The next afternoon, after school let out, Itsuka Shido, now dressed in won's clothes, headed for Rindouji All Girls' School together with Ryougi Yutsuki, who had volunteered to accompany him as a bodyguard, exactly as they had planned the day before.
"Haa… ha… haa… ha… ah… paradise…"
"Um… Yutsuki, wouldn't it be inconvenient for you to walk like that?"
On the way to their destination, Ryougi Yutsuki was clinging to Shido's arm, her entire weight leaning against him. If not for her feet still moving in step, she looked exactly like a koala wrapped around a tree trunk.
Feeling his arm surrounded by a soft, warm touch, and a fresh, mint-like body scent lingering at the tip of his nose, Shido could feel his cheeks growing hotter and hotter.
"It's fine! I can grasp the structure of the space by emitting electromagnetic waves, so even if I don't look, I can still clearly understand the information around us and react imdiately. I absolutely won't let Shiori fall into danger."
Yutsuki's cheeks were faintly flushed with excitent. Resting her head on Shido's shoulder, she rubbed her cheek against his clothes as she spoke.
"I-Is that so?"
Shido's mouth twitched slightly. He was not sure whether what she was saying was true, but in reality, in a crowded street like this, even if Miku already knew his real gender, the chance of her launching an attack was very small.
Instead, a different problem had arisen.
Shido's mouth twitched again.
"Wow, there's a yuri couple here! Amazing!"
"How can this be? Such gorgeous girls, and they're yuri? What a waste of resources!"
"Hmph! Perfect! Let couples all go die. Anyway, I was destined to be unwanted, so let all the girls in the world go yuri!"
"Dad, are those two big sisters a couple?"
"Don't look! Daughter, that world is still too early for you!"
The sight of two beautiful girls clinging to each other like a couple and openly showing affection naturally drew all kinds of gazes from the surrounding passersby.
Hearing the whispering around them, sweat began to appear on Shido's forehead, and he felt a big pressure weighing down on his shoulders.
"Yutsuki, could you let go a little…? Everyone's staring."
"Sorry, Shiori." Yutsuki shook her head and tightened her embrace even more, saying with an unusually serious face, "Right now, I have to use every second to replenish Shiori elents so that after Shiori and Miku et later, my brain can stay calm enough. If I don't do this, I'm worried my spiritual power will reverse and go berserk later. It's just like how a space shuttle, if it doesn't have special liquid ice filled into its tal walls before launch, will overheat and lt when passing through the atmosphere. So… haa—ah~"
After rattling off a series of reasons that were completely aningless to Shido, Yutsuki pressed her face against Shido's clothes and took a long, deep breath.
With a bewildered expression, for so reason, Shido felt that Yutsuki's figure had overlapped with another person in his mind.
(Tobiichi Origami: "Achoo… a cold? Strange, my physical condition hasn't shown any abnormalities lately… oh well… Shido's… gym clothes… haa—ah~")
"Is that how it is?"
"That's right. Shiori, in your eyes, is your family mber's life less important than the gazes of strangers?"
Yutsuki bit her cherry-colored lips and looked at him with teary eyes. Unlike her usual carefree, easygoing personality, this unexpected contrast made Shido's heartbeat accelerate.
"What are you doing, Shido! Yutsuki-nee's ntal state is beginning to decline!"
Kotori's voice ca through Shido's right ear.
Normally, even when Yutsuki was alone, she could maintain a very stable ntal state. But the mont Shido changed into Shiori's outfit, Yutsuki's favorability would instantly break through its maximum, and all her ntal values would beco much more active and unstable.
Especially when the word 'family' was brought up and then denied, Yutsuki's mood would clearly begin to worsen.
After hearing Kotori's reminder, Shido imdiately ca to his senses and hurriedly comforted her.
"That's not true! Of course Yutsuki is more important! Didn't I tell you? Yutsuki will always be my important family mber."
"Mmm! I love Shiori the most!"
"Haha…"
Hearing Yutsuki's passionate declaration and the excited reaction of the people around them, Shido could only laugh awkwardly while silently blaming fate in his heart.
Why is the road from Raizen High School to Rindouji All Girls' School so long?!
———————————
Actually, the route between Raizen and Rindouji All Girls' School was not especially long. Walking it only took a little more than ten minutes.
However, Shido felt as if he had traveled one hundred and eight thousand li 1like the monk and his disciples on their pilgrimage.
"—Shido!Yutsuki-nee!,can you both hear ? Rindouji All Girls' School has also in after school ti already. Miku should be coming out soon too."
Kotori's voice rang out in Shido and Yutsuki's ears. Since Ryougi Yutsuki was acting as a support mber for the mission this ti, Kotori had also equipped her with a wireless invisible earpiece.
"I understand. Alright, Yutsuki, it's about ti to let go."
"Mmm… I understand."
Although reluctant, Yutsuki obediently loosened her arms from around Shido.
Since Rindouji All Girls' School was a private academy similar to a school for young ladies from noble families, its class schedule differed slightly from that of ordinary public schools like Raizen. So right now, Rindouji had only just entered dismissal ti.
Thus, Ryougi Yutsuki and Itsuka Shido stood at the school gate and waited for Miku to co out of the school.
Even so, when a pair of students in school uniforms appeared among a crowd of girls in sailor uniforms, it naturally drew the attention of the passersby.
Yutsuki did not mind, but Shido found it hard to endure and kept pulling down the hem of his skirt while rubbing his thighs together.
"What? Do you need to go to the bathroom, Shido?"
"…As if!"
"If that's the case, then don't hold it in, Shiori. If you don't know how to use the restroom… though it's embarrassing, I do have experience, so I can teach you hand in hand."
"Yutsuki, don't believe that either!"
