Vol 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 02: Welcome back, Moon

She hated that smile.

She laid down for a moment, bit her lip and tightly clenched her fists. The girl forced herself to look up and smile. Her eyes were withholding something. Her mouth was tightly shut. Both her fists were shaking.

—Even now, on the verge of tears, the girl was smiling.

How many times she’s made that smile.

How many times she’s continued to smile while holding back the tears.

How many times she’s cried all alone.

The girl never cried in front of others. When she cried, it was always when she was alone.

The girl knew that even if she cried, n.o.body would help her….

While crying, she recited.

Hey G.o.d, where are you?

Hey G.o.d, are you watching me?

Hey G.o.d, do you…love me?

There was no one to answer her prayer. Still, the girl continued to pray. She continued to believe. She continued to recite.

G.o.d, I believe in you. I believe that you are watching over me.

—That’s why, I won’t cry anymore.

Declared the girl, with a smile. She forced herself to smile with a sad expression.

Aww, why wouldn’t anyone look at the girl.

The girl was always crying all alone. For a long time, she’s been crying all alone.

I wanted to protect her. I didn’t want to see her that sad again.

That’s why I reached out my hand. To save her, to protect her.

—That was a dream. A cloudy dream that faded away as soon as I woke up. When I got up and noticed that I had my fists clenched, I had already forgotten about it.

I welcomed the morning with a headache. Why were my cheeks wet? I didn’t know why anymore.

Delicious. A taste that stimulated your appet.i.te. An exquisite flavour with simple seasoning, yet remained in your mouth without making you sick of it.

I sipped that soup mouthful after mouthful and before I noticed it, the bowl was already empty.

“…Uhm, s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san, how does it taste?”

I looked at the origin of the voice. There was Luna-san fidgeting and waiting for my answer.

I would have liked to honestly say it was good, but I couldn’t do that. Luna-san was a swindler. I couldn’t be fooled by a swindler. I wouldn’t be fooled!

“More soup!”

I gave Luna-san my empty bowl.

Upon that, Luna-san energetically replied with a “Sure”, took the bowl with both her hands and headed into the kitchen. With a smile on her face that was saying “I was praised~” she stood in the kitchen, and scooped soup from the pot with the ladle in her hand….d.a.m.n. I ended up pleasing her.

Full of regret I looked down at the table.

Luna-san’s cooked food was lined up on the table. Colourful sandwiches, a salad and soup.

—Today was Sat.u.r.day. The day I eat lunch at home.

Because I said that I wanted to eat sandwiches, Luna-san made them.

But it sure was a surprise. Until just recently, Luna-san was scared of the gas oven and was talking to the refrigerator or microwave, but she now had improved a lot.

Just as I thought that she must have worked hard in the kitchen with my mother every day,

“Hey, she specially made it for you, so at least say it’s delicious.”

Sitting to my right, my mother told me off with a weary face.

By the way, beside me Nazuna was happily stuffing herself with a sandwich.

“Luna-san gave it her best to make these.”

“Really. Then I’ll also give my best by eating them.”

I answered while grabbing a sandwich, when my mother let out a sigh.

“…s.h.i.+n.o.bu, listen.”

My mother bent forwards and waved her hand. Wondering what’s up, I also bent towards her. My mother put her face close to mine and said in a small voice.

“You know, Luna-chan isn’t showing it, but she burned herself a few times when she cooked this.”

“….Really?”

“Yes. Because a certain someone said ‘I really want to eat sandwiches. I’m really craving for some soup!’ Luna-chan was really enthusiastic….”

“…I, I see.”

My mother lightly poked my forehead, then slipped back into her chair.

“A secret?”

She must have seen me and my mother. Luna-san asked that with her head tilted when she brought my refill of the soup. I just nodded vaguely and sneaked a peek at Luna-san’s hand. Like my mother had said, she had burns. Her slender long fingers were covered in bandages.

Seems like she still can’t get along with the gas oven.

Despite that she still gave it her best…

“Here, s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san.”

Luna-san handed me the refilled bowl with a smile.

“….Thanks. It… It’s delicious, this soup.”

