[Interlude Part 3] Yurizono Seia: My Own Painter

"Do you have some unpleasant memories associated with the rain, Esumi?"

Was she grieving, or was she harboring anger? Or perhaps she was muddledly mixing those two emotions together. Clutching a large rain umbrella entirely unsuited for her petite frame, Yurizono Seia stood at the academy's entranceway with a deeply stern expression.

Beyond the girl's line of sight, faced with a torrential downpour that occurred perhaps once or twice a year in the Trinity district, was the figure of Kayama Esumi, who had only recently been discharged from the hospital.

Was she planning to head home right then in the middle of this deluge? No, there was no umbrella clenched in her hands to protect her from the harsh rain. With neither luggage nor a bag, it was less like she was standing at the entrance to return home, and more like she had deliberately walked out to the entryway just to gaze directly at the torrential rain.

Moreover, Esumi felt somewhat eerie just then.

Even though her health had successfully recovered and she was spending her days freely painting as before, she seemed to harbor some lingering attachment to this rain. Unlike the usual Esumi, Seia could not shake the feeling that the person reflecting in her eyes was someone entirely different.

It stirred a sort of fear and anxiety within her—the dread that if she left her unattended like this, She might eventually step out into the pouring rain and vanish somewhere, dragging along Kayama Esumi, who was such a precious existence to Seia.

Thus, Seia hurled those words toward Esumi's devoid-of-life back... a question filled with sadness and anger.

At that, Esumi's shoulders twitched slightly, and her face turned slowly toward Seia. Her neatly refined beauty and jade-colored eyes were something Seia never grew tired of looking at, no matter how many times she saw them. Her pale blue hair, usually bundled in a chignon because it would get in the way when painting, swayed faintly, revealing the face of the Kayama Esumi that Seia knew so well.

"...Yurizono... are you heading back now?"

There was no change in her expression. Furthermore, the words issuing from her lips carried neither intonation nor emotion. Her voice was inorganic, as though it had slipped out naturally simply because Seia was standing before her with an umbrella.

Seia's eyes narrowed tightly out of displeasure.

"Esumi, don't you think answering my question should come first? In such a terrible downpour, I hardly think you intended to go home empty-handed without an umbrella, but seeing you standing there blankly in the doorway, it seems you have some thoughts regarding the rain."

".........That's none of your business."

"No, it is my business. It very much is."

"…?"

Esumi's head tilted slightly to the side.

"You are a precious existence to me. We aren't blood-related, but I consider you family. That's precisely why worrying about you, cloaked in an atmosphere as though you might vanish at any moment, is entirely natural, and don't you think wanting to know what happened in the past is only expected?"

"........."

She offered no reply. However, whether she was convinced by Seia's argument or stunned yet exasperated by the mention of family, Esumi let out a sigh, shrugged her shoulders, and turned her jade eyes back toward the heavy rain outside.

Seia accepted this reaction not as a rejection but as an acquiescence, quietly stepping up beside her and, following Esumi's lead, casting her own gaze outward.

"...It's a terrible rain."

"...Indeed it is."

Just as Seia muttered, it was a terrible downpour.

The way the rainwater poured down onto the ground and buildings was no longer an exaggeration to call beating rain directly against them; completely unlike a watering can for plants, it fell as if pouring from a high-pressure shower—a wildly violent deluge nonetheless.

It presumably hadn't reached the disaster level of causing river flooding yet, but what would happen if someone stepped out into this condition without an umbrella? It was obvious that they would be drenched to the skin in an instant.

Here, Seia's gaze dropped to the umbrella in her hand, given to her by her close friend Kio with the words, "The forecast says it's going to rain, so you should keep it just in case."

There might be no problems with its durability or convenience, but facing this severe downpour, no umbrella could possibly be of much use. The direction of the falling rain was blown back and forth by moderately strong winds, and almost certainly, even with an umbrella, one would be pelted and soaked by the rain.

"Good grief, what a predicament," Seia clouded her expression unhappily, but when she glanced at Esumi standing beside her, she saw her gazing at the downpour with a somewhat pained look. Seeing that, Seia closed the mouth she had half-opened, paused briefly, and then mustered her resolve to speak.

