"I-Iguro-sama?"
Obanai rescued Chizuko just in time, throwing both of them into the ditch as explosives erupted.
"What were you doing!" Obanai's chest heaved up and down, "You could have gotten yourself killed!" If it weren't for him, Chizuko would have been blown to bits. It was supposed to be her first mission alone, he wasn't supposed to follow her like some kind of stalker, but he went as far as to exchange patrol duties with Tomioka.
Chizuko could only gawk at Obanai. Though she had a bunch of questions surrounding his sudden appearance, it didn't matter at the moment. Exploding bombs whirled and flared above head, dyeing the dull black night with an array of colours. Maybe it was because of the angle, Obanai glowed in Chizuko's eyes, like when she first met him.
"One day you'll find someone that shines in your eyes and make your heart flutter every time you see him! Remember to never let him go!" She recalled Hina talking about Saito. It hit her at this unexpected moment.
Oh no, Chizuko thought to herself.
***
"Suzuki," Obanai tapped Chizuko's shoulder, not expecting her to bounce away like a cat seeing cucumber.
"A-Ah, it's just you, Iguro-sama," Chizuko apologised, "sorry."
Obanai raised his eyebrow, what was wrong with her? Was it a new prank? He had found something in this abandoned castle...
Wait.
"Suzuki, are you scared?"
"What? O-Of course not! Not at all!" Chizuko denied, she wouldn't admit it that she was terrified after hearing the ghost stories.
Without much thinking, Obanai approached Chizuko.
And flicked her forehead.
"Tch, I'm your teacher, protecting you is my duty," Obanai grumbled while pulling her by the haori with him. Chizuko rubbed her forehead, "H-Huh?"
"I said, I will protect you," Obanai seriously didn't want to repeat himself, it was embarrassing. He wasn't the caring, passionate, brotherly type like Kyojuro, but he somehow wanted his tsuguko to know that he was there for her.
Chizuko flushed, glad that the night hid her crimson cheeks. That was the sweetest thing he had ever said. A playful smirk crept up her lips, "What? I can't hear you."
"I'm not falling for your pranks again, Suzuki," Obanai muttered, "walk faster, we have a mission to complete."
***
"Nee-chan! I made this myself!" a little girl boasted, holding a box of sakura mochi in her hands. Mitsuri kissed her sister's cheek lovingly, "Wow~ it looks so good! Well done!" Mitsuri's mum braided Mitsuri's hair while her dad patted her shoulder, "Daughter, be careful out there, alright?" "Yea! Come home and play with us more often! Nee-chan!" the little boy pouted.
How Chizuko wished she also had a family like that.
It wasn't like she wasn't happy with her grandma, but it was true that her family was never complete. Her father had so far been nonexistent throughout her life, she knew absolutely nothing about him. She only knew that for some reason, her pregnant mother had to leave the cities to move back to her grandma's.
The three of them were looked down upon by the entire village, they used to call her mother nasty things behind their back. The situation hadn't improve after her mother's death, they spited Chizuko and her grandma. Only an exceptional few did treat them with actual kindness, like grandpa Ikeada, a hunter who lived on his own, and a family of four next to them.
An unfamiliar bitterness rose in Chizuko, she wished she were Mitsuri, being at the centre of her family's love and care.
"Chizuko-san? Chizuko-san!" Kiyo's shouted, "Chizuko-san! Th-The pot is burning!"
"What?!!Ahhhhhh!!!! Where's the water!!?" Chizuko was too absorbed in her thoughts to notice.
***
Chizuko was back from a solo mission.
The demon wasn't one of the twelve Kizuki, but it was a tricky and troublesome one, playing Chizuko like a fiddle. Limping, she dragged her weary body to the butterfly mansion.
Melodic giggles caught Chizuko's attention, Mitsuri and Obanai were walking side by side towards her. She couldn't help to be reminded of how she used to tease Obanai nonstop when there was only the two of them, not to mention how she wished Obanai had been on this particular mission with her.
She knew she brought this upon herself, she had swapped with Mitsuri again, and later swapped with Murata since he had to visit his family's grave.
Instead of greeting them, she hid behind the tree, not wanting to interrupt their moment.
Iguro-sama deserves this, Chizuko kept telling herself. Obanai had suffered more than her, she had no right to take away the little bliss he had.
And Chizuko certainly didn't deserve Obanai, she was chained down by her own past. Though she had came out of her shell, she couldn't choose how she was born. Deep down, she was still that insecure girl with more than enough doubts and worries. She wasn't able to be the beacon of happiness in Obanai's storm like Mitsuri.
Still, she wished she were the lucky girl beside him.
***
Chizuko filled two syringes with wisteria
poison.
Shinobu had told her to prepare some just in case. Her voice played in Chizuko's mind "If we kill a demon moon, we can save hundreds or even thousands of people."
Of course she wouldn't fail this mission, she was going to complete it no matter what.
And more importantly, she couldn't let her stupid emotions get in her way.
Sighing, she laid wide awake in bed.