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１９

"I like tall girls with big butts!"

_____________

Megumi was beyond perplexed by this question. So was Nobara. Especially Nobara.

What kind of person even said that aloud?

They didn't know such a person existed, that's for sure.

This guy looked dead serious.

A character, indeed.

Megumi had his feet juxtaposed in preparation to retaliate if necessary. Something told him that this Todō wasn't just some beefcake.

His brows furrowed, expression still calm. But this time, he felt a slight irritation.

"And why would I share something like that with someone I just met?"

Upon his words, Nobara raised her right finger almost nonchalantly. It was pointed at Megumi, but she was facing the two other student sorcerers.

"It's kinda hard for a closeted pervert like him to answer that," she'd remark.

Megumi looked at her, irked by her words. "The situation's bad enough without you complicating it."

Nobara shrugged.

___________

Everything was blurring again. Her surroundings were spiraling. Distortions were everywhere. It was beginning to irk her.

She stayed on that metal bed— even after Shōko told her that she should stop before she actually begins to plan to stay there.

She liked the cold metal. This was better than cushions.

Shōko let her be, continuing to take another cigarette from a new pack she'd just bought. The smoke emitted from it once more as she took a seat from the corner of the room to place just opposite the bed.

Skrrr

She set it down before sitting there with her legs crossed, right leg over the other. She looked at the redhead still lounging as if this were her place instead of a gloomy morgue.

Sayuri had peculiar tastes in "furniture," that's for sure.

"....did you know I slept on metal beds back in Kyōto?"

"... you've told that story since we're were students, Yuri."

Sayuri always told the story anyway.

"Father often locked me in this room whenever I didn't pay attention to his lessons, you know? It was cold. But I liked the bed."

Shōko didn't say anything at her words. Sayuri always did this. She often said things as dark as that in times no one expected it.

"...but it was nice though. I liked the bed. It wasn't that hot either. There were jabs in the walls for air."

As always, she spoke of it while just looking at the ceiling with that smile on her face. Anyone would say she looked like she had a few screws loose.

Shōko often wondered why Sayuri even chose to have a job outside sorcery. Knowing her, she'd continue going on endless missions.

The Minamoto-hime didn't have to.

Yet, she chose to go to college for a period of time. She chose to apply for a license. She chose to have a clinic.