"What do you intend to do today, Esumi?"

Without moving her face, Esumi's gaze shifted slightly toward Seia.

"...Do about what?"

Her voice remained as inorganic as ever.

The Esumi that Seia loved was not someone who produced such a cold, rusted voice. The usual Kayama Esumi was someone who let you hear a voice filled with warmth, exuding a touch of annoyance at times, yet overflowing with love.

She allowed Seia to harbor the illusion that she was treating her truly as family, as an elder sister. Yet the voice emitting from Esumi now was cold like a stranger's, ruthlessly seeming to reject Seia with a "Don't get involved with me," making her chest ache.

However, Seia continued her words without flinching.

"With this heavy rain, leaving this academy on foot should be impossible for a while. If you try to force your way home, you'll instantly be battered by the rain and risk falling ill at worst."

"...That might be true."

"You don't mean to go home in this rain, do you?"

"I wouldn't do such a thing. I plan to hole up in the workshop for a while and wait for the rain to stop."

"Even if this rain continues to pour all day?"

At that, finally, Esumi turned not just her gaze, but her beautiful face toward Seia as well.

"Yurizono, what are you trying to say?"

Yet both her gaze and her words remained cold.

Suppressing the urge to look away, Seia stared straight into Esumi's eyes and forced an unaccustomed smile. Then she replied:

"Even if it's a coincidence, since we've met like this, why don't we head home together for a change, Esumi?"

[????????]

"Let me introduce you, Seia. This is Kayama Esumi-san, who will be taking care of you from now on."

One day. Iō Tsukusu—the existence Seia could call a master in the use of abilities—visited Seia bringing along a single girl, smiling from the bottom of her heart as she abruptly said, "I have good news for you."

That girl was a striking beauty with a finely refined visage and a gentle atmosphere that didn't look out of place even standing next to Tsukusu, who was over 170 centimeters tall. She was such a compelling person that even Seia unconsciously muttered, "She's a beauty." Seeing Seia's attitude, Tsukusu smiled wryly in a troubled manner.

"Now, now. Esumi-san went out of her way to make time to come here, so taking that kind of attitude is disrespectful to her, Seia."

"It doesn't matter, does it? I don't recall ever asking Master even once, 'Please find someone to take care of me.' It's unsolicited meddling. If anything, it's a nuisance."

Seia twitched her animal ears, emphasizing her displeasure so anyone could tell. However, as if she had anticipated such a reaction, Tsukusu continued speaking without a care.

"Now, now, don't be like that. In just a few months, I'll be graduating from the academy. Since my path after graduation is already decided, the time I can remain in this district is limited to these next few months. When that happens, there won't be anyone left to support you by your side. Are you fine with that?"

"I'm already fine on my own. Just yesterday I was able to freely pilot the yacht I own, and there were no problems with my physical condition whatsoever. I think I can live quite well on my own from now on?"

"Yet here you are bedridden right now. Naturally, there might be fatigue from yesterday, but knowing you, you must have triggered a precognitive dream again last night and severely depleted your stamina."

"........."

"It seems I hit the mark. Well, since your stamina is severely drained, I have no intention of forcing you to get up. However, at least offer a greeting to Esumi-san, who will be my successor."

With that, Tsukusu softly whispered "I leave her to you" to the beauty standing beside her, and the girl named Esumi nodded back slightly. Then, with quiet footsteps, she moved over to the bedside where Seia was lying down and opened her mouth toward Seia, who was still turning her face away.

"Hello. My name is Esumi. Tsukusu-san asked me to take care of you starting today, so I look forward to working with you."

"........."

"Seia. Since she introduced herself of her own accord, you should at least return the greeting as a matter of courtesy. Please... won't you?"

As Tsukusu spoke with a radiant smile—no, rather, exerting pressure wrapped in a smile—Seia turned her face toward Esumi with stiff movements. Then, looking somewhat reluctant, she opened her small mouth:

"Seia... I am Yurizono Seia."

"I see. What a lovely name. But as a personal request of mine, would you mind if I call you Yurizono from now on? Calling you by your first name feels a bit too embarrassing."

