I Sealed Sukuna’s Finger#471+472: From Now On, We'll All Be One Happy Family, Remember to Bring Lube

Time passed—still the familiar apartment living room.

When morning's first ray of sunlight shone through the balcony into the living room, Yukina Himeragi—who hadn't regained consciousness since the two a.m. battle's end—suddenly moved her fingers slightly.

"Mmm..."

With a low moan, the Sword Shaman girl opened her eyes with some difficulty.

Her vision remained somewhat blurry. What met her eyes was the living room already illuminated by sunlight.

This is... oh, my own place.

Her just-awakened brain remained murky. Yukina took two or three seconds to recall her current situation.

Wait, hold on!

As her rebooting brain gradually finished buffering, memories of last night suddenly flooding her mind made the Sword Shaman girl jolt upright.

She still remembered hesitating outside the corridor doorway last night, unwilling to enter. Ultimately, Bokue-senpai had forcibly lifted her like a reverse standing position and carried her in, then in front of Sayaka, she'd been... ugh!!

Recalling certain details from last night, Yukina's face immediately flushed red like fire.

Though speaking of which, it was quite strange. Despite being treated like that last night, waking up now she felt almost no discomfort.

At most her head felt a bit dizzy—like being filled with cola, bubbling profusely, somewhat tingly.

Probably because she'd received relatively less "firepower." After all, last night the one who actively bore the most firepower was Nagisa, followed by Sayaka...

Right, Sayaka!

As if finally remembering, Yukina rapidly turned her head to scan the surroundings, searching for her friend's figure.

However, after looking around the entire living room without finding anyone, just as she was about to get up and search the bedroom, subtle sounds from her right side instantly redirected the Sword Shaman girl's gaze.

Right beside her on the same sofa, a certain Sword Shaman girl also seemed to have just awakened. Both hands supporting herself on the sofa, she lifted her body slightly while raising her face. Her chestnut-colored long hair scattered somewhat messily across the bare back behind her. Her jade-green eyes still carried threads of confusion from just waking. From her slightly parted lips, a thin stream of milk flowed down.

"Say... aka..."

Yukina hadn't expected that her friend—whom she'd searched left and right for—was right beside her the whole time. Both in just-awakened states, neither wearing anything.

Meeting gazes under these circumstances made the atmosphere inevitably somewhat awkward.

"Yuki... na?"

Sayaka similarly hadn't reacted yet. Seeing her friend, she'd instinctively started to smile, only to freeze mid-expression.

Her brain slowly revived. Memories from last night gradually surfaced.

She still remembered that scene when she'd opened her eyes on the apartment sofa yesterday afternoon.

That was Yukina being held from behind by Bokue, right in front of her.

Why... did it turn out like this?

Sayaka couldn't help thinking.

She'd originally wanted to use yesterday's meeting to reveal her relationship with Bokue to Yukina. Never expected not only would Yukina see her turned into a cream puff, she'd even witness Yukina being turned into a cream puff throughout the entire process. Of course, there was also Nagisa-san.

Sayaka had never imagined Yukina and Bokue also had that kind of relationship—possibly even far earlier than hers.

Didn't that make her... a home wrecker?

Thinking this, the Sword Shaman girl couldn't help biting her lower lip somewhat conflicted.

Even so, after briefly falling silent, she still tentatively spoke.

"Um..."

"About last night..."

Almost simultaneously, Yukina also spoke.

Their voices overlapped, making both instinctively close their mouths at the same time.

"Uh... you go first, Sayaka..."

Yukina said quietly with a flushed face.

But Sayaka—recalling last night's battle situation—was equally flushed, stammering out one line.

"N-never mind... you go first, Yukina..."

Whoosh~

With no other choice, Yukina could only take a deep breath, calming herself as much as possible before switching to the most composed tone she could manage.

"I'm sorry, Sayaka."

"Eh?"

Completely not expecting this opening, Sayaka froze.

"Wait... no, why are you apologizing, Yukina?"

"Because... I kept it from you."

Yukina lowered her head, her tone full of apology.

"Actually, Bokue-senpai, Nagisa, and I have been in that kind of relationship for a long time. But because I didn't want you to know, I kept hiding it..."

