Wow!

　As soon as you come out of the hidden room, someone shouts in surprise.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that you're a monster. Can you not startle me?
Masamune. I didn't know you were here.

　The owner of the voice was Masamune.

　Whoa...you mean ......?


You're following the continent?

　He suddenly cut to the chase.

　Then, Masamune suddenly got into a bad mood. She puffed up her cheeks and stared at me zitto.

　Have I said something bad?

'I'm sorry. I don't want you to be offended.''
You can go to ....... It's as convenient for you as it is for me. I knew that. I knew that, so I figured I'd just send you .......
For you?
............

　Silence.

　It's no good, I don't understand it at all. I guess it's hard to figure out what's in a woman's heart.


"Masamune.

　If you don't know, then you have to push forward in the way you don't know.

　I took out my borrowed sword and wakizashi and held it out to Masamune.

　Then she looked at me with a sad look on her face for a moment, then turned to me with a smile.


'I'm glad I was able to be of service to you. I'm proud of you.
Yes, you should be proud. The sword you lent me is the one that defeated Miroku. I have no doubt about that.

　Masamune takes the sword quietly.
　Wakizashi, and the sword. One by one, carefully, he equips them.

'And then what?　Have you got a good idea for a later turn?
If it's that easy to float, you won't have a hard time. Already.
Yeah.

　You're right. We couldn't help but laugh.

　But Masamune's smile was awkward. She looked sad, as if she was forcing a smile. I looked like I was crying.


'Come on, Second-kun. It's you anyway, you're going to go now, aren't you?　Let me say goodbye to you. I want to send you off on a fine note.


　Masamune turns his back to me and says in a crisp, crisp voice.


　...... A lie. An obvious lie. If you want to send me off on a sunny note, why are your shoulders shaking so much?



............

　I didn't utter the next word.

　The one decisive word that could stop her shoulders from shaking.

'Follow me,' was all I had to say.

　But I know this guy's dream. I know his dream. I know that that sublime, noble, vindictive tree of strong will and faith that grew out of her harsh upbringing is about to bear fruit.

　So I can't say it. I can't say it.
　I can't tell her to drop everything and follow me.

　Benzai style. You can't let her throw away the stronghold of her dreams.

　It's a very valuable thing and involves a great deal of responsibility, just like how I picked up and nurtured Silvia and Eco.

　So she called it "convenience".

　....... You can go to ...... if you want.


"I don't need a sendoff.
......

　A small voice leaks out.
　A woman's voice. A thin, female voice. The thin back and the gentle curves are hidden, but still.

　...... She may be a woman, and she is favored by me as a man.

　I'm sure that's what her position doesn't allow her to do.


I promise.

　So, I don't need to see you off.

　Instead, I'll make you a promise.

"Umbrella.
...... umbrella?

　I think desperately about what I can do without hurting her heart and her dreams.
　What can I say that won't hurt either her heart or her dreams?

"I broke my umbrella.

　I know it's not like that.
　But for some reason, I couldn't help but say.

"Torn to shreds, it will take months to fix.
That's terrible.
'Oh, terrible. I don't think I'll be able to return to the rainy season.
...... you, maybe.

　Don't look at me,

　I hoped so, and opened my mouth, breathlessly, to cool my hot face.


"When the rain stops, you can come and get it. But it's the season when you don't need an umbrella so much. If you really need one, ...... I'm sure I'll get it fixed and waiting for you.


　A moment of silence.

　Suddenly, Masamune's shoulders began to tremble again. And then.


''Ha, ha, ha!　Pfft!　Hahahaha!


　He's laughing at me!

　Oh, humiliation!　This guy, I'm the one who broke it off ......!

'This is absurd!　You want me to come get it?　I was the one who lent you the money.　Ah-ha!　Hahahahaha!　Oh, you're so bossy after all.
Ggggghhhh. ......!

　d*mn, my face is hot!　I shouldn't have told you!


　...... For the next few moments, Masamune laughed as if she were harassing me.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with us.

　We didn't see each other's faces, and we didn't speak to each other. It was a strange atmosphere.

　Then, Masamune suddenly said something like


"...... typhoon".
What?
Typhoon!

　What's up with the typhoon?

You might need an umbrella.

　Oh, that.


............
............

　They are both silent.

　We can kind of get what we want to say to each other.

　But we can't say it straight ...... now, never.

　Hence, we explore each other with poorly written parables, without getting to the heart of the matter.

　That was strangely comforting.

　Maybe that's why.

　Masamune turned around with one last word, his best smile, and said, "It's not going to stop raining.


'It never stops raining, does it?'


　A bright smile.
　A promise of a reunion.

　I can't see Masamune's back as she moves away, and I can't help but giggle as I bring my gaze up to the sky, which has no place to go.

　The night sky is full of gorgeous stars.
　The winter night sky was clear to all intents and purposes.



　　* * * *



You're leaving, Akaneko-sama?

　Dawn.
　In the Kabuto Bashi-ryu dojo, Akaneko stood alone as a teacher in front of his students who were lined up.

　One of his students muttered to himself as if he was overwhelmed with emotion.

　Now that Kensin, the Iemoto, has retired, the pinnacle of this school is Akaneko, the only daughter of the school.
　However, that Akaneko is also about to leave the dojo.

　Among his students, there is still no one skilled enough to be entrusted with the dojo.
　If this is not the case, Kabobashi-ryu will cease to exist (・・・・). All of the students had an uneasy look on their faces, as if they knew that.

