Published at 25th of March 2019 9:59 pm

Volume 5 Chapter 2 - Discarded Fox Diary Part 1

The collapsed Karin was immediately transported to the school infirmary.

And then Headmaster Amasaki informed Kazuki and his companions who were gathering beside Karin’s bed―he entered the gravity of bearing the burden of a student’s fate into his voice.

“A seal will be performed on her Stigmata to make her unable to use magic power completely. I have made an arrangement with the Knight Order for a <Stigmata Suppression DeviceLimiter>. It’s the newest measure for illegal magicians with minor offences.”

“You aren't going to use the <Stigmata Removal Operation> that was recommended before for Otouto-kun?”

Kaguya-senpai asked. In comparison to seal by tool, removing Stigmata by operation was thought to be a more fundamental solution. But Headmaster Amasaki shook his head.

“If the link between Stigmata and Diva is destroyed, the injury to the mind cannot be avoided. The former Headmaster Otonashi, who advanced the research by his own accord, claimed that it had become a technique for practical use; but in reality, it’s still too inhumane. Even the illegal magicians who are caught by the Knight Order are currently restrained using the Limiter.”

“That thing called Limiter, what kind of item is it?” Kazuki asked.

“What is called Limiter is a tool that reads the wavelength of the magic power that flows inside the Stigmata and makes it so magic power cannot flow into the Stigmata. On top of fixing this tool on her, she is also going to be sent to a <detention facility>.”

Detention facility―the establishment that detains the illegal magicians the Knight Order captures. They are safely managed there; at the same time, it is also a facility for keeping them away at a distance so that they wouldn’t become a victim of persecution and revenge.

It could also be reworded as [the prison you wouldn’t be able to leave until you die].

“Please wait a second, there's no need to go that far, right!?”

Kazuki objected in a panic, but Headmaster Amasaki opposed imposingly.

“Why do you think so? Of course there is a need to go that far. You realize if the limiter is broken or removed, this girl is just going to use dangerous Summoning Magic again?”

“Headmaster, the logic that she is [dangerous because of illegal magician status] is also going to be completely disadvantageous for our position that claims the safety of Hayashizaki Kazuki and the others though.”

Liz Liza-sensei interjected in the middle and covered for Kazuki. “What kind of pretext is used to send the girl to the detention facility? Is there a basis to hand down an even more harsh treatment compared to Hayashizaki and the others?”

“There is. This girl, while there were still students in an unconscious condition remaining in the match venue, used a large scale offensive magic. Her riskiness has already been proven.”

A resolute fury stained the words of Headmaster Amasaki―in regard to someone that exposed the students to danger. ‘I’m going to send this girl to a detention facility for sure’, that is the kind of face that he is currently making.

“That was because of Hayashi Shizuka’s order that made her do it! This girl was just manipulated! Despite that, for this girl’s life to be closed here, I won’t allow such behavior!!”

“How could you know that she did it just because of the brainwashing? How much of it was by Katsura Karin’s own will, how much of it was not, can you really judge it accurately?”

“That…when the person concerned herself wakes up, we could ask her…”

“The word of the person concerned herself couldn’t become proof.”

That was just like a suspect that cried of his own innocence in a trial. There was no persuasiveness inside it at all.

“Hayashi Shizuka is the mastermind of everything, Katsura Karin just got dragged into it. Katsura Karin is completely innocent…if such thinking is considered normally, it sounds forced, don’t you agree?”

“But to be punished just for doubt and simply get sent to the detention facility like that…!”

He got the reasoning of Headmaster Amasaki that regarded Karin as a danger. However, even so…!

“Don’t fuck with mee―!”

At that time, a voice came from beyond the curtains that partitioned them from the neighboring bed.

“Don’t screw around, I won’t allow you bastards to send Karin-chan to a place that looked like jail huh!!”

The curtain was opened violently. The source of the voice was Mibu Akira. The girl, together with Asamiya-senpai, who fainted in the finals, were laid in the adjacent bed.

“Karin-chan didna’ do anything bad…no really, she might do something just a little bad but…but Karin-chan isn’ someoneee bad okay!”

