Chapter 135: Hurt

Translator: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

"Whats the matter, Haruta-kun?" asked Natsuya concernedly when she saw Seiji looking somewhat sad.

Seiji let out an awkward cough as he averted his gaze. "It's nothing, really."

Shika Kagura had yet to wake up.

"All the spells on her have been dispelled, and theres nothing wrong with her condition. She should wake up shortly," Natsuya explained.

Seiji nodded.

After that, he carefully returned Shika back to her room in Natsuyas residence.

Having placed her on the bed and covering her with a blanket, Seiji sat down on her bedside and observed her face.

Just earlier what he had just heard was probably Shika-chans gratitude as well as her farewell

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Seiji still felt a twinge of sadness when he recalled the scene.

This was despite him knowing the young Shika-chan for barely a day.

That innocent girl who wanted to be spoiled by him and addressed him as "brother" so cutely left him with a deep impression.

This was a precious memory to him.

Seiji would never forget it.

However, as for Shika Kagura

Shika-chan wasnt Shikas main personality. It was her hidden personality. Shika herself might not remember everything that Shika-chan had experienced.

Even if Shika retained her memory after she woke up, it was likely that her recollection of the previous two days would be hazy, just like childhood memories that people could only vaguely recall.

Shika-chan was Shika Kagura.

But Shika Kagura wasnt Shika-chan.

Seijis sadness welled up again as he realized this.

Ahh, idiot. Ive actually become so lonely.

Seiji covered his face.

He was being too unseemly.

He didnt have the right to say how spoiled Shika-chan liked to act

"Mmm"

He heard a sound from the bed.

Seiji uncovered his face and looked in the girls direction.

He saw the black-haired girl furrowing her brows slightly as her eyelids slowly flickered open.

"Where... is this? Seigo Harano?"

She noticed the boy sitting by her bedside.

Seiji took a deep breath in order to calm his emotions.

"Its me." He smiled lightly. "Im delighted that youre awake, Shika Kagura."

The girl looked straight into his eyes.

"You arent happy," she stated calmly. "Youre sad, arent you?"

Seiji didnt reply.

"Youre definitely sad right now," Shika stated with certainty, continuing to stare at him. "You dont want to see me waking up."

"No!" Seiji denied instantly. "Im definitely happy to see you wake up, truly! But, at the same time, I"

I was sad at losing Shika-chan the you in the past.

How could he explain such a thing?

Should he even explain it?

Seiji was unable to say it out loud.

"I was just a little sad for a different reason unrelated to you." He forced himself to smile. "So, theres no need to think too much about it. Shika Kagura its great that youre awake again."

Shika's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Seiji's forced smile.

She felt a throbbing pain somewhere deep within her chest.

She had never experienced such a feeling before.

'Seigo Harano' she muttered his name in her heart.

"Judging by how youre acting, I think that you probably forgot already, but Ill ask anyway. Do you remember what happened during the last two days?" Seiji asked calmly.

Shika searched her memory for an answer.

"I remember that I went to the park and saw you there and then I dont know," she said after a length of time.

She felt a faint warm and happy feeling in her heart as she said this but she didnt know what it was.

Seiji sighed. "As I expected"

There was a brief silence between them.

"Ill be blunt, then." Seiji looked directly at her. "Shika Kagura, youve become our captive."

Seiji met Natsuya, who had changed out of her shrine maiden attire after he left Shikas room.

"Shes awake and she has her memories back, but she forgot what happened during her bout of amnesia. I informed her that shes become our captive, and she lost her memory at one point in time due to a hidden spell. I told her that now the spells been dispelled, we have some questions to ask her," Seiji explained.

Natsuya nodded. "It turned out the second possibility I mentioned happened: she lost her memories solely due to a spell, not because of any significant injuries to her soul At any rate, it turned out to be easier than I anticipated."

"Yeah" Seijis expression seemed a little distant.

Natsuya felt that something was off about his expression.

"Did she forget everything that happened the past two days?" the president probed.