"...Do as you like. But as for me, I have no intention of calling you by your surname or first name, nor do I have any desire to get along with you. From now on, I will treat you as if you don't exist."

"...Hah."

Tsukusu let out a deep sigh, looking either troubled or exasperated. However, she didn't scold Seia any further for her rude attitude; instead, as if to say her purpose was fulfilled, she quickly departed with Esumi.

"Esumi-san will be coming over once a week from now on. Please, try to get along with her, Seia."

Leaving those words behind as she departed, Tsukusu's tone was laden with the anxiety of an elder concerned for Seia's well-being.

"...No matter how many times she comes, I have no intention of changing my mind."

However, Seia coldly retorted, muttered "I'm tired," sank her body back into the bed, and closed her eyes.

This was the first meeting between Kayama Esumi and Yurizono Seia. Their very first conversation.

Afterward, just as Tsukusu said, Esumi began diligently visiting Seia without fail every weekend.

If asked why weekends, it was the simplest of reasons: since Esumi attended the academy as a student, holidays meant she didn't have to worry about studies or curfew times, but conversely, this also meant there were no restrictions set on the duration of her stay with Seia.

Therefore, for Seia, whose desire to get along with Esumi was virtually nonexistent, she ended up spending almost the entire day watching Esumi read in the corner of the room or sketch intently with a sketchbook in hand—resulting in far more time spent observing Esumi than actually exchanging words.

Of course, Esumi would occasionally speak up a few times, and Seia would reply with a word or two. But that was all. At all times, Seia refused to soften her cold attitude toward her, constantly maintaining her stubborn stance that she had no intention of becoming close with her. For her part, Esumi rarely sought to actively involve herself with Seia; whenever days arrived when Seia's health was good enough for her to move about actively outdoors, Esumi would simply stay behind to watch over the room and await her return, thoroughly adhering to the role of an emergency caretaker.

Yet why on earth did Seia stubbornly refuse to grow close to Esumi?

The reason lay in Seia's ability: precognition.

Seia was one of the few girls in Kivotos—no, rather, she was uniquely possessed of an exceptionally high level of precognitive ability. Future, present, past. Seia was capable of observing all of them and seeing them with her own eyes.

Therefore, by passing through those precognitive dreams, it was possible to grasp a person's character and existence to a certain extent; even if it was a first meeting in the present world from the other's perspective, for Seia, it could be called a long-awaited reunion. Thanks to that, as long as it was someone she had seen once in a precognitive dream, Seia could gauge their sense of distance a bit and interact with people with peace of mind... but she alone, Kayama Esumi, was different.

Future. Present. Past. Her existence could not be confirmed in any of them, and furthermore, not once had Seia ever dreamed of her since meeting her directly through Tsukusu's introduction. She was like a ghost whose very presence in Kivotos was doubtful. That was the person Kayama Esumi was.

For what it's worth, Tsukusu, whom Seia revered as Master, was an ability user specialized in future sight, and the story went that Esumi had appeared in one of her precognitive dreams just once. Even so, it was far too unnatural that Esumi never appeared in the dreams of Seia, who possessed an extremely high precognitive ability—so much so that Tsukusu happily acknowledged, "It's a wonderful ability. Truly a superior version of mine."

A person of whom one would sincerely want to doubt, "Is she truly a resident of this Kivotos world?" was, of all things, taking care of Seia in place of Tsukusu. Because she had never been seen in precognitive dreams, her personality and the thoughts hidden in her heart were entirely unknown. Moreover, from society's perspective, Seia was still a young middle school student. Being right in the middle of puberty, it was only natural for Seia to show a rejection reaction toward her.

Several days later, on a day when Seia's health was unusually good enough for her to move her body, she visited her master, Tsukusu, and asked her:

"Why did you make her my caretaker, Master?"

Tsukusu, who should have been graduating from Trinity General School very soon, had been spending her days looking quite exhausted lately, muttering, "The troublesome cleanup is finally over..." However, when her beloved pupil Seia went to see her in person, Tsukusu welcomed her with a radiant smile as always. And with a smile that unnecessarily overemphasized joy among the human emotions, Tsukusu replied with these words:

"How do you view her, Seia?"

