"W-what's on about? There's nothing going on!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha, blushing red, denied it. Then she was the first to head downstairs:
"Weren't we going to look at Tohru's companion? Hurry up!"
In the blink of an eye, she was already downstairs, practically fleeing the scene.
"What's up with her?" Tohru asked curiously.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Let's go down as well."
"Oh."
A human sense of embarrassment, that's all. Tohru, with her mind full of that sort of thing, obviously wouldn't understand, and honestly there's no real need for her to.
Shichen and Tohru headed downstairs. They reached the shop and saw Kasumigaoka Utaha slightly gaping at the corner of the café, eyes filled with amazement.
Following her line of sight, he noticed a small, snow-white figure in the corner.
It was a little girl, curiously looking around, seemingly around elementary school age—very adorable, but entirely unlike any normal elementary schooler.
She had long, violet-white hair cut into straight bangs, styled into two drooping ponytails (twintails), plus a princess cut around her ear line. On each side of her head were white horns—two sets, in fact—one pair curved upward like a cow's, the other smaller and angled downward near her head.
She wore a pink-and-white, ethnically styled one-piece dress, along with a short capelet. It looked ornate, but not at all out of place, as though it were tailored exactly for her.
Of course, Shichen recognized her at a glance. She was exactly as he remembered Kanna, though seeing her in reality made her even more adorable, practically stirring up fatherly instincts.
"She's so adorable…" Kasumigaoka Utaha muttered under her breath, clearly astonished at the little girl in the corner.
Shichen could see that even Kanna's cuteness had drawn in Chisato. Right now, she was by the register, entirely focused on Kanna, not even noticing Shichen and Tohru had come down.
"So cute, right? How about you, Chen-dono?" Tohru couldn't help asking him.
"She is indeed cute, as cute as you," Shichen replied.
"Really? Hehe~" Tohru gave a silly grin.
Shichen shook his head in amusement. "Alright, let's go over and talk to her."
"Got it."
Still clinging to his arm, Tohru led him toward Kanna.
"Ah, Chen-nii." Only after Shichen and Tohru came into view did Chisato snap out of her focus.
Shichen waved at her in greeting.
"Isn't she super adorable?" Kasumigaoka Utaha approached Chisato.
"Utaha, you're back too…" Chisato noticed Utaha. She knew who Utaha meant. Glancing again at Kanna, she nodded. "Yes, really cute."
"That's to be expected. Given that child, I have a feeling she'll be staying."
"Huh? Why?"
"That child is a dragon, just like Tohru."
"So those horns aren't just hair ornaments…" Chisato realized.
"Didn't Tohru mention it to you?"
"Nope. She just suddenly brought this little girl back and hasn't looked after her much. I thought she only found a lost kid."
"I see… well, you can see it's not an ordinary lost kid, after all."
"So… do you think she'll really stay?" Chisato asked hopefully.
Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled wryly. "It depends whether Tohru wants her, but do you really think Shichen's going to let that little girl leave?"
"Hehe~ You sure got to know Chen-nii pretty fast," Chisato laughed.
"Hmph~"
Meanwhile, Shichen had no idea Kasumigaoka Utaha and Chisato were talking about him. He and Tohru approached Kanna's table and sat down opposite her.
Seeing Kanna from the front made her all the more adorable—big bright eyes, a perfectly round little face that was unbelievably cute, like a porcelain doll.
"You said she's Kanna?" Shichen asked Tohru softly.
"Mhm, her full name is Kanna Kamui. She's a kind of 'spirit dragon' with thunder and lightning powers…" Tohru introduced, then proudly turned toward Kanna, "Kanna, this is the 'Chen-dono' I told you about."
"Kanna, hello—"
"Please leave Tohru-sama alone!"
Shichen had just greeted her when she cut him off, glaring at him warily.
But that was what he expected. He smiled and asked gently, "And why's that?"
Kanna's delicate face remained taut and stern as she answered, "Ever since I met Tohru-sama, she hasn't stopped mentioning you at all. It's certain you tricked Tohru-sama with seduction!"
"Kanna, you're still young, don't say such things."
"I don't care. You must've used your body to lure Tohru-sama away! Please leave Tohru-sama, give Tohru-sama back to me!"
As she spoke, Kanna hopped off her chair, then marched right over to Shichen, pounding her little fists against his leg.
"You…! You…!"
But it held no force at all. Shichen couldn't help but smile, shaking his head at how adorable she was. Without hesitation, he reached out and picked her up by her underarms.
"You…! You…!" Kanna flailed in midair, arms swinging, little legs kicking.
"Heh~ First off, setting aside whether Tohru was 'lured' by me, how are you so sure I deceived her?"
"Hmph! Humans are all liars!"
"Well, that's not wrong… but have you considered that Tohru isn't so easily deceived? Plus, she's so powerful—would I dare?"
"…" Kanna suddenly froze.
Shichen continued, "Right? You don't think Tohru's dumb, do you? Is Tohru dumb?"
"Tohru-sama is not dumb!" Kanna retorted angrily, puffing her cheeks.
"Then that solves it."
"…," Kanna stared, mind blank.
Watching Kanna's dazed expression, Shichen fought back laughter. Sure, Kanna might be thousands of years old, but compared to normal humans, she was still a child. So simple to handle.
"Kanna, I really do love Chen-dono, so stop talking nonsense," Tohru chimed in.
"Mmph…" Tohru's remark only made Kanna look more hurt.
"Don't cry, don't cry. You'll lose your cuteness," Shichen said, bouncing her lightly in his arms like caring for a baby.
It worked—she forced her tears back, obediently staying in Shichen's embrace, head hanging listlessly.
"Kanna, how did you come to this world?" Shichen, who couldn't stand seeing her so forlorn, changed the topic.
"I wanted to find Tohru-sama. I just kept flying and saw a distorted space up ahead, so I went in," she replied timidly.
"Weren't you scared?"
"I'm not scared at all! Plus I sensed Tohru-sama's presence."
"Heh, you sure love Tohru."
"Mhm!" The little face nodded seriously. Then she looked at Tohru. "Tohru-sama, come home with me?"
"I don't want to!" Tohru refused outright, hugging Shichen's arm. "I want to stay with Chen-dono!"
"Why?"
"Because I'm deeply in love with Chen-dono!"
"…I don't get it."
"No matter. Anyway, aren't you stuck here?"
"…" Kanna went silent.
"Right, Kanna can't leave," Shichen smiled.
"What do you mean, human?" Kanna asked, frowning.
"I'm just asking if you want to live with us?"
With a gentle smile, he gazed at Kanna in his arms, and Kanna's eyes went wide.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!