ハ-モニクス (Harmonics) - Discontinued

CHAPTER TEN

"Lady Celes, I don't remember you mentioning anything about a sister." Chitoge was walking close behind with her staff in hand.

Haru had his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. I thought you said gods don't have parents."

"Don't mind what Celes tells you." Kirin was a little ways ahead but could still make out their whispering. "By the way, I know of the priestess but what of you?"

Haru gulped. "Ah... I'm just an angel."

kirin nodded as she lead them through the ginormous hall of her house. "I'm Lady Kirin, goddess of the sect of liveliness. Nice to meet you."

He nodded. "I'm Haru Otonashi."

Kirin stopped and looked around at him. "That's quite an unusual name."

Haru laughed nervously. "Really? It's quite normal where I come from."

She smiled at him. "Celes, you and your priestess can change out of those things in my guest chamber."

Celes didn't look too keen on the idea but she moved off without a word, practically dragging Chitoge with her. Haru went to go with them but Kirin pulled him back.

"Mr. Otonashi, was it? Care to join me for a late night drink?"

Haru looked off to the door the two girls had disappeared into and longed to join them but he got a feeling rejecting Kirin wouldn't be that great. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

                                                                                         ********

"So sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Otonashi." Lady Kirin had left him to sit at the balcony table with a large pitcher and two glass cups to go change. Despite the size of the place, it hardly took her five minutes to go and get back. 

"It really wasn't that much of a wait."

Kirin smiled and adjusted her robe to sit. "I know you must be exhausted from your trip but I really wanted to thank you for taking care of Celes for me. She can be a handful."

He shook his head. "It wasn't much trouble at all."

She smirked and poured him a glass of freshly brewed tea before pouring one for herself. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience but with the Lord Goodness missing, they're rounding up every able bodied being to be part of the search party" She sighed before laughing nervously. "I never imagined a day would come when I'd had have to draw my own bath."

Haru tried to laugh along with her. "So what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Kirin sipped from her cup and smacked her lips together. "It's nothing really. I just wanted to negotiate."

"Negotiate? About what?"

She pulled down her sleeves. "A little informant told me you were Celes' master. I'd be more than willing to compensate for that role."

Haru furrowed his brow. "You want to buy her from me?"

Kirin chuckled nervously. "That's one way to put it. But it's nothing totally illegal, I mean, if you gave that position to me rather than Lord Order, I could--"

"No way!"

She put down her cup. "Celes isn't all that powerful, Mr. Otonashi. I mean, in terms of the lesser gods, she's probably the least of us all and wouldn't be much help to you."

Haru gave her a blank stare. "It doesn't matter. Celes is my--" He quickly caught himself. Did the gods even know what a girlfriend was?

Kirin looked at him expectantly. "She's your what?"

He stood and walked to the door. "Thanks for the tea but I'm really tired right now."

The woman looked disappointed. "It's pretty late to have you lot head for Izanawa tower so you could stay here until it's daytime."

Haru nodded and thanked her before hastily leaving to find Celes and Chitoge.

After a few minutes, he started regretting not waiting on Kirin. This place was absolute bonkers! He traveled through so many rooms that looked incomprehensibly alike he had lost count and there was not even a map or some kind of guide to show him around. He was on the brink of giving up when he heard footsteps approach him from behind.

"Mr. Haru?" Chitoge was now out of her earthly attire and was now wearing a silky, green robe. "Are you lost?" 

He laughed nervously. "No, not at all. I was just, um..."

The girl sighed in relief. "You must be a great adventurer. May I ask you to take me to the bathroom then?" Her head lowered and she rubbed her knees together. "I lost hold of Lady Celes and have been wandering around these halls for who knows how long."

Haru suddenly felt the urge to smack himself in the face. "Uh, sure." He started to move off but she took his arm. "is something wrong?"

Chitoge bit her lip. "I won't be able to hold it much longer. I just need to hold on to something to..." Her voice squealed and her grip got ten times stronger. "Don't walk too fast, okay?"

He tried to soak in all the pain and unwittingly started leading her through a series of doors. He was sure he had passed a bathroom a few doors before but he had no recollection in what direction or what to look out for. As his luck would have it, they soon found one and he sighed in relief.

That would have been bad. He stood outside the door awaiting for Chitoge to return, still feeling a little proud he had actually remembered something like that.

Not too long after, she emerged with a deep gratified look on her face. "Thank you very much, Mr. Haru. I don't know what I'd have done if I hadn't run into you."

"It's no big deal. I've been wandering around a bit so I think I can at least remember the important places."

She smiled before taking a seat on the floor and gesturing for him to join her down there. "You seem pretty relaxed."

"Huh?"

Chitoge fixed the tiara she was wearing. "When I came to your world not knowing where or how I'd find Lady Celes, I admit I was scared out of my mind. But you, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were actually pulling off the angel act quite well."

Haru chuckled. "Actually, I am scared." 

The girl looked up at him. "You don't look that way."

"It's true." He  crossed his legs on the floor. "It's kind of a thing with guys, we always act cool when girls are watching."

Chitoge looked puzzled. "Act cool?"

He nodded. "You know, acting brave and all that."

She nodded. "Remember when you told me you lost your sister?"

Haru looked away. "Why would you bring that up?"

"Am I anything like her?"

"Why would you ask that?"

Chitoge hesitated but rested her head on his shoulder. "You remind me of my brother."

"I do?"

She nodded. "He was older than me and he'd teach me how to control my powers."

Haru put his cheek on her temple. "What happened to him?"

Chitoge was silent for a bit. "He was killed when Lord Destruction was sealed away." She chuckled softly before nuzzling against him. "I wanted to be my brother so I trained as hard as I could to be eligible to take up the role as a high priestess... I really wish he was here to see me now."

Haru grunted. "What was his name?"

She slipped from his shoulder unto his lap and made herself comfortable there. "It's been so long, I forgot." She shifted into a fetal position and closed her eyes. "I think it was Hagoromo."

Trying not to make the situation weird, he cautiously stroked her hair. "I'm sure he's be proud of you, Chitoge."

The girl said nothing and her light breaths  tingled his stomach before he too drifted off to sleep.