The intense gaze kept coming from behind him. Rhode looked back speechlessly at Shirai Kuroko, who was glaring at him with hostility.
"Um, I see there are quite a lot of people, why don't we go find seats first, Shirai Kuroko?" Haruue Erii suggested with an awkward smile, placing her hand on Shirai Kuroko's shoulder, trying to pull her away.
"No, I will never let Onee-sama be alone with this guy!?" Shirai Kuroko reacted like a startled cat, her beautiful eyes wide like brass bells, as if she wanted to chase him away with her gaze.
Haruue Erii's forehead dripped with cold sweat. She then suggested, "Then, Misaka-san and Shirai Kuroko, please go find seats first. Saten Ruiko and I will buy the crepes."
"Eh, but..." Misaka Mikoto was startled by the words and looked hesitantly at the guatai doll on the crepe stand.
"Hehe, let's go, let's go, Onee-sama, let's help find seats." Shirai Kuroko quickly grabbed Misaka Mikoto and dragged her out of the line, walking towards a nearby table. She didn't want her Onee-sama to be with that uncle for a moment longer.
"Ah, wait..." Misaka Mikoto looked at the increasingly distant seats, her gaze pleading towards Haruue Erii.
Seeing this, Haruue Erii was first startled, then gave a thumbs-up, indicating 'leave it to me,' which allowed Misaka Mikoto to relax and let Shirai Kuroko pull her along.
"What did Misaka-san mean?" Saten Ruiko, thinking the two were exchanging secret signals, couldn't help but ask.
"Eh? Wasn't she asking me to get her a crepe? Of course, I'll take care of something like that." Haruue Erii explained. However, if Misaka Mikoto knew that Haruue Erii understood it this way, she might just start banging her head against things like Shirai Kuroko.
Was the focus on the crepe? Of course not, the focus was on the guatai doll!?
"Is that so?" Saten Ruiko, with her keen observation skills, twitched the corner of her mouth. Misaka Mikoto's gaze had clearly been fixed on the guatai doll; she didn't know how Haruue Erii had interpreted it.
'Forget it, I'll just get one for her.' Saten Ruiko thought to herself.
"What flavors do you want? My treat." Rhode had already finished ordering and turned to ask the two girls behind him.
"Eh? No... no need, Mr. Rhode already spent so much last time." Haruue Erii quickly waved her hand, refusing.
? Saten Ruiko looked at Haruue Erii in confusion. Seeing this, Haruue Erii was about to explain, but Rhode interrupted her.
"It's fine, just a little money, hurry up." Rhode said, gesturing to the line still behind the two girls, urging them to be quick.
"Then, thank you for your generosity, Mr. Rhode." Saten Ruiko, however, winked playfully and thanked him.
"Saten Ruiko." Haruue Erii looked at Rhode awkwardly. Seeing Rhode's renewed gesture, she blushed and began to choose a flavor.
"Alright, please take this. This is the last one. You're really lucky, customer." The Young Miss staff member smiled and handed the last guatai doll wearing a suit to Rhode.
"Thank you." Rhode casually thanked her as he took the guatai doll, preparing to leave. However, he saw a little loli at the back of the line with a pouting face, tears welling in her eyes, looking at the doll in Rhode's hand with a 'about to cry' expression.
Seeing this, Rhode couldn't help but smile. He walked up to the little loli, knelt down to meet her gaze, and with a smile, offered the guatai doll to her.
"This is for you." The little loli first timidly hid behind her mother, but then peeked out, looking at the doll in Rhode's hand, and then looked at her mother as if asking for permission.
Her mother dotingly ruffled the little loli's head and said,
"If you want it, you have to thank him properly."
The little loli nervously took the guatai doll from Rhode's hand and softly, timidly thanked him.
"Thank you, Uncle~"
"Yosh yosh~" Rhode smiled and patted the little loli's head, then walked towards where Misaka Mikoto was sitting.
"Mr. Rhode is so gentle." Haruue Erii exclaimed as she watched Rhode's retreating figure.
"He is, and very generous. He's a good person." Saten Ruiko also praised him.
"Ah, in that case, that doll is gone." However, Saten Ruiko, realizing something was wrong, exclaimed.
Just as Saten Ruiko exclaimed, Misaka Mikoto, like a black and white painting that had lost its color, assumed an 'orz' pose, falling into silence just like Shirai Kuroko earlier.
'Hahaha, this way, you won't be able to curry favor with Onee-sama, will you? Serves you right! Onee-sama belongs to me! Oh ho ho ho~' While internally cheering wildly, Shirai Kuroko, with a gentle smile like that of a Young Miss, took the crepe Rhode offered and thanked him.
"She really is like a child~" Rhode complained while enjoying the crepe in his hand.
Hearing this, Misaka Mikoto regained her color, quickly stood up, waving her arms, and hastily defended herself,
"I... I'm not a child, I... I don't like guatai..." However, upon seeing Rhode's gaze, which seemed to see through everything, she immediately wilted, no longer arguing, and sat silently, eating her crepe.
"But looking at you, you've recovered well. I can rest assured now." Rhode swallowed the crepe in a few bites, licked the cream off his thumb, and said with a light chuckle.
Hearing this, Misaka Mikoto looked at Rhode. Seeing him still smiling at her, she quickly turned her little head away, her cheeks flushed, looking exactly like a ripe apple.
Shirai Kuroko, seeing this from the side, completely went mad, her eyes red, grabbing a tree and banging her head against it. This scene made the two girls who had just arrived break out in uncontrollable cold sweat, utterly speechless.
"Eh?" Haruue Erii seemed to notice something and looked towards the bank's entrance.
"What's wrong?" Saten Ruiko, seeing Haruue Erii's abnormality, asked casually.
"Nothing, I just think it's a bit strange. Look, that bank has its anti-theft shutters down even though it's broad daylight." Haruue Erii explained, pointing towards the tightly shut bank entrance.
Hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over. Coincidentally, at that moment, a flash of fire erupted from inside the roller shutter, followed by an explosion.
This scene immediately stopped Shirai Kuroko's crazed behavior. She shoved the crepe in her hand into her mouth, then pulled out her Judgment badge from her skirt pocket, pinned it to her arm, and instructed Haruue Erii,
"Haruue, contacting the Anti-Skill and confirming casualties is up to you. Please hurry."
"O-okay." After only a moment of panic, Haruue Erii quickly got into action, crouching down to make contact.
The three fleeing robbers ran head-on into the valiant Shirai Kuroko, wearing her Judgment badge. The young girl stood alone in front of the three burly men and shouted loudly,
"Stop! I am Judgment! I am arresting you on charges of 'property damage and ongoing robbery'!".
Rhode couldn't help but exclaim at this,
"This little girl is quite cool when she's not being crazy."