#ch: kaoru hakaze

[kaizokucujoh]

kaoru hakaze icons • like/reblog if you save or use

[herri-writes]

i hope my brain could just... let me continue my ch 2 izumi fic because... i am brainrotting bc of kaoru mf hakaze.

[mikarashis]

Blood Banquet - Epilogue

Invitation ★ Black Blood Banquet - Epilogue

Season: Autumn

Location: Banquet Hall

Rei: everyone, good work tonight.  My acquaintances here wanted to thank you all for the performance.  

Koga: more than that, vampire bastard: why is the same meal that the dinner guests got still laid out on the table now?

Rei: it’s in preparation for the after-party.  My acquaintances wanted to reward everyone who had a hand in the live going forward.

Koga: eh, is this another display of ‘hospitality?’

Rei: hmm, indeed.  If all we need to do is relax and enjoy the food, there’s no reason to refuse, so feel free to indulge a little ♪

Koga: yep.  That’s right, the live was a great success...

........

Adonis: what is it, Oogami?

Koga: that person...I wonder if that’s why this is happening now.

Adonis: ‘that person?’

Koga: ...I’m talking about Anzu.  The day before everyone left on the school trip, she said something like, ‘be sure to consult with me if there are any issues.’  

Was she really that worried about us even though she wasn’t gonna be here?

Kaoru: in that case, why don’t we just give her a call?

Koga: yeah~ ...looking at the time, they’ve gotta be back at the hotel or whatever by now.  It’d be annoyin’ if it got too late, but then again, it might seem that way regardless since it’s kinda unplanned...well, I guess we should call.

....hello, Anzu?  Is this a bad time?  Yeah, the live’s over, I just wanted t’ report that to ya.

Kaoru: hey, why’re you the only one that gets to talk to her~

Rei: yes, don’t monopolize the phone ♪

Koga: shaddup!  Ch, it’s not like I can help it.  Anzu, switch to video, would ya?

Kaoru: hey there, Anzu-chan~ ♪  Ah, you’re wearing a yukata~.  It suits you ♪

Are you at the hot springs?  The little blush on your cheeks is totally sexy~

Koga: you...don’t’cha even get embarrassed when shit like that comes outta your mouth...

Kaoru: if a girl looks cute, it’s only good manners to tell them ♪

Rei: a video phone call...smartphone technology keeps evolving. Can you talk this way even with your face close to the screen?

Adonis: judging by how Hakaze-senpai is doing it, it’s alright to be a bit farther away as long as you can see each other.  I’ve never made a phone call like this before, so it’s a bit nerve-wracking. 

Rei: Jou-chan~ ♪.  Here, here; it’s me~ ♪

Adonis: I’m glad to see you well, Anzu.  Are the rest of our classmates enjoying the trip?

Sora: Haha~?  Is that Anzu’s voice~?

Ah, Anzu is reflected in the smartphone screen!  What kind of magic is this?

Koga: ‘s just a video call.  D’ya wanna talk, Haru?

Sora: is that okay?  Wow, thank you!  

Um...Anzu, how are you?  Huh, you want to know how Sora is?  Sora is great~ ♪

The live went super well!  And now we get to have an after-party~.  All the dishes look delicious ♪

Natsume: Good Night ♪

Sora: ah, Shisho~!  Senpai!  Sora is talking to Anzu right now!

Natsume: yes, would you also allow me to say hello?

Koneko-chan, are you enjoying the trip?  

Yes, I’m having quite a bit of fun doing this as well.

Tsumugi: fufu, you’re asking what kind of souvenir you should get for us?  Well, if you’re in Kyoto, isn’t it natural to get Yatsuhashi?

Natsume: can you not interrupt me while I’m talking, Senpai?

...hmm?  You want to talk to Shu-nii-san?

Shu-nii-san~?  Can you come and talk to Koneko-chan for a moment?

Shu: I have no reason to speak with her.

Sora: but Shu-nii~san, doesn’t your ‘colour’ say otherwise~?  Come here, come here ♪

Shu: ah, this...there’s no need to pull on my hand in such a way!  Don’t force me, you...

Little girl, what is it?  ...Kagehira?  What about him?

You’re saying that he was very happy after the phone call yesterday?  And he kept his promise to only buy two items?

