Chapter 412: Unlucky Alice, A Wonderful Encounter
"Hmph. It's not every day we get a surprise afternoon off," Alice Nakiri mused, a pout forming on her lips as she ambled aimlessly down the bustling commercial street. "And what does that blockhead Erina do? Practice! Honestly, I give up on her. Then again, Rindou-senpai has been awfully busy lately, too... How strange."
It was Alice Nakiri, a character who hadn't made an appearance in quite some time.
For reasons unknown, all of Totsuki Academy's instructors had been summoned to a major, all-hands meeting in the conference room that afternoon. As a result, all afternoon classes were canceled, effectively granting the students an early start to their weekend. Many had already scattered, either heading out to enjoy the city or preparing for parties in their dorms that evening.
Naturally, Alice, a girl who lived for fun and excitement, had bolted out the door at the first opportunity. Her original plan had been to drag Erina and Hisako along with her, but both had declined, insisting they needed to practice in preparation for their upcoming field studies.
Alice had been left utterly speechless by their diligence. So, she had set out alone. Though she and Erina were often at odds, with Alice's antics frequently getting under her cousin's skin and sparking their infamous quarrels, the bond between them was genuinely strong. If it weren't, Alice wouldn't have even bothered to ask.
As she wandered, contemplating what new gadget or confection to buy, a familiar voice suddenly cut through the ambient noise of the street.
"So, Courage, why exactly are you asking if you can get a custom body pillow made?"
"It's for a small test."
Alice only caught those two brief sentences, but the first voice—the one addressing someone named Courage—struck a chord deep within her memory. It was achingly familiar, yet she couldn't quite place it. She was certain she knew who it belonged to!
Whipping her head around, Alice scanned the crowd in the direction of the sound. She caught a fleeting glimpse of a girl with brilliant white hair, dressed in a simple white dress, smiling as she chatted with a small group just ahead. But before Alice could get a clear look at her face, the group rounded a corner and vanished from sight.
"Hey, wait!"
Alice immediately broke into a run, her short legs pumping as she dashed towards the corner. She rounded it, only to stop dead in her tracks, dumbfounded. "Are you serious? How did so many people suddenly appear after one turn?! Isn't it a weekday?!"
The street ahead was now a sea of people. Frustrated, Alice pushed forward, her eyes darting through the crowd, searching for a flash of white. She couldn't find them, but a stubborn intuition told her she was on the right path. If she just kept going, she would definitely find them.
And sure enough, inside a large shopping mall, she spotted them. There was the girl in the white dress, and next to her, a tall woman with long, blonde hair. Unfortunately, the blonde's face was obscured by a dark-haired girl standing beside her.
"Found them!" Alice grinned, a triumphant glint in her eyes. "Eh? Who's calling me...? If it's that idiot Erina, I'm definitely eating her late-night snack when I get back!"
Just as she was about to close the distance, her phone began to ring. She pulled it out, and her eyes widened when she saw the caller ID. The screen displayed a single word: "Mom."
A small sigh of relief escaped her. Walking towards the mall's entrance, she answered the call, slipping into fluent English. "Mom, what's up? Why are you calling?"
On the other end of the line, a stunningly beautiful woman glanced up from the Japanese language textbook spread across her desk. Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of a foreign accent. "Alice, darling, you can speak to Mama in Japanese, you know."
Alice paused, then switched languages, her tone laced with confusion. "So, Mom, why the sudden interest in Japanese? You haven't signed up for some strange new hobby class, have you? Honestly, you'd be better off just playing video games in your free time!"
The woman on the phone flinched. "N-No, of course not!" she said, a little flustered. "Mama is... coming to Japan! Yes! I have already canceled all of my hobby classes!"
Alice glanced around the mall's spacious interior. It wasn't too crowded, which she noted with a flicker of delight—it would make finding her targets much easier. "I told you a long time ago that 'communing with ingredients' class was a total scam, Mom," she said with a sigh. "But you were so into it. Anyway, what's the real reason you called?"
Her mother audibly wiped non-existent sweat from her brow. "Well, it's like this, Mama is coming to Totsuki in two days, so I wanted to let you know ahead of time..."
"Oh, I see," Alice replied, her attention already drifting back to her search. "By the way, Mom, with your clumsy Eastern European-style Japanese, are you sure you'll be able to find your way around here?"
A beat of stunned silence, then a sharp, indignant cry. "My Japanese is already very good, thank you! And someone is picking me up!"
Alice sighed dramatically. "I really give up on you... So, why are you coming to Totsuki? Any new research breakthroughs? I want to hear all about it!"
"No, no, it is you... um... how do you say this word in Japanese..."
A muscle in Alice's cheek twitched. As she continued her slow patrol through the mall, she walked past a high-end shoe store. She gave it a cursory glance, about to move on, when her eyes snapped back to the interior. She saw them. There, sitting amongst the displays, was the girl in the white dress.
Inside the store, Courage turned her head, a wide grin on her face. "Decora, those white shoes are really... something else! Hahaha!"
Decora bit her lip, glaring at her colleague. "I told you I don't look good in white shoes! Courage! You're doing this on purpose!"
Ren, sitting comfortably on one of the plush benches, offered a gentle smile. "Actually, I think they look quite nice, Decora. Darker skin tones pair very well with warm-colored clothes."
Decora's expression softened slightly, and she shot a triumphant look at Courage, who just waved a dismissive hand. Nearby, Nakiri Mana sat gracefully, gazing down at a pair of elegant high heels. She paused, a flicker of contemplation in her eyes. "I haven't worn high heels in a long time..."
Lucifer, ever the picture of refined taste, smiled. "Then perhaps you should try boots. I think with your leg shape, Mana, you would look exceptionally beautiful in them."
"Eh? Really? I'll try some on later, then," Mana said, her gaze shifting. "Oh? Pandemonica, you bought a lot of socks."
Pandemonica, the Sadistic Demon, pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Because they're pretty," she stated simply.
The others glanced at her. Pandemonica's legs were indeed flawless, accentuated perfectly by a pair of sleek, over-the-knee boots. Her style was a stark contrast to Lucifer's; while Lucifer preferred tailored trousers, Pandemonica wore a sharp, business-style skirt. The combination of the skirt and boots gave her an air of elegant, refined authority that was exceptionally beautiful.
"In that case, I'll try on some boots as well..."
With that, Nakiri Mana stood up. At that exact moment, Alice happened to be walking past the storefront. Their eyes met.
The world seemed to grind to a halt. For Alice, the cheerful mall music, the distant chatter of shoppers, it all faded into a dull, distant hum. She froze mid-step, her phone still pressed to her ear. Across the glass, Nakiri Mana's movements had also ceased, her expression momentarily unreadable.
The spell was broken by a familiar, cheerful voice from within the store. "Eh? Alice, you're not in class?" Lucifer asked, looking over with a casual smile.
Alice shook her head numbly, her brain struggling to process the scene. "Totsuki is off this afternoon. Sister Lucifer, and Mr. Ren, what are you doing here... Wait..." Her eyes snapped back to the blonde woman, and the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place with a sickening lurch. "...Aunt Mana?!"
A muscle in Nakiri Mana's jaw twitched. Good heavens, she thought, a wave of exasperation washing over her. Of all the people to run into, it had to be this unlucky child.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, a cheerful voice echoed in Alice's ear. "That's right! It's Aunt! Eh? What 'Aunt Mana'?"
A muscle in Alice's cheek twitched. A dull throb started to pulse behind her temples. What is happening right now...?
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]