The comments section all think I'm a really good person.

"What did you say."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself.

[Kita Kirihara] leaned closer to her, bending down slightly, the distance between them almost too intimate.

In the same soft voice, like a lover's whisper, she answered with an emotion that Saki Koizumi could hardly understand:

“I said, if you can’t protect her because of some unequal agreement… then let me do it.”

This constituted a provocation.

"How about I take your place?"

176. You don't understand her.

Saki Koizumi realized what Kita Kirihara wanted to remind her of.

"An unequal agreement," the other party emphasized.

But that didn't stop her from throwing a punch at Kita Kirihara's face.

The opponent did not dodge, but as expected, Koizumi Saki's punch missed its mark, striking only a cloud of dark mist.

She didn't use much force, so pulling back was naturally very easy.

The Silver Garden BOSS's head melted into a cloud of black mist, and then its body shrank briefly. In the chaos, Koizumi Saki could see countless faces flashing by.

Among them was even her face, her steel-blue eyes filled with deep despair.

Then, she reverted to her adult form, Kita Kirihara, still smiling.

[Fight! Fight! Fight!]

[Will A-Yuan come out in a little while and say, "Stop fighting!"]

【You want to fight? Go to the dance studio, right?】

What kind of trouble?

But, but... this pair is also super cute...

They are both leaders of the same organization, but one yearns for romantic heroism while the other lurks in the shadows, quietly manipulating everything.

For Saki Koizumi, the person who allows her to move forward without any scruples is the strategist standing behind her; and for the strategist of the Silver Garden, fulfilling Saki Koizumi's heroic desires and protecting her is her everything.

One operates in the light, the other in the shadows, each protecting the other's world in their own way.

[...Why did you suddenly write down even this cult-like language?]

【Iron sheep—don't force us to be paired up!】

[Waaaaah, but the BOSS is using the adult form of Ahara to whisper in Koizumi's ear, he's so lewd!]

[The pairing of BOSS and Ayuan... this is a unique kind of narcissism, I will always shed tears for narcissism]

[This must be A-Yuan's second personality, right? In other words, this is how A-Yuan looked when she was in the Silver Garden.]

[...So, I'm not surprised at all that the BOSS would be captivated by someone like Ahara.]

【Oh, I see, I understand now, that makes perfect sense】

[If I could encounter such an absolutely wicked woman, I'd want to bark at her feet.]

【Ah Yuan...you sinful woman】

Where can you find such a loyal dog who will grow up to be so handsome... She's really a lecher.

Kita Kirihara: ...If you can't find it, just give up.

因为身体还是心魔角色卡，被小泉早纪攻击的时候，她完全可以在那一瞬间将自己的状态转换回虚体，这样就不会被自己的恋人给一顿胖揍。

Although she currently appears to be dancing a carefree dance on the edge of divine punishment, she actually has no masochistic tendencies and will naturally avoid being beaten if possible.

Using his identity as the boss of the Silver Garden, he made a declaration to his unsuspecting lover to fight for him... After coming to his senses, Kita Kirihara still felt that this idea was a bit outrageous.

However, if Saki can realize the unequal nature of the contract, then all this effort will be worthwhile.

This person rarely appears in public, no, in fact, they basically never appear, so it's perfectly fine for them to take the blame for everything.

As for what happened after Saki found out...

...It's best not to imagine such a terrifying ending, lest you have nightmares at night.

Kita Kirihara's attitude remained effortless, and her excellent acting skills went unnoticed by Koizumi Saki and the online comments. In fact, she had a lot of inner turmoil.

Just as the atmosphere outside the door reached a stalemate, the door behind [Kitagirihara] suddenly opened.

Kohinata Mirai, peeking out from the Starlight Pavilion, said in a soft voice, "Um... landlady, and this guest, please come in and let's talk. Snacks and hot tea are ready."

As she spoke, she belatedly noticed the distance between Koizumi Saki and Kita Kirihara, blushed slightly, and added before finishing, "If we're outside, the children will see us."

...Children?

Saki Koizumi turned her head and saw that the group of strangely shaped familiars were surrounding her and Kita Kirihara, just like children watching shameless adults on the street.

She immediately felt unlucky and distanced herself from [Kitagirihara].

Brushing off her clothes, Saki Koizumi entered the Starlight Hall with a cold expression.

To Saki Koizumi's surprise, the Starlight Building looked exactly like an ordinary student apartment from the outside, and that was indeed the case inside.

At least that's how it appears.

She could tell that behind each person's door was a relatively independent little space.

This gives the Starlight Pavilion a variety of room types, including regular student dormitories, futuristic technology rooms, and even extravagant facilities such as laboratories and alchemists' workshops.

The living room... does indeed look like an ordinary living room.

She quickly scanned the room, but didn't see her own Ahara, nor anyone else. After preparing everything, Kohinata Mirai returned to her room.

Conversations could be faintly heard coming from inside the room.

