Ryuichi was genuinely amazed by the kind of relationship he and Sakurajima Mai shared.
Only someone like Mai—who had spent a long time at his side—could understand that the way he chatted with her and the others wasn't just casual talk. It was his way of lowering his guard.
He was no longer the aloof, self-contained boy he used to be. Now, he showed little quirks of his own—moments of subtle sulking or rare, almost shy glances that made Mai find him irresistibly adorable.
Mai naturally indulged those small shows of affection, but when it came to serious matters, Ryuichi had never once disappointed her. Their relationship thrived on mutual understanding and respect.
The longer they were together, the deeper that understanding grew—until even a glance or a small gesture was enough to communicate everything.
Ryuichi idly tapped his fingers against the table and spoke in his calm, steady voice.
"Since school life isn't a problem, that means work's going to be our main concern, right?"
For both the superstar Sakurajima Mai and the idol Toyohama Kazuka, work schedules were the real headaches.
Mai opened her phone and pulled up her planner. Strangely, her schedule was almost empty.
"Huh? You've got so few gigs?" Kazuka asked in disbelief.
"I pushed all the shooting sessions to August," Mai replied softly. "For now, I only have a few interviews and one commercial."
She glanced at Ryuichi beside her and said in a calm tone, "I've been holding back a bit this semester. If I take on too much work, someone's going to get lonely."
"I could always teleport over to your set and check on you," Ryuichi said casually. "Worst case, I just have to brainwash the entire crew each time."
"That would be cruel. So… no."
"It's fine. As long as I can see you, a little thing like that's nothing," Ryuichi said, pretending not to catch what she really meant.
Mai shot him an unimpressed look and cut straight through his self-delusion.
"I meant the crew would be the ones to suffer."
Kazuka: "…"
Please don't say such terrifying things with a straight face! That's what a demon lord would say—
Wait. No, he really is a Devil!
Kazuka's head spun while Mai continued calmly.
"About the photoshoots and scripts—you're fine with those, right? I remember you've done that kind of thing before."
"Uh… I…"
Kazuka hesitated visibly. Even though she currently looked exactly like Sakurajima Mai, she still lacked confidence in replacing the Sakurajima Mai.
After all, Mai's success wasn't just about her looks.
Ryuichi and Mai both noticed her hesitation, but neither said a word. Mai instead spoke lightly, as if nothing serious had happened.
"As for me, things are going to get tough until I master the songs and dance routines."
"Ah, that's right… the stage performance…"
Kazuka's eyes widened as the realization hit her. She had an upcoming large-scale live concert—a big event that she and her Sweet Bullet idol group had been rehearsing for day and night after school.
They also had smaller weekend shows and corporate events. If Mai was going to take her place, she'd be under a lot of pressure; there were too many unfamiliar things to handle.
Ryuichi raised an eyebrow. "Mai, can you dance?"
Mai didn't answer. Whether she could or not didn't matter now—she'd have to face it head-on either way.
"Kazuka, do you have any practice footage?"
"Yes… here!"
Kazuka hurriedly pulled a DVD from her bag and handed it over respectfully.
Mai stood, slid it into the player, and soon the screen displayed a full three-hour training session filled with nonstop vocal and dance practice.
She stepped up to the TV and began following the movements on-screen. Her body swayed lightly to the rhythm—her gestures fluid, graceful, and full of life. Though she lagged behind the dancers by a beat or two, to Ryuichi's untrained eyes, her performance looked flawless.
Before long, Mai had sung and danced through an entire song, her execution—at least to Ryuichi—impressively professional.
A thin sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead, her chest rising and falling quickly. That short performance had clearly drained her, but she turned toward Ryuichi with bright, confident eyes.
It was her way of answering his concern through action.
"I'm starting to think there's nothing you can't do," Ryuichi said proudly.
Mai's lips curved into a pleased smile at the compliment.
"Hehe, surprised you, didn't I?"
"If someone with your figure and looks danced for me like that, yeah, I'd be shocked," Ryuichi replied with a teasing grin.
Given his usual calmness even in near-death battles, surprising him was no small feat. Still, he had to admit—Mai's liveliness just now had caught him off guard.
She'd always been composed and mature, a girl who wouldn't even rush for a train. Seeing her dance so cheerfully felt almost surreal.
"I did spend time in a theater troupe, you know. Acting isn't my only talent," Mai said arrogantly, flashing a confident smile that almost glowed with pride.
Ryuichi chuckled softly as he watched her.
"That's the Mai I love. Even if your appearance changes, it proves my love for you goes deeper—it's reached your soul."
"Oh? So you don't like my appearance anymore?" Mai's gaze sharpened.
"Of course I love your body too. Actually, I love all of you. Even if you looked like Kazuka right now, I wouldn't mind at all."
He didn't care in the slightest about Kazuka's presence as he said that.
Kazuka puffed up. "What's that supposed to mean—'even if I looked like me'?! What's wrong with how I look?"
Did she really seem that undesirable?
Mai sighed softly. "Well… even if it's just hypothetical…" She trailed off, her expression wavering, eyes shifting uneasily away.
Ryuichi immediately understood what she meant. Their hearts were synced now, after all. He smiled gently.
"Like I said—I love your heart, Mai. Even if you looked like this forever, I'd love you just the same."
"Hey, Kazuka's a cute idol too, you know. You don't have to make it sound like it's such a hardship."
Mai couldn't help but laugh, the earlier unease melting from her face.
…