"You're not even denying it," Aiba Asagi stared at Himeragi Yukina in surprise.
So young and already this bold?
"Senpai, I did come here for Shichen-sensei," Yukina admitted with a nod.
She was here to monitor Shichen, so saying she came for him wasn't wrong. Even if the angle of the question was different, she couldn't deny it.
"You dare to admit it outright?" Asagi was even more surprised.
"Shichen-sensei, who is she?"
"Didn't Nagisa just tell you?"
"But she...?"
"It's not what you think," Shichen reassured her.
"Not what I think? Really?" Asagi didn't buy it.
"Yes. Don't worry, Senpai—I'm not your enemy," Yukina said, nodding.
"Enemy... ahem, I never said that."
"Asagi, why are you bold one second and timid the next?" Tsukishima Rin chuckled, shaking her head.
Tsukishima Rin was Asagi's class rep; the two were close and often together.
"I—I am not timid!" Asagi shot back, stubborn as ever.
"Hehe~ if you say so. Come on, let's sit and eat," Rin didn't call her out—she already knew exactly what Asagi was like.
"But where do we sit?"
"Over here," Rin pointed to the open seats behind Shichen.
"Hiii~ Asagi-senpai." Enatos waved with a grin.
"Enatos..." Asagi frowned slightly. In her eyes, Enatos was an even bigger threat than Avrora.
Avrora might be ditzy and pure, but Enatos was different—way more aggressive.
She honestly didn't know how Avrora had so many "sisters," all living at Shichen-sensei's place. Talk about home-court advantage.
Asagi didn't really want to cozy up to Enatos, but the spot was close—no helping it.
Scenes like this were common, and Shichen never worried about them actually fighting; he ate his lunch at ease.
Gotta say, the student cafeteria food was pretty good—no worse than the faculty cafeteria, and with even more variety.
After lunch, Shichen headed back to the office alone, but someone still trailed him, sneaking around.
"What are you doing over by the office?" Shichen asked toward the window, leaning back in his chair.
"Uh..." Yukina obediently straightened up so her upper body was visible.
This was the second floor, after all.
"Sigh... you really don't trust me, huh? Come on in; it's pretty hot out there," Shichen said, shaking his head.
"Oh..." Yukina answered meekly and started toward the door.
"No need to go around. Just climb in through the window."
"Okay."
Yukina swung herself in sideways with quick, practiced movements, then shuffled over to stand in front of Shichen.
"You..." Shichen rubbed his chin, his gaze dropping to her skirt.
"What is it?" Yukina hadn't noticed his eyes; she was still a bit tense.
She was new to shadowing Shichen and didn't know whether to relax. Worried something might happen, she stuck close whenever she could. Surveillance is most reliable up close to the target.
"Why are you... still wearing the same underwear as yesterday?" Shichen asked, puzzled.
"Eh? You—!" Yukina froze, then her face went scarlet as she clapped her hands over her skirt.
"W-when did you see?!"
"When you climbed in the window just now."
"Ugh..." Yukina flushed to the tips of her ears.
"Y-you didn't make me come in the window on purpose, did you? J-just to peek at my, my—ugh." She couldn't even finish.
"As if. I'm not that kind of guy. I just didn't expect you to swing in sideways so boldly. Do you not realize your skirt is short?"
"I-I've only worn this uniform for two days..."
"I see. But then why the same underwear as yesterday? Don't tell me you skipped a shower."
"I—I showered!" she shot back.
"Then why are you still—"
"All my underwear looks like this!" she cut him off.
"Oh, got it. I thought maybe you didn't have a spare pair."
"Of course I do!"
"Okay, okay—no need to get so worked up."
"Y-you've seen them twice now..."
"It's just underwear. It's not like you weren't wearing any."
"That still doesn't make it okay..."
"Then what—should I take responsibility? Are you 'ruined' now?"
"As if!"
"Then should I let you look at mine in return?"
"Look at..." Yukina's gaze drifted downward against her will.
"Nope," Shichen blocked her view.
"I—I wasn't looking! And I don't want to!"
"Heh. Then let's call it water under the bridge?"
"It's not that simple... Shichen-sensei, you're not actually a perv, are you?" she pouted.
"I told you it wasn't on purpose. You were the careless one."
"Mm..."
"Or do you want me to take responsibility?"
"N-no need..."
"In that case, let's drop it and get to know each other properly, okay?" Shichen smiled.
"Get to know each other?"
"Have a seat." Shichen hooked Sasasaki Misaki's chair over.
"Okay." Yukina sat obediently.
"Yukina, you might be misunderstanding me because I'm the Fifth Primogenitor. We haven't interacted much these last two days, but you can tell I'm not out there doing evil, right?"
"That's true... you're just kind of a flirt."
"...You're still hung up on that?"
"Mm... sorry."
"Good. So set aside your preconceptions and get to know me anew, okay? I'll cooperate."
"Get to know you anew... But why are you willing to cooperate with me this much? Is it because I look loli?"
"...What, should I refuse to cooperate, get offended, and kill you? Wipe out the Lion King Agency while I'm at it?"
"N-no way!"
"There you go."
"I—I get it."
"Good. Let's start now—what do you want to know about me?"
"Uh..." Yukina frowned, drawing a blank.
"Then how about I ask you?"
"Okay... but you're not allowed to ask my three sizes."
"...Why would I ask that? Besides, I can tell at a glance."
"Eh?" Yukina stared, stunned.
"Alright, never mind the details. Tell me—what exactly is your Lion King Agency like?"
"Never mind the details... Shichen-sensei, you don't know the Lion King Agency? Then how did you know where I was from at the start?"
"Knowing it exists is one thing; understanding it is another. I only know it as a marriage bureau."
"A marriage bureau?" Yukina blinked, confused.
"Nothing. Just talk about what isn't classified."
"That I can do."
Yukina gathered her thoughts and began: "The Lion King Agency is a special-operations body under the National Public Safety Commission. Its mission is to prevent large-scale magical disasters and terrorist attacks, and to conduct intelligence collection and espionage. It's older than Japan's current official institutions."
"So basically civil servants," Shichen muttered.
"More or less..."
"So you're watching me because the Agency thinks I could start a war?"
"That's what the Three Saints said."
"I don't see it that way," Shichen murmured, glancing at the guileless Yukina.
"What?" She hadn't heard him clearly.
"Nothing... So are you considered important within the Agency now?"
"No... I'm just on a trial appointment," she admitted.
"On probation, huh." Shichen chuckled.
"W-what are you laughing at?"
"Yukina, have you considered why the Three Saints sent you to watch me?"
"I wasn't sure at first, but I think I'm starting to get a clue."
"Seriously? You figured it out?" Shichen sounded surprised.
"What kind of reaction is that? You think I'm an idiot?" Yukina looked displeased.
"No—you're smart. Your grades are excellent."
"So you're calling me a nerd?"
"...How did you get that from what I said?"
"It didn't sound like praise to me."
"We've got too many misunderstandings... Anyway, forget that for now—what do you think you've figured out?"
"Before that, can I ask you a question, Sensei?"
"Go ahead."
"Then... Sensei, are you into lolis?"
"?"
~~~
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