Chapter 3: The Charming Heroine's Best Friend is Essentially a Heroine Too

[The Heroine's Best Friend]

In various genres of entertainment, the heroine's best friend character can be entrusted with a wide range of roles, and in some cases, they even gain popularity that overshadows the heroine.

They help, guide, and protect the heroine. Conversely, a charming best friend character brings out the heroine's charm, and the best friend character's charm is also brought out by the heroine.

In short, essentially, the heroine's best friend could be considered a heroine too!

★★★

Almost a year had passed since I, Hojo Sakura, began serving the young lady of Onjōji family, Onjōji Chitose-sama.

My days at the Onjōji household weren't bad. The head of the family and his wife were kind to me, and Chitose-sama, whom I served, was also a very kind person.

"Chitose-sama, it's almost time for breakfast. .... How would you like your breakfast for this morning?"

That's why—every morning when I ask this, my heart leaps.

"Good morning, Sakura. I'm feeling good this morning. I think I'll be able to eat breakfast with Otou-sama and Okaa-sama."

"That's wonderful to hear."

"Hehe, thank you. Besides, it would be rather wrong to have Sakura carry the meal all the way up to this room every single time."

"Please don't worry about it so much. That's my job."

"Sakura, you're always so stiff. Now that it's just the two of us, you could relax a bit more, you know?"

"I'm sorry to say the same thing every time, but I have my own position to consider."

When I answered that way, Chitose-sama puffed out her cheeks, her expression clearly showing her displeasure.

Her pale skin was slightly flushed red, suggesting she was annoyed, and it was clear she was puffing them out as much as she could.

However, because her face was small, the puffiness was rather adorable, almost cute enough to make me want to poke it.

Of course, I would never do something so impolite towards my lady.

"Well then, let me help you with your morning grooming."

When I told her that, she puffed out her cheeks some more, but then turned her hair towards me so I could comb it more easily, and I almost let out a gasp at how adorable she was, but managed to hold it in by puffing out my own cheeks.

"Sakura, is something wron—... Ah, Sakura! Are you making fun of me?"

"Eh, no, Not at all..."

Perhaps she felt like I was making fun of her because I was puffing out my cheeks just like hers.

Her cheeks became redder and redder, and I somehow thought they looked like peaches, and that thought made me smile even more.

•

•

The sound of me combing her hair echoed pleasantly in the quiet room. Chitose-sama's hair was white and silky. Thanks to the meticulous daily care, her white hair was beautiful, like morning frost.

However…

"Sakura, about your hair, has your hair grown at all?"

"Yes, it has. My hand gets heavier each day as I comb it; it's becoming quite a chore."

"That's right! I hope mine grows long enough to reach the bottom of my waist, like my mother's."

"It will still take some time, but if you keep letting it grow, it will eventually become just like Madam's. After all, Chitose-sama is Madam's daughter."

"That's true… Thank you, Sakura."

..... Chitose-sama's growth is slow. Extremely slow.

Master, the head of the Onjōji family, said this was due to the extremely strong Yin energy inherent in her from birth.

Yin energy is negative; it is short, low, deep, narrow, and slow.

Therefore, it has the nature of slowing down the progress of things, dulling vitality, and stagnating the flow of change.

That doesn't mean Yin energy is inherently bad; it's simply that it possesses such properties. Just having it doesn't cause any problems. Even I harbor Yin energy within me, and conversely, I've heard that those who harbor an extremely high concentration of Yang energy are afflicted in a different way than those with abundant Yin energy.

Not too much, and not too little; everything is about moderation. It is the harmony of positive and negative, the balance of Yin and Yang energies, that allows us to live healthy lives.

But that's not the case for Chitose-sama.

The Onmyōji who attended the birth apparently said it was a miracle she survived.

Yin energy stagnates everything.

That is to say... even the life of the person possessing that energy.

A child born with an extremely high concentration of Yin energy almost always has their life stopped the moment they are born, due to their own Yin energy.

Chitose-sama survived because the Onmyōji, who was by her side, immediately harmonized Yin and Yang with her own yang energy.

And it seems that the newborn Chitose-sama also unconsciously controlled her own Yin energy.

Controlling one's energy isn't that unusual.

Of course, Onmyōji like Master can perform such techniques, and even among martial artists, there are those who are skilled in such arts.

It's not that unusual, but we're talking about a newborn baby here.

Controlling and mastering one's energy usually requires training. That's why so many babies have lost their lives.

Hence, Chitose-sama's case is a miracle. 

I heard from Master that the Onmyōji in question remarked that it could only be attributed to divine intervention or the protection of the gods.

It truly must have been divine intervention and protection.

In fact, Chitose-sama is currently unable to control her energy. She is desperately trying not to worry her parents, but there are no visible results. The overwhelming amount of Yin energy continues to erode Chitose-sama's body.

Even if full control is achieved, it only weakens the effects of the Yin energy; without an equivalent amount of Yang energy to counteract it, the body cannot function normally.

It merely weakens its effects.

I've heard that when Chitose-sama was a baby, Master poured his Yang energy into her almost daily, yet she still almost wandered into the underworld many times.

If this stemmed from an internal organ disease, then healing that organ would naturally lead to harmony of energy. However, for Chitose-sama, this is something like an illness ingrained in her soul.

In a sense, this frailness is her normal state. 

While there are techniques to enhance each type of energy through the use of Yin and Yang magic, how could one possibly produce enough yang energy to rival such a powerful Yin energy....!

"Sakura?"

"...!! I'm so sorry. I was just thinking."

"That's alright, but... are you okay? It's not like you're feeling unwell, is it?"

"No. I'm fine. I was really just thinking of something."

"Really? That's good then! I was worried that I might have upset you."

"I would never think that."

"... Sakura, you're so kind. Thank you."

"You're welcome... Let's finish the morning preparations quickly, we shouldn't keep the Master and Madam waiting."

"Right! What's for breakfast today?"

'Ahh....

Why this girl?

Why must this girl suffer and agonize so much...?

Why has the world inflicted such hardship upon this girl?'

"Sakura?"

"I'm so sorry. I'll prepare immediately."

"You know, Sakura, I'm very happy."

"....."

"I have Otou-sama, Okaa-sama, and everyone else. And of course, there's Sakura!"

'Chitose-sama.'

"I'm truly blessed. Because here I am, laughing and living with Sakura."

'Chitose-sama.'

"So, you see? Don't make such a sad face, Sakura. I want to laugh with you. I want both of us to laugh together."

'Chitose-sama...!'

"...Understood."

"You're still stiff, Sakura."

"It's just my nature."

★

Only the sound of rustling fabric echoed in the quiet room in the early morning. 

Sakura adjusted her lady's clothes, careful not to injure her lady slender, small, and soft body.

At least, at VERY least, Sakura hoped her lady, like a fragile piece of glass, would be healthy for days to come.

(Yin energy is really convenient, isn't it?

Thanks to it, I can do the cliche that is impossible for a normal healthy body! Because it's Yin energy! 

Well, it would be dangerous if I couldn't control it, but I can, so it's all good!

Ahh, Sakura's expression is irresistible!!!)