DxD: I Sealed Sukuna’s Finger, Now They Want My Number

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"What in the world is going on here?!"

Witnessing the scene before her eyes, the young Hero girl's expression instantly became one of disbelief, as though she'd walked in on the person she'd held in her heart openly flirting with the enemy.

She could've sworn on her sacred sword that the young man sitting comfortably and chatting happily with several girls at the nearby booth was undoubtedly Bokue Keikain.

He had exactly the same face she'd remembered vividly since childhood, the same face that often appeared in her dreams. His features were nearly unchanged from her memories, though he was now considerably taller and more toned. Perhaps his cold aloofness had softened somewhat, replaced by a gentler charm.

"Nee-san... isn't that...?"

"Yes, it is," replied Yuki, momentarily stunned as well.

She had just met Bokue yesterday at his apartment. She already knew he'd been living in Tokyo for the past two years. Bokue himself had told her he'd encountered Wilbert's daughter and even promised he'd take responsibility to handle things smoothly.

Yet no matter how Yuki thought about it, she never imagined she'd meet Bokue again this quickly—in a hotel breakfast restaurant of all places, and right as he was casually sharing a meal with other girls.

Wait, hold on—something about this was extremely important...

Yuki parted her lips slightly, intending to say something, but she was already too late.

Having gotten confirmation from her older sister, Kurumi could no longer restrain herself. Without paying the slightest heed to the curious eyes around her, she marched straight over and firmly planted both hands onto the table where Bokue and the others sat.

"You... Just what are you doing here?!"

"Hm?" Bokue, who moments before had been casually answering Maria's cheerful questions, was now confronted by a sudden table slam.

Glancing up, he found himself face-to-face with a furiously glaring yet oddly familiar girl.

It was reminiscent of a strict disciplinary committee member, complete with armband, who'd just caught a delinquent student chatting casually instead of quietly reading during homeroom.

Wait, this familiar scenario—could she be...?

Bokue blinked blankly, unconsciously glancing past Kurumi to the girl behind her, who was slowly approaching.

And there she was—the other young Hero girl, Yuki Nonaka, also having just arrived at the restaurant.

Well, there's no mistaking it now.

"Oh, uh, good morning, Kurumi..." Bokue attempted an innocent greeting first.

Yet before he could even finish, Mio suddenly rose sharply from her seat.

After all, someone had just slammed their table and started aggressively interrogating her boyfriend. Mio's normally stable temper meter, which had been calm up to this point, instantly shot past halfway.

"What do you mean by 'What are we doing here'? Why do we have to answer to you? More importantly, who the heck are you?!"

"W-what?!" Kurumi's face quickly changed, her prideful temper flaring to life.

"I—I wasn't even talking to you! I was asking him—I was speaking directly to Bokue Keikain!"

"Huh?"

The instant the other girl precisely stated Bokue's name, Mio realized the situation might not be as simple as she'd first thought.

She quickly turned to Bokue, her voice suddenly uncertain.

"What's going on here, Bokue? You know her?"

"Ah, you could say that." Bokue's eyes remained focused on Yuki, who had quietly stepped up behind her sister. He raised a casual hand and waved gently.

"Good morning, Yuki."

"...Good morning," Yuki responded softly.

From the first shout to this final greeting, only seconds had passed, but the tense silence hung heavily over the table.

Yuki's typically calm, unreadable expression flickered slightly.

"So, Bokue... just who exactly are these girls?" she finally asked, her voice calm but edged with quiet intensity.

"Ah... how should I put this..." Bokue hesitated briefly, then sighed helplessly, surrendering with an apologetic shrug.

"Alright, fine, to put it simply: These girls here are the target you two have been tasked to find—" He glanced toward Mio and the others, "—and those two standing there are the ones you all have been trying your best to avoid."

His explanation was delivered clearly and succinctly, the first half aimed directly at Yuki and Kurumi, the latter half intended specifically for Mio and her group.

The target?

The ones to avoid?

