(50 Power Stone Bonus)
Chapter 153: Records of Time (Long Chapter)
After finishing their ride on the Ferris wheel, they returned to Chishimaya. Hotaru had fallen asleep early while they were still suspended in the air. A small child's ability to endure a long day of sightseeing showed that she possessed quite a bit of perseverance.
Akishin carried Hotaru home.
Shizuka first tucked Hotaru into her own bed, removing her tiny shoes and pulling the covers over her, before finally heading downstairs.
Akishin was sitting in the activity room, brewing two cups of tea. He was organizing the photos on his camera, transferring them to the computer with plans to print them out after a while.
Beside Akishin's hand lay a photo album containing several pictures he had taken since arriving in this world.
Shizuka walked down, sat across from Akishin, and lifted a teacup to take a small sip. Her clean, fair face was filled with a sense of comfort.
Looking at the familiar decorations around her, it was truly true that home was the most comfortable place. Her eyes unconsciously narrowed into happy crescents.
The exhaustion of the entire day seemed to vanish completely at that moment.
She took another sip of tea, her gaze finally settling on Akishin's face in front of her. Neat and fresh short hair, a face that was slightly firm and angular, skin that wasn't pale white but a healthy Asian tone, two thick sword-like eyebrows, and long eyes with a slightly dangerous edge to them...
At first glance, he wasn't the dazzlingly flashy type, but the more you looked, the more handsome he became, as if he possessed some inexplicable magnetism that drew the eyes and made it impossible to look away.
A magical thought surfaced in her mind: if this man wore a Kendo uniform, he would be a Kensei with god-tier techniques; if he wore a general's uniform, he would be a general conquering cities and territories; if he wore a king's robes, he would be a king ruling with absolute authority...
It was said that a man is most handsome when he is being serious. Shizuka hadn't believed it before because she had never met one; none of the men she knew seemed superior to her.
But...
Now she believed it.
Japanese people loved to use the word aura (qi shi) to describe someone. To be precise, aura was the essence (jing), energy (qi), and spirit (shen)—generally referred to as self-confidence.
When meeting someone's gaze, a person lacking confidence would look away, while a confident person would stare back calmly.
Confidence came from one's inner strength (di qi), and that strength came from oneself and the disciplined words and deeds practiced every day.
When you have a nuclear bomb behind you that could be detonated at any time, you can speak as an equal to anyone; that is true confidence.
However, aura wasn't something superficial; it required long-term cultivation. Having mere confidence could only be called arrogance. True confidence had to be paired with self-awareness.
There was one word that could describe it: Will.
Will encompassed so much more. The most important thing for a strong soldier wasn't physical quality, but will!
A will that kept moving forward even in the face of death—that kind of soldier was the most terrifying...
An Akishin holding a bamboo sword could perform swings for an entire day without tiring, even without being asked. If replaced by some delinquent, they would probably start looking around in less than ten minutes; at most, they'd put the sword down within twenty.
This wasn't just a difference in physical quality, but a difference in will.
Therefore, the impression these two types of people gave was completely different.
At first glance, one would feel that Chishima Akishin was more reliable...
Shizuka found herself staring, lost in a trance.
It was only when Akishin felt her gaze that he snapped back from the thousands of photos. Seeing Shizuka staring at him blankly, he waved a hand in front of her eyes.
"Shizuka-chan, what's wrong? Why do you keep looking at me?"
Shizuka snapped out of it, her face reddening slightly as she used her tea to hide her embarrassment. "It's nothing, nothing at all. I just remembered a few things."
She felt incredibly embarrassed. Why was she acting like some obsessed woman! No, I, Hiratsuka Shizuka, am absolutely not like that. No, but... Chishima-kun really is very handsome!
"What things?"
Akishin asked subconsciously, smiling as he lowered his head back to filter the photos. He saw through the reason, but he wasn't about to expose Shizuka's secret; that would only make her awkward.
Gulp. Shizuka swallowed her tea, covering her small mouth as she said, "I was thinking about... the events of our first date."
In her panic, she had remembered the first time she went out with Akishin.
"Our first date?" Akishin was confused for a moment before the memory returned. Still, he asked uncertainty, "The time we first went to the Kendo Federation?"
That was the first time he had invited Shizuka out to have fun. It had started well, but the end result hadn't been ideal... well, maybe not 'not ideal,' it just felt like something was missing?
At that time, their relationship was probably just considered that of friends. When they had parted that last time, he still felt a bit of guilt in his heart, worried he had made Shizuka angry.
Looking back, that was already four months ago. Although they hadn't experienced anything extremely dramatic or profound, spending a long time together was the best choice for feelings to grow.
