After fiddling with the bass for a while longer, Tanaka finally began putting the equipment away with Hana's help. Cables were coiled, stands folded, the room slowly returning to its quiet, lived-in stillness.
That was when he noticed her.
Mio sat slumped in a chair nearby, her small body leaning awkwardly to one side, eyes half-lidded and unfocused. She swayed slightly, fighting a losing battle against sleep.
Tanaka let out a quiet sigh."Hah… Mio, what are you doing?" he said gently. "You're going to hurt your neck like that."
"Oni-Chan…" she mumbled, forcing her eyes open. "I'm still avake…"
Before she could say more, Tanaka lifted her into his arms. Instantly, her tiny hands wrapped around his neck, fingers clutching his collar by pure instinct.
"No, you're not," he said softly, adjusting his hold. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."
Mio let out a faint, sleepy hum, already relaxing against him.
Hana watched the scene with a small smile before speaking up."It's gotten pretty late," she said. "I should head home too."
Mio stirred at that, barely conscious yet stubborn as ever."Naaah, One-Chan…" she protested weakly. "Let's have a sweep ober…"
Tanaka shook his head with a chuckle."Come on. Stop talking nonsense."
He glanced at Hana."I'll take her to her room, then I'll walk you back."
Before Hana could reply, Benson stepped forward.
"Young master," he said calmly, "I'll take Hana-San home instead."
Tanaka hesitated. It felt like his responsibility to do so. "But I think I should..."
"It's getting dark," Benson interrupted gently, "and it wouldn't be right to have the young miss walk home at this hour."
Tanaka looked to Hana. She met his gaze for a moment, then nodded, signaling she was fine with it.
Benson had already spoken with her parents before, and Hana was comfortable enough around him. Besides, someone needed to stay behind with Mio. Leaving her alone wasn't an option.
"…Alright then," Tanaka said at last. "Thank you, Benson."
Hana waved as she headed toward the door."I'll text you tomorrow."
Tanaka, Mio nestled against his shoulder, simply nodded."Yes. Farewell."
Mio shifted slightly in his arms, already fast asleep.
___
____
_____
The car glided smoothly through the quiet streets, streetlights passing in slow, rhythmic intervals.
Benson broke the silence first.
"I wanted to thank you," he said, eyes still on the road, "for indulging the young miss's requests today."
Hana shook her head lightly."No, it's quite all right," she replied. "We managed to sort out a plan for the school festival anyway. And besides…" She smiled softly. "Mio-chan is really adorable."
Though her visit had been sudden, she'd enjoyed herself far more than she expected. More than that, she'd seen a side of Tanaka she hadn't known existed. It quietly dismantled the rigid image she'd built of him in her mind.
"I also wanted to thank you," Benson continued, his voice lower now, "for being friends with the young master."
At that, Hana glanced toward him. Benson's expression had changed but still composed, but carrying something heavier beneath it. She stayed silent, sensing there was more.
"His parents aren't around very often," Benson said after a pause. "And when they are, their attention is usually on the young miss." He sighed quietly. "I worry about him more than I let on."
The car slowed slightly as they approached a familiar street.
"When I heard he'd joined a club," Benson went on, "I felt relieved. Truly. So… if it isn't too much trouble, I hope you'll continue to be his friend."
He gave a small, self-conscious chuckle."Sorry. This old man tends to ramble."
The car came to a gentle stop.
Hana blinked, realizing they had already arrived at her house. She'd been so lost in thought she hadn't noticed… thank you," she said, opening the door.
As she stepped out, Benson leaned slightly out the window. A warm, reassuring smile crossed his face.
"Good night, Miss Ito."
Hana bowed lightly before closing the door, her heart strangely heavier and warmer, than when she'd entered the car.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The memory dissolved.
Back in the present, the muted scent of incense filled the air.
Inside the church, a young nun moved about the room, tidying with gentle, practiced motions. Her long twin tails of blue hair swayed softly, brushing just above the floor as she worked.
"Well, this will be your room, James," Melty said with a warm smile. "I'm really happy you decided to join us."
There was a brief pause, however noticeable.
"But… is there a reason?" she added, her tone careful. It wasn't an accusation. Just honest curiosity. Still, she was surprised when her Red haired Junior, Sonia brought him along.
Tanaka lowered his gaze, fingers tightening around his notebook. After a moment, he scribbled a short line, then held it up.
"I had a change of heart."
Melty studied the words, then smiled again, accepting them without pressing further.
___
____
_____
Space fractured.
Light flooded his vision, sharp and blinding, forcing Tanaka to squeeze his eyes shut. When the sensation faded and he opened them again, the Castle of Solitude was gone.
He stood in a deserted alley, damp stone walls closing in from both sides.
"So," a familiar voice said sharply, "why did you call me?"
"Huh?"
"You dragged me out here for a reason, didn't you?" Nora snapped. "For god's sake, you've been acting insane since this morning."
"Ah…"
The checkpoint had shifted, slightly, but unmistakably.
"Oi! Don't ignore me!"
She stomped on his foot.
"Ouch!"
"Aren't you getting way too comfortable with me?" she growled.
"Right back at you," Tanaka shot back.
He had caught her red-handed once, trying to kill him.
Despite that, watching her scowl like this made something twist painfully in his chest. Guilt gnawed at him, slow and relentless.
The fact that he was under the influence of a curse was irrelevant to him, the fact that everything was rewritten didn't matter.
He had killed her.
'Save the self-loathing for later' he told himself sharply. 'Focus. Fix the problem in front of you.'
Tanaka drew in a slow breath and spoke, steadying his voice."Is there someone in Banan who's strong? Good in a fight."
