Hayashi Maki didn't take Mai Sakurajima's threat seriously. Even if she camped out in Mahiru's room, it didn't really stop him and Mahiru from doing their thing. Still, since she'd obediently given him a kiss, he had to keep his word.
"Come on, Mai-senpai—let's head to your place now."
Man of action that he was, he set her down, took her hand, and headed out. The moment they stepped outside, something strange happened: as long as Hayashi Maki was holding her hand, other people could see her—almost as if his presence made the weird phenomenon around her vanish.
Money wasn't an issue, so they grabbed a taxi and soon reached her building. As expected, her keycard was still deactivated; it wouldn't get her in. Hayashi Maki didn't bother hiding his abilities: an arm around her slim waist, a light step—and they slipped past the guard's line of sight and onto the second floor.
Mai's eyes nearly popped. She shot him a complicated look, but kept quiet. Patting her chest, she forced herself to sound calm. "My room's 209. Hopefully they haven't cleared anything out."
"Got it." He took her to 209—then simply held her and walked right through the door.
"We're in. Need me to help pack?"
"No. I'll handle my personal things. I want to move up to the third floor at your place—there's a spare room, right?"
"There is. Not moving in with us?"
She rolled her eyes. "I have a lot of clothes. I can't just occupy Mahiru's closet. It's more convenient to have my own room. And… if I'm on the third floor, you can help ward off that weird phenomenon, right?"
"Heh. My help comes with a price. Mai-senpai, ready to pay up?" Hayashi Maki eyed her figure with a wicked grin.
Mai flushed, but didn't argue. She nodded slightly, then started sorting her things. Luckily, nothing had been cleared out; her allowance in her bag, the clothes in the wardrobe—everything was still there.
Hayashi Maki couldn't sit idle and pitched in: he found some boxes, folded her clothes neatly, and packed them. With the two of them working together, it went quickly. Soon several boxes were stacked in the room.
Now the problem: how to get them out past the guard?
Mai glanced at him and arched a brow. "Alright, lecherous kouhai—showtime."
("Lecherous" was unnecessary, Hayashi Maki thought.) He swept a hand, and the boxes vanished into his storage space. Seeing them blink out, Mai's heart skipped; she gained a new appreciation for his powers.
"Let's go, Senpai," Hayashi Maki said, sliding an arm around her waist. She didn't resist. One flicker later, her vision blurred—and they were standing in a very familiar place: Hayashi Maki's living room.
"Already back?" Instant movement really blew her mind. "Then why didn't you just teleport me to my place earlier? You just wanted an excuse to sit next to me in the taxi, didn't you?"
Hayashi Maki pinched her cheek, exasperated. "What nonsense. I hadn't been to your place before—my teleport only works for places I've visited."
Realizing she'd misunderstood, Mai blushed. Hayashi Maki didn't dwell on it, and took her upstairs. "We've got time—let's get your stuff into the room."
She didn't refuse. The two of them busied themselves unpacking and arranging everything. (She chose the room next to Gabriel's.) After a while, with the room clean and tidy, Mai nodded in satisfaction. It still felt a little unfamiliar, but—this would be her home now.
With the room set up, Hayashi Maki took Mai back downstairs to his place. Her fridge was empty and there was no time to cook—so better to keep freeloading dinner. Mahiru returned just then; hearing Mai had moved in upstairs, she made a few good dishes to celebrate.
Watching kind, gentle Mahiru, Mai sighed inwardly. She still couldn't understand how Mahiru could be so generous about Hayashi Maki's womanizing. Love is selfish—what woman wants to share her boyfriend? Even if Hayashi Maki was "special," that didn't excuse him.
She gave up trying to puzzle it out, enjoyed a delicious meal, then said goodbye to the lecherous kouhai, the gentle underclassman, and the airheaded Mashiro before heading upstairs.
Lying in her new room, her gaze grew complicated. From now on, this was home. Her mother hadn't contacted her in ages—still trapped in that state of forgetting her, it seemed. It hurt to think that even her own mother didn't remember she existed—while the one who remembered and helped her fight that force was… a womanizing lech.
As she brooded, the doorbell rang. Peeking through the peephole—Hayashi Maki.
Her heart jumped. Keeping her voice steady, she asked, "Who is it?"
"Your lecherous kouhai. Open up!"
"Hmph. If you're admitting you're a lech, why would I open the door?"
Mai stood there, not moving. Hayashi Maki chuckled. "Door or no door, I can still get in."
Right—magic. Teleporting, walking through walls… he was practically a god in real life. Resigned, she opened up. Seeing his grin, her cheeks warmed.
"So, late-night visit—what's the occasion, Maki-kun?"
He stepped in, slipped an arm around her waist, and kissed her. "Obviously—I'm here to collect my payment."