I Came Back but the World is Still a Fantasy!?

4-111: A Villain Buying Time

4-111: A Villain Buying Time

Myuhi did not bring the Mask straight into the venue after the battle, instead she landed a short distance away from the venue inside the barrier.

The mask didn’t say anything either, perhaps understanding the situation, or perhaps, he simply lacked the energy to do so.

When the Mask had entered the battlefield, Myuhi moved some of the people responsible for the defense of the venue to the backstage.

This was to ensure they could respond should the “Snake” attack or act recklessly.

Of course, that turned out to be needless worry in the end. The final encore song was still ongoing, so Myuhi couldn’t bring him in with her right now, so she decided to just let him rest here.

She took out something like a picnic blanket from her equipment, spread it on a suitable empty spot on the ground, and laid the Mask down.

Her terminal, which was equipped for tasks such as outdoor infiltration and solo missions, had all the necessary camping gear.

It was curious if the Mask knew about that or not, but he showed no reaction other than a simple thanks.

“…Thanks.”

Myuhi wasn’t sure if she should strike up a conversation and say that that was just like him, or to tell him to just rest if he’s so exhausted that he couldn’t even speak properly.

In the end, however, she sighed and watched their surroundings, checking to ensure that no people or machines were in the vicinity before she removed her exoskeleton.

Meanwhile, Shinichi too followed suit, peeling off the white mask to release the black attire that covered him, revealing his true face.

Since they were at a place where he didn’t have to worry about prying eyes, and because she had used a skill to shine a light on the place, Myuhi was able to clearly see his face.

“!”

She had intended to brace herself, but the sight of it still made her gulp, and the hair on her stood up on end.

Just a while ago, this man had made those men feared in the underworld pale, but his face now was even worse. It was to the point where she couldn’t tell if he was still alive. That was a pale that could only belong to the dead.

“You!”

She would’ve flipped out, but she forced herself to keep a lid on it as she sat herself on the sheets she’d prepared to calm down.

“…Was it part of your plans to weaken to that extent too?”

“Ahaha…”

Myuhi suppressed the agitation she felt and let out an exasperated voice, and in return, Shinichi just feebly laughed.

If Masquerade’s words earlier were to be trusted, today’s battle was orchestrated purely to keep the Snake from targeting Monica.

It was a surprise to see him collapse yesterday when he heard her song for the first time, and it was just as surprising to see him so weak.

Of course, there was no denying that he needed to appear weak for the sake of his objective, but undoubtedly, he’d still pushed himself too far.

“I got into a sort of high while listening to her for a bit…”

It was curious whether that was an excuse or the truth, but regardless, he said it with a wry smile. Alas, his face remained pale all the same.

Annoyed, Myuhi snapped back.

“Are you stupid?”

“Ha ha, ha… That’s a bit harsh.”

Though even talking was a struggle for him, there were things that needed to be said. He understood that too.

That’s why she urged him to talk, and his eyes turned to her.

They couldn’t even remain focused, and when she thought of how his eyes weren’t able to even properly reflect her, her heart ached.

“By this point, it’s not impressive anymore, you know? It just makes me want to hit you instead.”

“Isn’t that a bit much?”

Shinichi’s face twitched a little, but he insisted that he didn’t deserve to get hit.

“The desire to punch just went up by 30%!”

“Geh.”

Myuhi said with a face full of smiles, and Shinichi faltered.

But of course, Myuhi too understood. That everything he’d done was necessary.

But even then, couldn’t he have chosen another path? Or at least, that was what the part of her, the woman he called Hina, thought.

“It can’t be helped. I thought for sure that Monika would be attacked, so I had to stay near her. The venue was practically like being outside the barrier, so if I left, it would be difficult for me to get information about what was happening inside.”

Perhaps, because he didn’t want to get hit, he said that despite struggling to talk.

“That’s a lie. You did it because that was the most effective. It was also the easiest way to prove your claims since you would be protecting her from her side.”

