"Steady, don't panic."
Sora's voice was low, yet it possessed a magical, calming power.
"With me here, we won't be discovered."
"Phew..."
Hearing this, Gokou Ruri quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although she didn't know how Sora planned to overcome the crisis, the panic in her heart had indeed dissipated significantly.
Meanwhile.
The footsteps had already reached just outside the utility closet, followed by the confused voices of the two girls:
"Eh? Why is the broom outside?"
"I don't know, someone probably took it out and forgot to put it back."
"Let me check for the mop..."
As she spoke, the girl outside grasped the handle of the utility closet.
(N-No...)
Gokou Ruri squeezed her eyes shut tightly, waiting for the final judgment of fate.
"How strange, why won't the utility closet open?"
The confused voice of the classmate quickly sounded from outside.
"Let me try."
"You try."
"Strange, it really won't open..."
"..."
"Eh... it won't open?"
Gokou Ruri peeked open one eye, looking at Sora with a misty gaze.
The utility closet won't open, so that means... our secret won't be exposed?
"I told you there was no need to worry."
Sora remained perfectly calm. He secretly gave a thumbs-up, while his right hand gripped the upper edge of the utility closet door.
With his current character level, his strength far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even if the girls outside used all their might, they wouldn't be able to open the utility closet.
"The utility closet must be broken, right?"
"Never mind it, let's go check the other utility closet."
"Found the mop... Let's clean up."
"..."
The two girls outside quietly moved away, clearly not paying much mind to the jammed utility closet.
The crisis had quietly been resolved.
"Phew..."
Gokou Ruri finally breathed a sigh of relief. She only felt her body go a bit limp, and she couldn't help but slide downward.
"Ruri, don't move."
Sora's expression changed slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Gokou Ruri tilted her small face up in confusion. Just as she was about to ask what was the matter, she suddenly felt a terrifying "murderous aura" quietly creeping up on her.
"Ehhhhh?!"
The girl's long eyelashes fluttered in a panic, and the temperature of her face rapidly rose.
Having experienced letting Sora stay over on a rainy night, Gokou Ruri knew very well that the source of the "murderous aura" was definitely not a cell phone.
Lewd!
Pervert!
Pervert Sora!
It was clearly so dangerous just now, yet you actually thought about that kind of thing...
Boys' heads really are completely filled with dirty thoughts, aren't they!
Gokou Ruri nervously held her breath, drawing a lesson from her previous experience, and didn't dare to move a muscle.
Unfortunately, the effect was minimal.
The narrow, dim environment, the closely pressed skin, and the faint girl's fragrance permeating the air—Sora indicated that he really couldn't calm down for a while.
The two girls outside were chatting about gossip while cleaning, chatting super happily. The Kuroneko hiding inside the utility closet was having a super hard time.
The cramped space and stuffiness went without saying; the girl's sense of shame, on the verge of exploding, was the most distressing part.
(Even though we aren't even dating, I've already done this kind of thing with Sora...)
(I've already... I have absolutely no way to marry anyone else now, do I?)
Time quietly slipped by, minute by minute, second by second.
Gokou Ruri only felt dizzy, time stretching out super long, as if she had spent an entire century inside the utility closet.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of cleaning outside finally stopped.
As the footsteps quietly faded away, the two suffering individuals simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ruri, you go out first."
Sora took a deep breath and said in a low voice.
"N-No strength left... Sora, you go out first..."
Gokou Ruri's pretty face was burning hot like fire, even the roots of her ears had turned completely red. She looked like melted ice cream, appearing soft, glutinous, and sweet.
"Then I'll go out first."
Sora had no choice but to take a deep breath. While leaning back as much as possible, he squeezed outward.
Unfortunately, the utility closet was only so big, and his back was against the cabinet wall, so he completely couldn't create any distance.
"Mmm..."
Under the friction and collision of their bodies, Gokou Ruri felt as if tingling electric currents were sweeping through her entire body. She hurriedly covered her pink lips with the back of her hand in a panic, but unfortunately, a blush-inducing trill still spilled out.
Sora pretended not to hear and continued squeezing outward.
"Finally out."
