Qian Huanyue: I Met Shiori a Season Early!

(Just a disclaimer: everyone in this book is an adult. Minors, please do not imitate this.)

"But I have one condition." Qian Huanyue spoke without hesitation, her eyes half-lidded and a sly curve lifting at the corners of her lips.

"Okay, what is it? I'll definitely agree!" Shiori replied without thinking.

"My condition is—" Qian Huanyue gradually leaned closer to "Shiori," her pale violet eyes studying her face with interest. Then she reached out and tapped her cheek with a finger.

From Qian Huanyue's perspective, "Shido's" slightly flushed face, shy expression, and somewhat androgynous features were incredibly pleasing to look at. If she grew her hair out and changed into a light dress...

In her imagination... Mm... imagination...

Hiss! It could work! This would be ridiculously fun.

Qian Huanyue's interest had been piqued, and her spirits instantly revived. "Shido" must have been sent by Ratatoskr and the Fraxinus to ask her out on a date.

After all, simply holding hands usually made her blush nonstop. The reason she had boldly asked for a date just now had to be one of Ratatoskr's options.

Then, as long as the little condition proposed by a Spirit was not too outrageous, it seemed there was a good chance they could fulfill it.

"Let's go to a clothing store first, Shido!" Huanyue said cheerfully.

"Ah! Okay."

Shiori, who had nearly turned bright red, slightly turned her head. She blankly let herself be pulled along by the hand, and even when the other girl pressed the cat into her chest, the blush on her cheeks had yet to fade.

Almost at the same time, inside the Ratatoskr Fraxinus command room—

"Pass the order down. Secure every clothing store nearby immediately!" Kotori bit down on her lollipop, her voice firm and decisive. "Clear them out, set up control, deploy the latest fashions. I want a perfect fashion street for the operation within ten minutes!"

"Yes, Commander!" A unified response rang out, and the entire bridge instantly began operating at maximum efficiency.

Since it was not far, Qian Huanyue could not be bothered to summon her Angel. She simply walked down the street with Shiori, and after several dozen minutes—

When Qian Huanyue pulled Shiori around the corner, an extraordinary sight came into view—

The entire shopping street was completely devoid of other customers.

Outside every shop stood "clerks" with smiles that were unnaturally perfect. Every mannequin in the display windows had been changed into women's clothing, and even the streetlamps seemed to have been adjusted to softly focus upon the red-carpeted sidewalk.

"Huh?" Qian Huanyue blinked in "confusion." "There are so few people out today..."

Watching Ratatoskr's hardcore handiwork unfold before her, Shiori broke out in a slight cold sweat. The white cat in her arms raised its head a little, yawned, and curled back up in the warm embrace.

"Really? Hahaha..."

Qian Huanyue did not care about those details. Instead, she entered a shop and carefully browsed through the clothes, picking out the ones she liked best.

At last, she found an outfit that perfectly matched her imagination. Her eyes lit up, firmly drawn to it—

It was a magical-girl-style outfit brimming with dreamlike charm, combining sweet and fantastical elements. It had numerous bow designs, including a large bow at the collar paired with a heart-shaped ornament. The skirt was voluminous and fluffy, while the wig on the mannequin wore a matching four-leaf-clover hair accessory.

Seeing Qian Huanyue's intense interest, a staff member approached and took down the outfit. "Miss, you seem especially fond of this one. Would you like to try it on?"

"Miss Clerk, please take it down for me." Qian Huanyue's voice was full of excitement.

The clerk said that, as the store's thousandth customers, they would receive the outfit for free. Qian Huanyue happily accepted it and solemnly thanked the clerk.

On the Ratatoskr Fraxinus bridge, Kotori stared at the steadily rising affection curve on the screen. "Very good, keep it up! Shiori, her emotional levels are rising. She's unexpectedly excited, and her affection for you is about to surpass the friend range and reach the close-friend level. Try to seal the deal today!"

Shiori scratched her cheek awkwardly.

Kotori, my dear little sister, no matter what you say, things like affection could not possibly progress that quickly!

"Shido! Go put it on." Qian Huanyue moved closer, her eyes sparkling as she handed over the outfit.

"Huh?!"

For a moment, Shiori failed to react. Her eyes widened slightly, and Qian Huanyue could not help but laugh happily at the sight of "Shido" like this.

Meanwhile, Shiori's mind was completely consumed by one question: Did she find out that I'm a girl? Even after taking the outfit from her hands, she remained standing there in a daze.

Qian Huanyue thought Shiori could not accept wearing women's clothing. Her eyes immediately shimmered with tears as she stepped forward, linked arms with Shiori, leaned close, and revealed an adorably pitiful look of disappointment.

"No... Shido?"

Shiori was struck hard by Qian Huanyue's cute expression. Her face reddened as she felt her heartbeat begin to race out of control. She quietly made up her mind.

It was only women's clothing. She was simply changing back from "Shido" into Shiori! The outfit was a little strange, but what did that matter?

Kotori's urging voice came through the earpiece. "Shiori! Hurry up and agree to it."

The other Ratatoskr members also started chanting together, "Agree to it! Agree to it!"

"Okay! I'll go change!"

Hugging the clothes to her chest, Shiori finally took a step forward and walked firmly toward the fitting room.

Huanyue did not have to wait long.

The fitting room curtain was gently pulled open by a narrow crack.

The first thing to emerge was a slender calf clad in white stockings. Round-toed shoes timidly stepped onto the carpet as Shiori shyly poked her head out.

