Haruka slowly began to regain consciousness.
She was lying down, hearing overlapping voices in the background. Confused, she started thinking:
Huh? What are these voices? Is that screaming?
I don't remember anyone living with me in the house… Did the cleaner come, maybe?
Voices in the background:
— S-S-Stop, Yu! What are you trying to do?!
— What? Isn't this the best solution? This is how you used to wake me up when I was little. It's effective.
— You can't do that to a guest! S-S-Sto—
The woman didn't finish her sentence.
Suddenly, Haruka felt something extremely cold touch her body. She jumped up instantly and started screaming:
— Coooooooooold!!!
She began running around the house, screaming wildly.
Yu looked at his mother and said with a smile:
— See? I told you the method works.
His mother got angry and punched him hard on the head until he cried out in pain, then made him stand in the corner of the room, kneeling.
— Don't you dare move from here again! Understood?!
— Understood…
He said it while still aching from the punch.
After things calmed down, Haruka sat on a chair after changing her wet clothes.
The mother said apologetically:
— I'm sorry again. We only have these old clothes.
Haruka replied shyly:
— N-No, it's fine… I should be the one apologizing for coming so suddenly.
Yu interrupted sarcastically:
— Yeah, you're right. You should apologize and bow to us—
He didn't finish, as he received another punch from his mother. He went back to the corner and quickly said:
— Sorry! I'll shut up!
Haruka (thinking):
What a scary woman… but she's beautiful despite her age.
She turned toward her and said softly:
— I'm sorry for the trouble.
— It's fine.
The woman smiled and said:
— Anyway, I'll introduce us properly, since I think my son didn't tell you anything. I'm Mai Hekozaro. This is my son, Yu Hekozaro. And the one sleeping on the chair is my husband… Hekozaro.
— Nice to meet you. I'm Haruka Riketo.
The mother said happily:
— What a unique and beautiful name.
Haruka thanked her.
At that moment, silence filled the room. Then suddenly…
Grrrrr…
The sound of Haruka's hungry stomach echoed. Everyone stared at her face.
Haruka (in her mind):
Oh my god… my stomach! Why now?!
A strong sense of embarrassment washed over her.
The elderly woman burst into warm, lively laughter.
— Haha! Looks like someone's hungry! Don't worry, I'll go prepare something for you.
She bowed gently before heading to the kitchen.
Haruka smiled softly, avoiding everyone's gaze in embarrassment.
…
After the meal
— Well then, now that we've eaten, I only have one question.
He said it calmly, but his tone carried a hidden threat.
— Where exactly did you come from?
She froze for a moment, then tried to stay calm.
— What do you mean?
He raised an eyebrow and said seriously:
— You don't look like anyone I've seen around here. Your clothes were strange, and the way you talk is different. So… which country are you from?
She held her breath.
So he noticed it quickly…
Her thoughts began racing:
Where am I? I don't even know. I remember falling… but what happened after that? Was I revived? I'm not sure. But I'm still in the same body, and I was wearing the same clothes…
She sighed, then decided to cling to the simplest answer possible.
— I…
He stared at her.
— You…?
She quickly finished:
— I got lost.
She thought to herself:
(Please believe this lie… believe it, believe it, believe it, believe it!)
He stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.
— What's wrong? Why are you laughing?!
She said angrily:
— Haven't you ever seen someone get lost before?!
He stopped laughing, smiled, then stood up.
— Honestly, I was just thinking about how stupid you are.
She thought to herself:
You're the stupid one for believing such an incredibly dumb lie.
He said:
— Anyway, it doesn't matter. You can stay, but…
— But?
— Only for tonight. If you want to stay longer… pay.
She looked at him tiredly:
— I know, I know… You don't have to remind me every time.
Before she could finish her sentence, loud noises suddenly came from outside.
He stood up immediately and drew his sword without hesitation.
— Stay here.
He said seriously before walking out with steady steps.
But Haruka wasn't the type to sit quietly. She followed him cautiously and stood behind him, trying to understand what was happening.
Three men were standing outside the house, their faces covered in bruises, their clothes marked by a recent fight.
One of them, with a long scar on his face, spat on the ground and said angrily:
— We've had enough! We'll kill you right here and now and claim our reward!
He smiled widely, without a trace of fear.
— Oh? Do you want me to just let you kill me so you won't feel disappointed?
The man growled and pulled out a dagger:
— No, this time we'll finish you! So don't be scared!
Haruka prepared herself to fight, but she felt a hand gently placed on her shoulder.
She turned and saw Mai saying calmly:
— Don't worry… let him handle it alone.
Then, like a ghost, he vanished from his spot.
Before the three men could even understand what happened, he appeared behind them.
His sword was still in its sheath, yet the results of his blows appeared instantly.
Their bodies collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
He returned calmly, leaning against a tree trunk and yawning in boredom.
— Tch… even fighting you guys isn't fun anymore.
He then looked at the girl standing there, his expression a mix of indifference and disdain.
The mother said to Haruka with a smile:
— See? Didn't I tell you everything would be fine?
But their relief didn't last.
Suddenly, one of the bandits emerged from the shadows, holding a sword, running like a madman toward Yu while screaming:
— You're deaaaaad!
To be continued…