　But that didn't stop any of them from holding back the Akaneko.

　Why is that?


''I am confident that Akaneko-sama will be able to reach even greater heights. Bishamon, no, more than your father.
I can't think of a better place to learn Battou than under his tutelage. Don't worry about us, you should definitely accept the invitation.
"All of us in this distant land will be cheering for you. Good luck.


　They are samurai to the core.

　Once you see the man who leads Miroku to his death, who has beaten the leaders of the household to a pulp, you can't help but respect him. It is the nature of a samurai.

　In fact, they even wanted to follow him.
　However, they lacked the ability to do so. They are not competent enough to keep up with the Battoujutsu of the second. They were painfully well aware of that too.

　Hence, they entrusted it to them.
　With all the willpower and wishes they could have, to the star of the school that could be called their hope.


'...... I am.'

　Akaneko opened her mouth quietly, meeting the gaze of all her students.

　Her resolve is firm.
　The rest.


I will abandon Kabobashi. I will never call myself Kabobashi again. I will also cut ties with your father. And then I'll also disown you and the rest of you ...... even though I'm like this, can you all still dream?


　I asked in a shaky voice.

　Their stomachs were also set.


'Of course!


　Not from anyone else, the students of the school joined their voices and answered with a voice from their stomachs.

　Totally, pleasant guys - Akaneko exhaled one breath and continued the words.


'My dream is to have fun. I enjoy the game for the rest of my life. I love Battoujutsu with all my heart. That's what I've come to realize. I'm glad that you do, too. I want you guys to keep dreaming about my dream. So, that's why I'm going to .......


　At the end of the day, she couldn't stand it.

　They might see each other again. But the path she was walking led her further and further away. Away from the island where she was born and raised, away from the samurai with whom she had shared her pain and suffering. It is unlikely that their paths will ever cross again.

　This is the parting of the ways, so to speak.


"Laugh, you fools!　Smile and send me off ......!


　It was a funny scene.

　Everyone was crying.
　Everyone was laughing.

　She was leaving in the distance. They stared at the stars, which were too bright.


'By yourselves!'

　They all bowed to the Akaneko with that command.

　They saw the departing Akaneko off with a smile.
　They saw her off forever and ever.


　Soon, Kabobashi Style would lose its form. Knowing their fate, they still smiled sincerely.

　And the morning sun was rising. The stars are no longer visible--.






''You ...... look terrible.''

　Kisshou-ryu dojo.

　As Azami is cleaning the large dojo by herself as usual, Masamune wanders in, as usual, dressed as a man, in front of her.

　Masamune knows that Azami doesn't like him, but he always wanders over like this to check on him, only to receive a barrage of harsh words and then leave in a hurry.

　But there were two things that were different from the norm. One was Masamune's face. The other was Azami's reaction.


Is it really that bad?
You've got a lot of tears in your eyes. ...... That's a good sign.
Thank you.

　Sister-in-law and sister-in-law. These two sisters, who have been on bad terms since childhood, hadn't had this kind of conversation in over a decade.

She's the one with the most amazing face.
What's it like?
It's like a spirit that fell out of the sky.
Hmmm. ......

　Thistle blurted out, as if she had a thought, and then took her gaze off Masamune, propped her broom against the wall, and opened her mouth to look at the garden.



'I, you know, I've always wanted to be a baker.'

...... Yes?


　The muttering is too abrupt.
　Masamune is taken aback and asks back.

'Do you remember?　It was when we were very young and had no ties to ....... The first time a peddler came to the island under the guidance of Mr. Toukichiro.
Yes, I remember it well. My sister and I were there, and my mother-in-law bought us kuriimu-pan.

　As he says it, Masamune suddenly realizes.

'Oh, no way,'
'Hmmm, well. I couldn't get that taste out of my mind for a long time ...... and then I would secretly ask for a shipment of baking books to come in and I would study them diligently.

　Thistle said nostalgically and smiled.
　Seeing the softness of it, Masamune was a little surprised, but remembered the same memory and smiled in a similar way.

'...... That was good, wasn't it?'
Yes, it was good ...... and it made me love bread.
'I didn't know that. Oh, I see. ......
Mmm. You and I ate side by side, looking out to sea.
Yes. Though by then they called me you, not you.
Yeah. Yeah, you're right. It's really, really stupid. Really. ......

　Meditating, she tucked the memories away in the depths of the box and locked it away.


　Then Thistle let out one breath as if to say goodbye to the past, turned to Masamune and said


'I'm leaving the island.'
...... I had a feeling that was it.
Oh, you're not surprised. Why?
I worry about her every day. I'm aware of the changes she's gone through recently.
............


　I cared for her every day. I'm not a sister who doesn't understand the meaning of those words.

　There are parts of her that I will never understand, of course. But there was certainly a time when the two of them were purer and did not know a single doubt.

　If only we could go back to those days - and I'm not the only one who thought so.


'Hey, Masamune. If I see you over there, now you can go to .......

"Rain.

What?

When the rain stops, I'm going to go to ...... and check out Sister Thistle's shop.

...... Yeah, right.


　When the rain stops, again.

　Innocent words, with all the fun they could muster, like a small child installing a promise of play.

　Such a simple thing had been impossible to do before I knew it.

　Unless that man, who was like a child, smashed the adult world to pieces in the woodwork.


　They looked up at the clear sky and squinted at the glare of the sun.

　The brilliantly shining sun suddenly made them think that


　Summer does not seem so far away--.