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—· · · · ⋆꒷꒦‧₊˚𓆩♡𓆪˚₊‧꒦꒷⋆ · · · ·—
| ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 8 |
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"Yes Master, it was her."
"Oh? Already?" His deep voice echoed through the empty space as it rang into his subordinates' ears, "She's kept me waiting long hasn't she?"
"Indeed, what would you like us to do?"
"Hm..." His deep hum seemed intoxicating to others in his presence, and it was well known to him, "Let's just watch for now...Douma?"
"Yes, ~?" Entered a cheery voice, much to the disappointment of another.
"How about you watch for her, once she leaves the protection of wisteria, answer to me."
"My pleasure~," the rainbow-eyed demon grinned as he teasingly poked his friend, "Looks like I'm getting sent out, and not you, A-ka-sa~."
"Be quiet and leave already," he scowled at his superior, only earning a cheerful laugh as he vanished at the strum of the biwa.
"Akaza."
"Yes, master."
"Spy on Douma...I have a feeling he'll give into temptation."
ਏਓ ｡ ﾟ
"Hm?" I took a deep breath, rubbing my eyes with the back of my knuckles, instantly trying to remember what I did last.
All I can remember was crying...
"You're up!"
"Ah!"
"AHHH!"
My newly opened eyes stared widened at the Love Pillar as she tripped over herself from the sudden shock, falling onto her bottom with a thud.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, taking myself back, not expecting to be so loud, "oh, I'm sorry...again."
"Oh no, it's my fault I shouldn't have yelled in your face once you awoke!" She pressed on the palm of her hands, giving herself a quick lift as she was once again on her feet.
"Right...where am I?" I looked around the room, it seemed plain and boring, like a hospital.
"The butterfly estate!" She beamed once again, placing her hands onto the sheets, leaning forward, "We found you collapsed outside a few days back—"
"We? Collapsed?" I unintentionally interrupted, "Oh sorry—continue please."
"It's alright!" Unbothered she placed herself right next to my legs, once again leaning in extremely close with each hand at the side of one of my hips, "Well once after the hashira meeting, Shinobu, Muichiro, and I were coming here to see—um, to get checked up on! Yeah! And then we saw you collapsed outside the estate and brought you in of course! Shinobu gave you a check-up and all that, and I've just been here waiting!"
"Shinobu?"
"The insect pillar?"
"Oh...thank you, you were waiting for me? Did Ubuyashiki send you? Is he mad I ran out? I'm so sorry—"
"Don't worry about it silly!" She exclaimed, placing her hands on my flushed cheeks, slightly squishing them, "He seems so proud of you, why would you doing something as simple as running out bother him?"
"I don't know...why are youwa squishing my chwecks togethwer?"
"..."
"BHAHAHAA," she cackled as she let go of my face to hold her stomach as she folded over, "You—*huff*—You...s-sound so cute—"
"Mitsuri!" A new voice entered as the sliding door slides open, "Is there something wrong—Y/n?! You're up!"
The insect—Shinobu launched herself toward me as she wrapped her arms around me.
"Um...yes I am."
"How are you feeling? Does your back still hurt?"
"My back?"
"You don't have to act dumb with me, tell me where it hurts."
"It doesn't hurt—"
"Y/n..."
"Yes?"
"I've already examined you, you cannot hide your injuries from me."
"But I'm not...I don't feel anything—"
*SMACK*
"OH MY GOD SHINOBU—"
"Quiet Mitsuri...Now did you feel that?" I stared wide-eyed at the woman as I caressed my cheek, slowly nodding as I tried to process her action.
"But you aren't even angry, why would you hit me?"
"For being stupid? Knock you into your senses?" She sent me a small smile as I nodded, not fully understanding.
Even if I didn't feel any anger from Shinobu, Mitsuri was fuming, though her contempt face said otherwise as she sat on the bed behind Shinobu.
"Now, does anything hurt?"
"Well..." I took a deep breath, deciding I did not want to be hit again I answered, "My sore muscles kind of hurt...mostly my legs, and my back stings a lot—though I don't know why."
"Yes, you have some minor cuts on your back that I stitched up, they should fully heal in the next week, however, you do have some massive bruising. As for your soreness, it's understandable, you seem to not be sleeping or eating much. Tell me when was the last time you ate?"
"A few days—"
"I knew it, Kanao!" She snapped her fingers, the sliding door opening once again. This time a new face stepped in, presumably Kanao. She looked a lot like Shinobu, with her ponytail and butterfly clip, though she seemed a lot more anxious and shy. In her hands was a tray, from what I could tell there were three bowls, steam emanating off of them.
"Here," placing the tray in my lap I nodded at her with a small smile, causing her face to turn red as her aura felt warm. Suddenly she ran out.
"Don't mind her, she does that with everyone," Shinobu chuckled as I nodded, "Eat."
Looking down at the tray I observed what was served to me, a hot cup of green tea, a large portion of rice, and what seemed like Miso Soup.
"I don't like hot tea..." I mumbled as I started to take bites of the rice.
"It's good for your healing, please drink it," Shinobu pushed on.
"But I really don't like it..."
"Didn't take you as one to be picky," Shinobu chuckled, her aura still as calm as ever, "Let me get you some water then."
"Well didn't that seem like a back-handed insult?" Mitsuri kicked her feet into the air, somewhat like a child.
"Was it?" I asked in between bites of rice.
"I mean I think it was, maybe that's her way of talking to you~," she seemed to tease me as she poked my shoulder.
As she watched me eat in silence I could feel her anticipation radiate off from her. I looked up to meet eyes with her as I set my empty bowl of rice down, "Is there something you want to say?"
"Oh well, I was just wondering, why were you crying?"
"Oh..." shifting uncomfortably I spooned up some Miso soup, blowing on it before I slowly sipped it off the spoon, "Well I guess I was just...really happy."
"Happy?"
"Mhm."
"Well, I'm glad! Because I thought Sanemi had scared you off! I got really mad at him for it, but now that I know you were happy he won't be hearing from me—wait, why were you happy—?"
"Hm well, I always get really happy went Ubuyashiki praises me. And I guess just because it was in front of all of you, and how he sound so proud, I just could hold back...my..."
"Emotions?"
Wide-eyed I looked up to the door to see Shinobu with a cup of iced water.
"Now why don't we get you down to a hot spring?"