Chapter 521: Sora's Secret Crush, Shiina Mashiro's Confession
The rhythmic hum of the bus engine faded as Ren and the girls finally arrived back at the restaurant. The moment the doors clicked shut behind them, the atmosphere shifted. Modeus spun around to face him, her cheeks flushed with a deep, feverish crimson. Her breath hitched slightly.
"Brother Ren! Give me ten minutes!" she blurted out, her voice trembling with a mix of anticipation and nervous energy. "Come find me in my room after!"
Before he could even formulate a response, she turned on her heel and bolted up the stairs. Ren stood in the quiet, empty dining area, blinking in mild surprise. He let out a slow, steadying breath, his gaze lingering on the spot she had just vacated. 'I really can't even begin to imagine what kind of demonic contract ritual requires this much... preparation,' he mused dryly.
Leaning against the polished wooden counter, Ren's thoughts drifted to the different flows of time across the realms. "It's been about a month over on Hancock's side," he murmured to the empty room. "Knowing her, that girl is definitely going to come storming in here tonight to complain."
He wasn't wrong. Far away on the vibrant island of Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock was currently draped over her luxurious silk bedsheets, suffering from a severe bout of lovesick insomnia. For nearly thirty agonizing days, she had waited by the dimensional doorway, her heart fluttering at every shadow, praying for Ren to step through. Yet, he hadn't appeared. The Pirate Empress felt as though she were withering away from sheer deprivation.
"Damn it all!" Hancock suddenly shrieked, thrashing against her velvet pillows. "It must be that Pandemonica and those other shameless hussies! They're clinging to Lord Ren, refusing to let him come see me! It infuriates me! Mark my words, sooner or later, I will lock Lord Ren away right here on Amazon Lily where no one else can have him! Ah! It's so utterly maddening!"
Standing guard outside the heavy oak doors of the royal bedchamber, Sandersonia let out a long, weary sigh. "Sister-sama is throwing a tantrum again..."
Beside her, Marigold rubbed her temples. "Mhm... If she goes a single day without talking about Lord Ren, she loses all motivation to even rule the country. It's exhausting just listening to it."
"We don't have a choice," Sandersonia whispered, leaning closer. "It seems Sister-sama has completely forgotten that less than a day has passed over on Lord Ren's side. She's overthinking this entirely. He might just be sleeping. After all, he runs a midnight diner."
Marigold nodded in solemn agreement. The two massive Gorgon sisters exchanged a knowing glance before silently tiptoeing away down the stone corridor. Lingering outside the door any longer was a guaranteed death sentence—they would inevitably be dragged inside and subjected to a four-hour lecture on Lord Ren's flawless virtues.
Meanwhile, back in the modern world, Kasugano Sora stood before the towering iron gates of Katagiri High School. She clutched her black rabbit plushie tightly against her chest, her pale silver hair shifting in the afternoon breeze. "I never want to step foot in this school again for as long as I live," she muttered, her voice dripping with absolute disdain.
Her harsh declaration startled the blonde girl standing beside her. Shiina Mashiro blinked her large, unreadable eyes and tilted her head, her golden hair cascading over her shoulder. "Katagiri High School..." she murmured softly. "Sora, do you dislike it here?"
Sora let out a heavy, exasperated breath. "It's not that I hate the building itself, Mashiro-nee. But I am completely fed up with the boys here. They're all so creepy and weird! It's honestly terrifying! Though... I do have a few acquaintances here, so I guess I can't say I completely loathe the place."
"Dislike... those boys?" Mashiro echoed, her tone perfectly flat, trying to process the emotion.
Sakura Hibiki, who was stretching her arms nearby, offered a helpless, awkward laugh. "Honestly, Sora, every time I hear you complain about this, it just sounds so absurd. You're practically a magnet for trouble."
Mashiro stared blankly at the school gates. "It must be very troubling for Sora. Those boys are very mean."
Sora's eyes lit up, and she nodded furiously. "Exactly! See? Mashiro-nee, you totally understand me!"
Hearing herself addressed so affectionately as an older sister, a rare, faint spark of accomplishment warmed Mashiro's chest. Yet, true to her nature, she simply shook her head. "I have never experienced anything like this. So, I do not actually know."
Sora tapped her chin, a sudden idea forming. "Well... in that case, Mashiro-nee, how about I demonstrate it? Then you'll understand exactly how annoying it is!"
Stepping back, Sora cleared her throat and marched up to the blonde artist, schooling her delicate features into an overly intense, dramatic scowl. "Shiina-san!" she declared, lowering her voice to mimic a teenage boy. "I've been watching you from afar for a very long time! Whether it's your beautiful, flowing golden hair, or the way the sunlight catches your eyes, or—" She waved her hand dismissively, skipping the imaginary monologue. "Anyway, insert a hundred cringey words here! So! Please go out with me!"
Mashiro didn't even blink. She just tilted her head slightly. "Okay."
"Eh?!" Sora, Hibiki, Akemi, and the imaginary ghosts of the school courtyard all choked on the air simultaneously.
