Chapter 3: Destiny Angel

 

 

 

Chapter 3: Destiny Angel

 

“GOOD morning, Miss Satsuki,” one of the girls at school greeted.

“Good morning. Are you feeling better?” greeted another.

The moment Satsuki stepped out of the car, she was drowned in a chorus of words from well-wishers. While she expected to be the center of attention after missing an entire week of school, she never dreamed the students would fly into a flurry of joy at the sight of her.

“You’re quite popular with the ladies. I’m jealous,” Shindo teased genially as he took Satsuki’s hand and helped her out of the car.

“Really? It is quite wonderful,” Satsuki retorted somewhat curtly with a wry smile. Turning to face the school entrance bustling with students on their way to the main building, she skimmed her eyes across the throng of young ladies ogling her and threw a smile in their general direction.

“Thank you. I’m all better now. I’m sorry for all the concern I’ve caused,” Satsuki said to the group of girls. A flood of sighs resounded from all directions by the swooning teens.

After a week’s absence, the angel of Sakai Private High School for Girls was back. There were relived undertones in the sighs issued from the girls bedazzled by Satsuki.

After the “explosion”, Satsuki took off a week from school. Today marked her first day back since the incident. Once her personal Benz became visible from outside the school gate, students who spotted it from inside the main building were so excited, they went down to the entrance hall to greet her. Admittedly, not all came to see Satsuki; some came with the intent to catch a glimpse of Shindo.

“Miss,” Shindo warned in slightly hushed tones to Satsuki as she smiled at the crowd of girls. Satsuki looked up at him in surprise. Once he had her attention, he lightly tapped his thumb against his chest with his opposite hand.

“I believe imaginations will be running wild after your week absence. Please be extra careful today. Make absolute certainty...the door to your heart remains shut tight,” he strongly advised.

“Yes, I know,” Satsuki answered agreeably with a smile, making Shindo smile in turn. They looked just like a princess and knight out of a fairy tale. The wild thoughts running through the teenage girls who watched them would have been wearing on her mind if she left her heart open to them.

“Shindo? What are your plans for today?” Satsuki asked.

“I can’t leave you unattended after you’ve been ill for so long. I will remain here on standby in your private suite all day,” he answered, deftly reassuring her worries that he’d go work at her father’s office.

Still holding Satsuki’s right hand, he came around from her side to kneel before her. Then he pulled the back of her hand to his lips. “I will be forever at your side,” he promised.

Jolt! At the touch of his lips, Satsuki’s hand began to quiver violently enough to draw his attention. In the breadth of a moment, Satsuki gracefully slipped her hand out of his. Shindo looked up at her somewhat baffled. This was the first time Satsuki ever pulled her hand away from him rather than wait for him to let go.

“I-I see...” she replied in a voice that was clearly quavering as she held her hands to her chest, her left hand clasped over her right.

“Miss...?” Puzzled, he slowly rose to his feet.

In an attempt to gloss over what just happened, Satsuki hastily ordered, “D-Don’t just stay up in the private suite. I’ll get upset if you don’t come by the classroom. Understood? D-Don’t make me search for you!”

“But of course,” Shindo replied hesitantly. He wasn’t sure what just happened, but Satsuki was visibly distressed. “Miss?” He studied her face. The slightly flushed cheeks on her melancholic countenance made his heart race. “I should go park the car...” he said, pulling away from her.

Even after he slid into the car and she could hear it slowly drive away, Satsuki adamantly refrained from turning to look in his general direction. Yet she still held her hands over her bosom.

“Shin...do...” she whispered, clenching her hands over her chest.

The hand Shindo graced with his lips was burning hot. It was meant as a customary sign of admiration. But her chest boomed with the rhythm of her heart’s thunderous patter. It was obvious she no longer viewed Shindo the same as before. That fact was starting to dawn on Satsuki.

“Satsuki!” a zealous voice greeted her. “Good morning! It’s so good to see you! Are you all better now?!” Without an ounce of deceit, the genuinely ecstatic young lady jumped out of the car dropping her off. It was Satsuki’s classmate and fellow Student Council member, Alice Misakimori. She ran toward Satsuki with the hem of her uniform flaring so wildly, Shindo would have chastised Satsuki for such “unladylike behavior” if she did the same.

“Good morning, Alice.” Satsuki smiled at the winded girl before her.

“I never dreamed you would be out for so long! You had me worried sick. It’s great to have you back. You’re all better, aren’t you?”

“Thank you for your concern. I’m sorry to have worried you.”

“Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay? Let me know if you start to feel bad or have issues with anything,” Alice insisted.

“Thank you,” Satsuki replied, appreciative of how Alice treated her with such open kindness.

“Um...Satsuki...” Alice’s eyes were darting this way and that.

Quickly realizing what Alice was implying, Satsuki casually replied, “If you’re looking for Shindo, he left to park the car. He should be here any moment, if you’d like to wait.”

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!” Alice frantically defended herself, but the slight flush of her cheeks made it apparent she was searching for any sign of Shindo in tow.

Satsuki was well aware that Alice was among the group of girls who fawned after Shindo. Whenever she felt how the girl was true to the tiny bud of love growing within, Satsuki’s heart was visited by a massive, repulsive emotion. It was the emotion known as jealousy...

“B-By the way, something terrible happened while you were out,” Alice brought up in an attempt to change the subject. The muscles of her flustered face tightened as her expression grew serious. “Miss Narusawa dropped out of school...”

Satsuki kept any emotion from showing on her face as she listened to Alice. “Maybe you’ve already heard...? About how Narusawa Holdings’ stock crashed...? I don’t really get how any of that works...but she’s got it pretty rough, huh?”

“...Yes, I’m sure,” Satsuki replied, her voice flat.

“My dad was telling me it’s easy for this sort of thing to happen to new enterprises, so we need to be careful too...” Despite laughing it off with a shrug, she was watching Satsuki like a hawk. “...I bet such concerns are beneath an old giant like your Tsujikawa Corporation, huh...?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that. It’s not as if we can foresee the direction the world is headed,” Satsuki answered with her poker face still on. But inside, she was genuinely glad that she followed Shindo’s advice and kept the door to her heart shut tight. At the moment, Alice’s heart was undoubtedly filled with suspicion not only toward her, but also toward Tsujikawa Corporation. Narusawa Holdings fell into a rapid decline. No matter how ignorant she was of the business world, even Alice knew there were people who thought nothing of sinking a company.

“Shindo certainly is taking a while. I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Alice.” In an attempt to restore the once cheerful atmosphere, Satsuki was the one to change the topic this time.

At the mention of Shindo’s name, Alice flew into a flurry yet again. “I-It’s fine! I’m only waiting because I want to!” she exclaimed.

Satsuki was jealous of how Alice was true to her heart. Wouldn’t life be so much easier if she could openly display the emotions in her own heart? Not that she was allowed that freedom.

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of an engine loudly booming across campus! The surrounding girls, their chauffeurs, Satsuki, and Alice looked around to find the source of the roaring sound.

“Hey! Wait!” the security guard at the gate commanded the vehicle to stop. “Stop right there!” His shouting mingled with the peel of the engine. But rather than shutting off, the roar of the engine swiftly drew closer to the school entrance.

What zoomed into the drop-off zone was a single sportbike. Instead of pulling to a safe stop on the road, the motorcycle came crashing toward Satsuki and Alice, who were standing right in front of the entrance!

“Eiyaa!” Alice screamed and shrunk in on herself.

Eyes fixed on the vehicle, Satsuki focused her mind on the motorcycle. She was going to force the incoming bike to “be still.” But before she could use her powers, it shifted to one side and slid to a complete stop at an angle—right in front of Satsuki!

As Satsuki tried to get a better look at the rider, he suddenly grabbed her arms and pulled her toward him!

---

---

“...Satsuki...Tsujikawa...?” The man—no, the teen—straddling the motorcycle said her name. He was sporting a black motorcycle jacket with jeans. He pulled off his motorcycle helmet. The finely chiseled features of his handsome face were rather fetching. Mesmerized by his good looks, Satsuki was unable to peel her eyes away.

The young man’s eyes were icy. They were the type of piercing, cold eyes that lost all hope in the world. Whoosh... A passing breeze gently ruffled his hair. While the handsome features of his visage only emphasized his icy eyes, they were softened greatly by his wavy hair tousled in the breeze. The air about him somehow brought Shindo to mind.

The young man curled his lips in a sneer that didn’t touch his eyes. A deep voice passed through his lips as he said, “I’ve finally found you...Satsuki...”

His smile was so cold, it could freeze a person in their tracks. Satsuki couldn’t shake the sinking feeling she had seen his frigid smile before...

“Stop it! Kaido!” came a desperate shout accompanied by someone grabbing the teen’s hand latched onto Satsuki’s arm. “Get your hands off her! Do you have any idea who you’re messing with?!”

It was Alice. With eyes bulging in disbelief at the events unfolding before her, her face was contorted in fear.

The young man snorted disdainfully at Alice before poking Satsuki’s nose. She’d been staring at the rude biker who appeared out of nowhere as if he were an exotic animal.

“Satsuki Tsujikawa, the president of Tsujikawa Corporation’s only daughter. Reputed to be ‘delicate as a flower, beautiful as an angel,’ you earned the title ‘Tsujikawa Sacred Blade’ with your great beauty and superior intellect...”

The lines sliding off his tongue seemed complimentary at first, but after a moment’s pause, he snorted disdainfully once more before continuing, “But in reality, you’re just a naïve baby doll who’s completely dependent on that coddling attendant.”

“Kaido!” Alice snapped. It was obvious she knew the delinquent. Unable to endure any more of his outlandish insults, she started to stomp toward him. But Satsuki flung her arm in front of Alice to stop her from coming forward. With a loud “Crack!” she slapped the boy’s finger off her nose.

“You shouldn’t point at people. Didn’t you learn that as a child?” Satsuki asked belittlingly, staring with sharp eyes into the boy’s condescending gaze. His brows furrowed before the strength of her eyes, but quickly countered by returning the hard stare.

“My bad, Miss,” he mocked. This time he grabbed Satsuki’s chin with the hand she slapped away. “You’ve got nice eyes... I should’ve expected as much from the Sacred Blade.”

His repeated insults toward Satsuki made the surrounding girls fly into an uproar. Taking advantage of the ruckus, his voice dropped to a hushed volume meant for Satsuki’s ears alone, “Do the voices of these moronic human hearts...still give you grief...?”

Eh...? The harsh gaze Satsuki held on the boy suddenly softened. What...did he say...?

“Do they still plague you...?” Just as Satsuki’s countenance softened, his expression changed to one of pity.

What...is this person talking about...? That question led Satsuki to an unlikely hypothesis. Could he somehow know I have psychic powers? But that was impossible. The only people privy to the knowledge she possessed powers were her parents and Shindo.

