Meanwhile, back at the shopping square...

"This was so much fun, Tatsurou-san!" Shirayuki said as she walked beside Tatsurou, with a big smile on her face, as she held a wolf plush, she won at the arcade.

"It really was, I never imagined that you were good at fighting games, did you ever played before?" Tatsurou asked Shirayuki with a curious tone.

"Not really, no, it was my first time!" Shirayuki said with an honest expression, that caught Tatsurou off guard but also made him smile a bit.

"Don't say that to the people in the arcade you just wiped the floor with, they would die from embarrassment..." Tatsurou said as he sighed a bit.

"Wha...really?!" Shirayuki asked with a surprised and shocked expression as she looked at Tatsurou that couldn't contain his smile anymore.

"I'm just messing with you, nobody is going to die from embarrassment..." Tatsurou said as he smiled.

"Please don't joke with things like that, Tatsurou-san!" Shirayuki said as pouted a bit and looked away from Tatsurou.

"Sorry..." Tatsurou said as he took out his phone.

"18:24 pm? Well, it's not too late but I think that we did enough for today..." Tatsurou thought to himself as he looked at his phone.

"Shirayuki-san, how about we go to my place now? We can rest a bit and also eat something, while were at it?" Tatsurou asked as he looked at Shirayuki.

"Sure, let's go then!" Shirayuki answered with a happy tone as she smiled.

"Well then, let's take the monorail, the faster we get there the better!" Tatsurou said as he began walking in the direction of the monorail station, while Shirayuki walked beside him...

After taking the monorail, the trip on foot from the monorail station to the apartment complex Tatsurou lived in was a rather fast one, it was a 2 to 3 minute walk from the station to the apartment, and while on their walk, Tatsurou and Shirayuki talked about trivial things, mostly about the arcade, the games they played and how Shirayuki was happy with the wolf plush she won, and so as they were getting close.

"Looks like everything is going to be alright, Wise is probably already making dinner and won't be outside the house, like that I will be able to sneak Shirayuki in without her or Hime knowing..." Tatsurou thought this to himself, as they approached the complex and he was sure everything was going to go, according to his plan but, suddenly out of the complex's main gate came out none other than the person, Tatsurou wanted to avoid the most, it was Wise holding a trash bag, and in the moment Tatsurou saw her, he froze on the spot.

"Oh, no, I forgot that today's is Wednesday, it's the day Wise takes out the trash at this hour! I'm such an idiot!" Tatsurou thought to himself as he did a mental facepalm, not being able to believe that he forgot such a detail, Wise, that was wearing her usual sweater and jeans with an apron over it, looked to the side and caught a glimpse of Tatsurou.

"Hi there, Tatsurou-chan, welcome back..." As it was usual Wise was about to greet Tatsurou, but she stopped, when she saw Shirayuki hiding behind Tatsurou, at first she had a surprised face, but then it turned into a rather smug one, as she approached Tatsurou.

"My, oh my, Tatsurou-chan, it hasn't been a day yet, since Hime went away, and your already bringing girls home! Especially such a cute one like this, what-a-little-rascal, we have here~" Wise said with a smug tone as her tail began waging around and she placed her hand on her cheek, with that smug smile, still plastered on her face.

"Wait, Wise-san you're getting the wrong idea, it's nothing like that! I just..." Tatsurou said with an embarrassed tone and expresion as he tried to explain, the situation, but it was mostly useless.

"I can't believe it, they sure do grow fast as they say~" Wise said as she kept going on and on, paying no mind to Tatsurou's explanation, he just got even more embarrassed, she then got even closer to Tatsurou.

"Don't worry Tatsurou-chan, I won't tell a thing to Hime! Your secret is safe with me!" Wise said as she placed her right hand on his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up with her left, she then took her trash bag again and went inside the complex, leaving Tatsurou and Shirayuki, standing there.

"That Wise, she's like a hurricane..." Tatsurou said this to himself, as he turned to Shirayuki and when he saw her blushing and embarrassed it felt as if Tatsurou broke in half.

