Catherine blinked, clearly unsure if she should be insulted or impressed. “Code Nine?” she repeated slowly, her tone laced with confusion.

Yuzu nodded firmly, as though this was the only possible response. “Yes. Code Nine. That is what you will call Yuzu, or else...” She trailed off with a teasing grin, as if leaving the threat open-ended but completely unnecessary.

Catherine let out a long, exasperated sigh but couldn’t hold back a laugh at the absurdity of it all. “You’re impossible,” she muttered, but her voice held a hint of fondness.

"Is… it safe now, Miss Catherine?" a cautious voice called from the distance.

Turning toward the source, I spotted Lisa and Elise emerging hesitantly from behind the trees. They moved with the careful precision of soldiers who expected an ambush at any moment, eyes darting around as if waiting for something to trigger another round of chaos. But when they saw the tension had dissipated, their shoulders visibly relaxed, though both were still clearly on edge.

Lisa offered a small, polite smile as she stepped forward, a breath of relief escaping her. “Oh, hello there, Miss Yuzu.”

Yuzu, still standing with her arms folded, gave a small, almost dismissive nod in Lisa’s direction. “Hello, Cute Lisa,” she replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Catherine, who had just barely recovered from the citrus fruit incident and was still rubbing her forehead in disbelief, turned sharply to Yuzu. She pointed an accusatory finger toward her, clearly still processing the earlier events.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Catherine interrupted. “Why can she call you by your name, and I can’t?”

Yuzu blinked at Catherine as if the question was baffling to her. She tilted her head thoughtfully, then responded with utter sincerity, “Because Lisa food bery good.”

Catherine froze, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. “That’s it?!” she asked incredulously.

Yuzu nodded sagely, the seriousness in her expression unwavering. “Food bery powerful. Good food equals good person.”

The words seemed to hang in the air for a moment as Catherine’s expression twisted in pure offense. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, rubbing her temples as if trying to process the logic—or lack thereof.

Lisa, catching the humor in the situation, giggled softly, covering her mouth with a hand. “I’m honored, Miss Yuzu,” she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Meanwhile, Catherine looked like she’d just been betrayed by the very fabric of the universe. She sighed heavily, exasperation dripping from her voice. “This is insane,” she muttered under her breath.

I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Watching the scene unfold, I couldn’t help but find the contrast between Yuzu’s unshakable, almost childlike seriousness and Catherine’s growing frustration utterly hilarious. It felt like I was watching two very different worlds collide—and I loved it.

Suddenly, I felt a strong urge to yawn. However, it was disrupted when I remembered the presence of a decomposing body near me.

The moment Yuzu grabbed my wrist with both hands, a wave of warmth spread through me. Her grip was firm but not forceful, her soft palms pressing against my skin with an almost childlike enthusiasm.

“Mashiro go sleb now?” she asked, her head tilting as she gazed up at the moonlit sky. “But it bery still not morning yet.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but a yawn betrayed me, escaping before I could stop it. I quickly covered my mouth, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry…” I muttered, my voice slightly muffled behind my hand. “I feel really sleepy, even though I slept a lot.”

Yuzu blinked, staring at me as if processing my words. Then, with a decisive nod, she grinned.

“Okay!” she declared, her tone filled with unwavering confidence. “Yuzu guard while Mashiro sleb. Let get Mashiro to sleb!”

Before I could react, Yuzu tugged me forward, her small but strong hands guiding me along as if personally escorting me to bed was now her most important mission

Catherine let out a tired sigh as she watched Yuzu drag me away with unwavering enthusiasm. “Why do I feel like this is going to be more trouble than it’s worth?” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Elise chuckled softly. “Miss Yuzu seems… very dedicated.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Catherine grumbled, casting one last glance at the corpse before turning her attention back to us. “I’ll handle things here. Just—try not to cause another disaster before sunrise.”