...hmm, that is indeed a good result.  But, if that’s the only business you have with me, then please excuse me.

Tsumugi: I just wanted to chat with Anzu-chan a bit.  Is that too much to ask?

Natsume: well, I think it was better for Shu-nii-san to talk to her.

Sora: Hihi~ ♪  Shu-nii~san, your ‘colour’ is happier now~

Anzu is happy too?  Ehehe, then Sora is also happy~

Tsumugi: Natsume-kun, I suppose we shouldn’t take up all of Anzu-chan’s time...let’s pass the phone along.

Natsume: just this time, I’m going to listen to Senpai’s words.

Koga: ah, are ya sure?  ...hmm?  What’s up, Anzu?  The school trip?

Yeah, we couldn’t go on the school trip.  But I enjoyed this just as much, so I’m not really regretting it~

...Jeez, I’m not dodging the question~.  I toldja exactly what happened today.

Though hearin’ ya talk about the trip, ‘s kinda exciting.  It’s okay if ya wanna stay up late tonight~.  That’s the best part about school trips, after all...☆

Notes: 

and with that, we’ve come to the end of the story!  Thank you all for reading!

[kaizokucujoh]

kaoru hakaze icons • like/reblog if you save or use

[leaderoffestivals]

Myriad of Colours and Flowers: Ch 6

Kanata: All because he was trying to protect me. No. Because he has always—always—been protecting me.

Season: Autumn Author: Akira Character: Kanata, Souma EN Proofing: @ryuseipuka, blake

Kanata: Hmmm… … The ‘box’ was packed with ‘flower petals’? That would have made it resemble a ‘coffin’, wouldn’t it~?

*Gasp* In other words, the ‘culprit’ who took the ‘sword’ must be... Rei? If ‘coffins’ are involved, it must be Rei, right? 

Souma: No, it is unlikely for Sakuma-dono to be the offender. It stands to reason since it is a remarkably rare occurrence for an alumni to appear in Yumenosaki.

For some reason, the ones I do see on a regular basis are those whom I am familiar with. My Akatsuki seniors, for example, who poke their heads in to view the rehearsals on the school stage in passing, and Hakaze-dono when he returns to tend to the aquariums—

Kanata: —Ohh~ Is Kaoru still carrying out his duties responsibly~? Fufu, how admirable of him ♪

Souma: —I would appreciate it if Shinkai-dono would deign to make an appearance in the club room every once in a while too.

When Hakaze-dono and I are the only ones in the room, our conversations consist mostly of “How are things going?” and “Nothing much.” It is an odd arrangement for such an excess of time to be prodigally wasted on such banal exchanges—

—But in any case, Sakuma-dono attracts an excessive amount of attention wherever he goes, whether he wishes for it or not. If he had appeared on the school grounds, that would have been sufficient to warrant his name being on everyone’s lips—

—and I have not gotten wind of any news like that at all. Thus, it is improbable for that personage to be the culprit…  

—Wait. Could it be that someone is attempting to frame Sakuma-dono as a suspect, as if this were the plot of some mystery novel? 

Kanata: No, no; it would be impossible for such a ‘roundabout’ method to work, right?

It is a ‘bad habit’ of yours, Souma, to take every single thing I say ‘so seriously’, you know~?

Souma: Umu. That is why I am of the opinion that Sakuma-dono is not the culprit. 

In point of fact, the flower petals found at the scene of this incident were present at the scenes where all the other unnatural phenomena occurred as well. 

Kanata: Hmm, hmm. In other words, that would mean all of these ‘unnatural phenomena’ were committed by the ‘same culprit’, wouldn’t it… …?

Souma: That is what I believe. That all these—the theft of my sword as well as the incidents aimed at causing others to bear witness to ghostly phenomena—were orchestrated by the same person with some purpose in mind. 

Kanata: Why would someone do something like that…?

Souma: Their intentions remain unclear... However, the scent of the flower petals left at the scene was familiar to me. I have searched my memories, trying to recollect why that was so—

—and I have managed to recall it was the same scent I came across in Shinkai-dono’s parental home, back from when I visited as a child. 

Kanata: How is it possible you can recall a ‘scent’ you experienced as a small child, Souma? You are just like a ‘puppy’, you know? Woofy woof ♪

Souma: Fufu. I am actually well-versed in the art of incense appreciation (1) and have always been quick to pick up such skills. 