After all, this situation was more or less something he made to occur, a stage he himself had prepared; therefore, it only stood to reason that all the inconveniences were also part of his plan.

“Erm…”

“In order to protect her, you had no choice but to prove it. That you would grow weaker at the sound of her song, that it had to be her raw singing voice and not a recording or other forgeries. That’s why you needed an excuse, a circumstance, that would make it possible for you to prove just that, right?”

“Well, if you want to say that there was such a thought or not, well there is, but…”

“Seriously?”

??Was he really going to try to excuse his way out of this in that clumsy manner?

Myuhi didn’t say that out loud, but her quiet sigh coupled with the expression on her said everything, and that made Shinichi twitch.

Despite that, she continued to wear a face full of smiles, but that was precisely what bore heavily on Shinichi.

It was curious how long she stared at him like that, but regardless, in the end, it was Shinichi who waved the white flag with a pathetic voice unthinkable from the gallant display he’d shown earlier.

“I-I can’t help it! That was the best plan I could think of!”

“Are you a kid!?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.”

“Tsk, you’re only a kid when it’s convenient for you, huh.”

Hmph, Myuhi snorted, but Shinichi remained unrepetant.

With a sigh, she rid herself of her irritation and looked at Shinichi again.

“Icchi, do you even understand why I’m mad in the first place?”

A pale face. A weakened breath. An expression filled with fatigue.

Despite that, the pair of eyes on that face glimmered with a brilliance that contained not the slightest speck of death. But for the first time, when she asked that question, those eyes faltered.

Was it because he knew? Or was it because he didn’t? Although Myuhi herself didn’t know, it was clear that Shinichi had not wanted that question asked. For some reason, that made her happy, and she caressed his cheeks.

It was a gesture of kindness, and though the touch of his cheeks was far colder than anything she expected, it had warmth to it too. He was alive.

“Look, I know you needed to do this.

But, I want you to know that I seriously worried for you too.”

Myuhi was genuinely relieved to know that he was still alive. That’s why she said those words harsher than usual.

At the same time, she looked him straight in the eye and spoke words that were so sincere they surprised even her.

She’d known that he was just putting on a front. All of his senses had weakened, and even she could see through him. Of course, it wasn’t as though she hadn’t considered the burden on him having to protect the Songstress from so close, but it was hard to change his mind.

That’s why she had done her best to wrap everything up quickly.

Unfortunately, there was only you could do when the person in question never intended to take things easy. Of course, she understood why he had to go as far as he did, but just because she understood did not mean that she could talk about it with a smile.

“A ha ha… Ah, that’s… Yeah. It was the most effective way. Sorry.”

Annoyance. Worry. Displeasure. Anxiety. Anger. Relief.

The boy, blinking in response to the words and gaze filled with a mixture of various emotions, gave a small, troubled smile and quietly apologized, as if he had taken the words to heart.

But of course…

“…A face like that is just cheating.”

All of the emotions that she herself could barely understand were accepted and understood, while Shinichi looked so sad like a scolded puppy. It made Myuhi feel as if she had done something wrong, and because of that, she found it hard to keep blaming him.

What was worse was that it was done so naturally.

But what could she do about it? Myuhi shrugged, not realizing that that in itself was spoiling him.

“Well, I won’t deny that it’s the best plan given the timing yesterday, but normally, I would call it a foul.

Who in their right mind would come up with a plan to protect someone by giving the enemy a reason not to kill them?”

If the result had been from more time for planning and groundwork, or if the reason for being unable to kill was something other than the mask, then it might still be a somewhat normal situation, yet the outcome was this.

The malicious exploitation of the threat posed by the Mask and his only weakness, the Songstress.

He declared a war on the Snake too, and at the same time, dealt them a loss so severe that it opened a massive hole in their power structure on Earth in just one night.

There’s no way the Snake would remain quiet after that.

Conflict was inevitable.

But that was precisely why Monica’s song became all the more valuable.

