Tsuki Tsuki Vol 10 Prologue

Prologue

“—Hey s.h.i.+n.o.bu, what would you do if I were to disappear?”
Reluctantly spilled words. Amber eyes flickering with worry. Slightly bitten, well-formed lips. While I looked at her expression, my anxiety grew.
“What do you mean… by disappear?”
The voice coming from my voice was unexpectedly stiff.
Machina Liebelei Orangelo. The girl in front of me was one of our freeloaders, Luna’s little stepsister and a hybrid devil, but she was just like family to me.
Therefore her words that hinted a farewell agitated me considerably.
On the way home from school. Machina was rooted on by all cla.s.smates with smiles to run for the student council election. While she arrived on our home road together with me, she seemed to ponder about her partic.i.p.ation in the election. But amidst that, Machina mentioned that her father Bram replied with a letter on a rare occasion. Now she had her expression clouded and I continued my words in confusion.
“You won’t go anywhere, will you?”
“…It’s not like it’ll be right away. But, my father said I should come back to the demon realm soon in his letter… So I’m hesitant about the election.”
Temporarily stopping her words, Machina smiled sadly.
“Running for the election, even though I might go away, is ridiculous, right?”
“…You plan to go back to the demon realm?”
“I don’t know yet. It’s seems my father is coming over here soon, so I plan to decide then.”
Machina’s words weren’t the ones I was hoping for. I wanted her to say that she had no plans to go back. But,
“…I don’t know your reasons, but if you want to stay with everyone, you’re always welcome in our house. If you don’t want to go back, just tell me. I’ll help you then.”
When I called out to her softly, Machina slightly dampened her eyes and hung her head a bit like that.
“You’re sly, s.h.i.+n.o.bu. Usually you’re s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around, yet at a time like this you’re so kind.”
“Because it’s you. Of course I’ll be kind.”
When I lightly petted her head along with my words, Machina tightly grabbed the sleeve of my clothes after a short pause while still hanging her head.
“Hey s.h.i.+n.o.bu, I’ll tell the others about the election and my father’s visit, but keep it a secret from Nazuna and Tomoe-san for now that I might go back to the demon realm.”
“…From Nazuna too?”
My mother didn’t know that Luna and Machina were devils. But Nazuna…
“I don’t want to worry her unnecessarily.”
Cutting into my thoughts, Machina raised her head and continued.
“Once it’s all decided, I’ll tell them. Please keep quiet until then.”
“…Okay. But if you change your mind, talk to Nazuna.”
When I replied so, Machina nodded with “Yes” and removed her hand from my sleeve.
“Let’s go home… before it gets late.”
While walking onwards as to end the conversation, Machina softly took my hand.
Her hand was soft and really warm. However, it was rare for Machina to take my hand out of her own initiative like this. She held my hand somewhat gentle and smiled kind of forced… My anxiety gradually grew bigger.
Afterwards I kept having silly conversations with her, but unrest and impatience were swelling up inside my chest and Machina kept holding my hand with her warm palm all the way home…