Chapter 7
Autumn-Winter festival

It's been a month ever since that incident, and one week of  Y/n annoying Tomo to an extent that she wants to go to a festival even though it is already freezing outside.

She slid the door wide open to Tomo's room, "Tomo..!" She whined but only to ser Tomo's sleeping soundly.

Of course he's asleep, it's so early in the morning.

She slowly approached him, "Tomo?" She sat beside his futon.

But still no response.

For the past week, Tomo decided to go easy on her but in most times he would just ignore her whenever she speaks off of the festival.

It was his younger brother's advice that he should go easy on her because she is a 'lady', not wanting to get reported to the shogunte for abuse he just let Y/n to do whatever, therefore she sort of has the upper ground now.

The only reason he didn't go easy on her before is because he didn't want to risk giving himself a soft heart and eventually fall in love considerig he is living with a pretty woman his age, but now he is walking on thin ice, he's only human afterall.

Tomo's eyes shot wide open out of annoyance, the soft sun rays hitting his purple eyes which gazed upon the clock in front of the futon. "In Shogun's name, Y/n, it's six in the morning..." he turned to the other side opposite to where Y/n was, "And no, we're not going to the festival, I won't spoil you like your servants spoil you back at your place" he groaned before covering himself with the blanket.

"Also y/n, get out of my room." His muffled voice came out before feeling drowsy again.

Y/n huffed and got up, "Then I'm going myself!" she turned around and walked away but tripped when Tomo grabbed her ankle, "I hate spoiled kids like you the most, just give me ten more minutes of sleep and we'll go after lunch" he complained.

Y/n smile grew, "Thank you!" she stood up again and bowed. He clicked his tongue out of annoyance and drifted back to sleep.

He found himself in front of a table, sitting down on a zaisu, tea was placed on the table and accross the table there st Kazuha, this time he did not wear his oh so elegant kimono, he wore samurai looking clothes.

Kazuha gives Tomo a stern look, "The Kaedehara clan submitted to the shogun in order to clear our name"

Tomo gave him a confused expression on his face, "What are you talking about, Kaedehara"

Kazuha chuckles, "Did you ever think witnessing the musou no hitotachi will clear your name just so you can finally soften your stoned heart and free yourself from your father's manipulation? And to clear your name to marry XXXX"

He remained confused, he did not know a single word Kazuha was talking about. Him? Want to go against the almight shogun? No.

He is not even close to Kazuha yet he somehow appeared in his dream, but he mentioned the Musou no Hitotachi, could this be a warning of some sort?

Kazuha stood up with his blade in hand, he soon started to melt into the figure of the Shogun, Tomo could not move from where he was but as soon as the blade hit his neck his eyes shot open.

"You've been calling my name for twenty minuites straight" Y/n let out a sigh.

"What..." he lowly says until he realized Y/n's thumbs were on his temples as if she was massaging him also with the use of her vision.
"You sounded in pain, and as a healer ofcourse i had to check up on you only to see you dreaming about something that caused you to call out my name, guess you really are that desperate"

"Right i was dreaming about..." Tomo forgot his dream right away. It is crazy to think how a person can forget a dream ever so quickly.

"Whatever, i prepared food, i promise you it doesn't taste bad, i've been improving" Y/n tried to cheer him up. Tomo hesitated to go back go sleep and looked at the clock "I was out for five and a half hours, a dream that quick took that much time"
-

"It tastes better than i expected it to be" He plainly says as he eats his Tonkotsu while Y/n just stares at him with a smile, "I find it creepy that you're being nice to me, what happened go your recklessness"

Y/n smile quickly faded away, "You said we'll go to the festival after lunch!"

"I did?" Tomo sips water, Y/n grunts and splashes water to his face with her vision which caused him to flinch "Don't worry i remember i said that, besides, whatever it takes to make you trust me, I'm a man of my word"

Y/n snorts, "'Man of my word' yet you kept on saying you'll kill me but til' now i still haven't lost a limb" Tomo ignored her and just continued eating, "Not like i have the guts to do that anyway..." He muttered under his breath, "you were saying?" Y/n puts her chopsticks ontop of the bowl in an orderly manner. "Nothing" He replied.

"If you want to go to the festival, you can't use the kimono you wore when i took you here" Tomo continued, "I'm fine with wearing masculine clothes as well, wearing layers of clothing sometimes makes me uncomfortable" Y/n answered.

"Go wash the dishes for now, I'll go find something" Tomo stood up and left the dining area.

