"Why are you here?"
Kira Yoshikage's reply was as calm as ever:
"As you can see, I'm working part-time."
"Why are you working here?"
"Because the hourly wage is high."
Kira Yoshikage's answer was quite sincere.
"How high?"
"2,000 yen."
"That is pretty high."
Yukino Yukinoshita nodded lightly, then suddenly asked:
"Have I come looking for you before?"
"As far as I know, probably not."
Sakurajima Mai blinked, her expression turning somewhat peculiar.
She could tell that there seemed to be some kind of history between the two. But judging from their conversation, it didn't seem as though there was any history between them after all. Their exchange was simply too bland, as insipid as water, and yet somehow rather subtle.
Yukino Yukinoshita finally seemed to grow impatient and turned her head:
"So how long are you planning to keep listening?"
Sakurajima Mai looked around several times, seemingly confused. There was no one else around.
Sakurajima Mai hesitantly pointed at herself:
"Do you mean me?"
"Who else would I mean?"
Yukino Yukinoshita retorted without the slightest courtesy.
Sakurajima Mai blinked, then hesitantly asked as if confirming her suspicion:
"You can see me? Are you a Psionic User too?"
Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze shifted slightly, but soon returned to normal. Her tone was cold:
"No wonder my sister was so rude just now. So she can't see you?"
For a well-bred young lady, even someone with as unpleasant a personality as Yukinoshita Haruno would politely ask someone to leave if she wanted to take their seat, rather than simply walking over and squeezing them out of it.
No wonder she had felt something was strange from the beginning. So that was how it was?
Sakurajima Mai was somewhat curious:
"What's your relationship?"
Yukino Yukinoshita said blandly:
"As you can see, we're classmates."
Sakurajima Mai rolled her eyes. She wasn't stupid. How could they possibly have the relationship of ordinary middle-school classmates?
"What's your relationship with her?"
Yukino Yukinoshita stared intently at Kira Yoshikage:
"Didn't you say you wanted a peaceful life? Then why did you come here? And why did you get involved with her?"
Sakurajima Mai immediately picked up on the implication and filled in the blanks with a little scene of her own. Could it be that Kira Yoshikage had once rejected this girl on the grounds that he wanted a peaceful life?
Sakurajima Mai pricked up her ears. She wanted to indulge in a little gossip.
Seeing that things were taking a turn for the worse, Sakurajima Mai kindly explained:
"Miss Yukinoshita, I think you've misunderstood something."
"Kira-kun only hopes that I'll become a Miko and worship the school's deity. That's all."
"A deity?"
Yukino Yukinoshita's brows furrowed even more deeply.
She ignored Sakurajima Mai and looked up at Kira Yoshikage, her voice still cold:
"Let's finish this. Blow everything up, just like before, and start everything over."
"Then I won't bother you anymore."
Sakurajima Mai's expression grew even more peculiar. What did she mean by "blow everything up"? And what did she mean by "start everything over"?
She really wanted to ask, but after saying those words, Yukino Yukinoshita simply sat there without moving, looking as though she had resigned herself to death.
"There's no need for that."
Kira Yoshikage replied in the same calm tone.
"Are you sure?"
Yukino Yukinoshita asked in return.
Kira Yoshikage did not answer her and continued with his regular work—wiping glasses.
He actually wasn't that busy, but he had to pretend he was. Whenever there was nothing else to do, he wiped glasses.
At the very least, he had to make the boss feel that he was busy, so he could justify his wages.
As the seconds ticked by, Yukino Yukinoshita's expression gradually became astonished:
"You really aren't planning to blow all this up?"
Sakurajima Mai couldn't help commenting:
"Why do you make Kira-kun sound like some kind of bombing fanatic?"
Yukino Yukinoshita ignored her—or rather, couldn't be bothered to explain.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The screen of the phone Kira Yoshikage had placed beneath the bar counter lit up. It was a text message from the unfamiliar number. There were only a few brief lines:
"Kira-kun, long time no see. Ah, no—that should be, nice to meet you."
