“Hehehe, Shido definitely won’t expect me to be waiting for him here!”
At the corner of the school building’s staircase, Qianye stood with her back to the landing.
Her gaze settled on a classroom door, tightly shut, bearing a sign that read ‘Second Year, Class Four’.
With the door closed, it was impossible to discern what was happening inside. Yet, there was no need for haste; Qianye possessed other means.
“Meow~”
Tamaki, distorting the perceptions of others, clung to the windowpane, her round, gleaming eyes fixed upon a girl with long, night-dark hair—Tohka.
Tohka’s eyes emanated a wondrous, peculiar light as she gazed melancholically at the blackboard, her eyelids half-closed.
The golden sunlight of dusk bathed Tohka’s unusual attire, passing through an ethereal membrane of light. It intertwined with her exquisite features, enhancing the breathtaking beauty of her face.
All of this unfolded before Qianye’s mind’s eye, observed through Tamaki’s gaze.
“Limited Edition, aloof Tohka. Once Shido arrives, then… Ow!”
Suddenly, Qianye felt a sharp impact from behind. Caught completely off guard, she tumbled to the ground, her upper body sprawling on the floor with her chest as the pivot point. Her backside jutted upwards, and her tail, startled by the suddenness, bristled erect.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
Just as the person who had collided with Qianye began to apologize, Qianye sprang to her feet in a flash.
“This isn’t something a mere apology can fix; you’ll have to compensate me properly… Oh, Shido, it was you! Never mind, then!”
Upon turning to see that Shido was the one who had bumped into her, Qianye’s anger immediately subsided.
“Long time no see, Shido. How have you been lately?”
“I’m doing alright, just a bit…”
Shido’s face flushed, his gaze subtly shifting, unable to meet Qianye’s eyes directly.
“A bit what?”
“Nothing at all!” Shido quickly changed the subject. “By the way, Qianye, what are you doing here?”
“What else would I be doing? Of course, I’m waiting for you!”
Qianye placed one hand on her hip and playfully tossed her hair with the other.
“Waiting for me?”
“Hmph, what else? Aren’t you trying to capture a Spirit? That’s why I’m here, waiting for you in advance, to help you capture Tohka!”
“How interesting. Just as you’re about to capture a Spirit, another Spirit appears to assist you!”
Kotori held up her lollipop.
“If you still fail after this, Shido, you’re a pig, a dog, a pig, a dog!”
“Alright, alright, I get it! I definitely won’t fail!”
Shido replied to Kotori while pushing open the classroom door.
“—Hm?”
The moment Shido pushed the door open, Tohka seemed to sense their presence. She turned slightly, her melancholic, large eyes fixing on Shido and Qianye.
“We meet again, Tohka!”
Qianye waved cheerfully at Tohka.
In stark contrast to Qianye, Shido was considerably more nervous!
“H-hello!”
Shido stammered, his mind a complete blank. Before entering, he had meticulously rehearsed various lines, only for them to vanish entirely the moment he saw Tohka.
—Whoosh!
Tohka effortlessly swung her right hand, and a black beam of light immediately surged towards them.
“Eek!”
Taken by surprise, Shido could only freeze in place, staring at the approaching beam of light, utterly unable to react.
—Bang!
Just as the black beam neared Shido, a pink barrier materialized before him. The moment the beam struck the barrier, it dissipated into mere ripples across its surface.
“Tohka, don’t attack! It’s us!”
“You two… I feel like I’ve seen you humans somewhere before?”
Tohka seemed to vaguely recognize Qianye and Shido. She furrowed her brow slightly, as if attempting to recall something.
“Yes, my name is Phantom Qianye. I’m the one you saw last time; you can just call me Qianye. Also, I’m not human anymore; I’m a Spirit, just like you.”
Qianye introduced herself casually.
“M-my name is Itsuka Shido. Do you remember? We met on the street last time. I’m not your enemy!”
Shido spoke to Tohka with a hint of nervousness.
“Oh, I remember now!”
Tohka suddenly lifted her head in realization, clapped her hands, and declared, “You’re those two who were saying all those strange, incomprehensible things last time!”
“Phew, that’s great!”
Seeing that Tohka had remembered, Shido couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
“So, what are you doing here? Answer me quickly!”
Although Tohka recognized Shido, her wariness towards humans had not yet dissipated. She questioned him as if interrogating him.
“The reason we came here is because…” Shido began to answer, but then found himself speechless.
[Shido, the options are out!]
On the Fraxinus, Kotori removed the lollipop from her mouth and stared intently at the screen.
[â‘ (Of course, to see you.)]
[â‘¡ (It doesn’t matter either way.)]
[â‘¢ (It’s a coincidence, a coincidence.)]
[Everyone, make your choice!]
After the entire crew cast their votes, option â‘ , as expected, received the most support.
[Hmm, judging by Tohka’s reaction just now, options â‘¡ and â‘¢ aren’t quite suitable. Overall, option â‘ is indeed the most reasonable.]
[So Shido, choose â‘ !]
Kotori, still focused on the screen, gave Shido instructions through the microphone. Upon receiving the directive, Shido slowly began to speak.
“To… to see you!”
“…?”
Tohka hadn’t anticipated such a response from Shido, and a surprised expression crossed her face.
“See me? Why?”
The moment Tohka charmingly tilted her head to ask, the options reappeared on the screen.
[â‘ (I’m interested in you.)]
[â‘¡ (To fall in love with you.)]
[â‘¢ (I have something to ask you.)]
[Hmm, which one should we choose?]
Kotori lightly stroked her chin, and the outcome of this choice quickly became clear.
[Commander, option â‘¡ is the best. Didn’t Qianye tell a story about past-life lovers earlier? Let’s use that as a basis to show that Shido is here to rekindle that old flame!]
[Yes, this is the time to display Shido’s masculine charm!]
[If you don’t make it clear, girls won’t understand!]
Cheers erupted from the crew below.
Listening to the crew’s explanations, Kotori nodded in agreement.
[Choosing the other two options will still lead to questions, won’t it? Shido, say, ‘I came here to fall in love with you.’]
“Huh? That…”
Upon receiving Kotori’s instruction, Shido’s gaze began to drift uncertainly.
However, under Tohka’s gaze, Shido could only stammer hesitantly, “I… I came… to… to fall in love with you!”
[Shido-kun, the other party’s affection level just increased!]
Reine conveyed the data from the screen to Shido.
“That’s great!”
Shido couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief, as it seemed to have had some effect after all.
The next moment, a blade of wind sliced past Shido’s head, severing a few strands of his hair before cleaving through the classroom wall and soaring outwards.
“Don’t joke around!” Tohka exclaimed angrily, a melancholic expression on her face.
“I am no one’s substitute!”