Date and Subjugate

Chapter 5

After being shown how technologically advanced the Fraxinus was by teleporting him and Kotori back to the ground below, they found themselves in front of the restaurant where they were supposed to meet up.

The spacequake alert had ended and people were back to roaming the streets, save for areas and locations that were closed off for an overnight reconstruction.

Most of them were restaurants and other stores, causing a dilemma for the citizens who wanted to have a meal at their favorite place.

Fortunately for the brother-and-sister duo-

"Yaaay! It's not closed yet!"

Kotori jumped up and down in joy upon seeing their favorite restaurant was unaffected by the spacequake that just took place.

The best part? It was still open for business.

Shidou stared at his younger sister in wonder, taking note of the complete change in her demeanor ever since they left the Fraxinus.

Not long ago, Kotori boasted a strict and no-nonsense personality that's fitting for a military commander, which is exactly what she was when she's not being his little sister.

The only differences between Kotori now and her earlier self is that she was back to wearing her school uniform and a pair of white ribbons tying her hair into twin-tails, as opposed to the military uniform and black pair of ribbons she wore earlier.

...either way, Shidou was glad that Kotori is still Kotori, and his sister wasn't kidnapped behind his back or anything worse......

"We got lucky, I guess. I was half-expecting this place to be closed."

"Come on, Onii-chan! Let's head inside before it gets flooded by other people!"

Kotori grabbed his arm and tried pulling her brother with her into the establishment, which wasn't effective in the slightest... at least for now.

Shidou chuckled softly before allowing himself to be pulled along as they went inside.

...he definitely needed this after seeing how different Kotori can be in a snap.

After ordering a shared meal for the both of them, Shidou and Kotori chose to sit at a table near the entrance so that they'd have a clear view of what's happening outside.

Rolling the lollipop in her mouth, Kotori kept herself distracted by scrolling through her phone and watching some MeTube videos, laughing heartily the whole time.

On the other hand, Shidou simply sat back and waited patiently for their food to arrive...... which didn't even last a minute because his mind was somewhere else.

He couldn't help but glance at Kotori, while thinking about everything that she revealed to him earlier, about the Spirits and her existence as one of them.

Although many of the questions that he had were answered while they were at the Fraxinus, there was still one major issue that left him confounded above everything else.

-and the perfect time to ask was right now, while they're alone, with no one around, and with his sister completely free to answer him... if she chooses to.

...well, it's not like he had anything to lose, so...

"Kotori...?"

"Yes, Onii-chan?"

"Why did you never tell me?"

The innocent smile on her face disappeared in an instant as she realized what he was referring to.

Kotori stared at him blankly for a moment, before surveying the area around them for anyone who could possibly overhear their conversation while it's happening.