An Unyielding Heart (2)
In the Minamoto family, cleaning was a euphemism that covered several meanings.
The primary one was murder. Or the disposal that came after. Nobody who had done the latter ever volunteered a second time, which meant they were chronically short-handed. And if the scene happened to be one of Suzuki's art pieces, the trauma could last a lifetime.
Chise knew this. She had, on occasion, been forced to mobilize clan members to deal with just such a mess. And piecing together what Noah had said, the odds were high that this was Suzuki's leftover work.
"You should be grateful. There's no easier way to make money in this world. It's basically a money printer."
Liar!
They were all heading toward the Minamoto estate together. Chise's pupils trembled like aspen leaves. Not once in her life had she ever thought of Suzuki as someone who lived comfortably!
"Well, people avoid it for a reason, don't they?"
"What, you're the type who sweats the small stuff? Then you'll be broke forever."
"When did I say I didn't want to do it? Leave anything to Ichinose Yuria and it's done in a flash. Senpai, you picked the right girl."
I have to stop this...!
But she couldn't just come out and forbid it. Yuria would start asking questions, and she wasn't the type to accept a vague excuse or a half-truth with a simple I see. And if Chise explained it calmly... given Yuria's personality, once she learned the details, she would never let it go. That would be the end of their peaceful daily life. Leave things alone, though, and let Yuria see Suzuki's art, and the result would be exactly the same.
Chise opened her mouth in a rush.
"I-Ichinose?"
"Yes?"
"...If it's about money, the Fujiwara are better at that sort of thing."
"Huh?"
"It's pretty... no, it's probably extremely... hard. I told you, didn't I? The Minamoto are a yakuza family."
She'd tried to talk around it, but that was a blunder. Yuria took Chise's words as a challenge!
"Hah, you think I'd fall for such an obvious trick? I know exactly what you're doing — poking my pride so I'll have no choice but to take the job."
"...!"
"And I'll take the bait anyway! You senpai have underestimated this part-time warrior!"
Yuria clenched her fist. The part-time jobs she had worked so far numbered approximately forty-six — from maid cafes to construction sites. On top of bar work that felt like housework, she had juggled two jobs, three jobs: a true gladiator of the modern age.
It's hopeless...! There's no way Ichinose will back out on her own.
Even if it was hard, she had to tell Noah properly. Noah was almost certainly thinking, What's the big deal about moving a few corpses?
Which means I have to get Ichinose out of the way first.
Was there some way to distract her, even for a moment? Chise's mind began to spin at full speed. Tens of thousands of possibilities flickered into existence and vanished. Among those that remained, the most plausible was...
"Over there!"
"What is it, Fujiwara-sen—"
"Someone's dumping trash and running away!"
"What?!"
In an instant, Yuria's entire demeanor turned deadly serious.
"Which way, senpai?!"
"They went right!"
"Stop right there, you villain!"
Yuria bolted.
...That actually worked.
Chise went blank. She hadn't actually expected it to work. Then she realized this was no time to stand there stunned and hurriedly turned to Noah.
"What are you planning? Noah, if you tell Yuria about that—"
"Huh? The hell are you talking about."
Chise's eyes narrowed.
"Stop it. Right now."
"Chise."
Noah's expression hardened as she stepped toward her. She grabbed Chise by the collar and shoved her against the wall. Chise stammered, startled.
"Y-yes."
"I told you not to get smart with me."
"...Sorry."
"I ease up on you a little and you start acting like you own the sky."
Noah let go of her collar. Chise hung her head.
A moment later, Yuria came back.
"Haa, I lost them. Ugh...! I should've caught that villain and collected the ten-thousand-yen illegal dumping fine."
"Why would you be the one collecting that?"
The two of them fell into conversation as if nothing had happened and started walking again. When Chise lifted her head... both her cheeks were puffed out like balloons!
"Youn— Young mistress!"
Takeo greeted them with booming enthusiasm.
"It's been too long! And this is...?"
"A club underclassman."
Yuria froze. He's an actual yakuza...!
"I-Ichinose Yuria."
She bowed her head in greeting, for lack of a better idea.
"Bwahahaha! First time the young mistress has ever brought a school friend home! Hey, you lot! Treat her like royalty!"
Noah clapped her hands over her ears. Yuria wondered why — and then she understood.
"OSSU!!!!!"
