Inside the Room
"My, my, these young ladies look rather familiar," said the woman in the room, her sharp eyes scanning Tohka and the others. "You've got decent looks. I bet you could lure in quite a few men. But compared to me, Karin Ayanokoji, you're still a few notches below."
Slap!
Karin's boast was abruptly cut off as Origami's palm landed hard on her cheek, leaving a clear imprint. "If you can't talk properly, don't talk at all," Origami said coldly.
The woman who had led them there secretly smirked. "Serves you right for running your mouth. These young ladies aren't the ones you can mess with," she thought, feeling a sense of satisfaction seeing Karin put in her place.
"Karin Ayanokoji?" Tohka murmured thoughtfully. "Oh, I remember! We met her during the Tengu Festival beauty contest!"
"As expected of my kins. Such a good memory," Kaguya praised.
"Agreement. Yuzuru also recalls the event," Yuzuru added.
"You know her?" Origami raised an eyebrow, wondering if her earlier slap had been too harsh. But considering what Karin had said, Origami felt it was justified.
"Know her? We couldn't forget her even if we tried," Tohka said with a huff.
"Retribution. The humiliation Tohka endured that day will be repaid tenfold," Yuzuru declared.
During the Tengu Festival beauty contest, Tohka's outfit had mysteriously been shredded, forcing her to flee the scene due to Miku's unstable mental state. The memories of that day were hazy, but after investigating, they had discovered that Karin was behind the sabotage.
"What are you planning to do?" Karin asked, clutching her cheek. "Are you sore losers or something?"
"How dare you." Kaguya said. "Underestimating us comes with consequences!"
"Challenge. Let's settle this in another competition," Yuzuru suggested.
"Fine! I assume you're students at Sensou University too?" Karin smirked. "Next Monday, we're hosting a campus queen contest. I'll prove my superiority once again."
"It's a deal. The Hurricane Guardians' charm is unmatched!" Kaguya declared.
"Farewell. We have more pressing matters to attend to. You can continue selling yourself here," Yuzuru said flatly as they turned to leave.
"What did you just say?!" Karin fumed. "Selling myself? Don't make it sound so dirty! This is a legitimate side job during my free time!"
The girls ignored her protests and exited the shop. Origami pulled out her phone to call Shido, only to find that the line was busy.
Meanwhile, Outside the Shop
Having slipped out through the back door, Shido breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, I got away from Tonomachi," he muttered. Just then, his phone rang. Seeing Yoshino's name on the caller ID, he quickly answered.
"Hello? Yoshino, are you okay? Tell me where you are—I'll come save you right away!"
"My, my, Shido-kun, why so anxious? Do you think Yoshino's been kidnapped by bad guys?" Yoshinon's mischievous voice responded. "Don't worry; even if she did encounter bad guys, she'd fight them off. After all, her body is reserved for you, Shido-kun!"
"Yoshinon!" Yoshino's voice interrupted, her tone apologetic. "Shido-san, I'm fine. We're working right now. Please don't worry about us."
"Where are you working?" Shido asked, his concern growing.
"I'm not sure. We were teleported here by Fraxinus, so I don't know the exact location."
"What?!" Shido groaned in frustration.
"—Yoshino, come help! This customer's too much for me to handle alone!" a voice called out in the background.
"Coming!" Yoshino said before abruptly ending the call.
Shido stared at his phone, his heart sinking. He had no idea where they were, and the situation sounded increasingly dire. "What should I do?" he muttered, pacing anxiously.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He dialed another number.
"Hello, Maria! Do you know where Kotori and the others are?"
"Yes," the Al Spirit's calm voice replied.
"Can you teleport me there?"
"Of course."
Moments later, Shido's vision blurred. When it cleared, he found himself in an unfamiliar enclosed space surrounded by white partitions.
Before he could make sense of his surroundings, a startled cry rang out.
"Pervert!"
Slap!
Pain flared on Shido's cheek as he realized he was in a restroom stall with a petite girl glaring at him.
"I'm so sorry!" Shido quickly bowed in apology. "I'll leave immediately!"
"Wait," the girl called out, stopping him. "Are you Tobiichi-senpai's boyfriend?"
"Huh?" Shido looked at her more closely, recognizing her vaguely.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, shrinking back.
"Sorry! I feel like I've seen you somewhere before," Shido said sheepishly.
"I'm Mikie Okamine," the girl said hesitantly. "I'm Tobiichi-senpai's… best friend."
"Oh, I see."
"I won't lose to you!" Mikie declared firmly.
"What?" Shido blinked, confused by her sudden challenge.
"How did you suddenly appear here?" Mikie asked suspiciously.
"It's… a long story. I really need to go now," Shido said, moving to open the stall door.
Before he could, another voice called from outside.
"Mikie, are you okay? I heard you scream."
"It's nothing! You can leave now!" Mikie called back hurriedly.
"Alright," the other voice replied.
After a pause, Shido cautiously opened the door. However, standing just outside was another girl with thin-framed glasses.
"Ah!"
"I knew something was off, so I stayed behind to check," the girl said, narrowing her eyes. "What were you doing to Mikie in there, you pervert?"
"Wait, let me explain—"
"He's Tobiichi-senpai's boyfriend," Mikie interjected.
"Oh, so you're the one? I've heard about you. Apparently, Tobiichi likes to do… intimate role-play with you. No wonder you're such a creep! I can't believe Tobiichi fell for someone like you. Poor Mikie!"
"What are you saying?!" Mikie protested, her face turning bright red.
"I'm leaving!" Shido said quickly, trying to slip past them.
"Hold it, you pervert! You already have Tobiichi, and now you're after Mikie too?!" the girl shouted after him.