The sun had dipped low, staining the sky in streaks of crimson and gold. On one of the thick upper branches of a wind-blown tree, Shion sat lazily, one leg dangling, the other bent with his elbow resting on it. His long hair shifted gently with the breeze, eyes narrowed at the glimmering flute in his hand.
"Unbelievable," he muttered to himself, tapping the end of the flute against his forehead. "Again. Again. Who dares steal the golden keychain of a musician of divine ranking?!" He hissed dramatically. "Do they have a death wish? A cursed destiny? An uncontrollable obsession with shiny things?!"
He huffed, cheeks puffed out slightly in indignation, before muttering, "I even carved my initials this time. Who steals something with initials on it?"
As his grumbling filled the air like a low melody, something shifted behind the tree below—so soft that only someone with Shion's senses could catch it.
His ears twitched.
He paused. Sniffed. Then narrowed his eyes as a slow, knowing smirk curled across his lips.
"This scent…" he murmured, lips barely moving.
From behind the thick trunk, a pair of cautious eyes peeked out. Arisu blinked up at the branch.
Shion was still there.
She squeaked quietly and ducked back behind the tree, flattening herself against the bark. A moment passed. Silence. She peeked again.
Empty.
The branch now swayed gently in the wind, completely vacant.
"Huh?" she whispered, stepping fully out into the clearing. "Where did he go all of a sudden? I didn't even hear a thing…" She turned, brow furrowed, confused—
And froze.
Shion stood barely a foot away, his lean form casting a long shadow over her. One hand raised in greeting, the other still holding the flute. That familiar smirk tugged at his lips like a mischievous fox.
"Looking for something, or someone?" he said lightly, voice laced with amusement.
Arisu didn't move. Her eyes darted around wildly.
Arisu quickly took a step back, holding up both hands defensively. "I—I came to meet Astra! I heard she's back and she caught a cold. She's been sneezing non-stop, right?"
Shion raised an eyebrow, his smirk not fading. "Yes… she is."
"That's why I came!" Arisu said hurriedly, digging into her sleeve. "I brought some herbal remedies from my grandfather."
She pulled out a small wooden box, polished and neatly tied with a thin red string, and extended it toward him.
"He also said that if it's taken with warm milk and a pinch of turmeric, it works much faster." She nodded earnestly.
Shion accepted the box, flipping it lightly in his palm before glancing back at her.
"If you came to give this," he said slowly, eyes narrowing playfully, "why were you peeking at me secretly from behind the tree?"
Arisu spun around quickly, flustered. "No! I wasn't peeking. I just… heard you muttering angrily about something, so I came to take a look!"
Shion stepped in front of her again, his arms loosely crossed, gaze sharp. "Really?"
"Yes, really," she said firmly, lifting her chin. "Why should I lie? It's not like I was secretly looking at you or anything."
She tried to maintain her composure, staring straight at him but then she heard it.
That voice again.
Then why did it look exactly like you were doing just that, Miss Naneko?
Her eyes widened instantly.
Shion hadn't moved his lips.
Arisu blinked, heart skipping. "It's Kaneko!" she corrected in a high, defensive pitch.
Shion's lips curled into a satisfied smirk, but he quickly wiped it off his face with a calm blink, as if amused by her reaction.
"I didn't say anything…" he murmured, tilting his head slightly, "so what exactly are you correcting me for this time?"
Arisu pointed a finger at him accusingly as she backed away. "You—you—you're playing with my mind again! I clearly heard your voice!"
Shion took a slow step toward her, his face unreadable, as if oblivious to her accusation. "What are you saying? Did I say something wrong that offended you?"
Arisu shook her head furiously, her brows knit in frustration. "No! Since that day, whenever I'm near you, I hear your voice—but no one else does. Why? You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?!"
As she backed up, her foot caught on a tree root, and she gasped, stumbling—arms flailing—bracing for the impact. Her eyes squeezed shut.
But she didn't fall.
A strong hand gripped hers, catching her just in time. In one swift motion, Shion pulled her forward, and she crashed into his chest. Her breath hitched.
He leaned down, lips near her ear, his voice low and wickedly amused.
"Are you thinking about me that much… that you hear my voice in your mind every time you're near me, Miss Arisu Kaneko?"