It was a question returned in response to a question. Even Seia was taken aback, but quickly shifting her mindset, she answered after pondering for a moment:

"She is... practically a ghost."

"Oh, what a rather interesting opinion. What is the reason for that?"

"...She is certainly a person who actually exists in this world. She has a family registry and is enrolled in the academy. If you look through past net news and articles, you can know everything about the circumstances leading up to her becoming a painter."

"Yes, indeed. That's right. Esumi-san is certainly someone who exists properly on record. There doesn't seem to be anything strange to think about there."

"Even so, I don't understand the reason why she never appears in my precognitive dreams at all. It's not that I'm conceited about my ability being superior to Master's or anything. But even though she exists on record and spends her days as a well-known celebrity in society, the fact that she never shows her face only in my precognitive future is far too bizarre."

"However, Esumi-san appeared in my precognitive dream once. As fellow bearers of precognition, since there is an actual precedent, we should believe it."

When Tsukusu uttered those words with a resolute attitude, Seia darted her gaze restlessly around, still looking unconvinced. She was like a child resenting her parents for refusing to listen. Maintaining her smile, Tsukusu moved her 170-centimeter tall frame closer to Seia and gently placed her hands on both of Seia's shoulders.

"This is advice as your master. Seia, it seems you have unconsciously become dependent on your own ability."

"Dependent?"

"Yes. If they appear in a dream, that person undoubtedly exists. The figure shown in the dream must be that person's truth... instead of viewing things in reality, you are looking at others relying on your ability. Let me state it plainly. That is a poor move, Seia."

"..."

"That being said, compared to me who can only see the future, you, who can see even the past and the present, must be struggling immensely with your way of life even without me saying this. However, precognition is ultimately just one ability. While it remains a convenient ability at times, continuing to place blind trust in it turns it into an unnecessary filter."

Making a circle with both hands in front of Seia's eyes exaggeratedly, Tsukusu mimed putting on glasses.

"You must not fundamentally deny an existence right before your eyes simply because they don't appear in your precognitive dreams. Since ancient times, humans have gathered countless pieces of information using their own eyes. Of course, combined with your precognitive power, that information becomes certain. But Seia, you are still young. Far too young. Your life experience is still insufficient to properly connect what you've seen directly with your own eyes and what you've seen through precognition."

Placing her hands back on Seia's shoulders, Tsukusu began shaking her gently this time. Seia's petite body began to sway back and forth from side to side under Tsukusu's hands.

"Furthermore. As your master and as a fellow wielder of precognitive ability, I can teach and guide you, but unfortunately, you lack something indispensable for your growth."

"...And what is that..."

"It is love, Seia. Love. Cherishing others, caring for others, respecting others' feelings. When you hit a wall in your future life, you need a haven of the heart to support you by your side."

"And you lack that, Master?"

"Yes. Ever since I was born, I have been a dyed-in-the-wool politician who gets absorbed in political maneuvering and deception. Truly living each day happily to utilize and be utilized by others and secure far-off profits and prosperity... I am a hopelessly coldhearted woman indeed. Thanks to that, even if I can understand people's hearts, I have never truly loved another person. And probably, I never will."

"........."

"Do you think someone like that can become a haven for your heart? When you are troubled, exhausted, or in despair, I can certainly extend a saving hand myself. But if asked whether that hand holds the warmth to wrap around and embrace your heart, I would answer no."

Seia focused her consciousness on Tsukusu's hands resting on her shoulders. Just as she said, metaphor or not, she could feel no warmth coming from Tsukusu's hands. The petite girl's gaze dropped sadly to the ground.

"Then... what should I do?"

"Fufu, that is precisely why I made Esumi-san your caretaker."

Giving the girl's shoulders a gentle pat, Tsukusu's hands pulled away. In response to Esumi's name cropping up here, Seia's gaze slowly turned toward Tsukusu.

"That is the answer to the question you asked me at the beginning. Why did I make the artist Kayama Esumi the caretaker of Yurizono Seia? Because she is someone who will love you."

"She will... love me...?"