“Just like that, you mated them, and even though they know they’re doing exactly what you want, they can’t stop.

The fact that you came up with all of this the moment you collapsed is truly a testament to just how sly you are.”

How scary.

Myuhi smiled as she said that casually, but from the tone of her voice, it seemed that that she’d intentionally made her voice sound like that.

“???Why would you go that far just to buy time?”

In the end, perhaps it was to ascertain the reason behind that that she talked so much.

Although nothing was certain, as the Snake were still alive, so long as Masquerade did not disappear, Monica’s safety was basically guaranteed.

But why go that far? Myuhi looked at Shinichi, and his eyes that seemed unable to focus met her gaze.

“…Because that’s really nothing more than a childish trick.”

After a moment of silence, what came in response was a monotonous voice, but despite its monotony, it could not hide the self-contempt hidden within.

“What do you mean? How could anyone dare to threaten her when she’s the only one who could hurt the Mask? All the more so when hostilities with Masquerade have already been established?”

“I’m sure the psychological hurdle is that much higher.

But think about it again. My weakness is the song of a certain person. How can you use that most effectively?”

“How to use it most effectively… Huh?”

Myuhi became thoughtful, and the fox ears on her head started fidgeting. She wasn’t aware of it, but this was a habit of hers when she couldn’t organize her thoughts.

In other words, she couldn’t come up with any decent answers.

The main issues were the strict conditions for the ‘song,’ which was the weakness, and the fact that the Mask’s location was essentially unknown.

If they were to target Monica personally and have her sing at a chosen location, considering the Snake’s power, it wouldn’t be too difficult.

In fact, they believed that this current live venue was chosen due to the handiwork of the Snake.

But then how would they lure Masquerade there?

Even after clearing that hurdle, they still couldn’t defeat the Mask, and it was arguable if his power had even really weakened.

In the end, the only solution Myuhi could think of to defeat the Mask was to throw all the forces of the world at him in waves for days, and even then, they might at most accomplish something.

But of course, that was impossible, even for the Snake.

They could also try a surprise attack on him like yesterday. Make him listen to a live song, then deliver a fatal blow the moment he collapsed.

That would still be more realistic than overwhelming him with sheer numbers, but the problem was how they could get him to listen to the live song in a surprise attack in the first place.

The movements of the Songstress were not something that could be easily hidden.

Moreover, if she were to sing, it would have to be at a proper venue.

Otherwise, it would arouse the Songstress’ suspicions.

Given Masquerade’s information-gathering capabilities, even if it were a secret live performance, it would likely be leaked too.

And even if everything does somehow manage to go perfectly, the fundamental problem of how to lure Masquerade remains.

“They’ll surely think of many ways to use her, but in the end, they’ll probably just go back to where they started.

If they can’t do anything about Masquerade, then they might as well just erase Monica and restore the apostle weapons.”

Such a thing was certainly possible, and he worded it as though he were fed up with it.

While their apostle weapons could be destroyed even by recordings of her songs, if Monica herself were to disappear, eventually her songs too would die. That was much more constructive than trying to rely on a weakness they didn’t know how to use.

“They could also keep attacking her to tire you out?”

“An extension of today’s plan, you mean? They might try that first.”

Shinichi shrugged his shoulders.

He spoke casually, but just one night had exhausted him to this extent. If they continued to attack, it would be a struggle for sure.

Individuals were more flexible compared to an organization, but they had far less stamina, and as such, suffer in a defensive battle.

That’s why Six tried this plan.

Though of course, in his case, he was made to.

“Oh, I get it. Since it would be a hassle if they tried it, you made them try it now, but not only did you not suffer a setback, you made them suffer a lot instead.”

After all, that was a method that demanded the Snake to gather a large force.

Anyone who thinks that such large movements could be hidden from the Mask, given his repeated display of extraordinary intelligence gathering, would be nothing but a fool.