Satsuki left herself wide open as she peered questioningly at the young man. Seeing that vulnerability, his look of pity returned to his initial cold smile. With her chin firmly held in his grasp, he slowly drew his face toward hers.

“It’ll be a pleasure...getting to know you, Satsuki.”

Scream-like squeals rose from the surrounding girls. After all, some insolent biker was about to steal the lips of the Tsujikawa heiress, revered as the “School Angel,” right in front of the entrance to Sakai Private High School for Girls’ main building. While some girls screamed, others hushed them to keep quiet. The security guard on the grass frantically rushed to intervene, but—

The ruffian didn’t so much as touch Satsuki’s lips. The moment he began to lean in, his hand was torn from her chin. He fell off his bike and crashed onto the ground as if flung. Actually, “thrown off his bike” might be a better description.

Dashed against the ground, the teen pushed himself back up. He looked up at the towering man in a dark gray suit trying to block Satsuki from sight. Accustomed to the man who appeared out of nowhere serving as her shield, Satsuki reached out and placed her hand on his back. Struck with a sense of relief, she couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“...Shindo,” she breathed.

On his way back from parking the car, Shindo heard the commotion near the entrance and returned to Satsuki as quickly as he could. When he discovered the young man on a bike leaning to kiss Satsuki, he raced over and pinioned the delinquent from behind before yanking him off the motorcycle. Of course, slamming him onto the ground was purely...intentional.

The teenager rubbed his battered body as he rose to his feet. Gripping the handles in both hands, he leaned out over the body of the bike and glared balefully at Shindo.

“Heh... I guess that’d be you, huh? The ‘attendant’ spoiling the princess,” the biker spat.

In response to his challenging glare, Shindo didn’t so much as bat an eye as he replied calmly, “If you leave now, no harm will come to you. But if you’d like to get hurt, let’s take this off school grounds. It would inconvenience the Miss if we proceeded any further here.”

It was unusual for Shindo to act so hostile of his own volition, adding oil to the fire. Even in a situation like this, he would normally defer to Satsuki on how to handle the matter. If she told him to “deal with the boy,” he would deal with the boy in whatever way deemed appropriate, whether in a fight or otherwise. But he would never take the gauntlet thrown without consulting her first.

It went to show just how far he was from inner peace. This delinquent brat approached Satsuki while he was away. Although he didn’t know what transpired in his absence, he did know that the louse put his dirty mitts on her. On top of that, he was trying to steal first base! As her retainer—her bodyguard—that was unforgiveable. Of course, he was most certainly assaulted by another emotion as well...

Straightening, the youth heaved a sigh with his hands in his pockets and smiled faintly. “It’s not like anything good’ll come from getting physical here... I love getting physical with the ladies, but I hate getting physical with guys,” he said, delivering the vulgar joke in crude tones that made Satsuki’s face twist with distaste.

Standing at her side, Alice noticed Satsuki’s look of disapproval from the corner of her eye. She nervously admonished, “Stop it! You shouldn’t say things like that...”

“Shut it, Alice! I’ve had enough of you butting it!” he suddenly yelled at Alice. She fell into silent submission, her whole body trembling.

The youth threw his hands up in a derisive shrug before effortlessly mounting the bike. Catching a glance of Satsuki from behind Shindo, he waved to her with one hand and said, “See you around, Satsuki.”

Revving the engine to full throttle, there was barely time for the loud boom unique to motorcycles to sink in before he spun off with tires screeching.

Alice hesitantly approached Satsuki, who was left staring at the uproar that consumed the school grounds and main entrance. She timidly asked, “Are you okay, Satsuki?”

Not wanting to worry the clearly apprehensive classmate, Satsuki flashed her a smile out of consideration. “I’m fine. But honestly, I’d like to thank you. You spoke out on my behalf, didn’t you?”

“...O-Oh, it was nothing... Alice responded. She opened her mouth to continue but the loud ping of the first bell disrupted her words.

“We best get to class.” Satsuki said making her way toward the school doors.

***

“WOULD you like to return to the mansion?” The sound of Shindo’s worried voice snapped Satsuki back to reality. “You’ve been lost in thought for a while now. If you aren’t feeling well...”

Shindo was kneeling before her.

“Shindo...” Satsuki whispered, her voice coming out weaker than intended.

“Please...sit here...” She patted the spot next to her on the sofa.

Accepting her invitation, Shindo slightly bobbed his head before sitting. In the same manner he always used when something troubled her, he gently draped one arm over her shoulders to pull her close in hopes of offering her comfort. However...

Jolt! Satsuki’s body gave a jerk and began trembling. Placing her hand on Shindo’s chest, she hastily pushed him away.

“...Miss?” Shindo asked, probably the more surprised of the two. This was a first for her.

“Ah... I’m sorry... It’s nothing...” It was also unlike her to look so frail as she apologized.

Satsuki was currently with Shindo in the Tsujikawa private suite on the fifth floor of the main building. Shindo informed administration she was retiring to her private suite for a while due to the mental and physical fatigue incurred from a run in with a “suspicious character” that morning. Seeing as the Tsujikawa heiress just underwent a traumatic experience at school, missing class wouldn’t be held against her.

Nearly an hour passed since they first entered the room, but Satsuki still seemed troubled as she wracked her brain over something. If she left for class in her current state, Shindo would worry sick.

“It’s not like I’m sick. I’m fine...” Satsuki reassured him. Grabbing the lapel of Shindo’s suit with the hand that spurned him, she slowly leaned onto his chest. Once more, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

In truth, Satsuki was desperately struggling to feign composure. It was normal for Shindo to hold her against his chest. Satsuki had grown accustomed to the feeling of his arms around her.

But when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward him, the beating of her heart escalated more than ever before. Her temperature instantly skyrocketed; one particular emotion appeared and disappeared inside of Satsuki with unbelievable frequency. Embarrassment...

It was that way earlier this morning as well. Shindo always displayed his loyalty with a kiss on her right hand, but that time it set her heart racing like never before.

...What am I going to do...? Satsuki fretted. She knew the root of this behavior. Satsuki had allowed herself to view Shindo as a man.

As I am now...I can’t interact with Shindo like I did before.

Simply leaning against his chest with his arms around her while he stroked her hair was enough to make Satsuki want to cry from the heat rising to her cheeks. If Shindo noticed her flushed cheeks, he’d undoubtedly worry that she had a fever. Satsuki was certain of it.

“You seem a bit hot. Do you have a fever?” True to her fears, it didn’t slip past him!

His question only made her pulse beat all the faster. She couldn’t believe she was unnerved by something so trivial.

“Miss!” Shindo snapped harshly when she not only refused to answer him, but also hung her head with eyes downcast. He put his hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him.

“Ah...!” Satsuki bleated in confusion. It garnered an unusually surprised stare from Shindo.

Cheeks burning red, Satsuki looked up at Shindo apprehensively despite knowing it would probably make him worry. Yet instead of expressing concern, he knitted his brows in a clear display of displeasure.

“Did that kid say something to you?” he demanded.

“Huh?”

“Did he say something to trouble you? Or did he do something?” he pressed in a stern voice. He almost sounded angry. “What did he do to make you look like that?”

“Um...Shindo?”

“It was a mistake to simply let him ride off unscathed. Who in the world was he, anyway? It seemed like Miss Misakimori knew him...” Shindo vented before cutting himself short upon noticing how Satsuki was staring at him in stunned silence. “...I’m sorry... That slipped out.”

“Shindo...?”

It wasn’t like Shindo to speak in the heat of the moment.

“That...look on your face...brought it out of me...” he confessed. He pulled his hand away from her chin. Satsuki didn’t drop her head back down. With cheeks flaring, she stared intently at him.

In a somewhat awkward expression uncharacteristic of him, he fumbled for words as he explained, “He...brought out such a beautiful expression on you...”

Her lips were dyed pink. Her eyes looked melancholic. She gave an air of fragility that demanded he extend a protective hand. The one bringing such beauty out of Satsuki was none other than Shindo...yet he was oblivious of that fact. Why, he was convinced it was that boy. As a result, he was fraught with jealousy...

“Shindo...listen,” Satsuki began. She didn’t know that the emotion he was feeling was jealousy. With the door to her heart closed, it was impossible for her to feel his emotions. But as she peered at him, she felt her entire body tingle with excitement... She could feel her soul begin to soar.

“Miss...” He slightly tightened his hand over her shoulder. They were on the verge of recreating the same sweet atmosphere as before... It was going to be like that special moment.

Knock, knock... There was a rapping at the door. “Satsuki, are you in there?” Alice asked.

***

“POOR dear! Is everything okay?” Although it sounded like the question was directed toward Satsuki, Alice’s eyes were fixed on the retainer who opened the door to the private suite.

“Thank you for asking... She seems to be doing much better,” Shindo answered with a smile, but it was too dazzling for Alice to behold directly. Flushing, she turned away to look at the center of the room.

Realizing that Satsuki was staring intently at her from the sofa placed smack in the center of the room, she hastily dropped her head in apology. “S-Satsuki, I am so sorry... Honest to God, I mean it!”

Satsuki tilted her head quizzically as she asked, “Why do you owe me an apology?”

“Because of all those rude things Kaido did...”

At the mention of “all those rude things,” Satsuki instantly realized Alice was referring to the young man on the motorcycle.

Shindo slammed the door shut and asked unusually assertively, “Who was that boy? Do you know him?”

Those questions must have been eating at Shindo. But rather than offer an answer, Alice flashed her eyes up at Shindo before falling into pained silence. Alice held Shindo in the highest regard. Whatever it was, she was having trouble bringing herself to confess it before the man she admired.

“He...is my fiancé,” she finally admitted.

“Your fiancé?” Shindo asked.

Alice bit her bottom lip hard. It was obvious just by looking at her how badly she pined after Shindo, irritating Satsuki to a degree.

“Alice, don’t just stand there. Come join me,” Satsuki offered. Rather than submit to that irritation, she gave Alice a smile. Making room for her opposite of where Shindo sat earlier, she motioned for her classmate to come sit at her side.

Alice frantically waved her hands across her bosom while swiveling her head from side to side. “I-I can’t! I only came on behalf of the class to check on you... Everyone wanted to come, but we couldn’t have a huge crowd intrude when you’re up here trying to get some rest... That’s why the teacher designated me to come as the class representative. I really should be going now...”

“Really? I wish you’d stay. Now that I’m starting to feel better, I’m getting a bit bored. Couldn’t you stay and offer me company for a little while? Please? You don’t mind, do you, Shindo?” Satsuki inquired with a smile, intentionally shifting the conversation to Shindo at the end.

