"I'm not shy! And I don't want to take photos with you at all!"
Facing Douma's teasing, Akaza's roar came from the kitchen.
But the very next second, wearing an apron, he was pushed out from behind by Koyuki.
"F-First let me say! I only came out because Koyuki asked me to!"
Seeing Douma's extremely punchable smiling face made him extremely uncomfortable. After dropping this line in an extremely tsundere manner, Akaza also sat down together with Koyuki.
"Lord Hakuji is still so cute~"
His smile growing even wider, after seeing everyone seated before him, Douma finally raised his camera and pressed the shutter button.
"Very good~ keep smiling~ one, two, three~ cheese~"
"…"
"Then tonight, let's end here."
Late at night, on the empty street outside the izakaya, Michikatsu and Amei stood together. He looked at everyone before him and instructed:
"It's getting late. Everyone should return home early to rest, lest you attract trouble."
"Yes yes yes~ my beloved brother~"
Responding, Mitsuba carried the long-since-drunk Shinobu on her back and said to Kanao beside her:
"Let's go, Kanao. I'll send you back."
After worriedly glancing at Inosuke—who was similarly unconscious from drunkenness on Douma's back—Kanao lightly nodded and turned to follow Mitsuba's steps.
"Then we're leaving too~ Lord Hakuji, see you tomorrow~"
"Scram! I don't want to see you tomorrow at all!"
As usual teasing the cute Akaza, with the old butler's assistance, after placing the drunk Kotoha and Inosuke in the vintage car by the roadside, Douma also got in the car and left.
Thus, with Michikatsu, Amei, and Douma's departure, only Akaza and Koyuki remained outside the izakaya.
"Then, Koyuki, see you at school tomorrow…"
His gaze somewhat wandering, Akaza used a slightly shy tone to softly say to the woman before him.
"Mm."
Lightly nodding, Koyuki only smiled and replied:
"See you tomorrow, Mr. Hakuji."
"Then, I'm leaving…"
"Mm."
With this, this long and lively night finally came to an end…
No, or perhaps… something was still missing?
"…"
Late at night, after attending the Hashira Meeting, Kanae caught the last train and returned to Tokyo.
"I'm back…"
[Welcome back, Kanae-neechan.]
Taking out her key to open the apartment door, the first thing Kanae saw was Kanao sitting on the living room sofa, foolishly smiling to herself.
Seeing this child's such happy expression, Kanae—who was originally somewhat fatigued—also subconsciously showed a smile on her face.
Placing her Nichirin sword at her waist down, she smiled and asked:
"Still not sleeping so late? Did you encounter something that made you so happy?"
[Today I went out to play with Shinobu-neechan! And met many new friends!]
"Ah~ I see~"
Looking at the words Kanao excitedly wrote in her notebook, Kanae smiled and lightly nodded.
She turned to look around but didn't see Shinobu's figure, so she asked in confusion:
"Where is your Shinobu-neechan? Could it be she hasn't returned yet?"
[Shinobu-neechan got drunk earlier and is already sleeping in her room now. It was Sister Mitsuba who sent us back!]
"Oh~ Sister Mitsuba… eh?"
Finally reacting to what name Kanao had written, Kanae was instantly stunned.
She subconsciously took Kanao's notebook, and after confirming that "Mitsuba" was indeed written there, her entire person instantly froze in place.
Stiffly turning her head, opening her eyes wide to look at the happily smiling Kanao, as if to confirm something, Kanae asked in a suddenly hoarse and dry voice:
"You went out to play with Miss Mitsuba today?"
[Mm-hmm! Sister Mitsuba came to visit Shinobu-neechan this morning, then the two of them went out to play together, and then ran into me and Inosuke…]
Holding the thought of sharing her happiness, Kanao very seriously wrote down the entire day's experiences in her notebook.
Including Mitsuba carrying Shinobu on her back strolling the streets, buying clothes for Shinobu, playfully fooling around in the clothing store, and finally arranging to go shopping together, watch movies, eat late-night snacks, take group photos, and so on…
As if afraid her Kanae-neechan wouldn't understand, Kanao was especially careful, describing all the details she could remember.
At the end, she even activated her super talent and used a pencil to temporarily sketch a simple drawing of Mitsuba carrying Shinobu while playfully fooling around.
"I-I see… that certainly… sounds quite happy… haha… ahahaha…"
Lowering her head to look at this simple drawing in her hands, and at the group photo taken by Douma—showing Shinobu happily leaning against Mitsuba's shoulder asleep.
Kanae, who still maintained that gentle smile on her face, only felt her hands trembling.
[How strange, why do I suddenly want to kill demons so much…]
Taking a deep breath, silently returning the notebook and group photo to Kanao, Kanae smiled softly and said:
"Kanao, go to school early tomorrow, alright?"
[What's wrong?]
"Nothing, it's just that tomorrow, I have some important matters I need to discuss privately with your Shinobu-neechan. Is that okay?"
[Mm, I understand.]
"…"
Shinobu had a wonderful dream last night.
Unfortunately, after waking up, she could no longer remember the specific details of this dream.
She only remembered that this dream was very happy. Not only was her sister in the dream, but Mitsuba was also there. They seemed to have gone to many places together.
"Good morning, Shinobu."
After a hangover, one's head always hurts somewhat.
When Shinobu opened her eyes in a daze, what she saw was her bedroom ceiling and, sitting by the bedside smiling, Kanae.
"Neechan?!"
Startled by her sister's sudden appearance, Shinobu abruptly sat up. She subconsciously raised her hand to cover her chest and complained:
"You scared me to death! Sis, why are you suddenly sitting by my bed like this… Speaking of which, when did you get back?"
"It was late last night. By then, Shinobu, you were already asleep."
Saying thus, Kanae lightly lifted a corner of the blanket, reached out to grab Shinobu's sprained foot and placed it on her thigh, asking with concern:
"How is it? Is your foot injury better?"
"Far from it. They say it takes a hundred days for injured tendons and bones to heal. Now it doesn't usually hurt normally, but as soon as it's slightly touched, it immediately hurts like death…"
Shinobu sighed.
"I see…"
Lightly nodding, seriously changing the medicinal paste for her younger sister, Kanae seemingly casually asked in a flat tone:
"By the way, Shinobu, I heard from Kanao last night that you went out and played with Miss Mitsuba for the entire day yesterday?"
…
(Meow meow meow?)