Night had settled over the Zenin estate, wrapping the sprawling compound in a stillness that only old houses seemed capable of producing. The halls were quiet, the paper doors closed, and even the servants had retreated into silence. Only the occasional creak of wood or whisper of wind through the garden trees disturbed the calm.
I had just finished my own training not long ago.
My body still carried the pleasant ache of exertion, and faint traces of cursed energy lingered under my skin from repeated control exercises, just a figure of speech. I had washed, changed, and finally laid down on my bed, ready to surrender to sleep.
It had been a productive day. Mei Mei had nearly broken Maki and Mai. I considered that money well spent. I let out a tired breath and closed my eyes.
Knock. Knock.
I stared at the ceiling for a second.
Who is it at this hour?
Another knock came.
"Come in," I said.
The door slid open carefully, and standing there was Maki. Behind her, half-hidden like she was considering retreat, stood Mai.
Both of them were clutching pillows tightly to their chests.
I slowly sat up.
"…What are you two doing here?"
Maki stepped inside first without hesitation. "Can we sleep here tonight?"
I blinked once, then looked at Mai, then back at Maki. "…Why?"
Maki jerked her thumb toward her sister. "Mai saw something scary and won't sleep."
Mai's face immediately reddened. "I did not say it like that!"
"You were crying."
"I was not crying!"
"You were shaking."
"I was in cold!"
I rubbed my forehead.
Apparently the warriors trained by Mei had been defeated by night.
I glanced at Mai again. She was avoiding my eyes now, hugging the pillow tighter as if that somehow restored dignity.
I already had a rough idea what happened. Likely a cursed sighting or some shape in the dark that she imagined into something worse.
Children had a habit of turning shadows into monsters, and in this world, the monsters were real.
I sighed. "Fine. Get in."
Both of them looked up instantly. Mai still tried to maintain pride.
"I am only accepting because you insisted."
"I literally just said two words."
Maki ignored us both and marched straight toward the bed.
Since she and Mai usually slept on futons, the sight of an actual raised bed apparently triggered something primal. Without warning, she jumped onto it. The mattress bounced violently.
"It's soft!" she declared.
I stared at her. "…You're acting like you discovered treasure."
"It is treasure."
Mai hurried forward in embarrassment. "Maki, stop being weird!"
She reached for her sister's arm—and Maki immediately grabbed her wrist and yanked. Mai let out a startled yelp as she was dragged onto the bed beside her.
The two began wrestling in the blankets like wild animals pretending to be human.
"Let go!"
"No."
"You're impossible!"
"You're loud."
I watched the scene in silence. Then, despite myself, a small smile formed.
There was something strangely peaceful about seeing them like this.
No bruises, No fear of being beaten, No cold warehouse, no eyes dulled by pain. Just children being children, maybe that alone made everything worth this scene.
Eventually I clapped my hands once. "Enough. It's bedtime."
Maki froze.
Mai immediately pointed at her. "She started it."
"I don't care who started it."
I pulled the blanket back and lay down properly. "Sleep."
The bed was large enough for all three of us, though now far more crowded than intended. Maki claimed one side with shameless confidence, while Mai carefully took the other, still pretending this arrangement had been forced upon her.
I ended up in the middle.
~~~
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