-Two days later-
It had been a while since Reines had visited her favorite sister, and since Toru and Gray were free, she dragged them out of the house to go shopping and talk a little about what these two lovebirds have been up to lately.
Although the last time Gray saw Reines didn't end well, so now the girl in gray is very alert. As they walk down the street, Gray is clinging tightly to Toru's arm while glancing furtively at Reines.
Reines smiled crookedly because even she realized she had gone too far this time. Sure, she really wanted to kiss Toru just to annoy Gray, but she realized that the situation had gotten out of hand. Still, for her, all of this is still funny.
'It saddens me to know that I won't be able to see her suffer for love again...' Her thoughts echoed in her expression. For someone as sadistic as her, it's a shame to have to go back to her everyday life.
"We're here. Which place should we go to first?" Toru said, breaking the silence.
Still clinging to Toru's arm and keeping her eyes on Reines, Gray replied, "I don't know. Should we go get something to eat? It's almost lunchtime. That way we can talk quietly."
This girl was passive-aggressive with her words. Reines could feel a chill run down her spine as she listened to her. She looked at her as if wondering what had happened to this girl who used to be so shy. Gray now looked like a lioness protecting her territory; a stark contrast to the Gray of the past.
"I'll take your advice. Let's go to the restaurant. Do you like seafood?"
Reines decided to pretend she didn't understand Gray's attitude and accept everything she said. First of all, this afternoon won't be boring if this gray-haired girl is here. For Reines, as someone who dislikes boredom, this was the best medicine.
And Toru? He was just staring into space in silence. Among everyone here, he was the one who, ironically, looked the most normal. He was still a handsome Asian guy in his butler's suit, but being surrounded by two beauties in gray and gold, the contrast made him look normal.
"I like seafood." At least Toru tried a lot of seafood during his stay in Akatsuki. As someone who traveled from war to war, the ocean shore was one of his many stops.
And Gray, as always, was very interested in Toru's tastes. That was a small distraction for her, as she momentarily forgot her resentment towards Reines.
As they were walking, two girls approached Toru. They were pretty girls from London, with black hair and their typical British accent. Both were dressed very fashionably for the year 2004.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"What country are you from?"
The questions from both girls were quite common, and their intentions were obviously to flirt with a handsome Asian guy. What they didn't notice was that Gray was right next to Toru. No one could see her at first glance because she is so small compared to Toru.
With a little embarrassment, peeking out from behind Toru, Gray said to both of them, "He's mine."
Both girls looked at each other when they saw the beautiful girl in the hoodie and gave up instantly. There was no way they could compete with someone who looked like she was straight out of a fairy tale.
"I'm sorry. We didn't know."
"Yes. Bye"
As quickly as they appeared, the girls disappeared into the bustle of the crowd.
Gray sighed wearily after that, but immediately noticed Reines' mocking smile. Before she could explode with embarrassment, Toru's voice caught her attention.
"These things happen to me more often than I'd like. People come up to me, and the moment I start talking, they walk away. If you hadn't said anything, that would have happened again."
"Uhh... How bad are you at socializing? That doesn't make sense," Reines said with a confused smile. She really didn't understand Toru's strange talent for annoying people without realizing it.
Something similar happened with Waver when Sakura was attacked by the Crest Worms.
"I don't know. I'm just like that, I guess."
"Some attitudes can be changed, Assassin. Or you can also pretend to be something different. In the end, being someone you're not is also part of the life of a magus. You should have realized that by now, right?"
"I know what you mean, but I'm not interested in being a magus. I'm a ninja, and I was one at the time of my death."
"But isn't ninjutsu another form of magecraft? In that case..."
Gray's reasoning was correct. Ninjutsu exists, but it is only the magecraft used by ninjas in Japan's Edo period. Perhaps even today, ninjas still exist in the shadows of the Asian continent.
"It's not the same. Let me explain." I
n the end, the topic became more extensive as they moved forward. Gray put aside her resentment, and Reines listened to Toru's explanation. Later, while the group was eating lunch, Toru continued talking about ninjutsu. However, for both Gray and Reines, ninjutsu was still magecraft.
