Dreams were wonderful things—especially when one possessed an imagination as rich as Kiyohiko’s.
Within his dream, the entire world had been turned upside down.
This was no longer the Butterfly Mansion with its ever-present scent of disinfectant.
Instead, Kiyohiko sat upon the throne of a magnificent golden palace, one leg crossed over the other and an enormous teaching ruler clasped in his hand.
Kneeling before him was Shinobu Kocho, the wicked woman who always concealed knives behind her smile and carried the scent of a fermented pickle jar wherever she went.
She held a cup of tea that emitted an ominous purple mist.
“Um… Lord Kiyohiko…”
The dream version of Shinobu lowered her eyes, her voice soft and submissive, without the slightest trace of her usual cunning.
“This wisteria tea was specially prepared for you… No, I mean, drinking it myself is part of my punishment.”
“Please forgive my rudeness yesterday~”
“Hehehehe!
You think begging will save you now, Miss Shinobu Kocho?”
Kiyohiko released the maniacal laughter of a proper villain and slowly extended one finger toward Shinobu’s smooth forehead.
“For every time you flicked me yesterday, I’ll repay you twice today!
Show me your forehead!”
“I’m going to flick you until you grow a horn like a unicorn!”
Shinobu trembled and squeezed her eyes shut.
“W-Waaah… Please be gentle…”
Kiyohiko drew back his finger.
He took aim.
He fired—
Just as his fingertip was about to touch her pale skin and complete this legendary act of revenge—
“WAAAAAKE UUUUUP!!”
A roar comparable to a sonic weapon instantly shattered the glorious palace.
Shinobu’s face cracked like glass, and the throne collapsed beneath him.
“Waaaah!
Enemy attack!”
Kiyohiko sprang from the bed like a startled cat.
He even attempted something resembling a Thomas flare in midair before crashing into the wall with a heavy bang.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
He clutched the back of his head and opened his eyes with a grimace.
There was no palace.
No kneeling Shinobu begging for mercy.
There was only a dim room and a twin-tailed girl standing in the doorway with her hands planted firmly upon her hips.
She wore the nursing uniform unique to the Butterfly Mansion, and her twin ponytails bounced with every furious movement.
Her entire expression seemed to announce three things at once:
I am busy.
Do not test me.
Get moving.
“Are you a pig?!
The sun is already high in the sky, and you’re still sleeping!”
The girl displayed no fear whatsoever toward the fact that he was a demon.
If anything, his refusal to leave the bed appeared to make her even angrier.
She carried a tray containing a bowl of red liquid that released a sweet, metallic scent.
“Lady Shinobu is already waiting for you at the training hall!
If you’re late, you won’t be the only one who gets lectured—I’ll be dragged into it too!”
Kiyohiko rubbed his eyes and stared blankly at the girl, who looked as though she had swallowed an entire barrel of explosives.
“Wait… Who are you?”
“My grand ‘Revenge Against Shinobu’ plan was only just reaching its climax.
Couldn’t you have waited another two minutes before waking me?”
“You could’ve at least let me flick her once.”
“Huh?
What nonsense are you talking about?
Are you still asleep?”
The girl frowned and marched toward the bed before slamming the tray onto the bedside table with a sharp clatter.
“I’m Aoi Kanzaki!
I manage the Butterfly Mansion’s daily affairs and care for its patients!”
“Starting today, I’ll also be responsible for supervising your daily routine!”
Aoi pointed toward the bowl of crimson liquid.
“This is the ‘specially prepared nutritious breakfast’ Lady Shinobu ordered for you—fresh deer blood mixed with…”
She hesitated.
“Some kind of medicinal herb.
I don’t know what it is, but she said it would be good for your body.”
“Finish it quickly, then follow me to the training hall!”
Kiyohiko leaned closer and sniffed.
In addition to the scent of blood, he could indeed detect a faint medicinal fragrance.
Most importantly, there was no revolting trace of wisteria.
“Aoi Kanzaki…”
“Blueberry?”
[Target detected: Aoi Kanzaki.]
[Current Bond Value: -10.]
Had Kiyohiko seen such a notification earlier, he would have immediately started complaining about his terrible luck.
By now, however, he had grown accustomed to it.
