Chapter 5: Kamui Hinata

♢♢♢

It had been several days since I started going to the training room with Kamui-san.

After school on Friday, we finished another training session in the private training room.

Though she could endure it longer each day, I was still making Kamui-san cry every time.

If my sister found out about this, I can’t imagine what she’d do to me.

Even though Kamui-san tells me not to worry about it, as a guy, seeing a girl cry just hits different.

As always, I walked Kamui-san to her house afterward.

Her house wasn’t too far from school—even at a leisurely pace, it only took about twenty minutes.

What surprised me most was that her family apparently came from an old samurai lineage, and their estate was so vast you couldn’t see its boundaries.

You’d think someone from such a prestigious family would have someone pick her up, but according to her, she refused all such arrangements since she never knew when she might release her cold air. Her parents understood and accepted her decision.

Besides, if anyone ever tried to kidnap her, they’d first have to get past the Ice God’s blessing. And if someone could break through that, a bodyguard wouldn’t make any difference anyway.

But then—how did things come to this?!

“Nice to meet you. I’m Erina, Hinata’s mother.”

Right at the entrance, we happened to run into her mother.

“N-n-nice to meet you! I-I’m Suzuki Hinata!”

“Fufu, so you’re Hinata-kun. I’ve heard about you from my daughter.”

Caught off-guard by this sudden development, I looked at Kamui-san, who returned my gaze with a bright smile.

Wait a second…… is this going to be one of those “You’ve been making my daughter cry every day, and you think I’m going to let you off the hook?! Prepare to lose your fingers!” type of situations?!

“If you’d like, please come inside.”

H-here it comes…… I’m definitely going to lose a finger or two……

“Hinata-kun……? Do you not want to?”

“Huh? N-no, not at all! It’s just, would someone like me really be okay to……”

“Fufu, you’ve been helping Hinata with her special training every day, so please think of this as a small token of gratitude. Please, come in.”

Led by Kamui-san’s mother, who was beautiful enough to appear in movies just like her daughter, I stepped into the mansion.

Though oddly enough, unlike Kamui-san, her mother had black hair.

Also, I couldn’t help but notice how she widened her eyes in surprise for just a moment when she looked at the two of us together.

The inside of the mansion was everything one would imagine when thinking of a traditional Japanese estate.

After stepping in from the entrance and switching to slippers, I walked down what felt like an endless hallway.

Eventually, I was led to a zashiki, a traditional tatami mat room, through an open sliding door.

The room itself was enormous, and the view of the garden from there was nothing short of breathtaking.

I always thought sights like this only existed in paintings, movies, or high-end ryotei, a traditional Japanese restaurant.

Left alone in the room, a woman in a maid uniform came and served me tea.

A m-maid……? I mean, I’d wondered if a mansion like this might have maids, but seeing a real maid actually working here—seems like having maids is not uncommon when it comes to mansions like this.

“The young lady will join you shortly, so please make yourself comfortable.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The maid gave a polite bow and left the room, leaving me awkwardly sipping tea as I admired the serene garden.

Thats when an old man sitting on the edge of the veranda came into my view.

“H-hello there.”

“Oh? You noticed me?”

“Uh, yes. I suppose I did.”

《Skill Acquired: ‘Stealth Detection’ (through Experience)》

Stealth Detection? What’s that supposed to mean?

“This is…… quite something……”

The old man, who had just been sitting and gazing at the garden, was now giving me an intense look.

Maybe he’s getting senile—

“Ouch!”

Before I could finish my thought, the old man’s karate chop struck my head.

“I’m not senile!”

“Eh?! H-how did you know what I was thinking?!”

《Skill Acquired: ‘Mind-Reading Resistance’ (Due to Adversity)》

“Hm! This youngster…… Not bad at all!”

“Uh, well……”

“Gwahahaha! Hinata, you’ve got a good eye for people! Gwahahaha!”

Laughing boisterously, the old man disappeared somewhere, leaving me utterly bewildered.

Is it really okay to just leave that strange old man wander off like that?

It didn’t seem right for me to chase after someone in someone else’s house so I decided I’d ask Kamui-san about him when she arrived.

