Sona and Tsubaki stood up from their chairs. Without saying anything further, Sona turned around and walked away with brisk steps, clearly still lost in her own thoughts.
But before following her queen, Tsubaki paused for a moment.
She turned back toward Jun, then bowed politely—a calm, sincere gesture of respect, without a single word.
Jun merely gave a small nod in return.
Not long after, the two of them disappeared beyond the doors of the family restaurant.
Jun let out a long breath.
"Haah… what a tiring day," he muttered.
Just today alone, nearly ten people had come to see him. The purpose was the same. The questions were the same. The wariness was the same. He answered them all calmly, without evasion, without threats—because they still hadn't found his true place of residence, even though they knew his general whereabouts.
He stood up, paid, and stepped outside.
"Time to go home…" he said softly as night fully settled in.
...
Fifty kilometers away from Kuoh, far from the city lights, deep within a silent forest, Jun finally stopped.
In front of him, the air trembled faintly—an invisible barrier that only those with keen senses could perceive.
He didn't step in right away.
Instead, Jun turned to face the dark trees behind him.
"Could you just come out already… Akeno-san," he said flatly.
Silence fell.
The night wind rustled, leaves brushing softly against one another.
Then—a shadow behind one of the trees moved.
Akeno slowly emerged from the darkness, her familiar smile carved on her face, though this time it was gentler, more cautious.
"Ahaha… hello," Akeno greeted lightly.
"It's already night," Jun said.
"Well," she replied, tilting her head, "I was curious about your place."
Jun looked at her for a moment. There was no lie there. No ambush. Just curiosity—and a bit of concern.
"I see," he said. "Are you alone?"
"Ah, yes," Akeno answered shortly. "I'm alone."
Jun stepped closer without hesitation. He reached out and took Akeno's hand.
Instantly, the barrier reacted.
The three conditions he had set—presence, permission, and contact—collapsed in a single motion. As the original resident, his touch alone was enough to bring a guest inside.
Akeno flinched slightly as the pressure in the air vanished.
And then the scenery opened up.
A small wooden cabin stood before them, simple yet sturdy. Beside it stretched a small garden with neatly tended plants, stacks of firewood piled near the wall, and a warm, dim light glowing from the window.
Akeno fell silent for quite a while.
Her eyes swept over the little cabin from end to end—the plain wooden walls, the slightly slanted roof, the well-kept garden, and the quiet atmosphere that felt… peaceful.
"Y-you live here?" she finally asked, her voice unable to hide her surprise.
Jun nodded lightly.
"Didn't I tell you some time ago," he replied casually, "that I live in a cabin in the middle of the forest?"
"Yes, but…" Akeno looked around once more. "Why couldn't I see this place before? Even with my perception."
Jun stepped slightly to the side, then pointed toward the edge of the cabin's area.
There, a pitch-black nail was embedded in the ground. It looked like nothing more than an old piece of iron—but to Akeno's eyes, it radiated the deep, heavy aura of a relic.
"Ah, because I set up a barrier," Jun explained. "See that black nail over there?"
"Yes…?" Akeno replied, now more alert.
"That's a relic," Jun continued. "It forms a barrier with a radius of one kilometer. It completely hides this place from sight, searches, and perception—even from high-level beings."
Akeno swallowed softly.
"With… certain conditions?" she asked quietly.
"That's right."
Jun let out a small sigh and scratched his cheek.
"Uh… simply put, there are three conditions," he said. "First, the person has to come with good intentions. Second, they must not lie. And third…" he glanced briefly at Akeno's hand, "…they must be permitted directly by me."
Akeno fell silent.
Slowly, she began to understand.
"So… because I didn't meet those conditions before…"
"…you couldn't see it, let alone enter the barrier," Jun finished.
Akeno smiled faintly—this time without any teasing.
"So clever," she murmured. "With conditions like that…"
"Yeah," Jun cut in lightly. "Most supernatural beings who want to meet me fail. Either their intentions aren't pure, or they're too used to lying."
He looked at the cabin for a moment.
"I just want a quiet place," he continued. "And a way of living that doesn't invite trouble."
Akeno looked at him for a long time.
Standing before her wasn't Cheon Ma who shook the heavens, nor the figure that made racial leaders wary—but a man who chose a simple life, with defenses built not from intimidation, but from honesty.
"…I understand now," Akeno said softly.
