"Huh? Isn't that Lucy? Why didn't she mention she was coming in from the Outer Ring?"
Wise had just finished showering and was heading downstairs when he spotted a blonde girl in a helmet standing by the shelves of the video store.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, and as he drew closer, he could faintly hear her muttering under her breath.
"Tsk... this is so irritating. I always feel like someone's watching me..."
"Hmm? Are you talking about me?"
As Wise approached and caught what she said, he instinctively pointed at himself.
Lucy shook her head and said, "No, I wouldn't be irritated if it were you watching me... Wait—what did you just make me say?!"
Realizing her own words, she gritted her teeth, her face flushing as she shot him a sharp glare.
Because of their height difference, she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze—somehow, that only made her look even more adorable.
Noticing the hint of amusement on Wise's face, Lucy puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. Then, suddenly, something in her peripheral vision caught her attention.
"...Is that... it can't be..."
Seeing her reaction, Wise instinctively moved to turn his head, but she quickly stopped him.
"Wise, don't look over there. Yeah, just like that, keep talking to me. Whatever you do, do not look at that suit man over there."
Wise obediently kept his gaze forward.
As for the suit man Lucy mentioned, it seemed Wise had already noticed him earlier. The man stood at a distance, quietly observing them.
"That was sudden... All right, Lucy, what do you want to talk about?" Wise asked.
"Talk about what? It doesn't matter. Just... talk about things you like. Movies, for example..."
"Oh? So you actually know I like movies."
Wise was a bit surprised; he didn't remember ever telling her that.
Lucy let out a small hmph.
"Don't make it sound like I care about you, okay? You run a video store. You're surrounded by movies every day. Someone who hates them wouldn't do that. Besides, everyone's the same. People only choose a life they can put up with. When it becomes unbearable, they fight, or they run... or they fight and then run. But they never stay where they are."
Lucy spoke casually, but Wise could tell the latter half came from somewhere deeper within.
"Like you couldn't tolerate your old life?"
"Hmm... I never said that."
Lucy quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had let too much slip. She cleared her throat and hurried to change the subject.
"Ahem, Wise, don't you think this conversation is getting a bit too heavy? I... I'm not Burnice. I'm not the type to stand around in public and loudly debate the meaning of life with friends..."
As she spoke, she clasped her hands behind her back and looked away, her expression briefly turning shy.
"Eh? So we're just ordinary friends? I thought we were closer than that."
"Hey, what do you mean by that? If we're not friends, then what are we supposed to be?"
Lucy's face turned even redder, as if something had just crossed her mind.
At that moment, her favorability quietly increased by five points, reaching seventy-five.
"Oh? Your face is really red. What happened?" Wise teased, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
"B-Because... it's hot. Don't you think New Eridu is much hotter than the Outer Ring?"
Of course, Lucy couldn't bring herself to admit the truth. She might be clever when it came to business and trade, but when faced with Wise's teasing, she was still just a young girl at heart.
"Ahem, it's getting late. I should head back."
"It's rare for you to come by, Lucy. Won't you stay a little longer?" he suggested.
"No, it's fine. I just stopped by to see you all. I should get going! And as your friend, if I need your help next time, you're not allowed to refuse! That's what friends are for!"
With that, Lucy didn't linger and left right away. Not long after, the suit man also walked out of the video store.
Something about it bothered Wise, so he followed. But after watching Lucy ride away, the suit man made no move to follow her.
Instead, he turned toward Wise and approached him directly, speaking politely once he got close.
"Hello. You're the young lady's friend, correct?"
"Uh, yeah. And you are?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm not a suspicious person. I was sent by the old man Montov to check on the young lady's living situation."
With that explanation, Wise immediately understood. Lucy's father had been worried and sent someone to look into her situation.
Although it seemed a bit excessive, Lucy was clearly aware of it. As an outsider, it wasn't Wise's place to interfere.
At the very least, it turned out to be a misunderstanding, which put him at ease.
Since he was already out, Wise figured he might as well ask General Chop if he knew where to find a high-quality sword.
He headed to the ramen shop, and sure enough, there was such a place, a rather hidden sword shop somewhere in the city.
After getting the information, Wise thanked General Chop, returned to the video store, and set out for the shop after lunch.
It wasn't until nightfall that he returned, disappointed.
Although the swords there were well-crafted, they still fell short. The moment Wise applied even a bit of force, faint cracks began to form along the blade.
It was easy to imagine that if he used his full strength, the sword would shatter completely, essentially making it a one-use weapon, and not a cheap one at that.
Fortunately, when Wise offered to pay for the damage, the shop owner insisted it was a flaw in his own work. Not only did he refuse compensation, he even gave Wise a brand-new sword for free.
Unable to refuse such enthusiasm, Wise accepted. On his way back, he quietly found a secluded spot and stored it in his system space.
Speaking of which, the system space was getting full. Aside from neatly stacked blankets and towels, it was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items, along with Rina's desserts sitting untouched in a corner.
Without hesitation, Wise spent five hundred emotional points to expand the system space to two cubic meters, then went to buy what Belle wanted to eat.
After finishing everything, he returned to Sixth Street. By then, it was already late.
The last traces of sunlight had faded, and night spread across the sky like a gentle dark blanket—only a few pedestrians remained.
As he passed an intersection on his way home, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.
"Is that... Jane? No, something's not right. Is she injured?!"
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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