Compared to Rin Tohsaka—who sat stiffly at Irisviel's table and clearly didn't know how to fit into the atmosphere—Jeanne was completely at ease.
It wasn't even "being friendly with strangers," really. She already knew everyone.
She drifted from table to table, joining each little group, calling everyone by name, even acting warmly close—like she'd lived this life with them for a long time.
And that was the truth. She had known them. She had lived with them before.
The only difference was that Jeanne still remembered… while everyone else had started over.
Just like Shichen.
Shichen had already suspected something like this.
Why they'd started over, whether something difficult had happened, what exactly the god-fragment shards were, why everyone had them—he still didn't know.
He didn't even know how many "loops" he'd been through.
But soon, he would.
A week later, Rin had fully adapted. She could live freely now, and she'd gotten so close to everyone that she was basically one of the girls.
Shichen also arranged for her to attend the same school as Tohka Yatogami and the others.
Rin was at the right age—how could she not properly finish school?
A carefree, bright school life isn't something you can experience whenever you want. You have to treasure it while you're in the right stage to appreciate it.
Sure, they could live a long time, and their appearance could stay unchanged. Hundreds of years later, when nobody remembered them, they could still go to school again.
But by then, their hearts and minds would be different.
…Or maybe they could keep a youthful spirit forever. Who knew?
Either way, you had to grasp now.
Of course, there was another reason: Shichen just liked seeing everyone suffer through the universal misery of classes and homework.
Everyone had to go through it. No exceptions.
That said, Rin was brilliant. For people who learned easily, school wasn't suffering—it was practically relaxing.
Still, it was fine. She didn't have much to do at home anyway. Better to use school as a way to pass time and get even closer to Tohka and the others.
And the café didn't need her—there were more than enough hands.
In the kitchen, they already had (the Kaleid Blood), and Rem helping out, and now Sella and Leysritt had joined too. Everyone could rotate shifts and actually rest.
And it was a café. No matter how many people there were, it wasn't like they were running a battlefield.
Lily also adapted quickly. She even became one of the café's servers alongside Chisato and the others.
Shichen had a uniform custom-made for her in the same style as Chisato's—only hers was mainly yellow.
He remembered Kasumigaoka Utaha had a black one, though she didn't help much. Sometimes, when she hit writer's block, she'd come out and help for a change of pace.
A uniform like that shouldn't go to waste, Shichen thought. Sometimes it could be used elsewhere.
For "mood," for example.
What kind of "mood"… well. You know.
Back at the café, Shichen's life returned to a calm rhythm. Most days he was idle—basically just the shop's lucky charm.
And "she" still wasn't pushing him to hurry up and collect the remaining divine fragments.
Jeanne wasn't pressuring him either. These days she was mostly busy remembering this world.
Still… the calmer life became, the more likely it was that some storm was waiting around the corner.
…
"Asagi, why do you spend all day in your room?"
Shichen barged into Aiba Asagi's pitch-dark room and, without the slightest hesitation, flopped onto her soft bed.
The room was warm. Asagi wasn't wearing much—just a two-piece pajama set with frills.
It wasn't tight, but her figure still showed clearly.
Several computers sat around the room, all displaying surveillance feeds—both inside the café and outside.
She was the "electronic queen," after all. Coming here, she'd naturally slipped back into her old habits. Shichen seriously suspected she'd hacked into something terrifying by now.
Like Tohka and the others, Asagi attended the same school, and she was popular too.
But unlike Tohka—who had that "special aura" that kept people at arm's length—Asagi got even more confessions.
Still, her heart already belonged to someone.
"Sensei…" Asagi finally tore her gaze away from the screens and looked toward Shichen on her bed.
She didn't mind him sprawled there at all. Honestly, she'd be fine with him sleeping there every day.
But ever since she'd come to this world… he hadn't. Not even once.
"Come here." Shichen rolled onto his back and patted the space beside him.
Asagi didn't hesitate. She stood up from her chair, walked over, and lay down next to him.
Shichen turned toward her, pulled her into his arms, and stared at her with a burning gaze.
"Sensei…" Asagi blinked her pretty eyes.
"I'm not your teacher anymore," Shichen reminded her, smiling.
"I like calling you that." Asagi shook her head.
"Then… if your 'teacher' does something a little bold, you won't mind, right?" Shichen asked.
Asagi's heart jumped, her eyes filling with expectation. "Sensei… what are you going to do?"
"What do you think?" Shichen leaned closer.
Asagi tensed, then instinctively closed her eyes.
So Shichen kissed her—softly at first, then deeper as she clutched his collar and leaned in to meet him, making it easier for him.
Shichen held her tight and drew her closer, their kiss lingering.
In the dim room, only the monitor glow cast a faint light over the bed. You couldn't see much clearly.
But the breathy sounds that followed said enough.
Swoosh—
At some point, her pajamas ended up on the floor.
The bed seemed to glow with a pale, moonlit sheen.
"At home and you don't even wear anything underneath?" Shichen's voice teased.
"Why would I?" Asagi shot back.
"Fair point. Then let me check how healthy you are. You stay in this room all the time—bad for you." Shichen spoke as if he were serious, resting his hand over her heartbeat.
But he couldn't "hear" it clearly enough, so he tightened his fingers and pressed closer.
Asagi bit her lip and didn't say a word.
Shichen listened for a moment and found her perfectly fine.
She was already his kin—there was no way she'd have problems. Even her eyesight wouldn't be harmed by a room like this anymore.
Before long, her pajama bottoms also ended up on the floor.
There was carpet, so cleanliness wasn't an issue. And the house was magically cleaned on a regular schedule anyway.
The room somehow felt brighter, like moonlight had spilled inside.
Asagi didn't know where to put her hands. In the end, she covered herself instinctively—one hand over her chest, one lower.
Her skin was a cool, porcelain white. Maybe it was because she spent so much time in this kind of room—because even back on hot, humid Itogami Island, her complexion had never been affected at all.
In the dark, she looked almost translucent—smooth and flawless like jade.
Shichen shifted, hovering over her, his gaze scorching.
"Sensei…" Asagi's heart raced so hard she could hear it echoing in the room.
"Mhm." Shichen answered, still staring.
"Sensei… how long are you planning to stare?" Asagi tilted her head.
"Can I stare for a lifetime?" Shichen asked.
"…That's not impossible," she mumbled.
"Asagi, are you getting tsundere on me now?"
"I'm not." She blushed and denied it.
Her face was already bright red, and a rosy warmth was spreading across her skin—like cherry blossoms blooming on porcelain.
"I love it," Shichen murmured into her ear.
Asagi finally couldn't hold back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lifted her chin, and kissed him first.
Shichen let himself be led for once.
They clung to each other, unwilling to part, the room filling with soft, teasing sounds—though none of it could be heard outside.
After a long time, Asagi finally had to break away to breathe. Her chest rose and fell as she gulped air.
Shichen, still steady, traced down from her jawline—
"Sensei!" Asagi suddenly hugged his head tight.
Shichen stopped.
This mattered.
Asagi's eyes widened. She bit her lower lip and held her breath, completely still.
She was nervous—terrified, even—but more than that, she was waiting.
After all this time, she could finally take that last step with him and become the closest she could possibly be.
Not long after, a pained gasp rang out in the room.
Shichen was experienced—he wasn't the type to bring someone along and then only think about himself.
Sometimes he did… but only in special cases, and Asagi wasn't that kind of girl.
And it was strange. They weren't ordinary humans anymore.
So why did that first sting still happen?
Shichen thought… maybe it was because this was the moment a girl truly crossed over into becoming a woman.
~~~
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