Enchanted in the Moonlight ~ Shinra ~ Main Story

3.3 Shinra is nice

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back." Samon greets me. "It's raining hard. You didn't get wet?"

"Nope. As luck would have it, I bumped into Shinra. He let me borrow his umbrella."

Samon smiles. "Luck, huh?"

"Hm? Shinra isn't back yet? He went running ahead. I was sure he would be at home before me."

"Heh... That guy isn't exactly direct." Samon laughs. "You might not have realised, but Shinra is always by your side, protecting you."

"He is?"

He answers: "Bad ayakashi, invisible to you, have been swarming around you ever since you awakened."

"What?!" I look shocked around me, but I don't see anything.

"The low level ayakashi can't touch you, thanks to the mark of your agreement. But the mark won't work on more powerful ones and the could attack you." Samon says.

The thought send shivers down my spine.

Samon smiles at me. "Shinra has secretly protected you from them."

"I didn't know..."

(I thought he was just doing whatever.)

"Without him, I think it would be hard for you to continue living like normal." He smiles, then leaves.

(Without even knowing it, someone has been protecting me. Shinra usually just bullies me and acts like a jerk, but... Maybe he's really a good person?)

Now that I've learned that, I can feel something changing inside of me.

Later...

I get in bed and try to fall asleep, but I keep going back to what Samon said.

(There are ayakashi swarming around me...)

It's the same room as always, but now I suddenly feel lonely and helpless in here.

Suddenly...

(Eek! What was that sound?)

"Was it from the hall...?"

I go very quietly to peek in the hallway...
Shinra's there, leaning against the wall like yesterday.

(Oh, it was Shinra.)

"You're sleeping here again tonight?"

"Obviously. I agreed to protect you." He says.

(It's just like Samon said.)

"Why would suddenly clam up like that?" Shinra looks at me.

"... Your hair is wet."

"Huh? Whatever, leave it, it'll dry."

(He got wet because he gave me his umbrella.)

"You should really dry it. Come here." I invite Shinra into my room.

"Here. I've got a blow dryer. You should use it."

Shinra blushes. "O-okay."

"I'll lay out a futon for you. When your done drying your hair, you can sleep in here."

He suspiciously asks. "Well, talk about a change of heart. What gives?"

"Umm... It's my fault you got stuck in the rain, so I don't want you getting a cold because of me."

"Hmph. I'm different from you humans. I'm an oni, I don't get sick so easily."
Shinra snorts.

"Oh. Really?"

He stretches his arms out to me and wraps me up in them. Then he whispers: "Well, if you pull my arm, I'll sleep in here with you."

"H-hey?!" Shinra doesn't pay attention to my protests as he buries his face in my chest.