Next Target, 400PS!
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"Is Kai-kun not here?" Soyo Nagasaki asked. She had already gotten used to him living with Sakiko Togawa, so she was just curious when she didn't see him.
"Kai had some other things to take care of," Sakiko explained calmly, leading Soyo into the living room.
"I see. That makes sense." Soyo didn't harbor a shred of doubt. She smiled knowingly. "He is a Jujutsu Sorcerer, after all. It's normal for him to be busy."
It made sense to her that someone as powerful as Kai would be busy. No wonder he was out so often.
"..."
'She even knows about that?' Soyo's mention of Kai's secret identity surprised Sakiko at first, but she soon understood why.
"Soyo... are you really prepared for this?" Sakiko asked, wanting to clear up any potential misunderstandings before they crossed the line. "You don't have to go this far. Since you already know Kai is a Sorcerer, you can just come over if you ever run into trouble."
Now that the secret was out, Sakiko wouldn't make Soyo stay if she wanted to leave. As long as Soyo stopped texting so much, Sakiko was happy to be friends again.
"Of course I'm ready," Soyo interrupted before Sakiko could say another word. "I know what you mean, Sakiko. Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
Thinking about scary monsters like Cursed Spirits made her shiver. But with Sakiko by her side, Soyo felt brave enough to face anything.
"Is that so?" Sakiko sighed. She was overthinking things. Since Soyo showed up, she was obviously mentally prepared. "Then go change your clothes first."
"???"
Soyo expected Sakiko to talk about the Cursed Spirit they needed to handle. Being told to change clothes caught her off guard.
"Change clothes?"
Sakiko didn't find the request strange.
"Yeah, Kai..." She paused, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks, but she pushed through. "He may not have said it outright, but it's pretty clear he has a certain fondness for specific outfits. I bought plenty of them..."
Whenever she wore certain outfits, Kai always paid more attention to her. She didn't need him to say it.
"You bought them?" The first part sounded odd, but the second part got Soyo's full attention.
'Sakiko bought them...' Those words echoed in her mind.
Did that mean Sakiko wanted her to wear her clothes?
Realizing the implication, Soyo's eyes lit up. "OKAY! I'LL CHANGE RIGHT NOW!"
"..."
'You don't have to look that excited.'
Was Soyo really looking forward to this? Kai's charm was no joke.
Shaking her head, Sakiko led Soyo to the wardrobe in the bedroom. One section was entirely dedicated to the 'Special' outfits she had purchased.
"Uh..." Soyo had been eager a moment ago. But seeing the outfits hanging there made her smile freeze.
Some of these pieces had barely enough fabric to cover a hand. She stared at Sakiko in shock. She never expected the elegant, rich girl to have such scandalous tastes in private.
Still, this made Soyo feel even closer to her. Sharing a secret like this meant Sakiko really saw her as family.
'I'M SO HAPPY!'
"See if there's anything you like," Sakiko offered.
"Huh? Oh, right!" Snapped out of her daze, Soyo started browsing. Within seconds, her expression twisted in conflict.
"Do I really have to wear one of these?" No matter how bold she was, she had zero experience. Jumping straight into hardcore territory was asking a bit much.
Sakiko understood. She had felt awkward and uncomfortable the first time she tried one on too. She only got used to it after doing it a few times.
"It's fine. If you don't like them, then—" She wasn't going to push it.
"No, no, no! I love them!" Soyo quickly interrupted.
No way. She had just fixed her friendship with Sakiko and wasn't about to let something like this get in the way. This was nothing.
She would wear it!
After a long time browsing, Soyo settled on a maid outfit that looked relatively normal.
"How does it look?" Having never worn a maid uniform before, she looked at Sakiko with anticipation after changing.
"It looks great!" Sakiko nodded earnestly, not letting her down.
Objectively, Soyo possessed a fantastic figure, a striking appearance, and an elegant aura. She easily stood out among most girls, and even Sakiko thought she looked stunning at that moment.
"Kai will definitely love it!" Sakiko added.
"???" Why did Kai have to love it? Things were getting weirder by the second...
At first, Soyo didn't know much about Kai and Sakiko's relationship, so she hadn't liked him at all. She even felt a bit hostile toward him. But after learning he was a Jujutsu Sorcerer and seeing how he protected Sakiko, all that hostility disappeared.
Besides, girls in Japan often admired strong people. Knowing how powerful Kai was made Soyo feel both nervous and excited around him.
"What do you think of Kai, Soyo?" Sakiko asked, finding the silence a bit too awkward.
"Kai-kun?" Soyo didn't expect the sudden question. After a moment of thought, she answered seriously. "I think he's handsome and really strong. He seems like a very responsible guy, too!"
She didn't see him as just a regular high school boy anymore. He was a Sorcerer fighting Cursed Spirits in secret to protect people. That kind of hero was really popular with Japanese girls.
"Honestly, I'm a bit jealous you met him first, Sakiko. If I'd met him earlier, things might have turned out differently for me!" Soyo teased, leaving it unclear if she was joking.
Sakiko nodded in agreement. Very few people could resist Kai's charm. It made sense that Soyo would fall for him, too.
"Kai won't be back for a while. Let's get ready first!" Sakiko suggested.
Soyo: ???
Get ready? Ready for what?
Trusting Sakiko completely, Soyo just nodded and didn't ask any questions.
But soon, things changed.
Following Sakiko into the living room, Soyo watched her turn on the TV.
'Oh, we're just watching TV.' She thought it was going to be something intense.
But as the video started, Soyo looked from the screen to Sakiko, who was watching with the focus of a student studying hard. The whole situation felt strange.
"Sakiko... you didn't put the wrong disc in, did you?"
She asked because the video was a little too obvious. There was one guy, one girl, and the same 'thing' kept happening again and again.
Then a second girl showed up. That only made things more awkward!
Why was Sakiko making her watch this kind of video?
Wasn't this a bit too much, even for a family?
"I've watched this one a lot. It's actually pretty educational. You should take notes," Sakiko said.
"..."
Take notes? On what?
If anyone else had said this, Soyo would have stormed out in anger. But because it was Sakiko, she swallowed her confusion and quietly sat on the sofa, keeping her mouth shut.
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"Achoo!"
On the other side of town, Kai stepped out of Shizuka Hiratsuka's sports car right in front of Hayato Hayama's house and let out a sudden sneeze.
"What's wrong~ One of your girlfriends is thinking about you?" Shizuka stepped out of the driver's side and teased him with a smirk.
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