"Ah... I don't want to play anymore."
Kanna suddenly slumped across the table, boredom written all over her face.
Tohru, sitting beside her, gave Rias an apologetic, helpless smile.
Rias merely covered her mouth and laughed softly.
The three of them had gone shopping early that morning. After visiting several places, they had stopped at a restaurant for lunch, but now that they had finished eating, Kanna had already lost interest in continuing the outing.
In the end, she was still a child, and a child's interests could change in an instant.
"Kanna, you were the one who wanted to come out. How are you already the first one giving up?"
Tohru sounded exasperated.
Kanna always behaved obediently in front of Yuto, but back in their own world, she had been every bit the mischievous young dragon.
Tohru understood that better than anyone.
"Mm... I thought Kamisaka would be coming too. Since he isn't here, it suddenly doesn't feel as fun."
Kanna lifted her head and rested her cheeks in both hands.
She looked so adorable that several passing customers stopped to stare.
"Then should we return to the restaurant?" Rias asked gently.
"I'm sorry, Rias."
Tohru sighed and apologized.
Kanna had been the one to suggest the outing, while Rias had simply gone along with it. Now Kanna had suddenly changed her mind and wanted to leave.
"It's perfectly fine. I've already had a lovely time today. I should be thanking Kanna-chan for inviting me."
Rias smiled with effortless grace.
As someone raised among royalty, elegance had long since become second nature to her.
Tohru gave her a grateful look before turning back toward Kanna.
"If you don't want to keep playing, then let's go home."
"Go home...?"
Kanna rested her chin on the table and mumbled.
She did not look especially interested in that idea either. Her large eyes blinked twice before suddenly lighting up.
She had thought of something.
Before she could speak, however, someone interrupted.
"Ladies, did you come out without any men? Why don't the three of us keep you company?"
Three men had approached their table.
Openly lecherous smiles covered their faces as they stared at the girls.
None of the three paid them any attention.
They did not even look up, treating the men as though they did not exist.
"Hey, answer us. Don't think you can ignore people just because you're pretty."
The man in front grew angry.
Feeling insulted, he raised one hand and tried to slam it against their table.
The instant his palm rose, however, his entire body froze.
He stood there like a badly posed mannequin, unable to move a single muscle.
"I have a new idea!"
Kanna continued as though nothing had happened.
Her face glowed with excitement, clearly pleased with whatever scheme had entered her mind.
Tohru sighed.
"What idea?"
She could only hope it was nothing too outrageous.
"Why don't we talk somewhere else?" Rias suggested with a soft laugh. "It's rather crowded here."
Kanna and Tohru nodded.
The three girls stood and walked out of the restaurant.
The moment they were gone, all three men collapsed to the floor.
Their eyes were unfocused and they had already lost consciousness.
...
Approximately ten minutes later, behind a building across the road from Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium—
"Kanna, this is wrong. If Boss finds out, all three of us are going to be scolded."
"But Lady Tohru wanted to come too."
"Eh?! W-Wait! Don't make things up!"
"Bleh~~~ You're terrible at pretending, Lady Tohru~~~"
"Urgh..."
Rias let out a helpless sigh.
She had never imagined that Kanna's new idea would involve secretly following Yuto.
Stalking a man was not something she had ever done before.
She knew it was wrong, yet a faint thrill of curiosity still stirred inside her.
Perhaps this was what people found exciting about bending the rules.
Beside her, Tohru and Kanna had practically switched roles.
Tohru, who usually acted as Kanna's guardian, was now flushed with embarrassment, while Kanna remained completely serious.
"You kept saying it was wrong while flying us directly toward Kamisaka," Kanna said solemnly. "Your true intentions were exposed long ago before the eyes of the great detective Kanna."
The melodramatic words sounded especially adorable coming from her expressionless little face.
Tohru only felt more embarrassed.
Bonk!
She struck Kanna on top of the head.
The little girl immediately covered it with both hands.
'It hurt!'
(o((⊙﹏⊙))o)
"Stop saying things like that!"
Once embarrassment reached its limit, violence naturally followed.
Tohru glared at Kanna, mortified.
She had opposed this idea from the very beginning.
She was Boss's most loyal employee!
There was absolutely no way she would ever stalk him or secretly spy on him.
