'Eh? You 're leaving for a week? ' There 's a clear note of surprise in Hoshi-san 's voice. The boy 's eyes widen correspondingly in reflection of the shock threaded through his words.

'Yes. ' Shiki inclines her head.

'That 's ' ' Hoshi-san trails off for a moment, formulating his words. Shiki waits for him patiently, even as the boy waves his hands in a small gesture that completely fails to explain anything at all. ' ' Kind of sudden. Definitely unexpected. Is ' is everything alright? It 's not a new mission, is it? What kind of mission requires you to be gone so long? '

There 's an audible note of concern growing in his tone. Perhaps she should 've expected this. To date, the longest that Shiki has been absent from the jujutsu school is only for a few days at most, so of course her sudden announcement of a week-long absence would seem strange to Hoshi-san.

'It 's not a mission, ' Shiki responds. 'There are ' personal matters for me to attend to. That 's all. '