Multiverse Gacha

Holding onto the soft hand of Kanon Kanase, August led her toward the office building.

Since they lived together and considering Natsuki Minamiya's residence was far away, not to mention it being on the top floor, August had long grown accustomed to her using spatial magic to teleport back.

As they rounded a corner, they unexpectedly bumped into Asagi Aiba, who had just finished tidying up after school and was about to head home.

"It's you," she exclaimed, her voice laced with surprise the moment she laid eyes on August.

These past few days, Asagi couldn't help but let her mind wander, thinking about him. The recurring question in her head was simple yet perplexing: Could he possibly like me?

However, ever since that day, August had seemingly vanished, leaving no trace. Whatever budding feelings she had begun to nurture were quickly extinguished.

Even if one isn't particularly fond of handsome men, it's natural for any woman to feel a sense of pride and happiness when one shows interest in her.

"Oh, it's you. Hello," August greeted casually.

"Hello... Do you not recognize me?"

"Should I?"

"No, it's not that..."

Asagi stammered, her initial surprise now giving way to awkwardness. August's aloof attitude made it clear that everything she had been imagining was nothing more than her own wishful thinking.

Meanwhile, Kanon Kanase curiously glanced between August and Asagi, her gaze lingering on the older girl.

This "big sister" was undeniably beautiful, with an incredible figure and a fashionable look. Compared to her, Kanon felt like she could only claim the title of a "refreshingly simple" girl.

"Senpai, my name is Kanon Kanase. This is August—nice to meet you."

"Ah? I'm Asagi Aiba. Nice to meet you too."

In this country where politeness is held in high regard, one naturally had to respond when greeted.

August, however, gave Kanon a puzzled look, unsure of her intentions.

"Asagi-senpai, I've heard about you. You're in Miss Natsuki's class, right?"

"You know Natsuki? Isn't she a middle school teacher?"

"Not exactly. I'm currently staying at Miss Natsuki's place—with August."

"Huh? You're living with Natsuki?"

Now this was surprising. Asagi was genuinely stunned. At Saikai Academy, Natsuki Minamiya—affectionately dubbed the "legal loli"—was one of the most popular teachers, her fame unparalleled.

The idea that this man was not only acquainted with Natsuki but also lived with her? That was something Asagi had never imagined.

While surprised, Asagi didn't dwell too much on it. She knew Natsuki fairly well and trusted her character. There was probably a valid reason for this arrangement.

Though Natsuki often appeared temperamental, she was undoubtedly a responsible and competent teacher.

"By the way, can I ask—where did you get that cake last time?"

"Hm? Cake?"

"The Black Forest cake. It was amazing. I searched all over the island but couldn't find anything like it."

"If you liked it, I can give you two more."

Without hesitation, August retrieved two Black Forest cakes from seemingly nowhere and handed them to Asagi.

"Huh?"

Staring at the two cake boxes in her hands, Asagi froze. Did this mean that the cakes weren't something one could find on Shinou Island at all?

"August, isn't this the same cake you gave me last time?" Kanon asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yep. Why?"

"It's delicious!"

"If you like it, just let me know. I can keep you well-fed," August said as he playfully ruffled Kanon's hair.

Kanon responded with the contented expression of a cat basking in the sun, the scene radiating warmth and tenderness.

Watching the two interact, Asagi couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Having grown up mostly on her own aside from one unreliable best friend, such moments of familial closeness were foreign to her.

"You two have a really great sibling bond," Asagi commented wistfully.

"We're not siblings," August replied bluntly.

"You're not? But she calls you 'August-nii.'"

"That's... a term of endearment."

"Endearment...?"

"Exactly. Kanon's my girlfriend."

"WHAT?!"

Asagi's jaw dropped as she turned to Kanon for confirmation, only to see the girl shyly avert her gaze.

In that moment, it all clicked for Asagi. Everyone at Saikai Academy had misunderstood. These two weren't pretending to be siblings—they were a couple all along!

"Are you okay, senpai?" 

"I-I'm fine!" 

Looking at Kanon Kanase, who seemed to radiate a pure and angelic glow, Asagi Aiba couldn't help but feel a pang of self-doubt.

How long had she been silently crushing on someone who was so dense he couldn't take a hint? And here was Kanon, so young, already with a boyfriend who was not only handsome but also incredibly thoughtful.

The gap between people was so painfully vast. How could the heavens be so unfair?

"Kanon-chan, what are you doing over there?"

Just then, a familiar voice broke the silence. Nagisa Akatsuki's cheerful call reached their ears, and the three turned to see her jogging toward them.

"Nagisa? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's Asagi-senpai! I was just about to head home when I saw you all here, so I decided to stop by."

"Do you know Kanon and August?"

"Of course! Kanon-chan and I are classmates, and naturally, I know August-kun as well."

"The world's really small, huh," Asagi muttered, for the first time truly marveling at how connected everyone seemed.

Before she could process this further, two more figures emerged from the high school building. It was none other than Kojou Akatsuki and Motoki Yaze.

"Hey, Kojou, look over there. Isn't that Nagisa and Asagi?" Motoki said, nudging his friend.

"Huh?" Kojou squinted toward where Motoki was pointing, his expression tired and disinterested. For him, a vampire, this scorching sunlight was pure torment.

But the moment his gaze landed on August standing beside the group, Kojou's pupils contracted sharply.

The memory of being utterly overpowered by this man not long ago resurfaced vividly. Even now, the mere sight of him caused the beast residing within Kojou to stir restlessly. Though it didn't threaten to go berserk, it sent a clear message to its host—a challenge, an urge to fight again.

Without a second thought, Kojou broke into a run toward the group, leaving Motoki dumbfounded.

"Hey, Kojou—wait!" Motoki called, scrambling after him. He knew his best friend well enough to understand what was going on.

While Kojou was utterly clueless when it came to women, he was hyper-aware of any men who got too close to his sister. A complete and unapologetic siscon, Kojou would go into overdrive whenever Nagisa interacted with another guy. To an outsider, their dynamic might have seemed overly suspicious, as if there was something more than sibling love between them.

"Yo, Kojou, what are you—" August began casually, only to be cut off as Kojou firmly placed Nagisa behind him, standing protectively in front of her and glaring at August with visible tension.

"Nagisa, are you okay?" Kojou asked, his tone heavy with concern.

"Huh? Kojou, what are you talking about?" Nagisa asked, completely confused.

Meanwhile, Asagi stood to the side, watching the scene unfold. Her heart sank.

Here she was, facing someone like August, who exuded charisma and confidence, while the guy she liked was... this.

The contrast couldn't have been more striking.

___

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