"Ugh... no more fries..."
Astra said this in a sobbing tone, causing Wise to smile softly.
"Astra, don't be like that. How about we share this portion?"
"Really? Okay, okay! Then when my portion is ready, we'll share that one too!" Astra said, and without hesitation, took a fry from Wise's portion.
It was still hot, freshly taken out of the fryer. After picking it up, she quickly placed it into her mouth and habitually licked the oil left on her fingers.
"Mmm, it's so delicious. No wonder these seagulls are so desperate to snatch them away!"
Astra looked completely satisfied and didn't notice anything unusual. Seeing Wise beside her, seemingly lost in thought, she picked up another fry.
"Here, do you want more? That box isn't finished yet, so the seagulls shouldn't bother us... Hmm..."
As she brought the fry to Wise's mouth, Astra suddenly remembered what she had done moments ago, causing her cheeks to flush slightly.
"Ahem, it's not good if I'm always the only one feeding you. Sometimes I want to be fed too."
Astra cleared her throat a few times, her face slightly flushed as she spoke with a hint of a whine in her voice.
How could Wise not understand what she meant?
So, he picked up a fry as well and watched Astra eat it with a happy expression. However, as she took a bite, her lips accidentally brushed against Wise's finger.
The two of them finished a portion of fries together like that. During that time, no seagulls came to bother them again.
As for the remaining portion, for some reason, neither of them could eat another bite.
"Mmm, I had so much fun today, but it's a pity it's getting late. I should probably head back, or Eve will definitely nag me."
Astra sighed, and reluctantly, the two of them parted ways. Before leaving, she didn't forget to kiss Wise on the cheek playfully.
As for a more intimate kiss, she still didn't seem to have the courage for it.
But next time... next time, she definitely would.
After secretly encouraging herself in her heart, Astra left.
Wise then returned to Sixth Street, where he saw an acquaintance standing at the entrance of the shop.
"Hmm? Cha... no, Trigger, you..."
"Shh! Wise, don't talk to me yet. It's not safe here," Trigger said, placing a finger to her lips.
"Ah?"
"Wise, do you know if there's any high ground nearby?"
She didn't answer Wise's question right away. Instead, she remained highly vigilant, carefully observing her surroundings.
Seeing this, Wise could only follow along with her for the moment.
"High ground? How about going up the stairs here to the second floor of the remodeling shop?"
"Hmm, that's the place. Don't mind me. Go up quickly."
Under Trigger's urging, Wise waited on the second floor for a long time, but nothing seemed to happen.
After a while, someone lightly patted him on the back.
It was Trigger again.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting. This spot is an excellent sniper position, overlooking the entire street. Just now, I sensed a concerning gaze. We can observe from here and see if there are any suspicious individuals."
"Also, Wise, we don't know if the other party has malicious intentions. When you lean out to look, please be very careful."
Wise wanted to tell her that the residents of Sixth Street were all friendly people and that there shouldn't be any danger. However, the light on Trigger's eye patch suddenly turned red.
This meant that her previous words carried a hint of aggressive killing intent. But it disappeared almost instantly, turning blue instead, which indicated contemplation.
"At your 10 o'clock direction, someone is standing there motionless. That's a little strange. At your 2 o'clock direction, near the small pavilion with the dogs, there's someone constantly scanning their surroundings."
Trigger spoke cautiously, while Wise, after observing the two people, could only look helpless.
"The one standing still is Mrs. Yani. Although she has a peculiar temper, she's not a suspicious person. The other one is just a normal resident here."
"Are they people you know? That's good. But even if they are people you know, you can't let your guard down."
Although Wise didn't understand why Trigger considered them suspicious, after all, everyone on Sixth Street was a good neighbor who helped each other.
Perhaps it was because of her past experiences and her own habits that Trigger had become overly cautious.
Just as Wise was thinking this, Trigger spoke again.
"My former captain often said, 'Is it really okay to discuss romance battle plans on the comms channel? Don't forget, the higher-ups sent me to monitor everyone!' However, since you think they're fine, perhaps what I felt just now was only my imagination."
The light on Trigger's eye patch returned to normal, and a hint of guilt appeared on her face for having caused trouble.
Seeing this, Wise quickly spoke to comfort her.
"No, it's not! Your observations are very accurate, Trigger! In fact, they're more precise than many others."
"Because everyone has a unique aura. For me, auras are like invisible outlines. By perceiving them, I can see everything."
Trigger's words immediately caught Wise's interest, and he couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"I see. What about my aura?"
"Your aura... It's round and very elastic!"
Trigger thought for a moment before giving her answer. However, Wise didn't believe it. His physique had always been quite impressive.
"That's Eous's aura, isn't it?"
"I know. But because every time there's an emergency, it's in the Hollow. Your bouncy outline is deeply imprinted in my memory. This impression is very difficult to change."
Well, that was actually a reasonable explanation. After all, he couldn't personally go into the Hollow back then.
During that time, he always entered Eous to accompany Trigger into the Hollow.
"Please change it! While Eous is indeed adorable, I don't want to exist in your memory as something else."
Trigger also agreed with Wise's idea. In fact, it suited her perfectly.
"I see... I can try. But it might require more contact to correct this impression. For example, conversation, spending time together, and even... touch. Th-this is what I heard Styx say before."
At that moment, Trigger placed her hands behind her back, and the light on her eye patch turned pink, making her look slightly shy.
"Then, if you don't mind... may I touch your face? I want to remember you more clearly."
Wise didn't rush to answer. Instead, he took her hand and gently placed it against his cheek.
"Mmm, I'm right here."
Closing his eyes, the surroundings became so quiet that he could almost hear his own heartbeat. A cool sensation came from Trigger's fingertips.
Her fingers moved slowly with careful gentleness. In that quiet stillness, two hearts silently began to acknowledge each other's existence.
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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