***
After lunch, the girls and Toru were visiting one of the clothing stores. Since there was nothing else interesting to do, they dragged Toru from one place to another. People were very curious to see Gray holding Toru while a pretty blonde girl followed behind them.
Some thought how lucky Toru was, but he wasn't thinking about anything literally. On the other hand, Gray had forgotten that Reines was nearby. She clung to Toru as they walked around the place. It was like that until they arrived at this clothing store. On the counter were beautiful dresses with various designs that Gray wouldn't have cared about in the past, but now she wanted to know how she would look in those clothes.
"Do you want to go in?" Toru asked Gray.
She nodded with a smile. Reines saw them and felt that she was the one who was suffering. This day, instead of being boring or exciting, was horribly normal.
'Did I make a mistake?' Reines thought. The kiss she gave Toru was the trigger for the current events. In that case, yes, Reines made a mistake. She now had to face the consequences of her actions.
With regret, Reines shuffled her feet, following Toru and Gray. She stopped, bumping into Toru's back, and then looked at the blue dress in front of them.
"I had one of these when I was a child. It's a very pretty dress, isn't it?" said Reines, touching the sleeve of the dress with her fingers.
The dress itself was a one-piece, with a long neckline, long sleeves with gold detailing, and a knee-length skirt. It included long black tights and thick brown leather shoes.
Gray's eyes lit up. It was the first time she was going to try on something so colorful. She ignored what Reines said and looked at Toru.
"Do you think I can?"
Toru nodded at Gray's words with a slight aura of calm and understanding.
Gray then smiled. "I see. I'll be right back," and without caring if Reines was there, she approached one of the women near the counter, leaving Toru and Reines alone for a few moments.
"She's completely ignoring my existence..." Hilarious, was the only thing Reines' face could express at that moment.
Toru replied flippantly, looking at Gray in the distance. "You reap what you sow. That's the punishment you brought upon yourself."
"Huh. You make me sound like a villain. Besides, that was my first kiss. You should thank me instead of criticizing me. You stole the lips of a pretty maiden."
He crossed his arms. "I'm not going to thank you for anything. You were the one who kissed me without my consent just to annoy Gray. I don't think I have anything else to clarify."
A drop of sweat fell down Reines' neck. Toru used the right words at the right time. Although he only told the truth, nothing more. However, that truth was what put Reines between a rock and a hard place.
"Now you look angry. Do you hate me?"
"No. I don't hate you," he said, his tone and expression both quite calm. "and I'm not angry either. At this point, it's pretty hard for anything to make me angry. The only thing I'm going to say to you is to stop trying to satisfy your lust with Gray's discomfort. She's had enough with her own life without someone else coming along and bothering her."
"Hm..." Reines had a feeling that Toru wasn't saying that just for Gray's sake. If there was one thing Reines liked about Toru, it was that this boy seemed like a strange accumulation of suffering.
Anyway. Near the dressing rooms, with the blue dress in her hands, Gray waited for Toru and Reines. As the two seemed very close while talking, Gray felt a little annoyed. However, Toru immediately approached Gray, leaving Reines behind, which in turn cleared up the annoyance Gray felt.
"I think I'm going to need some help with this," Gray said as Toru approached her.
"I don't know anything about women's clothing, but it's a good idea to have another girl with us."
He turned to look at Reines, who had just arrived. It was as if Toru was saying to her with his eyes, "Go and learn from your mistakes."
Reines smiled perceptively. If there was anyone who surpassed Reines' sadism, it was Toru. Toru knew how to defend himself and attack. He was clever to suggest the above, as it was the perfect method to get Reines and Gray to eliminate this uncomfortable situation themselves and settle their differences. Although this was also a form of torture for Reines.
'You know how to take advantage of opportunities, huh. What a formidable rival.'
'No one said this was a competition.'
Both thought that as if they could read each other's minds.
"Sure. Assassin is right. Let me help you, Gray. Come on, come on."