In fact, it was precisely because of such underestimation that they had lost so many bases and soldiers tonight.

It has also been made clear that the Mask was capable of threatening the world into action.

Therefore, if they wanted to attack Monica, they would also have to prepare to face off with the world.

Before they could even fight the Mask himself, the world would stand before them.

It makes one imagine.

“It’s still possible, though, just a bit hard to use.”

But then again, even in that too, he had simply raised the hurdle.

He had not completely suppressed that option. After all, it was still possible for the Snake to immobilize the forces that had moved against them tonight. Were they to take that option, it would become a contest as to whom they would yield, whether it was to the Snake or to the Mask, but even just the hesitation the name of the Snake would bring would be meaningful.

The weakness of being alone lay precisely in being alone.

“But for now, they shouldn’t be able to shake off the shock of what I’ve done.

Moreover, there’s a psychological inclination to poke at something that you think is a weak point.

Even if someone notices a problem, the organization has a reputation to uphold.

They have to focus on making up for the damage done this time.

There are also those who fear an all out war with me.

However, in the end, all of that is…”

“A matter of time, huh.”

She thought it had been a good move when he revealed everything earlier, but apparently, it was not a method that could protect the songstress forever, even if the masquerade remained a threat.

But he had known that from the start.

Hence, his objective was really just to make it so that the Snake would take care of Monica.

In a sense, it could be said that nothing had really changed and that the Snake just had a change of priorities.

“Seriously, it’s always like this. It makes me want to cry.”

Shinichi complained with an exhausted face, as though to say that in the end, this was all he could accomplish.

Myuhi frowned, but then she made an exasperated face.

“So, you put yourself on the line knowing that was the best you could do, huh?”

“…Don’t get mad.

As I said earlier, it was the best plan I could come up with.”

“Not really… But if this is the result, then it’s a pretty good outcome, don’t you think?”

Given the amount of time he had to prepare, it was already plenty impressive that he was able to come up with such an exhaustive way to protect her.

“If you were a swordsman who could cut mountains, would you find it impressive being able to cut a boulder?”

But the difference in standards was just too big.

Because of the power he possessed, he had to be able to accomplish something greater.

This time Myuhi didn’t bother to hide her displeasure.

“Is that something you should really be saying, Icchi?”

“Hah?”

Myuhi grabbed Shinichi’s face and made him look at her in the eye.

No light reflected from his eyes, but she didn’t mind.

She needed to do this if she wanted this man to focus on her.

“Weren’t you the sort of person to praise just that?”

“…”

As though he’d been told something he never even imagined, his eyes opened wide.

Myuhi, smiling as if satisfied with having caught him off guard, began to speak.

“It’s not about position or ability, right? Or whether you could’ve handled things better or not? You’re the kind of person who just says whatever’s on your mind, right?”

Shinichi’s eyes swam restlessly as though to confirm his memories.

But Myuhi wouldn’t give him the time.

“You’re the one who protected those girls. Whether it was yesterday or today, you’re the one who decided to protect them, the one who risked his life for them, and you even went as far as to consider what would happen later and took measures accordingly.

I think that’s plenty amazing.”

Since he had always only said what was on his mind, there was no room for him to deny anything. Faced with that smile and those words, Shinichi was speechless.

He must have realized how right she was.

And with that being pointed out, he had no grounds for rebuttal.

If he said something careless here, all the praise he had given until now would lose its credibility.

At worst, such praises would become a lie.

And Myuhi knew, even after just a month and a half of observation, that he was not the kind of man who could tolerate such a thing.

“…Ha ha, you’ve really learned how to handle me, huh.”

Shinichi laughed feebly, and Myuhi smiled upon realizing she’d finally gotten one over him.

“Fu fu, it’s an honor.

…Besides, you’re planning to crush them with the time you’ve bought, right?”

Although this boy kept complaining about how he had done nothing but buy time, there was no doubt in his tone that he wouldn’t just stop there. With a sigh, he gave in, as if acknowledging his defeat.

