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Scene switch—already downstairs at the Keystone Gate shopping center.
Kuroka hadn't come along due to disliking crowds. In her place, shopping with Bokue was Liala.
This sister of a certain Demon Realm Northern Territory Lord had been living at Bokue's place since coming to the human world. She also frequently wandered around Itogami Island.
Forget long-term—at least she'd thoroughly familiarized herself with which shops existed inside this commercial plaza called the Keystone Gate.
She knew the shopping center's various area distributions inside and out.
"There really are a lot of people today~"
Just stepping from the outer commercial plaza's passage into the shopping center, as air currents from the overhead air curtain blew past, Liala couldn't help commenting.
The shopping center truly was crowded today.
After all, school started tomorrow. After an entire summer vacation's relaxation, many students only remembered at this evening to buy stationery for tomorrow's opening. So tonight the shopping center showed many parents bringing their children straight to the stationery section.
Conversely, people like Bokue and company—seemingly a young couple strolling after dinner—were the minority.
"By the way, do you need to buy anything, Liala?"
Glancing at the shopping center's overhead directional signs, after confirming the daily goods section's location, Bokue asked the blonde girl beside him.
"Hm? Me?"
Liala maintained her smiling expression while tilting her head.
"I don't really need to buy anything. Just because there's nothing to do staying home, since Bokue-kun's going out shopping anyway, I figured I'd come along too. Consider it a post-dinner stroll."
"Plus, Kuroka-san definitely wouldn't want to stare at each other awkwardly at home with me."
"About that... it's probably fine?"
Bokue's mouth twitched.
Though Liala's words sounded like being disliked after staying at someone else's place, reality wasn't nearly that dramatic.
After all, home conditions weren't so difficult they couldn't handle an extra set of dishes.
Plus honestly, Liala had been living at home these days and even frequently helped with chores after dinner. Quite considerate, really.
As for why Kuroka disliked seeing Liala—simple. She couldn't stand how Liala always dressed so scantily at home.
Bokue didn't particularly care, but for Kuroka that was another matter entirely.
Plus, most importantly—Liala was bigger than Kuroka...
As they say, there's only room for one alpha. Even though Rias and Akeno's bust sizes both exceeded Kuroka's, at least normally they lived at the old school building. But Liala lived right with them.
This made Kuroka feel inevitably outmatched.
Quite frustrating.
"Well~ though I can understand Kuroka-san's feelings."
Liala tapped her lips while smiling, continuing: "So I've already decided to look around Itogami Island for houses I'd like. After buying one, I'll commission Bokue-kun to help move it to the Keystone Gate... mmm, come to think of it, I rather prefer two-story Western-style houses."
"..."
Bokue wisely maintained silence regarding the blonde girl's thoughts.
After all, Itogami Island was a Demon District. Honestly, housing prices weren't necessarily cheaper than Tokyo. To buy a two-story Western house probably required being like Natsuki Minamiya—a Special Police Force Special Attack Mage Officer.
Though asking this would wound pride, so Bokue chose not to inquire.
Worst case, he'd just directly craft one by hand when the time came.
"Bokue-kun's definitely thinking about how I could possibly afford it, right?"
Just as Bokue had finalized his backup plan, Liala beside him suddenly clasped both hands girlishly behind her back. Her upper body leaned slightly forward as she tilted her head sideways, looking up from below at the young man beside her with a slight smile.
"But don't worry. I'm fine financially. Of course, thanks to Senra Itogami—since opening trade between realms, lords who originally just occupied territories in the Demon Realm but were quite poor have rapidly become wealthy. With my current savings, buying a house is completely no problem."
Meaning she'd sold Northern Territory specialties to the human world...
Bokue thought.
The two continued chatting while strolling through the shopping center, grabbing everything on Yura's list along the way.
"With that, everything Bokue-kun's sister wanted is gathered. Next should be about..."
"Oh wait, next we need to hit the adult goods section."
"Adult goods section? What for?"
"Lube."
"Lub... what??"
Liala's words cut off halfway.
When Bokue reacted and stopped to turn around, he saw the certain blonde girl behind him looking at him with somewhat incredulous eyes.
Those eyes translated to: Didn't you say buying things for your sister? Why would lube be involved?!
"Ah no, this lube isn't for my sister. It's for Senpai..."
"Oh~"
Liala nodded.
"Didn't expect Akeno-san had interests in that area."
"No, not Akeno. Another senpai you haven't met, Liala..."
To prevent deepening misunderstandings, Bokue could only awkwardly continue explaining.
However, just then, a voice that felt familiar to Bokue suddenly came from beside them at the shelf's end.
"I thought this voice sounded familiar. It really is you, Bokue Keikain."
Eh?
Hearing the voice, Bokue turned toward the sound. At the shelf's end stood a beautiful, intellectual woman—as always wearing her white coat at school, voluptuous figure, glasses, long black hair cascading behind her.
"Hasegawa-sensei?"
Bokue raised an eyebrow.
Of course he still remembered her. Chisato Hasegawa was Kuoh Academy's school nurse. Last semester, after he and Rias went to the Underworld to storm the Phoenix household, upon returning she'd pulled him for a checkup, saying she worried he'd contracted miasma or similar after visiting the Underworld.
But somehow, though Rias and the others had accompanied him, they hadn't been pulled for checkups together. That matter had eventually gone nowhere.
"It's me."
Seeing the young man recognize her, Chisato Hasegawa's usually expressionless face showed a trace of shallow smile.
"I received notice earlier that Kuoh Academy merged with Saikai Academy, so I moved to Itogami Island too. Work-related changes, you could say. Though I didn't expect to run into you here."
"Wait wait, Bokue-kun—who is this person exactly?"
Before the young man could respond, Liala—who'd been standing behind Bokue—stepped forward, gazing at the white-coated school nurse with scrutinizing expression.
"This is Dr. Hasegawa."
Bokue answered briefly.
"Our school nurse."
"School nurse... is she?"
Liala raised an eyebrow, her tone somewhat questioning yet meaningful.
Chisato Hasegawa likewise didn't say much. Her expression didn't change in the slightest. She simply turned toward Bokue.
"Looks like you have friends with you. I'll take my leave then."
"Alright..."
"Oh right, come to think of it, you haven't come for a checkup in quite a while. Since you'll be at school tomorrow anyway, stop by."
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