Tsumi arrived home late as usual. After a hectic day at work, her head was pounding as though someone had drilled a hole through it, and her legs were sore from having walked in heels all day.
Immediately she got into the living room, she didn't even wait to get inside; she took off the heels and tossed them to the side.
As blood flowed freely through her legs, it was as though a cold breeze had blown past her. She sighed in relief and plopped onto her couch.
"Why do I have to work all day?"
Each day it felt as though she was losing a part of herself to her work, and the terrible work hours weren't helping either.
She rarely had time to just live her life, go out on dates—she couldn't even remember the last time she slept for more than four hours…
"I need to make dinner. Kyle should be back soon."
Tsumi got up and went to her room. After taking off her clothes, she hopped into the shower, allowing the hot water to soothe her aching body.
When she was done, she stood in front of her mirror, looking at her reflection in it.
She wasn't looking so good…
Tired eyes, breakouts, and overgrown hair.
'When was the last time I had my hair done?'
"Haaa—"
She sighed and closed her eyes.
'When did this start? When did I get so lost in my work?'
As she closed her eyes from exhaustion, her mind drifted to the past—to the time she had chosen to take on this role.
It was many years ago…
A younger Tsumi was standing in front of a chaotic fire. The smell of petrol and smoke corrupted the air, filling her lungs and causing her to cough as she stood before the burning car.
"No!" she screamed, tears running down her face.
Her parents were stuck in the car—unconscious, barely alive, and seconds away from death—while Kyle was behind her, unconscious but still alive.
She had managed to drag him out of the car first, but when she went back for her parents, the fire erupted.
Her hands were shaking, terribly burned from trying to pry the doors open.
"Heroes! Somebody, I need help!"
Only a cold silence answered her, followed by a thunderclap, as the hero and villain that caused the accident engaged in their battle a distance away.
Her knees felt weak; her small body trembled as tears rolled down her eyes.
And then the petrol ignited, creating a tumultuous explosion that flung her like a rag doll.
Her back crashed into the floor so harshly that her shirt tore, the rough road injuring her back and sides.
Tsumi opened her eyes, her gaze moving down to the scar on her side.
Kyle was the only family she had left, and so she decided to give him the best life he could possibly have.
That was why she ignored his wrongs and rarely scolded him, even when he was progressively getting worse.
A small smile appeared on her face, brightening up her features.
'He is changing…'
Kyle was no longer the man he once was; he seemed to care more about her and had done more work in the past two weeks than he had done in his entire life.
She laughed lightly as she entered her room, switching to freer clothing.
'I hope he never goes back to the way he was before.'
After dressing up, Tsumi went back to her living room, hearing the buzz of her phone as she entered.
"Hm?"
She walked over to the table and picked it up. Unlocking the phone, she took a moment to stare at her wallpaper—a cute picture of Kyle—before checking her notifications.
It was a message from her brother.
~Kyle♡
What's up, sis?
I'll be out late so you can have dinner without me.
Ps. Don't stay up waiting! Try to get some sleep, you're like a walking zombie right now—a cute zombie ;)
As Tsumi read the message, a small smile crept onto her face, then she blinked.
"Why is he going to be out late? Is he out on a date? With a girl?!"
She paused, her eyes widening slightly.
"No, no, I'm overthinking things… The new Kyle is like a brick wall; there's no way he's out with a girl."
Her smile returned as she read the message over and over again. And then a voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Madame Tsumi, how long are you going to make me wait?"
Tsumi waved her hand at the man. "Shhh, can't you see I'm busy?"
She turned and glared at the man, who tiredly sighed in response.
"You should learn a thing or two about patience, Chisaki—or do you prefer if I call you by that weird name, mm? Overhaul?"
•••
Kyle pulled up at the side of the road and got out of the car, Himiko following after him.
She quickened her pace to reach him, then bumped him with her waist. "Where to next?"
Her stomach growled a second later, and she hugged her abdomen, frowning down at it.
"Shouldn't we get something to eat before we continue?"
She scratched her hair nervously. "If you're hungry, then I guess we can…"
Today was a busy day for everyone. They had spent so much time attending to customers right from morning till just a few minutes after closing hours.
After eating pastries for breakfast and lunch, Kyle had no interest in eating another one for dinner, and so he was feeling hungry as well.
Kyle discreetly sniffed the air, using his enhanced senses to scan for any nearby restaurants, and then he took a turn.
