Tsuki Tsuki - Volume 8 - Chapter Epilogue

Epilogue

The morning of a certain holiday.
“—Please accompany me. Let us take a drive together. I will buy you some snacks. Please hurry up already.”
Like that Kaorun half-forcefully made me ride the car and after a couple of hours of driving, we reached a single house with “Takase” on the name plate.
…This was where Kaorun’s mother lived.
However I was perplexed, as I didn’t know the reason as to why Kaorun came here. Kaorun looked at the names on the name plate— “Shigeru”, “Ayaka” and “Nagisa”, then she pulled on my hand and moved to the back of the house. From there she secretly started to look into the garden.
In the garden were Kaorun’s mother, Ayaka-san and also her daughter Nagisa-chan and husband Shigeru-san.
Ayaka-san was sitting on the lawn and her eyes followed Nagisa-chan and Shigeru-san happily playing catch.
…Ehm, I got the vague memory that Ayaka-san said before that Nagisa-chan was in 8th grade, but she was still playing catch with her father, huh.
Well, Nazuna also often played with our father, but as rude as it might be, Nagisa-chan seemed a bit different from an average girl.
Nagisa-chan surely must love her father quite a lot. While playing catch, she smiled and talked about school, her club and friends.
On the other hand, Shigeru-san listened and sometimes cracked a funny joke, which made Nagisa-chan and Ayaka-san laugh.
Kaorun continued to watch this happy family situation lovely, then she once again pulled on my arm and left the place without having called out to Ayaka-san and the others.
“…Even though I forcefully dragged you here, you are not going to ask anything, are you?”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. But I’ll listen to you anytime if you want to talk about it.”
When I replied softly, Kaorun opened her mouth again to say something, but at that time.
“—Ah, you came by again.”
Suddenly a lively voice raised and when Kaorun and I shifted our gaze towards it together, there was Nagisa-chan. While I was a bit surprised, Nagisa-chan ran over to Kaorun with a smile.
“I saw you from the garden just now, but you have been here before, right?”
…Yeah, when Kaorun and I came to see Ayaka-san before, we had run into Nagisa-chan in front of the house. Nagisa-chan must have remembered that. When Kaorun replied with a nod, Nagisa-chan showed the same friendly smile like before and lowered her head a bit for a self-introduction.
“Hello, my name is Takase Nagisa. Will you tell me your name?”
“…I am called Kaoru.”
When Kaorun spoke her own name somewhat perplexed, Nagisa-chan asked further while still smiling.
“You’re a relative of mom, right?”
“…What makes you think that?”
“I mean, you resemble mom a lot. Besides, even though we haven’t talked to each other at all, but after meeting, I somehow came to like you, and well, it might be rude, but…”
After a temporarily hesitation, Nagisa-chan continued her words.
“I thought that’s how it would be to have an older sister.”
While saying so, she faintly flushed her cheeks
“So, Kaoru-san… it might be a bit sudden and surely troubling for you, but I always wanted an older sister.”
and forgot her respective speech pattern, which she was not used to.
“So if you’re mom’s relative, can I call you Big Sis?”
Timidly, Nagisa-chan grabbed the sleeve of Kaorun’s clothes.
In that moment, Kaorun became close to tears, tightly embraced Nagisa-chan and said firmly, even with her voice trembling.
“…I am sorry. I still have to express my gratitude. Until then, I will not return here again.”

—Thank you for giving birth to me.

Kaorun might have wanted to tell that to Ayaka-san.
When she previously came here, Kaorun said something about that Ayaka-san would only get hurt from finding out that her daughter was a devil.
But even if she was a devil, Kaorun would surely tell her when she became proud of herself.
I believed that Kaorun came here today to tell Ayaka-san words of gratitude, if only at heart.
Still embracing Nagisa-chan, Kaorun squeezed out the words while crying.
“I do not know how long it will take, but I will come over to play again. Wait until then, Nagisa-chan.”
“…Yeah… Okay… Big Sis…”
Either influenced by Kaorun or realizing her relationship with Kaorun by herself, Nagisa-chan spilled big tears from her eyes and didn’t get away from Kaorun for a long time…

* * *

In the car on the way home. Halting at a red light, I rested my chin on my hand and looked outside from the co-driver seat, whereupon Kaorun suddenly said isolated.
“…Uhm, Shinobu-san.”
“Mh? What?”
“No, I just wanted to try calling you that.”
“I see. Then let me tell you on this occasion, you don’t need to add -sama to my name.”
If addressing others with “sama” was a remnant from her days as a tool, it should get be rid off.
Thinking so, I shifted my gaze to Kaorun— At that moment.
Kaorun kissed me.
It was a short kiss, where our lips only touched each other for an instant, but oddly I could clearly feel the softness and warmth of her lips… I was perfectly agitated.
“…Eh? Huh? What the? Just what?”
I was gravely perplexed, yet Kaorun didn’t say anything and took off when the traffic light turned green, albeit bright red up to her ears.
Then she kept her mouth shut for a long time and continued to drive with her cheeks unchanged red, but then she suddenly said with a small voice.
“…Thank you very much for inviting me to the park and embracing me the other day. I was, really happy…”
“I, I see. I’m honoured for that.”
“…Did the kiss feel good?”
“Yes, awesome.”
When I inadvertently leaked my true feelings, Kaorun smiled happily and changed the topic.
“Shinobu-san, should you aim to become an exorcists and stronger from now on, I will help you out as well.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Incidentally, you can quickly get stronger by using the yin-yang technique, you know? Would you like to try it with my body?”
“…Wait a sec. What outrageous things are you saying.”
“I am not asking you to take responsibility. Rest assured. I just…”
Temporarily stopping her words,
“—might get addicted to it.”
Kaorun then smiled roguish.

* * *

After the drive with Kaorun, I stepped into the Dojo of the Gogyou Mansion and started the exorcist training, which had become a routine lately, while Hijiri watched over me.
Today Sougo-san wasn’t here, so I was all alone with Hijiri, but… she seemed really weird today.
She was obviously restless, sometimes got absent-minded and turned bright red upon looking me into the face, as she just couldn’t calm down.
While continuing my training, I became somewhat concerned, so I shifted my gaze to her and called out.
“Hey, what’s up? Something worrying on your mind? You’re a bit weird.”
“Ehm, that, ah…”
At a loss for words, Hijiri instantly turned bright red for some reason. However, after a big and deep breath, she started talking timidly.
“…Actually, I have something important to tell you.”
Her usual dignified expression vanished and while flickering her eyes, Hijiri chose her words with utmost care.
“I like my current relationship with you, Shinobu-kun. It’s fun and from the fear of breaking it, I couldn’t tell you properly. But, when I’m with you, when I talk with you, when I look at your face… I gradually become unable to hold back my feelings.”
Saying her words with passion and staring at me, Hijiri said with still red cheeks.
“I mean, you‘re the one I—“