I mumbled silently while looking the other way.

“Really? Thank you.”

She replied happily. Intrigued I looked back. Luna-san’s cheek were slightly red and accompanied by a big smile. For a moment, I was captured by that smile, so I averted my gaze in a rush.

“…What? Don’t tell me you’re feeling ashamed?”

My mother had bent over again and was looking happily at my face with a grin. She then poked my cheeks, teasing me.

“St- Stop it. Don’t touch the cheeks of the exalted me so casually.”

“Oh my, how cheeky. That’s the reason you have so few friends.”

Uhh, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

“…Wh- What’s that out of the blue, Mum. Don’t slander me without any proof.”

“Proof, huh…But you don’t have any friends.”

Stabbing my heart with a knife, my mother said wearily.

“I think it was around elementary school? When you suddenly declared ‘I’ll become strong’, shut yourself in my father-in-law’s doujo and just trained your body without playing with anyone….As a result, you’re now a lonely guy without a girlfriend, let alone friends. Reminds me, in middle school you were saying books were your friends, right”

“Stop it, Mum. I don’t want to hear such a sad story now.”

“There you go again. That’s why you aren’t popular.”

Aw, d.a.m.n. Something sparkled in my eyes…

It just got too painful, so I sought help from Nazuna, but she was still immersed in her sandwich. She was never helpful at crucial times.

“E- Ehm, s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san is not popular with girls?”

Luna-san asked that with a slightly surprised voice.

Towards Luna-san’s question, my mother

“Yes, not popular at all.”

cruelly confirmed.

“Eh? Is that so? Even though he is handsome….”

Luna-san said such a wonderful thing, but my mother blinked and said.

“Th- This idiot and handsome? This guy who’s so sadly unpopular?”

Hearing my mother’s word, Luna-san frowned.

“Sh- s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san IS handsome. The other girls just have no eyes for men!”

I didn’t know what was going on, but for a change, Luna-san got angry.

That also surprised my mother.

Nazuna was still focused on her sandwich.

“The cat~ is strong~ and cool~”

Nazuna was singing a weird song while was.h.i.+ng the dishes. Wearing a cat ap.r.o.n and happily humming ‘Meow, meow’ Nazuna didn’t notice at all that I wasn’t working on the dishes.

After being ordered by our mother to wash the dishes, Nazuna and I were standing in the kitchen like this, but…. I was bothered by something.

It was Luna-san. She had gotten used to electronic devices, so she was put in charge of vacuuming by my mother today. When my mother handed her the vacuum cleaner, Luna-san said “I know this! It is Mr. Vacuum cleaner!” with sparkling eyes.

First I had a bitter smile when I imagined Luna-san having a hard time with the vacuum cleaner, but I suddenly realised:

Luna-san was a swindler. A swindler was cleaning. Under the cover of cleaning, she would open the cupboards and get her hands on the bank book.

Not good. I left Nazuna, who was giving it her best at was.h.i.+ng the dishes, and moved to the dining room by crawling under the table for no reason. Then I opened the accordion curtain silently and peeped into the living room.

I hadn’t heard the vacuum cleaner for a while now. I was sure Luna-san was going through the cupboards right now. Believing it was my chance to catch the swindler red-handed, I peeped into the living room—-I nearly face-palmed upon seeing the scene within.

“…Uh- Uhm, why are you not moving? Did I do something to offend you? I beg you, please move. I really need to clean. So… please!”

Luna-san was frantically bowing to the vacuum cleaner and begging it to move.

….Luna-sensei, you haven’t plugged it into the electrical outlet. Without that, the vacuum cleaner “Scorpion Itou” won’t move. Please notice that already.

When I was praying “Notice it” from the dining room, after a while Luna-san finally noticed the reason the vacuum cleaner wasn’t moving. Saying “I am sorry” with a bow, she plugged the cable of the vacuum cleaner into the outlet on the wall and turned the power on while looking at the suction drain in excitement.

Aw, d.a.m.n it.

I thought I was going to catch the swindler red-handed, but was totally disappointed.

It’s not like I wanted to see Luna-san desperately apologising “I am sorry, I am sorry.” for having her hair sucked by the vacuum cleaner.

