Yukieda and Mai walked down the street. Around them were passersby strolling arm in arm, and warm-colored streetlights. On her feet, the leather shoes had been replaced with warmer boots. As they stepped on the ground, they made that distinct sound of packed snow being crushed.

As for the question of what gift would be best for Master Dai.

Yukieda brought it up a little with Mai.

“Cookies.”

Mai answered without even thinking.

“Cookies?”

Given Master Dai’s status... Yukieda somehow felt that cookies sounded a little cheap. Unless he meant some fancy foreign pastry or something?

Very quickly, Mai’s answer cut off her guesswork.

“Master Dai really likes the cookies my sister used to make.”

So that was what he meant by cookies?

Not the brand, but the taste.

But Yukieda remembered that Mai’s sister had already...

“I can make them too. My sister taught me before.”

That was the answer Mai gave her.

“I understand.” Yukieda took Mai’s hand and looked sincerely into his eyes. “I’m counting on you, Mai!”

For some reason, usually confident Mai avoided Yukieda’s gaze at that moment.

He seemed a little shy.

After that, Yukieda also learned that Master Dai had once confessed to Mai’s sister, only to be firmly rejected.

But wasn’t Master Dai a girl...?

“Mai’s sister was really amazing. In every way.”

“There’s one thing Yukieda should be careful about. Don’t mention Mr. Kenji’s name in front of Master Dai. For reasons you already know, Master Dai really hates Mr. Kenji.”

“A grudge over having his wife stolen?” Yukieda guessed.

“It’s more that she blames Mr. Kenji for failing to protect my sister.”

From Mai’s tone, he seemed to know that person codenamed Master Dai pretty well. And Yukieda happened to be curious about Master Dai too.

So she took the chance to ask.

“I wouldn’t say I know her that well. Yukieda knows this too. My sister and I actually lived in two different worlds. I only heard my sister mention things about Master Dai once in a while.”

Mai paused, then continued, “But Yukieda just needs to remember this. Master Dai is a flagship-level Magical Girl of Neon. She’s not just strong anymore. She’s absurdly strong!”

Later, Yukieda also learned that the flagship-level Magical Girl of the neighboring country was called Dragon Girl, and the one across the ocean was called Homelander.

—

Tomorrow was the day of departure.

They had to gather at the academy early in the morning, then board a coach bus. After about three or four hours on the road, they would reach Yasaka City.

Unlike Shiratsuru, Yasaka was a famous tourist city. It was especially known for its hot springs. And among those hot springs, the most famous of all was the hot spring hotel on Red Maple Mountain.

Right now, Shizuku was lying in her room. The cold glow of the terminal screen fell across her face.

The messages on it were all discussions from her classmates about the trip.

Their excitement practically came through the screen. There was basically no difference between them and elementary school kids waiting for a field trip the next day.

She wasn’t any different. Mention hot springs, and you’d think of wellness. Mention wellness, and you’d think of skin. Mention skin, and no girl could really stay above that. Everyone wanted softer, smoother skin.

Her stomach was a little hungry, so Shizuku got up from the bed.

She planned to find something to eat.

After opening the fridge, her gaze swept back and forth inside.

There were only things that could be called ingredients. Eating them as-is was still a little...

Yukieda probably wasn’t asleep yet. She should still be in her room. Maybe using her computer?

If Shizuku told her, she would definitely come running over to cook for her. She was always like that, afraid Shizuku might go hungry.

But Shizuku didn’t want to trouble her.

Maybe there was something else in the cabinet...

After opening it, a disappointed look appeared on Shizuku’s face.

Next time, she really should stock up on cup noodles or something. Wait, what’s this?

In the corner of the cabinet, Shizuku saw a bag of cookies tied with a ribbon.

Her eyes narrowed.

There was no label. It didn’t look like something sold in stores either. Did Yukieda make them herself?

But there wasn’t even an oven in the apartment. Could she have made them in home ec at school? But if Shizuku remembered right, Yukieda was only average at making sweets.

Hungry Shizuku didn’t care about any of that. Her hand reached for the cookies.

She untied the ribbon, and a rich fragrance drifted out of the bag.

Shizuku swallowed.

What was up with these cookies? Just smelling them already made them seem incredible.

She felt her already hungry lower belly grow even emptier.

It wanted to be filled.

The place below her wanted to be stuffed full by that round little thing, without leaving even the slightest gap.

She picked up a cookie and brought it toward her mouth.

“Pa.”

Shizuku saw that her slender wrist had been seized tightly.

She lifted her gaze and saw Yukieda wearing a serious expression.

She tried struggling a little, only to find that her arm didn’t budge at all.

She saw Yukieda shaking her head at her.

Later, Shizuku ended up eating the late-night snack Yukieda made instead.

—

The students on the bus all had joy written across their faces. They were bursting with energy.

But Shizuku, sitting beside Mari, looked gloomy from top to bottom. There wasn’t the slightest sign of excitement for the trip ahead.

That made even Mari, who had been grinning too, feel that something was off.

“Shizuku, what exactly happened?”