On the coffee table, hot tea and cookies were already prepared, and the tea was still steaming.

"I don't want to talk to you. Where is A-Yuan?"

This inquiry received a meticulous reply from the Silver Court's BOSS: "Yuan is currently undergoing treatment, and you... don't you want to know about the unequal agreement?"

Saki Koizumi had no intention of sitting down and chatting with the boss of the Silver Garden, but she suppressed her anger and sat down on the sofa.

The Silver Garden is indeed a magical place.

Within this space, she was cut off from communication with the Voice of the World, but at the same time, she was given sufficient privacy.

She knew that she could now ask some of the restricted questions.

"...What do you know?" She picked up the cookie, thought for a moment, and asked.

【Kitagirihara】While organizing her thoughts, Koizumi Saki quickly devoured the cookies and tea, then wiped her mouth, indicating that the BOSS could now take her to see Ahara.

This gesture softened the former's heart, and she found it quite adorable.

"Let's go." The BOSS smiled at her. "Since you're already so eager, I won't waste any more time... Let's get down to business. Please follow me."

Led by the BOSS, they walked through the living room. On a wall, Koizumi Saki saw photos of the Silver Garden members.

Her gaze suddenly froze, and she instinctively stopped in her tracks.

On that... from seventeen, eighteen, nineteen... to now, at twenty-three, Kita Kirihara has left his image in the photos.

Those were seven years that Saki Koizumi did not participate in, longer than the time she spent with Ahara.

Over these seven years, the gentle Samoyed gradually recalled the wolf's nature... which was not the same as what she remembered.

“As you can see, Miss Kamina.” The BOSS also stopped and looked at her with pity. “You were our companion during the years you were missing.”

You don't understand her.

177. Show me your jealousy.

The first photo shows a seventeen-year-old Kita Kirihara standing next to a Homura Akemi who doesn't look nearly as imposing and handsome as she does now.

The white-haired girl held the tail of a cute-looking white animal in her hand, hanging it upside down, her expression helpless.

Meanwhile, Homura Akemi, still wearing thick-rimmed glasses and with her hair in braids, is facing away from the camera, frantically explaining something to another girl off-screen.

The second photo is still of Kita Kirihara. She is helping Homura Akemi loosen her braids and smilingly taking off Homura Akemi's glasses. Their eyes meet unintentionally.

The two stood in Mitakihara City under the cover of night, and in the distance, strange familiars seemed to be roaming freely.

In the next scene, Kita Kirihara stands offstage, handing towels and bottled water to Aijo Karen and Oba Nana, who are sitting on the stage, sweating profusely and exhausted. The three of them are all wearing Revue outfits and smile at each other.

At the celebration ceremony of the 99th Seisho Festival, Kita Kirihara was surrounded by everyone with a smile as he carried a freshly baked pizza. He showed a slightly shy smile.

In an okonomiyaki shop, Kita Kirihara, Tachibana Hibiki, and Kohinata Mirai sat together, chatting and eating happily.

There are even photos of them going to karaoke together, with Kita Kirihara holding the microphone awkwardly, unable to let go.

Beside the bonfire at the Reunion headquarters, the white-haired Drak and the pure-white humans were discussing the future of the Infected. Around them sat many more faces, both strange and familiar, their faces filled not only with sorrow but also with a glimmering hope in their eyes.

Behind them, the sun rose from the horizon of the snow-covered plain.

A hundred demons parade at night, with white-haired, red-eyed humans mingling among them. She tried drinking, the spicy demon-infused wine making her expression slightly conflicted, a scene captured by a mischievous little demon and frozen in time.

The Hero Club went on a team-building activity to eat udon noodles. Kita Kirihara's eyes lit up as he ate, and he excitedly went to chat with the chef. A red-haired girl in a wheelchair watched everyone with a smile, her figure gradually fading away.

The silent Sun Breathing swordsman walked through the forest, carrying his Nichirin Blade. Sunlight fell on the treetops, dappled through the gaps in the leaves, casting shimmering spots of light on the ends of his reddish hair. The person taking the photo followed behind the swordsman, struggling somewhat along the muddy mountain path.

Judging from the composition and lighting, it gives people a familiar feeling, and it is very likely that it was taken by Kita Kirihara.

There's more.

Familiar and unfamiliar faces gathered around Kita Kirihara.

Despite the disordered order of the photos, Kita Kirihara's growth trajectory can still be vaguely discerned.

As her naiveté faded, composure and maturity blossomed into a rich and sweet fruit. Over these seven years, the girl grew rapidly, gradually transforming into a figure both familiar and unfamiliar to Saki Koizumi.

This is……

Saki Koizumi realized something and turned to look at the Silver Garden BOSS beside her.

The latter, with the face of an adult Kitagiri Haru, smiled and nodded: "It's just as you thought. In the Silver Garden, we spent this long time with Haru... She was an important companion to us."