Reborn in Type-Moon: Starting by Adopting Sakura - Chapter 11

Morning sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating the square wooden table where two girls, one young woman, and one young man sat down together.

The silver bracelet on Misaya's wrist kept drawing attention. There was something engraved on it in English letters—PLOY.

"Did you get that from the Kuonji Foundation?" Yuu asked.

"Hmm? I have no idea," Misaya blinked and then laughed. "But it's cute, right?"

"Yeah. It suits you." Yuu smiled, his eyes lingering on the PLOY engraving.

He knew exactly which family used that logo.

PLOY—basically "fairy tale monsters." They were familiars that could only be summoned by witches from the Meinster bloodline, using some kind of specialized Magecraft system under the Yumina tradition.

The story went that one of these legendary witches had married into the Kuonji family, but died not long after having a kid. Her husband was so heartbroken that he started a whole jewelry line using her family's symbol. A way to keep her memory alive, apparently.

Yuu's interest in all this wasn't exactly academic. He'd actually met the current generation's witch once.

That was about three years ago, when his friend Aozaki Touko had decided she was finally going to settle things with her family. Yuu had tagged along on what turned into a trip to Misaki City.

Touko had fought him on it at first. All that messy family drama—she was convinced she had to handle it alone.

She'd been the golden child, trained from birth to take over the family legacy. Then one day her grandfather just casually announced that her younger sister Aoko would inherit everything instead. Just like that, years of preparation went down the drain.

But Yuu had offered her access to magical resources she couldn't get anywhere else—enough to finish building the puppet army she'd been working on. He promised he'd only step in if things went completely sideways. Eventually, she caved. It wasn't like she was just going up against her little sister, after all. She'd also have to deal with Kuonji Alice—the Fairy Tale Witch herself.

Alice lived in some mansion up on the mountainside with Aoko—they were friends, apparently. And Yuu had only gone along with Touko in the first place because he was curious about the Aozaki family's connection to the Fifth Magic. Right at the end, Aoko had shown him something that made the whole trip worthwhile.

He wondered how Touko was doing these days. After losing to her sister and getting slapped with a Sealing Designation by the Clock Tower, she'd probably gone underground. Yuu said a quick mental prayer that she was still alive somewhere.

"Yuu."

Yuu?

He snapped back to the present.

He blinked. Misaya was looking right at him.

Manaka was sipping her milk like nothing was happening, but he could tell she was listening to every word.

The sudden switch from "Uncle Yuu" to just "Yuu" had definitely gotten her attention. Something was brewing.

"What's wrong?"

Misaya met his eyes directly. "Yuu, I've decided. Let's get married."

Manaka choked on her milk.

Sakura froze mid-bite, chopsticks suspended in the air.

The sunny dining room went dead quiet.

Yuu, who'd dealt with his fair share of bizarre situations over the years, managed to keep his face neutral. "Misaya... do you actually know what marriage is?"

"Of course I do!" She puffed out her chest like she was offended he'd even ask. She'd figured it out—trying to be his student would just put her in the same category as that flat-chested maid. And the "little sister" spot had already been claimed by the new girl. Marriage was obviously the closest relationship she could shoot for.

"Marriage is when two people who love each other live together and have children and make sure their love lasts forever," she announced.

Yuu had to admit, her definition wasn't wrong—but she was way too young to really understand what any of that meant.

"Yuu, you don't want to?" Misaya was perceptive. She'd caught the hesitation on his face immediately and looked genuinely hurt.

"That's not it."

Now she was staring at him intently.

So was Manaka.

And Sakura.

"I'm really glad you feel that way, Misaya."

"Really?"

"Of course. But you're still pretty young. If you feel the same way when you're older—"

"I'm not a little kid." Misaya straightened up and shot a pointed look at Manaka before turning back to Yuu with obvious pride. "I'm bigger than she is."

The room went silent again.

Manaka's expression tightened for just a second—then smoothed into a smile.

In the morning sunlight streaming through the windows, her face looked almost angelic... except for the complete absence of any warmth in her eyes.