"Wait! Shirayuki-san, don't get the wrong idea, it's not what your thinking!" Tatsurou said, as he was flailing his hands around, then Wise poked her head from inside the complex entrance.

"Tatsurou-chan, you better not do anything naughty to her, you hear!" Wise said in a comedic tone as she gave Tatsurou a wink.

"Zip it, Wise-san!" Tatsurou responded in an angry tone as he grabbed Shirayuki and took her inside the complex, then he climbed the stairs to the second floor to his apartment, and when he finally got inside with Shirayuki and closed the door he could still hear Wise saying things like, "oh my" and the alike, he then turned to Shirayuki.

"I'm really sorry, Shirayuki-san, I'm not the type to bring girls over, don't take Wise's commentaries too seriously, she acted like that, but she's actually a really, good person!" Tatsurou said as he bowed to Shirayuki, trying to explain what just happened.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"You don't have to excuse yourself, Tatsurou-san, I believe you!" As Shirayuki said this she tried to make Tatsurou stop bowing to her.

"Really? You believe me?" Tatsurou asked with a surprised tone and expression.

"Yes, I do, because I don't believe you are that kind of person!" Shirayuki said with a smile, as she reassured Tatsurou.

"Finally! Somebody actually listened to me first, instead of jumping to a conclusion right away!" Tatsurou said as he looked up to the ceiling and began to cry.

"You don't have to cry, because of something like this, Tatsurou-san..." Shirayuki said with a worried tone as she looked at Tatsurou, that laughed a bit upon hearing her.

"You know that I'm not, really crying right? I'm just happy you didn't jump to conclusions like so many do..." Tatsurou said to Shirayuki as he smiled.

"What? Then I was worried for nothing!" Shirayuki said as she looked at Tatsurou a bit angry, but suddenly just like him, she started to laugh, for them both, it was a bit weird they have only known each other for a few hours, and yet it felt like they knew each other for years, it was weird, yet impressive.

"Well, why don't you come on in, and make yourself comfortable..." Tatsurou said as he took off his shoes and got inside the house proper Shirayuki followed suit after taking off her geta sandals.

The apartment Tatsurou lived with Hime wasn't big, but it wasn't small either it had 3 rooms one was Hime's the other was Tatsurou's, the other one was supposed to be a workplace for Hime but she rarely used it, since she worked mostly in her room, so it was empty, the kitchen and living room that were a connected piece, and a bathroom, this was the house that Tatsurou spent his last 9 years in, it was his home, the home that he wouldn't exchange for anything in the world.

"You can sit on the couch there, make yourself comfortable..." Tatsurou said as they got to the living room, Shirayuki just nodded as she got close to the couch, Tatsurou then went to the kitchen grabbed two cups and filled them with iced tea that was in the fridge, and took them to the living room were Shirayuki was already sitting.

"Here you go, Shirayuki-san..." Tatsurou said as he got close to Shirayuki, and handed her the cup.

"Huh? Oh right, thank you Tatsurou-san..." Shirayuki said this as she was distracted looking around the living room and Tatsurou surprised her a bit.

Tatsurou then took a seat in one of the armchairs that were in front of the couch he choose the one that made him sit in front of Shirayuki, after a brief moment of getting comfortable.

"Tatsurou-san, is this woman in the pictures, Hime-san?" Shirayuki asked a bit curious as she looked at a picture of Tatsurou and Hime, in this case the picture was Hime giving Tatsurou a hug, when he was in his 1st year of middle school in the entrance ceremony.

"Ah, yes, it is, she's...my mother..." As Tatsurou said this as he made a small pause, before saying that Hime was his mother.

"She is really beautiful, you two really look-alike, Tatsurou-san, especially in the eyes!" Shirayuki said with an honest tone, that made Tatsurou blush a bit.