He had mentioned “Hinata,” so I assumed they must be acquainted.

As I sipped my tea and enjoyed the now-quiet garden, the sound of footsteps reached my ears.

The soft footsteps grew closer until finally, Kamui-san appeared before me.

Her silver hair was eye-catching enough on its own, but the pure white kimono she wore made it stand out even more.

As the sun began to set, the red glow of dusk illuminated her, and I couldn’t help but feel her divine beauty was several times more breathtaking than usual.

“D-does it suit me?”

“—I-it suits you incredibly well!”

“!? Ehehe~”

Guh?!

Seeing her up close like this, it struck me again just how stunningly beautiful she was to the point it felt almost disrespectful to look directly at her.

In fact, I was certain I’d lose if she sued me for sexual harassment.

Though, she was unintentionally releasing her cold energy, I calmly dissipated it with Absolute Ice Dissolution.

“Th-thank you.”

“No problem. This much is nothing difficult.”

She hurried over and sat down next to me.

Ehhh?! Why next to me?! Wouldn’t she normally sit across from me?!

“Is something wrong?”

“N-no! It’s nothing!”

I usually tried not to notice—or rather, made an effort not to notice—but Kamui-san smelled so damn good.

Is it really okay for me to be sitting right next to her like this……?

What if I’m told to chop off my fingers after this?

Sigh…………. How did things end up like this?

The quiet garden was filled with the serene sound of a shishi-odoshi—a bamboo water fountain making its distinct “ton” noise.

I couldn’t help but be conscious of Kamui-san sitting next to me, stealing glances while drinking my tea.

My throat felt dry, and I found myself drinking tea faster and faster.

Oh no, at this rate…… won’t I need to use the bathroom?!

《Skill Acquired: ‘Waste Decomposition’ (Due to Adversity)》

……Well, thanks. That’s one worry off my mind.

“Hinata-kun, sorry for the sudden invitation. I think Mother was waiting for us because she insisted on wanting to properly thank you.”

So it was an ambush after alllll!

I thought it was just a coincidence, but it wasn’t…… Which means…… I really am going to be told to chop off my fingers?!

“I-it’s fine. I’m just a bit nervous since I’ve never been to such a grand estate before.”

“Fufu. Even Hinata-kun gets nervous sometimes, huh?”

“Of course I’d be nervous. I grew up in the countryside after all.”

“Come to think of it, you went to a middle school I’ve never heard of, right?”

“Yeah. It’s called Eran Middle School. It takes about three hours by train from here.”

“I see. Though Hinata-kun could probably get there faster by running.”

Huh? Running?

At that moment, the sound of multiple footsteps approached as Kamui-san’s mother and the maids came into the room.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No, not at all. The tea was truly delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that. My daughter mentioned you live in the dorms, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“With the curfew, it must be hard for you, so let’s get straight to business.”

Eek!? Don’t tell me…… this is where they make me chop off my fingers!?

But wait, didn’t Kamui-san say something about wanting to thank me? Maybe I don’t need to worry about that?

Just as I was thinking this, a maid brought over a hard case and placed it in front of me.

I stared at the black case on the low table. You don’t see black hard cases very often, so maybe today I’ll get to see something unusual.

“Please, go ahead.”

At her urging, I nervously opened the hard case.

Inside, there was a single black sheet of paper with a magic circle drawn in bright red.

“Um, what is this paper?”

“That is the Kamui Conglomerate’s exclusive credit card.”

“!?”

I had heard of these before.

Normally, the license embedded in your right hand can only be used for payments with the money stored inside it. However, once you become an adult, you can issue a “credit card”.

The credit card synchronizes with your license, allowing you to borrow money through a contract even when you don’t have money in your license.

I had heard from my mother that people with a steady monthly income use these cards to make big purchases.

“Uh…… but…… I’m not an adult yet, and I don’t have the ability to pay off a credit card……”

“No need to worry about that. This card is the same as the one my daughter has in her right hand. All payments will be covered by the Kamui family, so feel free to use it as much as you like.”

“Ehhhhhhh? A-as much as I like!?”

