The moment I reached school on the following day, my eyes were desperately searching for Natsui. I had feared that the ginger-haired girl would be absent today, but she came. After we had found a secluded area for the two of us to talk, she told me about what had happened at home. Though she kept her smile bravely on, I knew that it was only a front to hide her pain. I didn't know how to help her and I felt completely helpless. This same feeling of helplessness, I had known it much too often in my life; it was the feeling that I hated the most in this world.
I avoided telling her about the episode of yesterday with Hiyori, and when we came across of the dark-haired girl later in the corridor of the school, she leered at us, but that was it. She didn't attempt anything against Natsui, and the day went by quietly. I guessed that Shunsui had been successful in intimidating her and that was comforting.
After school, Shunsui and I went to his house without attending extracurriculars where I prepared him dinner and three different wagashi. Mister had a want for three different wagashi, and since he couldn't choose which one he wanted to eat, he ended up opting for all three of them.
'He really takes me for his slave!' I grumbled to myself, cynically, as I was putting all the ingredients that I had used back to their place in the kitchen after dinner.
On his side, Mister has gone outdoors, to stand by the pond, smoking a cigarette.
Gōjun and he really smoked too much. The expression "to smoke like a chimney" seemed to have been invented for the two of them.
I shook my head, letting out a heavy sigh.
Picking the bottle of pepper up then, I moved up to the furniture on the side of the room to put it back in the drawer. It was in this furniture that spices were kept. As I pulled on the said-drawer, I found that it wouldn't open; it was stuck.
That's strange, I told myself. It was not stuck earlier.
I pulled on it harder, but just as I did this, suddenly, the furniture shifted forward and started to lose its balance.
My heart jumping to my throat, I took an involuntary step backward, but just at that moment, a hand shot out in front of my face to hold the furniture back against the wall before it would topple down on me.
Instantly, I looked on my right and found that the person who had rushed to my side was none other than Gōjun!
I was surprised to see him. I didn't know that he was back from his voyage.
Out of the blue, the drawer that I had been trying to open, became ejected out of the furniture on its own and it hit me like a saucer at the forehead, sending me to the ground on my behind.
'Itai!' I moaned, rubbing my forehead with my hand.
'Oi, are you alright?' Gōjun asked me, with a dubious look, and flushing up in embarrassment, I jerked to my feet and bobbed my head up and down in answer, smiling goofily.
'What happened to your face?' he inquired.
Eh?
'It's a long story,' I replied, scratching the back of my head and giggling awkwardly. 'I didn't know that you're back.'
For some reason, his expression turned awkward too.
'Yeah, I came back last night, but I decided to bunk school today.'
'I see,' I said, and remembered something. 'Oh wait! I've copied all the notes that we've been given at school during your absence in a copybook for you; I thought you might find them helpful. It's in my bag!'
And on this, I hurried to the living room to find my bag and he followed after me slowly from behind.
'There!' I said, as I handed the copybook to him.
'Eh?! That's really kind of you!' declared Shunsui, who had come back inside by that moment. He was leaning against the side wall on his shoulder, with his arms crossed over his chest, a teasing smile on his lips as he watched me. 'Are you sure you haven't fallen for him?'
I flushed tomato red. 'Wha- Wha- What are you saying?' I stammered, hiding my face with my hand.
He giggled at my reaction, only to announce, 'Anyway, there's something that I forgot to tell you. Tomorrow evening, there's a party at the mansion, and you're accompanying us!'
'Eh?'
A party? Like the one when we had first met?
And he wants me... to come?
But- how can I attend such a party? Won't I look out of place over there?
'Bu- Bu- But-' I started, but he cut me off, saying, 'There are no ifs or buts, you're coming and that's final. You're bound to do everything that I ask of you, remember?!'
I cringed away, silenced. He's redoubtable!
But still, I couldn't help thinking how I could attend such a party. What would I wear? I could never find anything in my closet suitable enough.
'And if you're worried about what you're going to wear, let me inform you that tomorrow morning, I'm taking you out shopping! We'll buy you a gown!'
A gown?! But it costs too much!
'And it is needless for me to point out to you that I'm going to add it on your debt!'
I cringed again.
If it continues like this, I'm going to end up indebted till the end of my life!
I turned pale at this prospect.
'And you're coming to shop with us, Gōjun!'
'Huh? Why do I have to come?' the latter complained. 'Normally, you're the expert in taking girls out shopping!'
'Oh, but I've learnt everything from you, my dear! And you've got to thank Hime for her notes, remember?'
'Right!' Gōjun muttered, scratching the back of his head.
I had been about to tell him that it was alright, that he didn't have to thank me for anything, but Shunsui prevented me from saying anything. He began to usher me towards the door, reminding me that I have to go to work.
'That's right! I almost forgot!' I exclaimed, remembering only then, and I hurried off immediately, not wishing to be late.
***
Sometimes later…
Gōjun Shoran and Shunsui Shigeizumi were playing cards in the living room, smoking a cigarette, and drinking and talking to each other, while they ate some of the remaining wagashi that the dark-haired girl had prepared.
'She hit her?' Gōjun asked, stunned.
'Yeah, the pest!' the reddish-brown-hared young man muttered, shaking his head.
Leaning backward onto one of his hands on the floor then, Shunsui lifted his head to stare at the ceiling in contemplation, bringing his cigarette to his mouth with his other hand to take a large puff on it.
He remained silent like this for a moment, before he lowered his eyes again to look at Gōjun.
'And with Kenren?'
Gōjun simply stared back at him without answering.
