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Time passed quietly.
The bowl of red date and red bean porridge was almost empty before either of them realized it.
"Full?" Max asked with a warm smile.
"Mm-hmm, yeah," Miko nodded, smiling back.
Her amber-golden eyes reflected his face—soft, tender, and rippling like spring water.
Max set the empty dishes on the round bedside table and said with a chuckle, "Then take a break. After that, we'll wash up and head to school."
"School?"
Miko froze for a moment, blinking in surprise. Then her face flushed pink as she whispered, "Um… I don't think I can really go to school today."
After all, last night's "battle" had gone on for two and a half hours.
Even if it had been… enjoyable, she'd definitely been the first to fall.
Now her whole body felt sore and weak—and that particular place wasn't exactly comfortable either. There was no way she could go to school like this.
"Don't worry. You'll be fine."
Max smiled and gently patted her head.
"Huh??"
Miko blinked, confusion written all over her face.
"Just watch." Max grinned.
Under her curious gaze, he raised his right hand, spreading his fingers.
A faint violet-gold glow began to shimmer between them.
Tiny specks of light floated toward Miko, slowly sinking into her body.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt soothing warmth spreading through her limbs, washing away every trace of soreness and fatigue.
The weakness disappeared in an instant. Energy rushed back into her like she'd just woken from a long, refreshing sleep.
Even that uncomfortable feeling down below faded away completely, replaced by an almost blissful relief.
It felt too good—so much that Miko unconsciously closed her eyes and sighed softly.
After about ten seconds, Max curled his fingers and ended the spell.
"That's it?!" Miko sounded almost disappointed.
"Want another round?" he said with a teasing smile, lifting his hand again.
This time the warm current returned, gentler but still comforting.
Probably because her body was already healed, the effect wasn't as intense as before—but Miko still smiled brightly.
It wasn't really about the magic itself. It was the fact that Max used it again just because she wanted a bit more.
That little indulgence made her feel so cherished.
He kept the healing flow going for a full minute before finally stopping—only because Miko said that was enough. Otherwise, he probably would've kept going.
After all, when you've got unlimited energy, why not be a little reckless?
"Could you, um… step outside for a minute?" Miko suddenly asked, her voice soft.
"Why?" Max tilted his head, curious.
Her cheeks turned pink. "I—I need to get dressed."
"Oh, that." He chuckled. "We've already seen everything there is to see. Why so shy now? I could help you, if you want."
"Wha—?!"
Miko's face turned scarlet in an instant, steam practically rising from her head.
Sure, what he said wasn't wrong… but there were still limits to a girl's modesty!
As she struggled to speak, Max's eyes lit up with a mischievous idea.
"Actually," he said with a grin, "since we're about to shower anyway, how about we just do it together? Saves water."
"Huh?! Together?!"
Her eyes went wide, flickering between shock and disbelief as her mind started to conjure… certain scenes she absolutely shouldn't be imagining.
Her cheeks burned hotter, her skin tingled, and suddenly even the air felt too warm.
"Then it's decided," Max said, smiling as if there were no room for argument.
"Wait, what—?!"
Before she could react, he yanked the blanket off her.
"Ah!!" Miko yelped, instinctively covering herself with both hands.
Max only laughed, leaning down and scooping her up like a princess.
Her face turned so red it looked like it could drip blood. Eyes shut tight, she clutched at him, trying to hide what little she could.
She wanted to vanish into the blanket from embarrassment—but deep down, she didn't really hate it.
Max carried her upstairs to the bathroom and gently set her down.
He turned on the shower, then started filling the large tub—big enough for three people to soak comfortably.
Soft lights shimmered over the surface, and the jets hummed to life, sending warm streams swirling through the water.
"Miko…"
He turned around and saw her crouched down, hugging herself shyly, trying to cover up.
He couldn't help but smile. She looked adorable.
Half an hour passed in a flash.
After their bath, both of them changed back into their school uniforms.
When Miko caught her reflection in the mirror, she froze, eyes widening in surprise and delight.
Her skin looked smoother, fairer—almost glowing, flawless.
Her features seemed subtly different too. She couldn't quite pinpoint how, just that everything looked… softer, more balanced.
In short, she looked even prettier.
"Miko, time to go."
Max came up beside her, now fully dressed.
"Yeah, let's."
She glanced at him, her eyes warm and gentle, a soft smile curving her lips.
She'd brought all her school stuff yesterday, so there was no rush.
They grabbed their bags and headed out together.
On the way, Miko pulled out her phone and texted Hana Yurikawa, telling her not to wait.
The two usually met at the North District bus stop around 7:40 every morning before heading to school together.
It was 7:33 now—just enough time to send the message before Hana started wondering where she was.
Meanwhile…
"Huh?" Hana frowned slightly at the text, puzzled.
She couldn't figure it out, but after a few seconds she shrugged, typed back a simple "Got it," and boarded the next bus to school.
Questions could wait until later—she'd just ask Miko when she saw her.
Time slipped by quickly.
At 8 a.m., Max and Miko reached the school gates.
They even ran into a stray evil spirit on the way.
Miko barely flinched this time—she'd slain eighteen of them with her own hands last night, after all.
Following his usual "better safe than sorry" rule, Max wiped it out instantly with telekinesis, earning a tiny bit of energy in return.
Just enough to bump his upper energy limit by, oh, about one ten-millionth.
Low-level spirits barely helped anymore.
Once they arrived near campus, Miko deliberately slowed her pace, keeping some distance between them.
She didn't want to fuel any rumors—walking in too close with Max would definitely spark gossip.
She just wanted a quiet, normal school life.
Max thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
No problem.
There'd be plenty of time in the future anyway.
"....."