Shindo threw such a radiant smile at Alice, it made her want to burst into tears. “Please stay for a spell, Miss Misakimori. If you would be so kind, could you please share some of your precious time with Miss Satsuki?”

“Uh, well, if I’m not a bother...”

“I shall go prepare some beverages. But first, if I may,” Shindo said and naturally scooped Alice’s hand as he began leading her to Satsuki’s side. This was the first time someone escorted her in a way that felt natural and pleasant. Compounded by the fact it was done by the man she admired, the swirl of happiness and embarrassment made her want to cry.

Alice wasn’t the only one who wanted to cry. Satsuki’s heart was also ready to burst into tears. It was sheer agony watching Shindo lead another lady by the hand. The sadness and pain were overwhelming, but Satsuki balled her hands into fists over her knees as she endured the torment.

“Is something the matter?” Shindo asked. Upon helping Alice ease onto the sofa next to Satsuki, he noticed she wasn’t quite herself.

Shindo knelt on one knee before her and lightly placed his hands on her balled fists. Under a mask that hid her pain, Satsuki looked at Shindo. Finding eyes that only reflected her, Satsuki’s heart was finally able to calm down once more.

“Um...are you sure you don’t feel ill...?” Alice asked. Noticing Satsuki wasn’t her usual self, Alice started to rise from the sofa. But having regained her composure, Satsuki tapped the girl’s arm and gave her a reassuring smile.

“That’s not it. I’m fine. I’m just a bit thirsty... Shindo, if you would be so kind,” she ordered.

“Certainly. Would you like something cold?”

“Yes, please.”

Upon seeing Satsuki smile, Shindo withdrew to the back of the room. Facilities were installed in the suite for preparing drinks and finger foods.

“Truth be told, Alice, this has been on my mind all morning,” Satsuki said with the events of that morning replaying in her mind as she leaned slightly toward her classmate, “but didn’t you call that boy from earlier ‘Kaido’? By any chance, is he from the Kaidos...?”

“Yes, I believe you’re probably thinking of the right family...” Alice affirmed and further elaborated on Satsuki’s implied question. “He is the president of Kaido Financial Group’s son. His name is Takemi Kaido... He has three older brothers, making him the fourth son...”

“But I heard the fourth son has been studying in America for years,” Satsuki interrupted.

“He suddenly came back. Although he’s our age, he skipped several grades while in America. Supposedly he’s already earned his B.A. I heard he was going to stay abroad for a bit longer, so his sudden return was...surprising...for me as well.”

Seeing that Alice truly was surprised, Satsuki smiled wryly. “Aren’t you his fiancée? You should welcome him back with open arms!”

But hearing this only made Alice look more troubled as she explained, “Including today, I’ve still only ever met Kaido three times.”

“Only three times?”

“During my third year of junior high, our parents suddenly arranged the engagement. We met twice during that process. Then he went to study abroad, and I never saw him after that. I have no idea when he got back, or what brought him here today...” Alice finished.

Takemi Kaido’s hushed questioned swirled in Satsuki’s mind: “Do they still plague you...?”

It was as if he knew... Does he know I have powers? But that’s impossible...

In the back of the room, Shindo overheard the whole story.

***

“ARE you sure you’re all right?” Shindo asked yet again, earning an exasperated chuckle from Satsuki.

“I’m fine. Seeing as I’m already here, I’d like to begin attending classes starting with third period,” Satsuki told him.

Alice came to check on her at the end of first period. She wasn’t able to return to class until well into second period after undertaking the noble task of serving as Satsuki’s conversational partner. Shindo accompanied her back to the classroom and explained the situation to the teacher lecturing during that period, so the tardy wasn’t held against her.

When Alice left the private room to return to class accompanied by Shindo, she looked overjoyed. Satsuki found herself unable to look her classmate directly in the eye.

It was the middle of second period now. Satsuki insisted on attending classes from the next period on.

“I believe it would best if you returned to the mansion. You should call it a day... Especially considering what happened this morning,” Shindo insisted. Rather than push herself, he wanted Satsuki to take it easy and rest. He was incessantly rejecting the arguments she posed to attend class.

“It’s not as though he injured me. Wouldn’t I only cause everyone unnecessary concern if I went home early?” Satsuki shot back. From her seat on the sofa, she looked up at Shindo standing at her side with a disapproving scowl. Lightly pressing her fingertips together before her lips as if praying, she gave him the sad puppy-eye look.

“Please! Shindo!”

Shindo couldn’t possibly turn Satsuki down when she looked so cute begging for something. That was genuinely how he felt.

“Very well,” he conceded, caving to that feeling. “But please be certain not to overexert yourself. We’re expecting company this evening.”

“Company? Coming to see me?” Satsuki asked, her eyes drawn wide. This was the first she heard of company tonight.

“It’s Master Manabu,” he added.

“Manabu?”

“Yes. I heard he has business with Master Tsujikawa, but apparently he requested your presence as well.”

“...I wonder what it’s about...” She recalled the parting promise he made when he came to wish her well the other day. He said that he would return soon to discuss something important.

Lately Manabu was coming to see her father an awful lot. She originally thought they were planning a big spectacle for her birthday, but Manabu skirted around Miharu’s probing, claiming, “It’s just small talk.” Despite her promise to “weasel it out of him,” Miharu came up empty-handed.

“I think it’s related to the birthday party. If Manabu has his hands in it, I’m sure it will be amazing,” Satsuki wrongly assumed.

“Are you excited?”

“I suppose I am.”

Satsuki was curious what Manabu was planning for her. As her one and only cousin, she grew up loving him like a brother. And now he was planning something for her. The thought was so exciting, she couldn’t wait to see what it was. Filled with that excitement, she grabbed the hem of Shindo’s suit jacket and gave it a good tug.

“How about you?” she asked.

She made such a cute face when she asked him, it left Shindo momentarily dumbstruck. But he quickly recovered, answering with a smile, “I’m also excited. All the more so if it proves beneficial to you.”

All of the nagging irritation from earlier seemed to disappear with his smile. “Hey, Shindo. I’d like to ask you something...” Satsuki began now that her emotions settled down. “Does anyone beside you and my parents...know about my powers?” she asked in a grave tone.

The blow dealt by the surprise Shindo took was so great, his eyes popped wide open. “No one else should know. It’s outright impossible for anyone aside from your mother, father, or I to know of your powers. Not even Master Manabu is privy to this knowledge,” Shindo asserted more forcefully than intended.

Realizing how he sounded, he clamped his mouth shut. However, this was a precious secret he fervently protected alongside Satsuki’s parents. Shindo in particular served as a restraint on her powers. He was always watching at her side to ensure she could enjoy a normal life that wasn’t overrun by them. Part of his duty included keeping tabs on Satsuki to prevent her from casually using them in everyday life or opening the door to her heart indiscriminately. He was also constantly vigilant about making sure no one ever discovered the truth about her...

“Why do you ask?” Any fear of discovery was unfounded. With that in mind, Satsuki’s question from out of the blue left Shindo somewhat baffled.

After a moment’s hesitation, Satsuki struggled to force the words out. “That boy...knew.”

“Knew what?”

“...Takemi Kaido,” —at the sound of his name, Shindo’s face tensed— “he knew that I have...powers...”

***

“WELCOME home, Miss,” greeted the butler, Mizuno, several of the staff, and the rest of Satsuki’s attendants on standby at the mansion. She was met with their greeting upon setting foot in the entrance hall when she returned home.

“We were worried when we received word you were coming home early after all. How do you feel?” Mizuno checked with her.

Satsuki wanted to attend class, but Shindo adamantly insisted they return to the mansion.

“I guess my face must look tired. My strict retainer here chastised me, claiming, ‘If you intend to go around with a face like that all day, we’re going home,’” Satsuki revealed in a tattle-tale voice and shot the retainer standing beside her a sidelong glance.

“Honestly, he can be just awful!” she continued teasingly in a sullen voice reserved just for Shindo. She never even spoke this way with her own parents.

“You’re still going on about that? You know, this sounds like I was bullying you,” he shot back.

“You don’t say! Isn’t that precisely what you’re doing?”

“Miss!” Likewise, the gentle tone Shindo used to soothe the “bullied child” was reserved strictly for Satsuki. “Please stop this nonsense. All of the other attendants are going to gang up on me.”

“Then if you’re ever mean to me again, I’ll go tell everyone ‘Shindo’s being a bully,’ okay?” Satsuki teased, merrily turning to the other attendants.

In his late thirties, the oldest of the attendants replied with a smile, “Feel free to at any time,” inviting the bemused laughter of those around.

Surrounded by such a peaceful atmosphere, Satsuki and Shindo looked at one another and smiled. Satsuki gave her best smile filled with happiness, her cheeks slightly flushed. Seeing her smile so radiantly, a joyful smile overtook Shindo’s face. An extraordinary aura radiated from the two.

Probably the only one who recognized the warning signs was Mizuno, who knew both Shindo and Satsuki extremely well. His normally placid expression briefly clouded as he studied them.

“Miss, how would you like to handle lunch? Would you like to eat early today?” the elderly head housekeeper standing beside Mizuno asked the young lady. This was Shizuko, Mizuno’s wife.

Satsuki gave a little giggle before replying, “I’ll eat at the usual time. I have such a small appetite, I wouldn’t mind skipping lunch outright.”

“That’s unacceptable.”

She merely went to school only to turn right around and come back home, so she didn’t work up much of an appetite. Although the idea of sitting down for lunch seemed tiresome, her “strict retainer” quickly stepped in.

“...Make it light then,” she conceded, flashing Shindo a nasty look.

Shizuko lightly laughed and replied, “Certainly.”

Accustomed to Satsuki’s dirty looks, Shindo was unfazed by her dark glare. It didn’t bother him in the least. In fact, he was outright delighted the little lady followed his instructions. With a bright grin, he said, “Would you like to rest in your room until lunch? If there is anything you would like to do, please let me know...”

“Well, I haven’t played the violin in a while... It’s been long enough, would you mind tuning it for me, Shindo?”

“Of course not. I will go tune it in the music room. Would you like me to take it to your room when I’m done?” he asked, shifting his eyes to the attendants. Two from among the group stepped forward. Since he would head straight to the music room, they would be in charge of escorting Satsuki to her room.

“Oh, I know!” Satsuki burst out after taking a few steps with one attendant on either side and spun around to face Shindo. “I’ll play whatever you like today, Shindo. What will it be? Beethoven? Mendelssohn? Or Brahms like usual?”

Shindo gently replied, “In that case, I’d like to hear Brahms.”

“You love his music, don’t you? I l-love it too...” Although she was referring to the music, saying the word “love” felt oddly embarrassing. Stumbling over the word only made her all the more embarrassed. In a fluster, Satsuki turned away and resumed walking to her room.

