“I’m not,” Yukino replied coldly.
She didn’t want to continue this topic with Tamamo Hikari; otherwise, it would be endless.
The white-haired girl stubbornly shifted her gaze and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with her fingertip. This state of ignoring others was Yukino’s usual self, cold as a block of ice freshly taken from a freezer.
But Tamamo Hikari didn’t give up and continued to press. “Then why are you looking at job postings? Students attending this school usually aren’t short on cash, are they?”
Monsters, mythical creatures… after coming to the Dreamlands City, they had also established families. Those who could attend school were from wealthy or noble backgrounds. As for the Outer Gods, with their abilities, they had no need to obtain resources through normal channels, and the city seemed to turn a blind eye to their actions.
“…I have no obligation to tell you.” The unspoken meaning in Yukino’s words was ‘Stop asking, it’s annoying.’
But Tamamo Hikari just curled her thin red lips and smiled, saying confidently, “You’ll be rejected, you know?”
Hearing this, Yukino frowned slightly. “You…”
Seeing Yukino’s attitude soften, the big fox pressed her advantage. She pointed at the phone with her jade-white finger and said, “If you don’t believe me, just look for yourself.”
Yukino could tell at a glance that Tamamo Hikari was goading her, but the premise was based on facts. It was easy to verify — all she had to do was turn on her phone screen. So, with a hint of doubt, the girl tapped the screen. When the phone unlocked, a message popped up at the top with a header that read:
“We apologize, but you do not meet our company’s requirements…”
“Why…”
Yukino looked at Tamamo Hikari and saw the smug look in those fox eyes, and a hint of displeasure inevitably rose in her heart.
Tamamo Hikari didn’t mock her. Instead, she raised her index finger and spun it around, explaining, “Because the pay is high! You get free entry to the park, and you can even join in the fun during breaks. Everyone wants to go, so you can’t get hired without some connections.”
Yukino looked at the information she had forged. It wasn’t particularly dazzling, but it was still a standout among a group of lackluster applicants. Being rejected without even an interview meant the internal rules were likely exactly as Tamamo Hikari had described.
“I see. Thank you.”
Yukino’s heart remained steady as she nodded her thanks. Although this job was a rare opportunity, it wasn’t a must-have. While she was short on money, she wasn’t in a desperate rush to use it. After all, she had almost no other expenses besides basic living requirements…
With the exception of last night… ‘Wait, did I pay last night?’
Yukino rubbed her temples. Her memories of last night were blurry; she only remembered drinking a little. As for memories of paying, she seemed to have none at all.
‘I’ll go back and pay once I’ve earned some money,’ the girl thought as she scrolled through job postings.
“Can’t find a suitable one?”
Tamamo Hikari leaned in again like a ghost and whispered in her ear, “…If Yukino wants that job, I have a way, you know?”
Yukino’s fingertip stopped at the edge of the screen. She looked up again and saw the flirtatious fox pouting with an expression that said, ‘Hee-hee, you’re talking to me anyway.’
Even with Yukino’s stable emotions, she couldn’t help but lightly clench her fist. “Just say what you have to say.”
“Eh — ? Is that how you look when you’re asking someone for a favor?”
Tamamo Hikari tucked her hands between her knees, her chest pressed together as if it were about to pop out.
“Don’t push your luck.” Yukino didn’t fall for it.
She crossed her right leg over her left, the curve of her leg shifting slightly. She wanted to see exactly when this fox would show its tail.
“Ugh, what a bad attitude!”
Tamamo Hikari raised her hand to poke Yukino’s shoulder but was glared back by a terrifying look that said ‘I’ll freeze you into an ice sculpture if you dare touch me.’
“…Sigh, fine, fine. They say you’re an ice queen, but I didn’t expect you to be this cold.” She spread her hands and said, “It’s like this. I have a friend who works at the amusement park. I can give her a heads-up and have her recommend you!”
“…”
Yukino’s beautiful, cracked-ice eyes stared at her without any emotion.
“W-What?” Tamamo Hikari’s ears flickered.
“But…?” Yukino finished for her.
“Oh, my…”
Caught in the act, Tamamo Hikari guiltily looked away, her two index fingers circling each other like a washing machine. After a while, she asked tentatively, “…Could it be that I was exposed from the very beginning?”
That cautious, confirming gaze and slightly leaning body reminded Yukino of the ‘testing the limits on the edge of death’ meme.
“Did you really think you were hiding it well?” Yukino lowered her eyelids.
“He-he! Actually, it’s not some outrageous request…” Tamamo Hikari said in a small voice, “Just take me with you when you go to the amusement park, okay?”
Yukino, who had thought Tamamo Hikari would make a massive demand, tilted her head slightly. “…Just that?”
“Just that!” Tamamo Hikari nodded repeatedly.
The girl scrutinized the fox. Either she truly had no other plans, or she was hiding them extremely well.
“…Fine,” Yukino agreed after thinking for a moment.
No matter what Tamamo Hikari’s true thoughts were, as long as an intention was expressed, it meant this was a transaction. And as long as it was a transaction, it meant the two had established a cooperative relationship unrelated to emotions. Yukino was more comfortable with interpersonal interactions under this kind of relationship.
She only knew a few people in this city, and Tamamo Hikari seemed to have been here for a long time. Perhaps she could obtain some information from her.
‘Now is not the time to ask questions, though…’
“Yay!”
The big fox swayed back and forth happily, her chest swaying along with her. The surging waves looked as if they might wash away the Kappa sitting at the table across the hallway.
—
At the same time, on the rooftop of the Arkham Academy teaching building.
“It’s been confirmed. She’s the one who turned Cthusu into that state…!”
The small hand gripping the railing gradually tightened. A platform high-heeled boot kicked the stone wall, kicking up a cloud of dust. Along with the movement of her body, two fiery red pigtails shaped like drills swayed back and forth. On the petite girl’s pretty face, her eyebrows were knitted together, and her mouth was curled into a frown.
“Darn it, darn it, darn it! What an annoying person!”
The girl’s shoulders shook with anger, making her appear even more fragile, but those who knew her were aware she was not someone to be trifled with. It was just that she had recently transferred, and not many people knew of her power yet.
“If you hate her that much, why not take this opportunity to get rid of her? This afternoon is the Winter Fair at the Ulthar Amusement Park. She’ll probably be there. You can try your luck…”
A creature walked out from under the eaves. Its shadow cast on the stone floor of the rooftop looked exactly like a pebble. It took a deep puff of a cigar, used one wing to flip the newspaper to the next page, and used another wing to pull down its sunglasses. Under the round lenses of the sunglasses was a pair of round, pitch-black eyes. It grinned with its beak and said, “There will be many people then, so it will be easy to handle. Even if you’re discovered, it’ll be easy to gloss over… Don’t you agree, Tu Xiaoyan?”