"What....do you mean by that?"
Tohka, seemingly not understanding Rinne's words at all, asked Rinne what she meant, and Rinne was quiet for a moment as if thinking about something, then said to Tohka.
"So, Tohka, do you like Shido?"
At Rinne's words, Tohka fell silent for a moment as if pondering, then answered loudly.
"Hmm, of course. Shido saved me. Shido gave me a place to belong. The fact that I exist now is thanks to Shido. I plan to repay this favor for the rest of my life."
...It seemed slightly different from the 'liking' Rinne was thinking of, but that was still liking, so....
"Umm... I see? Then I'll change the question a bit. Tohka, does your heart race when you're with Shido?"
"Thump-thump... Hmm, it does race. How do you know that?"
"Fufu, I wonder why?"
After saying that, Rinne shifted her target to Yoshino and asked.
"What about Yoshino?"
"Huh...?"
Yoshino, caught off guard by Rinne's sudden question, let out a dazed voice.
"U-um, I..."
Yoshino rambled incoherently.
Seeing Yoshino like that, Yoshinon spoke up instead.
[Ah~ Yoshino doesn't say it out loud herself, but she really likes Shido-kun~! She's always saying things like, "I envy Tohka-san for being able to talk to Shido-san so easily," or "I envy Kotori-san for always being with Shido-san."]
"Ah?! Y-Yoshinon...!"
Yoshino hurriedly covered Yoshinon's mouth with her hand.
"U-umm... Please, don't pay any attention to it..."
"Fufu, I see."
Then Rinne set Kotori as the next target and asked.
"What about Kotori?"
"...W-what?!"
Like Yoshino, Kotori was momentarily flustered by the sudden question, then said.
"Shido is just a brother to me. Nothing more, nothing less."
At Kotori's words, snorting, all the female members said they thought Kotori liked Shido, and at that, Kotori got angry, but Rinne accepted Kotori's excuse appropriately and finally asked Tobiichi Origami.
"Tobiichi-san... what about you? How do you feel about Shido?"
"Shido is my lifelong partner."
"What do you mean by that! Tobiichi Origami!"
At Tobiichi Origami's words, Tohka shouted, and then a clattering sound came from beyond the wall, the wall started shaking violently, and Rinne began trying to calm Tohka down.
"Ugh....it's fucking noisy...."
I muttered calmly while looking at the stars despite such a scene.
After a while, Rinne barely managed to calm Tohka down, and then Origami asked Rinne.
"But what about you? Sonogami Rinne?"
"Hmm, come to think of it, we haven't heard Rinne's answer. Tell us. What do you think of Shido?"
Tohka, now calmed down, also asked Rinne immediately, curious about her answer, and Rinne pondered for a moment before saying.
"Is that a question as a childhood friend or as a member of the opposite sex?"
"Both."
At Origami's reply, Rinne fell silent for a moment as if pondering, then answered Origami.
"As a childhood friend, I like Shido, but as a member of the opposite sex... I'm not sure...."
"Well, Rinne nee-san likes the neighbor, Yuseong oppa, more than Shido anyway..."
"Huh?"
At Kotori's words, Rinne was momentarily stunned, then said "Huh?" shortly.
"Huh? Rinne nee-san, why are you making that face? Did you really think no one knew?"
I couldn't tell exactly what expression Rinne was making at Kotori's words, but I thought she probably had a very flustered expression.
Then, Shido, who had been watching my expression, asked me.
"Yuseong-ssi....did you perhaps not know that Rinne likes you?"
"How would I know that?"
'Besides, today is the first time I'm seeing Rinne, right?'
I wanted to say that it was the first time I was seeing Rinne today, but I could only think it to myself, afraid of being treated strangely for no reason.
However, Shido, unaware of that, was quite surprised and asked me.
"But Rinne has been showing signs knowingly or unknowingly for a long time, right? Could it be that you didn't notice?"
"No....that....uh...."
At Shido's words, I couldn't offer any rebuttal and instantly became the clueless guy.
But does Shido know?
That his voice just now was quite loud, and at that volume, it would be well heard even in the women's bath.
"What? That's Shido's voice, isn't it? Why is the soundproofing here like this...could it be...."
Then, Kotori's angry voice came from beyond the wall, and Shido panicked and quickly looked towards where I was, but...
"...!? He's not here!?"
I had already escaped outside the bath.
"Phew....I barely managed to escape...."
I caught my breath, then looked at the nearby alleyway and said.
"I know you're hiding....so come out already?....Nightmare...Tokisaki Kurumi...."
At my words, the shadow in the alleyway wavered, and then a woman appeared from within the shadow.
"Kihihit....you noticed I was hiding, you're amazing."
"I have good intuition, despite how I look..."
After saying that, I aimed the E.G.O Bullet and said.
"I refuse to waste time on unnecessary things...tell me...you...what's your purpose in finding me?...."
"Hmm~ you're quite hasty, aren't you...."
"More than hasty, I just hate wasting time."
At my words, Tokisaki Kurumi, who had been laughing with a "Kihihit~", immediately turned serious and coldly asked.
"Let me ask directly....what exactly are you?"
"What am I?...Just an ordinary human, but?"
"An ordinary human summons a gun from thin air?"
"Well....aren't there humans like that somewhere? Like me."
Seeing Kurumi's face looking at me with an expression asking if I was serious, I gave a short fake cough and said to Kurumi.
"So what answer do you want? Honestly, I can't even define exactly what I am now...."
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly as I said....I am a human, but also the king of spirits, while part of my body is a dragon, and also a genius gamer and a Kamen Rider and a Super Sentai and a rebellious phantom thief and a giant of light and a Stand user and a duelist and a Nova warrior and magician and demon hunter and shaman—"
At my words, Tokisaki Kurumi's face gradually showed annoyance and exhaustion at the same time.
"Also...one who has been acknowledged by the holy sword and a swordsman and a Master and...and—"
"That's enough!!"
In the end, Tokisaki Kurumi, unable to listen any longer, quickly stopped me, so I couldn't finish saying it all.
Tsk...I still had a lot left to say....