The staff watched Satsuki until she reached the top of the spacious staircase in the center hall before returning to their own posts. Shindo was about to hurry off to the music room to tune Satsuki’s violin, but Mizuno grabbed his arm.

“...Akira,” Mizuno beckoned, making Shindo’s eyebrows twitch. When Mizuno called Shindo by his first name, it generally meant he had something unpleasant to say.

Back when Shindo first came to Tsujikawa mansion as a twelve-year-old lad, Mizuno was the person assigned to serve as his instructor. From proper grammar to etiquette, Mizuno taught the ignorant boy everything from the basics up. When Mizuno first laid eyes upon the shifty-eyed boy of questionable background, he had his doubts, but Shindo proved more dexterous and attentive to detail than he initially gave the boy credit for. He was willing to take initiative and above all else, he was bright.

Shindo absorbed things like a sponge, obtaining a normal degree of common knowledge. It didn’t take long for Mizuno to feel “it’s okay to let him out of my sight.”

As far as Mizuno was concerned, Shindo was like a son to him. Although he generally referred to him as “Shindo,” he would switch to “Akira” only when lecturing the lad about his position.

“Akira, you haven’t forgotten, have you...?” Mizuno’s tone came out harsh, reprimanding Shindo. “You are the Miss’s retainer... You realize what that means, don’t you?”

Shindo’s heart was thrown into turmoil, but he kept it from showing.

“I’ve warned you several times since you were assigned as the Miss’s retainer... Do you remember that warning?”

“I do,” Shindo quietly answered.

He was still just a boy when he was first assigned the position of retainer. But by the time Satsuki bloomed into a young lady, that boy would be a fine young man. Foreseeing the future, he told young Shindo time and again, “The Miss is your boss. You must never, under any circumstance, harbor unnecessary feelings for her.”

“I understand...” Did Mizuno notice that Shindo’s voice quivered ever so slightly? “She...is my boss...”

He must never harbor special feelings for her. She would always be out of his reach, just like an angel in the heavens...

***

“WERE you thinking about something?” Satsuki giggled as she turned to Shindo after lowering her violin bow.

“What do you mean?”

“The G string sounds a bit different from usual. It might not be noticeable to anyone listening, but you pick up on it when you’re the one playing,” Satsuki explained.

True to her deduction, Shindo was indeed lost in thought when tuning her violin.

Planning to kill time until lunch by playing the violin, he retrieved her violin from the instrument room and went to tune it in the spacious music room with its grand piano and wood floor. Just as he finished tuning the violin, Satsuki waltzed in. Satsuki said that she would play Brahms just for him. Readying her bow, she began to play right then and there.

It was Brahm’s “Violin Concerto”. But Satsuki cut her solo of the 1st Movement short. Apparently she found the ever so slightly off-tune G string too distracting.

“I’m sorry. I’ll tune it right away...” Shindo tried to take the violin, but she skirted around his outstretched hands.

“What were you thinking about?” she asked. The violin’s body was cradled in her right arm, the bow held in her right hand. With her left hand, Satsuki reached out and touched Shindo’s hand. His right hand was left floundering when Satsuki refused to let him take the violin, but now his fingers twined with hers.

“Was it about Takemi Kaido?” she prompted.

Shindo was naturally concerned about Kaido, but at the moment, it was none other than Satsuki who confused his heart. Mizuno’s warning only made him more aware of her. The more he tried not to think about Satsuki, the more thoughts of her filled his mind.

Shindo could always hit the reset button in his heart to contend with those emotions in the past. He was supposed to put emotions derailing from his position as a retainer back on track by resetting his heart with an ironclad will...

But it was beginning to dawn on Shindo that he was losing the ability to hit reset. Thinking back, it began the day he followed his heart and kissed Satsuki. Ever since that day, he was losing the ability to restrain his heart. He felt the danger in his wayward emotions all too keenly.

“It’s...my fault, isn’t it?” Satsuki asked, folding her fingers threaded between Shindo’s and squeezing his hand. “I shouldn’t have concerned you with that...”

She was referring to how Takemi Kaido apparently knew she had powers. Someone aside from Shindo and Satsuki’s parents knew about her powers. Although it was hard to believe, that was reality.

With that in mind, Satsuki was filled with regret as she wondered, Why didn’t I read Kaido’s mind back then? Kaido’s words and very presence were so unnerving, she couldn’t.

Seeing Satsuki lower her gaze in unease, a pang of pain spread in Shindo’s chest.

“Miss,” he started, squeezing her hand, “please allow me to conduct a background check on Takemi Kaido.”

“A background check?”

“I’m sure to learn something if I dig deep enough. We can’t simply ignore him if he does know about your powers, Miss.”

The genuine concern he expressed for her brought a rosy blush to Satsuki’s cheeks. She knew it was expected of him to worry. Yet Satsuki still couldn’t stop her heart from pounding wildly to the beat of feelings that extended well beyond what was “only natural.”

“Miss?” Shindo called, finding it strange that Satsuki didn’t respond.

Snapping back to reality, Satsuki sputtered in a fluster on the verge of hysterics, “H-He said he’d be seeing me around... He might appear before me again sometime. And if he does...” The words tumbled out of her mouth on top of each other until she felt Shindo’s judging eyes on her. Under his intense gaze, she found it increasingly difficult to find the words she was looking for. “...the next time...I see him...I think it might be wise...to ‘check him out,’ so to speak...” she finished awkwardly.

Satsuki met Shindo’s gaze, looking intently back into his eyes. Unable to find any other words, she fell silent, leaving the two gazing at one another with fingers intertwined and bodies a hair apart.

Shindo stroked Satsuki’s hair with his free left hand. He threaded her hair through his fingers until reaching the back of her head. If he pulled her toward him, she would fit into his arms perfectly. He could feel her body...and her pulse. But...

“I believe lunch should be ready by now. Let’s go to the dining room,” he said instead. Resisting his inner desire, he didn’t pull her into the embrace. Upon taking the violin from Satsuki’s arm and the bow from her hand, he turned his back to her.

“Would you like to play this afternoon? If you would, I will retune it,” Shindo offered as he placed the violin and bow on top of the piano. When he turned back around, what he beheld was so shocking, he was afraid his whole body jumped. Satsuki was looking at him with such a sorrowful expression, he feared she might break out into tears at any second.

“I think I will. Please tune it, if you would... I still haven’t fulfilled your request, after all. And isn’t Manabu coming tonight? It’d be nice to play for him as well...” Satsuki struggled to say while feigning calm, her melancholic face turned away from Shindo.

“Understood,” Shindo replied, also in an artificially calm voice. He was fighting to restrain his heart, which yearned for the girl before him with terrifying passion.

“Do you suppose Manabu will come alone? I sure hope Miharu comes with him.” Finding it difficult to resume her usual mask, Satsuki spun away from Shindo. It tore at her to have him see her on the verge of tears.

The moment Satsuki thought he was going to accept her feelings, Shindo thrust her back into reality. It felt as if he spurned her personally. Her heart was filled with such sadness, it could break.

“Would you like me to call and ask?” Shindo offered.

“No, I’d prefer if it was a surprise,” she answered.

Unfortunately, this was the unavoidable reality. They could not break the taboo... Their fingers must never intertwine. Their gazes must never interlock. Their hearts must never...connect at a deeper level than that of mistress and servant.

***

“GOOD evening. Thank you for coming,” Satsuki personally greeted the guests at the front door. She only did that for special guests.

“I’m so glad to see Miharu is with you,” Satsuki said as Miharu appeared from behind Manabu, who entered the mansion one step ahead of her. The sight of her brought a genuinely happy smile to Satsuki’s face.

Claiming he had business with Tsukasa that night, Manabu arrived at around 8:00 with Miharu in tow. Eagerly awaiting their arrival, Satsuki stood before the line of staff waiting to welcome them. When they arrived, she stepped forward to greet them with a great big smile. But only Manabu returned her smile in kind.

“Good evening. What a treat to have you greet us at the door.”

“Oh, you’re too kind. By any chance, did my father make you two give up plans for a date to come here instead?” Satsuki tactfully guessed.

“What makes you ask?”

“Your princess appears to be in a mood most foul,” Satsuki explained.

It must have occurred to Miharu that she was treating the lady who welcomed her with a disgruntled smile. Although somewhat forced, she returned the smile and apologized, “I’m sorry... It’s nothing like that.”

Her answer came out somewhat awkward. Manabu tried to wrap his arm over Miharu’s shoulders to urge her on. Miharu angrily dodged around him and marched on ahead. It would appear Manabu’s princess really was in a foul mood. Manabu smiled wryly before following his fiancée.

“I wonder if they got into a fight... That is pretty rare for those two,” Satsuki observed, watching them walk away. When she looked up at Shindo hovering at her side, a mischievous grin crept across his lips.

“If that is how she’s acting over a little ‘disagreement’ now, Miss Miharu is going to turn Master Manabu into a whipped dog after they tie the knot.”

“You’re right! Still, I almost never see those two angry with each other,” Satsuki giggled and started off. “Let’s go, Shindo.”

“Yes, Miss,” Shindo replied, following after her.

Little did either know the announcement to set their destinies awaited them...

***

THE living room fell silent. But at most, the silence only lasted half a minute or so. Manabu and Miharu sat side by side on one sofa. On the sofa across from them sat Tsukasa next to Tsubaki. Sandwiched between such impressive couples sat Satsuki on an armchair. Standing on hand behind her was Shindo.

Satsuki’s eyes fell on the handful of documents spread across the living room table before her. “In other words...” she broke the silence and picked up the documents, “...you’re telling me to pick my future husband from these four gentlemen?”

The documents were background checks of the four young men. All four came from good families and were considered to have promising futures. If Satsuki chose any of them, there was no doubt that together they would be able to bring Tsujikawa Corporation to new heights.

“There are actually five...” Tsukasa corrected.

His initial fear that she would scream, “Not in your life!” seemed unwarranted. The furrow in Satsuki’s brow was concerning, but he felt mostly relief as he turned to face Manabu. “Manabu is recommending the fifth...but the documents aren’t ready yet.”

“I should have them in order soon. The person in question isn’t in a position to present himself here yet, so please give me some time,” Manabu explained.

Satsuki wondered if that “suitor” was abroad. When Manabu finished delivering his explanation, he stole a quick glance at Miharu, who was fuming at his side the whole time.

Miharu was in a foul mood, which was hardly surprising. She knew how Satsuki and Shindo felt for one another. She was the one person who hoped everything worked out for them.

When Manabu first confided, “Satsuki must pick her future husband on her birthday,” she was thunderstruck. Learning that Manabu was an accomplice in this scheme threw her into the abyss of despair. Yet that was not the end of what troubled Miharu. There was one other thing she found simply outrageous.