-

Y/n wipes her hands and Tomo placed a box on the table, "The box itself looks expensive" she comments, he looked at her head to toe before opening the luxurious box, "Not sure if this will fit you"

In the box revealed a beautiful kimono, even though Y/n has worn such expensive kimonos she has never seen one as beautiful as the one in the box, but then something came into her mind.

"Have you been married before?" Y/n lifted her face to face his, he looked away. "You've read the book, it didn't say any records of any sort of marriage did it not?" He replied.

Y/n shook her head, "Then who does this belong to?" She asked.

"My dead older sister's. Go change into these, and we'll leave, if you need assistance with your obi, just tell me" He sounded quite cold and left the room once again to give her privacy to change.

She was able to wear the layers surprisingly fast while she finished fixing her hair in case somoene from the Kaedehara clan is there, she had to prepare herself and dress the opposite way than she usually does. She slid the door open only to see Tomo drinking his tea patiently. His hair was tied neatly, not like the usual messy tie. He didn't wear his usual combat clothes, if ever, this was the first time she has seen him wear a hakama. She hates to admit but the way he dresses reminds her of how his older brother dresses, expensive and elegant.

Tomo looked up, "come on, before the Raiden Shogun plans to turn this beautiful weather into a blizzard"

It rarely snows in Inazuma, but ever since the lockdown was abolished the weather started to change, usually when it's winter, sudden thunderstorms and high speeds of cold wind is what Inazumans get, but now, it's just like Snezhnaya's usual weather, except it's not as cold as Snezhnaya.

Y/n was relieved to be able to leave the estate again even if it is not permanent, the snow touching her geta, her cheeks slowly turning red from the cold while Tomo on the other hand wasn't affected by any of this, it seems like he still goes out quite often even during this season.

They walked and walked until they finally arrived at the festival, since this is the last day, many other people even from other nations came.

"Y/n, don't let go-", "Didn't i tell you that we are using each other? So just trust me" She playfully elbows him.

She enjoyed every stall, Tomo was worried he didn't bring enough mora, but spending a lot for her made him feel...less lonely.

He hates to admit that yes this is the first time he was able to enjoy a festival with someone else but he worries that he might get softer.

Tomo came across a stall that sells hairpins, without a second thought he found himself buying one, a pretty red cherry blossom designed hairpin with a mix of summer and autumn leaves following, and a winter pearl white design than hangs from the main design. It resembled the four seasons, he thought.

The hairpin was wrapped neatly and fancily, he carefully took it after paying and immidiately hid inside his kimono the moment Y/n called for his name to buy herself a dango.

After a series of festive events, Tomo stopped walking behind her, intrusive thoughts began to come. He feels nothing, nothing at all for her, he thought. He never wanted to feel anything, but the way she treated him, the way she did not rebel against him completely, and the way she trusts him made him feel like he should just let her go and make a stupid excuse to his father and eventually get disowned for not doing a job done over her.

Y/n noticed that her milky beige haired companion wasn't behind her anymore, she looked back to see him just standing there acting like he had just set a bird free.

He gave her his first genuine soft smile before slowly walking off, Y/n frowned and chased after him to a less populated area of the venue.

She grabbed his cold hand but it was slapped away, she groaned, "The moment i was thinking of starting to trust you a lot is the moment you wanted to discard your progress, letting me go means nobody will win at all"

"I told you to trust me, but i never told you to be nice to me" he looked at her, "Don't even think i even wanted to be stuck with you at the first place-", "And now that i want you to return thats when you refused to go, in archon's name Y/n, you're confusing me!" His voice got louder.

The wind grew stronger, "For the past month i planned to give you a living hell, but i..." He stammered, his breath visibly getting stronger through the cold, "You're getting soft" Y/n softly says before turning back, however, from out of the blue, Tomo grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, "I hate you...i hate you, i hate you, i hate you so much, don't go"

Y/n scoffed, "It's amazing how you're suddenly so attatched to me, if you hate me so much then.." She grabbed Tomo's sword from it's sheath, grabbed his hand and forcefully made him take the hilt of the sword aiming it to her neck, "Why can't you just kill me?"

Tomo stayed silent for a moment, "You're right, i have gotten way too soft, nobody wins if you go, which means i won't be able to overthrow my father if i let you go, there might've been something you put in my food that made me feel this way, i'm only keeping you around for the sake of my clan, that's the only one thing i will care about, which means i don't care anymore if i lose", Y/n was speechless, 'he...doesn't care? What is that even supposed to mean? Is he giving up that easily?' She thought.

He walked away to the path heading to his estate while sheathing his sword back, Y/n, having no choice, followed him.