"Yeah, what's wrong? Is it not allowed?" Badr asked, puzzled.
"...If you do that, wouldn't I have to share you with her?" Mai seemed displeased.
...Share?
Share what...?
Badr blinked, pondering for a moment before understanding her meaning. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"...What are you thinking? It's just a contract, not a marriage certificate..."
"Eh..."
Mai blushed deeply.
So... it wasn't like that?
Had she misunderstood all along?
Badr, seeing her expression, understood her thoughts.
He teased her gently, "Heh, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just curious. You were so calm when other devils were involved with women, but why are you reacting like this with Nodoka?"
"That's different! Nodoka is my sister..." Mai blurted out.
Only Nodoka remained clueless, unable to comprehend their conversation...
It was understandable. Today's events had been a nuclear bomb to her worldview.
.....
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Chapter 96: Soulbound Symphony! Nodoka Contract!
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...
"What kind of contract are you talking about?"
Perhaps because she learned that Mai had also formed a contract with Badr, Nodoka Toyohama grew curious.
"It's like this: you entrust me to solve your current predicament, and in return, I will collect the emotional energy generated by your soul."
Badr patiently explained, after all, this was a potential new client.
Speaking of new clients, he was feeling rather worn out. He had his familiars distribute flyers every day, but not a single new summoner had appeared, leaving Badr quite disheartened...
It wasn't that his familiars weren't working hard, it was that everyone was experiencing the same situation. Rias and the others didn't have many summoners either.
After all, most humans would consider the ability to summon a devil a secret weapon, which led to poor information circulation among them.
This lack of information flow might also be due to the decisions of the Three Factions;
They were all trying to avoid excessive exposure to human society, even inventing magic that could alter common sense.
Perhaps it was easier to guide and control humans who were kept in the dark...
Under these circumstances, the flyers that Badr and the others distributed were mostly discarded.
It was a harsh reality; after all, who would pay attention to such strange advertisements?
Badr even wondered if he should change his promotional methods in the future...
Setting aside the issue of finding clients for now, Badr felt that since Nodoka now knew his identity, he should still try to secure this deal.
Nodoka's interest was clearly piqued.
Due to today's events, Badr had opened a brand new door for her, revealing a world that was both unknown and mysterious!
Angels, devils, souls, magic...
Things that had only existed in fantasy were now vividly presented before Nodoka's eyes.
Imagine such a door opening before you; who could resist the urge to step inside?
"H-How should I do it?"
"Just follow my instructions."
Badr smiled, thinking to himself, "It's a done deal." He immediately took out a summoning magic circle and guided Nodoka through the process, finally establishing a connection.
Next, as long as Badr solved their current problem, he would have completed the commission, and the contract would officially take effect.
Mai watched quietly as they completed the contract before speaking softly, "Alright, what should we do next?"
Badr shrugged. "Even if you ask me, I don't have a solution yet... The situation is unclear, and I need to investigate slowly."
"That's true."
Mai agreed with Badr and sighed softly. "So, for the time being, we'll have to live each other's lives."
Hearing this, Nodoka's eyes widened in surprise.
"Um... Miss Mai?"
"Hmm?"
"I can't possibly impersonate Y..." Nodoka said nervously.
"Why not?"
"If we're supposed to be close friends, I think people will quickly notice something's wrong."
Nodoka's words made sense.
Mai, for once, seemed a little embarrassed, stammering slightly as she said, "W-Well, at school, it shouldn't be... a problem..."
"Eh?"
"..."
Seeing Mai's troubled expression, Badr rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically before revealing the answer for her, "Because Mai has no friends at school."
"Huh??"
Nodoka was stunned, her face filled with disbelief.
This didn't align with the image she had of her "Mai-nee-san." She had assumed that Mai was as popular in her school class as she was in the entertainment industry...
Badr found it amusing. If Mai were popular at school, her Adolescent Syndrome wouldn't have manifested in the first place.
It was precisely because she was too outstanding that people kept their distance.
In this regard, Badr's past approach had been wise: stay inconspicuous yet not too ordinary, maintain a low profile.
