"Am I the correct place?"
The next day after his date-ish with Nino who had been oddly more bold and clingy as well as increased her tsundere tendency.
He assumed that it was her growth toward the feeling that she was hiding and suppressing.
Caelum did not mind her tsundere antics and found it coming that someone was unable to show their true feelings when it was clear as day.
They had spent around the city to continue their date before returning home and Caelum received an emergency call from someone.
"Hello there, do you need anything?"
He turned to his side, seeing a gorgeous woman that by the way she carried herself seemed to be a mother. She had dark hair tied in a ponytail and golden eyes that emphasized her face.
"Are you perhaps Miko-san's Mother?"
"Ah yes, who are you if I may ask?"
"Oh where are my manners? You call me Caelum Mercer or Masa-san since I know it is difficult to pronounce."
"You're the one that my Miko has been telling me about. How about we head inside?"
"That would be lovely."
Those smiles had smitten the widow who held heart that beat for the first time ever since her husband had passed away. It was not Caelum's intention to flirt as he is a man who has set principles and limits when it comes to pursuing women.
He never takes a woman who had a great relationship with their lover or even deceased husband unless that woman falls in love with him.
Caelum vaguely guessed it was the reason why he had not acquired the Dao of Lust is because he's been holding back his lust but even if he is a person who pursues everything does not mean he is willing to make himself stoop so low.
Regardless that may be, he would always try to find a way to achieve things his way and not how the world dictates.
It was the primary reason why he is in the pursuit of strength. His way is not in order to change the world, but in order to not let the world change him. Caelum does not care how the world operates and he alone is the one who decided it.
He was the personification of hypocritical but Caelum would only laugh at them and end deafs ears. He was the Deaf Genius God.
"Tadaima!"
Caelum followed Miko's Mother inside and noticed the clear spiritual energy in the surrounding that had been leaking from somewhere. He vaguely guessed the reason for Miko calling him.
'His father is likely becoming distorted.'
Miko had told him about her father who had passed away and his spirit had been roaming in their home. Normally a ghost would exist if they had any regrets in life attaching themselves to those strong emotions, be it love, hatred, remorse,etc.
Any strong emotion would bind the soul in the world until two things happened: one is being able to finish their desires and return to the Samsara Wheel or Drowned by those emotions until it corrupted them due to the impurity of the world.
The Yin and Yang or Spiritual and Physical does not mix together unless using special methods but normally a ghost which is made of Yin won't be able to stay in a world made mostly of Yang or physical things.
"Mom, you're back! Who are you!?"
Caelum noticed the young boy that had short dark hair wearing a shirt and shorts that overall looked exactly like Miko.
He could feel his malicious intent that did not trigger his essence as it would only attack that could be a threat.
The boy seemed to be overprotective, glaring at him suspiciously that made Caelum inwardly laugh.
He can see himself in the boy when he's still considering Liliena as a sister rather than a woman.
"Kyousuke, this is a friend of your sister. Masa-san is here for Miko. Speaking of Miko, where is she?"
"She's in her room…."
Caelum ignored his glances and looked above to see Miko who was still practicing the technique he taught her. She was advancing rather quickly that entirely due to her unique physique.
"Call for her while I take care of our guest. Why don't you have a seat in the living room while I prepare some snacks?"
"Then sorry for trouble."
"You're not troubling anyone and I'm quite surprised to see Miko have a friend as good looking at you."
"Hahaha I'm flattered and I could say the same thing. Now I understand where Miko got her looks."
"Thank you but I'm already getting old."
"Nonsense, if I had not known that Miko only had a brother then I would assume you were her sister."
It was not compliment nor he was trying to flatter but for anyone it would be an easy mistake to think she was Miko's sister where she did not have wrinkles.
Caelum knew the reason for it and that is their family's unique physique that made them age slower having a large quantity of Yin that somehow turned to Yang.
Though, these simple words made the widowed woman blush as if she were a teenager again.
It quickly disappeared with guilt since she had just lost her husband and was already getting flustered by her daughter's friend.
"Thank you, Masa-san. I'll just go ahead and call Miko and prepare the snack."
He nodded sitting down at the couch while trying to ignore Kyousuke who sat close to him observing his every movement that made him warily smile how sis-con the guy is.
"Masa-san, tell me where you met my sister and what your intentions are?"
'Straight to the point!'
"I met her in an abandoned shrine along with her friend, Hana, a month ago. Also what do you mean by intention?"
"I mean are you my sister's boyfriend that recently bugged her?"
"....No, I think you're just overthinking things but I must say it is quite courageous of you to start acting maturely. It reminds me of myself when I was young."
The one Caelum is talking about is when his father died and he did not have any man in the house which made him the first one to act as one.
He can see Kyousuke doing the same thing since his father had passed away and instinctively taken up the mantle.
It was a heartfelt compliment and made a sincere smile that calmed Kyousuke nerves affected by his charisma. They both had similar experience and made it easy to sympathize with their feelings.
"Me? How do I remind myself of yourself?"
"...first let me ask you this, do you have the feeling to do everything for your mother and sister? Is it like you thought of replacing your father as a way to protect them? Cause I've been in that same place as you."
He was speechless hearing his words because it was exactly how things had been recently.
Kyousuke tried his best to fill the hole that had been emptied and became overprotective, feeling responsible for being the only boy in their home.
Caelum then placed his hand on the boy's shoulder that made him flinch before looking at his eyes filled with sincerity and wisdom.
"You're young and should not burden such things. It's alright to be protective but try to think how others feel when you act this way. Don't worry as a friend of your sister I'll make sure to protect her and that includes the people she held dear."
The boy felt his shoulder had been lifted by the burden seeing the determination and conviction in both his words and expressionsion.
He never expected that his mind would change from a few words. Kyousuke felt closed to Caelum as if he was his big brother that could be depend on
"....Then do you like my sister?"
"Of course! She's an amazing person who is both courageous to stand firmly and smile despite her troubled mind."
Caelum said these words knowing that behind the walls was Miko who heard his exclamation and made her heart skip a beat recalling everything he did for her.
Now seeing how he had gotten close to her brother and seemed to find the problem why her brother acted weirdly.
She felt grateful for everything and made her ponder how she felt towards him. Miko only thought it was because she felt compelled to be indebted to him for helping her but not it was different.
Miko had known about his relationship with other girls and made her jealous every time he interacted with them and yet he was able to manage their feelings without a problem. He places care and effort Every Time they are with each other.
'I...I should tell him how I feel and see how it goes. The festival is coming soon, so that's where I'll do it.'