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Neither girl seemed the least bit concerned.
But the one person who couldn't ignore it was Megumi Katō, seated behind Rosen.
"When did Rosen… get so popular? And with girls from other classes, no less."
She frowned, wondering."Does he have some charm I've completely overlooked?"
Still, she didn't dwell on it.
Rosen probably had his secrets.
But if he really thought of her as a friend, he wouldn't keep them forever.
Do I just… sit back and watch things unfold?
Megumi Kato couldn't help but notice the changes in Rosen. But her personality made it impossible for her to take the initiative.
Rosen had pointed this out to her before.
Still, changing herself wasn't something that could happen so easily…
For once, Megumi actually looked troubled.
The rooftop.
Hana Yurikawa clasped her hands behind her back, staring off beyond the school grounds."Lord Rosen, where are we going today?"
"Not today," Rosen replied.
"You girls need to learn to be independent sometimes. I can't always be there, so after school you can go wherever you like—just remember, safety first."
With his divine step, he could appear anywhere he wanted in an instant. Even if danger struck, he'd be there in a heartbeat.
Not that he thought ordinary wandering spirits could do much against girls chosen as divine envoys anyway.
"How have you been lately?"
Rosen turned his eyes toward the quiet beauty beside him.
This was the very spot where he'd first met her. Back then, Mai Sakurajima had been drowning in self-loathing, swallowed up by her "adolescence syndrome."
But because of one stubbornly righteous boy—who also happened to cross paths with a certain "bunny girl"—she'd been saved from fading out of existence.
Now, in the sunlight, her dark hair veiled half her face, her beautiful eyes glimmering with hesitation.
But after a moment's thought—I'm his follower now, nothing can really be hidden from him—she confessed what had been weighing on her.
Lately, Mai's odd late-night outings had drawn her mother's suspicion. And the first time Rosen walked her home, her mother had caught sight of him from her hiding spot in the bedroom.
She hadn't confronted her that night, but over the weekend she sat Mai down for a "serious talk."
Like most conversations between parents and teenagers, it ended in a shouting match.
Her mother wanted her to stay away from Rosen. Gossip and scandals would only hurt her.
But Mai was already bound to him as his follower—leaving him was impossible. And when she realized her mother had basically pegged him as some sleazy guy only after her looks, she snapped.
This time she even stormed out with a bag packed, planning to stay away for the night.
"Eh? I… I see…"
Beside them, Miko Yotsuya shrank into herself while Hana shifted uncomfortably.
They were both teenagers too, but their home lives couldn't have been more different. Miko, having lost her father, cherished what little family she had left. Hana, on the other hand, was the classic "perfect daughter"—obedient, well-behaved, the kind of kid parents brag about.
Neither of them had expected that even a big-name star like Mai would have family drama this messy.
Watching Mai still fume, Rosen sighed."Honestly, your mother isn't completely wrong. If I were her, I'd also be cautious about some strange guy suddenly hanging around my daughter."
"She's just more experienced in life than you. She's only trying to protect you from being deceived. After all, setting aside the fact that you're a famous actress—you're also a beautiful, dangerously attractive bunny girl senpai."
"Ugh…"
Mai folded her arms in protest, cheeks flushing red. His teasing always got under her skin.
"How about this: let me meet your mother. I'll clear up her worries myself."
She was, after all, the family of his precious follower. As her god, he couldn't just stand by.
"…No. At least… not today. I'll tell her tomorrow."
Mai wasn't unreasonable. In fact, hearing that Rosen was willing to meet her mother made her feel a weight lift off her chest.
Still, part of her hesitated. What if Rosen disliked her mother and told her to cut ties? Then what would I do? It's just the two of us in that house now…
So, putting it off until tomorrow was her own small act of rebellion.
"Then tonight, you'll stay at my place."
"EHHH?!"
The cry came not just from Mai, but in perfect unison from Miko and Hana.
They wanted to live with Lord Rosen too…
Meanwhile.
Deep in the mountains outside the city—
The forest stretched endlessly, the bark of the trees cracked and seeping dark-red resin that looked disturbingly like dried blood.
The air carried faint, mournful wails, hard to tell if it was just the wind… or something alive weeping.
This was an abandoned woodland.
And atop one of its peaks stood a long-deserted shrine.
Within it sat a fox spirit statue, face hidden by a white mask. The offering box was covered in moss and rot, proof that no one had prayed here in ages.
But today, a special visitor arrived.
Following orders from Yanqing, a servant had come to pray for divine protection for the young mistress, Suou Yuki, who had recently been attacked.
The servant hung a photo of Yuki around his neck, then prayed the usual way, voicing the wish for the girl's safety. Finally, he placed several thick bundles of cash into the offering box.
The money slid neatly inside.
At that moment, a soft breeze stirred through the shrine.
Just as he turned to leave, the servant thought he heard a faint whisper: Contract… fulfilled.
Spooked, he hurried down the mountain, eager to get back to the Suou estate.
No amount of extra pay would ever get him to return here again.
Unbeknownst to him—
The moment he left, two girls in red-and-white shrine maiden robes appeared out of thin air, fox masks concealing their faces.
They stared after the departing car. Their gazes stretched far, far beyond… all the way to the yet-unaware schoolgirl who hadn't even finished her day's classes.
"..."
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