Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

The girl suddenly exerted her strength, and Shirou, caught off guard, stumbled and fell into her incredibly soft embrace.

"Aoko...!?"

Shirou's eyes widened.

A pair of slender, long arms embraced the boy's small body from behind.

The two round mounds pressing against his chest conveyed an indescribable and wonderful tactile sensation.

The warmth of the girl's skin enveloped Shirou's gradually cooling body in an instant.

He couldn't help but recall the anecdotes he had heard from Fujimura Raiga before.

It is said that only men can be sushi chefs because women have a higher body temperature than men.

"Let's leave it at that for now, Shirou."

"Qingzi murmured."

"You saved my life twice before, and I haven't even had a chance to thank you yet."

"There's nothing I can do to help you, so at least... let me hug you like this."

"..."

Shirou was speechless, but in the end he reached out and hugged Aoko's smooth back.

The boy nestled in the arms of the girl who was only wearing a bikini.

He could feel Aoko's body temperature all over his body, and a feeling of happiness and warmth rose in his chest.

It felt both exciting and reassuring... Shirou's cooled body was gradually ignited by the heat.

At that moment, Aoko, who had buried her face in Shirou's hair, suddenly brought her lips close to his ear.

"How are you, Shirou...? Do I feel comfortable?"

"!"

Shirou jolted awake and almost stood up on the spot.

Aoko! This isn't something a girl should say, is it?

Shirou gave her a reproachful look.

Then, their eyes met at very close range.

Shirou: "..."

Qingzi: “…”

As if sensing something, Aoko shyly closed her eyes.

The cherry blossom-colored lips of the young girl gleamed with a bewitching luster, slightly pouting as if she were courting love.

Along with her slightly warm breath, it gently landed on the boy's lips.

Shirou: "!?"

……

……

After the girl's head was blown off, the thick fog that had enveloped the mountain completely dissipated, and the moonlight once again bathed the earth.

Beowulf also deactivated his golden wolf form and reverted to his usual blond-haired boy appearance.

"You really can't trust Orange's words too much; she's nothing special at all."

The boy stared at the girl lying motionless on the ground, confirming that she was completely dead.

"Ah, I forgot to ask for his name... Never mind."

Beowulf lost interest in his defeated opponent. While thinking about how to deal with Orange when he got back, he put his hands in his pockets, turned around, and left.

However, the moment he turned his body, a strange feeling occurred in the werewolf boy's mind.

Directly in front of him, dozens of humanoid figures appeared one after another in the forest.

"..."

Beowulf couldn't be mistaken; those were indeed the dolls created by Aozaki Touko.

I'm all you need to do, but that Orange guy keeps creating this worthless garbage...

I was thinking that one day I would tear them all apart, but tonight Orange sent them to their deaths at the mansion.

"Huh... are there any left? Weren't they all wiped out just now?"

Amidst an indescribable sense of astonishment, Golden Wolf spotted even more dolls in the forest.

This size is almost the same as the number before we left the Magic Workshop.

The dolls climbed towards the mountaintop, their destination the witch's mansion—

"Huh? What's going on?"

If Beowulf had ever lived in modern society, he would know a word called déjà vu, which perfectly explains the feeling of something different.

Only then did the blond boy notice.

I don't know when it started, but I found myself back on the mountain path where I started.

Before I could even think, the thick white fog descended once more.

"Welcome to the Forest of No Return."

The witch's voice whispered softly into the darkness.

"Come on, let's play real house!"

----------------------

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Volume 2, Chapter 137: Confessions and Responses

Everything changed on the night Aozaki Aoko graduated from junior high school.

When he got home, his grandfather spoke in a casual, indifferent tone.

"Your sister has gone on a trip. Starting today, you are Aozaki's successor."

The girl knew from a very young age that the Aozaki family was an ancient family with a long tradition of magic, but to be honest, she never thought that this task would fall to her.

Magic can only be passed down to one blood relative. In the case of the Aozaki family, the older sister will inherit her grandfather's estate.

