Rai Hikaru was thinking that tonight, he might stay over at his foster mother Miss Mira's place instead of going back to his own apartment.
After all, Shinonomiya Natsuka and Yukino Fuyu had both triggered "plot events" today, and NTR bulls like Kashika Masaru and the dorm warden Takahashi still had not been thoroughly cremated.
Things were far from settled, and Rai Hikaru felt he needed to stay on guard.
So he planned to go eat at Miss Mira's house, which was also closer to Shinonomiya Natsuka's apartment.
On top of that…
He still needed to deliver Clear-Heart Amulets and other items to the women he cared about, like Miss Mira.
…
The walk back was uneventful.
Nothing special happened on the way home with Shinonomiya Natsuka—aside from her getting even more enthusiastic, chattering nonstop as she tried to make conversation.
Rai Hikaru did not spot a single bleached-hair punk along the way, which honestly left him a little disappointed.
After escorting Shinonomiya Natsuka to the bottom of her apartment building, Rai Hikaru said casually, "I'll leave you here. I'm heading back."
For the first time, Shinonomiya Natsuka found herself wishing the road home were a little longer.
Still unsatisfied, she invited him, "Then… how about coming up for some milk tea? The milk tea I make is really good."
Rai Hikaru's eyes flicked over the towering peaks on her chest.
"This 'milk tea' you're talking about… is it the decent kind?"
Shinonomiya Natsuka froze.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean, 'decent' or not?"
"Forget it. If I go home too late, my beautiful foster mother will start calling to nag me."
In his mind, a vivid image rose of Miss Mira—on the surface sweet and coquettish, but inwardly black-bellied to the core.
Shinonomiya Natsuka could only nod in disappointment.
"Okay then, I'll go up. But tonight, don't forget you're coming over to copy my homework."
Rai Hikaru blinked.
"Copy your what?"
Now it was Shinonomiya Natsuka's turn to blink.
"We literally talked about this on the way back. You asked if I'd done today's homework and if you could borrow mine to copy. I said I'd do it when I got home, and you said you'd come over tonight to copy it, remember?"
"So when you were talking to me just now, Rai-kun, you were completely spaced out, huh!"
Seeing the busty girl puff up in anger, Rai Hikaru raised both hands in a calming gesture.
"Don't get mad. I was just… splitting my attention a bit on the way back, watching to see if any guys like Kashika Masaru would jump out and attack you."
At that, Shinonomiya Natsuka's mood instantly improved.
"So Rai-kun was worried about my safety and stayed on guard the whole time. I misjudged you."
"Once I'm done with my homework, come over and copy it, okay?"
Rai Hikaru nodded.
"Yeah. Tonight, I'll come over and copy you."
Hearing that, Shinonomiya Natsuka's lips curled into a bewitching smile.
Before leaving, Rai Hikaru used Qi-Sight to scan the top of her head.
Seeing the white glow shot through with red light, he frowned, then casually sent out a Pure Love Warning Paper Crane to track Shinonomiya Natsuka.
"Be careful when you're home alone tonight. If anyone besides me shows up at your door, don't open it."
Shinonomiya Natsuka did not know why he suddenly said that, but she took it as a sign of concern and answered happily, yet seriously, "Okay, I got it."
After watching Rai Hikaru walk away, she headed up to her rented room.
As soon as she thought of Rai Hikaru's handsome face and the way he had sent Kashika Masaru flying with a single kick, her breathing grew a little shallow.
"Which movie should I use for casting this time…?"
Shinonomiya Natsuka booted up her computer and slowly scrolled through her carefully curated collection of films.
Once she had picked a movie, chosen her "casting material," stripped off her JK uniform skirt, and was just about to begin her "spellcasting"—
Her phone suddenly started ringing.
"Could it be Rai-kun?!"
The idea that she was about to… "cast a spell" on him and then immediately got a call from him made Shinonomiya Natsuka's cheeks flare bright red.