A short walk later, they arrived in front of a humble ramen shop by the side of the road.
There were a few tables arranged outside the store, but Kyle and Himiko decided to sit at the stools in front of the counter.
Immediately after they took their seats, the tantalizing smell of ramen assaulted their noses, causing both their bellies to growl.
When Kyle closed his eyes, he could pick out every individual scent, which made his stomach stir. Roasted chicken, slow-braised pork, soft-boiled eggs, boiling noodles, and garlic—each smell mixed together, creating magic in his nose.
But then, he paused and opened his eyes.
'Garlic?'
Then he shrugged. Just like sunlight, it shouldn't be a problem since the system didn't mention it.
Himiko seemed to be enthralled by the aroma as well because she was staring at the pot wide-eyed, already imagining the taste of the meal.
The old man preparing the food smiled the moment he saw them and walked out to the counter, the smile never leaving his face.
"What would you like?"
"Two bowls of ramen, with all the best toppings."
Ten minutes later, two steaming large bowls of ramen were placed in front of them, along with a pair of chopsticks.
They both grabbed their sticks and dug in. Himiko coiled the noodles around the stick and picked up an egg before taking a bite.
Her eyes widened the moment it touched her tongue.
'It is delicious!'
Himiko had eaten ramen before, but this was different—it was leagues above every ramen she had ever tasted.
The noodles were firm but not too hard that they were annoying, and the broth was perfectly nice, with a peppery aftertaste that sent her tongue on a journey.
Kyle smiled at her when he noticed her reaction, his crimson eyes sparkling like rubies. "How is it?"
For a moment, Himiko just stared at him. Somehow, he seemed to sparkle even more at night.
"It's good…"
After eating, Kyle thanked the old man and paid him, adding a generous tip for his excellent service.
They were about to walk back to the car when Himiko tapped his shoulder.
"What is that sound?"
Thock!
It was a loud thump followed by a light metallic ring. It was faint, but she had been hearing it ever since they arrived at the shop.
Kyle had also been hearing the sound for some time now and already knew what it was.
"It's baseball."
Himiko blinked. "Baseball?"
"You know… that game where you whack a ball with a stick." Kyle swung his arms in the air, describing the game to her.
"Wait, don't tell me you've never played it before."
Himiko's eyebrows creased slightly. "I don't even know what you're talking about, dude…"
Kyle stared at her for a second, trying to figure out if she was joking or not, but when she said nothing else, he gasped.
"Wait, you're serious?? Change of plans—we are going to play baseball!"
Following the sound, they arrived at the batting center and got two cages right next to each other—one for Himiko and one for himself.
There was a door connecting the two of them, so he got into her cage and showed her how the game was played.
"…you hold the bat like this, take a deep breath, and then…"
Thwack!
He grabbed the bat and swung, the metallic ring filling their ears as it slammed into the ball, sending it flying.
Himiko watched him with intense focus and nodded when he was done explaining, after which it was her turn to attempt it.
She grabbed the bat and positioned herself, and when the ball came flying, she swung, hitting it with the center of the bat.
"You got it on your first try. You might have a knack for this game."
She smiled smugly and placed the top of the bat on the floor, leaning slightly on it. "Let's have a match to make things fun. The loser has to buy ramen next time."
"You think you're ready to face your teacher? Alright then, you're on."
Kyle got into the second cage, and they began their game.
To his enhanced senses, the balls might as well have been crawling—his eyes caught every single motion, and yet—
Both of them were nearly at the same score, with Himiko leading by one point.
Kyle was purposely missing his shots just so the game would be fun for her, and it seemed to be working a bit too well.
Thwack!
Himiko laughed smugly when she landed her hit. It was now 32–30, with Himiko leading by two points.
As they got ready for the second half, Himiko turned to face him, her face glistening with sweat. "Hehe, you're not very good at this, are you?"
Kyle shrugged. "Today just isn't my day, I guess."
"Mhmm, I can see that. Why don't we raise the stakes then?"
Kyle raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
Himiko smiled and placed a finger on her chin as she thought it over, then her face brightened up when she came to a conclusion.
She leaned forward slightly, one finger still on her cheek while the other was at her back.
"If you win… I'll do anything you say…"
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A/N
We almost hit our 400ps target last week so here is a long chapter as thanks. Long chapters are difficult to write, don't expect it every time! :')
Thanks for your support !