I couldn’t help but gasp as I stared at the card before me.

If I could use it as much as I wanted, I could pay all the utility bills for the house where my mother and sister live and even pay off all the remaining loans.

But, when I really thought about it, what’s the catch? What benefit could they possibly get from giving me something this incredible?

All I’ve been doing is practicing glaring at their daughter, nothing more.

There’s no way they’d go this far without an ulterior motive.

“……Excuse me. What’s your real goal here?”

“Fufu.”

“Mother!”

“Oh my, I’m sorry, Hinata.”

“This wasn’t part of our agreement!”

The two suddenly began arguing.

But then, tears welled up in Kamui-san’s mother’s eyes.

“!? M-mother?”

“Fufu……arguing with Hinata like this…… how many years has it been……?”

“Mother……”

Crying over something as small as a quarrel? And what does she mean by “how many years”?

That’s when something Kamui-san had said suddenly came to mind.  Her words about “accidentally releasing cold energy when she lets her guard down.”

Until now, I had interpreted it as a minor inconvenience—something like, “She’s a little troubled because she can’t stop the cold energy.” But the reality was different. Every single day, she was shedding tears, confronting her trauma.

I never even questioned why, just went along with what she wanted to do without trying to understand the reason behind it.

“Kamui-san…… could it be that…… you’re suppressing the Ice God’s Blessing even at home?”

“Y-yea……”

“Then, even at home, you’re always……”

……What have I done?

I’d completely misunderstood—assuming she was just trying to overcome her trauma with Gai-kun.

The reason she pushed herself to tears every day—it was all so she could have normal conversations with her mother like this.

That’s why she never gave up, despite crying every day.

“Hinata-kun. So, please…… accept this card…… and in return, please listen to our request.”

“!?”

I was stunned, but even more shocked was Kamui-san beside me.

“We don’t care how much money it costs. Please…… let us spend time with the Hinata we remember.”

Her mother looked me straight into my eyes, tears streaming down her face.

Kamui-san releases cold energy whenever she lets her guard down.

Right now, thanks to my Absolute Ice Dissolution skill, all the cold air she’s releasing is being neutralized before it can spread.

If I stopped using this skill, this entire area would probably freeze over, just like our private training room.

Her mother wasn’t just asking for my help—she wanted to “buy” the version of Kamui-san that exists when she’s with me.

But something didn’t feel right.

The current Kamui-san…… doesn’t look happy at all.

Is it because she’s struggling to overcome her trauma? No, that’s not it. It’s because she feels sad for having made her parents endure so much all this time.

—That’s why.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your proposal.”

That was my answer.

“I…… see……”

Kamui-san’s mother slumped her shoulders.

“May I ask…… why you can’t accept it?”

She seemed unwilling to give up, maintaining eye contact with me.

“If I were to accept this card, it would mean I’m helping Kamui-san for money. And that would be an insult to all the hard work Kamui-san has put in so far.”

Kamui-san’s mother gritted her teeth but still didn’t look away, keeping her gaze locked on mine.

“That’s why, I can’t accept this card. I want to repay her with my own free will. That’s why I’ll support her as she faces her trauma every day, and if my presence allows her to live normally, I’ll support that too, in whatever way I can. So, I cannot accept this.”

“Th-then, you’ll continue to get along with our daughter?!”

“Well…… I guess so. That is, if Kamui-san is okay with it……”

For some reason, Kamui-san’s face turned completely red. I wonder what’s wrong?

Did I say something I shouldn’t have……?

“Hinata! What do you think about this?”

“Eh?!”

“Hinata-kun just said all this for you?!”

“W-well, even if you say that out of nowhere—!?”

“This is a serious matter for the Kamui family?! Right now, you need to—wait! Hinata!”

Suddenly, Kamui-san ran out of the room.

But at this rate, she’ll spread cold energy everywhere.

Won’t that end up freezing the entire estate?!

《Skill Acquired: ‘Absolute Ice Seal’ (Due to Adversity)》

Absolute Ice Seal?! Never mind that, right now, I need to chase after her.

To be honest, she wasn’t that fast yet.