“It’s a secret society that straddles the two worlds, and I don’t have a complete picture just yet. I’m a bit nervous, actually. I’ve been laying a lot of groundwork, though.”

“Specifically?”

“I only spread it to those who seemed to know about the Snake, but I arranged for the information to leak under Masquerade’s name, stating that the mysterious assassinations in both worlds were caused by the Snake’s special weapon, and that Monica’s singing voice causes it to malfunction… By now, there should be an uproar everywhere.”

“…If this is handled poorly, it won’t end with her just receiving the VIP treatment, you know.”

While impressed by the speed of his response, Myuhi worried that the spread of such information could lead to such heightened levels of protection and surveillance that it obstructed Monica’s activities. There was even the possibility that she could be confined under the pretext of recovering from an illness.

For the opponents of the Snake, or even for those in power, the outcomes brought about by the Snakes’ weapons were already becoming a symbol of fear.

“Of course, I made sure to tell them that if they go too far, I would be personally holding them accountable.”

It was flawless.

“With this, the number of people watching over her will increase.

Those attacked by the Snake will also begin using her song as self defense.

As Monica becomes harder to target, the apostle armaments too will become harder to use.

But the main purpose of this move isn’t this.”

“So you didn’t just want to increase the people protecting her or make killing her lose significance by revealing your weakness?”

Shinichi nodded.

“Either way, whether it’s for their experiments or for their declarations or as a show of force, the Snake have killed too much. Now, Masquerade is saying that the Snake is responsible for all of that with evidence showing the abnormality of their weapons. As a result…”

“Those that were suspicious but didn’t have evidence will become certain.

Masquerade has never resorted to murder, and up until now, has exposed criminals in a similar manner, so in that regard, he is actually quite trustworthy.”

“The death of important personnel is a humiliation to any organization, and to the related people, there is a fear that they might be next. When the people behind such crimes come to light, and the strongest has appeared to face off with them…”

Shinichi paused, his eyes now like those of a mischievous child, all the self-mockery and frustration from before gone, then in the next moment, on that face yet framed by Myuhi’s hands, surfaced an audacious crescent-moon smile.

“????Given all that, who do you think the world will side with?”

Myuhi gasped. A secret society rooted in the darkness of two worlds, and the most powerful individual rampaging in the shadows of those worlds.

It was the ultimate question of which one would be tolerated.

Ideally, both ought to be refused. On one hand was the Mask who had accomplished many things, from large-scale destruction to global threats and the purging of corruption in various places, as well as the hunting of terrorists.

Then on the other hand was ‘The Snake,’ which the two worlds have struggled with for years. They were obviously a criminal organization, but due to being shrouded in mystery, their true nature remained unclear, and the actual extent of their existence and damage that they could cause were not well understood.

Who would the rulers, those in power, the military, and law enforcement fear first? Which side would they align with first? Which would they fight first?

Although it was unlikely that everyone would lean to one side, given that ‘The Snake’ has been involved with certain individuals and organizations, and the fact that the group behind the recent assassination is almost confirmed, not to mention that they were currently mass-producing weapons beyond the understanding of current technology and knowledge, to not confront such a criminal organization would undoubtedly bring disgrace to most organizations. But at the same time, it wasn’t an easy choice to make, especially when what awaited them later was certain destruction in the hands of the Mask.

“..Mind if I speak my thoughts?”

“Do as you like.”

Myuhi could more or less deduce his intentions. By drawing from her own knowledge and experience, she speculated on the movements and thoughts of those in power and the underworld, and with a hint of amusement, she stated the inevitable conclusion.

“You villain!”

“It’s an honor.”

While still remaining in her grasp, the boy smiled a befitting smile.

Whether it was indignation over the murder of a loved one, the fear of being the next target, curiosity about the new weapons, ambition to seize the Snake’s legacy or take their place, simple fear of the Mask, whatever it was, though the Snake had a longer history, no one could deny that it was the Mask that was unstoppable.

