Total ᕮclipse Of The Heart ~ Bankotsu Love Story

Chapter 4

“So the first additional captain comes today?”

“Yes, and Nishizawa-sama requested you to guide him when he comes later this evening.”

“I get it. Now please leave me alone and you can list down your sixth-ninth girlfriend who probably came from Styx.”

“She’s so cruel...” you heard Tsurigino mumbled as his anime-cries, leaving your room as you remained at your desk. You rolled your eyes and looked out the open shoji doors. There, you could see healthy koi fish dancing in the water, the blue skies complementing the lush trees in the garden and the rare butterflies floating in the air.

The next thing you knew, Ruka slammed into your room, panting hard.

“Yozora! Hamaguri is missing!”

You groaned as you facepalmed. If you’re thinking: ‘Who the hell is Hamaguri!?’...

Well, just at the end of the previous year, Ruka had found a stray cat outside the castle, trying to catch a fish from the pond. She immediately fell in love with it and begged Nishizawa all night to keep it. It was simply an orange-haired cat with thick hair and pierced dark eyes. The only reason Ruka named him Hamaguri, which literally means ‘Clam’, as in the seafood, was because its combination of colour in its appearance reminded her of clams and clams are her favourite seafood.

Hamaguri grew to have a habit of wandering in the nearby forests, therefore, always worries Ruka to death. It’s disturbing, really...

“Please! Look for him!” Ruka whined as she sat on the floor, hugging her knees, trembling. You sighed and boldly ran out the room, climbed onto the roof and ran towards the forest. You were quite adventurous and bold, so you were used to jumping and climbing around the castle. Everyone agreed that these search parties for Hamaguri were only so that Ruka would shut up. Of course, Ruka wasn’t there when you voted.

You arrived in the forest and began by overlooking the area on a high branch, scanning for any resemblance of clams. You jumped down and looked around.

Ten minutes later, you heard a rustle above you. You looked up but saw nothing. It was that moment when you saw Bankotsu on a low branch, smirking down at you, and a half-emptied bottle of sake in his hand. He pointed upwards as you looked suspiciously and unimpressed at him. Upwards you saw an orange lump of hair falling towards you.

You squeaked as it fell into your chest and insanely tried to escape. You gripped Hamaguri while you tried to get it off your face.

“Wow...” you heard Bankotsu say as he jumped down the branch he was on, threw away the bottle and took the crazy cat away from you; it still struggled at Bankotsu’s grip. It calmed down after a while and he returned it.

“Thank you...” you mumbled as you looked down. You heard Bankotsu chuckled and begun to walk back to the castle. Your instincts let you run after him with Hamaguri in your arms, snuggled against your chest.

“Surprised to know that just a mere cat means so much to that girl. Ruka, was it?” Bankotsu asked, looking at the sky bluntly.

“That’s her.” You laughed. “What brings you in this part of the village?”

“Just relaxi-“

“And isn’t it illegal to have sake under 18 and I don’t like the idea of drinking when it is still an hour before lunch.” You said in a quick cold tone which didn’t seem to have any effect on Bankotsu, with the exception of amusement and surprise from his eyes.