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In a flash, it was dismissal time.
Kitahara Makoto greeted Togawa-san, saying he wasn't free to go shopping with ghost Senpai today, and then went straight home.
Not long after he got home, the doorbell rang.
"Kitahara-kun, good afternoon."
The door opened, and two girls stood outside: Nijika and Ryo.
Yamada Ryo raised her right hand and said expressionlessly:
"Ah, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, senpai." Kitahara Makoto moved aside, letting them in, "It's hot, come inside to talk."
"Excuse us."
Ijichi Nijika carried her backpack and stepped inside.
Thump-thump-thump.
The Beast Eared Girl heard the commotion and ran over on her short legs:
"Mama, little cake."
"I won't forget Hana-chan's little cake." Seeing her daughter, Ijichi Nijika's eyes instantly softened. She handed over the shopping bag she was holding, her voice gentle, "There are ten little cakes inside, but you can't eat them all at once. Eat a maximum of two at a time, and put the rest in the refrigerator."
The Beast Eared Girl took the little cakes and hugged them in her arms:
"Papa, last night, went out, didn't give little cake."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Goodness, you've even learned to complain, haven't you?
I never said I'd bring you little cakes every time I went out, don't make it a habit!
"Papa might be a bit tight on money recently…" Ijichi Nijika rubbed the Beast Eared Girl's small head, then suddenly reacted, her pretty face flushing slightly, and she looked up, glaring at Kitahara Makoto, "Let's not quibble with him."
"Nijika-senpai, I just bought some fruit." Kitahara Makoto sat on the sofa, "You go wash the fruit."
"Do that yourself."
"Hana-chan wants to eat too."
"Excuse~"
Ijichi Nijika grumbled as she walked towards the kitchen.
Not long after, Ijichi Nijika came out with the fruit, which was not only clean but also neatly cut into pieces.
"Thank you, senpai…"
Kitahara Makoto reached out to take the fruit.
Slap.
Ijichi Nijika lightly slapped his hand: "Wash your hands first. Eating without washing your hands makes it easy to get sick."
Yamada Ryo opened her mouth: "Nijika, feed me."
Ijichi Nijika: "I won't feed you! Eat it yourself!"
The Beast Eared Girl also looked up: "Mama, feed me."
Facing the silver-haired, red-eyed Beast Eared Girl who called her 'Mama', Ijichi Nijika had no resistance at all. She instinctively picked up a piece of apple and handed it over.
"Partial." Yamada Ryo showed a wronged expression, "Nijika is really too partial."
Ijichi Nijika gave her an exasperated glare: "Hana-chan is still a child."
Yamada Ryo: "I'm also a child."
Kitahara Makoto retorted from the side: "Ryo-senpai is a child of six years and one hundred and twenty months."
Yamada Ryo said shamelessly: "That's right, hurry up and feed me."
Ijichi Nijika: "…"
As they chatted, the doorbell rang again.
"I'll get it."
Ijichi Nijika subconsciously took on the responsibility of the head of the household.
The door opened.
A clear and pleasant voice of a girl rang out in the sunlight:
"Nijika-senpai, good afternoon."
"Eh?" Ijichi Nijika said in surprise, "Kita… and Bocchi-chan? Why are you two here?"
Kita Ikuyo put her hands on her hips, raising her chin: "Of course, we're here to accompany Nijika to the Otherworld."
"Wait a minute." Ijichi Nijika furrowed her brows, "How did you know?"
Kitahara Makoto ate a piece of cut apple and raised his hand:
"I told Kita today."
"It was my idea." Yamada Ryo said calmly, "A five-person team can maximize the use of the answer book; just the three of us isn't safe."
Kitahara Makoto slowly said from the side:
"Nijika-senpai, you wouldn't want your cousin to be in danger, would you?"
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
"Don't worry, Senpai." Kita Ikuyo's voice was clear, "Kitahara-kun just told us the secret. Bocchi-chan and I wanted to come and help; there was no coercion whatsoever."
"Mhm, mhm." Gotō Hitori nodded quickly, half-hiding behind Kita, and whispered, "Nijika-senpai shouldn't bear everything alone. You should have told Kita and me last time."
Ijichi Nijika silently bit her lower lip, took a deep breath, and bowed:
"Thank you, everyone."
"Save that until we rescue your cousin." Kitahara Makoto took out the answer book, "First, let's ask how to make Hana-chan open the door to the Otherworld where your cousin is."
This was the first question the three of them had discussed after returning last time.
Hana-chan had the ability to open doors to the Otherworld, but whether she could open the door right next to the cousin was another matter entirely.
"Let Bocchi-chan ask the first question." Kitahara Makoto's gaze shifted to Little Miss Anxiety, and he said softly, "The situation in the Otherworld is unpredictable. If an emergency occurs, Hitori-chan might not be able to speak."
Gotō Hitori secretly looked up upon hearing this.
Their eyes met.
Bocchi-chan's small face quickly flushed red, and she nervously lowered her head to look at her toes.
(Not good! Not good! Not good!)
(I finally managed to seal what happened that day in the Mariana Trench, but now seeing Kitahara-kun, I suddenly remembered it again...)
(I must reinforce the seal; don't think about that kind of thing again!)
"I, I understand..."
Seeing that she couldn't refuse, Gotō Hitori could only muster her courage and accept the task.
Whoosh.
The answer book flipped rapidly on its own, without any wind.
[8:18 PM, second-floor bedroom door]
Ijichi Nijika said softly:
"Indeed, the time and location of opening the door will affect the position we enter the Otherworld."
"It's only four o'clock now; eight o'clock in the evening is still early." Kitahara Makoto mused, "Let's have dinner together tonight. After eating our fill, we'll go to the Otherworld."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kitahara Makoto felt a scorching gaze from beside him.
Yamada Ryo clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling brightly: "god! I want to eat the braised pork ribs from last time!"
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
You usually call me Kitahara, but when you want to eat, you call me god. You have no shame at all!
"No problem, but we'll have to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients." Kitahara Makoto agreed, "Anything else you want to eat? Say it all together."
Yamada Ryo's eyes sparkled: "I also want to eat tomato beef brisket."
"Okay."
"That shredded potato is also super delicious."
"No problem."
...god, please accept my knees!"
Your knees are too soft!
Kitahara Makoto then looked at Little Miss Anxiety and said gently:
"Hitori-chan, go home and call Futari over. We'll have dinner together tonight, and then send Futari back after dinner."
"Okay..."
Bocchi-chan didn't dare to look up, staring at her toes, and obediently agreed.
No need to elaborate on the trivial matters in between. At 8:15 PM, everyone was fully prepared and on high alert.
Time ticked by.
Another three minutes passed in a flash, and the time reached 8:18 PM.
"Hana-chan." Kitahara Makoto looked down and gave the order, "Open the door."
The Beast Eared Girl held her small cake, extended her small hand, and pressed it against the second-floor bedroom door. Flowers quickly grew out of thin air.
Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath, gripped the doorknob, and pushed the door open:
...Let's go!
The third Otherworld adventure officially began.
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