Kikyo: Are You Satisfied with My Service?

The next day, Shinomiya Ju Fan had a strange dream. He dreamt that he had fallen into a deep blue ocean. Ahead of him lay an endless, gloomy sea, while behind him was a shore filled with light.

His instincts urged him to swim toward the shore, but every time he drew near, he was washed back to his original position by massive waves. This cycle repeated over and over. He did not know how much time had passed before he finally woke up.

"So, Kikyo, what exactly are you doing?"

"Whut am I doin'? Can't ya tell by lookin'?"

Because her mouth was occupied by a foreign object, her articulation was not very clear. However, the general meaning was still understandable: 'What am I doing? Can't you see for yourself?'

The scene before his eyes was so absurd that he suspected he was still dreaming, but the strange sensation on his body clearly told him that he was not. Everything happening right now was reality.

"No, it's precisely because I can see it that I don't understand what you're doing."

Kikyo looked as if she were savoring a cold, refreshing, and delicious popsicle on a hot summer day. She was cautious, as if afraid it might melt. Her forehead seemed to be beaded with a light sweat from the heat. The expression that usually resembled a little devil now appeared incredibly enchanting to Ju Fan.

Upon hearing Ju Fan's response, Kikyo rolled her eyes at him. It seemed she wanted him to figure it out himself, but he no longer had the leisure to ponder such things.

He was like Icarus having gained wings, struggling to soar toward the sky he craved, searching for his so-called freedom. There, he saw the blue sky and white clouds, as well as the waterfall cascading down beneath his feet. He passed by mountain cliffs and canyons, winding and turning, until he drifted out into the sea.

"Thanks for the treat!"

By the time Ju Fan regained his senses, Kikyo had already finished swallowing. Her small tongue lightly swept across her lips, as if she had just tasted the most delicious delicacy in the world.

No, what on earth just happened? At this moment, Ju Fan's mind was in complete chaos.

"Why?"

"Hmm, why indeed? I'm looking for that reason myself. It's just that when I came here, I found my dear best friend in a troublesome situation. I was just helping him deal with it. What, are you not satisfied?"

Kikyo leaned forward slightly, and the sight caught by his eyes made his thoughts flutter in panic. It was strange; he should have been used to these scenes by now.

"What do you mean satisfied or not? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ju Fan turned his head slightly, trying to avoid meeting Kikyo's devilish eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything. But this tiny movement was noticed by Kikyo, who had been watching him the entire time.

"Don't try to change the subject. Look at me and answer properly."

Kikyo's strong hands firmly fixed Ju Fan's head in place, forcing him to face those wine-red pupils that seemed to pull one into their depths. Yet, that mirror, which seemed capable of reflecting all things in the world, reflected only him. There was nothing else besides him.

"If I had to say, it was acceptable."

"If you had to say?"

"It was truly amazing; it was simply the ultimate enjoyment."

He did not know why Kikyo's attitude was so forceful today, more so than ever before. Her strong will seemed unshakable by anything. He had only ever seen such an aura in Suzune. What could have caused her to change like this?

"So, what exactly drove you to do something like this? In my impression, you aren't the type of person who would do such things."

"Does that even need to be asked? If I didn't go to such lengths, you wouldn't understand my feelings. I've put in so much effort, yet you remain indifferent. I really don't know if you're truly oblivious or just playing dumb. Besides, wasn't it you who told me to keep moving forward? I have your permission, you know."

"When?"

The moment the words left his lips, Ju Fan recalled a sentence he had said while walking around the school last night: 'Don't you think it's a bit of a waste if time just stands still because of this? We always have to move forward.' And her reply, 'Is that so? Then I have to work hard too. I can't just stay stagnant like this,' along with the realization of the hidden meaning behind her words at the time.

Ju Fan truly had not expected that words spoken unintentionally to match the atmosphere would prompt Kikyo to make up her mind and take action. Although Kikyo had been appearing in his room every morning and night, it had only been simple teasing without any further intent. But the current situation was clearly different. Although Kikyo had initially been forced into being his best friend by the Make Friends System, after spending so much time together, Ju Fan had come to regard her as an indispensable, true friend.

However, because of the hypnosis, Ju Fan had always felt guilty toward Kikyo. He had always believed that Kikyo's actions were the result of the hypnosis and did not contain her own will. But was that really the case? The system had only hypnotized Kikyo into being his best friend, yet her current behavior had completely exceeded the scope of a best friend. Therefore, he began to doubt his previous perspective.

"It seems you've already figured it out... So, do you want to add this to our daily routine, Shinomiya Ju Fan?"

At this moment, Kikyo's face was very close to Ju Fan's, and he could smell the fragrant scent emanating from her. This undoubtedly disrupted his logical thinking. However, his heart was still struggling; this was not something he should be doing.

"And I'll wear a maid outfit every day."

"Okay!"

The confusion in his thoughts and the inner conflict had already caused Ju Fan's brain to enter a state similar to a system crash. Therefore, when he heard the keyword 'maid outfit,' he subconsciously replied with an 'okay.' By the time he realized the problem, it was already too late.

"Well~ even though you usually look like such a coward, you're still so honest when it comes to your hobbies."

A satisfied smile played on the corners of Kikyo's mouth, but her eyes were clearly looking down on him. He really didn't know if she was complimenting him or insulting him. If he wasn't mistaken, she was definitely insulting him.

"It's really great, though. I actually thought this body of yours wouldn't have any interest. That would have been troublesome... But it seems we've reached the limit for now, so I'll let you off for the moment. However, remember: you are mine. I won't let anyone snatch you away."

After saying this, Kikyo lightly bit Ju Fan's neck, and a trickle of blood flowed out. However, it stopped within a few seconds.

"Ju Fan, if you don't get up now, you'll be late. Or do you want me to help you?"

The clouds parted to reveal clear skies, and the devil had already vanished, leaving behind only a kind-hearted angel. Only, this angel seemed to have undergone some inexplicable changes. It was as if everything that had happened before was a hallucination. Only the slight stinging sensation on his neck warned him that this was no dream...