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Chapter 17: Just Watching the Show

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Kidomichi Ryo stumbled forward, looking like he was about to collapse right onto Fuwa Yozora, but the girl extended a single finger, bracing it against his shoulder.
He was instantly stonewalled. Ryo tried to exert some force, but her posture didn't budge an inch.

"Kidomichi-oyabun, you’ve definitely had one too many. I’ll have the staff escort you back. I’m just a girl with zero upper-body strength, I’m afraid I can’t hold you up."

Kidomichi Ryo’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Zero strength? Are you actually hearing yourself right now? Fuwa Yozora tried to snatch her hand back, but Ryo’s grip was surprisingly tight.
The guy was a fully grown man with a clear physical advantage; being raised as a mob boss meant his combat skills weren't just for show.

"The Young Lady is too humble. Seems to me like you’re holding me up just fine."

Kidomichi Ryo wasn't so horny that he’d lost his mind; he knew better than to pull anything crazy on Sanyei-gumi turf.
But using "drunkenness" as an excuse to get a little handsy? That was standard procedure in the underworld.
He’d already folded on the Yokohama Port deal today—surely the Sanyei-gumi heiress wouldn't actually crash out over a little contact?

Ryo reached out with his other hand. Fuwa Yozora’s eyes darkened. She retracted the finger pressing against his chest, and as she felt the weight of the man leaning into her, she used his momentum to drive her elbow straight into his jawline.

The man let out a pained yelp and scrambled back several steps. He clutched his jaw, looking at Fuwa Yozora in pure disbelief.
"Treating a guest like that... isn't that a bit out of pocket, Young Lady?"

Fuwa Yozora adjusted her collar and folded her hands neatly in front of her obi, looking perfectly composed.
"My bad. Reflexes. Surely the Oyabun won't be salty with a mere child like me?"

Kidomichi Ryo realized it then: this sixteen-year-old girl was playing mental chess way beyond her years.
The lingering sensation of her soft skin made him thirsty; he wanted to claim the Sanyei-gumi heiress for himself.
By any means necessary.

He swapped his expression for a "friendly" smile, backed off, and raised his hands in surrender.
"That elbow just sobered me right up. I have no idea what I was doing just now. Truly sorry. I’ll see myself out."

Kidomichi Ryo didn't push his luck further. He turned and left the room, acting like a man who had just realized his drunken mistake.
Fuwa Yozora’s gaze remained icy and full of "ew."

"Tch. That elbow looked like it hurt, for real."

A familiar, deep voice echoed from the moonlight, catching her off guard.
Fuwa Yozora turned around and saw Geto Suguru standing outside the window.
The dark uniform draped him in shadows, his fox-like eyes reflecting the silver moonlight.
He was holding a cat—the one that had just caught a flight out the window.

"Geto? What are you doing here?"

Geto Suguru effortlessly hopped over the first-floor windowsill and stepped into the room.
"Just passing through after a mission. This cat jumped off a wall and almost slapped me in the face."

He crouched down and set the cat on the floor. Back in its home turf, the cat immediately zoomed away.
Then, Geto Suguru stood up, looking down at the girl in front of him.
She looked like a forbidden yet alluring spider lily spirit blooming in the night.

"Being a sorcerer sounds like a grind."
"Not as much of a grind as the Young Lady, out here doing MMA with guys in the middle of the night."
"..."

It didn't sound like a compliment, but it was basically facts.
"That guy was the one behind the kidnapping. I was having dinner with him and my dad."
"Why are you explaining this to me?"

Geto Suguru’s voice was teasing, and Fuwa Yozora felt a sudden wave of cringe.
She’d just blurted it out without thinking—a total accidental overshare.
"We’re partners. Since I ran into you, I’m just giving you the context for why I couldn't hunt Curses this weekend."
"Oh. I see."

Fuwa Yozora kept her eyes off his face, so she missed the way his lips curved up.
He was also smiling without realizing it.

"Well, I just finished a haunted house mission. Bagged two Grade 2 Curses."

Are we... reporting our work days to each other?
Fuwa Yozora felt the vibe was getting bizarre, and she was feeling lowkey awkward.
"Okay then. Get some rest. I’m heading back."

As the hem of her deep red kimono swished slightly, Geto Suguru spoke up instinctively.
"Don't forget to put some ice on that, Young Lady."

Fuwa Yozora stopped with her back to him.
"What?"
"Your wrist is bruised. And you definitely took some recoil from that elbow strike—jawbones are hard, after all."

Fuwa Yozora didn't move, so Geto Suguru leaned down slightly, his voice right by her ear.
The warmth of his breath hit her earlobe, making it feel a bit itchy.
"The Young Lady is surprisingly merciful. I thought you were gonna use that strap in your obi to end him."

Fuwa Yozora took a step forward to dodge his breath.
"You were camping outside the window the whole time, weren't you? The cat hitting your face was cap?"
"Caught in 4K, huh? I saw that familiar sorcerer uncle, so I figured the Young Lady had to be around here somewhere."
"Geto, are you actually bored?"

He was bored. Having to pull an all-nighter just to save a bunch of "monkeys" who were screaming over a Grade 2 Curse was mid at best.
It was too boring, so he figured a random encounter with Fuwa Yozora would provide some quality entertainment.
And hey—watching her deck a creep in the middle of the night? Top-tier content.

"Yeah. That’s why I came here to watch the show."
"Go touch grass!"

Fuwa Yozora’s voice actually went up a pitch—she was clearly done with his nonsense. She hurried out of the room, leaving Geto Suguru standing there solo.

What an insane monkey. Geto Suguru’s eyes swirled with shadows and an unidentifiable emotion.
The afterimage of her pale skin under the kimono collar wouldn't fade, and that scarlet flower in her hair looked way too good against her jet-black locks.
Those pale violet eyes were usually so cold and clear, but seeing them spark with a bit of anger was actually adorable.

Geto Suguru froze, then tapped his own head.
His brain felt like it had a glitch he needed to clear out.
"Maybe I should ask Shoko to check my head?"

The tall boy hopped back out the window, vanishing into the night. Only a faint murmur remained before he was completely gone.

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· Genuine translation/MTL can be found only in OchatimesBlogspotCom, Ochatimes' FanFictionNet, or Ochatimes' Wattpad
· Ochatimes' FanFictionNet
· Ochatimes' Wattpad


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