None of us could still believe what our eyes had witnessed only a few hours ago.
But our encounter with a Kami, Raitogami, had well taken place. The proof, the seven ailing members of the Daidōji family had recovered. Their fever had gone down in no time after the Kami's visit.
'My family has been saved due of you. I can't thank you enough, my child! All that I can do, is to tell you that I believe in your innocence.'
My innocence?
My eyes widened at Shūshin Daidōji.
He was talking about the massacre.
So, he recognized me?
I guessed that he had recognized me when I had given him my name itself.
'I learnt that you're leaving the temple!' Agasa called at the old priest, as she joined us in the courtyard, done with packing her things.
'My family doesn't want to live with me anymore and I understand them completely. After what happened, I refuse to put them in danger ever again. They wanted to leave, but I prefer to go away in their place. I'm going to settle down by the cemetery.'
'I'm really sorry,' I whispered, saddened by the way things had turned out.
'Are you going to-'
Guessing Agasa's question, he replied, 'No. I will spend the rest of my life filled with guilt for the sufferings that have been caused because of me. But, I still believe that the suicided deserves to be treated in the same way as any other dead persons; with respect and dignity; they deserve to have funerary rites and a sepulcher. Unfortunately, I'm not that young anymore and when I'll be gone, there'll be no one to look after the cemetery.' He looked at us expectantly then, saying, 'I want to ask you a favor. Would you accept to find me a successor?'
Agasa and I stared at each other in astonishment, before we replied together, in a promise to the old man, 'Yes!'
***
It had just gotten dark when Agasa and I reached Toda.
'You know, it doesn't resemble me to make promises that I won't be able to hold...' she declared, in all of a sudden.
The train station was near empty at this hour.
I came to halt and giving her a puzzled look, I inquired, 'Why do you think that you won't be able to hold the promise?'
I had noticed a change in the dark-haired girl's attitude ever since we had gotten on the train to head back home, but I couldn't tell exactly what. She had been utterly calm during the whole voyage back to town, having seemed to be lost in deep concentration.
Pausing down too, she took out her cellphone and showed me a picture of a woman with chestnut hair.
'That's my mom!' she informed me, smiling creakily. 'She's the most kind-hearted and gentle person that I know. I was still a child when my dad passed away. She brought my brother and I up on her own. She took care of everything without ever complaining. I admire her courage; I don't think that one day I'll be able to match her.'
Her smile faded away, then.
'But like I told you, I have a brother. His name is Jūshiro and he's a year older than me. Growing up, he turned out very badly. Will you believe me if I tell you that he's a real psychopath?'
My throat tightened.
'Luckily, we came to know Master Kagami and with his help, my mom and I have been able to escape my brother and settle down here, to start a new life, far away from him.'
I held my breath in apprehension. I knew that there was a "but" coming.
'But a few days ago, Jūshiro found our trace again. He's a top model and he has signed a contract with a local magazine.'
'Did you… inform Master Kagami about it?' I asked her, my voice sounding weak to myself.
She shook her head in reply, before she stated, with her face devoid of expression, 'I know that Jūshiro will never leave us alone; he'll never leave my mom in peace. But I know what I have do. I refuse that he hurts my mom. For her, I'd be ready to do anything.'
My heart fluttered.
'Agasa,' I rasped out. 'You're not going to-'
It can't be what I'm thinking!
'I'm sure that you must be taking me for a bloody hypocrite now, after all the things that I have said on you before, yes?' she sneered, but her eyes were full of grief. 'But contrarily to you, I'll put an end to my life after having killed him, such that no one has to see my face ever again!'
My eyes went wide at her, my heart going completely insane.
'Agasa, you can't become a murderer!'
'Oh? And what are you going to do?' she scoffed.
I began to feel very sleepy in all of a sudden.
'Will you try to stop me? And how?'
Darkness filled in my vision.
***
'Is she- sleeping?!'
'Hey miss! Wake up! You can't sleep here!'
"I know what I have do. He'll never leave us alone. I refuse that he hurts my mom. For her, I'd be ready to do anything. I'll put an end to my life after having killed him."
I jolted up into a sitting position, startling the teenaged couple that had been trying to wake me up.
I couldn't see Agasa anywhere around.
'Are you alright, miss?' the teenaged girl asked me, seeing my panicked expression and I shook my head, stammering, 'Where-Where is the girl who was with me?'
'We didn't see any other girl with you!' replied the boy accompanying her.
Oh my god! Oh my god!
Picking myself up, I took out my cellphone and called Tsunan without losing a second. The moment he picked up my call, I began telling him about Agasa's brother's reappearance and what she intended to do.