“Isn’t this...” Satsuki gasped. As she shuffled through the documents, one stilled her hand. She stared so intensely at one of the background checks, she could burn a hole in it. Noticing Satsuki’s peculiar reaction, Shindo snuck a peek at the document from his position behind her. Much like Satsuki, his eyes also rounded in surprise.

“Takemi...Kaido?” That biker—Takemi Kaido—was among Satsuki’s potential suitors. But he was already betrothed to Alice. “Why is he a candidate?”

For Satsuki to ask that, Tsukasa assumed she must already know the boy. Mistaking her inquisition for interest, he merrily replied, “He was studying in America until just a few days ago. He’s the president of Kaido Financial Group’s fourth son. Although he’s your age, he’s already earned a college degree. I’ve heard that he’s far brighter than all three of his older brothers. Despite being the youngest, he could potentially wind up next in line to take over the Kaido Financial Group.”

“His background is quite similar to your father’s. That’s what drew his attention to the boy,” Tsubaki interjected. Tsukasa nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

“The other three—four if you include Manabu’s recommendation—have at least a good decade on you. I thought it might give you a better perspective if I included someone your own age,” Tsukasa added.

But Satsuki killed Tsukasa’s good mood with her harsh quip, “I’ve heard he is betrothed to one of my friends at school. So why is he even considered an option...?”

“Bluntly put, he stood out as the single most promising young man during the elimination process. The Kaidos are aware of the situation and give their full support. If you choose him, they will call off his current engagement,” Tsukasa clarified, unbothered by what that meant.

Satsuki was struck speechless. In order to choose the finest caliber of candidates possible, her father went so far as to include a promised man. Alice claimed she didn’t know why Takemi Kaido suddenly returned from America, but if there was a chance he could marry the future president of Tsujikawa Corporation, his parents would do whatever it took to make him return to Japan.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Tsukasa began somewhat awkwardly. His eyes darted toward Manabu.

Feeling Tsukasa’s eyes on him, Manabu focused his attention on the older man and gave a sharp nod. Then he turned to Shindo, who was looking down at Satsuki in a daze from his position behind her.

“Mr. Shindo, I’d like you to hear this as well,” Manabu began somewhat gravely, causing Shindo to look up.

In truth, the news that Satsuki must choose one of these candidates to be her future spouse filled Shindo with inner turmoil. Nevertheless, he maintained a mask of calm composure, as did Satsuki...

Once he had their full attention, Tsukasa delivered a fateful announcement to Satsuki and Shindo. “After Satsuki picks her fiancé, I will have you step down from your position as retainer, Shindo.”

“I won’t stand for this!” The shout was not issued from Satsuki with ears burning from the declaration, let alone from Shindo.

“It isn’t right! It’s outright preposterous!” It came from Miharu, who had been scowling at Manabu’s side the whole evening.

“You can’t make Mr. Shindo step down! That’s crazy! It’s ludicrous!” Springing from the sofa, Miharu gave the older man on the sofa across from her a piece of her mind. Then she glanced over at Satsuki.

Satsuki’s eyes were bulging. Although her mouth was slightly ajar, no sound came out. But it didn’t slip past Miharu how her lips slightly trembled. Without realizing it, Satsuki began to clench the documents so tightly that large wrinkles were forming in the papers. Although she was able to somehow feign calm when she heard about the fiancé situation, this proved too much for her. Shindo was in a similar situation. With eyes wide open, he looked as though he were aghast.

It was the most improbable of announcements. To think Shindo would be released from his position as retainer! Who could have predicted such a thing? Both were convinced it was impossible for him to lose his position.

“Hasn’t Mr. Shindo served at Satsuki’s side since she was an infant? He knows what she’s thinking and doing better than anyone. So why are you pulling her best confidant away from her?!” Miharu desperately pleaded their case to Tsukasa.

When Manabu told Miharu, “To be honest, we have to distance Mr. Shindo from Satsuki” at the same time he confided about the suitors, the icy chill that seized her heart nearly froze it solid. There was no way they could do that. Those two must not be torn apart! Her heart writhed wildly, torn in agony for the young lady she viewed like a sister.

“What’s wrong with having a retainer? I thought Mr. Shindo also served as Satsuki’s bodyguard. Are you going to distance her from the very man protecting her?!” Miharu continued.

“Miharu,” Tsukasa gently chided his nephew’s fiancée pleading so fervently on his daughter’s behalf. Under normal circumstances, he would view this behavior as open defiance against the president of Tsujikawa Corporation. She would have no right to complain if he reprimanded her harshly like at the office. Instead, he looked upon her with kind, gentle eyes. It filled him with joy to know she cared so deeply for his beloved daughter. “Let me put it this way... How would you feel if a young woman was serving at Manabu’s side 24/7 when he’s betrothed to you?”

“Pardon?”

“Imagine if she was a secretary managing all aspects of his public and personal life. Could you find it in you to allow a woman to singlehandedly assist Manabu in every aspect of his life?”

Miharu was unable to come up with an immediate response. There was no way she could possibly tolerate that. Even if she knew nothing was going on between the two, she would probably cast suspicion on Manabu and grow jealous of the woman.

“It’s the same thing,” Tsukasa concluded as he shifted his attention from Miharu to Satsuki. With an uncharacteristically pallid face, she seemed to be holding something back.

“I can’t have a man manage all of my daughter’s affairs once she is betrothed, even if he is her greatest ally. If Mr. Shindo retains his current position, no matter which man Satsuki marries, he will become a thorn in their matrimonial bond. And friction with the very partner meant to help her someday shape the Tsujikawa Corporation would destroy the business,” Tsukasa stressed.

Everyone knew he was right. Simply allowing a strapping young man to serve a beautiful young lady made the two the object of perverse rumors these past few years. Shindo served at Satsuki’s side nearly 24/7 as her retainer. Satsuki’s mind frequently read from those around them that they were viewed in an unsavory light. Just how thoroughly does he take care of her? she would hear people think in their hearts.

If it were anyone other than Satsuki and Shindo, even Miharu might have looked at them with curiosity and wondered, “Is something going on between them?” In all reality, countless others perceived Shindo and Satsuki in that light. If she decided on a fiancé, she couldn’t afford to continue interacting with Shindo on this level. If they weren’t careful, someone could intentionally use it as fodder for a scandal to soil the Tsujikawa name.

Nevertheless, it didn’t sit well with Miharu. Miharu befriended Satsuki when the girl was fourteen. She doted on her as if she were Miharu’s little sister ever since. She couldn’t stand the fact that her darling Satsuki would have to defy her own heart and promise herself to a man she didn’t love. Such outrage was only compounded by the fact that she was being torn apart from the man who stole her heart!

“Satsuki, come here!” Miharu snapped. She dodged around the sofa to stand next to Satsuki before suddenly yanking her up by the arm.

“Huh? Miharu?!” Satsuki gasped in surprise over suddenly getting yanked out of her chair. She had no idea what Miharu was thinking.

“What are you doing?” Manabu demanded as he sprang up in reaction to his fiancée’s crazy antics. Feeling Manabu was on Tsukasa’s side, Miharu shot him a look that could kill.

“I’m going to abandon Satsuki at a convenience store somewhere!” Miharu shouted.

“You’re what—?!” Manabu cried wildly in response to Miharu’s random declaration, his eyes twitching furiously.

Manabu wasn’t the only one surprised. The person in question, as well as Shindo, drew their eyes wide as if to say, “Where did that come from?”

Ignoring the reactions of those around her, Miharu spat at Tsukasa, “I have no doubt Satsuki won’t be able to make it back home. She won’t even be able to fall to the last resort—calling a cab and telling the driver where she lives. Do you know why? Because Mr. Shindo is always at her side. She can’t do the most basic things because she’s never needed to learn how. Mr. Shindo was so observant, he did it all for her! So now Satsuki is helpless without him! Take him away, and this girl will wind up dead!”

She wasn’t wrong. It was taken as a matter of fact Shindo was always with her. He would serve forever at her side, calling out to Satsuki with her hand in his. He cherished her throughout the years more than anyone. As a result, Satsuki would very likely get lost if Miharu actually dumped her at a convenience store. She didn’t know her way around the streets, keep cash on her, and she had almost no experience riding alone in this strange vehicle called a “cab.”

“That’s enough, Miharu!” Manabu shouted in an attempt to rein Miharu in after she threw out such an outlandish threat, but she only shot him a baleful glare in return.

“I can’t believe you, Manabu! Why in the world are you taking part in this?! I thought you knew! Satsuki and Mr. Shindo—”

“Miharu!” Manabu shouted so loudly that Miharu snapped her mouth shut with a jolt. She nearly let the cat out of the bag. Realizing what Miharu was about to say, he raised his voice at her.

They were childhood friends. Yet Miharu could count the number of times he had gotten angry at her on one hand. Working under Manabu as his secretary, she was accustomed to his stern ways in the office. But when he lost his temper outside of work, it always left her speechless.

“Miss Miharu...this way,” Shindo soothed, taking the hand of the woman affected by Manabu’s yell and led her around the sofa. He quietly helped her ease into her spot next to Manabu. “...Thank you...Miss Miharu...” he whispered softly in her ear.

“At any rate...” Tsukasa restarted the main conversation. This wasn’t easy for him, either. However, it needed to be done for Satsuki, which was ultimately for the entire Tsujikawa line. “You will meet the four suitors at your birthday party. After which, you will have one month to decide. Once you make your decision after a month of deliberation, Mr. Shindo will no longer serve as a retainer but as just another attendant. Furthermore, I would like Mr. Shindo to focus more on office work henceforth. Someday I hope to make you Satsuki’s first secretary,” Tsukasa instructed, but his words failed to reach either Satsuki or Shindo.

Like a death sentence, only one fact rung in their ears. Satsuki and Shindo would be torn from one another no matter what they personally wished for...

***

“ARE you angry?” Manabu asked, but Miharu didn’t deign to reply.

He knew the answer without having to ask. To drive the point home, she continued to give him the silent treatment on their drive home from the Tsujikawa mansion.

“I guess it’s only natural for you to be...mad,” Manabu conceded with a dry chuckle.

Miharu gave her fiancé clutching the steering wheel a death glare from the passenger seat. But she quickly looked away, her gaze falling upon balled fists over her lap rather than the night lights gliding by the car outside.

“...I feel sorry for Satsuki.” These were the first words out of Miharu’s mouth. It sounded as if she were on the verge of crying. Her mind replayed the events that happened only minutes ago at the Tsujikawa mansion.

***

A month after her birthday, Satsuki had to decide who she would marry and Shindo would be released from his position as retainer. She quietly endured listening to both announcements. Then Miharu pressed Tsukasa to change his mind and Manabu scolded her for it. After Shindo escorted Miharu back to her seat, Satsuki, who had been standing at the time, finally collapsed into her chair under all of the strain!

