"I will wait for you two outside."
"Yes."
Shido could only feel a little helpless at how long girls took to change clothes, but he didn't say anything and simply let them take their time. In the meantime, he stretched his body, the morning sunlight washing over him in a gentle warmth.
The sky was clear and bright and it was perfect day to stroll around the city.
As Shido was thinking that, the sound of a door opening reached his ears. It wasn't his own apartment door, but the one next to it. Turning his head toward the source, he saw Mahiru step out stepping out of her apartment, dressed in her school uniform.
After closing and locking her door, Mahiru was a little surprised to see Shido standing there, already dressed neatly, just as she stepped out of her apartment. For some reason, the sight of him made all her worries and troubles seem to vanish into thin air, leaving her with an unexpected sense of calmness and happiness.
Mahiru opened her mouth to greet him, but the memory of what had happened the night before, the accidental contact of their bodies, suddenly flashed through her mind. Her face grew hot, and she bashfully lowered her head in embarrassment.
With his Observation Haki, Shido easily sensed what was going through her mind, and he couldn't help but think she looked undeniably cute.
"Good morning, Shiina-san." Shido greeted her first since Mahiru seemed to be to shy to speak first.
Seeing that Shido had greeted her, it would have been impolite to nit say something to him just because of her embarrassment. Mahiru took a deep breath, steadying her racing heart.
"Good morning, Itsuka-san," she said softly, bowing her head slightly, her voice carrying a gentle, soothing tone.
"Are you going to school?"
"Yes."
I see. You're pretty early today.
If one wanted to build a relationship, communication was necessary, and Shido was simply taking that step.
"What about you, Itsuka-san?"
Mahiru asked in return, noticing that Shido was neatly dressed. Somehow, even though she had just seen him the night before, he seemed… different. His height appeared to have grown, making him look taller, and there was an undeniable change in his presence. To her, Shido looked even more attractive than before, and before she realized it, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"Yeah, I plan to—"
Just as Shido was about to reply, Rumia and Frieren stepped out of his apartment, causing Mahiru to froze on the spot.
'Who… who are they? Why are they coming out of his apartment?'
Even the usually calm and composed angel found herself flustered, her thoughts spinning wildly as she watched two beautiful girls emerge from Shido's home.
Shido noticed the sudden change in Mahiru's expression and let out a wry smile. Fortunately, he already had an excuse prepared.
"Shido, let's go! I want to see this place called an Bookstore."
"Moo, Frieren-san, you can't be so sloppy about these things, okay?"
Frieren clung to Shido's arm, shaking it eagerly as if she wanted to head out right that moment, prompting Rumia to reminded her for her careless behavior.
"I know, I know."
Watching Frieren act so spoiled, Shido couldn't help but share the same sentiment as Rumia.
"Hmm? Who's this, Shido?"
Since Frieren's attention was solely on him, she hadn't noticed Mahiru standing quietly by his side. Rumia was the same, only realizing Mahiru's presence once Frieren spoke up.
Rumia look at Mahiru and felt that she was too dazzling, beautiful and pure. Just like her, Mahiru also had blonde hair, but compared to her long blonde her, Rumia's hair was shorter, however, she somehow felt closeness towards the girl in front of her. Turning her head to Shido, she had a look as if asking who she was and what's their relationship.
Mahiru felt the same and thought she could get along with Rumia, but her gaze lingered a little longer on Frieren, who was clinging to Shido's arm. A strange emotion stirred in her chest at the sight.
Since it was inevitable, Shido simply introduced them to each other, weaving a quick story about his relationship with Rumia and Frieren.
"Rumia, Frieren, this is Shiina Mahiru. She's our neighbor, and she also helped me out before I moved in."
"Shiina-san, these are Rumia and Frieren. They're the daughters of a friend of my father's."
"Nice to meet you, Tingel-san. My name is Shiina Mahiru, you can call me Mahiru."
"Nice to meet you too, Mahiru-san. Please, just call me Rumia."
"Then… Rumia-san."
"Yes, Mahiru-san."
The two girls looked as though they had found a kindred spirit, smiling warmly at each other after Shido's introduction.
"The daughter of your father's friend, huh?"
Hearing Shido's explanation, Frieren let out a quiet snicker, thinking this guy was really skilled at lying. Still… the daughter of his father's friend?
Somehow, it felt to Frieren as if they were in some kind of role play, and the thought caused her body to tremble.
"Don't overthink it, you perverted girl. I just made that up so Shiina wouldn't question why you're living with me." Shido whispered lowly then gave Frieren's small, round butt a light slap, making her let out a strange sound.
"Hnn~!"
"What was that sound?" 2x
Watching the two girls turn their heads toward her and Shido, Frieren bit her lower lip to suppress the sweet voice threatening to escape, struggling to maintain her usual blank expression as she glared at him.
However, Shido only smiled at her pouting face, which made Frieren even more annoyed with him. Still, having experienced countless things in her long life, she quickly composed herself and gave a small cough to steady herself.
"Nice to meet you, Mahiru. My name is Frieren, please take care of me."
"Uh, u-un… Nice to meet you, Frieren-san."
Mahiru was left a little speechless that Frieren had called her by her first name so directly, but she didn't really mind. Though it was hard to read Frieren's face due to her lack of expression, Mahiru found her rather cute, and even thought she seemed a little sloppy.
"By the way, she might look young, but she's actually far older than us."
"Oi!"
As Shido casually revealed her secret, Frieren grumbled at him and smoothly placed her delicate hand on his waist, giving it a sharp twist that made Shido yelp.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! F-Frieren-sama, can you please let go of my waist?!"
While it doesn't really hurt, Shido have to act like he was in pain since he knew that Frieren wouldn't let go if she wasn't satisfied with his expression. And just as expected, seeing that Shido begging her, Frieren felt triumphant, let go of his waist, and gave a small snort.
Mahiru watched the closeness between the two and couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Her eyes grew distant, as if she were lost in thought, but clarity returned when Rumia called out to her.
"Ah, sorry, what was it again?"
"No, I was just worried since you suddenly went quiet, Mahiru-san." Rumia, being a kind girl, immediately noticed something was off and quickly asked out of concern.
"Ah, no, it's nothing," Mahiru replied, shaking her head.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Since Shido had already introduced them to each other, it was now time for them to tour around the city.
"Then, we'll be going now, Shiina-san. See you later."
"See you later, Mahiru-san. Let's talk again sometime."
"Bye-bye."
"…Goodbye."
As Mahiru watched the three of them walk away, she couldn't help but notice how close they all seemed, even Rumia. A thought crossed her mind: were they really just the daughters of Shido's father's friend, or was there something more?
But she quickly shook her head, brushing the idea aside. Perhaps she was simply overthinking it. In the end, she decided not to dwell on it any further and headed off to school.
Anyway, Shido was her neighbor, and since he would also be transferring to her school, their chances of meeting would only increase. Thinking of that, Mahiru's mood brightened, and she walked toward school with a smile.