Chapter 335: Only Yotsuba Remains
"Long time no see, Sakurai-san."
In the living room of Gabriel's house, Zelel sat on the sofa, smiling as she greeted Sakurai Saki.
"The last time we met was about two months ago, right?" Sakurai recalled the matter during the school trip.
"That's right." After saying that, Zelel immediately gave an order: "Gabriel, bring the tea here!"
"My little sister has troubled you."
"Not at all, Gab-chan is very cute and obedient." Sakurai Saki caught Gabriel's pleading gaze, but in the end, he still couldn't bring himself to "betray" her.
"She used to be a good kid, but ever since she came down to the Human World, she's been addicted to games, it's giving me a headache." Zelel sighed.
From an excellent student of Heaven, she had turned into this — saying it wasn't painful would be a lie.
"I don't know who lured her into those video games, Heaven doesn't even have much entertainment to begin with…"
"Maybe it was all pent-up for too long, so when she came down to the Human World, she just let loose," Sakurai had just finished saying when Gabriel shot him a glare.
"Here, black tea." Gabriel smiled and placed the teacup on the table.
Where was the promised plea for help just now? Why did you suddenly side with my sister? — Gabriel's eyes seemed to be saying exactly that.
But if we're talking about who "corrupted" Gabriel…
I, Sakurai Saki, only contributed a little.
"This time, did Zelel-san come to bring her back?"
"No, her mission in the Human World was completed very well, I have no reason to force her back."
Gabriel's original mission on Earth was to build a good relationship with Sakurai Saki.
Now, though the mission was accomplished, she had fallen into a pit called "video games."
Also known as — Fallen!
"Gabriel, this time I'll let you off the hook." Zelel got halfway through her sentence when she saw Gabriel's face light up with joy, so she immediately added, "Don't forget to throw out the pile of garbage you've hidden in the wall closet and wardrobe."
"Zelel onee-sama…" Gabriel said awkwardly, "You knew about that too?"
Upon hearing that, Zelel furrowed her brows, her tone filled with dissatisfaction:
"I'm the 'Right Hand of God,' how could I not notice petty little tricks like that?"
"The next time I come, you'd better give up this lifestyle."
It wasn't that she couldn't accept her little sister playing games — but playing to the point of completely ruining her daily schedule was just too much.
"Got it!"
Gabriel was inwardly delighted, but on the surface, she put on a serious face.
A sincere attitude, but absolutely no intention of repentance… truly a hopelessly lazy angel.
Sakurai Saki silently ridiculed her in his heart.
"All right, Gab-chan, I've got some things to take care of, so I'll head out first." He said, standing up.
Itsuki said she wanted to drop by his place, and he was worried she might get into another argument with Nino.
"Sakurai-san, you may run into some trouble soon… would you like Heaven to help?" Zelel suddenly said.
"Trouble?"
"SERN is researching time travel… they intend to disturb the timeline."
"Leave it to you guys to deal with." Sakurai Saki replied flatly.
He was past the age of playing 'fight against supernatural organizations' like a kid.
"Understood." Zelel nodded.
Maintaining the world's order was Heaven's responsibility anyway.
She said that partly to score some points with Sakurai Saki, but the matter really might affect him.
...
At the same time, Itsuki was standing in front of Sakurai's house.
She checked the address on her phone to make sure she had the right place, then knocked on the door.
A dozen seconds later, the door opened.
Nino appeared, wearing an apron, clearly just coming out of the kitchen.
"Itsuki? What are you doing here?"
"I came to take you home. How can you just live at Sakurai-san's place like that?" Itsuki said, then moved to drag her sister away.
"Sure, but I have to pack some things first."
Nino didn't resist at all — in fact, she'd just been waiting for someone to give her an excuse to go home, and Itsuki's arrival was perfect, so she simply went along with it.
"Pack? Didn't you just bring only your wallet when you went out?" Itsuki asked in confusion.
"A few days ago I went out to buy some clothes, and Hayasaka-san and I just finished making some dessert. Do you want to come in and try it?"
At first, Itsuki intended to refuse, but the delicious scent wafting through the house was too tempting… she hesitated.
"Th-then I'll trouble you."
Itsuki: (⸝⸝⸝-﹏-⸝⸝⸝)
A few minutes later.
Still Itsuki: ദ്ദി(๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)
Hayasaka Ai looked at Itsuki — left hand holding a cookie, right hand holding a cream puff — blinking several times.
Sakurai-chan's student… isn't she eating a bit too much?
Moreover——
Ai-chan secretly glanced at Itsuki's plump chest.
Tch.
Ai-chan deeply felt the unfairness of the world.
Fortunately, there was still Kaguya-sama to give her a little comfort.
Thank you, Kaguya-sama, for your 'eternal wall'.
"Hayasaka-san, what's wrong?"
Itsuki blushed and said, "Did I eat too much?"
"No, we made a lot, they're all just test batches. If we don't eat them, it'd be a waste." Hayasaka shook her head gently.
"That's great then."
A moment later, Nakano Nino came out from the living room, dragging her small suitcase.
She originally thought she would stay here longer, or at Sakurai Saki's old house for a while, but she hadn't expected to leave in less than a week.
"Let's go."
"Umm~" Itsuki nodded reluctantly while munching on a cookie.
She hadn't even finished eating yet…
Before leaving, she secretly grabbed a few more to take with her.
——
On the road, the two of them were waiting for their ride-share.
"Did you call Sakurai-san out this morning?" Nino quickly guessed the reason Sakurai left home early.
"Umu, because I kindly asking you to come home, but you refused." Itsuki muttered.
"You call that kindly? Your tone was like lecturing me. It's one thing to argue with Miku, but who gave you the right to argue with me?" Nino's tone was filled with irritation.
To Itsuki, what Nino said was completely unreasonable.
Why was it okay for Miku to argue, but not her?
"Why can't I argue?"
"You… you just——" Nino was so angry she was at a loss for words.
She felt like Itsuki was siding with Miku, and worse, she didn't even understand the root of the conflict between her and Miku!
"You're fighting because of Sakurai-san, aren't you? Did you think I didn't know?" Itsuki was getting angry too.
"You knew?"
Now it was Nino's turn to frown.
If you already knew, why butt in? Couldn't you just sit outside the battlefield, eat buns, and watch?
"So what? I even kissed Sakurai-san, you know?" Itsuki said mockingly.
Nino's temper — Itsuki really couldn't stand it anymore!
So she said this on purpose, wanting to make Nino furious.
But unexpectedly——
"Oh. Who hasn't kissed Sakurai? Among the five of us, I bet Miku has too." Nino gave her a glance.
Trying to make me lose my cool with that? Itsuki, you're too childish.
Itsuki: ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!
Wait a second! You and Miku too!?
"Ichika even filmed a kissing scene with him. That movie aired last time, remember? But I think they used a camera angle trick for that one." Nino said just as the taxi she ordered arrived.
'So, among the five of us, the only one who hasn't been…' — Itsuki's mind was thrown into chaos.
She had thought she was the special one.
But unexpectedly… the special one was Yotsuba.
They got into the car.
Itsuki made up her mind.
She was definitely going to protect Yotsuba's first kiss!