Chapter 4: Tormented Angel
“I don’t want to go,” Satsuki declared.
Nearly all of the staff gathered to see her off were dumbstruck by the proclamation. Standing at the front to wish Satsuki a pleasant day at school, Tsubaki’s beautiful almond eyes widened in uncharacteristic surprise.
Satsuki made it all the way to the entrance hall in preparation to leave for school. The moment Shindo extended his hand out to her after pulling up the car, she made that startling declaration.
What could she mean by that? Everything about this entire situation, from rejecting Shindo’s proffered hand to refusing to go, was a first for her.
Noticing a dark shadow replacing Satsuki’s usually sunny smile, the staff wondered fretfully whether she was unwell. Two people knew where the true cause laid: Tsubaki and Shindo.
“I don’t want to go if Shindo drives me,” she elaborated, further surprising everyone, even Tsubaki, who had a rough idea of why her daughter was acting so unusual.
The only person not surprised was Shindo. He didn’t blame Satsuki for turning her head away and refusing to accept his extended hand. Withdrawing his hand, he called Shotaro from the throng of attendants who came to see Satsuki off.
“Mizuno, please drive us,” Shindo ordered.
“...Certainly,” Shotaro replied somewhat hesitantly. He stepped forward and extended his right hand to Satsuki before asking, “Would it be acceptable if I drove?”
Not deigning to answer him, Satsuki silently placed her right hand on his.
The moment Satsuki entrusted her hand to Shotaro, Shindo’s chest grew so tight, he thought it would explode. Always the one to take her hand, his right hand trembled in frustration. Satsuki just rejected him and allowed another man to escort her. He never realized how the loss of such an everyday occurrence would rattle his heart.
Shindo realized Satsuki was angry with him since they returned from the park the previous night. There were only about 220 yards between the park and the back gate that surrounded the Tsujikawa property. They maintained a fair distance apart as they spanned that stretch and cut across the backyard.
To be precise, Satsuki walked ahead with Shindo trailing directly behind her. He never once tried to stand at her side. At one point on the way back, Satsuki turned to look at him with sadness etched into her features. Even so, Shindo refused to move next to her.
The strong belief in their hearts that “we must not touch” combined with the need to set far stricter boundaries than before created a deep emotional gap between them.
Satsuki wanted Shindo to acknowledge their feelings, even if he had to live in fear of “corrupting” her. She didn’t care if he—if they—fell into sin... Satsuki wanted Shindo to promise he would always be with her, but he refused.
Satsuki yearned to stay with Shindo, but he continued to remain true to his position as retainer...rejecting her feelings and advances. That left her devoid of anything but sorrow.
She began avoiding Shindo when he went to her room that day to bid her good morning—actually, she began the previous night. She had never avoided him like this before, not even once.
Now another man was touching Satsuki’s hand. The sight of another taking his place caused Shindo to frown, but he schooled his features so none would notice his inner turmoil. Turning to Tsubaki, who was seeing off her daughter, he offered her a slight bow and said, “If you will excuse me, I will accompany the Miss to school.”
Shindo was not the only one whose heart ached at the sight of Shotaro leading Satsuki by the hand. It tore at one of the maids seeing the Miss off. Still youthful, she came across as a cute young lady. But at the moment, she was also struck with sadness. Noe was the same woman who slipped into the bushes near the fountain with Shotaro the previous night.
What’s going on...? Are they bickering like an old married couple? I can’t believe it! Why does he have to lead her by the hand just because they got into a fight?! Thoughts clearly filled with jealousy lashed out a Satsuki.
“Eiyaa!” Noe’s scream filled the entrance hall.
Eyes flinging to the source of the sudden scream, a senior maid cried out in surprise, “Wh-What happened?!”
Noe held her right cheek in shock. Blood was streaming from a straight gash that ran across her cheek. It looked as if she had been slashed with a knife!
“Let’s go, Mizuno.” Satsuki didn’t even allow Shotaro time to check on his injured lover, urging the thunderstruck man along. If Satsuki told him it was time to go, he had no choice but to go. He couldn’t possibly drop her hand without permission and run to the side of his beloved.
“...Of course...” he replied. Filled with regret at not checking on his beloved Noe first, Shotaro reluctantly escorted Satsuki out the door.
Meanwhile, the maids were thrown in an uproar.
“Did something fly at you?”
“Worry about that later! We need to patch her up first!”
“Are you okay? What happened?!”
No one knew how Noe got injured. They couldn’t possibly know. Yet amidst the commotion, there was one who knew all too well how the injury came to be. He knew who drew the maid’s blood. The answers were painfully clear to him.
“...Miss,” he whispered.
After observing the maids clamor about for a minute, he followed Satsuki out the door. Shindo had no doubt the injury was Satsuki’s handiwork. He couldn’t imagine her directly injuring someone aside from when her powers lashed out subconsciously. Satsuki’s heart was on the verge of breaking. Shindo could feel it in his bones.