He suppressed his flustered emotions and confirmed Kazane’s situation. Although she looks somewhat unwell, there aren’t any conspicuous external wounds. From top to bottom, even her flat chest, looked the same as Kohaku. She looks as if she was sleeping, but on the other hand, Kotone and Suzune were still regressing into infants.
”What kind of situation is this?” Taiyou pondered.
「What Happened? 」
「A traffic accident? 」
「…Eh? 」
「I wouldn’t call something like this a traffic accident…or would you? 」
Taiyou tilted his neck and imagined the scene. In the instance of listening to Shirokiyami’s explanation, he imagined the worst, but in reality, it was a story-like event. Nevertheless, he was relieved it wasn’t a large accident.
At the moment they touched hands, the two older sisters started to cling to their unconscious younger sister. ”Such a thing is expected” The understanding feeling was growing in Taiyou’s chest.
「Leaving that… aside」
Shirokiyami came to talk with Taiyou, interrupting any time for deep thought. With her eyes facing forward, Taiyou was startled. To the default emotionless girl, it was rare to see her eyes fill with rage.
「When I brought her back to…. The apartment…..you weren’t there」
「Ah」
「Were you trying to… escape…In the middle of the night? 」
「No no no, why would I think of escaping? 」
「You…owe me money」
「…Ah」
Being told that, The compensation for breaking her katana, and there is also her part of the reward for the request I gave her. Either way to a student like Taiyou, it is an outrageous amount of money, but at the same time, he is also convinced that it is a fair amount for the things she did for him. That’s why he won’t deny having this huge debt to her.
After all he left the mansion without telling her and escaped during the night, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to think that he was trying to run away.
「Sorry」
「If you understand then…then I guess I don’t need to call my illegal loan shark…. friend」
「…So, you won’t try to…escape? 」
「I swear that it’s not like that」
「I see」
Shirokiyami quietly nodded. The rage in her eyes steadily lessened.
It seems like she accepted his words.
「Then, you will pay… the debt? 」
「When I become successful in life, then I will surely pay」
He said the same words that he had said before. There is no way he could pay that eight digit debt right now.
「I…understand」
With that, she seemed to have understood. “If she was calmer, she would have known that it was a given” thought Taiyou.
「Leaving that aside, let’s move. I want to settle Kazane down”
Taiyou said that, picked up three clinging sisters in his arms, and with Shirokiyami, headed in the direction of “Taiyou Castle”
In the Hayakawa sisters’ room of Taiyou Castle. In the incomplete room with barely any furniture, while still tightly hugging each other, the girls slept.
With Kazane, who experienced an accident, in the middle, Kotone and Suzune were on her left and right side, clinging to her. After Taiyou confirmed the situation and left the room, Kohaku was waiting there.
「They’ve rested well, I see」
「Aah…」
「Don’t make such a face. From what I see, there is no external wounds on their bodies, and eventually, it will be as if nothing happened」
「I hope so」
「Please confirm for me as well, has the “Idol” status’s compensation still not returned?
「Hmph…it’s true」
Kohaku, her eyes changing to be big and round, made a gesture to confirm.
「If it’s not you who caused the reduction, then it must be the girls. Even though the girls have already returned safely… why isn’t it fixed?」
「Maybe there is a cool down on the skill because you spent the night together?」
Kohaku said teasingly.
「Even if that were really the case, that would be better than the alternative」
「Eh? 」
「…Of course not」
「Then things that you need to do should be clear now right?」
「…I see」
Taiyou moved his mouth and made a faint smile. He thought that it is certainly as Kohaku said. “Idol” showed that if he were to lose the three sister’s love, he would just have to get it back.
After spending the night with the three sisters those were his real thoughts. At the same time, thanks to Kohaku he was reminded of this very simple fact, and it made his heart feel warm.
「Thank you very much」
Taiyou said that, crouched down extremely naturally, and kissed Kohaku’s lips.
「Mu」
With such a thing suddenly happening to her, Kokaku did not expect to be kissed all of a sudden. But, it was only for a moment. Kohaku touched her lips that were kissed by Taiyou and had a joyful face.
Her face was so cute, so he kissed her one more time and then her face began to flush. After that, the two went down the stairs, side-by-side, to the living room terrace. Shirokiyami was waiting there. She sat quietly in the sofa set up in the living room terrace and was blankly looking up at the ceiling.
She looked so defenseless that the words that Yurikago had said previously about her being the “Strongest Teenager” seemed like a complete lie.
Her elusive figured looked like it was about to disappear at any moment. Looking at her like this, Taiyou wanted to pull off a childish prank. The last time he fought with her was before he turned level 5. Now that he’s level 10, he is certain that he was become stronger. But that’s not all; he also had the “Idol” skill’s compensation.
He moved closer one step at a time. She was just looking up at the ceiling and she didn’t seem to notice that Taiyou was coming closer.
(This time—)
Within range. Taiyou kept moving closer, with a clenched fist, until he reached the distance where he could attack her; however, as soon as he did reach, the white girl’s figure completely disappeared before his eyes.
Not as a metaphor, but she completely disappeared, literally. In an instant, he felt a murderous intent from behind. It explosively expanded, and overwhelmingly swallowed up his whole body. It feels exactly same as the first time I met her.
「Free…ze」
Along with the sound of her unique breathing, there was also something sharp pressed on his back. It was not hard to imagine that it was her beloved sword, since he could feel a cold metal object digging deep into his skin.
Taiyou trembled at the thought that in one moment, all of this happened.
「Can I ask what and how did you do that? 」
Taiyou raised his arms and asked while trying be calm despite the situation.
「I just…moved…very quickly」
「You make it sound easy」
Taiyou smiled ironically. “Without any tricks or cheats, huh?” he thought.
「It isn’t…easy. Going head-to-head with you…is dangerous. That is why…I used all my powers to go around you」
Because Shirokiyami said that and lowered the tip of the sword, Taiyou also slowly lowered his arms and looked behind him.
「Do you really need to be that cautious? 」
「But what is your impression? 」
「You realized? From what I saw last time, didn’t you say that a conclusion couldn’t be made? 」
「Doesn’t woman’s intuition work in a much different way? 」
「That is…」
Taiyou was hesitating, because he couldn’t give an honest answer to her question. At the turn of last night, he drew a boundary line in his heart. He decided to confide about his level-ups to only to the people he likes and becomes his bride.
「Our husband becomes strong with love. He becomes stronger with each new bride 」(Kohaku Speaking)
「I…see」(Shirokiyami Speaking)
「Yeah…because…you’ve become a lot stronger all of a….sudden」(Shirokiyami Speaking)
After talking like this Kohaku looked up towards the top of the stairway.
In front of her line of sight was the appearance of the three sisters. The three were clearly different from before; they had returned to their usual self.