4-94: Can’t Be Helped (2/6)

4-94: Can’t Be Helped (2/6)

By this point it wouldnt surprise her to find him gone and learn that he was somehow at Brazil. But there was no point in worrying about it on her own, so she just shook her head and opened the door.

Icchi, are you sleeping properly!? The Sister gave me a bunch of food!

Myuhi was basically yelling when she said that. If he was gone, then the only response she would get was silence, and if he was there, he would surely send her a suspicious look as he asked her to keep quiet. Yes, that shouldve been the case, but

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What?

He was there. As expected, he wasnt lying quietly on the bed, but perched on the edge of it. He had his elbows on his knees, with both hands covering his face while his head was down. There was no sign that he noticed her noisy entrance, however.

On the contrary, it seemed as if he were rejecting everything happening around him. The atmosphere was so heavy that Myuhi struggled to find the next words. Despite the room being rather small, with only a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf, the air was so thick that for a moment, she felt as if he were in a place much farther away than the other side of the Earth. Her fox ears and tail stood on end.

H-Hello? Icchi? Im entering.

When she finally managed to squeeze out a voice, it was surprisingly weak, but she nonetheless steeled herself and took another step forward from the door.

!?

The face that jolted toward her was full of wariness. It was a gaze harsh enough that it put her on guard too, but for some reason, those eyes didnt seem to reflect her. They seemed out of focus, leading her to suspect something. To test, she took out a bottle from the plastic bag shed received.

Here, have some.

With a firm voice, she threw the bottle towards him and moved a little to the side. The object traced a gentle parabola, flying straight towards Shinichi, but his eyes only started to follow it midway through.

Huh?

Surprise was written all over his face, and he delivered a quick chop with his hands, stopping only when hed realized what it was that had come flying. Naturally, the contents spilled onto the floor.

W-Woah!?

Upon realizing his mistake, he immediately used a skill or something and covered the cut on the bottle with ice, so he was able to prevent most of it from spilling.

Hina?

He wore a visibly relieved expression as he glanced down at the bottle in his hand. However, he muttered her name with a puzzled look while directing his gaze toward the door. But Myuhi wasnt there anymore.

Yep, its Hina-chan, your ever faithful stalker!

Y-Yeah

Myuhi approached him, but Shinichi barely reacted. Normally, he would have responded with something alone the lines of So you finally admit it? or Are you really saying that yourself!?

Perhaps his face would have twitched because of how low the tone of her voice was or because of the lack of a smile in her eyes.

Regardless, now that her suspicions have been confirmed, she approached him with intentionally loud footsteps. She peered into his face.

Perhaps because hed realized that he couldnt pull the wool over her eyes anymore, or perhaps he simply couldnt be bothered anymore, Shinichi admitted to it all with a disheartened voice.

Is that because of her song too?

Yeah, my five senses are a mess right now.

You fought in that state?

Yeah, but if I spread my consciousness, I can more or less grasp the surrounding area.

Thats why he could still talk to her. He seemed to be saying that it wasnt dangerous since he could do that.

You also only relied on your speed and strength to crush everything that approached you, didnt you? Just like that bottle I threw.

Uu.

She found it terrifying how Shinichi treated Garestos weapons and plastic bottles the same. It was something he could do because of how fast his reaction times were, but

What would you have done if it were the children who approached you just now out of concern?

That was a method that only worked when in a place with only enemies, as he would likely respond similarly be it friend or foe. Thats why Myuhi spoke harshly.

I dont know if its because of your pride or you just didnt want to reveal the extent of your damage, but you should have said something to allow me cover to for you. Youre pretty good at deceiving people, arent you, Icchi?

Im sorry.

Whether he was aware of it himself or not, he understood where she was coming from. He slumped his shoulders and dropped his head.

By this point, Myuhi was sure of it. Shinichi was so tired that he couldnt come up with something as simple as that right away. For some reason, even though he seemed so depressed, she felt closer to him now than when shed just entered the room, her cheeks slackening and her tail wagging as a result.

As long as you understand. Ill go get a cloth. Ill ring the foster when I enter, so just wait here.

Not much water had been spilled since Shinichi reacted quickly, but there was still a small puddle on the floor. She had a feeling that it might turn out like this when she threw that bottle, so she figured she might as well clean it herself. she turned heel, but she couldnt move.

?

When she turned around, she found out that Shinichi had grabbed her clothes. He wasnt saying anything, he wasnt even looking at her, he just quietly held onto her.

Whats Hyaa!?

Myuhi had no experience whatsoever in that regard, and before she knew it, she found herself being embraced from in front.

Ah, uu Icchi?

But if he hugged her while she was standing and him sitting, his face would naturally land right in her chest. Above all, he had his hands around her and was hugging her tightly. The strength and warmth coming from him made Myuhi fluster, and she couldnt even figure out where to put her hands. Her fox ears moved restlessly too.

She couldnt be faulted for that, however. This was just too different from his usual teasing. There was barely any distance between them. Her cheeks flushed, and of all the places, he just had to do this on the Sisters bed in a church full of children. Yet while wondering what was happening, she couldnt help but find her heart racing to the immorality of the situation. She scolded herself for such thoughts, though the situation remained unchanged.