Seia's eyes narrowed with distrust at what basis she could make such an assertion. Yet even when met with such a gaze, Tsukusu didn't mind it at all, instead nodding repeatedly as if amused.

"She is a mysterious person. A dyed-in-the-wool artist who loves art, loves fine arts, and would burn away even her own life for the sake of that field. But at the same time, she is capable of loving people as well. Fufu, no... to be precise, she pours her love equally upon all people living on this land of Kivotos."

Stepping away from Seia, Tsukusu next walked over to the countless paintings hanging on her room's wall. Those were genuine masterpieces she had received directly from the artists Tsukusu had supported up until now. Among them were several works by Esumi that she had purchased outright. The smile plastered across Tsukusu's face grew even deeper.

"Naturally, artists aren't very fond of socializing. Well, there might be exceptions, but most artists are extremely shy, possess high pride, and usually pay no heed to anything outside themselves. If not, they wouldn't be able to produce one-of-a-kind masterpieces spoken of down through posterity, so one could say this is slightly inevitable."

"Yet you're saying she... Kayama Esumi alone was completely different from other artists?"

With numerous paintings in the background, Tsukusu turned back happily.

"Her eyes. Whether looking at me or anyone else, deep within her eyes there was always a gentleness filled with merciful love. As if she genuinely loved and cherished every single person living in this world."

"........."

"Seia. Just as you said at first, she might indeed be somewhat strange. Even though she isn't an adult with a wealth of life experience, being a student just two or three years younger than me yet holding a constant respect and affection for all people living in this world is an utterly hard-to-believe story."

Then Tsukusu continued forcefully, "That's precisely why."

"I became convinced that someone like her, somewhat divorced from common sense, would undoubtedly be able to become a sanctuary for your heart. Listen well, Seia. This isn't a scene seen through precognition. Using my life experience thus far as nourishment, my intuition is telling me so."

"...Master."

"Seia. Whether to trust her or not. To decide that at this stage is far too early. First, rather than relying on precognition, look at her with those eyes bestowed upon you since the moment you were born into this world. If you still say you cannot accept her existence, I will consider things then as well. Is that alright?"

Instead of answering, Seia nodded back heavily with a reluctant air. And from this day onward, Seia began actively involving herself with Esumi of her own accord. Where that result ultimately led, there is no need to explain at this late hour.

[1-2]

"Esumi, between a bath and a shower, if I recall your preference was... which one?"

"A shower, please."

Pitter-pattering around the room busily and cutely, Seia prepared two sets of changes of clothes on the bed and then dashed off toward the bathroom.

Watching her retreating figure, Esumi narrowed her eyes sleepily, moved her body awkwardly, sat down on the edge of the bed with a soft plop, and let out a heavy sigh.

"...Why am I in her room... me?"

Esumi had accidentally met Seia at the academy's entranceway and had a brief conversation with her on the spot. Outside, it was still a heavy downpour. Esumi had originally planned to kill time inside the academy as she was, but before she knew it, she was forcibly bundled into a car owned by Seia (driven by Seia herself), and before she knew what was happening, she had been invited into Seia's room.

Incidentally, perhaps due to her inauguration as the next head of the Sanctus branch, the room Seia currently lived in was vastly larger and more luxurious compared to the room she had lived in before. She almost mistook it for a suite in a luxury hotel. Honestly, it didn't feel very settling.

"..."

For now, Esumi turned her eyes toward the change of clothes prepared by Seia. There lay sleepwear. Yes, sleepwear. It seemed that tonight, Esumi would be spending the night in Seia's room. Politely enough, the sleepwear prepared was a perfect fit for Esumi's build. She didn't recall ever publishing her three sizes, which felt rather mysterious. Could it be—though she could hardly believe it—that this had been prepared in advance for a day like today?

"...It's useless to worry about it..."

Knowing her. She either relied on her close friend Kio or slyly acquired Esumi's medical checkup records.

Since the person in charge of health management for both Esumi and Seia was Aomori Mine, who had assumed office as the next commander of the Knights Hospitaller, the possibility that she squeezed it directly out of her was also plausible. Be that as it may, her relationship with Seia was reasonably long, and now that Seia knew her three sizes, she neither felt embarrassed nor had any inclination to get angry that her private information had been found out without permission.