“That’s right―, what Aneki said you know―!”

Snapping at the headmaster the moment they woke up, the small statured protégée Asamiya-senpai too gave her backing at that timing.

Facing defiance from an unexpected place, Headmaster Amasaki made a shocked face.

“…You two, are you going to give testimony that Katsura Karin was brainwashed? …But the testimony of the both of you is not going to fly. Both of you also continued to fight even without being under the brainwashing of Joka. Both of you also conspired with the sleeper agent of China by your own will, a dangerous element.”

Sometimes, he really felt like wanting to say something like [choose your words a little more carefully] to Headmaster Amasaki.

Against that high handed attitude, Mibu-senpai and Asamiya-senpai became even more worked up.

“I was fightin’ for Karin-chan’s sake! Karin-chan…honestly I don’ know how far she was brainwashed. There is also some aspect of Karin-chan that chose to fight. But, that was only because she was made to choose! Karin-chan’s [own will] was not regarded at all! This girl just wanted to get recognized by her stepsister as family!! I wanna help her with that. Me and also Karin-chan don’t give a damn one bit about whether China is backing us up or whatever! No way I’m fighting for such a thing!!”

“Wishing to get recognized as family…?” Kazuki was dumbfounded and leaked out a voice in a murmur.

“Karin-chan is not a bad child! Even if she doesn’t get slammed into prison she could still start over!”

“Hmph.” Headmaster Amasaki snorted his nose without changing his attitude.

“If she could still reform then that way is better. She is still a young girl of fifteen years old, even I think so. But why can you declare that so confidently? What’s your basis? If the worst possibility should happen, what are you going to do?”

Mibu-senpai faltered. After looking down with anxious eyes, she said a [girlish basis].

“…Because that girl always made lonely eyes. If she really had gone bad, if she didn’t give a damn about the world and despaired, she wouldn't even feel any loneliness or anything like that. If she had really gone bad then she gonna become a monster that keeps cool no matter what screwed up things she get done. But it’s still not too late for guys that get lonely. If a kind hand is reached out to ‘em by someone, there's no way it’s too late for ‘em!!”

From those words, the infirmary became enveloped in silence.

That was by no means a logical argument, but it had the persuasive power of a plea from the heart.

Was there something inside Kazuki that couldn’t come to agree with this development? He had a feeling that he could understand her argument.

This was a conceited talk, but never once did Kazuki feel as strongly about Karin.

The girl, always raging and shouting at Kazuki, always clinging onto Hayashi Shizuka [wanting to get approved]. That frailness completely like an infant raising a crying voice was really transparent.

Hayashi Shizuka used that girl’s weakness to the bone without leaving anything untouched.

Even in the case that brainwashing magic was not even used, that was already the same as brainwashing.

I…if there existed a powerless person that got oppressed and fell into a fate of sorrow, it was something that I couldn’t allow.

As expected, I wanted to help Karin. Even in the case of the existing possibility that the girl was a future [enemy], even so, he wanted to discover the possibility of happiness for the girl.

“It’s not worth considering. What you called as your basis is only a really subjective story from your side.”

Despite the bitter face that Headmaster Amasaki was making, he cut Mibu-senpai’s argument without a second thought with just a sentence.

“Anyway you two, don’t forget that you are also people in suspicion. No matter how much you say that she is not bad, it was nothing more than your attempt to cover for your comrade.”

“Sheet-, is it because we're delinquents…?! Really, until now we just kept doing whatever the hell we wanted and then suddenly askin’ to just believe what we're sayin’ it’s really askin’ too much but still…”

Mibu-senpai dropped her shoulders dejectedly, Asamiya-senpai too “Aneki…” had her eyes glistening with tears.

“Mibu-san, why did you become a delinquent…rather than saying delinquent, why didn’t you spend your school life seriously as a knight candidate until now?”

Kaguya-senpai once again inquired about Mibu-senpai’s real intentions.

“I didn’t…even though I didn’t even wanna become something like a knight I was forced to enter the Knight Academy, of course I won’ have any motivation. No way I’m gonna go along with it.”

”Yes, before we also had a talk like that hadn’t we?”

