Chapter 163 (2/2)

”I found Rouga and the thief.”

I answered him as a pointed at the thief lying on the ground. The old man got further impatient when he heard my answer and rushed towards the thief to look for his wallet.

Let's give it to him when he is done.

”Anyway, good work today, Rouga. I'm too worried to let you go back alone this time, so I will be going with you.” ”Okay~”

I praised Rouga while patting her again. Once we're back, I will call Lina and ask for her opinion on this matter. I don't want to regret not acting before it gets too late.

Meanwhilewhen Yato was following Rouga, Karen was walking in the opposite direction of the street. She was enjoying window shopping alone. The street is initially not very from where she lives.

It's time to go back

She didn't find anything of interesting to buy, so she decided to go back home and headed to it before she suddenly stopped when she turned to look at a narrow alley in her side.

Is that

She saw the back figure of her elder brother, Yato, inside that alley. He was standing with a middle-aged man and looking at someone laying on the ground. Rouga was sitting next to him, seeming to be totally exhausted.

”This is your wallet, right?”

Yato handed a wallet to the middle-aged man and talked to him. She couldn't see what he was doing exactly since she peeked on him from the back. She couldn't even hear his voice clearly because of the noise of the crowd in the street.

What is he doing?

Karen stood in her place, trying to find out what Yato was doing.

”Oh!! Thanks, Yato!! You just saved my life!!”

At that moment, she witnessed the middle-aged man embracing Yato with a deeply moved expression.

Eh

She became speechless from witnessing that sudden development.

”Hey, stop it. Disgusting. What if someone sees us?”

Yato pushed away the middle-aged man from him like it was nothing of special and looked around him to see if someone were watching them. Karen promptly hid back behind the wall and waited for him to finish confirming his surroundings.

”You're overreacting man.” ”C'mon, that fine. That's how happy I am now. My heart is throbbing.”

The middle-aged man didn't seem to be reflecting on what he did and kept revealing a smile to Yato who seemed to be in a bad mood. Anyone who could have watched them like that would surely understand that the middle-aged man was teasing Yato. but Karen reached a different conclusion.

She sorted her thoughts while calming herself behind the wall. She saw her elder brother hugging a middle-aged man. Since she didn't see how he reacted later and didn't hear their conversation, naturally, her interpretation to the situation would be different. For Karen, her elder brother, Yato was in awfully good terms with that middle-aged man.

No way, no way, no way, no way

But that's too absurd. There is no way that her brother is into guys. Even if she used to tease Saya by making her doubt that fact, Karen, herself, never saw him showing a sign of being into old men. She shook her head left and right, and casted away those absurd delusions.

”Rather, don't say that it's disgusting. It hurts you know.” ”Who would feel happy from getting hugged by an old man?!”

Yato and the middle-aged man continued their silly conversation. Now, that Karen thought about it, it looked as if the old man jumped on him all of a sudden. Yato looked extremely displeased after that, so it must be just her misunderstanding. That was the final conclusion she reached before peeking on him again.

”If you take back what you said, I will take you to more expensive place next time.” ”It can't be helped. It was just a hug, wasn't it?”

Yato's face was showing a broad smile instead of the displeased expression he was making just now.

Eh

Unable to stand the shock, Karen leaned back against the wall where she was hiding.

What's up with that smile? I almost never saw him smiling like that in my life. Was he that happy to get hugged by that man?

”You really like expensive stuff, don't you, Yato?” ”What's so wrong with that?”

Their laughing voices reached her as she hid behind the wall. Both of them were just teasing each other, but Karen got intensely shaken by Yato's friendly att.i.tude towards the old man.

No, no, no, no, wait, wait, wait wait

She desperately shook her head and tried to calm down herself before leaning to a wrong pattern of thoughts.

How could Yato get happy from a mere hug by an old man?

The phase 'Yato is into guys' floated in her mind, refusing to go away, but Karen didn't give up. Maybe it's just that brother is in good terms with that man. It's normal for friends to hug each other. That's normal, that should be normal. Rather, that should definitely be the case here.