Actually, she was really bad with machines.

She was really messed around by “Scorpion Itou”, which was loudly causing havoc.

After her hair, her T-s.h.i.+rt was sucked in and Luna-san screamed “Kyaa”. Her clothes rolled up and pure white skin, a narrow waist and small navel caught my eyes.

Because it was quite an expensive vacuum cleaner, it had incredible suction power. It completely ignored Luna-san, who was pulling on the hose with an apologetic voice crying “P- Please save me~”, and strongly sucked on her T-s.h.i.+rt. Her T-short rolled up more and more, and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s started to be exposed to my view.

Apparently Luna-san wasn’t wearing a bra.

Her s.h.i.+rt got rolled up even more and her wonderful underb.o.o.bs became visible.

Her T-s.h.i.+rt, rolled up steadily towards the center of her chest, which excited me because it was going to reveal everything. That’s wasn’t all. Luna-san’s desperate action of resistance made her b.r.e.a.s.t.s sway around. For a while Luna-san was fighting like that, but then succeeded in shutting down the vacuum cleaner by chance. Luna-san let out a big sigh of relief and grabbed the vacuum cleaner. She had a strangely serious expression and was exerting quite a lot of force into the hand that was holding the vacuum cleaner. After that she cleaned the living room with cautious movements and a stiff expression, while talking to the vacuum cleaner from time to time.

The scene was so bizarre that I forgot that I had left Nazuna alone with the dish-was.h.i.+ng and just watched over the cleaning Luna-san with a smile. Then,

“Wawah! Brother is gone! But he was beside me just before!”

I could hear Nazuna’s surprised voice from behind me when she finally noticed that I was gone. When I turned around, Nazuna was looking around panicked with a sad expression, so I quickly opened the accordion curtain and hid myself in the living room. By doing that, Luna-san noticed me, stopped the vacuum cleaner and was about to say something, when I stopped her by making a “Ssh” sound while putting a finger in front of my mouth.

Luna-san gave me a questioning look, but smiled soon enough, resumed vacuuming and moved from the living room to the hallway.

“H- Huh? Brother, where are you~?”

I could hear Nazuna’s sad voice, so I stood up, combed back my hair with both my hands and raised my collar. I opened the curtain in a flash and shouted.

“A hero always comes late! s.h.i.+nomun makes his entrance!”

I just wanted to fool around a bit, but

“Wah~ It’s s.h.i.+nomun! s.h.i.+nomun came to our house!”

Nazuna had turned around on my words and was clapping her hands in awe for some reason.

Reminds me, when I played with Nazuna as s.h.i.+nomun in the past, she was always really happy….

“s.h.i.+nomun! s.h.i.+nomun!”

Nazuna was calling for me happily.

Hm, might as well continue for a bit.

“Nazucat. I’m here now, so be at ease! Leave the dishes to me!”

“I’ll also help!”

I tucked up my sleeves and stepped towards the sink. Beside me, Nazuna was full of motivation.

Since I ditched her before, I had planned to do the rest myself….Oh well, she seemed to enjoy it.

“Hey, Nazucat. The kitchen-knife is dangerous. Leave it to me.”

“Even I know how to use a kitchen-knife, okay?”

“…So you say, but you still cut your fingers quite often.”

“I… I’m still practicing!”

While I gave the pouting Nazuna just a general “Haha”, I washed the kitchen-knife.

“Yop.”

I swept the water from the kitchen-knife.

“Wah, s.h.i.+nomun, so cool. Just like a blood-swing.”

A blood-swing being the swing of your sword to get rid of the blood. Though the real thing wa more complicated… Well, she told me I’m cool, so I’m quite pleased.

“Hah! Hah!”

Becoming conceited, I took a stance like a soldier, rotating the knife into a reverse grip and although doing it so fast was quite thrilling, the movement itself was nothing special.

“B- Brother, so cool! But it’s dangerous.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, sorry.”

Nazuna had forgotten about s.h.i.+nomun and was making a worried expression. I quickly stopped my hand, when

—CUT

Mh? Cut? Having a nasty feeling, I looked down. I had cut myself. Red blood was gus.h.i.+ng out from my wrist with a *spurt*.

