☾︎✰𝔻𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕗 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔸𝕓𝕪𝕤𝕤✰☽︎ˢᵒᵘˢᵉⁱ ⁿᵒ ᵒⁿᵐʸᵒᵘʲⁱ

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 : 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠

☾︎✯☽︎

Rokuro awkwardly excused himself, a blush creeping up his cheeks. He retreated to the kitchen, his mind racing with the events of the day. He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt, of letting Mayura down. But he knew he had made the right decision, at least for now.

Back in the living room, Mayura sat up, her eyes still heavy with sleep. "So," she began, her voice a bit raspy. "It ended up turning out this way, huh?" She paused, a sad smile playing on her lips. "But, well... Rokuro, I thought he would eventually turn back to exorcism."

Benio handed her a cup of tea. "You should lie down some more."

Mayura shook her head. "It's okay. It's not like I'm hurt anyway. You know, I already knew... I knew the Rokuro who quit exorcism, fell into depression. But I also know the Rokuro who gave his all, who said he'd be the strongest exorcist ever."

A bittersweet smile spread across her face. "We've known each other for a long time, you know. He wasn't originally from this town. I think he came from the Hiintsuki Dorm. First year of middle school, if I remember correctly."

Benio nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "I can't imagine what it was like for him to experience such a horrible incident," she murmured, her mind drifting back to the day her parents were killed. The helplessness, the despair – she knew that feeling all too well.

Mayura's eyes widened in surprise. "You know about the Hiinatsuki Dorm tragedy?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
Benio nodded, her expression somber. "Yes. No one told me outright that Rokuro was part of that incident, but I couldn't imagine anything else that would cause him such heartache."

Just then, Rokuro returned, relieved to see Mayura awake and chatting with Benio. "Looks like you two are getting along," he remarked. "What were you guys talking about?"

Mayura seemed a bit flustered, but Benio quickly interjected, "Mayura was just advising me how to take care of you, considering how you obviously can't take care of yourself." She gave him a teasing smirk, infuriating Rokuro.

"I know how to take care of myself!" he growled, his eyes narrowing.

Benio rolled her eyes. "You can't even cook a decent bowl of rice, so how can I possibly believe that?"

Rokuro's face turned a deep shade of red. "If I remember correctly, you ate the whole thing!" he muttered.

Benio quickly changed the subject. "Anyways, shouldn't you take Ms. Mayura home? It's gotten pretty late."

Rokuro growls, but he took a breath and  nodded deciding to let it go, he turns to Mayura. "Let's head out, Mayura."

Mayura hesitated, a blush creeping across her cheeks. "Is it alright for you to do that?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Rokuro was confused. "Why not?" he replied.

Mayura hesitated again, before finally blurting out, "Well, you guys are married, so if your husband were alone with another woman other than his wife, wouldn't that be adultery?"

Rokuro's face turned a deep shade of red. "I told you, I'm not married to this girl!" he exclaimed, his voice rising.

Benio simply shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I wouldn't mind if you just took her home with you," she teased.

With a frustrated sigh, Rokuro turned to Mayura. "Let's go," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

As they walked out the door, Benio was left alone with her thoughts. She retreated to her room, her mind drifting to the past. She pulled out an old photo from a hidden box, a picture of her younger self with a twin brother. A pang of sadness washed over her. Back then, she was just a girl, unaware of her destiny as a Twin Star exorcist, unawarw of the path that lies ahead, unaware that she had taken over someone else's life.