Later, after the girls' (excluding Shido's) afternoon tea ti ended, Maria requested to be alone with Shido.
Going out to play with everyone can only be called hanging out, while a man and a woman spending ti alone is a true date.
Shido originally thought this request would cause another commotion. But surprisingly, whether it was Tohka or Miku, neither expressed dissatisfaction and agreed to Maria's request.
And the subsequent date... nothing particularly strange actually happened. The two went to the Karaoke room they had been to before (Eh?), sang all kinds of songs once through, making Shido feel like his throat was dried out by the end.
However, happy tis always slip away before you know it. As the red glow of the sunset filled the sky, Shido and Maria walked out of the Karaoke room looking like they still wanted more.
"I'm ho."
Opening the door and entering the entryway of his house, Shido noticed only a pair of sowhat plain casual shoes by the door. Shido recognized the owner of these shoes.
"Yo, Shido, made it back alive?"
On the living room sofa, the brown-haired girl—Ryougi Yutsuki—who was leisurely eating snacks while watching ani on TV, greeted Shido. Shido sighed speechlessly.
"Why do you make it sound like I just returned from a brutal battlefield."
"Because earlier when Origami found out you went on a date with Maria again, she muttered sothing like 'Shido's OO is mine' or whatever. Then she pulled out so mystery dicine and a submachine gun from who-knows-where and went out. Then Tohka and the others chased after her too."
"It's a miracle I managed to co back alive!"
"Just joking."
"It was a joke?????!!!!!!!"
Seeing Shido's terrified expression, as if he had just ridden a roller coaster, Yutsuki couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"Well, actually after coming back and eating dinner, everyone was really bored with nothing to do. So they went over to the living room of the Spirit apartnt to play cards and other gas. See, the lights next door are still on."
Shido looked at the brightly lit room in the Spirit apartnt, from which ca soone's wail after accidentally drawing the Joker. Shido tiredly dropped his shoulders.
"Please Yutsuki, can you not make such scary jokes. I broke out in a cold sweat."
"Well, sorry about that."
Yutsuki put her hands together and apologized to Shido.
"Speaking of which, where is Maria. Didn't she co back with you?"
"Mhm, she said she wanted to experience the feeling of parting after a date, so we went our separate ways. She probably isn't back yet."
"The feeling of parting after a date, Maria sure is earnest..."
After taking a bite of a potato chip, Yutsuki shook her head and sighed.
"Well, I guess that's also an area where she is changing."
Shido replied with a bitter smile. Even though she is very clumsy, Arusu Maria is full of curiosity about everything, and does everything so earnestly. Watching her makes Shido can't help but want to support and help her.
"When we return to the real world, let's often co to this world and play with Maria too."
"Well... only Maria doesn't count as a Happy End..."
"Hm? Did you say sothing, Yutsuki."
"Nothing at all. Oh right, Shido, could you do a favor?"
Gently shaking her head, as if to change the subject, Yutsuki turned off the TV, got up and walked into the kitchen, took out two thermal bento boxes, and handed them to Shido.
"This is?"
"Well, one is prepared for an un-honest little black cat currently staying in the park. The other one is given to you as an errand fee."
"Black cat? Could it be you're feeding a stray cat in the park or sothing, Yutsuki? Wouldn't it be better to prepare cat food?"
"If I actually did that, let alone her, even I would bristle with anger." Hearing Shido's question, the corners of Yutsuki's mouth twitched slightly. She patted Shido's shoulder and advised, "Anyway, the park isn't that far from here. Take a few laps, and if you can't find her, just co back."
To Yutsuki's request, Shido scratched his hair, feeling completely confused.
"Well... I'll give it a try then."
And so, Shido, who had just returned not long ago, put his shoes back on and went out again.
"A black cat, huh..."
Walking on the sidewalk at night, Shido looked around the park with the help of the streetlights. But unfortunately, he didn't see any trace of the cat Yutsuki ntioned.
"Could she have run off sowhere else at this ti? Or maybe because it's not Yutsuki who ca, she got cautious and hid? Besides, a black cat is hard to spot in the dark night anyway."
After sighing, Shido started looking in so inconspicuous bushes. Although he did see one or two cats, they were all calico cats with mixed fur.
"Speaking of which, this park... I don't see anyone at all."
Shido looked around sowhat strangely. It was just early evening. This park wasn't so remote place either. If this were the real world, you should be able to see a few middle-aged n drinking and chatting, or couples on a night date around this ti. Yet now, he couldn't feel a human presence at all...
"I say... you've been wandering around here since earlier, what are you doing, Itsuka Shido?"
...Okay, pretend I didn't say that last part.
Following the direction of the voice, he looked up. Sitting on the trunk of a large tree, a black-clad girl who had the sa face as Maria but completely opposite clothing and hair color was sitting there, leisurely dangling her slender legs. It made Shido associate her with a fairy playing in the forest.
