"Splish… Splish…"
The faucet's water flow gradually weakened to a trickle.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Iroha Isshiki muttered softly,
"Come on, Iroha, why are you so… useless!"
She had clearly decided to "conquer" Rei Ao, yet she kept messing up.
"Iroha, you've got to step up your game for the next phase!"
And this next phase was the final part of her plan!
After finishing dinner, Yui and Yumiko truly stopped tailing them. As they left, Yumiko cast a menacing glare at Rei Ao—probably a warning not to do anything dubious, and not to forget about "booking a room."
He hadn't done anything "bad," but Iroha Isshiki seemed fired up, eagerly clinging to him.
They sat in a quiet spot of the theater to watch a classic romance film, and Iroha kept making subtle moves: brushing hands "accidentally" while grabbing popcorn, mixing up their drinks, letting her cheek rest on his shoulder. Rei Ao didn't mind. If anything, Iroha herself ended up flustered—her heart pounding from her own maneuvers.
In the middle of the film came an inevitable "bathroom break" scene. Though she hated giving up resting her head on that broad shoulder, the urge to pee was non-negotiable.
"Rei Ao-kun, I-I need to run to the restroom."
"Sure. I'll come along."
Rei Ao's eyes gleamed. He and Iroha both left the screening hall.
"Lucky, no line!"
Seeing no one waiting outside the ladies' room, Iroha felt relieved.
"I'll go in; please wait for me a bit, Rei Ao-kun."
"Alright."
She stuck out her little pink tongue and, after Rei Ao nodded, stepped inside.
But Rei Ao remained where he was.
He himself had no need for the restroom; he'd come out for another reason. After waiting a while, he made his way into the ladies' room.
…
Worried about making Rei Ao wait, Iroha Isshiki hurried. She didn't bother touching up her makeup. And most importantly, the restroom was strangely empty—nobody else was around. It was a bit scary.
Right after turning on the faucet to wash her hands:
"!!!"
Something sparkle in her eyes. The mirror had reflected some flash. She stared at it curiously.
At that moment, the lights suddenly went out.
"Wah!"
She gasped, only for the lights to flicker back on and start blinking off and on.
"Is the lightbulb broken?"
Spooked, Iroha patted her chest, hurriedly finished washing her hands, and planned to get out of there quickly. But turning around, she froze.
Hovering in midair in front of her was a small, fist-sized orb of light.
"What… is that?"
The light hovered at about head level in the middle of the corridor, flashing as though in sync with the flickering lamps. Iroha stared blankly at it. In a matter of seconds, the orb swelled in size. In the blink of an eye, it grew to an adult's height, forming a multi-colored, translucent vortex.
"Glrp…"
Realizing something was wrong, Iroha rubbed her eyes, looked again—and it was still there.
"A g-ghost?"
The eerie phenomenon made her think of ghost stories and horror films, especially in a deserted bathroom with flickering lights—classic horror setup. Her fear soared, convinced it might be a ghost, making her shakily back away.
Bang!
She felt her back collide with something solid. Her hair stood on end.
"Kyaa!"
She gave a terrified shriek—only to have a large hand cover her mouth while another arm wrapped around her waist. Then a familiar voice whispered near her ear:
"Don't be scared—it's me."
"Mmph!" (Rei Ao-kun?!)
Soon, the hand covering her mouth let go. She spun around in a panic and saw that it really was Rei Ao, and exhaled in relief—but also turned a bit flustered.
"R-Rei Ao-kun, I, I saw a ghost! Let's get out of here!"
"No need."
He shook his head.
"What you saw wasn't a ghost."
As if anticipating all this, he remained perfectly calm—this was precisely the reason he'd come. He'd quietly worked some small tricks to ensure the restroom stayed empty.
"Eh?"
She still didn't know why he was here or what was happening. But hearing him say it wasn't a ghost, plus the warmth of his hand around her waist, eased her fear somewhat. Gathering her courage, she asked:
"Rei Ao-kun, you…you can see that strange thing, too?"
"Yes."
He gazed forward.
"It's a portal—a space-time passage."
"Huh?"
No sooner had he spoken than the multi-colored vortex surged with a brighter glow. Simultaneously—
"Waaahhh!"
A distant shout rapidly grew louder, followed by a heavy thump of someone landing on the solid floor:
"Oww…my butt, that hurts!"
A young girl was "spat out" of the vortex, flailing onto the floor. While she rubbed her backside, the portal vanished. The girl's attire resembled a cleric or nun's outfit, but it seemed a bit tight—especially around her rather ample bust. She picked up her fallen cap, put it on, and supported herself with something resembling a magical circle. Dazed, she looked around.
"…Where… is this place?"
She soon noticed Rei Ao and Iroha, and tightened her grip on her staff, warily asking:
"Who are you?"
Rei Ao grinned:
"Young lady, you're under arrest."
"Huh?"
…
Rei Ao led the baffled girl from another world and Iroha out of the ladies' room to an isolated spot outside the theater.
Cutting straight to the point, he said:
"Introduce yourself. I'm Rei Ao, this is Isshiki Iroha."
The girl was tense, mainly because she'd never seen neon lights or cars or big buildings. Nonetheless, she mustered her courage to speak:
"I, I'm Alicia Edelcia, a novice adventurer—a holy magic caster! Could, could you tell me where I am? I remember just now I was exploring a dungeon with my party, and then…"
Calling herself Alicia, she glanced at the elaborate staff in her hand, set with a strange green gem.
Rei Ao said:
"Go on, I'm listening."
"Er…"
Shrinking back a bit, Alicia confessed timidly:
"I… I got separated from my teammates in the dungeon. By chance, I entered a hidden room and saw this really beautiful staff."
She lifted it for them to see.
"The moment I grabbed it, my head spun…and then I arrived here."
Blinking her watery eyes, she pleaded:
"Rei Ao-san, could you please tell me…where is here?"
~~~
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