There was only one local magazine in Toda. The Hayabusa Weekly Magazine. The office was situated just around the corner.
Since I was the closest to it, I decided that I'd go search for her at her brother's workplace, and told Tsunan to go look for her at her house on his side.
***
The lights in the photo studio, which was situated on the ground floor of the building, were on.
There were only a handful of employees working late. Agasa had come across of them in the entrance while they were heading out to eat.
Approaching the changing room, the dark-haired girl pushed the door open slowly with one hand.
Jūshiro Tsudzuri was indeed there. And he was all alone with his back turned onto her.
A shrill ran down her spine as she unsheathed her katana and put away her umbrella.
The moment her brother had remade surface, Agasa had taken her decision. It had been during that evening of the Chocolate Day. She knew that the mission in Ogita was going to be her last one.
She didn't even dare to think about the reaction of her mom, the master and everyone else at the organization, after what she's about to do.
This is the end!
With this last thought, Agasa dashed at her brother, katana ready.
It all happened very quickly.
Jūshiro Tsudzuri caught glimpse of her in the mirror of the dressing table and in one swift movement, he shifted out of the way just before Agasa could inflict onto him a mortal blow. And in yet another swift movement, he caught her by her wrist and pulled at her arm, his knee connecting with her gut.
Agasa fell on her knees, clutching at her abdomen with both arms in pain.
'Imouto-chan!' hissed the older sibling and he kicked her at the face brutally. The blow sent Agasa flying backward and she crashed heavily on the hard floor, blood streaming down her nose and mouth. 'You want to kill Onii-san?!'
Pretty knocked out, Agasa opened her eyes just in time to see him grab a chair and lift it in the air to break it onto her.
Reflexively, her eyes drew shut.
She heard the chair break violently, but not upon her.
Her breathing coming out ragged, Agasa stared frantically at the person holding herself on top of her, who had jumped in the way, to take in the blow in her place.
And that person was none other than Shun Shutsuki!
***
My vision blurred momentarily, warm liquid spreading through my hair at alarming speed and trickling down my forehead.
The pain was searing.
'Agasa...' I breathed, meeting her frantic eyes. 'Go away! Hide yourself!'
'Who the hell are you?!' demanded Jūshiro Tsudzuri in a booming voice and I staggered to my feet, turning to face him.
My vision was doubled and I was dizzy.
Behind me, I heard Agasa shift but I wasn't sure that she had left yet. I didn't dare to look away from the young male who now had Agasa's katana in hand.
'You're one of her friends, huh?' he gritted out and without any warning, he swept a blow at me with the weapon.
I tried to skip the blow and stumbled backward, the blade managing to cut into my flesh at my left upper arm.
I clutched at my wound, wincing out in pain, blood seeping through my fingers and dripping to the floor.
I realized that Agasa hadn't left yet.
She was petrified into place.
I stared at Jūshiro Tsudzuri, as he prepared to sweep another blow at me and this time, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to skip it.
My eyes didn't close.
I was sure that I was going to die when, out of the blue, Tsunan appeared in front of me and he stopped the katana coming towards me in the nick of time, gripping the blade with his bare hand.
My heart skipped a beat in shock.
Blood began to flow down the doctor's hand but he didn't seem to pay attention to the pain of the cut. He punched Jūshiro Tsudzuri in the face with his free hand and the latter stumbled backward, releasing the katana.
And coming out of nowhere, Shuda Yagari appeared behind Jūshiro and he hit him at the back of the neck, knocking him out on the spot.
***
The following day…
'I knew that someday he might find your trace again. And so, sometimes after your mother and you have settled down in Toda, I've employed a detective to build a case on him.'
Master Kagami handed the file in his possession to the dark-haired girl.
'He won't bother you ever again. Nor will he bother anyone else, either. Trust me!'
Agasa didn't open the file. She simply stared at the master who has been able to find a means of pressure on Jūshiro Tsudzuri to keep him definitely away.
The latter had left Toda, never to come back.
She looked down at the floor then, her eyes watering. Even if she had only wanted to protect her mother, I could read shame in her eyes.
'Are you- not going to- expel me from the organization?'
I stared at the master anxiously.
'There is no punishment that is worse than what you're already inflicting on yourself,' Master Kagami told her, putting a hand down onto her shoulder, his expression grim.
He left after that, and Cho and Yanagi arrived.
'Agasa!' they exclaimed together as they entered the room and they ran up to the dark-haired girl who was sitting on the edge of her bed.
Taking place besides her, they grabbed hold of her hands, demanding at her, 'Why didn't you tell us that he's back? Why didn't you ask us or anyone to help you?'
She gave them a guilty look, and forgetting their hurt feelings, Cho and Yanagi took her into their arms, in comfort.
