Innocent Happiness

Inside Fraxinus, Kotori stood in front of Shido and Tohka, now dressed in a white dress, inside the sickbay.

After the sealing of Tohka's powers, Kotori immediately commanded her crew to teleport them onboard.

Upon their arrival, Tohka was barely covered with Shido's blazer, prompting Kotori to ask Reine to find proper clothing for the Tohka.

Shido who waiting outside the sickbay, found himself torn between amusement and awkwardness.

Tohka's curious voice carried over as she fired off a barrage of silly questions about everything she saw.

Her silly antics were enough to make Reine, who was helping her change, sigh helplessly.

Reine muttered under her breath, "Does she ever run out of energy?" Yet, deep down, she found herself defeated by Tohka's unrestrained wonder.

When Tohka finally emerged, Shido's thoughts ground to a halt.

His gaze fixed on her current appearance, and for a brief moment, he felt entirely spellbound.

The domineering aura she once exuded in her Spirit Form had vanished. Standing before him now was a beautiful young woman whose youthful aura was almost dazzling, enhanced by the delicate blush shading her cheeks.

Her beauty was mesmerizing, like something out of a fairytale.

Seeing Shido's stunned reaction, Tohka hesitated, her hands fidgeting slightly as she asked shyly, "S-Shido... How do I look?"

Shido snapped out of his trance, quickly composing himself. With a warm, admiring gaze, he replied smoothly. "You look really cute, Tohka."

Tohka blinked before scratching her head with a sheepish smile.

"Hehehe… Really?"

Her silly laugh and childlike innocence added to her charm, leaving Shido unable to suppress a light chuckle.

Watching the scene unfold, Reine felt a headache brewing. She cleared her throat audibly, effectively breaking the two out of their little world.

"Ahem! Kotori wants to see both of you in the control room." Reine said flatly, her voice laced with a touch of annoyance.

Tohka tilted her head in confusion, while Shido quickly straightened his posture. "Got it," he replied, a slightly nervous laugh escaping him as Reine's subtle glare told him she wasn't in the mood to witness their flirting.

Grateful for the distraction, Shido gently took Tohka's hand, guiding her as they made their way toward the control room.

As they walked, Shido glanced back at Reine for a brief moment, noticing the hint of annoyance lingering on her face.

'Did Reine just get jealous?'

The thought popped into his mind unexpectedly, making him blink in surprise. Shaking his head with a faint smirk, he dismissed the idea.

'Nah, can't be, right? Or… could it?'

Unable to fully shake the notion, he focused back on Tohka, who was gazing at the unfamiliar surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity.

...

Back to the present, Kotori welcomed them with her usual confident demeanor.

"Welcome to Ratatoskr, Tohka."

Though she was in her Commander mode, Kotori's gaze softened slightly as she looked at Tohka, but when she saw that they were holding hands, her little red lips twitched, a bit annoyed at Shido who seemed to enjoy holding Tohka's hands.

Tohka tilted her head with an innocent expression, her wide eyes shifting toward Shido as she asked curiously, "Shido~ What's Ratatoskr?"

Shido chuckled at her naivety and gently explained, "It's an organization dedicated to saving spirits like you."

Though Tohka didn't fully understand the meaning of his words, the hostility she once held toward the humans seemed to melt away slowly.

Knowing they existed to help spirits lessened the lingering tension in her heart.

After they discussed plans for Tohka's current situation, Kotori's gaze shifted to Shido.

Unlike her earlier soft approach with Tohka, Kotori's expression was sharp and dramatic when addressing her brother.

Shido, noticing the lack of attention she had given him earlier, stood there with a mix of awkwardness and faint annoyance.

Kotori smirked as she crossed her arms and teased, "As expected of my dear big brother! Your week's worth of training didn't go to waste."

She punctuated her theatrics by pretending to wipe away a nonexistent tear, her expression was overly exaggerated.

The corner of Shido's lips twitched at her little antics.

With a sigh and a trace of annoyance, he replied sarcastically, "Nah, it's natural."

"Huh? Say's the one who can't talk normally with his teacher."

"You call that normal conversation?"

"Whatever."

The siblings launched into a lighthearted bickering match, their playful exchange filling the room.

Tohka, standing beside Shido, watched the scene unfold with growing interest and a faint smile on her lips.

Finally, after their banter subsided and all arrangements had been made, Kotori nodded decisively.

"Alright, you two, time to head back. I've arranged for the crew to teleport you outside the house."

...

With her words, Shido and Tohka were enveloped in a faint glow as the teleportation began, bringing them home.

Tohka stared at the house in front of her and tilted her head.

"Neh, Shido... Where are we?"

Shido smiled warmly as he placed a gentle hand on her head, patting it softly.

"This is my home. And now, it's your home too."

"Home?" Tohka murmured, her eyes dazed for a moment.

Then, her expression lit up, her eyes sparkling with innocent delight as she let out a cheerful laugh.

Seeing this side of her made Shido's chest tighten with a sudden warmth. 

Spirits like her… I'll definitely protect them.

Tohka jumped with excitement and quickly grabbed Shido's hand, pulling him toward the door of the residence as if she already owned the place.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go in!"

She eagerly reached for the door but met resistance when it didn't budge.

She pushed against it with growing frustration as if it were a final boss barring her entry.

Without her Spirit powers, she couldn't rely on her strength to force her way inside. She turned to Shido with a pitiful look, her wide eyes resembling a sad puppy.

"Shido~ This door… it's not letting me in…"

Shido couldn't suppress his laugh as he approached the door.

"It's locked, Tohka. You can't get in unless you have the key, ring the doorbell, or knock."

"Ring the doorbell?" Tohka asked, tilting her head. She began glancing around the doorway, rubbing her chin as if trying to uncover some ancient mystery.

Amused, Shido reached into his pocket to retrieve the key, but before he could unlock the door, Kotori's voice rang out from behind them.

"What are you two still doing outside? Hurry up and get in already!"

Her tone carried the commanding edge of her "Commander mode" which caused Shido's eyebrow to twitch slightly. Kotori walked past them, exuding authority, and casually opened the door herself before stepping inside.

Tohka, still beaming with excitement, caught a glimpse of the interior and gasped with joy. "It's so big and shiny!"

Without waiting another moment, she grabbed Shido's arm and hopped forward, practically dragging him into the house.

Looking at her innocent happiness, Shido couldn't help but smile helplessly as he followed her inside.