The outfit fit her perfectly. A four-leaf-clover hair clip adorned her long blue hair, her fluffy skirt swayed back and forth, and the bows looked incredibly cute.

"How is it?" Shiori awkwardly tugged at the soft skirt, then rubbed the blue hair at one side of her head. Since she had removed the voice changer, her voice had returned to normal, sounding incomparably gentle.

To be honest, Shiori had lived as "Shido" for so long that she had nearly forgotten her own natural voice. Now that she had put women's clothing back on, she felt far more at ease.

Qian Huanyue's mouth fell half open, as though her heart had been struck.

Eek! So cute!

Too cute!

My ideal type!

Wow!

"..."

Qian Huanyue said nothing, yet it felt as though she had said everything.

She put down the white cat and approached with a mischievous smile, extending her nimble hands.

Shiori felt her cheeks being gently kneaded. It did not hurt; it only tickled a little. She also heard the other girl murmuring softly in an intensely interested tone.

On the Fraxinus bridge, Kotori watched Qian Huanyue's affection meter soar like a rocket on the screen. It was only one final step away from being sealable!

She nearly bit her lollipop in half. "Th-this kind of increase... So this is her type?!"

She immediately shouted into the microphone, "Shiori! Hold steady! Use your current advantage! Strike while the iron's hot!"

After a moment of silence, Qian Huanyue withdrew her hands and restrained herself as she stepped back. If she kept kneading them, she would be no different from Miku.

Even though Kotori's voice kept bombarding her through the earpiece, Shiori had no idea what she was supposed to do. She had zero dating experience. Though she had seen relevant things in manga and television dramas before, that was all.

"You look great, Shidoumi." Qian Huanyue praised her "female form" while teasing her with a name she had casually mentioned in the original story.

"Shidoumi?" Shiori found the name hard to believe. It sounded strangely ridiculous.

"How about Shiori?" she corrected softly.

"Shiori~"

"Ah! Mm!" Shiori answered solemnly. Hearing the person she liked say her real name gave her a faintly strange sense of guilt and excitement.

Perhaps she had been captivated by Shiori's appearance just then, but Qian Huanyue did not notice how naturally "Shido" had accepted women's clothing. Instead, she herself fell into a silly state of delight.

"Now that you've picked the clothes you wanted, take a photo with me." Satisfied, Qian Huanyue took out her phone and gestured for Shiori to come closer.

Shiori obediently moved in. On the phone screen, their faces were very close—and in reality, they were too. She could even feel the breath coming from the other girl's lips. Based on her manga experience, next, they would—

Shiori's gaze naturally fell upon the other girl's lips.

They had such a cute shape and looked so soft. If she pressed her lips against them...

The phone clicked.

Their innocent, slightly flushed faces were captured together in the picture.

Qian Huanyue felt wonderful, as though her whole body were floating. This strange flutter in her heart made her think—perhaps even having her Spirit powers sealed would not be so hard to accept right now.

If only "Shido" really were a girl.

If Shiori knew what Qian Huanyue was thinking right then, she definitely would not be able to stop herself from telling her without hesitation: I am a girl!

"I'm already very happy, Shido."

"Right?" Shiori smiled along with her.

"What about you?"

"Of course I'm happy too."

"Everything just now was something I asked for on my own initiative, right? Like making you wear women's clothing."

"But we were happy while spending time together too."

"...Pfft!"

"Hm?"

"Idiot."

"Huh."

"I mean, is there anything you want me to do for you?"

"Ah..." Shiori scratched her cheek as Ratatoskr's incessant cries of "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" echoed through her earpiece.

"Since it's a date, um..." Shiori's voice grew softer and softer, while her face nearly turned to steam. "Can we kiss?"

Qian Huanyue revealed an understanding look and deliberately put on a teasing expression that said, "So you're a huge pervert."

Seeing Shiori's embarrassed appearance, as though she were about to start smoking, Qian Huanyue finally dropped the joking expression and gently moved close to her ear.

"Close your eyes."

Shiori swallowed, her breathing becoming ragged.

Let yourself be sealed like this, Qian Huanyue. Then you can live a peaceful, carefree life afterward.

That thought echoed through Qian Huanyue's heart.

But as she truly drew closer, her rationality gradually returned.

Yes, she was hesitating.

If she were sealed, she would become an ordinary person. Then what would happen to Kurumi? Miss Nia Honjo was still imprisoned somewhere unknown, suffering torment.

She possessed an enormous reserve of Spirit power, and she had not even fully developed her ability to use her Angel. Unlike other Spirits who were naturally familiar with their own powers, she still had far too much left to explore.

The hesitation and confusion in Qian Huanyue's eyes transformed into a gentle smile. She softly leaned forward and placed a light kiss upon Shiori.

Shiori felt a soft, warm touch on her left cheek.

"All right, you can open your eyes now."

Ah, I guess I still can't let myself be sealed yet.

Qian Huanyue sighed inwardly, though a playful curve rose at the corner of her lips.

But if it was only a kiss, then it did not matter where she kissed, did it?

"Goodbye." Without leaving Shiori any time to think, Qian Huanyue summoned her Angel, [Seraph of Thousand Blades]. Flying swords tore open space, and she swiftly vanished while holding the white cat.

Shiori lightly touched her still-warm cheek with her fingertips. The soft sensation made her freeze from embarrassment, unable to move, while her little sister Kotori's exasperated voice came through the earpiece. "Idiot big sis! Just tell her clearly that you want to kiss her on the lips!"

"And you were supposed to capture the Spirit! What's with you falling for her instead, idiot big sis!"