Meanwhile, Yuki had no idea he had caught the attention of his homeroom teacher, Mafuyu Kirisu.
Right now, he was walking with Eriri—heading in the opposite direction from his own home. He had offered to walk her home since it was already getting late. The fact that Yuki was taking her home made Eriri secretly overjoyed.
Normally, she would deliberately wait for him on the way to school so they could walk together, but back then, it wasn't just the two of them—Marin, Origami, and the others were always there too. Now, it was completely different. Just the two of them. It felt like a real date.
She was so happy she felt light on her feet, practically floating as she walked. Watching her smile to herself every now and then, Yuki didn't need any special powers to know how pleased she was. He didn't say anything about it; he just made casual conversation.
"Eriri, your father is a diplomat. He got married and had kids here. Do you think your family plans to stay in Japan permanently? Not planning to go back to Britain?"
"Huh?!" Caught off guard by the question about her family, Eriri blinked. But she quickly recovered, thought for a moment, and answered. "I think so. Ever since I was little, my sister and I never really had any memories of our family's home in Britain. We've rarely gone back to where my dad grew up. He never really talked much about it either. So I think they probably plan to stay here for good."
After a moment of thought, Eriri tried to figure out her parents' intentions. From what she knew, both her father and mother were into otaku culture—and Japan was the best place in the world for that. So it was likely they wouldn't leave. Not that Eriri wanted to leave anyway. She was just as much of a hardcore otaku herself. Second—Yuki was here. So no matter what, she wouldn't leave Japan to go back to some unfamiliar country like Britain.
But now that Yuki was asking about her family, she found it a little strange. Could it be... he's asking because he's interested in me? A sudden thought crossed Eriri's mind, and a blush spread across her delicate face. Asking about someone's family background—wasn't that usually a sign of serious romantic interest? Maybe even marriage? The thought that Yuki might have that intention made her feel both shy and giddy.
Oh no... If he confesses right now, should I say yes or no?! Her heart raced as she entertained the possibility.
Yuki, meanwhile, continued the conversation. "Speaking of which, your family seems pretty well-off. You usually get chauffeured to school."
"Yeah. Aside from the house we live in now, we have a few other properties in Tokyo. We sometimes go there for vacations," Eriri nodded, though without any particular pride in her voice. "Oh, right. If you're free sometime, Yuki-kun, I could take you to see one of them. There's a house on a hill in Tokyo—the view of the night sky and the stars from there is gorgeous." She seemed to think of something and made the suggestion.
"Sure." Yuki nodded, accepting her invitation.
Seeing him agree, Eriri couldn't hide the joy on her face. A lovely smile curved at the corner of her lips.
Another ten minutes of walking brought them to a villa. This was Eriri's home—a villa that occupied over 400 square meters of land. By villa standards, 400 square meters wasn't exactly huge. But context mattered.
This was Japan, where land was scarce. And this was Tokyo, where land was worth more than gold. A 400-square-meter villa in Tokyo was enough to dwarf nearly every other house in the neighborhood. It was clear that Eriri's family was very well-off.
"Alright, since you're home now, I'll head back." Yuki glanced at the villa, and out of the corner of his eye, caught a faint shadow moving behind a curtain on the second floor. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Uh... well... Would you like to come in for a bit?" Hearing that Yuki was about to leave, Eriri's eyes darted around as she thought of something. She mustered her courage and softly invited him in, not wanting to miss the chance after finally getting him all the way to her neighborhood.
Yuki looked a little surprised. He hadn't expected Eriri to take the initiative like this. That was unexpected. But even so, Yuki shook his head. "Not today. Maybe next time."
Seeing him refuse so quickly, a flicker of disappointment crossed Eriri's eyes. "Huh? Why?" she pressed nervously.
Yuki pointed toward the western sky. "Look, it's getting late. Better not impose," he gave a casual excuse.
Eriri then realized how much time had passed since they started walking. The sky was already growing dark. We walked for that long? It only felt like a few minutes... she mused silently.
Maybe it was because she had been walking with someone she liked—time just slipped away without her noticing. Seeing how late it had gotten, Eriri didn't insist.
"Alright then. I won't keep you. Next time, I'll invite you in!"
Yuki nodded in response, said goodbye, and turned to walk back toward his own home. Before leaving, he glanced once more at the second-floor window, a gentle smile crossing his handsome face. Then he left, disappearing into the street.
Eriri watched him until he was completely out of sight before finally turning and heading inside. Meanwhile, behind the curtain of that same second-floor window, a faint rustle stirred. But upon closer look, the figure that had been there was already gone.
After walking for a while, Yuki was just about to teleport home when, at a corner, a figure suddenly bumped into him. She hit him like she had run into a mountain—her body lost its balance and she started to fall. Yuki reacted quickly, catching her and steadying her.
"Thank you..." The person thanked him and looked up.
Yuki's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
The person who had bumped into him was someone he recognized. Artemisia Bell Ashcroft—the ace magician of Britain's anti-Spirit unit from the original story. With that vivid orange hair, delicate features, and slightly dazed expression, there was no mistaking her. It was definitely Artemisia. Yuki was surprised to run into her here.