Chapter 82

Nikami POV

I walked with the boy, a loud silence between the two of us. I caught him staring at a stall, and I took a glance at it as well. I saw a man putting some spices on top of a roasted potato that was looping around a small stick.

"What is that?" I asked him, staring at the vendor that gave the food to some kids.

"O-oh! Those are tornado potatoes... Of course they aren't actually tornadoes but you know what I mean ahaha..." He nervously laughed, looking down at the ground as he scratched the back of his neck.

"How much do you want?" I asked him.

"E-eh?!" His ahoge stood straight up, I turned towards him and saw a large patch of red on his face, being covered by his pale hair.

"I won't repeat what I said." I spoke confidently.

"O-oh... I'm okay with one..." Yasuo looked up at me, giving a small soft nervous smile.

I flinched, looking away feeling red in my face. I walked over to the vendor and gave him a big silver coin.

"Two for us. For the change, you can either keep it or make it so that I pay for the next people who pass this stall. I don't care." I demanded, staring at the man in the stall. He stared at me as he nervously laughed, taking the big silver coin and started to make about 7 potato tornadoes. Roasting them in front of us.

"You're so nice Shiromoru-sama... Giving that to strangers..." Yasuo looked at me in awe, his mouth open.

"I don't want to carry change." I dismissed his claims, facing in the other direction.

I smelled the scent of the spices as he added them, the pungent smell of it was a bit overwhelming to my nose. But... Perhaps it wasn't too bad.

"I'm done! Here ya go!" The man extended his hands with the two sticks, while I stared at it.

"Take it." I commanded Yasuo, in which he took it as soon as those words came out of my mouth.

"I-I can't finish two of these..." Yasuo looked over at the food on his hands, nervously laughing.

"Who said you had two of them?" I asked him, leaning over and taking a bite out of one of it. Tucking some of the fallen hair back behind my ear, feeling my teeth sink into the soft potato then tasting the savoury yet a little spicy taste of the food. It hit a lot harder than most of the dishes I eat, but in a good way.

"O-o-oh uhm-" His face completely turned into cherry when I looked up as I ate. I stood back straight up, gesturing towards him to eat the other one.

He flinched, staring at me for a moment before turning even more red and tried to distract himself with the food. Munching on it.

"Another bite." I commanded him, my eyes gesturing towards the other potato tornado. He lifted up his hand a little so I could reach easier, and I took a bite.

After we both finished the food, I saw him on the wall. Panting and out of breath, holding his hand on his heart as he looked down at the ground. Looking red again.

Did I tease him too much?

"Don't make me wait. Let's go forward already." I spoke towards him, and he quickly nodded and adjusted his blazer for a little and walked back towards me.

"Y-yes Shiromoru-sama..." We both continued to walk again, and I saw a bakeshop on the side. Still feeling the savoury feeling in my teeth, I wanted to eat something more bland and better.

I glanced back at the boy looking down at the ground, and I figured I should probably apologize to him for teasing him that much. But, as if I'll actually say that out loud.

"I want some cookies, the last food I ate left an odd taste in my mouth." I gave him two silver coins, and he looked down at the coins on his palm and scratched the back of his neck.

"U-uhm if you don't mind me asking... Why cookies? It's sweet and... If you wanted to neutralize the taste, you would have gotten just normal loaf... O-of course I'm not questioning your judgement or anything! I'm just saying! Just curious! Yo-you don't have to tell me anything." Yasuo quickly shook his head as he tried to not insult me.

"Cookies just remind me of someone."

"Wh-who?"

"Just a girl. She actually looks like you."

"O-oh! What... What do you think about that girl?"

I paused, wondering why I felt so relaxed near this boy... I would not even speak to anyone like a commoner, especially teasing them...

Ah. It's probably just nothing. I'm over thinking it again.

"She's admirable, but people don't treat her nicely." I spoke bluntly, looking down at the ground as I adjusted my glove in embarrassment.

"O-Oh! I-I-I-I see! I'll go get the cookies now-" He spoke in flasseto, running towards the bakery.

He came back with a bag filled with cookies and pushed it towards me gently. I stared at it before taking it, taking one of the cookies inside and putting it near his lips.

"Open."

"E-eh?" He stared at me with those big yellow eyes through his bangs.

"I said open your mouth, you fed me earlier. And I don't like favors, so just get on with it already." I groaned, not wanting this to happen either, but I did it anyway.

"O-oh okay..." He opened his small mouth, and I guided the cookies near it. I narrowed my eyes down at him, almost as if I was glaring, despite me actually just focusing.

"Say... Ah."

And as I said those two words, A picture flashed in my face. It hasn't happened for a while now, so it caught me off guard and flinched. At the same time a gust of wind went to my side, making my long hair blown with it.

It was... Me.

I was at an angle where I was looking down at the camera, shadows in my eyes as I was furrowing my eyebrows. Making me look irritated, yet my cheeks had pink in them. Some of my hair was blown into my nose due to the wind, my scarf was also moved and thus revealing my collar bone.

My background was fully yellow, as if I was glowing. An effect you would see if there was some sort of goddess in front of them. And my dress that was slightly revealing didn't help with that.

I was reaching out to place the cookie near the camera, which I could assume was Yasachu.

Yasachu...?

Wait no, this is... Don't tell me. It's actually Yasachu?

No, no, Nikami you moron. It was already obvious from the start! How did you not notice from the start?! Short, fluffy white hair, big yellow eyes, no matter what they wore and sounded like, that's just no doubt the protagonist! There is no one in the world that's like her!

I froze right there as the picture faded, and my point of view was back. I stared down at Yasachu, whom I thought was Yasuo... Agh, even the name wasn't a coincidence.

"Shiromoru-sama?" Yasachu looked up at me, still opening her mouth as most of her bangs were still in the way of her face.

Let's... Play along for now. She's cute after all.

No! What are you talking about?! You're already getting worse, and yet you still want to risk it?

I put the cookie in her mouth as I looked away, feeling sick in my stomach. As if it was slowly filling up with dead air.

"Mmm... It tastes good Shiromoru-sama!" She exclaimed, and I didn't even dare to look at her expression. Even with just her masculine voice, I could tell she was brightening up.

"You don't have to pretend anymore, Yasachu." I spoke with irritation, and I could practically feel her shivers when I said that.

"Sh-shiromoru-sama? Look! I-I can explain!" She didn't even try to defend herself, and had her face turn pale.

"Nika!" Before I could even answer her, I saw an out of breath Shukona running over towards me. Saboten with her side.

I have never seen Shukona run like that before, especially since I don't remember seeing her sweat the last time.

Shukona always took her time to be elegant, in which she highly values.

So when she is running and sweating like this...

It must be important.

"Shu? What's wrong?" I asked her, running over her as well. And when we reached each other, she grabbed my wrist and looked down at me with a panicked expression.

"We have to go... Go back to the academy, it's safer there." She spoke, her voice wavering.

"What? Why? What happened?" Seeing Shukona like this made me slightly panicked too.

"The demons are coming."