Tsunan Hitachiin wondered if Shun has already left and he went up to the window to take a look outside.
His eyes landed onto her sleeping figure in the backyard.
She must have unknowingly fallen asleep while waiting for Shirane.
The latter came into view at that moment and he saw the younger male walked up to Shun.
Tsunan couldn't help but feel a bit anxious for the sleeping girl there. His fears became confirmed when the red-haired boy picked the girl up in his arms and strode towards the swimming pool.
The doctor's heart accelerated in his chest and he thought he was having a heart attack when he witnessed the action that followed.
Instantaneously, he rushed downstairs and into the backyard, his insides twisting with dread.
***
What is she doing?
A frown creased Shirane Nakagiri's forehead.
For a minute, he wondered if the girl really couldn't swim.
When she didn't resurface again, he felt his stomach twist with dread, despite himself.
Oh shit!
He went still, utterly staggered.
***
The doctor didn't even look at Shirane Nakagiri as he dashed into the courtyard and spurted towards the swimming pool.
He dived in and without missing a beat, he plunged deeper to reach for the red-haired girl who was sinking like a stone, her eyes closed.
Before her back could touch the swimming pool's floor, he seized her by the arm and pulled her towards him, locking their lips together to give her breath.
***
I felt something warm and soft cover my mouth and I was given breath.
My eyes blew open in shock and some air escaped my mouth in the form of bubbles. I became half-aware that it was Doctor Tsunan and that he was now dragging me with him towards the light.
I fought to keep my lips locked together, until my head finally broke through the surface. I clung myself at the doctor desperately, choking out the water I had swallowed and gasping for air.
Disoriented, I didn't truly realize at what moment we arrived to the ground again, until a few smacks came down onto my back and I coughed out more water.
'Shun, are you alright?' Doctor Tsunan inquired, his voice wild with anxiety.
My mind became clearer but I didn't know if I could speak yet and remained on all my fours on the ground.
The doctor let go of my shoulders then and straightening up, he flung around to face the red-haired boy who was standing close-by, snarling, 'What were you thinking, Shirane? She could have died!'
The boy's shocked expression turned into a sullen one and he retorted, 'Oh come on! How did you want me to know that she can't swim?!'
'That's not the point!'
Snorting, the younger male dug his hands into his pockets and stomped away, sulkily.
Doctor Tsunan shook his head at him, before he looked back at me, his expression softening.
I was starting to be cold with my soaking clothes.
'Let's get out of here! There are towels in the infirmary!' he told me and lifting me up in his arms, he carried me effortlessly.
I held on to him tightly, resting my head over his chest, my emotions in turmoil.
I didn't know which had shaken me the most; the fact that I had half-drowned or the prank that had nearly proved to be fatal.
When we reached the infirmary, the doctor seated me onto the edge of the closet bed, before he went to fetch the towels.
He came back in a few seconds, toweling his hair with a towel and handing me the other in his possession.
With a trembling hand, I took it from him and stared vacantly at it.
He stopped toweling his hair, watching me anxiously.
At that moment, I broke.
The tears I had been able to hold back till now, begun to fall as I gave myself over to grief.
I hid my face in my hands, crying.
'Shun…' he breathed, a catch in his voice.
Sitting himself by my side, he lowered my hands and held them into his in a comforting gesture.
I thought the tears would never stop flowing but I managed to quiet them down a little after a moment.
'It's okay. I'm okay,' I rasped, trying to convince myself of it.
Brushing my cheeks dry with the back of my hands, I got up.
'I'll go get changed into my kimono.'
I hurried out of the door, without looking back, afraid that I would start crying again.
Out of the blue, I was overpowered by weakness, and my eyes closed on themselves.
I hit the floor in a loud thud, incapable of moving or speaking, my eyes refusing to open.
***
Tsunan Hitachiin rushed to the door when he heard a loud thud in the corridor outside of the infirmary and just as he feared, it was Shun, the latter having a physical collapse.
