After the day's grueling internship in the 24th Ward, it was finally time to head home.
Juuzou Suzuya and the two other trainees were staying at the Academy dorms, while Kanzaki Ryoma and the Yasuhisa twins were returning home.
Since their destinations were different, they took separate subways.
Now, Kanzaki found himself riding the same train as Kurona and Nashiro Yasuhisa.
---
The evening rush hour meant the subway was packed, leaving little space between passengers.
The three of them sat together in a row—
Nashiro on the far left,
Kurona in the middle,
Kanzaki on the right.
Due to the crowded train, the three were pressed closely together, their shoulders touching.
Kurona, feeling Kanzaki's shoulder against hers, instinctively tensed up.
She was hyper-aware of the contact… but tried to ignore it.
Instead, she found herself thinking about something else entirely.
That "little girl" from earlier.
Kurona had been bothered ever since she saw Kanzaki and Ihei Shio talking so casually.
She wanted to ask about it…
But with Nashiro still awake, she hesitated.
However, as the ride continued, Nashiro—exhausted from the internship—gradually dozed off, resting her head on Kurona's shoulder.
Kurona glanced at her sister, making sure she was asleep.
Then, she turned to Kanzaki and finally spoke up.
"By the way," she said, keeping her voice low, "you seem to have a good relationship with that little girl, Shio."
"You've only known each other for less than a day, but you're already calling each other by name."
Her tone was casual, but Kanzaki immediately caught the subtle undertone in her voice.
He turned to look at her.
Her expression seemed neutral…
But her eyes told a different story.
She was bothered by it.
This... is jealousy, isn't it?
At that moment, Kanzaki heard the familiar system notification.
[Ding! Host has activated a task: God-Tier Choice!]
[Choice 1:] Explain that Ihei Shio is actually a boy. Reward: 1 Fusion Point.
[Choice 2:] Make fun of Kurona for not being able to tell the difference between a boy and a girl. Reward: 10 Fusion Points.
[Choice 3:] Directly ask if she's jealous. Reward: 20 Fusion Points.
Well… this one is an instant easy choice.
Without hesitation, Kanzaki went for the third option.
He turned fully to Kurona and, with a slight smirk, said—
"Could it be that… you're jealous?"
[Ding! Host has completed Choice 3. Reward: 20 Fusion Points!]
"Ah…?"
Kurona froze.
For a full second, her brain refused to process what he just said.
Then—
"How is that possible?!"
She practically yelled, her face flushing red.
She had denied it immediately, but Kanzaki wasn't convinced in the slightest.
Her panicked reaction, the way she averted her gaze, and the red tint spreading across her cheeks…
Yeah. She's totally jealous.
Kurona took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
Then, in an attempt to recover, she scoffed—
"I didn't think you were such a narcissist."
Kanzaki merely smiled knowingly.
He had already seen through her—but he decided to let it slide for now.
So instead of pressing on that topic, Kanzaki said:
"You know… you got one thing wrong from the start."
Kurona blinked.
"Huh?"
He smirked.
"That 'little girl' named Shio? He's actually a boy."
Kurona's eyes widened.
"Wait… what?!"
"You heard me," Kanzaki said, amused. "He looks like a girl, sure, but he's 100% a boy."
Kurona sat in stunned silence for a moment.
Then, slowly, she muttered—
"...Oh."
She looked away, her expression unreadable.
But inside—
She felt a lot better.
"But you know," Kanzaki continued, "if you want, I can call you by your first name too."
Kurona snapped back to reality.
"What?!"
Kanzaki shrugged.
"You were bothered by me calling Shio by his name," he said. "So if you want, I can do the same for you."
Kurona huffed.
"Who said I wanted that?!" she protested.
"But if you really want to, I guess I can allow it."
Kanzaki grinned.
"Alright then—Kurona-san it is."
Kurona's eyes widened.
Then—her entire face turned red.
"W-Wait—!"
"As expected, it's easier to distinguish between you and your twin sister this way," Kanzaki added casually.
That was the finishing blow.
Kurona completely short-circuited.
For a full second, she was too flustered to even respond.
Then, in a barely audible voice—
"...Okay."
She looked away, still bright red.
---
A few minutes later, the subway slowed to a stop.
Kurona and Nashiro's station had arrived.
Nashiro—just waking up—rubbed her eyes sleepily and stood up.
"We're here," she muttered groggily.
Kurona snapped out of her embarrassment and quickly followed.
As she stepped out, she turned to Kanzaki—
"We're leaving. See you tomorrow."
Kanzaki smiled.
"Goodbye, Kurona-san ."
Kurona immediately grabbed Nashiro's hand and walked away as fast as possible.
She did not look back.
It was already embarrassing enough to be called that in front of Nashiro.
If he said anything else, she might actually die.
---
As the subway continued on its way, Nashiro suddenly frowned.
She turned to her sister.
"Kurona… did he just call you 'Kurona-san'?"
Kurona paused.
Then, in a small voice, she muttered—
"...Yeah."
Nashiro stared at her.
"And… you let him?"
Kurona didn't answer immediately.
Her face turned slightly red again.
"...It's not that big of a deal," she mumbled.
Nashiro narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Kurona… you never let anyone call you by your first name. Ever."
Kurona stiffened.
Her twin was too sharp.
"You don't… actually like him, do you?" Nashiro asked bluntly.
Kurona's heart skipped a beat.
Her instincts screamed at her to deny it immediately.
But when she opened her mouth—
She hesitated.
Her face turned even redder.
Then, after a long pause, she muttered softly—
"...Nashiro… I think I might… have a little bit of a thing for that guy."
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