Some time had passed and, "Today. I'll show my In." Karen smiled in the mirror.
He felt that today would go smoothly, Come In.
"Okay. Children who want to come forward." Rin asked her students. "I!" Karen spontaneously pointed at himself. "Eh, so you already know what In is huh." Said his friend. "Yyyy-ya, if I didn't know, why did I volunteer." Karen said nervously. "Hmph. Sucks." Ai mocked him. Those words were actually quite piercing one's feelings, what's with that girl actually. Karen thought .
Even though it was annoying, he still stepped forward to the front of the class. "Okay… Are you ready Karen." Rin said. "Yes, Sensei." Karen nodded. Ready or not… Karen sighed, The boy got ready. His posture looks normal, his friends look at him, including the red-haired girl who is staring at him.
He raised his hand,
Then.
Yellow threads started to come out of his body. "Whoa!!" His friends were quite amazed. Karen was sweating even more, he was so nervous. The threads had begun to knit one another.
PWFFFF!!
"Hahahahaha!!" All of his classmates burst out laughing. It was so funny that tears started to come out of their eyeballs. I shouldn't have done this. Karen was regret to have volunteered. "Fine!! It's all enough." Rin said firmly. "You can't laugh at your friends like that." She continued.
"That's pretty good Karen." Rin said. The compliment made his self-confidence rise a little, "Okay Sensei." Karen replied. The little Lion Doll he held in the middle of his palm as he walked back to his seat. "Huh." Karen sighed. "Karen's Type In was Konoe." Rin gave another explanation to her students, Konoe. Thought Karen.
Several months have passed since then. Almost all of his classmates can expel Seisui into In. They were given a new task by their teacher to practice their In ability.
KKLLLKKK
Karen opened the can of coffee in his hand. He was sitting in the middle of the town hall with his thoughts. "Princess." someone said. "You can't be like this." He continued in a firm tone. "I do what like." Someone reply. The conversation made Karen turn his head, "Hmm." He looked at the red-haired girl again. She seems to be arguing with, is that her guard? Karen thought.
Karen closed his eyes, Ren don't you dare disturb other people's problems. The boy turned around, but his conscience killing him.
"I told you not to follow me." Ai said it to a man. "Princess, you must stop doing this mischief—" The man said but was cut off.
"Yo." Karen greets them. He looked casual, but was nervous about speaking out. He took a gulp of saliva, his hands shaking in his trouser pockets. "You should listen to your guard's words…" Karen said. "I think he means well." He continued. "Hmph." Ai smirked at Karen's words. I hate this girl. Geez, why am I doing this again? Karen reminded himself that meddling in the affairs of a noble family could have dire consequences.
From the first time meeting with that girl, it was enough to make him feel annoyed. The boy stepped forward "Why do you actually have to act like that." Karen said. "I don't need to talk to the Child who exudes Seisui like a doll." Ai replied.
Those words really hit the mark.
"You're just like a girl." Ai taunted Karen once again. "Ah-ah, I don't want to fight with a charred-faced girl like you." Karen returned the taunt. "What!!" Ai jerked the leg. The two exchanged insults so that the guard of the red-haired girl seemed difficult to defuse the situation. Karen saw the look of the guard who seemed to be bothered, "Huh…" Karen sighed. "Sorry I shouldn't have said that." Karen bowed to apologize to Ai.
The girl was very annoyed, "If you don't know anything, don't meddle in other people's business." She said as she walked away. The girl guard bowed to Karen, He seem to be apologizing on behalf of the red-haired girl.
Karen felt his day had gotten off to a bad start. The mood is messed up, thanks to that girl I feel like I'm afraid to talk to girls. He thought. "Rather than thinking about that, I better find my technique name." Karen started walking around looking for inspiration for his technique name. Ai said about, Doll. Thought Karen. It still bothered him.
He walked towards a doll store. As a boy he shouldn't have entered into a place like a 'doll store' but his conscience told him otherwise.
"Welcome!" The employee greets Karen. She was a young lady, "Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked. "Ahhh that—" Karen checked his trouser pocket, thank god it still there. He thought. "Uhh—uhh!" He pretended to cough to outwit the employee. "I want… Uhm, looking for a keychain for my little brother— I mean my sister." Karen said. "Oh, I see." The female employee said. "What kind of keychain do you want?" She continued while taking Karen to the key chain area. "Is there anything like a tiger?" Karen asked. "Yes, of course there is." The female employee answered.
"…"
Karen stood with a frowning expression, he looked at the keychain in the shape of a tiger, huh. He thought. There are various forms, but these are all too conspicuous. And all of them are only suitable for girls. "I'am stupid to come in here." Karen mumbled with a grim face. "Is it something wrong." The female clerk said as she bowed to Karen.
"Ah—nothing." Karen replied. He walked again looking for what suits to him.
At that time,
"This!!" Karen was surprised. "Hmmm…" The female employee who had greeted other customers turned to Karen. What's really wrong with that kid?? She thought.
After about five minutes.
Amethyst Karen went to the cashier to pay for the keychain he had chosen.
"I chose this." He said as he put the keychain on the counter. "Didn't you say it was a present for your little sister?" Said the female employee who raised half an eyebrow at Karen. "—Yeah my little sister likes cool stuff like this." Karen scratched his hair.
"Oh, I see." The female employee smiled. "Well, since no one ever chose that keychain… so I'll give it to you for free." She continued. "W-what, really!!" Karen was surprised.
After he got a tiger-shaped keychain, green, black striped. It actually looks like a doll that has been sacrificed by its owner.
But,
According to him, the hanger is according to taste, (His taste).
Karen walked while looking at the hustle and bustle of Sakae town. The city was very lively, as usual. He thought. Sakae City was the center city of the Land of Trees, and all trade from neighboring Countries entered that city.
"…"
The boy was silent for a while, absorbing all the energy of the peaceful city, figuratively speaking. "Huh!?" He looked at the red-haired girl again. After the previous meeting, he didn't want to make his good day bad. However he recalled his meeting with Ai once again, she… cried. Karen thought as he stared at the pebbles under his feet. The image of the girl's face he could reflect on again, why was she crying. It still bothered him.
Hanahata Ai was walking alone in the middle of Sakae town. The girl had had a fight with her guard, or perhaps her servant. Her face was as red as her hair, her eyes were swollen, watery, sad.
"Why should I..." Ai muttered. "Why?" She continued. The girl walked to a place, and that place was not crowded.
Karen followed Ai like a cat.
The boy jumped over houses, motels, and billboards that said NEW MIKOTO RIESEN HO. He was quite proficient in the art of movement, and that he was quite proud of. "Where is she actually going?" Karen muttered as he jumped down. He came down from the top of the building like a stray cat.
"Pheew." Karen wiped his forehead. The boy hid behind the wall. He could see Ai from there, his eyes sharpened, his gaze focused on one direction—.
BDDUUKK!!
"Ouch!??" Karen's face which was serious was suddenly hit by someone. "What the hell!" He fell, "Huh??" Karen hold his nose which had just been punched by a boy who looked about the same age as him. "Are you a stalker or what?" The boy said. "I'm not a stalker." Karen replied. "This is a misunderstanding." He continued as he tried to stand up. "Then why did you follow that girl. That's disgusting man." The boy replied with an angry face. As the two of them spoke, "Hmm!?" Ai turned towards the alley where Karen and also the fierce-faced boy were standing.
Before Ai turned around—.
Karen pulled the boy towards the wall as fast as he could. The two of them hid behind the concrete like paparazzo looking for photos of famous people. "Are you stupid!! Let's hide quickly." Karen said as he covered the boy's mouth.
"Pwaaah!! So you really are a stalker huh." The boy said. "No…" Karen replied. "I followed her." He continued. "Moron, isn't that the same?" The boy replied. "By the way, who are you really?" Karen asked. "I'm Mori Ruka." The boy said.
Mori is one of the Nomadic Clans originating from Yamanouchi, their line of territory is almost adjacent to the Land of Heaven. Most of the Nomadic Clans were neutral Rinka Users, but there were a few of them who chose to side with the Great Lands like the Land of Trees as an example.
"Huh." Karen sighed. "Listen dude. I'm here because my intuition thinks that girl is walking into a dangerous area." He continued while giving a fairly short, concise, and clear explanation.
"…"
Mori Ruka looked at Karen seriously.
"If what you say is true..." Said Ruka. "Then I will come with you." He continued with a smile. Who knows what is that supposed to mean, and Karen didn't understand it either.
In short, the two of them seemed going to be working together.
"Follow me and try to… not to stand out." Karen said that while looking at Ruka's face that looked like a delinquent. "What?" Ruka shrugged. "It's nothing, let's go!" Karen said, while bending his neck. The two of them were secretly hiding between the trading stores, and the walls like they're on a secret mission.
About half an hour passed,
And Ruka's suspicion of Karen is increasing. Huuuh turns out that the point is, this kid is stalking—. Thought Ruka. "Should I beat him again?" Ruka muttered. A problem could be solved with a punch, that was exactly what he was thinking.
At that very moment,
!!?
Ai turned to the right. Someone is following me. She thought. Ruka and also Karen are monitoring Ai from about 28 meters away. They can see movement behind the building next to them, what's that? Karen was getting more and more alert.
SHHHHUUUSHHH!!
"!?" Ruka was taken aback. "What?" Karen ran out from where they were hiding. "Disappear??" Karen looked around him. The red-haired girl instantly disappeared from their sight. The area they passed, where there had been pedestrians was suddenly quiet, silent.
"No one!?" Ruka said. "Are we also exposed to Illusions." Karen said.
"So it was these brats who tried to tail the girl." Said someone who suddenly came out of the residential hallway. He was wearing a black hakama with a fire pattern, his hair was long like the leaves of a tree. The aura of the man made the two boys in front of him speechless, trembling, sweating, afraid. They were so scared they couldn't move their limbs. "Heh." He smirked and walked away