The roar was so loud it practically shook the ground. Every hair on Yuria's body stood on end.
"Cut the crap. I'm putting her on 'cleaning' duty, so get it ready."
The instant they heard the word cleaning, the yakuza who'd been laughing their heads off went stone-faced. Beside them, Chise let out a sigh. So this is how it ends. Takeo's presence, in particular, had turned terrifying.
"...What kind of cleaning are you referring to, young mistress? She looks a bit young for that kind of work."
"What? I've been doing it since I was seven. Don't discriminate."
"...That's because you're a special kind of person, young mistress."
Yuria, who had been listening, piped up.
"Hah! I, Ichinose Yuria, was the strongest fighter at Asano Middle School. I have no reason to take that kind of talk from you! You muscle-head!"
"...Muscle-head?"
Takeo's brow twitched. He shifted his massive frame and planted himself in front of Yuria. She thought, Did I just mess up...? Cold sweat beaded on her skin. A hand the size of a pot lid landed on her shoulder.
"Bwahahaha! This young lady knows what's what!"
"?"
Takeo struck a series of poses. His enormous muscles rippled.
"I've been into powerlifting lately!"
"Ah... right."
From a distance, Suzuki bowed his head, a yukata draped over his arms. Noah walked over to him.
"Huh? Minamoto-senpai?"
Chise offered a brief explanation.
"She's going to change. We'll wait here."
"Hm? Young mistress Fujiwara, you aren't changing?"
Whenever she came to the Minamoto estate, Chise had always changed into a yukata alongside Noah. But this time, she shook her head. Today, she wanted to remain a Fujiwara.
"By the way... you could charge admission for this place."
Yuria's eyes sparkled as she took in the Minamoto Main Estate, a compound with centuries of history. Chise smiled brightly.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Ah, yes. The atmosphere is... something else."
Old buildings clustered together across the grounds. The estate was so vast it was hard to believe a place like this could exist in the heart of Tokyo. There was a pond, of course, and nearby stood an enormous ancient tree that drew gasps of admiration.
So this is the yakuza family I'd only heard about...
Men with swords at their hips came and went. ...Wait, aren't these samurai?! Every last one of them was dressed in traditional clothing. It was enough to make one wonder whether such a thing was even possible in the modern age.
"This way."
"Ah, yes."
Yuria wasn't so tactless as to point any of that out. This was her beloved senpai's family, after all. She was determined not to do anything rude.
Chise led her toward the guest room, her mind racing. What do I do. What do I do. What do I do. They'd actually come here. And Noah had already said it out loud. She was going to put her on cleaning.
There was not a single normal person in the Minamoto clan. Chise would stake her name on that. These were people who never took even Noah's most casual remarks lightly. Put generously, their loyalty was excessive. Put honestly, they were idiots!
...Even if I tell them, they won't listen.
She could move the Minamoto yakuza to a certain extent, but there was no way her word would override that of Noah, the next heir. Even if the order was completely absurd, even if you could dismantle it with logic — it wouldn't matter. The only one above Noah was...
...Lady Kako?
The realization struck her, and her eyes flew open.
"Ehh?! It was completely traditional outside — why is it like this in here?! This is a hotel!"
"The guest rooms are a new addition."
At Chise's answer, Yuria, who had been making a fuss, accepted it with a slightly sour look. Chise clasped her hands behind her back and spoke lightly.
"More importantly, Ichinose."
"Yes?"
"Could you wait here a moment? There's somewhere I need to go."
"Ah... sure. I guess."
Yuria added, a little timidly,
"...You'll come back soon, right?"
"Don't worry. Noah will be here soon."
She was reluctant to let Yuria see Noah in a yukata, but she'd already given her that much of a warning. It should be fine.
Once outside, Chise scanned her surroundings. Focusing on the corners, she found Suzuki crouched in the shadows — the so-called Suzuki Reserved Seat, which existed in the shaded gaps between buildings.
"Suzuki-san."
"Y-Young mistress Fujiwara...? Does someone like me... trash like me... have some business with you...?"
Suzuki was still teetering on the edge of becoming a complete wreck after the recent menstruation incident. Of course, he looked like this three hundred days out of the year, so Chise was used to it.
"Is Lady Kako still at the main estate?"
"...Y-yes..."
Suzuki mumbled his reply. Chise smiled awkwardly and started to turn away — then her body locked up. Creak. She turned her head and looked at him with a gaze gone ice-cold.
