"I'm going to school."
Mutou Judai looked at Erina standing at the door in her school uniform, carrying her bag. After slightly sensing and confirming that there were guards around Erina, he nodded and watched her leave, then casually closed the door.
Erina would come in the morning to make breakfast or bring Mutou Judai a breakfast she had prepared.
Then she would go to school.
Mutou Judai, having dropped out of Totsuki, was now completely idle, staying home whenever he had nothing to do—though recently he always had something to do.
Mutou Judai opened the lunch box Erina had brought him. Looking at the contents that were nutritionally balanced but deliberately included more seafood, he slowly smiled.
"Speaking of which, I really never thought before that someone like me who likes staying home when free and doesn't like socializing with strangers could develop to this point in just a week with... well, a friend."
"Even though some things happened along the way, this kind of relationship is something I completely didn't expect before."
While eating, Mutou Judai thought about Erina.
Come to think of it, when he first met Erina, he seemed quite close to her.
Otherwise, he couldn't have brought a stranger to his home.
At that time, he didn't understand what kind of person Erina specifically was. His understanding of Erina was one-sided, yet he already had certain feelings for her then.
"Is this the privilege of being a beautiful girl... though it's not bad."
What Mutou Judai didn't know was that Erina actually had the same feeling.
She too, from the first time she saw Mutou Judai, or rather from that first day of contact with him, discovered that when interacting with Mutou Judai, she could feel a very reassuring sensation.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have actively suggested coming to Mutou Judai's house to test cooking.
Starting from that subtle feeling at that time, their relationship had developed to what it was now.
That initial feeling was a very important element in this relationship.
So even though Mutou Judai said it was because Erina was a beautiful girl, actually the people he had contacted afterward—whether Shinomiya Kaguya, Soryuin Akemi, Okami Sakura, or Wu Karura—were all beautiful girls too.
But toward them, Mutou Judai lacked that feeling he had when treating Erina.
Besides Mutou Judai knowing Erina first, it was also because there wasn't that initial flutter, so when facing them, Mutou Judai remained that gloomy character who didn't like socializing with strangers.
With such thoughts, Mutou Judai finished washing the lunch box Erina had brought him, placed it on the table, then put on his coat. Looking at the message Machida Sonoko had sent on his phone, he planned to discuss the illustration issue for "A Certain Magical Index" with her today.
Then...
"Master Mutou—!"
Shortly after Mutou Judai left home, Okami Sakura ran up from behind him.
Although Mutou Judai was lazy, Jack Hanma was someone very knowledgeable about training, so he could tell at a glance that Okami Sakura had just finished morning practice.
And the training she had done seemed to be high-intensity muscle training.
If she continued practicing like this... probably before long, this beautiful girl before him would become like those muscle monsters at Silverman Gym.
With such thoughts, Mutou Judai couldn't help but sigh.
After greeting Mutou Judai, Okami Sakura directly approached and asked him.
"Master Mutou—did you also just finish morning practice?"
Regarding Okami Sakura calling him master, Mutou Judai had realized that changing her perspective was very difficult.
So now he listlessly waved his hand and told the truth.
"No—I never exercise."
He had tried firmly refusing, but she didn't buy that approach.
So Mutou Judai planned to choose roundabout tactics.
After all, he was a lazy person... Meeting others' expectations was difficult, but disappointing people—wasn't that what his previous life's self was best at!
You could say his laziness never disappointed people when it came to disappointing them!
So compared to firm refusal being directly ignored by her, this might actually be his area of expertise.
After hearing Mutou Judai say he never exercised, Okami Sakura obviously had a different reaction from her previous determination.
Never exercises...
—Master Mutou means the strong don't need to exercise!
Yes, just like the strong among beasts—would lions deliberately train their muscles?
No!
The strong are just strong!
Has Master Mutou reached such a realm!
Mutou Judai was completely unaware of Okami Sakura's explosive purity of thought. He just continued talking to himself.
"And not only do I not exercise, staying up late at night is common, irregular schedule, irregular eating, don't eat nutritious things much, basically lived on carbonated drinks and such before."
"When free, I stay home, and when there's something to do, I try to make it into nothing."
Saying this, Mutou Judai glanced at Okami Sakura.
"I'm that kind of guy."
Mutou Judai saw that Okami Sakura was obviously stunned, then sighed inwardly.
Although he didn't want to see a beautiful girl become a muscle monster, anyway he wasn't familiar with Okami Sakura, and he had no reason to block someone else's chosen path.
He definitely couldn't be her master.
But pointing out a clear path for her was no problem.
"By the way, if you want to do high-intensity muscle training, there's a Silverman Gym over there with a coach called Machio. If you find him, you might have unexpected gains."
Thinking that Okami Sakura might later become that kind of demonic muscle person, Mutou Judai shook his head slightly, then left the dazed Okami Sakura behind and went to keep his appointment with Machida Sonoko.
Okami Sakura stood stunned for a while, then her eyes suddenly brightened!
"Yes!"
"What I pursue is martial arts! Strength! Not the kind of muscle training that can be done in gyms, not fitness or bodybuilding!"
"Muscles... useless!"
At this moment, Okami Sakura thought of all the various fighting techniques she had encountered so far. Previously unable to integrate them, at this moment she understood!
She also comprehended something entirely new.
"Worthy of Master Mutou! I understand! Thank you for your teachings!"
Okami Sakura said this, but Mutou Judai was long gone.
Seeing the empty street, Okami Sakura wasn't discouraged but was full of energy.
Because.
—She had found the direction to continue forward.
If Mutou Judai were here, he would probably think—Evil creature, what did you understand!?
But Mutou Judai wasn't there.
He had already arrived at the coffee shop where he had arranged to discuss illustration issues with Machida Sonoko.
Then he immediately saw Machida Sonoko, and...
A person sitting beside her with golden twin-tails... an oversized elementary student?
...