"You actually changed out of your girl clothes! My adorable little sister Shiori is going to disappear again for a while. Mmm-hmm~"
Lingmeng made the sound with a deliberately cutesy air.
She said that if she had known Shido was going to change, she would have teleported him straight into a women's clothing store.
Shido's mouth twitched.
"Miku already knows I'm a boy. There's no reason to keep dressing like a girl, is there?"
"Even so, you could keep wearing it to make me happy!"
"No way!"
Lingmeng said it as a joke, and Shido played along.
Then they looked out the window and saw that evening was approaching.
The sun slowly sank, and dusk settled over the city.
At that moment, Lingmeng's smile faded. She calmly studied the shadow of the living room sofa.
"So, are you going to explain why you've been following me since Tengu City Plaza?"
"Lingmeng, who are you talking to...?"
Tohka tilted her head in confusion.
Before Lingmeng could answer, a bewitching laugh rose from the shadow on the floor.
"Hee-hee-hee... Don't look so put off, Miss Lingmeng. You'll hurt my feelings."
"It's hard not to mind when someone keeps watching me like I'm prey."
As soon as Lingmeng spoke, a figure slowly emerged from the shadow.
She wore a dress of blood red and midnight black.
Her black hair was tied into uneven bunches on either side, and the clock face in her left eye steadily marked each passing second.
Kurumi Tokisaki—
Known alongside Lingmeng as the "Most Evil Spirit," she had appeared without warning in the Itsuka Residence's living room.
Incidentally, the instant Kurumi appeared, a sultry saxophone tune inexplicably sprang into Lingmeng's head.
*Why do I automatically hear this music every time you show up!? Is it your entrance theme or