Chapter - 4

The shopping district at dusk was favored by middle school students on summer break and housewives there to buy dinner for their families. Into the midst of that, Ikki and Stella walked hand in hand.

As they did so, they head whispering voices.

「Aren't those two the princess of Vermillion and the child of the Kurogane family who've been in the news lately?」

「Ahh, those stories about the princess being cheating on and molested?」

「I heard those were false rumors.」

Topics about the association between the two of them came up one after another, and it wasn't just Stella, but also Ikki whose face was now widely known in society. It wasn't just their faces either, but the details of their relationship as well. That was why the two of them stood out as they walked, even though it was unpleasant.

「Look, look! They're holding hands! It's really true that they're going steady!」

「I mean, looking at her in reality, that princess is outrageously beautiful.」

「How nice… I wanna go out with a girl like that….」

At the inquisitive gazes piercing from all around them, Stella's ears grew a little red. She had become reasonably used to being stared at in school as a couple, but being looked at as girlfriend and boyfriend by people off-campus was still embarrassing no matter how she thought of it.

Guessing that Stella was thinking this, Ikki spoke.

"Hey Stella, if you're embarrassed, we can let go with our hands?"

It was consideration after noticing that Stella was blushing due to the gazes from all around them. But Stella―

"I'm… n-not embarrassed… at all…."

―told a lie.

She was certainly embarrassed, but she really loved holding hands like this.

"If that's true, then okay. But don't strain yourself."

Did Stella understand the subtleties of that situation? Ikki smiled a little bit, strengthened his grip a little bit, and once again started walking and pulling her along.

Looking at Ikki's face in profile, Stella thought,

"What's this? Ikki has changed a little."

The boy Stella knew as Ikki Kurogane was by any standard not what one would call assertive. Like herself, it was the first time he had liked someone or dated someone, so it was a relationship where the two of them timidly stepped into the role of sweethearts.

But recently, the atmosphere around Ikki had changed―he had become unusually proactive. For example, him grabbing Stella's hand just a while ago. They had enjoyed that sort of physical contact before, but up until now, it was hard to say who was usually the one to put a hand on top of the other's. But lately, it had been different.

This hand is… solid… firm…―

It wasn't a spontaneous touch, but rather Ikki's assertive grip. And right now, he wasn't worried about the gazes around them but was holding her hand with dignity. Knowing Ikki's usual virtues of care and sincerity, Stella who was slightly anxious couldn't help but be shocked by this change. What exactly caused this change in his mentality? Therefore, Stella spoke to Ikki about this openly.

"Hey Ikki, you've changed a bit recently."

"I've changed?"

"You've become… a little pushier, a little more assertive than before."

…A little more manly, a little more impressive….

At Stella's statement, Ikki showed a surprised expression for an instant. And immediately, he blushed and scratched his jaw, then answered.

"…I guess you noticed, Stella?"

Ikki's answer showed that he was aware of his own change.

"Sorry. I've been trying to be more courageous."

"I-It's not like I dislike this! I was just wondering what caused it."

"I don't think it really had a cause…."

At the questions being piled on him, Ikki started his explanation that way.

"It's just that, ever since my proposal to you, I've felt an attachment to you growing strong inside that surprised even me. A feeling that I can't do anything about. That this person is my precious girl."

He spoke of the reason for the change that Stella wanted to know about. The confession he made after the fight with Raikiri, it had become a huge turning point for him. Up to that point, Ikki had intended to love Stella more than anyone else, but after their strong feelings had been confirmed with exchanged words, the desire to her for himself had grown stronger than can be compared to what he felt before. The feeling that he wouldn't surrender this girl to anyone had grown stronger.

As a result, a self-consciousness had been born inside of him. A man's strong self-consciousness that he would protect his woman. And that self-consciousness had given Ikki an assertiveness he had not had up to now.

"To the point that I want to embrace you right this minute. …But I don't think saying that is very chaste, right?"

Ikki spoke what was in his heart, though he sounded a bit embarrassed. At Ikki's confession, Stella felt her chest pounding like a drum.

Ikki….

That throbbing, it was a sweetness emerging from so deep inside her chest that it was itchy.

Why? The reason was obvious. The one she loved was declaring something right now that words wouldn't be enough for.

You're mine. I won't let anyone else have you.

And at the same time, the overwhelming pressure from their surroundings fell away.

She's my woman. Don't touch her.

At this realization, Stella had to hide her softening cheeks.

Ikki, you're so cute….

Honestly, it was adorable. Even though he was immature, he was trying to monopolize his woman with all his might. She couldn't help it when he was that cute. Ikki probably wouldn't enjoy being thought of that way, but as far as Stella was concerned, Ikki was so cute that she was getting giddy.

She had to reward this no matter what. As someone's girl, as his girl. So Stella―took his arm with her own hand, and pulled him into an embrace.

"S-Stella?"

"If we do this, everyone will understand better that I'm your girl, right?"

Smiling, Stella pressed Ikki's arm to her cheek. She no longer cared about the stares falling on her from all around. More than such trivial things, the boy who was trying to monopolize her with all his might had created a far stronger feeling.

But for Ikki, who was trying to hold her hand and walk with a prim face to the end, Stella's act of clinging to him had created a situation where he couldn't calm down. Though since he was the one who said he wanted this, he couldn't tell her to get off because he was embarrassed either.

"Th-That's right. Good idea. Yeah…."

Ikki continued to walk while staying as calm as possible, but his cheeks were glowing with embarrassment, and the hand he was holding Stella with had become damp with sweat.