At most...
At most, she had been just a tiny bit curious!
"Kamisaka-kun is coming out!"
Rias suddenly pointed toward the gymnasium entrance.
Tohru and Kanna immediately became alert and cautiously peeked around the corner.
Their argument vanished as though it had never happened.
...
At the entrance to the gymnasium, Yuto and Megumi walked out of the plaza and headed toward the movie theater.
"Are you in any school clubs, Katou?"
"No."
"Nothing interests you?"
"Hmm... I don't think there's anything I'm especially interested in."
They chatted casually as they walked.
At that moment, Megumi's foot slipped.
Her body tilted sideways, and the hand Yuto was still holding tightened instinctively.
"Careful."
Yuto pulled her toward him without thinking, his free arm accidentally wrapping around her waist.
"Are you all right?"
"Mm..." Megumi murmured softly.
Their eyes met.
Flustered, Megumi lowered her gaze and Yuto quickly released her.
"Ahem. I'm glad you're all right."
He cleared his throat to hide the awkwardness.
Megumi stood beside him, her expression outwardly calm, though the blush covering her cheeks made it obvious that her heart was anything but peaceful.
"Thank you, Kamisaka-kun..."
"It was nothing."
The atmosphere between them became slightly awkward.
When Yuto tried to move his hand, he accidentally tugged Megumi's along with it.
"Ah... Sorry."
"It's fine..."
Yuto quickly let go.
The earlier embarrassment had left him distracted.
Megumi kept her head lowered, her cheeks glowing red as a complicated nervousness spread through her.
That had been the second time they had held hands.
Even though both occasions had happened by accident, she still felt a small, secret happiness.
Her natural composure, however, forced her to keep her expression calm.
"Um... let's head to the movie theater."
Yuto changed the subject.
"Mm."
Megumi answered quietly.
The two continued on their way.
From the other side of the entrance, Tohru, Kanna, and Rias watched them disappear into the distance before beginning another whispered argument.
"Should we keep following them?"
"Following them would be wrong..."
"Then Lady Tohru can go home. Rias and I will keep going."
"Ahem! Kanna, you're still too young to make decisions by yourself. I have to stay and supervise you."
"So Lady Tohru wants to keep following them?"
"Well... I'm only... only..."
"Lady Tohru really isn't honest with herself~"
"Kanna!"
After Kanna received another blow to the head, the three girls continued following Yuto and Megumi.
By the time they reached the movie theater, the awkwardness between the pair had already faded. Both silently agreed not to mention what had happened.
"There are still twenty-five minutes before the movie begins. Let's sit and wait."
Megumi checked the time and sat on a nearby bench.
Many other young people were scattered throughout the lobby, also waiting for their screenings.
Yuto sat beside her.
"Hey, Kamisaka-kun..." Megumi leaned closer and whispered near his ear. "Haven't you felt like someone's been watching us?"
Her warm breath brushed his ear like a playful breeze.
Yuto frowned slightly.
He had noticed the same thing.
His senses were far sharper than those of an ordinary person, and whenever someone watched him in secret, he could usually tell.
He had first sensed it outside the gymnasium.
The feeling had followed them all the way to the theater.
Yuto casually scanned the area.
Then he noticed a small piece of white pleated fabric sticking out from behind a distant vending machine.
His brows relaxed.
Helplessness replaced his concern.
"Katou, I'm going to buy some drinks. What would you like?"
"Eh? I don't need anything. I'm not really thirsty."
"If you don't choose, I'll decide for you."
"Then... orange juice."
"Mm. I'll be right back."
Yuto smiled before walking toward the vending machine.
Behind it, the three girls were whispering frantically.
"Boss definitely noticed us!"
"It was Lady Tohru's clothes that gave us away!"
"I told you from the beginning this was a bad idea! How are we going to explain ourselves to Boss?!"
"We'll leave that to Lady Tohru. Lady Tohru is the most reliable."
"Don't start pushing all the blame onto me now!"
"Ahem. Tohru, Kanna, stop arguing..."
Rias cleared her throat.
The two dragons looked at her in confusion and Rias said nothing.
She simply tilted her head upward.
Kanna and Tohru slowly followed her gaze as a familiar face was smiling down at them.
Both dragon girls instantly turned pale.
---------
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