"U-um!" Anon suddenly spoke up in a low voice, her tone so soft it was almost drowned out by the shop's background music.
She stood there, nervously tugging at the hem of her clothes with both hands, her shoulders slightly tense. Her gaze darted between the counter, the corner of the table, and outside the window, just not daring to look directly at the person across from her. A suspicious blush had appeared on her face at some point.
"I think… uh, saying things like that during the day is just too strange…" She stuttered visibly as she spoke, her voice trailing off, as if she were ready to flee at any moment.
"Hm? If not during the day, should I say it at night?" Asakura frowned slightly, wearing an expression of serious contemplation, his tone carrying a hint of genuine confusion.
"Usually it's at night, right?!" Anon raised her head to retort, almost as a reflex, her voice involuntarily rising a notch. As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she seemed too excited and quickly shrank her neck.
"At night, huh…" Asakura rubbed his chin, pondering thoughtfully: "I don't mind, but Anon, doesn't your house have a curfew?"
"Are you seriously still worried about something like a curfew at this point?" Anon was stunned for a moment, then showed an expression of disbelief and couldn't help but retort. "I sometimes can't figure out what you're focusing on, Asakura-kun?"
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze toward Asakura a mix of confusion and helplessness.
"It's still very important, a curfew." Asakura sighed softly, his tone carrying a touch of realistic weight: "I don't want to explain to your parents what we're doing. Even if I say it's just a platonic exchange, I don't think they'd believe it…" Although it wasn't exactly platonic either.
"…" Anon was silent for two seconds. Then she slowly narrowed her eyes, staring at him with a subtle and complex look.
"...The way Asakura-kun puts it, there's a subtle sense of being a scumbag."
The pink-haired girl's tone was calm, yet it carried a faint hint of accusation.
"Sodayo."
Asakura nodded without hesitation, his tone as natural as if he were answering what he had for lunch today.
"You actually admitted it so shamelessly?!"
Anon's eyes widened instantly, and she leaned forward, nearly slamming the table as she stood up.
"Don't misunderstand," Asakura raised a hand, making a 'chotto matte' gesture to signal her to calm down first: "I'm only agreeing with the point that I am a scumbag."
His expression was perfectly frank, without the slightest hint of shame.
"Isn't that exactly what I meant by no misunderstanding?!"
Anon clutched her forehead, her voice carrying a clear sense of being unable to hold it together: "Is Asakura-kun the type who's fine with any girl, no matter who they are?"
"I'm not so starved that I'd be that indiscriminate."
Asakura waved his hand and said dismissively: "After all, ordinary people don't mean much to me. They at least have to be a member of the Magic Club."
'Isn't the Magic Club just that weird club at school?'
'More like it's entirely this guy's harem!' 'Anon's chastity—'
From the other side, the whispers of the trio—well, what passed for whispers—drifted over.
No, no, no, it's nothing like that!
Anon desperately denied it in her heart, her ears turning so red they looked like they might drip blood.
Eri, don't look at me with those weird eyes either!
While frantically grumbling in her mind, she stole a glance at her companion from the corner of her eye, her inner state having fallen into complete chaos.
"What does Mr. Asakura want to do with this... guest?"
Shiina finally snapped back to reality from the conversation she hadn't understood at all and couldn't interject in.
She blinked, her gaze shifting back and forth between Asakura and Anon, her tone filled with simple curiosity, as if she were earnestly asking for some common life knowledge.
"Hey, Shiina, don't look too deeply into this; there's an abyss ahead!"
Momoka immediately spoke to her star employee.
Perhaps feeling that as a shop manager she needed some sort of gravitas, she picked up a highball glass she had already wiped and continued to polish it as she spoke, looking like a typical pub landlady—even though Rabbit House wasn't exactly a pub.
Incidentally, Momoka actually felt that Asakura probably wasn't so desperate as to go that far—
After all, compared to a guest who only occasionally came to the shop to eat, she, the 'parasite' who relied on him for everything, was obviously a much more convenient target to make a move on.