Shido said with a helpless smile and drooping eyes.
"Speaking of which, Miku is the executive committee chair for Tenou Festival, so she should still have a lot of work to do after school…"
"You can rest assured about that. According to reliable information, whenever she has the chance to have afternoon tea with a cute girl, Miku will forcefully push aside any work she has. With your and Yutsuki's charm, there will be no problem."
"Haha… well, thanks a lot for that."
One person dressed as a girl, one person gender-swapped—even being praised for their looks, they still could not smile at all.
Just then, the two of them noticed a group of students approaching from the school building side. It was Miku, together with the girls who had been following around her.
"So that's Izayoi Miku…"
Yutsuki narrowed her eyes and looked at the girl in front of her.
With shimring violet hair, silver-glinting eyes, and a tall, voluptuous figure, she stood out remarkably among the students wearing the sa pale blue uniform.
After seeing her in person, Yutsuki could fully confirm that she was indeed the Spirit—'Diva'—who had appeared a few days earlier.
"She's here. Let's go over too. Based on yesterday's values, she shouldn't treat us badly."
After swallowing hard, Shido slipped his hand into his skirt to check the feel of the handkerchief, then stood before Miku together with Yutsuki, who was surrounded by a crowd of beautiful girls like a feudal lord out on an inspection tour or a professor making rounds in a harem-like state.
Soon, soone seed to notice them. Several of the girls stopped walking and turned their gazes toward Shido and Yutsuki.
"...? Is there sothing wrong?"
A girl walking at the front asked with a suspicious look.
"Um, I… yesterday, at Tengu Plaza, Izayoi Miku-san…"
"Ahhh, so you're onee-sama's fans?"
"O-Onee-sama…?"
Both Shidou and Yutsuki were stunned by the title, which looked like sothing that would only appear in shoujo manga.
As if she had already experienced this kind of thing many tis before, the girl shrugged helplessly.
"You can't do that. I an, I understand how you feel, but this is Onee-sama's private ti. If you're Onee-sama's fans, you should understand that, right?"
"Uh, well, that's not what I an. I just want to return this handker…"
Just as Shido was awkwardly trying to explain, a surprised voice ca from behind the girls.
"Oh? Isn't that Shiori-san?"
Looking over, they saw Miku wide-eyed, covering her mouth with one hand.
So Shido pulled Yutsuki with him and bowed to her.
As a result, the girl standing in front of Shido got flustered for a mont and began looking around nervously.
"S-So you're Onee-sama's acquaintance… My, my, how rude of …"
"You don't need to mind it too much."
While that girl and Shido exchanged overly polite bows, Miku ca closer.
"Is sothing the matter? There wasn't any joint eting today, was there?"
"Well, I wanted to return this…"
Saying that, Shido took a neatly folded lace-edged handkerchief from his pocket. Miku widened her eyes and let out an appreciative sound as she looked at Shido.
"You don't need to be so careful about it."
"No, I can't just do that!"
Shido said bluntly, and Miku responded with a chuckle, as if she found the whole thing very amusing.
"Well then, I'll accept it. And this person beside Shiori-san is…?"
Miku then turned her curious gaze toward Yutsuki.
"Uh, she is…"
"Ryougi Yutsuki, Shiori's friend. I heard that Miku-san helped Shiori yesterday, so I ca to thank you."
Before Shido could introduce her, Yutsuki had already introduced herself. Perhaps because she had been briefed in advance with the unidentified substance she called 'Shiori elents' Yutsuki showed no sign of any abnormality. She smiled at Miku and extended a friendly hand.
"Yutsuki-san… just like her na, you're a very beautiful person! Why are you wearing the boys' school uniform?"
Miku took Yutsuki's extended right hand and responded with a gentle smile.
"Well… because the girls' uniform skirt from Raizen is a little too short for , and it feels drafty and unsafe!"
"Ahaha~ Yutsuki-san is unexpectedly a conservative girl~ That's interesting~"
Miku seed amused by Yutsuki's rather casual answer and covered her mouth as she laughed softly.
"That's quite the complint. Miku-san is also an unparalleled beauty. However—"
After returning a graceful smile in response, Yutsuki looked at Miku with eyes full of hostility and said softly, "Shiori, I'm not giving her to you."
"Yu… Yutsuki! Sorry! Miku-san."
Although Yutsuki's voice was not loud enough to reach the surrounding girls, Shido was still flustered and imdiately apologized to Miku.
"Well, it's nothing that serious… I didn't expect Shiori-san to be so popular at school too~"
"Uh… maybe average?"
Seeing that Miku did not seem angry at all, only amused and teasing toward Shido, Shido let out a small breath of relief and responded with a bitter smile.
"Oh, by the way. As thanks for returning my handkerchief, would you two like to have tea with ?"
"O-Onee-sama?!?"
That girl looked as if she had originally been invited to tea at Miku's ho, and at the mont Miku made the invitation, she showed an expression like one of Picasso's "Weeping Woman."
But Miku clearly did not care, and rely waved a hand lightly.
"Mmm… it would be our honor. How about it, Yutsuki?"
Although Shido felt a little sorry for that girl, this was a rare opportunity, so he still smiled and agreed.
Yutsuki slightly narrowed her eyes.
From the beginning, Yutsuki had been observing Miku. She noticed that although Miku wore a smile when casually turning down the girl she had originally invited, she actually felt no apology at all toward her.
If she had to describe it, it was like a child seeing a new and interesting toy, being swept up in novelty, and then casually throwing away the doll they had already grown bored of.
Because it was only a toy, there was no need for any apology.
Then…
Yutsuki showed a brilliantly dazzling smile toward the invitation.
"Of course, I shall gratefully accept."
54000km
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