Until now, Kaguya-senpai had already tried to reform Mibu-senpai many times and it really weighed on her mind.

“But that kind of you really made so much effort like this with all your power in this battle election. For the sake of this child named Karin. Why in the world would you do that?”

“…Karin-chan was treated like sheet by Shizuka. I too am this academy’s sheet, that was why I wanna do something. Really, I don’ even know about things like with China or Japan at all.”

Kaguya-senpai suddenly became flustered.

“I said that you are delinquents, but I don’t think that you are this academy’s sheet or anything like that at all! I just thought that I wanted us to do our best together as fellow Knight candidates, that’s all!

“I get it, really. But I couldna’ take an offered hand like that! Because that’s too shameful right!? When I got treated kindly, that just made me get awareness of my own wrongs!”

“Aneki…” Asamiya-senpai watched over Mibu-senpai whose eyes were wet with tears.

“Actually, I wanted to enter confectionery school…and become a cake store owner!”

“Ca, cake store!?” Hearing those too unexpected words, not only Kaguya-senpai, everyone was surprised too.

“What’s strange with that, isn’t a cake store the best! I’m gonna open my own shop in a small town, getting the auntie and the girls going home from school as my regulars… At Christmas or birthdays, if there is something to celebrate everyone is gonna come to my shop, picking out the cake with eyes bright with hope… For the sake of answering that hope every morning I’m gonna wake up early, I got confidence in my magic power so I’m gonna make my own flavor with Alchemy Cooking, everyone gonna say that it’s delicious…even though I have a dream like that…this arm that is for the sake of whipping up cream was suddenly got fixed with Enigma!”

From Mibu-senpai’s eyes, tears were overflowing in droves, spilling out messily.

“That’s why…what responsibility of knights, I don’ know anything like that, like that I rebelled against the academy. I don’t have any plan of doing anything mistaken, so I don’t plan to reflect on myself or anything like that. But…I noticed it while looking at Kaguya-chan.”

“M, me? Looking at me?” Kaguya-senpai pointed at herself and blinked with surprise.

“Kaguya-chan was always piling up harsh training on herself, she even challenged dangerous quests energetically. Moreover, many times she reached out her hands to sheet like me sayin’ [let’s do our best together]. Not just that, despite being the student council president of the Magic Division she insisted to have an equal relationship with the Sword Division…even though there is dissenting opinion, she stuck to her own will for the sake of those guys in weak positions. …That made me think if this kind of person is what a [knight] really is. I got aware of that. If no one is fightin’ as a knight then it’s gonna be like that [Tokyo Great Destruction] fifteen years ago, there is gonna be no place for cake stores. If no one is gonna fight…even I get it that I canna’ just waste away the great power that I finally got my hands on uselessly like that. But after thoroughly saying [This academy is the one that’s bad] [I’m not the one that’s bad] continuously, I slapped away Kaguya-chan’s hand. There is no way after all that I coulda just suddenly say shameful things like [I’m going to aim as a Knight]! Kaguya-chan is just too bright, I can't take that hand… When I see Kaguya-chan…my own sheettiness is just too pathetic!”

“Aneki is seriously…Kaguya-chan’s fan really…”

Asamiya-senpai too, together with her elder sister figure, Mibu-senpai, became messed up with spilling tears.

“Err, someone like me is really not that great.” Kaguya-senpai was all shook up.

“I want to become like Kaguya-chan, so I secretly piled up magic training. But this late I already can't go back to become an honor student. Then at that time, Shizuka came invitin’ me into the battle election. If I made great showin’ in the battle election, then maybe everyone woulda looked at me differently. Everyone would get to recognize that I’m not sheet, that I coulda take Kaguya-chan’s offered hand unashamedly like that, that was what I was thinking.”

“Me and Aneki, didn’t get told of Shizuka’s objectives or anything like that. We know that girl sometimes gave us special training in a secret location, she called us out. She planned to make us pawns that were easy to handle and also quite strong as the occasion suited. For that girl, we were nothing more than pawns. But for us, whatever those guys' objective were didn’t really matter at all.”

