Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine-Chapter 160 - ⟴ Miku: Where Are My Stockings?

After the downpour, fresh air mingled with the earthy fragrance that permeated the atmosphere.

The boundless sky, clear as crystal, had shed its heavy clouds. The sun rose from the eastern horizon like a blazing sphere.

Rays of light filtered through gaps in the curtains.

In the bedroom, Miku opened her sleepy eyes, her arm resting limply on her head as consciousness slowly returned.

"You know, wasn't last night's storm intense? The thunder kept booming endlessly — boom, boom, boom. And the pitter-patter of rain mixed with thunder was so loud. I could barely sleep; I'm exhausted."

After yawning, her eyes finally felt less dry.

She instinctively hung her headphones around her neck and reached for her black stockings.

"Huh?" Her hand grasped at empty air where the stockings should have been.

Miku looked with surprise at the tree-shaped coat rack she had temporarily moved beside her.

Empty!

"Huh? Am I remembering wrong? Weren't my stockings hanging on the rack yesterday?" She scratched her head in confusion. Her drowsy mind didn't dwell on it too deeply as she searched around the bed and bedding.

When she couldn't find them, she frowned and thoroughly searched Ichika's bedroom and closet.

"Where are my stockings?" She clearly remembered putting them in the bedroom last night.

How could they mysteriously disappear in the blink of an eye?

"Oh well, I'll go back to my room. I wonder if Daiki-kun is awake."

Lost in thought, she opened the bedroom door to find Yotsuba holding her waist, Ichika lying on the sofa browsing her phone, Itsuki working on a test paper, and Nino sitting there drinking tea.

"Eh, why is everyone up so early?" Miku glanced at her phone — it was just after five!

Usually at this hour, Nino and the others would be sleeping. Even with an alarm clock, the ever-lazy Ichika would probably still be in bed. Why had everyone risen so early today?

"Well, Daiki-kun always says the early morning is the best time of day! Plus the air is especially fresh today, so we didn't feel like sleeping in." Nino said with a slight smile as she sipped her tea.

"What's wrong with Yotsuba's waist? I see she keeps holding it."

Yotsuba's movements stiffened — should she admit she couldn't straighten her back?

Last night's activities had been intense for her. Daiki wouldn't let her stop her athletic style.

"Ahaha... Actually, I went running this morning and twisted my waist. Probably won't be able to run for a couple of days." She laughed awkwardly, cold sweat appearing on her back.

Hearing this, Itsuki and the others pursed their lips — only Miku would believe such an obvious lie.

Though admittedly, Yotsuba's physical condition was remarkable, given her background as a track athlete. While the three of them could barely stand from exhaustion, she managed with just a twisted waist.

Even with Daiki's Reverse Cursed Technique, they were mere shadows of their usual selves.

"Ichika, move over a bit so I can sit." Miku said helplessly, looking at Ichika sprawled on the sofa with her phone.

"Push me yourself — I'm too tired from getting up so early."

Ichika's whole body ached as if her bones were crumbling; she had no energy left to move.

As she felt the Spiritual Power circulating through her body, repairing damaged flesh and cells, her eyes narrowed slightly.

She hadn't expected that she and Nino would simultaneously develop their first trace of Spiritual Power, instantly becoming Grade 4 Sorcerers.

This achievement made Yotsuba and Itsuki quite envious.

In fact, Yotsuba's waist pain stemmed largely from her own attempts to condense Spiritual Power and become a Sorcerer.

Miku's expression turned puzzled — if they were this exhausted, why wake up so early? Weren't they just torturing themselves?

More troubling was the subtle barrier she sensed between herself and her four sisters, as if they shared a secret they were keeping from her.

'Is it because of Daiki-kun? Perhaps my closeness with him makes the others uncomfortable. After all, they've been single since childhood, and having a guy living alone in our apartment might not be appropriate.'

Though none had voiced their concerns, she was sure they had their reservations.

Miku felt increasingly troubled as this realization dawned on her. They were sisters — they tolerated her choices, but she couldn't keep imposing on their goodwill!

'I should talk to Daiki-kun about this. I hope he won't misunderstand...' Miku fretted, uncertain how to explain without causing confusion, especially since she had been the one to suggest tutoring in the first place.

Now faced with asking him to move out, she struggled to find the right words.

"I'm sorry!" Miku said softly.

Ichika was confused by her words.

She had spent the whole night with Daiki, and now Miku was apologizing to her. Something seemed off.

"Uh, it's okay." Though unsure of the reason, agreeing seemed appropriate. After all, Ichika was the one who should apologize to Miku, and she felt quite guilty.

Still, guilt aside, she wouldn't back down.

As they talked, Ichika managed to shift over slightly.

"By the way, have you seen my stockings? I can't find them anywhere in the bedroom." Miku asked casually from her seat on the sofa.

The other girls froze — they had indeed seen them. Not only seen them, but those black stockings had been torn to shreds.

Itsuki and Yotsuba exchanged worried glances, suddenly realizing their predicament.

One missing pair might go unnoticed, but all three of them had taken stockings. Miku was missing three pairs, and that was just the beginning.

They had used several more pairs during their session with Daiki-kun to boost his attack speed and critical hits — far more than just three pairs!

From her place on the sofa, Ichika watched the others' expressions change with dawning horror — had they all borrowed Itsuki's clothes too?

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

Good grief! She'd wasted money buying her own pair online!

If only she'd known earlier, she could have saved that cash.

Ichika closed her eyes with a resigned sigh.

"Haven't seen them!" Yotsuba said stiffly.

If Miku had looked up then, she would have noticed her sister's pale face. But she caught nothing odd in Yotsuba's tone.

After all, her sisters weren't even suspects in her mind.

What would they want with her stockings? To impersonate her?

Better not repeat that past incident.

Her main worry now was explaining things clearly to Daiki — she couldn't let her sisters keep bearing the burden of her choices.

Little did she know that Itsuki and the others were all secretly sighing with relief.

Returning to her test paper, Itsuki silently encouraged herself: 'Day one of abstinence! You can do this, Itsuki!'

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