“Satsuki?!” Tsubaki leapt from the sofa in uncharacteristic haste.

Manabu, Miharu, and Tsukasa all rose from their seats. However, Shindo reached Satsuki before any other. He scooped the swooning girl protectively in his arms and begged Tsukasa, “Please excuse us! Talk of engagement and marriage came so unexpectedly, I believe the Miss is overwhelmed. Please resume the discussion another day... Please, Master Tsukasa!”

The engagement wasn’t the part that made Satsuki faint. She was unable to bear the fact that she was going to be separated from Shindo. Miharu and Tsubaki realized that. Deep in his heart, Shindo undoubtedly knew the truth as well. He also wanted to collapse from the shock, but put on a placid mask and acted as if Satsuki’s woes were due to the engagement.

“Very well. I’ve said all I meant to say, so this discussion is officially over,” Tsukasa decreed.

Hardly waiting for Tsukasa to finish uttering the last word, Shindo lifted Satsuki up with both arms. As if to apologize for leaving before the guests, he bobbed his head to Manabu and Miharu.

“Please excuse us,” he said in a somewhat preoccupied voice before carrying Satsuki out of the living room.

***

“SHE was raised to keep such a firm grasp on her position in that mammoth of a company, it’s outright sad...” Manabu whispered melancholically. He was looking straight ahead, the car stopped at a red light. “That’s why...I’m sure she’ll understand...”

Did Miharu notice the pain etched in his profile, illuminated by the city lights and cars in the other lane?

“This is her...fate...” he whispered.

***

“WOULD you like to rest in bed?” Shindo asked.

Satsuki softly shook her head and replied, “I’d prefer...the sofa,” in such a weak voice it nearly faded to nothing.

“As you wish,” Shindo answered and shut the door to her room behind him while still holding her.

When he tried to put her down on the sofa in the center of her room, Satsuki clung onto Shindo with both hands. It was clear she wanted to stay like this, held tenderly in his arms. Although it was apparent to Shindo, he nonetheless put Satsuki down on the soft, silk blanket spread across the sofa before dropping onto one knee.

“Aren’t you exhausted? If you wait a minute, I will bring you something cool to drink,” he offered with his usual gentle smile. He used the same voice overflowing with love for Satsuki as always.

“Shindo...”

But after what they just heard, the way Shindo was acting the same pricked at Satsuki’s heart.

“Shindo...are you okay with this?”

“Okay with what?”

Satsuki gave him a flat stare, not saying a word. She didn’t have to spell it out for him. He didn’t have to ask for clarification. He knew what Satsuki was asking. He knew without turning the question back at her. Was he okay with being separated?

“...I was told the same thing back on my sixteenth birthday,” Satsuki said, recalling the events of two years prior as she gazed into Shindo’s eyes.

This wasn’t the first time Tsukasa brought up talk of betrothal. He presented the idea once when she was approaching her sixteenth birthday. But Satsuki threw the mansion in an uproar by disappearing from the property without a trace. As a result, Tsukasa decided to abandon the idea that almost made him lose his daughter once before.

“I asked you what you thought back then too,” Satsuki went on.

Two years ago, only the betrothal aspect was brought up. There was absolutely no mention of revoking Shindo’s title as retainer. Yet at that time, Satsuki was so distraught by the prospect of picking a fiancé, she asked Shindo, “How do you feel about me getting engaged?”

“Do you feel the same now...?” Satsuki’s misty, narrowed eyes were on the verge of shedding tears. If she wasn’t careful, she was bound to start wailing in a fountain of tears.

Shindo sorrowfully returned her gaze. His own heart wrenched with such agony, he wanted to break down crying himself.

“Miss...I...” Shindo hesitated. His hands briefly squeezed her arms tight, but then he thought better of it and pulled his hands away. “If it will make you happy...then I have nothing to say... Especially if it proves beneficial to the Tsujikawa legacy.”

A massive wave crashed in Satsuki’s heart.

Bang! The large French doors burst open and swung wildly back and forth! Yet there was no wind.

“So you’re still saying the same thing...” Satsuki’s voice trembled.

She was so upset, her powers lashed out. Recognizing as much, Shindo tried to coax her, but she would have none of it.

“My...happiness...” she faltered in a voice that no longer hid the sobs. Rustle...! Wind gushed into the room! “...can’t be found...” she continued, trailing off. Satsuki glared at Shindo, the tears dried from her eyes. And then...

The room was plunged into utter darkness with a loud clang.

“MISS!”

The room was shrouded in darkness. No, that wasn’t quite right. The only conceivable explanation for the room to be engulfed in darkness was for the lights to go out. If that were the case, Shindo would still barely be able to see things in there. At the very least, he should be able to see the face of the girl right in front of him. But Shindo was blind as a bat! With his vision completely encompassed by darkness, all he could see was the color black. He couldn’t see so much as a single speck of light.

“What’s going on?”

In an attempt to see something, Shindo held his hand directly in front of eyes that were supposed to be wide open. But no matter how close he held his hand, it remained undetectable. Why, it wasn’t the room that went dark at all. Shindo’s eyes temporarily lost all sensory perception.

Shindo could feel movement in the air before him. Interpreting it to mean Satsuki was rising from the sofa, he extended both arms in an attempt to catch her. Alas, his arms flailed fruitlessly in the air before returning to his sides empty-handed.

“Miss?!” he cried, turning his head to either side; unable to see a thing.

Shindo knew all too well what was happening. The only person capable of doing this was Satsuki. She temporarily stole Shindo’s sight.

“Where are you, Miss?!” Shindo demanded, futilely running his blind eyes across the area.

There was no doubt he was in Satsuki’s room. He was certain she moved somewhere away from him. Never in a million years would he have believed Satsuki capable of something as heavy-handed as stealing his gift of sight. Yet that was exactly what she just did. What would possess her to do such a thing?

“Miss! Where did you go?!” Shindo shouted.

Why would Satsuki do that? The answer was obvious.

“Please come back! Miss!”

She wanted to vanish from his sight.

A sharp pain raced through Shindo’s eyes, making him crumble to his knees as he cupped one hand across both eyes. After pressing against them for a few seconds, he removed his hand as the pain subsided. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

“...Miss...?”

Satsuki’s familiar room appeared before him once more. His vision was fully restored. The sofa was now absent of her presence however.

Shindo approached the French doors Satsuki opened with the turmoil in her heart and stepped onto the veranda. He placed his hands on the railing and checked to make sure she wasn’t hiding to the left, right, or even beneath the railing. While blinded, he didn’t sense her bedroom door open and close. If she went anywhere, it meant she jumped off the veranda.

The mansion was built with high ceilings, so even though this was only the second floor, it was still a formidable distance from the ground. Even Shindo would find recklessly jumping from such a height difficult if not for the bushes and shrubbery below.

On the other hand, it was an easy feat for Satsuki. She wouldn’t even need to stop and think twice. All she had to do was slightly alter gravity’s pull on her when she jumped. Why, she did just that on several occasions when she was little to sneak out of the mansion. Shindo had to put a stop to that bad habit by sternly telling her, “It would be bad if anyone saw, so don’t do that anymore.”

“Where...did the Miss go?” Shindo looked up at the sky from the veranda and asked the air.

Whenever Satsuki went missing, the trees, flowers, and air surrounding her very being always served as Shindo’s ally. The trees would rustle, the wind would offer a gentle breeze, and the air would open the path to her. That was why Shindo could always find Satsuki when no one else could.

It was proof Satsuki gave her heart to Shindo in its entirety. Precisely because she loved and trusted him wholeheartedly, the air served as his ally. Because he was the one person she wanted to come find her, the wind and trees would lead the way. But now...there was no response.

“...Please tell me... I’m begging you...” The hushed rustling of leaves in the trees effortlessly drowned out Shindo’s desperate whisper.

At the moment, Satsuki didn’t even want Shindo to find her. She didn’t want to see him. As a result, the air didn’t come to his aid.

Wrought with frustration at not being able to find Satsuki, Shindo briefly dropped his head. But he quickly popped back up and studied his surroundings. Precisely because of all the time he spent at Satsuki’s side, there were some things he knew about her. There were things he knew because the trees and air always assisted him.

For instance, the trees were acting “lonely.” The only time the trees ever came across lonesome was when Satsuki wasn’t on the property. In general, Satsuki leaving the property without Shindo was unthinkable. However, there was one place she would go on her own.

“Is that where she went...?”

Shindo jumped off the veranda.

***

THE sound of giggling and somewhat erotic moans wafted through the area.

“No, oh... Mmh...not there…” a woman’s voice teased childishly.

“You know you want it...” a man laughed as he chided her.

The couple’s voices could be heard from the bushes surrounding the fountain in the front courtyard of Tsujikawa mansion.

“I need to get back to work...” the man reluctantly reminded.

“Aw, can’t it wait a bit longer?”

Based on the contents of their conversation, they were in the midst of a tryst. Tsujikawa mansion employed a massive staff, from those who commuted to those who lived in the mansion. With a mixture of young men and women, it was hardly a surprise some were in intimate relationships. But when something randomly fell into the nearby bushes while magic was in the air, it had a way of spoiling the mood for their secret date.

“Eek!”

The young woman in her early-twenties pressed her maid uniform against her half-bared bosom, her body trembling in fear. The man in a gray suit who failed to fully bare her chest looked up in surprise.

Without a doubt, something just fell in the nearby shrubbery. Going by the loud thrashing and wild jostling of the bushes, this was no small planter that fell from a window. Those shrubs were directly beneath Satsuki’s room.

Did something happen to the Miss?! The moment the thought struck him, he hastily leapt from the shadows of the trees. This man had served Satsuki as long as Shindo. He was the attendant who replied, “Feel free to at any time,” when Satsuki claimed, “I’ll go tell everyone “‘Shindo’s being a bully’” earlier that afternoon.

He was the son born between the butler, Mizuno, and the head housekeeper, Shizuko. Along with his duties as Satsuki’s attendant, he also assisted his butler father in day-to-day activities. There would eventually come a day he inherited the role of head butler for the Tsujikawa household.

At the moment, he was still only thirty-five. It was no exaggeration to say he underwent training to become an attendant alongside Shindo. As a result of his father teaching them so much at the same time, the two knew one another inside and out. Perhaps that was why Shotaro Mizuno referred to Shindo with such casual familiarity.

“Akira?!” Shotaro cried in surprise upon seeing Shindo stumble out of the shrubbery. “Wh-What are you doing?! Did you just jump from the Miss’s room? What the heck happened?!”