Esumi lay down on the bed, looked up at the room's ceiling, and stretched her dominant hand straight out.

Her dominant hand, which had become hypersensitive to touch. The black leather glove she wore to alleviate those symptoms.

She clenched and opened her hand several times, repeatedly confirming the sensation of her dominant hand. Naturally, even wearing the glove, there was still some unnaturalness in the feeling, but honestly, it didn't interfere with her daily life to a problematic degree. Even after leaving the hospital, there seemed to be no particular worsening, and the chronic arm pain from overuse she had originally suffered from stopped bothering her entirely after she received stronger prescribed medication from the hospital.

Lowering her dominant hand with a satisfied look, Esumi exhaled deeply and closed her eyes this time. Then she turned her consciousness to the sound of the rain outside entering her ears. And wouldn't you know it, she could hear it—the howling cry of the abominable, wildly violent weather piercing straight through walls and windows.

Almost forgetting how to breathe, Esumi carefully inhaled and exhaled in small breaths, keeping her consciousness strong so as not to be defeated by the sound of the rain.

However, the rainwater that should have been lashing against the building transformed into the sensation of directly attacking her own body, the sound of the rain gradually growing louder and fiercer, and she fell under the illusion of being surrounded by rain on all sides. Even so, Esumi endured desperately to keep her consciousness firm.

Then, pat—someone's hand was placed on her shoulder. A mysterious sense of relief, as if someone had held up a single umbrella from behind to protect her amidst the harsh downpour, instantly enveloped Esumi's body.

When she opened her eyes, there was Seia's figure, wearing a worried expression.

"...Esumi. Are you alright?"

"...Yurizono... am I making a terrible face right now, by any chance?"

"Yeah. Terrible... Moreover, quite terrible, like a corpse. If you feel unwell, you should go take a shower quickly. Towels and a hairdryer are already prepared over there, so let's get you sitting up with the change of clothes here."

Seia's gaze flicked momentarily toward the room's window where the rain could be seen, making a somewhat hesitant face, but she immediately switched her expression and pulled Esumi up.

Rising with the change of clothes in hand, Esumi stared at her with an apologetic expression the next moment.

"...Sorry for causing trouble, Yurizono."

"It's fine. Until now, you've saved me many times... Besides, compared to those painful days during the four months you were asleep in the hospital, I'm relieved to be able to support you by your side like this."

"...You've changed somehow compared to before. You look a little reliable."

"Oh, just a little? Rather, for today only, you're welcome to bury your face in my chest and sleep, you know. Well, compared to Esumi's large, comfortable chest, my chest is quite meager and firm. Besides, I'm far too petite to have a build that could wrap around you, so even if I made such a pretentious proposal, it would have been useless, wouldn't it?"

She self-deprecatingly exaggerated and even gave a bitter smile. Esumi watched her with a stunned look, but a moment later, she let out a small chuckle of Fufu, smiled warmly, and gently stroked Seia's head.

"You're cheeky for someone who always sleeps using people's chests as a pillow, Yurizono. Besides, I like your appearance, and watching you heals me, so you don't need to worry... Also, thank you for proposing we sleep together. I might actually be in the mood for that now."

"Ho... then it seems it's safely decided that we'll be sleeping together today."

"Just so you know, I won't use your chest as a pillow, alright?"

"Hmph. That is to say, my chest is far too meager, making it practically impossible to serve as a pillow substitute like Esumi's, is that what you're saying?"

"To begin with, I don't use people's chests as pillows anyway... To be honest, I get my chest groped by people quite often, but you're the only one I sleep on as a pillow."

"...You've been groped?"

Seia showed a deeply shocked look at this point. Frowning, she glared at Esumi. In contrast, Esumi froze for just a split second, realizing she had accidentally blurted out something she shouldn't have, but quickly recovered.

"Don't worry, it's nothing lewd. It's just within the realm of ordinary pranks, and I've never once been groped as part of that kind of activity so far............ probably?"

"Probably!? Wait just a second, Esumi, who was it?! Who groped your chest?! With that remark just now, I've become terribly worried about your sense of chastity!"

