Unlike me, this fox girl in front of me, Higanbana, is desperate for Asagao. I glance back again to Asagao and saw her back from the distant. There’s something bitter on my tongue but I can’t tell what it is.

Am I feeling guilty because Higanbana made me realize something? Because I tried to push my luck in a way that would even hurt people around me?

I don’t know…

Even I myself want to be happy. I just know that nothing could go wrong in choosing Asagao. However, my mind screams that it is not the right thing to do.

Asagao is too much for me. She deserves someone not like me. I guess I don’t deserve Diyu too when I am like this. Now that I think about it, I want to prioritize their happiness before mine. That’s why I felt something bitter when I thought of following Asagao.

I look back at Higanbana who is still glaring at me. The girl who openly declares her love for Asagao, however, she is abstaining from any aggressive approach to her as she made a promise with her.

“Asagao chose you but you already rejected her! I love her! I love her more than you can imagine! If you accepted her in the first place, I am fine with that! I will accept the fact that you and Asagao are going to be together!”

“You will?”

“I will! It’s Asagao’s happiness that I am concerned! Not a single shit about you! Now that you are out of the picture, I won’t let you be with Asagao anymore, not that you already tried to trample on her feelings!”

“That’s not what I intended to do, however…It is as you said, I won’t…pursue Asagao anymore…”

Higanbana’s hostility lessens and she settles down. Her power almost burst throughout the city that will alert people. Her eyes now stare at me with the usual deadpan but there’s a clear hostility to it.

“Please stay true to your words. First, thank you…for rejecting Asagao. That’s the first thing I am thankful to you. It may have hurt her but…”

“I was about to make another mistake…you stopped me from doing so…I am also thankful for that.”

“Now don’t act friendly with me. I will stay true to my words and I will kill you if you attempt anything. Even if you are clearly more powerful than me, I will do everything to kill you if you hurt Asagao other than this time.”

“For your age, you’re quite scary and matured.”

“I have to. I need to elevate my own abilities in any form to catch up with Asagao. I won’t cause any trouble too for tonight because you backed down. You already know that there’s an eye watching…”

It is as Higanbana said, there’s someone else watching us. It’s clearly Susanoo who is keeping an eye on us. Not only Susanoo, I know that Alstroemeria, Mana, and Hasu are strong enough to know that there’s something going on here.

Realistically, if a fight breaks out here, I bet no one is going to side with me, especially Susanoo and Alstroemeria who will clearly side with Higanbana.

“Also, don’t say anything to Asagao about this and I hope to those who are listening to keep quiet.”

“Even I won’t dare to say anything to her. She is easily gullible by emotions and she has enough stress weighing on her shoulders…”

“I trust and believe on Asagao unlike you. If she is burdened by such thing, she will grow more, however, when it becomes too much for her, that’s where I will come to encourage her, to cuddle her to stillness, and to make her smile.”

If that’s the case, I no longer need to concern myself over Asagao’s mental state. These people, all of them, they are all gathering around Asagao with purposes and goals while being concerned for her.

I only hurt Asagao and brought her pain over and over again. I didn’t believe her initially, I didn’t notice how she feels for me and I am just an imbecile who cannot decide who to love. Diyu wouldn’t want a man like me.

As Higan utters those words, she turns her back on me and started walking. That action alone got me curious for the reason…

“Wait!”

“What? We don’t have anything to talk about. I expect that we will have the common goal to keep Asagao happy. Also, I heard that you like Diyu too from Asagao. I expect that you will also talk to her.”

“That’s not it!”

“Then what could it be?”

“Isn’t this your chance?”

“Chance?”

She turns around to face me again and this time, her eyes are looking down like it is somewhat sad and happy. There was a faint smile on her lips but her fox ears are sullen as it falls down meekly.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I don’t know…about this chance…”

“What are you saying? Isn’t it the perfect time to comfort Asagao, the perfect time to get closer to her and to…deepen your feelings for her? Are you not going to follow her yourself?”

“Don’t mock my feelings for her. I love Asagao to the point I am willing to kill myself if it is going to be her happiness.”

That’s too extreme!

Wha--!

Her eyes…those lightless eyes that say something even far more dangerous than what her power made me felt earlier…I know those…

This girl…

It’s basically as sinister as arcana magic…

This girl…has a strong obsession…for Asagao.

“Why the pale face?”

“You…what…are you…?!”

“Who knows? I don’t really know what I would have done if you didn’t stop from my words earlier. I don’t really know how things would end up if you further bring pain to Asagao. That’s why who knows?”

“I see…you are…”

“I am, in fact, as you thought, obsess for Asagao. However, at the same time, I truly love her.”

“Then why aren’t you grabbing this opportunity?!”

Her eyes devoid of normal emotions came back nonchalantly to being deadpan. It is evident that she is aware of what she is but does not know what kind of things she could have done. She is fundamentally dangerous…

“Because…I am aware that I am not the one Asagao is going to seek for…”

“Higanbana…”

“I, for sure knows that she will go to her, to the person who understands her the most, to the person who always watches her, to the person who has the strongest connection with her the most…”

“That would be…her, right?”

“I mean, I am going to be happy, no, even joyful if the two of them started loving each other. I don’t mind being the third wheel!~”

“So, you don’t plan to deepen your relationship with her?”

“If what I said earlier happens, I don’t mind going deeper in her underwear…”

“Wow…just wow…you say some bold and blatant things like that…”

“I’ll go. I’m sick and tired of your face.”