"I-I didn't really mind that much..."

Seeing the Sword Shaman girl so sincere, Sayaka immediately panicked.

"No, how should I put this... it's not that I don't care, just... actually I also hid something from you, Yukina. About my relationship with Bokue..."

"Then... you're not angry, Sayaka?"

"Eh?"

"I don't mean at me—at Bokue-senpai."

Yukina also stammered somewhat.

"After all, you've always been that way with men, Sayaka. You finally worked up the courage to take this step only to encounter this situation. So I want to know if you'll blame Bokue-senpai... for that."

Referring of course to Bokue two-timing—or rather, multi-timing.

"About that..."

Sayaka hesitated.

"Actually, no. After all, if we're really counting, I don't have any standing to criticize Bokue for being a playboy."

This was true. From an absolutely objective perspective, aside from Yasaka-san, everyone else was a third party.

Though Sayaka still didn't know about Yasaka-san's existence, she knew about Asagi Aiba's existence.

To her, Bokue's legitimate partner—whether Yasaka-san or Asagi Aiba—definitely couldn't be her.

Since she'd already solidified her status as a third party regardless, she had no standing to criticize Bokue for being a playboy.

"So from now on, we..."

Yukina asked tentatively.

Sayaka turned her face aside with slightly reddened cheeks.

"Yeah, if you don't mind, Yukina..."

Before their words could finish, just then the bathroom door on the living room's east side was suddenly opened from inside.

Instantly, water vapor mixed with body wash fragrance poured out in large quantities. Bokue emerged carrying Nagisa in a standing position.

Yet despite the progress bar nearly breaking through its limit, Nagisa still turned around to wave at the two girls on the sofa with a smile.

"How is it, how is it? Have Yukina-chan and Sayaka-san already talked things through? Then from now on, everyone will be one happy family~ Every day we'll receive Oniisan's psychological counseling together!"

"Nagisa..."

"What are you two doing?!"

Seeing them appear in such a state, the two girls on the sofa flushed, feeling something stirring faintly in their bellies.

"The living room smells pretty strong. Let's air it out first anyway."

Bokue sniffed the living room's scent and said casually.

Then he came before the sofa to set down Nagisa first, before turning to the balcony and opening the window that had been sealed for a day and night.

Just at that moment when the window opened, a breeze blew in from outside, carrying threads of coolness.

This long summer was finally almost over.

<><><><><><><><>

As August gradually drew to a close, the day finally arrived—summer vacation's last day.

More accurately, less than a full day remained until school started. Classes began tomorrow morning, and right now it was already the final evening of summer break.

As the fiery sunset at the distant horizon where sea met sky sank into the ocean beyond the window, the apartment living room still carried lingering traces of dinner's aroma.

Bokue had just emerged from the kitchen when his phone buzzed lightly in his pocket.

Buzz buzz—

Hmm?

Though unsure who'd be calling at this hour, Bokue still pulled out his phone for a look.

The caller ID read: [Little Sister].

So Yura was calling.

Without hesitation, Bokue directly tapped answer and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello? What's up, Yura?"

"...Brother, are you free right now?"

The young Onmyōji girl's familiar voice came through from the other end.

"I remember you're living at the Keystone Gate, right? If possible, could you bring me some daily necessities when you come to school tomorrow for the opening ceremony?"

"Hmm? What's wrong, won't the school let you out..."

Bokue instinctively asked this, but the moment words left his mouth he realized he'd said the wrong thing.

Though she was his sister, clearly Yura wasn't genuinely insisting he help buy things—she simply wanted him to come see her tomorrow.

So Bokue immediately backtracked.

"Got it. What do you need, Yura? I just finished dinner anyway. I'll head downstairs to buy it shortly."

"Okay, then I'll hang up first and text you a list."

Having received the young man's agreement, Yura's voice carried threads of delight before she hung up, satisfied.

A few seconds later, a list detailing various daily necessities arrived via text.

The list's contents weren't excessive but weren't minimal either—mostly things like shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent, towels, plus napkins and... sanitary pads.

Basically all items girls commonly used.

Bokue: "..."

Though he could directly create all these through matter reconstruction powers, what he could produce was limited to what he himself wanted.

