Chapter Twenty-Five: Nearly Taken Advantage Of

This time, Su Mo was truly bewildered. He had no idea when the door had been locked, but he didn’t need to guess who had done it. There were only two people in the whole house: himself and Origami Tobiichi—it was obviously Origami’s doing.

Yet, when he entered, he had noticed Origami was in the bathroom, showering. The time between his arrival and entering this room was so short; how on earth had Origami managed to lock the door so stealthily?

Staring at the locked bedroom door, Su Mo fell into deep thought. Unless he resorted to brute force, there was no way he could get out. Origami locking him in her bedroom was definitely premeditated. From the relaxing incense that made people let their guard down, the computer parts hidden in the coffee, to the double bed in the bedroom—everything felt orchestrated. Frankly, Su Mo still didn’t understand why Origami was so obsessed with him.

Of course, he swore not to comply with such things. Slowly retreating to the corner, Su Mo tried to appear calm, but his heart raced with anxiety. He simply couldn’t withstand Origami’s intense advances; if he stayed here any longer, something scandalous would surely happen. A beauty’s embrace is a hero’s grave.

Knowing himself, Su Mo doubted he could resist. Though he’d be the one benefiting, he didn’t want to get involved with Origami before he figured out her motives. Otherwise, it would feel like taking advantage of her vulnerability.

His gaze swept the room. Origami’s bedroom was ordinary, nothing hidden from view. The door was out of the question, so he turned his attention to the window.

He walked over; this was the only way out. But this was the sixth floor—any ordinary person jumping out would be doomed. Su Mo, however, was unafraid, for he had the aid of Tokisaki’s Angel.

After acquiring Tokisaki’s Angel powers, he could summon the Sandalphon Sword and the Angel Throne. The throne, as mentioned before, had formidable defense and flight capabilities. All he needed to do was sit, and he could fly away.

He heard cheerful humming and Origami’s light footsteps approaching from outside. As she neared the door, at that crucial moment, Su Mo gritted his teeth, opened the window, propped himself up on his elbows, and agilely climbed out.

His body dropped rapidly—falling straight from the sixth floor. Drawing on his experience with the Angel’s powers, Su Mo quickly summoned the Angel Throne. Almost as he leaped from the window, the throne materialized beneath his feet, suspending him mid-air.

Seated upon the throne, Su Mo wasted no time.

He piloted the throne towards the Itsuka residence.

After Su Mo left, Origami finally opened the door, wearing only a bathrobe and nothing underneath. She found the room empty, the window wide open, cold wind billowing in and making the curtains flutter wildly.

She gazed at the window, tilting her head slightly.

“He’s gone?” Origami murmured, a hint of regret in her eyes.

Despite all her careful planning, Su Mo had escaped. Origami had intended to offer him her most precious gift tonight, but she hadn’t anticipated his ability to fly.

Origami’s face remained expressionless. That was her nature—even in defeat, she never despaired. She’d simply try again next time. As for Su Mo’s method of escape, others might scrutinize it closely, but Origami would not.

...

After leaving Origami’s house, Su Mo pushed the throne to its limits, flying at breakneck speed.

Cradling a bunny plush in his arms, he remembered his promise to Yoshino. He examined the plush—it was just an ordinary toy, devoid of any spiritual power, yet in Yoshino’s hands it could manifest an alternate personality.

It seemed Yoshino’s existence wasn’t tied to the plush; its real significance was as a vessel. He wondered if replacing the plush with something else could also trigger a second personality. But seeing Yoshino’s attachment to the bunny, he doubted it.

Returning to the Itsuka house, Su Mo found Tohka, Kotori, and Shiori gathered on the sofa, their table piled with all sorts of snacks. It was obvious who was responsible.

“Su Mo, you’re finally back!” Tohka exclaimed, clutching a bag of chips, her face lit with joy. “Today, Kotori and Reine took me shopping and we bought tons of food. It’s a shame you weren’t here. If you were, we could have had a date and feasted together like last time.”

Hearing this, Su Mo’s lips twitched twice.

He still remembered escorting Tohka on a date last time—she nearly ate him into bankruptcy. Even thinking back now made him shudder.

But noticing the hint of disappointment in Tohka’s eyes, Su Mo realized that despite not behaving overly intimately, living under the same roof each day had made him the closest person to her in this world—even Kotori and the others couldn’t compare.

What’s more, today he’d skipped Tohka’s date to retrieve the bunny from Origami’s house. At school, Tohka and Origami were rivals; if she found out he’d spent time with Origami, and nearly been cornered in her home, she would surely fly into a rage.

With this in mind, Su Mo walked over to Tohka, gently patted her head as if stroking a cat, running his fingers through her silky midnight hair, and apologized, “I really couldn’t get away today. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out on a date, alright?”

Because of their contract, Su Mo wasn’t worried about Tohka’s spiritual power running amok. Even in a bad mood, she wouldn’t rampage like in the anime. Still, girls needed to be comforted at times.

Sure enough, after hearing his words, Tohka’s gloomy expression brightened into a smile. “Really? You’ll really take me out tomorrow, Su Mo?”

Seeing her hopeful gaze, Su Mo knew just how to respond, and nodded without hesitation.

After soothing Tohka, Su Mo turned to Kotori, who had been quietly observing.

Their eyes met for a few seconds. Of everyone here, only Kotori knew what Su Mo had been up to today. But with Shiori nearby, Kotori didn’t ask immediately, instead signaling for him to step aside for a private chat.

Leaving Tohka in Shiori’s care for a moment, Su Mo followed Kotori upstairs to the study.

Kotori casually pulled a lollipop from her pocket, her black headband swaying slightly as she asked, “Well? Did you get the bunny plush?”

“Mission accomplished!” Su Mo replied, producing the plush, then asked in return, “Though I found the bunny, Yoshino is nowhere to be seen. We need to return this to her quickly, before she loses control and her spiritual power runs wild.”

Since losing the plush, Yoshino’s emotions had been unstable. Any further provocation could easily trigger a meltdown, leading to a massive spacequake and catastrophic damage to humanity.

“No need to worry about that,” Kotori answered seriously after humming twice. “Ratatoskr has been searching for the Hermit’s whereabouts. From our observations, she’s likely returned to the Neighboring World.

But since the Hermit values this plush so highly, she’ll surely appear in this world soon. When that happens, I’ll notify you immediately to negotiate with the Spirit and seal her power.”