Stare——
"Um, Ryougi-san, what exactly are we doing right now?"
Feeling the unnerving, piercing gaze drilling into his back, Shido could actually feel cold sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
"Shh! Be quiet. I'm getting to the best part."
A look of displeasure crossed Yumetsuki's face. After issuing that brief warning, she completely immersed herself back into reading the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.
"Even if you say that..."
Feeling the store clerk's glare continuously stabbing into his back like a barrage of sharp swords, Shido felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Currently, Shido and Yumetsuki were inside a bookstore on the shopping street.
At first, Shido assumed Yumetsuki wanted to buy a book and just needed him to lead the way. However, the moment they walked into the store, she made a beeline straight for the shonen magazine shelf without a moment's hesitation, picked up the newest issue of Jump, and started reading it with absolute focus.
Shido's head began to throb. A bookstore wasn't a library; it was a place to buy books, not read them. Skimming a couple of pages was one thing, but blatantly standing there and reading the whole thing was an outright provocation to the establishment.
There was a very domineering slang term for this exact behavior: Free-Reading Tyrant.
To combat this, bookstore clerks—while trying to protect the store's reputation and not explicitly yelling at customers—had developed a variety of passive aggressive tactics to deter these...reading tyrants.
Unfortunately for this particular clerk, his opponent today was Yumetsuki. Taking a feather duster and pretending to dust the shelves right in front of her face, deliberately pushing a loud cart through her area, casually coming up next to her to organize the books... This highly experienced clerk deployed all eighteen martial arts of passive aggression, but completely failed to shake Yumetsuki's unbreakable concentration.
This silent, underground battle of wills ended in Yumetsuki's total victory.
Consequently, Shido, who had accompanied her, became the tragic victim.
If Yumetsuki had been alone, the clerk would have had no choice but to pale, retreat to his counter, and admit defeat. But because Shido was standing right next to her, the clerk channeled all of his bottled-up resentment entirely onto him.
—You lucky bastard ! Hurry up and drag your damn beautiful girlfriend out of my store!
Reading the message perfectly conveyed through the clerk's glare, Shido didn't even know what the guy was actually angry about anymore.
Shido was utterly crying tears of blood internally. He continuously prayed to every god listening that Yumetsuki would hurry up and finish reading so they could leave.
...
"Ah~ So satisfying. This week's Jump was really interesting. Being able to read it early is the best! If I waited to read it online, it would have taken forever."
"Is that so..."
Shido agreed with a bitter smile. In his hand, he was currently carrying a shopping bag filled with books. Inside was the issue of Jump Yumetsuki had just read, along with a cookbook. When checking out, Yumetsuki kept complaining and nagging, saying things like, "Doesn't buying it defeat the entire purpose of free-reading?!" But seeing the clerk's furious expression—looking like he was a second away from erupting and kicking them out of the store—Shido ultimately bit the bullet and bought them.
However, since Yumetsuki had dragged him away before he could withdraw cash, Shido paid using the stolen money she had shoved into his pocket earlier. Regarding this point, Shido could only sigh and accept that his hands were already dirty.
"So, where do you plan on going next... Ryougi-san? What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing. Probably just my imagination!"
Looking back slightly confused, Yumetsuki had just faintly sensed a strange gaze staring at her and Shido-boy. But after turning around and seeing nothing, she chalked it up to paranoia and let it go.
A smile of pure excitement spread across her face as she declared without hesitation:
"Our next objective! The Arcade!"
-----Next location divider line-----
"Hey! Private Shido! Why are you dawdling?! Hurry up and keep moving!"
"What's with that weird title?! And you're moving way too fast, wait up for a second!"
"The zombies are coming, Private Third-Class Shido! Hurry up and grab a weapon!"
"Why did my rank suddenly drop?! Wah... the zombies are getting closer, what do I do?! My rifle is out of ammo!"
"If that's the case, hurry up and switch to the Nodachi in your inventory! Remember to use your handgun to restrict the enemy's movements while your skills are on cooldown, Lieutenant General Sato!"
"Who the hell is Lieutenant General Sato?! Where's the button to switch items... Oh crap! I got grabbed!"
Complaining frantically while mashing buttons, Shido watched a bloody, gruesome death animation play out on his screen. A moment later, a row of bright red letters spelling "You Died" floated onto Itsuka Shido's monitor.
...
"Seriously, getting grabbed by a zombie in a place like that. Just how much of a noob are you, Shido-boy?"
Yumetsuki and Shido were now sitting at an outdoor café table. Yumetsuki, eating an oversized parfait, occasionally pointed her spoon at Shido, looking at him with utter exasperation.
"I didn't expect that game to be so hard... Or rather, Ryougi-san, you're just way too good!"
Honestly, Yumetsuki's performance at the arcade could only be described as godly.
