[Third Person POV]
It had been a few days since Hajime had returned home to Kyoto.
He'd spent the last few days resting and spending time with everyone.
He still trained, but only did basic exercises, rather than a full workout he'd normally do.
Tsubaki and Akeno trained even less than he did, but due to his assimilations and extra memories, Hajime was much more mature than they were, despite their ages being the same.
Kunou and Yasaka, while excited that he was back, still had their own things to do, so they only spent time with him and the girls later in the day.
Yasaka was obviously busy with all her work as the ruler of Kyoto.
Kunou, despite being even younger than him, had just as busy a schedule.
For most of the day, she was tutored by many of Yasaka's closest allies.
As the future ruler of Kyoto, she would receive the best training, and she learned everything necessary for that role.
History, politics, magic, and combat were obvious subjects.
She also received basic schooling classes, including Japanese, English, math, and various science classes.
Though the language classes were somewhat unnecessary due to all supernatural beings' innate 'language' ability, letting them understand and be understood by all languages, the classes were more for writing than anything.
Math would be helpful for the finance classes she'd have to take in a few years.
Science classes were the least necessary, as they had no real use for her future position, but she needed them so she wouldn't seem uneducated if they were ever brought up.
Plus, if she ended up turning into a science lover on the level of Ajuka or Azazel because of the classes, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
No faction would reject a capable scholar.
Kimiko and Blue had been enjoying their time in Kyoto, finally able to walk around.
Blue wasn't allowed to walk around before since she was a dinosaur, and news about a living dinosaur would easily draw the attention of any mad scientists.
Azazel likely kept an eye on them, possibly even seeing them enter Kyoto, but considering his more peaceful nature, he wouldn't care about them unless they attacked Grigori.
Kimiko frequently went out, and despite being a monkey, most people didn't care that much.
The supernatural side of Tokyo was quite familiar with familiars, so she was left alone since she never had anything valuable on her.
It was currently the weekend, and Yasaka had finished most of the work she needed to, so she decided to take a break.
Heading to Hajime's place, where Kunou was playing with Tsubaki, Akeno, and Kimiko, Yasaka offered to take them out for the day to get to know them and spend time with Kunou.
Though Kimiko was just a monkey, she was comparable to a yokai in the basest sense, though obviously she was not one.
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[Yasaka POV]
The girls were quick to agree to a girls' day out.
Even Kimiko was willing to join.
The first stop on the trip was a beauty salon.
Though they were a little young for it, and one of them was a monkey, I was sure they'd have a good time.
Casting some magic on myself and Kunou, we'd be familiar-looking, but not someone that somebody'd remember.
Many people wanted me dead, and would look for any weakness possible, so something like this was important.
The only people who could ever secretly enter my territory would never be strong enough to break through my mental magic.
There was also the need to protect the girls' identities.
With a girl from both the Himejima and Shinra clans, should somebody learn they were spending time with me, it would be a cause for concern.
Though Azazel might already know, given the Himejima girl's fallen heritage, he wouldn't act unless he was given a reason.
Still, better not to take any risks for now.
If he doesn't know, then it's better not to let him find out.
When I first heard Hajime talk about recruiting each of them after he left, I was both confused and impressed.
While both of them would likely never hold any positions in their clans, their potential was likely ultimate-class at the very least.
Finding both of them within a year was fortunate. Although I had some suspicions about how Hajime had done it, I wouldn't confront him about it.
His actions, at least from what he told me, hadn't been done too openly.
That said, when I learned about a young fighter in Sekigahara with lightning magic, I realized he probably either left things out or wasn't as subtle as he believed he was.
Considering his teammates, I was leaning towards the latter, but as long as he kept himself safe, I wasn't going to make a big deal of it.
When the girls and I arrived, we were quickly brought to our chairs.
I made a reservation occupying the whole salon several days before Hajime arrived, planning on enjoying some quality time with Kunou, but since Hajime brought these girls, it doesn't hurt to have more company.
Thanks to the magic I cast, we were able to openly talk about the supernatural without any of the stylists understanding anything.
"So, how have you girls been doing with Hajime? While I've spoken with him over the phone several times each month, I haven't had the opportunity to talk with either of you."
"Well," Akeno started somewhat shyly. "He's nice. He saved me from my mother's clan members. If not for him, I don't know what would have happened to me."
