Chapter 204
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and an hour had already passed.
After getting out of bed, Mineo set about preparing breakfast inside Nozomi's home.
It didn't take long before Nozomi finished freshening up as well, joining Mineo at the dining table.
"Do you have any plans for today, Mineo-kun?"
Hearing Nozomi's question, Mineo thought for a moment before replying.
"Nothing special planned. Is there something you need to take care of, Nozomi-chan?"
"Hmm, actually, I promised Eli-chi that I'd go see a movie with her today. But right now, it seems I'm not in the best physical condition to move around much. So, I want to hand over the duty of accompanying Eli-chi to the movies to you, Mineo-kun. After I rest up a bit, I have to head over to the shrine. We have a communal service today, so I need to be there to keep things running smoothly."
"You want me to go with Eli-chi to the movies?"
Mineo was caught slightly off guard when he heard Nozomi's request.
A second later, it clicked. He realized that Nozomi was intentionally creating an opportunity for him.
Besides, given her current state, today really wasn't a good day for Nozomi to be out and about.
If she went out like this, her slight limp would easily make Eli-chi suspicious.
"Alright, then I'll go keep Eli company at the movies today. Oh, Nozomi-chan, there's one more thing I wanted to tell you."
"I'm planning to head back home tonight. Around seven or eight in the evening, I'd like to invite all of you over to my place for dinner."
Nozomi, being as sharp as she was, immediately caught the underlying meaning behind Mineo's words.
The word he used was "home," not a restaurant.
In other words, was Mineo planning to leave this world?
After a brief silence, Nozomi looked at Mineo and asked softly.
"Is it really alright for us to visit your place? Won't it be too much trouble?"
"Honestly, Mineo-kun, if you have urgent matters to attend to, you can just return and handle them. As for μ's, I'll do everything in my power to keep everyone united."
"It's fine. Going back to my place isn't actually that complicated, it just requires a few specific conditions to be met. I'll handle this little matter properly."
"Besides, moving between worlds is quite easy for me."
"Just get some proper rest at home today, Nozomi-chan."
"Tonight, I'll come pick you up."
Nozomi was truly exhausted, so after finishing her meal, she headed straight back to bed.
Meanwhile, Mineo did some light cleaning around the bed and the kitchen before stepping out of the house.
Following the location Nozomi had given him, Mineo soon arrived in front of a shopping mall.
Even from quite a distance, Mineo recognized Eli's figure in a single glance.
She was wearing a khaki camisole paired with a black pleated skirt, and just above her small black leather shoes was a pair of knee-high socks.
Eli was truly Eli.
With her slender physique and stunning looks, she easily became the most captivating sight on any street she walked down.
Clutching the strap of her coffee-colored shoulder bag, Eli occasionally lifted her wrist to check the time.
Right at that moment, she suddenly felt her eyes being covered from behind.
Eli gasped in surprise.
"Who is it!"
"Come on, take a guess."
Hearing the slightly teasing yet incredibly familiar voice right by her ear, Eli's body instantly went rigid.
"Mineo... Mineo?!"
"Why... why are you here!"
"I didn't expect Eli to recognize my voice instantly. It seems I really do have a place in your heart."
Mineo released his hands and looked down at Eli with a smile. Eli-chi, on the other hand, lowered her head as a bright blush crept up her face.
"Don't... don't talk nonsense to me."
"You... you jerk, I didn't remember your voice! I... I was just making a wild guess."
"Besides... besides you, no one else would dare do something like this to me anyway!"
Seeing Eli hanging her head with a tense expression, Mineo naturally wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"I came here to go on a date with you, of course, Eli."
"Nozomi-chan has some business at the shrine today and couldn't make it, so she entrusted me to be your personal bodyguard!"
"How about it, Eli? Are you surprised and happy?"
Feeling Mineo's arm around her shoulders, Eli tried to pull away, her face turning crimson with embarrassment.
But in the very next second, the sweet, melodic voice of a young girl echoed from beside them.
"Onee-chan?"
"Is this big brother your boyfriend?"
"Onee-chan... since when did you start dating someone!"
Mineo turned his head to look and saw a very cute little blonde girl standing nearby, staring at him with pure curiosity.
The moment Eli saw the little girl, she instinctively broke free from Mineo's arm. She looked at the young girl in a complete panic.
"Uh, Alisa, don't... don't misunderstand!"
"He's... he's not my boyfriend!"
"We... we haven't officially started a relationship at all."
"Not officially in a relationship?"
Alisa looked at her older sister, a little dazed. A tiny bit of confusion popped up in her little head.
Her older sister had already been leaning so closely and affectionately against this handsome older brother. If they weren't dating, what exactly was their relationship?
Seeing the little girl staring so adorably, Mineo stepped over to her side and crouched down with a warm smile.
"Your name is Ayase Alisa, right?"
"That's right, big brother! Do you know who I am?"
"Of course. I've heard all about you from your older sister. Eli has told me more than once that she has a cute and very obedient little sister. Seeing you today, Alisa really is incredibly cute!"
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Takamine Mineo, and I'm from China."
"Don't listen to your sister's nonsense. She actually is my girlfriend, she's just too shy to admit it right now."
Seeing Mineo actually talking so seriously to her little sister about such an embarrassing matter, Eli's heart raced with a mix of panic, embarrassment, and annoyance.
"Mineo! Can you... can you please not say things like that to Alisa!"
"You're... you're forbidden from talking nonsense!"
"When was I ever talking nonsense?"
Mineo looked at Alisa and gave her a knowing smile.
"Your older sister is just a total tsundere. Just look at her, even though we're dating, she still gets flustered and embarrassed like this."
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