“But gradually the matter about ourselves too didna really matter! Karin-chan had a much more crappy experience than someone like me. Compared to her, my worries are just a simple half-baked thing…she was treated like trash by Shizuka! If we complained or whined that Shizuka beat us blue until magic intoxication…after that, we became reluctan’ to say any complaints to Shizuka…”

…Mibu-senpai definitely received brainwashing. But what was overwritten by the brainwashing was not their motive for fighting but only the pecking order between them.

“Please I beg you Kaguya-chan! Just like what you tried to give to us, reach out your hand to Karin-chan too! You’re an ally of justice right!?”

Mibu-senpai caught hold of Kaguya-senpai’s shoulders, while doing that she brought her tear stricken face near.

“I’m, I’m not really an ally of justice though…”

“Inside me you are ally of justice anyway―!!”

Mibu-senpai kept shaking Kaguya-senpai’s shoulders. Looking at that appearance, Kazuki too naturally sympathized. …Kaguya-senpai reached her hand to me too, I was saved by her.

“Headmaster Amasaki, we don’t need anymore reason or proof don’t you agree? Right now, I absolutely don’t want to think that these two are lying.”

“Ugh…” Headmaster Amasaki’s expression soured.

“Before, I became concerned about whatever happened to the illegal magicians that I captured, so I had went to inspect the detention facility. …It’s no good you know, to do something like sending a child to that kind of place because of false charges.”

Hikaru-senpai who once went through bitter experiences because of Karin too, that gentle face of hers distorted in sorrow.

“Tou-san, if you are a teacher, then there are times when you had to have faith in your students even without any proof right!? In drama, this is not the time to say such things!”

Mio, who until now had kept quiet and watched the situation, gave her assistance to Kazuki as well.

“Ughh…even though papa is just taking a prudent stance for the sake of the academy, even Mio now…”

Headmaster Amasaki made a grimace that added even more wrinkles in his wrinkled-covered face.

“Well then headmaster, pease, at least wait before sending her immediately to the detention facility. I will take the role of monitoring Karin for a while and make sure of Karin’s true feelings. Just like when before Kaguya-senpai did that for me and I was put in the Witch’s Manor!”

“Yo, you―, you’re gonna help Karin-chan!?”

“Don’t say stupid things! Katsura Karin is aiming for your life, you know that!! If you asked what is the most dangerous, it’s to be put and left here near you, that’s the number one danger!”

“Saying it in reverse, the only one who can prove that this girl is not a dangerous character by being together with her is the target, just me. Moreover, even in the case that the girl bared her fangs as an assassin, I am already beyond her ability to kill. If it’s this girl, that’s impossible.”

“Kazuki, didn’t your heart get stopped once already?”

From the side of Kazuki who was saying so while puffing up his chest, Mio made a swift tsukkomi and flustered him.

“Tha, that was just because I didn’t understand the opponent’s technique, that’s why I intentionally got hit to test it, that’s all! A second hit won’t succeed anymore! I have perfectly grasped this girl’s true strength!!”

“Certainly only seeing from the match, I think the difference in strength was evident. Nevertheless, can you really assert that so certainly? If for example you are to be attacked when sleeping…”

Kaguya-senpai murmured worriedly.

“The Hayashizaki-style is surprise attack proof.”

“When we first met, didn’t I creep up behind you unnoticed and prank you [Gu―ess who!]?”

Kaguya-senpai too launched a swift tsukkomi, Kazuki was “Tha, that was because senpai didn’t have any killing intent!” and made some justification in fluster. Moreover, just before this, he had been pranked [Gu―ess who!] by Beatrix.

This was bad, from some time ago, he let out too many excuses. The persuasiveness was just too doubtful even if he said so himself.

“Nii-sama…that being the case, are you planning to don the <War Preparation Spirit>?”

As if to throw out a life saving boat, Kanae said that.

“War Preparation Spirit?” Everyone other than Kazuki tilted their heads. In place of Kazuki, Kanae made her explanation.

