Leaving the Onsen Village and letting Taki and her good friends wash up on their own, Kitahara activated his domain once again to hide his presence, then casually left the school.
Stepping out of the school gates, Kitahara looked up and saw a black sedan parked in the corner.
Kitahara stepped forward, and upon reaching a blind spot of the surveillance cameras, he quietly deactivated his domain, revealing his figure.
Upon seeing Kitahara's figure, Sakiko quickly opened the car door and stepped out to greet him:
"Eh, where is Taki?"
"..."
Kitahara remained silent, merely shaking his head.
"W-What's wrong?"
Seeing Kitahara shake his head, Sakiko involuntarily held her breath, a look of anxiety surfacing on her pretty face:
"Why didn't Taki come out with you?"
Kitahara's voice was low and heavy: "Taki... can't come out anymore."
"What on earth happened to Taki?"
Sakiko held her breath nervously, her fingers tightly pinching the corner of her clothes.
Kitahara let out a light sigh: "Taki is currently taking a shower in the Onsen Village, so she can't come out right now."
Sakiko: "..."
Seeing the annoying smile gradually appear on Kitahara's face, Sakiko immediately realized she had been teased, her cheeks puffing up at a speed visible to the naked eye, looking like a little squirrel with its mouth stuffed full of chestnuts.
Outrageous!
Far too outrageous!
Even as an elegant young lady who had received elite noble education, at this moment she couldn't help but clench her fists, wanting to punch someone.
"Phew~"
Sakiko let out a soft breath, a sweet smile appearing on her pretty face as her voice turned gentle:
"Kitahara-kun really is cute~"
"..."
Kitahara immediately stepped back half a pace in vigilance:
"What is Sakiko saying?"
"Of course I'm praising Kitahara-kun."
Sakiko's voice was gentle.
Although she was indeed speaking words of praise, no matter how one listened to it, it sounded terrifying!
Kitahara knew when to yield, decisively admitting fault:
"I'm sorry, I was wrong; Lady Sakiko, please forgive me."
"Kitahara-kun didn't do anything wrong; you were just teasing someone, so why apologize?"
Sakiko still looked over with a smile.
"I was truly wrong." Kitahara lowered his voice, "Tonight I will bear brier and ask for punishment, using my body to beg for Lady Sakiko's forgiveness."
"Bah~"
Sakiko let out a soft spat, glaring over with affection and annoyance, finally ceasing her continuous smile:
"Taki wasn't injured, right?"
"Safe and sound, it's just that the clothes on her body got dirty..."
Kitahara gently explained.
"It's best that she's fine." Sakiko listened quietly and let out a light sigh of relief, "Tomorrow is the School Cultural Festival, and the band performance can't be missed after all... If I appear together with Sakiko, will there be trouble?"
"Don't worry." Kitahara had already considered it, "Even if you two appear together, you can just say you're sisters."
"Alright then..."
After chatting for a while, Kitahara checked the time on his phone; without realizing it, ten minutes had already passed:
"The agreed time is up, let's head back to the campus first to let Taki and her friends out."
"Okay."
Sakiko nodded lightly, following behind Kitahara as they walked together into the campus.
The domain activated once again, and the two easily crossed the main gate, entering the campus.
A moment later, Kitahara brought Sakiko to an empty corner.
"Let's do it here."
Kitahara asked Sakiko to wait a moment, then his figure flashed as he entered the Onsen Village.
"Kitahara, you're finally back."
Taki and her two good friends were already fully dressed, sitting together and chatting; seeing Kitahara appear, they stood up one after another to greet him.
Not only had the three girls showered, but even their clothes had been washed and dried; there was no longer the previous terrible odor, leaving behind only a sweet, soft scent.
Kitahara gently held Taki's small hand:
"Sorry, I'm late."
"You..."
Taki wanted to break free in shyness, but in front of her friends, she naturally had to give Kitahara face, so she could only glare at Kitahara with a flushed face while her body remained obedient without struggling.
"None of your bodies are feeling uncomfortable, right?"
Kitahara asked softly.
"No." Uika bowed and apologized, "After soaking in the onsen, I feel much better mentally; thank you, Kitahara."
Umiri likewise followed with an apology, her tone somewhat worried:
"May I ask if we can leave now? I still have a band performance to participate in tonight..."
Although she had learned from Taki that the Onsen Village had a ten-to-one time ratio, she ultimately was still uneasy.
"Naturally." Kitahara nodded lightly, "Check if you have all your belongings; if nothing is left behind, we'll leave."
Umiri and Uika checked one after another; as for Taki... anyway, she was going to soak in the onsen again tonight, so it wouldn't matter even if something were left behind.
