Ikebukuro, Maid Cafe.
Aozawa casually shattered the milk foam in his latte with his spoon and took a sip. He hadn't touched the dessert on the table, as he patiently awaited the arrival of Ayatsuki Ayaka.
If he were to fill up before Ayatsuki Ayaka arrived, who would join her for a al? Surely, he couldn't just sit there and watch her eat, or only order a coffee to accompany her—that wouldn't be fitting. The only right way was to eat together.
He waited patiently.
The cafe gradually beca crowded.
DING DONG. Another faint chi sounded, and he glanced at the entrance.
Ayatsuki Ayaka strode in, her outfit screaming hot girl chic. Her dyed hair was styled into nurous distinct braids, and light red makeup adorned her delicate features. Her eyebrows and eyelashes appeared particularly dark. Her lips were a horror-esque blood-red.
Her top was a thin, bright-red jacket with a black heart pattern on the chest, making her figure look exceptionally full. Below, she wore a light-yellow plaid miniskirt. Blood-red, ripped stockings—one longer than the other—embraced her legs, adding a sultry touch, especially with the black garter on her thigh. The shorter garter strap on her left thigh hung loosely, appearing disconnected from the stocking from the front. From behind, however, one could see the black garter connecting to the bright-red, ripped stocking.
This was the ensemble Ayatsuki Ayaka had purposely chosen for herself, a punk style perfectly suited for a fire-damaged, abandoned factory. In this kind of cafe, however, it made her stand out like a sore thumb.
Ayatsuki Ayaka didn't mind; her eyes were only for Aozawa. She cheerfully approached, saying, "Sorry for making you wait."
"No problem. No matter how long I wait, it's worthwhile," Aozawa replied with a smile. "You look really nice in that outfit!"
"Really? Hehe, I quite like dressing up like this. The punk look feels so cool," she giggled as she sat down.
Arakawa Reina ca over and said, "Welco, Master. What would you like to order?"
"The sa as him," Ayatsuki Ayaka said, pointing to the desserts and coffee on the table.
Phoenix Academy Maggie has an eraser of the sa model, so I must have a couple's set al. In short, whatever Phoenix Academy Maggie has, I must have too. I absolutely can't have less.
"Okay, please wait a mont," Arakawa Reina said, then turned and left.
Ayatsuki Ayaka chirped, "Aozawa, it's still early. After we finish lunch, let's take a stroll around Ikebukuro."
"No problem. Where do you want to go?"
"I'd like to go to West Exit Park," Ayatsuki Ayaka shared her wish.
Aozawa naturally had no objections. He had no plans for the afternoon. If Ayatsuki Ayaka wanted a date, then a date it would be.
Arakawa Reina handed Ayatsuki Ayaka's order to the kitchen.
A senior colleague leaned in and said, "Nashi, be careful with that guy. He seems like a player. Don't fall for his sweet nothings. He dares to invite other girls while you're right here; who knows what outrageous things he does behind your back."
"Haha," Arakawa Reina laughed. This senior is so gossipy.
Yet, she couldn't scold her outright and replied with a smile, "Senior, you've got the wrong idea. He and I are just ordinary classmates. The one sitting across from him is his actual girlfriend."
"Really?"
"Of course," Arakawa Reina explained. "No matter how bad he is, he wouldn't invite another girl here for lunch while supposedly pursuing ."
The senior muttered, "I see. He really is popular!"
"Yes, he's a great guy," Arakawa Reina added.
Oh no, she suddenly thought, realizing her senior's gaze on her had shifted. Who knows what she's imagining now? Essentially, I prefer to keep my distance from people like her, but if I do, I risk becoming the subject of her gossip. Working at a Maid Cafe is far from as relaxing as people imagine. The relationships between the maids are complex; one can easily offend soone if not careful, especially a senior who loves to gossip. It wouldn't be accurate to say she harbors malice—it hasn't escalated to that point—but to call her nice would be a joke. Who knows what that mouth spews to others behind their backs? She's as irritating as a fly.
Arakawa Reina engaged in a half-hearted conversation with her senior, maintaining basic politeness, but this lukewarm attitude didn't prompt the senior to leave. It seed she was accustod to others not being very enthusiastic towards her. Or perhaps she didn't care about their enthusiasm at all and only wanted to satisfy her own desire to talk.
Seeing the kitchen finish Ayatsuki Ayaka's lunch, Arakawa Reina quickly excused herself from the botherso senior, using work as a pretext.
She brought the coffee, blueberry cake, and other desserts to Ayatsuki Ayaka's table. Making a heart gesture with her hands, she said, "Bestowing 'love magic' to Master!"
"I'm bestowing 'love magic' to you too, Reina-chan! Thanks for your hard work!" Ayatsuki Ayaka ford a heart with her hands in front of the black heart pattern on her chest. A radiant smile lit up her tanned cheeks, as pure as a crystal-clear spring.
She's leagues better than the senior, Arakawa Reina sighed internally. Ayatsuki Ayaka's natural features are truly wonderful. She can pull off a cool, edgy look and then, in the next second, switch to a very approachable expression. It reminds of a husky. Without a smile, she has the commanding presence of a wolf. But once she smiles, even the air seems to fill with warmth.