Like how Yura had noted specific brands and scents for the body wash and shampoo—Bokue was helpless against such specifications.

For instance, lavender-scented laundry detergent. Bokue had never paid attention to what lavender specifically smelled like, so naturally couldn't reproduce it.

Bottom line—he could only obediently go buy everything at the supermarket.

Though speaking of which, hadn't he said she could just tell him over the phone? Yet she still insisted on texting a written list in black and white. Did she really not trust his memory that much?

After brief consideration, Bokue still replied with an OK, then turned to message Saeko Busujima.

[I'm heading down to buy some daily necessities for my sister Yura. Do you need me to bring anything, Senpai?]

Send.

Buzz buzz—

Almost the moment Bokue's side showed "delivered," the next second Saeko's reply came through.

Though not in text form—she'd directly sent several photos of her dorm room.

The photos showed the dorm bathroom shelves already filled with various shampoos, body washes, and laundry detergents. The sink beside them also held Saeko's own toothbrush and rinsing cup.

Even in other photos, you could see under the bed stuffed full of napkins, toilet paper, sanitary pads, etc.

In short, highlighting abundant stockpiling.

So meaning she didn't need him to bring anything...

Just as Bokue thought this, another message came from Saeko.

[Daily necessities aren't really lacking, but if possible, I'd like Kouhai to bring a bottle of lube. The school store doesn't sell that. Last time hurt a bit after you... Ahem,]

She'd even added six slashes at the end—in emoticon language meaning blushing embarrassment.

Lube? Hurt last time?

A loading symbol appeared above Bokue's head.

Oh shit... so she meant that kind of lube!

Taking a full three seconds to realize this lube wasn't that lube, Bokue mentally facepalmed before typing a line and hitting send.

[Got it. I'll bring it after school tomorrow then.]

[Okay//////]

Saeko's message quickly returned, carrying those six slashes representing shy blushing.

Hard to imagine that Senpai—usually elegant and proper, wildly bold in combat—also had such a girly side when texting.

Thinking this, Bokue copied Yura's list into his phone's notes app, then added Busujima-senpai's requested lube at the bottom line.

However, just as he'd finished everything and prepared to head downstairs to the Keystone Gate mall, the bedroom door suddenly opened.

A certain nekomata girl who'd been lounging in the bedroom since dinner emerged. Two cat tails swished behind her. She walked before Bokue and without thinking spread both arms to hug him.

"Ready, Bokue? Time's about right. We should head to Rias's side for a bath~"

Read as bathing, written as making kittens.

Since moving the old school building here, Bokue hadn't been idle these final ten-plus days of vacation. He'd not only connected the old school building's space with Saikai Academy's interior but also expanded the old school building's space itself threefold.

Especially the old school building's bathroom—now expanded into a Roman-style grand bath that could easily accommodate a large group bathing together.

So these past days, Bokue had basically been providing psychological counseling to all the girls daily, never stopping until dyeing the entire bath water white.

"Right now? Isn't it a bit early?"

Bokue glanced at the living room wall clock. Only about six-thirty in the evening.

He'd just finished dinner, so naturally Rias's side had too.

Starting directly now—wasn't he really afraid of pushing dinner back out?

"Plus, I still need to buy Yura's school supplies."

Speaking, Bokue showed Kuroka the list Yura had sent.

Mmm~

Kuroka glanced once and instinctively shrank her neck: "Going to the mall downstairs... then you go, Bokue. I'll just wait at home for you to come back."

Her personality somewhat resembled Bokue's—neither particularly liked crowded places. Especially places like summer malls. Outside sweltering, inside air-conditioned. A huge crowd of tourists entering the shopping center carrying body odor, everyone's sweat smells mixing through AC ducts before blowing back out. Just thinking about it made cats unable to handle it.

Kuroka was a clean kitty—wouldn't go to such dirty places.

"Alright, you stay home then, Kuroka. I'll be back after buying everything."

Gently rubbing Kuroka's head, just as Bokue prepared to leave—

Right then, the inner bedroom door also suddenly opened. Mio Naruse emerged as if having timed the young man's departure perfectly, smiling broadly.

"Ara? Bokue-kun is going shopping too? Perfect timing—I need to go as well~"