Chapter 322: Momoka’s and Chihiro’s deals
Momoka was staring at Kouhei with eyes sharp enough to cut glass, suspicion practically dripping from her gaze.
Kouhei honestly wouldn’t have guessed she’d co at him like this—but thinking about it, it really did make sense. With everything that had happened, it was natural for her to be on guard.
“Considering you’ve beco the leader of a faction—and not just any faction, but a big one at that—it’d be strange if I wasn’t wary,” Momoka said, her voice calm yet edged like ice. “Especially since you’ve got a forr mber of our clan among your ranks. It’d only be natural for to worry you’d try to swallow us up into your faction by doing sothing stupid… like challenging and sticking my older sister in charge instead. That’s why I’m here—to look you straight in the eye and ask if you really plan to pull sothing that reckless.”
Her words fell heavy in the air, hanging between them like frost. Kouhei t her gaze, seeing nothing but caution and resolve staring back at him.
Right now, if he truly wanted, he could push Momoka right out of the Yuki Clan and prop Misuzu up as the new head. But that wasn’t sothing that would just happen on its own—it’d an open conflict, a bloody faction war that’d stain everything around them.
Momoka knew it too. She knew if it really ca down to a clash, the Yuki Clan wouldn’t stand a chance against the Kouhei Faction. And she understood full well that she wouldn’t be able to beat Kouhei herself. After all, she’d already lost to him once before and no one would bat an eye if she lost to him again.
But Momoka wasn’t the type to bow her head and accept defeat.
She’d fight and she’d freeze anyone in her way without hesitation. And if it truly ca to it, she wouldn’t even spare Misuzu, her own flesh and blood.
“I’m sorry, Momoka-san, but I don’t think that’s sothing you need to worry about,” Kouhei said, his voice steady, trying to ease the tension. “I’ve got no interest in starting a fight with you, and I definitely don’t want to end up on your bad side. You can rest easy. I’m not planning anything that stupid. If anything, I’d rather build sothing better between us.”
“Oh?” Momoka tilted her head, a faint flush coloring her cheeks despite her sharp tone. “Trying to chase after too, even though you’ve already got my sister? You really are a greedy and sly bastard, Child of Anti-Prophecy.” A playful smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, teasing yet edged with sothing warr.
“That’s… not what I ant,” Kouhei sighed, feeling the heat rise faintly on his own face. “I ant… I’d rather have a good relationship where, if your faction ever needed help, we’d be there for you.”
“I appreciate that. I truly do,” Momoka replied, her voice softening just slightly. “But promise you won’t do anything reckless.”
“I won’t. And besides, I really don’t think Misuzu-san even wants to lead the Yuki Clan anyway.”
“Fufufu~” Momoka chuckled lightly, the sound like frost cracking under the morning sun. “I think that’s an accurate read of her.”
They spoke a little longer, words mixing between careful diplomacy and faint teasing until finally, Momoka stood up, her expression settling back into sothing composed.
“Well then, Child of Anti-Prophecy, it’s ti for to take my leave,” she said, turning slightly toward the door. “I’ll be counting on you to keep that promise. And… maybe… if it ever becos unbearably cold for —even colder than Antarctica—then I might just co calling for your warmth.”
It was the kind of line that lingered in the air, strange yet oddly fitting coming from her. Kouhei didn’t dwell on it too long, though and he just watched as she quietly walked away, the room falling still in her wake.
The next to appear was Chihiro.
It honestly threw Kouhei off. He hadn’t seen her even once during the war. Unlike Momoka, who’d at least shown up late in the conflict, Chihiro had been completely absent.
Not that he could bla her. Deep down, he understood.
Earlier, he’d asked Hina why Chihiro had co at all now, of all tis. Hina explained that Chihiro had arrived only after the fighting had ended. While she hadn’t been able to take part in the battle itself, she and her faction had worked to help the wounded, offering what aid they could when it mattered most.
Now, Chihiro stood right in front of him with her expression calm and unreadable—and Kouhei had no clue what she was about to say.
“I want to join your faction,” she said suddenly, her words falling into the air like a stone dropped into water.
Kouhei felt his breath catch in his chest, his thoughts tripping over themselves.
She’d thrown it out there so bluntly, it felt like it shattered the room’s quiet, leaving nothing but her words echoing between them.
“What…?”
