"Wait, what's going on? Why is Yakumo-senpai here too?"
Shido asked uneasily into his earpiece.
[Sorry. This was my mistake. Yoshino wanted to experience the Halloween atmosphere, so I arranged for her to co to Shin's house. I didn't expect Mikoto to co at this exact ti too.]
Reine replied. After Tohka, the next scheduled date partner was Yoshino. Unfortunately, no one had expected Mikoto to arrive at the Itsuka house at the sa ti.
"What should I do, then?"
Shido said in distress.
[For now, follow the original plan and figure out Yoshino's situation first. Also, be careful while talking. Don't forget Mikoto is there.]
"Ah…"
Turning back, Shido saw Mikoto looking at him with a puzzled expression. She might have already noticed him speaking into the earpiece.
"Shido, what's wrong?"
Mikoto asked.
"N-no, nothing. Co in first."
Shido pulled himself together and invited the two of them into the house.
"Did you need sothing, Yakumo-senpai?"
Shido did not know why Mikoto had co, so he asked.
"I bought so delicious castella at the cake shop yesterday. I should have brought it over then, but you said you had sothing to do, so I changed it to today."
Mikoto placed the cake on the table. After opening the paper box, the fragrance of honey spread through the room.
"Ah, although it isn't Halloween candy, it's very, very sweet. Yoshino, would you like to try so too?"
"Mm… mm…"
Looking at the appetizing cake, Yoshino nodded lightly.
"I'll go get so plates. Shido, keep Yoshino company for now."
Mikoto went into the kitchen to look for a knife, forks, and plates to cut and serve the cake, while Shido sat down beside Yoshino.
"Speaking of food, when Yoshino first ca to my house… right, what did I make back then?"
Since he had to confirm whether Yoshino was Natsumi in disguise, Shido tried to ask casually.
"I rember… back then, you made… oyakodon…"
Yoshino exchanged a glance with Yoshinon, then answered quietly.
[Correct.]
Hearing Yoshino's reply, Shido breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ehh? What's this about? How co Yoshinon, don't know anything about it?"
The rabbit puppet dressed as Frankenstein said.
"Ah… back then, Yoshino and Yoshinon weren't together."
Shido thought for a mont. When he made oyakodon with Yoshino, Yoshinon was lying in…
"Ah, could it be sothing that happened while Yoshinon, was at the AST base? But now that you ntion it, Shido-kun really is ecchi~, doing oyakodon together with Yoshino-chan and all… Eh? If Yoshino-chan is the child, then who are the parents?" (TL:well~ oyakodon beside being food, also an 'mother daughter double whopper~')
The shaless rabbit puppet had its mouth covered by Yoshino, whose face had turned bright red.
On the other side…
"Eh… so Shido and Yoshino made that kind of 'oyakodon'…"
Mikoto said with a wicked smile as she divided the cake for the two of them.
"N-no, um, it's not what you're thinking, Yakumo-senpai."
Shido hurriedly explained.
"I'm joking."
Mikoto stuck out her tongue. Of course she knew Shido had only been cooking normally. After all, she had been on Fraxinus's bridge at the ti.
"Well then, I'll be going now. Shido and Yoshino, please enjoy the cake properly."
Although she was not completely certain, she felt as if she had accidentally barged into Yoshino and Shido's ti alone.
"Oh, right, Yoshino… since Shido failed to provide candy, please feel free to 'trick' him as much as you like."
Before leaving, she winked at Yoshino.
While tasting the cake, Yoshino knocked on the table several tis, then gave Mikoto a thumbs-up. Whether that was because of the cake or because of the "trick", no one knew.
"Ahaha…"
Seeing this, Shido could only give a wry smile.
______________
According to Reine's arrangents, Shido had to go on dates with four targets in a single day.
After Yoshino ca his friend Tonomachi, and the date location chosen by Reine was sothing that drove Shido mad—the n's bathhouse.
After that was Yuzuru. The location was Hilltop Park.
Finally… the day ended. Shido had not been able to determine who Natsumi was. Perhaps none of those four had been Natsumi in disguise.
That night…
Click. Click. Click.
The hour and minute hands overlapped at the mark indicating twelve.
[….Ti is up.]
In the darkness, Natsumi's voice could be heard.
[Then, let's start with one person. Before everyone disappears, can you find ?]
The witch laughed softly.
As if it were a witch's curse, the next day, Yuzuru silently disappeared without a trace.
Seeing Yuzuru vanish, Yuzuru who was like Kaguya's other half, and seeing Kaguya's panic and sorrow, made Shido once again deeply realize that he had to end Natsumi's ga as quickly as possible.
October 23rd.
Under Reine's arrangent, Shido went on dates with Kotori, Kaguya, Ai, Mai, and Mii in order.
Then, at night, Natsumi appeared in the Itsuka family living room and demanded that Shido na one suspect.
"…Natsumi, you're disguised as Yoshino!"
And so, Shido nad the person he had felt was relatively strange over the past few days.
However…
The next day, October 24th, Ai Yamabuki and Yoshino disappeared together.
If he did not na anyone, Natsumi would make one of the suspects disappear every day.
If he nad soone and guessed wrong, then in addition to one randomly disappearing person, the person he had wrongly nad would also disappear.
Gradually, Shido and Kotori began to figure out the rules of this ga.
There was no ti to sink into despair because of that. Shido had to pull himself together and complete today's dates. Perhaps Natsumi was hidden among these people.
The first target was the popular idol, Izayoi Miku. The date location was the amusent park.
After that was Tama-chan-sensei.
At dusk, Shido, utterly exhausted, walked heavily down the street.
"Honestly, if you walk around that absentmindedly, you'll bump into soone, Shido."
A familiar voice sounded from ahead. Shido raised his head, then froze.
The final date partner—Mikoto—was standing not far away, smiling at him.
Unlike usual, the girl was not wearing a very Japanese style kimono. Instead, she wore a white cardigan and a black based dress embroidered with maple leaf patterns. Although she no longer had her usual Japanese style, she looked extrely fresh, giving off the feeling of a gentle older girl next door.
"Shido?"
Seeing Shido staring blankly, Mikoto tilted her head in confusion.
"S-sorry…"
He had accidentally stared at her in a daze. Shido scratched his cheek awkwardly.
[But Yakumo-senpai, who usually wears kimonos on dates, suddenly changed outfits… Could it be…]
The girl looked very cute. However, that also made Shido feel a slight sense of unease.
(TL:just found a date a live fanfic with like over 1000 chapter that has been going on for years, and they have been stalling on fking rinne utopia for 800 chapter and had only around natsumi arc now,holy stalling)
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