[217] : One Wife, Two Wives—Same Thing, Right?

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By the time Bokue and the girls returned home, it was already nearing eight o'clock in the evening.

In truth, the banquet hadn't lasted long at all: they'd arrived promptly at seven, spent half an hour figuring out the situation (and casually demolishing the entire vampire gathering in the process, complete with a complimentary Pacific Ocean cruise for Dimitrie), then another half hour on the return journey.

All things considered, it was impressively efficient.

Standing in front of the apartment complex, Bokue paused briefly, turning to address the three girls preparing to head upstairs.

"Alright, you three head up first. I've still got something else to take care of tonight, so I won't come up with you."

"Huh?" Yukina blurted out instinctively, puzzled. She'd already grown accustomed over the last couple of days to living together with Bokue. In fact, earlier on the bus she'd nearly slipped up and revealed their arrangement to Sayaka, catching herself just in time.

Yukina quickly caught herself again now, shooting Bokue a subtle glance.

One look at Sayaka, standing right beside her, was enough to clarify Bokue's reasoning.

Clearly, he didn't want their complicated living situation revealed just yet. Given Sayaka's intense protectiveness, who knew what chaos might ensue if she learned the truth?

Besides, Sayaka would only be on Itogami Island for a few days at most. It wouldn't hurt to be extra careful during that brief period.

Nagisa immediately picked up on Bokue's intentions as well. Flashing her usual cheerful smile, she politely waved farewell. "Alright, Big Bro! Be careful out there!"

Sayaka didn't offer any farewell at all—but Bokue hardly expected her to. Without another word, he flashed a casual "OK" gesture and instantly vanished in a flash of golden spiritual light.

Only after a couple seconds had passed did Sayaka finally voice her confusion. "So... he's gone just like that?"

"Yep!" Nagisa chirped brightly, tilting her head slightly. "Big Bro is a really amazing onmyōji, you know? Every time he goes somewhere, it's just like—whoosh!—and he's there. Then—whoosh!—he teleports away again. Distance doesn't matter much to him."

Sayaka frowned suspiciously, muttering under her breath. "Then why did he even bother riding the bus home with us in the first place? If he had something else to do, couldn't he have just teleported directly from the docks?"

"..."

"..."

A sudden awkward silence fell.

From a purely logical standpoint, Sayaka's comment was accurate. But still, wasn't that a bit rude, considering Bokue had just taken the trouble to accompany them all the way home—especially given Sayaka had only just met him?

Nagisa in particular felt instantly defensive. Her smile faded, replaced by a small, disapproving frown. No one talked that way about her beloved Big Bro and got away with it!

Yukina hurriedly intervened, gently smoothing things over. "It's not like that, Sayaka doesn't mean any harm. Actually, she... she has a slight fear of men, so she instinctively keeps her distance. She really doesn't mean to offend."

"A fear of men?" Nagisa blinked, genuinely surprised. She'd rarely heard anyone speak of such a thing in real life, associating it mostly with exaggerated claims online. Was it actually a real issue for some people?

"Yeah," Yukina said softly, glancing at Sayaka briefly before shaking her head. "Anyway, it's complicated. We should head upstairs first. Sayaka, do you need to call Sensei now?"

Sayaka hesitated, nodding slowly. "Right... I'll give her a call once we're upstairs."

❁❁❁❁

A few minutes later, in Yukina's cozy apartment, Sayaka sat stiffly on the living room sofa, anxiously holding her phone to her ear. After two nerve-wracking minutes of ringing, the call finally connected, and a mature woman's voice calmly came through:

"It's me. What's the matter?"

"Ah... Sensei..." Sayaka immediately sat up straight, her voice becoming instantly respectful and formal. "Well, you see... there was a slight complication with my assignment."

"Complication?" The woman—Yukari Endou—spoke calmly but sharply, cutting straight to the point. "Sayaka, just tell me clearly what's going on."

Sayaka hurriedly added a disclaimer, clearly worried her sensei might misunderstand. "Let me just clarify—it absolutely wasn't my fault! It was entirely caused by that Keikain guy, Bokue!"

The speed of her deflection suggested she was terrified of receiving punishment from her sensei for failing the mission.

A weary sigh came through the phone. "Just tell me what happened, clearly."

"Well..." After a brief hesitation, Sayaka quickly relayed the entire incident—from Bokue forcing Dimitrie Vatler to kneel, to him flinging the vampire noble into the middle of the Pacific Ocean, along with demolishing his entire luxury cruise ship.

"..."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, followed by another sigh. Yukari Endou sounded resigned rather than shocked, almost as if she'd expected something outrageous.

"So because Vatler was being arrogant, Bokue destroyed his entire ship and stranded him thousands of kilometers away in the ocean? Yes... that certainly does sound like him."

After another pause, Yukari spoke again. "And now, Sayaka, what's your plan?"

"My plan..." Sayaka paused, choosing her next words carefully, knowing they'd directly influence whether she'd receive praise or punishment once she returned.

"I've decided to stay at Yukina's place for now. I'll use this time to investigate the Black Death Emperor Faction remnants who've infiltrated Itogami Island. Once that issue is settled, I'll return and report."

"Wait—you're staying with Yukina?" Yukari interrupted, suddenly sounding shocked and slightly panicked.

"Huh? Yes... is there a problem with that?" Sayaka asked in confusion. After all, she and Yukina had always lived together before. It seemed perfectly logical they'd stay together again now.

"Ah, never mind," Yukari quickly recovered, sounding flustered. Clearly, she'd reacted without thinking. She cleared her throat lightly. "Your plan is fine, Sayaka. Considering our responsibilities, it makes sense to focus on the Black Death Emperor remnants right now, especially given Yukina also has her own ongoing assignment."

"Understood, Sensei."

"Hold on—there's one more thing." Yukari hesitated, voice softening slightly. "I know how deeply your father's violent behavior affected you, Sayaka, and I understand why you have trouble trusting men. But if things get dangerous, don't hesitate to ask Bokue Keikain for help."

Sayaka remained silent, prompting another gentle sigh from Yukari.

"Like it or not, with him around, you'll be completely safe."

"—Understood, Sensei," Sayaka finally replied quietly, after a long pause. "If it becomes absolutely necessary, I'll consider asking him."

But deep down, Sayaka herself wasn't sure whether she would truly ever do so. Only time would tell.

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