"Mio, I want that."
Shiina Mashiro tugged at the hem of Shirai Mio's clothes, then pointed at the dessert shop a little ways off, her eyes brimming with longing.
"Sure, eat whatever you want." Mio smiled. Mashiro clearly put away an absurd amount of food every single day, yet somehow never gained an ounce — which was something Mio just couldn't wrap her head around.
After all, she only stayed slim because of the System.
Was this, then, the special privilege of being a beautiful girl?
Tucking that stray thought away, Mio simply took Mashiro by the hand and walked her into the shop.
She was still hunting for a table when a familiar voice rang out behind her. "Well, if it isn't my dear little kouhai~"
Mio's expression froze on the spot. She followed the voice and, in one glance, spotted Yukinoshita Haruno sitting in the corner, chin propped on one hand, smiling at her with narrowed eyes.
Honestly, Mio hadn't expected to run into her here of all places.
Ever since Haruno had recognized her at Comiket, Mio hadn't gone out of her way to contact her once.
She had no idea whether Haruno still remembered what she'd said back then.
Then again, given that wicked personality of hers, she probably hadn't forgotten, had she?
Since Haruno had already spotted her, there was no point in trying to slip away now. Mio just walked straight over and sat down across from her, then asked, curious, "What's Senpai doing here all on her own today?"
"It's a rare day off, so I figured I'd go out for a stroll. I never imagined I'd run into my little kouhai here. Could this be the fabled thing they call fate?"
As she said it, Haruno's gaze drifted, quiet, to Mashiro — who had sat down beside Mio and was watching her with open wariness. If only it were just her cute little kouhai here.
Still, with Mashiro around, watching her go all tense and jumpy was its own kind of fun.
At that thought, Haruno smiled and said, "Oh, right — my kouhai still remembers our little promise, doesn't she?"
Mio, who'd been studying the menu, couldn't help but pause. Then, almost on reflex, she glanced at Mashiro.
Mashiro was looking back at her with curious eyes, as if asking just what this promise with Yukinoshita Haruno was.
Mio had every reason to suspect Haruno had said it in front of Mashiro on purpose.
"And here I thought Senpai was just teasing me back then~" Mio let out a dry little laugh.
"How could I be? So I could honor our promise properly, I even read my kouhai's work a few times over~"
Haruno didn't say that part out loud — she sent it to Mio as a text instead.
Which let Mio quietly breathe out a sigh of relief. Though the thought of Haruno having pored over a doujinshi she'd drawn several times left her with a shame she couldn't put into words. As expected, having someone you knew see a doujinshi you'd drawn yourself was no different from social death!
"What promise?" Mashiro tugged at Mio's clothes, asking it with plain curiosity.
"Remember how I went to Comiket a while back? I ran into Senpai there, so I promised I'd cook her a big feast sometime when I had the chance."
"Oh."
Mashiro didn't doubt a single word of it. Which, in its own way, showed just how unconditionally she trusted Mio.
And it was that very trust that left Mio drowning in guilt.
She let out a soft sigh and, having finished ordering, lifted her head again. "I actually have time today. Does Senpai want to come over and mooch a meal off me?"
"As much as I'd love to come mooch off you, I've got something on tonight. So let's save it for next time~"
"Senpai really is a busy one~"
For once, Haruno cracked a wry little smile. "Can't be helped. My time isn't exactly my own to command."
Mio had assumed Haruno would tag along with them, but before she'd even finished her dessert, Haruno rose as if something had come up and left — settling the bill on her way out, too.
Only after Haruno was gone did Mashiro finally let go of the hem of Mio's clothes she'd been gripping.
To Mashiro, Yukinoshita Haruno radiated threat, as though she might snatch Mio away at any second.
Once they'd finished their dessert, Mio took Mashiro by the hand and they kept browsing. She'd originally planned on grabbing lunch out before heading back, but they got through the shopping a fair bit faster than she'd expected.
With everything bought and mealtime still a ways off, she just brought Mashiro back to the apartment and decided to cook herself.
Mio was right in the middle of cooking when she suddenly heard Mashiro's footsteps. She glanced toward the kitchen doorway on reflex — and there stood Shiina Mashiro in battle lingerie, looking at her with that guileless face. "Mio, do I look good?"
"You look good, sure, but why are you walking around in that right now? Go and get properly dressed, would you?!"
Looking away would've been the smart move here, but Mio couldn't stop herself from sneaking a few extra glances. She had to admit it — Mashiro, right now, was nothing short of tempting.
At that same moment, the task the System had handed out earlier was duly completed.
Completed just like that — without Mio having lifted a single finger.
Even the System couldn't hold it together. "Why? Why do the tasks tied to Shiina Mashiro always get cleared this easily?"
"Maybe this is just my charm~" Mio said smugly.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. By all means, Host, keep on flaunting that charm of yours."
After Mio selected [Shiina Mashiro's Photographic Memory] as her reward, time began to flow once more.
Catching Mio's gaze on her, the corners of Mashiro's mouth curved up by a faint, barely-there fraction. As long as she could draw a reaction like this out of Mio, that was already enough for her.
Under Mio's lecturing and supervision, Mashiro finally — reluctantly — pulled on a nightgown, then quietly came to stand at Mio's side, watching her turn raw ingredients into something delicious, bit by bit.
"You don't have to stand here watching the whole time. I'll call you when it's ready."
Mashiro gave a small shake of her head, then looked at Mio. "I'm not waiting for lunch to be done. I'm just looking at you."
"Wh-what's even there to look at about me?"
"Mio's pretty. Pretty eyebrows, pretty eyes, pretty nose, pretty mouth — anyway, everything about you is pretty."
Even Mio, hearing that, couldn't help but say, "D-don't just spring stuff like that on me — it's the kind of thing that makes a person's heart race."
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