Chapter Text
“I see, that’s quite the situation you’ve ended up in”. Kirisame says as Rinnosuke wraps up his explanation on his current predicament. 3 days ago he woke up to find that his body had suddenly been transformed. He had already reported the incident to a few incident resolvers but they’ve yet to find the culprit. While he wasn’t too bothered by his transformation, he does find the weight of his new assets to be too much and he’s currently looking to find proper support for them.
Silence filled the air for a few seconds before Kirisame left out a few giggles. For someone who doesn’t get exposed to the supernatural on a daily basis like Kirisame, the scene before him was simply too absurd to not laugh at. Once he regained his composure, Kirisame started asking Rinnosuke a few questions. At first these questions were relevant to Rinnosuke’s state of affairs, but the two of them quickly found themselves going on tangents on several topics.
Just like how Rinnosuke’s last visit had turned out, though it had been some time since the two had last seen each other, once they actually got to talking, it was as if no time had passed at all. If anything, the time spent apart merely gave them more to catch up on and more topics to talk about.
Even as other customers visited the shop, Kirisame and Rinnosuke only paused their conversation briefly to provide service and ring up purchases. As soon as there was an opportunity, the two quickly picked up where they last left off and continued their talk. What had started out as another typical day for Kirisame had now become something much more fulfilling in more ways than one, something that Kirisame himself has noticed.
It's been years since his wife died, his daughter disowned him over a fight, and his apprentice decided to move away from the village to avoid the judging stares of other villagers who've noticed his lack of aging. But now his apprentice has decided to come to his store. Kirisame is a prideful man, and he would never admit that being left behind by 3 of the people he held dearest to him has also left a hole in his heart. A hole that one of the 3 is filling by returning to him. A hole that Rinnosuke is currently filling in by being by his side.
After the death of his wife and his daughter running away from home, Rinnosuke had been to one to keep him company, to give him someone he could share his insecurities to and overtime, he started developing feelings that were beyond what a master would have towards their apprentice. But, he could not act upon them. Rinnosuke is his apprentice! What sort of master would take advantage of their protegé and seduce them? It would be unethical!
So, when the day Rinnosuke told him that he was going to move away from the human village, Kirisame was both saddened and relieved. Sad that his last and only companion was about to leave him as well. Relieved that he no longer had to struggle with his unethical feelings towards his apprentice. But now, his apprentice is back, and with a form that not only reminded him of his late wife, but also intensified the feelings he already had.
Mid conversation, Rinnosuke grabbed a sarashi off a rack and asked if he'd be allowed to put it on his chest. After hours of talking about random topics, his new anatomy is starting to hurt his back and he remembered his initial reason for visiting his master..Kirisame nodded and started to point Rinnosuke to the back so that he could have some privacy. However, Rinnosuke has already started removing his clothes. Kirisame jumped in shock. He immediately went to the entrance, closed the door, and locked it. He asks Rinnosuke why he's changing right inside the store, pointing out that if someone came in, it could cause a terrible misunderstanding.
Rinnosuke, still with his chest laid bare, realizes what he was about to do and apologizes. He had been used to changing around Kirisame, so the act of taking off his shirt around Kirisame just came naturally to him. But since Kirisame had locked the entrance, it shouldn't be a problem anymore. Rinnosuke continued to try to wrap the sarashi but found himself having trouble with it. After all, he had never needed to use one in this manner, it's only not too odd that he was having difficulties.
Seeing his apprentice struggle, an old and familiar instinct came back to Kirisame.
Kirisame walked up behind Rinnosuke and wrapped the sarashi properly. Giving instructions on how Rinnosuke could do it himself all the while. Having been married to a woman, Kirisame had learned a few things about putting on a sarashi over one’s chest, as well as taking them off.
Rinnosuke chuckles at his current situation. It's been years since he finished his apprenticeship, but he's still learning from his old master. Kirisame also found humor in the development, and finished tying up the sarashi.Rinnosuke turns around to give his thanks. Soon after turning, Rinnosuke realizes the mistake he's made.
Since Kirisame was standing right behind him, turning around where he stood brought their faces mere centimeters apart. Suddenly, Rinnosuke found himself frozen and unable to say his words of gratitude. All he could do was stare at Kirisame's face in shock. Kirisame was in a similar predicament. The moment Rinnosuke's face met with his, his mind stopped working and he also found himself frozen in shock.They both stayed this way for a few seconds.It was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity for them.