High-speed basketball shooting with an accuracy rate of no less than 95%... Racing games navigating eighteen consecutive hairpin turns without ever touching the brakes... Flawlessly executing incredibly complex rhythm game dance routines...
Initially, Shido had just been standing on the sidelines acting as her "bodyguard." But halfway through, the hidden, hot-blooded competitive spirit within the teenage boy was stimulated. When Yumetsuki started playing a zombie shooter called 'Survival! The Last Song of the Apocalypse', Shido finally couldn't hold back and joined in.
The result was exactly as described above: Shido quickly met a tragic end. Yumetsuki, on the other hand, fought her way straight to the final stage. Relying on incredibly sharp positioning and precise calculations, she flawlessly defeated the final boss and casually set a new high score for the cabinet. Afterward, feeling thirsty, she had Shido lead her to a nearby outdoor café.
"But seriously, tripping over flat ground right at the start? What kind of clumsy airhead are you? Just thinking about it... Pfft-hahaha!"
Recalling Shido's miraculous opening maneuver—where his left foot literally tripped over his right foot—Yumetsuki felt the irresistible urge to laugh and slam her hand on the table.
"Please, just let that dark history remain buried in my heart forever!" Shido groaned, covering his face with both hands in agony. If there were a hole nearby, he would have jumped in and never come out again.
The atmosphere between Shido and Yumetsuki had actually grown quite harmonious, and Yumetsuki's mood was visibly excellent. However, rather than the mood of two people whose "romantic affection" was rising, Shido felt more like Yumetsuki was treating him like a really good bro.
"Come to think of it, I just remembered something."
"What is it?"
"Earlier at the bank, you called out my name, didn't you, Shido-boy? When exactly did I ever tell you my name?"
Having thoroughly enjoyed herself, the excitement of returning to a human city had gradually settled down. Recalling how Shido had known her name from the very beginning, Yumetsuki couldn't help but feel a twinge of suspicion.
Shido's heart instantly skipped a beat. He had learned Ryougi Yumetsuki's name from the Yamai sisters, and he only knew it belonged to Hacker after Kotori confirmed it. In reality, while Shido had introduced himself the night they met, Yumetsuki had never responded in kind.
If he told the truth right now, it would introduce a massive amount of unnecessary risk to the conquest. But if he lied and didn't come up with a clever enough excuse, being exposed would only cause Yumetsuki's affection level to plummet.
Normally, in a situation like this, the voice in his earpiece would have already provided him with multiple-choice options. However, because Yumetsuki's powers were highly sensitive to electronic communications, Shido hadn't notified Kotori about his encounter with her.
At this moment, Shido had to rely entirely on his own abilities.
His brain went into overdrive. Just as the suspicion in Yumetsuki's eyes began to deepen, a flash of inspiration hit him.
"Uh... it was last night. You were playing a game. I saw you and asked who you were, and you replied, 'I'm Ryougi Yumetsuki, now be quiet! I'm busy!'"
"Hm? Did I really say that?" Yumetsuki tilted her head slightly in confusion. Whenever she got completely absorbed in a game, her awareness of the outside world essentially dropped to zero. Even if someone called out to her, she would just instinctively reply. To be perfectly honest, she had no idea whether she had actually said that or not.
Just as Shido's heart was pounding, terrified that his lie would be exposed, a waiter wearing a baseball cap suddenly approached their table and placed two ice-cold drinks in front of them.
"Excuse me, we didn't order these. Did you get the wrong table?" Yumetsuki frowned slightly.
"No." Because the waiter had pulled their cap down so low, Shido couldn't see their face. The waiter spoke in a slightly mechanical, feminine voice, "This is a summer promotion. Couples... receive complimentary iced drinks. Please, take your time and enjoy."
For some reason, when the waiter said the word 'couples', her voice paused for a split second.
Although Shido really wanted to correct the misunderstanding, this interruption undeniably provided him with the perfect opportunity to change the subject. Feeling slightly guilty, Shido accepted the drinks anyway.
"Sorry, looks like we caused a misunderstanding."
"Shido." Ignoring Shido's apology entirely, Yumetsuki stared intently at the two iced drinks in front of her. With absolute seriousness, she asked, "Normally, when people talk about 'couples' drinks,' what kind of image comes to mind?"
"Eh...?!" Shido's heart raced at the sudden question. But seeing how unnaturally serious Yumetsuki's expression was, he realized it wasn't what he thought. Coughing lightly, he blushed and said, "Usually, it's one large cup that both people share using two straws... I think?"
Well, that was what Shido usually saw couples doing, anyway.
"Makes sense." Yumetsuki muttered softly to herself. Before Shido could react, with a swish, she suddenly stood up. Slapping a banknote onto the table without even calling the waiter, she grabbed both drinks and briskly walked away.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Shido hurriedly chased after her.