“The Hayashizaki-style is an old school of Iai. Iai’s original doctrine is [to never let shown an opening no matter what kind of time, always being ready to sword draw and counterattack immediately no matter against any kind of attack], like that. That surprise attacks don’t work against Nii-sama is a fact. The Hayashizaki-style can detect [killing intent] even while sleeping…What is called killing intent is not a concept like the occult. Killing intent, namely the emission of offensive-like magic power. In order to be able to sense it even in the subconscious, the subconscious of oneself has to be mastered―that is the War Preparation Spirit. In short, it is a kind of Trance technique.”

The surrounding bunch felt the persuasiveness inside Kanae’s words and nodded their heads "I see".

“Putting on the War Preparation Spirit, in short if I sleep with my mind still in a half-awakened state, even if I am attacked in my sleep I could immediately wake up. That’s why it’s impossible for Karin to kill me. Headmaster, please give me time to spend with Karin! …If you recognize me as a possessor of the power of a King, then please!”

King. With that word brought out, Headmaster Amasaki grudgingly accepted that proposal.

“…One week. After one week the student general meeting will be carried out, the counting of the votes will be performed and the seat of the Chief Student Council President will be settled. Until that time, keep Katsura Karin company and don’t leave her side for even a moment. Smell out her true feelings.”

One week…if there was that much time, then it was enough.

“You said don’t leave her side for even a moment…Certainly if she is a dangerous character, then a monitoring around the clock is needed, but then that means Kazuki is going to have a life of constant attendance with this child Karin? For one week too?”

Mio talked in a whisper. And then with a blushing red face, she let out an unparalleled thoughtless remark.

“…That’s totally unfair!!”

#########################################

“…Here is?”

The time when Karin, who was laid atop the bed in Kazuki’s room, opened her eyes was several hours later.

“This is my room.”

Kazuki answered so in a posture of sitting on top of the chair by his desk.

“…Hayashizaki Kazuki!?” The instant she saw Kazuki, Karin sprang up with the force of Jouchouho.

“Wait, calm down. You don’t need to be on your guard. By the way the sheets of that bed and pillow had been changed into new ones, so it shouldn’t smell like me!”

“Smell or whatever doesn’t matter!”

That might be so but…when Hikaru-senpai said to Kazuki that his bed [smelled the smell of boy] he became bothered by it.

“You, I’m going to…!”

Kazuki quickly interrupted the words Karin was going to say.

“Hayashi Shizuka, who gave that order, has already left you behind.”

At that time when Shizuka left, she left behind a discarding talk of [I’ll give that puppet to you]. That kind of thing.

Karin looked around restlessly *kyoro kyoro*…she instantly comprehended the meaning of Shizuka’s nonexistence there, that after the fight the one who was captured was only herself. And then that expression of hers changed into a hollow expression.

“…Is that so? So I have been discarded.”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

In Kazuki’s room which has a width of about six tatami mats, so that he could put Karin on the bed, Kazuki also brought the futon for his share inside. It made the room even more cramped. In there, even more monitoring equipment was arranged.

First was a lock and buzzer at the door and window. If those were attempted to be opened forcibly, alarms would ring out throughout the Witch’s Manor. The alarm’s volume was so loud that it would make any who hear it leap out from their bed.

At the corner of the ceiling, a lens of a monitoring camera was shining. Kazuki’s own privacy was also taken from him, this camera took the film and transmitted it to the staff room in real time.

The guaranteed article was the bracelet type Limiter that was installed on Karin’s wrist. It was the item sent from the Knight Order that was arranged by the headmaster. It was accompanied with vicious functions that would create a powerful shock to the mind through the Stigmata and drive the wearer into unconsciousness when they tried to destroy the bracelet forcibly or when the identified wavelength tries to perform Access.

“In short, you are put into a situation where it’s impossible to escape from cohabitation with me!”

“You, are you a pervert?”

When he explained the situation with high tension, an extremely natural tsukkomi was returned at him.

Looks like it was difficult to have a bright atmosphere in his conversation with Karin.

“If I don’t do this, you are going to be sent to the detention facility you know? You’d hate it right, to be sent there at this young age.”

“I don’t particularly mind. Whatever happens to someone like me…”

Karin, who had a thoroughly vacant expression murmured, crestfallen.

