chapter 1

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Kenma Kozume

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Kenma Kozume

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There are five major villages on the continent. One of which, is Nekoma, which is where I live as a bookshop owner.

Much like Nekoma, these villages each have their own monarchy, and the monarchy has a special, prophesy-bound being to protect the villages. Again, five in total.

While I've never seen one of these magical, all-mighty guardians, I have read quite a bit about them. They were made with God-given powers, hidden away in the castle and village of the land they reside in, and they keep the peace between nature and the villages.

They say that these magical beings are not human, and they can't be beaten by anything other than each other. Their beauty is the only thing that bests their strength. I've read tales of their stunning looks and how even the elements bend to their every will.

I've studied these creatures religiously. One resides in Inarizaki, one in Datetech, one in Aoba Johsei, one in Karasuno, and, finally, the most powerful of all, the one with the power to best all the guardians, the one in Nekoma.

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"It's me!" I hear from the street, the sun just beginning to peak above the mountain tops as I flip the sign on my shop from 'closed' to 'open', "The Guardian is here to protect everyone!"

It's Rocky, the self-proclaimed magical, inhuman being who carries and swings a sword carelessly throughout the village.

He's a well-built man, sure, but he's no guardian. What magic does he have? None at all. The royal family does not pay him any mind, either, even when they come down in their carriage to greet everyone.

"Thank you for all your hard work, Rocky!"

Ah, Shouyou. Lovely, caring, precious Shouyou. He's always here to root everyone on, to clear all the blues away. Such a bright ray of sunlight in the early morning.

The bag over his head is still as odd as ever, but, after two years of knowing him, I've grown used to seeing it.

"Shouyou," I call softly to him after he speaks with Rocky. He bumbles over. I can feel the happiness radiating off him just like every other day.

"Kenma~! Good morning! I was just about to come to you! Do you have any new books in? His Highness, Prince Sugawara is visiting and he wants a new book to read. He said your last recommendation was wonderful!"

Shouyou handed me a letter, most likely written by Prince Sugawara. I wish Shouyou would write me a letter. I'd hang it up above my bed and look at it every night.

The wind blows rather roughly, but the paper bag on Shouyou's head doesn't even flicker in the sharp breeze, almost like it's held there by an invisible force.

He waves his hand out in front of me, his shirt sleeve slipping down his wrist as he does so. I snap out of my little daze and hear him laugh softly.

"You're still not woken up, yeah? It's pretty early, after all. Let's go inside!"

"Yeah, uhm, I'll give you a couple of books for Prince Sugawara. I've got three new memoirs in that will really impress him."

How could I ever explain this feeling of love? For someone I barely know? I've never seen him asleep, never seen his home- if he even has one- I've never even seen his face. What color is his hair? His eyes? Why does he hide himself?

"I'm... not proud of my face. That's all," is what he had said when I asked him.

Yet... His laugh, his body language, so clean and meaningful with every gesture, and his kindness. He's always rushing to help others, always helping me and encouraging me. He'd give the shirt off his back and the food on his plate to a stranger if it meant they'd be just that much better off.

He values life more than anyone I've ever seen. Nothing is insignificant to him, and I guess that's why I fell for him. Because he has a charm I can't rub off.

"Shouyou, do you want some coffee?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, please!"

These past few days, I've noticed something a little... of about Shouyou. He's been glancing around a lot, distracted, almost. Like he's waiting for something to happen. It also doesn't help that there's a rising tension in the village not far from us. No one's sure of what it could be yet, however.

Maybe he's scared of it?

I pour the hot water over the ground beans and let them strain into a cup. I always put extra care in it to ensure it's made the best for Shouyou.

"Kenma," he calls to me for the chair in the area where all the books are kept. It's like a small home and shop all the same. The bedroom and storage areas are down the hall in the back.

"I have to leave for a while after today, but I'll be back in about a fortnight. Will you be okay without me?"

My heart broke.

He's leaving? Is this why he's been so absent-minded lately? He had been trying to find a way to tell me?

"Where are you going? Why do you have to leave?"

It makes me itch every time I'm reminded that I don't know what he does for a living. I don't know anything about him, and it hurts terribly. I wish he'd tell me. I wish he'd let me know him.

He thanks me for the coffee and takes a sip while I sit beside him, my nails digging into the fabric of my pants.

"I have a meeting with a couple of people that I know. I can't say much, but one of our group members has started... acting funny this past year. We need to put an end to it before something happens."

It's the most he had ever told me about what he does outside this village, but... I still don't get it.

"... I'm sorry, Kenma. I wish I could tell you everything, but... I really can't. I'm sorry."

Though I was reluctant, I understood that his privacy was important, so I simply nodded and sipped at my own coffee.

"I'll send you off with some books to read and some pasteries."

"Haha, I'd like that a lot! Thank you, Kenma~!"

Because I love him so much, I chose to let him go, not knowing that my heart would be put in a tight grasp until the next time I'd see him.

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