-Restaurant Mishap-

“Brother Kenshin, how many days are we staying here?” Ellie asked while bouncing up and down as they made it through the flight terminal. Beside her Axel was also walking with a bounce on his steps, mimicking Ellie.

Kenshin noticed many changes in the little boy since the day he took him in. from that cold and emotionless kid that knew nothing about the world to this happy-go-lucky one, he had come a long way. His change, all the credit goes to Ellie and Mrs. Yui, the mother and daughter pair.

“Hmm, if nothing goes wrong, we will stay here for a week. In this week, we are going to tour Kyoto as much as possible.” Kenshin said opening his phone’s app to see the schedule they have prepared for these seven days. The dungeon they have planned on going to was a day’s travel from the city and they also have to take an up-down road to a rural area. Therefore, the actual touring schedule was for 5 days, the remaining two days were for their travel to the dungeon area.

“Alright, let’s go and rest in the hotel. We can go around the city in the evening. And I am starving too!” Joy complained while rubbing his stomach pitifully. Everyone just laughed at his antics before taking a taxi to the Crown Hotel, one of the five-star hotels located in the city.

…

At this time, somewhere not far from them, a group of three people wearing black and expensive-looking business suits came out of one of the terminals, each holding a normal-looking business suitcase. After coming out, one of the suit guys suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked towards the place where Kenshin and others stood not long ago as a frown marred on his handsome-looking face.

“What is it?” one of his companions asked seeing him stop and looking somewhere oddly. He also did the same but didn’t found anything fascinating.

“It’s nothing. Just that… I felt a very familiar presence.” The man answered still looking in the direction where they stood.

“An enemy?” the man asked once again, this time looking mildly serious than before.

“No… not the enemy! But, not a friend either. This very weird…” the man looked like he was struggling to recall where he sensed this presence before. However, try as he might, he just couldn’t. After some time of wrecking his brain when he still couldn’t come up with any ideas, he shook his head and entered the car parked for them, “Let’s go. I don’t seem to recall at all.”

“Taji, I hope you understand how important this mission is to out-group. If you mess this one up, Pope Gulliver will have our heads on his platter.” The third person who had already waiting for them on the driver’s seat reminded calmly.

“Mm, don’t worry Shui. I know my priorities.” Taji sighed and leaned back on the seat before closing his eyes.

Shui gave him a sidelong glance before staring at the car and driving away to a destination unknown.

…

That evening, Kenshin took his group on an outing throughout the city. Although they haven’t gone to any scenic spots yet, they still ventured into all the night markets and stalls. I tried a few local delicacies and bought a whole lot of clothes for kids. Of course, Chiba also came under the kids’ category so Kenshin and Joy bought a few stylish and trendy-looking clothes for her.

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Although Ellie wanted some toys which were pretty expensive Mrs. Yui shut her up with a glare. Kenshin, however, bought the one she wanted behind their backs and stored it inside his storage. At the moment, after spending the whole evening moving around, they finally decided to have dinner at the hotel’s restaurant section and call it a day.

“Oh… what with that face, Ellie?” Kenshin asked seeing her puffy cheeks. She had this cute pout with her apple-like red cheeks puffed up like a ripe peach, showing her displeasure.

“Hmph!” she moved away from her face and threw tantrums. Of course, the person she wanted to throw the tantrum to was her mother but she didn’t dare to. Even in her wildest dreams, she would never throw tantrum before her mother at least she gets a spanking, which would be very embarrassing to her. After all, with Axel present, she can’t show him her embarrassing moments, right? She had a reputation as the older sister to preserve.

Mrs. Yui gave her a glare from the corner of her eye. Seeing this Kenshin smiled and tried to placate the situation, “Alright Mrs. Yui, that’s enough. We are here on vacation. Why are you showing your temper? Besides, she is just a kid, you can’t just do that.”

“If I don’t discipline her when she is like this, she will not grow to be a proper lady.” Mrs. Yui’s retorted. There was another reason why she didn’t listen to Ellie. Unlike Kenshin and others, she was just an average commoner with a bakery as her only source of income. There was the apartment Kenshin was renting, but its rent was only so much.

Living in the city was expensive, on top, it was Ellie’s school fees, her daily necessities. With all this considered, how can she have enough money? The thing Ellie wanted to be a limited edition game console. All her friends have it, so she also wanted it. However, that game console’s price was more than even her savings in the bank account. How could she afford it? Although she wasn’t poor, she wasn’t particularly rich either. She was just a well-to-do woman, with a bakery as her source of income.

Ellie might be a sensible girl, she was still just a kid. There are times when kids wanted to show their childish side and desire things that their friends possessed. If not given they would throw tantrums, like how Ellie was doing now. While growing up, Kenshin had seen a lot of cases like this with Akari. She too had once in a while threw tantrums desiring things she never had.

But with time she grew up and gradually understood her circumstances. Especially when her only family, her dear brother would come home bloody and wrapped in bandages more often than not. She gradually understood how hard Kenshin was working for their sake and then one day, her demands just ceased.

There were many things he couldn’t give Akari because he was powerless and penniless then. Right now, even if he gives his everything to her, it wouldn’t bring back that bittersweet moment for her. He might have missed during her childhood, however, he didn’t want the same to happen with Ellie and Axel. They were his little brother and sister as well.

“It’s alright.” Kenshin smiled before shaking her hand. Then, accompanied by a flash of light, a small cardboard box appeared. It was the very same console she wanted. When Ellie saw it, her blue eyes lit up like stars in the sky, “Because, I have already bought it for her.”

“Kenshin!” Mrs. Yui sent a piercing glare which Kenshin coughed and ignored while sweating like a pig.

“Big brother Kenshin, thank you!! I love you!” Ellie was so happy, she leaped to Kenshin’s embrace and gave him a kiss on his cheeks. Axel, who was sitting near her also did the same.

The whole table then lit up with the rambunctiousness of the two kids. Although it should have disturbed the guests, however nearly everyone saw Kenshin making this thing appear out of thin air and realized his identity as a hunter. Therefore, they all made an exception and closed an eye to the table Kenshin was occupying.

However, not everyone shared the same sentiment. Suddenly a loud roar, accompanied by a subtle hint of magic resounded throughout the restaurant, breaking a few glass and ceramic plates in the process.

“Shut the fuck up, you bastards!”