"That's right, that time. I remember it very clearly, especially that mochi. It was so sweet—even the ones Chishima-kun makes now can't compare to it. And then those crepes..."
Actually talking about that date brought the memories flooding back for Shizuka. The impression was deep; she even remembered exactly what she ate that day.
Because that was the beginning of her being willing to accept feelings again, and on that day, Akishin had left a very deep impression on her heart.
It was also since that day that she always felt her face heating up whenever she was in front of him.
"I remember you took a photo of me that day. You said you wanted to keep it. Is it still in there?"
Shizuka reached out to take the photo album beside Akishin. Upon opening the very first page, she froze. She looked up at Akishin, her finger brushing the surface of that first photograph.
The blue sky, white clouds, the Kendo Federation, a white dress, a sun hat, and...
Her smile.
Even Shizuka, looking at it herself, thought the photo was beautiful.
That day had been the first time in years she had dressed up seriously. She had spent so long getting ready, and back then, she didn't even know why she felt the need to look that pretty.
That was also the first time she had accompanied Akishin to the Kendo Federation. This photo was taken right after getting out of the car. Akishin had even exclaimed: 'This isn't taking a secret photo, it's taking one in broad daylight.'
Thinking about this, Shizuka couldn't help but let out a small giggle. It felt like so much time had passed, yet it felt like it only happened yesterday.
"Of course it's in there. I've always kept it, and then I found the time to print it." Akishin watched Shizuka's smile, which was like a blooming orchid—exceedingly beautiful and extraordinary. He found himself entranced as he watched her. He then said in a soft tone, "That was the first time Shizuka-chan dressed up so beautifully in front of me. I'll never forget it."
Shizuka heard those words and looked back at Akishin. She saw him looking at her with a gentle gaze. Even though she had never experienced it before, she could feel the emotion in his eyes; there were no hidden motives, just pure affection...
A happy smile appeared at the corners of Shizuka's mouth, and she countered in a quiet voice, "You're just boasting!"
After that, she didn't dare look at Akishin again and began flipping through the other photos.
There weren't many photos in the album, but every single one was of the highest quality. Starting from the first page, following it was a photo of them at the beach; a photo of their first date at the amusement park; there was even one from the Kendo Championship, where Akishin was holding the winner's trophy; a photo taken at Tokyo Tower...
A group photo of the four of them with Uncle and Aunt; then a field of flowers and a station; there were also two photos from the summer camp a while back... finally, there was a photo of Hachiman participating in the Gyokuryu-ki, a photo of all of them together—Hachiman holding the Gyokuryu-ki standing in the center, Mizukawa Masaru and three others each holding gold medals on either side, with Akishin and Shizuka standing behind Hachiman, surrounded by everyone else who went that day.
Shizuka looked at the photos one by one, the smile on her face becoming softer and happier.
There was still one most important photo missing from there: the 'Starry Sky' photo! But Shizuka knew exactly where that photo was. It was by Akishin's bedside—as a woman who had lived alone for a long time, Shizuka could do almost all the housework; washing clothes, mopping floors, wiping tables—naturally, she often went into Akishin's room.
Shizuka was actually a very meticulous person; if she weren't, she wouldn't be able to be a life counselor. She usually took care of many small things.
Ever since Shizuka moved into Chishimaya, Akishin hadn't had to wash his own clothes once. Sometimes, if he wasn't paying attention, Shizuka would even change his sheets and pillowcases...
Even though they were all small things, they often felt more tedious than big affairs. Because Shizuka did that housework, Akishin felt himself getting closer to the path of a husband supported by his wife.
Akishin watched Shizuka, whose smile was growing brighter. He licked his lips and lowered his head to continue organizing the photos—he couldn't look anymore. If it weren't daytime but night with a better atmosphere, and if it weren't for Hotaru being upstairs... there was a high chance he wouldn't be able to hold back from bringing out a gift and confessing his love.
Just wait a little longer. Only a few days left!
...
In the evening, Shizuka accompanied Hotaru back to her house first to grab a change of clothes, then the three of them gathered around the table to enjoy a lavish and luxurious meal.
There was fish—Squirrel Mandarin Fish; there was shrimp—expensive fried Sakura Shrimp; there was meat—beef stew with curry and potatoes; and there was fruit juice—freshly squeezed orange juice...
Hotaru ate with great joy, only stopping when her little stomach truly couldn't hold another bite.
After dinner, Shizuka took Hotaru to bathe. Akishin washed the dishes and chopsticks, then took a bamboo sword back to his room and sat cross-legged on the floor.
He placed the bamboo sword across his lap and entered a state of meditation.
An unknown amount of time passed before Shizuka's voice reached his ears.
