After serving the delicate (self-proclaid) Nia, Shido and the others returned to their own ho.
"Phew..." After eating dinner and finishing the daily chores, Shido returned to his room, dove headfirst into the bedsheets, stared at the ceiling, and let out a long breath.
"It's still so early." Glancing at the alarm clock by the bed, it wasn't even 8 PM yet. No matter how you looked at it, going to sleep now was a bit early. However, despite saying that, Itsuka Shido had absolutely no idea how to pass this rare free ti.
"Maybe I'll do my howork first... or maybe not." The mont the words left his mouth, Shido smiled bitterly and shook his head. This was perhaps a strong rebound caused by consecutively staying up late for days to rush the manuscript; right now, he didn't want to touch those things at all.
(Let's find a book to read.)
Thinking of this, Shido got up from the bed and walked over to his bookcase.
"What should I read?" Shido searched through the reading materials in his bookcase. Since he didn't actually have much interest in reading, there weren't many books stored in the bookcase: a few incomplete light novel volus, a few monthly manga magazines, photo albums of himself, Kotori, Tohka, and the others, and so cookbooks. There were almost no interesting books.
"Hm... I bought this kind of book before?"
Let's Give Your Heart a Major Cleanup! —Looking at this book in his hands, which looked like sothing used for educating children, Shido felt a drop of sweat on his forehead. If he rembered correctly, he bought this by mistake a long ti ago when he was learning how to do chores.
"However, it's already the New Year. It wouldn't be a bad idea to find an opportunity to give the house a good cleanup." He'd give the house a major cleanup when he woke up tomorrow. Having arranged tomorrow's task in his mind, Shido put this book back in the bookcase and took out a light novel he had already read to pieces, ready to read it again.(and lead to Yutsuki's new year side story)
—Ring ring ring! Just as he was halfway through the novel, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. Staring at the content of the novel in his hand, Shido picked up the phone and pressed the answer button.
"Hello, who is this please?"
[Good evening, Nii-sama! It is I, your little sister Mana!]
Hearing the energetic voice on the other end of the phone, Shido knew the caller was the biological sister who had co to acknowledge him not long ago—Takamiya Mana. Closing the book in his hand, Shido chatted with Mana with a bit of surprise and pleasant surprise.
"Long ti no see. How have you been lately?"
[Mhm! Thanks to you, Nii-sama, I am still full of motivation right now!]
Hearing the energetic voice on the other end, Shido felt as if he was infected by her energy, and a smile couldn't help but rise on his lips.
At first, when the other party addressed him as "Nii-sama", he was quite stunned, feeling at a loss for how to face this biological sister who suddenly appeared. But after experiencing many incidents, Shido also understood that the other party was an honest and straightforward good child. Although he didn't have any mories of living with Mana, he didn't feel any incongruity or resistance towards the fact that she was his sister.
"Co to think of it, I still haven't thanked you for what happened last month. I heard from Kotori and the others that you helped a lot when I went berserk."
[It's nothing. Helping out when Nii-sama is in trouble is naturally what a little sister should do.]
"It's a rare New Year, do you want to co over and hang out? I believe everyone would welco you."
[Um... sorry, Nii-sama. I'm very happy for your kind offer, but I have so other matters to attend to, so it's not convenient for to go over.] Mana's slightly troubled voice ca from the other end of the phone.
"It's fine. It was sudden of to bring it up anyway, just let know when you have free ti in the future."
[Mhm...]
Subsequently, the voice on the phone suddenly fell silent. Just when Shido mistakenly thought the signal was bad, Mana suddenly spoke up, [Nii-sama, the real reason I called this ti is that I have sothing I want to ask you.]
"What is it?" [Last month, when you went berserk, Nii-sama, you helped during my battle with Ellen. At that ti, there was one thing that really bothered .]
"What was it?" Hearing Mana's words, Shido couldn't help but feel a bit curious.
