[Tl/n: Don't worry, I'm not deleting anything. However, I've read some comments about how WN removes unofficial translations, so this is just a precaution.]
----
"No change at all," Sajuna said, shaking her head.
Though they had just reenacted the scene, there was no increase in their role-playing proficiency.
"That's expected," Amamiya replied, unfazed.
"We can't keep repeating the same thing; we need a breakthrough," Umi added, setting a hand on her hip. "My acting skills have been stalled too, until just now..." She trailed off, suddenly pursing her lips. Her face flushed as she glared at Amamiya.
"I've got an idea."
"What is it?" Sajuna asked, curious.
"It's simple." Umi raised a finger, a confident smile lighting up her face. "Just now, Amamiya-kun bullied me twice. If I turn the tables and bully him, that might improve my acting too, right?"
"Certainly worth trying."
Amamiya gave her a knowing look. "You just want an excuse to boss me around, don't you?"
"No chance of whining." Umi lifted her chin with a smug grin. "It's my turn now."
With that, she gave Amamiya a gentle push on the shoulder. "Lie down."
"Huh?"
Sajuna looked startled.
What does she mean, asking a guy to lie down? It felt strange, no matter how she looked at it.
"Ahem," Umi coughed, "Slip of the tongue. Sit down."
Amamiya complied, taking a seat on the sofa.
Umi lifted her right foot, placing it on Amamiya's lower abdomen as she crossed her arms, looking down at him with a mock scowl. "So, Amamiya, you didn't even bother to greet me this morning. Got a little bolder, didn't you?"
"Are you listening?" she continued. "You've got quite an attitude. Do you believe I could punish you?"
"…"
Sajuna covered her pink lips with her hand, taken aback.
So convincing! Her tone, her lines, her gestures—they were exactly like the "bad girls" at school. Could she have been one herself at some point?
"I'm out of allowance," Umi said, extending her hand and gesturing with her fingers in front of Amamiya. "Lend me your money."
"Is this the kind of loan where I don't get it back?" Amamiya asked.
"Exactly."
"…"
"JuJu-sama," Amamiya turned to her calmly. "I'm being extorted."
"Tsk, did you really just say 'extortion'?" Umi's foot made a gentle, almost massage-like motion over him. "You said you were lending it to me."
Looking at Sajuna, she asked, "What are you staring at?"
"N-No, I wasn't..." Sajuna instinctively stepped back, shaking her head.
A delinquent girl extorting and bullying others was somehow more terrifying than a middle-aged man. If she had the choice, she'd rather deal with the older man, Amamiya.
A moment passed.
"Nope, no change," Sajuna said, shaking her head once more.
"I think I see why," Amamiya mused. "As a magical girl, freezing up in fear of bad guys just doesn't cut it."
"Sorry," Sajuna murmured, lowering her head apologetically.
"I knew I wouldn't be able to pull off the bad girl act," Umi admitted, reaching over to pat Sajuna's head gently. "I didn't mean to remind you of anything unpleasant."
"Who's acting here?" Amamiya remarked dryly. "You're just acting naturally."
Umi turned to him, clearly annoyed. "So, what now?"
Amamiya suggested, "While we still have time, we can go out and look for real opportunities to fight evil and do some good."
"Huh?" Sajuna looked up nervously. "Uh... are we going out in our magical girl costumes?"
"It'll be fine!" Umi flashed a thumbs-up and a bright smile. "I'll wear my succubus outfit and go with you."
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "Just don't use any charm skills on the people passing by."
"Of course not!" Umi's face flushed a little as she turned and walked toward her room. "Give me a minute, I need to grab something."
Soon enough, Umi returned from the bedroom with skirt on.
"Alright, let's head out!"
Umi waved them on, and the three of them slipped on their shoes and stepped outside.
Tokyo's streets were as safe as ever, and in broad daylight, there wasn't much need for fighting evil or performing heroic deeds. They couldn't even find an elderly person in need of help crossing the street.
"Let's just take a walk for a while," Umi suggested. "If we don't find a chance to do good, at least we'll get some fresh air."
"Mm," Sajuna agreed with a small nod.
The three strolled casually, eventually arriving at a nearby park. It was a weekday, so the park was mostly occupied by kids, with only a few adults here and there. The whole scene was peaceful and relaxed.
"Looks like we're out of luck for heroics today," Umi sighed, disappointed. Then, her gaze turned toward the blue-haired girl(cosplay), and her face lit up mischievously. "JuJu-sama!"
"W-What are you planning?" Sajuna took a cautious half-step back.
That smile had "trouble" written all over it. If she weren't a girl, someone would probably be calling the police.
"Hehe," Umi pulled a Sony camera from behind her and beamed. "Since we're out here anyway, why don't we take some pictures?"
"No, I don't want to!"
"Oh, come on!" Umi's eyes sparkled as she looked at Sajuna like a lost little bunny who had wandered into a wolf's den. "You look so adorable in your magical girl outfit! It'd be such a waste not to take a picture to remember it by, right?"
"I've already taken plenty at home," Sajuna insisted.
"Yeah, but they're always in the same home setting! Taking some outside could bring out a whole new kind of charm," Umi pressed.
Sajuna glanced over at Amamiya, looking for help.
"Don't look at me," he said flatly, "I'm on Umi's side for this one."
Sajuna let out a small sigh of resignation. "I knew it... birds of a feather stick together."
Umi's cheeks went pink, and she cast a quick look at Amamiya before exclaiming, "Alright, let's get some photos!"
"…"
'Click.' 'Click.'
Umi snapped several photos of Sajuna.
"These aren't turning out right. They look nothing like the pictures JuJu-sama posts online!" Umi said, frowning as she glanced up at Amamiya. "Amamiya-kun, you try taking a couple of shots."
"I'm not much good at this," Amamiya replied, shaking his head.
"Just give it a go! Take a couple, and we'll see how they turn out."
With a resigned sigh, Amamiya took the camera and began taking photos.
"Wow!" Umi's eyes widened in surprise as she peered at the photos. "You said you weren't good at this—these look amazing!"
Sajuna, curious, came over and stood on tiptoe to see the screen. She nodded in agreement. "...They really are."
"It's just okay," Amamiya said nonchalantly. "It's really Sajuna-san who's too cute."
Sajuna's cheeks turned pink as she looked away, staying silent.
What if Umi-chan misunderstood something because he said that in front of her?
"Yep, JuJu-sama really is adorable!" Umi put a hand on her hip, unfazed, and even nodded in agreement. "Great skin, big eyes, cute hair, petite build—she's just all-around pink and adorable!"
Amamiya added absentmindedly, "She really is pink…"