How should I answer Miko, though...
Lost in that thought, Lumine fell into quiet contemplation.
And while she was still turning it over, Kaito had already walked back into the room.
"Oh, Lumine's up too — I didn't wake you with all that talking just now, did I?" The moment he stepped in and saw Lumine already sitting up, he said as much.
He was also a little curious whether Lumine had caught any of what he and Miko had been saying. After all, he hadn't mentioned her by name at the time — he wasn't sure if she'd gotten the wrong idea about something.
"I wouldn't really call it waking me up — I usually get up around this time anyway." Since she really had been roused by the sound of their voices, Lumine answered his question honestly.
Though, to be fair, her answer wasn't wrong. She did generally wake up around now. Even if she hadn't heard them talking, she probably would have been up by this point regardless.
"This is all your fault, Kaito — you woke Lumine up." Taking the moment as her cue, Miko laid the blame squarely on him.
As for herself — well, she'd only spoken up because Kaito had come to her first. It wasn't like she'd opened her mouth on her own initiative.
"That's on me — I'll keep it down next time, or step outside before I start talking." Kaito gave a small nod and didn't try to dodge the blame.
He'd been the one to start the conversation with Miko, after all. That much was fair.
"I already told you, Kaito — I was going to wake up at this time regardless."
Remembering her resolution to change a little, Lumine — uncharacteristically — stepped in to cut it off, telling Kaito not to overthink it.
In the past, she probably would have just let it go without saying anything. But now she felt like she needed to take a page out of Miko's book.
She didn't quite know what Miko would have done in her place, but she knew what she herself wanted to do. Whatever the outcome, she decided she'd at least put her feelings out there.
"Still — when someone's sleeping, it's better to stay quiet." Kaito was a little surprised by that. He hadn't expected Lumine to speak up like that.
Even so, he said more or less the same thing he'd said before.
"So are you leaving Liyue right now, Kaito?"
Miko brought up the topic of his departure. Yesterday he'd only said he was leaving today, so she had no idea exactly how he planned to go about it.
"Yeah — you two are on your own for breakfast." Kaito nodded.
"So how are you getting out? By boat, or...?"
"Flying, obviously."
He smiled a little at that. She wasn't exactly an ordinary person anymore, after all — no need to bother with boats.
"Then Lumine and I will see you off outside."
Lumine had originally been thinking she'd walk Kaito down to the dock, but since he wasn't taking a boat, seeing him off from outside was the best she could do.
"Sure."
With that settled, Kaito headed outside, Miko and Lumine following close behind.
"Right then — take care of yourselves."
He knew they didn't really need the reminder, but he said it anyway. It just felt like the right thing to say in a moment like this.
"Mm."
"Don't worry about us. Don't go underestimating me and Lumine." As far as Mobius went, Miko didn't feel any particular fear toward her — she wasn't sure if it was because she'd met her before, but either way, she just wasn't afraid.
"I'm off, then."
The words barely left his mouth before Kaito vanished from sight.
"So, what do we do now..."
"Pick up where we left off, of course."
Lumine hadn't even finished the sentence before Miko cut in.
Pick up where we left off?
Lumine blinked, then remembered — Miko hadn't finished what she was saying earlier.
"What was it you were going to say?" She couldn't deny it — she was genuinely curious what Miko was about to tell her.
"Lumine, didn't you tell Kaito you weren't satisfied — that you wanted more?"
Lumine: "???"
"I never said anything like that. When did I ever say that?" Lumine naturally denied it outright — she absolutely had not said anything of the sort.
"I heard it loud and clear when I forgot something and came back for it. Don't even try to wriggle out of it, Lumine."
Miko hadn't expected Lumine to keep denying it, and said so in her usual languid drawl.
"That's... that's completely different — I never said I wasn't satisfied." Lumine's face flushed crimson. She maintained that the meaning was entirely different.
All she'd said was that she wanted it to happen more often — that was not the same as saying she wasn't satisfied. Not at all.
"Wanting it more often means you haven't had enough — which means you're not satisfied." Miko pressed on with her interpretation.
Lumine: "..."
Lumine suddenly found herself struggling to come up with a counter-argument, because what Miko said was starting to sound uncomfortably logical.
"Looks like you agree with me after all." Seeing Lumine stay silent for so long, Miko gave a small smile.
The way Lumine was acting right now, it was already pretty obvious. Of course, it had been obvious from the start — Lumine had just refused to admit it.
"No, no — it's just... it's not what you're making it sound like." Lumine started pushing back again, but her voice got smaller and smaller as she went.
"Alright, alright — Lumine, you're very satisfied. Guess it'll just be me and Kaito doing that sort of thing next time, then." And with that, Miko finished with a thoroughly impish grin.
"Sounds to me like it's actually you who isn't satisfied — you just needed someone else to blame it on."
Lumine felt like she'd spotted a crack in Miko's argument and went straight for it.
"You're right, I'm not satisfied. Honestly? I'm absolutely starving for it."
Faced with having her own words turned against her, Miko simply nodded and admitted it without a moment's hesitation.
That completely threw Lumine off. She hadn't expected Miko to just come out and admit something like that — and now she had absolutely no idea what to say.
She really had to acknowledge it: Miko operated on a level she simply couldn't reach.
"You little thing." Watching Lumine standing there with that completely lost look on her face, Miko couldn't hold back a laugh.
Well, they were in the same position, weren't they? There was nothing for her to be embarrassed about.
She could even have a proper discussion with Lumine about that sort of thing.
Though, of course — there were still certain things she couldn't let Lumine know just yet.
"Miko, you..."
"Call me Sis."
Lumine had looked so genuinely like a flustered little kid just now that Miko couldn't help herself — she wanted to claim the title.
Sure, with Kiana she was the one who had to do the calling, but in front of Lumine? Lumine was definitely the one doing the calling.
"Since when do I have to call you that?" Lumine blinked, caught completely off guard.
What was this about?
"Because I'm older than you, obviously — and not just in age, either."
Under Lumine's gaze, Miko said it like it was the most self-evident thing in the world.
Lumine: "…"
Lumine's eyes drifted to a certain part of Miko's figure, and once again she was left completely speechless.
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Danmachi: Summoning Ruri Gokou, And other Chuunibyou Brats
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone