"Little Shuya, what was that move called just now? It was so cool!"
The second Shizuka noticed the dangerous look in Shuya's eyes, her cheeks twitched. Bad sign. She immediately tried to change the subject.
Shuya wasn't having it. "Shizuka-nee, you really think you can just dodge this?"
"Ehehe~"
She knocked on her own head and tried the classic airhead routine again.
"Ehehe my ass."
Shuya cracked his knuckles and walked toward her like he was sharpening a blade. "Shizuka-nee, have you decided how you want to die?"
"Saeko, save me!"
Shizuka's face went pale. She bolted toward Saeko, who was calmly watching the show from the side, and threw herself into the older girl's arms. "Saeko, please!"
Saeko paused for half a second, then wrapped her arms around the blonde and patted her back gently. "Don't worry, Shizuka-nee. I've got you."
Shizuka looked up with teary, grateful eyes. "Saeko, you're such a good person!"
Then she peeked over Saeko's shoulder and gave Shuya a cheeky little wink.
Provocation. Pure provocation.
Oh, Shizuka Marikawa, you've learned how to be naughty now?
This? This he could not tolerate.
If she dared to mess with him today, tomorrow she'd probably climb on top of him while he was sleeping.
Shuya stopped in front of Saeko, arms crossed. "Saeko-senpai, are you sure you want to protect her?"
"Of course…" Saeko glanced down at the trembling blonde in her arms. A dangerous little glint flashed in her purple eyes. She dragged the word out sweetly. "…Not!"
"Shuya-kun, I've pinned her down for you. Go ahead and teach her a lesson."
With that, Saeko spun Shizuka around and pushed her face-first onto the infirmary bed, holding her in place like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Eh?!"
Shizuka's brain blue-screened.
Weren't we on the same team?!
How did you just betray me?!
(If Saeko could read minds right now, she would have answered instantly: Who said we were on the same team? You ruined my night with Shuya half a month ago. I've been waiting for payback.)
Shuya blinked, genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected the usually mature, big-sister Saeko to have such a mischievous, black-bellied side.
"Shizuka-nee, any last words?"
Smack.
His palm landed lightly on that perfect, peach-shaped, child-bearing hips that jiggled like premium jelly. Even Saeko couldn't help staring for a second, a tiny spark of envy in her eyes.
Shizuka lifted her head and gave him the biggest, most pitiful puppy eyes. "Little Shuya… do I still have a chance?"
"What do you think?"
"I think I can still be saved," she whimpered weakly.
Shuya raised an eyebrow. "I don't care what you think. I care what I think."
Shizuka went completely silent. She flopped onto the bed like a dead fish.
Fine. I give up. Do whatever you want.
Shuya swept his gaze across the room.
Saeko was holding Shizuka down with sparkling eyes, clearly enjoying herself way too much.
Rei stood off to the side, face still burning red, toes curling in her shoes as she tried to disappear into the floor.
Saya, still the newest addition and least familiar with the group's… dynamics, stared into space with a "what the hell did I just walk into" expression, completely missing the show.
Shuya decided not to punish Shizuka right here and now.
He wasn't at the level of "I won't even eat beef" yet, let alone some degenerate emperor with wine pools and meat forests.
He leaned down next to Shizuka's ear and whispered darkly, "I'll deal with you properly tonight."
Shizuka's ear twitched. A tiny spark of delight flashed through her golden eyes before she quickly smothered it and let out a pitiful wail. "Nooo~ I'm gonna die~"
But Shuya had already caught that fleeting gleam.
He narrowed his eyes.
Wait a second… was Shizuka deliberately ruining his moments just so he would punish her later?
Did she actually enjoy this kind of play?
If that was the case… then "punishing" her wasn't punishment at all.
It was a reward.
Shuya's eyes flickered. He leaned in again and tested her. "Actually, I changed my mind. Tonight I won't touch you. You can sleep alone."
"Eh?!"
Shizuka's breathing hitched instantly. She whipped her head around. "Why?!"
Oh ho.
Shuya almost laughed out loud. The ditzy nurse act was way too convincing. He'd almost forgotten—she was actually a doctor.
In this country, doctors weren't normal people. They were on the same tier as politicians and bankers. And Shizuka could even make her own trauma ointment that worked better than anything on the market.
There was no way this woman was actually stupid.
Shuya sighed, half-exasperated, half-amused. "Shizuka-nee, if you want it, just say so. You don't have to sabotage me on purpose. Next time you ruin my moment like this, I'm really going to get mad."
"Eh? Little Shuya, what are you talking about? I don't understand~" Shizuka played dumb again.
(Last time really had been an accident. This time… yeah, she had a tiny selfish reason. Sorry, Rei.)
Shuya rolled his eyes and waved at Saeko. "Alright, Saeko-senpai, you can let her go now."
"That's it?" Saeko blinked, clearly disappointed she didn't get to watch more.
Shuya didn't answer. He walked straight to the window, closed his eyes, and let his aura flow out like gentle waves.
Not the powerful kind he used for combat—this was softer, lighter. It spread outward and formed a perfect sphere.
En.
The advanced combination of Ten and Ren. Within the radius, a Nen user could perceive everything like they had radar.
Fifty meters wasn't enough to cover the entire school, but it swallowed the nearby buildings completely.
Shuya maintained it for a few seconds, then exhaled and pulled the aura back. Maintaining such a large En still took effort.
No living people left nearby except them.
Playtime was over.
He turned to Saeko, eyes sharp and eager.
"Saeko-senpai… you ready to cut loose and have some fun?"