"Would you like to stay at my place tonight?"
The limousine entered Queenvail Girls' Academy and came to a stop in front of the Twin Star Towers. After getting out, Sylvia extended an earnest invitation to Okita.
If this news were to spread, countless people would go wild with envy.
This was a chance to share a bed with a world-class diva!
"No, thank you."
To everyone's surprise, Okita quickly shook her head, declining Sylvia's offer.
"I see. Then I'll come find you both tomorrow morning."
Unfazed by the rejection, "Mother Sylvia" simply smiled and bid them farewell before entering the Twin Star Towers. She needed to discuss the matter of that reporter with Petra.
Watching Sylvia leave, Okita secretly let out a sigh of relief.
"You and Sylvia are really close, aren't you?"
Stella, who had been observing the scene, couldn't help but show a hint of envy—one she herself hadn't even noticed.
In contrast, her own family wasn't even in this world.
"I suppose so."
Okita vaguely brushed off the topic.
It was true that she and Sylvia were very close.
To be precise, Sylvia was unilaterally extremely affectionate toward Okita.
How affectionate, you ask?
Even after coming to Queenvail Girls' Academy and becoming Stella's roommate, Sylvia frequently invited Okita to stay overnight in her dorm. As the top-ranked student at Queenvail, her dorm was just as spacious as Claudia's.
Sylvia shared almost everything with her, completely unguarded. Whether it was girl talk or even baring it all, nothing was off-limits. Sometimes, she even invited Okita to bathe together, treating her almost like a beloved daughter. This, of course, gave Roy—who lurked behind Okita's gaze—quite the eyeful.
But the more this happened, the more uneasy Okita—no, Roy—became.
If one day his disguise were exposed, would Sylvia kill him?
He could only pray that day never came!
That evening, after dinner, Okita and Stella returned to their dorm. Following their baths, they climbed into bed feeling refreshed.
Stella lay on her stomach, clearly troubled, her gaze drifting toward Okita from time to time.
Roy had initially planned to let Okita sleep, as Claudia was waiting for him on the other side. But seeing Stella so restless, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Just ask if you have something on your mind."
Just as Okita was about to drift off to sleep, she suddenly spoke.
"Really? Is it okay?"
Stella, however, grew even more hesitant, cautiously looking at Okita.
"Well... here goes?"
Okita didn't respond, only letting out a soft hum of acknowledgment.
Reassured, Stella's eyes burned with curiosity as she finally voiced the question that had been weighing on her for days.
"Souji... are you a Blazer?"
"No."
"That was way too fast!"
Stella gasped in surprise.
Ever since witnessing Okita summon her weapon that day, the question had been bubbling up uncontrollably from the depths of her heart, lingering at the tip of her tongue for days without the courage to voice it—terrified that Okita might reject her. God only knew how long she'd suffered—Okita had already seen her summon her Device yet never once asked about it. Clearly, Okita didn't want to get involved with her, or so Stella had assumed.
She'd thought Okita wouldn't answer her question, but to her surprise, Okita responded without hesitation.
Only, the answer wasn't quite what she'd expected.
"No, but—wait, what you're saying... do you actually know about Blazers?"
At that moment, Stella suddenly caught on, turning to look at her with a mix of shock and a flicker of delight.
"Colour me impressed that your underdeveloped brain managed to connect the dots just now."
Okita sat up from the bed, her usual flat gaze fixed on Stella, her tone as indifferent as ever—only this time, there was a hint of teasing in her words.
"If you've got a problem with my brain, just say it outright!"
Stella's face flushed slightly, her voice abruptly rising several decibels.
"Exactly. All that growth went to your chest, and none to your head."
Before Stella could react, Okita had already appeared on top of her, straddling her waist, her slender hands gripping like iron—impossible to shake off.
"Wha—?!"
Stella let out an involuntary shriek, then stared at Okita in disbelief.
Unbelievable. Someone who always seemed so cold and detached could tease like any other girl?
"I know what Blazers are. I know your weapon is called a Device, and your fire manipulation is your Inherent Ability. But that's all."
Okita remained seated atop her, though inwardly, she felt nothing but disappointment.
Damn it. Familiars can't share tactile sensations. What a waste of headlights with zero play value.
Useless familiar.
"You really know?"
Stella's eyes lit up, momentarily forgetting to struggle free from Okita's grasp as she stared at her with eager anticipation.
"I said, that's all. My knowledge is limited."
Okita suddenly leaned down, bringing her face alarmingly close to Stella's.
Stella's breath hitched. The distance between them was now so minimal she could count Okita's eyelashes.
"Uh... I'm not really interested in this sort of thing, you know..."
Stella weakly raised a hand in protest. Some light teasing between girls was normal—her overly generous chest had drawn plenty of attention from both guys and girls growing up.
But this position was pushing it a bit too far, wasn't it?!
"Hmph. How do you know you're not interested if you've never tried?"
Okita snorted, deliberately inching even closer, her lips nearly brushing against Stella's.
Claudia was waiting for him over there, yet here he was, resolving her personal crisis instead. Did she think he was in some sage-like state of mind right now?
Quite the opposite, okay?!
Stella instinctively shut her eyes, her dark lashes fluttering like crow's feathers.
Her emotions felt strangely conflicted—amid the panic, there was an undeniable thread of anticipation.
"Ugh, am I really that kind of desperate pervert?!"
"...Never mind, let's get to the point."
Looking at Stella's completely yielding posture, Okita couldn't help but sigh inwardly. A familiar that only shared vision was absolutely ridiculous!
"I won't go into details about the process, but I can't send you back right now. Your wish is to return home, right?"
"Huh? Well... yes."
Stella opened her eyes to see Okita simply watching her without making any moves. She couldn't quite describe her current feelings—relieved, yet with a faint trace of disappointment. She felt ashamed of her own hidden desires.
"But just because it's impossible now doesn't mean it always will be. You can understand it that way."
Okita released Stella and got up to return to her own bed.
"I can't reveal specifics for now. If you're willing to trust me, just follow my lead... Anyway, we have a match tomorrow, so let's get some sleep."
As soon as she finished speaking, she lay down on her bed and within three seconds was breathing evenly in sleep.
Stella watched Okita drift off so quickly and was utterly speechless.
How could she possibly sleep after receiving so much shocking information?
But according to Okita's explanation, was she also from another world? Not the same world as Stella, but a third one?
Just like that guy named Roy?
"Even though we're all world-crossers, why is there such a huge difference?"
Stella felt unbalanced thinking about how neither she nor Okita could use Orga Lux, yet Roy could wield it freely without restraint.
"And... what if Okita ends up making me switch teams?"
***
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