Kurumi Tokisaki

Mikie Okamine looked young and petite, with a cute demeanor, but she was incredibly enthusiastic and patient as she explained various operational methods and combat techniques to Kaguya. She even pulled out a small notebook, densely filled with data. When Kaguya inquired, she learned that this was Mikie's combat journal. After every battle, Mikie meticulously recorded everything. Her theoretical knowledge was top-notch within the AST unit, almost on par with Origami Tobiichi, which was quite impressive.

That was no small feat—after all, Origami Tobiichi was regarded as a super-genius.

However, when Kaguya asked about Mikie's actual combat abilities, the girl became shy and embarrassed, her face reddening. Especially when Kaguya saw the notebook filled with red crosses, it all became clear. Mikie, despite her strong grasp of theory, was utterly clumsy when it came to operating the manifestation equipment, with a battle record of almost always losing—ten fights, nine losses.

In a way, that was still impressive.

"Well, that's it for now," Mikie Okamine said, closing her notebook with a smile. "If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me. Oh, right..."

Mikie suddenly remembered something, opened her notebook again, and jotted down a series of numbers. Handing the paper to Kaguya, she said, "Here's my number. If you want to ask me anything, just call."

"Thanks a lot." Kaguya took the slip of paper, put it in her pocket, and thanked her. "If there's nothing else, I should head home."

Since Kaguya had spent a considerable amount of time in the virtual simulator, it was already midday when she exited. She still had to head home to make lunch for Yoshino; otherwise, with Yoshino's lack of cooking skills, she'd probably just eat cookies.

Just as Kaguya was about to leave, a soft voice called from behind.

"Um..."

Kaguya turned around to see Mikie standing there awkwardly. Curious, Kaguya asked, "What's the matter?"

"It's... nothing, really." Mikie's face flushed a little as she fidgeted nervously, her delicate cheeks turning red. "But if possible, I'd like to ask a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Kaguya's curiosity deepened. What could make this cute girl so shy?

"I heard you spend a lot of time with Origami Tobiichi, so..." Mikie pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box from behind her and said, "I wanted to ask if you could give this to her. It's a gift I wanted to give her."

Kaguya took the gift box from Mikie's hands and asked, surprised, "Why don't you give it to her yourself? It would be more sincere that way. It's not like confessing your feelings; there's no need to be so shy, right?"

"Con... confessing?!" Mikie's face turned beet red, her fingers tangling together as she twisted uncomfortably. "That's not it! I just want to thank her. She saved me once, so I wanted to express my gratitude with this small gift."

Noticing Kaguya's curious look, Mikie's blush deepened.

"I see," Kaguya said with a knowing smile. "Alright, I'll make sure to give it to Origami Tobiichi for you. Don't worry."

"Thank you so much!" Mikie bowed deeply and hurried away as if fleeing in embarrassment.

Watching her retreating figure and then glancing at the gift in her hands, Kaguya couldn't help but chuckle. She hadn't expected Origami to have admirers like this—it was quite the surprise.

Looking at the elegant packaging of the gift box, Kaguya guessed it probably contained chocolates or something similar.

Girls giving chocolates to each other?

Without dwelling on it any longer, Kaguya remembered there was still someone—no, two beings, counting the puppet—waiting for her to return home and make lunch. With that thought, she headed toward the nearby supermarket.

Since there were still plenty of ingredients left from yesterday, she didn't need to buy much, though she did need to restock on fruits. Yoshino didn't eat much, but she loved fruits and especially enjoyed the fresh juices Kaguya made. So, fruit juice had become a staple drink in Kaguya's household.

As Kaguya walked, she suddenly frowned. Turning toward a dark corner near a utility pole, she said sternly, "You've been following me for a while now. Come out."

"To think you noticed me... Just as expected from someone I've set my eyes on," a playful yet melodious voice rang out suddenly.

At the same time, a girl stepped out from the shadows near the utility pole and began walking toward Kaguya. When Kaguya saw her, her eyes widened in surprise.

The girl had long black hair tied into twin tails that draped elegantly over her shoulders. A curtain of bangs covered the left side of her stunningly beautiful face, while her right eye was exposed, deep and dark like a black hole. Her lips were soft and delicate like cherry blossom petals. Despite her breathtaking beauty, there was an alluring, devilish charm in her gaze, the kind that could ensnare anyone with just a glance.

"Kurumi Tokisaki?" Kaguya exclaimed in surprise.

She hadn't expected Kurumi Tokisaki to show up here. Kaguya had planned to search for her later but hadn't anticipated Kurumi would come to her first.

"Oh? You know my name? How surprising," Kurumi smiled, her beautiful eyes twinkling with amusement. "It seems you've remembered something after all."

"Remembered? What are you talking about?" Kaguya asked, confused.

Kurumi's delicate face showed a moment of surprise before she chuckled softly and said, "I thought you had remembered something, but it appears I was mistaken. What a shame."

"What are you talking about?" Kaguya frowned slightly.

Origami had once said something similar, as if she knew something. However, no matter how much Kaguya pressed her, Origami refused to explain. Now, Kurumi was saying the same thing, which left Kaguya even more puzzled.

Could something really have happened before? Kaguya hadn't been in this world for very long, and she couldn't recall doing anything noteworthy. Moreover, she had no memory of anything unusual happening. If something had indeed occurred, surely she'd have at least a vague recollection.

What exactly had gone wrong?

Kurumi Tokisaki tilted her head, resting her delicate face on her hand, and smiled. "It would be boring if I told you since you can't remember. It seems it's not the right time yet. But when you do remember, make sure to let me know, okay?"

With that, Kurumi turned and started to walk away.

