Chapter 27: The Surveillance Duo

"I'll go with you." Ayaka stood up to accompany the old woman inside, worried about her moving around on her own due to her blindness.

As they left, the atmosphere quieted down, and the children turned their innocent, wide-eyed gazes toward Teiyu, greeting him in unison, "Hello, big brother!"

"Hello to you all," Teiyu replied with a smile, bending down to meet them at eye level.

"Big brother, are you friends with Shirahime?" The leader of the kids, a boy named Shota, was a cute little guy with big eyes and a high nose bridge—definitely a future heartthrob!

But right now, he was looking at Teiyu mischievously, trying to tease the handsome young man.

"Yes, I am." Teiyu smiled warmly.

He was surprised to see that Ayaka was still using the name "Shirahime" with these children.

"She's always in the public eye as the White Heron Princess of the Yashiro Commission. I wonder how she's managed to keep her true identity hidden for so long," Teiyu thought to himself.

"Hehe, so are you White Flower Sister's boyfriend?" a little girl with pigtails asked in a sweet, childish voice.

"Silly, Big Brother said he's her friend, not her boyfriend!" Shota couldn't help but knock on the little girl's head playfully. Then, acting like it was no big deal, he added, "But I saw White Flower Sister with her boyfriend the other day."

"???"

"What?! Ayaka has a boyfriend? Why don't I know about this?" Teiyu's calm facade immediately crumbled as panic set in.

"When did this happen? ... How come I don't know anything about it...?" Teiyu's mind was in turmoil, like a jar of mixed emotions had been tipped over.

His heart was overwhelmed with a mix of jealousy, confusion, and worry. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, "Who is White Flower Sister's boyfriend?"

"Hehe, got him! My intuition was spot on—this big brother really likes White Flower Sister!" Shota thought, delighted with himself. He pretended to be hesitant and said, "White Flower Sister told me not to tell you... unless..."

"Unless what?!" Teiyu, seeing Shota's hesitant expression, couldn't help but ask, "Whatever you want, Big Brother will give it to you."

"But you have to tell me who White Flower Sister's love interest is!"

"Hmm..." Shota's big eyes darted around as he tried to suppress a grin. He was thinking about how to milk this situation for all it was worth.

"Alright, since Big Brother is so eager to know... then I'll..."

"Then you're in for a spanking, you little rascal!"

"Ah! White Flower Sister, when did you get here?" Shota jumped, his body stiffening as he turned around to see Kamisato Ayaka standing there, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I'll teach you to lie! I'll teach you to be a little troublemaker!" Her face was as red as the evening sky, and it was unclear whether she was more embarrassed or angry. She pulled out a rolling pin from behind her back and aimed it at Shota's bottom.

"Ouch! Sister, I'm sorry! I won't lie again! Waaa~~"

"This little brat!" Teiyu couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated as he watched Shota clutch his bottom with a look of pain. How could he have fallen for such an obvious lie?

"Teiyu, really! How could you be fooled by a child?" Kamisato Ayaka said, her face still flushed as she hugged her knees and sat beside him.

"I..." Teiyu turned to look at her, noticing her delicate, jade-like earlobes. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"I... I was just... worried and lost my judgment..." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he immediately regretted it.

"Worried???..."

Ayaka, who was hugging her knees, froze for a moment, then her face quickly turned even redder. She buried her head between her knees, much like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Her white twin tails adorably swayed back and forth.

After a long pause, she spoke in a muffled voice, "Teiyu... What are you saying..."

"I..." Teiyu regretted his impulsiveness, but he couldn't back down now. "That's how I really feel..."

!!!

As soon as he said that, Teiyu noticed Ayaka's body tremble slightly, and her head drooped even lower.

"You big dummy! First, you say you're worried about me... and then you say it's how you really feel... Teiyu, what are you really thinking? About us..." Ayaka's heart fluttered as if it was about to soar into the sky, only to tumble back down again. Teiyu's straightforward words had struck her deeply, making her heart overflow with a sweet, syrupy feeling.

At that moment, Mr. Masterful Distraction stepped in.

"Come on, play with us, Teiyu Big Brother, White Flower Sister!"

"Alright." Teiyu stood up, looking at Kamisato Ayaka with admiration.

"Teiyu, you go ahead," she said, gently poking him with her delicate hand.

"Pfft~" Teiyu couldn't help but laugh. He thought Ayaka was incredibly cute right now—perhaps this was the real her, not the poised White Heron Princess.

"Hehe!" Shota, still holding his sore bottom, used his other hand to toss a handball toward Teiyu.

"Take this, Teiyu Big Brother! See if you can handle my Thunderbolt Blitz!"

Shota, rubbing his bottom, looked indignant. "I got spanked just to help you, and this is the thanks I get? Where's the justice in that?"

"Hehe!" Teiyu returned the handball with a playful smile. "Take this, Butt-Shifting Blitzmaster!"

"Yaaah!!!" Shota, though unsure what "Butt-Shifting" meant, knew it couldn't be good based on Teiyu's teasing tone.

"Stinky brother! Take this headbutt!"

"Ouch! That hurts!"

Our main storyline is about building a harem and wooing girls!

At that moment, several little girls approached Kamisato Ayaka and said, "White Flower Sister, let's play together!"

"Alright~~" Ayaka took the handball from them, but a complex expression appeared on her face.

"Doesn't this handball look a lot like Durumaru?" A clear male voice sounded in her ear.

Ayaka turned to see Teiyu smiling at her.

