Himeno Yuki subconsciously turned her head, looking in the direction of the vending machine.
Then, her eyes widened ever so slightly.
A girl was standing right beside the vending machine.
There was a trace of panic and embarrassment on her face, and one hand was still raised slightly in midair, as if she had just accidentally slapped it against the vending machine's panel.
The girl had long teal-blue hair, tied into a loose side ponytail at the back of her head, with a few stray strands falling by her ears, swaying gently with her movements.
Her eyes were a deep teal, currently cast downward, not quite daring to meet the gazes of the two people in front of her. Her features were fair and adorable, but at this moment they were tinged with a faint blush from nervousness.
Her figure was slender, and standing there, the whole of her gave off a frail impression, as if a single gust of wind would knock her over.
Right now her body was shrinking in on itself slightly, looking as though she wished she could find somewhere to hide—this was none other than Yamamura Miki.
When Himeno Yuki saw Yamamura Miki appear before her, she couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
She looked at Yamamura Miki, then looked at where she herself had just been standing, and then looked at the vending machine.
She had just been standing right near that vending machine.
If there had been anyone there, she should have seen them.
But the fact of the matter was, Himeno Yuki hadn't noticed at all.
A whole living person this size—how could she not have seen her just now?
This thought flashed through Himeno Yuki's mind, and an indescribable feeling welled up in her heart.
Was this really a person?
There clearly hadn't been anyone there before.
When she'd walked over, this figure had suddenly appeared.
It was as if she had materialized out of thin air.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, her gaze continuing to rest on Yamamura Miki as she carefully sized up this girl who had appeared out of nowhere.
Feeling Himeno Yuki's gaze, the expression on Yamamura Miki's face grew even more uneasy.
Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say.
Her hands unconsciously wrung together, fingers intertwining, betraying the awkwardness and unease within her heart.
It was at this moment that Shikime Natsu's voice rang out.
"Good afternoon, Yamamura-san."
His tone was perfectly natural, showing not the slightest surprise at Yamamura Miki suddenly appearing here.
Hearing this voice, Yamamura Miki's body trembled slightly.
She lifted her head, those deep teal eyes glancing at Shikime Natsu for a moment, then quickly lowering again.
"Sh-Shiki-san, good afternoon..."
Her voice was very small, carrying a hint of a tremble, as if she were struggling to control her own emotions.
Then she glanced at Himeno Yuki again, her lips moving slightly.
"H-Himeno-san... good afternoon..."
Her voice was still very quiet, but she nonetheless made the effort to offer a greeting.
Hearing her call out her name, Himeno Yuki couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
She knew who she was?
After all, the role she played in Class B was that of a shady type. By all rights, the people at this school who could call out her name, aside from that group in Class B, were limited to Shikime Natsu, the one person she'd had contact with.
Could it be that this Shikime Natsu fellow had been spreading her name around everywhere?
The moment this possibility came to mind, Himeno Yuki couldn't help but frown, but her brow soon smoothed out again—Shikime Natsu surely knew about her bad luck, and wouldn't go around blabbing about it.
For some reason, on this particular matter, Himeno Yuki held an inexplicable trust in Shikime Natsu.
Himeno Yuki nodded, which counted as her response to Yamamura Miki's greeting.
Seeing Himeno Yuki nod, Yamamura Miki felt slightly relieved.
But her hands were still wrung together, and the expression on her face still carried a trace of panic and embarrassment.
After all, she had just been eavesdropping off to the side.
Even though she hadn't done it on purpose.
But that kind of behavior was hardly likely to leave a good impression.
Thinking of this, Yamamura Miki felt like weeping without tears.
She had merely, as usual, casually picked out some vending machine and been standing beside it, spacing out.
Who could have known she'd run into something like this?
And on top of that, she'd been discovered by Shikime Natsu.
This was really...
Just awful.
Yamamura Miki thought this to herself, the expression on her face growing even more complicated.
"Um..."
She spoke up, her voice carrying a trace of apology.
"I... I wasn't eavesdropping on purpose..."
She paused, then continued, as if explaining something.
"I just... happened to be standing there..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, so small that only she herself could barely hear it.
"I... I'll leave right away..."
As she said this, her body took a small step back, intending to immediately depart from this place that made her feel so awkward.
"It's nothing."
Watching her flustered demeanor, Shikime Natsu let out a light chuckle.
"It's not a big deal."