Even with her S-rank innate-ability, maybe because her level hasn’t increased much, my Ultimate Speed Boost was far faster.

Still, I figured it’d be better to let her run for now rather than to stop her immediately, so I followed at a distance where she wouldn’t notice.

《Skill Acquired: ‘Stealth’ (through Inspiration)》

《ーーーEvolved to “Stealth (Intermediate)”》

《ーーーEvolved to “Stealth (Advanced)”》

《ーーーEvolved to “Stealth (Superior)”》

《ーーーEvolved to “Absolute Stealth”》

The skill evolved all at once.

I’m not sure why, but that’s not important right now. For now, I kept following her.

Where she ended up was—somewhere that looked like a dojo.

As soon as she entered, still in her kimono, she grabbed a wooden sword from the wall and began practicing swings with total concentration.

What’s going on with Kamui-san……?

After watching for a while, she seemed to finally calm down, dropping the wooden sword and collapsing to her knees.

“Kamui-san.”

“!? H-Hinata-kun?!”

She was so startled I almost caught a glimpse of something I shouldn’t.

“Sorry. I was worried, so I followed you.”

“…………”

She lowered her head again.

“Hey, Hinata-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you so kind to someone like me?”

I’ve been hearing this phrase a lot lately.

From my perspective, it was strange to hear her say “someone like me” when she was the most beautiful girl in the world to me, came from a wealthy family, and even had S-rank innate-ability.

“I have the Ice God’s blessing, so I can’t even have a normal conversation with people…… I’m not even allowed to touch others, so why are you so kind to someone like me?”

“Well…… at first, I thought I should take responsibility since I made you cry, or my little sister would get angry at me. But then I saw how hard you worked every day. I initially thought that since you were incredibly beautiful and from such a wealthy family, you must live without any worries. But that wasn’t true at all—rather, you’ve been living an unusual life, yet you’ve persevered through it for years, haven’t you?”

She gave a small nod.

“I can’t even imagine it. I spent every day studying to get into this school, but that was a path I chose for myself. Your situation isn’t like that. But seeing how you face your reality head-on and even ask someone like me for help…… it’s dazzling, and before I knew it, I wanted to support you.”

“Ah…… I see……”

“Is that not reason enough?”

“N-no, that’s not it! I’m……. really happy……”

“Haha. I’m glad. Though, if I could correct one thing—”

I wiped away the tears running down her cheeks with my handkerchief.

“I’m just a weak Level 0 guy who can’t do anything, but at least I can wipe away your tears like this. I can stand beside you properly. It might not be much, but I’ll do whatever I can.”

For a brief moment, time seemed to stop as our eyes met.

Then, her warm hand touched mine.

“……Thank you. I’ve spent so long not being able to touch anyone…… I’m so happy…… it’s warm.”

“Yeah. You’re very warm too, Kamui-san.”

Well, maybe it’s because my heart’s pounding like crazy from her touching me, and that’s making me feel hot……

Just then, we heard a silly voice from behind.

“Oho~ How heartwarming~”

“Wha—!?”

“Ah……”

Startled, I accidentally let go of Kamui-san’s hand.

Behind us, the old man from earlier was watching with a grin.

“Oh, it’s the old man from before.”

“G-Grandpa!?”

“Ho ho ho. Hinata, you’ve found yourself a fine lad.”

“Grandpa?!”

Our voices—mine, Kamui-san’s, and the old man’s—overlapped at once.

“Young man. How are you stopping the cold energy?”

“Um, well…… with my skill……”

At the mention of “skill,” a murderous intent emanated from the old man.

Kamui-san, who was standing beside me, took a step back, but gritted her teeth and endured it.

“Hooh…… So, it’s the real deal. You can withstand my intimidation.”

“Old man, are you familiar with the term ‘skill’?”

“Hmm. Want to know?”

Of course I want to know.

While I’d heard about it plenty in games and anime, I wanted to know what exactly these “skills” were in my case.

“Yes, I do.”

“Well, I can’t tell you for free~”

“So what do I need to do?”

The old man grinned and pointed at Kamui-san.

“?”

