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Soon enough, with the first round of morning "aerobics" finished, the once-dry and cozy bed was now a haze of heat and steam.
The little black-haired girl who had once been so stiff and guarded now found her expression softening bit by bit—until, in the end, she completely lost control.
"W-Wait… wait a second, isn't that enough…?"
"I don't think so."
"Th-Then at least let me rest a little first…"
Unable to stop the boy who was hell-bent on continuing, Natsuki could only retreat and beg for a short reprieve. Of course, "rest" was just a word—she had no idea how many more rounds might follow. This so-called morning exercise might only be one-tenth finished.
But she had to keep him from running completely wild.
She couldn't forget: today was a workday. If she let this lunatic pound her into the mattress first thing in the morning, then forget leaving the house; she wouldn't even be able to get out of bed.
And if she lost her wits entirely, slipping into that dizzy, fogged-over state, she might never be able to wrestle her clarity back.
"Haah…"
She sucked in two sharp breaths, forcing her lungs to calm, and swallowed to moisten her dry throat.
"Done resting already?" came the boy's voice from behind her.
"No!" Natsuki whipped her head around to glare at him, her cheeks glowing red.
Her skin was already slick with a thin sheen of sweat. A shower before work would be non-negotiable. It meant wasting precious time—but at least he was here.
When it came time to head to the Security Forces Headquarters, she could make him teleport her. One morning of "hard training" in exchange for skipping a jam-packed subway commute? She could justify that. Yes, two birds, one stone.
"To change the subject—those buildings on top of Keystone Gate. That was your handiwork, wasn't it?" She tilted her head back, eyes rolling up to meet the boy lying on his side behind her.
"Hm? Yeah," he said without hesitation. "Why, the Security Forces finally noticed?"
"…We're not blind, you know!" Natsuki didn't even know how to respond to that smug tone.
"Sure, Keystone Gate is the tallest structure on the island, but it's not invisible. You built actual houses on top of it! People on the ground can still see them! The only reason this hasn't turned into a scandal is because civilians assume the administration put them there. Even so, we've already filed reports with Tokyo's parliament."
"It's fine. I approved it."
"…I wasn't asking you."
"You were asking me."
"The report went to Tokyo."
"And it'll still land on my desk in the end." He shrugged, meeting her puzzled glare. "Because the island belongs to me now. Keystone Gate, everything. Japan has no say. This is my territory. If I want to build, I build."
He paused, then added casually, "Oh, and by the way, if you move your house into Keystone Gate, I can use Le Blue to link it directly to your office. You could literally sleep until a minute before work and still clock in on time. No trains. No buses. No rush."
Natsuki blinked. "Le Blue… isn't that the ability of Tokoyogi Aya's daughter?"
"Oh, I studied it a bit. Not too hard to pick up," he said, pinching her cheek with a smirk.
She didn't even have the energy to swat him away. Her mind was spinning. Every witch's ability came from a contract with a demon; it had costs and restrictions. You didn't just learn them. And yet he spoke of it like it was nothing.
"Anyway, that's the gist. I've got more plans, too. Maybe I'll move the entire island later." He returned to the original question. "So, Natsuki. Have you decided? Want to move to Keystone Gate?"
"Grr… fine. Do whatever you want." She clenched her teeth, but in the end, she caved.
It wasn't just weakness, it was reality. She really couldn't escape him anymore.
Couldn't resist him.
But… maybe that wasn't so bad. He wasn't exactly evil. He was strong, handsome, reliable. And she was twenty-six now. If her body hadn't been locked in stasis all those years, she'd already be a "past-her-prime" single woman. Maybe it was time to think about her future.
Her thoughts spiraled—until suddenly his hands pressed down on her shoulders again.
Wait... again?!
"Mmgh! Stop! I already agreed to..."
Her protest died in her throat as the progress bar surged back to life, pulsing like the LED strips in a gaming PC.
"Don't worry. This isn't about that," he said, bafflingly calm. "I just want to help restore your magic sooner."
Her jaw dropped. She had work! In minutes, Kanon would be knocking at the door. If someone walked in now...
And then, because the universe has a sick sense of humor—
Knock, knock.
"Teacher Natsuki? Breakfast is ready—I made enough for both you and Miss Tokoyogi… huh? Why is Big Brother here too? And why are you two—ah! Sorry, I didn't see anything!"
The door slammed shut.
Natsuki's flushed face burned hotter than ever. She wanted to shout a denial—but no words came.
It really did feel like her "new life" had ended the moment it began. But maybe… maybe Aya was right. They were past the point of no return.
So why not just let go, and enjoy it?
Two hours later, another new building joined the skyline atop Keystone Gate.
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