The night wind blew gently, leaves rustling quietly, and for a moment the silence in the forest felt warmer than before—not because of the temperature, but because of the presence of two people standing without distance between them.
"So, how's my place?" Jun asked, glancing at Akeno. His tone was light. "Pretty good, right?"
Akeno looked around once more, her eyes sweeping over the wooden cabin, the small garden, and the dim light spilling from the window.
"Yeah…" she answered honestly. "It's nice. For some reason, it feels like a luxurious place to live."
Jun chuckled softly. "Heeh? Is that because of Rias?"
"Yes!" Akeno replied without hesitation, laughing a little.
They stepped inside the cabin. As soon as the door closed, Akeno fell silent again. The room was smaller than she had imagined—simple, tidy, almost ascetic. There was only a wooden table, a bookshelf filled with novels and a few ancient texts, a small kitchen, and a futon folded neatly in the corner.
Jun glanced at her. "Disappointed?"
Akeno shook her head slowly.
"No," she said. "It actually feels… no different from my mother's house at the shrine."
Jun was slightly surprised, then smiled faintly. "I see…"
He set his belongings down, then leaned lightly against the table.
"I was actually planning to renovate," he continued casually. "Add more space, maybe make it a bit more livable. But since I live alone… I never really did it."
"Why?" Akeno asked gently.
Jun was silent for a moment, then answered without embellishment, as if it were something he had long understood.
"I'm not the type who likes luxury," he said. "Too big, too empty. Living alone in a place like that… it feels unsettling."
He looked up at the small lamp on the cabin ceiling.
"Unless I have a family," he added softly. "If that ever happens, then of course I wouldn't want a place like this to be their home someday."
Akeno fell silent for quite a while.
She looked at Jun from the side, observing his calm expression, the way he spoke without exaggerating the future, as if it were something natural—not an extravagant dream, nor an empty promise.
Her cheeks slowly turned red.
"I feel," Akeno finally said, her voice softer than usual, "that Jun would be a good husband."
Jun froze.
"Eh… really?" he replied awkwardly. He scratched his head, an embarrassed smile impossible to hide. "You're… so sudden."
...
Fifty kilometers away from Kuoh, far from the city lights, deep within a silent forest, Jun finally stopped.
In front of him, the air trembled faintly—an invisible barrier that only those with sharp perception could sense.
He didn't step inside immediately.
Instead, Jun turned to face the dark trees behind him.
"Can you just come out already… Akeno-san," he said flatly.
Silence fell.
The night wind rustled, leaves brushing softly against one another.
Then—a shadow behind one of the trees moved.
Akeno slowly emerged from the darkness, her familiar smile on her face, though this time it was gentler, more cautious.
"Ahaha… hello," Akeno greeted lightly.
"It's already night," Jun said.
"Well," she replied, tilting her head, "I was curious about your place."
Jun looked at her for a moment. There was no lie there. No ambush. Just curiosity—and a bit of concern.
"I see," he said. "Are you alone?"
"Ah, yes," Akeno answered shortly. "I'm alone."
Jun approached without hesitation. He reached for Akeno's hand.
Instantly, the barrier reacted.
The three conditions he had set—presence, permission, and contact—were fulfilled in a single motion. As the rightful resident, his touch was enough to bring a guest inside.
Akeno flinched slightly as the pressure in the air vanished.
And the scenery revealed itself.
A small wooden cabin stood before them, simple yet sturdy. Beside it stretched a small garden with neatly tended plants, a stack of firewood arranged near the wall, and warm lamplight glowing softly from the window.
Akeno fell silent for quite some time.
Her eyes traced the little cabin from end to end—the simple wooden walls, the slightly slanted roof, the well-kept garden, and the quiet atmosphere that felt… peaceful.
"Y-you live here?" she finally asked, her tone unable to hide her surprise.
Jun nodded lightly.
"Didn't I tell you some time ago," he replied casually, "that I live in a cabin in the middle of the forest?"
"Yes, but…" Akeno glanced around once more. "Why couldn't I see this place before? Even with my perception."
Jun stepped slightly to the side and pointed toward the edge of the cabin's area.
There, a pitch-black nail was driven into the ground, looking like nothing more than an old piece of iron—but to Akeno's eyes, it radiated a deep, heavy relic-like aura.
"Ah, that's because I set up a barrier," Jun explained. "You see that black nail over there?"
"Yes…?" Akeno replied, now more alert.
