Chapter 40

You stand at the corner of the hallway that leads towards the mansion's private living quarters. Unlike the room you occupy, or the extraneous living quarters that house the other mansion staff and visitors, this area doubles as the living space for Shinobu and her closest companions. That means the rooms you can see just beyond this threshold are private spaces of Sumi and the girls, as well as Aoi and Kanao. The rooms are left unmarked for privacy's sake, lessening the hazard for the occupants since no one would be able to distinguish what or who lay beyond each of door.

You fiddle with the sleeve of your haori, rubbing the material between your fingers as you debate whether to go knocking. If Kanao had gone looking for Aoi like Shinobu had instructed, there was a high chance she would have found out that the girl had been sent back to rest. On the other hand, if she had ignored Shinobu's advice and left the mansion straight after their conversation, then your decision to make a quick detour to your room to change into proper clothing was certainly the wrong one.

Going by Kanao's insufferable loyalty to Shinobu, though… you are certain she would have come here to speak to Aoi. Thinking logically, unless Kanao knew of your plan to ambush her, there was no reason for her to avoid this area.

Your worry slowly fades, and you steal a glance out of the nearby window. "There's still plenty of sunlight. Even if Kanao had come straight here after going to the kitchen, she wouldn't be in the rush to leave. She's definitely here."

Your anxiety must be worse than you realize if your mind had gone in one giant circle before reaching such an obvious conclusion. Speaking frankly, there is no conceivable reason that you'd have missed Kanao leaving the premises. But in your defence, the plan you're about to undertake carries a severe risk.

You step through the threshold of the hallway just as the quiet atmosphere is broken by the rattling of a sliding door. Swiftly, you backtrack into the nearest corner. A familiar voice rings out seconds later.

"Sorry, Kanao…" Aoi's voice is feeble. You feel a pang of worry for the girl. That old woman had mentioned something about stomach pain, but it must have been pretty painful if it had reduced Aoi to sounding so weak. "If Nee-san's request is urgent, then don't let me hold you back. It should be fine if you asked a kakushi to go with you instead."

"I will," Kanao says. "Get better, Aoi. See you at dinner."

Your heart leaps into your throat as the door slides shut. Your guess was right. Now, the chance you've been waiting for has finally presented itself! All you have to do is step out of this corner and greet Kanao like any other day. It doesn't matter if you'll be silently judged for appearing out of nowhere, you've already prepared a watertight reason should Kanao decide to grill you for answers.

While it's true one of your aims is to facilitate a meeting with Kanao, it is secondary to your true goal – to ensure she stays safe as she carries out her errand. Though Kanao's stubborn muteness only seems to disappear in fit of rage, and her unwillingness to trust anyone aside from her sisters and Shinobu makes it difficult to speak to her, the girl has shown herself to be capable of making rational decisions. Kanao will certainly find your offer to escort her to town more tempting than going out of her way to ask for a random kakushi to accompany her.

You silence your inner rambling when you hear footsteps headed towards you. They tap a steady pace on the floorboards, approaching your unintentional hiding place. Just before you can psych yourself to step out with a greeting, the sound of her steps come to an abrupt stop.

"It is pointless to hide," Kanao calls out, her voice flat. "Come out."

"Good afternoon, Kanao-san." You leave the safety of your corner, mindful to greet her with a small bow. You keep an arm's length of distance between the both of you, more for your safety than hers. "It is good to see you again, though I'd have to disagree with your choice of words. I dropped by to check on Aoi, and when I saw you step out… I thought you would appreciate some privacy."

"I see." Kanao replies, her tone inflectionless.

"What I will apologize for, however," you draw out your sentence and pause to gauge her reaction, "Is accidentally overhearing the last bit of your conversation with Aoi. I heard you were planning to run some errands?"

"Yes," she replies, her lips thinning as she gives you a critical once over. Her expression is shut off, and she offers no other information. Well, she is nothing but consistent with her attitude towards you. It is troubling, but you prefer to deal with indifference than a bad temper.

"I was planning to go out on some business, too." You pump some energy into your voice, trying for a warmer tone. "Where are you headed?"

Kanao's eyes dart about before meeting yours again. "Why?" Her answer is curt but it is hardly difficult to read between the lines. Clearly, she suspects you of something devious.

"I might not know what you need, but I'd be able to advise you on whether the shops you plan on visiting have what you're looking for. It would be a waste of time if you went there only to find out they didn't sell it in the first place."

A look of contemplation falls over Kanao's face, before she reveals the name of the nearby town, the one you overheard Shinobu instruct her to visit. Despite how reluctant she sounds at giving you the information, you're satisfied that she at least finds you somewhat dependable. With how peacefully this encounter is playing out, you can feel your hope steadily growing.

"Oh, that's the same place I'm going too. You'd be happy to know it has a decent selection of shops," you tell her. "How about this… if you don't mind the company, why don't we head there together? I would feel better if I could watch out for you, and similarly, I'm sure Shinobu-san would be against you going alone."