If the hated Snake was going to be crushed by such a Mask, then aiding in some form would likely eliminate obstacles and ensure their own safety to some degree.

That should be the line of thought of those involved, and if so, then Myuhi was spot on. He was a villain indeed.

“But of course, even that too isn’t certain.

The situation will still change depending on how the Snake moves. For one, they could abandon their secrecy and start working in the light.”

As Shinichi said that, Myuhi made an exasperated face.

“I’m sure even that you plan to take advantage of.

It’s you we’re talking about, so I’m sure you’ve already come up with plans however they move, right?”

“Who knows? I’m flattered you think so highly of me, but as you can see, I’m just a weak boy who can be pushed down by a woman like this.”

Shinichi said with a laugh.

“Eh—-!?”

For a moment, Myuhi wondered what he was talking about, but then he realized their position, and she froze. Currently, Myuhi was holding Shinichi, who couldn’t move, and forcing him to look at her. Of course, she wasn’t doing so to hurt him, so she had made sure to keep his position comfortable, but as a result, she ended up positioning herself above him.

She’d originally meant for this gesture to show how much he had made her worry, but now that he pointed it out, they were indeed too close.

Though his body wasn’t all that warm, there was still warmth, and she could hear the beating of his heart too.

Though his face was pale, the mischievousness behind his smile and those eyes of his showed that he was looking at her properly.

Yes, he was look straight at her, the woman that was known as Myuhi.

The moment she realized that, she found herself unable to avert her eyes. That was a pair of eyes that could be found anywhere in Japan, but for some reason, she couldn’t run away.

Was it because she’d become conscious of it? Or was it because of something else?

“If you stare at me like that from so close, should I take this as you coaxing me?”

“C-Coaxing?”

“Personally, I’d like to do it when my sense have fully returned.”

“What are you talking about!?”

“What do you mean what? Isn’t this a situation where two shadows become one?”

Shinichi laughed with a face full of mischief as he said those meaningful words. There was an aura of allure to him as he said those words even though his appearance wasn’t the slightest bit handsome.

“Become one… Hanyaa!?”

But it was precisely those words that made this inexperienced maiden conscious of something.

And when she imagined what would happen next, she found herself letting out that shriek as she jumped away.

She was so fast in that that she might have been even faster than during combat.

“Ku, ku ku ku!”

The sight of her panicking with hands raised up as though in surrender drew out a satisfied laugh from Shinichi. At that, Myuhi realized that Shinichi was teasing her again, and her cheeks turned beet red as they inflated.

“Sheesh! You always get over your head so quickly!”

“This is just how I usually am. But you know, there’s no need to move so fast. I still can’t move, after all.”

Shinichi assured her with a smile, but that just made Myuhi back off all the more. Of course, he didn’t mind that and just nodded.

“That’s fine too. Surprisingly, a weakened man might actually be more of a beast. Be careful.”

“Icchi?”

She wasn’t sure whether that was him teasing her or if that was an actual warning.

After all, there was a difference to the tone of his voice when he said that. Perhaps, he’d made her distance herself on purpose?

Perhaps, this was him indirectly saying that he was weak somewhere internally?

If so, then how should she respond?

But then the events yesterday flashed through her head, and her cheeks loosened.

“Good grief, what a troublesome boy you are.”

“Hey, hey, what is this all of the sudden?”

Shinichi was about to respond in his usual flippant tone, but then he stopped. Myuhi had already seen through him, and when he couldn’t help but look at her in shock, Myuhi smiled, and in turn, Shinichi too smiled.

“Fu fu… I’m glad that the one who came to look for me was you,” Shinichi said.

“You’re welcome,” Myuhi said.

Despite the mischievous expression on the boy, the girl could not stop the heat from stirring within her chest as he thanked her sincerely.

??As expected, that’s the only thing I can be proud of.

