Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume15 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 6===

Frankly speaking, it was difficult to understand.

"Is this really alright? Muramasa-sama, you love that man, don't you?"

Hence, Kotetsu asked candidly upon returning to the room. Though a room, this was not the place allotted to him as his bedroom (which was a room filled with random articles, supposedly used almost as a storeroom), instead, it was the room inhabited by the senior Japanese sword whom he admired.

After repeated contemplation, Kotetsu decided to interact with her for now in the same manner as earlier&mdash;in other words, back when they were living together with his former master. This was because the "her" back then was also included in "her" current self. This fact was already indisputable.

Naturally, there were times when he felt that her image did not quite match, while on other occasions, it matched quite well. But he had already accepted things. It was fine even if this was the case. All he needed to do was do some thinking whenever her image did not match. He did not change his manner of addressing her either. She had apparently been quite opposed so far to others addressing her as Muramasa, but in the end, she said: "Whatever, that's who I am after all." Hence she permitted him to call her that&mdash;Back at the time, Yachi Haruaki even made a look of surprise, so this was probably some sort of change for her.

In any case, Muramasa Konoha was sitting on her usual seat cushion while grinning slightly wryly as she answered his question:

"Indeed that is true. Is it very odd?"

"Yes. Truth be told, it perplexes me greatly why you have not punished them."

As though showing off her calm composure, she chuckled "ufufu" after speaking, her shoulders shaking in laughter.

"Actually&mdash;This is strategy."

"Strategy...?"

"Indeed. If I were my old self, surely I would have punished them just now. I would have pulled them apart by force as well to give them a good lecturing. However, that stage is already over. Right now, I've entered a new stage where I must attack with a different vibe compared to before."

"Yes..." Kotetsu had no choice but to answer ambiguously.

"I've already confessed so there is no need to be impatient. Instead, I believe that now is the time to display calm composure. Boys don't like girls who get angry all the time, right? I must show him how open-minded and generous I am to distinguish myself from my rivals. That's the course of action I believe I ought to be taking right now."

"In other words, in order to leave an impression of forgiving lenience in his heart, you suppressed your anger earlier and deliberately refrained from punishing them?"

"That's precisely the idea. Furthermore, I know that they were just inserting Indulgence Disks back then. It's all that child's fault for being clumsy and unguarded all the time, resulting in accidents like those. I was not suppressing anything at all, ahaha!"

Since she was saying this with a smile, then what she had been doing all this time after sitting down on the cushion&mdash;using chopping motions from her right hand to shred a newspaper that she had rolled up with her left hand, slicing it finely in midair&mdash;was definitely not a sign of suppression. Working hard without relaxing to maintain a true Japanese sword's sharpness... This must be some kind of slicing exercise far more profound than the likes of him could understand. Probably.

Thinking he must seek her guidance on this matter eventually, Kotetsu decided to watch silently for now and not disturb her. First, he should secretly learn by watching. That was often how mysteries of an art were mastered.

"By the way&mdash;Kotetsu, what are your thoughts on birthdays?"

She glanced at him and asked.

"You mean the matter of celebrating birthdays? I have no thoughts at all. Because celebrating birthdays according to the solar year is a Western European custom. Naturally, during the times when I recognized my masters, they counted their age using traditional East Asian age reckoning."

"You have a point~"

"Are you referring to that guy's birthday?"

"Indeed! This is the matter at hand..."

After shredding the newspaper in her left hand completely, she collapsed forward, dropping her upper torso onto the floor with a thud and burying her palms in the remains of the newspaper. She was pushing the pieces randomly about as though enjoying the feeling while murmuring emphatically to the floor.

"Ah&mdash;This is the first birthday after I confessed and became a brand new me. I must confer special meaning upon this day. It would be best if I could take this opportunity to hear his answer. However, what will actually happen? Am I being too impatient? What should I give as a present? Hmm~... Hmm~..."

Starting from some point in time, she was pointing her index finger at the floor, stirring the newspaper pieces as though drawing circles on the floor. Presumably slowly getting excited from just her own murmuring, her voice began to carry an odd fervor while the speed of her stirring motion kept increasing. In order to disguise her shyness, the newspaper was repeatedly getting shredded.

"A special... present. But I get the feeling that Haruaki-kun most likely would say that just having me is enough... Having me... is enough...? Giving a present that "has me"? In other words, something like a "do-as-you-please coupon"? Given such a coupon, Haruaki-kun definitely won't forget what will happen next... Kyah! Oh no, isn't that truly progressing too quickly? But, but it might not be too fast, right? After all, I've been enduring for so long, ehehe, ehehehehe..."

This behavior, on the other hand, was clearly not part of a Japanese sword's training. The Japanese sword he idolized was lying on the floor uncouthly, twisting this way and that due to her own imagination.

Kotetsu partially narrowed his eyes as he watched, sighing secretly.

There was apparently something he must do.

Why? Of course, it was for the happiness of her whom he revered. Hence&mdash;

(No helping it... As much as I am reluctant.)

Naturally, Kotetsu had no choice apart from carrying out the task.