Mai laughed, the anxiety fading from her face.
...
Having received the answer she desired, Mai seemed happy, though she tried to maintain her composure.
"Speaking of which, I absolutely won't let you touch a single hair on Nodoka's body."
Nodoka, who was standing beside them, blinked, thinking to herself how strange that sounded...
Badr was speechless. "Eh?"
"So you'll endure it forever, right?"
Mai flashed a mischievous smile, the same composed expression she wore when teasing Badr in the past.
Badr adopted a serious look and straightened his posture.
"It seems I need to seriously address this troublesome matter."
After all, this concerned his future "happiness"...
Mai smiled with satisfaction. It was good that Badr was taking it seriously.
"Nodoka, it's getting late. We should get ready for school."
She addressed Nodoka, reminding her that they had been caught up in the morning's events for quite some time.
"O-Okay."
"Wait, let's buy breakfast first," Badr interjected, looking at Mai. "Shall we go out and buy some?"
Mai, noticing Badr's gaze, quickly nodded in understanding. "Alright, Nodoka, wait for us for a bit."
They went downstairs and headed to a breakfast shop. While waiting for their food, Badr spoke frankly.
"To be honest, I think something will go wrong with Nodoka."
"But there's nothing we can do about it now."
Mai agreed, recognizing the potential for complications.
"Badr, I have a request."
She stood there, looking up at Badr. Since Nodoka was shorter, Mai's demeanor seemed slightly different.
Mai Sakurajima was 165 cm tall. Usually, she only needed to raise her gaze slightly to look at Badr, which undoubtedly enhanced her aura. However, with Nodoka Toyohama's height of less than 160 cm, she had to look up at him.
Though Mai's aura was still prominent, it felt somewhat different...
"It's rare for Mai to ask me for something. I wish you were in your original form."
"It's still Mai Sakurajima, you idiot."
"That's true."
"Regarding Nodoka, I want to ask you to take her seriously. I want you to find out what happened to her."
"Considering her situation, since she ran away from home and came to her sister's, she probably had a fight with her parents, right?"
Human abilities were influenced by subjective emotions. Badr filtered through what he knew about Nodoka Toyohama, and the only clue he could think of was her running away from home.
However, Mai hesitated.
"...Although I also considered that, I think the main issue lies with me."
"Is she under a lot of pressure because she has a famous and successful older sister? After all, Mai is so outstanding. As her younger sister, being compared to you must be very disheartening."
Badr hit the nail on the head, identifying the key information in Mai's words.
Mai remained silent, acknowledging the truth in Badr's statement...
"In short, it's probably her mother... a woman's pride has become a burden for Nodoka."
"Why?"
"Didn't I mention it before? We have the same father but different mothers. My mother made me debut as a child actress to taunt my father, who had left her for another woman."
Badr blinked, chuckling softly. "A woman's revenge can be truly terrifying."
"..."
Mai glared at him. After all, the person Badr was teasing was her mother, even though their relationship wasn't particularly good...
"She used to be part of a theatre troupe too. And when we were younger... we even met at the same troupe..."
Mai's words made Badr facepalm...
He could only imagine how tragic it must have been for Nodoka to encounter Mai Sakurajima at that time...
And their mothers, needless to say, must have been secretly competing with each other, both overtly and covertly.
Badr understood Mai's point.
When Mai Sakurajima appeared on TV as a glamorous star, one could only imagine the complex emotions of her estranged father. This was probably Mai's mother's way of getting back at him.
And this situation undoubtedly affected Nodoka's mother, leading her to push Nodoka into the idol industry, which resulted in their encounter at the theatre troupe.
Poor Mai and Nodoka, becoming victims of their parents' conflicts.
"So you think this is the key to today's incident?"
"If it were you, you could definitely resolve it, right?" Mai said calmly.
"You have that much faith in me?"
"After all, you're very capable."
Badr was speechless. How come he didn't even know he was that capable?
"Since it's your request, Mai, I'll definitely give it some serious thought. Besides, I've also formed a contract with her. You don't have to worry; I'll help her regardless."
"Oh, right, I forgot about your contract with her."