“Hey, I have one thing I want to ask you though.”

“There is nothing that I can answer. If I get interrogated with truth serum or mind magic it’s going to be useless to resist anyway so I’ll say this beforehand, but I don’t know anything.”

“I’m not asking about that. Are you a family with Shizuka?”

Against Kazuki’s question, Karin’s expression stiffened.

“You’d know if you look from the name, right? The family name of Hayashi was not given to me.”

According to Eleonora, it seemed Hayashi Shizuka had the real name of Lin Zhijing .

From the simple fake name they were using, their underestimation of Japan’s intelligence network was clear as day.

“I’m called as KatsuraGue KarinFarin. Losing my original name of Katsura Karin, I became an existence of nobody.”

“But you wanted to be recognized as family right?”

“…No. I’m a puppet. There is nothing that I wished for.”

“Is that so? …Actually I was also an orphan.”

Karin, who was averting her face to the side, looked back here. An interest was growing from a faint sympathy.

From that action, an emotion that was unlike a puppet bled out for an instant.

“I was treated kindly by the Hayashizaki household. I obtained a family. …I who became happy and you who was treated as a puppet, what’s with this difference?”

“Are you planning to boast and feel good about yourself? Just so you know, I don’t feel any jealousy or anything.”

“No. This slight difference of fate that separated you and me…I really can't tolerate it.”

After Kazuki spat out those last words behind, he went out of the room and went to the kitchen.

And then he served the girl’s share of the dinner on a plate and brought it back. It was the food that Kazuki made while Karin fainted. The usual fried chicken. Rice. Salad. The time was not enough so it became just a simple menu.

But he wanted to make the girl eat his own homemade food.

“Do you think I’m going to receive any charity from you!”

Karin knocked down the plate of food that Kazuki presented to the floor.

Kazuki wordlessly tidied up the food that was scattered on the floor. It’s great that it was a menu that didn’t have any soup on it.

“I didn’t put any poison in it. It’s delicious you know. Even though I have confidence in this food.”

Kazuki didn’t even get angry, then he put the part of fried chicken that was still safe on top of the plate into his mouth with a snap and made a show to her of him eating. “…” Karin was glaring silently at that situation.

And then they went to bed that night. There was no conversation between the two but there was also no attack.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Karin, here's breakfast.”

The menu is freshly toasted toast garnished with homemade butter and crispy bacon egg. Puffing up vapors are still visible on top of the plate, filling up the whole room with a fragrant aroma.

The exquisite grilling adjustment made the appearance and the aroma very stimulating, making the one who sees it unable to stop imagining how good it would be to feel the food texture in the mouth.

“Don’t need it. Take it back.”

“Is that so? Even though it’s so delicious.”

With the intention of proving that there was no poison inside the food, Kazuki made a show of eating it in front of Karin.

With homemade butter melted in brim on top of the dry surface of the toast that was toasted into a light brown color, when Kazuki bit it, a *saku* sound resounded. When the fork was stabbed into the sunny-side-up fried egg, the half-cooked syrupy egg yolk soaked the bacon, the egg mildly enveloped the bacon’s richness. When it was brought into the mouth, both things mixed together spread out the flavor of microcosmos.

Right there black tea was also included into his mouth. In truth, in making black tea, Mio’s way was far more detailed than even Kazuki's, this tea was made by her for him. The fresh aroma reset his tongue and he once again took a round of taste of the buttered toast.

In that situation, Karin kept taking a small glance from the side. Her lips were trembling all over as if enduring something.

―After breakfast was over, for the sake of monitoring Karin, Kazuki had taken a break from the academy.

There was plenty of time, but it presented a space where there was only Kazuki and Karin, just the two of them together. Kazuki didn’t have any intention of doing something like an interrogation. In exchange, he tried making small talk many times to relax the atmosphere, but he was ignored.

“Karin, it’s lunch time.”

In the afternoon, it was Oyakodon . Kazuki brought over two bowls covered with lid into the room, then he suddenly removed the lid. With a puff the steam puffed up from the bowl, a gentle fragrance from parsley and soup stock filled the room.

