Trust

“You!”

Tohka flared with rage, seizing Yisha’s collar to prevent her escape. A high kick lashed out, aimed directly at Yisha’s head.

The rush of air preceded the kick, striking Yisha’s face. If her senses weren’t mistaken…

‘It seems my intuition was right,’ she mused. ‘This is getting complicated.’

Yisha wasn’t ready to reveal her full capabilities yet. However, Tohka was already channeling her spiritual energy, intent on victory.

Direct resistance was out of the question; a solid hit from that attack would surely result in death or paralysis.

With no other choice, Yisha gripped Tohka’s hand, ensuring she wouldn’t be pulled up. Then…

Rip!

Unfettered, Yisha instantly moved out of Tohka’s kicking range. As for the cost of her escape, Shido’s expression spoke volumes.

“Sister!”

Yina quickly shed her own jacket and draped it over Yisha, shielding her from further stares. Though, by then, most everyone present had already witnessed the sight.

“Sir, please control your girlfriend. This is not… cough, cough!“

The strain of the sudden movement was too much for her battered body. A metallic taste of blood surged, and Yisha covered her mouth, coughing several times. Her hand felt damp.

“Sister, you!”

Yina saw the blood at the corner of Yisha’s mouth and understood instantly. Yet, with things having progressed so far, how could she intervene?

All she could do was guide her back to the inner room to rest.

“Hmm?”

After getting up, Tohka noticed the girl coughing blood and inexplicably hesitated. Her prior intuition, which had warned her of extreme danger, had vanished.

The girl, once perceived as a hungry wolf, now seemed less threatening than a roadside ant.

Her spiritual energy had also stopped depleting and was gradually recovering. In other words, the immense threat that had been present was now entirely gone.

“Tohka?”

Shido couldn’t comprehend why Tohka had suddenly attacked a stranger. He had believed his words had helped her lower her guard, yet if the girl—referred to as ‘Sister’—hadn’t reacted swiftly and possessed some fighting skill, she might very well be dead now.

“Shido, it’s fine now.”

“Can you call this fine?”

Yisha desperately tried to suppress the metallic taste of blood that kept rising. Even if only a fraction escaped, it would be enough to alarm anyone.

With every cough, copious amounts of dark red blood emerged. While not life-threatening, to an outsider, it appeared as though her days were numbered.

“Tohka, she means no harm, she…”

“Sir, there’s no need to explain,” Yina interjected. “It’s perfectly normal for this young lady to be dissatisfied with our service. Perhaps in the future, you too will find fault with us, or even…”

“Consider this an accident. Please, just enjoy your date with this young lady. Our establishment is now closing.”

“By the way, the meals prepared earlier are in the back kitchen; you may finish them and leave at your convenience.”

Yina helped Yisha ascend to the second floor, where some emergency medication was kept.

Meanwhile, an inexplicable silence settled between Shido and Tohka.

After an unknown period, Shido finally broke the quiet between them.

“Tohka, most people don’t approach you with ill intent,” he began. “If someone truly does harbor malice, I’ll deal with them for you. So please, try to trust others a little more, okay?”

Tohka gazed at his outstretched hand, then lowered her head, making no move.

“Shido, I felt the person just now was very dangerous, which is why I acted,” she confessed. “But then she suddenly became less dangerous. I can’t explain why. Even so, will you still believe me?”

The girl seemed to hope for his belief, yet simultaneously feared it.

Logically, she knew Shido’s disbelief would be the correct response, for she was an anomaly rejected by this world. However, Shido had once promised he would never deny her.

Shido looked at the girl, who appeared on the verge of tears, and slowly embraced her.

“I will believe you,” he affirmed. “If what you say is true, then…”

The young man wasn’t sure how to continue. He was reluctant to arbitrarily label someone as evil, believing that most people were inherently kind.

Thus, he found himself at a loss for how to express his stance.

Yet, he trusted Tohka; of that, there was no doubt.

“That’s enough,” she murmured.

Seemingly moved by Shido’s actions, Tohka’s eyes welled up slightly. However, she suppressed the tears before her vision could blur.

The girl raised her hand, then lowered it, only to raise it again. This time, she didn’t retract.

She sought to embrace the young man, to embrace the one person in this world who would never deny her, to embrace his unique tenderness.

“Grumble~”

A stomach rumble, ill-timed, interrupted their moment.

Shido’s face flushed slightly. Compared to Tohka’s confused gaze, his eyes were filled with utter embarrassment.

“Shido, are you hungry?”

Her innocent, wide eyes blinked at him, making Shido feel utterly mortified.

“Cough, cough! That’s perfectly normal, isn’t it?” he stammered. “I haven’t eaten since I woke up this morning.”

Checking the time, Shido realized it was already nine in the morning. He usually finished breakfast by 7:30, so it was no wonder he’d felt so drained chasing Tohka earlier.

“Then Shido, you must try this kinako bread!” Tohka exclaimed. “It’s absolutely the most delicious thing in the world!”

He took the bread, biting into it. As the aroma and exquisite taste bloomed in his mouth, his eyes lit up.

“This…”

It was unlike his usual bread, with a subtly different flavor. Yet, its most striking quality wasn’t merely the taste, and he couldn’t quite articulate what it was.

To fully understand its unique appeal, Shido found himself devouring the entire loaf.

“Then let’s keep eating!”

Tohka cheered, happily taking a large bite out of her own kinako bread.

“Sister! Did you use Calamity?!”

Yina settled Yisha onto the bed, swiftly retrieved medication from the nightstand, and fed it to her, her voice filled with accusation.

“Cough, cough! How else was I supposed to gather information?” Yisha replied. “Though the cost was a bit high, the gains weren’t small either. It balances out. Cough, cough…“

The medicine dissolved instantly in her mouth. Swallowing it, a wave of warmth suppressed the icy chill in her chest, though only temporarily.

The injuries she sustained would require time to heal.

“Just rest here,” Yina insisted. “I’ll keep an eye on Princess for you.”

Clap!

Just as Yina was about to leave, her wrist was seized. She turned to look at Yisha, who was shaking her head.

“This is my responsibility,” Yisha stated. “I have to go.”

“What responsibility could be more important than your life?” Yina cried out. “Why won’t you ever stop? Why are you always so…”

She trailed off, the girl’s dim eyes conveying the answer. Yina understood.

Her hand involuntarily clenched, the anger rising in Yina’s heart doused by cold water. Its name was reality.

“I… you can go,” Yina conceded, “but I’m coming with you. Don’t even think about doing anything without my permission.”

She had made a compromise, and in response, Yisha offered a smile.

Yina turned away and left the room, leaving behind faint, shimmering traces in the air, broken.

‘Why, why, why do you always disregard yourself?’ Yina wondered. ‘Is responsibility truly that important? Does it not even allow for a shred of personal feeling?’

She felt utterly powerless. Even though her sister had bestowed strength upon her, Yina remained the same young lady she once was, stuck in place, whether in terms of personality, power, or…