3. This Girl is Brainwashing Me!

In that moment, she wasn't filled with joy but doubt. Mitsuri questioned herself.

'Am I suitable for Kotaro-sama?'

She was meeting Kotaro in disguise. She had dyed her hair black, acted a bit more refined, and hid her true self—all to appear more normal.

She wanted to get married as she was, but no one liked her. After all, who would marry a woman who eats a lot, has weird pink-green hair, and can lift boulders? It's abnormal. She is abnormal.

In these few meetings, Mitsuri understood that she didn't fit into the category of normal. She wasn't like a normal girl, so she tried hard to become one. Now she stood before Kotaro in this guise.

She was happy that he didn't dislike her and treated her with kindness unlike others, but… wasn't she deceiving him? Kotaro was doing his best, but she was trying to deceive him. And when she saw his pure smile and the outstretched hand inviting her on a date, the guilt dug deeper into her heart.

'What should I do?'

Mitsuri couldn't understand what to do. She wanted to accept Kotaro's invitation, but she felt guilty for cheating him. For her selfishness, she had disguised herself and tricked him. But what could she do? She just wanted to get married. Was she not allowed that?

'What should I do?'

…

'Hmm? Why is she standing still?'

Kotaro looked at Mitsuri standing with her head tilted down, her bangs blocking her face, making it impossible for him to see her expression.

'Is she shy?'

Remembering Mitsuri's behaviour, he concluded that must be it. The girls in ancient times were more reserved and tended to exhibit traditional feminine behaviours. Though there were exceptions, like Aunt Aiko.

'It seems I have to make a move.'

Since she wanted to go on the date, he would fulfil it. Kotaro didn't wait for her response and moved his hand to grab Mitsuri's, surprising her.

"K-Kotaro-sama…"

"Don't keep dawdling here. Let's go on the date. You wanted to go, right? I will fulfil your wish."

He thumped his chest, trying to show his pride with a smile. He, Kotaro Kenshin, too, wanted to act cool!

'Kotaro-sama…'

At this moment, Kotaro dazzled in Mitsuri's eyes. Her heart ached more, and she bit her lips instinctively. Her eyes became a bit wet, but remembering that she was in front of him, she controlled herself before a tear could fall.

'I am not suitable for him.'

She understood it. She judged that she wasn't suitable for him. Yet… Yet… she wanted to be with him.

Mitsuri Kanroji, just like her future title – Love Hashira, falls in love too quickly and too deeply. And as people say, when you truly love someone, you want the best for them. She chose the best for her first love. She decided to deny this matchmaking, wanting Kotaro to not choose an abnormal, a monster like her. But before that, she wanted to complete her last selfish wish.

'I want to go on a date with Kotaro-sama.'

"Mitsuri?"

'Did she change her mind? Or was my action of grabbing her hand too forward?'

Worried that his actions had caused Mitsuri any problems, he was about to loosen his grip, but…

Grasp!

"Hmm?"

His hand was grabbed by Mitsuri, who looked up at him and smiled.

"Let's go on the date, Kotaro-sama."

"Y-Yes. Let's go."

'She sure did have some kind of conviction in her words. But why were her eyes a bit red?'

Unaware of her inner turmoil, Kotaro just led Mitsuri to give her the best possible date experience ever.

…

The bustling town was alive with activity, and among the crowd, a couple wandered around. Hand in hand, the girl with long black braided hair and the man with brownish hair smiled and chatted as they walked through the place.

Married couples, as well as those yet to be married, looked on with envy, especially the women who urged their respective men to act like the gentleman they saw.

'Why doesn't he treat me like this?'

While the women smiled at the couple, the men silently cursed, angered by the man who was the cause of their suffering. Buddha said, "First, find the cause or origin of suffering. And there is an end to the suffering."

All the men looked at the cause of their suffering—Kotaro, the gentleman—and wanted to end it. They all wanted to follow the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. Never in their lives had they felt this devout to Buddha.

But…

"Don't gawk around and disturb them! Sigh… Learn something from him."

Their ears were grabbed and twisted, and the respective women took their men out of sight to avoid disturbing the couple.

Women of this time exhibited traditional feminine traits, but that was before marriage. Unfortunately, after marriage, these traits often changed.

'I hope Mitsuri doesn't change and stays cute like she is now forever,' Kotaro muttered in his head, only to be stunned by his own thoughts.

'Hmm! Why am I thinking like that?! Didn't I decide not to get married?!'

Unconsciously, his brain was already imagining his married life with Mitsuri, which alarmed Kotaro greatly.

'I must have been brainwashed by her!'

He moved his eyes and stared at her side profile with an intense gaze, searching for the secret ingredient facilitating this brainwashing. Having faced enough rejections, Mitsuri was quite sensitive to gazes. How could she miss Kotaro's intense stare?

"Kotaro-sama. Wha—"

"Ah! It's nothing. I was just…"

'What should I say?'

He moved his eyes frantically and then caught sight of a flower shop. Varieties of flowers were stacked around, making the shop colorful and attractive to customers.

"That's right! I felt that a flower from that shop might suit you. Come, I will get it for you."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the shop, interrupting her before she could utter a single word. As soon as they reached the shop—

"Stop. Don't say a word. I will choose the one most suitable for you."

He raised his hand to keep her quiet and then ordered the shopkeeper to show him some flowers. Now that he had promised, Kotaro didn't want to half-ass it.

"Hmm… This one doesn't look good. Weird, I thought it would go well with black hair."

Kotaro examined several flowers, placing several of them in her hair, but none caught his eye. Then, he picked the last one, a pink cherry blossom, and placed it in her hair.

"Look, isn't it good?"

Mitsuri looked in the mirror, still doubtful about her appearance, adjusted the flower a bit more, and then turned to Kotaro with a nervous face.

"D-Does it really look good?"

'You girl… So, this is your secret ingredient for brainwashing.'

This girl's actions were too cute for his own good!

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A/N:

What do you think?