"My na is Tobiichi Origami. Everyone, please treat well."
The next day, just as Mikoto had said, Origami transferred into Raizen. Not only that, she was placed in Shido's class, and her seat... was also the sa place as before.
During the break, Kotori called.
[Is that so? That Tobiichi Origami really ca to Raizen?]
"Mm."
[...Although I don't know what exactly happened between you two, it would be better to resolve it quickly. If Shido is uneasy, Tohka, Yoshino, Mikoto, and the others will also beco uneasy.]
Although she did not say it out loud, Kotori herself also hoped that Shido would recover soon.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry for worrying you, Kotori."
[I-I'm not worried!]
However, Shido had not been her Onii-chan for so long for nothing. He was not completely unable to sense the anxiety hidden in the girl's heart.
[A-anyway, you need to pull yourself together quickly. No one knows when an unknown Spirit might appear. Not to ntion, there's still Kurumi and that Devil.]
"Devil?"
Shido noticed a code na he had never heard before. Cold sweat ran down his back. Could there be another unknown Spirit aside from Mikoto?
[What exactly is wrong with you? It feels like your mories have disappeared or sothing. Devil is that Devil.]
"Sorry."
Faced with Kotori's question, which ca far too close to the truth, Shido did not know what to say.
[Honestly... anyway, Devil is the one who appears when other Spirits show up and hunts them. Thanks to her, Natsumi almost died back then....A picture is worth a thousand words. Wait a mont. I'll send a picture of Devil to your phone.]
After saying that, Kotori hung up. A mont later, an email with an attached picture arrived.
When he opened that picture, Shido's expression froze.
Because—that Devil was none other than the inverted Origami herself.
After communicating with Kotori about Origami being Devil, the girl said she believed Shido and would send several monitors around Origami.
As for Shido himself, he had no mind for class at all. He kept thinking about what he had learned from Mikoto yesterday about Origami in "this world."
Shido had saved Origami's parents, but the sight of himself being pierced by the pillar of light had been witnessed by young Origami. Her parents' deaths had beco Shido's death, and that had beco the motive that led Origami to join AST.
Although according to Mikoto, the current Origami had already given up on seeing Spirits as enemies, Shido still could not let it go. Why would that Origami beco Devil? And why would she still tirelessly hunt Spirits?
"..."
He thought in silence for a while, then tore a small piece of paper from his notebook, wrote a few lines on it, and handed it to Origami at the next desk.
When the girl saw the words on it, her eyes widened in surprise.
At lunchti, Shido ca to the stairs leading to the rooftop. This place was far from the classroom, and very few people usually ca here. But right now, a girl stood there. It was Origami, whom Shido had called with the note.
Origami was looking around in confusion, seemingly unsure of what exactly was happening.
In truth, when Origami saw Shido's note, her first reaction had been to refuse. After spending so much ti with Mikoto, she more or less knew how important the boy nad Itsuka Shido was in Mikoto's heart. Being alone with such a boy in a stairwell during lunch break was far too suggestive.
Not to ntion, in order to celebrate her transfer to Raizen, Mikoto had suggested that the two of them eat lunch together.
However, for so reason, when she ca back to her senses, she was already standing here waiting for Shido. It was as if her body had acted on its own, beautifully standing Mikoto up.
As for Shido, he wanted to talk to Origami. Not only about Devil, but also about everything the girl had experienced after the fire in Tengu City five years ago.
From Origami's own mouth, Shido learned that although he had saved Origami's parents, the two of them had still passed away in a car accident four years ago. Origami regarded Shido as a relative of the boy who had saved her parents back then—perhaps his younger brother or sothing like that.
Not only that, what shocked Shido even more was that Origami seed completely unaware of her appearance as a Spirit, much less anything about inversion.
"Um, actually, I have plans with soone, so I need to leave now. Thank you, Itsuka-kun. I'm very glad I got to talk to you."
Considering that Mikoto might still be waiting for her, Origami bowed slightly and prepared to leave. However, Shido still had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask. He had a feeling that he could not let Origami leave just yet.
"Um, can we keep talking?"
"But the ti already..."
Origami answered awkwardly. If this continued, she really would be standing Mikoto up.
"It doesn't have to be today. Whenever you have ti is fine. Can we... et again?"
"What? That's..."
Origami showed a surprised expression. Logically speaking, the boy in front of her should be Mikoto's boyfriend in her impression. Why was he saying sothing that sounded like a date invitation to her? Was he a playboy?
[I have to refuse!]
She thought that, then said to Shido,
"I... I'll think about it..."
[Eh?]
The mont she said that, Origami froze.
What exactly was she saying?!
Why had the words of refusal turned into "I'll think about it," sothing that sounded completely like she was cheating behind Mikoto's back?!
"I see. Thank goodness... then I'll be going... now..."
Shido let out a sigh of relief. He turned his head, preparing to leave, then saw Mikoto standing on the lower steps, looking at him and Origami with a stunned expression.
___________
Ti rewound to a little earlier...
[Origami is so slow...]
Mikoto sat in the classroom, waiting for Origami to co find her. According to her understanding of the girl, Origami was soone who was always punctual, and often even arrived early. For so reason, this ti she had not co to find her on ti.
[Could she have gone to the rooftop?]
Mikoto rembered telling Origami that she liked eating lunch on the rooftop. Could the other girl have misunderstood and thought she was waiting on the rooftop? Thinking that, Mikoto picked up the lunch she had prepared and walked toward the rooftop.
"Um, actually, I have plans with soone, so I need to leave now..."
In the stairwell that normally had no one in it, she faintly heard voices.
That was Origami... and also...
"Um, can we keep talking?"
Shido.
"But the ti already..."
"It doesn't have to be today. Whenever you have ti is fine. Can we... et again?"
[!!!]
In that instant, Mikoto froze.
What had she just heard? Shido was inviting Origami?
"I... I'll think about it..."
What made it even harder for her to believe was that Origami had actually accepted Shido's request.
For a mont, she stared blankly at the two people above her, completely at a loss inside.
(TL:oh hell naw)
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