9 Two slices of bread with cheese (Attempted)

Early in the morning, the Blue Prison was already bustling with activity.

Seiji had finished his morning training ahead of schedule and was preparing to take a shower.

Most of the others had only recently woken up, still groggy-eyed. Carrying his belongings toward the bathroom, Seiji caught a glimpse of a flash of orange hair at the end of the corridor, followed closely by Tokitaka Aoshi as they left together.

“That’s his guide,” Hōraku said with a smile, approaching Seiji from the opposite direction.

He still carried the dampness of a just-finished shower, his eyes glistening, and a pleasant scent of body wash lingered about him.

Sentinels with guides were exempt from these morning rounds, so the training ranking and the guide incentive system held no sway over Tokitaka, for whom Ekokoro had devised other plans.

Seiji watched as Tokitaka chatted and laughed with the orange-haired girl. Tokitaka’s expression was shy and somewhat embarrassed, yet his eyes never left her. Suddenly realizing something, Seiji blurted out, “You’re already done showering?!”

Hōraku stuck out his tongue mischievously. “You’re not the only one who finished morning training early. By the way, there are several people in the bathroom right now, and it’s especially fragrant~”

“Huh?”

Seiji entered the bathroom suspiciously. The mist of steam had yet to dissipate. As soon as he stepped halfway inside, a sharp collision struck his shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t see you there.”

Beautiful dark green eyes finally became visible in the dim bathroom light, followed by a stern face coming into focus.

It was Rin Itoshi.

He glanced down at Seiji from above, his tone devoid of any apology, tinged instead with a warning.

He quickly left, leaving behind a faint but pleasant scent.

The sound of water running was plentiful inside. After three seconds of steam rising, the entire bathroom was suffused with a mingling of fragrance and sentinel aura—almost nauseating.

“What the hell…”

Seiji examined the toiletries in his hand and exhaled slowly, trying to force out the air he’d just inhaled.

At this rate... it felt as if he had been marinated in scent. How many grooming products had these sentinels used?

*

You swear that at first, you never intended to live here.

The Blue Prison’s accommodations for permanent guides were simply too good—spacious rooms, fully equipped, even with gaming consoles. Suddenly, the thought of not wanting to go home crossed your mind. After all, this job had been reported to your school, allowing you to study off-site and regularly report your progress—obviously, the other guides had the same idea.

Ha, just another of Ekokoro Nobuhachi’s little tricks.

You scoffed inwardly, then filled out the accommodation application form.

After some simple preparations, it was time to begin their counseling sessions.

This task was likely tied into some incentive system devised by Ekokoro, though you paid little attention to such details. This time, each guide had a single room to ensure quality one-on-one counseling.

Sitting in your room flipping through the list, you couldn’t help but feel like an interviewer waiting for candidates to arrive.

This week’s roster included Rin Itoshi, Seishiro Nagi, Reo Mikage, Seiji, and Hyōma Chigiri. You recognized all five from previous counseling sessions.

*

Could this list be arranged by familiarity?

The mental counseling was much the same as before, though this time you paid extra attention to controlling your spiritual energy: cautiously advancing through the pathways and purifying them, absolutely avoiding entering the mental landscape again.

—Ah, if there was any difference, it was subtle. For example, Rin Itoshi now carried a faint fragrance identical to what you had smelled on Sae Itoshi. And it was rather pleasant.

Were these two using the same perfume or body wash? You wanted to ask, but seeing the boy’s eyes brighten as if sensing your intention, you hesitated and suppressed the thought.

You didn’t mean to see Rin’s disappointed expression—but that hopeful look made you nervous, and your hesitation caused you to miss the opportunity.

…That was one way Rin differed from his brother Sae. You had hardly ever seen anything on Sae’s face besides coldness and mockery.

The counseling session ended quickly, and everyone behaved very amicably. Nagi was especially well-behaved this time, surrounded by a variety of light, pleasant scents throughout. It made you fond of these enthusiastic soccer youths—especially Chigiri. You distinctly felt that his hands were very nice to touch—smooth and delicate, as appealing as his hair.

…No, touching too much would make you seem like a pervert.

After finishing your work and returning to your room, you began filling out the detailed report that Ekokoro requested, including each person’s mental state, pathway conditions, and so forth.

Afterward, you relaxed a bit, checked your school schedule for the day, then prepared to go eat lunch.

It was so comfortable here—you really didn’t want to go home.

Just as you were in good spirits, planning to head to the cafeteria with the other guides, your phone suddenly rang.

It was Sae Itoshi, who had been silent for two days.

You sighed and answered, “Hello?”

“Are you done with work at the Blue Prison today?” His voice was as emotionless as ever.

Is that all you wanted to ask?

“Yes.”

“Then why aren’t you out yet?”

“Out where?” You were confused, then realized, “I’m doing a long-term internship, so I live here.”

“…You live in the Blue Prison?”

His voice grew louder for a moment before quickly returning to calm. “I’ve been waiting outside for you for an hour.”

You fell silent for a moment.

I didn’t ask you to wait…

Perhaps sensing that this excuse wouldn’t work, Sae bluntly made his request: “Come out and see me. It won’t take long.”

“Why can’t you just say it over the phone? I’m in a hurry to eat.”

“You’d better come out and see for yourself.”

He sneered coldly, then hung up after dropping an ambiguous remark.

*

You inexplicably sensed a note of accusation.

Come out and see? See what?

And why did this call sound like a clingy ex-boyfriend after a breakup…?

Ah, forget that comparison!

You slapped your face and decided to compromise just this once.

*

The Blue Prison was located far from the city, surrounded by picturesque yet deserted scenery, with only one road leading there.

At the cold, steel entrance stood two cars.

One was a low-key black vehicle belonging to the Football Association, the other a glaringly bright blue sports car.

Caesar leaned against the cobalt-blue car’s hood with his arms crossed. Gone was his previously gentle and mature Asian style—he now wore a casual shirt fading from deep blue to light blue, slim black pants, and Martin boots, paired with amber sunglasses, making him look extremely trendy.

Sae Itoshi sat inside the black official car, its window rolled down.

They naturally noticed each other immediately, triggering the sentinel alarms. The two exchanged silent glances through their sunglasses, leaving only Sae’s driver visibly nervous in the front seat.

Out here in the wilderness, a fight between two sentinels was not impossible.

Sae hadn’t expected to encounter Caesar here, someone who should have been in Germany.

He had only just learned yesterday that his guide had been intercepted by Caesar—all his plans and thoughts shattered. And now, seeing this flamboyantly dressed man waiting at the gate, Sae wondered what game he was playing…

Ha, isn’t this just handing himself over on a silver platter?

Sae fought to suppress the impulse rising within him.

The midday sunlight poured down as the gate opened with a creak, and both sentinels turned their heads simultaneously.

You cursed Sae inwardly for ruining your appetite, but then your steps slowed as you caught sight of the two vehicles at the entrance.

H-How could it be a meeting between Sae Itoshi and Caesar?

Something felt very wrong.

Your toes tried to pivot and change direction, but Caesar was already approaching you.