Chapter 185 (Patreon)

“Mihawk-nii, welcome home!”

The moment Nerona Mihawk stepped inside, Hanabi came running from the entrance and threw herself into his arms.

Mihawk caught her, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

Saeko Busujima stared at him for a moment, caught off guard by the warmth in his expression.

It made her reconsider the impression she had formed of him.

Perhaps Sensei wasn’t as frightening as she had thought.

Beneath his cold, distant exterior, Mihawk was highly respected in this world. He had a close friend with whom he could speak freely, as well as a young girl who was clearly like family to him.

The reason Saeko found him so intimidating was probably because she still knew so little about him.

Despite being his student, there was still a considerable distance between them.

Realizing this only strengthened Saeko’s resolve.

She would close that distance as quickly as possible and earn Mihawk’s complete recognition as his student.

“Hm?”

Hanabi had been about to cling to Mihawk when she noticed Saeko standing beside him.

She raised her head and looked at Mihawk curiously.

“Mihawk-nii, who is this young lady?”

Although Mihawk had brought home someone she had never met, Hanabi still addressed Saeko politely instead of speaking about her carelessly. It was a small gesture, but it showed the manners expected of the Hyūga clan’s second heiress.

Mihawk set Hanabi down before introducing them.

“This is Saeko Busujima, my student. She’ll be living here from now on while she learns swordsmanship from me.”

He then turned toward Saeko.

“This is Hanabi, my girlfriend’s younger sister. Introduce yourselves.”

“Hello. My name is Saeko Busujima.”

Saeko’s demeanor changed immediately. The tension surrounding her faded as she offered Hanabi a graceful bow and a gentle smile.

Her voice was soft and pleasant, making it difficult for anyone to dislike her.

Hanabi froze for a moment before remembering her manners and quickly returning the bow.

“N-Nice to meet you. I’m Hyūga Hanabi.”

After greeting her, Hanabi took another careful look at Saeko.

For a moment, she had almost thought she was looking at her own sister.

Mihawk’s new student possessed a calm and refined air remarkably similar to Hinata’s.

While Hanabi studied her, Saeko was also observing the young girl before her.

Hanabi wore a golden-brown kimono similar in style to Mihawk’s. Her black hair carried a faint flaxen tint and fell long and straight behind her, with two small braids woven near her bangs.

She had a delicate, charming face and clear skin brimming with youthful vitality. Even at her age, it was already easy to imagine how beautiful she would become in the future.

What left the deepest impression on Saeko, however, was Hanabi’s pair of pure white eyes.

Saeko had never seen eyes like them before.

She felt certain she would never forget them.

Once the introductions were over, Mihawk looked at Hanabi.

“Where’s your sister?”

“She found the note you left and temporarily moved back to the Hyūga residence. It’s more convenient for her to practice the tea ceremony and flower arranging there.”

Hanabi placed an index finger against her lips and looked upward as she thought.

“She usually comes here around noon and again in the evening.”

As soon as she finished answering, Hanabi threw herself at Mihawk again.

With a bright smile on her face, she proudly declared, “But I’ve been staying here to look after the house whenever I’m not at school—even during the holidays!”

Mihawk smiled and patted her head in approval.

The three of them then entered the living room.

After sitting down on the sofa, Mihawk gestured toward Saeko and gave Hanabi her instructions.

“Help Saeko choose a guest room and clean it up with her. Once Hinata returns, take her out this evening to buy some clothes and daily necessities.”

“Okay!”

Hanabi nodded before looking up at Saeko.

“Saeko-onee-san, come with me.”

“Sorry to trouble you.”

Saeko bowed politely and followed Hanabi to choose a room.

As they walked down the corridor, Hanabi glanced at the two weapons in Saeko’s arms and smiled.

“Did Mihawk-nii give you that sword?”

Saeko paused in surprise before nodding.

“You recognize it?”

“Of course. It was Mihawk-nii’s first sword,” Hanabi explained. “He used it until he obtained the sword he carries now.”

Saeko instinctively tightened her hold on the sword.

Knowing that Mihawk had entrusted her with a weapon that had accompanied him through the beginning of his training filled her with warmth.

So this sword had once been Sensei’s first weapon...

Hanabi had no idea what Saeko was thinking.

After explaining the sword’s history, she gave Saeko another bright smile.

“You’re Mihawk-nii’s student, and you’ll be living here from now on. I hope we’ll get along!”

Hanabi felt no hostility toward Saeko despite her remarkable beauty and mature figure, which were comparable to Hinata’s.

Instead, she readily accepted the student her future brother-in-law had brought home.

The society Saeko came from placed considerable importance on seniority, and the shinobi world was no different.

In Hanabi’s eyes, the relationship between Mihawk and Saeko was that of a teacher and his student—nothing more.

It never occurred to her that their relationship could develop in an improper direction.

After all, a teacher and his student falling in love was unthinkable to her.

More importantly, Hanabi knew Mihawk’s character extremely well.

She had often considered herself fortunate to be Hinata’s younger sister.

That connection had allowed her to approach Mihawk boldly several years earlier. Once she realized how much he doted on her, she had even dared to gradually blur the boundaries of their relationship.

Without Hinata connecting them, Mihawk would never have treated Hanabi with such affection.

Even if he eventually married Hinata, Hanabi believed that without their earlier closeness, she and Mihawk might still have remained little more than strangers.

Hanabi understood better than most that Mihawk was not a playboy.

That was why she had complete faith in the boundaries imposed by their respective positions.

Although Hanabi was younger than Saeko, she still regarded Saeko as her kohai within Mihawk’s household.

In that respect, she carried herself exactly as one would expect of the Hyūga clan’s second heiress—and of the girl who secretly considered herself Mihawk’s second girlfriend.

“Of course.”

Seeing Hanabi express her friendliness so openly filled Saeko with warmth.

She returned the girl’s smile and nodded.

“I hope we’ll get along too.”