Kurona just wished that Shio kid would hurry up and leave already.
"Kurona, you seem really fixated on that guy..."
Nashiro had noticed her sister's odd behavior and leaned in to whisper.
Only a twin sister would be that perceptive—most people wouldn't pick up on it.
Kurona stiffened slightly. "Is it that obvious?... I just want to ask him something, that's all."
Nashiro didn't question the explanation. "Then just go ask him. Or is it embarrassing with other people around?"
"A little... But I'm not in a hurry. It's fine."
Kurona was being somewhat dishonest.
She'd just been wishing Shio would get out of the way.
The truth was, she didn't want Nashiro to think she cared too much about this.
After a while, Shio finally finished chatting with Byakuya and returned to the front of the formation.
Kurona immediately seized the opportunity, moving to Byakuya's side.
"Something on your mind?"
Byakuya noticed her approach and asked.
"Well... why did you save me earlier? I've been treating you like a rival, and I haven't exactly been friendly..."
This had been bothering Kurona.
He'd reacted so quickly to save her—without even a moment's hesitation.
Byakuya smiled slightly. "Do I really need a special reason to save someone? Besides, it would've been a shame if something happened to such a cute girl, wouldn't it?"
The word "cute" made Kurona's cheeks flush.
He'd called her cute...
"Wh-what are you even saying?! Keep your pointless flattery to yourself..."
Kurona tried to mask her embarrassment, but the blush on her cheeks had already given her away.
Being unexpectedly called cute—of course it made her happy.
"How is it flattery? You really are cute."
Byakuya said this with a completely straight face.
He was simply stating facts.
Even before he'd transmigrated, the first time he'd seen Kurona and Nashiro Yasuhisa, he'd thought the twin sisters were adorable.
Such a pity what happened to them later in the original story...
Kurona had been trying to play it cool, but Byakuya's follow-up only made her more flustered.
"I get it, so please stop talking!"
She was so embarrassed she had to cut him off.
Though Byakuya and Kurona were speaking quietly, Nashiro was close enough to hear.
And watching her sister's changing expressions, Nashiro felt something was definitely off.
Kurona had never acted like this around other boys before.
In fact, Kurona barely gave other boys the time of day—she usually only hung around with Nashiro.
But Nashiro was still naive about certain things, so she couldn't quite figure out why Kurona was acting this way around Byakuya.
She'd have to ask her sister later...
Meanwhile, Suzuya—not far away—had vaguely noticed that Byakuya and Kurona seemed to be getting along well.
But he was even more innocent than Nashiro when it came to these matters. He didn't understand what it meant, so he glanced over a couple of times and then lost interest.
Kurona realized she couldn't let this continue. If Byakuya said anything else strange, she was going to become strange too.
So she practically fled back to Nashiro's side.
Perfect timing—Nashiro quietly asked: "Kurona, why are you completely different around him compared to other boys?"
The question made Kurona's heart skip a beat, though she only showed mild surprise on the surface.
Had her reactions been that obvious? Nashiro had seen right through her.
"N-no, not really? I mean, he did just save my life. I can't be as cold to him as I am with other guys..."
Kurona tried to sound calm.
But inwardly she was panicking, and her tone came out somewhat unnatural.
"Oh? I see. That makes sense."
Nashiro accepted her sister's hastily fabricated excuse.
She didn't understand romantic feelings, so the thought didn't even cross her mind.
Phew~
Kurona felt a wave of relief.
But at the same time, she realized something was definitely off with her. What was going on?
Even treating Byakuya as her savior didn't explain why she'd reacted that strongly.
Could it be because...
No, no!
How could that be possible?
That guy was her rival!
Kurona immediately rejected the notion. Whether it was out of embarrassment or something else, only she knew.
She forcibly cleared her mind of distracting thoughts. She was still in the middle of an internship—she couldn't afford to be distracted again!
But before long, she found herself unable to maintain that focus.
Because Shio kept chatting and laughing with Byakuya, and she couldn't help but notice, which only made her more restless.
...
[Ding! Host has defeated a "B-rated Ghoul." Reward: 5 Fusion Points!]
[...]
[Ding! Host has defeated a "B-rated Ghoul." Reward: 5 Fusion Points!]
[...]
Arima's Squad Zero led Byakuya and the others through Ward 24 for several hours.
They never ventured too deep into the labyrinth—going too far would mean encountering higher-level ghouls, which would defeat the purpose of training.
Ward 24's underground labyrinth was enormous, spanning nearly all of Tokyo's underground. Even without going deeper, the winding paths meant they rarely crossed the same ground twice.
By the end of the day's internship, Byakuya and Suzuya had eliminated three ghouls together.
Kurona and Nashiro had struggled at first but redeemed themselves later, successfully taking down two ghouls.
The two boys had also eliminated two, though their overall performance wasn't quite as strong as the sisters'.
Now, everyone was heading out of Ward 24.
It was getting late—even skipping dinner, no one could stay overnight in a place like this.
But the internship wasn't over yet. Tomorrow would continue.
At the cavern exit, Byakuya and the other trainees prepared to take the subway back.
"Bye-bye, Amaha-san!"
Shio waved at Byakuya.
"See you tomorrow, Shio."
Byakuya smiled and waved back.
"!"
Hearing Byakuya address that "little girl" by first name, Kurona's attention sharpened immediately.