At this point, meeting someone whose Bond Value started positive would have been far more alarming.
Aoi Kanzaki… I knew there was another girl named Aoi at the Butterfly Mansion.
It’s been so long since I watched the anime that I nearly forgot.
Kiyohiko lifted the bowl and began gulping down its contents.
Between mouthfuls, he complained indistinctly:
“Blueberry, has your voice been possessed by some kind of trumpet demon?”
“That scream just now probably woke up every demon on the next mountain.”
“S-Shut up and drink!”
Aoi’s cheeks reddened slightly, but she immediately restored her stern expression.
“And don’t call me Blueberry!
I have a name!”
Looking at the small girl who became furious at the slightest provocation, Kiyohiko licked the remaining blood from the corner of his mouth and found his mood improving.
Losing that wonderful dream was unfortunate, but the people of the Butterfly Mansion—or rather, the girls living here—seemed remarkably energetic.
Perhaps raising their Bond Values would not be particularly difficult after all.
“All right, all right, Instructor Aoi.”
Kiyohiko jumped from the bed and stretched deeply.
The joints throughout his body released a rapid series of cracks.
Out in the corridor, he pressed himself close to the wall and crept forward as cautiously as a gecko.
“Hey, hey, Blueberry, aren’t you walking a little too quickly?”
“Are you trying to murder me?”
The world beyond the corridor was bright and beautiful, filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. This story is hosted at g.com.
To Kiyohiko, however, the golden sunlight might as well have been molten lava pouring from the heavens.
Although the roof sheltered the outer side of the walkway, the occasional rays that slipped through still made his skin prickle with pain.
“Be quiet!
And who are you calling Blueberry?!”
Aoi walked ahead of him, still speaking harshly, but her pace had clearly slowed.
She also remained along the outer edge of the corridor, using her small body to block any sunlight that might reflect toward him.
“And stop rubbing yourself against the wall!
It was just cleaned, and your clothes will dirty it!”
“Then let them get dirty.
This hospital robe wasn’t exactly chosen according to my personal taste.”
Kiyohiko pursed his lips and pointed toward the heavy wooden door at the far end of the corridor.
“Where exactly are we going, anyway?”
“Hell?”
“I can smell a conspiracy waiting behind that door.”
“The training hall!”
Aoi stopped in front of the door and inhaled deeply, as though gathering her courage.
Then she turned and stared seriously at Kiyohiko.
“Listen carefully.
Lady Shinobu specifically ordered every storm shutter in the training hall closed for your sake.
Not a single ray of sunlight can enter.”
“You had better go inside and accept your special training with the appropriate gratitude!”
“Special training?
Sounds more like an execution.”
Kiyohiko muttered as he slowly approached, maintaining a cautious distance from Aoi.
Ignoring his complaints, she reached forward and slid open the heavy wooden door.
Creeeak—
The sound of the hinges turning seemed exceptionally harsh within the silent corridor.
A wave of cool air washed over them.
Aoi had already been inside for some time before Kiyohiko finally shuffled through the doorway.
The training hall was indeed completely dark.
Only a handful of dim oil lamps flickered in the corners, stretching the petite figure standing at its center into a long shadow.
Shinobu Kocho stood in the middle of the room.
She had removed her usual butterfly-patterned haori and changed into a dark training uniform that allowed greater freedom of movement, giving her a sharp and capable appearance.
What truly sent a chill down Kiyohiko’s spine, however, was the familiar, flawless smile upon her face—
And the wooden sword she was lightly tapping against her palm.
“My, good morning, Kiyohiko-kun.”
Shinobu’s voice was as bright and cheerful as though she were greeting an old friend she had not seen in years.
That impression would have been far more convincing without the suffocating atmosphere surrounding her.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“I heard that you were calling my name in your dreams…”
Her smile deepened.
“And that you wanted to flick my forehead.”
“I’m truly…”
“Flattered”
…
TL: What do you think of the “Blueberry” nickname?
The raws used a different wordplay, but it didn’t make sense in Japanese, so I switched to a Japanese‑inspired one instead—since Aoi can mean “blue,” and her eye color is also blue, I went with Blueberry.
(The original was “Sunflower Seed.”)