Zunzun's eyelashes were long and curled, his hair smooth and silky. His delicate frame and slender fingers gave him an almost fragile appearance.
His snow-white skin carried a faint pink flush, and the veins on his round face showed just a little beneath the surface.
Especially now, just after bathing, his fresh, moist scent was clean and pleasant—like a lotus emerging from clear water.
Megumin looked up and noticed the reassuring flatness that matched hers. But as her eyes drifted downward, her face twitched, the taste of milk still lingering in her mouth. Without thinking, she blurted out, "—You traitor!"
"Huh?"
The accusation was completely unexpected—even to Zunzun.
Yunyun was utterly stunned. Her eyes rolled wildly, steam almost rising off her head like a boiling kettle. Zunzun feared she might literally combust.
"Uh… should I scream now?"
"Megumin, what are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Ah—!"
Before Zunzun could react, Megumin suddenly screamed. His eyes went dark in panic as he quickly clapped a hand over her mouth—but it was too late. Sister Soketto came running.
Seeing Zunzun standing there without clothes, Sister Soketto's face tightened with mild anger.
"Zunzun! You can't do this even at home! We have guests today!"
There was definitely something strange about her anger…
…
Awkward.
Especially awkward.
Four people sat around the dining table in the living room, and no one dared speak first. The heavy silence was suffocating.
"A boy… he's actually a boy…"
Yunyun muttered to herself, head lowered, clearly struggling to accept that Zunzun was male.
Megumin, restless but far more interested in the kitchen behind Zunzun, focused on today's dinner rather than the shocking revelation.
Zunzun felt like dying.
If there were no people he cared about in this world, he'd rather go back and hang out with the stupid goddess Aqua.
Thankfully, Sister Soketto said the trio had something else to do and wouldn't be coming. Otherwise, if his identity were exposed in front of them, the teasing and ridicule would be merciless.
Maybe he should just lie to them—say they saw it wrong?
Or say, "Though I'm male physically, I'm female psychologically…"
No, no, no! This was a backward, different world, and he couldn't keep up with those advanced ideas yet.
What if the Crimson Demons, suffering their "second-year syndrome," caught wind of that? Would introductions now need to distinguish psychological and biological gender?
Just as Zunzun agonized over what to say, the oldest, most mature, and reliable Sister Soketto spoke first, "In fact, Zunzun isn't just my brother—he's also my sister."
"...Huh?"
"You don't know? When Zunzun was born, he was actually part of a pair of twins. But his magical power was so strong that the clan leader—your father, Yunyun—said at first sight, 'This child might one day destroy the world. But his power is too difficult to control; he may not survive.'"
"W-what? My father said that?"
Yunyun's eyes filled with tears as she hurriedly asked, "What happened next? What about Zunzun and his sister—what happened to her?"
"At that moment, my sister seemed to sense something. She suddenly glowed and merged into Zunzun's body, letting him survive! Don't worry, she's not dead—she just shares a body with him. So to care for his sister inside, he chooses to wear women's clothes. You should understand and be considerate."
"Oh... so it's like that…"
Yunyun covered her mouth, eyes glistening with sympathy for Zunzun's tortuous and bizarre experience.
Zunzun's eyes darkened.
He forgot that although Sister Soketto was gentle and mature, she was also a member of the Crimson Demon Clan. After receiving their education, her talent for making up stories was even better than before.
The little loli listened with relish, her gaze on Zunzun full of disbelief.
"Enough!"
Zunzun slammed the table, stood, and said, "I don't have any tortuous, bizarre experience. There is no other person inside me. I am me—and I have been a boy from the start!"
"...Huh?"
Yunyun was stunned.
Sister Soketto recovered and said, "Is that really okay? Won't what you just said fool people?"
"At least I want to be honest with my friends."
The Crimson Demons loved inventing elaborate settings—past-life lovers, destined fates, split souls—but the idea of another person sharing a body? That was new. And he wasn't about to pretend to talk like a girl in the future.
Megumin pouted disdainfully.
"What a boring story. Why would you want to spoil the mystery?"
She was a typical Crimson Demon, fascinated by all the weird settings. Though she hadn't started school yet, the adults' antics already influenced her.
Only Yunyun looked confused.
"What about the twists and turns?"
"Fake."
"And the huge magical power that could destroy the world?"
"No. Yunyun's father says that every time a baby is born, didn't you know?"
"But what about my sister? My sister…"
"Fictional."
"Fictional… eh heh heh—"
As the only "normal" one in the Crimson Demon Clan, Yunyun still didn't understand their second-year syndrome settings. She'd almost cried in sympathy just now, and now she was almost crying from being tricked.
Sister Soketto hurriedly comforted her.
Yunyun wiped her eyes, then looked at Zunzun carefully:
"Then… does that mean we're still friends?"
"Of course."
"Yes, definitely…"
Relieved, she smiled.
Sister Soketto ruffled her head sympathetically:
"Yunyun, you just pulled out my brother's flag.'"
"Eh?"
Yunyun, young and obsessed with friendship, didn't understand what that meant.
"But Megumin is amazing—she didn't even react when she found out Zunzun is a boy."
"Yes, we took a bath together."
Sister Soketto added casually, clearly enjoying fanning the flames since she was the one who'd forced them to bathe together.
Megumin's body stiffened, and she fell silent.
Yunyun suddenly stood up, face shocked:
"W-w-w-we took a bath together!?"
"Yes. Many times."
Sister Soketto said lightly, as if this was no big deal.
"Many times!?"
Yunyun's expression twisted with jealousy, envy, and something undefinable.
"Megumin, don't you want to say something?"
"I—I just ignored it! How many times do you think? I'm so shy just thinking about it! I wish I could learn explosion magic right now and destroy this world!"
The little loli's eyes were red, face flushed. Though she tried to brush it off, the topic clearly embarrassed her.
-End Chapter-
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