Shindo was the highest ranking attendant. Consequentially, that made the slightly older man technically Shindo’s subordinate. Yet their childhood upraising allowed Shotaro to act rather casual around Shindo.

“Don’t tell me she pulled another vanishing act...?” Shotaro asked apprehensively.

Shindo gave a dry chuckle. “No, I have everything under control. Please don’t let it trouble you...” Shindo replied, drawing out the last word as he caught sight of the maid hiding behind the tree.

“...Feel free to resume where you left off,” he said considerately as he yanked Shotaro’s halfway untied necktie. “But weren’t you still on duty?”

“My apologies, sir!”

Shotaro couldn’t balk at Shindo acting as his supervisor. Sliding the knot of his loosened tie to his neck, he tightened it before confirming, “Are you certain you don’t need my assistance?”

He knew all too well that Shindo didn’t require outside assistance where Satsuki was concerned. On the other hand, it was hardly normal for Shindo to jump out of Satsuki’s window. It was only natural for Shotaro to show concern.

“I can handle it. Sorry for interrupting you,” Shindo said and waved casually before darting away.

Shotaro heaved a heavy sigh. “Is that your way of saying the Miss is none of my business...? Is that it? Well, Akira?”

A somewhat pained expression crossed Shotaro’s face as he furrowed his brow. They received the same training for years. And while their status differed, they both served as attendants at Satsuki’s side. At the very least, he knew how Shindo felt for Satsuki.

He watched as Shindo raced into the distance for a while before realizing that the maid he abandoned behind the tree was doing much the same. He made a sarcastic snipe as he returned to her. “What? Did his good looks steal your heart?”

Without skipping a beat, she replied bluntly, “Huh? I’ll pass on Mr. Shindo.”

“That’s unusual. A bunch of the young ladies here and at the office have their sights set on him.”

“But doesn’t he only have eyes for the Miss?” she asked, hitting the bull’s eye. It left Shotaro completely speechless. “I wouldn’t stand a chance against someone like her. Not only is he completely devoted to her, the guy never drops his guard,” she continued. It was hard to say whether she was empowered by the boldness of youth or naturally candid. Comfortable in Shotaro’s presence, the thoughts normally on her mind casually slipped out of her mouth. “So are Mr. Shindo and the Miss lovers?”

This made Shotaro hastily cover his hand over her mouth. He figured it was probably okay, but nevertheless looked around to make sure no one overheard.

This maid was Noe, some business owner’s third daughter. She started her maid apprenticeship at Tsujikawa mansion this spring. Having just graduated from junior college, she was only twenty. Shotaro couldn’t help but knit his brows at the thought that Shindo and Satsuki were so close their relationship was obvious to such a young, new member of the staff.

“You’ve got to hide it better than this...Akira,” he whispered.

***

“SHINDO’S so stupid...” Creak... The swing next to Satsuko cried on her behalf. “The jerk...” she muttered, tears welling in her eyes as the memory of him appeared in her mind. How many times had the tears formed in her eyes only to dry unshed?

At the moment, Satsuki was in a small park located behind the Tsujikawa mansion’s massive property line. For such a small park, it was very pretty and well maintained.

There weren’t any normal homes in the vicinity of the mansion. There were several small-scale mansions that were relatively large for Japan and some luxury high-rise apartments. Some of those residents came to this park despite its small size. Although it was here from the time Satsuki was a little girl, it never looked rundown.

As a child, Manabu frequently brought her here to play behind Shindo’s back. Not allowed to leave the mansion without Shindo, this park was the one place she was able to visit on her own thanks to her cousin.

Satsuki was sitting on a normal swing. When she was little, Shindo once turned red in the face when he saw Manabu push her high on this very swing. He chastised Manabu, claiming, “It would be horrible if she fell!”

“Shindo...has always been a worrywart...”

From an early age, she was the only thing to enter Shindo’s eyes. He only moved for Satsuki and only took action with her in mind. Even if the whole world found fault with her, he would be the only one to stand at her side for life.

“I belong to you in my entirety, Miss,” he once said. True to his words, Shindo’s world continually revolved around Satsuki. He wished for Satsuki’s happiness. He protected Satsuki’s smile. Everything he did, he did for Satsuki...

Creak... Satsuki forced the barely moving swing to a stop as a single, glistening tear finally slid down her cheek. Thoughts of Shindo brought back words she didn’t want to remember, making them echo in her ears. “If it will make you happy...then I have nothing to say...”

“Shindo...”

Her chest grew tight. Recollection of what he said made tears spill over one after the next. They streamed down her cheeks and tumbled like raindrops onto her dress.

What did I want Shindo to say? Satsuki sneered at herself. It felt as though the starry sky could absorb her as she gazed at it. The hazy moon emitted a dim light among a sea of glistening stars. They looked down on Satsuki, shedding what little light they could upon her.

“‘I don’t approve of you having to pick a fiancé or me having to relinquish my position as retainer’... Is that what I wanted to hear?” Satsuki asked herself while facing the moon.

It answered in mimicry of her voice, “Yes, you did. You wanted him to disapprove of both.”

Satsuki dismissed such desires with a sneer, “Ridiculous...”

That was ridiculous. It would never happen. Neither could voice such desires. Satsuki fully understood as much. She knew this day had to come eventually. As the only daughter to the Tsujikawa name, she knew what destiny ultimately held in store for her. It was drilled into her from the time she was a little girl. She was taught that someday she would pick a fiancé, get married, and give birth to an heir to ensure the Tsujikawa line prospered. They were among her important duties as an heiress.

She was prepared to accept her destiny from an early age, so why was it so painful? Why was it so excruciating?

“Shindo...”

Why does it hurt? What is excruciating? The fact that I have to pick a fiancé? No, that’s not it...

“It...”

It hurts to have Shindo leave my side...

“I don’t want to be separated from him...” she admitted.

The wind and trees chided Satsuki for openly expressing the truth in her heart that must never be voiced. The moon ridiculed her.

“MISS!”

Satsuki’s ears were deceiving her yet again. She was certain of it.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

A gentle breeze embraced Satsuki, slightly pushing the swing with a creak... Sensing someone next to her, Satsuki tilted her head to see who was standing there.

With the moon shining behind him, the kind face that looked at her in concern belonged to the man who could heal her heart unlike any other.

“How did you know I was here?” Satsuki quietly asked. There was no way the trees told him. She asked them not to tell a soul, not even Shindo, where she went.

Shindo offered his same gentle smile as always and teasingly jostled the chains to the swing Satsuki was sitting on. Then he swooped in front of her and fell to his knees.

“How could I possibly not know where you are?” he answered.

Noticing the tearstains on Satsuki’s cheeks, Shindo’s heart was pained by the realization that she was crying.

“I will always be able to find you, even if no one else can,” he promised. He gently grasped Satsuki’s hands resting atop the skirt of her dress and held them tenderly against his chest. “Because I hold you dear...”

---

---

Satsuki’s dried eyes brimmed with tears once more. She was happy that Shindo was the one who found her. Yet at the same time, it thrust the excruciating reality before her. It made her face the fact that she would be separated from the man who brought her such joy.

It wasn’t as though she would never see him again. Shindo would still serve as a regular attendant. Eventually he would become her first secretary, assisting her as the Tsujikawa heiress. However, he would no longer get to spend every waking moment with her as he did now.

Satsuki took Shindo’s presence as a matter of course. She took hearing his voice for granted.

Yet she would no longer get to be with the man who comforted her so. Once she decided on a fiancé, her days of playing the violin for Shindo would be gone.

“If you hold me dear...try to understand how I feel...” she insisted. The pain was so agonizing, it felt as if her chest would tear asunder.

On the other side of her tears, Shindo smiled softly at her in concern. She wanted him to accept her feelings more than anyone else in the world...

“I don’t want to pick a fiancé...” Satsuki confessed, large teardrops falling down her cheeks. “I don’t want to...part...from you, Shindo...”

Whoosh...! There was a gust of wind that was not a wind. The air blew in synchronization with the sorrow and uncertainty swaying Satsuki’s heart.

“...How do you feel...?” she asked.

Rustle... Crackle...! The movement of air caused the trees in the park to stir. It was as if they were trying to stop Satsuki from acting on her emotions.

“Shindo...do you honestly believe I’ll be happy without you?” she pushed.

The shock that assaulted Shindo was on par with a stake thrust into his heart. She wanted to know how he truly felt. If I was prepared to cast everything aside and accept the possibility I may never see Satsuki again, I would probably shout, ‘Of course that isn’t how I feel!’ And then, I would tell her those other forbidden words.

“Shindo...” Satsuki’s sad voice echoed in his heart. She was asking for an answer—his honest answer.

“I...” Shindo faltered, returning Satsuki’s hands back to her lap. He could lose himself in her intelligent eyes. Shindo was forever unable to pull himself away from these eyes. He never could, and never would, now and forever... “I don’t want to leave you, Miss,” he answered.

Whoosh...! The air wavered violently, much like Satsuki’s heart...

“Say it...again,” Satsuki requested.

Shindo felt as though he was losing himself in the gaze of her eyes as he broke the taboo once more. “I...don’t want to be separated from you, Miss.”

Whoosh...! Rustle...! The wind that was not a wind blew. The trees rustled. A gentle energy wave overcame the two as if the area surrounding them were cut and pasted into another dimension.

Satsuki’s heart was bursting with such joy, she could barely breathe. Shindo said that he didn’t want to be torn away from her! He told her how he truly felt. He expressed his personal feelings... It made Satsuki so happy, she didn’t know what to say.

“Really...?” she confirmed once more with her eyes locked on Shindo, wanting to ensure her happiness was real.

The light of the moon and stars shone upon them. The park lights served little use as the heavenly bodies illuminated the two confirming their innermost desires. Despite the darkness of night shrouding the park, Shindo could clearly see Satsuki, down to her beautiful, teary eyes. Likewise, Satsuki could clearly see Shindo, clear down to the gray tinge in his eyes that was only visible in the bright light of the sun.

“Shindo...”

At the sound of his name, Shindo pulled away from Satsuki’s hands. Kneeling before her, he quietly pulled Satsuki toward his chest.

“I can’t remain your retainer once you pick your future spouse...” Shindo whispered in her ear. His whisper indicated the depth of his words. “But...I don’t want to leave your side...”

A wavering air surrounded the two. It seemed to represent how Satsuki’s heart could melt from the onslaught of emotion bombarding her.

“Shindo, me too...” she confided. She rested her hands against his chest.

“However, I feel that I must leave your side.”

The wavering in the air came to a stop. The warmth surrounding them suddenly turned cold.

“Perhaps this is a good opportunity...to put some distance between us...”

“Shindo...!” Satsuki shrieked.

Furious with her retainer, Satsuki tried to pull away from him. However, he grabbed her and pulled her into a strong embrace!

