The main door clicked as Hiro got back home.

“I’m home guys!” He shouted out loud from the entrance.

Sena walks to the entrance to welcome Hiro after the interview rounds.

“How were the intervi—” Sena stops dead in her tracks when she sees a girl with Hiro standing in the entrance.

“Who… is she?” Sena questioned with a puzzled look on her face.

Hiro stepped in front of Shiho and blasted his hands in front of her. 

“Tada! She is Shiho Ogawa. Yuuta’s new assistant!”

Astonished, Sena grabbed onto Hiro’s hands and pulled him away. She whispered, “Are you stupid? You just brought her home right away? You didn’t force her home did you?” 

A smirk formed on Hiro’s face as he rose from her corner and called onto Yuuta. 

Yuuta walked out of his room wondering why Hiro called him out. As he approached the entrance, he saw Shiho. Without thinking much of it, Yuuta casually greeted her. “Yo.”

Shiho nods and bows. “Nice to meet you, Yuuta sensei!”

Sena had no other option but to accept Shiho home. But her face clearly opposed the idea. 

“I shall show her around our… small apartment.” 

Hiro brought Shiho into the apartment and guided her throughout the house like a travel guide.

“And here is the liar of a very scary witch. Please be wary of her. She can be very scary at night. Especially after she has had overtime.” Hiro giggled to himself as he introduced Sena’s room to Shiho, while having no idea Sena was standing behind him, listening to every insult Hiro threw at her room. 

“Umm… Can we please change the topic?” Shiho said nervously as she saw the death of Hiro engulfed in flaming red eyes. 

“Ehh? We were just getting started.” Hiro walked into her room without any care and started touching Sena’s things. He picked up her make up box and said, “These here are her spells which she uses to seduce the villagers and sacrifices them for her own experiments! Hehehe!” Hiro continued giggling to himself.

“Seduces the villagers huh…” Knuckle crackling sounds and a dark aura filled the room. 

Hiro quickly dropped the makeup box. He turned slowly—too slowly.

Standing in the doorway, arms crossed, was Sena. Her expression unreadable… except for the clear murderous intent in her eyes.

“Sena…” Hiro choked out.

“You’re what?”

“Ready to accept my end. It was destiny who decided our— AHH!”

A storm of fists and angry kicks echoed through the apartment.

Shiho, wide-eyed, quickly backed out of the room into the living space, looking for any escape from the chaos.

Yuuta walked in from the hallway just as Shiho stumbled out.

“Welcome to the team, Shiho.” he said casually, with a warm smile. “Hope you’re as good as Hiro claims. You start tomorrow. Good luck.”

She blinked, startled, then smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Yuuta-sensei.”

The two of them stood near the kitchen now, sharing a simple but sincere exchange. Yuuta sipped his coffee, looking down at her with a calm curiosity. Shiho looked up, still blushing faintly.

Just then, Hiro burst out of Sena’s room, panting and dodging the last flying cushion.

He skidded to a stop.

And froze.

His eyes landed on Yuuta. On Shiho. On the soft smile on Yuuta’s face, and the nervous, familiar way Shiho looked up at him.

Hiro’s grin faded. His shoulders slackened. The noise of the room dulled around him.

Sena emerged just behind him, slipper in hand and breathing shallow from the chase—but she stopped too when she saw Hiro standing still, staring.

There was a long pause.

Then Hiro whispered under his breath, voice low and distant but loud enough for Sena to hear:

“…It’s still the same, huh.”

Sena’s brow furrowed. She looked at him, then at Yuuta and Shiho again.

Hiro didn’t say another word. He turned around and walked to his room slowly, shutting the door behind him.

Click.

Sena looked back at the kitchen.

Yuuta was laughing softly now, saying something that made Shiho cover her mouth shyly.

Sena didn’t move.

Her gaze drifted back to Hiro’s closed door.

For the first time that day, she saw how the all stars and rainbow Hiro forgot how to smile.

—end chapter 2

Credits:

Author - Hiro

Revision & Proofread - @laurenxya (on Tapas)

Cover Art & Graphics - Hiro