ryosuke crouched in front of her.
"Get on."
What? Is he going to carry me on his back?
With the misunderstanding cleared, Yuzuru watched Ryosuke's handsome profile. Her mind started to race. It had been too dark in the bamboo grove to see clearly, but looking closely now, Ryosuke-nii was pretty cute.
A kind person like Ryosuke-nii and that jerk "Hiratsuka Ryosuke" who tricks my sister can't possibly be the same person.
"Thank you, Ryosuke-nii," Yuzuru said, a little shyly. Though she usually imitated a boy's way of speaking to protect her sister, she was still a young girl.
Before she could think any more, Ryosuke scooped her up and settled her on his back.
"Hold on tight. We're going home," he said, standing up and walking out of the grove with her on his back. He was quite lenient with kids who weren't troublemakers.
Yuzuru rested her cheek against his back. Ryosuke-nii's back is so warm, she thought. Just like my sister's back was back then. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of warmth.
A luxurious sports car was parked outside the restaurant.
"Ryosuke, where did you go? And who's the little girl you brought back?" Hiratsuka Shizuka said, striding over to them with her long legs.
Ryosuke told her everything that had happened since she left, without holding anything back.
After hearing the full story, Shizuka suddenly looked fierce. She rolled up the sleeves of her white coat like a punk in a hot-blooded manga ready to fight.
She said menacingly, "What a coincidence. If you run into that jerk with the same name as you, make sure you teach him a lesson. The thought of a bully like that sharing a name with my cute little brother just makes me so mad. Ugh!"
Then, she looked at the unfamiliar girl, who looked like a lower-grade elementary student. Shizuka's expression softened. She tucked her hair behind her ear and asked the girl gently, "So, little one, where do you live? It's so late. Your big sister can give you a ride home."
"Nishimiya, where's your house? Shizuka-san can take you home," Ryosuke asked softly.
"Thank you, Hiratsuka-san and Ryosuke-nii, but my house is nearby. My foot doesn't hurt anymore, so you can put me down and I'll walk home."
Ryosuke crouched to let her down. Yuzuru looked at the boy, feeling a bit reluctant to leave. Ryosuke-nii seems cold, and that big sister of his is a bit of a weirdo, but they're both surprisingly nice people.
She patted her own flat chest and, mimicking Shizuka's bold manner, said, "You can just call me Yuzuru, Ryosuke-nii."
"Okay, Yuzuru. Be careful on your way," Ryosuke replied, accepting her request.
The two siblings waved until Yuzuru's silhouette disappeared down the road.
"Let's go home, Shizuka-san."
"Yep! Let's go home. Congratulations on getting your Menkyo license, Ryosuke."
"Thanks."
"What's with that reaction? You're too young to act like an old man. You should be more lively!"
"Right, right~"
The sports car's engine roared and disappeared into the night.
On the other side of town, Yuzuru had just opened her front door. The middle-aged woman inside heard the sound and rushed to the door with a grim expression.
Slap!
The woman's hand made a sharp, echoing contact with Yuzuru's face. A red handprint quickly appeared on her tender cheek.