Kanata: Is that so~? It seems like you have been watching and learning from Kaoru too, hmm?

Souma: Not so. Hakaze-dono may claim to be a master in the art of differentiating scents—however, the precision with which he identifies them leaves a lot to be desired. I mean, he started conversing with me in a flirtatious manner because he mistook me for a girl— (2)

—Anyway. I can vouch with certainty the scent is identical to the one I detected in Shinkai-dono’s parental home. 

To be very precise, the scent is identical to that of the flowers blooming in the former dumping ground in the area of… … that facility, which was in close proximity to Shinkai-dono’s parental home.

In other words, this current anomaly—that is—there is a possibility that Shinkai-dono’s family might be involved in this somehow. I—came seeking you out after considering that... 

Kanata: Ohh. It is ‘fine’ to talk about those ‘circumstances’ without having to censor yourself, you know. 

After all, Anzu-san has already been made aware of my ‘circumstances’ to a certain degree as well. … … Right?

Souma: Hmm… … You are not privy to the specific details, but you are aware of what happened in general—you say, Anzu-dono?

Kanata: Yes. I thought it would be way too ‘stand-offish’ to keep it all a ‘secret’ forever, so I ‘explained’ everything in a brief summary—

—“My ‘parents’ were high-ranking officials in charge of a particular ‘religion’, and I was raised as a ‘Living God’ there”—like that. 

Souma: Hmmm. Well, it is not always the case that ignorance will guarantee one a life of bliss, and we know that Anzu-dono will neither abuse nor publicise the information which has been shared in confidence.

Kanata: I did ‘hesitate’ over the decision to be open with you or not, because letting you ‘know’ about my past might really get you involved in ‘dangerous situations’—

—But I thought that since my family’s ‘religion’ has already been ‘disbanded’, there would not be any ‘danger’ in that case.

Souma: I wonder if that is so… … The truth of the matter is, I have heard of some dark news from my parents—

—about how some of the cult leaders from that supposedly disbanded organisation have been making suspicious movements. 

Kanata: Eh? What are you talking about? I have not heard of anything like that at all… …?

Souma: These are only unsubstantiated rumours as of now. Apparently, they seem to be centred around Mikejima-dono’s father—

—that was what the information that my father received seemed to entail. However, these are only vague stories, as I have said.

Kanata: Mikejima’s father… …?

Souma: Yes. It has long been the Mikejima family’s sworn duty to protect the Gods of our religion from all threats, internal and external.

If a faction of those who used to be top executives were to attempt to rise up from the ashes after all this time, I expect the Mikejima household would promptly move to deal with those upstarts in an appropriate manner. 

Kanata: I wonder about that… … Mikejima’s ‘parents’ and my household had a ‘terrible falling out and an angry parting of ways’, or close to it, in the end. 

It was all ‘Mikejima’s’ doing, however. He betrayed his parents, in a way that was ‘just like’ stabbing them in the back—

—All because he was trying to protect me. No. Because he has always—always—been protecting me—

—and because that ‘love’ and ‘trust’ was betrayed, our households put an end to what ‘we’ were.

‘Mikejima’s’ parents’ might still be infuriated about everything that has happened. At the very least, they might not have ‘come to terms’ with everything yet. 

That is why, for the sake of letting the ‘religion’ be ‘revived’ once more—

—for the sake of resurrecting the ‘things they were supposed to protect’, they may be working together with the ‘top executives’ and causing all these ‘suspicious’ things to happen…

Now that I have said it out loud, however… Isn’t this starting to sound a little too much like a ‘conspiracy theory’?

—————-To be continued——————-

Chapter  5 | Chapter 7

Translator’s Notes:              

‘Art of incense’ or 香道, kodo, also known as “The Way Of Fragrance.” It is the subtle art of Japanese incense appreciation. Kodo is one of “the three Japanese classical arts of refinement,” in Zen Buddhist culture, alongside with 茶道 chado (The Way Of Tea) and 華道 kado (The Way Of Flowers/flower arrangement). The three altogether are a part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, which revolves around matcha appreciation. 

Souma is referencing his first meeting with Kaoru in (!) event “Crossroads”.