Peace had lasted for many days now.
When no Spirits appeared, Shidō and the others lived as ordinary students, preoccupied with schoolwork.
The chaos once stirred by Westcott and Ellen had been put to rest — both defeated by Mélusine.
Kurumi Tokisaki had shown up once in that time. She'd come looking for Honjō Nia. Back when Kurumi sought Mélusine's help, she'd hinted at needing Nia for something afterward.
If not for Kurumi's earlier plea, Mélusine might've missed the crucial opportunity to save Shidō. And considering Yoshino and the Yamai sisters had been present at the time, if Shidō had died, it wouldn't have just been Tohka going Inverse.
In that sense, Mélusine was genuinely grateful to Kurumi — so she hadn't refused when Kurumi returned for help, and had Nia answer a few of her questions.
And just like that, half of October had passed.
Life remained mostly peaceful — aside from a spacequake caused by a new Spirit a few days prior. Shidō had gone for a first contact meeting.
Mélusine didn't know all the details, only that something he said seemed to have royally pissed the Spirit off. She'd even declared that she would end Shidō's life before storming off.
The thing was, Shidō himself had no idea what he'd done to offend her. Their conversation had started off pretty cordial.
This morning seemed no different from any other. Shidō and the rest had gone off to school, leaving only Mélusine, Yoshino, and Nia in the Spirit Apartment.
"I'm heeere~!"
That lively, charming voice — impossible to hate — belonged to Izayoi Miku, who had shown up without being invited, as usual.
Still holding the door open, she immediately spotted Mélusine and Yoshino.
Today, Yoshino was dressed like a witch — wide-brimmed pointed hat, floor-length cloak, every detail carefully crafted. Even her bunny puppet Yoshinon had a new look, done up with stitched seams like a Frankenstein monster.
"Kyaah! That's cheating, Yoshino! You're way too cute!"
Miku clasped her hands over her chest, eyes sparkling like gemstones, then lunged forward to wrap Yoshino in a big hug.
"You're so cute I could just eat you up!"
"P-Please don't…"
Yoshino blushed, clearly distressed.
"Well, Yoshino is the most adorable girl in the world."
Frankenstein Yoshinon added proudly, "Sexy has nothing on cute — and we've got the proof!"
After snuggling Yoshinon for a good while, Miku turned and spotted Mélusine watching from nearby.
"Aw, is Little Lan jealous of me and Yoshino?"
Smiling sweetly, she opened her arms wide.
"Come to Mama~! I'll hold you too!"
"No thanks."
"So cold, Little Lan!"
Miku puffed out her cheeks in feigned frustration.
Having once been a superstar, Miku knew exactly how to act in ways that tugged at people's heartstrings — how to guilt-trip someone into giving her what she wanted with just the right pout or pose.
She had clearly put serious effort into perfecting the craft.
Too bad Mélusine had no emotions to manipulate.
"What are you doing here, Miku?" Nia asked, stepping forward. "It's not a holiday. Shouldn't you be in school?"
"I'm an ultra-popular Diva, you know?"
Miku twirled her fantastical hair and puffed her chest out, brimming with radiant confidence.
"I'm busy with concerts day and night, doing my best to make my fans happy. I don't have time for school."
"Then shouldn't you be prepping for a concert? Why are you bothering us?"
Nia's eyes narrowed. Her irritation only deepened as Miku's chest bounced with each gesture.
"But there are three absolutely gorgeous girls here today!"
Miku scanned the room with aggressive interest.
"No number of fans could ever compare to the importance of cute girls. I'm sure my fans would understand."
She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"So, is Yoshino's outfit for Halloween?"
She turned back to the witch-costumed girl, giving the cape and hat an appreciative touch.
"It's got such nice texture."
"Yoshino's been looking forward to Halloween for a while now," Mélusine explained. "Not just her — Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Tohka too. This'll be their first time celebrating the holiday."
"Wait, wait — Little Lan, you made this outfit?!"
Miku sounded genuinely stunned. Yoshino blushed and nodded shyly.
"Yup~! Lancelot's craftsmanship is incredible," Yoshinon chimed in, patting herself. "I've got her to thank for my look, too!"
Mélusine had spent over three hundred years in her previous world. She'd learned how to craft magical items — like Fern's staff — and clothing-based artifacts required a fair amount of textile skill.
So she'd picked up a bit of sewing along the way.
"Ugh, I'm so jealous!"
Miku turned to her with shining eyes.
"Say, Little Lan — could you make me an outfit too? Pretty please, pleeeease~? A gorgeous girl is begging you — if you say no, I'll cry!"
Mélusine was quiet for a moment, then answered flatly.
"You're a celebrity. Don't you have professional designers and tailors?"
"Not the same! I want something you made with your own hands!"
Still the same story: Mélusine had no emotions.
Even if Miku burst into tears on the spot, it wouldn't sway her in the slightest.
As she walked past the dining table, something caught her eye.
"Huh… Is this Kaguya's bento?"
She frowned at the lunchbox sitting unattended.
"How careless do you have to be to forget your own lunch? And Yuzuru didn't even notice?"
