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As the sun set over Itogami Island, Asagi Aiba emerged from the Keystone Gate's main entrance, her workday finally over. The moment she stepped into the plaza, a wave of hot air hit her, making her instinctively hold her breath.
God, it's hot...
The area was packed—students on summer vacation meeting friends for dinner, mixed with office workers like herself just getting off the clock.
"Hmm..."
Asagi scanned the crowd, frowning when she didn't spot a familiar figure. He had promised to pick her up at five, but it was already five past. Where was he?
Just as she began to wonder, a familiar voice called out from behind her.
"Sorry, Asagi. Running a bit late."
She turned to see the face she'd been waiting for.
"Oh, Bokue, you're here..."
A smile automatically touched Asagi's lips, but she quickly suppressed it, stepping onto her tiptoes to narrow her eyes at him.
"I just got off work, and you're still late. Spill it. What was so important that you almost forgot about your girlfriend?"
"I could never forget. Nothing like that..." Bokue laughed it off.
He hadn't forgotten—he'd just been held up by Nagisa. After an intense afternoon session, he'd accidentally knocked her unconscious while trying his "Daily summary" move. The frantic effort to revive her had cost him five minutes.
Not wanting to explain that, Bokue quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, more importantly—what do you want for dinner?"
"Dinner, huh..." Asagi answered without much thought. "Let's keep it simple. We can just grab some ramen somewhere."
Huh?
Bokue froze, reaching up to press the back of his hand against her forehead. Asagi didn't flinch, just blinking at him in confusion.
"What? I don't have a fever."
"No... I was just wondering if you were sick and lost your appetite. Or maybe you're mad at me?" Bokue still looked puzzled.
Asagi was a legendary foodie. Though she watched her figure more carefully now, she still lived for good food. For her, a mediocre dinner felt like a wasted day—a failure to properly "reward" herself.
"I'm not sick or angry!" Asagi rolled her eyes, understanding his concern. "I just have other plans tonight. Do you really think I'm the type to throw a tantrum at my boyfriend?"
"Well, no..." Bokue scratched his cheek. "So what's this about other plans?"
"It's about Miss Natsuki," Asagi sighed helplessly. "She called me around noon asking for you. Apparently, that Kanon Kanase girl is awake, and Natsuki wants us both to stop by tonight."
"...Why didn't she just call me directly?"
Bokue's brow furrowed in confusion. It made no sense. If it was about Kanon, Natsuki should have contacted him. Why go through Asagi?
"Hmm~ Maybe she just didn't want to hear your voice?"
Asagi's guess was surprisingly close to the truth.
Bokue: "..."
Well, that was possible... After all, the gothic lolita often complained his presence alone was suffocating.
"Did she say what time?"
"Six o'clock."
"...That's less than an hour from now." Bokue checked his phone, lost in thought.
"Exactly. That's why I said we should just grab ramen." Asagi nodded, then grabbed his arm and turned back toward the Keystone Gate. "Come on, I know a good ramen place in the building. Second floor."
"Alright."
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After their quick dinner, Bokue and Asagi headed to the Special Security Force headquarters. Since it wasn't their first visit and Natsuki had cleared them, they walked right in without any trouble.
When they reached the underground level, everyone was already gathered in the medical bay where Kanon had been treated. Besides Natsuki, Astarte, and Kanon herself, Sayaka and La Folia were also there.
Seeing them arrive, La Folia was the first to approach, a welcoming smile on her face.
"Good evening, Bokue-kun. And this must be..." She turned her gaze to the blonde girl beside him.
Bokue... kun?
Asagi's eyebrow twitched. In Japan, adding "-kun" to a man's first name was a sign of close friendship... or something more intimate. Between unrelated men and women, it was usually reserved for couples.
Her eyes turned sharp. Tightening her grip on Bokue's arm to emphasize her point, Asagi met the princess's gaze.
"Hello, I'm Asagi Aiba, Bokue's girlfriend. And you are?"
"Oh, so you're the girlfriend Bokue-kun mentioned! It's a pleasure. I'm La Folia, First Princess of the Aldegyr Kingdom." La Folia pressed her fingers together and tilted her head with a disarming smile. "I feel like we're going to be great friends."
"Uh... really?" Asagi blinked, caught off guard. She had assumed the girl was being overly familiar to pick a fight, but her attitude was surprisingly friendly. Had she misunderstood?
"Of course~" La Folia's smile grew brighter.
'You like your boyfriend, and I like your boyfriend. Doesn't that make us allies?' the silver-haired girl added silently.
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