After walking for a while, a private car arrived to pick up Kurumi and Shu Ouma. When they got out again, Shu found himself standing before the gates of a luxurious residential district surrounded by lush greenery and perfectly manicured lawns.
"Kurumi, you live here?" Shu asked, his lips twitching slightly. He knew this place all too well.
"Yes! Shu, you know this neighborhood?" Kurumi asked innocently.
Shu fell silent. Know it? I know it like the back of my hand! He remembered it vividly—back when he and a group of other single guys used to sneak onto an apartment rooftop with binoculars, peeking into this very neighborhood to catch glimpses of the cute maids who worked here.
They had envied and cursed whoever lived here, calling them the ultimate winners of life—men surrounded by adorable maids, living in what could only be described as a paradise for bachelors. This place was the dream of every man: the fabled Maid Kingdom.
"Welcome home, milady!" The silver-haired head maid led a group of maids standing in neat lines on both sides of the path, bowing respectfully.
At that moment, Kurumi's image in Shu's mind expanded to godlike proportions. To him, she wasn't just a girl anymore—she was a giant, a queen, the holy empress of a maid utopia. Honestly, if someone had told him she was a goddess, he would've nodded without hesitation.
As night fell, the district glowed brightly under the Tokyo skyline. Yet at the grand entrance, a single pink figure sat alone before the guard station.
"Miss Inori, the young lady doesn't wish to see you right now. Please, you should head home," the silver-haired maid said gently from the guardroom. But Inori didn't move. She sat on the cold ground, hugging her knees, her head buried in her arms, her eyes dull and lifeless.
She remembered the things Kurumi-chan had taught her—what foods to eat, how to dress properly. Her dim eyes began to shimmer again as tears welled up.
"Kurumi-chan... you really don't want me anymore?" her hoarse voice whispered into the night.
You no longer wait for me.
You no longer need me.
You've left me behind—
All alone where I used to be.
Seeing the time—past eleven—the silver-haired maid sighed quietly. She snapped a discreet photo of the lonely girl and sent it to her mistress.
"Ugh... I can't sleep!" Kurumi groaned. A tousled head poked out from under her blanket. Her signature twin tails had come undone, her hair spilling across the soft pink bed.
She checked the time—it was already past 3 a.m. Lowering her head, she murmured softly, "So this is what sadness feels like. I didn't expect punishment to cut both ways."
Holding a plush cat doll against her chest, Kurumi sat limply, eyes half-lidded. She opened her communicator and saw the live footage from outside—Inori still sitting at the gate, hugging her knees in the cold night.
"Hmm... it's chilly tonight. What if she catches a cold? Should I let her in?" Kurumi wondered. With her security system, she could see everything the light touched, making the maid's photo look like a child's drawing by comparison.
Then she grabbed her cheeks and scolded herself. "No! Kurumi, you can't keep spoiling Inori. She's meant to become the perfect Crown. She needs to understand despair before she can grasp the true value of happiness."
Her voice trembled slightly as she forced conviction into her tone. "Inori is destined to be an angel who saves humanity. How can she do that without a little hardship? That's it. I've decided—I'll leave her outside for just one more night. Tomorrow, I'll let her in."
Kurumi yanked the blanket over her head. Beneath it, faint sobs echoed softly in the dark.
Meanwhile, in the guard station, the silver-haired maid quietly cleared away the now-cold breakfast she had set out. Inori hadn't touched a single bite. In fact, she hadn't spoken a word all day.
At the breakfast table the next morning, Kurumi slumped listlessly, resting her cheek against the table. Beside her sat a half-finished sweet drink.
"Ugh... I feel so hungry. Eating only desserts doesn't fill me up. Is it just my imagination, or am I actually... starving?" Kurumi muttered, pressing a hand to her stomach. Maybe it was because she hadn't eaten Inori's cooking—somehow, she felt genuinely hungry.
"So tell me again—why are you even upset? You know nothing happened between Inori and Gai!" Shu said, rolling his eyes at her.
That morning, over breakfast, Kurumi had finally broken down and confessed everything that had happened.
Shu had been stunned to learn that Inori's time alone with Gai had only been for one reason—she was giving him a blood transfusion.
After the initial shock faded, Shu found himself even more confused. If nothing had happened, then why had Kurumi gone so far as to torment both herself and Inori like this? It made no sense. The whole situation was absurdly self-destructive.
"I really don't understand how your mind works," Shu said helplessly. For something that didn't even happen, she'd managed to create a double tragedy. Was that even humanly possible?
"Don't mind me. I've lost it," Kurumi muttered, turning her head away so that only the back of her head was visible to him.
"Wait... Kurumi, you're not skipping breakfast on purpose just because Inori didn't eat hers, are you?" Shu asked awkwardly.
"..."
