I Came Back but the World is Still a Fantasy!?

4-55: The Virtue to Shepherd, the Malice to Act (3/6)

Nice smile~

Huh? Youko said.

After the parade and the show ended, and the flow of people was beginning to disperse, a voice called out to the older Senba out of the blue, and the sound of a camera shutter resounded.

When Youko turned around, a fox-eared girl with that usual smile of hers was holding her foster in camera mode.

Ah, Myuhi! Dont just take pictures of me like that, sheesh!

Ahaha, come on, its fine, right? You were so cute with how taken you were by the parade. Look, Myuhi said.

Myuhi showed Youko the screen of her foster to reveal several pictures lined up; a collection of pictures that were intentionally taken just to show the various expressions on her(Youko).

There were pictures of her excited by parade, pictures of her watching the songstress with twinkling eyes, and pictures of her all heated up as she watched the battle of the cats.

Youko panicked from embarrassment and urged Myuhi to erase them, but as expected from her roommate, Myuhi knew exactly how to handle her, and she somehow managed to convince her to keep them under the condition shed send her the pictures later.

But then again, that might have just been Youko realizing that Myuhi would never change her mind.

Ruona-san, if you have some with me in them, can you send me those too? Yousuke said.

Sure thing! I have pictures of Guu-chan too, want them? Myuhi said.

No thanks, but since when were you two friendly enough to be taking pictures? Yousuke said.

Hmm, it was like that before I knew it. Ive gotten hooked on photography lately because theres this person that just refuses to let me sneak a shot. That ones really a difficult opponent, I tell you, Myuhi said, and the three of them became speechless.

Myuhi, I sure hope youre not saying that while remembering that Im a Public Morals Officer, Youko said.

You just dont get it, Yoppi! How humiliating it feels to peep at someone and try to get a shot only to be noticed and be given a peace sign every single time! Mark my words, Ill win next time! Myuhi said with her ears and tail standing on end, but everyone else was just stupefied.

Apparently, Myuhi didnt have any reservations about peeping. No one else here shared her opinion on that matter, but when they considered her personality, they had no choice but to just accept it(give up);

In the end, Youko let her off with a warning, saying shell severely punish her if someone were to complain.

More importantly, where did Tomotomo go? Werent you together until just awhile ago? Myuhi said.

Ah, she went to the toilet. Theres a lot of people and the parade was in its last stages already, so she had us head to the exit ahead of her instead of having us wait for her, Ryou said.

But Myuhi didnt seem to mind that and just asked where Tomoe was. Ryou panicked because of that and hurriedly gave the excuse hed prepared beforehand, leading Myuhi to narrow her eyes.

However, since there was no one else who could notice that, she didnt pursue the matter any further.

So, what will you be doing? Wanna come with us? Youko said.

Yeah, I guess we could wait together outside, Myuhi said.

Ryou heaved a breath of relief when Myuhi obediently accepted their offer and stayed with them.

The way he saw it, Myuhi was another difficult rival for Tomoe.

She had a lovely appearance and was always close by, so she gave the impression she was easy to get along with.

Ryous childhood friend gave chase as soon as they figured out the true identity of the evil cat, so it would be problematic now if she were to get in her way.

Unfortunately, Ryou failed to consider the person inside Nyani-nya.

Hmm, hey, Little Senba, whats the matter?

In his momentary relief, he noticed Yousuke looking around him as though in search of someone.

Huh, ah, its nothing I just Happen to know someone Whos a fan of Warunyaa. I dont see him anywhere, but I was thinking how nice it would be if he saw Warunyaa earlier.

When Ryou pointed that out, Yousuke quickly explained in a panicked manner just like he did earlier, but when he got to the latter parts, he looked like he was looking at somewhere far away, giving the impression that he truly yearned for that to be true.

Hey, Yousuke! Shinguuji! Hurry up or well leave you behind!

Arent you two hurrying too much!?

Now, now, calm down.

Youko hurried them on, and that annoyed Ryou, so Yousuke had to calm him down while they caught up with the two girls.

Ryou the grumbler, Youko the fire, and Yousuke the mediator.

Myuhi watched those three with a smile bigger than usual, then thought of something and asked.

So, Youko, did the two of you have fun today?

Huh? Youko said.

What? Yousuke said.

And youre just going to ignore me Whatever, its not like I actually care or anything, Ryou said.

Myuhi didnt know either why she directed that question only at the two of them.

Perhaps, it was because of that something that the public couldnt be privy to and the person that solved it being concerned about them that she hoped that they enjoyed the show.

It was impossible for them to come up with an answer that she herself didnt know, but the twins glanced at each other, then turned to her with the same smile.

Of course! Youko said.

You bet! Yousuke said.

Ill be having some of that, thank you! Myuhi said as she reflexively took a picture of them, but then suddenly froze. Dont tell me?

It was rare for her to make such a surprised face, so the people around her looked at her suspiciously.

Myuhi, is something the matter?

Huh? Oh, its nothing! More importantly, we better hurry or well be scolded again! Myuhi said.

Ah, hey, dont push! Youko said.

But when they saw her push Youko from behind and hurry her on, they figured nothing was amiss, not realizing that the expression she wore as she pushed Youko from behind was pregnant with pain.

Thats why they had no way of realizing that her gaze was turned to the direction of a goddess castle, where a certain boy was.

I see, so thats why that child was so

She had taken so many pictures of him that she couldnt help but overlap his smile with the twins.

Even though the construct of their faces werent similar, the atmosphere and shape of their smile was.

A 6 year gap, a boy that was an older brother, and the familial circumstances shes heard from the twins.

Their seemingly complicated relationship, the way they treated the boy differently, and the strange way the boy went so far as to even threaten Nameless just to keep them away.

Above all, the impetus that led Masquerade to be seen in public for the first time.

The moment all of that connected, Myuhi finally understood what had happened, and she found it too difficult to smile.

Because when she thought of everything the boy had to suffer, her heart just ached too much.

What was it that he lost upon returning, and yet insists on protecting?

Myuhi had promised to leave everything to her tonight, but she just wanted nothing more right now than to meet that boy.

Though he could easily contend against the world, she knew that he was timid and clumsy when it came to certain matters.

Thats why she wanted to give him a big hug, and if that werent possible, then at the very least she wanted to tell him those words, well done.

But she knew that she didnt have the right to do that. After all, she was the same kind of person as those terrorists that sought to ruin this day today.

Thats why she decided to just leave that role to her(Aristel) or those other people that chased after that cat(Warunyaa).

Instead her role would be to send him an untitled email, on which would be attached the smile of the twins, and a message under it that read

The smiles you protected.