.
.
It was 2 AM when Tsuguha noticed it.
"Aiha-senpai! Aiha-senpai!"
"What?" Aiha said. She was in bed, rubbing her eyes.
"Kazuma-senpai isn't in his room!" Tsuguha said.
"He isn't?!" Aiha sat up.
"What are you guys doing?" Mineha said, from the bunk bed across from them. Tsuguha motioned for her to come over.
Tsuguha didn't mean to spy, exactly. It was just they came back late from their last patrol, and Tsuguha had forgotten to ask Kazuma-senpai if there was anything she could do to improve. "So I went to his room and knocked, and he wasn't there," Tsuguha said. "So I thought I'd wait a bit and ask him when he came back. And it's 2 AM you guys, he still isn't there!"
"So?" Mineha said.
"Don't you get it, Mineha? He's probably with Ane-sama!"
Aiha clapped her hands and squealed.
"I don't get why you guys are so hung up on this," Mineha said, frowning.
They snuck over to Kazuma's quarters. Like Tsuguha said, his room was empty. "I told you!" Tsuguha said. She tugged down her hat and grinned, wickedly. "He's probably with Ane-sama as we speak! I bet they're kissing and cuddling and even making love."
Aiha clapped and squealed even louder.
"Aiha. Tsuguha," Kazuma said. The girls jumped and turned.
"K-Kazuma-senpai?"
"What are you doing here?" Aiha said.
"This is my room," Kazuma said, frowning. He was carrying a stack of papers. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Aiha and Tsuguha stared.
"We were just wondering if you were with Ane-sama," Mineha said.
"Mineha!"
"What the heck, Mineha, shut up!"
"I was," Kazuma said. His frown deepened. "I had a number of correspondences I needed her to approve before I sent them off to the heaven's registry."
"Oh."
Aiha sniffed. Kazuma-san has an unrequited love!
"Do you need something from her?" Kazuma said.
"Uh! Not really! We were just, uh..." Tsuguha grinned and rubbed her neck, nervously. "We were just in the area! Goodnight, Kazuma-senpai!"
"Yeah, goodnight, Kazuma-san!" Aiha said.
"Er, goodnight," Kazuma said.
They bowed and left, running down the hall.
xXx
.
"What are you young ones doing now?" Kuraha said. He had caught the three of them spying on Kazuma through the bushes. "Kazuma-san deserves his privacy. Why are you three spying on him?"
"We just feel bad," Aiha said. "Kazuma-san loves Ane-sama, but Ane-sama doesn't even give him the time of day! Look at the way he looks at her," Aiha said.
Kuraha sighed, loudly. "That is none of your concern."
"But, Kuraha-san! You're the closest to Kazuma-san and Ane-sama out of all of us! Don't you think it's weird how they're never together?"
"The lady is busy with her work," Kuraha said. "And Kazuma is busy managing the household."
"Ne, Kuraha-san?" Mineha said. "Since we're talking about Kazuma-san and Ane-sama..."
"Yes?"
"...you sleep with Ane-sama when you take your lion form, right? Does Kazuma-senpai ever spend the night?"
"Mineha!" Tsuguha and Aiha gaped at her, scandalized.
"What? You guys want to know, right?" Mineha said.
"You realize how disgraceful your actions are to both the lady and Kazuma-san, correct?" Kuraha said. "Really. You three should be working to better yourselves, not chasing over idle gossip."
xXx
.
"Come," Ane-sama said. "Ryoki." And Mineha transformed into a broken mirror, landing into Ane-sama's hand.
Ane-sama had been making the effort to use her broken shinki more, which is why she was using Mineha instead of a proper mirror, carefully applying her makeup.
"You know, Ane-sama. You're so beautiful, you don't even need makeup," Mineha said. Ane-sama smiled.
"You're the second person to tell me that today," Ane-sama said, smiling.
"Is Kazuma-san the first?"
"He was. And he likes to remind me of that often."
Ane-sama smiled. She always smiled when she talked about Kazuma-san, but Tsuguha and Aiha never seemed to notice.
"Ane-sama, may I ask you something?"
"Hm? What is it, Mineha?"
"The others have been wondering why you don't spend more time with Kazuma-san. You're in a relationship, right? But the only time we see you talk to him is when he's giving you a report."
"Kazuma is often busy with his work," Ane-sama said. "For all my gifts, I'd be lost without him. He's the one who runs this household."
"Ane-sama?"
"Yes, Mineha?"
"Do you have sex with Kazuma-san?"
Ane-sama blinked.
"I'm sorry if this is too personal! But you told us once we could ask you anything and Aiha and Tsuguha have been wondering-"
Ane-sama laughed, delighted. "Mineha, what I love best about you is your fearless spirit! Yes, I do have sex with Kazuma. And I very much enjoy it."
"Is it alright if I tell Tsuguha and Aiha?"
"Well it's no big secret. If they want to know, they can ask me themselves."
"I won't say anything, Ane-sama."
xXx
.
In the exchange diary, Aiha and Tsuguha wrote in large magic marker:
DOES ANE-SAMA SLEEP WITH KAZUMA-SAN?
Ane-sama's answer:
Sometimes I fall asleep with him still in my ear :3