And also...
I have this feeling Kaito's about to become a daddy...
Perhaps because the speculation just now had given her too much of a shock, Lumine's thoughts at this moment had once again drifted back onto the matter of Mobius.
Even though it was still only speculation at this point, she felt that the likelihood of that particular conjecture was quite high — after all, it was something that could explain why Mobius had just walked off the way she had.
Of course, she also couldn't rule out the possibility that Mobius had simply wanted a little 'workout' with Kaito and had no other thoughts on the matter.
Still, whichever of the two it turned out to be, once night came and Kaito and Miko had finished up their business, she was going to have to bring it up.
"Let's eat, let's eat." At this point Kaito called for everyone to start in on the food.
After that, the group of them set to eating.
Since there was still the business with Miko awaiting him later on, Kaito ate rather quickly, and before long he was already quite full.
"It seems friend Kaito has burned through quite a lot today — I'll go and have a few more dishes brought out." Watching the way Kaito was sweeping through the food like a whirlwind, Childe figured he must have spent a great deal of stamina in today's battle and in the subsequent search for Miss Mobius, and so he intended to go and have a few more dishes brought out.
Whatever else might happen, when he was the one doing the treating, he absolutely was not going to let his guest go away short of food.
"No need, no need — I'm already full, I really can't manage another bite, can't manage another bite." Seeing that Childe was about to order more food, Kaito hurriedly waved a hand.
As of right now he was already full, and he really couldn't take in anything more.
Kaito really has been using up quite a lot today, hasn't he...
Thinking about what was coming up later as well as the events from that afternoon, Lumine had been thinking along exactly the same lines as Childe.
It was just that, where Childe was concerned, he had the conclusion right but the process wrong.
"Do eat a bit more." At this point Miko, who had also more or less finished her own meal, suddenly tossed out this line.
To this, Childe immediately followed up by saying, "Indeed — friend Kaito, given how tired you must be today, do eat a bit more. I'll go and have them bring out a few more dishes."
As soon as he'd said it, without even waiting for Kaito to say another word, Childe had already gone striding out of the room.
Why does this feel a bit weird...
Looking over at the doorway, and then looking back at Miko, Lumine all of a sudden got a slightly strange sort of feeling.
Although Childe and Miko had on the surface meant the same thing, the starting points behind their words were entirely different — and as luck would have it, sitting off to the side, she could understand them both, which left her with an oddly mismatched feeling.
"On that count, you've nothing whatsoever to worry about, Miko."
Knowing exactly what Miko meant, Kaito gave her a faint smile to let her know that she really needn't worry.
From Miko's vantage point, he had already had one round of 'combat' over on Mobius's side; but in actual fact, all he had done was help Mobius's side practice up its 'oral skill' a little, which had not been the least bit strenuous and certainly hadn't consumed much of anything.
He actually went and said it straight out...
Lumine hadn't expected Kaito to come out with a line like that, and she was a touch taken aback.
After all, they were out in public right now — one really did have to be a little mindful of these things.
Still, Lumine also knew that from those two lines exchanged between Miko and Kaito alone, no one else would actually be able to pick anything out of them; only she, who knew exactly what the situation was, could understand what they really meant.
Later I'll just read a book in my own room...
Since she didn't have anything in particular to do later on, Lumine made up her mind to spend the evening reading.
In any case, she certainly was not going to be right there next to them — otherwise she certainly wouldn't be able to take in a single word of any book.
A short while later.
"Then we'll be heading off first, Childe."
Once he'd finished his exchange with Childe, Kaito led Lumine and Miko off in the direction of his own little courtyard.
After eating and drinking one's fill, it was about time to head back and get on with the work.
Hmm...
Maybe I should have Lumine join in too while we're at it...
After all, one against two is hardly any trouble for me...
Though Lumine doesn't seem to be very fond of multi-person stuff...
Walking along the way back, Kaito was mulling over what was coming once they got home.
The truth was that he did want Lumine to join in too — it was just that Lumine wasn't much for crowds.
And so, after a bit of thought, Kaito set the idea aside.
And what was more important, he was still currently keeping up the pretense that he knew nothing at all — and under that pretense, he had already done it once with Lumine earlier.
Next time, next time...
"Lumine, you won't be joining in for what comes next?" At this point Miko suddenly tossed out this line.
"Huh?" Stunned for a moment, Lumine at first didn't catch what Miko meant by the words — but very soon she caught on. "No — I'm not carrying on with anything."
Because, from Kaito's vantage point, she had already done it earlier at noon, so she gave Miko this kind of an answer.
"Aiya, are you being shy? Then how about I take my turn first, and you can pick it up after?" Miko went on with her invitation to Lumine.
Kaito: "..."
What is it Miko's taking me for here...
Going on about taking it in relay...
Concerning what Miko had just said, Kaito couldn't help griping in his own head along these lines.
Of course, if Lumine were genuinely willing to go along with that, he wouldn't refuse either.
A mere two people — even taking them on in relay style would pose him no problem whatsoever.
Lumine: "..."
She hadn't realized things could even work that way, and Lumine, too, was at a loss for words.
Then again, when she thought about how earlier on she and Miko had already gone up against him together at the same time, then a single 'relay' didn't really seem like such a big deal in comparison.
Still — better to just leave it. Lumine felt that it would be better to let Kaito have a proper rest.
If Miko had her turn and then she had to come in for hers on top of that, there was no telling how long the whole thing would end up dragging on.
"Next time. Let's not wear Kaito out completely..."
"Hahaha — worried there won't be anything left to use next time?" Before Lumine had even finished her sentence, Miko abruptly burst into a peal of laughter.
"Hey, hey, hey — you little fox, what kind of tool do you think you're treating me as? Going on like that, talking about there being 'nothing left to use.'"
Concerning Miko's way of phrasing it, Kaito felt he had a duty to step up and say something — otherwise there was no telling what sort of object she was going to make him out to be.
"Just a joke, just a joke — and besides, how is it that even you've gone and picked up that brat Wendy's habit of calling me Little Fox?" In the very instant Kaito called her Little Fox, Miko suddenly got a familiar feeling, just as though that brat Wendy were the one addressing her in this way.
Of course, this had to be only an illusion on her part — it must just be that Wendy had been together with Kaito for too long, and so he had come to be that way.
"Because if you don't give a little fox a smack, within three days she'll be up on the roof prying the tiles off." Kaito too sensed that just now he had been sounding rather too much like he did on Wendy's side, and hurriedly drew himself back into a more serious manner.
There was no helping it — when one played a lot of roles, the channels did occasionally get crossed, particularly when one happened to deliver the same line.
"Aiya, my mistake, my mistake — later I'll give you a..." The sentence went unfinished — Miko opened her mouth slightly in Kaito's direction and made a little tongue-out gesture: those who knew, knew.
Lumine: "..."
It had to be said — this scene left Lumine with no idea what to even say; but she did know that in that very moment Miko had cut a thoroughly enchanting figure.
If it had been her, she probably could not have managed to pull off that kind of expression Miko had just had — not in a hundred lifetimes.
Very quickly, however, she remembered that Miko was a fox in the first place — and that thought brought things back to a more normal perspective in her head; after all, she herself was simply a human.
____
👻🔥Seek: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Uchiha Reborn in Jujutsu Kaisen: The System Thinks I'm in Konoha, but I'm Not
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