Chapter 41

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On his way back home from the park, Shouma recalled the promise he had just made with the Kappa girl.

“Wouldn’t you like to join me and keep an eye on the park together? I can’t stand by and watch it all by myself…”

The girl casted her eyes down sadly, Shouma couldn’t help but reply with a “Sure”.

(And that was the plan all along…)

After seeing such a dreadfully damaged kitten, there was no way he could just leave them be. Both the human who hurt the little creatures and the injured kittens too.

“I think I’d better tell this to Tendou-san…”

The one he was trying to catch was definitely a human, but this was a case where a Kappa was also involved with it. Perhaps it would be better to inform him in advance.

But the moment he thought that…

“…from now on, you should keep your distance. You’re not the kind of person who is supposed to be involved with the creatures from this side in the first place.”

His employer’s words resurfaced in his mind, and the bubble of irritation in his stomach burst open once more.

If this time Shouma distances himself both from humans and the kaii, then he has no obligation to talk to Tendou this time. This was simply a human problem and nothing more.

(I’ll let him know about the Kappa once this case is resolved!)

While the reckless thoughts swirled in Shouma’s already hot-headed mind, just then, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

Taking it out, he saw that Yamato had sent him a picture through the messaging app. It was the group chat that he made with his friends, Yamato and Yoshihiro.

It was Yamato in the picture at some kind of campsite. He was holding up a peace sign in front of the tent with his one year younger sister. Underneath it, he wrote next to them: ’Next time, let’s go camping together!’

To this picture, Yoshihiro quickly attached the URL of a nearby campsite.

“Fast work! GJ!”

“Leave this to me! By the way, this is the cheapest place to rent a barbecue stove!”

“Let’s just use our tent and stove! And it’s free!”

“Got it! Then I’ll have to practice driving! Let’s rent a car, a big one!”

“It’s pretty hard to get that paper…”

A smile breaks out in Shouma’s face to his friend’s carefree exchange. His feverish mind finally regained its composure.

It was then that he noticed a handkerchief had fallen behind him.

It was his own apparently. It still had the blood of the kitten on it, so there was no doubt about it. He must have dropped the thing when he took out the phone from his pocket.

He reached out to pick up the cloth, but his hands stopped before it touched the handkerchief.

The fallen handkerchief was full of kaii’s, they were small ones, merely the size of pebbles. The tiny creatures were swarming for the kitten’s blood. It was as if they gathered there as some bloodthirsty vulture, seeking prey.

This bizarre sight gave Shouma goosebumps.

—

Then a few days later.

“Shouma, is there anything you’re not telling me?”

Shouma was leaving the office a little too early than usual to keep an eye on the park with the Kappa, when Tendou called out to him.

He now has lost his usual smile and looked at Shouma with a serious expression.

He had possibly finished watching his foregin drama for the day.

“I’m not hiding anything from you, in particular.”

His voice sounded a little sharp, since he didn’t like the look on Tendou’s face as if he suspected something.

“You sure? You’re not being deceived by a malignant kaii, right?”

“I’m not fooled by any kaii.”

The Kappa wasn’t some unkind kaii. If anything, she didn’t leave a weak kitten alone, she was rather kind and cute.

“I’m worried about you, Shouma, since you’re a good natured person and a bit of a softy.”

“That’s, somehow, not a very nice way to say this.”

Shouma felt that by the words ’good natured’ and ‘softy’ he meant a ’gutted stupid child’.

“Didn’t I tell you before not to get too carried away because of the kaii?”

These words, as if his employer saw through him, touched a sore spot. So Tendou just wanted to push him away, again.

“You don’t have to say it like that…”

“You’re not the kind of person who should be getting involved on this side. The influence of the kaii’s is not good for you. You have Yamato and Yoshihiro as friends, isn’t that enough?”

Shouma’s brow creased.

“What’s with this again? Why am I the only one you want to leave out!? You are a human Tendou-san, aren’t you? Why do I have to be the only one not to get involved in this!?”

“Then, let me ask you something. Shouma, why do you want to get latched onto this mess? I understand about the debt, but it would be better for you if you would just be a bit more unemotional when it comes to the kaii.

“I don’t want to close my eyes to the things I’ve been involved with. Subaru, Enishi, Taro, Kazuha-san and Fuyuka-chan too, they are all good people! So why do I have to distance myself from them now? And as I said before, it was Tendou-san who got me involved in this in the first place!”

Both of them simply stared at one another after arguing for the first time.

The silence became painful to bear.

Between the two of them, Subaru and Tarou, who happened to be present, occasionally let their gazes wander, feeling flustered.

Not any of the attendees know how to break the stifling atmosphere.

It was Shouma who made some noise first. He turned his body around and tried to leave the office, not speaking a word.

“Shouma.”

“Yes?”

The boy looked back at Tendou, whose face now held a mixed expression.

“If anything happens to you, call me. Promise me this and nothing else.”

“…Okay, I understand.”

Shouma pulled the doorknob.

As he stepped out into the corridor, the hot and humid summer air surrounded him.

What welled up in his chest was an unpleasant feeling towards Tendou.

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