"Hehe…."

At such a bluff, Stella couldn't help but find him charming.

…Somehow, I'm really happy right now….

With her mouth falling into a smile, Stella entrusted the walk entirely to Ikki. Anyone around them who saw this would probably think they were an idiot flirty couple. Stella seriously figured that it wasn't something they could do anything about. After all, they were in love.

Hold me firmly, my prince.

This embarrassing thing didn't leave her mouth, but was only whispered inside her heart.

But at that moment―

"Hmm?"

Ikki's steps abruptly stopped.

Did he find somewhere to eat? That was her first thought, but Stella instantly realized this wasn't the case.

Ikki's line of sight was in the opposite direction from where they were going, and his face had a very grim color.

"No―"

Ikki thought that at first too, but….

It's probably not the case.

Inhaling a shallow breath, he raised his concentration. Staring at the departing backside, he took in the man's physique, height, and width. He compared the muscles attached to that frame to his preconceived notions on how bodies were put together. Yes, the man was walking strangely. The steps were not going left and right in a regular way. But there was no feeling of injury or other hindrance. He could see that the various joints were driving the man forward normally.

But it was so lifeless. The man was walking as if his body was out of order.

I can see there's something wrinkled at its side. The right pocket?

A hand was thrust into the right pocket at the waist. In the wrinkles gathered in the work clothes, there wasn't just the hand. The right hand was clutching something, stored away in the pocket. It was somewhat long and wide. For example―a survival knife, or something like that.

…From his clothes, he might be an electrician.

It was common for an electrician to carry a knife in order to peel the tough outer covering of electrical cables. The knives that electricians used were very large, but his own knowledge of such things was meager, and maybe this was just an individual's preference. But just as he thought this, Ikki noticed it clearly for an instant.

From the brim of the cap the man was wearing on his head, something inside of it glimmered. It was the bloodshot eyes of a wild beast focused on its prey. They were very much the eyes of someone full of hate.

It might be the bloodshot look of someone who was just lacking sleep. In addition, the thing in the pocket might also have been an ordinary work tool. Both of those possibilities were perhaps more likely than Ikki's worst-case guess. But―there was no way he could put the worst case out of his mind. His premonition wouldn't lessen.

"…Okay."

"Ah, Ikki, where are you going!?"

"Wait for me a bit."

Ikki pulled away his right arm that Stella was holding, and he rushed over to the man who was dressed in work clothes.

He could start with talking, and find a way to check what was in that pocket. If he was just making a rude misunderstanding, that would be good. He'd just need to apologize. If his apology wasn't accepted, well, he could accept getting into a little trouble. Since that was the case, if he could allay the worst-case thoughts that had stolen his attention….

Thinking that, Ikki called out―and at that moment, the man in the work clothes suddenly stopped walking.

The place he stopped was the shopping district's tenth street. It was in the middle of very busy foot-traffic. Why did he stop in such a place with nothing to look at? The answer was―

"The hell!? What're you doing stopping in the middle of street, old man!?"

The moment some middle-school aged kids bumped into the man, it became obvious.

"Heeee―"

Leaking a weird whistling shriek, the man moved. He started to pull whatever was in his pocket out with his right hand quickly. In that unending moment, Ikki beheld time flowing past with his focused concentration and enhanced motion perception.

He had correctly identified the thing glittering through the tiny gap he had peeked through into the man's pocket. It was a blade's edge glaring and sparkling savagely, a thick survival knife. In the middle of the intersection, there was only one reason to pull out such a tool.

The worst possibility that Ikki had suspected had come true. And as he felt his prediction hitting the mark, Ikki moved.

With his concentration slowing the world down around him, he was faster than anyone. Lunging forward through the pedestrians coming and going, Ikki ran to arrest the man's hand holding the blade. The distance to the man was less than five meters. The man hadn't yet pulled the knife out half-way, and the group of middle-schoolers in front of the man hadn't yet realized the danger.

I can make it…!

With Ikki's speed, there was plenty of time. Running, he could strike the man from the back and render the man unconscious. Before the knife-blade was fully pulled out, he could settle the matter. Though it might create a small ruckus, he could stop a tragedy from happening. It was all from what Ikki immediately sensed in the moment they passed each other by, but thankfully Ikki's quick-wittedness had caught it. Indeed, up to now it was all what Ikki considered the worst possible possibility.

But the next moment, something he hadn't foreseen occurred.

"Waa! Wait, wait! Don't do it!"

The high voice a girl who sounded at her wit's end resounded, and before Ikki could arrive at where the man was, that owner of that voice clung to the man's arm.

Eh…!?

It was timed just before the knife could be taken completely from the pocket.

If a normal person wasn't staring from the start at the pocket the man was vigilantly watching over, she wouldn't have the timing to interrupt that action with only common reflexes. Only someone who had the kind of physical ability that Ikki regularly honed could do it. That was why Ikki had not foreseen anyone having such timing. Someone attacking the man when his guard was down perfectly. And all the more untimely, it was a girl who was next to the man, who was now in the way of Ikki's attack.

He couldn't charge. Having no choice, Ikki immediately canceled his body's acceleration and came to a halt.

Meanwhile, the situation progressed. The girl, with a somewhat high voice, yelled at the man who had a look of shock at the abrupt interruption.

"You can't, mister! Even if your company laid you off or you're under tons of debt, to consider taking someone with you in suicide would be…!"

But her yell was heard by everyone in the vicinity—

"H-Hey! This guy has a knife!"