That guy must have known all along that Ningguang would come looking for him, which is exactly why he tied me up.
Damn it...
He actually used a material I can't break free of...
Thinking this resentfully, Miko once again tried to struggle a little, wanting to snap that cuff apart.
But after she'd put every last ounce of strength into both her hands, that cuff still showed no reaction whatsoever; on the contrary, because she'd strained too hard, she accidentally let out a few "mmph-mmph" sounds.
"Miko, what's wrong with you?" Hearing those somewhat strange sounds Miko had just made, Lumine asked this with a touch of concern.
I don't think I misheard just now...
Why does it feel like Miko's crying in there...
Unable to resist pressing her ear up to listen to the sounds inside the room, Lumine really wanted to know what the situation in there was.
It was just that, after listening for a good long while, she didn't hear any further sound emerge.
Could Kaito and Miko have had a quarrel?
Although the way Kaito had looked just now didn't seem at all like he'd quarreled with Miko, the sound that had come out a moment ago really did sound a lot like someone crying.
Although it was also possible that this was some strange sound Miko made while dreaming, just a little before that she had heard footsteps coming from inside, so Miko definitely wasn't asleep yet.
Aiya...
What to do...
If Miko really is crying...
Then in all likelihood she won't open the door...
Continuing to look at that unopened door, Lumine was quite torn.
Should she go in and take a look, or not?
What if Miko really is crying? She couldn't very well just go back to sleep like this.
Should she go find Kaito, maybe?
Thinking this, Lumine cast her gaze toward the main gate of the little courtyard.
But if she did that, it would obviously be seeking the far thing while the near one was at hand.
And more importantly, if something unpleasant really had happened between Miko and Kaito, then she ought to go to Miko first—after all, Miko was right inside the room right now.
Let's just open the door...
After thinking it through, Lumine decided to first see whether she could get this door open.
If it really wouldn't work, then she and Miko asking about the situation through the door would do too.
No matter what, she definitely couldn't just go back to sleep like this.
"Miko, I'm coming in, okay." After saying this, Lumine reached out and turned the door handle.
But just as she gave the handle a turn, there was a "whump" from inside the room—clearly someone was bracing against the door to keep it from opening.
"Miko, what's wrong with you? I feel like something seems to be the matter with you. Tell me about it, won't you?" Realizing that Miko was the one keeping her from opening the door, Lumine had no choice but to keep calling out toward the inside like this.
And while she was waiting for an answer from inside the room, someone was standing on the rooftop above.
To be precise, it was Mobius.
To think this kind of situation would actually come up...
Standing on the rooftop silently listening to the sounds coming from below, Mobius wore an expression of great anticipation for how things would unfold next.
She had originally come over to protect Miko, to provide an escort while Kaito's side was away, lest anyone come by.
After all, the current Miko was simply far too enticing; she couldn't allow any sort of situation to befall Miko.
But what she hadn't expected was that this kind of situation would now arise down below.
Originally she had just had Lumine notify Miko, so that Miko wouldn't fret in vain over not knowing what Kaito's side had gone off to do.
Any other time, fretting would just be fretting, but the situation was special right now, so she'd had Lumine do that.
It was just that she hadn't expected Lumine would mistakenly think something had happened to Miko inside and want to go in and take a look.
Should I make an appearance here, maybe...
I feel like if Miko got seen by Lumine in that state right now, she'd be mortified to death...
Continuing to stand on the rooftop, Mobius was pondering whether it would be better for her to make an appearance.
But on second thought, Lumine would probably end up like this later on too, and letting her get an early look wasn't a bad thing either.
Forget it...
I'll just keep watching the show...
Who told me to be Mobius right now...
Thinking this, Mobius gave up on the idea of going down.
Of course, she wouldn't help Lumine open the door either, much less help Miko block it—she'd just watch and see what happened next.
"Miko, it's fine for you to just talk to me from inside like this—were you crying just now?" At this point Lumine's voice came again from below.
And inside the room, Miko's face was flushed beyond words.
There was no helping it—the way she looked right now absolutely could not be seen by Lumine.
If she were seen, then her image would be utterly ruined.
Although she often said all sorts of bizarre things in front of Lumine before, saying was one thing, and doing was another thing entirely—let alone the shameful state she was in right now, while Lumine was dressed perfectly normally.
If Lumine's getup were about the same as hers, then she might consider accepting it a little, but obviously that wasn't how things stood at present.
So the door absolutely could not be opened—it couldn't be opened even on pain of death.
It was just that, right now, she couldn't respond at all to Lumine's calls; she could only awkwardly brace against the door here.
It had to be said, this door was still a bit cold.
"Miko, say something. It's fine to just tell me from inside, I won't come in."
I can't talk!!!
Stinky Lumine!!!
Hurry up and go back to sleep!!!
Don't meddle in us grown-ups' business!!!
Because she couldn't answer Lumine, Miko could only furiously shout this in her heart.
But her furious shouting in her heart, Lumine obviously couldn't hear.
"Miko, if you still won't open the door, then I'll have no choice but to force my way in."
At this point Lumine looked like she was preparing to barge in by force.
Miko: "???"
Don't come in!!!
Miko began to use even greater strength to block the door as best she could and keep Lumine from coming in.
Creak—
After Lumine started pushing hard on the door, that wooden door began to creak and groan under the two of them's struggle, sounding for all the world like it might fall apart at any moment.
I'm done for...
This door is going to break!!!
Listening to the sounds that wooden door was making, Miko knew there was no escaping this.
Forget it...
If she sees, then she sees!!!
Seeming to have made up her mind about something, Miko no longer braced against the door, but instead was pushed behind it as the door was shoved open.
"Miko!" The moment she came in and saw the room with no one in it, Lumine was startled.
And just as she walked a little further in, she suddenly heard the sound of the door being closed again, which gave her such a fright that she immediately turned her head back.
And it was precisely with this turn of her head that Lumine froze up entirely.
"Mi... Miko? Are... are you okay?" Looking at the stark-naked Miko, along with the little red ball in her mouth and her hands that seemed to be fixed behind her by something, Lumine was stunned—she'd never imagined she would see a scene like this.
And for some reason, there was even a puddle of water on the floor beneath Miko's feet right now, no telling whether it was Kaito who had spilled water here.
But Miko just kept looking at her without saying anything, which left Lumine not knowing what to say either.
____
👻🔥+40 ch: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Uchiha Reborn in Jujutsu Kaisen: The System Thinks I'm in Konoha, but I'm Not
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