Shinji raised a hand to his forehead and let out a sigh. "What do you mean you won't let me have Lady Fubuki? You misunderstood again, didn't you?"
"But... isn't it true though? You and Lady Fubuki..."
Lily's voice faltered, and she looked visibly shaken, her expression caught between disbelief and something harder to define.
"It's nothing like that," Shinji said plainly. "Ever since she came over that first time looking to stir up trouble, she's just been dropping by to hang out. That's all."
He didn't leave room for misinterpretation. "Actually, a lot of people come over to my place pretty often. That's why I invited you for tea in the first place, as it wasn't meant to be anything special."
"Oh... oh, I see..."
Lily blinked and nodded slowly, her voice quiet.
But even though she responded, the look in her eyes showed she hadn't fully processed the explanation. Something about it still seemed off to her, or maybe she was just struggling to accept it.
Shinji, having said what he needed to, decided not to push further. The rest would take time to settle on its own.
They returned to chatting casually over their drinks. Compared to earlier, Lily looked more at ease now. The tension in her shoulders had eased, and the nervous fidgeting had mostly stopped. Her smile even returned.
Before long, two hours had slipped by unnoticed.
Shinji checked the time on his phone. It was already around 5 p.m.
"Well, then, I think we should wrap it up for today. I should head home and make dinner," he said as he stood.
"Okay..."
Lily gave a small nod, though the flicker of reluctance in her eyes didn't go unnoticed. It wasn't often she found someone she could genuinely talk and laugh with like this. Parting felt a little too soon.
"Let's hang out again sometime if we get the chance," Shinji added as he turned toward the exit.
"Yeah!"
She nodded again, this time with a bright, genuine smile that lingered even after he left.
...
After stepping out of the milk tea shop, Shinji immediately teleported home.
Lily exited the shop a little later, planning to say something more to him, but when she looked around, there was no trace of him left. She glanced up and down the street, trying to spot him, but it was pointless.
Helpless, she pulled out her phone.
[How'd you disappear so fast?]
[I already went home.]
[That fast? You were just here a second ago!]
Lily stared at her screen, baffled by how fast he had vanished. Her brain couldn't quite wrap around his speed.
[Did you need something?] Shinji asked.
[Nothing major. Just wanted to say I had a lot of fun today. Thanks ♪(･ω･)ﾉ]
[You're welcome. I had fun too.]
After that short exchange, the conversation naturally fizzled out. When Shinji looked around the house, he noticed something else.
Fubuki was gone.
"Fubuki went home?" he asked Genos.
"Yes. She left about half an hour ago," Genos replied with a nod.
...
The next day, Lily went to school like normal. Classes ended early in her middle school, usually by 2 or 3 in the afternoon, so she still had the rest of the day free.
As usual, she headed to the Blizzard Group's base. But the moment she stepped through the office doors, she stopped in her tracks.
Fubuki was sitting at her desk, waiting.
"Lady Fubuki?" Lily blinked, caught completely off guard.
"Lily, I have something to ask you." Fubuki's tone was serious, her gaze fixed.
"What is it? Please go ahead, Lady Fubuki." Lily straightened her posture and tried to stay composed, but something about Fubuki's expression made her tense.
"It's about Shinji..."
Fubuki's voice dropped ever so slightly, and her eyes narrowed.
"...!" Lily's face went pale in an instant.
Why would Fubuki suddenly bring up Shinji? Could it be because of her outing with him yesterday?
"You went out with him yesterday. It looked like the two of you got along quite well," Fubuki said calmly, her voice composed but unreadable.
Lily's heart skipped a beat. Fubuki's expression and tone made it feel like she was being interrogated. Was this really about Shinji?
"Yes… yes, we did," she admitted with a slight nod.
Even if Fubuki truly had feelings for Shinji, it wouldn't surprise her. He was exceptional in every way, fifth-ranked among the S-Class heroes, powerful, and undeniably handsome. Someone like that was bound to attract attention. Still, even knowing that her answer might upset Fubuki, she didn't lie. For some reason, she confessed anyway.
"I see… then, can you tell me how you got so close to him?" Fubuki asked, genuinely curious, her gaze steady. Lily stared in disbelief. She had been bracing herself for a reprimand or accusation, not this kind of question.
"I… I don't really know how to explain it," she answered hesitantly. "It just kind of happened naturally, I guess? Our relationship's gotten better over time." She wasn't trying to be vague. She really didn't know how else to put it.
"Can you be a little more specific? Like, what did you do at the beginning?" Fubuki pressed further, her tone still calm but intent.
Just thinking about the start made Lily's face flush red. She remembered how she had followed him, lost track of him, gotten lost herself, and even cried… After hesitating for a moment, she gave a rough summary of what had happened back then.
When she finished, Fubuki sat quietly, deep in thought. After a long pause, she nodded to herself. "So I just need to follow him the next time he goes out…"
Lily blinked in shock. What kind of conclusion was that? Wouldn't stalking him only creep him out? Even she knew that, and yet Fubuki spoke like it was a completely reasonable approach.
"No, Lady Fubuki, doing something like that would definitely make someone dislike you..." Lily quickly warned.
"Really?" Fubuki actually seemed surprised by the objection. She paused and looked off to the side. "Come to think of it, Shinji has always seemed cold to me. Does that mean he's not too fond of me?"
"P… probably..." Lily mumbled, unsure how to phrase it more gently.
"Was it because I went to his place that time with Mountain Ape and Eyelashes? Maybe that left a bad impression?" Fubuki speculated.
"Could be. But I've apologized to him more than once already. What else am I supposed to do?" Fubuki sounded genuinely baffled.
Lily looked troubled. She didn't know either. There didn't seem to be a clear answer.
"Then by your logic," Fubuki continued, "shouldn't he have been annoyed when you followed him? So how did your relationship improve after that?" Clearly, she wanted to use Lily's experience as a reference point.
Lily thought long and hard. But no matter how much she tried to recall, there hadn't been some defining moment or strategy. It all just... happened.
"Sorry, I'm not too sure either," she said at last. "I just added him on LINE, and then I'd often chat with him. Aside from that… nothing really."
That was all she had. It sounded vague, maybe even useless, but after hearing it, Fubuki suddenly lit up with clarity and smacked her palm with a fist. "I got it!"