"That's a relic," Jun continued. "It forms a barrier within a one-kilometer radius. It completely conceals this place from sight, search, and perception—even from high-level beings."
Akeno swallowed lightly.
"With… certain conditions?" she asked quietly.
"That's right."
Jun let out a small sigh and scratched his cheek.
"Uh… simply put, there are three conditions," he said. "First, the person must come with good intentions. Second, they must not lie. And third…" he glanced briefly at Akeno's hand, "…they must be directly permitted by me."
Akeno fell silent.
Slowly, she began to understand.
"So… because I didn't meet those conditions before…"
"…you couldn't see it, let alone enter the barrier," Jun finished.
Akeno smiled faintly—this time without teasing.
"How clever," she murmured. "With conditions like that…"
"Yeah," Jun cut in lightly. "Most supernatural beings who want to meet me fail. Either their intentions aren't pure, or they're too used to lying."
He looked at the cabin for a moment.
"I just want a quiet place," he continued. "And a way of living that doesn't invite trouble."
Akeno looked at him for a long time.
Standing before her was not Cheon Ma who shook the heavens, nor a figure who made the leaders of races wary—but a man who chose a simple life, with defenses built not from threats, but from honesty.
"…I understand now," Akeno said softly.
The night wind blew gently, leaves rustling quietly, and for a moment the silence in the forest felt warmer than before—not because of temperature, but because of the presence of two people standing without distance between them.
"So, how's my place?" Jun asked, glancing briefly at Akeno. His tone was light. "Pretty good, right?"
Akeno looked around once more, her eyes sweeping over the wooden cabin, the small garden, and the dim lamplight spilling from the window.
"Yeah…" she answered honestly. "It's nice. Somehow, it feels like a luxurious place to live."
Jun chuckled softly. "Heeh? Is that because of Rias?"
"Yes!" Akeno answered without hesitation, laughing slightly.
They stepped inside the cabin. Once the door closed, Akeno fell silent again. The room was smaller than she had imagined—simple, tidy, almost ascetic. There was only a wooden table, a bookshelf filled with novels and a few ancient texts, a small kitchen, and a folded futon in the corner.
Jun glanced at her. "Disappointed?"
Akeno shook her head gently.
"No," she said. "I actually feel like… this isn't much different from my mother's home at the shrine."
Jun was slightly surprised, then smiled faintly. "I see…"
He set down his belongings, then leaned lightly against the table.
"I was actually planning to renovate," he continued casually. "Add more space, maybe make it a bit more livable. But since I live alone… I never really did it."
"Why?" Akeno asked softly.
Jun fell silent for a moment, then answered without embellishment, as if it were something he had long understood.
"I'm not the type who enjoys luxury," he said. "Too spacious, too empty. Living alone in a place like that… it feels unsettling."
He looked up at the small lamp on the ceiling of the cabin.
"Unless I have a family," he continued quietly. "If that happens, of course I wouldn't want a place like this to be their home someday."
Akeno remained silent for quite a while.
She looked at Jun from the side, observing his calm features, the way he spoke of the future without exaggeration—as if it were something natural, not a grand dream, nor an empty promise.
Her cheeks slowly flushed.
"I feel," Akeno finally said, her voice softer than usual, "that Jun would be a good husband."
Jun froze.
"Eh… really?" he replied awkwardly. He scratched his head, a shy smile impossible to hide. "You… that's so sudden."
Akeno chuckled softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Just a feeling~ But somehow, I'm sure."
That night passed without them realizing it. They sat side by side, chatting about trivial things—about the books Jun had recently read, about Akeno's childhood at the shrine, about a world that kept moving without waiting for anyone. Soft laughter occasionally broke the silence, then faded back into the sounds of the forest.
The lamp was turned off. Words slowly ran out. Silence became comfortable.
And the night gently covered everything.
…
Morning light slipped through the gaps in the window, touching the wooden floor and sleeping faces.
Jun woke up slowly.
The first thing he noticed was warmth.
His arm was wrapped around someone, steady breathing close against his chest. He opened his eyes fully—and only then realized that the blanket had shifted, his body bare, as was the figure he was holding.
Jun let out a long breath, not in panic, but in resignation mixed with amusement.
"Ah…" he murmured softly. "I lost control again last night."
He didn't move, afraid of waking Akeno. A small smile formed on his face—the smile of someone who realized that his life, without noticing, had stepped one stage further than before.
In that small cabin, the morning felt different.
//---//
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