After a while, they regained their senses, and turned away from each other at the same time. Silence filled the store. It was only moments ago that the two were in a hours-long conversation and neither were able to run out of things to say. Now, neither could come up with what to say. The two of them knew that someone had to say something to clear up the awkward atmosphere that had inadvertently built up. Ultimately, Rinnosuke was the one to break the silence, finally delivering his thanks to his old master.
Rinnosuke found himself lost in deep thought, reflecting on his actions in the last few minutes. Rinnosuke had been Kirisame's apprentice for many years and had been there for him at his lowest points. And it was during those lowest points, with his master pouring his heart out, that Rinnosuke started seeing Kirisame as more than just his master.
Kirisame had always been aloof. He did not show his emotions all that often. When his daughter started rebelling against him and practicing magic, he never let himself get angry enough to raise his voice at her. And when his wife's health started deteriorating, he never let a tear form in his eyes. But, the day his wife died and his daughter declared her hatred for him, he was unable to hold back his emotions and cried his heart out. And Rinnosuke was the only one around to witness it. Whenever Marisa ran away after fighting her father, Rinnosuke had always run after her to try to talk some sense into her. But when he saw his master breakdown in tears, he knew he had to look after Kirisame instead.
That day, Kirisame poured his heart out to Rinnosuke. His sadness at being unable to connect with his daughter, his despair at being unable to help his wife, all of his feelings, he ended up revealing to Rinnosuke. After that incident, their relationship did not change much. They were still firmly master and apprentice. Though, Rinnosuke did find himself with more responsibilities of taking care of Marisa in her mother's stead. Kirisame's relationship with his daughter only worsened with his wife's absence. But at the very least, she was willing to listen to his apprentice.
And so the days went by, until Marisa finally declared that she was leaving the Kirisame household forever. Rinnosuke and Kirisame were saddened by this, but they also knew that it was an inevitability. With Marisa out of the house for good, Rinnosuke and Kirisame only had each other. As a result, Rinnosuke started developing feelings for his master that went beyond that of an apprentice's respect. But, he could not act upon them, he respected his master too much for that.
Rinnosuke already had reservations on the fact that he was replacing Marisa's mother, he did not want to have to deal with the thoughts that would come to him if he were to replace his master's wife. Unfortunately, Rinnosuke was ultimately unable to shake off his feelings for his master. So when he felt he had learned enough, he decided it was time to move away.
Far away so that he would have minimal chances of seeing his master by coincidence.
The day he left the village, Rinnosuke was saddened and relieved. Sad because he too was abandoning his master, after being by his side for all those years.Relieved because this way, he could find peace with his feelings, and he could protect his master from the growing distrust that the villagers started to have towards his lack of aging. But now, he's in this new form and alone in the store with his master.
Rinnosuke tried to say something, but he found himself being cut off by his master before any words left his mouth. In a move that he wasn’t expecting, his master offered to let Rinnosuke stay in the Kirisame household temporarily, until the incident has been resolved and he was no longer under his current predicament.
Kirisame reasoned that Rinnosuke might encounter other unexpected problems derived from his transformation, and that it would be more convenient for him if he stayed at the Kirisame household so he would not need to travel in and out of the village repeatedly if a problem were to arise. Though Rinnosuke argued against it at first, not wanting to impose too much on his master, Kirisame reassured him that it would be no trouble at all.
Half-reluctant and yet half-delighted, Rinnosuke decides to take up his master’s offer and stay at the Kirisame residence, promising to leave as soon as the incident is resolved and he regains his former body as well as promising to help Kirisame run the store throughout his stay.
Kirisame offered to close the store early so that he could make arrangements for Rinnosuke’s accommodations. Rinnosuke, already feeling guilty for making Kirisame do so much for him, declines and tells Kirisame that he’d take care of it himself after the store’s proper closing time.
Thus, Rinnosuke and Kirisame continue to tend to the store until the evening, all the while having the arrangements that they had just made continuously resounding in their minds. They both know that they’ve made a decision that could impact their relationship in all sorts of ways, and they hope that they were prepared for whatever may come in the following days.