Back at the resort, Itsuki made her way to the bathhouse with a large smile, humming to herself in a joyous tune. She was late getting there because Kaede was picking fights with the other younger kids over playing with Rumi and the little ones. It made her irritated that she wasted time breaking up a kid's fight when she wanted time with her best friend. She was happy however how quickly Kaede and Rumi became friends during the trip, seeing Rumi defend her was the best part. They were only a couple of years apart in age, which made it easier for them to get along. Itsuki wondered if they would be great friends in the future like she and Kousuke became, the idea made her happier with her vivid imagination.
The night was already creeping up outside, giving her maybe a couple of hours left before the big barbecue feast and fireworks show. She would get her bath time with Kousuke even if she had to slap a few people to get in.
Itsuki removed all her clothes and wrapped the towel around her body, she tied her hair up in a large bun as well, the only thing she kept on was the bracelet Kousuke gave her that birthed Tsukikage. Her most cherished possession.
Itsuki's vivid imagination ran wild again before she opened the sliding door, she was imagining Kousuke trying to seduce her in the bath uninterrupted, even removing her towel before the image ended from getting any more ecchi than needed in her head just like how Kousuke's had earlier when he had similar thoughts. Itsuki's face turned red, she was holding it in both hands shaking her head in excitement and embarrassment.
"No no we can't do that, I could get pregnant, we couldn't do that now till marriage." She rambled on till she finally stopped her steamy fantasy from jumping into a full erotic one.
Itsuki made her way to the bath, she saw Kousuke sitting in it, unaware that he was unconscious from Rina putting him to sleep earlier. Itsuki was incredibly nervous, even with a towel on she was still shy about showing her body to Kousuke in this manner. The hoodie was one thing because she was wearing something comfortable to sleep in.
Showing off a lot of her skin in this manner made her heart race hard with anticipation. She wasn't as muscular as Megumi or endowed like Natsume was, which made her self-conscious about what Kousuke would think of her physically.
'Get it together Shirayuki Itsuki. He hasn't said anything bad yet about your body. He hasn't fallen for large breasts like Natsume's either, and no way is he into older women like Kuramori-Sensei. You're not gonna get chances like this more often now go for it and get your fairy tale ending.'
Itsuki steeled herself, she dipped her toes in first before sliding into the water about a few feet next to Kousuke. She looked at his face and it seemed so peaceful from his forced nap. She started to look at the outlines of his muscles, they looked gorgeous to her. It was a relief to see that the burns she saw him have on the fight day were gone.
The pain he must have put himself through to train to avenge Akane, even admitting to her that he had developed Thanatophobia after the fight was hard enough for him to speak of, and better when she accepted it letting him know he had someone to talk to other than Akira at the school. He didn't feel comfortable telling anyone because he was self-conscious about how people would respond to someone who could be easily triggered by the sight of death or the idea of having to kill someone. Itsuki made him feel safe in that he could tell her everything in his head now without fear of being judged.
It wasn't easy to admit it even to himself he wasn't healthy in his head. Lying that he threw his inhaler away, keeping it as a crutch in case he lost it. Case in point when Rina used it on him to stop his panic attack from Byakurai's assault.
Itsuki felt bad for him, he was handling that while trying to get stronger, she felt wrong to judge him for not contacting her when he was away. Seeing him sleep so soundly next to her now felt like it was a well-earned break from all the troubles he had gone through. She hoped he could have more times like this so he would never feel that kind of pain again.
Itsuki took in a few breaths before mustering up the courage to take her chance, she crept up slowly getting closer to him, till her shoulders touched his. Itsuki's heart was pounding harder, this was the next step for her, she moved her hand steadily till her fingers were on top of his.
"What are you trying to do?" Itsuki looked to see Kousuke's face, he was squinting at her as he was finally waking up.
Itsuki panicked and removed her hand, she was embarrassed at getting caught in the act.
"Sorry, it was nothing." Itsuki's face was bright red, she was completely embarrassed at what she had done when he was asleep.
"Hey Itsuki, can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?" She wondered what he was going to ask. Her imagination had too many ideas running as is.
"Why do you like me so much?" Itsuki was taken aback. She could feel there was something different in the way he was asking her that. As if he was questioning why anybody wanted to be around him.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"What is it about me you like? Or what everyone seems to like with me. I'm not charming, and I don't really understand relationships all that well. I'm not even sure who I really like right now anymore, or what love really is. I feel empty right now, like I have this void in me that can't be filled even with a mountain of emotions pouring into it. So what about me makes people like me so much? I'm a broken toy soldier who everyone tries hard to fix and I don't get why. I don't feel like I deserve you or anyone's affections, so why? Why do I seem to have people gravitate to me than leave me later?"
Itsuki could feel there was hurt in his voice, he was asking something more as if begging a painful question he wanted to be answered. It felt like something had just happened in a short time that made him think the way he was thinking now.
"I don't know where this is coming from, but you want to know why? Well, when we first met you were a jerk to everyone. You were so smug about being a Prime Caliber and acted highly superior to others it was irritating. I thought you were a horrible person at first, especially after I confronted you about it. But when you saved my sister it changed my opinion. You were so kind to her even though you knew nothing about her, you defended her even if it meant more backlash to you than you had before. You saved her, at a time when I lost hope in believing in fairytales or goodness in people. Even after that, I saw you feeding stray cats and birds when no one was around at school. You looked happy helping them out like you had a kinship with animals. Figures now on how you can change into one."
