Chiba Academy.
The sudden change in scenery made Nagami instinctively blink.
He froze for a second as he looked around the familiar classroom, his mind rewinding back to the time before he had crossed over.
His gaze eventually fell on the game console resting on his desk.
These basic lectures were, of course, boring and dull for someone like Nagami.
Games, by comparison, were far more interesting.
And playing games during class carried a certain thrill that was leagues beyond just gaming at home.
In other words, if it wasn't during class, there'd be no point in staying awake or having fun at all.
Clearly, Kiana shared the same mindset.
She had a textbook propped up vertically as a shield, but behind it, she was peacefully snoring away.
Meanwhile, Mei—the model student—was fully absorbed in the lecture, diligently taking notes.
Though lately, she had developed a habit of occasionally sneaking glances at the boy sitting behind her... but not today.
Today, Mei didn't have the luxury for distractions.
She stared at the physics equations on the blackboard, her brows furrowed in frustration.
Yes, even Mei had her academic weak spots—and physics was definitely one of them.
Nagami's clothes from his time in Shiraori's world had long since been damaged in battles against monsters.
But he'd thought ahead before traveling and packed several identical outfits.
So none of the girls in class—who always seemed to have their eyes on him—noticed anything unusual.
Noticing the teacher's glance shifting his way, Nagami quickly lowered his head and resumed tapping away on the game console under the desk.
The teacher hesitated for a moment, seemingly about to lecture him, but upon remembering the principal's instructions, gave up on the idea and continued with the lesson as if nothing had happened.
After all... the bribe he give to the school was just too generous.
———————————————————————
Elsewhere...
In a brightly lit bathroom, the sound of running water echoed softly.
Steam fogged up the frosted glass, collecting into fat droplets that slowly slid down its surface.
Through the semi-transparent door, the vague silhouette of a lithe young woman could be seen lounging in the tub.
The warm light traced every elegant curve of her form—an image of near-perfection.
"Ahh~ A hot bath really is heaven..."
C.C. let out a relaxed sigh, eyes closed as she soaked in the massage-equipped bathtub.
Her smooth, pale skin shimmered beneath the water, her sensuous figure lazily draped in the soothing warmth.
Her long, jade-green hair was tied up behind her head, exposing her slender neck and the delicate collarbones below her shoulders, highlighted by the sunlight streaming through the bathroom window.
The first thing she did after returning home was, naturally, to bathe.
The environment of the Elro Great Labyrinth had been hellish for a human being.
Sure, she could use magic to clean herself, but that was a far cry from the bliss of a hot soak.
As her body completely relaxed in the tub, C.C.'s attention drifted to the chat group. Everyone seemed to be busy.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: (Red envelope) sent to Kiana Kaslana
[Hakurei Reimu]: Why's it set to one person only?!
———————————————————————
Reimu's complaint popped up almost immediately after Nagami sent the red envelope.
———————————————————————
[Itsuka Kotori]: A special gift for Kiana?
[Kiana Kaslana]: Wait... this is a... a Traversal Card?!
[Akemi Homura]: You even had enough spare points to send gifts?! I haven't even saved up enough to buy a Fated Encounter yet!
———————————————————————
Homura, also currently in class, quietly scribbled notes with her usual frosty expression.
A typical ice-cold beauty.
But who joins the group and stays untouched?
Her delicate fingers clenched slightly.
The magic coursing through her body made her ballpoint pen groan under the pressure, and a subtle look of gritted-teeth frustration appeared on her otherwise refined face.
For the first time, Akemi Homura understood what it meant to live like a dog.
———————————————————————
[Kiana Kaslana]: Nagami, did you already return to your world?
———————————————————————
No one else questioned it—after all, everyone knew Nagami had invited Kiana to help out in his world.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: Yep, just got back. I think we need to—...wait, what the—!!!
———————————————————————
Because thoughts were sent via intent, the unfinished sentence gave way to the rawest expression of emotion from C.C.
