81. Drink Some Hot Water

"Sorry, Iguro-san. Kotaro-sama, apologize to him."

"Do I have to apologize to him?"

Even though Mitsuri made him release his grip, Kotaro continued to glare at Obanai, who was rubbing his head to soothe the pain. He understood it was his mistake, but still...

Then he noticed Mitsuri pouting at him and sighed. Maybe he'd acted a bit too out of character. Had his bully persona taken over?

"...I am sorry. But you—"

"Kotaro-sama!"

"Alright, I get it. I won't say anything more."

"Yes."

Wait! When did Mitsuri become the one in control? Before Kotaro knew it, Mitsuri had gone from being submissive to the dominator. Is this what they call real married life? In the early stages, the girl is shy and bashful, and later on...

Remembering this from his past life, Kotaro gulped nervously. What would the future hold?

Putting Kotaro's overthinking aside, Mitsuri nodded at his apology and then turned toward Obanai.

"Once again, I am sorry, Iguro-san. It's just that Kotaro-sama...he's a bit too protective of me."

Mitsuri fidgeted and blushed as she said this, and her reaction made Obanai's eyes widen. This kind of reaction...

"It's okay. But who is he?"

His usually cool voice came out, though it turned a bit hoarse due to the bandages over his mouth. It was odd that neither Kotaro nor Mitsuri found it strange.

For Kotaro, who already knew, there was no point in asking. And Mitsuri—well, knowing her, she'd just forgotten. Or maybe she intentionally chose not to bring it up. 

Don't take her airheadedness for granted. Mitsuri can be quite sharp in moments like these, even if a bit clumsy in critical situations.

Obanai's words snapped Mitsuri out of her blush, and she remembered that she had yet to introduce Kotaro-sama to him.

"Oh! I forgot about that! This is Kotaro-sama, my h-husband."

Though a bit shy to call Kotaro-sama her husband outright, Mitsuri was proud of it, her bright smile proof of her feelings.

The word "husband" made Obanai's eyes widen before he quickly regained his calm. Though hidden behind his bandages, a subtle smile crossed his face.

Love...

Yes, it would be a lie to say he wasn't in love with Mitsuri. She was bright, kind, and always worked hard. Mitsuri was the kind of girl who lightened the atmosphere just by being there. It was hard for anyone not to like her.

Obanai loved her, but deemed himself unworthy. He felt he didn't deserve her. Now, seeing she was married...

'She seems happy.'

He could see Mitsuri looking at Kotaro with a gaze full of overwhelming love. Though Kotaro appeared a bit wild with those claw marks on his neck, his eyes were full of love and tenderness toward her.

They truly loved each other.

True love isn't about possessiveness; it's about wishing the best for your loved one. And Obanai could see that Mitsuri's best was with Kotaro. Sensing his emotions, his pet serpent hissed and swirled around him, offering him warmth.

"I see."

Obanai Iguro was a man of few words, keeping his conversations as brief as possible. He stepped forward, catching Kotaro's attention.

'What does this guy want?'

"I am Obanai Iguro. I'm Kenshin's friend. Nice to meet you."

Kenshin? Why is he calling---! Oh! Then, Kotaro realized that Mitsuri shared his surname. Still, it felt quite weird.

"…"

Gee~

'I understand. Just stop staring me, Mitsuri.'

As much as he didn't like this man, the look in Mitsuri's eyes forced him to introduce himself.

"I am Kotaro Kenshin. As you heard..."

Kotaro then wrapped his arm around Mitsuri's waist and pulled her into his embrace, leaving her stunned.

"Mitsuri is my wife. Nice to meet you, too!"

This was Kotaro's way of showing that his wife was off-limits!

"K-Kotaro-sama, that was too sudden..."

Mitsuri blushed, hiding her face behind her hands and muttering "Wawawa~" while Kotaro rubbed her pink hair.

Watching, Obanai felt a foreign emotion welling up inside him. Even though he knew he wasn't worthy of Mitsuri, part of him still wanted to be with her.

Though love is about wanting the best for the one you cherish, sometimes people want to possess what they love.

'Is this heartbreak?'

Obanai looked up at the sky, his mismatched pupils reflecting a bleak feeling. His serpent hissed, and his lonely figure made Kotaro, who had been watching, feel a bit sad.

Damn! Why did it feel like he'd just stolen this guy's love even though Obanai was the one stepping into his married life? His past-life memories were making it difficult to brush it off.

Still...

Kotaro placed a hand on Obanai's shoulder, making him look up. Kotaro gave him a kind look.

"Stay strong. Drink some hot water."

For a heartbroken guy, these words were a small but heartfelt message.

And after patting his shoulder a few more times, Kotaro left with the still-embarrassed Mitsuri in his embrace, showing a completely different face, the smile turning from kind - the one he'd just shown Obanai to a sly one.

"Heh! I won!"

Even though he felt a little guilty, Love is War! This is Kotaro Kenshin's win!