“…Don’t need it. But I’m going to say one thing. Don’t eat it in front of my eyes.”

Karin said it with sharp tone of voice, that stomach of hers was rumbling ‘kuuu’.

When he thought about it, the girl will have not eaten for a whole day soon.

He was unaware of it, but somehow, he had made a behavior of awful torture already.

“But I’m the monitor of Karin, so as much as possible I have to be here.”

Reluctantly, Kazuki consumed the food, including the share that was also prepared for Karin’s sake, heartily right in front of Karin’s eyes. Then the last remaining rice grains that had absorbed the broth were picked one grain by one grain by chopsticks. It was really fun that he cleaned the bowl until it shined.

Karin became teary eyed while her eyes were nailed looking on that situation.

In the afternoon, he studied the self-learning textbook that was prepared by Liz Liza-sensei and he also thoroughly performed muscle training and magic training that could be done in that room. For Kazuki, he went through a productive afternoon…then it became time for dinner.

“Karin, it’s dinner but…”

For dinner, it was sukiyaki . So he could just take the shortest possible time being away from this room, he made the meal as simple as possible. Furthermore, it must be something that he wouldn’t get embarrassed to serve for a guest that came from afar.

He brought the iron pot that was filled with gently boiling sukiyaki together with the gas stove. The gas stove was put onto the tea table. Inside the iron pot, the cooking hadn’t been completed yet, rather it was still halfway cooked.

Enticed by the aroma, Karin unconsciously peaked at the pot’s contents, then finally she cried out messily.

From her stomach, ‘ku―kyurupi―’ groaning voice that sounded like a small animal leaked out.

“Oi…your stomach is hungry right? Though I think that patience is meaningless.”

“…My stomach is hungry. My throat is parched…”

Karin talked in resignation.

“Your stomach is hungry… Strange. Why is that? Why, despite being a puppet without any home to return to…even though you think that it’s okay even if you die…your stomach is hungry.”

In front of the girl that refused even drinks, Kazuki put and presented the cooled black tea pot, then he served the sukiyaki from the pot into a bowl for the girl.

“It’s really natural. You still haven’t lived in a way that would make you able to say [I can die satisfied]. Eat up. You are not a puppet, but still a human.”

After Karin drained the cup of tea in one gulp, she took and gripped the chopsticks with trembling fingers. After mixing the beef meat seeped with salty-sweet flavor and raw egg, she brought it to her mouth.

“…Delicious. This is the first time I've eaten something this tasty.”

“It’s a cooking I have confidence in after all. Sukiyaki is decided by the quality of the beef meat. I know an old man that used alchemy to raise good cows. Are you listening, the cow breeding is very deep. This is second-hand knowledge from the old man, but to raise a good cow, good grass is needed. To start with the soil is important. For the sake of choosing the soil first he needed to lick and eat the soil, he ascertained the chlorella with his own tongue you know…That pH value is…”

“You’re annoying.”

“…Sorry. In the house of Hayashi, what were you normally eating?”

“Bean sprouts or something like that.” It was curt, but that was the first time she gave a reply to his question.

“Something like stir fried bean sprouts?”

“No, directly from the bag just like that.”

“Raw!? Just as I thought Hayashi Shizukathat guy’s personality is the worst…!”

Karin continued to move her chopsticks in a daze without even wiping her tears. This time she ate with vigor that didn’t even leave Kazuki’s share untouched.

“Why, even though you are treated like trash until that much, do you still listen to what Shizuka was saying?”

“…Because I’m a puppet. There is nothing that I think as painful.”

“Wrong. You listen to me, you are not an unfeeling human to the degree of a puppet.”

Rather, even though she was an assassin, she immediately lost her cool from some provocation. Mibu-senpai too, she said that Karin had [lonely eyes that were waiting for someone to reach their hands for her].

The Karin at that time when she was treated as a meatshield by Hayashi Shizuka, that expression…

And then mixing the egg with salty-sweet beef meat and bringing it into her mouth with that brightness, this expression…

“You were coming to this point enduring that harsh way of living for a long time while hoping, wishing to become happy someday. That decided it. You are not something like a puppet.”

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