'We're going to leave you now!' Tsunan said to the dark-haired girl.
I gave her a reassuring smile as she looked at us, before I left with the doctor.
***
In the evening…
Agasa hadn't left her bedroom during the whole day.
She perked her head up when she heard a familiar male voice in the other room, talking to her mother. And then, she heard footsteps in the corridor outside of her bedroom, followed by a knock on her door.
Getting up from her bed, she went to open it.
It was Shuda Yagari.
She was extremely surprised to find him visiting her.
Last evening, the latter had just come across of Tsunan and the two were having a talk when, the doctor had received a call from Shun Shutsuki. That was how the dark-haired male had ended up coming alongside Tsunan.
Shuda wasn't known for being courteous, but just like the other members of the organization, he was someone on whom one could count on no matter the situation. That was what made them one big family.
'Why are you staying in the dark?' he asked. 'Switch the lights on!'
Automatically, Agasa flipped the button on the wall socket by the door up and her bedroom became filled with light. She stepped out of the way to let him in then, leaving the door ajar after he had entered.
This was the very first time that the spiky-haired male was visiting her at her house and she had to admit that she was feeling a bit awkward, especially after last evening.
'It's your mother who let me in.'
'She refuses to talk to me for the time being,' she mumbled, plumping down onto her bed. 'I have the impression that I've disappointed her, and also, the master and everyone.'
Agasa couldn't help but feel surprised to find herself confiding her feelings to Shuda Yagari. Usually, she did that only with her mother, or Cho and Yanagi.
'Why did you tell Shun Shutsuki about what you were preparing to do? Maybe, you wanted her to stop you.'
Her eyes grew wider.
She stared at the spiky-haired male without speaking for one long moment, before a smile appeared on her lips.
Something in his words was making her feel better.
Had it been his intention? If yes, it worked.
Shun Shutsuki… It's probably due to her intervention that I'm still here, she thought to herself.
'Do you want to talk about your brother?'
She stared at Shuda for another minute, before she lowered her eyes on the floor and nodded.
***
Meanwhile, in Shibata neighborhood...
'Good evening, young lady! Are you all alone?'
Cho Kururugi paused down in her walk to look over her shoulder at the man addressing her. The latter was in his late fifties, clothed in expensive clothes, and carrying a business bag.
'Would you like to accompany me to a nightclub? I know a very good one!'
The ginger-haired girl's face scrunched up, her fists balling at her sides.
Old pervert!
She was about to hit the man one when, unexpectedly, someone else did it in her place.
Having appeared out of nowhere, Shirane Nakagiri kicked the man in the face, knocking him down headlong on the floor, muttering with disgust, 'You dirty old man!'
Astounded, Cho stared at the red-haired boy, then at the old pervert who had sat up on the floor, holding his bleeding nose with his hand and whining, 'My intentions were pure, I swear!'
Since, they were in a public area, all the surrounding people paused down to look into their direction and the stir caught the attention of two police officers, who making their rounds.
Without wasting a minute, Shirane grabbed Cho's hand and he began to run away, pulling her along with him.
They left the police officers behind very easily in the crowd.
'I know what you're going to say,' Shirane said, as they came to a stop, the ginger-haired girl was fixating him. 'You didn't need my help to get rid of that old rubbish, but just tell yourself that old perverts of his kind utterly disgust me and so, it was for my own pleasure that I kicked his face.'
Cho didn't say anything, her eyes zeroing onto his grip on her hand.
Instantaneously, he let go of her and blenched away, apologizing frantically.
She felt the urge to hit him with her hand-fan but decided not to.
They began walking together.
'Why aren't you with Agasa?' he asked her, utterly curious. 'I thought that Yanagi and you would have stayed over at her place tonight.'
'She wanted to be alone.'
After this, he walked her to her house in silence and after he has told her good night, he simply walked away.
Cho watched Shirane get out of sight, the redheaded boy intriguing her. She was surprised that he didn't propose that they go to Shuko's school festival together. This was going to take place on the following day.
The red-haired boy had never hidden the fact that he had a crush on her. The day Shirane had dared to propose her to go out with him and she had played that dirty prank on him, she had realized that the redheaded boy had real feelings for her.
Cho was sure that, that day, Shirane had been about to declare his feelings to her.
But ever since, he hadn't attempted to ask her to go out with him again.
What does Shirane feel for me today? she asked herself. Have his feelings changed for me after I have refused his advances? Is he still in love with me?
She didn't know why, but these questions were beginning to obsess her.
Thank you for reading!
Glossary
Imouto: Little sister, never used with the honorifics "chan" or "kun" except on the purpose to look the person down