But when she saw the caller ID, she let out a breath and her flushed face cooled down.
She hit the accept button and said casually, "Hello, Yuta? What made you call me?"
On the other end came the voice of Yamano Yuta.
"Of course I'm calling because I miss you, Natsuka-nee. Have you been thinking about me lately?"
"Uh…"
Shinonomiya Natsuka suddenly did not know how to answer.
She did not want to lie, but lately, all that popped into her head was Rai Hikaru's face. She just could not bring herself to say that out loud.
Thankfully, Yamano Yuta did not wait for her response and continued.
"Natsuka-nee, my school happens to be on break today. It's boring out in the countryside, and I really wanted to see you."
"I'm already on the bus heading into the city. You're at your rented place right now, right? I'll come over tonight."
"Eh?"
Before Shinonomiya Natsuka could say anything, the call disconnected.
Lowering the phone, she stared at it with a strange expression, then quietly shut her laptop.
For some reason, the mood for "spellcasting" had evaporated.
In the past, if her childhood friend Yamano Yuta said he was coming to visit, she would have been delighted.
This time, though, at the news that Yuta—whom she had not seen in a while—was coming over, her feelings were a complicated mix.
Unconsciously, her mind wandered back to Rai Hikaru, whom she had only just parted from.
"Yuta feels like a kid brother. Rai-kun feels more like a real man…"
The thought slipped into her head before she could stop it.
"No, no! Yuta and I are childhood friends. We made a promise!"
Shinonomiya Natsuka shook her head hard, but no matter what, she could not shake off the knot in her chest.
…
Elsewhere.
In a game center somewhere, Yamano Yuta slowly lowered his phone and frowned at the bleached-blond delinquent in front of him.
"Masaru Kashika… you said Natsuka-nee is cheating on me, and that her boyfriend is Rai Hikaru. Is that true?"
Kashika Masaru, still wrapped in bandages around his lower half, clicked his tongue in irritation.
"What, you think I'm making it up? If you didn't believe me, why'd you rush into the city like this?"
Yamano Yuta's face twisted, and for a moment he could not think of anything to say.
That morning, he had received a call from Kashika Masaru.
The guy told him that Shinonomiya Natsuka—the girl who had promised him they would be together someday—had already betrayed him and was secretly dating Rai Hikaru.
If he did not believe it, he should come to the city and see for himself.
Kashika had sounded so sure of himself that Yuta could not help feeling uneasy. On impulse, he took leave from school and rode the bus into the city.
After he arrived and met Kashika Masaru, the latter told him to call Shinonomiya Natsuka and say he was coming over tonight.
"Once you're standing right in front of her, you'll know if she's gotten together with Rai Hikaru," Kashika had said.
Yamano Yuta had thought that sounded reasonable, which was why he had just called Natsuka out of the blue.
But now that he had calmed down a little, something about Kashika Masaru's story started to feel wrong to him—though he could not pinpoint exactly what.
So he asked, unable to hold back, "You're lying to me, aren't you, Masaru? I don't believe Natsuka-nee would be dating anyone."
Kashika Masaru snorted.
"Then how about this: I'll go with you tonight when you see your Natsuka-nee. Ask her to her face, and we'll see who's lying. I'm not afraid to confront her right there."
Seeing Yamano Yuta's uncertain expression, a glint flashed in Kashika's eyes.
He knew perfectly well that Rai Hikaru saying he and Shinonomiya Natsuka were dating earlier had been a lie—but that did not stop him from using it to trick this naive kid and achieve his own goals.
Just as he expected, Yamano Yuta agonized for a while, then nodded.
"Fine. We'll do it your way. Tonight, I'll take you with me to see Natsuka-nee."
Looking at Yuta's dumbly earnest face and thinking of Shinonomiya Natsuka's explosive figure, Kashika Masaru licked his dry lips, an evil smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
This idiot really is easy to fool.
That top-tier "Natsuka-nee" of yours? I'll be happy to enjoy her on your behalf.