"Yep," Seiji replied calmly. "I just told her that she lost her memory, but I didnt tell her the specifics I hope that you wont tell her either."

Natsuya blinked in surprise. "Whys that?"

"Its because those one and a half days seem meaningless now." Seiji averted his gaze. "Telling her will only increase her confusion."

Shika Kagura was a gentle girl.

Even though it was difficult to tell with her teenage self, Seiji was certain that she was a gentle person.

Thats why she would definitely feel awful and apologetic inside if she discovered what had happened in the past two days and the true reason for Seijis sadness.

None of this seemed necessary.

Shika Kagura didnt do anything wrong, so she shouldnt have to apologize or feel bad about this. That was what Seiji believed.

Thats why it was best to not say anything.

It was best to not let her know anything.

That girl already shouldered such a heavy burden, and the incident which had occurred was completely unnecessary knowledge that would only increase her burden especially at this point in time.

Natsuya took a long, deep look at Seijis face.

"Alright, I understand," she replied calmly. "I wont tell her and Ill also let Houjou-san and Hitaka know as well. Will that be alright?"

"That would be perfect Thank you."

"Theres no need for thanks."

Natsuya turned around and walked towards Shikas room.

Seiji remained in the hallway standing alone, gazing out of the window.

"Is that all you know?"

Natsuya was looking at Shika Kagura.

Shika nodded calmly.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Natsuya stood up to leave. "Before this incident is finished, please understand that Im going to have to keep you confined here.

"Someone will bring you three meals every day. If you need anything at all, you can tell me now, or you can tell Hou the person who will bring you your meals. As long as theyre reasonable requests, well fulfill them."

Natsuya waited for Shika to speak after saying this.

Shika didnt say anything.

Natsuya turned around to leave.

"I want to know," she said in a soft-sounding voice, "while I was suffering from amnesia, what did I do?"

What did I do, and just what happened?

Shika was unable to recall it no matter how hard she tried.

But she felt that something must have happened.

Whenever she tried to recall what had occurred, she felt warm, happy and important.

Natsuya footsteps paused, but she didnt turn around.

"What you did? Youll have to ask Haruta-kun no, Seigo Harano this." Natsuya hesitated for a moment before saying, "His real name is Seiji Haruta."

"Haruta" An indescribable light flashed in Shikas eyes.

"Hes an exiled Haruta," Natsuya stated calmly. "In his family, he hes always been a hated existence. Similar to you, Reapers Curse Shika Kagura.

"Also, he has a younger sister thats about the same age as you. He was probably quite concerned about you due to all these reasons. During your bout of amnesia, he was the one who took care of you.

"Not only that, if it werent for him, you might have ended up even more seriously injured, or even dead."

Shika didnt respond to this.

Natsuya walked out of the room, leaving Shika alone.

The black-haired girl sitting on the bed slowly turned to look outside the window.

"Seigo Harano Seiji Haruta."

A scene popped into her mind.

The boy that she met right when she woke up; the boy she met when she escaped to the park after losing in battle; the boy she met in the park for the first time; and his words on their first meeting.

"Shika Kagura is it? Its a beautiful name."

"I dont need you to do anything; its just that I heard you were forcefully taken here, so I thought that you might be feeling somewhat uncomfortable."

"Fine, perhaps Im just meddling."

"Maybe you dont really think you mind, but I dont want to leave you alone."

"I shall bestow the light upon you!"

"But if you dont say anything, nobody will be able to help you."

"Ill come back here again tomorrow! At this same time and place!"

All those scenes and all those sentences flashed through her mind.

Those seemingly ordinary memories suddenly felt full of warmth and color.

Her memories finally settled on the one where he was just sitting by his bedside, forcing himself to smile.

"Im delighted that youre awake."

You dont have to think. You dont need to think. Its fine as long as youre here and youre alright.

Something wet was dripping down from the corners of her eyes.

Shika felt her face with her fingers and discovered that they were teardrops.

Im crying? Why?

Shika couldnt understand the reason behind her tears.