She gently took Saotome Yukina's small hand, lightly massaging the soft flesh of the girl's purlicue.
Saotome Yukina's ahoge shot straight up with a 'boki'.
The focus in her aqua-blue eyes began to drift away.
"It's nothing."
Su Yuzu took the bag back from Kujou Katora.
The little rabbit's purlicue was also one of a girl's weak spots.
It was just a tad less sensitive than weaknesses like the earlobes, neck, back, or waist.
Although she had the same obedient art style as Mihou Sakai, Saotome Yukina was the type of girl who was covered in weak spots.
She constantly exuded a sweet scent that seemed to say, 'I'm easy to tease,' and 'what's more, I'm worth teasing'... practically inviting people to do so.
And to top it off~ this little rabbit was also very clingy.
"But, Yuzu... Se... Senpai..." Saotome Yukina cautiously watched Su Yuzu's reaction.
She wished she could call her senpai by her first name, just like Kujou Katora did.
But in the end... the little rabbit lost her nerve.
"I was just suddenly reminded of something from the past, and I think I might have misjudged someone," Su Yuzu said, comforting the little rabbit. She forced a smile, trying to swallow the sour feeling welling up in her eyes along with it.
"Someone who seems as cold as a glacier, like a flower on an unreachable peak..."
"...might secretly be an unexpectedly clumsy, dishonest fool."
Su Yuzu had originally thought she was all alone in this world, utterly solitary.
But then... she suddenly discovered that the person who was always frosty toward her, who seemed to avoid her like the plague...
...had a favorability of 99, "Doting," which was practically maxed out under normal circumstances.
She was even... just one step away. That person might have already unlocked her CG event and claimed the first kill.
And what's more—
From her toiletries to the nightlight in her dorm room, everything might have been meticulously prepared by Soga Yura.
Even her personal scent was 'chosen' by her.
And here she'd actually believed that Keigunen Private Academy, as a prestigious private school, took meticulous care of its students.
That they had even thoughtfully prepared a nightlight for a girl who was a little afraid of the dark.
But in the end... it turned out to be like this.
An inextinguishable sourness filled her eyes, making Su Yuzu's magnificent crimson irises seem to shimmer with a layer of moisture.
Although Saotome Yukina didn't understand who the 'fool' Su Yuzu was talking about was...
...the sensitive little rabbit could feel the stifled unhappiness welling up in her senpai's heart, that choked-up feeling.
She didn't know what she should do.
All she could do was hug Su Yuzu's arm tightly, as if trying to embed it in her own chest, nuzzling against it gently like a small pet.
She could sense the status that 'fool' held in her senpai's heart.
It had to be very, very high.
So envious.
She was so envious of someone who could make her senpai choke up with emotion.
Feeling the little rabbit trying to comfort her in a spoiled sort of way, Su Yuzu suddenly didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After composing herself a little, she bought some things that Mihou Sakai would need at the hospital.
Su Yuzu left with Saotome Yukina and Kujou Katora.
At the hospital... Mihou Sakai's body had mostly recovered.
The girl even wanted to go to the training hall with Su Yuzu, but the doctor stopped her.
As expected of a "Body Restoration Esper".
Su Yuzu even felt that if the girl didn't have the habit of... striving so hard...
...she might have already made a full recovery.
Inside the training hall—
Su Yuzu had Kujou Katora help guide the little rabbit.
She found a spot where she could clearly see the two of them and leisurely practiced her sword swings.
Having Kujou Katora guide the little rabbit killed several birds with one stone.
Su Yuzu couldn't bear to scold the little rabbit.
But Kujou Katora was completely different.
As a Senior Superintendent of the Fourth Action Division, Kujou Katora became the very incarnation of ferocity when she got serious.
The little rabbit was pushed so hard her eyes welled up, on the verge of spilling tears.
But... seeing Su Yuzu making a cheering gesture at her from a distance, Saotome Yukina immediately perked back up.
Tears swirled in her aqua-blue eyes, but she stubbornly gripped the bamboo staff in her hands and told Kujou Katora, "Again."
"I..."
"...don't want to embarrass myself in front of Senpai."
"..."
Watching the teary-eyed Saotome Yukina look her way, Su Yuzu made a cheering gesture before continuing her sword practice.
As expected of the expensive central training hall.
Nano-machines dancing in the dust constantly collected data from her swings, providing real-time training advice through the supplied earpiece.
It could even... project recordings of senior Valkyrie training sessions for students to imitate and learn from.
Because she had brought the two ATMs, Saotome Yukina and Kujou Katora, with her...
...any resources spent on developing the girls would be doubly compensated.
Subtracting Su Yuzu's own admission fee...
...not only did Su Yuzu not spend any money, she even earned a little extra on the side.
Just as Su Yuzu was studying the practice routine of the legendary "Seat of Evil," a knight completely encased in pitch-black armor...
BZZZT—
...a harsh burst of static suddenly came through her earpiece.
As if sensing something, Su Yuzu slowly turned her head.
A girl with long, orange-dyed hair and a few other girls appeared in Su Yuzu's line of sight.
The orange-haired girl's features were quite delicate, and she had a pair of magnificent crimson eyes similar to Su Yuzu's.
Su Yuzu tilted her head.
Those signature red eyes... she was from the Soga family.
"I never thought I'd run into you here, Sister Yuzu." The girl bowed to Su Yuzu with an air of respect.
But... Su Yuzu could feel it.
The unconcealable arrogance and contempt in the girl's words.
A completely different kind of contempt from Soga Yura's.
Soga Yura's contempt was the kind one has from a great height, looking down on ants in the dust.
But the one before her... her contempt was more about status and power.
'Well, well, I really didn't expect this.'
'Looks like latching onto the young lady of the Saotome family has its perks. You can even afford the central training hall now.'
Behind her, the other girls looked at Su Yuzu out of the corners of their eyes.
"Don't you dare speak about Sister Yuzu like that," the girl said, her brow furrowed slightly. The other girls immediately fell silent.
But... the gazes they directed at Su Yuzu still held an inextinguishable mockery.
Su Yuzu stood there, slowly sheathing her sword.
To be honest... ever since the day she failed to awaken even her Psychokinesis, she had grown accustomed to this kind of contempt and mockery.
"I heard you finally awakened your ability, Sister Yuzu..."
"Congratulations." The girl looked at Su Yuzu obediently.
'Tch—' Behind her, the other girls snickered.
Awakening an ability at seventeen.
What a disgrace to the Soga family.
Clang—
Su Yuzu slid her sword back into its sheath.
She looked at the girl who was ostensibly congratulating her.
Crimson eyes.
They were magnificent.
But compared to the pure hue of Su Yuzu's or Soga Yura's, this girl's eyes had some impurities mixed in.
Like a gemstone that wasn't quite pure.
With no hint of mockery or sarcasm, Su Yuzu smiled at the girl. "Thank you for your congratulations."
"However..."
"Forgive my rudeness, but which branch family are you from?"
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