And the fact that she remained a virgin to this day also went some way toward proving that this guy didn't think entirely with his lower body.
—Then again, those statements just now were indeed too blunt; there was no way to help him save face even if she wanted to.
"Club activities, of course."
Asakura answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
His tone was as natural as could be, as if the answer didn't require any thought at all.
"Huh?"
Anon, who had been immersed in shyness and confusion, froze.
Her expression went completely blank for a moment, her eyes widening slightly and her mouth hanging open, making her look utterly dazed and innocent.
...So cute.
At least that's how it looked to the onlookers.
"Otherwise, did you think I was going to check if she's developing normally?"
Asakura added smoothly, casually glancing at Anon's swoll... well, not very swollen chest: "I don't even need to take a closer look to see that."
"Hah?!"
Anon finally reacted.
Her hair practically stood on end like a cat that had its tail stepped on. She jerked upright, baring her little canines as she glared fiercely at Asakura.
Fire practically spat from her eyes.
'Looks like we misunderstood, stand down.'
'More like she was rejected, boohoo, poor Anon.' Small ones are great too!'
Eri, what on earth are you saying, Eri!
Anon roared in grief and indignation in her heart, her cheeks flushed to the limit.
"I see. As expected of Mr. Asakura, to keep club activities in mind even during the holidays."
Shiina showed a gentle smile, her hands clasped lightly in front of her, her tone carrying sincere admiration.
She seemed to have completely believed him.
"No, no, no, that's definitely not it."
Hearing this, the corner of Momoka's mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.
If anything, Shiina, you're too easy to fool! Why do you believe whatever the young boss says? Where did that shrewd and sly energy go that you have when chatting with me?!
She complained wildly in her heart, but on the surface, she could only maintain her pub landlady persona, continuing to slowly wipe the glass.
Although she was really angry, Anon more or less knew what was important.
She walked up the stairs with her arms crossed, her footsteps echoing softly in the quiet hallway.
Except that a lingering blush from earlier remained on her face, and her lips were pursed slightly in an 'I haven't forgiven you yet' expression.
She knew very well that Asakura wasn't the kind of bored person who would harass her for no reason.
Uh... p-probably not, right?
Thinking of this, her footsteps couldn't help but falter for a moment.
Recalling his usual clownish behavior in the club room, the girl became subtly uncertain again.
In short, although her friends—namely the Traffic Light Trio—had unanimously expressed strong opposition and told her not to be alone with Asakura, with Eri even saying things like 'Boys are all wolves!', 'Wolves are the symbol of lewdness!', and 'Anon, you don't understand how sinister people's hearts are!', in a serious manner...
After weighing it over and over, Anon still decided to agree to his request.
In the end, she followed Asakura upstairs alone and arrived at his room door.
Asakura pulled out his keys somewhat awkwardly, sorted through them, and finally managed to open the door.
The room was much as she remembered it: simply furnished but surprisingly tidy, without the clutter she had imagined.
"Really... I'm not that nostalgic for it."
She stood at the door and looked around, muttering under her breath.
"I was just here two weeks ago."
As she said this, she lightly kicked the floor by her feet, her tone carrying a hint of regret she hadn't even noticed herself.
Back then, they had specifically come here to consult and seriously discussed the uniform plan for the Magic Club.
As it turned out, she hadn't had a single chance to wear it yet.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh softly.
"So, what's this all about?"
Anon turned around to look at Asakura, who was closing the door, her hands on her hips in a 'confess everything' stance.
"Like I said before, a lot happened this summer vacation—"
Asakura said slowly as he walked to the table to put down his things.
"But summer vacation only just started, right? Not even half the time has passed?"
Anon immediately retorted, her eyebrows arching slightly.
"Protagonists are different."
Asakura responded solemnly.
"I feel like Asakura-kun is just saying 'I'm a jinx' in a more euphemistic way."