Mélusine could already imagine the moment Kaguya realized she'd left it — rummaging through her bag in a panic.
Sure, there was a cafeteria at school, and she could always buy lunch… but still—
"It's already made. No point letting it go to waste."
After a few seconds of thought, she picked it up and headed for the door.
"I'll be going out for a bit," she said to the others, then slipped out to deliver the bento.
...
Tōritsu Raizen High School — this was where Shidō, Tohka, and the others attended.
It had a hensachi of 60 — a standard-ranking general education high school with nearly a thousand students, established after the South Kanto Spacequake thirty years ago. Its disaster response facilities were among the best in the nation.
But before Mélusine could even step onto school grounds, she hit a snag.
"Hey hey, little missy — I think you're in the wrong place?"
"The wrong place?"
She looked blankly at the security guard blocking her path.
"Is this entrance not open?"
"No, that's not it."
The guard shook his head, then pointed off to the side.
"This is a high school. Elementary's that way."
"Elemen—"
Mélusine clamped her mouth shut.
Unbelievable. Three hundred years old, and this man thinks I'm an elementary schooler?! Is this the collapse of ethics, or just humanity at its worst?
If Barghest ever saw this, Mélusine was sure that damn woman would never let her live it down.
"…Actually, sir, I'm just here to drop off lunch for a student. She forgot it at home."
She held up Kaguya's bento as proof.
Explaining further felt pointless. If the guy wanted to misunderstand, let him. Better that than being treated like a suspicious intruder.
The security guard's expression shifted as he eyed the lunchbox.
"Ah, I see! You're here to deliver your big sister's lunch, huh? What a good kid."
"…"
He bent down to her eye level, his face full of gentle concern.
"Really, next time just ask one of your parents to bring it, okay? If they're too busy, your sister can always eat in the cafeteria. It's dangerous to send such a small girl out alone…"
She could hear the genuine worry in his voice.
Mélusine wanted to say, You should be worrying about anyone foolish enough to mess with me, but figured she'd be dismissed as a stubborn kid with a big ego.
"Oh, my friend's daughter is around your age. Not nearly as cute though. She'll probably come to this school too someday."
The guard smiled warmly.
"Hey, little one — maybe you'll be classmates?"
"Honestly, I don't really need to go to school. I'm the one doing Kaguya's math homework, after all."
"You're studying high school-level math already? That's amazing!"
Then his tone softened.
"But still — school's important. It's where you learn things you can't pick up anywhere else. Trust me, it's a vital bridge to society. I speak from experience."
The guard's passion caught Mélusine off guard.
Still, he didn't keep her long. Eventually, he waved her through the gates.
"Haven't seen such a thoughtful little girl in a long time…"
Watching her walk away, the guard murmured to himself.
"Maybe her big sister's just too scatterbrained… That's why she turned out so mature."
Mélusine, of course, had no idea that her explanation had tarnished Kaguya's image in this man's eyes.
All she knew was that Kaguya had just scored an unfair win.
She forgot her lunch, made me bring it, and got mistaken for my big sister? I'm putting that one on the revenge list.
Next time I make shredded potatoes for her, I'm adding extra ginger. Half a bowl of it.
As she entered the school, a new realization struck her.
"…Which class is Kaguya in again?"
She stood frozen for a while, unsure.
Eventually, she decided to ask someone.
But just as she took her first step—
"Kyaa! What are you doing?!"
A panicked scream rang out from nearby.
In the secluded woods beside the school, two silhouettes stood locked in a suspiciously intimate pose.
"Shidō-kun… what are you doing? I'm your teacher…"
The woman speaking had a petite frame and glasses. She wasn't in uniform and carried a file folder — clearly faculty.
Her name was Okamine Tamaki, though most who knew her just called her Tamachan.
Right now, she was completely flustered.
She'd been walking through the courtyard when Shidō suddenly dragged her into the trees — then cornered her against the wall with unexpected force.
And the person pinning her like this?
Her student, Shidō Itsuka — the same one who'd once confessed to her with marriage in mind.
"Shh—"
His left hand pinned her to the wall, right hand raised to his lips, wearing a dangerously charming smile.
"Let's not go yelling with those tempting lips of yours... or else..."
He trailed his finger down from his lips to gently tap hers. Tamaki blushed even harder.
"I might be tempted to silence you myself… in a way you might not be ready for."
The intensity and suddenness left Tamaki paralyzed. Her cheeks burned. Rational thought scattered like petals in the wind.
Desire warred with guilt — the thrill of forbidden love crashing into her role as a teacher.
"Of course," Shidō added coolly, "I don't mind if you call out. Let everyone come and see what we're up to."
He gently tilted her chin upward, forcing her eyes to meet his.
"Let them all witness… our relationship."
"!!!"
He saw the turmoil in her gaze — and smiled like a fox who'd caught his prey.
Slowly, his face inched closer…
Tamaki's eyes fluttered shut in surrender.
And then—
"Shidō, do you know where Kaguya is?"
A voice cut through the tension like a blade of ice.
---
T/N: WHAT IS HE DOING?????????????