"It does resemble it a bit..."

Durumaru was the name Ayaka had given to her childhood handball. Seeing the little girls holding one just like it brought back memories of her younger days.

"Come, come,"

"Let's play handball."

"One, two, three,"

"The handball flies over the sacred cherry tree."

"Four, five, six,"

"The handball flies over Mount Yōkai."

"Seven, eight, nine,"

"The handball returns to where it belongs,"

"Back to little Ayaka's hands."

This was Ayaka's favorite nursery rhyme from her childhood.

Back then, she was carefree, with her parents and brother by her side—it was the happiest time of her life.

But time flew by, and the years were relentless.

Her parents passed away one after another.

Her brother Ayato became so busy with his duties that she hardly saw him.

Ayaka was forced to grow up, gradually becoming more understanding and sensible.

...

"I can no longer be as carefree as a child. Yes, ever since then, I haven't played with Durumaru again." Ayaka had hidden Durumaru away, burying this little childhood secret deep in her heart.

"I didn't think you'd remember," she sighed, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "Perhaps... even my brother has forgotten about Durumaru..."

"It doesn't matter... because I'll never forget," Teiyu said with a reassuring smile. His smile was bright and sincere, full of youthful energy, making Kamisato Ayaka's heart melt.

"Hey! Look at this!" Suddenly, Teiyu leaped into the air, his body suspended for a moment as he sent the handball flying toward the clear sky. The early autumn sunlight shone on his handsome profile, making him look like a figure from a painting.

"..." Kamisato Ayaka's face reddened slightly, but instead of turning away shyly as she usually did, she gazed at him intently, as if trying to etch this moment into her memory forever.

She sighed softly to herself, "I won't forget either, Teiyu."

After playing with the children for a while longer, the two bid farewell to the elderly woman and headed off to enjoy a meal to celebrate Ayaka's birthday.

"So, are you not planning to celebrate with Thoma and Ayato this year?" Teiyu asked lazily, hands behind his head, a blade of grass between his lips.

"I already told Thoma and Brother that this year, I want to celebrate with you, Teiyu..."

"Oh." Teiyu nodded, not saying much, but curious nonetheless.

Ayaka usually celebrated her birthday with Thoma and Ayato—they were like family, after all. When Teiyu lived with the Kamisato family, he would join them too.

But this was the first time they were celebrating alone.

"I wonder how Thoma and Ayato feel about this?"

"My feelings, of course, are..." Behind them, two figures sneaked along, trying to stay hidden while occasionally peeking at the pair ahead.

"..."

"Thoma... why do we have to dress like this?" Kamisato Ayato finally couldn't hold back anymore, muttering to the man in front of him. "If the Yashiro Commission or the Shuumatsuban ninjas see me like this, I'll lose all my dignity—I'll have no face left..."

"Master, please bear with it. Don't you want to see how Lady Ayaka's first date goes?"

"I don't..." Ayato had been working all day and just wanted to lie down on his bed.

He didn't want to think about anything, do anything—just rest for a while. But before he could even sit down, Thoma had dragged him out of the house in a hurry.

"..."

"Come on, Ayaka's old enough to date now," Ayato said, his handsome face showing a trace of helplessness. He considered himself

an open-minded brother and had no weirdly obsessive feelings toward his sister.

Since their parents had passed away, all he wanted was to raise his sister well and make sure she was happy every day, fulfilling their parents' last wish.

But somehow, Thoma seemed more concerned about Ayaka and Teiyu being alone together than Ayato himself.

"Hmm... is this what they call a 'Mommy Complex'?" Kamisato Ayato stroked his chin, mischievously guessing at Thoma's thoughts. "This is... quite interesting~~~"

"Lady Ayaka's first date..." Thoma, oblivious to Ayato's musings, muttered to himself. "If that brat Teiyu dares to... I'll..."

"..."

"Thoma, are you alright?" Ayato sighed, rubbing his forehead as he looked at the grimacing Thoma.

After all these years, Thoma had taken on the role of both father and mother, diligently taking care of the Kamisato siblings' daily lives.

Thinking about it this way, it was understandable that the "worried mother" wanted to keep an eye on his "daughter's" first date.

Teiyu and Ayaka, unaware of Thoma's clenched teeth behind them, went to Kinami Restaurant for dinner, then visited Ozakura's shop to buy new clothes for each other before heading to the festival.

"Hmph! That brat still knows how to keep his hands to himself..." Thoma was about to follow them when Ayato grabbed his collar, stopping him from going any further.

"Alright, alright! The rest is their time," Ayato said, sounding like someone who had been there before. "It's not really appropriate for us to keep following."

"But, Master..." Thoma hesitated, still worried. He wanted to keep an eye on them...

"No buts. Are you disobeying my orders now?" Kamisato Ayato asked sternly, though there was a hint of playfulness in his tone. "I'm hungry."

Thoma then realized he had been dragging a hungry Ayato along on this little escapade, completely forgetting about him.

"Sorry, Master, that was my mistake." Thoma's protective instincts kicked in, and he began to feel guilty.

"...It's okay, Teiyu can be trusted."

"Hmm... After all, I watched him grow up..." Reassured by his own words, Thoma finally let down his guard. "I'll go back and prepare dinner right away."

"Oh, come on! No need to be so formal. It's late; let's just grab a bite at a restaurant and maybe soak in a hot spring afterward!"

"A hot spring? Um... Master..."

"Don't be so hesitant, let's go!"

"Alright..."

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