Montsuki haori hakama was the most formal attire for Japanese men, usually worn only on grand holidays, and generally in black.
'Why am I wearing this kind of outfit?'
Wakaba Mutsumi was a little puzzled, when suddenlyclickthe door opened.
A young woman in a white wedding kimono walked in. She was tall, but her face seemed covered in a layer of fog, making it impossible to see her features.
Seeing the green-haired girl in the room awake, the young woman seemed delighted, and appeared to say something.
Wakaba Mutsumi couldn't hear her voice, nor see her lip movements, yet she inexplicably understood her meaning.
She said, "The wedding is about to begin."
'That's right.'
Wakaba Mutsumi suddenly remembered why she was here.
'Because my wedding was about to begin.'
The white montsuki haori hakama she wore matched perfectly with the young woman's white kimono.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, 'Something is wrong.'
In her mind, it was like two voices were quarreling back and forth.
'Yes, right?'
'No, not right.'
'Right, it's right.'
'No, not right.'
The young woman walked up, trying to take her arm, but Wakaba Mutsumi instinctively avoided her.
The young woman seemed surprised.
Even though her face was obscured by dense fog, Wakaba Mutsumi could feel that she was smiling, that kind of fake, stiff smile.
The room fell into silence again.
The young woman didn't move, just stood there, staring at her with a strange look.
The atmosphere became inexplicably oppressive. Wakaba Mutsumi felt uneasy, wanting to leave the room. Yet again, she heard her voice.
"Are you planning to abandon me too?", That voice was full of sorrow, as if crying and complaining.
'Abandon? Too?'
Wakaba Mutsumi didn't understand what she was saying, but she stopped walking.
Not because she changed her mind
But because the only door out of the room was now surrounded by thick, tangible black fog.
"Keisuke was like this Masato was like this"
"Ayami was like this Yoko too"
"You all wanted to abandon me"
"Didn't we promise to be together forever?"
There was no wind in the room, yet the young woman's long hair began to rise.
For the first time, Wakaba Mutsumi clearly saw her face. That smooth face was densely covered with numerous facial features.
There were male faces, and female faces.
"""Stay with us"""
All those faces smiled together. The sticky black hair moved like venomous snakes, surging toward her.
""""Be with us forever.""""
Wakaba Mutsumi stood motionless, her heart clenched like it was being squeezed by an invisible giant hand, terror filled her mind.
She wanted to run, but her feet seemed rooted to the floor. She could only watch as the black hair drew closer.
'Am I going to die?'
'Die here, in a dream, as one of the faces on that woman's face?'
She closed her eyes, her delicate lashes trembling, silently awaiting her fate.
Yet
In the dim room, a sun suddenly rose.
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Chapter 86: Sakiko: The future is bright (Praise)
In the dim room, a sun suddenly rose.
Fierce flames shot into the sky, illuminating every corner within sight.
The snake-like, twisted black hair suddenly froze, then retreated at an even faster speed than it came, as if it had encountered a terrifying natural enemy.
"Weren't you just very enthusiastic?"
Someone stepped out of the darkness, raising an eyebrow slightly, "I'm the groomsman Miss Wakaba invited. Although I wasn't announced in advance, you don't mind, right?"
'Can I say I mind?'
The dream-dwelling evil spirit was silent for a moment, then spoke in a language incomprehensible to ordinary people yet somehow understandable, ["The wedding is over."]
'Over?'
Mutsumi looked at this scene blankly, suddenly feeling something was off.
She instinctively looked down and only then realized that, at some point, the purple patterned haori hakama had vanished without a trace.
In its place was the real silk nightgown she wore in reality.
["She's not wearing the haori anymore, and has lost the qualification to be the groom,"] The dream-dwelling evil spirit vividly demonstrated the meaning of changing with the wind, and seeing that the situation was unfavorable, decisively gave up its prey, ["No groom, so the wedding ends here."]
No wedding, then naturally no need for a groomsman.
Quite a down-to-earth logic.
'I'm out, I'm out.'
The evil spirit planned to escape, 'The world in the city is too dangerous; I want to go back to the countryside.'
But a wall of flames blocked its way.
