Chapter 9 : Shadows of the Fujimoto Clan

Sakura froze. Her heart skipped a beat.

There—standing in the middle of the room, arms folded, was Shin, half-covered in the dim glow of moonlight. His expression unreadable. Silent. Still.

“Where were you?” His voice was low, cold.

Sakura gasped. “Shin!” She placed a hand over her chest, trying to catch her breath. “You scared me to death! Why are you just standing there in the dark?”

She flicked on the lights, the warm glow chasing away the gloom. Turning to him with her usual smile, she added teasingly, “What were you doing, spying on me like some mysterious ghost?”

But Shin didn’t budge. His tone stayed firm. “You haven’t answered my question.”

Sakura blinked. Her smile faltered for just a moment before she turned and walked toward her bed, casually waving a hand. “I just went for a walk. I needed some fresh air. Sorry for making you worry.”

Shin narrowed his eyes. “Fresh air... where?”

There was a pause. Sakura hesitated, her back still facing him. “Um... the riverside. Behind the castle.”

Silence.

She turned halfway, only to find Shin walking toward her. Her breath caught—was she in trouble?

But to her surprise, he simply reached out and gently placed his hand on her head.

“Sorry,” he said softly.

Sakura looked up at him, startled. “Huh? Why are you apologizing?”

“For not protecting you,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “Back then. In the fight.”

The warmth in his tone caught her off guard.

Then, he asked again—but this time gently, with care in his voice, “Sakura… where did you really go? You can trust me.”

Sakura stared at him, searching his eyes. The room fell quiet. Then, she lowered her gaze and spoke.

“I went outside the Capital.”

Shin froze.

“What?” His voice rose slightly. “Are you okay? Did someone try to hurt you? You went outside the Capital?”

Sakura nodded slowly. “I’m sorry...”

Shin ran a hand through his hair, clearly troubled. “Sakura, do you know how risky that is? If someone finds out, you could get in serious trouble.”

Sakura’s face crumpled. “You didn’t tell anyone, right?”

Tears welled in her eyes. “Please, Shin... don’t tell them. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble...”

She began crying like a child, shoulders shaking.

Seeing her like that, Shin’s expression softened. He stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“No, I didn’t tell anyone,” he said gently. “Don’t cry. It’s okay.”

He gave her a warm, rare smile—the kind that always made her feel safe.

“Don’t worry. If something happens, I’ll take care of it. I’ll protect you.”

Sakura sniffled, then slowly looked up and gave him a small, grateful smile.

“Thank you…”

Shin patted her head again. “We’ll talk more about this later. For now, wash up. Come down for dinner, okay?”

Sakura nodded, wiping her tears. “Okay.”

As Shin walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, Sakura stared after him—her heart still pounding, but somehow feeling lighter.

For now, the secret was safe.

But how long would it stay that way?

After washing up, Sakura made her way to the dining hall. The silence in the corridor felt heavier than usual, each step echoing softly off the polished floors. Her mind wandered back to the earlier conversation with Shin—his worry, his gentleness. She clutched the ends of her sleeves tightly, drawing strength from his words.

As she entered the grand dining room, she saw her family already seated. Her father, Lord Haruki, sat tall at the head of the table, silent as always. Lady Reina offered her a small, knowing smile as Sakura took her seat beside Shin. The clinking of cutlery and soft rustling of robes were the only sounds for a while.

Then, breaking the stillness, Haruki spoke in a calm but firm tone. “Sakura.”

Her heart jumped, and she paused before answering, “Yes, Father?”

He looked at her with that usual composed gaze. “The Grand Magic Battle of the Fujimoto Clan will begin in three weeks. We are participating this year, now that you are ten.”

Before Shin could utter a word of protest, Sakura quickly responded, her voice steady, “I understand. I’ll be ready.”

A brief nod from her father was all the approval she received, and the conversation ended as quickly as it had begun. The rest of dinner passed in silence. Shin didn’t say anything, but she could feel his eyes on her from time to time, filled with thoughts he didn’t share.

Later, as they walked back to their rooms, the soft lantern light casting golden shadows on the walls, Shin finally broke the silence.

“You don’t have to go through with this,” he said, voice low and filled with concern. “If you don’t want to participate, I’ll talk to Father.”

Sakura glanced at him, then gave a soft smile—warm, confident, and a little playful. “Don’t worry, Shin. I can do this. I want to. And besides, you’ll be with me, right?”

His eyes softened. “Always. But it won’t be easy.”

“I know,” she said with a nod. “So we start training tomorrow?”

He smiled back, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. “Yeah. Let’s give them something to be scared of.”

With that, they each turned toward their rooms, the quiet settling again around them—but this time, with a promise of something stronger than silence: determination.