On the way to Saikai Academy the next day, Shichen was in high spirits, a happy smile on his face.
Yesterday he and Minimiya Natsuki had only crossed words and lips—nothing more, since it was just a puppet body. Even if he'd wanted more, Natsuki wouldn't have agreed. But it was enough. A step forward this time meant the next steps would go farther. There was time.
Even if they'd been blind, Himeragi Yukina and the others could have felt the joy radiating off him.
"Sensei, did something good happen? Is it about Kanon?" Yukina couldn't help asking.
With Kanon moving into his place, she couldn't think of anything else that would make him this happy. Kanon was so cute and gentle—an angel, a saint—pure enough to make anyone's heart flutter. And Sensei liked petite types; Kanon looked petite… no, basically was. Of course he'd be happy.
"Hm? You noticed?" Shichen blinked and countered.
"You can't hide the smile. So it is because of Kanon?"
"Shichen, how can you be so fickle!" Avrora cut in, scolding.
She was walking with him again today; the anger from before had evaporated as if it had never been—after all, a formidable rival had arrived at home.
"Yukina, Onii-chan isn't happy because of me," Kanon said softly, trying to help.
"Really?" Yukina paused.
"Kanon, don't put it that way. I am happy we'll be living together."
"Thank you, Onii-chan." Kanon's smile was bright.
"If it's not Kanon, then what?" Yukina pressed.
"It's Natsuki," Shichen said without hiding it.
"Professor Minamiya?"
"Our relationship took a step forward, so I'm a little happy," he admitted, savoring the memory of yesterday's kiss.
"Aren't you two already close? Why 'a step forward'?" Yukina asked, puzzled.
"It's… an adult thing. And Natsuki and I only met two or three years ago."
"Didn't you know her long before that?" Yukina was surprised.
"No—I only came to Itogami then."
"What? You haven't been on Itogami from the start?"
His file didn't specify; he'd simply "appeared" on the island without entry records, and Natsuki had covered for him. With Natsuki's help, no one could trace his origins—even though his identity was full of holes.
"Of course not."
"Then where are you from? Your name sounds Chinese."
"It is."
"Eh? Really?"
By the time they reached campus, curiosity about his background had replaced the earlier topic. Yukina, for her part, didn't really dwell on him and Natsuki—since she'd begun monitoring him, they'd acted normal, with no obvious intimacy. And on paper, Natsuki was listed as his sister. Even if not blood… still, like siblings—impossible, right?
"Shichen-sensei, want to sneak out for a drink later?" Sasasaki Misaki asked.
"I'll pass. I don't like drinking—unless Natsuki comes too."
"Then never mind."
Declining Misaki's thinly veiled invite, Shichen headed to his desk to "work."
Being a P.E. instructor—especially at Saikai—was nice. With near-perpetual summer, P.E. didn't require much teaching. Free activity, or… free activity. It really was a paycheck for coasting—not that he needed the money, but the joy of being paid to do nothing was very real.
He hadn't coasted long when Kirasaka Sayaka called. She hadn't called last night.
He picked up. "Sayaka? What's with the early call?"
"Shichen…"
"Hm? What's wrong? Did something happen?" He heard the trouble in her voice immediately.
"A little…"
"What is it? Tell me."
"But…"
"I told you—if you run into problems, tell me. I'll help."
"You…"
"I couldn't bear anything happening to you. Besides—you're still taking Yukina's punishment for her, aren't you?"
"Right! Exactly!" Sayaka suddenly rallied.
"Heh—then tell me what's going on."
"Okay… First, have you heard the name Ragnvald?"
"Ragnvald? What's that?"
"You don't know? Ragnvald is Aldegia's armored airship—the flagship of the Sacred Ring Knights," Sayaka explained.
"How would I know that? And this has to do with you?"
"Mm. Remember I told you I'm guarding an important figure from Aldegia? There was an accident… and the Ragnvald they and I were on crash-landed on a small island…" she said, awkward—this was her assignment, and an accident meant failure.
"It crashed? Are you okay?" he asked at once.
"Eh? Ah—y-yes, I'm fine…" She hadn't expected his first instinct to be concern for her; her voice softened.
"Where are you? I'll come."
"C-can you?"
"Why so many questions? Give me your coordinates," he said, firm.
"O-okay… roughly one hundred and sixty kilometers west of Itogami—an uninhabited island."
"Wait for me. I'm on my way."
"Eh—"
He hung up, left the office, and shifted space to Itogami's perimeter—then flew west toward the island. Ever since awakening Rayquaza, he'd had the ability to fly; it just didn't see much use.
He soon spotted a small island floating on the sea—a fog island. Crescent-shaped, it was mantled in green forest from above. Not large—maybe the size of two or three sports fields—and with the fog, visibility was poor.
Sayaka was inside, but lost in the mist. Thankfully, there was signal—there was even a helipad and an abandoned plant. The place rang a bell, faintly, but he didn't bother dredging it up. He sensed the island's signatures: two people—one familiar; the other at the exact opposite side. They'd managed to walk in perfectly opposite directions.
Since it was a deserted island now, he decided to check the unfamiliar signature first.
In a volcano-crater-like hollow ringed by trees and mist, a spring pooled—clear enough to see the pillars of rock below, mesmerizingly beautiful. Splash, splash—water echoed now and then.
He alighted silently on a branch and looked toward the life he'd sensed—and almost didn't want to blink.
In the misted spring stood a distinctly feminine figure; he could see her clearly. A willowy, fairy-like body, silver hair, azure eyes—a face that was decidedly not Japanese. A young woman—so beautiful she could be mistaken for a nymph—was just rising from the cold spring. Soft curves, snow-pale skin, droplets sliding down like a spirit emerging from the water.
But that wasn't the main point. The young woman in the spring looked so much like Kanon—same hair color, similar features—differentiated only by the aura she gave off. She was a little taller than Kanon, more mature in her face, with a confidence and pride in her eyes that was completely different.
She was bathing without a stitch, playing in the water, radiating a breathtaking allure—yet exuding an air that held people at a respectful distance.
Shichen watched a moment, fixed her form and features in memory, and decided to say hello. He wasn't the sort to peep at a stranger bathing—even if, like Kanon, she was one of the Four Sacred Beasts.
Tap.
Splash—!
At the light sound of his landing, the silver-haired girl started and snapped her gaze over. Shichen met her resolute, azure eyes, raised a hand, and greeted her as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"Hello."
~~~
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