The day after Kei finished counseling Neji, he reopened the clinic for business.
Even though it had been closed for over a month, the turnout on the first day was solid, he didn't stop seeing patients until well into the evening.
When things finally quieted down, Kei sat at his desk and took a sip from the teacup beside him, only to find the tea completely cold.
He put it down and turned slightly to sense Haru behind him, still lost in thought. So he got up and made two fresh cups of tea himself.
Handing one of them to her, Kei said gently, "If you're tired, take a seat and rest for a bit. You've looked distracted all day. How about we talk?"
Truthfully, he'd noticed since the morning that something was off with her. She'd been zoning out repeatedly, which had left him handling nearly all the patients alone.
Snapping out of her daze at the sight of the hot tea, Haru hesitated, then sat across from him and quietly sipped the drink in silence.
Kei didn't rush her.
He waited until she'd finished drinking before smiling warmly. "Did something happen? If there's anything you'd like to talk about, you can. Maybe I can help."
"You know I'm good at helping people open up."
Haru set her teacup down and, after a moment of silence, said, "Yesterday, I went to report to the Elder about your session with Neji."
"I know. I was the one who asked you to do it. What happened? Did you upset him?"
Haru frowned. "Aren't you worried? If I had told him everything that really happened yesterday, you could've been punished."
She expected Kei to react with anxiety, but instead, she found him completely calm, more concerned about her than himself.
Hands hidden under the table, Haru's fingers twisted and knotted anxiously.
Kei shook his head lightly. "Of course I'm worried. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."
"Then how are you still sitting here running the clinic like it's nothing?"
"Everyone has their burdens, don't they? You have your duty. Am I supposed to stop you from doing your job?"
"You could've tried! If you'd just asked me not to report everything, maybe I would've held back."
Kei smiled faintly. "Haru, you're not my servant. I have no right to tell you what to do, or what not to do."
"I don't know how you see it, but to me, we're equals."
"When you're standing behind me, you're my assistant. You help me, and in return, I protect you. When you sit across from me, you're my patient. If you're in need, then it's my responsibility to help you."
Under the table, Haru's fingers twisted even faster. Listening to his words, her chest tightened unexpectedly.
She lowered her head slightly. Her voice trembled as she said, "I'm sorry."
"Look at me, Haru."
Kei's voice was soft, but firm.
"You haven't done anything wrong. There's nothing to apologize for."
"But I… I've been reporting your every move to the Elder all this time…"
"And like I said, that's your job. That's not a crime."
Haru slowly looked up.
She stared at Kei, at that ever-present gentle smile on his blind face, and suddenly thought, He must be exhausted.
Smiling like this every day, dealing with so much… He was a Hyuga who had lost the clan's most valued eyes. His own assistant had been assigned to monitor him. The Main House saw him as a threat to the very system of the Caged Bird Seal.
And yet… he still smiled.
Haru inhaled deeply. Her gaze steadied.
"Kei," she said firmly. "I don't want to work for them anymore."
Kei immediately sensed the change in her emotions.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "You know the Elder has high hopes for you. He sees you as a daughter. With me, you won't gain anything. You're just an assistant here."
"Daughter?" Haru scoffed, bitterness flashing across her face. "If he really saw me as a daughter… then he wouldn't treat me like a dog."
The memory of the day before resurfaced.
She'd once believed the Elder rewarded her because he valued her, going so far as to teach her the Twin Lion Fists. She thought she was special.
But now she saw it clearly.
That was just a method of control, no different than how one would train a dog.
A dog gets attention not because it's important, but because it pleases its master.
She might not receive rewards from Kei, but the way he treated her, genuinely and with respect, meant more than any technique or recognition.
Haru stood up abruptly.
"I have gained something here," she said. "I've gained respect."
Kei listened closely, picking up on the emotion in her voice, the subtle cues in her breath and movements. He knew then, this wasn't a momentary whim. This was a real choice.
Which meant her therapy was complete.
She had fully turned her back on Hyuga Taihiro and the Main House, and placed her trust in him.
From this point forward, Taihiro's spy would be his asset.
Kei extended his right hand toward her.
"Haru," he said, "I now formally invite you to be my assistant. Do you accept?"
Without hesitation, Haru reached out and clasped his hand.
"I do."
"Thank you," Kei said, smiling. "With your help, things will be a lot easier for me. At the very least, I won't have to keep pretending around you. That alone takes a huge weight off."
Haru's expression softened into one of guilt, but just as she opened her mouth to apologize, Kei waved it off.
"No need. We're on the same side now. But there's something you need to understand."
He leaned back slightly.
"You know how the Main House sees me. They'll never truly accept me. One day, I will fight back."
Haru didn't look surprised. She had already guessed as much from how Kei had spoken to Neji the day before.
Her eyes flicked to the forehead protector tied around his head.
"But with the Caged Bird Seal," she said, "we don't stand a chance."
"I know. But some things have to be attempted, no matter the odds," Kei said calmly. "Don't worry, I'm not reckless. I'll only act when I've found a solution."
"And until then, I need you to keep vouching for me. Lower their guard."
Haru nodded with absolute seriousness.
"I will."
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
Finally!