Tokyo's Phantom Thief

Asakura Rinto pulled out his phone to check the time.

Thanks to Momoka dragging her feet, it was already getting a bit late.

He still needed to pick up the Yoshizawa sisters after class—or they'd start getting anxious.

So he apologized to Awa Subaru, who had been waiting, and then quickly turned to Momoka with some last-minute instructions:

"There's fresh yogurt in the fridge. If you want any, don't drink more than two bottles or you'll get an upset stomach. I've also got coupons for beef bowls—go with Subaru and grab something to eat. If I don't come home tonight, I'll text you. Make sure to lock the doors and windows, okay? Otherwise, those legless garden fairies might sneak in again. That's it. Call me if you need anything. Later!"

"...Eh? You might not come home? Then what about breakfast tomorrow..."

Momoka's muttering didn't reach Rinto at all.

The cool high school boy dashed off at a full sprint into the sunset, his jacket flapping wildly in the wind—pure youth in motion.

Subaru politely waved goodbye. From the outside, it could have been a scene straight out of a prime-time romance drama.

Once Rinto had disappeared from view, Subaru bounced back over to Momoka with her hands clasped behind her back.

She waved a hand in front of Momoka's face:

"Hellooo~? Still with us, Momoka-nee? ...Wow, you've totally checked out. That's a critical hit, huh?"

From Subaru's point of view, Momoka's usually sharp features had devolved into something like a scribbled cartoon. Kinda cute, actually.

"Subaru... ( o _ o, )"

Momoka turned toward her coworker—and number-one fan—with teary eyes.

Subaru nodded knowingly:

"Mhm, I get it. Being left behind by Rinto-nii hurts, huh? I really, really get it."

"So let's forget about it for today and go have some beef bowls, okay? We can add a steamed egg, and pair it with the ice cream we guilted out of Rinto-nii!"

The part-time girl duo was in high spirits—turns out you can have plenty of fun even without any boys around.

...Though naturally, once they got home, both spent a very long time fighting for control of the bathroom.

Once you get used to the lifestyle of being cared for by Asakura Rinto, even a previously self-sufficient girl turns into a helpless mooch. Without him, she could barely function.

What could you do? That's just how addiction worked.

Meanwhile, Asakura Rinto had successfully picked up the Yoshizawa sisters.

Unlike Momoka, who was always sticky and exhausted after her part-time shifts, these two were another story entirely.

After training every day, the sisters would shower and dry their hair in the classroom's built-in bath area, then come downstairs looking fresh and clean. Rinto could even catch the scent of their body wash wafting in the air.

It always struck him—no wonder this training center hosted national champions. The facilities were on another level entirely.

Unlike the place he worked at, where even having a private bathroom was a fantasy. Usually, you had to rely on the mall or street-side public restrooms.

No point being jealous though—so he dropped it.

What he needed was a safe, private place to talk with them about the otherworld.

That ruled out cafés or family restaurants—too many people, too many eyes.

He couldn't bring them back to his house either.

If Momoka found out all three of them were holed up in the same room, it'd blow up into a massive mess.

"—So in the end, this place is the safest option, right?"

Yoshizawa Kasumi's eyes sparkled with uncontainable excitement, and Rinto found it impossible to say no.

...And so.

Ten minutes later, with the room key in hand, Yoshizawa Kasumi dove onto the bed as soon as they entered:

"Waaah~! This bed is huge! And so springy! It's like jelly—no matter how much you move around, it won't tire you out! (c ＞﹏＜)☆"

"Onee-chan, please! Keep your voice down! What if someone hears us—wah!"

Her younger sister, Yoshizawa Sumire, hadn't even finished her warning when Kasumi grabbed her and yanked her onto the bed too.

Kasumi wrapped her arms around her sister and burst into laughter:

"Don't worry, Sumire~ This is a love hotel, remember? You're supposed to be noisy here! The soundproofing is totally top-notch. I trust the professionalism of this place 100%!"

That's right... In the end, the place Rinto and the Yoshizawa sisters agreed on really was a love hotel.

That ridiculous idea Kasumi mentioned that morning? Turned out it really was the best option. Even Rinto was left speechless.

But her reasoning had been too solid to argue with.

She'd listed out the pros on her fingers, completely serious:

"First, love hotels are super soundproof. We won't be interrupted, and we can talk about anything we want."

"Second, I talked to people online—love hotels these days are super fancy. The check-in's all automated! As long as you have a smartphone, even minors can book a room. There's zero risk!"

"And last—Sumire, Rinto-nii, you two are way too uptight! Sure, love hotels can be used for dirty stuff, but they're not only for that. I've seen tons of people on social media hosting girls' nights in places like this. Cosplay shoots, band after-parties, you name it. It's all legit! Nothing sketchy about it at all, right? Right? Right~?"

Her beaming, praise-hungry smile was as bright as a blooming rose. Rinto honestly couldn't resist.

She'd definitely planned out her pitch ahead of time and waited for the perfect moment to sell him on it.

And well... Rinto had to admit:

"I guess I really was too narrow-minded before. I'm sorry for that. Just—please don't tell your parents. This could be bad for your reputation and... Kasumi, what are you doing? Why are you opening the nightstand? What's with the balloon packaging? ...Don't use that like a glove!"

While Rinto was still trying to act serious, Kasumi had already moved on to experimenting with how many fingers she could fit into a rubber balloon.

Rinto slapped a hand to his forehead. He was already regretting this.

If it had just been him and Kasumi alone, she probably would've steamrolled him into oblivion with her chaotic energy.

She was in her element here, laughing and rolling around on the bed.

Her slim, toned figure made the mattress dip with each bounce. Her vibrant, athletic body radiated youth and vitality—so much so that Rinto honestly didn't know where to look.

And to top it off, she peeled off her jacket because she was hot. Her gymnast's legs—worthy of a national medal—were only clad in sheer tights, her skirt riding dangerously close to her waist.

"...Rinto-nii, won't you look at me~?"

She teased like a sorceress, boldly flaunting her predatory charm. Her crescent-shaped eyes seemed to devour him with laughter.

But thank goodness—Rinto still had his little Cinderella.

Yoshizawa Sumire sat quietly at the edge of the bed, peeking at him through her glasses with those big, nervous eyes.

Every time their gazes met, her cheeks reddened even more.

"I-I trust you, senpai. We came here to talk about something serious. I know you'll respect that… No matter what happens, I'll always believe in you."

Rinto gave her a gentle nod. "Yeah. Thanks, Sumire."

"But you don't need to keep holding my hand. I'm not going to run away."

"~~~!"

At his words, Sumire jerked back like she'd touched something scalding. Her whole face turned crimson, all the way up to her ears.