"Class is about to start, go down and change your clothes." Sora was expressionless, looking down. "By the way, how is your knee?"
The girl's legs, encased in white thigh-high socks, were straight and slender. Under the sunlight, they gave off a faint, holy luster, like the finest piece of art, making one feel the urge to carefully admire them.
"Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?"
"No need." Ruri hurriedly shook her head, her legs shyly squeezing together. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. I can just find the teacher to ask for leave later."
Her knee still hurt a lot, but it was bearable. Class was about to start, so she naturally couldn't keep causing trouble for Sora.
"As long as you're okay." Sora naturally wouldn't force it, turning around to leave. "Then I'll head down first."
"W-Wait a minute..."
Ruri quickly reached out her small hand, once again grabbing the hem of the boy's shirt. Averting her face to look into the distance, her skin, as white as jade, was completely flushed. Her voice was nervous:
"W-We haven't formed the contract yet."
"Contract?"
Question marks popped up above Sora's head.
"It's a holy contract magic. Once established, we'll be able to communicate and converse remotely..."
While speaking, Ruri took out her phone and held it up in front of Sora:
"H-Hurry up and sign the contract!"
Izumi Sora: "..."
It's just exchanging contact information, don't make it sound so grand!
Sora remained expressionless, pulling out his phone from his pocket and exchanging contact info with Gokou Ruri.
"Message me immediately if anything comes up."
Sora gave a final instruction, then turned and left the rooftop.
"Phew..."
Watching Sora's back disappear, Ruri finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Looking at the completely plain scenery avatar on her phone, she scrunched up her cute little nose.
"His avatar is actually scenery... This is an avatar exclusively for the elderly, right?"
"It's not a couple avatar... so Izumi-kun shouldn't have a girlfriend..."
Ruri, with a blushing face, quietly changed his contact name:
Stupid Bipedal Izumi... As the very first male to form a contract with me, I'll begrudgingly pin you to the top.
"..."
Sora changed into his gym uniform, then arrived at the location where his class was being held.
"Sora!"
Anna's smile was bright and radiant, seemingly able to rival the azure sky outside the window. She scurried all the way in front of Sora, her body leaning slightly forward, her voice sweet:
"Hey, hey, let's team up together for tennis class, okay?"
Sora remained expressionless: "I refuse."
"Eh, why." Anna clutched her chest, a super hurt expression appearing on her pretty face. "When we were in elementary school, we clearly always teamed up for PE class. Sora is abandoning me, you're so mean."
"Who's abandoning who! Tennis class is grouped by gender; they completely don't allow free teaming, alright!"
"Ehehe~"
Anna stuck out her pink tongue, made a fist with her right hand, and lightly bonked herself on the head, revealing a goofy, brilliant smile:
"I forgot~"
"The teacher is coming over, get ready for class."
"Got it, got it~"
"..."
Anna put her hands behind her back and returned to the girls' line. Her gaze quietly landed on a blonde girl not far away.
Stare—
Defense successful!
(After finishing the bento and returning to the classroom, I completely never let Shiina Mahiru out of my sight.)
(So the things recorded in the Losing Heroine Diary... achoo, I mean the Future Diary, definitely won't happen, right?)
(A childhood friend will never lose to a thieving cat!)
In a flash, it was after-school time.
Sora packed his schoolbag and silently stood up, preparing to go home.
Humans have their limits.
Although he had a proficiency panel in his mind, he still needed to invest a massive amount of time and energy to grind skills. Therefore, Sora hadn't joined any clubs. He was a proper member of the Go-Home Club, heading home immediately after school.
"Poke, poke~"
A slender, pale finger suddenly poked lightly at Sora's waist.
Sora turned his head to look. The girl's bright smiling face entered his eyes. Anna smiled radiantly, biting down on a chocolate Pocky stick:
"Sora, Sora, a friend said a new beef offal restaurant opened in the shopping district, and the taste is super good. Do you want to go eat together?"
He would pass on beef offal. If there was a beef offal chef with purple twintails, he might be interested.
"You go with your friend," Sora shook his head. "I have things to do at home."
"This is exactly where you fall short, Sora." Anna put her hands behind her back, quietly muttering to herself. "In middle school, you still actively participated in clubs, but once you got to high school, you actually turned into a Go-Home Club member. You don't join clubs, and you don't go out to sing karaoke with everyone... this is exactly why you have no friends."
There are plenty of friendless Go-Home Club students out there; normies like you are the minority, alright!
Sora completely didn't care about not having friends:
"Cattle and sheep always flock together; only fierce beasts walk alone."
"Hmph~"
Anna lifted her chin, revealing a snow-white, slender swan neck, and gave a cute, light snort:
"A mere Sora, actually calling yourself a fierce beast, even though you can't even beat me in arm wrestling."
Sora looked disgusted: "Stop constantly bringing up things from elementary school."
"I absolutely won't. Those are our precious memories."
"..."
Following Sora into the corridor, Anna turned her head to glance at the blonde angel in the classroom, lowering her voice:
"I'm going shopping with my friend. Message me when you get home, Sora. If you encounter the thieving cat, absolutely do not talk to her!"
Mahiru is still at school and hasn't left yet. Sora is going home right now, they completely won't cross paths, right?
So, Sora probably met the thieving cat this afternoon.
But I intercepted it ahead of time. Now the ill-fated connection has been severed, and the losing heroine future has definitely been rewritten!
"Thieving cat?"
Sora looked over in confusion.
"Ahaha..." Anna put her hands behind her back, her feet quietly stepping backward. "Sora, you just had auditory hallucinations."
"I heard it very clearly."
"Anyway, see you tomorrow. Don't forget to message me when you get home."
"..."
They walked in silence.
"I'm back."
Sora used his key to open the door and entered the entryway.
The next second.
A petite silver silhouette lunged over, crashing directly into Sora's embrace.
Thud.
Sora subconsciously opened his arms, catching the silver-haired girl who had lunged at him.
The girl in his arms had dazzling long silver hair and sky-blue eyes bluer than the sky after a rain. Because she stayed indoors all year round, her skin was so white it was almost transparent. Her facial features were small and delicate, maxing out her cuteness level.
"Sagiri, you actually came downstairs?"
Sora uncharacteristically revealed a surprised expression.
Since their parents' plane crashed during their honeymoon trip, Sagiri had locked herself in her second-floor room, refusing to come out. Her scope of activity was limited to the second floor, and she almost never came downstairs, let alone actively coming to welcome him.
What was going on today?
Not only did she come to the living room, but she actually lunged at him... his otaku sister was acting very strangely!