She narrowed her eyes, her tone carrying unreserved suspicion.
"That's not it. Half the time I was saving the day."
Asakura waved his hand, trying to defend himself: "According to your logic, the jinxes are other people; I'm just a passing Ally of Justice."
"Humanity is truly ill-fated..."
Anon slowly walked to the bed and sat down, hugging her knees as she looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
"What will become of our Earth (sobs)."
Asakura chimed in mockingly from the side.
"Earth... has the scale of supernatural phenomena reached such an extent now..."
She gave another heavy sigh: "...Though the Chiba Port Tower incident wasn't small either."
Even though some time had passed, that scene of the world seemingly collapsing before her eyes was still vivid in her mind.
"Anyway, for various reasons, my magic power is about to hit rock bottom."
Asakura said with a shrug.
While 'Limited Infinity' did indeed possess an infinite amount of magic power, it was essentially just a locked mana bar. This mana bar was too short to support large-scale or complex Magic Spells; its strength lay in maintaining the operation of spells that required long-term, low-energy magic output.
To be safe, Asakura still needed to start with the magic power of witches and stockpile enough emergency backup energy.
"I know."
Anon let out a heavy sigh.
She plopped down into the bean bag chair and then somewhat shyly reached out her hand toward Asakura.
"...Perfectly tight fit."
The girl looked at him with a gaze that carried a bit of disdain mixed with several parts tension and expectation.
"Right?"
She tilted her head up slightly, looking at Asakura from below.
Her bright eyes sparkled under the light, a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks. That look of wanting to say something but trying hard to appear calm was indescribably cute.
This girl really makes it too easy for one's heart to soften.
Asakura looked at her, and for a moment, he was actually speechless.
He wanted to reach out and rub her head.
He wanted to pull her a little closer.
He wanted to comfort her.
And so—
He followed his inclination and walked over, gently pulling her into his arms.
The movement wasn't rough; he just warmly embraced her.
"Eeeek?!"
Being suddenly hugged, Anon was still startled and let out a subconcious cry.
"Wh-what are you doing!"
Her voice was a bit flustered, but it was more surprise and shyness than genuine resistance.
Her body only gave a symbolic struggle before quickly quieting down.
"This is also a type of perfectly tight fit."
Asakura answered solemnly by the girl's ear.
Then he watched as the girl's round, cute earlobes gradually turned red.
It seemed her ears were quite sensitive too.
Anon froze for a moment.
Subsequently, her cheeks rapidly warmed up at a visible rate.
She could clearly feel the other person's body temperature and their close presence.
Her ears also quietly turned red.
"...Idiot."
She mumbled softly but didn't pull away.
The girl's body was initially a bit stiff, but slowly, her tense shoulders relaxed, and she leaned into his embrace.
But then she tensed up again.
"Um... Asakura-kun, you're poking me down there."
"It's my phone."
Asakura immediately replied.
"Is, is that so?"
The girl, completely inexperienced in this regard, believed him.
Since he had nothing to do, Asakura sniffed the girl's scent while admiring her delicate and lovely face.
At this moment, perhaps sensing his gaze, the girl also turned her head, her pink hair brushing past as their eyes met at an extremely close distance.
The atmosphere seemed to be gradually growing ambiguous, and even the air felt a few degrees hotter—or perhaps it was the sensation of their intertwined breaths.
In any case, seeing the girl who seemed to be stirred, Asakura finally spoke: "Anon."
"Mmm..."
The girl murmured as if she had a premonition.
"Can I lick you?"
"Mmm... Huh?"
The girl's eyes suddenly cleared: "Lick?"
Shouldn't he be saying 'kiss' at a time like this?
"I feel like this would be more efficient."
Asakura said.
"…"
The girl's breathing seemed to quicken a bit.
"Anon, why are you blushing?"
"Give me back that moment of girlish sentiment!"
It seemed she had reached her blushing limit.