"I can't believe it… Chisato is an orphan," Utaha Kasumigaoka murmured, her expression dazed.
"Mm," Mr. Shi nodded gently.
He had just finished explaining Lycoris and DA to her, and for someone who had always lived a peaceful, ordinary life, it truly overturned her worldview.
So, the real world she had been living in was like this!
Underage female agents solved crimes and dealt with terrorists before incidents even occurred, and the stable lives they took for granted were protected by these underage orphan girls.
"Chisato is still so optimistic and cheerful…"
"Yes, that's just her personality, but she's truly remarkable," Mr. Shi smiled proudly.
He admired people who faced life positively, not to mention Chisato Nishikigi was just a girl and had been through so much.
This was also the main reason he liked her in the first place.
"So… no wonder she's so magnanimous," Utaha Kasumigaoka suddenly said.
"Huh? Magnanimous about what?" Mr. Shi looked at her, puzzled.
"What do you think?" Utaha Kasumigaoka glanced at Tohru, who was enthusiastically cooking.
"…" Mr. Shi now understood what she meant.
"Is that all you have to say? Can't you show some empathy?"
"I just need to treat Chisato the same way I always have. I think she wouldn't want me to worry about this or that for her, right?"
"That's true…"
"So, I'm also reacting with the attitude I should have."
"I get it. You mean you're jealous, right?" Mr. Shi teased, looking at her.
"Wh…! Who's jealous!" Utaha Kasumigaoka immediately retorted.
"Wasn't that what you just meant?" Mr. Shi leaned closer to her, smiling as he stared into her eyes.
Utaha Kasumigaoka glared at him, annoyed, then couldn't help but turn her gaze away, showing him the back of her head.
"When did I ever say that? Don't flatter yourself."
"Hehe~" Mr. Shi looked at her already reddened ears and chuckled.
"Alright, alright, whatever you say."
"You guy!" Utaha Kasumigaoka turned her head, her fair face already flushed. Her hands clenched into fists, about to swing at Mr. Shi.
Fortunately, at that moment, footsteps sounded outside, followed by Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue walking in, one after the other.
"Chen ge, Takina's room is already set up."
"Good, have a seat for a bit. The food will be ready soon. Takina, you can sit anywhere, just make yourself at home."
"I understand," Takina Inoue nodded and sat across from Mr. Shi.
Chisato Nishikigi came and sat on Mr. Shi's other side, leaning against him. She originally wanted to hug Mr. Shi's arm, but he was holding Kanna, so there was no space for her to hug.
However, she did notice Utaha Kasumigaoka's unusual behavior.
"Poetry Feather, why is your face so red?"
"It's hot…" Utaha Kasumigaoka said casually, then turned her head away.
"It does get a bit hot in the kitchen. Only Tohru isn't afraid of the heat."
"Takina, let me introduce you. That dragon maid is named Tohru, the one in my arms is Kanna, and this is Utaha Kasumigaoka," Mr. Shi took the opportunity to introduce Tohru and the others to Takina Inoue.
"Hello," Kanna waved her small hand in Mr. Shi's arms, greeting them in a childlike voice.
"Tohru? Kanna? These names…" Takina Inoue looked back and forth at their horns and tails, puzzled.
Tohru and the others' dragon horns and tails could actually be hidden, and they could also make themselves invisible to humans, but Mr. Shi felt it wasn't necessary.
In this era, no one would believe in the existence of fantasy creatures anymore; at most, they would just consider Tohru and the others as cosplay enthusiasts.
As long as they didn't fly or use any magic.
Perhaps even if they did use it, no one would believe it, thinking it was just special effects for a film.
College students these days might babble about magic, but elementary and middle school students would definitely think it was special effects or props, and high school students might even be able to explain it through chemistry.
Science had become the sole truth of modern times.
So Mr. Shi wasn't worried about anyone suspecting Tohru and the others' identities. It was perfect, as he could freely admire the sight of the dragon girls with horns on their heads and tails trailing behind them.
Perhaps it was because his impression of them was always like this, or perhaps he had grown tired of the appearance of normal humans; the dragon girls indeed made him want to look at them more.
Wait!
His interests seemed a bit abnormal.
"Hehe~ The names might be a bit strange, but they are indeed their names. Both of them are foreigners," Mr. Shi explained. He didn't plan to reveal Tohru and the others' true identities to her for now.
"Foreigners? No wonder," Takina Inoue nodded in realization, without suspicion.
"We'll be living together from now on. You don't need to be polite with them. If you don't understand something, just ask Chisato."
"Okay."
"Tohru is almost done. Let's help serve the dishes and rice."
"Do I need to help too?"
"Isn't that obvious? Everyone does the same."
"Understood," Takina Inoue still nodded with a calm expression.
She didn't show much emotional change, her feelings seemed particularly subdued. Mr. Shi knew this was her personality, so he naturally didn't mind.
Chisato Nishikigi, needless to say, most Lycoris were like this.
Kanna didn't mind either; she was only thinking about eating lunch quickly now.
Utaha Kasumigaoka already understood the Lycoris's identity, so she also understood her demeanor.
Takina Inoue also wasn't shy, following Mr. Shi and the others to serve dishes and rice, as if she had known them for a long time.
However, during dinner, Takina Inoue seemed out of place.
Mr. Shi was feeding Kanna, Tohru and Chisato Nishikigi were serving him food, and Utaha Kasumigaoka pretended not to see.
After watching this harmonious scene for a while, Takina Inoue finally couldn't help but ask Chisato Nishikigi, "Chisato, what's going on here?"
"Hmm? We're serving Chen ge food, what's wrong?"
"If I'm not mistaken, Tohru is the same as you, right?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"Aren't you and Mr. Shi a couple?"
"Not yet~"
"?" Takina Inoue stared at her, stunned.
"To tell you the truth, Tohru and I are currently in fair competition, you understand fair competition, right?"
"I know… Then why doesn't Mr. Shi make a choice?" Takina Inoue asked Mr. Shi.
"A choice? Only children make choices," Mr. Shi replied honestly.
There was nothing to hide about this. Everyone present already knew his intentions, including Utaha Kasumigaoka.
The reason he revealed to her that he wasn't an ordinary person was to directly tell her that worldly shackles had no hold over him anymore.
Although he hadn't received a clear response from her, the fact that she was still with him now indicated there was hope.
Next, it was just a matter of getting her to accept it step by step.
Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult, but he wasn't a normal person.
"…Two-timing?" Takina Inoue asked, unsure.
"This isn't two-timing," Mr. Shi shook his head, denying it.
"It isn't?"
"Two-timing means hiding the existence of the other person, but Tohru and the others all know about each other, so it's not called two-timing," Mr. Shi explained.
"…"
Takina Inoue fell silent. Although she had never been in a relationship, she felt it shouldn't be like this.
"Don't get so hung up on it. It doesn't really concern you anyway. Let's eat first," Mr. Shi advised.
"I understand," Takina Inoue nodded.
Mr. Shi was right; whether he was two-timing or not had nothing to do with her. She was just here to learn, and once she returned to DA, this place would no longer concern her.
However, she still couldn't help but ask, "Then is Poetry Feather also…?"
"Don't misunderstand," Utaha Kasumigaoka said calmly, picking up some food. "I'm just a tenant here, similar to you."
"Is that so?" Takina Inoue didn't believe it at all.
If she hadn't seen her, Mr. Shi, and Kanna looking like a family of three earlier, she almost would have believed it.
Is this what they call a girl's words contradicting her heart?