“Marry my granddaugh—”

WHAM!

In the blink of an eye, the old man went flying and disappeared into the distance through the open door.

Yeah, better not go against Kamui-san.

《Skill Acquired: “Defence Boost” (Due to Fear)》

……Thanks, Skill-san. And hey, that’s my first time getting one for such a reason.

“H-Hinata-kun.”

“Y-Yes!”

“Please pretend you didn’t hear any of that!”

“Y-Yes!”

I had absolutely no intention of going against Kamui-san when she was in her ‘angry mode’.

“…………”

For some reason, Kamui-san’s expression looked somewhat disappointed.

“Welcome back.”

“We’re back,” we said in unison.

I returned to the original room with a now-calmed Kamui-san.

The low table was crowded with luxurious dishes.

“Hinata-kun. Since it’s gotten late, I’ve already contacted the dorm. Please have dinner with us before heading back.”

“Y-Yes. By the way…… that person is……”

A bear-like man who hadn’t been here before—wearing a suit that looked ready to burst from his massive physique.

Even someone as weak as me could tell at a glance he was incredibly strong, enough that I’d believe it if someone said he was a powerful Explorer.

“Indeed. I am Kamui Akira. Hinata’s father.”

“N-Nice to meet you! I’m Hinata Suzuki!”

I never expected Kamui-san’s father to appear. Since they mentioned the Kamui Conglomerate earlier, I guess he must be the CEO or something?

“Father. Welcome home.”

“I-I’m back.”

Kamui-san’s father looked surprised by her response.

“I’d heard about it, but…… seeing it in person, I still can’t believe it……”

“Indeed. I feel the same way.”

“Hinata-kun. Thank you.”

He suddenly bowed his head, which made me fluster and bow in return.

I figured it was probably about the cold energy.

After that, we all enjoyed the delicious meal laid out on the table.

Not just me, but her father and mother too watched lovingly as Kamui-san ate her meal with apparent enjoyment.

She must have been eating alone until now.

Chatting with her father was really interesting—he told stories about various countries. Moreover, her mother mentioned that he used to be an Explorer, and quite a skilled one at that.

He said he’d show me around the Kamui Conglomerate’s workplace sometime if I got the chance, giving me something to look forward to.

After finishing dinner, I headed to the entrance with Kamui-san to leave.

“Kamui-san, see you at school.”

“Hinata-kun!”

“Hm?”

“……my name. I want you to call me by my name.”

“!?”

“Do you not want to?”

“N-No, it’s not that! It’s just, um…… I think I need a little time for that……”

How am I even supposed to casually call someone as beautiful as her by name?

Just thinking about it makes my heart feel like it’s going to explode.

“I understand. But whenever you feel ready…… you can call me by my name, okay?”

“O-Okay!”

“Hehe, be careful on your way back, alright?”

“Yeah. You too, Kamui-san. Be careful about with the cold energy too.”

“I will!”

She waved with a bright smile as I left the Kamui estate behind.

♢♢♢

“Has he gone home?”

“Yes, Mother.”

I answered Mother’s question matter-of-factly.

Lately my control has been slipping, but without him around, the activated Ice God’s blessing would freeze everything around me.

That’s why I need to suppress my emotions as much as possible.

“He’s a good boy. I hope you two continue to get along.”

“Yes. He’s been a tremendous help to me.”

“Hinata. If you need anything—no, that would be unnecessary to say. But know that the Kamui family will support you with all our might. After all, you’re our daughter.”

“Mother……”

“Hehe. I was so happy to see you smile again after so long. But when you’re alone, it’s dangerous, so……”

“Yes. I’ll return to my room right away.”

“……Very well. Good night.”

“Good night.”

After saying goodbye to Mother, I headed straight for my room.

My room is in a separate building, slightly removed from the main mansion, so I hurried there.

When I held my right hand over the terminal at my destination, a heavy sound echoed around me, and the thick door opened.

A wave of icy cold energy leaked out from inside—my Ice God’s Blessing’s Eternal Absolute Ice.

The door closed immediately after I entered.

In the darkness, devoid of even a single light, I shut myself away.