She pushed her away without Gray realizing what was happening. When the dressing room curtain closed, Toru sighed wearily. He leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes, taking a moment to rest his mind.
***
The interior of the dressing room was large, with a mirror on the front wall and warm red walls. There was a long padded bench and a handmade basket on one side.
Upon entering, Reines put on a fake smile. Being alone with Gray would undoubtedly lead to awkward interaction, and she had to be prepared for that.
"Where should we start? This dress has a zipper in the back. I think that's the part you need help with, right?"
Gray was silent for a second and then sat down on the bench. She carefully took off her cape and put it in the basket. Just then, a cheerful voice rang out.
"How long has it been since I last spoke? It seems like the author forgot about me."
It was Add. And yes, I forgot that Add existed.
Gray and Reines didn't understand what Add had said. They looked at him confused, which made Add sigh.
"Aah... Forget it. I think there are more important things to worry about right now. I was sleeping peacefully before, but your screams irritated me. Where are we supposed to be? Uh, yeah, I know."
Add answered his own question by sensing his mistress's mind. With this interaction, Reines sighed in relief. Apparently Toru's plan had failed, as he hadn't taken Add into account, so these girls wouldn't be completely alone. What Reines didn't know was that Toru already knew that and, in fact, Add was an important piece in this act.
"Your presence is always timely," said Reines, sitting down next to Gray.
"Hahaha. Sure... It's the first time anyone has ever said anything like that to me, but that doesn't matter. I'll change the subject, so listen, ladies.
On the other side of the curtain, Toru opened his eyes and listened patiently. The women passing by looked at him, appreciating his strange foreign charm. Toru, of course, paid no attention to anything other than what was happening on the other side of the curtain.
"It seems to me that you two have your differences. One is ugly and the other is not. One is scary and the other is stupid."
Gray frowned. Without saying a word, she slowly lifted Add's cage to punish him, but he interrupted her.
"But you're both friends. At least that's what Gray thinks."
"What? I don't..." Her face turned red. Gray couldn't believe Add would reveal her secrets like this.
"And you, miss, you're unpleasant, but at least you're my pathetic owner's friend. Stay friends, don't fight, and don't hold grudges. With this brief appearance of a few paragraphs, Add bids farewell."
Add closed his eyes as if waiting for something, but all he got was the embarrassed look of these two girls.
As if a drop of sweat fell from his forehead, Add cleared his non-existent throat.
"I mean, leave me outside with the Assassin boy."
"I should throw you into a pit," said Gray.
"I'll help you," and Reines played along.
Add trembled. "Sometimes I go too far. Better leave me out and keep talking."
To avoid prolonging the awkward silences, Gray reached her arm through the curtain. Toru looked at the cage and took it in his hand.
***
"You did pretty well."
Add laughed. "Hahaha. Sure, Assassin boy. I'm the best, after all."
"You're not the best, but you're not the worst either," Toru replied.
"Is that a compliment or an insult?"
"You can take it as a compliment. Thanks for helping me fix all this."
"So that was your plan from the moment we left that depressing professor's house. That's amazing, I must admit. You have a talent for annoying people."
Taking this as a joke, Toru replied with a slight smile. "Maybe that's one of my hidden talents."
Add sighed wearily, sleepy. "You seem like a different person. Well, I'm going back to sleep. Being away from her tends to make my mind shut down at times."
"Okay. Get some rest, Add."
Before closing his eyes, Add said, almost whispering, "It's scary when you're like that. Hehehe. Good luck, bro..." and he closed his eyes, falling asleep. "Bro...?"
It was a strange interaction.
***
Gray undressed in front of Reines. She was left in her underwear, which revealed the multiple marks on her skin, the result of nights of passion with Toru. Reines almost choked on her own saliva when she saw that.
"Hey, those marks..."
Gray's face turned red. "That's none of your business."
It was obvious what it was about. Reines smiled maliciously, but calmed down after remembering what Toru had told her earlier. This was not something she should worry about, let alone use the situation to satisfy her sadistic thirst.
