A Corridor of Play and Proximity

“Plink, plink, plink, plink, plink.”

Countless ocean balls bounced and tumbled before my eyes, an endless cascade falling from Leidi’s head.

They shouldn’t hurt, should they? Leidi had certainly chosen a good material. A playful urge stirred within me.

“Xiaobai, can you do as I say for a moment?”

“Ugh—!”

A cute whimper escaped her tightly closed lips. A sudden breath tickled my ear, causing my heart to clench and a flush to spread across my face.

“Y-yes, I can… and, please don’t blow into my ear! It gives me a strange feeling!” I protested loudly to Leidi, my eyes squeezed shut.

‘Just now… my body had felt tingly and numb, almost a little frightened. How annoying!’

“Ehehe~ I’ve made a note of it.”

‘Smiling so mischievously, what exactly are you planning?! Surely you didn’t interpret “don’t blow into my ear” as “my ears are my weakness,” did you?!’

“I-I’m warning you! If you do that again, I-I-I’ll bite you!”

I glanced back at Leidi nervously, only to find her still grinning impishly. Honestly, I really *will* get angry!

“I know, I won’t do it just willy-nilly~”

“Not even when it’s *not* willy-nilly!”

‘What is this feeling, like a kitten extending its claws to fight back, only to be effortlessly pinned down by a massive tiger?! And why am I automatically the kitten?! I should be the tiger! I’m absolutely ferocious when I’m angry! Truly!’

“Right, can you follow my instructions for a bit? There’s something I want to confirm.” Leidi lowered her head slightly, her breath teasing my neck with an irritating tickle.

“I-if you insist on holding me like this, then there’s absolutely no room for discussion!”

‘This isn’t some tear-jerking reunion scene, so why the embrace?! No, wait, even *if* it were a tear-jerking reunion, this isn’t how you’d hug! What’s with this embrace from behind?!’

“Alright, but I’ll be hugging you again later~ It’s all part of the test.”

With that, Leidi released me without hesitation. The ceaseless rain of ocean balls from above her head also ceased.

“Ugh—part of the test, she says…”

‘Was my silent acquiescence truly the right choice? Surely Leidi wouldn’t do anything *more* outrageous later, would she? I turned my face away, feeling a blush creep up.’

“Ruka sister, you can stop throwing the balls for now.” Waving to Ruka sister in the distance, Leidi then took my right hand.

And then—

“Plink, plink, plink, plink, plink.”

The ocean balls began to fall once more.

‘Not strange? Perfectly normal? Indifferent? No, this time the ocean balls were falling directly onto *my* head…’

“What did you… do?” I asked, gazing at Leidi with a complicated expression.

‘While it didn’t hurt, the persistent pelting was rather vexing…’

“If I tried to explain it to you, I have a feeling you wouldn’t quite grasp it…” Unusually, Leidi averted her gaze, scratching her cheek with a hint of awkwardness.

“Am I really that dense…?”

“Heh… hehe…”

‘She’s trying to laugh it off… I’ll bite you, I swear…’

“That’s not important, really. What *is* important is that I seem to have a clearer grasp of how to control the ‘Corridor’.” Had she sensed the sudden shift in atmosphere? Leidi quickly turned to face me, eager to explain.

“Hmph—if that’s the case, could you perhaps deal with the ocean balls that are persistently falling on my head first…?”

“Alright, alright.”

As if in playful response to Leidi’s giggling, the incessant stream of ocean balls falling from above my head shifted, now landing in a nearby spot beside me.

“You can control it already?” I asked Leidi, casually kicking away an ocean ball that had rolled to my feet.

“No, not yet. There are still many things I need to confirm.”

As she spoke, a smiling Leidi casually picked up an ocean ball and tossed it high into the air.

“Hm?!”

My curious gaze followed the ascending ocean ball, lifting higher and higher, until it suddenly froze in place.

“Where’s the ball?!”

The ocean ball had vanished, undoubtedly a result of Leidi’s manipulation of the ‘Corridor’. Yet, despite my thorough search, there was no trace of it falling anywhere, even after a considerable moment. Had it truly disappeared completely?

“It’s right here~~” Leidi chirped, beaming happily as she brought her palm incredibly close to my face, then slowly drew it back.

Through the intermittent gaps between her fingers, something utterly astonishing occurred—

As if conjured from thin air, within my immediate field of vision, in the seemingly empty space directly before me, a yellow ocean ball materialized!

“Leidi-chan~ you’re so clever. It hasn’t been long at all, and you’ve already grasped it. And the method I taught you, for those whose ‘Gate’ and ‘Power’ are separated, it should really only serve as a reference, shouldn’t it?” Ruka sister clapped her hands together, approaching with an admiring expression.

“Oh, not at all, not at all. While it is indeed different, Ruka sister’s method was incredibly valuable as a reference. Without it, things might have become quite chaotic, you know.” Leidi replied modestly, then tucked the ball she held into my still-stunned hand.

“What is this?” The conversation felt somewhat disjointed, and my eyes darted back and forth between Leidi and Ruka sister.

“Didn’t you go to bed quite early yesterday? You even wrapped yourself up like a ball. Ruka sister and I talked a lot about the ‘Corridor’ after that, didn’t you hear *anything* at all?” Leidi asked, playfully poking my cheek.

“Oh, so that’s what happened…” I mumbled, turning my head away as if playing dumb.

‘Heh, heh… so a truly important conversation *did* take place after yesterday. Is it a pity I missed it? No, wait, even if I, who only possesses ‘Power’, had heard it, it would likely have amounted to little more than fascinating trivia.’

“Xiaobai, come here.”

“Uh? Hey?!”

With a somewhat forceful tug, Leidi pulled me, still lost in thought, into her embrace.

Leidi’s dark, silky hair brushed lightly against my cheek, a ticklish sensation. And the scent… it was so fragrant.

“The test isn’t over yet, you know. The main event is just beginning~”

“W-what are you trying to do?”

‘For some reason, my face, as I lifted it from Leidi’s embrace… was a little flushed… and my heart was pounding so fast.’

“This time, I want to try putting people *into* the ‘Corridor’~” Leidi said, looking down at me in her arms with a smile.

“People?” I blinked in confusion.

“Yes, just like when Ruka sister sent us into the “sky.” I want to send all three of us inside.” As she spoke, Leidi’s smile widened, and she pulled me even tighter into her embrace.

‘Is it going to be like Ruka sister’s incredibly impressive ‘Corridor’?!’

“You can do it already?!” My expression shifted to one of utter surprise.

“I don’t know yet, that’s why I said it’s a test, you know~ Also, the ‘Corridors’ created by different ‘Gate’ holders are actually quite distinct. So, what do you think our ‘Corridor’ will look like? Are you excited?”

“Excited!”

Of course I was excited! A thrill coursed through me. Still in Leidi’s embrace, I nodded emphatically several times.

Next, a smiling Leidi gently pressed her forehead against mine. Leidi’s face, now so close, was tinged with a delicate blush. Her slender eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a graceful butterfly, stirring a strange tremor in my heart. Her moist, deep-set eyes held a magnetic quality, making it impossible for me to tear my gaze away. My face, I realized, was growing even hotter.

“Alright then, it’s beginning.”

“Eh? Oh.”

Leidi’s intoxicating breath left me feeling utterly flustered. I should…

‘I haven’t started acting strangely, have I…’