“Oh, it’s making *spurt*~”

There was a pain, but I just had a shallow cut in my skin. It didn’t cut a nerve or muscle. It looked worse than it was. Just a light wound. The bleeding should stop soon too.

After I realised that, I tried to put on a carefree smile, but it was different for Nazuna.

“Uwaaaa! B- Brother’s going to dieeee!”

“Hey, hey. Just how weak do you think I am? I won’t die because of something like this.”

I announced to the crying Nazuna, but probably out of anxiety she ran out shouting “Muuum~~!”. I ignored Nazuna and pressed on my wrist to stop the blood…. whereupon suddenly an “Awawa” and footsteps drew closer to me.

“Sh- s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san! Are you okay? Do not die!”

A pale Luna-san and a *hichic* crying Nazuna came rus.h.i.+ng in from the living room.

“…Hey, Nazucat. What did you tell Luna-san?”

“T- To help you…s- since you’re dying….”

“Don’t make such a big deal out it. And stop crying.”

“Geez! It IS a big deal! Blood is coming out! A catastrophe!”

For some reason Nazuna got angry.

“You hurt yourself, s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san?”

The anxious Luna-san was inspecting my body and noticed the bleeding from my wrist.

“C- Ca- Catastrophe!”

She made a sad face like Nazuna, approached me and took my arm. Then,

“….Mm. *kiss*”

She softly kissed my wound.

The sweet sensation of her soft lips made my heart skip a few beats.

“N- No, you don’t have to do this. It’s dirty.”

“It is not dirty!”

Sh- She got angry. Certainly, it’s said that saliva is effective for stopping bleeding… but it was too embarra.s.sing. I tried to quickly pull back my hand, but Luna-san had a firm grip on my arm with her right hand and wouldn’t let go.

“It’s not that deep, so no worries.”

“whont du”

Luna-san said, while looking up at me, her lips pressed against my wrist.

Seemed like she was really worried. She looked at me with a slightly angry face.

“Mm. Mm.”

When she looked at me like that, I couldn’t oppose her anymore….but it was still embarra.s.sing.

Because Luna-san was quite close to me, her soft, blonde hair grazed my body and there was even a sweet fragrance. Furthermore her breath was tickling my chest and there was an indescribable sensation from her warm lips and tongue.

—SUCK. Her lips moved as she sucked and pecked at my wrist, then Luna-san extended her tongue and carefully licked my wound gently. Whenever her pretty, pink tongue went over my wound, I felt a slight pain, but even more than that it was hot. For some reason, my body had been hot since earlier.

Luna-san continued licking me with a serious expression….It was quite erotic.

I got strangely excited.

Upon becoming aware of it, it was too late. The moment Luna-san brushed away her hair that stuck to her face with her left hand and a “Mm”, my heart went into a panic with “Holy cow!”.

“It already stopped bleeding.”

I forcefully pulled my arm back and looked at my wrist. The bleeding had stopped completely.

“See, I’m all fine now.”

I stretched out my arm.

“I am glad.”

Luna-san gasped in relief.

“Honestly, be more careful, Brother.”

Nazuna also gasped in relief with teary eyes.

….For some reason, I got all shy and automatically looked aside.

“s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san,”

I faced towards the voice.

“That was not good. Please be more careful from now on.”

Luna-san softly touched my cheek with her right hand.

A warm and soft sensation spread and heated up my cheek.

“Sorry.”

When I apologised honestly, Luna-san gave me a soft smile.

Her gentle smile was just so beautiful that I got captured inadvertently.

A smile mellow as the moon. Like it enveloped you, like it melted your heart….Such a smile.

—-Nostalgia. Suddenly I was befallen by such a mysterious emotion.

I wondered. A peaceful smile. The warmth of a hand. Emerald green eyes.

Have I met Luna-san before….?

That day, the morning when Luna-san was sleeping in my bed. Luna-san asked me “Have you forgotten?”, but that wasn’t referring to the night before…. but further in the past?

A sharp pain went through my head.

