*Knock Knock*

Raising his eyes lazily from his book, Haruki looked over at the door with a sigh. As he stood to answer, Ayako burst into the room, coming to a screeching to a halt by the door. With her tongue poking out at Haruki, she eagerly wrenched it open.

“Arara, Suzu-chan? What a pleasant surprise...”

Noticing the sheepish girl's awkward fidgeting, she sent a questioning stare towards Haruki.

“Okaa-san, stop tormenting Suzu please...”

“Ufufufu but it's so much fun!”

With her usual devilish grin, Ayako walked off with a knowing giggle, leaving the two alone in deafening silence.

With a heavy sigh, Haruki turned back towards the jittery Suzu. As their eyes briefly met, her gaze quickly returned to the floor, her small shoulders dropping ever so slightly.

“Come in, I'll get you some juice if you want some?” He used the best 'receiving friends' voice he could manage.

'Mother is probably listening in from the next room...'

With a timid nod, Suzu stepped inside, her naginata in hand. She still had a slightly dazed look about her, so Haruki nervously tried to break the ice.

“You can store that in my room for now, we can talk there too if you want?”

'Oh god, I just casually invited her to my room... FUCK! Settle down, brain!'

“Nn...”

Haruki quietly escorted her to his room, small droplets of juice sloshing onto his shaking hands.

The room was nothing special, though decently sized, but to Suzu's eyes, it was ENOURMOUS! The furnishings were spartan, only a plain wooden desk and chair at the end of a large bed. An old hard-wood closet was tucked away into a dark corner while the rest of the room was barren, save for a few bookshelves.

Suzu's gaze flitted awkwardly around the room, struggling to calm herself as Haruki sat down beside her.

“What's up?” He only asked a single question, it was obvious from her expressions that she was hurting.

“...” Suzu hesitated.

'How can I ask to stay here!? I'm such a terrible woman!'

'But it's Haru... It might be ok...'

“I... need a place to stay until school starts.” Suzu lowered her head shamefully, muttering with barely audible words as she sat cross-legged on the cold floor.

“Fine by me, just have to ask my parents first. Shall I ask now?”

Suzu's face flushed a vibrant pink at his gentle words. Nodding once, she buried her face in her arms, tucking her knees tightly into her chest.

“I'll be back in a minute, just relax.”

With a final glance back, he bustled downstairs to find his parents.

They were both waiting for him at the bottom, grinning childishly.

'I see that Mother has already mentioned Suzu's arrival... I hope they don't get too weird... Maybe they really WILL start arranging our marriage...'

With a lump steadily growing in his throat, Haruki relayed Suzu's message.

“She only needs a place to stay until school starts, plus we have a spare room.” he argued, even offering to double his workload to cover the extra expense.

After speaking at length on the many benefits of adopting a stray Suzu, Haruki was interrupted by uproarious laughter. Ayako spoke up with a devious smile.

“It's fine it's fine, she's almost one of the family at this point! Fufufu...”

Relief washed over Haruki as he rushed upstairs to deliver the good news. Standing immediately, Suzu scampered downstairs with a stern expression.

After formally thanking Ayako and Ketrel, she offered her help around the house. Little did she know that Ayako had everything already planned out...

“I'll show you a few chores you can do, but it's fine otherwise. Please, just train hard with Haru-chan and continue to be his friend. That would make me very happy. Yes, very happy indeed fufufu!”

The few jobs she assigned were all the same as Haruki. Ayako had many other plans in reserve, but she doubted it would come to that, having noticed their blossoming feelings many times.

'I will have my grandchildren soon! Fufufuu!'

Haruki and Suzu quietly made the bed in the spare room, neither looking up from the task until it was finished. Stepping back to admire the crisp, military folds, Haruki finally noticed that Suzu had no bags with her.

“Do you need anything else? Clothes or anything?”

“I... only have what I have.” Suzu answered cryptically.

She had only briefly explained that she was forced to leave home, so Haruki was still quite confused about the whole situation.

“That means we need to go shopping soon. How about we have a shopping date in Touhama tomorrow?”

Hearing the word 'date', Suzu's body stiffened, her head raising as she finally met his gaze. With hints of a small smile appearing on her previously sullen face, she replied with a vigorous nod.

“Nn...”

Suzu work shortly before dawn, confused and alone in an unfamiliar place. Looking around frantically, her memories of yesterday flooded back to her mind. Quickly calming herself, she snuggled back into her warm bed, a short squeak of pleasure escaping her lips.

'Right, I'm at Haru's place. I'm living here now. It's finally sinking in...'

While grateful to have escaped her father, she still felt guilty for intruding on the Abe family. But simply put, she had nowhere else to go.

