After ending her private eting with Artemisia, Yutsuki prepared to head to the Itsuka house.
Yutsuki opened the door. Looking down, she saw four pairs of shoes placed in the entryway. It seed soone was ho.
Observing the styles of the shoes, there were two pairs of matching thick leather boots, one pair of brand na high heels, and one pair of old, unfashionable Velcro slip ons.
(Yuzuru, Kaguya, Miku—and Nia.) (TL:ah~ I rember this scene in the ani~)
Yutsuki thought casually.
Pricking up her ears, she indeed heard the girls's cheerful conversation coming from the living room.
She took off her shoes, placed them neatly, and curiously walked toward the living room.
"Yo. Talking about sothing interesting?"
"Honey! You're back!"
As soon as Yutsuki entered the living room, Miku stood up excitedly and enthusiastically moved to hug her.
"Welco ho. Would you like dinner? A bath? Or—?"
"None of them. Also, that's too cliche. Next."
Pushing Miku back onto the sofa, Yutsuki asked,
"What are you all doing?"
"Answer. Yuzuru is playing Yamanote-sen Ga"
"Yamanote-sen Ga, huh…"
Hearing Yuzuru's words, Yutsuki was sowhat surprised.
Although she had never played it, Yutsuki had seen it in manga before. If she rembered correctly, it seed to be a Japanese drinking party ga where everyone took turns naming words that fit a the. If soone said sothing outside the the or repeated an answer, they lost. Since it was a drinking ga with penalties, Yutsuki quickly understood who had suggested it. (TL: I don't actually translate the na cause I don't understand the na, I just google the part where yutsuki explain the na and ask for the na of the ga,might be wrong)
"Wanna join too, Biri-chan?"
"Mm… sure."
Since she had nothing to do for the mont, Yutsuki nodded and agreed.
After Yutsuki joined, Nia gave an exaggerated cough and restarted the ga.
"Very good. Then the next the. Yamanote-sen—cool monts from Boy."
Saying this, Nia spoke first.
"For , hmm—it would probably be when he imitated Tokiya's line and told , 'I won't use any more excuses to run away from my past. Regret is sothing one ti is enough for.' Back then, Boy really seed possessed by Tokiya. If possible, I'd love to have him wear the cosplay outfit and say it again."
"If I rember correctly, when Shido first cosplayed as Tokiya, you got furious, didn't you?"
Yutsuki could not help retorting.
"That was then, this is now. What's wrong with wanting a boy I like to play an important character I like? Two kinds of joy stacked together…"
"If you keep talking, I'll hit you."
"Understood. I'll stop. Next."
Nia decisively shut her mouth.
"Haha, next is ."
Miku raised her hand very proactively.
"Let's see. For , it has to be that mont at DEM's Japan branch. Darling stood up in front of the inverted Tohka-san to protect , and said in that magnetic voice, 'I… promised!' Ah! Just thinking about it makes him so cool!"
Seeming to recall that scene, Miku looked utterly blissful and intoxicated. Then, as though suddenly rembering sothing, she added very seriously,
"Of course, Honey's appearance at the critical mont to save everyone was also extrely cool."
"You don't have to add that in midway."
Yutsuki answered with a wry smile. At that ti, rather than saying she appeared at the critical mont to save everyone, it would be more accurate to say she had been secretly watching from behind the whole ti.
"Contemplation. In Yuzuru's opinion, it was when Shido used Sandalphon's strike to stop Yuzuru and Kaguya from arguing."
"Ah—s-so unfair! That was clearly what I wanted to say!"
"Denial. This was simply according to the order. There is nothing improper."
"I don't rember deciding on any order."
"General principle. Matters like this are first co, first served. Next is Kaguya's turn. Or could it be that Kaguya can only think of one cool mont from Shido?"
"Ugh…"
After being rendered speechless for a while, Kaguya finally spoke in… how should one put it? A rather bashful-sounding voice.
"…For , um, when I went bowling alone with Shido… and when I cried, I rested my head on his lap, and he silently stroked my head…"
"Chew ping! High energy maiden reaction detected!"
"Please give us the details! What did being given a lap pillow by Darling feel like?"
"Question. When and where exactly did this happen? Yuzuru was unaware."
"Eh… um…"
Under the barrage of questions from the three, the normally arrogant and chuuni Kaguya now spoke in a voice as small as a mosquito's.
Well, this developnt was not outside Yutsuki's expectations. After all, comparing the corruption levels of the mbers in this room, Kaguya should count as the purest one.
"Oh, could it be when Natsumi appeared last year?"
"Why would you know that, Yutsuki?! Did you spy on us?!"
Kaguya asked in panic.
"It's not hard to guess, is it? After all, the number of tis you and Yuzuru have acted separately can be counted on one hand. And since you even cried, it was probably when you were forced to separate from Yuzuru. That only leaves the ti with Natsumi."
Yutsuki analyzed as if it were only natural.
"Am I wrong?"
"Uh… n-no."
"Understanding. Indeed, Yuzuru was not there at the ti. Kaguya must have felt very uneasy."
"Oh, I see. As expected of Detective Biri-chan."
"Heh~ so that's how it was."
"Ugh…"
Facing everyone's knowing but gentle smiles, Kaguya lowered her head, her face completely red.