Higanbana turns her heels away from me. I guess that’s how our conversation ends…

She made me realize many things. I guess people with scary personality on my list has elevated by one number again. I can’t believe that that type of personality also exists in this world. She is like a bomb that would explode anytime and no one wants that.

I should stop playing the fool around her…

Also, it is surprising that she doesn't mind if Asagao started dating anyone as long as it is her choice. However, I didn’t expect her to be that…um…a little…perv?

That said, I still have mixed feelings.

The reality of our situation, the death and betrayal of our comrades, and the troubles I piled up myself come back to me and slowly sunk in into my head.

I rejected Asagao, that’s all there is to it. I still have feelings for Diyu, that’s all there is to it.

I am just a spineless fool…that’s all there is to it…

“Ha…haha…hahahah...HAHAHAHA!! How silly, how ridiculous…how stupid…”

What’s this feeling boiling deep down in my chest?

It’s bitter, it’s hot, it’s making me furious about everything. I have felt this before in this world, no, I felt it way back when I was younger!

When? When was it?!

That’s right…when a man killed my parents. I have felt this surge of anger!

However, right now, it came from a different reason. I can feel my view as a person, as a human, as sane person crumbling. I have no longer have a grasp of my own beliefs, my own values, my own justice back when I was weaker.

“You’ve become…this pathetic…”

“Wha--?! Diyu…?!”

From the alley of one of the warehouses in this pier, Diyu’s figure came out from the shadows. Her bright sparkling green and blood red eyes stare at me with pity. Her bare shoulders are exposed as she wears her usual clothes with her breastplate on. Her pleated skirt shows a glimpse of her thighs.

She has frowning lips and her eyes pity me, but it tells more than that.

“I heard from someone that I can find you here…and that Asagao confessed her love for you…”

“Who told you that?! Susanoo? It’s Susanoo, right?!”

“It doesn’t matter who. What matters is that I have something to talk about with you.”

She came at me with straight and glaring eyes. I haven’t seen Diyu for months but something about her has definitely changed.

“I heard that you rejected Asagao.”

“Yes. I rejected her…because I have feelings for you. What you saw back the--!”

“Stop. It is not important anymore.”

“Diyu…”

“You rejected Asagao for me. Ichirou, you are the deepest fool I have ever known.”

“Why is that…?”

“For if I am in your shoes, I would accept her in a heartbeat and throw any sentimental feelings for you to the trash.”

“I see…”

“But, I am quite happy that you chose me despite facing someone earlier who is far more superior to me…”

She showed me a faint smile.

It’s not true that she is superior to Asagao. Asagao just showed me more of what she is. I want to see more of what Diyu is. There were no superior or inferior, I just have to know more about her. I don’t want to set any preferences or delusions over a girl.

I just want to understand and embrace what they are.

“I can say for sure that I, Diyu Hellbeing, have feelings for you too, Ichirou.”

“Really?! Diyu…what you just said…is it true?!”

“Yes.”

“Then…!”

“But, I don’t want to be with you…”

“……”

“You’ve seemed to lose yourself somewhere…you are not what you used to be. Also, don’t think I wouldn’t notice it. We vampire has sensitive sense of smell so I know, even if it is faint, that you had other woman embraced you…”

I know…this outcome is inevitable.

I know…that this is the outcome of my decisions.

I know…that these outcomes are already predetermined and will soon explode right in my face.

“Also, I can say the same for me. I don’t want to be with you because…I have changed too…”

“What do…you mean…?”

“I want to be with you too but, I can’t. Not now, not today, not tomorrow…and I don’t know when...”

“Diyu…”

“I’ve done something irreversible…to Bacarra…and I vowed to myself to take responsibility of what she has become. I have to be there for her, as someone who changed her to what she is now.”

“Why…? Why…with…Bacarra?!”

I don’t quite get it. I don’t want to be so worked up about it but…

“It’s because that I hold feelings for you, I rejected Bacarra’s advances. She was in dire need of emotional support and at that time…I was the only there for her. So, I made her seek vengeance to keep on living. It’s all because…I have feelings for you…”

“So that’s…what happened…”

“It’s complicated…it’s painful…I want to help Asagao too…but I can’t even start where to find my compassion for her since she lied to me…you may easily forgive her but I won’t.”

“I see…”

That’s understandable.

I can feel some weight floating away from my shoulder as I hold this conversation with Diyu. I can understand what she is trying to say and I think that it is for the best.

“But…Ichirou…”

“What is it, Diyu?”

“Even after what’s going to happen to us…don’t give up on me…”

“That’s…”

“Even if I became an annoying girl…even if I became that girl who gets worked up at everything, don’t give up on me. Until…I can give Bacarra her own path, her own happiness and help her stand on her own two feet again…please…don’t give up on me…”

“I won’t. I’m sorry…for everything…”

Diyu raises her hand towards. Her palms are about to touch my face as she outstretched her hands but halfway, she stopped. She pulled her hand back and look away from me.

“Good night…”

Diyu left…

I could no longer utter any words…

This night…has put a lot of hole to me that I don’t think I can ever forget what happened at this moment.

Everyone was perfectly right but not correct in a sense.

It’s a torrent of emotions…

“Care for some drink?”

From another corner, Susanoo appears with a bottle of wine.

Why does he appear like some best wingman when he is the one who called Diyu over here.

“Are you satisfied?!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tsk…”

That night, I tried to drown myself to liquor but failed to forget any of those worries…