'Thinking back, they've always treated me like family...'

Cocooning tightly in her warm, downy quilt, she remembered back on the previous day with a warm smile.

Ever since she had arrived, Ayako had been constantly chatting to her happily about this and that, while Ketrel had promised to train her along side Haruki. His ham-hock fist pounded against his bulging, hairy chest as he bellowed.

The playful mood around the house had quickly infected her. By the time Haruki asked her to get ready for the date, she had steeled her resolve.

'As long as I live, I will never return to that house.'

Rushing upstairs with a brief stumble, she hurriedly pulled on a plain, white sun-dress she had borrowed from Ayako earlier in the day. With a flick of her wrist, she tied her silky black hair into a long ponytail and raced back down.

Haruki spoke with a muffled cough as she appeared, turning away to hide his glowing cheeks.

“That looks real good on you, Suzu. Shall we go then?”

“Nn...”

They walked together in silence for a while, occasionally bumping into each other on the uneven road. With a determined nod, Suzu reached a slender hand towards him, gently capturing his arm.

'Victory!'

An unconscious grin swept over her face as they walked together towards Touhama.

'Today is much better...'

Arriving arm-in-arm, Haruki nodded at small group of guards. Many recognized them from their last trip, waving them through with a curt nod back.

Suzu hadn't let go of his arm once while they'd walked.

'What the hell happened to make her like this? She had a disagreement with her parents, that much is obvious. Nothing to do but have some fun, for now.'

“Let's get what we need first, so we don't forget.”

“Nn.”

Planting both hands on her back, Haruki gently pushed the hesitant Suzu towards a nearby clothing store. As she noticed the prices, her face rapidly paled as she stammered out an apology, repeatedly offering to pay him back.

Haruki firmly shook his head, a loose smile spreading as he spoke.

“Since it's for you, I don't mind spending a small amount. Consider it a gift.”

With a gentle tug on her hand, he dragged her towards a nearby rack. Looking for a moment, he held up a white, lightly frilled dress against her petite frame.

“Looks damn good...” Haruki muttered. They awkwardly stumbled on, choosing a few more before Suzu began protesting again.

“Too much.”

“It's fine, I have plenty left over. Are you ok these 4 then?”

“Nn...”

A teasing whistle smashed their pink mood like a sledgehammer.

Flicking a gold coin towards the sweetly smiling cashier, Haruki took Suzu's hand and quickly escaped out into the noisy street.

Hand in hand, they meandered around the main square, buying snacks whenever they saw something tasty. Lazing on a stone bench as they ate, their thoughts were occupied by a nearby puppet show.

A lazy, inept god bumbled aimlessly around the heavens. Falling for their many lies and tricks, he came to believe that his enemies were allies all along. As he happily idled his days, they plotted in secret.

A mortal chef was sent in tribute, baking the god dozens of delicious treats. Downing them greedily, his muffled grunting quickly gave way to pained screams as his soul was slowly eroded by a fearful toxin.

Sinister laughter echoed around the square as the puppet fell, curtains quickly snapping shut.

'That ending was rather abrupt...'

Honestly, Haruki was rather impressed.

'They must have some massive balls to do a show like that right next to the church...'

Most of the children seemed to enjoy it, regardless of the questionable content, so Haruki cast the thought aside.

'Perhaps this is common here?'

The two sat for a while longer, quietly enjoying the bustle of the lively city around them.

“It's not so bad to come to a busy place once in a while...”

“Nn...”

“Soon, we'll be living here. We can come here whenever we want.”

Shuffling closer with a bashful smile, Suzu planted a gentle kiss on his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

“I hope we can learn some spells at the Academy...”

A soft snoring interrupted his thoughts.

'Sleep well, Suzu.'

Time felt like it stood still as Haruki sat quietly, sneaking occasional glances at the sleeping beauty drooling lightly on his shoulder. A peaceful air hung around the bench as the sky quickly darkened.

“Holy hell, it's way too late already!”

With a startled gurgle, Suzu blinked in momentary confusion.

“The lamps are lit, we need to go now...”

The couple tore off towards the western gate, desperately hoping to arrive before it closed. Stumbling up to the wide-open gate, the two had plenty of time to catch their breath. The sudden rush had turned them both slightly giddy.

With high spirits, they walked arm in arm towards home, joking and laughing loudly in their own little world.

“There aren't any lights on... Weird.”

They crept slowly towards the darkened, creaking house. A sudden cold gust sent the skeletal trees into a clatter, sending a shiver down Haruki's spine.

A single, terrifying sound rose drowned out all else.

“Ufufufu...”

'Oh god...'