To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

Bonus Chapter: Shinazugawa Brothers Special

Sanemi looked up at the sky, clicking his tongue at the stormy downpour that refused to let up. He raked his hand through his damp hair, muttering all the expletives he knew. Even if he were to force himself to hunt demons in this weather, he doubted he could see a thing from how heavy the storm was.

"Shinazugawa-sama, your meal has been prepared." The old lady from the Wisteria House bowed with a tray of food beside her. "If there's anything lacking, please tell me."

"No, it's fine." Sanemi bowed lightly, taking the food. "I'm just grateful for the shelter."

He ate the meal silently, the pounding sound of water hitting the roof being the only noise heard. The food was finished before he even knew it, yet the rain was still pouring. Finding nothing better to do, Sanemi decided to walk around.

Something, or someone, crashed into him just as he walked out of the door. He didn't stumble back, though the person who crashed into him did.

"Ah, Shinazugawa-san?" Inori held her forehead as she stumbled back. Her usually braided hair was unraveled, the silver-rainbow waves dripping water onto the floor. The Star Pillar herself was drenched from head to toe, obviously having walked around in the rain. "Nice day, right?"

"There's something wrong with your definition of a nice day," Sanemi retorted, earning a laugh from Inori. His face unceremoniously scrunched up. "Are you sick?"

"No, why would you say that?" Inori laughed again. She may be feeling a bit dizzy, but it was probably just her not getting enough sleep. "Anyways, I'm going to clean my swords now. I haven't wiped the blood off yet."

"Wipe the—did you go on a mission in this weather?" Sanemi couldn't believe his ears because even he wasn't that dumb. "It's been raining for hours."

"You sound shocked," Inori stated the obvious, still smiling. "It's fine. I love the rain, so a little rain won't stop me. Though the thunder is a bit annoying—huh? Shinazugawa-san?"

"Brat, you have a fucking fever. You're burning like fucking fire here." Sanemi pressed his palm against her forehead, hissing. "When was the last time you slept? How long have you been out in the rain?"

"Well, I haven't slept since a few days ago...uh, I think three days ago?" Inori placed a finger on her chin. "Lower Moon Three has been chasing me for quite some time now, so I had to hunt him down first. Well, he wasn't that much of a problem, but his blood demon art is annoying for hide-and-seek. Anyways, I should really clean my blades before they rust."

"Tch. Brat." Sanemi grabbed her arm before Inori could scamper away, dragging her into his room. "Fucking idiot. Dumbass. What are you, a stupid dumb brat? How you are still alive right now is beyond me."

"Huh? Wait-Shinazugawa-san, I—hey!" Inori winced when Sanemi threw a towel over her head, ruffling her dripping hair dry with surprising gentleness. "Shinazugawa-san, mind the tangles! It's going to get tangled!"

"Shut up!" Sanemi continued to dry her hair, ruffling her hair with the towel until it was no longer dripping. He draped the wet towel over his shoulder, grinning in withheld cackles at the sight of her tangled and puffy hair. "You look like a fucking lion."

Inori raked her fingers through her hair. She swept all her damp hair to one side, now looking like a lion who had just slept on one side of its mane. Taking all her hair in one hand, Inori pouted. "This is going to be a pain to detangle. Do something about it, Shinazugawa-san."

Sanemi ended up borrowing a hairbrush from the owner of the house. He had Inori change out of her dripping clothes first before he began detangling her hair, forcing her to eat the newly prepared meal while he was doing that. While the Wind Pillar wasn't particularly experienced in hairstyling, it wasn't the first time he had brushed a girl's hair. His little sisters used to ask him to braid their hair whenever he was free.