A moment later.
The light distorted slightly, and Kitahara quietly brought the three girls out of the Onsen Village.
"We're back..."
Looking at the campus under the setting sun, Umiri felt slightly dazed before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
It was clearly just a very ordinary day, yet she had encountered so many incredible things: the hallway she couldn't walk out of no matter what, the hideously ugly monster, Taki's boyfriend, and the Onsen Village far removed from the mortal world... Umiri even somewhat suspected whether she was currently inside a dream.
(So painful...)
Umiri quietly pinched herself on the arm, the pain feeling exceptionally vivid.
(So it really isn't a dream...)
(Which means, Taki really has a boyfriend...)
Sighing secretly, Umiri prepared to pull Uika along to leave.
She had originally worried whether Taki would be deceived in her feelings, but after this experience, there was naturally no need to worry.
(Uika and I should leave as soon as possible; we can't be third wheels...)
Just in the next second.
Uika's excited and surprised voice suddenly rang out:
"S-Sakiko?!"
Sakiko opened her eyes wide and looked over, a look of surprise quickly surfacing on her pretty face:
"Uika?"
Umiri: "..."
Great.
The outsider is only myself.
Half an hour later.
Inside the barbecue restaurant.
Kitahara, Sakiko, Taki, Hana, Umiri, and Uika—the group was already eating barbecue.
Not only did Sakiko and Uika know each other, but they were also intimate friends who grew up together since childhood; with friends meeting today, plus Taki surviving a narrow escape, they naturally had to celebrate properly.
As for Umiri, her band performance time was at 8:30 PM, so eating barbecue before going wouldn't be late at all; under Taki's invitation, she ultimately agreed to come along to eat barbecue.
"Sakiko, long time no see! I had imagined so, so many possibilities, but I never expected we would meet under these circumstances."
Uika's eyes sparkled bright, her eyes containing only Sakiko alone, unable to hold anyone else.
"Indeed, it has been a long time since we last met." Sakiko was likewise very happy, "It should be about a year since I last saw Uika, right?"
"Mm-hmm." Uika leaned forward, blurted out without second thought, "Since the last time I saw Sakiko, one year, two months, and thirteen days have passed!"
Kitahara: "..."
Looking at the blonde girl whose heart and eyes were completely filled with Sakiko, Kitahara suddenly recalled his eye-patched classmate Shimizu Mizurin, feeling a vague urge to exclaim:
Succubus Sakiko, truly terrifyingly formidable.
"Eh, Uika actually remembers so clearly?"
Although Sakiko was surprised, she didn't doubt her.
"Ahem..."
Seeming to notice that her attitude was a bit too enthusiastic, Uika let out two light coughs, her gaze drifting, clearly feeling a bit guilty:
"That... I'm naturally quite sensitive to numbers."
"So that's how it is." Sakiko praised happily, "It seems Uika is not only a genius performer, but also very gifted in mathematics."
"Ehehe~"
Receiving Sakiko's praise, Uika instantly burst into an extraordinarily bright smile, making even the setting sun outside the window seem to brighten for a moment.
Kitahara watched this, unable to refrain from sighing inwardly once more:
The Sakiko of the past truly was a woman laden with sin!
And then... Kitahara felt someone lightly kick him under the table.
"Eat your barbecue properly, don't look around aimlessly!"
Sakiko cast a warning look over, then continued chatting idly with Uika:
"I didn't expect Uika to actually be good friends with Taki; I've never heard about it before."
While eating barbecue, Taki complained:
"Well, I didn't know you two knew each other either."
"Ah, that's right." Uika looked over curiously, "Why is Sakiko at our school? And together with Kitahara?"
Umiri: "..."
After so long, you finally remembered to ask this question?
I've been curious for half the day already, okay!
"I've transferred schools now, and I happen to be in the same class as Kitahara." Sakiko responded with a normal face and a smile, naturally not revealing the secret that they were dating, "On the way, I saw that Kitahara seemed to be in a big hurry, so I had the driver bring him over."
"..."
Kitahara remained silent, simply lowering his head to eat barbecue for fear of trouble, occasionally feeding Hana a bit.
Both hosts and guests had a great time during the meal.
After eating and drinking his fill, Kitahara stood up to head to the restroom, and upon washing up and coming out, he happened to bump into Sakiko.
"Kitahara-kun, your collar is messed up."
Sakiko stood slightly on tiptoe, reaching out her hand to help Kitahara straighten his collar.
For Sakiko, this was a perfectly ordinary matter, but Uika, who was hiding behind the corner of the hallway, opened her eyes wide in disbelief.