"Wait," Kaguya suddenly called out.

"Hmm? Is there something else?" Kurumi blinked her beautiful eyes and asked, "My dear?"

"My... dear?" Kaguya was momentarily stunned.

"Of course, my dear," Kurumi said, her soft fingers lightly brushing against her tender cheek. Her eyes sparkled with a seductive smile as she added, "Have you forgotten what you once did to me?"

"What I did to you?" Kaguya was struck like lightning, staring at the beautiful girl before her, swallowing nervously. "What did I do to you?"

Heavens above, Kaguya thought to herself, I wouldn't mind doing something, but I don't remember anything!

A large metaphorical iron pot seemed to appear behind Kaguya, with the words "scapegoat" etched onto it.

Kurumi gracefully walked over, extending a finger and gently pressing it against Kaguya's chest. A blush spread across Kurumi's delicate face as she murmured, "Does this mean you're trying to avoid taking responsibility?"

What responsibility? Kaguya thought, growing more bewildered. If I had actually done something, that'd be one thing, but I did nothing!

So, with all seriousness, Kaguya declared, "Miss, please behave yourself."

Kurumi blinked in surprise but then smiled radiantly. "When you did those things to me, you certainly weren't asking me to behave," she teased.

"When did I ever do such things to you?" Kaguya could no longer hold back her frustration.

Kurumi took a step closer, leaned in, and whispered in Kaguya's ear, "When I needed you the most... you don't remember? You even hurt me a little."

The warm breath and ambiguous words sent shivers down Kaguya's spine.

Wait, hurt her? Kaguya's eye twitched. What exactly happened?

Trying to regain her composure, Kaguya asked, "Why did you come to see me today?"

"Can't I just visit my dear?" Kurumi tilted her head forward, striking a cute pose with a smile. "It's been such a long time since we last met. I've missed you terribly."

"Long time?" Kaguya frowned, pondering the meaning of those words. If I'm not mistaken, I've only recently arrived in this world.

"Oh dear," Kurumi giggled softly, covering her mouth with a pale hand. "I might have let something slip. It seems I get too relaxed around my dear. Well, it's time for me to go. Although I'd love to spend more time with you, I have things to attend to. Until next time, my dear."

Kurumi took a few steps back, her bright smile never wavering as she waved to Kaguya, her body gradually disappearing into the shadows.

Kaguya considered trying to stop her and question her thoroughly about what she knew, about what might have happened in the past. With her abilities, even though Kurumi wielded the power of Zafkiel and could control time, Kaguya was more than capable of catching her. After all, Kaguya's Mirror Flower, Water Moon wasn't just for show.

But Kaguya refrained from making a move. As Kurumi had implied, if she just gave the answers away, it would ruin the fun. It would be like solving a riddle before even starting the game—it would take away all the excitement.

If Kurumi wanted to play an interesting game, Kaguya was more than happy to indulge. That would make things much more entertaining, wouldn't it?

By the time Kaguya returned home, it was already 12:30. Seeing Yoshino clutching her stomach and trying to endure her hunger, Kaguya immediately knew the poor girl was starving. She quickly put down her things and headed to the kitchen to start making lunch.

Unconsciously, Kaguya was beginning to resemble a certain red-clad chef, though she hadn't realized it yet.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. When Kaguya opened it, she found Origami Tobiichi standing there.

"I'm back," Origami said coolly.

"Didn't you have a mission?" Kaguya, holding a spatula in her hand, asked curiously, "How come you're back so soon?"

"Do you not want me back?" Origami asked as she stepped inside, changing into her fluffy house slippers, her gaze fixed intently on Kaguya.

"That's not it. Of course not," Kaguya responded with a smile.

"So, that means you like me?" Origami took a step closer, her body nearly pressing against Kaguya's.

"Don't twist my words!" Kaguya said, exasperated. "Is it either dislike or like? Can't there be an in-between?"

"Then do you like me?" Origami pressed, clearly not letting Kaguya off the hook.

"Stop spouting nonsense," Kaguya gently smacked Origami on the head. "Lunch is almost ready. Come and eat. Oh right, the pan—"

Suddenly, Kaguya remembered the food cooking on the stove and rushed back to the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the food wasn't burnt. Otherwise, all her hard work would have gone to waste.

Origami's advances had become bolder lately—her feelings were becoming more apparent. Even a blind person could see that what Origami was expressing wasn't just playful teasing; it was genuine affection. However, Kaguya wasn't ready to let things develop further yet. She wanted to understand things better, especially with Kurumi's strange behavior earlier, which had left Kaguya feeling uneasy. It made her realize that things might not be as simple as they seemed, and yet, she couldn't figure out why.

The answer felt obvious, almost painfully simple, but for some reason, she couldn't grasp it, as if her mind was blocked, leaving her increasingly uncomfortable. It was as though something was preventing her from reaching a conclusion that should have been clear.

Yet, this kind of life was quite torturous. Living with a beautiful girl who was practically offering herself but unable to act on it was a unique kind of torment. And ever since Yoshino had started living with Kaguya, Origami had insisted on moving in as well, despite Kaguya's objections. Faced with Origami's constant, subtle flirtations, Kaguya found herself frequently fighting against rising urges.

As Kaguya was lost in thought while cooking, the kitchen door suddenly swung open. Origami rushed in, throwing herself into Kaguya's arms.

"Hey, hey!" Kaguya nearly stumbled from the unexpected embrace. "What are you doing?"

"Is this the gift you got me?" Origami's normally cold expression softened, and a rare blush appeared on her cheeks as she gazed at Kaguya with gentle eyes. She whispered softly.

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