After Eri Kisaki stepped away, Kogoro Mori immediately sidled up to the kitchen counter. He leaned in close, giving Hayashi Shuichi a knowing wink. "Has she had some kind of personality transplant? I can't believe she actually invited Akane-kun to help out in the shop."
"It's not a change of heart; it's the start of a much bigger headache," Shuichi replied. He paused his stir-frying for a moment to let out a heavy, weary sigh, his eyes clouded with resignation.
"What's so troublesome about it?" Kogoro's face was a masterpiece of envy and mock indignation as he stared at his younger friend. "You've got all these beautiful girls surrounding you, and Eri isn't even putting up a fight. You've hit the jackpot, kid!"
As he spoke, he clicked his tongue in exaggerated jealousy.
"Eri only invited Akane to stay because Yukiko is coming back soon!" Shuichi explained quickly, his hands moving with practiced agility as he plated the finished dish.
"It's a classic 'pitting the tiger against the wolf' strategy. Because of that whole seating incident, Yukiko and Akane are already at each other's throats. Just imagine the reaction when Yukiko gets back and sees Akane working right here in the shop..."
"Uh..."
Kogoro's expression froze. His mouth twitched as if he could already see the impending storm clouds gathering over the Izakaya. "The shop has been peaceful for a while now. I guess things are about to get... lively again."
Beika 2-Chome.
Upon returning home, Akane Koizumi went straight to her second-floor study.
As she entered, an ancient, ornate magic mirror began to glow with a soft, ethereal light. Ripples shimmered across its silver surface. "Welcome back, Mistress."
"Mm," Akane grunted distractedly. She tossed her school bag onto the floor and paced over to the window, peering down at the garden below. "Did any outsiders try to break in today?"
"None," the mirror replied, its light flickering slightly.
After Akane had purchased this Western-style house in the second block, she had meticulously wove a web of warning and repulsion spells throughout the yard. It acted as an invisible net, shrouding the entire property to prevent intruders from stumbling inside.
The only reason Professor Agasa had been able to wander in the night before—and see things he definitely shouldn't have—was because of Hayashi Shuichi.
His peculiar constitution acted as a natural void for magic. His mere presence had caused Akane's carefully placed spells to unravel, creating a hole in the defenses that allowed the Professor to slip through. After Shuichi had left last night, Akane had spent half the night painstakingly re-weaving her enchantments.
"By the way, Mistress," the mirror's voice interrupted her thoughts. "There was another explosion next door this afternoon."
An image of black smoke billowing from Professor Agasa's house flickered onto the mirror's surface.
"It might be wise to add some defensive wards to the exterior of the house. Otherwise, one of these days, a blast from the neighbors might actually take this mansion down with it."
Akane shot the mirror an annoyed glare, her frustration evident. "If there were an explosion big enough to level a house, and this place remained perfectly untouched, I'd be exposed instantly! Stop nagging. I'm going to craft a Puppet Butler now. Keep an eye on the perimeter and notify me the moment something feels off."
"As you wish!" the mirror chirped.
Following the precise steps laid out in her grimoire, Akane set up a large bronze cauldron in the center of the study. One by one, she began tossing in a bizarre assortment of ingredients.
There were herbs that pulsed with an eerie luminescence, ores that shimmered with a ghostly light, and various unidentifiable liquids. As she began to chant the incantations, the contents of the cauldron began to boil violently, thickening into a viscous, pungent paste that filled the room with a sharp aroma.
"...Forty more minutes of simmering, and then I can perform the summoning."
Akane snapped the heavy book shut and stretched, her movement revealing a sliver of her slender waist. "I hope it works this time. Little Mirror, watch the pot for me. I'm going to take a bath."
"I shall fulfill my duty with the utmost care, Mistress!" the mirror proclaimed loudly. Then, it added cautiously, "But if it fails again... you won't blame me this time, right?"
"When have I ever blamed you!" Akane snapped, her eyes wide and her red lips pouting.
"When haven't you—" The mirror didn't get to finish. Akane delivered a sharp kick to the frame, resulting in a resonant 'CLANG.'
"Keep talking and I'll shatter you right now," the girl threatened, her fingertips already glowing with the crimson sparks of a spell.
"Yes, Mistress!" The mirror went silent instantly, its surface returning to a still, placid pool.
Akane left the study and made her way down the hallway to the bathroom.
Steam filled the room as warm water cascaded over her pale skin. Perhaps it was because she had worn Shuichi's oversized t-shirt the day before, but she had grown fond of the airy, unrestricted sensation. After drying off, she simply threw on a loose, baggy t-shirt that left her long, shapely legs bare, and headed back to the study.
"Mistress, everything is normal. Ten minutes remaining," the mirror reported respectfully.
"Got it." Akane nodded, her wet, raven hair still dripping. "Remind me when the time is up."
She walked over to her desk and idly began flipping through a magic tome.
Waiting was always a tedious affair. Her gaze drifted toward the corner of the desk, landing on the small voodoo-style doll she had fashioned using Hayashi Shuichi's hair. In the flickering candlelight, the doll's face looked eerily lifelike, as if it might blink at any second.
"That guy can nullify magic... I wonder if this doll even works on him?"
Temptation flared in her heart. Akane reached out, picked up the doll, and scrutinized it closely.
"You could always test it, Mistress," the mirror suggested helpfully. "Try sticking a needle in it—"
Before it could finish, Akane kicked the frame again. "What are you talking about?!"
The girl's cheeks flushed a faint pink—whether from the lingering heat of the bath or something else, it was hard to say.
"Mistress," the mirror said, its voice dripping with wounded pride as its surface trembled. "Last night you said you hated that Hayashi Shuichi more than anything. When you left this morning, you even swore you'd find a way to get your revenge..."
"Morning was morning, and now is now." Akane glared at the mirror, a flicker of complex emotion dancing in her crimson eyes.
"Ah, the books were right. Regardless of age, as long as they are women, they are fickle," the mirror muttered under its breath.
"Shut up!" Akane kicked it a third time, harder this time. "I am your Mistress! Is that any way to talk to me?"
After disciplining the mirror, Akane looked back at the doll in her hand, feeling conflicted.
Stabbing it with a needle was out of the question. If the doll actually worked, Shuichi would feel every bit of that pain. Earlier that day, she might not have hesitated, but after their conversation on the rooftop at noon, she had realized that while the guy was a total jerk, he wasn't actually evil. Stabbing him felt a bit excessive.
"Oh, I know. I can try tickling it."
Akane's eyes lit up as she tapped her forehead. "I'll ask him tomorrow if he felt anything. That's the perfect way to see if the doll is functional."
A mischievous smile spread across her face, her red lips curving upward.
Akane sat on the edge of the desk and lifted the doll's arm. Reaching into her pen holder, she pulled out a soft, snow-white feather and began to gently brush it back and forth against the doll's armpit.
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