Seeing Badr's teasing expression, Mai became displeased.
"What's that supposed to mean? You don't have any friends either."
"I have friends now, okay?" Badr scoffed.
"Male or female?"
"...Female."
"I see," Mai muttered with an ambiguous tone, then narrowed her eyes at him. "Introduce me to them next time."
"Sure." Although Badr sensed danger in Mai's gaze, he wasn't intimidated.
It was just a potential harem situation; what was there to be afraid of?
Mai decided to drop the subject and return to the matter at hand.
"In short, impersonating me at school is simple. Just go to school, sit in the right seat, attend classes quietly, read during breaks, and there's no need to talk to anyone."
"...O-Okay."
Nodoka was speechless. So this was how her sister acted at school?
As if reading her mind, Badr chuckled and said, "Don't be surprised. Your sister is a high-and-mighty ice queen at school."
Mai: "..."
She glared at Badr and, without warning, stepped on his foot under the table, twisting it hard...
Badr endured it silently, his expression unchanged.
Nodoka spoke up hesitantly, "Um, actually, I'm the same..."
"Hmm?"
"...After my debut was confirmed last year, I haven't had much time to hang out with my high school classmates. I can't keep up with their conversations anymore. And after I dyed my hair for my debut, I feel like I've been completely ostracized. So... it should be fine..."
Nodoka had enrolled in a prestigious school, where most of the girls were wealthy heiresses. Her golden hair did make her stand out...
Mai: "..."
Badr couldn't help but find it amusing.
"You two, you really are sisters..."
Even their lack of friends was similar!
Suddenly, both sisters glared at him with puffed-out cheeks.
"Drop dead, drop dead twice!" Nodoka expressed her dissatisfaction angrily. "At least I have a good relationship with my bandmates, is there a problem with that?"
"I only don't have friends at school. I still have many friends in the entertainment industry."
Badr retorted, "Can you really call people in the entertainment industry 'friends'? When you're popular, everyone seems nice."
Mai: "..."
Unable to refute his words...
She reached out and poked Badr's forehead repeatedly.
Badr rested his chin on his hand and said lazily, "What are you doing?"
"I think you're being arrogant, so I'm teaching you a lesson."
"Thank you for the reward, my dear wife."
Nodoka frowned as if she had seen something disgusting. "...What the heck."
Was that supposed to be a reward?
What kind of relationship did her sister and Badr have...
...
Nodoka was utterly bewildered by Badr and Mai's way of interacting.
Only Mai, who had spent a considerable amount of time with Badr, understood that his casual way of talking to them was a sign that he had let his guard down.
He was no longer the solitary and introspective boy he used to be. He now showed his playful side, occasionally even revealing a hint of coquettishness in his eyes, which Mai found incredibly endearing.
Mai naturally indulged Badr in these moments, and when it came to important matters, he always stepped up. This was their mutual understanding and respect for each other.
The more time they spent together, the deeper their understanding and connection became. Often, a single glance or gesture was enough to convey their thoughts and feelings.
Badr tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said calmly, "Since there's no problem with school life, the focus should be on work."
Whether it was the superstar Mai Sakurajima or the idol Nodoka Toyohama, their work schedules were the biggest headache.
Mai opened her phone and pulled up her schedule. Surprisingly, it was relatively empty.
"Eh? So few jobs?" Nodoka exclaimed in surprise.
"I moved all the consecutive filming schedules to August. The only things I have coming up are a few interviews and an advertisement shoot."
Mai spoke softly, glancing at her boyfriend sitting beside her. She said nonchalantly, "I've cut back a bit this semester. If I had too much work, someone would get lonely."
"Actually, I can teleport to visit you on set. I can just brainwash the crew every time I go," Badr said casually.
"That would be pitiful, so there's no need."
"It's okay. As long as I can see Mai, it's no big deal," Badr pretended not to understand what Mai was implying.
Mai bluntly exposed his self-deception.
"I meant it would be pitiful for the crew."
Nodoka: "..."
