"By the way does Yor-san know how to fight?"
"Ugh... yes, I do," Yor replied absentmindedly, wiping her tears as she read The WorldEnd. Lost in the emotional climax of the story, she only realized what she had just admitted after a moment.
"Wait... what did you just ask me?" Yor's eyes widened in panic.
Akifumi gave her a helpless look. "I asked if Yor-san knows how to fight."
"Why... why would you ask that?" Yor stammered, her expression tense.
Had the young master finally discovered her secret?
Akifumi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Now I know."
Yor's heart nearly stopped. "Y-You do?"
Had he known all along?!
Her thoughts spiraled into chaos, imagining the worst-case scenario. Tears welled up in her eyes, this time not just from the emotional novel but from fear and guilt.
Seeing her tear-streaked face, Akifumi hesitated. "For you, Yor-san... was The WorldEnd ending just too sad?"
Yor froze. "...Huh?"
Akifumi gently took the book from her trembling hands. "If you're not used to stories like this, you don't have to force yourself."
Yor couldn't hold back anymore. "Ugh..." she sobbed, tears flowing uncontrollably.
To Akifumi, it seemed like she was overwhelmed by the tragic ending of the novel. Her tearful face was so pure and heartbreaking that he couldn't help but feel moved.
Meanwhile, Yor cried for an entirely different reason.
Akifumi unconsciously reached out to comfort her, patting her head gently, just like he did with Mashiro.
Then his movement froze.
'Will this upset the Thorn Princess?' A little nervous, he glanced at her.
Seeing her still crying sadly, he relaxed.
His hand, now more confident, patted her head freely.
Suddenly, there was a powerful gaze from the side.
Mashiro stood expressionlessly, glaring at the hand that was patting Yor's head.
Although no words were spoken, Akifumi, familiar with how young girls think, knew she was probably thinking, 'Why not me?'
Seeing this, Akifumi chuckled and reached out with his right hand to pat Mashiro's head.
The girl instantly narrowed her eyes, a serene smile appearing on her face.
'What a gullible little girl!'
Once things calmed down, Akifumi spoke up again, "The reason I asked is because I've seen Yor-san practicing shadow boxing before. Your stance looked really impressive, so I got a little curious."
"Eh!?" Yor's eyes widened.
So... it wasn't about her secret identity!?
Suddenly, she blurted out, "Is that all?"
"Is there something else?" Akifumi tilted his head in confusion.
'Was she referring to her assassin identity?' Akifumi thought to himself, showing a suitably puzzled expression.
"N-No, nothing else." Yor quickly shook her head. "Yes, I know a little."
"Then... could you teach me?"
"Why the sudden interest in fighting?" Yor asked, genuinely puzzled.
"When a boy is growing into a man, doesn't he naturally long for this kind of thing?" Akifumi said with an eager smile. "Once I realized I have someone skilled around me, I couldn't help but want to learn!"
"Skilled? There's no such thing..." Yor mumbled, clearly underestimating her abilities.
"If you really want to learn... I can teach you," she added hesitantly.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Yor-sensei!" Akifumi replied cheerfully before turning to Mashiro. "Once Mahiru comes back from grocery shopping, can you let her know?"
"I want to go too," Mashiro said, glancing at her drawing tablet with a sigh.
"Don't you need to finish your drawing?" Akifumi grinned.
Mashiro hesitated, torn between her art and her curiosity. Finally, she sighed and returned to her tablet. "But... you better come back early."
"No problem," Akifumi reassured her. "And I'll get you more of that layer cake."
"But I already had four this week, If Mahiru finds out, she'll be upset."
"Then let's just keep it a secret from Mahiru," Akifumi said with a mischievous smile.
"Alright," Mashiro answered playing along with his plan.
Akifumi playfully pinched her nose. "You better not end up a little piggy from eating all those cakes. It won't be cute!"
Mashiro glanced down at her body "Just one more wouldn't hurt."
Her earnest expression made both Akifumi and Yor laugh.
"Mashiro-san, you're really adorable," Yor commented with a warm smile.
———————————————————————
The two left the house, and Mashiro quietly returned to her work, her expression calm as usual.
Not long after, the door opened, and Mahiru returned from shopping, her eyes scanning the room in confusion.
"Huh? Where is everyone? It's just you, Mashiro?"
Mashiro paused for a moment before replying in her usual monotone voice, "Akifumi asked Yor to teach him how to become an adult."
Mahiru froze. "H-How to become an adult...?"
Her face flushed bright red as her mind wandered to... well, more inappropriate thoughts.
Mashiro tilted her head slightly, noticing Mahiru's reaction. "Mahiru, are you feeling unwell? Your face is red." Mashiro asked, worried, reaching up to check her forehead.
"I'm fine!" Mahiru waved her hand dismissively, though her cheeks were still flushed.
"Mashiro please explain more clearly."
"Akifumi said that every boy, before becoming an adult, naturally becomes interested in fighting. So he asked Yor to teach him." Mashiro's answer while her focus still on her tablet.
"..."
Mahiru blinked in disbelief, her face still burning from her earlier misunderstanding. She shook her head in disbelief. "How did it turn into that? What you said makes it sound so different!"
"Of course, it's Mashiro's way of interpreting things!" Mahiru muttered to herself.
She was always amazed by the girl's unique thinking.
Speaking of which...
"It's already December," Mahiru said absently.
Mashiro tilted her head in confusion. "What's so special about December?"
"December means the New Year's coming up!" Mahiru said, smiling as she ruffled Mashiro's hair, though her expression was shadowed with a hint of something more complex.
"The New Year...," Mahiru repeated softly.
Mashiro's eyes lit up. "So, does that mean we can have more of that layer cake than usual?"
"Yes, indeed," Mahiru nodded with a smile. "For the New Year, I'll let you have five cakes in one week!"
"Five?!" Mashiro's eyes sparkled with excitement.
She started mentally counting, adding the ones Akifumi would give her.
"So, with his help, I could have over seven in a week?"
Her face lit up with a pure, innocent smile.
Mahiru, meanwhile, was lost in thought.
"I've known Mugiho-kun for half a year now..." she mused.
"It all started with that heavy rain... but even though I've been trying to keep my distance, it feels like we've grown even more apart over time."
The last time they communicated was because of Mashiro.
"Even during the New Year holiday... I doubt he'll reach out," Mahiru thought sadly.
The two of them were thinking about completely different things, each lost in their own thoughts.
———————————————————————
Two hours later, Akifumi and Yor came back from the gym, both showing different expressions.
"Yor-san, you really went easy on me!" Akifumi laughed, rubbing his sore arm from where she had thrown him.
"I'm glad you held back," he added with a little chuckle. "If you hadn't, I'd probably be in the hospital by now."
Yor apologized, looking guilty. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so serious."
Akifumi laughed, shaking his head. "No, it's fine. Honestly, I think it's a good thing. If I'd learned some power techniques, I might have even won."
Yor raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by his compliment. "You think you could beat me? With no training?"
Akifumi, remembering her original strength, couldn't help but roll his eyes in private.
'In this world, you'd definitely be a force to reckon with, right?' he thought.
"It's funny though, hearing you say that, even if it's just to comfort me," he said aloud, his voice light-hearted.
"Comfort?" Yor thought to herself, a little confused.
Akifumi smiled and added, "Can you continue teaching me? I'm serious about learning."
"As long as you're interested. Mas- Mugiho-kun" Yor replied, she was a bit surprised by how earnest he sounded and almost called him young master.
"Then I'll rely on you," he said, smiling.
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