Mai smiled with relief. It was evident that Badr's presence had eased her worries considerably. "Then we just need to play our roles well, right?"
Badr remained expressionless, speaking in a monotone voice, "Please, do, your, best."
After having breakfast together, Badr escorted the two sisters to school. Although he could have flown them there, he couldn't do it every day. Who knew how long this situation would last?
To help them adjust to their switched lives quickly, Badr could only accompany them and familiarize them with the situation.
He couldn't help but feel exhausted. Due to renovations at Kuoh Academy, he had a rare three-day break. He had intended to spend quality time with his girlfriend, but their honeymoon had ended after just one day...
Only one day...
He had finally had the chance to be alone with Mai, and then this happened.
Badr pursed his lips. At least he had gained a new contract partner. He could consider it as working overtime...
They arrived at the train station, which was packed with people during rush hour.
Badr shielded the two sisters as they made their way through the crowd. However, they had to take different trains.
"Will you be alright on your own?" Badr asked Mai with concern as they parted ways.
"I can handle it." Mai always exuded a strong sense of confidence.
Badr nodded. "Call me if anything happens. I'll be there immediately."
Mai smiled. "It's reassuring to have a boyfriend who's on call like this."
"So, how about a reward?"
"Not now. I'm in Nodoka's form."
"...I don't mind."
...
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Chapter 98: Nodoka's Blushing
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...
"It's Nodoka and I who would mind," Mai Sakurajima said, a playful smile on her face as she tugged Badr's cheek before turning towards her train.
Badr watched her board before turning back to Nodoka Toyohama.
As expected, in her current guise as Mai Sakurajima, she had already attracted quite a bit of attention...
...
Seeing Badr approach, Nodoka seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Can I really just...wait for the train here like this...?"
She glanced at a group of people nearby who were whispering and staring at her.
With his enhanced hearing, Badr could clearly make out their hushed conversation.
"I-Is that...?"
"It's her! The real Mai Sakurajima!"
"Go talk to her! It's a rare opportunity!"
"Eh? Y-You go!"
Their reactions were understandable. In fact, the hardcore fans Badr knew were far more intense than these people.
The real nuisance was the photos. Mai was usually happy to oblige polite requests for pictures, but some people insisted on taking sneaky shots and posting them online without her consent.
Since meeting Badr, Mai had found things easier with him as her personal bodyguard. But Badr couldn't be by her side 24/7, so she still faced this issue from time to time.
This was Nodoka's first time impersonating Mai Sakurajima, and she was unfamiliar with this kind of attention. She felt nervous, unsure whether she should intervene or ignore them.
"Don't worry about those people," Badr said softly.
"Eh? But..."
Nodoka hesitated. In the next second, she saw Badr snap his fingers towards the group. Those who had been attempting to take sneaky pictures silently put away their phones and walked away, not even glancing back.
Nodoka was stunned by their sudden change in attitude.
"W-What just happened?"
"It's called Common Sense Alteration, a type of magic. Very convenient," Badr explained the existence of magic, leaving Nodoka in awe.
Such a magical and convenient ability existed...
"You can relax when I'm around. No one will notice you. But if I'm not there, be careful not to expose yourself," Badr said casually.
"Well then, you should help out more often..."
"I'm not always free. That's why Mai wouldn't make such a demanding request. If it were me, I'd know you were an imposter just from that statement."
Badr's calm words made Nodoka pause.
"You talk as if you know my sister very well..." she retorted, a hint of defiance in her voice.
"You're calling her 'sister' quite naturally now that she's not around," Badr observed.
"...Mind your own business."
Nodoka was slightly annoyed.
Unfazed, Badr continued, "I can confidently say that I know Mai far better than you do."
"Arrogant..." Nodoka muttered. "Speaking of which, how far have you two actually gone?"
"Quite far," Badr replied lazily.
"...??"
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Nodoka finally understood.
"Y-You mean... that... you've done that?"
Her voice rose an octave.
Badr feigned ignorance. "That what?"
"Th-That thing... you know, that kind of thing..."
Nodoka seemed embarrassed to even say it out loud. Her voice trailed off into a near-inaudible whisper, her ears turning red.
Badr found her reaction amusing. In fact, Mai had reacted almost the same way last night.