The sudden strong emotions had triggered a cataplexy attack.
'Oh no, Shun!'
***
The next day…
I walked up the corridor, heading for the master's office, alongside Doctor Tsunan.
We both came to a stop when we saw Shirane come out of Master Kagami's office.
The red-haired boy paused down, his expression turning bitter when he saw me.
I averted my eyes, shifting slightly on the side to give him way.
'Why didn't you ask Master Kagami to expel me?' he demanded, harshly.
I was certain about something. The members of the organization considered this place as their second home. I didn't believe them to be bad persons. I didn't want this family to break because of me- the newcomer, the black sheep.
Shirane Nakagiri was short-tempered, rude and impulsive, but I was sure that despite everything, he could occasionally be sweet. Especially with Cho Kururugi- the girl with the foldable fan- on whom I had the impression that he had a crush. He was as meek as a lamb with her, even when the girl would slap him with her harisen.
I didn't answer him.
'Che!'
With an angry pout on his face, he made past Doctor Tsunan and me, flouncing away.
We sighed.
***
A short while later...
Feeling a bit nervous and intimidated, I came downstairs into the hall, keeping my eyes down, my back hunched.
Everyone was aware about the incident of the swimming pool.
Shirane had been given a warning by Master Kagami, and my training with the redheaded boy had been canceled until further notice on the master's part.
I wondered how the members of the organization would react to the first part. I was sure that they were riled.
I risked a glance at the members in the silent hall.
Apart from the mysterious member I hadn't met yet, everyone was present at the organization today.
The two dark-haired guys were back from mission. I had managed to catch their names earlier. The one with the pony tail was Tsurayuki Senryū. The other's name was Shuda Yagari.
Even Ayame Tsuge came.
Everyone was afraid that Shirane would be expelled, and behind his tough looks, the red-haired boy had been equally anxious.
The proof, my apartment hadn't been touched the day before.
At this precise moment, I wished that a hole would appear in the ground and I could disappear into it.
If not accepted, I had at least hoped to be ignored.
'Oi!' Yanagi Hakushū, the Gothic-Lolita called at me, unexpectedly and I flinched slightly, pausing at the foot of the staircase. 'We're thankful to you that you didn't ask for Shirane to be expelled despite everything that happened.'
I looked up in surprise.
She glanced at the others, before she continued, 'So, we've decided that we're going to give you a chance. We were thinking that…'
She handed me a piece of paper. It was a document form concerning a mission.
'If you accomplish this mission with success, we're ready to accept your presence,' declared Agasa Tsudzuri. 'Don't worry. Even a debutant can make through it.'
My eyes widened a little.
Are they really serious?
'Just outside of town, there's a restricted area called "the forbidden marshland",' explained Cho Kururugi. 'It appears that these marshes are the territory of a dragon. The mission consists of recuperating a scale of dragon. Dragon scales are said to have magical virtues.'
A dragon?
All that I knew about yōkai and other unearthly creatures came from what Master Kagami had briefed me on.
I didn't know anything about dragons; I didn't even know that dragons existed until this moment.
'So, what do you decide? Do you accept our condition?'
'I'm out of this!' muttered Shuda Yagari, suddenly.
'Me too,' grumbled Ayame Tsuge and they both left, their expression sullen.
I looked at the others.
Tsurayuki Senryū appeared to be indifferent. Shirane was still scowling and yet waiting for a reply on my part just like the girls, while Hattori was watching the whole scene with half-narrowed eyes and arms crossed over his chest a small distance away; I couldn't catch his expression.
I took a deep breath.
It was probably naive on my part to believe that they would accept my presence, but even if there was the slightest chance for this to happen, I didn't want to let it slip away.
I agreed, 'Okay.'
'Show us what you're capable of!' stated Shirane.
Signing the form, I handed it to Cho Kururugi for her to give it to the master.
