Today was a day off, so there was no need to report to school.
Miyajima Sakura sat properly on her knees in her room.
She looked at the phone placed on her fair, rounded knees, then pursed her peach-pink lips.
She always felt something was strange.
After thinking for a long time, she finally picked up the phone placed on the tatami mat.
It had been two days.
Her mother hadn't come home.
Although her mother had been communicating with her via text messages these two days, Miyajima Sakura could still feel a strong sense of incongruity.
But she didn't know where this sense of incongruity came from.
Miyajima Sakura scrolled through her previous chat history with her mother.
'Sakura, I'm at the hospital today, so I won't be coming home.'
"Okay, Mom, please get some rest."
"Sakura, I still need to take care of Grandpa at the hospital today. You just take care of yourself."
"Okay."
She had actually been to the hospital before.
The time she went to the hospital, she indeed didn't see her mother in the ward, but instead saw Hayato.
Hayato being able to visit her grandfather naturally filled Miyajima Sakura with gratitude and joy, welcoming him. However, Miyajima Sakura also truly didn't see her mother's figure by her grandfather's bedside.
But Hayato said that her mother was there when he arrived. "Miss Tsubaki went out to buy something and should be back soon," Hayato replied. This made Miyajima Sakura breathe a sigh of relief, and she then called her mother.
The phone's ringtone, however, began to ring from her grandfather's bedside table.
Hayato smiled faintly and said to her,
"Look at Miss Tsubaki, she even forgot to take her phone with her."
Miyajima Sakura chuckled, "Perhaps Mom has been too tired these past few days, that's why she's forgetful…"
"Oh, Miyajima Senior, have you eaten? I'm a bit hungry…"
Upon hearing this, Miyajima Sakura immediately accompanied Hayato to eat. Because Hayato wanted to eat beef brisket rice, they rushed to Shibuya, which was quite far away… During this time, she received another text message from her mother, telling her to take care of herself and not to worry about the hospital.
She could go straight home later, as her studies were important.
Miyajima Sakura listened to her words and didn't think too much.
But,
It was still very strange.
And it was an unexplainable kind of strange.
Mom should indeed be at the hospital.
Miyajima Sakura thought.
Even if Mom lied, Hayato wouldn't lie to her, so where did this inexplicable feeling of strangeness come from?
"Mom, when are you coming home?"
Miyajima Sakura sent another text message to her mother.
Then, her ears twitched.
Years of Kendo training had given her extremely sensitive senses.
At this moment, Miyajima Sakura could almost pinpoint the location of a fly by sound… Even from a floor away, she could hear the commotion downstairs.
There was indeed some noise downstairs…
It sounded like a ringing sound.
A petty thief trying to break in?
Or was it… the yellow-haired man she saw that day?
Miyajima Sakura had a very bad impression of the man named Snake Mound George.
Shortly after he left her house, he even harassed her mother with text messages… Miyajima Sakura accidentally noticed her mother looking at the messages. Of course, she also told Hayato about this discovery.
Hayato smiled faintly after hearing it and said, "Don't worry, things will always be resolved…"
Miyajima Sakura then recovered from her apprehension.
…If it's that man!
Miyajima Sakura picked up her wooden sword and cautiously padded downstairs.
Even though her grandfather had taught her since childhood,
"Kendo is not for harming people"—she still had to show that man a thing or two.
She slowly walked to the source of the sound.
It was the training ground her grandfather used to teach Kendo to his students.
But the place was empty, without a single soul.
Could it be that she heard wrong?
Miyajima Sakura tilted her head, "No way…" She trusted her hearing very much…
Then she walked out of the area, treading on the wooden floor of the corridor, and arrived at the entrance.
…Sure enough, she hadn't heard wrong.
The large sliding door that would normally move sideways was now open.
Miyajima Sakura could see the scenery outside at a glance.
Clean streets, dazzling sunlight.
She couldn't have misremembered.
Her meticulous nature always made her accustomed to closing doors behind her, and she would even check after closing them.
Miyajima Sakura quickly jogged over to check the door and the keyhole.
Neither the door nor the keyhole showed any signs of damage, as if it had been opened with a key.
Only she, her mother, and her grandfather had the key to the main door… Because her grandfather was hospitalized, the key had always been kept at home. Miyajima Sakura even carried it on her person to prevent any accidents.
Which meant, only her mother…
Miyajima Sakura seemed to suddenly think of something, kicked off her shoes again, put on her indoor slippers, and rushed towards the Kendo training room.
The room was still empty.
Yes.
Not only was there no one.
"Quick Blade Ichimonji" was also gone…
…
So,
Silencing your phone is really a good habit.
Hayato told himself.
His phone was always on silent, so it wouldn't disturb others whether in a movie theater or a library.
But he couldn't be blamed. Who knew when that bastard Snake Mound George would send a text message? To prevent missing anything, he had kept Miyajima Tsubaki's phone's sound on…
He just didn't expect that girl's ears to be that sensitive.
A bit scary.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 70 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you're having fun with the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone for me!