"Why exactly do I have to come to Akihabara with you at night?"
"This sort of thing just seems weird, doesn't it?"
At six in the evening, on the streets of Akihabara, a blonde-haired girl with a single ponytail, wearing plain black-rimmed glasses and a white mask covering her cheeks, muttered in a low voice.
The person she was complaining to, Kasumigaoka Utaha, answered expressionlessly:
"With all due respect, I'd say the strange one here is you, Sawamura-san."
To this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha still had no idea what on earth this little blonde was thinking.
"You deliberately went home after art club activities just to change into plain clothes, threw on a pair of glasses you never wear at school, even changed your hairstyle. Are you trying to break into show business or something?"
"Hah? What do you mean 'never wear'? I just don't wear them at school, that's all."
Hearing that, Eriri immediately stomped her foot.
"And what's this about show business? Don't think I can't hear the sarcasm in your voice."
"Need I remind you—we're in Akihabara. At least get somewhat familiar with the vibe."
"Not understanding my surroundings, is that it?"
Kasumigaoka paused for a moment, then turned her head to look at the variety of people passing along the street, each with their own unique makeup and attire.
Now, at this hour in Akihabara, people in all manner of wild costumes strolled about in groups of two or three. The scene was fantastical, much like Halloween.
And yet, this was normal for Akihabara—one of the world's great cosplay gathering spots.
Compared to these people, wearing her Toyosaki school uniform with only thigh-high black stockings added, Kasumigaoka Utaha looked utterly, painfully ordinary.
"I think I get what you mean now."
Utaha finally understood Eriri's reasoning.
"As long as you're clear on that," Eriri said triumphantly, arms crossed.
…Wait. So just what exactly had she understood?
As Eriri puzzled over it, Utaha spoke in her usual calm tone:
"So I take it, Sawamura-san, that you come to Akihabara rather often."
"Uh…!"
The smugness drained instantly from Eriri's face, replaced by a cold sweat at having her secret called out.
"Even though Akihabara's a ways from Toyosaki, it's still in Chiyoda Ward, isn't it? Afraid of being spotted by classmates, so you go to all this trouble to disguise yourself?"
Utaha gave her a sidelong glance, full of implication.
"I see… so that's why your ability is Transformation, isn't it?"
Luo Shu had once told her—there were two paths by which a contracted follower's ability manifested:
One was shaped by what lay in the heart.
The other, by natural talent.
Eriri's habit of constant disguise and her obsessive concern with others' eyes—clearly, she had both factors.
"That's not important." Having her ability brought up, Eriri hastily moved to change the subject.
After all—she couldn't very well admit that this was her transformed appearance. She definitely couldn't say she'd modelled her current leg shape after Kasumigaoka Utaha, could she? Absolutely not.
"Where's this base Luo Shu was talking about? Wasn't he the one who invited us?"
"'Invited'?" Utaha blinked in mild surprise. "Oh, I suppose you could call it that."
"It's just that the 'invitation' only came up after I asked him how he's been. And the nuance behind that… I doubt you'd understand, Sawamura-san."
Hearing that, Eriri's brows knitted and she bared her teeth:
"Feels like you're hinting at something. Trying to call me stupid?"
"No, I'm being explicit," Utaha replied bluntly, arms crossed, voice tinged with a peculiar wistfulness.
"After all, if you don't come out and show yourself now and then, the readers will forget you, Sawamura-san."
"…Hah?" Eriri froze, then groaned. "What kind of nonsense is that? Since when am I some neglected light novel heroine?"
"What's next—do I have to say 'It's my turn now'?"
But Utaha only answered coolly, "Please don't steal my lines. Thank you."
She certainly wasn't about to admit that the real reason she'd asked Luo Shu about his recent activities was because she suspected he'd picked up some new vixen—and thus wanted to subtly probe his situation.
She and Sawamura Eriri weren't nearly close enough yet for that kind of candid revelation.
"Always saying things people don't get…" Eriri grumbled, then said, "But speaking of which, didn't Luo Shu skip class today? That demon thing still not dealt with?"
Feigning surprise, Utaha replied, "I'm shocked that someone so absorbed in the art world as Sawamura-san actually noticed Luo Shu-kun wasn't in class today."
"Alright, alright, I know what you're getting at—yes, the art club's activities ran until five-thirty. Even if I were going to quit, I'd still need some time to do it…"
Utaha didn't answer her murmurings, merely sighed and offered a warning:
"If you don't adjust your mindset soon, you'll be in serious trouble, Sawamura-san."
"What?" Eriri blinked, looking at Utaha in puzzlement.
Seeing her reaction, Utaha's frown deepened. She added another reminder:
"Remember what I just said. I don't want to have to drag Luo Shu in to clean up your mess."
"Hey—don't just go labeling me as a walking pile of trouble."
Eriri stomped her foot again, muttering under her breath:
"Says the gloomy girl herself…"
After mumbling that, Eriri lifted her phone to compare their location with the map pin Luo Shu had sent earlier.
"Huh. Looks like we just need to turn left up ahead."
"I know."
Utaha, who'd already memorized the route, adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag.
"Come on—we should hurry. Luo Shu-kun did say he wanted to introduce us to some people."
Seeing Utaha quicken her pace, Eriri rushed to match her stride, following her around the corner.
"Yes, yes, I know it's my fault we're late to the meeting…"
But then—thunk. Eriri's left arm bumped lightly into Utaha, who'd stopped abruptly.
"Ow—what'd you stop for all of a sudden?"
Eriri looked up at her, noting the glazed expression on Utaha's face. Following her gaze—
In that instant.
Before their eyes was the sight of a cute, pink-haired girl… kissing a handsome boy.
Faced with that scene, Eriri froze in place.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for reading my work! If you're enjoying it, please consider leaving some Power Stones to show your support-I truly appreciate it!
For 25 advanced Chapters please visit /writingfortheplot at the usual place starting with P.
Thank you for your support, and happy reading.