Shido followed Yumetsuki as she quickly navigated through the bustling street crowds. Following her lead, they soon arrived in a secluded, deserted alleyway.
"Seriously, Ryougi-san, leaving so suddenly when nothing was wrong... What are you doing?"
Shido finally caught up to Yumetsuki, only to find her forcefully holding down two stray dogs, pinning them to the ground so they couldn't escape.
"An experiment. Perfect timing, come help me hold this one down." Saying that, Yumetsuki shoved one of the dogs into Shido's hands.
"Whoa... hey, stop moving."
Shido obviously didn't have Yumetsuki's monstrous strength. Feeling the grip loosen, the stray dog began to struggle fiercely again. Shido had to increase his grip strength to finally subdue the animal.
Yumetsuki picked up the drink she had placed on the ground. Forcing the stray dog's mouth open with one hand, she poured the liquid down its throat.
"Hey, Ryougi-san, what exactly are you..." Before Shido could finish his question, he noticed that the stray dog he was holding down had completely stopped struggling. It was now lying limply on the ground, completely unable to move.
"This is..."
"Anesthetic. Looks like it's a pretty strong dose, too."
After confirming the results, Yumetsuki pulled out the other stray dog she had pinned beneath her knee. Opening its mouth, she poured Shido's drink into it.
Three minutes later...
"Woof—Woof, woof—Woof!" "Woof... Woof... Woof..."
For the first time in his life, Itsuka Shido witnessed the steps and procedures required for the creation of new life with his own eyes.
Wait a minute, both of those dogs are male, aren't they?!!!!!!!!
"It seems Shido-boy's drink was spiked with 'Nanodevice'," Yumetsuki said, rubbing her chin and analyzing the sacred scene unfolding before them with complete, unshakeable calmness. (Original author: "If you don't know what 'Nanodevice' means, go watch A Certain Scientific Railgun.")(TL: don't know much about Toaru so I don't know if that's is correct)
"Why the hell would someone put something like that in our drinks?!"
Thinking about how he had almost drank something so horrifying, a deep, bone-chilling shudder ran down Shido's spine.
"According to my analysis, it was definitely the doing of that waiter from earlier." Yumetsuki pushed up her non-existent glasses as if trying to look like a cool detective. "My drink was spiked with anesthetic. Shido-boy's drink was spiked with 'Nanodevice' (Aphrodisiacs). Judging by this, the culprit's true target was Shido-boy, and I was just an eyesore in the way!"
"Eh? I'm the target?"
Shido pointed at himself in utter confusion. Yumetsuki nodded firmly.
"I suspect the culprit harbors extremely deep, obsessive feelings for you, Shido-boy. Perhaps she saw us walking together on the street and mistook it for a date. Out of intense jealousy, she decided to eliminate me, and then conveniently drag you away so she could finish the deed with you"
Listening to Yumetsuki's conclusion and picturing that exact scenario playing out, Shido's face instantly turned ashen.
"Someone is stalking us?"
"Yeah. I started feeling a gaze following us right after we left the bookstore. At first, I thought it was just my imagination." Yumetsuki looked at Shido curiously. "Do you know anyone? A woman who has feelings for you and wouldn't hesitate to drug you just to push you down...? Well, considering your looks, Shido-boy, you might want to consider the males as well."
What the hell are you trying to imply?!
Hearing Yumetsuki's last sentence, Shido felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding across his heart.
"There's no way someone like that..." Just as he was about to deny it, a specific figure popped into his head, and the words died in his throat.
"You actually do know someone!" Seeing Shido's expression, the corner of Yumetsuki's mouth twitched. "I really want to see what this Amazon Warrior of Love looks like... Though I suppose I'll get to see her very soon."
"Eh?"
At Shido's confused expression, Yumetsuki smiled smugly. "Think about it. A boy and a girl holding drinks spiked with aphrodisiacs and anesthetics suddenly run into a secluded alleyway with barely any foot traffic. What do you think your Amazon Warrior is going to think when she sees that?"
Before Shido could fully process the profound meaning behind Yumetsuki's words, he felt a massive force slam into his side, tackling him firmly to the ground.
"Shido, are you hurt?!"
Straddling Shido's waist was a girl with shoulder-length white hair. She possessed a neat, flawless figure like a pristine doll—and an expressionless face devoid of any emotion, exactly like a doll. It was the very same girl Yumetsuki had just dubbed the "Amazon Warrior of Love"—Tobiichi Origami.
Origami stared at Shido with flat eyes, scanning him from top to bottom like a machine. Once she finished inspecting his upper body, Origami shifted her position and began undoing Shido's belt.
"Wait! Origami, what are you doing?!"
"Inspection." After giving a simple, one-word reply, Origami immediately reached for the zipper on Shido's pants.
"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Shido let out a wail that sounded exactly like a maiden whose purity was being violated.