A carefree young lady with pink hair crossed her mind. Remembering how she had almost ended up in that kind of act with that girl just once in the past, Esumi grew evasive. However, for Seia, who strongly believed in her adored Esumi as someone who would undoubtedly slam down a NO to lewd acts and continuously avoid crisis situations, that previous remark was a commodity comparable to a bomb.

Naturally, Esumi properly explained that particular incident to Seia to clear up the misunderstanding, but as a result, Seia strongly pleaded, "Then I want to take a bath with Esumi too!!" and somehow, her plan to just take a shower turned 180 degrees into bathing together with Seia.

"Uhm... I'll warn you beforehand, you aren't planning to get in for that kind of purpose, right?"

"No need to worry. I've never looked at Esumi that way until now. We're just taking a bath together normally, I have no intention of making any moves."

"...Right."

Be that as it were, Esumi remained constantly on guard throughout, utterly unable to believe that words could say anything, but unexpectedly, true to her word, Seia didn't touch her body at all. Instead, she offered a mysterious warning: "I've come to understand this by watching, but Esumi's body is far too dangerous. Being such an enticing fruit, it wouldn't be strange for someone to devour her body someday. Please be careful."

Afterward, enjoying chatting with Seia to the point of completely forgetting about the wild downpour outside and passionately discussing their recent updates, Esumi—whether one should call it as expected—got into bed where Seia buried her face in Esumi's chest, embracing each other, and drifted off into a deep sleep just like that.

Before falling asleep, Esumi whispered her gratitude:

"Thanks to Yurizono, I might be able to sleep safely without worrying about the rain outside... It's hindsight, but thank you for forcibly dragging me into your room... And, good night... You'll be a third-year soon, won't you? Every day will get busy, but spending a day like this together every once in a while might not be so bad..."

Stroking the fluffy-haired girl's head, Esumi sank her head into the high-end pillow made of fine material. In contrast, Seia, pressing her face against Esumi's chest, gave no reply, instead putting strength into the arm wrapped around Esumi's back. Their distance tightened snugly, and her face buried itself even further into Esumi's chest.

Then she closed her eyes, enveloped in Esumi's scent, and directed her consciousness toward the firmly audible heartbeat of Esumi.

(I too... if possible, I want to stay like this with Esumi forever... Those four nightmarish months you kept sleeping... I blamed myself the whole time. I finally saw your future. Yet I refused to believe it, and kept turning my eyes away from reality... The result was that. A scar that would never fade for the rest of your life was carved into your right hand, and unluckily, even the art club, which was your haven of the heart, was taken away... Furthermore, I don't know what kind of grudge you hold against the rain, nor do I hold a saving hand for it... I hate myself... That's why, I want you to watch... This time for sure, I will protect you... I will protect you.)

Having grown exhausted, before she knew it, Esumi had begun sleeping deeply while emitting soft snores. Picking up that sound with her animal ears, Seia finally pulled her face away from Esumi's chest and gently cast her gaze toward her right before her eyes. There was the finely refined face of a beautiful girl that, no matter how many times she looked at it... no, she would never grow tired of seeing for all eternity.

On that day when she first met Esumi through Tsukusu's introduction, Esumi's height hadn't yet reached her current 160 centimeters, and her face still retained a bit of childishness. Several years had passed since then. One had solidified her career as a painter, while the other had become the next head of the Sanctus branch. Time flies fast. Unfortunately, Seia's height and build hadn't changed drastically, but she prided herself on having grown at least a little bit.

"And all of that is thanks to you being by my side... Esumi."

A smile spilled across Seia's expression.

"...My name is Yurizono Seia... From now on, you are my guardian angel..."

Immediately after, the girl quietly brought her face close. Then, pressing her small, soft lips against something, she closed her own eyes as well with a satisfied look.

[????????]

"Are you... not harboring any dissatisfaction about becoming my caretaker?"

Raising only her upper body from the bed, Seia awkwardly threw out that question. Beyond her line of sight, Esumi, who had been drawing with a sketchbook in hand, stopped the movement of the pencil she had been driving until just moments before and looked at Seia with a surprised expression.