———————————————————————
[Shiraori]: Nagami, what happened?
[Inori Yuzuriha]: ...?
———————————————————————
There was no reply.
C.C. had already exited the chat.
"...What the hell?!"
The green-haired girl bolted upright in the tub, staring wide-eyed at the vision before her—completely stunned.
A girl had suddenly appeared, seemingly out of thin air.
She looked like a saint—elegant and noble.
She wore a white fitted dress lined with golden trim, and her high-heeled, thigh-high boots were white with golden soles.
Her long, slender legs beneath the dress were dazzlingly pale, nearly glowing in the bathroom light.
Behind her back was a pristine white backpack adorned with golden floral patterns.
Her long, snow-white braided hair was immaculately neat, and the confident, radiant smile on her delicate face made her look like a noble princess.
But the moment her eyes took in the scene before her, that smile froze in place.
Her expression perfectly mirrored C.C.'s dumbfounded stare—those striking blue eyes were filled with utter confusion.
The atmosphere turned to stone.
The only sound that broke the silence was the occasional drip of water from the green-haired girl's wet hair, echoing softly in the steam-filled bathroom.
Driven by the instincts embedded deep within the Kaslana bloodline, Kiana's gaze began to wander involuntarily across the breathtaking figure standing naked before her.
A soft, sweet fragrance mixed with the warm air of the bath, surrounding her like a seductive mist.
In that silence, Kiana could almost hear the thundering of her own heartbeat echoing through her chest.
The girl's silky green hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her golden eyes shimmered with a dreamy glow.
She was beautiful—so beautiful that it felt unreal, like something conjured from a dream too perfect to exist.
Then, Kiana's eyes widened as she suddenly felt something warm threatening to drip from her nose.
Wait a minute… SHE'S A—
The burning, almost tangible intensity of Kiana's gaze made something click in C.C.'s mind.
This is bad.
This is really bad.
Everything about this was completely off the rails.
It had all happened too fast, and now C.C. was frozen, mind swirling in total confusion.
'Goddammit,' she thought, 'Why is a card I bought still counted under the group leader's privileges?!'
There's no way around it—this chat group system definitely has a bug.
Entering someone else's world without permission? There was only one explanation: the exclusive authority of the group leader.
But why hadn't that privilege been revoked when she gave the card away?
C.C. didn't have time to figure it out now.
"Hold it! Wait! Friend!"
C.C.'s voice suddenly sharpened, arms crossing in front of her in an X-shaped gesture.
"Uh…"
Kiana was so captivated by the stunning view that it took C.C.'s outburst to snap her out of it.
Her eyes widened in horror, and she bowed deeply in panic, voice filled with guilt.
"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Really—I wasn't trying to—!"
'OH COME ON!'
If you're sorry, then quit staring already!
C.C. sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, exasperated.
Feeling the residual stares, she reluctantly reached for a nearby towel, calmly dried off, wrapped herself in a white bath towel, and walked over to the flustered silver-haired girl.
Awkward. Utterly, impossibly awkward.
Kiana couldn't meet her gaze.
Her eyes darted everywhere else.
She felt like she could barely breathe, as if the air itself had turned to sludge.
Her forehead began to sweat, and her lungs tightened with embarrassment.
"Sigh… forget it. I didn't expect that card to work without my approval," C.C. said, folding her arms and rubbing her chin as she observed Kiana's awkward squirming with a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Well, whatever the case, this is my…"
Kiana tried to bow again, her manners kicking in like second nature, but C.C.'s words cut her off mid-motion.
The tension in the room finally began to ease just a little.
Kiana, her mind working again, began piecing things together.
Considering where she had ended up and what the green-haired beauty had just said, her genius-level brain went to work…
'BOOM!'
Like a thunderclap in her skull, realization struck.
A metaphorical bomb exploded in her head, leaving her blank and stunned.
"Y-You... Y-you-you-you're… Nagami?!"
"Yes..." The reply was calm, composed.
Kiana's jaw nearly hit the floor.
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