Shortly, Anrei turned his gaze from Jin to Tsubaki. Her words seemed to almost trigger Anrei as his his jaw tightened at the mention of the “other four.” He shifted his gaze to a distant area of the meadows, away from both Tsubaki and Jin. The wind stirred the dust around them, as Anrei knew that his feelings towards the other members were nowhere close to how it was for Tsubaki as he viewed her more like his bestfriend while he didn't particularly like the others at all yet. For a moment, he didn’t respond, allowing the silence to speak for him until he eventually responded. Anrei finally broke the quiet with a low, measured voice, his words coming out in carefully controlled tones.
“I appreciate the suggestion, Tsubaki.. But I’m not going to bring the others into this. There are reasons why I haven’t involved them."
Casting a sidelong glance at Jin to make sure his cousin knew part of the reason from the simple gaze alone if he was paying attention.
"Even though i respect the others, I don’t trust everyone with sensitive matters. Not this… not with Jin. Too many people have their own interests at heart. The second they find out what i'm doing, especially after manipulating everything to make sure im the one looking after him, they’ll question my loyalty—our loyalty. The only reason I told you is simple... I trust you with Jin because I know how you feel about him. You… have always cared for him, and I know you’ll put him before anything else. On top of that you've not only earned my respect but my trust as well.”
Anrei then paid attention to the exchange between Tsubaki and Jin with a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Standing a few steps back, he observed Jin, stiff and visibly uncomfortable under Tsubaki’s unabashed affection. Her arms were still wrapped around him tightly, and Jin's face had turned to the side, a blush creeping along his cheeks despite his best efforts to mask it with a gruff, impatient expression. Anrei let out a soft chuckle, his amusement only thinly veiled as he took in Jin’s flustered state. For a fleeting moment, he saw the cousin he remembered—someone hardened by circumstance yet still vulnerable to his closest companions’ warmth. Jin had always had a certain pride to him, and being seen in such a vulnerable, almost affectionate situation was likely making his skin crawl. But beneath that embarrassment, Anrei noticed something that Jin couldn't quite mask, a feeling of emotion towards Tsubaki that had only grown stronger since his return, at least in his eyes.
Stepping forward, Anrei clapped a hand firmly on Jin’s shoulder, bringing his cousin’s attention away from Tsubaki’s embrace and towards him. His tone was a mix of teasing and warmth, attempting to ease Jin’s discomfort without completely letting him off the hook.
“So, you’re planning to help us 'idiots,' are you? Last I checked, you barely got out of that Earth Golem battle without losing a limb.”
With that, Anrei gestured towards the two to grab a hold on his shoulders he utilized the teleportation technique to return the 3 of them back to the hideout along with the captured rogue who was still tied up.
Current Location: Silent Meadows
Post Order: Jin Tendo -> Anrei Tendo
Time Limit: 3 Days
Skip Points: 2