Her eyes widened. She shoved him away with both hands, her cheeks burning crimson. "Y-You said my name right!"
Shion shrugged lazily, his smirk returning. "Maybe. It happens sometimes. I'm weak when it comes to remembering people's names correctly."
Arisu frowned, suspicious. "But you say your family members' names correctly. Shouldn't you be weak at that too?"
Shion stepped closer again leaning in, the glint in his eyes intensifying. "That's because… I can only say names properly when I either love someone deeply… or hate them deeply."
Arisu's face turned scarlet, flustered beyond words. "I—I—I need to see Astra! Yes, Astra! I have to check on her!"
She spun on her heel, nearly tripping over her own feet as she bolted away in a hurry.
Shion watched her go, chuckling under his breath as he lazily tapped his flute against his palm. "Kaneko… huh."
He paused, gaze still fixed in the direction she ran, and then murmured under his breath with a rare softness, almost to himself—
"Would've been easier if I hated you."
A breeze swept through the branches above him, rustling the leaves, but Shion remained still, his smirk fading into something quieter… something real.
Astra lay bundled in layers of thick blankets, only her flushed face peeking out like a miserable tomato. Her eyes were glassy, nose red, and every few seconds—
"ACHOO!"
Kaen sighed, wringing out a damp cloth and placing it gently on her forehead. "That's number seventeen," he muttered.
Arisu, seated cross-legged by the bed with a serious expression and nodded. "Seventeen sneezes… in just 2 minutes. At this rate, she'll break her own record before sunset."
"ACHOO!" Astra groaned miserably. "Ugh… I think my soul leave by that time."
Arisu, seated cross-legged by the bed with a serious expression, nodded like a physician tracking an epidemic. "Seventeen sneezes… in just two minutes. At this rate, she'll break her own record before sunset."
"ACHOO!" Astra groaned, voice thick and miserable. "Ugh… I think my soul's gonna leave by that time."
Kaen, who had just finished wringing a fresh cloth, looked at her with a sigh, shaking his head. "You know you get like this when you catch a cold, and yet you insisted on playing in the snow."
Astra, caught mid-sneeze, barely held herself together and muttered, "Kaen, I told you I was drunk that time…"
Kaen's eyes narrowed. "Drunk? Right. Then just tell me who gave you that wine. I'll deal with them." His fists clenched at his sides, voice growing sharp.
Arisu, who had been listening innocently, suddenly stiffened. Her eyes darted around, and with the speed of someone hiding from a crime, she snatched up a random book nearby and started flipping through it very attentively—though it was upside down.
Astra gave an awkward little laugh, her flushed face somehow growing redder. "Kaen, seriously, it's okay now. No need to go all fiery on anyone—it was me who drank too much. No one forced me."
"But—"
"ACHOO! Cough… cough, cough—"
The sudden burst of coughing interrupted him. Kaen instantly turned toward her, the scolding forgotten as concern overtook his expression. "Astra?" he said quickly, sitting up straighter.
She gripped the blanket, trying to catch her breath between coughs, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
Kaen reached out, gently rubbing her back. "Easy… breathe slowly." His voice softened. "Stupid or not, you're still my priority."
Arisu peered over her book, biting back a smile.
Astra took a few more steady breaths, eyes fluttering half-shut as she mumbled, "I think… I'm cursed by that flower on the mountain. That's why it's making me like this…"
Kaen blinked. "Cursed by… a flower?" He tilted his head, confused for a moment.
But then something in her words clicked. His entire body froze.
"Astra," Kaen said slowly, his voice sharpening like a drawn blade. "What flower?"
Astra groaned, too tired to catch the sudden change in his tone. "That glowing one… the same one I got weirdly drawn to when we were crossing that mountain. Daita used it on me… to save me from the venom."
Kaen's eyes flew wide in horror. "He what?!"
Before she could sneeze again, he leaned forward and grabbed her shoulders firmly, his panic barely restrained. Arisu startled beside them, her book slipping off her lap.
"Astra! Were you hurt?! And what do you mean he used that flower on you?! How?!" Kaen's voice filled with frustration.
Astra blinked up at him, dazed and stuffy-nosed. "I mean… yeah."