Becoming the next magician was a decision made long ago, and Aoko didn't care about it.

They've done the usual life planning and future planning.

Of course, this includes the romantic aspect as well.

Aozaki Aoko was different from others from a young age, and similarly, her views on love were very progressive.

She believed that "self" and "others" were completely different things, so relationships such as loving or being loved seemed like something unattainable to her.

Therefore, for a young girl, as long as her feelings are certain, she doesn't need to get a response from the other person.

Despite feeling somewhat embarrassed towards her older sister, Aoko was dreaming of a free future during this period.

However, her joy was short-lived, as an incredible change was already brewing.

Previously, Aoko had never imagined that she would be in the world of magic.

I never imagined that my high school life would remain in my life after becoming an apprentice magician.

Well, the new life is not bad.

...Since then, all sorts of things have happened, right up to now.

The identity of an apprentice magician was confusing, but by the time this was noticed, it was already the start of the second year of high school.

Will her life continue smoothly from now on?

Just then, a boy claiming to be "from the future" barged into Aozaki Aoko's peaceful life.

He saved Aoko from danger twice.

Although he looks younger than Aoko, he knows Aoko very well as a person from the future.

Moreover, even the mission he carries seems to be closely related to "the future Aoko".

In such a situation, it's understandable that a teenage girl would misunderstand.

A girl who usually proclaims, "I have no interest in that kind of thing!" becomes uncontrollable once she realizes it.

Lately, my heart flutters whenever I see Shirou's face.

When I returned to the mansion and saw him greeting me in the entrance hall, my tired body and mind felt healed after a long day.

When I was hungry, I would come to the kitchen and see him wearing an apron. Several times I almost couldn't resist hugging him from behind.

When Aoko finally realized that she had developed romantic feelings for a boy younger than herself, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to bury herself in the ground, and then she doubted herself for a long time.

Do I have some kind of weird fetish?

No…no, that’s not it. I didn’t like Shirou because of his age or appearance. Frankly, this kid is nothing like a “pretty boy”! He has a childlike face, but his speech and behavior are incredibly mature. Worst of all, he’s unconsciously sarcastic, making you wonder if Shirou’s true nature is actually quite cunning…Wait! How did I admit I like Shirou?!?

Aoko, her face flushed, secretly glanced at Shirou. The moment he returned her a gentle smile, the girl felt as if something had pierced her heart.

Now there's no way to deny it... Waaah...

Inevitably, I was attracted to him.

Inevitably, a certain vague feeling arose.

Since I've already entered the world of magic, it shouldn't matter if the other person looks younger than me!

Who told me to be such a fool who wouldn't turn back until I hit a brick wall!

As a result, Aoko overcame her inner struggle in a short time.

A free-spirited girl decides to face her feelings of love openly.

……

……

"Qingzi..."

After their lips parted, Shirou looked in surprise at the chestnut-haired girl who was tightly embracing him.

The lingering warmth on her lips told her that the kiss just now wasn't a hallucination caused by being dizzy from soaking in the hot spring.

Even amidst the swirling mist, Aoko's cheeks were clearly visible, flushed with a faint blush.

She avoided Shirou's gaze and murmured in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"This is... a way of repaying the kindness of saving me twice."

Upon hearing this, Shirou displayed a complex expression.

"what……"

Aoko couldn't help but sigh at her own weakness.

However, there's no way around it; confessing your love to a boy younger than yourself is just too difficult.

The girl steadied her breathing, pushed away Shirou who was holding her, and stood up.

"Well... how should I put it, forget what I said."

Aoko stretched and said with a refreshed expression.

"Hey?"

"That kiss just now... wasn't because of repaying a debt of gratitude."

The girl contradicted what she had said just seconds earlier.

"Anyway, the atmosphere was there but it turned out like that... W-what do you mean, your reaction."

Shirou stared at her intently, which made Aoko feel very embarrassed, and she became hesitant in her speech.

Normally, being stared at like that should make one feel very uncomfortable. But Aoko didn't feel any disgust at all.