Chapter 215: A Water Hashira in Name and Fact
Akira was kept completely in the dark about the specific arrangements for tonight.
Just as Makomo had mentioned before, the girls usually discussed and settled their daily matters among themselves. As long as they didn't flip the roof, Akira—the 'head of the household'—didn't need to intervene.
During the day, when he had tried to pry into their plans for the evening, Makomo and Kanae had offered the exact same synchronized reply: "It's a secret." The other girls weren't directly involved, so they were equally clueless.
However, recalling Kanae's hesitant, blushing expression at the time, Akira couldn't help but entertain a certain fantasy.
Of course, that fleeting thought only lasted a moment. After all, for such a monumental 'first time' in their lives, neither Makomo nor Kanae seemed like the type who would agree to share the experience simultaneously.
Thus, Akira had already deduced that this final, intimate step would be spread out over two days. His only real curiosity lay in who would take the lead tonight.
As if to validate his suspicions, once the rest of the girls had dispersed from the lively birthday celebration, Makomo and Kanae exchanged a knowing glance. They nodded in silent agreement. Kanae gracefully took the initiative to excuse herself first, leaving the once-bustling room suddenly quiet, occupied by only one man and one woman.
"Would you like to take a walk with me in the courtyard?"
Makomo extended her delicate hand toward him. Earlier, she had been staring at him with a burning intensity, looking as though she wanted to devour him whole. Now, however, that urgent fervor had settled into a calm, quiet anticipation.
She knew that a nearly five-year emotional journey was destined to bear fruit tonight. There was no need to rush.
"Of course," Akira replied, his voice gentle. He took Makomo's small, soft hand in his own. Side by side, they stepped out of the room and into the small courtyard, which was bathed in a pristine layer of moonlight.
The winter night was utterly silent. It lacked the vibrant, bursting resurgence of spring, the intertwining chorus of cicadas and frogs of a summer evening, or the rustling sweep of autumn winds carrying fallen leaves.
There was only the moonlight. It spilled into the courtyard like liquid silver, rippling subtly whenever a faint evening breeze swept past.
It wasn't just the environment that had quieted down; their two hearts, which had been beating with restless anticipation, also found a serene rhythm.
Makomo turned her head, her deep green eyes gazing up at Akira's face, which was illuminated by the soft lunar glow as he looked back at her.
In a trance, she seemed to see the childish face of the boy from several years ago—the young boy who always wore a confident, unshakeable smile. The child who, despite his young age, often carried the weight of an adult.
She remembered the exact moment he had saved her in the dark of night. From that second onward, his face had been irrevocably branded into her heart.
She remembered how cautiously she had tried to get closer to him, secretly delighted whenever he showed no signs of pushing her away. She remembered testing the waters with teasing jokes, only to feel secretly exasperated by his absolute lack of romantic awareness.
She felt his genuine concern, which only rooted her feelings deeper.
She had also noticed his inherent greed when it came to love, and she had genuinely tried to be angry at him for it. But of course, that attempt had crumbled the moment it began. She knew, even back then, that she was entirely beyond saving.
Fortunately, looking at where they were now, the outcome was far from bad.
The girls who had managed to carve a place in his heart had all become her close sisters. Kanae's active, graceful concessions prevented any latecomers from harboring toxic thoughts of vying for favor. Shinobu had even formed a 'united front' with Makomo when it came to the daily routine of teasing Akira.
Kanao was cute, well-behaved, and incredibly sensible. Although the quiet girl was a bit too clingy with Akira, none of them had the heart to scold her for it.
Mitsuri was innocent and purely kind, completely devoid of any competitive malice. She was a sweet girl who was easily satisfied just by having Akira chat with her for a little while.
Although Akira had confessed earlier that having these five girls still couldn't make him completely abandon the greed in his heart, Makomo hadn't caught him trying to pluck the heartstrings of any other girls recently.
Forget it, she thought. I'll worry about those things later.
Besides, any girl Akira managed to fall for would likely be easy to get along with. Judging from how Mitsuri had fallen for him, Akira might actively flirt, but he would never hide the fact that he already had several women by his side. He would lay his cards on the table, open and honest, and leave the final choice to the girl.
Though, to be fair, the silly Mitsuri hadn't even realized Akira was actively flirting with her until she had a heart-to-heart with the girls at the Butterfly Mansion.
Setting all that aside, Akira wasn't a busybody, nor was he some perverted older man who would just approach any girl he heard crying in a corner.
Compared to Makomo—who had been forced to drop endless hints and eventually state her feelings explicitly just to get this blockhead to open his heart—Mitsuri's romantic path had been completely different.
She recalled a playful conversation they had shared not too long ago.
"So, a certain someone was just pretending to be dumb back then, right?" she had teased him.
"I genuinely thought I was suffering from the 'three great illusions of life' at the time," Akira had replied with a helpless shrug.
"Really?"
"Really."
"What are you thinking about?"
Akira's warm voice pulled Makomo's thoughts back to reality, grounding her in the presence of the man standing right in front of her.
"I'm just thinking about all the little moments we've shared along the way," Makomo smiled faintly. Her pretty face seemed to glow with an ethereal light under the moon, her deep green eyes brimming with a deep tenderness that could easily leave Akira utterly intoxicated.
Akira gently pulled the girl into his embrace. She yielded naturally, melting against his chest and leaning into his familiar, reassuring warmth.
"So, what are your thoughts?" he murmured.
"In the blink of an eye, it's been almost five years since we first met. I have so many feelings, but ultimately, it all comes down to two words—no regrets."
She had never once regretted firmly choosing the young man standing before her.
Akira tightened his arms around her slender waist, resting his chin lightly against her forehead. He gently inhaled the faint, sweet scent of her hair and responded with a soft yet unshakable firmness, "Yeah. Me too."
At a moment like this, saying "thank you" felt far too distant and thin. Saying "I'm sorry" felt equally weak and meaningless.
All he could do was hold the person in his arms a little tighter, using his actions to prove that she would always hold a sacred place in his heart.
The two held each other under the moonlight for a long time, letting the quiet winter night wrap around them. Finally, Makomo gently broke free from his embrace, stepping back just enough to return to holding his hand, standing side by side.
"It's about time. Let's get to the main event, shall we?"
Makomo's tone was playful, laced with a teasing lilt. Yet, her eyes betrayed an undisguised fervor—a direct, explicit desire that burned far brighter than before.
However, the slight dampness of the palm Akira was holding gave her away. Beneath the girl's bold and active exterior lay a wildly nervous heart.
Without waiting for Akira to respond, she tugged his hand, leading him directly toward her bedroom.
The door clicked shut. The curtains were drawn tight, plunging the room into complete darkness. Yet, within that pitch-black space, another kind of burning heat began to brew, pulsating with the primal rhythm of life.
What followed was a sacred intimacy, something not even the moon was permitted to witness.
Makomo, a girl as pure and lively as a forest spirit, bloomed with her own unique, stunning radiance in the dark room.
Love and desire intertwined smoothly. Body and soul sublimated together as one, and echoing waves of passion rippled through the confines of the room.
When the intense storm finally subsided, Makomo lay softly atop Akira. Her delicate head was buried against his chest, her ear pressed flat to feel the steady, powerful thumping of his heartbeat.
Truly, a Water Hashira in name and fact.
Caressing the soft, delicate body resting in his arms, that singular, amused thought surfaced in Akira's mind.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]