I left immediately after that to prepare myself for the mission.
'You shouldn't go,' Hattori called after me, catching up with me in the front lawn.
'Why?' I asked, looking at him in bewilderment.
'We're talking about dragons here. Dragons and demons are probably two of the most powerful creatures ever known. They are considered as mythical creatures. But dragons are no myth. One day, when I was very little, I had ventured close to the restricted area. Through the fog, I had perceived the shape of a beast scaling up the sky. Dragons do exist! They are ferocious, and violating their territory results in death. It's a suicide mission.'
I swallowed hard.
I wondered if Shirane and the others had omitted these details purposefully.
Though, suicide mission or not, it didn't matter.
It wasn't that I was unconscious of the risks or being arrogantly over-confident, far from that, no, but this proposal was something, even in my wildest imaginations, I would never have hoped for. I simply couldn't turn my back onto it, even if I had to come back half-dead. Also, if the master has approved this mission, then it meant that it was feasible.
'Ah, Doctor Tsunan's not going to like it, when I'll come back. I give him lots of work,' I murmured, half-jocularly.
'Do you mean...' he trailed off, his eyes widening a fraction.
***
Once I reached my apartment, I began packing my bag with food, water, a box of matches, a lamp and a few other necessities.
Then, I moved up to the small animal which was lying flat on its belly on the couch watching me curiously.
'I'm sorry, I can't take you with me. In your state, it's way too dangerous. Patting its head, I cooed, 'Be good in my absence, okay, Kōmori-san? I'll try to come back quickly. Till then, you're the guardian of this place!'
I put some food in a tray close-by for it to feed itself and left the window in the bedroom open. I was probably not going to come back until tomorrow and so, I switched on the light in the kitchen before my departure.
The closest route to the restricted area was by going through Kuribayashi.
When I reached a series of crops fields that seemed to stretch on for miles ahead, I knew that I was no longer in the town of Toda anymore. I took one of the several dirt roads that separated the fields and it led me to a forest westward, which was kept off-limit by fence.
Warning signs and prohibition of entry boards allowed no trespassing.
The first obstacle was going past the barrier of fencing.
I looked athwart of myself to check that there was no one, before I began climbing up the fence and managed to make it on the other side.
When I was finally standing on my two feet on the forbidden ground, I took a minute to scrutinize the vast forest opening in front of me.
It was thick and dark, with mist escaping it, the air humid. The impending sunset made it look even more lugubrious.
With trepidation, I went forward and entered the forest, trespassing on the sanctuary of the dragon.
***
On the other side…
'I really don't see how she's going to make it back alive!' Cho Kururugi snickered.
'If she doesn't get lost or swallowed in the swamps, that idiot is sure to be devoured by the dragon!' scoffed Agasa Tsudzuri.
'Tsk! I can't believe that Ayame and Shuda bowed out onto this! It's way too puerile in their opinion!' muttered Yanagi Hakushū.
'Do you think that there's a risk that they spill the beans in front of the master?' asked Tsurayuki Senryū.
'Nah! Even if they refused to participate into this, they hate her as much as we do.'
They all became quiet when Tsunan Hitachiin came into view. It was quite late in the afternoon and thus, time for him to leave.
'Did anyone see Shun?' the doctor inquired. Shirane and Tsurayuki averted their eyes while the girls face heated up with anger.
'No. She must have gone home,' they replied.
Tsunan frowned at the ground, having a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Nodding once, he strode away.
The moment he was out of earshot, the girls exploded in a furry. 'What the hell?! How on earth can Tsunan be interested in anything concerning that girl? And did you hear that? He called her by her forename while he always calls us by our family names!'
Cries of lamentation followed, mixed with curses in the intention of the red-haired girl.
Tsurayuki Senryū shook his head at them and exhaled, while Shirane went back pouting again, not appreciating a certain ginger-haired girl's infatuation with the doctor.
Thank you for reading!