Chapter 54: If I Were a Master
"Hey, did you hear? A man moved into Ane-san's house."
"I know! They seem really close. Do you think they're...?"
"I never thought this day would come. Hard to believe, huh?"
...
Rukongai District 3 – Hokutan.
Kaien Shiba sipped his tea, shaking his head as he tried to dismiss the gossip as nothing more than a joke. It took him a while to suppress the irritation rising in his chest.
His sister—more brash and headstrong than most men—bringing a man home? What kind of nonsense was that? Impossible!
There had to be some kind of misunderstanding. Maybe this so-called "Ane-san" wasn't even referring to Kūkaku, but rather some upstart gang with a female leader.
Even so, the idea of Kūkaku being interested in a man wasn't completely unfounded. It was just a rumor, after all. No one had ever seen her take an interest in anyone...
Then, a face flashed through Kaien's mind—an unforgettable man, the type that could easily make someone fall for him at first sight.
Kūkaku... was interested in him.