[At that ti,Nii-sama, you said to , 'I'm so glad you're safe, Mana.' and 'What happened to Mio? Didn't she co to help?']
"...Mio?" Hearing this na, Shido showed an uncomprehending expression.
[Yes, the mont I heard those words, I inexplicably felt dizzy, and so strange, hazy images appeared in my mind. So I thought, could this be a na related to and Nii-sama's past mories?]
"I see, but..." Shido tried to recall his mories regarding this na. But honestly, he had no recollection at all of the ti he went berserk. Let alone the na, he couldn't even be sure if he really had that conversation with Mana.
"Sorry, I don't rember any—" Just as he was about to answer Mana like this, Shido suddenly felt the scenery before his eyes spinning.
[Mhm—What happened?—Nii-sama—Quickly answer—Nii—]
Everything in his eyes seed to be enveloped by a vast white fog, and for so unknown reason, Mana's calls grew further and further away.
In his hazy consciousness, Shido faintly saw the figure of a girl with long hair.
—Mio. That is indeed... my na.
—Mhm mhm... I'm so happy. I'm really so happy.
—I love you the most. Let's be together, always, forever.
(What... is this?) With this doubt, Shido's body uncontrollably collapsed onto the bed, and his consciousness sank into a deep sleep.
————————————————
Back to the shrine visit
(...Mio?)
Walking up the stairs of the shrine, Shido looked up at the colorless sky, silently repeating this na in his heart.
On the early morning of the day after that incident, Shido woke up groggily from his bed. It wasn't until he saw the series of missed calls and text ssages from Mana on his phone that he rembered what happened yesterday.
After placating Mana with the excuse that he was sleep-deprived and couldn't help falling asleep midway through the call, Shido kept last night's event hidden in his heart.
Except for the first ti he heard the na "Mio" when he fell into a deep sleep, his body had no abnormal reactions whenever Shido silently repeated this na in his heart afterward.
However, before he lost his mories, he had known a girl nad "Mio". That much was certain.
(What should I do?)
Shido couldn't help but think with distress.
Although even without recalling his past mories, it wouldn't cause any trouble to Itsuka Shido's current life. But even so, regarding the words that surfaced in his mind at the ti, Shido still felt a bit antsy.
(Should I discuss this with soone...)
Thinking of this, Shido couldn't help but cast his gaze towards Yutsuki walking ahead.
(No... let's wait a bit longer.)
Although he had no basis for it, Shido faintly felt that this matter shouldn't be casually broadcasted. Moreover, perhaps after discussing it with Yutsuki, she could figure out a way to find a satisfactory answer for him. But if he wanted to rely on Yutsuki every ti he encountered a problem, he probably would never be able to grow.
Besides, even if he really found the answer from Yutsuki, Shido was probably not yet ready to accept it.
(If I find out about Mio... and my past mories, what will beco of ? And what should I do?) This feeling was both a trace of anxiety and a bit of cowardice.
"Boy! Boy! Don't ignore !" Just then, Nia's dissatisfied shout snapped Shido back to reality as if waking from a dream.
"Ah... sorry, I spaced out for a bit. What did you just say?" "What's this, sleep-deprived? Being so spaced out right at the start of the New Year is no good."
Sighing helplessly, Nia crossed her arms, and asked with a serious face, "I'll ask again, boy, you're that faction, right?"
"Hm? Ah... mhm." Perhaps still a bit absent-minded, Shido, although not understanding Nia's question, nodded tentatively anyway.
Hearing this, Nia instantly revealed a very subtle smile. "I see, compared to wearing a demure kimono, the boy finds it easier to get excited by the glimpse of a girl's skin revealed from a disheveled kimono. As expected of the boy, you know your stuff."
"Eh?" Shido was instantly dumbfounded.
"Shido-san... actually has such interests..."
