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By the time their little outing wrapped up, it was already close to 10 PM.
They hadn't really had any specific plan to begin with. It wasn't like they'd gone downtown to buy something in particular or catch a movie, and they'd already had dinner at home before heading out. But somehow, just wandering around aimlessly like that... time had flown.
It was about time to head home.
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Under the soft glow of streetlamps downtown, Nagisa turned her head toward the approaching city bus, its headlights cutting through the night. The vehicle number reflected clearly in her wine-red eyes.
"Ah, here it comes. Our ride's finally here, Yukina-chan."
She turned to her side to address the sword-wielding shrine maiden beside her—who was still diligently comparing the incoming bus's route number with the station map, trying to determine if it stopped near their place.
Then Nagisa turned the other way and waved toward the boy whose arm had been locked in a death grip by a certain blonde older sister for the entire night.
"See you later, big bro! Me and Yukina-chan are taking the bus home from here."
"Yeah. Take care on the way back, both of you," replied Bokue with a casual nod.
The bus rolled up to the curb, doors hissing open. The two girls, along with a few other passengers, climbed aboard. The doors closed, the engine revved, and the vehicle began pulling away.
Bokue and Asagi stood in silence, watching the bus drive off—until it had disappeared far enough that the two girls' faces could no longer be glimpsed through the windows.
Only then did he turn to the blonde beside him.
"Shall we head home too?"
"...Mhm."
Her voice was soft—but laced with an unmistakable warmth.
Truthfully, Asagi hadn't really enjoyed this so-called "date." Because let's be honest... it wasn't a date at all!
Who the hell goes on a date with two third wheels tagging along?
The girl named Yukina wasn't so bad—quiet, soft-spoken, and generally stayed in her lane.
But the other one? Nagisa? She'd spent the entire time glued to Bokue's side, chirping "big bro this" and "big bro that" like a damn girlfriend. Want to act all cutesy and flirty? Then get your own boyfriend and stop hanging off hers!
So yeah, no, this hadn't felt like much of a date.
But now... now was a different story. The two little tagalongs were gone.
Especially when he'd just said, "Shall we head home too?"
That line—it gave her the exact vibe of a newlywed couple seeing guests off from their home and then heading back into their cozy little love nest.
Exactly! She was the childhood friend who had stuck with him through thick and thin. The real girlfriend. The main heroine. The rightful partner.
Asagi was still internally ranting when Bokue, noticing her silence and zombie-like pace, waved a hand in front of her face.
"You good? Sleepy or something?"
"Huh? Oh—no, I'm fine."
She blinked, snapping out of it and forcing a small smile. Then, glancing at him, she hesitated... opened her mouth... and stopped again.
Bokue narrowed his eyes at her awkward expression.
"What? Spit it out."
"It's nothing! Really, it's—"
She waved her hands in protest but couldn't keep the question from bubbling up.
"That short-haired girl who keeps calling you big bro... she, uh, kinda seemed like she really likes you."
"Oh... you mean Nagisa."
Bokue gave a noncommittal grunt.
"You jealous?"
"Jeal—excuse me?!"
As if he'd just told the funniest joke in history, Asagi's voice spiked as her eyes widened.
With a dramatic huff and an eye roll, she turned her face away.
"Why would I be jealous over some little girl?"
And just to make a point, she puffed out her chest.
Naturally, Bokue's gaze dropped right where she'd directed it.
And well... he had to admit, Asagi was blessed. Slim waist, long legs, shapely curves—she had the kind of proportions you usually only see in fashion magazines, all without sacrificing that signature Asian elegance. Even her arms stayed slender despite her, ahem, volume.
Nagisa, on the other hand... was still very much in her growing phase. Asagi had nothing to worry about in terms of competition.
That said, stamina was a different matter.
At the very least, there was no universe where Asagi could match Nagisa's twelve-in-one-hour champagne bottle endurance record. For any human body, that was... unrealistic.
The two continued to chat idly, making their way back toward the luxury high-rise where the lights still gleamed along the outer walls like neon stars.
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Meanwhile, on the moving bus—
Nagisa and Yukina had found their way to the very last row and settled into one of the twin seats.
It had already been almost a full minute since they boarded. Nagisa, sitting by the window, still had her forehead pressed against the glass, as if straining to catch one last glimpse of something—no, someone.
Yukina tilted her head in curiosity.
"Nagisa, what are you looking at?"
"Mmm~ nothing much. Just trying to catch one last look at big bro."
She answered without hesitation, voice nonchalant.
Even as she spoke, her eyes never left the faint, disappearing glow behind them.
Yukina blinked.
"Big bro... you mean Bokue-senpai? But at this angle, we can't see him anymore."
"I know. He's already out of view."
Nagisa gave a soft sigh and finally turned away from the window.
Then she glanced at Yukina with a coy little smile.
"By the way... Yukina-chan, have you ever dated anyone before?"
"Dated? As in... romance? No, I haven't."
Yukina answered earnestly.
She had been raised and trained within the Lion King Organization—where all the children, be they Sword Maidens or ritual priestesses, were female. And all of them had been abandoned by their parents. There weren't any men in that environment, so romance had never even been a thing.
"Really? That explains a lot~"
Nagisa chuckled.
Yukina raised an eyebrow—something about that laugh felt... off. But she couldn't put her finger on why.
So she turned the question around.
"What about you, Nagisa? Have you dated anyone before?"
"Hmm~"
Nagisa gave a mischievous smile and shook her head.
"Not really."
"Oh... I see."
Yukina was briefly surprised.
It made sense, of course. While early dating wasn't taboo in Japan, most girls didn't start relationships before middle school.
Still, usually the one asking those kinds of questions... had been in love. There was a weird mismatch between her words and her attitude.
Yukina had almost pegged Nagisa as a low-key Casanova—but maybe she was just as new to all this as anyone else.
Unbeknownst to her, however, her serious and innocent expression had triggered something entirely else inside the girl beside her.
Hmm... what if next time, I wait until I'm totally wild from big bro's love—then "accidentally" let Yukina-chan walk in on us... and maybe even drag her in too?
Big bro would definitely love that...
Just imagining it makes my heart race~
Still... it's not quite time yet. Gotta wait for the right moment.
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