"Kira-kun, your new toys are in danger."
"If the toys get broken and the police come knocking, your peaceful life will be disrupted. You'd definitely be angry too, wouldn't you, Kira-kun?"
"But I don't want to save them. After all, they're Quintuplets~. Even if it were only their hands, I wouldn't want to save them!"
"So, Kira-kun, could you go save them yourself?"
"The address is 1-1-15 Mita, Minato Ward, Tokyo Metropolis."
Kira Yoshikage frowned slightly.
He didn't know who had sent the message, but he could already foresee that the police would inevitably trace it to him. The peace he had worked so hard to maintain would be shattered! The only way to prevent that from happening was to resolve the matter before any trouble arose.
Kira Yoshikage glanced at the time. There was still some time before his shift ended. He turned and looked toward his colleague, who was watching him with envy from not far away:
"Yamada-kun, could you cover for me for a little while?"
"No problem!"
Yamada-kun, who had been called over, spotted the beautiful long, straight-haired girl in front of the bar and hurried over excitedly.
He had seen it clearly just now. This long, straight-haired girl had been brought here by Miss Yukinoshita!
Moreover, she looked about seventy percent similar, and even their names were extremely alike.
She had to be Miss Yukinoshita's younger sister!
Yamada-kun asked respectfully:
"Miss, what would you like to drink?"
Yukino Yukinoshita ignored him, turned, and walked away from the bar toward the elevator.
Sakurajima Mai hesitated and remained where she was, preparing to wait here for Kira Yoshikage to return.
Yukino Yukinoshita stopped and looked back:
"You're not coming? He's already left."
"Eh? But..."
Sakurajima Mai was certain that Kira Yoshikage hadn't left this floor, because he hadn't gone in the direction of the elevator.
Yet Sakurajima Mai inexplicably felt that Yukino Yukinoshita might be right. Kira-kun had already left, in a way she didn't understand.
After hesitating for a moment, Sakurajima Mai decided to follow Yukino Yukinoshita.
She didn't know what was happening, but her instincts told her that it would be best not to remain here alone.
You're Both Seriously Ill
On the descending elevator, Sakurajima Mai couldn't help asking the aloof girl:
"Miss Yukinoshita, what exactly is going on?"
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't turn around. Instead, she asked:
"Do you know what a Stand is?"
"No."
Sakurajima Mai answered honestly.
The answer seemed to be beyond Yukino Yukinoshita's expectations. She glanced at Sakurajima Mai in surprise.
"Looks like you really don't understand anything at all."
The long, straight-haired girl made no effort to hide her suspicion:
"Why would he choose someone like you to be a Miko?"
After being mocked several times for no reason, even Sakurajima Mai couldn't help getting angry. She shot back:
"Who knows? Maybe it's because my boobs are bigger."
As she spoke, Sakurajima Mai deliberately stared at Yukino Yukinoshita's chest.
Yukino Yukinoshita's expression stiffened. She stared expressionlessly at Sakurajima Mai.
Sakurajima Mai refused to back down and stared right back at Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Ding!"
The elevator doors on the first floor slowly opened.
Yukino Yukinoshita expressionlessly withdrew her gaze and walked out of the elevator.
She had no desire to be mistaken for a lunatic glaring at "air."
Sakurajima Mai silently followed beside Yukino Yukinoshita as she crossed the lobby, left the hotel, and got into a black car parked outside.
"Get in."
Yukino Yukinoshita lowered the driver's-side window.
After hesitating for a moment, Sakurajima Mai opened the passenger-side door.
"Where are we going?"
Sakurajima Mai fastened her seat belt and asked in confusion.
"I don't know."
Yukino Yukinoshita was looking down at her phone and didn't even raise her head:
"I'm waiting for him to send me the address."
Sakurajima Mai knew that the "him" she referred to was Kira Yoshikage, and tried to use the opportunity to continue their previous conversation:
"So what exactly is a Stand?"
Yukino Yukinoshita looked up and glanced at the girl in the passenger seat, her tone indifferent:
Before you continue