Having finally escaped the utility closet, Sora instantly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his whole body lighten. But immediately after, he quickly bent forward; sometimes, you really can't stand tall and proud.
But just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Kuroneko, having lost her support, slumped softly towards him.
Thump.
Accompanied by a faint, fragrant breeze brushing his face, Kuroneko crashed directly into Sora.
Because Sora was currently bent over, this crash landed right on his face.
Sora only felt a sharp pain in his nose, and his vision went dark.
"S-Sorry..."
Gokou Ruri hurriedly looked up to apologize.
The next second.
Sora only felt a soft, delicate, and wonderful sensation transmitting from his lips.
At the same time.
Kuroneko's apologizing voice came to an abrupt halt.
Sora subconsciously opened his eyes, and saw Kuroneko's eyes wide open, her gaze blank, as if her soul had drifted out of her body.
Who am I?
Where am I?
This burning hot existence... is, is it Sora-kun's lips?
We accidentally... kissed?
"Meow—"
Her drifting soul finally returned to her body. Gokou Ruri snapped back to reality, her pretty face instantly flushing to the point of explosion. White steam whistled out from the top of her head, and her body hurriedly shrank back.
Sora coughed lightly twice and touched his lips:
"Lord Ruri's sincerity in apologizing is way too ample..."
"..."
Gokou Ruri was so ashamed she couldn't control herself. She had already forgotten her chunibyo sharp tongue. Keeping her head down, she turned and was about to run out.
"Wait."
Sora quickly reached out, grabbing the girl's slender wrist:
"You haven't taken out your color contacts yet. Didn't you say walking made you dizzy?"
"I-It's much better now..." Gokou Ruri looked down at her toes, so ashamed she absolutely didn't dare to look up and meet anyone's eyes.
"I'll go to the restroom to take my color contacts out myself..."
"Be careful." Sora released his right hand.
"If anything happens, message me anytime."
"I-I know..."
Gokou Ruri kept her small head down, swiftly grabbed her schoolbag, and ran out.
Sora was slightly worried and followed her, only feeling relieved when he saw Kuroneko enter the restroom.
After a good while, Gokou Ruri finally emerged from the restroom with a flushed small face.
"S-Sora?"
Seeing Sora waiting in the hallway, Kuroneko's footsteps paused, and she subconsciously wanted to hide back in the restroom.
Sora's tone was faint:
"I was cursed by the Eyes of the Dark Night just now."
"Eh?"
Gokou Ruri stopped and looked up in confusion.
"I originally planned to leave, but for some reason, my body automatically followed you here." Sora spouted nonsense with a straight face.
"Lord Ruri, please hurry up and lift the following curse."
As Sora spoke, he looked at Kuroneko. Seeing that the red color contacts in the girl's eyes had vanished, he finally felt relieved.
"Hmph..."
Gokou Ruri lightly bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, shyly averting her small face:
"Hmph, that's a lifelong curse. A mere Sora can forget about breaking it in this lifetime."
"What about the reward you promised earlier?"
"It's gone."
Gokou Ruri didn't dare to lift her head to look at him, her small hands quietly clenching into fists.
We just accidentally kissed, how come this guy isn't shy at all!
"I'm heading home first..."
Gokou Ruri kept her small head down and scurried away like a wisp of smoke.
Sora withdrew his gaze and headed to the library to study.
Arriving at the library.
Mahiru, Elf, and Tiara from the student council—the three girls were already neatly gathered.
"So slow, what took Sora so long to get here?"
Yamada Elf rested her chin on her right hand, looking over bored.
"I was delayed by something..."
As Sora spoke, he sat down next to Elf.
"Izumi-sensei, good afternoon."
Tiara, with her thick eyebrows, looked up. Her posture was perfectly straight, her voice crisp.
After studying together for these past few days, Tiara no longer had the initial awkwardness. They could be said to be quite familiar now.
"Sniff sniff~"
Yamada Elf leaned her small head over. Like a drug-sniffing dog, she sniffed Sora up and down, her cheeks quickly puffing out:
"You're covered in Ruri's scent... Sora, did you sneak off and have a secret meal behind my back?"
Elf was unhappy, puffing out her cheeks and muttering in a small voice:
"As I thought, Ruri is also a thieving cat!"