His tone was very gentle, carrying a note of reassurance, which allowed Yamamura Miki's taut nerves to relax a little.
Then Shikime Natsu's gaze swept back and forth between Yamamura Miki and Himeno Yuki, those pale golden eyes carrying a certain thoughtfulness.
Yamamura Miki was a student of Class A.
However, within Class A, she had always been a rather inconspicuous presence.
Or rather, the type of person who was easily overlooked.
Of course, after spending a long time with Shikime Natsu, the Yamamura Miki of the present was no longer quite the invisible little wallflower in Class A that she once was.
As for Himeno Yuki, she was the shady type of Class B.
It had to be said, between these two people, there really did seem to be some points of similarity.
Whether it was that kind of personality that disliked standing out, or that trait of being easily overlooked in a crowd.
Shikime Natsu thought this to himself, then looked at Yamamura Miki and spoke.
"Since we happened to run into each other, and fate has brought us together like this, why don't you join us?"
He paused, then added another sentence.
"We were going to find a place to sit down anyway."
Hearing these words, Yamamura Miki froze once again.
She lifted her head, those deep teal eyes carrying a trace of disbelief as she looked at Shikime Natsu.
She had never expected Shikime Natsu to suddenly say such a thing.
J-Join them?
Together with Shikime Natsu and Himeno Yuki?
This thought flashed through Yamamura Miki's mind, and a complicated tangle of emotions welled up in her heart.
She subconsciously glanced at Himeno Yuki.
Feeling her gaze, the expression on Himeno Yuki's face didn't change in the slightest.
She merely replied indifferently.
"Whatever."
But within her heart, she had already begun scheming.
If she invited Yamamura Miki along, then perhaps she herself could shake off this Shikime Natsu fellow.
After all, once Yamamura Miki and Shikime Natsu got caught up in their conversation, she could just slip away partway through.
Himeno Yuki thought this, but very soon, a surge of dissatisfaction rose up in her heart again.
If she did that, then wouldn't she become the tagalong one?
Shikime Natsu had clearly been the one to approach her for a chat in the first place, and then invited her to talk together.
And now, suddenly, one more person had been added.
And on top of that, she had to think about how to make her escape.
This feeling—no matter how she looked at it, something felt a little off.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, her gaze once again falling on Yamamura Miki.
As for this Yamamura Miki person, Himeno Yuki honestly had no impression of her.
Of course, the people who could actually leave an impression on her were only that handful.
Ordinary people, she had no impression of either.
After all, the two of them were from different classes, and had no points of contact whatsoever.
No contact, and naturally, no impression.
Still, looking at Yamamura Miki, she didn't seem to be much of a talker either.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, her mind beginning to imagine the scene to come.
Next, who would be the one conversing with Shikime Natsu?
Would it be her, or Yamamura Miki?
Or would neither of them speak, leaving Shikime Natsu to put on a one-man show all by himself?
The more Himeno Yuki thought about it, the more she couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
She shook her head, flinging these messy, jumbled thoughts out of her mind.
Never mind it.
She'd deal with it when the time came.
Yamamura Miki and Himeno Yuki's gazes fell upon Shikime Natsu at the same time.
After all, Shikime Natsu was the one who had invited the two of them, so naturally the decision was his to make.
Feeling the two girls' gazes, Shikime Natsu felt no pressure at all.
He simply smiled, then spoke up.
"I know a place that isn't very crowded, suitable for sitting down and having a quiet chat."
He paused, then looked at the two of them.
"If you don't mind, let's go there."
Neither Himeno Yuki nor Yamamura Miki had any objections, so the three of them set off together toward the place Shikime Natsu had mentioned.
It was a café tucked away in a corner of the Keyaki Mall. Unlike the café that most students frequented, its location was fairly out-of-the-way, and if you didn't look carefully, it would be easy to miss.
But the atmosphere inside was actually quite nice—quiet and comfortable, without the din of all those shops outside.
When the three of them walked in, there were only a scattered few customers in the shop, all of them seated in corners, each occupied with their own affairs. No one noticed their arrival.
Shikime Natsu found a seat by the window and sat down.
Himeno Yuki hesitated for a moment, then sat down across from Shikime Natsu.
Yamamura Miki looked at Himeno Yuki, then looked at Shikime Natsu, and finally chose to sit down beside Himeno Yuki.
After the three of them were seated, a waiter came over and handed them menus.
