“……”
As Xiao Chun Miura watched Kanzaki Sou approach step by step, she could only stand there frozen in place.
Running away wasn’t an option, but neither was letting him get closer.
Seriously, if someone sees another person already on the School Rooftop, even if they originally planned to eat lunch there, normally they would at least give up on coming up here.
It wasn’t like they couldn’t see from the Staircase… People came to the School Rooftop wanting to eat in a secluded place.
If you find someone is already there and still approach them, wouldn’t you feel that it’s awkward for both sides?
He clearly could have turned back before stepping onto the School Rooftop.
Yet, Kanzaki Sou simply didn’t turn back.
And in all likelihood, he saw that the person on the School Rooftop was her, which was why he specifically came over to talk.
……Good grief.
Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but mutter to herself in a voice only she could hear.
What’s the point of coming over? It’s not like he absolutely has to talk to her.
“Miura-san?”
In the midst of her chaotic thoughts, Kanzaki Sou had already walked over and handed her the Hot Cocoa in his hand.
“How is it? I think this place is quite good as a Secret base.”
“Huh……?”
Although Xiao Chun Miura subconsciously took the can handed to her by Kanzaki Sou, she was a bit surprised.
After all, she hadn’t expected that the sudden appearance of Kanzaki Sou would include a drink prepared for her.
“This is……”
“I didn’t expect anyone other than me to be up here today. Should I consider this a welcome gift for a Guest at my home base?”
Kanzaki Sou showed a gentle smile.
Xiao Chun Miura immediately looked away.
“No, that’s not it……”
“Is this a matter of being a Guest or not? The School Rooftop doesn’t belong only to you, Kanzaki Classmate.”
“Yes, that is true.”
Kanzaki Sou replied.
“——Did you use to come to the School Rooftop often, Miura-san?”
Walking to the railing, the boy and the girl with long hair draped over her shoulders stood side by side, their gaze looking past the railing toward the distant clear sky.
“I…… No, I don’t come here often.”
Xiao Chun Miura answered with her head turned to the side. “This is the only time recently, I think.”
“——Is that so.”
Kanzaki Sou responded thoughtfully.
His gaze looked at the air ahead, not focusing on any particular point.
“……Over the past few days, this is indeed the first time someone has come up to the School Rooftop.”
“Kanzaki Classmate, why are you here……?”
“Well……”
“——The Classroom is a bit too noisy. As for the Student Council, I have the impression that as long as I go there, I’ll be entrusted to help process documents and Work……”
“Ultimately, the lunch break should be used for rest, even if taken literally.”
“So during noon, I just want to find a place to get some air.”
He turned his head to look at Xiao Chun Miura.
“For a long time before, I couldn’t find a suitable place.”
“But in the end, I got the peace I wanted in the Library.”
“……”
Those eyes cast a warm gaze that carried no hint of offense.
Xiao Chun Miura’s heart stirred.
——What does that mean?
It means you aren’t at peace anywhere else, but you’re comfortable in the Library.
Was it because of the Library itself, or because of the person in the Library? Was saying such misleading things also a characteristic of a Protagonist?
“By the way, about Saturday……”
Out of the blue, Kanzaki Sou suddenly brought up a topic that Xiao Chun Miura wanted to avoid: “Miura-san’s cousin, was she called Arisu? Was everything okay after that?”
“Ah? Yes…… It was fine——Didn’t we already talk about it on LIME?”
“I was worried about afterward, like if she showed signs of being frightened after going Home.”
So that’s how it was.
Xiao Chun Miura quickly gathered her wits to respond, because the excuse about her cousin going shopping, walking the streets, and going Home with her were all things she had said randomly at the time to brush off Kanzaki Sou.
“That…… After she went back, she drank some hot water, slept, and forgot all about it…… She might have been a bit scared at the time, but in the end, nothing particularly bad happened, so the impact wasn’t very large.”
“Ah, that’s good then.”