The only question that didn't leave her mind was the reason they were in this narrow alley. She completely forgot that Yato actually doesn't have friends except for Lina and Saya. She subconsciously wanted to believe in him by throwing aside every thought that may make her doubt him more.

”But still, that wallet is full of money.” ”Yeah, I always keep it full just in case something happens.”

While Karen was convincing herself that her brother is still straight, Yato and the middle-aged man were checking the stolen wallet to see if something were missing. She imagined the two of them glancing at the wallet while having a pleasant conversation. Though, the next moment

”W-Wan (Achoo!!)”

Rouga sneezed as she looked to be in a bad form. Her sneeze created a sudden gust in the alley.

”Ah.” ”Hn?”

The middle-aged man lost his balance due to the gust and leaned on Yato who was still checking on the wallet. Yato couldn't react properly since it was already too late for him.

Let's check on them for one last time

The moment she turned to peek at them again, she saw their faces touching.

This time she went speechless even on the inside. She watched them absentmindedly and stiffly moved to hide back.

”Hey! What the heck!? You were about to make an unrecoverable miss you know!” ”My lifespan had just shrunk by this.”

Their lips were about to overlap before the middle-aged man acted swiftly and made a wall between them using his wallet. Both of them this time turned pale for what was about to happen and let out a sigh of relief.

”Rouga, you caused this wind?” ”Sorry~ I couldn't hold back for some reason.”

Rouga apologized with a sad face as she folded her ears down. Yato scolded her lightly by telling her to be careful. Thankfully, everything ended without them causing something of irreparable. But on the other hand, Karen didn't see the part of the wallet acting as a wall. She was screaming in her mind the instant she hid back, confused. What she just saw as an act usually done between guys and girls. And act done only after two people from the opposite s.e.x get intimate with each other. It wasn't something that's usually done as a joke between a teenager and an old man, definitely.

That's without a doubt

Karen was overtaken by utter despair as she lifted her head and gazed at the sky. She did her best in convincing herself that her elder brother would never be into guys, but now, it was no longer possible. Her brother and that middle-aged man were in that kind of relationships.

Let's go back

The moment she gave up, a great feeling of guilt crushed her spirit. She didn't see anything. She didn't see them hugging each other. She didn't see them kissing and happily talking with each other. If possible, she wanted to erase those memories from her mind, forever. With her face totally pale, Karen headed back him with fast steps as she prayed to forgot about what she saw in that narrow alley.

Yato headed back home, utterly ignorant to the truth that someone was watching him.

The thief got arrested by the old man and sent to the police station. I placed Rouka inside the servitude magic s.p.a.ce since I was worried that she may run out of control again. I should have done that from the start, but it can't be helped now. Because of my carelessness, I ended up almost making a terrible mess.

”Don't rush anywhere until you recover.” ”Okay, sorry~”

Rouga apologized when I ordered her in a tired voice. Even though nothing happened, I still get a chill everytime I recall that moment. I need to do something about Rouga's health as soon as possible. Things must be serious when only her sneeze caused strong wind. With that decision in mind, I took out my phone to call Lina. It's still the afternoon, she should be free right now. I called her phone number and waited for her to respond.

”h.e.l.lo?” ”Lina, do you have some time?” ”What is it so suddenly?” ”I need your help in something.”

I told her about Rouga's condition briefly and asked for her help. Lina quietly contemplated for a few seconds before she made a suggestion.

”I have a few ideas, but I need to see her directly first. Let's meet somewhere.” ”Okay.”

Deciding on a place where we will meet, I cut the conversation. As I thought, Lina could help me out in finding a resolution for this problem.

”Let's go.”

I hurriedly walked to a place out of public sight to teleport to the designated location we agreed on.

Bonus

Maybe it's possible.

”By the way, Rouga. When did you start feeling unwell?” ”This morning.” ”Really, just this morning and your sneeze caused that strong gust? I'm glad I noticed your condition before it got too late.” ”But I am now able to do things I wasn't able to do until today.” ”Like what?” ”Like howling.” ”You'd better not howl near anyone except for me.”

Next Update: Wednesday, August 22, 2018