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Nodoka Toyohama looked at Badr, a sudden feeling of happiness for her sister washing over her.
This boy... his eyes were truly full of his love for her sister...
Nodoka understood what Badr meant, but she quickly realized something felt off.
"So, you're saying I'm no good anyway, so you're just making use of what's available, right?"
Badr chuckled. "If you want to see it that way, I suppose that's one way to put it."
"...Go die! Honestly..."
Nodoka muttered under her breath, exasperated.
Glancing at his watch, Badr stood up. "Mai's dance practice should be ending about now. I'll go pick her up."
"Ah, wait..."
Nodoka suddenly grabbed Badr's wrist.
Badr looked back at her. "What's wrong?"
"Um... I worked up quite a sweat. I want to take a relaxing bath. Could you, um, wait in the living room until I'm finished?"
She looked embarrassed, avoiding his gaze.
"Why do you need me in the living room while you bathe?" Badr couldn't quite follow Nodoka's logic.
"You see... when I bathe alone, sometimes it feels... ominous," she explained hesitantly.
"Like you feel a ghost might be watching you?"
"Yes, yes, exactly! That's the feeling..." Nodoka nodded vigorously.
Badr finally understood.
He gave Nodoka a knowing look. "Serves you right for watching those ghost movies alone. Now you're getting paranoid."
"Oh, shut up! If you understand how I feel, then just help me out!"
Nodoka puffed out her cheeks, suddenly finding Badr inconsiderate. Compared to the attentiveness he showed her sister earlier... it must have been an act, definitely!
"Sorry, I can't relate at all. As for what I said earlier, it's because I know that spirits actually do exist in this world. I mean, even devils like me exist, Gods existed, so it's perfectly normal for ghosts to exist too, right?"
Badr flashed a playful smile, deliberately teasing Nodoka.
As expected, Nodoka's face paled upon hearing his words.
She glanced nervously around the room, suddenly feeling as though the empty apartment was now crowded...
"R-really? D-don't scare me..."
Her voice trembled.
Seeing her genuine fear, Badr found it even more amusing.
"Yeah, maybe there's a female ghost in the bathroom right now, just like in the movies."
Nodoka was genuinely terrified and completely missed the joke.
"Ah, I-I won't bathe then! Is that okay...?"
Badr relented, realizing he had taken the teasing too far.
"Look at you, scared stiff. I was just kidding. Go take your bath. I need to pick up Mai."
"But... could you still wait in the living room until I'm done...?" Nodoka was clearly still afraid.
Badr sighed. "Are you that scared? Even if there was a ghost, I wouldn't be able to save you from inside the bathroom, would I? You're going to die either way, so just go wash up."
"What do you mean, 'die either way'?! What are you even saying?!" Nodoka was exasperated. This guy was getting more and more ridiculous!
"If you're that scared, how about we bathe together? I've bathed with Mai before, so you don't need to be shy."
Badr smiled calmly, settling back onto the sofa.
"I-I need to ask my sister about that."
"Sure, give Mai a call and ask for her permission then," Badr said with a chuckle.
Nodoka blinked, finally realizing he was teasing her again.
"No way! That's not happening! Go die! Die ten thousand times!"
She stormed off to the bathroom with her change of clothes, while Badr casually flipped through a magazine.
He only perked up when he came across a photo spread featuring Mai Sakurajima.
Although he had thoroughly frightened Nodoka with his prank, he did stay until she finished her bath before leaving.
Of course, he waited outside the bathroom...
...
Since switching identities with Nodoka, Mai Sakurajima's schedule had become packed. She rarely returned home before late evening.
As a commercial idol, Nodoka's group had frequent performances. They had shows every Saturday, and recently, they received an invitation to a major event. Consequently, Mai had been practicing dance late into the night almost every day.
Badr arrived at the dance studio just as their practice ended.
"Huh? Who is that guy looking for?"