Shizuku said darkly, “Last night, I wanted to eat some cookies. But Yukieda stopped me.”

“Huh?”

Mari let out a puzzled sound.

“That doesn’t sound like such a big deal? Besides, Yukieda isn’t a stingy person.”

That was exactly what made Shizuku uncomfortable. Normally, Yukieda would want to stuff her full like a pig. But last night, she wouldn’t let Shizuku touch that tiny bag of cookies.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

There was only one reason.

And later, she confirmed it too.

Shizuku continued, “Those cookies were meant to be a gift.”

Mari’s lazy posture vanished instantly. She sat up straight.

“For who?”

“I don’t know.” Shizuku paused. “But.”

“But?”

“I saw the answer on Yukieda’s face.”

Shizuku’s thoughts drifted back to a little over ten hours earlier.

“Yukieda?”

“No, Shizuku. These cookies have an important use.”

Shizuku looked again at the cookie in her hand. Her nose gave a light sniff. The scent of milk still lingered in the air.

Still unwilling to give up, she pressed on.

“I can’t even have one?”

“Not even one.”

Because the lights weren’t on, her silver hair swayed gently in the moonlight.

The meaning was obvious.

No.

Shizuku put the cookie, which had almost reached her mouth, back down. This time, Yukieda didn’t stop her again.

“This is a gift? You’re giving it to someone else?”

“Mhm.”

“To who?”

Then Shizuku saw Yukieda lift her fair face. She glanced at her, then shyly covered her face.

Ehehe.

That was where the memory ended.

The bus was still noisy as ever.

Human joy and sorrow were never the same. Shizuku only found them loud.

No, right now, at least Shizuku and Mari shared the same joy and sorrow.

Amid the brightly colored crowd, black-and-white Mari and Shizuku sat together.

Right now, that bag of cookies was in Yukieda’s bag. To keep them from getting crushed, she had even made a cardboard case for them.

Did that mean that guy was on this same trip with them?

“So my guess was actually right. What kind of man could make Yukieda fall for him?”

What followed was the intelligence exchange between Shizuku and Mari.

Mari secretly glanced at Yukieda and Mai sitting nearby, then her fingers flew across her terminal.

“From what I’ve observed over the past few days, I haven’t seen Yukieda especially close with any boy.”

Shizuku typed quickly too.

“Same here.”

“Then was there anything unusual?”

Mari sent another message.

“I noticed Yukieda often disappears for no reason, and can’t be contacted.”

“!”

After exchanging a look, Shizuku continued typing.

“Even though she always explains it after she comes back, thinking about it now, it’s really strange.”

“You mean?”

Mari, whose head was full of eroge and doujins, widened her eyes.

“Did you forget? Last time. The red-light district.”

With that reminder from Shizuku, Mari suddenly understood.

Back then, Yukieda’s explanation had been vague too. It was just that both she and Shizuku had been startled by what happened, and cool, handsome Yukieda had drawn all their attention, so they never pressed further.

But now that they thought about it, there really was a huge problem.

Was it that guy?

That young man wearing the oni mask.

If that accident hadn’t happened, would Yukieda have shown up with that guy in some hotel glowing with weird neon lights? A hotel with a heart-shaped bed, four hanging straps over the middle, and things like whips, blindfolds, and gag balls scattered across the floor.

You couldn’t really blame Mari for thinking that way. That was usually how the flow went. Either a movie or dinner, then straight to the main event.

Maybe Yukieda had already experienced this kind of play and that kind of play. Thinking of that, Mari felt a little pain in her heart. A sense of being NTR’d rose up inside her.

That cool and cute Yukieda, who had saved her from danger again and again, being pinned underneath someone...

No, absolutely unacceptable. At the very least, Yukieda had to be on top.

It felt like she was about to tear apart her seat cushion.

At this point, Mari didn’t even bother typing. With a pained expression, she leaned close to Shizuku’s ear and whispered directly,

“Shizuku, are you saying that oni-mask guy is the one Yukieda’s planning to confess to?”

“I think so.” Shizuku secretly glanced at Yukieda. She was chatting and laughing with Mai. And that idiot Mai could still laugh. She hadn’t noticed a thing. The most important Yukieda was about to be stolen away by some masked scrub who came out of nowhere.

“Back then, Yukieda said he was her brother. But now I’m wondering whether he’s really her actual brother, or her lover-boy brother.”

Mari pulled out her glasses from her backpack and pushed them up.

Right now, only this old friend could give her a sense of security.

“I get it now. If there wasn’t something shady going on, why would Yukieda hide it from us? And if you think about it, there’s only one reason she would. The face under that oni mask belongs to a teacher from the academy.”

That thought matched Shizuku’s exactly. She had always felt Yukieda had a bit of a father complex, with a serious thing for older men. Her social experience was so low that getting tricked by an older guy would be totally normal.

“So this time, we’re going to find that man in the oni mask.”

Shizuku held out her hand.

“Save Yukieda-chan!”

Mari held out her hand too.

The two of them clasped tightly together.