I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [93]
Looking out the window, you can see rows of cherry blossom trees. If you open the window, the scent of cherry blossoms fills the air.
Two little birds, lured by the sight and scent, perch on a branch, looking as though they're close companions.
Until—
"What?!"
A sudden shout startles the birds, sending them tumbling from their branch.
Back in the familiar hospital bed smelling faintly of antiseptics, Okita Souji looks anything but a patient in spirit or energy.
Not that her opinion mattered—the decision lay with the doctors and nurses, just as it does for the inmates of a mental hospital. It's the institution, not the patient, that decides if someone is "unwell."
Thankfully, they hadn't stripped her of her tournament eligibility, so her stay in the infirmary would only last until the next match.
As for Sister Ai, things were a bit tricky; she couldn't very well go home every night only to return to the infirmary the next day.
But fortunately, Sister Ai wasn't unreasonable, and while Okita was here recuperating, she could rest up without needing to go back and forth.
Surprisingly, being hospitalized didn't seem so bad.
It brought back memories of elementary school, wishing for a fever just to skip classes.
Now, to get back on topic.
Today, as Okita was trying to decide between an apple and a banana, Stella and the others dropped by to visit.
They came almost every day—though they were in the tournament, most of them were ranked as A or B-level knights, making it hard to find worthy opponents. Most matches were easy wins.
Except for Ayase Ayatsuji...
As the only third-year among them, she'd had the misfortune to encounter Ikki Kurogane, the protagonist, in her match.
Originally, Ayase's reason for entering the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival was to take revenge on Kuraudo Kurashiki in a duel. But now, not only had Okita helped her reclaim her dojo, but her father had also recently woken up, so her desire to compete in the festival was much less intense.
Nevertheless, she had fought with all her might but ultimately lost to Ikki Kurogane.
Thus, Ayase became the first among them to exit the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival.
The group was visiting again today, though one key person was missing.
Ikki Kurogane hadn't come.
Okita hadn't thought much of it; after all, he could be busy. But she asked about it out of curiosity.
That simple question cast a shadow over everyone's faces.
And Okita immediately realized something was wrong.
"Ikki Kurogane was taken away?"
Okita's first reaction to this news was disbelief.
"You didn't know? It's been all over the news recently—I even saw it on a newspaper downstairs in the hospital lobby."
"Well, that assumes I've had a chance to go downstairs."
With that, Arisuin Nagi went to fetch a newspaper from the lobby and handed it to Okita.
Taking the paper from Arisuin, Okita's brow furrowed.
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's just… reading a newspaper without a nice warm milk tea feels like something's missing."
"Why are you so picky?"
Okita skimmed the paper… though there was hardly any need to, as the front page was exactly what she was looking for.
"'The Crimson Princess Tastes Forbidden Fruit'?"
Wow. Scandalous.
"That's slander!"
Stella leapt up from her seat, her whole body igniting.
In a very real, literal way.
"Idiot, Stella! This is a hospital! You planning to pay for the equipment if it burns out?"
The paper in Okita's hands showed a massive headline, The Crimson Princess Tastes Forbidden Fruit, and just beneath it was a photo of Ikki Kurogane kissing Stella.
It was clear that whoever produced this paper was a pro, well-versed in how to grab the public's attention.
After reading it, Okita shot Stella an odd look, making Stella bristle.
"Hey! What's with that look, Okita! You don't actually believe this nonsense, do you?"
"No, I just think…" Okita glanced down at the paper, then back at Stella. "…it's kind of plausible."
"As if!!"
"Okita, please stop provoking Stella." Shizuku Kurogane stepped in before Stella could explode, casting a deadpan look at Okita. "I don't want to end up on the front page over something embarrassing like 'Hospital Fire'—especially not alongside her."
"What can I say? Staying here alone is boring. If I didn't mess around a little, I'd probably burst from the monotony." Okita shrugged. "Besides, seeing Stella all fired up with a 'this is all my fault' look wasn't as fun as seeing her like this."
"...Huh?"
Stella blinked, suddenly thrown off.
And even Shizuku nodded in agreement.
"True, Stella is just a fool, and fools should stick to grinning sheepishly. The whole 'guilty' look doesn't suit her at all."
"Wait, you too, Shizuku?"
"When my brother was taken, he didn't resist." Shizuku ignored Stella's complaints and looked Okita squarely in the eye. "He said he wanted to one day, openly declare to the world that he and Stella were partners."
"So, Stella, if you ever even consider thoughts like, 'Would it be better if I broke up with Ikki'…"
Shizuku turned to Stella, her usual emotionless eyes now brimming with a powerful resolve.
"I will hate you. I will think you're unworthy of my brother's devotion."
"Shizuku…"
Shame darkened Stella's face as she lowered her gaze in front of Shizuku.
The atmosphere grew heavy, so it fell to Arisuin to lighten the mood.
"Well, who would've thought Ikki would say something so dashing?"
Leaning back against the headboard, perched on her pillow, Okita stroked her chin thoughtfully, a smile playing on her lips.
"What a responsible, honorable man… any girl hearing that would surely feel her heart skip a beat."
The words had barely left her mouth before Ayase Ayatsuji stood up.
"I… I think Okita is way cooler!"
"Huh?" Stella shot to her feet, glaring at Ayase. "Ikki is way cooler, obviously!"
"No! Okita is the coolest in my heart!"
"Lies! Ikki is the coolest in the world!"
Okita blinked, her eyes wide with confusion, then turned to Shizuku and Arisuin. "What… is happening?"
Arisuin waved her off. "Oh, it's a topic that only us girls can understand. Don't worry about it, Okita."
"…???"
If she remembered correctly… wasn't he the guy, and she the girl?
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