After the live performance, he met up with Monica, and she immediately scolded him for his poor condition. However, he explained what had happened and what was going to happen next.

The explanation was largely the same as what he had told Myuhi, but he omitted any information that normal people shouldn’t know. He did, however, inform her that the danger to her life yet remained.

Although the battles from now on would take place in the shadows of the world, there was still a threat to her, and she needed to understand it.

That being said, Shinichi didn’t want to frighten her too much, so he just informed her that both public and private security around her would increase, and that he had arranged various forms of protection for the orphanage.

He also assured her that they would always be vigilant for any suspicious movements and that this situation would not be dragged out for too long.

As for her reaction…

?Seriously, would it kill you to ask for a bigger pay!?

The reward doesn’t match the work at all! ?

Her reaction could only be described as ‘exasperation’ tinged with anger. This caused Shinichi and Myuhi to exchange glances and laugh.

Though Monica didn’t fully grasp the situation, and Shinichi told her that her current arrangements might not be enough to protect her, she neither expressed fear nor complained, and neither did she try to put on a brave front, instead what she did first was to urge him to demand more compensation.

What else could that be but trust?

The request regarding Youko was one of the extra compensations that came as a result, but of course, even that couldn’t satisfy her.

“??And that’s how it came to this.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Fu fu.”

Shinichi, having refilled his empty plate from the catering, walked back to where Myuhi and Monica were waiting. As he reflected on the thoughtfulness Myuhi had shown him and his subsequent exchange with Monica, he saw the two of them chatting happily.

For a moment, he had almost seen through the contents of their conversation and the emotions involved, but before he could, he quickly shut his eyes.

It was not his physical eyes that he shut, but rather the power that allowed him to see such things, so he could still see the physical all the same.

Regardless, Shinichi simply looked on blankly at the two of them, almost as if in a daze.

“Hmm? What are you staring at us for?”

Monica and Myuhi noticed him staring and smiled mischievously as they made similar remarks.

“Isn’t it a bit too late to be charmed by my looks?” Monica said.

“Or maybe you’ve fallen for my adorable looks, nyaa?” Myuhi said.

Monica exaggeratedly ran her fingers through her hair as she struck a pose, while Myuhi adopted an equally exaggeratedand overly charming smile as she spoke in a sweet, fawning tone. Perhaps, this was their attempt to get back at him for teasing them all the time, but…

“Yeah.”

Surprisingly, everything fell neatly into place in Shinichi’s heart. So, that’s what it was, he realized. He had been captivated by the two of them.

“Huh?”

“Nyo?”

Monica and Myuhi froze, surprised by how seriously and earnestly Shinichi nodded, but Shinichi didn’t seem to mind their reaction at all, and he continued to keep his eyes fixed on them. Both were dressed casually, with an emphasis on ease of movement, but despite that, the differences in their personalities gave each of them a distinct charm.

One was a naïve girl hiding sensitivity and kindness within her youthful innocence and cuteness.

While the other was an elder sister figure that possessed a calm beauty that belied her strong will and deep care for her family.

Ah, how good was it to be able to have met them?

“There’s nothing I can boast about myself, but from time to time, I’m glad that I’ve been blessed with the fate to have an eye for and be able to meet such wonderful women.”

As he muttered that almost as though he were saying them to himself, his gaze upon them became incredibly gentle, as though he were genuinely grateful to have been able to encounter such a wonderful thing.

At the same time, the intensity of it was so warm it made those being watched feel a little embarrassed.

“…I told you, didn’t I? He’s an enemy of women.

I can’t believe he’s doing all of this spontaneously.”

“Seriously.

And he’s being so sincere too. That’s got to be illegal.”

Those words that came from the bottom of the heart, and that gaze that testified he held no ill will – left the two ladies with no choice but to blush. Their cheeks flushed beet red, but the way they acted suggested that they weren’t unhappy at all.

“Hmm?”

Unfortuantely, the person responsible for their current state did not understand why they were acting like that.