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By the time Asher and the two girls finished their sushi, the sky had already begun to darken.
Night fell, and the streetlights flickered on one by one.
The three of them stepped out of the sushi restaurant.
"Mm, this place was really good," Hana said.
"Yeah, I didn't expect a random pick to taste this nice," Miko added.
"Agreed. The flavor was solid," Asher replied.
"…."
After chatting casually for a bit, Asher glanced at the time and said his goodbyes.
"It's getting late. I'll head back first. You two should get home early too."
"Okay! Got it," Hana replied cheerfully.
Asher nodded, then turned and walked off.
Only after his figure disappeared down the street did Yurakawa Hana suddenly elbow Yotsuya Miko in the shoulder.
"What's up, Hana?" Miko asked, looking at her in confusion.
Hana was wearing a teasing grin.
"Miko, be honest. You really don't have any feelings for Mr. Asher?"
"…?"
The question came out of nowhere, and Miko froze. A second later, she shook her head furiously, like a rattle.
"N-no! Of course not!"
"H-how could I? I've only known Mr. Asher for a short time."
"Hana, that's kind of a rude question."
"Oh? Is it?" Hana tugged at the corner of her eye, clearly unconvinced.
"But I've never seen you change this much because of a guy before."
"Even if he's your first male friend, this feels a bit… much, doesn't it?"
"…Ugh, Hana, what are you even trying to say?" Miko muttered, her face red as she stared at the ground for a while before finally asking.
"Miko, we're really close friends, right?" Hana said.
Miko nodded without hesitation.
"Then, as your best friend, I feel like I have to give you a piece of advice."
"If you really do have feelings for Mr. Asher, you should act on them sooner rather than later."
"He's handsome, his personality's great, and on top of that, he's got that mysterious onmyoji vibe."
"Do you have any idea how attractive that is to a girl?"
"If I didn't already think you liked him, I might've made a move myself."
"Huh?" Miko blinked in shock.
"Wait… does that mean you actually like Mr. Asher too?!"
"What???!"
Seeing Miko's utterly clueless expression, Hana immediately put on a 'you're hopeless' look and lightly knocked her on the back of the head.
"That's not what I meant!"
"I mean, if you like Mr. Asher, then hurry up and do something about it."
"As for me liking him, no way. I'm not the type to steal my friend's crush!"
Hana huffed angrily.
Still, as she said that, Asher's image surfaced in her mind.
Especially the scene from the afternoon, when he helped exorcise the spirit for her.
Honestly… it was ridiculously cool.
Truth be told, Hana did have strong feelings of admiration toward Asher.
But because she believed from the start that Miko liked him, she'd never really allowed herself to think about it.
"Um… even if you say that, Hana, I…" Miko hesitated.
Hana's words definitely made her heart stir. There was no denying that.
But for Miko, who had never been in a relationship and had never liked any guy before Asher, this all felt far too bold.
Watching Miko's reaction, Hana couldn't help but sigh.
She knew perfectly well how daring her words sounded to someone like Miko.
Given Miko's personality, there was no way she'd suddenly do something reckless anytime soon.
And yet, for some reason, Hana found herself hoping that Miko would act sooner, just like she'd suggested.
There was a strange, inexplicable sense of tension in her chest.
She didn't know what it meant.
After a long silence, Hana rubbed her forehead.
"Anyway, I've told you what I wanted to say."
"What you decide to do is up to you."
"Just don't come crying to me later if something unexpected happens."
"It's late. Let's head home."
"…Okay. I get it," Miko replied, nodding with emotions she couldn't quite put into words.
The two of them then continued walking home together.
…
As for Asher, on the other side of town—
He had just left the shopping district when, while passing a supermarket, he spotted a familiar figure coming out.
At a closer look, he immediately recognized her from behind.
"Miss Ebina."
Hearing the familiar voice behind her, Ebina Nana paused and turned around, then saw Asher smiling at her.
A hint of pleasant surprise appeared on her face.
"Mr. Asher?"
"Good evening, Mr. Asher!"
"Good evening, Miss Ebina," Asher replied.
"Heading home? Want to walk together?"
"Yes!"
After a brief exchange, the two of them set off side by side.
"By the way, Mr. Asher, have you had dinner yet?" Nana asked as they walked.
"Hm? Yeah, I already ate."
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh… nothing."
"I was just thinking that if you hadn't eaten yet, you could come over to my place for dinner."
"After all, last time, if it weren't for you…"
The memory suddenly resurfaced in Nana's mind, Asher breaking down the door to save her.
"Haha, I see."
"Honestly, you don't need to worry about it," Asher said lightly. "For me, it was just a small favor."
"But even if you say that," Nana insisted gently, "what you did really saved me."
With her naturally kind personality, Nana couldn't shake the feeling that she owed him something if she didn't do anything in return.
"Oh, right. Mr. Asher, your uniform…" she said suddenly.
She had just noticed the familiar outfit he was wearing.
Wasn't that the boys' uniform from the comprehensive high school she attended?
"Don't tell me, Mr. Asher, you're also…!"
Nana stared at him in disbelief.
Feeling her gaze, Asher nodded.
"That's right. I'm a student at Comprehensive High too. Are you as well?"
"Yes! I'm a first-year in Class A!"
"I see. I'm in second-year, Class B."
"Then that means you're my senior!"
"Senior Asher!"
"Haha, there's no need to be so formal," Asher said with a smile. "Just call me by my name."
"Um… well…" Nana hesitated, her face filled with embarrassment and indecision.
"Senior Asher, there's something I'd like to ask you for…"
"....."