"So you're trying to teach her a lesson through this? That's such a stubborn kind of kindness," Shu said, half in admiration.
Kurumi sighed. "Shu, your imagination is getting out of hand! I just got jealous and wanted to punish her a little, but somehow it turned into... this. Ugh! How am I even supposed to fix it now?" she groaned.
Shu froze. Wait—did she just say she got jealous? Yes, she definitely said it. But who was she jealous of? Inori? Or Gai? Either way, it didn't sound good.
By noon, Tsugumi—the cat-eared hacker girl—arrived at the gated community. Without hesitation, she walked straight into the guardhouse where Inori still sat.
"Inori, come with me. You don't belong here," Tsugumi said, grabbing her hand, trying to pull her to her feet. But after sitting motionless all night, Inori's body had gone stiff. For someone as small as Tsugumi—barely over one meter tall—lifting her was nearly impossible.
Inori raised her head, her eyes dull and lifeless, giving Tsugumi a single glance before lowering her head again.
Rage welled up inside Tsugumi. She shook Inori's shoulders violently and shouted, "What's so great about that woman?! Why are you degrading yourself for her? Wake up! You think this pain will stop here? One day, she'll tear your heart apart and leave a wound that will never heal!"
But Inori stayed silent. No matter how hard Tsugumi shook her, she remained still—eyes blank, face numb. Kurumi-chan doesn't want me anymore...
"What's wrong with you?!" Tsugumi's grip tightened on Inori's arms. Her heart burned with a mix of sorrow and anger. She pitied Inori, but she was also furious at her weakness. She's a woman—why does she have to make it this pathetic?
Lowering her voice, Tsugumi made one last attempt. "Listen, Inori. We're planning to attack GHQ's Sixth District—the satellite control hub. We need you. Gai needs you. Come back with me."
"Gai..." Inori murmured faintly, lifting her head.
Tsugumi's eyes lit up. "That's right! Gai's waiting for you!" she said quickly, hope flaring in her chest. Maybe Inori still had some lingering affection for him.
But Inori's vacant gaze suddenly sharpened, a flicker of emotion flashing in her eyes—anger.
"Go away!" she shouted. A burst of strength surged through her arms, shoving Tsugumi backward. The smaller girl stumbled and fell onto the ground.
"Inori?!" Tsugumi cried in shock. She's angry? Inori's actually angry? Why? What did that woman do to her? What did she fill her head with?
"No Gai! I want Kurumi-chan!" Inori said firmly, hugging her knees again and burying her face.
She remembered that cold, rainy night—the one where the whole world had abandoned her, when darkness and frost had swallowed everything.
It was Kurumi-chan who gave her light and warmth, who illuminated a narrow path through the endless dark.
Kurumi's gentleness. Kurumi's warmth. Kurumi's light. They had always been the guiding stars that led her forward.
Kurumi-chan... I'm lost again. I can't see the road anymore. The darkness feels the same as before. I don't know when it'll swallow me completely...
But I won't give up. Because Kurumi-chan will come for me—I know she will. Until then, I'll wait right here. If I wander off, I might miss her. What if she comes and I'm not here?
Kurumi-chan, I'll stay here. I'll wait for you. I'll wait until you come to find me. Please... don't abandon me.
"My, my... a little cat came to my house swinging a shovel again," a soft, magnetic voice said gently.
Inori's head snapped up. There stood Kurumi, dressed in a flowing white gown, radiant as an angel descending from heaven.
"Kurumi-chan!" Inori cried, trying to stand—but her legs were still numb. She stumbled forward and began to fall.
But she didn't hit the ground. Instead, she fell into a warm, familiar embrace. The same softness, the same scent of sweetness she loved so much.
For the third time, Kurumi had caught her before she could fall. I really can't live without you, Kurumi-chan, Inori thought. Without you, I can't even walk. I'll just fall again.
"Kurumi-chan... I'm sorry! I'm so sorry..." Inori sobbed, clutching Kurumi tightly as tears streamed down her face.
"My dear. I should be the one apologizing," Kurumi whispered, her slender fingers running gently through Inori's soft hair. Her eyes grew moist, her heart aching with guilt.
Then Kurumi suddenly pulled back, gripping Inori's arms firmly. Her expression turned stern, almost bossy. "I'm hungry. Go make me something to eat."
"Okay!" Inori nodded eagerly. With the help of two maids, she was led back into the mansion.
Standing outside the gates, Tsugumi glared at Kurumi's back, her face twisted with anger. "Arrogant woman... One day, I'll uncover who you really are. I'll prove that you'll hurt Inori—and when that day comes, I'll take her back!"
Suppressing her impulse to hack into Kurumi's network and expose her secrets, Tsugumi turned away and headed back toward Funeral Parlor. There was still the planned assault on GHQ that night—she couldn't afford to be late.