With a trace of concern in his eyes, Kanzaki Sou nodded. “After all, that kind of thing is too easy for Girls to find frightening.”
“Miura-san, if you need to report that incident to the police or anything else, or if there’s anything else I can help with, you can tell me anytime.”
“……Yes, thank you, Kanzaki Classmate.”
“——……”
After the dialogue paused, Kanzaki Sou seemed to hesitate, as if he wanted to say more.
Xiao Chun Miura was busy eating her Bento to divert her attention and didn’t notice Kanzaki Sou’s behavior.
“Um, Miura-san, it’s just a bit……”
“Hmm?”
Xiao Chun Miura responded absentmindedly while eating.
“If my feeling is wrong, it would be very rude, so I apologize in advance.”
“Please don’t mind it, I just have a sense of déjà vu.”
……What does that mean?
Xiao Chun Miura looked at Kanzaki Sou with a face full of confusion, not knowing what he intended to say.
——But she could vaguely sense that something bad was about to happen.
“W-What kind of déjà vu?”
Unable to control her curiosity——or rather, unable to suppress the panic in her heart, Xiao Chun Miura asked warily.
“——Miura-san’s sister, I feel like it’s not the first time I’ve seen her.”
“——!!”
Cold sweat instantly ran down the side of Xiao Chun Miura’s face.
..? Not the first time seeing her?
Of course, considering that Kiyono Arisa and Kanzaki Sou were both people in this Game World, the possibility of two unrelated passersby having seen each other somewhere wasn’t impossible.
What’s more, Kiyono Arisa was one of the Heroines of the Game. As the Protagonist, Kanzaki Sou was destined to have seen her, or was destined to meet her.
——So where had he seen her?
The greatest possibility was either at School or at the Store Street.
At School, Kiyono Arisa was just an ordinary Student, but it couldn’t be ruled out that the two had a chance encounter——hadn’t she and Kiyono Arisa met for the first time in the Teaching Building after School due to a series of coincidences?
That was fine; Kanzaki Sou didn’t necessarily remember every person he had seen at School.
But the other possibility……
If Kiyono Arisa’s face was seen by Kanzaki Sou at the Store Street——
Xiao Chun Miura got goosebumps all over.
He couldn’t have actually seen Kiyono Arisa in her Idol form, right?!
“…Eh, is there really such a coincidence? But she should be here for the first time…”
Xiao Chun Miura laughed dryly and spoke nonsense, apologizing to Kiyono Arisa in her heart. “Or maybe because… her vibe is similar to mine? Since we’re cousins.”
“…Hmm? Similar to you?”
Unexpectedly, that random reason caused Kanzaki Sou to turn his head and begin seriously sizing up Xiao Chun Miura’s face.
A gaze that was too direct and focused made Xiao Chun Miura’s eye twitch, and she subconsciously wanted to retreat.
“Well…… well——”
Observing her, Kanzaki Sou gradually narrowed his eyes. “——Huff, I don’t think it’s very similar.”
“——Ha ah…… Is, is that so……”
Xiao Chun Miura gasped, trying to steady her breathing.
Ever since the Sports Day, Kanzaki Sou really seemed to have unlocked some kind of incredible Switch.
Where did the gentle, perfectly-spoken model Student from before go?
Who is this guy who flirts at the drop of a hat while wearing a “sincere” expression?!
This isn’t right!!
……No, Kanzaki Sou in the Game also had a bit of a scheming nature. Depending on the Heroine’s personality in the Line he was following, he would occasionally tease a Heroine he had become close with.
However, when it happened to her, she felt uncomfortable all over.
“Anyway.”
Xiao Chun Miura’s face turned red as she tried to change the subject. “Don’t mention the cousin thing anymore…… She has already gone back to the countryside. In the future…… she probably won’t come back again!”
“I see.”
Kanzaki Sou didn’t probe further, only following her lead. “That’s good then.”
……What’s so good about it!
Having finally been let off the hook, Xiao Chun Miura glared at Kanzaki Sou’s profile while smoothing out her breathing.