"So you've been looking at us with those kinds of eyes all along... Yoshino, we need to stay away from idiot Shido, otherwise, with one mont of carelessness, he might attack us and strip off our kimonos."
"Hoh... to actually be so straightforward in exposing your fetish in front of so many won, you've beco quite bold, Shido. Since you're so interested in exposure, do you want to try taking off a few pieces of clothing and streaking down the street later, you disgusting perverted gentleman."
"Harvest. Yuzuru obtained a good piece of information."
"Shido, even if you attack here, I absolutely will not resist."
Seeing everyone starting to look at him with strange eyes, Shido hurriedly waved his hands to explain. "Wait! You misunderstand! I just—"
"Alright! I've decided, since the boy aligns so deeply with my heart, I'll give this to you." Ignoring Shido's flustered state, Nia slung her arm around Shido's shoulder and secretly stuffed an Ema into his arms.
"This is...!!?" As his gaze fell upon the Ema in his hands, Shido's voice abruptly stopped.
It was only natural. The picture on the Ema depicted a brown haired girl wearing a kimono, looking disheveled, being pushed to the ground by a blue-haired boy. Her crystal clear skin exposed from under the kimono radiated an alluring color. Those slightly flushed cheeks, hazy and watery eyes, tugged at one's heartstrings almost like a foul.
This was an illustration that pushed borderline techniques to the absolute limit, just a tiny bit away from crossing the line from R15 to R18. Moreover, there was text next to it saying "Hoping to encounter an erotic scene like this. —Nia." What an incredibly specific wish...
"N-Nia, what is this?" Shido felt his face burn fiery red.
"Well, this was the Ema I originally planned to hang. But I felt Biri-chan and Imouto-chan definitely wouldn't agree, so I planned to sneak it back. Since the opportunity is rare, I'm giving it to you, boy."
"You, you..." Looking at Nia, Shido didn't know what to say for a mont.
"What's wrong, boy, don't you want it?"
"..."
"What is it, what is it?! I think I heard Darling and Miss Nia talking about sothing very ecchi. I'm extrely curious!" Just then, a tall girl in a kimono with long purplish-blue hair—Izayoi Miku—pounced onto Shido's back, her eyes sparkling with a light called "curiosity".
"Darling, what's drawn on that Ema you're hiding in your hands, can you show ? Or rather, please definitely show !"
"Wait—Miku, don't press up against like this. We're still on the stone steps right now." Seeing Miku maintaining this posture while reaching her hand over, Shido shouted in a panic.
Although it had happened several tis already, Miku's unhesitating physical contact, those two proud twin peaks, still made him unable to adapt.
"Enough, Miku! Shido looks really troubled right now, quickly get off him."
"Miku. You're an idol after all, pay a little attention to your image."
Seeing Tohka and Kotori trying to pull her away from behind Shido, Miku struggled and resisted like a child. "
Mhm—no. Kotori-san and Tohka-san are both anies—!"
"Ahhhh—don't pull."
Finally, unable to resist their combined strength, Miku let go. Due to montum, the three of them leaned backward and landed on their butts on the shrine's stone steps. anwhile, Shido lost his footing and, unable to control his body, lunged forward—towards where Yutsuki was standing.
"Eh?" Yutsuki, who was watching from the sidelines, clearly hadn't anticipated this developnt.
"Yutsuki, dodge quickly—Oof!" Before Shido could finish his sentence, an impact on his abdon sent his vision plunging into darkness.
"Ah... seeing soone lunging at , I reacted subconsciously." Looking at Shido who had fainted in her arms, a drop of awkward sweat appeared on Yutsuki's forehead. "Sorry."
Picking up the Ema dropped on the ground and brushing off the dust, Nia looked at Shido, who was currently being princess-carried by Yutsuki, and then looked at the illustration drawn on the Ema, unable to help but sigh helplessly. "As expected, if even Rasiel can't affect Yutsuki, then no matter how effective an Ema is, it's aningless."
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