"Yes. That's none of my business," she accepted quite easily.
Gray then put on the dress and Reines came over to zip it up. While she was doing so, Gray looked at the floor.
She thought deeply about what to say: "Do you like Toru?"
Reines stopped her hands.
"Do I like Assassin?" There wasn't really anything about Toru that she disliked. She wasn't afraid to answer truthfully either. "A little, yes," and she zipped it all the way up.
Gray smoothed her hair and, without looking at Reines, said, "So that's why you kissed him?"
Reines had been expecting that question. Besides, it was strange that Gray hadn't brought it up before.
"I did it simply because I wanted to see your reaction."
"Something like that is... cruel."
"I'm sorry," Reines replied, her tone of voice showing no guilt whatsoever.
Gray noticed that. She had a feeling that was the case. "You're not really sorry, are you? I feel like you're not..."
It was hilarious that Gray could already sense Reines' lies and twisted personality. But what could Reines do about it? She was born that way. She loved other people's misfortune and wanted to feed her lust by sowing the seeds of anger in Gray's heart with her actions. For the first time, her manipulation didn't work, and the weight of her actions fell on her shoulders.
"It hasn't been long, but it seems like you already know me quite well."
"I've been observing... That's all."
Gray was that kind of person at first. She just watched silently, analyzing everything and storing it in her memory.
"I see..."
"I think that's why you don't have any friends," Gray said, unafraid to speak the truth, just as Reines had done a few moments ago.
At Gray's words, a vein bulged on Reines' forehead. It had been a low blow for her, but Gray was right. Reines had no friends because she made them suffer and reveled in it. She was a diabolical woman, but Gray thought that in a way, they were alike.
"That hurt a little, Gray..."
"I know. I won't say it again. Now..." she turned to look at Reines. She had already put on the dress and looked truly beautiful.
"Hm. You look good. Should I buy it as an apology?"
Gray shook his head. "No need. I just want Toru to see me."
Well, Reines wasn't going to learn from her mistakes. That was clear the moment she pushed Gray out of the dressing room. At that moment, Gray let out an adorable whimper as she bumped into Toru.
It looked like a cliché scene from one of those romantic comedy novels. Gray looked up and met Toru's eyes, and immediately they entered a world where there was no one else but the two of them surrounded by bright roses.
However, they were immediately interrupted by Reines, who cleared her throat before speaking.
"You don't have to thank me. All I ask is that you tell Gray how she looks, Assassin." Toru nodded. "You're beautiful, Gray."
Although he doesn't usually flatter people for their appearance, with Gray it was different. Gray is the person closest to Toru in this world. He didn't just see her physical appearance, but also the kind heart of that girl. And while it may be difficult for him to understand his own emotions, which has led him to repeat the same endless cycle, his own broken heart wanted to guide him.
To his heart, this girl is beautiful, a light in that horrible ocean of blood.
Maybe, just maybe, Gray will be able to fulfill her promise to save Toru.
In response to this, Gray felt the world spinning, but he was happy.
"Thank you, Toru..."
Toru nodded calmly.
"So, did everything work out?" Add asked quietly.
Toru reached out his hand, and Add's cage moved. "It seems so. Is there no problem anymore, Gray?"
"Problem? Was there ever a problem?"
"I don't think so," said Reines, playing along with Gray. She walked ahead of Toru and Gray after that, but stopped a few meters away. "Let's go buy that dress if that's what you want. Then we could stop by the park to rest for a while."
Toru nodded. A man of few words after all, Gray looked at herself, thinking about all the pretty clothes she could have worn when she was a girl. It was like a dream come true. So, instead of leaving, Gray...
"First I want to try on a few more dresses."
Reines shrugged. "Well, we have nothing else to do," and accompanied Gray to look for more clothes.
Toru stood watching Gray's back. Seeing her in that blue dress, he had a strange feeling deep inside, as if he had seen something like it before. It felt like a giant void in his chest, but that void had always been there. There was no way Gray's blue dress could have caused this feeling. So in the end, he ignored it and followed them.
That's how it went until the day ended.