Chapter 20: Sanae: Count me in!
....
With the crisis of Anna Yanami turning into an invisible person successfully resolved, Lala brought the food replicator back home after school, fully prepared to overhaul it. She made a specific point to request a comprehensive list from Ryouko Mikado detailing every seasoning that could pose a side effect to humans.
Once she programmed that data into the machine and attached a newly built food-analysis plugin, everyone would finally be able to use the gadget with complete peace of mind.
Upon hearing this meticulously laid-out plan, a drooling Anna expressed her immense anticipation for the upgraded machine's future culinary creations—proving beyond a doubt that she was the poster child for someone who completely forgot the pain once the wound healed.
Then again, a non-gluttonous Anna wouldn't be Old Eight. It was precisely because of her enthusiastic attitude that the last sliver of worry in Lala's heart vanished. She resolved to check the machine a hundred times over once the modifications were complete before letting anyone use it again.
When they arrived home, Lala didn't immediately rush to her bedroom to start working on the device. Instead, she gave Kihara's sleeve a couple of gentle tugs. "Can I sleep in your room tonight?"
Sanae quietly retracted her right foot, which had been mid-stride toward the kitchen, and turned back to look at the two of them, curious to see how he would respond.
"Sure."
"Hooray!!" Lala cheered, swiftly darting up the stairs.
"Kihara... you didn't trick Lala into doing that sort of thing before I arrived, did you?"
"Of course not. When she says sleep, she means it in the literal sense. Don't misunderstand."
"In that case..." Sanae reached up to stroke the long green hair framing her shoulder, summoning her courage to put forward her own request. "Since you already agreed to her request, it should be fine if you stay up with me tonight to build Gunpla models, right?"
"Sounds good."
Seeing him agree so readily, Sanae finally believed his earlier explanation. A small smile graced her lips as she hummed a cheerful melody and stepped into the kitchen.
...
Within the grand and solemn Deviluke Royal Palace, two pink-haired girls were strolling together through a courtyard fountain garden overflowing with vibrant flowers.
The girl with the curly bob cut knelt beside a tulip, gently brushing the petals with her pale, delicate fingers. "My~ Miss Tulip, you look exceptionally happy today. Did something wonderful happen?"
"Mmhmm... I see, so yesterday's watering was just the right amount."
The other girl, who wore her hair in twin tails, crossed her arms behind her head. Thrusting out a chest that was noticeably smaller than her younger sister's, she scoffed and complained, "Momo, can you please stop talking to plants out of nowhere? It looks incredibly weird to anyone watching."
"Nana, don't you occasionally strike up conversations with animals? What I'm doing is fundamentally no different from that."
"That's because animals are adorable! Of course I talk to them without thinking."
Momo gave a soft hum. "It's the same for me. Listening to the voices of plants is highly fascinating and quite enriching for the soul. Why don't you try it sometime? It might keep your behavior from being so boorish."
"Ha!" Nana sneered. "I call it being straightforward. I'm just not a fan of playing the goody-two-shoes in front of Mother like you do."
"And that is exactly why you're always getting into trouble and getting punished, my dear big sister~"
"Tch, why are you staring at my chest?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just looking." Momo casually crossed her arms, propping up her own well-developed bust as she spoke.
While her chest wasn't overwhelmingly large, to the practically flat-chested Nana, the gesture was nothing short of a devastating psychological critical hit.
A prominent vein throbbed on Nana's forehead, her pink fists instinctively clenching. "Are you looking for a fight again?"
In terms of raw physical combat, Momo was well aware she was no match for Nana, who excelled in martial arts. Never one to willingly take a loss, she smoothly pivoted the topic. "Speaking of which, surely you've heard the news about Big Sister finding a fiancé?"
The simple-minded Nana blinked, running a hand through her hair in mild irritation. "How could I not know about something that huge? Do you think Father is going to start pressuring us into blind dates next?"
"It's highly probable. After all, he's always wanted a successor to take over his workload so he can run off and play."
"Ugh... I absolutely do not want to go on arranged dates."
A look of pure revulsion crossed her face, her right index finger spinning the tip of her twin-tail. "When we secretly investigated Elder Sister's prospective suitors before, those dossiers made me want to throw up. They all looked perfectly dignified on the outside, but they were actually hypocrites who only cared about the throne of the Galactic Overlord."
"True. It's a good thing we helped Big Sister screen them beforehand and weeded out ninety-nine percent of the candidates."
"But who could have guessed she'd run away right before the official meeting, head to Earth, and end up with a fiancé anyway? Must be nice... I want to skip classes and go play on an alien planet too."
(I was waiting for you to say that!)
An imperceptible smile flashed deep within Momo's eyes. Standing up, she suggested, "Why don't we find an opportunity to visit Earth and look for Big Sister?"
"Eh?" Nana gasped. She immediately cast a wary glance around her to ensure no one else was nearby before whispering, "Do you already have a plan?"
"We'll need to wait a few days. Ever since Big Sister escaped, the guards have been keeping a much tighter eye on the spaceships."
"I see... Just to be clear, it's not like I want to run away from home! I'm only tag-along because I'm worried about my little sister!"
"Yes, yes. Can you please do something about that tsundere personality of yours? That trope is totally out of style."
"Huh?! This is just how I am, why should I change?!"
"What if you fall in love with someone? Are you going to maintain that same tsundere attitude?"
Sometimes, Momo truly wondered if their parents had mixed up her and Nana's birth order. Her own meticulous, perceptive nature made her seem far more like the elder sister than the blunt and straightforward Nana.
...
Back on Earth, Kihara was currently sandwiched between two beautiful girls, Sanae and Lala. The occasional soft touch and sweet fragrance drifting from both sides made him feel as though he had ascended to paradise.
Initially, it had just been him and Sanae sitting on the carpet assembling a Gunpla model. However, Lala had walked in wearing her pajamas after her shower and, appearing equally intrigued by the giant robot, sat down right flush against him to join in.
As the two girls found themselves getting along famously, Kihara simply handed the assembly work over to Lala. Testing the waters, he casually rested his hands around their waists. Seeing that neither resisted, he blissfully basked in the joy of holding a beauty on each side.
Ever since he discovered that Akane Shinjo—the girl he had gone on a date with previously—was actually Sanae's subconscious projection, he realized Sanae's affection for him had firmly entered the "more than friends, less than lovers" territory.
Now, her willingness to leave the shrine's affairs behind to seek him out across worlds, coupled with her present receptive attitude, convinced Kihara that only a thin sheet of paper stood between them. Whenever they felt like it, they could poke right through it and officially become a couple.
With her incredible technical skills, Lala managed to completely assemble a Gunpla model in just about an hour. Noting that the clock had struck 10:00 PM, she stretched her slender waist and stood up, making her way toward the bed. "Kihara, let's sleep!"
"Yeah."
Sanae looked up at her, then turned her head to look at Kihara, before speaking in a calm, deliberate tone:
"Count me in too."
....
Thank you for reading.