When Misaya met that gaze—those blue eyes that seemed to look right through her—something cold ran down her spine. Manaka was smiling, but there was nothing behind it. Like looking at a beautiful painting of a person instead of an actual person.

"Manaka." Yuu's voice broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the room. "Those buns this morning were really good. Did you try something different?"

"Oh, yes, Master." Manaka brought her hands together, and just like that, whatever dangerous undercurrent had been flowing between her and Misaya seemed to evaporate. "I added some tomato. I'm so happy you enjoyed them."

The whole room seemed to exhale at once.

Across the table, Sakura's face drained of color. She looked down at the half-eaten bun still clutched in her hand with something approaching horror.

Misaya shifted in her chair, irritation bubbling up as she realized what had just happened. She couldn't believe she'd actually let herself be intimidated by that flat-chested maid. Because that's exactly what it had been—genuine fear, the kind that creeps up your spine when you're alone in the dark and you just know something's watching you from the shadows.

And all Manaka had done was smile at her.

The whole thing was mortifying.

A flush of anger warmed her cheeks. Misaya might be young, but she had her dignity. She wasn't about to let anyone make her feel like some scared little girl. Still, she'd managed to get her point across to Yuu. And he hadn't said no, which had to count for something.

Manaka might be his apprentice now, but once Misaya grew up and married him, that would make Manaka her apprentice too. The thought was satisfying enough to make her lips curl.

"Oh, by the way, Yuu—"

Yuu quickly pressed one of the soft, warm buns against her lips, effectively cutting off whatever she was about to say. "Call me Uncle."

Misaya pulled back and swatted his hand away. "Absolutely not. What kind of person calls their fiancé Uncle? That's just weird, Yuu."

"We're not engaged, Misaya." Yuu's voice carried the patient tone of someone who'd had this conversation before. "And I’m older than you."

"So? I'll grow up eventually." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "And when I do, I'm going to marry you. We already decided this."

"You decided this. I was never consulted."

"Well, I'm consulting you now. Do you want to marry me when I'm older?"

Yuu rubbed his forehead like he was getting a headache. "Misaya, listen to me. You're a kid. When you're older, you'll meet someone your own age and—"

"I don't want someone my own age. I want you." Her bottom lip pushed out in a pout that had probably gotten her everything she wanted for the past ten years. "Besides, age gaps aren't that weird. My mom is five years younger than my dad. So what do you say? Will you marry me?"

Yuu stared at her for a long moment, then let out a tired sigh. "Look, just... call me whatever you want. But don't go around telling people we're engaged or getting married, all right?"

"Mmph..." Misaya took a bite, her eyes lighting up as she chewed. He hadn't said no. He hadn't rejected her outright or told her it would never happen. She swallowed and beamed at him. "Okay. It'll be our secret."

Manaka’s own smile didn’t so much as flicker.

‘Poor little thing,’ she thought, watching the girl's obvious delight. ‘She doesn't even realize when Master is trying to let her down gently.’ But Manaka knew Yuu better than anyone else in the world. He'd never fall for someone so completely absorbed in herself. Misaya's crush was just the usual childhood nonsense—nothing that wouldn't fade with time.

Still... he'd praised her cooking again this morning. The memory made warmth bloom in her chest.

Now, what should she make for lunch?

It was always a delicate balance, trying to figure out what would please him most. She knew he had developed a taste for spice since coming to Japan, but there were still so many gaps in her knowledge of what he truly enjoyed. Sometimes she caught him savoring something she'd prepared with an almost surprised expression, as if he hadn't expected to like it quite so much.

That was part of what made cooking for him so engaging—piecing together the puzzle of Yuu's preferences, one meal at a time. Learning what made his face light up, what made him pause mid-bite to really taste what she'd made. Each small discovery felt like uncovering a secret.

What Manaka didn't realize was that Yuu's tastes were as changeable as anyone else's. His current preference for heat and bold flavors had only developed after he'd moved to Tokyo. Back in London, he'd gravitated toward sweet-and-sour combinations, the kind of flavors that reminded him of childhood comfort foods. Even now, his cravings shifted with his mood, the weather, or sometimes for no reason at all. Half the time, Yuu himself couldn't predict what would appeal to him on any given day.