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Bokue and Sayaka entered the house and sat down first.
Sayaka still hadn't recovered from her earlier brain overload state. After Nagisa helped open the door, she was pulled inside by Bokue in a daze. Not until the soft sensation of the sofa transmitted from beneath her did she finally somewhat regain awareness.
She sat on the living room sofa, turning her head right to look. The gradually reddening sunlight from the south-facing balcony shone through the window, falling on the living room floor and reflecting scorching heat waves.
Fortunately, the AC was running inside. Apparently, before leaving, Yukina had anticipated they'd arrive early and deliberately left the living room AC on.
"Yukina... went out to buy groceries."
The brief buffer time allowed the Sword Shaman girl's previously full-capacity brain to finally catch a moment's respite. After scanning around once, she muttered to herself quietly.
Wait... hold on...
Less than two seconds after speaking, Sayaka seemed to finally catch on. She turned toward the young man beside her, blinking rapidly.
"Wait, why would Yukina go out to buy groceries at this time?"
"Probably wants to keep us for dinner."
Bokue answered offhandedly.
While speaking, he also observed this apartment.
Just like Yasaka's shrine, Nagisa and Yukina's apartment had also had its original location spatially connected to the top of the Keystone Gate by him.
The advantage of doing this was being able to spatially transfer designated parts of buildings without changing the overall structure. Though the main body was no longer in its original place, at least it still looked right—avoiding making developers screech.
The disadvantage was the operational difficulty. Currently, aside from Bokue himself, probably only Natsuki Minamiya after fully recovering her power could manage this.
After all, Natsuki was the originator of this method. The prison barrier where she'd once lived was constructed on similar principles.
Now, to avoid shocking Sayaka too much at once, Bokue had temporarily returned the apartment to its original position.
"That's not what I mean!"
Sayaka pursed her lips.
"I mean, why would Yukina go buy groceries just because we're coming?"
"Is... there a problem with that?"
Bokue raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Of course you buy more groceries when people are coming for dinner. Besides, it's already past three in the afternoon. Dinner's at six. Can't exactly go shopping at five, right?"
"But treating us so much like guests..."
Sayaka felt somewhat embarrassed.
Bokue glanced at her sideways: "If I remember correctly, about five minutes ago you were thinking about buying gifts."
"G-gifts, that was...!"
The Sword Shaman girl's cheeks flushed instantly. She wanted to defend herself but couldn't think how to phrase it, only stammering there.
But Bokue had already risen from the sofa, walking toward the TV positioned against the wall facing the couch.
"Anyway, Yukina probably won't be back for a bit. Let's watch some TV."
"Don't! N-no need...!"
Sayaka instinctively leaned forward, raising her hand to grab Bokue, pinching his sleeve to pull the young man back.
"Alright, alright, just sit still. Yukina's not back yet, so don't touch this and that. Be more restrained at someone else's place. This isn't your own home."
"?"
Having just sat back down on the sofa, Bokue raised a question mark at these words.
He turned his head to stare seriously at the Sword Shaman girl for a moment.
"Aren't you being a bit too nervous, Sayaka?"
"N-nervous? I'm not."
Sayaka stubbornly refused to admit it with a flushed face.
"Besides, it's just coming to Yukina's place. Why would I be nervous? Yukina and I used to live in the same dorm..."
Bokue: "..."
Though her words sounded logical, any observant person could tell—this Sword Shaman girl was definitely nervous.
Actually, even Sayaka herself knew that saying she wasn't nervous would be a lie.
After all, she'd always been the one warning Yukina to watch out for bad men. Including when first meeting Bokue, she'd shown clear hostility toward him right in front of Yukina. Yet now she'd gone and done it herself first.
Made her look inconsistent.
Precisely because of this, since entering and sitting down, Sayaka had already mentally rehearsed countless times how she'd confess to Yukina when she returned.
The entire spiel had been simulated in her head countless times, countless small details revised. But she was still nervous.
"Forget it. Looks like I need to help you decompress first."
Seeing the Sword Shaman girl beside him looking completely unable to relax, Bokue shook his head, then turned sideways to reach over and wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her over in one motion.
"Eep!?"
The sudden shift startled Sayaka. By the time she recovered, she found herself already straddling the young man's lap.
The two faced each other like this—a familiar angle and position.
"W-w-wait... wait! What are you doing, Bokue?!"
Sayaka's face instantly flushed red.
She clearly knew what would happen next once they got into this position. But right now they were at Yukina's place! Though Yukina had gone out shopping and wasn't home, still couldn't...
"I said I'm helping you relax. What else would it be?"
Bokue's hands didn't stop while speaking.
"That's not how you relax!"
Sayaka pressed down hard on her skirt hem with a flushed face.
"What if Yukina comes back and sees?!"
"She won't. Not that fast."
Bokue shrugged.
"Nagisa just told us Yukina just left to buy groceries. At minimum she'll take an hour and a half to return. Meaning we have at least a full hour."
"Plus, even if she does see, wouldn't that be perfect?"
The young man coaxed persuasively.
"We came here today specifically to tell Yukina about this anyway. If she sees directly, wouldn't that save us from explaining?"
"How is that perfect?!"
Sayaka was about to explode, but with her strength she couldn't hold Bokue back at all.
Soon, as the small piece of fabric was pushed aside, the completely flushed Sword Shaman girl suddenly sat up straight. Her form atop the sofa seemed to lift higher in thin air.
At the same time, in the apartment next door—
Having already gone downstairs to throw out trash and returned, Nagisa pressed both knees on the sofa, leaning against the wall-side backrest with her ear pressed to the wall, straining to listen.
Beside her was the Sword Shaman girl whose face was still flushed from being "psychologically counseled" an hour ago, still feeling the aftereffects.
Nagisa had been listening like this for nearly five minutes.
According to their plan, they'd pretend Yukina had gone out shopping. After Bokue and Sayaka arrived, they'd let them enter first. Then, at the right moment, they'd join the battle together.
But five minutes had already passed—why hadn't it started yet...
Just as Nagisa thought this, sounds from the apartment next door finally transmitted through the wall.
'Wait, this really won't work. What if Yukina comes back and sees... You—at least listen when people talk... ngh! Please, at least wait until we get back... After we're back, I'll agree to whatever you want, so at least here... kyaa!!!'
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