Chatting about magical girls put Nagi Sanzenin in an even better mood.
She kept sneaking glances at the handsome boy across from her, curiosity flickering in her eyes. The way Hayashi Maki had gotten that robber to obey with a single sentence shocked her most of all. As an otaku herself, she found him mysterious—he had to be a mage! If it wouldn't have been too forward, she'd have asked if she could learn, too.
Hayashi Maki, for his part, was also studying the girl before him. Nagi was very pretty—no surprise for a main heroine. Petite enough that, standing, she only reached his stomach, she looked like a middle schooler. Her eyes were bright, like emeralds.
Compared with Eriri's, her golden twin-tails were finer, which only made her cuter. Don't be fooled by her size—she was a high schooler. And she wore pure white over-the-knee socks; her slim calves looked delicate and adorable. If they'd known each other better, Hayashi Maki would've wanted to make a move already.
As he admired the petite blonde ojou-sama, he kept the conversation flowing. Nagi, excited, opened up and shared all her thoughts about other works and 2D culture.
Time slipped by. After hashing out the manga and novel, they formally agreed to collaborate: Hayashi Maki would write the magical-girl novel; she would handle promotion and draw the tie-in manga. Hayashi Maki was more than happy—he just had to flesh out the novel and he'd get paid.
Good times were short. Before they knew it, it was afternoon. Nagi, reluctant to part, still had to go; Hayashi Maki smiled and offered to see her home. She gladly accepted.
On the way back, Hayashi Maki took down several waves of would-be kidnappers. What most people might never encounter in a lifetime was routine for Nagi; she was used to being targeted. Hayashi Maki's combat prowess kept lighting up her eyes. What girl doesn't feel a stir? Faced with a strong, handsome boy who was gentle to her, Nagi naturally felt moved.
At the gate of her villa, they waved goodbye. Their first meeting had ended perfectly. Hayashi Maki wasn't in a rush to make a move—and he'd already noticed Maria watching him and Nagi from the shadows. Building rapport with Nagi was mainly a step toward getting closer to the Light Priestess.
Back in her room, Nagi flopped onto her bed and rolled around in giddy delight. Meeting a new friend for the first time and chatting so happily had her buzzing. Having friends really was the best. Isumi Saginomiya was a dear friend too, but it was better to talk 2D with someone who got it.
Just then Maria, back in maid uniform and smiling, came in with drinks.
"Ojou-sama, did everything go smoothly?"
She already knew the answer but asked anyway—so her lady would feel cared for.
Nagi nodded with a grin.
"It went great. Hayashi Maki-kun not only scared off the guys trying to kidnap me—he was super gentle, too. A real-life prince charming!"
She chattered away, face full of joy. Maria felt relieved; she always worried about her homebody lady.
…
After parting with the ojou-sama, Hayashi Maki headed home. With Mashiro still in her room drawing and nothing urgent to do, he booted up a game. "Ako-wife" promptly begged for a meetup.
Tamaki Ako: "Innocent hubby, I really want to see you. Do you have time tomorrow? Let's meet up!"
Curious whether she was really a girl—and whether she was the "Tamaki Ako" in his head—Hayashi Maki agreed.
There's always a little time to squeeze out, like water from a sponge. Mostly thanks to angel Mahiru, his "back garden" was exceptionally harmonious—sneaking off for a date with a pretty girl was zero pressure.
After a few dungeon runs with Ako-wife, Hayashi Maki logged off. If that VR game weren't still in development, he wouldn't be playing MMOs at all.
He lay on the bed to rest when his phone buzzed. He glanced at it—and blinked. A message from Vignette. The gentle, angel-like demon girl—he hadn't "made a move" on her yet. Not every demon was as easy to coax as Satania.
Her message surprised him, too.
Vignette: "Hayashi Maki, how does one become a proper demon?"
Hayashi Maki: "Why not try killing someone at random and see?"
Vignette: "Are you a demon or not? How could I just pick someone and kill them?!"
Hayashi Maki: "See? You already know how demons operate."
Vignette sighed.
"I'm asking if there's a way to assert my demon identity without killing."
Hayashi Maki: "You could learn from Satania—she does it great."
Vignette: "I can't copy that at all! So what is the Great Demon training you and Satania do, exactly?"
She really was jealous of Satania's allowance; her own had dwindled so much she'd soon be relying on part-time jobs to live. She was too honest—what demon thinks only of working to make rent? A demon should be robbing a bank; that would fit the identity better.
Hayashi Maki: "Curious about our training? In that case, let's go up to the rooftop tomorrow. I'll teach you how to boost your mana."
If Vignette wanted more power, he wouldn't hold back—he only hoped she wouldn't be too shocked.
Vignette: "Alright… I'll try it then!" If even Satania could improve, there was no reason she couldn't.
~~~
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