"Show me what you're hiding behind your back."
"...!"
Suzuki trembled violently. Chise simply looked down at him. Under that chill, he flinched and carefully held something out.
A pair of white knee-high socks. The very socks Noah had been wearing until moments ago. There was no mistaking them.
"..."
"..."
"You really are trash, Suzuki-san."
"A-aah—"
"What exactly were you planning to do with the socks of a girl two years younger than you?"
"Auh, a-ah."
Suzuki couldn't even form human words. The sight of him was simply—
"Disgusting."
Trickle—
Beyond the sliding paper doors, a pond was visible from the tatami. There, two women sat facing each other on their knees, enjoying tea.
"Chise."
"...Lady Minamoto."
"It's been a while. How unkind of you. Don't hog my daughter quite so much — won't you let me see her now and then?"
"I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for."
Ting— A small bell chimed in the wind. Kako drank her tea without a sound, then set the cup down just as silently. She folded her hands neatly on her lap and asked, without preamble,
"How far have you gotten?"
"...Pfft—"
Chise, mid-sip, choked. She coughed and coughed, barely managing to compose herself. Watching her reaction, Kako touched her upper lip thoughtfully.
"Oh my. So you've finally gone all the way."
"...Around... there."
"How admirable."
Kako smiled with her eyes. And when those eyes opened halfway, pink irises the same color as her hair were revealed.
"But you're still too slow."
Chise flinched. She quickly recovered her composure and said,
"...That's not why I came today."
"I was fourteen."
"..."
"I was bound to a Minamoto at thirteen. Pregnant at fourteen."
Kako's eyes opened fully. The atmosphere around the woman who usually wore only a gentle, refined eye-smile transformed completely. It was ice-cold.
"And you... are already sixteen."
Chise bit her lip. Kako took her chin and lifted it.
"So tell me, Fujiwara — if you didn't come to me for that reason, then what does that mean?"
"...Lady Kako, you and I are different."
Chise's voice trembled, faintly.
"Noah and I... we're the same sex."
"By the time you two were born," Kako tilted her head, "genetic recombination techniques were already nearly complete. That sort of thing is no obstacle at all."
"...That's not what I meant."
Chise grew smaller and smaller. Kako released her and took a sip of tea. She looked to the right. Beside the pond stood a great cherry tree, withered and dead.
"Noah's hair is sakura. Adorably enough, she was born looking as though she inherited a great deal of my blood. Even if she had been born a Fujiwara, she would have grown up showered in love."
"..."
"But you — your hair is black, your eyes are black. There isn't a trace of sakura anywhere on you."
The women of the Fujiwara are offered to the Minamoto. It is an immutable law that has not changed once in a thousand years. But that is only possible when a son is born to the Minamoto. Until a boy arrived, they had no choice but to keep producing children. A hundred years ago, after genetic manipulation succeeded, they began having only one child even if it was a girl. Before that, Minamoto women born into the family were frequently absorbed into the Fujiwara. And so the two bloodlines intermingled. By now, it was no longer strange for Minamoto coloring to appear among the Fujiwara, or for Fujiwara coloring to appear among the Minamoto.
And yet. It was not the proper way of things.
What proved a Minamoto was a Minamoto was solely their superhuman, transcendent power. What proved a Fujiwara was blood. How strongly the hair and eyes displayed sakura — that was what mattered. In other words, Noah had no problem at all. But Chise had a problem of legitimacy.
"...!"
"Perhaps then you'll finally come to your senses, Fujiwara Chise."
The Minamoto produce only one child. If they ever had two or more, and a succession war broke out, the Minamoto Nightmare — said to have filled half the history books — would begin anew. But the Fujiwara were different. They produced as many descendants as possible, searching for an heir worthy of the Minamoto.
And Fujiwara Chise was not a worthy heir. Because she had not been born with sakura. The only reason she had become the heir at all was because Minamoto Noah had chosen her. And so a complete union was only possible if the words I want to marry you came from Noah's own lips.
"You don't have time. I tried — but the Fujiwara listen to me less than I expected. Perhaps the times have changed. They treat me like an outsider now."
Before her marriage, her name had been Fujiwara Kako. In other words, she who had once been the Fujiwara heir herself sighed and delivered her warning to Chise.
Chise, who had been listening in dejected silence, snapped her eyes wide open.