From behind, Nanashi heard hurried footsteps.
Then—slam!
The sound of a door closing—hard.
It seemed Yukino had retreated to her room.
With nothing else to do, Nanashi settled onto the sofa and waited.
Yet, the image of what had just transpired refused to leave his mind.
He couldn't help but compare Yukino to Lemuel.
Both had slender, porcelain-like skin—soft, delicate, with a hint of pink.
But unlike Lemuel, Yukino was clearly less… gifted.
Still—
The real shocker was that both of them were White Tiger.
And after years of gentlemanly observation, Nanashi had developed a keen eye.
He could tell.
It was all natural.
Absolutely untouched by any artificial grooming.
"Are all 2D girls like this?"
Nanashi mused, his curiosity piqued.
Perhaps the only way to find out…
Was to analyze a few more "samples."
After a while, Yukino's door finally opened.
She had changed into casual clothes.
Yet, the blush on her face remained.
And when her eyes met Nanashi's—
The color deepened.
Still, she remained composed.
Without a word, she walked over and placed a cup of black tea in front of him.
Then, after pouring a cup for herself, she sat beside him.
There was only one sofa.
So she had no choice but to sit next to him.
As she did, her arms instinctively crossed over her body.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she asked:
"Thank you for your help again… What exactly was that evil spirit?"
Nanashi blinked.
He had expected her to demand that he forget what had just happened.
Yet, she said nothing about it.
Instead, she was more focused on the spirit.
If anything, that made him admire her even more.
He took a sip of his tea.
It was surprisingly good.
"Well," he said with a smirk, "where should I even begin?"
Nanashi patiently explained to Yukino.
"Evil spirits are monsters born from strong negative emotions and lingering obsessions, often from those who have passed away."
"Ordinary people can't see them. Only those with clairvoyance or special abilities can perceive their existence."
As he spoke, Nanashi pointed at Yukino.
"And you… You should have awakened your psychic vision by now. It likely emerged alongside your ability."
"These spirits always ask if you can see them. If you answer 'yes,' they attack. It seems to be an unspoken rule among them."
"Of course, there aren't just ordinary evil spirits. Some are capable of disguising themselves as humans—like that girl you saw the other day."
Nanashi spread his hands and sighed.
"That's why I always say—sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss."
Yukino frowned. "Are these evil spirits everywhere?"
Her mind drifted back to the bathroom encounter.
That evil spirit had kept repeating the same question—"Can you see me?"
She had instinctively chosen not to answer.
In hindsight, that had saved her life.
The correct choice was to pretend she couldn't see it.
Of course, if she had subconsciously attacked with her ability, she could have destroyed it as well.
But she had only just gained this power.
Using it in the moment hadn't even crossed her mind.
Nanashi nodded. "Yes. I've personally taken down thousands of them. But they never stop coming. New ones are constantly being born."
Despite the grim reality, his tone remained calm—reassuring even.
"But don't let it overwhelm you. At the very least, you can now handle these ordinary evil spirits without much trouble."
"Mm."
Yukino nodded.
She hesitated for a few seconds.
Then, summoning her courage, she met Nanashi's gaze.
Her voice was solemn and sincere.
"Thank you… for telling me all this. For helping me so much."
Nanashi smirked. "Well, I'll accept your gratitude."
He wasn't the type to be overly humble.
Did he help her without expecting anything in return?
No.
He had already made it clear—he just wanted her body.
Yukino took a deep breath.
"As for the doomsday and the anomalies, I won't tell anyone. I'll bear it with you."
"…"
For a moment, those words sounded like a confession.
But for Nanashi, this was something he had heard for the first time since he learned about the end of the world.
He had spent every day fighting, preparing, surviving.
Aside from the girl called Haru, no one had ever spoken to him with such sincerity.
For the first time in a long while, Nanashi's usual nonchalance faded.
His gaze deepened.
"If that's the case, you'd better be prepared to die with me."
The Twelve-Star Doomsday.
In March 7th World, even a mere Eight-Star Doomsday was enough to threaten entire civilizations.
But Twelve Stars?
Even Nanashi couldn't fully grasp what that meant.
Could this world even be saved?
Even he didn't know.
He was just a small, insignificant existence, trying to survive in the chaos.
Yet, Yukino didn't waver.
Instead, her expression grew even more resolute.
"From the moment you saved me… from the moment I learned the truth… I was ready."
"You've saved my life countless times. Without you, I would've died long ago. The least I can do… is face the end of the world with you."
"It's the only way I can repay you."
There were things she couldn't say out loud.
As Nanashi's classmate, Yukino had always seen him as someone effortlessly exceptional.
A genius.
Indifferent to everything.
First in academics.
First in sports.
Not because he worked for it—simply because he could.
It was never something he truly pursued.
But the experiences they had shared over the past few days…
Had changed her perception of him.
She had learned the truth about the world's impending doom.
And for the first time, she had begun to see the real Nanashi.
He wasn't as carefree as he pretended to be.
He was carrying something—something heavy.
The weight of it was crushing.
And the only way he could endure it…
Was by feigning indifference.
But beneath that facade—
She sensed it.
The loneliness buried deep inside him.
In that moment…
She made up her mind.
She would stand by him.
No matter what.
At the very least…
She would be his companion on this road to doomsday!