Mashiro pondered her own answer for a brief second before adding in her usual monotone, "Because I feel that if it is Sora, I do not mind."
A furious blush exploded across Sora's pale cheeks. "M-Mashiro-nee!" she shrieked, waving her arms frantically. "That kind of thing is only for boys and girls who actually like each other! I mean, sure, there are exceptions nowadays, but normally it has to be— Ugh! Anyway, Mashiro-nee, I was just practicing to show you!"
Mashiro's crimson eyes widened just a fraction, a subtle hint of hurt flashing through them. "So... Sora, you do not like me?"
"No! That's not what I meant at all!" Sora panicked, her tsundere defenses crumbling instantly. "I like you very much, Mashiro-nee!"
Mashiro nodded slowly, processing the logic. "I see. I also like Sora. Therefore, I should be the one to say... Please go out with me?"
Sora buried her burning face in her hands, utterly defeated by the blonde girl's impenetrable airhead logic. "That's not how it works! Akemi! Help! Get over here and explain it to her!"
Soryuin Akemi stepped forward, her lips curling into an amused, elegant smile. It took several long minutes of careful, agonizingly detailed explanation regarding the nuances of romantic love versus platonic affection before Mashiro finally brought her hands together in a soft clap.
"Oh," Mashiro murmured. "I understand now."
Sora sagged in relief, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "Thank goodness. Mashiro-nee, you finally get it..."
Mashiro looked directly into Sora's eyes. "So, Sora. You like Brother Ren, and you want to go out with him?"
Silence fell over the group like an anvil.
Sora instantly transformed into a whistling steam kettle, her entire face and neck burning a violent shade of scarlet. "I— I— W-What?! This— I— Uh—" She stumbled backward, clutching her rabbit plushie like a shield. "Brother Ren is just Brother Ren! It's not like that at all!"
Akemi and Hibiki exchanged a long, deeply skeptical look, their eyes practically screaming, 'You are acting incredibly suspicious right now.' Good heavens. Was Shiina Mashiro genuinely this clueless, or was she an absolute mastermind playing them all? With one flat sentence, she had effortlessly dragged Sora's deepest, most guarded secret out into the broad daylight.
Unable to formulate a coherent lie, Sora merely lowered her head, staring intensely at her shoes as she trembled.
Akemi crossed her arms, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow as a wicked, teasing glint entered her eyes. "Well, well... Sora. Here I was, considering you a dear friend, but it turns out... you're scheming to become my older sister-in-law?!"
Sora's mouth twitched violently. "H-How could you even say that?!" she squawked, her voice cracking. "I just consider Brother Ren to be my actual, biological brother! That's all!"
Akemi didn't say a word. She merely maintained her highly suspicious, utterly unconvinced stare. Under that piercing gaze, Sora cracked, launching into a frantic, ten-minute-long diatribe about sibling bonds, familial affection, and how everyone was completely misunderstanding her pure intentions. Throughout the entire desperate performance, Mashiro stood quietly to the side, observing the chaos with the serene detachment of a passing cloud.
Finally, Hibiki rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. "Sora... if you don't stop talking soon, you're going to pass out. I don't know if Akemi believes you, but I certainly do..."
Akemi let out a melodic, airy laugh. "Oh, actually, I believed you right after your second sentence!"
Sora stopped dead in her tracks, her chest heaving as she glared at the dark-haired heiress in pure indignation. "Then why didn't you say so earlier?! My throat is completely raw!"
"I was going to say something," Akemi replied, her smile turning downright devilish. "But seeing how much fun you were having digging yourself into a hole, I simply didn't have the heart to interrupt you!"
Sora stared at her blankly, the realization washing over her. "You mean... I just dug my own grave for ten minutes straight?"
Defeated, the silver-haired girl let her shoulders slump. "I... you know what, never mind. I'm so thirsty I could die. Is there a vending machine around here...?"
Hibiki perked up, pointing toward the corner of the school building. "Yeah, there's one right over—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp, crystalline voice cut through the afternoon air, chilling the atmosphere instantly.
"Kasugano? Why are you lingering around here, you girl?"
Sora froze. She swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of her neck. Today was officially cursed. She was far, far too familiar with the strict, unyielding cadence of that particular voice.
Slowly, mechanically, Sora turned her head. Standing a few paces away was a stunning woman with long, vibrant pink hair, dressed immaculately in a sharp, tailored business suit. Her icy blue eyes were narrowed in mild scrutiny.
Hibiki blinked in awe, leaning in to whisper. "Sora, is she your friend? She's incredibly pretty!"
The pink-haired woman caught the whisper. She gave a curt, professional nod. "Thank you for the compliment. However, I am a teacher here."
Sora let out a defeated, weary sigh, her posture sagging. "Kirisu-sensei... why are you even at the school on a weekend...?"
Mafuyu Kirisu adjusted the files in her arms, her expression remaining perfectly stoic. "Me? I am simply retrieving and organizing my lesson plans so I do not have to rush and fetch them tomorrow morning. The real question is, why are you here?"
Sora shifted her weight nervously, clutching her plushie tighter. "Uh... just... taking a walk..."
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