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Miko Yotsuya froze for a good while, still trying to process it.
"This is really your new house?"
"Of course. After you girls left that day, Mai and I stopped by the sales office. I saw this detached place, thought it looked nice, and bought it." Rosen answered with a small laugh.
"The old place was too cramped. If someone came to stay over, there wouldn't be enough room."
"Someone's going to stay? Who… exactly?" Miko asked carefully, her voice a little too quick.
"Obviously you two. Who else? You're not seriously planning to squeeze into one room with me, are you?"
He didn't notice the way Miko's face tilted downward, or how her expression shifted at those words.
"From now on, just treat this as your own home. I already sent the front gate code to your phones. Whenever you want to come over, just do it."
"God! Your place is way too luxurious! I can't believe I'm actually inside one of those mansions I've only ever seen on TV!"
Hana Yurikawa was still riding her wave of excitement. She had wandered down the hallway leading from the living room, peering out at the manicured gardens.
"Whoa! You even have a pool! God, can I swim in it?!"
"Go ahead. Don't hold back. Pretend it's your own place."
"Yay! I knew it—you're the best, God!"
She immediately reached for her buttons, ready to strip right there, but stopped short and turned around with a pitiful look.
"God… I think I forgot to bring a swimsuit."
Rosen honestly wouldn't have minded if they skinny-dipped, but even his familiars had their pride. He was about to conjure up a few swimsuits for them, but Hana stubbornly refused. According to her, "If I don't pick it out myself, it doesn't feel right"—classic girl logic. In the end, she insisted Rosen take them shopping.
And Rosen, with nothing urgent on his plate, agreed. It wasn't a bad excuse to spend some time with his adorable familiars.
Skipping over all the wasted hours of buses and trains, Rosen simply whisked the two of them straight to the city center using his divine stride.
"God's powers are way too convenient. Finally, no more being squashed in trains or buses." Hana sighed in relief, but her attention instantly shifted to the dazzling signs around them.
"Ah! Tamagoyaki! Ooh! Takoyaki! Oh! Crepes!"
One enthusiastic cry after another, and soon her hands were overflowing with snacks. She devoured them in record time, the "bottomless stomach" passive letting her eat even more than before without worrying about gaining weight.
"Sorry about her," Miko said with an embarrassed twitch at the corner of her eye. "Ever since she realized she can't really put on weight, she's gotten… bolder. Her snack intake is almost triple what it used to be."
Hana might be her best friend, but watching her scarf things down without the slightest concern for appearances was… mortifying. Way too much.
And no, she wasn't jealous. Absolutely not. Not even a little bit.
"Having a ball of energy like her around keeps things lively," Rosen chuckled. "But Miko, aren't you going to eat something?"
"I'm not hungry. I had lunch before coming to see you. But… speaking of which, where's Mai? Doesn't she live with you now?" Miko's gaze wavered as she asked.
"Her mom came yesterday. They cleared up their misunderstandings, and now they're off traveling together."
"I see… no wonder."
She wanted to ask something else—something more important—but the words stuck in her throat. Too awkward to say aloud.
Half an hour later, Hana polished off the last skewer of yakitori, rubbed her belly, and declared, "Mmm, I'm about eighty percent full. I'll stop here. Gotta leave room for afternoon tea and dinner later."
"Besides, the most important mission is still ahead!"
Miko twitched. Most important… after eating your way through an entire street?
And afternoon tea, on top of that? Wasn't this getting ridiculous?
Still, she couldn't help but ask, "And what mission would that be?"
"God, Miko—it's time to pick out swimsuits!" Hana announced proudly.
That jogged Miko's memory. Right, that was the real reason.
Since they were in the city center, it didn't take long for Hana to find a store on her phone.
Soon they were standing in front of a pink-themed boutique. In the window stood mannequins dressed in flashy lingerie and swimsuits. The purpose of the shop was obvious at a glance.
"There! God, Miko, let's go in!" Hana beamed.
"And of course I'll pick something for Mai too! After all, a girl's lingerie has to be chosen with care. Don't worry, Miko—I'll make sure your set is perfect too. God, you'll help us decide!"
Before Rosen could come up with an excuse, Hana had already dragged him inside. Passersby turned green with envy.
Lucky bastard—walking into a lingerie store with two high school girls.
Ignoring the jealous stares, Rosen found himself unexpectedly entertained. At first, only lingerie models caught his eye, but with the sheer variety laid out before him, even he couldn't help feeling impressed.
Hana and Miko quickly grabbed a few pieces and slipped into the fitting rooms.
While waiting, Miko spotted a "familiar face."
A long-haired spirit, wreathed in ominous black mist, tentacles writhing from her mouth.
She remembered—she and Hana had been here once before, and she had seen this same ghost. Back then, she had forced herself to stay calm, hiding her terror while she changed.
But now…
A dagger of holy light appeared in her right hand. In a blur, the blade cut through the specter before it even realized what happened. The spirit split in two and dissolved into nothing.
Miko stood there, her gaze sharp and strangely serene.
Goodbye… to the coward I used to be.
Moments later, the two girls emerged, having finished their fittings.
To Rosen's surprise, there was no "classic scene" of asking him which outfit looked better. Instead, they handled everything themselves, even paying in secret so he wouldn't have to.
"Next up—haunted house time at the amusement park!" Hana cheered as they left the store, pumping her fist in the air.
"..."
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