Taiki looked up at Seirai, and Seirai nodded understandingly.
“Gyousou is busy these days, that’s why.”

In fact, Gyousou was at that time busy to the point of confusion. He had been busy before the Winter Solstice Ceremony, and the situation didn’t improve even after the ceremony. After Seirai became Fusyou, they had no time together for administrative work in the afternoon. They didn’t often eat together, and they barely had the time to exchange words before or after administrative meetings.

“You two don’t even have the free time to chat in leisure. Now that my dear sir is being sent to such a long trip, my dear sir is feeling helpless, am I right?”
“Yeah...”

Taiki knew full well how busy Gyousou was. However, Taiki also felt unsettled. Did I do anything that annoyed him? Back at the time when Taiki was at his homeland, he had always been thinking in this pattern.

Taiki was a child who always failed to fulfill others’ anticipation. He knew that the people surrounding him was anticipating, but he didn’t know what they exactly wanted him to do. Everything he did that he thought was right turned out to disappoint his family. Everything will never go well with my presence, Taiki always thought of himself, and his thought hadn’t changed a bit.

“Do you think I am an annoyance here? That is why I got sent to Ren, right?”
How can that be, Seirai said as he broke into a smile.

“Wow were you so disheartened? --You know that this can’t be true, don’t you. You are the one and only one Taiho!”
“Because I am a Kirin?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“But...”

Taiki's voice trailed off. Seirai tilted his head and waited for the words that followed, but in the end, Taiki shut his mouth and shook his head. Seirai gave a gentle bitter smile.

“So you are feeling so helpess, my dear sir? Rather, I think you will definitely try your best and succeed in the end! If so, there might be good things happening to you.”
“Good things?”

Yes, Seirai said laughingly and raised his hand.
“It is a secret.”
“Hey!”

Without second thought, Taiki tucked Seirai’s sleeve.
“--Come on, Seirai.”
“No, no. Taiho is so good at coaxing that I feel so compelled to tell you a bit of it. However, if I tell you, Gyousou would definitely scold me to death.”

***

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