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Someone placed a curse on me," he said. "I managed to get it off, for now. I'm trying to flush out the shaman who cast it."
"Huh?" She frowned. "Another curse? You're joking. What kind?"
"I don't know all the details," Tanaka replied. "It's called the Phantom Curse. That's why I lost it this morning."
"I've never heard of it," Nora said flatly. "How do I know you're not making this up?"
"Why would I?" He hesitated, then added, "I suspect the caster is someone from the church."
"The church!?" Her voice rose.
"That's why I'm pretending to join them," Tanaka said. "I'll draw the shaman out."
"Huh!? Wait, hold on!" Nora snapped. "You decided all of this by yourself!?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Because you weren't going to come up with a better plan."
Her jaw tightened. Annoyed, she let out a sharp breath."If something goes down," she said, "I'll be there."
"No," Tanaka replied immediately. "You're weak."
That did it.
"Huh!? What the hell did you just say!?"
"Did you forget?" he said calmly. "I restrained you easily."
"You caught me off guard!" she shot back. "And besides, a shinobi's greatest weapon is stealth!"
'And yet here you are, he thought, standing right in front of me.'
"Fine," Tanaka conceded. "But keep your distance. Still... We need someone who can handle a direct fight."
If Halibel were here, that alone would've solved everything. His physical strength surpassed ninety-nine percent of the world.But he wasn't.
Cecilus was out of the question unless Emperor Vincent himself issued the order.
Things would've been simpler in a different reality, one where Kararagi followed the route where Subaru and Rem lived peacefully together. But the butterfly effect, whether caused by him or Subaru, was impossible to predict.
Then...
A name surfaced in his mind.
And with it, a dangerous sense of clarity.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The sun was sinking beyond the church windows, staining the sky in muted amber and bruised violet. Tanaka stared out at it for a long time, unmoving.
He sighed.
The robe draped over his shoulders was warm. Clean. Carefully stitched. The room itself was quiet, almost reverent. Too kind for someone who had walked in wearing lies.
He felt sick about it.
Receiving such hospitality while deceiving them, using their faith as bait... Left a bitter taste at the back of his throat.
He collapsed face-first onto the bed, letting out a muffled groan. The pillow yielded beneath him, impossibly soft, the fabric cool and smooth against his cheek. Under the fox mask, his expression melted into something dangerously close to bliss.
Compared to the narrow, worn-down bed Garitch had offered him, this felt sinful.
He could fall asleep here in seconds.
"No, no," he muttered, shaking his head sharply. 'Focus. I'm doing this for a reason'
He wasn't lying for himself. He repeated that like a mantra.If this plan worked, if it saved lives, then the deception was justified.
He couldn't just tell them that there was a curse user hiding among them in the church that was going to kill them all and cause panic, he also couldn't risk alerting the shaman and driving him away to rearrange another plan.
Still…
"But is this really going to work…?"
Doubt gnawed at him. He'd thrown every card he had onto the table, all on short notice. It was a gamble, and he knew it.
A sudden knock echoed through the room.
Tanaka stiffened.
He rose quietly, senses on edge, and approached the door. With a sharp motion, he yanked it open.
No one.
"What the....?"
His confusion deepened, not because the hallway was empty, but because it was wrong.
The corridor stretched sideways instead of forward. Lanterns glowed dimly along a long balcony, shadows curling unnaturally along its length.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Someone leapt from behind the door.
"Surprise! Happy birthday[1]."
Tanaka flinched, stumbling back.
Long black hair spilled over her shoulders. She wore a white leather coat, a scarf snug around her neck, far too warm for this place, yet completely natural to her. In her hands was a cake, small and carefully made, his name written neatly across the top.
21
"Hana…?"
"What's with that reaction?" she laughed. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Takehana Ito brushed past him casually. "Sorry for the intrusion—"
Tanaka turned.
His apartment.
She headed into the kitchen as if she'd never left, setting the cake down on the counter before tilting her head.
"By the way," she said, glancing back, "what's with the mask? You look ridiculous."
Tanaka's breath caught.
"Wait, are you Capella?"
"Capella?" Hana frowned. "Who's that?"
"That's..."
The name slipped away from him.
But again, her presence didn't make any sense. He was in living in another city with no one knowing his address, not even his parents.
Hana returned with a plate, a slice of cake resting neatly on it. She offered it to him with a smile.
"In any case, take off the fox mask."
She reached for it.
He tried to move.
He couldn't.
The mask slipped free.
"Oh," she said softly. "I haven't seen this face in three years."
Tanaka turned toward the mirror.
It was his face.
It should have been comforting.Instead, dread crawled up his spine.
"Come on," Hana said gently. "Have some cake."
He took a bite.
Crunchy.
"It's got chocolate chips," she added proudly. "I made it myself."
"Stop." Tanaka pulled back sharply. "Tell me something. Something only you would know."
Her smile faltered. "What's wrong with you? Did you finally lose it after isolating yourself that long?"
"Just do it!"
He didn't know why he needed this. Only that if she answered, the pressure in his chest might ease.
Hana hesitated, then sighed.
"Okay… remember when you told me you played cheesy love songs because your sister liked them? I talk to her sometimes, and she told me that you're the one who likes them. You listen to them alone when you think no one's..."
"Stop. Stop." He cut her off, his cheeks red from embarrassment. "You still see Mio?"
"Of course," she said, as if it were obvious. "We're best buds."
Silence swallowed the room.
Tanaka stared at her, his expression hardening.
"…What are you doing here, Hana?"
[1] Happy birthday for me too 😭