Please don't talk about brainwashing the entire crew so casually!
You sound like a Satan.
Well... wait, he is a devil!
Nodoka felt dizzy...
Mai then turned to Nodoka and said, "You shouldn't have any problems with photoshoots and scripts, right? I remember you've had similar experiences before."
"Uh... I..."
Nodoka hesitated visibly.
Even though she had transformed into Mai Sakurajima, she still lacked the confidence to truly replace her.
After all, Mai Sakurajima's success wasn't solely due to her beautiful appearance...
...
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Chapter 97: The Idol's Cage! Gilding a Broken Heart!
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...
Both Badr and Mai noticed Nodoka Toyohama's hesitation but chose not to comment. Mai said casually,
"As for me, it looks like I'll have a tough time until I get used to the songs and dance routines."
"Ah! That's right... the stage performance..."
Nodoka suddenly remembered something, her face paling.
She had a major stage performance coming up soon. It was precisely for this performance that the members of their idol group, [Sweet Bullet], had been rehearsing tirelessly after school every day, often until late at night.
Not only that, they also had small commercial performances every weekend. In this situation, Mai would be under immense pressure, as she had so much to learn in a short amount of time.
Badr raised an eyebrow and asked softly,
"Can Mai dance?"
Mai didn't answer. Whether she could dance or not, she had to face this challenge head-on.
"Nodoka, do you have a practice video?"
"Yes... it's this one..."
Nodoka quickly took out a disc from her bag and handed it to Mai respectfully with both hands.
Mai got up and loaded it into the projector. A three-hour countdown appeared on the screen, the video almost entirely consisting of singing and dancing lessons.
Mai stood in front of the TV and started imitating the movements in the video.
Badr and Nodoka watched as Mai began to dance with light, energetic steps, her body swaying with wide movements.
Since Mai was learning the moves on the spot, she was a beat behind compared to the video. However, from Badr's perspective as an average layman, just like most of the general public, he couldn't find any faults in her performance.
Soon, Mai finished singing and dancing to a song, reaching a level that Badr considered exceptionally high.
Her forehead was slightly damp with sweat, her chest heaving. The singing and dancing had clearly taken a toll on her, and her breathing was a bit rapid.
Nevertheless, she turned to Badr, her eyes filled with pride.
She had responded to Badr's concern with her actions.
"I'm starting to think there's nothing Mai can't do."
Badr offered a compliment without hesitation, earning a pleased smile from Mai.
"Heh, were you surprised?"
"If Mai were to dance for me in her own form, I'd probably be very surprised," Badr replied with a light laugh.
In reality, with his calm demeanor even in the face of life-threatening situations, it would be difficult for anything to truly surprise him...
Of course, he was still somewhat taken aback. After all, Mai had always presented herself as mature and composed, even overly calm, just like him. She was the type who wouldn't rush even if she was about to miss her train.
Seeing her dance so energetically was a stark contrast to the usual Mai Sakurajima.
"I was part of a theatre troupe, you know. My talents go beyond just acting."
Mai flashed a confident smile, radiating an air of undeniable pride.
Badr smiled gently at Mai.
"As expected, this is the Mai I love. Hmm, even though your appearance has changed, this just proves that my love for you goes beyond the physical, deep into your soul."
"So you're saying you don't like my appearance?" Mai shot him a sharp look.
"Of course, I love your body too. To be honest, I love everything about Mai. Even if you were Nodoka Toyohama right now, I wouldn't mind."
Badr, disregarding Nodoka's feelings, showered Mai with compliments.
Nodoka bristled. "What do you mean 'even if you were my form, I wouldn't mind'?"
Was she that undesirable?
Mai sighed. "Well, even though it's just a hypothetical..."
She didn't finish her sentence, her gaze shifting uneasily.
Badr, however, instantly understood Mai's unspoken words, as if their hearts were connected. He smiled reassuringly and said,
"Didn't I just say that I love Mai for who you are? Even if you remained in this form forever, I would still love you."
"Nodoka is a cute, active idol. Don't say it like it's a hardship."
