Jhin didn't look flustered in the slightest. He reached out and patted Chisato twice on the head. Just as Takina Inoue and Kurumi thought he was about to knock the girl out again, he instead cupped her chin and tickled it gently, like petting a cat.
"Nyaheh~" Chisato immediately broke into a silly grin — until two icy stares hit her from behind, radiating the unmistakable sentiment of "this woman is way too easy to fool." That snapped her back to her senses. She leapt backward, out of Jhin's clutches, and crossed her arms in a big X in front of her, saying warily, "Jhin-nii, no messing around with me!"
Jhin withdrew his hand with visible regret, sat down in a chair, pulled a can of cola out of his storage space, popped in a straw, and took a sip. "Hmm... so what do you want to know?"
"Is it magic?"
"Even magic needs some kind of trick, and I don't think you can hide a trick in thin air."
Seeing Kurumi and Takina Inoue about to steer the conversation off course, Chisato quickly raised her voice to talk over them. "Obviously, it's about your two girlfriends!"
She preferred getting straight to the point rather than beating around the bush. The other two stopped their side conversation the moment they heard this and fixed their eyes on Jhin, waiting to see what kind of answer he'd give.
"Oh, so it's a question that simple."
"You call that simple?"
"Of course it's simple. I thought you were going to ask if I like—" Jhin cut himself off, his sky-blue eyes glancing at Chisato with something between a smile and a smirk, then he changed the subject. "Bocchi-chan was my first girlfriend, and also the one I've openly declared as my lover."
You can't just stop mid-sentence like that — finish what comes after "like"!
Kurumi was about ready to pass out from frustration at this man who never finished his sentences.
Damn it, cliffhanger addict!
Chisato, meanwhile, had caught the key word buried in the second half of his answer. "Openly? Does that mean there are other girlfriends you haven't declared?"
"Yeah. And it's not exactly a small number either."
"Playboy radish," Takina Inoue said, slapping a new nickname on him without a moment's hesitation.
Chisato lowered her head and said nothing, a storm of mixed feelings churning inside her. She'd never imagined that the person she held up as nearly perfect could turn out like this. But that wavering was quickly replaced by her desire to repay a debt of gratitude. She lifted her head again, looked at Jhin with unwavering eyes, and spoke words that made the air seem to freeze.
"Then... Jhin-nii, can I become your new girlfriend?"
Jhin's smile was warm and gentle, like sunlight settling over someone, filling them with comfort. And yet a chill ran through Chisato from head to toe, because in his eyes she saw nothing but the fondness an elder has for a mischievous child — the same look a father gives when his daughter jokes, "When I grow up, I'm going to marry Daddy."
For one moment, she thought she could see, reflected in his eyes, herself as a little girl.
So... to Jhin-nii, have I always just been a kid?
The goal she'd clung to for so long had just been dismissed, in an instant, by the person who mattered most to her. Even with Chisato's usually sunny disposition, tears began welling up in her eyes despite herself. The corners of her mouth drooped, and she pressed her lips together tightly, trying not to cry.
Takina Inoue quietly asked Kurumi, who had appeared at her side at some point, "Should we try talking some sense into the Store Manager?"
"Didn't realize you cared so much about Chisato."
"I just don't want this to affect her performance as a top-tier Lycoris."
Kurumi let out a wordless groan. "Forget I said anything. Not that we can do much about it right now anyway. Let's just watch quietly."
"I haven't even said anything yet — why do you already look like you're about to cry?" Jhin's palm settled against Chisato's soft cheek, stroking it gently.
"Because... Jhin-nii's eyes... there's nothing in them that looks like he's interested in me."
"That's the first lesson I need to teach you. Eyes can lie too."
"Huh?" Before Chisato could process that, Jhin's face suddenly closed in. A comforting scent mixed with warm breath washed over her, and she tensed, clenching her fists, her emotions flipping from sorrow to joy in an instant.
Just as she braced for a kiss, something patted her lightly on the head twice, and darkness swallowed her consciousness whole, like a rising tide.
From where Kurumi and Takina Inoue stood, all they saw was Jhin suddenly lower his head to face Chisato, and then the girl collapsed into his arms, a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks.
Kurumi hurried over to the two of them, looking them over from every angle, then asked with furrowed brows, "Did you two kiss?"
"Why don't you guess?" Jhin ran his thumb back and forth over Chisato's cheek, giving Kurumi a mysterious smile. "Guess right and there's a reward."
Kurumi examined both their lips carefully, confirmed there was no trace of moisture on either, and declared, "No kissing happened!"
"You really think so? Or is that from personal experience?"
"Hmph, I haven't eaten pork, but I've seen a pig run — dry lips like that mean there was definitely no mucosal contact!"
"Let's go with that, then. You've earned yourself a day off."
"Huh, you're serious?"
"Would I joke about that? Takina, could you carry Chisato back to her room, please?"
"Sure thing, Flower Radish Store Manager."
Jhin raised an eyebrow at the new nickname, then said with a helpless sigh, "Please don't call me that in front of customers. This place barely has enough customers as it is — I don't need it to have even fewer."
After carrying Chisato back to her bedroom, Takina Inoue kept a steady three-meter distance from him at all times while holding her serving tray. As she put it: "I need to keep my distance, in case I become the Store Manager's next target."
Girl, do you have any idea that this knockout palm technique of mine was learned from watching my Mother-in-law Yuiyui? And since magic in the Main World runs weak, I still need to land two taps to make it work — otherwise, even ten meters wouldn't save you.
In the spirit of keeping up with the times, Café LycoReco had also launched a delivery service, though it was limited to this residential district. Local residents who'd wandered in by chance and been won over by Jhin's exquisite cooking would often place a couple of delivery orders to satisfy their cravings.
Takina Inoue picked up two bags of packed delivery orders. "I'll be heading out, then."
"Alright, stay safe out there."
Jhin wiped his hands clean, then looked over at Kurumi beside him. "Enjoyed the show just now, didn't you?"
"Mm-hm. Didn't expect you'd go about shattering Chisato's perfect image of you this way." Only now did Kurumi's maturity — so at odds with her appearance — show through. She took the coffee he handed her, dropped in two more sugar cubes, and stirred as she spoke. "So what's your next move?"
"No need to rush. Everything takes its time. So let's talk about you next, shall we?"
"Oh~ finally turning your attention to me, huh." Kurumi smiled teasingly. "You l0licon."
"I'm not a l0licon. It's just that the person I happen to like is a loli." Having successfully delivered his classic line, Jhin looked thoroughly satisfied with himself. He propped his cheek on one hand and asked, "Kazuki's contract — did it basically hand you over to me, package deal and all?"
"You two siblings, honestly..." She took a sip of her coffee and let out a deep sigh. "Even married couples don't understand each other this well."
____
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