The reddish-brown-haired young man didn't have to hear anything to know what had happened.
When Gōjun had informed him that he was leaving on a vacation with Kenren, Shunsui had immediately understood what the older male wanted to do, and he had been personally hopeful about this idea. Unfortunately, it was clear that things didn't work out well.
Gōjun never let his walls down with anyone other than with Shunsui, and the latter had already understood from a very long time back what was stopping Gōjun. He wished the latter would finally let his walls down, not necessarily with everyone, but at least with Kenren and those who would really count.
***
The next day…
Shunsui sent me the address of a shop in the morning, asking me to meet up with Gōjun and he there. When I reached the said-address, I was intimidated by the appearance of the shop. It was one of those luxury shops that people hardly visited, and that cried "expensive". The reddish-brown-haired young man and Gōjun had already arrived, and the latter was wearing a sullen expression on his face.
'You're late!' he groaned at me, and without giving any warning, he gave me a punch on the head.
'Itai!' I moaned, rubbing my head with my hands, sniffling.
'Come on!' Shunsui told me, and seizing me by my hand, he began to drag me inside of the shop.
'Are we really going in there?' I asked him, apprehensively, but he ignored me.
The moment we were inside of the shop, a female attendant came directly to us and she welcomed Shunsui with a bow and the following words, 'Shunsui-sama, I have been waiting for you. I have done what you have asked me to do. Please, follow me!'
Eh? Shunsui-sama?
The reddish-brown-haired young man continued to drag me along with him, as the female attendant directed us further inside of the shop up to a rack, which stood separate from the others, and from which hung a number of gowns.
'These are the latest designs of our collection,' she announced, causing me to flinch.
The latest designs?! How much is that going to cost me? A whole lifetime of debt?
'Ne, ne, Shunsui,' I giggled, nervously, 'why not let's not opt for something less… trendy?'
And way less expensive!
But once again, my words fell on deaf ears.
The reddish-brown-haired young man was already taking a look at the different gowns, trying to select one. I watched him cynically. He was ignoring me deliberately.
On his side, Gōjun had plumped down on the couch behind us and was staring out of the bay window, still sulking, whereas the shop attendant left us to ourselves, only to return a minute later with a calculator. This, rendered me all the more nervous. What could be the prices of the items of this shop that she needed a calculator to find the balance?
'Eh?! I'm really having difficulty choosing between these two dresses here! It has never happened to me before. Usually, I always know which one would be the best!' Shunsui uttered to himself, cupping his chin and frowning in deep concentration as he examined the two dresses in question. The first one was of a light pink, the other of a soft purple. Both were equally beautiful.
'Never mind!' he, then, declared, in a decided tone, 'We're going to buy both!'
'Both!' I exclaimed, almost choking.
Immediately, I reached out for the price tag of one of the dresses to check the price of the item. All color drained out of my face at the number of zeros that it contained.
It's confirmed! I'm going to remain his slave till the end of my life! Okā-san, Kami-sama, help!
'We're going to wait outside while you take her measurements to adjust the dresses to her size,' Shunsui said to the shop attendant, while he continued to ignore me. 'And I leave it to you to find her a pair of shoes and a hand-bag that would match!'
'You can count on my professional skills, Shunsui-sama!' acquiesced the woman. 'And as you are our regular client, we're going to make you a discount!'
Their regular client? It was a shop that sells only women's clothes. I guessed that he took all his girlfriends here. But wait a second! A pair of shoes and a bag? How much is that going to amount to?!
By this instant, I was finding it really hard to hold back my tears. I felt like throwing myself on the floor and crying bitterly. But I didn't have this luxury. The female shop attendant was already dragging me away, her eyes merciless.
A moment later, I came out of the shop, dragging my feet lifelessly under me, to find Shunsui and Gōjun outside where they were smoking a cigarette.
A slave! I'll be a slave all my life!
'The shop attendant is calling you back inside to fix the bill,' I informed Shunsui, my voice barely coming out.
He stubbed his cigarette immediately and went back in, while I waited outside with Gōjun.
'Stop making that face! It's unpleasant to watch!' the latter grumbled at me, pulling at one of cheeks in annoyment.
'Ah! Ah! It hurts!' I whined.
When he finally let go of my cheek, he turned his face away and went back to smoking his cigarette, cutting me dead.
Devils! Shunsui and he are true devils! I thought to myself, as I rubbed my cheek with my hand.
Taking a deep breath then, I let out a heavy sigh and looked back towards the shop, waiting for Shunsui to come out again. But then, in all of a sudden, something came to my mind. Or rather, someone. And I became so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice Shunsui when he came out of the shop to stand in front of me.
'Shall we go?' he asked. 'They will deliver the dresses by this afternoon with the given adjustments.'
'Huh?' I uttered, a bit startled. 'Ye-Yes.'
As I began to make into the direction of where Takara-san had parked the car, out of the blue, the reddish-brown-haired young man caught me by the back of my collar, yanking me to a stop.
I looked at him over my shoulder in bewilderment.
'Wouldn't you be thinking of a certain ginger-haired girl?'
My eyes widened at him. He's telepathic!
'Well,' he said, slowly, 'I was thinking that since there are two dresses, maybe you could invite one of your friends!'
My breath caught. 'Really?'
There was nothing that I could do for Natsui to help her out of her present situation, but this was a little something that I could offer her- an evening, where she could enjoy herself and forget all her problems for a brief instant.
'Yes,' he replied, putting a hand down onto my head and smiling.
Feeling utterly moved, I smiled back at him and thanked him from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for reading!