His mind struggled to process what she ant. Why would she say sothing like that? It didn’t add up, not at first glance.
“I said I want to join your faction. Specifically, my whole faction wants to be integrated with yours,” Chihiro repeated, her voice calm and matter-of-fact, like she wanted to make sure he truly heard it.
“Uhh… I’m not technically the leader yet,” Kouhei replied, his voice caught between awkward honesty and confusion. “So if you really want to ask, you’d need to talk to Yuuna-san instead.”
“You’re going to be the leader eventually, so it’s natural to tell you first,” Chihiro said without missing a beat. “But if you’re against it, I’m willing to back down. I’m not here to force anything.”
Kouhei still felt that knot of confusion tightening in his chest. He couldn’t quite see why she’d push for sothing like this.
The Mitani Faction—now known as the Chihiro Faction, after Chihiro’s brother allegedly bailed with a fortune stolen right out from under her—wasn’t the strongest faction around, but they sure as hell weren’t pushovers either.
So why ask to rge with the Kouhei Faction now?
“You probably know this already,” Chihiro began again, voice steady though Kouhei could hear the faint undercurrent of bitterness. “But the Chihiro Faction doesn’t have the financial power to recover—not after my brother stole the last assets I had.” She paused, her gaze unwavering. “Because of that, there’s no way for us to bounce back from the damage the Yuuna Faction—well, what used to be your faction—did to us. I get why it had to happen. I know what I’d planned back then made it inevitable. But… even if I accept that I deserved it, I don’t think the rest of my faction mbers deserve to keep suffering for my mistakes. That’s why I want you to assimilate my faction into yours. I’m fine if that ans I’m not included personally.”
So basically, she was stepping up, owning her mistakes and refusing to let her faction mbers bear the weight of what she’d done wrong.
It was exactly the kind of thing a real leader would do when everything had fallen apart around them. And thinking about it now, it felt only natural that she’d choose to do sothing like that—even if it must’ve been hard as hell to swallow her pride and co to him like this.
“I’m sorry, but for now… I don’t really know what to do,” Kouhei finally spoke, his words carrying a mix of hesitation and sincerity. His throat felt a bit tight as he continued. “So… can you give more ti to think about it?”
“That is much more appreciable than being rejected outright,” Chihiro answered, her voice calm, though there was a faint tremor of relief hiding beneath it. “Well then… that’s all I wanted to say.” Her tone softened as she lowered her head. “Thank you for giving ti, Kouhei-sama.”
Seeing her bow like that caught Kouhei completely off guard.
For a heartbeat, his chest tightened with sothing close to embarrassnt—soone like her, elegant and mature, bowing so respectfully to him. It felt strangely heavy, yet strangely humbling at the sa ti.
But deep down, he also knew that this wouldn’t be the last ti. From here on, maybe this kind of thing would happen more often—after all, he was already known all across hell as the Child of Anti-Prophecy. That title carried weight… even if Kouhei still felt like the sa person inside.
After that mont, Chihiro quietly turned and left the room.
A brief silence settled over the space she’d left behind.
Then ca more etings. One after another, with faces and voices blending into each other until Kouhei’s mind felt like it was wrapped in fog. The weight of responsibility pressed down on him, dull and relentless, until every word started to feel heavier than the last.
By the ti the last eting ended, Kouhei felt completely drained. The fatigue didn’t just settle in his muscles—it reached all the way down into his bones, leaving him aching and almost numb.
Finally, he pushed open the door and stepped out of the eting room.
And there she was.
Yuuna, waiting patiently just outside, her figure frad by the soft light spilling through the hallway. Her presence felt like a quiet promise that the exhaustion, the endless talks, and the weight he carried weren’t his alone to bear.
“Good work,” she said gently, her voice warm and comforting in a way that cut right through his fatigue.
Her smile was soft, but it reached her eyes… eyes that had once felt impossibly distant to him, like sothing he could only admire from afar.
It struck him again, standing there, just how surreal this all felt.
Not long ago, he never even dared to imagine he’d be this close to her, let alone have her waiting for him like this.
Yet sohow, against every impossible odd, the world—and maybe fate itself—had twisted reality in his favor.
And now, here she was, standing right in front of him.
Kouhei couldn’t help but feel a deep, quiet gratitude blooming in his chest—a gratitude so strong it almost hurt.
Because despite everything, the woman he loved… had truly co back into his arms again.
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