Shido had seen this girl before. She was the other administrator of this world, the black Arusu.
"Why... are you here?"
"I have always been here. Rather, that should be my question, Itsuka Shido."
Jumping lightly to the ground like a feather, Marina stared into Shido's eyes and said.
"Ah, actually Yutsuki asked to bring a bento for an unhonest little black cat. Have you seen her... Arusu?"
For so reason, halfway through Shido's sentence, Marina gritted her teeth looking extrely annoyed.
A drop of sweat appeared on Shido's forehead.
Could it be that the black cat doesn't refer to a small animal, but is a description of a certain person... Please, Yutsuki, make this kind of thing clear beforehand.
"Could it be... this is for you?"
Shido held the bento in his hands and asked tentatively.
"Hmph! Doesn't matter whose it is! It's definitely not mine anyway!"
Marina turned her head away, her face puffed up in anger.
An unhonest black cat... Shido gave a bitter smile and handed one bento in front of Marina.
"I told you it's not mine."
"Don't say that. I'm hungry right now too, and I can't find the cat Yutsuki is looking for anyway. How about you eat with ?"
"I'm not eating cat food."
"The cooking prepared by our Yutsuki, even if it's cat food, will definitely get overwhelmingly positive reviews."
While speaking, Shido opened the bento box, and a waft of steam slowly rose. Inside was freshly cooked rice covered with seasoned seaweed, accompanied by side dishes of crispy fried chikuwa (tube-shaped fish paste cake), cod, and kinpira gobo (braised burdock root). There was also an inner layer containing steaming hot miso soup. Just slling the drifting aroma made Shido's mouth twitch with appetite.
Opening Marina's portion and seeing the exact sa arrangent, Shido's guess instantly turned into certainty. Who would specially prepare this kind of thing as dinner for a cat?
Stare—
Shido turned his head and looked at Marina, who suddenly raised her head and pretended to look up at the starry sky.
"It's a nori bento."
"Don't treat like an idiot, of course I know that!"
"Just co eat together, I can't finish two people's portions."
"W-Well—Since you've gone this far, I suppose I can keep you company for a bit."
Marina took the bento with a look of great reluctance. The two sat on a public bench and started tasting.
"So warm..."
Taking a light sip of the miso soup, a trace of surprise appeared on Marina's face.
"Well, the park is very cold at night. That's probably why Yutsuki used a thermal bento box. Just like always, she cares so much about others behind the scenes."
Taking a small bite of the fried chikuwa, it was so delicious that the thought of asking Yutsuki for the recipe popped into Shido's mind.
"How is it? Very delicious, right, Marina."
"It's not even you who made it, why do you look so proud..." Marina ate the bento looking unconvinced. Then, as if suddenly thinking of sothing, she looked at Shido in surprise, "Why do you know my na?"
You have to know, although Marina had seen Itsuka Shido a few tis, she had never told him her na.
Could it be, Yutsuki told him about my existence...
Marina's face instantly turned as cold as ice.
"Hm?" Shido tilted his head and pointed at the bento in Marina's hand, "Isn't it written on there?"
Marina looked at the bento box in her hand. As if to mark the owner, her na was written on it. Looking closely at Shido's bento box, one could also see the katakana for 'Shidou'.
"..."
In a silence that felt slightly oppressive, Shido tried to find a new topic.
"So you and Yutsuki knew each other."
"Well... inseparable bad affinity, I guess. Now I feel regretful why I specifically ran over to warn her back then."
Looking at the thermal box in her hand, Marina let out a mocking "Tch!".
"To actually be thinking about such things... Naive to the point of being annoying."
For so reason, Shido felt a bit sad. Even though she was mocking soone else, the expression on her face looked like she was mocking herself.
"Yutsuki... probably wants to treat you as her family."
"Family... Itsuka Shido, can you really? Treat a person of unknown origin like as a partner."
Shido slowly exhaled. Looking directly into Maria's eyes, he answered seriously.
"Although your origin is indeed unknown, I don't think you are a bad person. If that's what Yutsuki thinks. I also choose to believe Yutsuki, and will persuade everyone to accept you."
"Not a bad person... Geez, both you and Ryougi Yutsuki are like this. This kind of naivety will cost you your lives in the future."
After giving a cold threat, Marina turned around and prepared to leave.
Then, she suddenly turned back with her face completely red.
"Let make it clear first. Although I didn't know my na was written on the box. That so-called unhonest little black cat or whatever—Ab! So! Lute! Ly! Isn't! !"
After giving such a fierce warning, Marina truly vanished from Shido's sight this ti.
Yutsuki, your intention of calling here to et Marina. I think I understand a bit now.
Looking at the other bento box that had disappeared to who knows where, Shido couldn't help but smile and shake his head.
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