"To attend your wedding, I especially made time, and now you tell me, no wedding?"
Kaito frowned slightly, "Are you mocking me?"
["I'm not! I didn't!"]
The evil spirit shook its head like a rattle-drum, looking at the fire dragon that had materialized at some point beside it. With a "plop" it knelt on the ground, ["I'm not worthy of Miss Wakaba!"]
Seeing the evil spirit that had been persistently clinging to her and wanted to keep her by its side forever now looking flustered like its tail was on fire, Mutsumi fell silent.
'The reason for this change'
She lifted her head and looked at the boy not far away. In her golden, unangered eyes, something new had appeared.
"Why are you kneeling on both knees?"
Kaito still frowned, "Are you demonstrating against me?"
Evil spirit: "?"
It hurriedly raised both hands, using its body language to show it meant no harm.
"Your left hand is raised lower than your right, are you implying you're unwilling to submit?"
Kaito snapped his fingers and shook his head slightly, "As expected of a monster, stubborn and unrepentant."
The dream-dwelling evil spirit, for the first time, felt the impulse to speak in riddles.
But before it could react, the fire dragon that had been eyeing it from the side received its master's command. It instantly became excited, roared, and pounced.
The evil spirit tried to flee, but it clearly overestimated its speed.
The fire dragon caught up easily and killed it without mercy.
Although this place belonged to Wakaba Mutsumi's dream, the one in control was actually the dream-dwelling evil spirit.
Now that not even ashes remained, the dream could no longer hold and began to collapse.
The small house beneath their feet collapsed in the blink of an eye, like being in a magnitude-18 earthquake, everything in sight turned black, ready to devour all.
This was the troublesome part of the dream-dwelling evil spirit.
Even if an exorcist was lucky enough to kill it, it was hard to avoid being caught in the collapsing dream, becoming a burial companion.
The only chance of survival lay in the sky. There, a faint beam of light shone, like a lighthouse in the vast sea, pointing the way to the shore.
"Time to go," Kaito looked at the green-haired girl not far away and reached out a hand to her.
Mutsumi took his hand, but was a little confused.
She could see the light in the sky, but it was far too distant. Unless a helicopter appeared now, she couldn't imagine how to leave.
There was no helicopter, of course, but there was an even better mode of transport.
ROAR!
The fire dragon, having devoured the dream evil spirit, let out a satisfied burp and obediently flew over.
Its massive head lowered to the ground. Kaito held Mutsumi's hand and walked up its back.
Unexpectedly, though the giant dragon was made of flames, its body wasn't hot.
Wakaba Mutsumi gently touched a dancing flame with her fingertip and only felt warmth.
The flame seemed to have a mind of its own. It suddenly flew in front of her, separating from the dragon's body, flickering non-stop, and transformed into a lifelike rabbit that gently landed in her palm.
The girl was a bit surprised. Feeling something in her heart, she looked to the side and met a pair of light chestnut-colored eyes.
"If you get scared later, just hug this bunny tightly."
Not everyone could immediately get used to flying.
Even Kaito took hours to become proficient when first learning to fly.
Girls usually had a bit of acrophobia. If there was something to distract her, it could greatly relieve that discomfort.
The fire dragon soared into the sky at lightning speed, heading straight toward the distant beam of light.
Amid the howling wind, the doll-like beautiful girl quietly hid the flame bunny in her palm and whispered in her heart, 'Thank you.'
"It's been half an hour already."
In the hallway outside the room, Mori Minami was a bit anxious, pacing back and forth, "Why is there still no news?"
"Aunt Mori, relax a little."
Secretary Sakiko was starting to get a headache from her pacing, "Kaito-kun is not the type to speak without confidence. Since he said he's sure, he definitely is."
That's easy to say, but as a mother, how could she not worry at all?
Mori Minami swayed left and right, waiting endlessly for any movement. Eventually, she plopped down beside Murakumomaru, "Sakiko, you seem to trust that Kaito-kun quite a bit? Is he your boyfriend?"
'If not pacing, then it's time for gossip?'
Secretary Sakiko was speechless, 'Clearly already an older woman, Aunt Mori sometimes still acts like a child.'
