"Origami… what did you just say?" Shichen frowned, half thinking he'd misheard.
"Shichen, you heard me correctly," Origami said calmly. "I want you two to 'perform' in front of me. That's your punishment."
"You're serious?"
"I'm serious." Origami nodded with a straight face.
"Why?"
"Because it's a punishment."
"And you really think that counts as punishment?"
"Isn't it? Or would you consider it a reward?" Origami's tone stayed flat, but the implication landed.
Shichen went silent.
To be honest, he did think it sounded more like a reward—at least for him. Being watched by Origami didn't feel humiliating in the same way it would with a stranger. If anything, it might even be… stimulating. Which made it hard to call this "punishment," at least from his perspective.
He glanced at Mio and Nia. Mio looked conflicted. Nia looked sleepy—and largely indifferent.
"I understand," Mio finally said, lifting her head with a determined expression. "If this will ease your anger, I can accept it."
"You can?" Origami studied her.
"I said I'd accept any punishment," Mio answered firmly.
Origami nodded, satisfied. "Good."
Mio turned to Nia. "Nia—are you okay with it?"
"I don't care," Nia replied. "It's just being watched. And Origami is family, not an outsider."
Shichen stared at them both. "You two… are you really serious?"
Mio looked at him. "What, Shichen? Are you refusing to accept punishment?"
"That's not the point…" Shichen hesitated. "Being watched—are you really fine with that?"
"It's fine," Mio said softly. "Origami isn't 'someone else.'"
"I don't mind," Nia added in her usual lazy tone.
Shichen let out a helpless sigh. "You've both… really gotten used to things."
"It's not 'getting worse,'" Mio said. "It's just… accepting reality. I watched you with Tohka and everyone else all this time. I went from jealousy, to adapting… and some things stopped feeling as important, as long as I can be with you."
Shichen couldn't help complaining, half amused, half baffled: "Shouldn't you still have some sense of embarrassment?"
Mio's smile turned faintly mischievous. "Embarrassment? I lost that when Nia and I started doing things together."
"You two are the same person."
"Two minds," Mio replied, like it was obvious.
Shichen gave up. Mio's acceptance was unexpectedly high—almost too high. Part of him even suspected she wasn't entirely opposed to it.
Origami didn't care about Mio's internal reasoning. She only cared about the outcome.
"Shichen," she said, cutting through it. "Are you accepting the punishment or not? Don't tell me you're going back on your word."
"I'm not," Shichen said. "If you can accept it, then so can I."
Origami nodded once. "Good. Then start. It's late—this could take a while."
Mio didn't hesitate. Her Spirit outfit dispersed into light, leaving her in her normal state.
Nia followed more slowly, removing her outer layers with practiced calm—still unbothered, still matter-of-fact. Origami noticed details that made her click her tongue in displeasure.
"So you two were fooling around earlier," Origami said, eyes narrowing.
"Twice," Nia replied plainly.
"…Twice?" Origami's tone sharpened.
"Daytime," Nia added, as if reporting the weather. "All the way until we got back."
Origami looked at Shichen, clearly annoyed. "We were worried sick."
Shichen coughed awkwardly. "That's not fair. They wouldn't let me come back sooner."
"Then you could've at least told us you were safe," Origami said, unexpectedly forceful.
"…You're right. I'm sorry." Shichen lowered his head and took the scolding.
Origami's expression softened a fraction. "Good."
Then she paused, glancing between them—calculating.
"…And after all that, you're still okay?" she asked, suspicion creeping in.
Shichen bristled instantly. "Are you implying I can't handle it?"
Origami immediately backpedaled. "No. That's not what I meant. I just—"
"If you don't believe me, you can come at me too," Shichen said with a dangerous confidence. "I can handle it."
Origami froze mid-thought, clearly reconsidering the implications. Then she cleared her throat and turned away.
"…Forget it. Mio, Nia—begin," Origami ordered, regaining her composure. "I'm watching."
Mio walked straight up to Shichen and pushed him back onto the bed with decisive confidence.
"Nia."
"I'm here."
Nia sat at the edge of the bed and efficiently undid Shichen's clothing, as if she'd done it countless times.
Shichen didn't resist. If anything, he deliberately stayed passive—because Origami's "punishment" was meant for Mio and Nia. If they were the ones being observed, the pressure and embarrassment would fall on them. Shichen's role was simply… to cooperate.
Mio and Nia understood that too. This was a "punishment" in name, but also a way for them to rejoin the family without letting guilt fester. So they were unusually forward—moving quickly, decisively, without hesitation.
Before long, the room filled with soft, intimate sounds.
Origami watched in silence for a while—expression steady, breathing controlled. Then, without warning, she took out her phone and started recording.
Mio and Nia were in no condition to stop her.