chapter 3

Kallen sat upright, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Sweat dripped down her face, and her wide eyes stared blankly ahead. The remnants of the vivid dream clung to her mind, refusing to fade.

"What… was that?" she muttered, her voice shaky as she tried to piece together the fragmented images. The faces of the children, the coffin, the haunting words—they all swirled chaotically in her thoughts.

Before she could delve deeper, a voice beside her broke the tense silence.

"Are you fine, Kallen?"

Kallen snapped her head to the side, her gaze meeting a familiar pair of amused amethyst eyes. Yae Miko sat there, her expression calm yet playful, as though nothing unusual had occurred.

For a moment, Kallen blinked, disoriented, before it all came rushing back—the fruit, the sour taste, her abrupt collapse. Her brows furrowed, and her eye twitched in irritation as the memory settled.

"You…" Kallen said, her voice low and filled with restrained frustration.

Yae's lips curled into a small chuckle, her tone light and unapologetic. "My bad," she said casually. "I didn't know that Sunsettia fruit was so sour. Hehehe."

Kallen stared at her, speechless.

Kallen narrowed her eyes, glaring at Yae with mounting irritation. "You didn't realize?" she repeated, her voice laced with disbelief.

Yae, unfazed, tilted her head slightly and gave a sly smile. "Oh, come now, Kallen. It was just a harmless little mistake. No need to get so worked up."

Kallen's fists clenched at her sides as she leaned forward. "Worked up? I *passed out* because of that *harmless little mistake!*"

Yae's expression remained serene, as if Kallen's frustration was nothing more than a mild breeze. "And look at you now," she said with a light chuckle. "Awake, fine, and even more fascinating when you're annoyed."

Kallen let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as if to physically restrain her growing exasperation. "...You're impossible," she muttered, her voice low but firm.

Yae leaned in slightly, her smirk softening into a playful grin. "Thank you," she replied with mock sincerity. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Kallen let out a low growl, her frustration boiling over as she clenched her fists. She was ready to lunge at Yae, her patience stretched to its limit.

But just as she was about to act, Yae's voice cut through the air with a question that made Kallen freeze in place.

"So, who exactly is this 'Otto' you muttered about while you were unconscious?" Yae asked, her tone casual yet laced with curiosity.

Kallen's eyes widened slightly, caught completely off guard. Her body tensed as her mind raced for a response.

"It's… just some past memory," she replied quickly, her tone forced and uneasy. "There's nothing to mention about it."

Yae's gaze sharpened, her sly smile shifting into something more probing. "Really? Because the way you said that name sounded… different. As if you were quite concerned about this 'Otto.'"

Kallen's lips parted, but no words came out. She averted her gaze, her hands unconsciously gripping the fabric of her miko outfit. Silence stretched between them, heavy and tense.

Yae tilted her head, her expression unreadable as she waited for kallen respond.

Yae's gaze softened slightly, though her mischievous glint remained. "It's fine," she said, her tone almost too casual. "I won't press you about it. Everyone has their secrets, after all."

She then clasped her hands together with a smile that was almost disarming. "But as my apology for earlier, how about I guide you on a walk around all of Inazuma? Consider it a way to get to know this place better."

Kallen narrowed her eyes at her, suspicious of the offer.

"And," Yae added with a slight flourish, "the outfit you wore earlier? I already had it fixed for you."

There was a certain pride in Yae's tone, as if she were expecting praise for her efforts. But Kallen, now well-aware of Yae's cunning personality, immediately sensed a potential trap.

She folded her arms, her expression skeptical. *This fox has something up her sleeve again… doesn't she always?* Kallen thought, weighing her options.

"Hmmm," she muttered, drawing out her response as she studied Yae's too-innocent smile.

Yae clapped her hands together cheerfully. "I'll take that as a yes!" she said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm as she handed Kallen the neatly folded white nun outfit.

"Here," Yae said with a satisfied smile.

Kallen took the outfit reluctantly and hesitated for a moment, glancing at Yae, who was still standing there expectantly.

"Why are you still here?" Kallen asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yae tilted her head innocently, as if the question baffled her. "Why? I'm waiting for you, of course."