I barely heard her words as Yuzu pulled me along with surprising strength, my feet stumbling slightly to keep up. She moved with a sense of purpose, weaving through the trees with the single-minded determination of someone on a grand mission.

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“Mashiro need good sleb,” Yuzu announced, glancing back at me with absolute certainty. “Good sleb make Mashiro strong.”

I sighed, a tired smile tugging at my lips. “I don’t think sleep works that way…”

Yuzu’s fox ears twitched as she gave me a knowing look. “Mashiro no understand. Sleb is bery powerful. Yuzu always wake up stronger after good sleb.”

I didn’t have the energy to argue. The moment we reached a clearing, Yuzu finally let go of my wrist and spun around, nodding in approval. “This bery good place. Soft grass. Smell nice. Moon bery round.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s your criteria for a good sleeping spot?”

“Mm!” Yuzu crouched down and patted the grass proudly. “Perfect.”

Despite my exhaustion, I found myself smiling. Yuzu’s strange way of viewing the world had a way of making things feel a little lighter. As I sat down, stretching my legs out in front of me, a sense of calm washed over me.

Yuzu plopped down beside me, crossing her arms confidently. “Mashiro sleb. Yuzu guard.”

I hesitated for a moment before finally lying down, my wings folding against my back. The grass was surprisingly soft, the night air crisp but not too cold. The distant hoots of owls and the rustling of leaves made for an oddly soothing lullaby.

Yuzu sat upright, her dark eyes scanning the surroundings like a vigilant protector. “No worry, Mashiro. Yuzu keep danger away.”

A small laugh escaped me. “Thanks, Yuzu.”

As my eyes fluttered shut, I heard Yuzu humming softly beside me, her tail swishing back and forth in contentment.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to truly relax.

----------------------------------------

The lone woman stood near the edge of the rooftop, the breeze playing with her long silver hair as she gazed out at the city below. The sky stretched endlessly above us, a brilliant shade of blue, with soft white clouds drifting lazily across it.

I stood beside her, far too close to the edge for comfort. My breath hitched as I looked down. The sheer height made my stomach churn, and my legs wobbled beneath me. A sharp sense of vertigo crept in, but I forced myself to turn my attention back to the girl at my side.

She sat there in silence, her posture calm yet distant, as if the world around her barely mattered. I clenched my fists, willing myself to move. I had planned to wrestle her if I ever saw her again, to pull her back before she could act, but my body refused to listen. My instincts screamed at me to stop her, yet something about her expression kept me frozen in place.

Melancholy. Regret. A quiet sorrow that weighed heavier than words ever could.

“Sorry,” she murmured, her voice heavy with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “See what?”

She turned to face me slowly, her silver eyes distant, almost as if she were staring through me, lost in something from the past. “My high school days,” she said softly, her gaze drifting away.

I stood in silence, unsure of what to do or say. My mind tried to make sense of it, but I had no expectations, no clear idea of what these encounters were supposed to be.

“Were you… delusional?” I blurted out, regretting the question immediately. The conversation she’d had with her mother echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t hide the curiosity that bubbled up.

She chuckled softly, her smile never fading. “You’re one to talk,” she said with a playful glint in her eyes. “At least I didn’t get lost in a world of virtual characters and shiny rewards.”

I narrowed my eyes on her. “Hey, they’re not just virtual characters. They have depth and stories,” I protested, my pout deepening.

“Sure, sure,” she said, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips. “I’m sure they’ve got real depth.”

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “You have no idea,” I muttered, half-smiling in spite of myself.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh, I think I have an idea. But hey, if you're really that invested, I guess they're more than just pixels on a screen to you."

I nodded firmly, crossing my arms. "Exactly! They're... they're like, living characters. There's so much to learn from them. Some of their struggles hit closer to home than you'd think."

She nodded, her expression more serious now, though still with a hint of playfulness. “Yeah, the world can be overwhelming. Sometimes it's easier to hide behind a screen or in a story where the stakes are clear, and the rules make sense. But... What happens when the screen goes dark?”