(What is Sakiko doing?)
(Why is she straightening Kitahara's collar?)
(This kind of thing can only be done in a very intimate relationship, right?)
(But Kitahara is clearly Taki's boyfriend...)
The more Uika thought about it, the more worried she became, involuntarily biting her thumb.
(Could Sakiko and Taki have been deceived in their feelings?)
The gathering came to an end.
Kitahara left the barbecue restaurant together with the several girls, after which each went back to their respective homes.
"Taki, don't forget the proper matter you agreed to at noon."
Kitahara reminded her in a low voice.
"I didn't forget." Taki's small face turned slightly red, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she raised her eyes to glare playfully over, "I'm going home first, and I'll send you a message after I finish my work."
Go home together with this guy right now?
How could she possibly agree to something so embarrassing!
"It's a deal."
Kitahara turned to say goodbye to Sakiko, then took Hana to ride the electric train home.
Silence all along the way.
When they reached the doorstep of his house, Kitahara bought Hana a cupcake again as today's reward.
"Hana, did you obtain a new ability?"
Kitahara asked while changing into his slippers.
"Yes."
"What ability is it?"
Kitahara looked over curiously.
Hana tilted her small face up: "Hypnosis."
"What? Hypnosis ability?" Kitahara's eyes lit up, "This is an ability that countless college students dream of."
"Come, try hypnotizing me." Kitahara squatted down, his eye level level with Hana's, "Let me see the effect of the hypnosis."
"Cupcake..."
"Buy, buy, buy; I'll buy it for you when I return tonight."
"..."
Receiving the promise, Hana opened her eyes wide, her pretty red pupils starting to emit a faint light; Kitahara only felt his head grow slightly dizzy, as if someone were whispering unintelligible words by his ear, his consciousness quietly beginning to grow dazed and heavy.
"Are there any other effects?" Kitahara looked forward with expectation, "Such as cognitive alteration?"
"No."
Hana shook her head.
"It seems it's just the most elementary hypnosis that makes people feel dazed..."
Kitahara's tone carried a slight sense of regret.
Regret aside, he still wanted to experience the effect of hypnosis after all; Kitahara extended his right hand, pressed it against the top of Hana's head to copy the ability over, and then waved his hand to dismiss her:
"Go watch your Chibi Maruko-chan."
"..."
Kitahara drank a can of beverage, then went to the bathroom to start washing up.
Washing up feeling nice and refreshed, he came out to watch Chibi Maruko-chan with Hana for a bit, until a message from Taki finally popped up on his phone:
"...Is there anyone at your place?"
Kitahara: "There isn't a single person here; I'm just waiting for Taki to come over."
Not long after, Taki stepped quietly out of the bathroom with a blushed small face.
"Taki, do you want to eat some cold treats?"
Kitahara held up the ice cream in his hand.
"Not eating." Taki had her arms crossed in front of her chest, her beautiful black hair falling down to her waist, her small face lightly dyed red as she snorted softly, "Finish up quickly; I still have to go back and read my books."
Kitahara said casually:
"The final exams are still early; what books are you reading now?"
Taki glared over in embarrassment and annoyance: "Stop being talkative, like it's any of your business!"
"Alright, I won't say anymore." Kitahara stood up, "Does Taki want to go to the room upstairs, or to the Onsen Village?"
"I..."
A trace of hesitation appeared on Taki's small face.
Going to the room was very dangerous; someone might fast-travel over to play at any moment, especially Anon, whose clinginess was super exaggerated, but if they went to the Onsen Village... she would definitely be picked on, right?
Hesitating for two seconds, Taki tightened her small face and said:
"We'll go to the Onsen Village... but after changing into the maid outfit I'll leave, and you're not allowed to pick on me!"
"Taki can rest assured." Kitahara raised his right hand, his face full of righteousness, "If I pick on you, I'm a dog."
Taki: "..."
The light distorted slightly, and the figures of Kitahara and Taki vanished into thin air.
Inside the Onsen Village.
"The maid outfits are inside the wardrobe over there." Kitahara pointed with his hand, "Taki has seen them before."
During the summer break he had made a bet with everyone, and in the end Kitahara won, thereby successfully obtaining the reward of the maid squad; at that time he had bought many maid outfits, which could still come in handy now.
Taki turned and walked to the front of the wardrobe, found a black-and-white maid outfit that suited her body size, held it in her arms, and then walked toward the bathroom:
"I'm going to change."
Kitahara raised his right hand: "Do you need my help?"
Taki refused in embarrassment and annoyance: "Go away! I don't need it at all!"