Chihaya Kaiser grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her from falling backward, his eyelid twitching.
"Hey, don't die next to me."
"Please... young man."
Shikiya Yumeko leaned against the wall and slowly slid down, her pink lips pale, her eyes lifeless.
He'd always been the type to say he had no money to lend, but could spare some food.
How could she let herself starve to the point of near-death?
Chihaya Kaiser decided to get her something to eat first and ask for money after she'd eaten, lest she actually die.
She watched the boy's running figure as she curled into a ball in the corner.
At the same time, text appeared before Chihaya Kaiser's eyes, startling him slightly.
[Quest Start]
[Personally feed Shikiya Yumeko]
[Quest Reward: 3,000 Yen]
The reward was a little small, but any quest would grant quest points.
Chihaya Kaiser smiled, a spring in his step as he jogged to the convenience store, quickly buying a loaf of bread and a drink.
The whole trip took less than ten minutes.
The main problem was how to complete the quest. Feeding her would be a bit difficult; he'd have to look for an opportunity.
His pink hair bounced as he ran, the tips slightly transparent under the sunlight. The boy clutched the long loaf of bread and the drink and ran back to the corner of the hallway.
The midday sun was strong, and after running back and forth, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
His eyes reflected her pretty face, a stark contrast to her listless, almost zombie-like demeanor.
Her pupils were nearly unfocused.
Chihaya Kaiser knelt on one knee before her, genuinely afraid she was about to starve to death.
"Senpai? You're a senpai, right?"
"Mmm..." She looked up slightly, seemingly without the strength to even lift a hand.
"Feed me."
"Okay." Chihaya Kaiser raised an eyebrow, breathing an inward sigh of relief. He hadn't expected her to suggest it herself.
He pinched the sides of the wrapper, gave it a gentle tug to tear it open, and revealed the long loaf of bread.
He brought it to her lips. Yumeko tried to take a bite but had no strength at all, only managing to lick it with her tongue.
"Help me."
"Is it okay if I use my hand?" Chihaya Kaiser's fingers were only a few centimeters from the bread. "That's fine, right?"
"Mmm..."
After getting her confirmation, he tore off a piece of bread with his hand and brought it to her mouth. The pad of his finger brushed against her lips for just an instant.
They were a bit dry from dehydration, but still very soft.
She chewed a few times and tried to swallow, but it got stuck in her throat. She shot Chihaya Kaiser a pleading look.
He quickly twisted the cap off the bottle and brought the drink to her lips, helping her wash the food down with a slow stream of water.
Her breathing grew heavy. Yumeko's expression was one of someone who had just survived an ordeal as she grabbed his wrist.
"Thank you..."
"It's nothing. Should we continue?"
"Mmm."
The bread was torn into small pieces and brought to the center of her lips. Her tongue moved slightly, drawing it into her mouth.
Each bite of bread had to be chewed at least twenty times before she slowly swallowed. Watching the food slide down her slender neck possessed a peculiar beauty.
After she finished the entire loaf, she regained a bit of strength. She tugged on Chihaya Kaiser's wrist and let out a long sigh.
"Thank you..."
"You're welcome, senpai." Chihaya Kaiser looked at the quest completion notification with a sincere smile.
One quest, three thousand yen.
He handed her the drink. "That comes to 480 yen. How will you be paying?"
Yumeko took out some coins and counted them out for him. Seeing the extra three thousand yen in his wallet, Chihaya Kaiser couldn't stop smiling. Such a simple quest was a real blessing.
He waved a hand. "Well, I'm off. Call me if you need anything else."
His wrist was grabbed. The skin that touched his was very cold, yet delicate.
He turned back and met her gaze. Yumeko's expression was blank.
He asked, "Is there something else?"
She pulled a tissue from somewhere, lifted his wrist, and first wiped away the grease over a large area before meticulously cleaning his fingers. The pads, the tips—all were scrubbed clean by the tissue.
He glanced over; it was indeed clean.
Yumeko let go of his hand, clutching the tissue in her palm. She looked at him, her voice a little stronger now, though still intermittent.
"Shikiya... Yumeko."
"Chihaya Kaiser."
The afternoon sun slanted slightly, illuminating the area beside them. In the light, he could see that her eyelashes were very long and her eyes were very pretty.
This time, she didn't stop him. Chihaya Kaiser turned and left without any hindrance.
After school, he wasn't in such a rush today.
He had arranged to meet Kurisu Makise in Akihabara and was rattling along on the train.
It was at times like these that he couldn't help but wish he had a car, but he probably wasn't old enough to get a driver's license yet.
That meant he'd have to opt for a motorcycle.
And that brought him back to the same old problem: Chihaya Kaiser had too many hobbies and was seriously short on cash.
On the way, he contacted Mayuri Shiina to confirm the lab's location and to make sure that a person named Daru was definitely there.
The streets of Akihabara were especially crowded, but the two of them were rather conspicuous and easy to spot.
A pink-haired boy exuding a natural affinity that drew girls to him, and a proud, aloof girl with long, straight red hair.
She watched the girls who had been drawn to him, frowned slightly, and turned her head.
"Hey, Chihaya, are we going to make it on time?"
"Sorry, sorry. We should be fine. This way."
Thankfully, Kurisu Makise spoke up. The surrounding girls all took a step back, and he felt a wave of relief as he escaped their encirclement, heading with Kurisu Makise toward a television store.
Not all the girls in Akihabara were drawn by his Natural Affinity; some were promoters who took the opportunity to try and pull him in.
Chihaya Kaiser breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."
"I did no such thing. You looked like you were enjoying it, didn't you?"
Kurisu Makise studied his expression. "Being surrounded by so many girls, and some in maid outfits, too."
"Not at all. I'm more interested in you right now, Kurisu Makise."
After all, she was probably the only one who could solve the mystery of his reincarnation.
Chihaya Kaiser's smile was perfectly calibrated, giving off a sunny but not over-the-top vibe. He was completely unaware of how wrong his statement actually sounded.
She stopped in her tracks for a second, then immediately started walking again, even a little faster than before.
From this angle, he could only see her red hair and her ears, not her face.
"Huh? Why the sudden speed-up?" Chihaya Kaiser lengthened his stride to match her pace.
"It's nothing." She covered her face with one hand.
"Huh?" He didn't know what to say, but by now they were standing in front of the television shop. A bald, burly man who looked less like a shopkeeper and more like a yakuza member stood there.
He glanced at Chihaya Kaiser and Kurisu Makise before returning to the shop without a word.
Chihaya Kaiser confirmed the address, and together with Kurisu Makise, they headed up a small staircase on the side of the building to the second floor.
Dark, damp.
Chihaya Kaiser knocked on the door. For a long time, there was no echo from within, which puzzled them both.
______
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