Gentle Strength

“Should all of us suffer and die right now, tell me, why should I care?”

The room temperature literally dropped a few degrees with her words.

I was left speechless by her remark. To think her first words had ‘die’ in it when we're in the face of a dying person, it's clear she's the one who raised Senna; the girl was also too blunt with her words at times.

“Besides,” Kiyoko continued. “You don't even belong here, yet you keep digging, poking your nose as if you could do something.”

“He couldn't, but neither can anyone if they're grasping at straws for the full story,” Senna said. “You should have an idea on what to do… just like how you always knew the right thing for me.”

Kiyoko heaved a deep sigh. She's really hard to read but at the same time, her true form was clearer than ever.

“Do you know why I do this? Why I'm letting the man run around in circles?” she asked.

“Because Yukina told you so, right?” I spoke. There's no other explanation, really.

“Yes, that is also the case for this ‘curse’ I fabricated to this couple. Asako, good job figuring it out, by the way. With how stagnant the case became for many years, I really thought I messed up somewhere again.”

“Again?”

She glanced my way, her face brimming with delight. “Yes. The real curse was my meddling. It all started from there.”

‘She's the one who picked that wench saying she'd fix most of my problems…’

‘Yes. He even pointed out who he fancied the most from the bunch.’

Damn. Now those statements perfectly supported each other. Going by this information, Kiyoko did arrange for Asako and Shinosuke to meet. She never explicitly shared to me who Shinosuke actually fancied from the bunch—most probably Yukina. It might be because she feared her sister's prediction would fail and made hasty decisions on her own, hence this ‘curse’.

Senna unconsciously felt up her neck upon the mention of the curse. After all, the possibility remained she's still the eye of this storm.

“You defied Lady Yuugure's will,” Senna muttered.

“If it'd mean Yukina's pristine image remained intact, it's a small price to pay.”

“Small…” Fuyumi, who've been fervently murmuring her prayers, finally joined in. “IS TORMENTING A FAMILY FOR SOME STUPID REASON SMALL?? THIS YUKINA CHARACTER IS BEAUTIFUL… ISN'T THAT ENOUGH—cough…cough…huuuu….”

Hyuuga rushed over to her side and helped Senna calm her down. From all of these people present, Fuyumi took the most damage. Her parents won't meet because of a lie, her dad was dying because of a curse, her mom was burdened with truly forgiving a friend who essentially betrayed her, and she herself had problems on her own… maybe how she'd take over such vast fortune among other things. Despite of my near-inexistent help with Hyuuga, Fuyumi remained the worst victim.

Her crying was painful to the ears and heavy to the heart. If this was how she'd end up even with Hyuuga's support, I feared she'd resort to drastic measures if she's left to fend for all of these on her own. Even I was compelled to go to her side and simply be there or something. Well, why not?

I glared at Kiyoko as I made my way over to my friend. “Yukina must've been turning in her grave by now. Well done.”

She had a pained smile. “That's literally impossible. The Hoshii expected no graves for their ashes.”

I tried to hide my surprise and looked at Senna. She must've known this herself and bit her lip.

“Do you understand now,” Kiyoko spoke to me. “This is Yukina's answer to my sin. She offered herself so a waste of breath like me could live. I understand if that girl detests me with all her soul, but I have my reasons as well.”

Just as she's insignificant to Kiyoko, Kiyoko was also insignificant to Fuyumi. That's just how human relationships go; if you haven’t succeeded in connecting with others to a certain degree, then you'd be left to make do with your own devices. Receiving little help from someone without anything in return was impossible, but getting help in regardless of the terms was already a godsend.

Fit in or die in a ditch… a concept I knew by heart.

“Say, Senna…” Fuyumi spoke after blowing her nose for the nth time. “Am I… your friend...?”

“Yes.”

“How about you, Hyuu...?”

“Of course not. I'm your soon-to-be-husband, silly.”

Then, Fuyumi looked at me. I knew by heart that she probably needed me less than I needed her. It's just, we've met through a dating event thinking we've had a lot in common. Strange that we ended up becoming better than temporary lovers—instead, we became true friends. Guess that compatibility was spot on.

Fuyumi, with our help, stood up before Kiyoko. The lady didn't bother looking up and awaited her trial.

However, Fuyumi knelt down and grabbed both her hands. “You brought not Yuugure, but Senna to me. You sent me Akito to help me stand up and meet Hyuuga who accepted me for who I was. If not for them, maybe things would've ended way differently.

“For all of that, thank you.”

Kiyoko never reacted, her face donning that mask she always wore when we now knew beneath her lies was a lonely sister who felt guilty for her actions. Despite stripping everything she had to give to Yukina, she instead ended up losing the sole reason for her existence.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't justify her standing idly by as other's lives were ruined. I wouldn't blame Fuyumi if she did somethi—

SLAP!

Fuyumi might as well have punched Kiyoko with the force behind that slap. The lady fell to the floor in a thud.

“Sit back down,” The Fujiwara daughter commanded. Kiyoko complied and picked herself up.

Senna was about to interfere but Hyuuga stopped her—us. I was also about to since such strong stimuli could… you know, Shinosuke was still behind us hearing all of this. It might unnecessarily stress him out more.

“See how hard it is to get up on your own?” Fuyumi said. “I'll forgive you, since my friend will be hurt if I don't. However,” She embraced Kiyoko. “Please earn mother's and Yukina's forgiveness on your own. It's a two-way street, Miss Kiyoko. However, this time, just as you've sent me these wonderful people, I'll send you my full support.”

“Um,” Hyuuga butted in. “Does that mean you're pushing the heavy-lifting to us three?”

“No, just you, Hyuu. I mean,” She raised her hand and I noticed something silver on her ring finger. “You've effectively given me the right to order you around.”

“Your smooth moves backfired, huh,” I teased. What the hell, why do I feel fuzzy all of a sudden? I shouldn't be making jokes yet… damn. I feel happy for some reason. Even Senna subtly brushed a tear off her eye.

In the end, Senna and I left them to discuss their reconciliation and, of course, Hyuuga's proposal. They're not planning on marriage yet I believe, but it's not an uncertainty anymore.

As I slid open the door, an unexpected visitor invaded the room.

Meimei rushed over to Asako's side. The maid chasing her apologized for her mistake, but the madam dismissed it as nature's way of showing something right had happened.

Miraculously, or in this case, coincidentally, Shinosuke's condition had stabilized. He might be bedridden but he's not in immediate danger now. When I asked the family doctor, he said it's mostly his lungs due to unhealthy vices. It's very easy to see though.

Going to hospital was, despite being a logical action, vetoed by Shinosuke himself. He had resolved himself to pass away on his home. If it’s peacefully or not, those who attended would decide. He never thought of the third option. Guess he underestimated his offspring.

***

“Shouldn't you be there too?” I asked Senna as we observed the koi at Shinosuke's garden. She’s squatted at the edge of the pond while I stood beside her, thinking things fixed itself again without me doing anything.

“It's Fuyumi's business now. Our job is done.”

“Our… You mean...”

Plip! The fish dipped deep into the water as Senna tried reaching for it. The ripples it created were hypnotizing.

“This is nothing but a job, right?”

“Senna…”

“Akito,” She ran her finger in circles in the pond. “Can I have a little time alone?”

“No funny business?”

“Mm…”

Well, I still kept watch over her from afar just in case, but my gut instincts told me we're only halfway there. There's a bunch of mysteries to be solved.

The Fujiwaras, Kiyoko, and Yukina's story had somehow been resolved, mostly credited to one girl's strength and compassion, but Senna's had yet to begin.

Yes, the threads of fate still had much to unravel.