"Ahem—enough of that. Let's get down to business."
After a couple of coughs, Lingmeng finally remembered why they had come.
Kurumi nodded in agreement.
"Where should we start looking?"
"Hmm... let me think."
Shido looked thoughtful before answering.
"I don't remember seeing anything important on the first floor last time I was here. If we're going to investigate, Miku's room is probably our best bet."
"Is that so? Then let's go."
With that cheerful reply, Kurumi headed up the stairs with Lingmeng and Shido.
Before long, the three of them found Miku's room.
At the end of the second-floor hallway stood a door with a sign reading "BEDROOM."
Kurumi opened it without hesitation and walked in.
Lingmeng and Shido, on the other hand, swallowed nervously before following her.
After all, they were sneaking into a girl's room while its owner was away.
A strange mix of guilt and excitement stirred inside them.
Shido had been in girls' rooms before, but did Lingmeng and Kotori really count as girls? .JPG
The thought slipped into his mind before he could stop it.
Then—
Smack!
"Ow!"
A sharp blow struck the back of Shido's head. Wincing, he clapped a hand over it.
He turned to find Lingmeng staring at him with her arms crossed, clearly displeased.
"Why do I get the feeling you were thinking something really rude?"
"Ahaha... you're imagining things..."
Realizing she seemed to have caught on, Shido scratched his cheek and looked away awkwardly.
"Now, you two can flirt later—and let me join in. But this isn't the time for it."
Kurumi sounded as though she was joking.
The two of them turned their attention back to the room.
It was about ten tsubo in size, with a king-size canopy bed and wooden wardrobes and cabinets along the walls.
A