“But...you just...said...you don’t want...to leave me...!” Satsuki cried, her voice trembling.

Held painfully tight in Shindo’s arms, she clawed at his suit. Yet she wasn’t the only one who wanted to burst out crying. Shindo was overcome with such grief, he wanted to scream and cry.

“I can’t be with you anymore...”

“Shindo...!”

Unable to move her arms while caught in his embrace, Satsuki thrashed her wrists to strike at Shindo.

Why...? Why, Shindo? You just said you didn’t want to leave me! Aren’t I allowed to savor this dream?!

“If I remain at your side...” It tortured Shindo to force the words out. He had to defy his heart. “I...am bound...” his voice trembled at the mention of the sin he might commit, “...to personally corrupt you...”

The moonlight wavered, illuminating the two potential sinners.

“And that terrifies me,” Shindo confessed, his words leaving Satsuki frozen.

Satsuki naturally understood the meaning behind those words. And to think, they came from Shindo. The beating in her heart pounded with terrifying ferocity. The implication behind Shindo’s words was that he viewed Satsuki as a woman, not as his mistress.

“I have no right to do such a thing. I am hardly in a position to love you. Normally it would be unthinkable to even speak...” he cut himself short to pull her into a tight embrace, “...to speak...of such things...”

Shindo unhanded Satsuki, took a step back, and knelt once more. He dropped his head, and pressed his right hand against his chest.

“Please forgive what I said as jest. I would appreciate it if you graciously pretended I never said anything...” Shindo apologized to his little lady for accidentally expressing a fraction of what lied in his heart.

“Come here...” Satsuki commanded with both arms extended toward the man who just released her.

Shindo hesitated for a moment. This was the pose Satsuki struck whenever she wanted him to pick her up. Although it was always effortless for him in the past, it might prove somewhat painful to him now given the circumstances.

Shindo closed the step’s distance he just created and took her proffered hands.

Just as always, he offered Satsuki the same gentle retainer smile meant for his mistress. Satsuki was overwrought with sorrow at the sight of Shindo acting like usual. Only moments ago, she heard him confess how he viewed her as a woman. Without giving her time to savor the moment, he was trying to reset everything back to normal.

“I can’t even do this with you anymore...?” Satsuki asked. She took his proffered hand for granted. She simply expected his hand to be there for her if she reached out. But before long, he would no longer be able to hold his hand out for her. “I...won’t get to hold your hands...”

Shindo wouldn’t get to stay at her side. The presence she took for granted, from his faint smile to the warmth of his hands, was going to leave her.

“I can’t even be with you all the time...” she bemoaned.

Satsuki was so upset, she was unable to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. The sight of her tears was a shock to Shindo, who was trying to return to his usual self and resume a sense of normalcy. She was crying for Shindo.

The precious feeling brimming in his heart was beyond description. Those insuppressible feelings overflowed, flooding from his heart.

“Miss...”

Slipping his hands out of hers, Shindo pulled Satsuki into an embrace.

“...Shin...do...”

Held against his chest, he squeezed Satsuki tightly in his arms. This embrace was clearly different from the other times. Reading his emotions in the moment, Satsuki felt a soft, warm sensation come over her.

It wasn’t as though one acted before the other. The two gazed deep into one another’s eyes. And then, their lips locked...

“Shindo...” Satsuki whispered so quietly, it was barely audible. Slipping from the side of her mouth as she exhaled, her voice dissipated so rapidly that it hardly seemed real.

Creak... The swing Satsuki sat upon creaked as it slightly rocked. Each time they moved, the swing cried out quietly.

Satsuki allowed Shindo’s lips to have their way with her. With eyes closed, she simply enjoyed the touch of his lips akin to a gentle breeze. That soft, warm touch pecked at her lips.

A richly enticing sensation ran through their bodies like electricity. It made Satsuki’s entire body quiver.

“Are you cold?” By the time Satsuki realized the sound of Shindo’s whispering voice was next to her ear, she felt hot breath from the lips he pulled from her mouth on her earlobe.

“...Mmm...” Satsuki’s body visibly quivered. Shindo traced the edge of Satsuki’s earlobe pressed between his lips with his tongue before moving his mouth along the length of her neck.

“Cold...? Why do you ask...?” Even the words coming out of Satsuki’s mouth quivered. With each slight movement of Shindo’s mouth, the swing chains grasped in her hands rattled and clanged.

“Because you’re shivering...” Shindo replied somewhat teasingly the moment before his lips sucked at the nape of her neck with gentle force.

Satsuki’s body quivered violently, making the swing chains issue the loudest moan yet.

“Meanie...” Satsuki falsely charged Shindo as she tilted her neck toward him to assist the path his lips followed; it was a clear display she accepted what he was doing. “I’m not...cold...”

“I know...” he replied.

Shindo found Satsuki so unbearably cute and adorable as she quivered in his arms. He naturally escalated under such feelings. Already holding Satsuki in an embrace, his hands reached for the zipper at the back of her dress and began to unzip it.

“Ah...!” By the time Satsuki let out an uncertain gasp, her zipper was already pulled halfway down her back. Although the dress once kept her fully concealed up to the neck, her flesh was now exposed down to the beautiful line of her collarbone.

“Shin...do...”

He brushed Satsuki’s flushed cheeks as she looked up at him hesitantly before drawing his lips close. He said, “Please make sure not to make any noises.”

Shindo’s lips covered her mouth, absorbing the sweet sounds that nearly escaped from Satsuki out of embarrassment. He traced her exposed white shoulders with his fingertips, caressing her with his hands as he worked toward her neck.

“Shin...do!” she moaned.

Simply a few soft caresses were enough to fill Satsuki with uncertainty, making her body burn. Shindo’s lips reluctantly pulled away from Satsuki’s own lips only to travel from the length of her jawbone down her neck, ultimately reaching her collarbone.

“Ah, don’t...!” Satsuki snapped, feeling embarrassed and slightly scared. Overcome by those two emotions, she was no longer able to keep quiet.

Due to recoiling excessively combined with the erratic movement of the swing, she lurched forward. Before she knew it, she was flung from the swing into Shindo’s arms.

Rattle... Clatter... Clack...! The chains on the swing gave a metallic cry. With the chains ringing in the background, Shindo fell backwards to catch Satsuki. He rose into a sitting position with her still in his arms.

“Miss...”

Hands gently supported her back as Shindo held her.

“Shindo...” Satsuki airily whispered.

Being held against Shindo’s chest filled her with a deliciously wonderful sensation. As she savored the moment, Shindo held her with gentle, tender love. It was as if she were the most important thing in the world to him.

But after a few minutes, he once again brought reality crashing down upon Satsuki as he said, “Now do you see? This is why I can’t be with you...”

Unexpectedly thrust into reality by his question, Satsuki tried to ask to what he meant. But before she could, Shindo placed his hands on her waist and thrust her against his own. The moment she felt it, her body went stiff as a board with surprise.

“I would corrupt you... Do you understand what I mean by that...?” Shindo asked, turning his face skyward. He gazed at the moon, which seemed to look down on him in contempt for coming so close to sinning.

Somewhere between fear and hesitation, a horribly difficult to describe voice slipped from Satsuki’s mouth.

“Don’t you see...Miss?” Shindo pushed. Bathed in the moon’s derisive laughter, Shindo continued to face the heavens. It was as if he was reconfirming his own foolishness. He was ridiculing himself for having inacceptable physical reactions toward his boss.

Satsuki was paralyzed in Shindo’s arms. It was almost surprising how quickly the sweet daze lingering over her vanished without a trace, leaving behind embarrassment, hesitation...and a hint of fear.

“There is a part of me unable to view you as just my mistress...” Shindo confessed in a pained voice.

Moving his hands from her waist, Shindo pushed aside her waist-long hair as he slid the sleeves of the dress over shoulders that he personally bared. With a slow hand, he glided the zipper back up.

“I have no doubt...I would personally corrupt you... I cannot overcome this fear,” he said, his words shaking Satsuki deep within her core. “I can tell that I would commit an unforgiveable sin...”

“...But I also...” Satsuki blurted, but was too embarrassed to finish.

Shindo realized what Satsuki was trying to say. He distanced his hips thrust against hers and pulled her away from his chest.

“Shindo...” She crumpled to the ground, having to support herself with both hands lest she collapse completely. With teary eyes, she looked up at Shindo.

Normally he would never leave Satsuki to sit on the filthy ground, yet he stood without so much as offering her a helpful hand. With eyes unable to hide his inner sorrow, Shindo looked down at her.

“Why...did you have to grow into such a beautiful young woman...?” Shindo asked in frustration, his voice slightly trembling. “...I cannot commit this sin...”

Craning her head, Satsuki could see the light of the moon shining behind Shindo.

“You are my lady for life,” he said, his voice seeping deep into her. “It is my duty as a member of your staff to wish for your happiness.”

With his heart pushing him to the brink of tears, Shindo gazed into the young lady’s fragile eyes that threatened to dissipate into the hazy darkness at any moment. This wasn’t what he wanted to say. There were far, far more important words he wanted to share, but he buried them in his heart as he spoke the simple truth that neither wanted to hear.

“For the sake of your happiness...I will happily step down from my position as retainer.”

Satsuki gasped with her mouth covered behind both hands. If she didn’t cover her mouth, she feared she’d scream from shock.

“...Shin...do...?” She forced out his name, her chin slightly trembling. Her teeth clattered so violently one would have thought she was about to freeze to death. No, she was about to freeze. Her entire heart was freezing over.

Boom! Boom! There were two loud bangs as something broke before the park was thrown into even greater darkness. The two outdoor lamps near the swing set shattered to pieces one after the next!

Shindo knew it was Satsuki’s troubled heart at work. Even though the look of shock as she hugged herself made it apparent what spurred the outburst, Shindo turned his back to her and looked up at the moon. Its light was even more heavily pronounced in the darkness.

“Please accept it...Miss.” As he gazed at the moon, Shindo might have been saying that more for himself than for her. “Accept your fate...”

Satsuki simply stared in silence at Shindo as he spoke the words she never wanted to hear. This was her...fate. Her destiny was decided for her the moment she was born. She was obligated to accept this reality.

Satsuki was the heiress to the Tsujikawa legacy and Shindo’s mistress. Shindo was Satsuki’s retainer and loyal servant. Their relationship would never change. It must never change. They were forbidden to change it, even if they were drawn to each other... It was taboo to express their feelings for one another. To speak of such things was both immoral and prohibited. Such was their fate...

“Let’s go back, Miss.”

She slowly rose on her own and spoke in a ghost of a voice to his departing back, “You can corrupt me if you want to. We don’t need anyone’s permission…”

Whether he heard her or not, he didn’t act on it.