(Yare yare. Shido really is a sinful man.)
Looking at Kaguya's cute reaction, Yutsuki could not help thinking that.
"M-My matter doesn't matter! Next! It is your turn!"
"Okay, okay. Hmm… the coolest scene of Shido in my heart, huh?"
Looking up at the ceiling, Yutsuki thought for a mont before speaking.
"For , it has to be the words he said when he first sealed my Spirit power."
Thinking of that, Yutsuki could not help showing a gentle smile.
[Unfortunately, I cannot marry you. Because I still have Tohka, Yoshino, the Yamai, and the others. If I did that, it would an abandoning them to enjoy happiness all by myself. But—I swear! I am willing to stay by your side for the rest of my life! Until the very mont I die, I will stay with you and treat you as my family!!!] (TL:heh~ just copied that~ I'm not translating this long ass line again)
"…"
Hearing Yutsuki's words, everyone's expressions turned sowhat subtle.
"Uh… Biri-chan. How should I put this?" After hesitating for a mont, Nia still spoke up to retort. "Are you sure that wasn't him rejecting you?"
"Really? I thought it was pretty moving."
"Mm… if I only listen to the second half, I can barely understand, but the first sentence is strange."
"Agreent. Saying the nas of other girls at such an important mont is quite rude."
"Honey, you may freely co and be spoiled in my embrace."
"Haha…"
Seeing the female group taking her side from their own perspectives, Yutsuki could not help smiling wryly.
"Well, Shido saying he was willing to beco my family was indeed very moving, but to be honest, I've never been that fond of words like 'rest of my life.' On the contrary, having that first part as groundwork actually made feel a little better."
After all, as long as people were alive, it was impossible for them not to change. Perhaps they would change for the better. Perhaps they would change for the worse.
If she carefully thought back, there were plenty of monts in Yutsuki's mories where Shido had shone brightly. But how should she put it? If she had to na the one that left the deepest impression, it was still that first ti.
Perhaps in the eyes of others, Shido's first half had been unnecessary—even a pointless addition. But in truth, it was precisely because of that first sentence that Yutsuki felt a clumsy sincerity in the oath Shido made to her back then. It made Yutsuki understand that Shido was not lying to her, and that this oath was not so empty promise made to casually appease her.
He had truly placed Yutsuki in his heart, yet he had not ignored the people around him either. His words were naive, but not foolish. That just right immaturity was also what attracted Yutsuki to him.
Well, there was also a comparatively contradictory reason. Although she believed that if they were truly going to be together, they had to date with marriage in mind, she could not imagine herself wearing a wedding dress at all. If Shido had truly said he was willing to marry her back then, she might have been so frightened that she would have run away imdiately. (TL:..final chapter...final illustration...)
As for Shiori's wedding dress, she could easily imagine over a hundred designs.
"Well, Biri-chan is the more realistic type."
"Nothing wrong with that. By the way, why did you suddenly start playing Yamanote-sen?"
"Because we're bored~"
Nia leaned her upper body at a forty five degree angle across the sofa, placed both hands on her abdon, tilted her head, and spoke in a lazy, sprawled out posture.
After all, the large-scale battle preparations were all being handled by Ratatoskr. In addition, because they had to be wary of Beelzebub's ability, they did not make any detailed tactics and chose to adapt to the situation when the ti ca. The tasks Kotori arranged for the Spirits were pitifully few. Aside from Yutsuki going to persuade Artemisia, and Origami and Mana using their status as Wizards to communicate with the AST, the other Spirits had nothing to do. Aside from taking turns guarding Shido, they were simply told to rest well and prepare themselves ntally so that, no matter what plan they heard, they would not be surprised.
However, with the decisive battle ahead, they could not quite bring themselves to bury their heads in books or gas either. So Nia proposed this ga to pass the ti.
"I see. If you're really that free, how about going back into the virtual world for more training…"
The instant Yutsuki said that, she saw all four faces turn pale.
"…I'm joking."
Yutsuki smiled and corrected herself.
"…"
For an instant, the four felt as though their hearts had ridden a roller coaster through a violent rise and fall.
"Biri-chan… there are so jokes… you shouldn't casually make."
Nia warned while wiping cold sweat away.
"Well, balancing work and rest is necessary too. Besides, even if you wanted to participate now, I can't think of any new assignnts for the mont. Mm—"
At that mont, everyone's phones, including Yutsuki's, rang.
"Hello, Tohka?"
After confirming the caller's na, Yutsuki pressed the answer button.
[Yutsuki? I'm currently preparing rice balls at the apartnt to reward Shido and the others. Do you want to co too?]
At the sa ti, Yutsuki could also faintly hear similar conversations happening on the others' phones. It seed the Spirits at the apartnt had called together. Only Miku had not received a call, but a text ssage from Natsumi. (TL: poor)
"Mm, sure."
There was no reason to refuse, so Yutsuki readily agreed.
[Umu, then I'll wait for you. Also…]
Halfway through, Tohka suddenly fell silent over the phone, seemingly hesitating over sothing.
"Sothing else?"
Yutsuki asked in confusion. After hesitating for a while, Tohka finally said worriedly,
[Um, Yutsuki. Shido… seems to have had a nightmare…]
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