Overlaying the images of Ayatsuki Ayaka and a husky, Arakawa Reina inexplicably felt they fit perfectly. She chuckled and said, "Please enjoy your al, Master."
As she turned to leave, a tinge of envy crossed her mind. If I were a boy, I probably couldn't resist Ayatsuki Ayaka either. I really hope she cos to the Maid Cafe often in the future.
Ayatsuki Ayaka murmured softly, "I knew it, she reminds of soone… Her silhouette is so familiar. Where have I seen her before?"
Her puzzled voice drifted on the cool air to Arakawa Reina, making her heart skip a beat. She quickly changed her mind: I hope Ayatsuki Ayaka never cos to the Maid Cafe again! Being frightened like this every ti, I'll eventually have a heart attack.
"You've seen her several tis already, and you still say she looks familiar," Aozawa said with a smile, trying to smooth things over as he picked up an egg tart. "Let's eat. After we're done, we'll take a stroll in West Exit Park."
"Okay."
Ayatsuki Ayaka nodded with a cheerful smile, her eating manners much less boisterous than when she was with Saeko and the others. In front of them, Ayatsuki Ayaka would devour an egg tart in one bite. In front of Aozawa, however, she ate delicately, as if afraid to disturb the egg tart, taking only a small, gentle bite.
eting Aozawa's gaze, Ayatsuki Ayaka gave a "hehe" smile, as if to display her demureness.
Aozawa bit off more than half the egg tart in one go. I'm not fond of nibbling at food; I think eating heartily is more satisfying. But I don't mind girls who eat daintily. Because Iroha's way of eating the egg tart really does have the adorable look of a puppy eating.
「Shinjuku, Okubo Police Departnt.」
The interrogation room.
Lately, the interrogation room had often been in use. Ordinary police officers were unaware of the details, only knowing that this situation was significant. Otherwise, so many people wouldn't be entering the interrogation room every day. One by one, their attire seed connected to religion: Buddhist monastic robes, kasayas, Taoist robes, a Priest's kariginu, a Witch's garb, and so on.
Morimoto Chiyoda massaged her temples and glanced at the ti. Just one more person to question, then I can clock out and go ho.
As she was thinking about the end of her shift, the door creaked open.
The next person to be questioned walked in: a woman around forty years old, wearing thick foundation and a red-and-white Witch's garb—white on top, red below. Her chest appeared rather flat.
Morimoto Chiyoda sighed inwardly. Until the CIA gets back to us, I have to deal with these people. She forced a hollow smile and said, "Hello, my na is Morimoto Chiyoda. You're Ms. Tsurumi, aren't you? Please, have a seat."
"Is there sothing you need?" Ms. Tsurumi asked as she sat down. I'm not sure why I was summoned here. I was only inford by my superiors that I must co, submit to any questioning, and cooperate fully.
This made Ms. Tsurumi slightly panicked. I don't know if the tropolitan Police Departnt has discovered my affairs, nor if my backers intend to sacrifice to save themselves. But I understand so things are inescapable. If I follow my backers' arrangents, my treatnt in prison won't be too bad.
"Ms. Tsurumi, I'd like to ask you: could you perform, here on site, the exorcism you carried out at Senator Akioka's ho this April?"
Morimoto Chiyoda's question caught Ms. Tsurumi off guard for a mont. She quickly composed herself and replied in a deliberately ethereal tone, "Morimoto Police Departnt, I do not reveal my exorcism techniques before ordinary people. Besides, judging by your aura, you don't seem to be afflicted by any demons. There's no need for an exorcism."
Morimoto Chiyoda showed a trace of interest. "So, demons still exist in this world?"
"Of course," Ms. Tsurumi replied, grabbing at the air dramatically, her voice deep and resonant. "To you, demons are formless. But in the eyes of a Witch like myself, blessed with Divine Power, these formless demons are tangible entities. They truly exist. You must be aware that sotis a person suddenly develops a severe headache. They go to the hospital, undergo tests, and nothing is found to be wrong, yet the headache is unbearable. That is the work of demons. Only through my exorcism and regular offerings to the Cangdao Soul Command can normalcy be restored. Modern dicine cannot comprehend this."
"I'm not questioning your Divine Power," Morimoto Chiyoda said, shaking her head. "I just want you to demonstrate an exorcism."
"As I said, exorcism cannot be used on those not bewitched by demons." Ms. Tsurumi lowered her gaze. She disdained performing an exorcism due to the other person's profession.
Morimoto Chiyoda had heard this kind of excuse countless tis. Just as I was about to make an offer she couldn't refuse... Her cellphone PINGED.
She quickly paused. "Excuse , I need to check an important ssage."
Glancing at her phone, Morimoto Chiyoda read the ssage: "Chitose, I won't be ho tonight. I'm eating out with Iroha, and then we're going to an abandoned factory to explore a haunted house."
That little rascal, Morimoto Chiyoda muttered to herself, texting back, "Okay."
She looked up, her tone turning frosty. "Ms. Tsurumi, I don't want to waste any more words. Either you demonstrate your exorcism for , or you go to jail. Choose one."
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