"I'm surprised. For you to speak to me of your own accord."

"It's nothing... I was lectured by Master the other day, and just thought I'd narrow the distance between us a little bit."

"I see, Tsukusu-san."

Spilling a smile looking convinced, she shrugged her shoulders amusedly.

"As for that question just now..."

"Whether I have any dissatisfaction about becoming your caretaker? Goodness, not at all. There's no such thing."

"Really? You should be a fairly famous painter in this Trinity district. Considering the production of your works, you must feel that spending time taking care of a sickly younger person in a place like this is rather a waste. If Master forced you into it, you can refuse. You should cherish your own time."

Tilting her face slightly to the side, Esumi asked:

"In that case, taking care of you is also precious time to me."

"...Huh?"

Seia's eyes went round, and her mouth dropped open in a daze.

"What are you... saying..."

"Yurizono, you seem to be under a misunderstanding, but I have absolutely no dissatisfaction with taking care of you, nor have I ever thought this time is a waste. It's true that I can't produce oil paintings in preparation for your health worsening, which is a pity, but I can still draw with a sketchbook in hand like this. To begin with, taking care of you is only once a week... rather than holing up in the production room all the time, being forced to go outside occasionally is necessary, you see."

Wagging the pencil gripped in her right hand, Esumi continued:

"Therefore, you can rely on me without holding back. I might pale in comparison to you, but I think I can hold moderately difficult conversations with you, and if needed, I'll also take charge of grocery shopping and cleaning your room for you. The one right before Yurizono's eyes right now isn't Kayama Esumi, known to the world as a famous painter. I am a single girl in charge of taking care of you, lending my strength solely for your sake... Kayama Esumi, who belongs exclusively to Yurizono Seia."

With that, she told Seia with a wry smile, "Of course, if I'm a nuisance, you can dismiss me right now, you know," before dropping her gaze back to the sketchbook and returning to work.

Perhaps in the usual flow, Seia would have cut off the conversation around this timing. Unlike Seia, who was still pouring her gaze onto her, Esumi continued to draw as if it were her everyday scenery.

"........."

Seia moved her half-opened mouth several times, but no voice came out. Was she nervous? Or could she not think of words? Seia had initiated the conversation herself and spoken like this, after all. At least the other person didn't hold a bad impression of Seia. Even though she had kept up such a rude attitude all this time. Returning to the previous situation here of all places was the one thing she must not do.

The girl regulated her breath.

She must have been told by her master, Tsukusu. Rather than relying on precognition, she should look at her with her own eyes. And so the girl began to move.

Springing right out of bed with that momentum, she walked over on her own toward Esumi, who wore a look of surprise. Today was unfortunately a day when Seia's health wasn't great. Just moving her feet step by step was exhausting. Yet even so, Seia desperately forced her body to move and reached Esumi's side.

"...Yurizono, are you alright?"

Frowning anxiously, Esumi stared at Seia's face. Staring fixedly into those beautiful jade-colored eyes, keeping her consciousness firm so as not to collapse, Seia extended one of her hands toward her. Esumi's gaze turned momentarily toward the extended hand.

"...A do-over."

"...Pardon?"

"A do-over of that day. Right here and now, let me greet you just once more."

Her trust in her was still low, and it was a difficult situation to rely on her for everything. Even so, there was no falsehood in the words Esumi had spoken just now, and within those jade eyes, just as Tsukusu had said, a gentleness filled with merciful love existed.

Then she should believe it. Taking this opportunity to gradually close the distance with her, she would grasp all of her personality, character, and traits. It's fine, fortunately or unfortunately... both of them had plenty of time.

"...My name is Yurizono Seia... From now on, you are my guardian angel..."

Her very own caretaker. Her very own Kayama Esumi. At the present moment, a sense of ownership that didn't resonate in Seia's heart at all. When would this change? Tomorrow? Months from now? Or years from now?

"Indeed... Nice to meet you again. I am Esumi."

Esumi gently clasped Seia's bluntly extended hand with her right hand. Gazing at Esumi's beautiful face, Seia strongly wished that a happy future would visit them both.