A brief silence followed—one that birthed a flurry of rapid, shocked realizations. Four or five seconds later, Kurumi suddenly gasped loudly, her expression shifting dramatically as she shakily pointed a finger at Mio.

"You... Y-y-y-you—you're Wilbert's daughter—!!"

At almost exactly the same moment, Mio also pieced everything together, promptly pointing back at Kurumi.

"I see now... You're part of that annoying Hero Clan Bokue warned us about!"

Annoying... Hero Clan?

Such phrasing made Yuki, who initially hadn't wanted to involve herself in the argument, furrow her brows. She shot a sharp, slightly accusing glance toward the one male seated there.

"'Annoying Hero Clan'? I see... so that's how it is, huh, Bokue?"

"Ah? No, wait—I never said that." Bokue quickly clarified, his tone firm and direct. "I simply mentioned that some people from the Hero Village were coming to Tokyo. I didn't think you'd run into each other, so I didn't bother explaining in detail."

"Oh? Is that so?" Yuki replied calmly. "Then stand up for a moment, Bokue."

"Huh?"

Bokue couldn't grasp the sudden connection, pausing briefly in surprise at her seemingly unrelated request.

Yuki repeated herself clearly and firmly: "Stand up for a second."

"Alright..." Bokue, seated at the edge of the booth, had no difficulty standing up from his position. Casually, he set down his utensils and rose to his feet.

Immediately, he found himself enveloped in a soft, warm embrace.

!!!

Just seconds ago, Yuki had stood quietly behind her sister, seemingly uninterested in joining the argument. Yet now, she'd decisively stepped forward, brushing past Kurumi and directly wrapping her arms around Bokue.

Without the slightest care for the stunned gazes of the girls still seated, she gently pressed her face into his neck, inhaling deeply before slowly opening her eyes again. Gazing directly past Bokue's shoulder at the wide-eyed, speechless girls, she calmly introduced herself.

"My name is Yuki Nonaka. I'm Bokue's childhood friend from the Hero Village. It's nice to meet you all."

Ch-childhood friend—?!

Even though Mio had already guessed something similar, hearing the actual words come from Yuki herself still made her heart jolt in shock.

But after a quick reconsideration, she realized: so what if she was his childhood friend? Being childhood friends simply meant knowing each other since childhood—it didn't necessarily mean they'd reached any romantic milestones yet. Forget home runs, these two hadn't even confirmed their relationship, right? That meant there was nothing for her to worry about!

But still, as a mere childhood friend, how dare she hug him so openly in front of her, Mio Naruse—his... um, future sister-in-law!

"Nee-san!"

Kurumi's eyes widened in disbelief as she swiftly moved forward, gently but firmly pulling her sister away from Bokue.

"What's gotten into you, Nee-san? Why are you acting so familiar with this guy? He left our village years ago and hasn't even returned once! He doesn't have anything to do with our clan anymore! Besides, our main focus right now should be to immediately report that we've discovered the daughter of Demon Lord Wilbert to the Village. Then—"

Kurumi's words abruptly stopped as two strong hands suddenly grasped her shoulders.

It was Bokue.

"Kurumi, there's something important I want to ask of you."

"W-what is it...?"

Kurumi, previously vocal and forceful, froze the instant Bokue touched her shoulders, a noticeable blush spreading across her fair cheeks.

The two stood face-to-face, eyes locked, with Bokue looking sincerely into her gaze.

"I'd appreciate it if you could keep this discovery a secret. Please don't tell anyone back at the village."

"Honestly, even if they knew, it wouldn't accomplish anything useful."

...Eh?!

Such an outrageous request! Under normal circumstances, Kurumi would have immediately rejected such an absurd suggestion, shaking off Bokue's hands and firmly scolding him for even considering it.

But something strange was happening... she found herself unable to refuse.

She couldn't even say the simplest word: no.

Huh? What was wrong with her...?

Just as Kurumi struggled internally, another calm, firm voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

"Unfortunately, concealing important information from the village is strictly forbidden."

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