The air was tense as Erika walked a few steps ahead of Akira in silence.
Akira, in his usual incognito getup with a hoodie, mask, and glasses, trailed behind her, his voice pitiful as he called out,
"Eriiiikaaa, I already explained everything, right? Are you still mad?"
He had explained the misunderstanding earlier, with some last-minute help from Selena, but Erika still looked angry for some reason.
She slowed her pace and finally spoke. "I know. You're an idiot, so you won't lie. But why did you suddenly become friends with a wanted criminal who joined a terrorist organization?"
Akira scratched his head awkwardly. "I mean… she's not that bad. Sure, she made some questionable life decisions, but she's not evil. And she's strong too. It's good to have a few strong friends, right?"
Erika turned her eyes toward him. "How strong is she? Stronger than you?"
"Probably," he said, though he is confident he could win if they were to fight seriously.
Her eyes narrowed. "Stronger than me?"
"Of course." He answered honestly.
That was all it took. Erika's expression darkened further, and she huffed, walking off faster.
Inside his mind, Selena's teasing voice rang out. "Wow, brother, do you have to do it like that? Now she's really mad."
Akira snapped back. "Excuse me, sister, it's your fault this happened! Why did you set me up like that?!"
"What do you mean?" Selena replied innocently. "I didn't do anything. I didn't lie to her, right? I'm innocent."
No matter what happened, she'd never admit it.
"Mark my words, sister", Akira thought back seriously. "Vengeance will be mine. My time will come one day, too."
"Really? And what would you even do for revenge?" Selena asked in a playful voice.
Akira froze. After thinking for a while, nothing came to mind. Still, he puffed up with bravado. "I'll think of something when the time comes."
"Sure, you will. But right now, maybe you should calm Erika-chan down. She's angry, you know. Do something". She replied with a giggle.
"…What should I do? I don't know how," Akira asked. "Any ideas, sister?"
"Just say sorry and be honest with her. That's the best thing to do. She's been training for years, so maybe you saying that hurt her feelings." She reasoned.
"But I just said the truth. Kuroka really is stronger than her. And if there's ever a fight between them, wouldn't it be better for Erika to know her strengths accurately?"
"Brother, you don't understand a girl's heart… sigh. Just apologize and explain. I'm sure she'll forgive you." She said with a sigh.
Akira gave a reluctant nod and hurried to catch up to Erika.
"Erika, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. She's an ultimate-class devil, so of course, she's strong. I just don't want you to underestimate her, that's all." He said, trying his best to explain to her.
Erika glanced at him, then said flatly, "I know. I'm not mad. So drop it."
On the inside, though, Erika wasn't angry; she is just confused. She knew Akira well enough to know he would never lie to her. But… the recent revelations about his family, and now this new female friend of his, left her unsettled.
It felt like he was slowly drifting further away.
And when he so bluntly admitted that his new female friend is stronger than her, even after all the years of hard work and training, something inside her just… twisted. Irritation mixed with something else she didn't want to name.
But she also knew he was an idiot. And because of that, she decided to change the subject.
She slowed her steps slightly, then asked, "What's with these new glasses? They're different from the sunglasses you wore yesterday. Are they powered glasses? But your eyesight is fine, right?"
Before Akira could answer, Selena's voice cut into both of their minds.
"Allow me to explain. These specs are magic artifacts my brother made to suppress the powers of his Mystic Eyes."
Erika's brow furrowed. "Suppress them? Why does he need to do that?"
"Because he can't turn them off," Selena explained smoothly. "Unlike the rest of our family. Mostly because of his experiments, he can't see the world normally. Remember when I said he have headaches back then? These glasses help him with that."
Akira chimed in, "And that's not all. They are also enchanted with weak presence concealment, so I won't attract too much attention."
Erika's eyes darted to the people around them. Strangers were glancing nervously their way. She sighed. "Yeah, I don't think it's working. You're attracting even more attention."
"What? That's not possible…" Akira turned to look, only to realize she was right. People were giving them wary looks, some even clutching their bags tighter. "Why? The glasses are functioning normally. Why isn't it working?"
Erika gave him a flat look. "Because you look like you're about to rob a bank with that getup."
Selena giggled. "Yeah, you look like you're about to kidnap Erika-chan. No wonder they're suspicious."
Akira's face fell. "…That can't be…"
"Don't be dramatic, brother. We're going to fix it anyway, right? If you go to school looking like that, things will never be peaceful." She said, trying to cheer him up.
Erika smiled softly. "Don't worry. The hairdresser we're going to is really good. I promise you'll look fine when she's finished with you."
Akira's eyes brightened with hope. "Can she make me look cool?"
Erika paused. Inside, she thought it would be hard to make him "cool" with his naturally cute face. But she kept that thought to herself and instead said, "Don't worry. It'll be fine. I'm sure you'll look cool."
"Good," Akira nodded firmly. "As long as I look cool, I can finally show my face to the outside world."
With that conviction, they finally reached the salon. Erika opened the door and dragged Akira inside.
A woman greeted them coolly. "Oh, Erika, welcome."
She had short gray hair, with bangs falling over her left eye, glasses perched neatly, and a casual shirt-and-pants style that gave off a cool aura. To Akira, she looked like a character straight out of an anime.
"Maki-san," Erika said with a smile, "can you fix my friend?"
Without hesitation, she pulled down Akira's hood, mask, and glasses, revealing his face and long white hair.
Maki studied him for a moment, then said plainly, "I see. What a cute girl. So, what do you want me to do?"
Akira's eyes widened in horror. He looked as if the world itself had crumbled. Erika burst out laughing, clutching her stomach, while Selena's telepathic laughter rang in his ears.
Akira looked like he was about to cry. "Why did this always happen to me?"