But she still sat upright, hands folded in front of her lower abdomen, "Not yet."
"Not yet?"
Mori Minami keenly caught the keyword, "So that means things might develop in that direction?"
Sakiko didn't deny it, "I'm still working on it."
So, her goal was simple: not only to become the girl beside Kaito-kun who matched him, but also to become his indispensable assistant.
When the agency thrives one day, that will be the time she confesses to Kaito.
Sakiko believed that as long as things continued on this path, the future would be bright.
"You're actually chasing him?"
Mori Minami was very surprised, 'The eldest daughter of the Togawa family, praised as the "Jewel of Togawa," Sakiko, will actually be the one pursuing a guy?'
But then she thought of Kaito's appearance, more dazzling than flowers of spring or moonlight in autumn
'If the one being chased is me it does seem reasonable?'
After all, he was a beautiful boy like Hikaru Genji, radiant like the moon, even an obasan like her couldn't help but be moved. [T/N: Hikaru Genji is a Japanese mythological character of 'The Tale of Genji', he is also known as 'Shining Prince'.]
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Chapter 87: I Was Born, But You Were Not
'However, will the Togawa family agree?'
Although Sakiko now looks somewhat down and out, Mori Minami clearly knows that is only temporary.
'The bond of blood is something that can never be severed.'
'As for that man Togawa Kiyotsugu, forget it. He is a mere live-in son-in-law to begin with, and after making such a huge mistake, no one cares whether he lives or dies.'
Togawa Sakiko is different. As the carefully cultivated heir of the Togawa family, and bearing the Togawa bloodline, even if she has fallen to the outside world, it is only a form of tempering for her.
Young people, after being beaten by society a few times and personally experiencing the hardships of life, will naturally remember the good of the Togawa family.
Sooner or later, she will return to the Togawa family, and the old man who holds power will not allow his granddaughter to continue living a life of wandering and hardship.
It's only because of his daughter's serious illness that the old man cannot currently attend to his granddaughter.
Once he has time again, Sakiko will still be able to return to the Togawa family and be their young lady.
For members of big families, arranged marriages are the norm; free love is what's strange.
Sakiko is of course no exception.
If there are no surprises, her future fianc will only appear among families of equal status, or, like Sakiko's mother, she'll choose an outstanding man to become a live-in son-in-law.
Although Togawa Kiyotsugu is now a good-for-nothing, twenty years ago, he was also a top student who graduated from the University of Tokyo, with a handsome face. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the qualifications to live off the Togawa family.
'Thinking about it like that that Kaito seems to far surpass Togawa Kiyotsugu in every aspect?'
'No need to mention his looks. In front of him, I don't think, there is anyone as beautiful handsome in this world.'
'So young, yet already a powerful exorcist, seemingly even more impressive than the shrine maiden Kagano.'
'Although the Togawa family is a renowned wealthy family in Japan, they still must show respect in the face of those who possess extraordinary powers.'
'If Kaito-kun is really willing to marry in, the Togawa family truly has no reason to refuse; rather, they should beat drums and gongs in celebration.'
'If only he has been born twenty years earlier.'
'If only Sakiko's biological father was him.'
Thinking of her bedridden friend, Mori Minami sighed, somewhat disheartened.
She and Sakiko's mother had been close friends since high school, and their bond had never faded over the years. That's also the reason she's so close to Sakiko.
As for the horrible things Togawa Kiyotsugu did, Mori Minami had heard a little. Abusing his position to force several people to death, secretly accepting bribes, getting reported, losing his position as a councilor, and due to his greedy ambition, causing the company to lose as much as 1.6 billion yen.
If he wasn't Sakiko's biological father, if he wasn't the son-in-law of the Togawa family, he would have long since been dumped into Tokyo Bay.
Just driving that man out of the family was already a light punishment.
Her best friend had always been frail and sickly, and because of these matters, fell seriously ill and was admitted to a private hospital. Her condition was worsening daily, who knows how long she can hold on.
'All of this is hidden from Sakiko, but even if they continue to hide it, how long can they really keep it from her?'
Unfortunately, the old man of the Togawa family issued a gag order, and even her best friend doesn't want her daughter to worry.
