Campione: Strongest# 431: It Was All a Lie

“Hah! Hah! That was exhilarating!”

SHIKI was slumped over a park bench, her slender arms pressing down on her thighs to support her body as she spoke with heavy, ragged breaths.

Beads of sweat slowly broke out on her exquisite cheeks, tracing a path down to her new, mustard-yellow kimono, which was already damp.

Though utterly exhausted, she was filled with a sense of pure triumph. The memory of dashing out of the store, looking back at Haru’s bewildered expression as she left him with the bill—

“Pfft—!” SHIKI covered her mouth and burst into laughter. Her beautiful smile was like a rose in full bloom—alluring, yet with a hint of danger. “That was priceless, Uncle!”

After her laughter subsided, she leaned back against the bench, a hint of melancholy in her voice. “Well, the body’s yours now, Shiki.”

She didn’t understand why she felt so wistful. This was her first time exploring the outside world, her first time conversing with a stranger, and she’d thoroughly pranked the "Uncle." With three sources of joy, she should have been ecstatic.

Why—

Her focus drifted.

Unlike the spaced-out SHIKI, the original Shiki, observing the world through the same eyes, responded in a flat tone. 'SHIKI, look to your side.'

“Huh?” SHIKI turned her head slowly. On the right side of the bench, Haru was standing there. He held a KFC bag in his left hand and was enjoying a chicken sandwich in his right, chewing contentedly.

Sensing her gaze, Haru paused his chewing, held out the half-eaten sandwich, and offered it to her.

“Want a bite?”

“You have got to be kidding me!” SHIKI cried, throwing her head back. Then, she put force into her waist and sprang up from the bench, leaping three or four meters away.

The moment her feet hit the ground, a burning pain shot up her soles, and she instinctively recoiled.

“Crap, balance!” The instant her legs pulled back, SHIKI’s face froze. She tried desperately to recover, but her left foot touched the ground first, and the recoil combined with the leftward lean.

Snap—!

The sound, audible only to her, echoed in her mind, immediately followed by searing pain.

Thump.

A pair of large hands wrapped around her waist.

“A jump like that made you lose your balance? The Ryougi family’s martial arts would be weeping right now,” a teasing voice sounded right next to her ear.

“Whose fault do you think that is!” SHIKI demanded, her brows tightly knitted.

If she hadn't spent hours running from him, her feet wouldn't be blistered, and she wouldn't have nearly broken her ankle. It was all his fault!

“If you hadn’t run, would I have chased you?” Haru replied shamelessly, pulling her upright with a skillful tug.

“Hiss—!”

The burning pain from her foot touching the ground made SHIKI suck in a sharp breath. Large beads of sweat trickled down her face.

“What’s wrong?” Haru frowned, noticing her pale complexion and trembling lips. His earlier movement wasn't forceful enough to injure her. That meant… it was her own fault?

“…I sprained my ankle,” SHIKI grumbled, glaring at Haru. She was certain his mind was still cooking up something wicked.

“Eh, eh, what are you doing?” She looked at Haru, who suddenly lifted her into his arms, her face a mask of bewilderment.

“Playing doctor, obviously. How else am I supposed to conquer you?” Haru said, a playful grin on his face.

“Conquer me?” SHIKI was confused, having never played games. But judging by his malicious smile, it was definitely nothing good.

'Shiki, when we get home, have Akiha look up Conquer for me, please,' she thought.

'Mm,' Shiki replied succinctly.

Haru placed her back on the park bench, ignored her protests, and crouched down, lifting her slender feet. He admired the beautiful sensation in his hands for a moment before asking softly, “Which foot is it?”

“Let go of me!”

“Which foot is it?”

“Just let go!”

Seeing her mixture of fury and shame, Haru narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint appearing in them.

“Hiss—!” SHIKI gasped, her body trembling from the sudden pain.

“The left one,” Haru said flatly.

“Are you blind? Both feet are bloody! What was the point of asking?” she glared at him. Her soles were already raw from running on blisters. His question was completely unnecessary.

“Oh, my eyesight’s been a bit poor lately,” he said, a wicked grin on his face.

Haru lowered his head, looking at the slightly red stain on her tabi. He slowly reached out and hooked the edge of the sock, gently pulling it off.

It was a shame it was just a simple sock. If it had been a full pantyhose-kimono outfit, he would have had an excuse to explore beneath her kimono.

Ahem...

Working quickly, he removed the tabi and looked at her slightly bloody, raw feet. His lip twitched.

“You were running on feet like this?”

The hint of scolding in his voice made SHIKI’s body stiffen, her expression turning complex.

“Hey, I bought those for you. Grab the sandwich and the wrap. For drinks, there’s Coke and orange juice. Help yourself.” Haru's hand glowed with a pale, white light as he treated her small feet.

“Oh! A sandwich?!” SHIKI’s eyes widened. She quickly grabbed the plastic bag and, licking her lips, took out the sandwich. She’d only eaten a rice ball in the car this morning and had been running from nine until one. She was starving.

“By the way, Uncle, what kind of power is that? It worked really well!” Her toes wiggled slightly as she chewed, surprised by how quickly her feet were healing.

“The Holy Light of the Church,” Haru said, gently pinching her left ankle, his tone flat.

“Huh? You’re religious? What’s your position?” she asked, slightly taken aback. The supposedly pious Church having a scumbag like him? What a sight.

“That’s right. I’m a member of the Church. And I’m the head honcho, too,” Haru replied half-jokingly.

“Tsk. It’s not like I haven’t seen the Pope’s picture before… Hiss!” she pursed her lips, then sucked in a sharp breath.

“Ankle adjusted. Try moving it now,” Haru said, withdrawing his hands, his tone flat.

“Say something first! You scared me!” SHIKI frowned, tears welling up in her eyes as she cursed, repeatedly hitting his head with the empty plastic bag.

“Giving you time to react would only make it more painful,” Haru said, ignoring the plastic bag attack, his deadpan eyes filled with disdain.

Slamming the empty packaging into the bag, SHIKI stood up, stomped her foot, and said, her voice light and cheerful, “My feet are fine!”

“Then, are you still running?” Haru smiled.

“I’m not running anymore. I’m going home!” She strode away in the direction of the Ryougi residence. After walking a few steps and realizing he wasn’t following, she turned back.

“I bet you wouldn’t dare follow me home!”

With that, she walked away without looking back.

“That’s really the most pathetic attempt at a provocation I’ve ever seen,” Haru shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.