The old Little Garden had already been destroyed, and a new one was rebuilt by those people.
But what Shiroyasha always loved was only that old land, the one she had poured everything of herself into.
"Really, not exactly a surprising answer."
Haramura Makoto also laughed, openly and heartily.
"In that case, I assume you'll be giving me the necessary assistance."
"Of course, brat. Enjoy these last few moments of leisure while you can."
As if issuing a final notice, Shiroyasha flicked her folding fan downward.
Just like when she had appeared, Makoto's vision suddenly went black, his consciousness cut off as though the connection had been severed.
By the time he opened his eyes again, his original room had returned before him.
But he didn't rush to sit up. Instead, he slowly raised his left hand, which had been resting at his side, and looked at the ring on it — the one shaped like the sun.
His lips curved wider and wider.
"This… This really is… enough to make one's heart pound uncontrollably."
Knock, knock, knock—
A rhythmic knocking sounded just then.
"Haramura-kun, are your questions settled? I don't really want to bother you, but there's something you need to deal with."
That carefree, pleasant voice could only belong to Shokuhou Misaki.
"Come in! I've rested enough already."
Pulling his thoughts back, Makoto sat up on the bed. At the same time, the bedroom door slowly slid open.
Misaki, of course, held keys to every room.
With Makoto's permission, she didn't need him to open it from inside. She could easily unlock it herself.
"Mm-hmm—"
Dressed in a knit sweater and pleated skirt, the girl walked in and immediately began looking around, her eyes darting everywhere like she was inspecting the place.
"Hey! This was your guest room to begin with. I've only been staying here four or five hours at most. What's the point of being so curious? Who on earth could leave behind personal traces in a completely unfamiliar room after just three or four hours?"
Makoto sighed, shaking his head with a helpless expression that screamed I don't even have the energy to complain.
"Heh-heh—That's where you don't understand."
Not finding what she was looking for, Misaki finally gave up and stopped her restless scanning.
"Sometimes, boys your age are brimming with such… vigorous energy, you know. Even in just two or three hours, maybe Haramura-kun would… vent a little of that restless spirit."
"… …"
"Who the hell would do that."
Makoto immediately stood, taking advantage of his height to press down on Misaki's little head with one hand.
"And besides—you're a girl. Stop saying such shameless things. It doesn't suit you, got it?"
Finally, he ended the matter with a light but sharp flick to her forehead, sending her staggering back a step with a red mark as proof.
"Alright, what's the matter? Has Fremea woken up?"
"Hmph, maybe you're just embarrassed because I hit the mark."
Rubbing her slightly reddened forehead, Misaki puffed her cheeks like a girlfriend throwing a playful tantrum.
But she controlled herself well, making the gesture just right and not overdone.
Seizing Makoto's question, she smoothly shifted the subject.
"Yes, Fremea-chan has woken up. And now she needs someone to give her a proper explanation. Of course, I could do it. But since Haramura-kun, you've been so kind to this little girl, I'll leave it to you."
Comforting Fremea.
Indeed, if Misaki were to handle it herself, it would be the easiest solution.
A mere press of her "remote control" could alter Fremea's thoughts in an instant.
But without question, that would be the worst possible approach.
No matter how you dressed it up, no matter how you justified it, forcibly rewriting another person's memories was never right.
Even Misaki, who liked to think of herself as noble and upright, admitted that much.
Sure, when dealing with enemies, she would never hesitate.
And if necessary, she wouldn't stubbornly avoid using her ability.
But with Fremea, there was absolutely no need.
She knew very well how much Makoto cared for the little girl.
If she overstepped here, even if the odds were high he'd let it slide, there was still that small chance he wouldn't like it.
Why take the risk when she didn't have to?
"Mm. And what about Frenda? Has she woken up too?"
"Of course. But that one's been quite well-behaved. She's stayed put in her room and hasn't done much."
Misaki was slightly impressed by how quickly Frenda accepted reality.
Or perhaps, she thought, Frenda's spinelessness was a bit beyond expectation.
"Oh, and not just her — that girl Kinuhata Saiai is also adapting pretty quickly. What's this supposed to be? An Underworld Division tradition?"
Having never actually hired members of the dark side before, Misaki found it rather amusing.
"I don't know… but wait, you didn't control the two of them earlier?"
Makoto's curiosity was piqued.
He'd thought that during his battle with Mugino Shizuri, when Misaki had intervened, she'd already completely rewritten their minds.
"Changing someone's thoughts completely isn't that simple, you know. Strictly speaking, altering thoughts is about replacing them. And replacement requires coming up with a reasonable substitute. With things being so rushed earlier, how would I have had the time to think that through? It's not like deleting a file on a computer with one key press."
She rolled her eyes, her tone slightly exasperated.
"I see. So then… Mugino Shizuri's thought process is the one you've already replaced?"
Catching the hint in her words, Makoto asked directly.
"Heh-heh~ That's right. After all, she's the one with the greatest value after this mission. Of course she needed to be dealt with first. Otherwise, once her barrier recovers, she'd be a real pain."
Misaki wagged her finger, blinking playfully, and said in a mysterious tone:
"When you see her later, you'll definitely be shocked."