Shikime Natsu took the menu, flipped through it for a bit, then lifted his head to look at the two girls.
"What do you two want to eat? Order whatever you like—it's my treat."
Hearing these words, Himeno Yuki's brow furrowed slightly.
"No need, I'll pay for myself."
Her tone carried a hint of stubbornness.
"I'm the one who invited you two today, so of course it's my treat."
Shikime Natsu smiled, his tone gentle.
Looking at that expression of his, Himeno Yuki opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end she said nothing at all.
She merely gave a soft "Hmph," then lowered her head and opened the menu to look at it.
Yamamura Miki sat off to the side, holding the menu in her hands, her gaze sweeping over it, but her mind was entirely elsewhere.
Her thoughts were still on what had just happened.
How had she ended up tagging along like this?
She really should have just left directly earlier.
But when Shikime Natsu had spoken up to invite her, for some reason, she had nodded.
Honestly...
Yamamura Miki thought this to herself, the expression on her face growing even more complicated.
"Yamamura-san, have you seen anything you'd like to eat?"
Shikime Natsu's voice rang out.
Yamamura Miki snapped back to her senses, lifted her head, met Shikime Natsu's pale golden eyes, then quickly lowered her head again.
"I-I haven't decided yet..."
Her voice was very quiet, carrying a trace of nervousness.
"Then take your time, there's no rush."
Shikime Natsu smiled, then turned his head to look at Himeno Yuki.
"And you, Himeno-san?"
"Whatever."
Himeno Yuki answered, her tone still cold.
"Then let's have three of the signature desserts, plus three drinks."
Shikime Natsu closed the menu and said to the waiter.
The waiter nodded, then took the menus and left.
Before long, the desserts and drinks were brought over.
Three exquisite desserts were placed before the three of them, giving off an enticing aroma.
But none of the three moved.
The air grew somewhat quiet.
Himeno Yuki kept her head lowered, her gaze resting on the dessert before her, as if studying how the cream on top had been piped into flowers.
Yamamura Miki also kept her head down, both hands cradling her drink cup, her fingertips lightly rubbing against the side of the glass, not daring at all to lift her head.
Both of them had focused their attention on the desserts in front of them.
Watching them behave like this, the corners of Shikime Natsu's mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a somewhat helpless smile.
These two really were alike.
Whether it was that sort of personality poorly suited to socializing, or that trait of getting so nervous in front of strangers that they couldn't get a word out—it made one feel as though they'd been carved from the exact same mold.
However, Shikime Natsu was also well aware in his heart.
Although Yamamura Miki and Himeno Yuki looked very similar, at their core there was still a difference.
The reason Yamamura Miki had become the way she was now was, to a large extent, because she possessed a little-known talent—the ability to make the people around her automatically overlook her existence.
This "talent," for Yamamura Miki, was nothing short of a nuisance.
She didn't like always being overlooked by others.
And it was precisely because she was always subconsciously ignored that Yamamura Miki had developed the personality she had today.
Of course, under Shikime Natsu's intervention, the Yamamura Miki of the present was already far better than before.
As for Himeno Yuki, she belonged to the type who simply didn't enjoy interacting with people.
Even the dazzling aura of someone like Ichinose Honami had no way of winning her over.
She didn't like liveliness, didn't like crowds, didn't like all that superfluous socializing.
She only wanted to quietly be herself.
This was the greatest difference between the two of them.
Shikime Natsu thought this to himself, then picked up the drink in front of him and took a sip.
Then he set down the cup, looked at the two girls, and spoke.
"Yamamura-san, how have things been with Ai lately?"
Hearing this question, Yamamura Miki's body trembled slightly.
She lifted her head, glanced at Shikime Natsu, then lowered it again.
"It's fine, Morishita-san takes good care of me most of the time..."
Her voice was very quiet, carrying a trace of nervousness.
"That's good, then."
Shikime Natsu nodded, then continued.
Himeno Yuki sat off to the side, eating the dessert in front of her while quietly observing the conversation between the two of them.
Her gaze swept back and forth between Yamamura Miki and Shikime Natsu, then quickly withdrew again.
This Yamamura Miki...
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, then took another bite of dessert.
Shikime Natsu's gaze fell upon Himeno Yuki once more.
"Himeno-san, how have things been for you in Class B lately?"
He asked, his tone equally casual.
"Fine."
Himeno Yuki answered curtly, saying nothing more.