Though the mansion and the surrounding villages and towns are under the Insect Pillar's jurisdiction, danger was bound to be lurking no matter how safe it was deemed. Slim as the chances were of criminals or stray demons attacking anyone in broad daylight, it is better to take precaution than to deal with regret.

Reluctant as Kanao looks, she seems to agree. She doesn't offer an immediate rejection, and instead deliberates over your words with a deep crease between her eyebrows. Her eyes flit towards your face every couple of seconds, giving you some guess of her inner turmoil. Is she annoyed by your accurate observations? Likely so. Is she clearly hesitant about allowing you to tag along? Most definitely.

As the silence draws out, the tension in your stomach rises dramatically. You wrestle down the urge to say something provocative, knowing that Kanao would simply lash out if pushed too hard.

Just as you think that, Kanao slips a hand into her pocket and takes out her coin. Your mind immediately flashes back to the time where Shinobu had told you about Kanao's past. Shinobu's older sister was certainly an oddball, if flipping a coin was the best solution could come up with… or perhaps she meant it as a stop-gap until she found a better way for Kanao to deal with it. It was unfortunate, then, that Kanao had since permanently adopted that habit after her death.

In one smooth move, she tosses the coin. You watch as it spins rapidly, seeming to be suspended in mid-air, and silently begin to pray. You have long thrown out all belief in gods after finding your father's body hanging from the rafters, but you are willing to try anything to increase the odds of your success.

Eventually, the coin lands on Kanao's open palm with a soft smack.

"We will go together," she says, the pitched note of frustration in Kanao's voice makes it clear that she isn't satisfied with the outcome. Nonetheless, you are buoyed by your good luck.

"That's…" You fish for words to convey your joy without provoking an already sour-faced Kanao. You come up with nothing. Instead, you say, "We should leave before we lose more daylight. Do you need time to prepare? I can wait at the mansion gate if so."

When Kanao shakes her head, you nod. "Alright then, let's go." You begin to turn around.

"…Kuroshio-san."

Your legs freeze mid-step, and you swivel to face her too quickly for your liking. "Yes, Kanao-san?"

"I still do not trust you." Kanao's stabbing gaze perfectly conveys her hostility. "Though you will be accompanying me, stay at a distance. I will not warn you again. I do not want to talk with you, now or ever." She sidesteps you, proceeding down the steps with a slow and measured gait.

You work your jaw, speechless at her cutting remark, the cavalier way at which she is able to tear you down. As you recompose yourself and hurry after her, you search your mind for an uplifting grandiose pep talk to banish the doubt caused by those hurtful words. You come up with nothing.

The following trek through the lower levels of the mansion is done in an unnerving quiet. There is no voice in your head, no burst of inner positivity to buoy your low spirits. Kanao makes sure to always keep several paces in front of you, not taking up the entire width of the hallway, but not giving up any extra space to let you past, either.

In the end, what saves you is the sight of the mansion doors. Kanao banks to the right to put on her footwear, her movement swift and practiced. She extends a hand to the entrance door, but it reaches a second too late. You reach it first. You slide the doors open with a flick of your wrist and shoot her a smile.

"After you, Kanao-san."

Kanao says nothing. She gives you a stiff nod before stepping outside. Her small back is slightly stooped, as if burdened by an unseen weight. You wonder if it is due to your presence, or if Kanao simply has something else on her mind.

You strengthen your resolve. Before dusk falls, you will do all you can to make her see you eye to eye. You do not wish to be another one of her demons, and the only way you can help her is if she is willing to accept it.

Drawing yourself to your full height, you step out after Kanao.

"Alright then," You work out the kink in your shoulders with a small shrug before turning to look once more at Kanao. "Let's get going."

---

"That devious scoundrel had sent me bad crop, thinking that I would be the one to receive them. However, I had suspected foul play from the start and quickly rerouted his workers to deliver them to the clients instead. Unfortunately for him, one of them was the future head of a well-connected family, and they took him had him hauled to court!"

You shake your head, unable to suppress your ridicule. His scheme would have worked on an amateur merchant, but it was his ultimate misfortune to have chosen you instead. "Once the news got out, his business was shuttered and his reputation was ruined. He wanted to swindle what amounted to pocket change, but ended up losing everything he owned. Hah!"

The silence that immediately descends is thick enough to cut. The only noise is the stiff breeze that sweeps through the plains, and the sound of Kanao's ponytail whipping against her back as her head swivels to face you. You are given a full look at her impassive face, which greatly emphasises the stilted annoyance in her eyes.

The energy you roused from narrating your tale chokes and dies a weak spluttering death. Kanao turns back to gazing down the road, not uttering a word, apparently satisfied after conveying her contempt.

"You need not say a thing. I can hear your complaints loud and clear, Kanao-san." You make exaggerated gestures at her, earning a faint jerk of her arm. For a moment, you get the absurd vision of her reaching out to strangle you. "That story hardly measured up to the previous few I told. It ended too predictably, and it probably sounded like I was singing praises of my own cleverness. But, Ilearn from my mistakes, so I promise that my next story will be humorous enough to rid you of boredom."

It hadn't missed your notice earlier that Kanao had suppressed a smile when you talked about the occasion when you had arrived at a town, only to get arrested due to your scruffy, travel weary appearance. The guards had believed you to be a bandit who had stolen a merchant's license until your business partner had arrived and convinced them that you weren't some random vagabond planning to unleash chaos.

"…you talk too much."

"I think I speaking quite well for the two of us," you say.

Kanao rolls her eyes and increases her pace. You easily catch up to her stride, given that her shorter legs can't cover nearly as much distance as yours. Amusingly, Kanao leans away from you when you come up beside her, trying to ignore whatever you had planned to say next.

Well, maybe you ought to take a break. You've been talking for the better part of this journey, and your throat has started to dry.

You swallow your words, letting your gaze wander. The road you're travelling on is well worn by the constant flow of visitors headed towards the town, and without the need to watch every step, you can take the time to enjoy the surrounding scenery. The lightly forested areas on either side of the road hum with life, the serene peace of the area occasionally broken by chittering creatures and the crackle of dried leaves blown by a stiff wind.

The awkward air lingering between you and Kanao does little to dampen the enjoyment gleaned from being so close to nature. The prodding gazes of passing travellers, however, are a different story. To outsiders, the constant gap of space that Kanao insists on maintaining probably makes it look like she's trying to shake you off her trail.

A sudden breeze sweeps through, and you let pleasant sigh slip out. "The weather is truly–"

"We have arrived."

That single sentence banishes your languid gait. You straighten instinctively, neck craning forward to peer into the near distance. At sight of the town gates, the troubles that had weighed you down at the mansion bear down up on you once again. Though you were anticipating it, you hadn't made as much progress as you'd hoped. And now, your time is nearly up.

Meanwhile, Kanao perks up, gaining a sudden burst of energy. Her pace quickens, and she charges ahead, leaving you in the dust. By the time you've registered this, Kanao has already crossed an incredible amount of distance. You end up forcing yourself into a light jog to catch up, your mind racing as it attempt to figure out what Kanao might have planned.

You know with certainty that once Kanao reaches the gates, she'll never give you the time of day again. Your chances of resolving the situation will plummet to nothing.

Before you can call out to her, the both of you have passed through the town gates. There doesn't seem to be as many people here compared to a larger town like Kakunodate, but there are enough crowds that the sounds of nature are instantly and overwhelmingly drowned out by indistinct noise and chatter.

You are left momentarily disoriented, as is Kanao, who stands motionless a little way off to your left.

Thankfully, you recover faster than she does. Quickly, you use the moment to close the distance without making it seem like you're cornering her. Kanao doesn't immediately notice your approach, too distracted in taking in the sudden shift of scenery.

The sheer bustling activity happening all around her seems to have caught her flat footed. Her reaction is hardly surprising when you consider that she rarely travels beyond the mansion. Her usual destinations would have been small villages with only a speckling of crowds, so areas inhabited by a torrential number of people would likely take her time to get adjusted to.

By the time your shadow falls over her, Kanao has managed to shake herself out of her stupor. She shoots you a sharp glare, the look tantamount to a non-verbal command to leave.

You don't acknowledge it, instead putting on a beatific smile and waiting for her to initiate a conversation. You'd prefer not to trap yourself by saying something she could use against you. You initiate a standoff with her for what feels like an uncomfortable amount of time, both of your gazes locked on each other. Eventually, Kanao ends up being the one to concede defeat.

"Kuroshio-san," she says. "You said you had something to do here."

"That's correct," you cut in. "However, since my matter does not require immediate attention, I plan to accompany you for a little longer. At the very least, I hope to help you obtain everything that you need. It is undeniable that two pairs of eyes are better than one when searching for specific items."

Your words hold just the right amount of logic that Kanao can't demand you to leave without being unreasonable. "Considering we've kept each other company up until this point, spending more time together makes little difference," you point out. "I'm sure you can bear with me for just a little longer."

Kanao's gaze shifts to the ground. The voices around you fall away as you hold your breath, waiting for the girl to respond. You've grown so used to waiting for Kanao's judgement that you no longer panic when faced with it. It is perhaps sad, but you appreciate not constantly feeling like you're balancing on the edge of a sheer cliff drop.

"Fine." Kanao snaps to attention. "But definitely not for the entire trip. I'm tired of being so near you." After saying this, she squares her shoulders, and dives straight into the nearest throng of people in an obvious attempt to lose you again.

This is it. Your final chance. It has already dawned on you early on that failing here would mean the end to your romance with Shinobu, but Kanao's words further hammer the point home.

Scraping up every last bit of courage you have left, you dive in after her.