"Aha-hah that is the first time, I hear someone saying that..." Tatsurou said also with an honest tone, as no one ever really did a comparison like that, yes it was true that Tatsurou and Hime shared the same piercing eyes, but that was just a coincidence as they were not real parent and child, but Tatsurou was happy with it in a way it felt as if he was related to Hime, and with this Tatsurou also took the chance to ask a few questions of his own to Shirayuki.

"So, Shirayuki-san if you don't mind, can I ask you why you are here in Takamagahara, and why you're being followed?" Tatsurou asked this to Shirayuki, but in all honesty, he was expecting, something along the lines of what happened in the park but...

"Well...I think you deserve, to at least to know, since you helped me so much..." Shirayuki said as she looked at her cup for a bit, Tatsurou on the other hand, was impressed that she was going to tell him why she was here, and so as Shirayuki was about to start, she took a deep, yet small breath.

"Well, as you already know, Tatsurou-san, I'm from the Izanami clan, as it happens when the daughter of the presiding head maiden turns 14, she inherits all of the powers of the mother..." Shirayuki said as she did a small pause.

"A month ago, after the ceremony of the Maiden Rising, when I inherited the powers of my mother, a woman with red hair barged into the Izanami temple, she killed a lot of people, to get to us, and my mother upon seeing what was happening, ordered her righthand maiden and me to go to Takamagahara island as it was the only safe place to go, while she stayed behind, but before we left she told us she would be with us soon, but..." As Shirayuki was about to continue she started to tear up, Tatsurou got up from the armchair and placed his hand on top of Shirayuki's, she then looked at Tatsurou with surprise all over her face.

"You...you don't have to say anything else, Shirayuki-san, it's ok..." Tatsurou said as he held Shirayuki's hand tight "So and this other person, that was with you, where is she?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone and Shirayuki continued.

"I don't know, we got separated from each other the other day when the woman with red hair found us, I also haven't heard from her ever since..." Shirayuki said as she loowered her head a bit and for Tatsurou, it was obvious that the person that with Shirayuki came with, wasn't around anymore, Tatsurou knew and Shirayuki knew, and once again he held her hand tight and started patting her head.

"Don't worry Shirayuki-san, I will help you, so don't worry about anything..." Tatsurou said to Shirayuki with a calm, comforting tone as he kept patting her head.

"Tatsurou-san...thank you..." Shirayuki answered in between tears, she was alone, she knew it and Tatsurou knew it too, he could understand her because he too knew the feeling of being alone, all too well.

"What the..." Tatsurou thought as he felt it again, an aura of ill intentions the same he felt back at the park he got cold feet upon sensing it, but he couldn't get scared, not now that Shirayuki needed him the most, and so Tatsurou got up and began walking towards the door.

"Tatsurou-san, what's wrong?" Shirayuki asked with a worried tone as she got up from the couch and walked after Tatsurou that froze up for a moment, as he grabbed the door's handle, and after a bit, he turned to Shirayuki.

"Nothings wrong, I just forgot about something, you just stay here Shirayuki-san, I will be right back..." Tatsurou said in a comforting tone that wouldn't make Shirayuki worry, as he opened the door, but this had the opposite effect.

"Tatsurou-san..." Shirayuki said Tatsurou's name in a worried tone as she tried to grab his hand, stoping him from going outside, but she wasn't fast enough as Tatsurou was already outside his apartment.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon...I promise!" Tatsurou said in a reasuring tone as he close the door, but Shirayuki just placed her hand on her chest, as she saw this same scene unfolding once before.

"Tatsurou-san...please...don't go..." Shirayuki said as she began crying and remebereing that the words he told her were the same ones of her mother said, before she came to Takamgahara.

"Very well then, let's see who this mysterious person is..." Tatsurou said as he made his way to the ground floor of the apartment complex, but deep down he already knew who it was, as he walked down the stairs from the second floor down to the ground floor.

"I'll help Shirayuki, whatever it takes..." Tatsurou thought as he reached the ground floor and made his way to the garden of the complex.

"So, we finally meet..." Tatsurou said as he got into the apartment complex's garden and saw, the woman with red hair and priest robes that was chasing Shirayuki earlier this morning...