In one of the small roadside stalls, Kanae and Shinobu sat side by side, while Kagerou sat across from them, exhaling from his kiseru more often than usual, thin lines of smoke curling between them like unspoken thoughts.
No one said a word until the stall owner arrived with their orders.
Monaka, sweet azuki bean paste pressed between crisp mochi wafers and a pot of steaming green tea.
"...Thank you," Kagerou murmured, offering a polite nod as the owner moved on to serve another customer.
Only then did he turn his attention back to the Kocho sisters.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable," he said as he lifted his cup. The unsweetened bite of the tea blended perfectly with the lingering taste of tobacco smoke.
"...First," Kagerou began, fingers tapping lightly against his kiseru, "where should I start? From Mount Fujikasane?"
He asked calmly, though inwardly he wondered, 'In the first place… why do I owe anyone an explanation?'
"Yes, please," Kanae replied with a gentle nod.
She pushed a small plate toward Shinobu, offering her the last piece of her Monaka, though Shinobu had already nearly finished hers.
Kagerou followed the motion.
He glanced at his own untouched Monaka, sighed quietly, and slid the plate to Shinobu as well. He never cared much for sweets.
Shinobu's eyes lit up, her lips curling into a warm smile. Of course, Monaka was her favorite.
And just like that, the smoke between them seemed to soften, as if the air itself waited for Kagerou's story to begin.
"…Look, I never left you on purpose, you know? It's just, after the talk I had with Kag- I mean, Oyakata-sama, um… how should I put this?"
"Long?" Kanae cut in, her tone sharp but deceptively gentle.
Kagerou shook his head. "No, not that long, but-"
"Then why did you leave without saying anything?" Kanae interrupted again, this time her voice rising. "Even after what you said?! Are you being serious right now?"
Kanae stood up, hands pressing against the table, not enough to be a slam, but enough to make her message painfully clear.
'She's annoyed… very annoyed,' That was all Kagerou could read on her face.
"U-Uh, you know, I kind of... forgot you for a second? And I just went straight home, but-"
"What?!"
"W-Wait, Kocho-san, calm down, okay? Please calm down~"
"I… I have never been this annoyed, you know?"
"R-Really?"
"I was waiting. Everyone had already left. And I was still waiting. But you-" her voice trembled, "... you just walked away like nothing happened?!"
Kagerou instinctively raised both hands in front of him, as if preparing to block an incoming attack.
"Wait! Wait!! Calm down, okay?" he pleaded, glancing around as nearby customers started whispering. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he was certain it wasn't flattering.
Seeking help, he turned to Shinobu.
She was quietly enjoying her Monaka, completely unbothered by the chaos beside her like the whole world had ceased to matter except the dessert in her hands.
'Can you at least do something about your sister, please?!' Kagerou begged silently with his eyes.
Shinobu glanced at him, a short, uninterested look, then returned to eating her Monaka. She even pulled the plate closer, as if afraid Kagerou might suddenly snatch it back.
'This… this little girl!' He screamed internally.
"E-Even after all those nights we sp-"
"K-Kocho-san!!" Kagerou blurted out, louder than he meant to. "Please choose your words carefully, okay?"
'Woman, please mind your surroundings!' he yelled inside his mind.
Why did this conversation drain him more than sparring with the three little brothers this morning?
"Kocho-san, let's sit first, okay? Let's talk about this slowly, alright?" Kagerou said gently but urgently, shooting a quick glance around.
Kanae followed his gaze and saw all the customers staring directly at them.
Her face instantly flushed. She straightened, swallowed hard, and realized exactly where they were.
"…I'm sorry," Kanae muttered, lowering herself back to her seat. "It just… annoys me every time I think about it. But please. Continue"
Kagerou didn't respond right away.
He lifted his Kiseru to his lips, inhaled deeply, then exhaled a stream of smoke that curled lazily through the air.
Calming himself. Preparing.
'…Fuck. This is going to take a long time,' he thought.
--------
After a long exchange, half explanation, half emotional damage, Kagerou finally finished retelling everything to Kanae.
"So it's like this," Kagerou said, letting out a slow breath. "I did try to go back to Mount Fujikasane, you know? But I thought you wouldn't wait too long. I was tired. And I know you were just as tired as me. So basically... yeah, I forgot about you. But not completely. It's just..." he tapped his temple, "the exhaustion hit me, and my brain… shut down. That's all"
He raised both hands in a small surrender.
"Look, I know this is mainly my fault, and I'm sorry, okay? So… let's end the misunderstanding here?"
"I-It's so…?" Kanae murmured. Her expression softened. "It's also my fault. I'm sorry. Whenever I think about that moment, about you, I get angry, and once again... I'm really sorry"
Kagerou's mouth twitched.
Was he supposed to be happy that Kanae thought about him often?
Or offended because every time she did, she only got angry?
"It… is that so? Aha-Ahaha…"
Just as he tried to process that, Shinobu, who had quietly finished the last piece of her Monaka, tilted her head.
"Onee-san, is Kagerou-san the man you told me about? The annoying one who helped you?"
Kagerou froze mid-laugh.
Kanae didn't even hesitate.
"Yes, it's him"
"…"
Kagerou stared at Shinobu.
Shinobu stared back, innocent as a kitten.
Kanae calmly sipped her tea, completely unbothered by the emotional carnage she'd just caused.
Then, setting her cup down lightly, Kanae shifted the conversation.
"So in the end," she asked, "did you manage to pick your ore, Rengoku-san?"
"I did," Kagerou replied. Short. Simple. But his expression said otherwise.
Kanae blinked. "What's strange?"
"It's been twenty days," Kagerou said flatly, "and mine still hasn't arrived"
Kanae tilted her head. "That's unusual… What exactly did you request?"
"Just a simple ninjato"
"Huh? That should be-"
"And a tanto"
"Okay, that's sti-"
"And one kiseru,
Kanae froze.
Shinobu stopped licking her finger, mid-motion.
"…"
Kanae slowly, slowly, dragged her gaze toward him.
"…You asked a swordsmith… to make you a kiseru?"
Kagerou puffed once, calm as a mountain.
"Yes"
Silence.
Deep silence.
The kind that foretold disaster.
Kanae closed her eyes, pressing her palms together as if offering a prayer.
"…They're going to hunt you down"