The members of [Sweet Bullet] noticed Badr. Intrigued by the handsome young man, they whispered amongst themselves.
"He's here to pick me up," Mai Sakurajima admitted frankly. Even with Nodoka's appearance, her distinctive aura was easily recognizable.
"Eh? Nodoka, he's picking you up? Is he your boyfriend?"
"No, he's my sister's boyfriend. He's just picking me up today," Mai explained with a smile, creating a convenient excuse for Badr.
"Ah? Nodoka's sister... Isn't that Mai Sakurajima-senpai?"
"Mai-senpai's boyfriend?!"
The members of Sweet Bullet gasped in unison.
Because of the altered perception, Mai and Badr's relationship had been kept secret.
However, judging by Mai's open admission, it seemed she was ready to go public.
After all, she wasn't even bothering to hide it anymore...
Badr approached and waved to Mai.
The girls had already gathered around.
"Um, are you really Mai-senpai's boyfriend?"
Badr looked at Mai in surprise. She remained calm.
She had said it herself, after all.
From Mai's expression, Badr understood. He smiled politely at the Sweet Bullet members.
"Yes, Mai asked me to pick up Nodoka."
"Eh, really? That big star actually has a boyfriend..."
Mai Sakurajima's aura was truly impressive.
Badr wasn't bothered by their reaction. He simply chuckled.
"She's human too. It's normal for her to have a boyfriend, right?"
"Hee hee, that's true, but she's such an amazing person, so we're naturally curious."
They chattered amongst themselves, their gazes fixed on Badr.
But Badr had seen it all before. He wasn't fazed in the slightest.
He smiled at them and addressed the middle-aged woman who appeared to be the group's manager.
"Mai's waiting at home, so Nodoka and I will take our leave."
"Oh, alright. Feel free to visit anytime. Our stage performance is about to start. I'll have Uzuki give you some backstage passes."
"Thank you. I'll definitely come and support you."
Badr smiled politely, accepting the offer. He intended to watch Mai dance; such an opportunity couldn't be missed...
...
Under the dim twilight, Badr and Mai Sakurajima walked side-by-side down the street.
Since Mai currently had Nodoka's appearance, Badr didn't need to maintain the perception-altering magic constantly.
"So, how's Nodoka doing?"
Mai inquired about her sister's progress.
"Same as always. She lacks confidence in herself."
"Didn't you try to encourage her?"
"Hmm? That doesn't seem to be within my job description," Badr said, shrugging.
Mai reached out and gently pinched his cheek. "As my boyfriend, helping me look after my sister is part of the deal, isn't it?"
"You mean encouraging her with gentle words? She's not a child anymore."
Badr chuckled. "And weren't you worried I'd try to hit on her?"
As if he had hit a nerve, Mai glared at him.
"I didn't tell you to be inappropriate with her."
"I can only say I'll try my best," Badr said, pouting. "So, you're asking a devil to comfort a girl? Isn't that a bit much? My specialty is tempting out their inner desires, you know."
Mai sighed softly. "You're right. It's my fault for having unrealistic expectations of you."
Badr shrugged, feigning helplessness.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Turning to look at Mai, he said softly, "You need to make up your mind, you know? You understand the problem lies with you, yet you're asking me, an outsider, to untangle this knot?"
"You're not an outsider. You're my man."
"I appreciate the sentiment," Badr grinned, but his smile quickly faded as he turned serious again. "But it won't work. This is an emotional issue between you two sisters. I can't interfere too much."
Mai was intelligent; she had even realized the root of this peculiar situation before Badr. However, she couldn't bring herself to address it...
Badr truly felt exhausted dealing with these two sisters...
"Let's wait until tomorrow. Emotional knots can only be untied gradually. Again, I'll try my best."
Badr smiled gently, placing his arm around Mai's waist.
"You're walking too slow. Let's fly back."
"I don't really want you touching me right now," Mai said, looking down at his hand on her waist.
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