Horitake was in a slump, his entire being shrouded in gloom, his mind echoing with four words: My house is gone.
After becoming the Heavenly Pillar, he'd finally secured a grand house at headquarters. For the sake of proximity—and, well, getting the moon by being near the tower—he'd deliberately chosen one right next to the Butterfly Mansion.
But he hadn't even spent a single day in it!
Not one day, and now the house was gone!
In his past life, Horitake had been a slave to homeownership, his obsession with a big house beyond what most could fathom.
So, his current state was, frankly, a bit pathetic.
Snapping out of his frustration and gloom, Horitake let out a long sigh. "My big house, gone without me even living in it a single day, abandoned along with the old headquarters. What a loss.
"But… I should be able to get another big house here at the new headquarters, right? No problem—I'm the Heavenly Pillar, after all.
"Hmm… Goto's not around right now. Once he's back and not swamped, I'll ask him to sort out a new house for me.
"But… where do I stay until my new house is ready?
"The Butterfly Mansion?"
After much deliberation, Horitake slumped in defeat, realizing he couldn't escape this hurdle.
The great Heavenly Pillar, with nowhere to go in the new headquarters, reduced to crashing at the Butterfly Mansion.
Staying there wasn't the issue. The real problem was…
Mitsuri and Shinobu were both at the Butterfly Mansion right now. If he went there, wouldn't that be pouring oil on a fire? The Hidden Corps member's words might come true—the Butterfly Mansion could explode!
No choice.
Sticking his head out or pulling it back, it was all the same. He'd have to face this sooner or later.
With a resigned sigh, Horitake steeled himself and headed toward the Butterfly Mansion.
The new headquarters' layout was nearly identical to the old one, so it didn't take long for him to find it.
The new Butterfly Mansion looked almost the same as the old one.
Standing at the entrance, Horitake frowned, eyeing the large house next door.
Why not… pick that one? Yeah, near the tower to get the moon. That's the one!
He'd head to Goto later and secure that house before anyone else could claim it!
With that decided, Horitake stepped into the Butterfly Mansion's courtyard.
The moment he entered, he heard a peal of bell-like laughter—Mitsuri and Shinobu, laughing together!
Horitake froze, stunned. Not only had they not fought, but they were getting along this well!?
Was this the power of female friendship!?
Without hesitation, Horitake slipped into stealth mode, moving unnoticed like a ninja. He crept into the courtyard and hid on the roof's eaves, quietly observing the scene below.
In the courtyard's corridor, Shinobu and Mitsuri sat across from each other, sipping tea and chatting happily.
Horitake studied them closely. They genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves, with no trace of tension between them.
How bizarre. Did this mean they could get along peacefully by his side from now on? Horitake couldn't help but wonder.
Edging closer, he strained to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Shinobu smiled gently. "So that's how you met Horitake-san, huh?"
Mitsuri nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Thanks to Big Bro Horitake's timely rescue, I made it through the Final Selection safely.
"Honestly, my strength isn't bad, but I ran into that demon who could summon a swamp in broad daylight. Once I got stuck in that muck, I couldn't use my strength at all. It totally countered me!"
At that moment, Shinobu's mischievous side surfaced.
Her expression turned serious, and she raised a finger, proposing an idea to Mitsuri. "Mitsuri, you said you'd just gotten stuck in the swamp and called for help when Horitake-san appeared and saved you, right?"
Mitsuri nodded blankly, confused by Shinobu's point. "Yeah, Shinobu-nee, what's up?"
Shinobu's face was deadly serious. "Think about it. Why was Horitake-san so conveniently there to save you? Isn't that hero-saving-the-damsel act a bit too perfect?"
From the eaves, Horitake's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He had a bad feeling about where Shinobu was going with this!
Mitsuri blinked twice, still puzzled. "Um… is there a problem?"
"A big problem!" Shinobu said gravely. "There are no such things as coincidences in this world—everything has a cause!
"You know Horitake-san's eyes can see brief glimpses of the future.
"What if he foresaw your danger and followed you during the Final Selection, waiting until you were in trouble to swoop in and save you, making you feel grateful—maybe even devoted enough to throw yourself at him!?"
Horitake, perched on the eaves, felt the sweat pour down his face.
Good heavens, Shinobu-nee, you're too sharp!
Her mind was downright devious!
After spending just a short time with Mitsuri, Shinobu had realized that Mitsuri Kanroji was a kind, beautiful, and slightly airheaded girl with a heart of gold.
Shinobu decided she couldn't let such a good girl fall into Horitake's clutches. She was determined to save Mitsuri from him!
(Shinobu-nee, are you sure you're trying to save Mitsuri? Or are you just jealous of Horitake and Mitsuri's closeness and trying to break them up?)
That's why Shinobu said what she did—to tarnish Horitake's image in Mitsuri's eyes and lower her affection for him.
Her words implied that Horitake had ulterior motives from the start, and Mitsuri shouldn't fall for his tricks!
Horitake, still on the eaves, was panicking. Shinobu-nee, what did I ever do to you!? Why are you slandering me like this!
Well… okay, maybe he had done something to upset her.
Fine, he was wrong! He'd apologize!
Luckily, Mitsuri's nerves were a bit thick. She didn't quite grasp the implications of Shinobu's words, merely tapping her lips with a finger, looking adorably confused. "Eh? Is that how it is?"
Horitake couldn't take it anymore. He had to step in and defend himself!
This wasn't the time for hiding or excuses—it was time for honesty!
With a leap, Horitake landed in the courtyard, standing before Shinobu and Mitsuri with a calm, candid tone. "Shinobu-nee's not wrong. Before the Final Selection, I did foresee a glimpse of the future. I saw that Mitsuri was in danger, but not the specifics.
"During the Final Selection, I did follow her quietly, protecting her from the shadows.
"Is there a problem with that?
"I knew Mitsuri might be in danger. How could I stand by and watch such a beautiful girl perish? So I kept an eye on her and saved her when the time came. Is there a problem with that, Shinobu-nee?"
------------------------------
Hello everyone!
If you like my work and want to support me on this creative journey, you can support me here:
[patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you for your support!!