"Chishima-kun, Chishima-kun, wake up. It's time for you to go take a shower..."
The fresh scent of bath soap drifted to his nose. Akishin opened his eyes and slowly exhaled. The figure of Shizuka wearing pink bear pajamas appeared before him.
She had just finished her bath; her wet hair was wrapped in a cotton towel, revealing an alluring neck that was slightly flushed from the heat. Her face was without makeup, looking less dazzling than during the day but much more pure. The collar button of her pajamas was undone, revealing a beautiful collarbone that was also a bit red...
Since Akishin was sitting cross-legged, Shizuka was leaning over to talk to him, which allowed for a brief glimpse of the white skin that shouldn't be looked at directly...
Akishin's mental state, which he had struggled to adjust to 'undisturbed,' almost shattered.
Shizuka was completely unaware that she was having a wardrobe malfunction. Seeing Akishin open his eyes, she asked in confusion, "It's this late and you still want to practice your swordsmanship?"
"No, just meditating for a bit so I can sleep soundly later. Of course, I don't suffer from insomnia; I just want to sleep more comfortably." Akishin gave a fairly reasonable excuse.
"Meditation can make you sleep better too?"
Shizuka had lived at Chishimaya long enough to know Akishin had a habit of meditating, but in her eyes, meditation was just relaxing the mind so that he would be more spirited and focused during sword practice.
Akishin nodded. "Of course it can." But this was just the most basic, minor function of [Sword Meditation].
"Then teach me tomorrow. I get insomnia often too, especially with my biological clock being a mess from staying up late so much."
Hearing that it could help with sleep, Shizuka became interested in meditation.
"Alright."
"It's a promise, then. I'm going back to sleep; Hotaru is still waiting for me."
"Um, let me help you dry your hair first." Akishin looked at Shizuka's wrapped hair. "Did you expect Hotaru to dry it for you?"
After saying that, Akishin signaled for Shizuka to sit on the edge of the bed.
Shizuka agreed happily, sitting on the bed with a sweet smile. She had come mainly to tell Akishin to shower, and secondly, she had wanted Akishin to help dry her hair but had momentarily forgotten.
However, because Akishin took the initiative to offer, she felt even happier; her heart felt as if it had eaten honey.
Akishin plugged in the hair dryer, took a small mirror and placed it in front of Shizuka, then unwrapped the towel from her head. Her beautiful long hair instantly cascaded down.
Even though it was wet, it couldn't hide the perfection of those black tresses.
Akishin turned on the hair dryer, skillfully taking a section of hair and drying it meticulously. In this process, it was as if he were performing a beautiful task, always accompanied by a faint smile.
Shizuka rested both hands on her thighs, looking around the simple room. A desk, a wardrobe, a bed, a nightstand, and two chairs—that was the entirety of the decoration in the room. There was no carpet on the floor. Compared to her room, which was like an 'oil painting,' this place was a monotonous 'ink painting.'
Shizuka had come to this room many times. She wanted to add some new furniture here, but everything here was old; adding new furniture always felt like it would be out of place.
However, after many visits, she had also grown used to it. Thinking that this was Chishima-kun's room actually made it feel interesting, and its meaning became different.
Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh~
The hair dryer hummed, merging with the quiet night. Time itself seemed to slow down; although sounds from the street could still be heard outside the window, they were very faint, giving a clearer definition to the word 'silence.'
Shizuka's gaze settled on the small mirror, seeing herself inside it, and also seeing Chishima-kun carefully drying her hair behind her. Her gaze shifted to the photo in the frame beside the small mirror; her eyes curved into crescents, fixed on that photo.
It was the 'Starry Sky' photo.
Under the star-filled sky, she and Chishima-kun stood hand-in-hand on the grass, looking at each other; a gentle breeze moved the grass, fireflies danced around them, and their fingers remained entwined.
"Chishima-kun," Shizuka said with a smile, "let's find a time to go see a meadow under a real night sky."
Akishin subconsciously glanced at the photo of the night sky and was stunned for a moment, then smiled back and said softly, "Alright."
...
Shizuka went back to her own room to accompany Hotaru to sleep.
Akishin finished his shower, turned off the electric lights, and sat cross-legged on the bed to continue his meditation.
An unknown amount of time passed. Feeling that the surrounding sounds had dropped to their lowest level, he opened his eyes in the darkness. The bamboo sword was placed aside, and a long sword appeared in his hand.
His right hand was placed on the hilt of the sword, slowly drawing it.
Clang!
A flash of strange purple light flickered.
Akishin stared at the blade, exhaled, and slowly let out his voice: "Patch, start!"
In the next second, Chishima Akishin vanished from his spot.
This time, he was going to cut down Yagyu Jubei!
...
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