The mood was shifting better now with Itsuki talking, Kousuke just needed to have someone to talk to him even if it felt insignificant in the bigger picture. That's all someone wanted was to have someone listen to them in the right moment.
"Even now the way you interact with Rumi, and how protective of her you are even with just meeting her, I can see how big a heart you have. I can see it in her too, she's happy being around you, and you make her feel loved just by being yourself. I think what makes you special is that even though you're dense or a bit temperamental, you still care for others. Like you know how they're feeling and don't want them to keep feeling that way."
Kousuke felt a needle pierce his heart. Itsuki basically poured her feelings out to him, and he still felt broken inside from Rina's betrayal earlier. He couldn't stop how he felt, and how he was hurt because of it. He felt like a jerk, he had to ask her now or fear hurting her in the future.
"What if I like someone else, would you change how you feel then? I don't want you to wait for something that may never happen." Itsuki smiled it off, she was prepared for that.
"I wouldn't mind, I care about you, you mean more to me than my own life. Even if it's not me, I'd still be happy for you. No one can understand how they feel right away, it takes time. When you finally decide, I'll be there next to you happy either way. So don't worry, I'll still be Shirayuki-Hime to you, now and forever."
Kousuke could see the smile on her face, he felt relieved hearing that. Maybe it was all new to him, but it was by instinct, almost, his hand out to grab her hand, his fingers interlocking with hers. Itsuki felt the gesture, she glowed in bliss from how she felt. She leaned her head on his shoulder to enjoy the moment, one of the best she had ever had.
'This is enough right? Enough to satisfy her. I don't know where I stand right now, I know I'm not smiling on the outside, but even I hope I'm happy on the inside. I don't know where I stand. I don't want to be that harem protagonist with multiple wives or going back and forth too much. I like Rina, I won't apologize for that. I don't care what she did to me earlier anymore, I know it was against her wishes, but I'm positive now about it. I do like Itsuki too, I'm not lying about that either, she's always been important to me. I want to pick one without hurting the other, I care for their feelings more than mine. Mine are chaotic and unsure, I don't know which one I can be with, without looking like a lecturer or playing with their emotions. I will decide, I know I will. For now, I'll just live in this moment. Let Itsuki have her happiness right now. She deserves it for everything she's done for me.'
Kousuke leaned his head on her's, he took in the moment to enjoy this peaceful scenery.
The sliding door opened with a servant bringing out food and cold milk for them to enjoy, Itsuki paid for food for them to eat. Kousuke went to drink his milk, and Itsuki decided to mess with him one last time. She froze the milk like she did with his milk tea when they were kids, Kousuke felt the chill before he let the ice hit him again. This time he could heat it, he half-smiled as he reheated the milk to drink. Ituski smiled, then felt water splash her face. Kousuke splashed her like a child throwing water at a friend. Ituski was quiet at first, he thought she would freeze him in the water as payback.
Instead, she splashed him back, Kousuke was still for a second then splashed her again. Both splashed each other for a while laughing and smiling, the innocence of their old childhood selves mirroring their present selves signifying a brief respite of regained peace before all the pain being with them even for a small time.
On the other side of the resort far away from everyone, two girls were flirting with each other in private. They didn't hear the sound of broken branches or groaning coming their way. When they did it was too late, a pair of rotting hands grabbed one of the girl's head, followed by a revolting corpse head sinking its broken and rotted teeth into her skull right to the brain. The other girl was frozen in fear, the blood splattering her face made her finally scream at the horrible sight, she tried to run away before they could eat her too, but a black knight in glistening armor with human bones on it for decorations stood before her.
"There's no escape young one. Death is natural, and no one can escape it. The call of the ferryman Charon has come for you. Now, fall into the abyss child."
The girl was horrified, she was frozen again in fear unable to move, not noticing the many hands grabbing her from behind, ripping her clothes and skin, feeding ravenously on her flesh and bone.
The knight bore witness to the sight emotionless. Three other ones like him walked up from behind.
"Are they fed now?" One asked.
"Yes." Another responded.
"Good. Our plans have reached the final stage of preparation. We will take the Ghasts to the area to kill the humans and recover the boy. He must be mentally and spiritually broken before we take him to Ankou." The last one commented, summarizing their plans.
"We will not fail, unlike Shiina we will succeed in Ankou's wishes for their host body before the boy makes the celestial bond with the Hunter Monarch and recovers the Ronin's sword." The lead black knight then surveyed the area, the army of Ghasts trudging their way behind them, the ones finishing the girls with blood and meat in their teeth stood up, followed by the girls becoming Ghasts as well as joining the march. The knights looked at the resort from their line of sight, they were ready to massacre everyone to get to Kousuke. The dead like them had no feelings about killing or sympathy for killing the living. The ones behind them were ruled by hunger, hunger for life that the dead wanted back in their cold rotting bodies. The hunger for the people at the resort was intoxicating for them, the smell of their flesh and blood mouth-watering. The insatiable hunger to feast on life, how could the dead not want to feel alive again that way?
"Now, let's let them all enjoy hell."