The four of them eventually chose to enter a small family restaurant by the roadside. Talking on the sidewalk under the gazes of passersby was clearly not a wise option.
However, sitting face-to-face like this… did not make the situation any better either.
Xenovia was now sitting beside Jun, holding a brand-new smartphone. She had bought it on Jun's recommendation—complete with a brief explanation of its basic functions, how to use Line, and simple digital communication etiquette before he actually brought her to the cashier.
Now, the atmosphere had turned awkward again.
Jun let out a quiet sigh.
"Ahem… first of all, I'm sorry," he said at last. "I really did have something to take care of until the evening."
It wasn't a lie. Meditation and training often took up a lot of time. It was just that, of course, he couldn't possibly explain the details of his life—especially the abnormal parts—in a place like this.
Rias looked at him, her expression calmer than before, though questions still lingered.
"I don't mind," she said. "But… why were you with Xenovia?"
Before Jun could answer, Akeno cut in with a gentle smile—a smile that made the air around them feel several degrees colder.
"Eh, Rias," she said sweetly. "You contacted Jun? When did that happen?"
Jun felt a bad premonition.
Damn it.
"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "We just happened to have similar tastes in reading light novels. And… I gave her my number when Rias and I met at the bookstore before."
A mistake.
Akeno's gaze only grew sharper.
"A-Akeno, calm down!" Rias hurriedly interjected. "Jun and I are just friends! Besides, I can't really talk about my hobbies with you or the others, so…"
She paused, then lowered her head slightly.
"…I was just being honest."
Silence fell again.
Akeno stared at the two of them without speaking. Her smile slowly faded, replaced by a flat expression that was hard to read.
Meanwhile, Xenovia—unaccustomed to social situations like this—straightened her posture stiffly. Her face looked slightly pale, and she pressed a hand lightly against her stomach.
This situation… was truly unfriendly to her.
At last, Akeno let out a long sigh.
"Alright," she said. "Next time, tell me first."
She glanced between Jun and Rias.
"Aren't you both my friends?"
"Yes," Jun and Rias answered almost simultaneously.
The atmosphere eased a little.
Akeno then shifted her gaze to the phone in Xenovia's hand.
"By the way," she said casually, "that's a new model, right? Did your old phone break?"
Xenovia was startled, then shook her head.
"N-no… it didn't," she said softly. "My phone was an old model. I felt awkward in class when my classmates asked me to add them on Line."
She looked down at the phone screen, seeing the reflection of her own face, which looked a little gloomy.
"I… don't know anything about the things young people do these days. So…"
Her sentence trailed off there.
Jun, Rias, and Akeno exchanged glances.
They understood.
As a former exorcist, Xenovia had grown up in strict training and isolation, far removed from the outside world. On top of that, her straightforward and overly honest personality made social relationships a challenge in itself.
Rias smiled gently.
"It's okay," she said. "Take it slow. You're not alone anymore."
Akeno nodded in agreement.
"If you don't understand something, just ask. We'll help."
Xenovia looked at them, then nodded softly.
"…Thank you."
After that, their conversation continued without the shadow of earlier tension. Light topics came and went—school, daily habits, and small things that carried no major consequences. The atmosphere at the family restaurant table gradually became more relaxed.
In the middle of the conversation, Akeno tilted her head, as if she had just remembered something.
She smiled softly.
"Hey… Jun," she called casually.
"Hm?" Jun looked over.
"I'm curious about your apartment," she said. "You said you live alone, right? Where is it?"
Her tone sounded normal. But behind her calm smile, there was a strong curiosity. The day before, she had even ordered a familiar to follow Jun to his residence—only for the trail to vanish completely.
That still bothered her.
On the other side, Rias also looked at Jun with sparkling curiosity. Her own familiar had met the same fate. That double failure only made her curiosity stronger.
Meanwhile, Xenovia listened attentively. As someone who had just settled in Japan and was still living in a dormitory, she was secretly considering the possibility of living near Jun.
Jun fell silent for a moment.
"Hm… actually," he said at last, "I don't live in an apartment anymore."
"Eh?"
All three reacted almost at the same time.
"I'm… you could say I'm homeless now," Jun continued in a flat tone. "I live in a camp I just built. About fifty kilometers south of this city."
"Hah?!"
Their expressions changed drastically.
"It's… in the middle of the forest," Jun added, as if he felt the previous explanation wasn't quite enough.
A brief silence enveloped their table.
In his mind, Jun concluded that there was no longer any reason to hide it. Since his sparring with Xenovia a few weeks ago, his existence had already been suspicious enough. At the very least, he really did pay close attention to his surroundings—and that wasn't entirely without reason.
"Uh… wait," Rias finally spoke. "You… are you bankrupt or something?"
"Not really," Jun replied calmly. "I just like living in the forest. The air is cooler. More peaceful."
He gave a light shrug.
That answer didn't help at all.
The three of them fell silent, exchanging looks without knowing how to respond.
Living in a forest, dozens of kilometers away from the city, by choice—that wasn't a lifestyle that sounded normal. Especially for someone who, in their eyes, seemed quite adapted to modern life.
And for the first time since they met, the three of them were truly at a loss for words.
In the midst of the conversation, Rias glanced at Jun once more.
For some reason, the longer she observed him, the clearer it became that this man was truly unusual. Jun seemed too self-reliant—as if he was accustomed to doing everything on his own. From fragments of stories she had heard, ever since losing his parents, Jun appeared to live without truly depending on anyone.
That train of thought was cut short when something strange caught her attention through the window.
Beyond the glass of the family restaurant—
A man was pressed against the glass wall in an unnatural pose.
Issei Hyoudou.
His face was smashed against the window, tears mixed with blood streaming dramatically from his eyes, while Asia struggled to pull him back from behind.
"Bucchooo!!" he wailed pitifully from outside.
Everyone at the table froze.
"…What is that?" Xenovia murmured innocently.
Jun turned his head, then let out a small sigh.
A few seconds later, the restaurant door opened. Two additional people entered with exhausted expressions. Issei finally sat down near Rias, while Asia took a seat beside him. Akeno, at some point, had already changed seats—now sitting next to Jun and Xenovia.
Rias cleared her throat softly.
"Ah… you've just met them," she said with an awkward smile. "These are our club juniors."
She gestured one by one.
"Issei Hyoudou and Asia Argento."
Then she turned toward Jun.
"Issei, Asia—this is Jun Mizushino."
Issei turned his head, looking Jun up and down from head to toe.
"…So this is the guy…" he muttered. "Hmm."
Jun returned the look without expression. He already knew very well who Issei was—the owner of the Boosted Gear and the center of much of the chaos to come. Of course, he showed none of that.
"What!?" Issei snorted, trying to look fierce despite clearly being uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me like that?!"
The comparison had been unfair from the start.
If Issei looked like a chick that had just learned to flap its wings, then Jun—
—was a tiger.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried a calm yet oppressive aura. Combined with a neat appearance and a handsomeness he didn't try to show off, the difference between the two was striking.
Asia looked at Jun with sparkling eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Jun-san," she said politely.
"Nice to meet you too," Jun replied briefly.
Akeno watched the interaction with a faint smile, clearly enjoying the dynamic beginning to form. Meanwhile, Rias could only let out a small sigh.
She had a bad feeling.
//--//
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