I was about to remember something, but I couldn’t. Every time I tried to remember it, the pain in my head would get more intense.

“s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san? Are you okay? Does your hand hurt?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I covered my face with my left hand and waited for the pain to subside.

I was sure I had forgotten something. I felt I had.

“…Are you really okay?”

Luna-san’s eyes suddenly entered my vision. Her clear and gentle green eyes were looking at me, worried.

….Geez. I made a big sigh in my mind.

Something was wrong with me. For thinking that this person, who was this worried about my well-being, would be a swindler…..Something was clearly wrong with me.

While I watched Luna-san putting a bandage on my wound, I wondered.

Just who was Luna-san.

I wanted to know. If I had forgotten, I wanted to remember.

The next day, I was sitting on the sofa in the living room, staring blankly at the ceiling. Since then, I’d tried to remember Luna-san, but it was no good at all. I also asked her herself “Have we met before?”, but she just brushed it away with a “It is a secret” and a vague smile.

But I couldn’t get it off my mind. Who was Luna-san and what relations.h.i.+p did she have with me?

Did we exchange a marriage vow in our childhood? Mhm~ But then it would be strange for Luna-san to call herself my “slave”….

Mhm~ Then maybe I grandly saved her, as she was bullied for being a foreigner, in my childhood and said something like “Girl, I’ll make you my slave. Follow me. Gahaha!”. I was scared of how I couldn’t deny that possibility.

“Mmmuh~ s.h.i.+nomun~ Full moon~”

Crossing my arms and leaning into the sofa, I mumbled and tried to remember, whereupon

“s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san.”

I was suddenly called from the side, so I took my gaze off the ceiling and looked into the eyes of the voice’s owner.

“Mh? Ah, Luna-san.”

There stood the blonde beauty Luna-san with her dynamite body.

“What’s up? Need something?”

“Ah, yes. Eh- Ehm, I have a favour to ask of you, s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san…”

A favour? How rare. It was the first time Luna-san said something like this.

“Well, first sit down.”

“Yes.”

Luna-san bent her knees where she stood and kneeled down on the floor.

“No, we have a sofa, so sit on that?”

When I lightly tapped the sofa, Luna-san’s eyes sparkled happily and she sat besides me.

U- Uhm. Sure, I tapped the sofa there, but I didn’t really mean right besides me.

I thought for sure she would sit down across from me, so I was a bit surprised….Well, she seemed happy that way, so why not.

Luna-san was staring at me intently while smiling.

Her long double eyelashes, her gentle eyes and her light, pink coloured lips captured me. As I thought that she had a pretty face, like usual, Luna-san’s small lips moved.

“s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san, my favour…”

For some reason she started to blush and stammer, but then she found her courage and said.

“U- Uhm, s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san. You call me ‘Luna-san’, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I want you, w- well….I want you to call me ‘Luna’.”

I answered the red Luna-san immediately.

“Noo~”

“A- An instant answer! And it was somewhat s.e.xy. s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san, please think about it at least for a bit.”

“Nah, s.h.i.+nomun is embarra.s.sed.”

“D- Don’t say that…. Ehm, would just once not be acceptable either?”

“Forcing the already embarra.s.sed me to say such a thing—-Luna-san, you perv!”

I said it to tease her, but she turned bright red.

“…I do not mind being a perv. Please call me that.”

She said that while looking up at me, so I was puzzled.

That reaction was outside of my expectations.

“W- Well, if you insist so much, for now I’ll refer to you like that in my mind.”

“There is no point in that~ Why will you not do it?”

“You’re so persistent. If you keep being so selfish I’ll add another ‘san’ and call you ‘Luna-san-san’. You won’t know anymore, if it’s supposed to be Moon or Sun.”

I surlily replied, since I was embarra.s.sed.

“….s.h.i.+n.o.bu-san you meanie.”

Luna-san—No, I was going to call her Luna in my mind—- Luna’s eyes got teary and she let out a sad “Funyuu”.

That was somewhat cute. It made me want to tease her even more and pat her head. Just when such an odd feeling befell me,

“Hey, what are you teasing Luna-chan for?”