Tsubaki nodded at Akeno's statement.
"Though I didn't have anyone trying to kill me, he still gave me a place where I was welcome."
As the conversation dragged on, they discussed their fights and training, but throughout the entire time, I couldn't help but notice how they continually put Hajime on a pedestal.
All the minor signs of a crush, but it didn't seem like either girl realized it.
Not too surprising since they'd spent several months alone with him.
Before our talk ended, we were done and walking out of the salon.
The next stop was a restaurant where I had made lunch reservations.
I ordered a simple omelette, Kunou had some onigiri, Akeno had some Miso soup, and Tsubaki and Kimiko shared some grilled fish.
As we continued our conversation, I subtly probed the two clan girls about their feelings for Hajime to see if I had imagined it earlier.
Once we finished lunch, I planned to take us to the mall and shop for a bit.
I still remember when I tried to bring Hajime shopping with me and his mother a few years ago, and he pouted while sitting on the floor. Boys really don't like to shop.
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[Hajime POV]
After returning from training, I found a note on the kitchen table telling me that Yasaka had gone out with everyone for the day.
It was both relaxing and concerning.
I was glad that Yasaka and Kunou had been getting along with Tsubaki and Akeno, despite their heritage, but having all four of them spend the day together meant they'd likely talk. I was almost certainly a subject since I brought them together, and with Yasaka's mischievous personality, I had no idea what would happen.
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[Third Person POV]
Once the girls finished their lunch, they went to the mall to do some shopping.
They shopped for Kunou's clothes first, picking up several kimonos and anime t-shirts.
Akeno and Tsubaki were next, getting a few extra pairs of clothes and a dress for both of them.
Yasaka didn't get much, just two shirts, some pants, and a dress.
Kimiko, the last one they shopped for, got several bracelets and ribbons.
By the time they returned to Hajime's place, Kunou was tired and ready to go to bed.
When they opened the door, Hajime could be seen writing on some paper in the living room. Yasaka sensed some magical fluctuations coming from his actions, but ignored them for now, preferring to relax.
Putting her and Kunou's stuff down in the main hallway, Akeno and Tsubaki quickly went to their rooms to put their new clothes in their rooms.
"How was your day?" Hajime asked them.
"It was relaxing," Yasaka replied. "We went to the salon, got lunch, and went shopping. I also learned some interesting things about your time out of the city," she said with a mischievous smirk.
Though Hajime didn't know what they talked about, he could only hope that it wasn't that bad.
"So what are you doing with that paper?"
"It's a seal. I need to do some tests with them to see how well they work."
Yasaka nodded, "I understand. Back when I was training to make ofuda it took years before my teacher allowed me to learn more than the basics. If you need any help, just ask. I might be rusty, but I still remember enough."
"Thanks Aunt Yasaka."
"It's nothing Hajime. I'm just taking care of you like I promised your mother.
Anyway, if you still want that spar, I'll be available for it in two days."
"That's great, thanks!"
Turning his attention back to his seals, Hajime kept working. Yasaka, meanwhile, headed into the kitchen to make everyone dinner.
She hadn't cooked in a few weeks, so she looked forward to a home-cooked meal, even though it was her own.
Kunou went into the living room with Kimiko, with the two taking out some toys and playing.
Tsubaki and Akeno soon came down and joined everyone.
Akeno went to the kitchen to help Yasaka make dinner, while Tsubaki sat next to Hajime splitting her attention between watching Hajime make seals and watching Kimiko and Kunou playing.
After dinner, the evening quickly winded down with Kunou falling asleep on the couch, prompting Yasaka to head home.
Picking Kunou up and grabbing their bags with her tails, Yasaka turned to the girls and thanked them for such an enjoyable day before heading out.
Kimiko, who was also pretty tired, had already gone upstairs to sleep, leaving the others downstairs.
Tsubaki and Akeno were busy talking, while Hajime was cleaning the dishes.
Eventually, the girls got tired and went upstairs, leaving Hajime to work on some more seals before getting too tired to continue.
Heading upstairs, he immediately dropped onto his bed, too tired to either change or get under the covers.
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Author's Note:
I visited DC over the weekend. Got to see the Smithsonian Zoo, the International Spy Museum, and the White House. It was a pretty good time.
Thanks for reading; I'll see you next time!