Mai was undeniably adorable when she was flustered.
"What kind of thing?" Badr continued to play dumb.
"You know, going all the... all the..."
"All the?"
"Going all the... Ugh, I can't say it!"
She punched Badr in frustration, her embarrassment evident.
Badr decided to stop teasing her. "If you're referring to that aspect, then yes, we have. Just yesterday, in fact."
"Eh!?"
Nodoka's eyes widened in surprise as Badr calmly met her gaze.
Contrary to his initial impression, Nodoka seemed surprisingly innocent, despite her dyed blonde hair and seemingly trendy appearance.
Badr accompanied Nodoka to Mai's school, his second visit to the institution.
His previous visit had been to resolve Mai's Adolescence Syndrome, the phenomenon that made her disappear from people's perception.
"Are you coming in with me?" Nodoka asked, surprised.
"I'll take a look around. I'm free for the next couple of days anyway."
Badr didn't mind. Whether it was due to the request from Mai or his own sense of responsibility, he needed to observe the situation to ensure everything went smoothly.
"Will the school let you in?"
"Why wouldn't they?"
Badr strolled through the school gates with his hands in his pockets, his black attire starkly contrasting with the students' uniforms. Neither the security guard nor the surrounding students paid him any attention.
He just walked right in...
Magic really does make you omnipotent...
Nodoka stared at the black-clad youth, who stood out amongst the uniformed students, for a moment before silently following him.
As they walked towards the school building, Badr said, "I'll loosen the Common Sense Alteration a bit. I need to see how well you can impersonate Mai."
"...Okay."
Nodoka nodded. Badr deactivated the magic, and immediately, the people around them noticed "Mai Sakurajima."
Nodoka quickly adopted Mai's demeanor and mannerisms. She was remarkably convincing, even Badr, who knew Mai intimately, couldn't find any fault with her performance.
Even her little habit of twirling her hair was spot-on.
Could it be that she had secretly imitated Mai before...?
Badr couldn't help but wonder. "I'm surprised. You've learned to mimic her quite well."
"I used to imitate other characters when I was younger..."
Badr chuckled. "You mean you used to imitate Mai when you were younger."
Seeing Badr's knowing smile, Nodoka hesitated before admitting, "She was my pride, my role model..."
Was? Past tense...
What about now?
Badr tilted his head in thought for a moment, unable to grasp the crux of the matter.
He wasn't a mind reader, so he couldn't decipher Nodoka's current thoughts.
Taking advantage of the Common Sense Alteration, Badr accompanied Nodoka into her classroom. No one in the class seemed to notice or care about his presence as an outsider.
Nodoka, playing the role of Mai Sakurajima, initially felt nervous. But when she saw Badr, she was rendered speechless.
Due to the lack of seating, Badr had casually perched himself on the windowsill, his legs propped up on the ledge. The wind ruffled his black hair as he listened to the teacher's lecture with his arms crossed, an air of nonchalance about him.
This guy... he's not even in his own school, and he's still showing off...
...
Spending the entire day with Nodoka, Badr primarily observed her reactions.
He had already deduced certain things.
Nodoka, like Mai before her, seemed to be experiencing an unstable awakening of her abilities.
To be honest, these abilities were quite underwhelming, lacking any combat potential and bringing only trouble.
The solution to such troublesome abilities lay in changing the individual's mindset.
Badr endured the uneventful day until school ended.
"I wonder how things are going for my sister..." Nodoka said worriedly as they walked home.
"If it's Mai, she'll be fine."
Badr had complete faith in Mai. He had witnessed firsthand her intelligence and adaptability.
"...Yeah, if it's my sister, she'll definitely be fine. She's always been so amazing."
Nodoka's voice held a hint of sadness.
Badr strolled alongside her, listening to her constant mentions of "sister." Yet, in Mai's presence, she never once addressed her that way.
"Can you tell me why?" he suddenly asked.
"Huh? What?"
"Why you don't call Mai 'sister' to her face," Badr said casually.
"B-Because she's a senior in the entertainment industry," Nodoka replied, avoiding his gaze.
Badr remained unconvinced. "I suspect the truth is more complicated than that."