Kallen's eye twitched, her patience already wearing thin. "...But I need to change into my clothes," she said slowly, as if trying to explain something obvious.

Yae's lips curled into a sly smile. "It's fine. We're both women, after all," she said with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

Kallen stared at her for a long moment, the silence growing heavy in the room. Finally, without a word, she stood up, grabbed Yae by the arm, and effortlessly hoisted her up.

"Wha—!" Yae barely had time to react before Kallen carried her to the sliding door, opened it, and unceremoniously tossed her outside.

"Don't you dare peek!" Kallen barked, slamming the door shut behind her.

Yae, now sitting on the floor outside the room, blinked a few times in stunned silence before a soft chuckle escaped her lips. "Oh my," she murmured, her tone amused.

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Kallen huffed, crossing her arms as she glared at the sliding door. "Hmph, what an annoying woman," she muttered, her irritation still simmering.

Turning her attention back to the white nun outfit in her hands, she inspected it carefully, her eyes narrowing as she searched for anything out of place.

"Hmmm… seems like nothing's wrong with it," she murmured, tilting the fabric to the light. For a brief moment, a flicker of guilt crept into her chest. "Maybe I was too harsh on her…"

But the thought was quickly banished as Kallen straightened up, shaking her head furiously. "No!" she declared aloud.

The sudden pang of guilt felt suspicious, almost unnatural. Kallen's eyes narrowed again as her thoughts raced.

"This must be her plan," she muttered, pacing the room. "She's trying to make me lower my guard!"

Her imagination spun with possibilities of Yae's trickery—hidden pranks, subtle jabs, or some elaborate scheme to embarrass her later.

"Tsk, tsk," Kallen clicked her tongue, her determination hardening. "As I thought, this has to be her plan. I can't be caught lacking."

With a resolute nod, she steeled herself, clutching the outfit tightly. "Two can play at this game, fox."

Kallen began to remove the miko outfit, folding it neatly before setting it aside. Slipping back into her familiar white nun outfit, she adjusted the fabric carefully to ensure it fit perfectly.

Once dressed, she gave herself a quick spin, glancing at her reflection in a polished surface nearby.

"Hmmm," she mused, smoothing down the edges of the cloth. "Not bad."

Her gaze drifted to her stomach, where the damage from before had been repaired. She ran her fingers over the fabric but found no trace of the previous tear.

"The handiwork is quite good," she muttered, nodding in approval.

With a newfound sense of resolve, she clapped her cheeks lightly with her palms. "Yosh! Time to see Inazuma with my own eyes," she declared, her voice brimming with joy.

Adjusting her pendant and taking a deep breath, Kallen turned toward the door.

Kallen slid the door open and was immediately greeted by a familiar figure standing in front of it.

"Oh my, how surprising," Yae said with a playful chuckle. "We meet again."

Kallen narrowed her eyes. "You…"

Yae's gaze swept over Kallen, a sly smile forming on her lips. "You look beautiful, Kallen. I wonder who the lucky guy will be to win your heart later."

Kallen sighed, already feeling the beginnings of a headache. "I don't plan on marrying anyone, and that's not a question you should ask someone you barely know. It's rude, you know."

Yae gasped theatrically, placing a hand over her heart as if wounded. "Is that so? But… isn't this the second time we've been near a bed together?"

Her tone shifted into mock sadness, her head tilting slightly as she pretended to hold back tears.

"Oh, I thought only men could act so boldly," Yae continued dramatically. "But it seems even a woman can be just as daring. Uhhuhu…"

She sniffled, feigning a sob, but her act was so exaggerated it made Kallen's eye twitch.

Kallen crossed her arms, staring flatly at Yae. "Even if you wanted to lie, you couldn't hide the smile on your face when you said all of that."

Yae's faux sadness instantly melted away, replaced by a soft chuckle. "Did I now? Hmm, I don't think so." Her expression was as serene as ever, though the amusement dancing in her eyes was undeniable. "Fufufu."

Kallen let out a heavy sigh, silently reminding herself to stay composed in the face of this cunning fox.

(A/n: 1.5k word)