CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 123: HAORI

Some words are just said in anger, or as a joke.

Sosuke naturally wouldn’t actually take Big Hammer out and stew it if it didn’t kill fifty demons.

After washing his face, he took Big Hammer outside to romp and roll through the mountains and fields.

Kanae and Shinobu returned to their courtyard and entered their room. Kanae retrieved a bowl containing a nearly finished haori.

Threading the needle, she pinched a corner of the haori between her fingers and began the final stitches.

Shinobu watched her sister, her face beaming. Though the task was tedious, Kanae looked as radiant as a blooming flower, utterly immersed in happiness.

Shinobu still couldn’t comprehend this blissful state of a woman in love, the honey-sweet aura that seemed to emanate from every pore.

Scratching her head, she asked, "Sister, how many haori have you made in the past six months?"

"This is the third one," Kanae said. "I worked quickly on the first one, but after looking at it again and again, I didn’t like it. It didn’t make him look lively when he wore it. The second one took me a month, but it still wasn’t right. For this one, I spent four and a half months embroidering every pattern and carefully stitching each seam. This one will definitely last a long time."

She glanced at Shinobu. "But don’t tell him! I want to surprise him tomorrow."

Shinobu felt her sister was on the verge of madness. "That’s why you two should just get married already."

Kanae smiled. "We will."

Kanae’s voice wasn’t loud, nor did it carry any fierce determination or bashful hesitation. Her tone was as calm as if she were stating the most ordinary fact.

It was like asking her if she’d eat lunch, and she’d simply reply, "Yes."

This feeling left Shinobu with an indescribable sense of awe.

It was as if her sister’s eventual union with Sosuke was as natural and inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west—a matter of course, as certain as the laws of nature.

Shinobu paused for a moment, then suddenly felt a genuine surge of joy for the first time.

’My sister... she must truly be happy,’ she thought. ’That’s why she’s acting this way.’

As a girl, Shinobu had her own hopes and dreams for the future. Watching her sister’s current state, she couldn’t help but rest her chin in her hand and ponder: ’Will I ever meet someone like that? Someone I can trust completely, someone who will make me move forward without hesitation, no matter the circumstances? Someone who will make me feel as blissfully happy as if I’m drowning in honey, unable to escape?’

"Ew~~~" She quickly shook her head, a shiver running down her spine. She couldn’t tell if the feeling was sour or sweet, but her teeth felt like they were about to fall out.

’If I were ever in such a situation, I definitely wouldn’t like it.’

Then she began to wonder what kind of person she would like.

But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with an answer.

It seemed like no one quite appealed to her. In the end, she realized she still loved her sister the most.

Shinobu no longer felt any aversion toward Sosuke, who had been so kind to her sister.

She glanced around at her surroundings, at her sister sitting beside her, and thought of Sosuke rolling around on the mountain with Big Hammer, Kanao in the neighboring courtyard, and the bustling activity of the Butterfly Mansion.

’Well, I’m happy just guarding this place. This is where I belong.’

Shinobu couldn’t help but smile, but suddenly heard Kanae’s excited laughter.

She looked up quickly. "What is it?"

"It’s finished!" Kanae exclaimed, shaking her hand to dislodge the last loose threads from the haori. "Tomorrow, he can wear this haori into battle!"

The light in her eyes shone with dazzling brilliance.

***

Night fell in the blink of an eye. Sosuke had planned to find Kanae, but the moment he opened his door, he saw her standing right there.

Blinking in surprise, Sosuke quickly beckoned her inside like a thief.

Kochō Kanae chuckled, ducked inside, and the two of them peered cautiously out the door together. Only after confirming that Shinobu wasn’t around did they close the door.

"You’re so bold, sneaking out like this," Sosuke said. "Didn’t we agree I’d come to your room tonight? Has Shinobu changed her surveillance focus again?"

The reason they could sneak around so stealthily, engaging in this cat-and-mouse game with Shinobu, was because they had figured out a pattern.

Shinobu was, after all, just one person. She couldn’t be everywhere at once.

Monitoring and investigating a single person was already pushing her to her limits.

Moreover, human energy is finite. Eventually, she would have to doze off.

And in that fleeting moment of drowsiness, their plans would unfold.

Depending on where Shinobu focused her surveillance, Sosuke and Kanae had clear communication protocols about who would visit whom and who would spend the night in whose room.

Sometimes, when direct communication isn’t possible, they resort to using secret codes.

Sosuke had memorized countless codes, and their coded exchanges had reached a point where communication flowed seamlessly between them.

They had exchanged numerous messages during the day, confirming that Sosuke would visit Kanae’s room that evening. But just as he stepped out, someone arrived.

Surprised, Sosuke blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

Kanae replied with a cheerful smile, "It’s not me. Shinobu sent me. She said you’re leaving tomorrow and wanted me to keep you company tonight."

"...Then all that sneaking around earlier was pretty silly, huh?" Sosuke said, momentarily stunned.

"It was so silly!" Kanae agreed. "I don’t know why, but seeing you being so silly makes me want to be silly with you."

Hearing the girl’s words, Sosuke felt his heart melt.

He couldn’t resist giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "You’re saying such sweet things. Are you plotting something?"

"You’re the only one with ulterior motives here," Kanae murmured softly, leaning gently against his chest. "Tomorrow when you leave, you must be extra careful. The journey to Wisteria Mountain isn’t too far, but it’s certainly not short either. If anything happens along the way, don’t take it lightly. Oh, and remember to bring your Wisteria talisman. If it rains, make sure to keep it well-protected. Don’t let it get soaked like last time with Shinobu. You had the talisman with you, but a sudden downpour drenched it, rendering it useless."

She fussed over him like a worried wife seeing her husband off on a long journey, her words laced with deep reluctance.

Just as Sosuke had grown accustomed to her presence, she had grown equally accustomed to having him by her side every day.