"Nothing you'd like to say?"
Shikime Natsu looked at her and smiled.
"Nothing."
Himeno Yuki answered crisply and decisively.
"Then have you been to the movie theater to look at posters lately?"
Shikime Natsu asked, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki's hand paused slightly in its movement.
She lifted her head, those dead fish eyes glaring at Shikime Natsu.
"None of your business."
Her tone carried a trace of displeasure, but there wasn't any real malice in it.
Watching her behave like this, Shikime Natsu smiled and didn't press the matter further.
Then he turned to Yamamura Miki and struck up a conversation with her. At first Yamamura Miki responded to Shikime Natsu in a small voice, but as the conversation continued, she clearly became far more at ease.
Himeno Yuki sat off to the side, continuing to eat the dessert in front of her.
Her gaze fell from time to time on Shikime Natsu and Yamamura Miki, then withdrew again.
In her heart, she was mulling over some messy, jumbled matters.
This Yamamura Miki—she couldn't be into Shikime Natsu, could she?
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself.
Her powers of observation might not count as particularly keen, but she wasn't blind either.
Whenever Yamamura Miki spoke with Shikime Natsu, she would blush from time to time.
And those eyes—when she looked at Shikime Natsu, they held a certain indescribable glimmer.
That kind of glimmer, no matter how you looked at it, wasn't the sort that would exist between ordinary friends.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, then took another bite of dessert.
Her mind began to scheme.
If Yamamura Miki really did like Shikime Natsu, then things would be much easier to handle.
Since it was all such a hassle, she might as well directly help pair Yamamura Miki and Shikime Natsu together.
That way, that Shikime Natsu fellow probably wouldn't come around to bother her anymore, right?
As Himeno Yuki thought of this, her eyes brightened slightly.
But very soon, she felt that something was a little off.
How should she put it...
This kind of behavior seemed a little...
Never mind, she'd stop thinking about it.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, then began to ponder the current number of Shikime Natsu's girlfriends.
As she recalled, Shikime Natsu currently seemed to have a total of seven girlfriends.
Himeno Yuki silently counted them in her heart.
Seven.
Seven days in a week—exactly one for each day.
This fellow, was he trying to pack his schedule completely full?
How many more did he even want?
As Himeno Yuki thought of this, her gaze couldn't help but fall upon Shikime Natsu.
Her line of sight lingered on his profile for a moment, then moved away again.
This fellow—what exactly was so good about him?
That he could make seven girls completely disregard one another and devote their hearts entirely to him.
She didn't understand—she really, truly didn't understand at all.
Himeno Yuki thought this to herself, then lowered her head and returned her attention to the dessert in front of her.
Never mind, she'd stop thinking about it.
None of this had anything to do with her anyway.
She was just a shady type, someone who wanted to quietly get through her school life.
Whatever those sunny types got up to, they could do as they pleased.
Himeno Yuki thought this, then buried her head and started eating.
It was at this moment that a faint buzzing sound came from Yamamura Miki's pocket.
Yamamura Miki froze for a moment, then pulled out her phone from her pocket.
She glanced at the message on the screen, and the expression on her face stiffened slightly.
The message was from Morishita Ai.
[Morishita Ai: I already saw that you're together with Natsu!]
Upon seeing this message, Yamamura Miki couldn't help but feel her heart clench—had she been caught red-handed? Her whole self grew even more flustered.
But Morishita Ai's next words left Yamamura Miki utterly stunned.
[Morishita Ai: The one beside you is your rival! Your mission is to win Natsu over before she does, no matter what method you use! Assistant Yamamura, hesitation means defeat! I'll be watching you always! Staring~]
Looking at this message, a miserable, woebegone expression appeared on Yamamura Miki's face.
Eh?
She let out a wail in her heart, then her little head swayed slightly, as if she intended to check whether there was any sign of Morishita Ai in her surroundings.
Unfortunately, Ms. Morishita had naturally made all the necessary preparations—how could a mere Yamamura Miki possibly discover her?
Yamamura Miki stared at Morishita Ai's chat window. "No matter what method you use"... what was that supposed to mean?
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan on Pa+reon for more!🔥👻
🔥 New history: Zenless Zone Zero: Rewriting Fate in New Eridu — over on The_Mikudayo
📚 Walnut-chan = +40 chapters of early access, and every bit of it funds the translation work
Help us unlock these community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone