In the early morning, the area in front of the station square was not yet crowded. The sunlight was gentle, and a light breeze blew.
Phoenix-in Chinatsu arrived a full half hour early. She chose to stand by a flowerbed with a small fountain on the edge of the square.
The spot offered a clear view but was not overly exposed to the main road's flow of people.
(I came too early... A miscalculation.)
She stood there bored, her ice-blue long hair gently swaying in the breeze.
Her carefully coordinated creamy white shirt and light blue plaid skirt looked fresh and refined in the morning light.
The absolute territory between her over-the-knee socks and the hem of her skirt attracted the gaze of many passing men, but she remained oblivious.
Waiting time always seemed long. She lowered her head slightly, unconsciously drawing circles on the clean ground with the tip of her small leather shoe, occasionally raising a slender finger to carelessly twirl a strand of her hair.
Her ice-blue eyes occasionally glanced toward the direction Shido might arrive from, and sometimes stared blankly at the splashing fountain droplets, giving her a look that was slightly languid yet held a trace of subtle (feigned) anticipation.
(Should I hold an umbrella?... Never mind, that's too affected, and it would look too deliberate, as if I were waiting for someone.)
She ultimately abandoned the idea, maintaining her "quiet beauty" posture while silently keeping track of time and reviewing today's "operation plan" once more.
Meanwhile, Itsuka Shido was sprinting desperately along the road leading to the station!
"Oh no, oh no, oh no! I'm going to be late! Being late on the first date will absolutely sink my impression score!"
He wailed internally, wishing he could sprout wings.
Finally, with five minutes left until the appointed time, he rushed to the entrance of the station square.
He abruptly halted, leaned against a nearby wall, bent over, and gasped for air, feeling like his lungs were about to explode.
[Tzzt... Shido! Can you hear me?]
Just as he was regulating his breathing, Kotori's clear voice came through his earpiece, accompanied by the distinct low hum of equipment specific to the Fraxinus bridge.
"Hoo... hoo... Kotori! I—I made it! I almost didn't!" Shido replied, out of breath.
[Hmph, consider yourself lucky. Listen up, Fraxinus's full support is now online, and the signal is stable! You can relax!]
"Is, is that so..." Shido breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then became suspicious, "Um... Kotori, is everyone on the Fraxinus really reliable?"
[Of course!] Kotori's voice was filled with confidence (or rather, forced conviction in the style of the Commander).
[Don't underestimate us! The
As if to prove her point, she began listing them off, her tone carrying a peculiar sense of pride:
[For example,]
With a snap, the hem of Kotori's invisible Commander coat flared up as she pointed toward the virtual bridge below.
[The master of romance who has gone through five marriages—
Shido: "...No, doesn't that mean he's been divorced four times?! (What kind of romance master is that!)"
[The man who is popular with Filipinos at night clubs and takes pride in it—
Shido: "Isn't that entirely due to the allure of money?! (How is that related to normal romance!)"
[The woman whose romantic rivals suffer misfortune one after another. The woman of 2 AM—
Shido: "That must be because she's using curses! (That's too dangerous!)"
[The man with one hundred brides—
Shido: "Are, are they normal three-dimensional brides?! (Isn't the focus wrong! And that number is ridiculous!)"
[The woman who loved too deeply and is now legally restricted from approaching her beloved within a five-hundred-meter radius—
Shido: "Why are they all people like this!! (This is beyond just unreliable!)"
[...]
Kotori paused for a moment, then summarized in an unquestionable tone.
[Every single one of them possesses the ability to fulfill their role as crew members. You must trust the power of the team, Shido!]
Shido: "..." (I'm even more worried now!!!)
Just as Shido was left speechless by the "gods" of the Fraxinus and was preparing to calm down and look for Chinatsu, his peripheral vision caught sight of the scene by the flowerbed, and his heart immediately clenched!
He saw three flashy, sleazy punks surrounding Chinatsu. The leader, a blonde guy, twisted his mouth and spoke in an unpleasant tone:
"Hey there, little sister, waiting for someone all alone? You've been standing here for ages, how boring! Why don't you come have some fun with your big brothers? We guarantee it'll be way more interesting than just waiting~"
Chinatsu looked at these sudden arrivals, feeling completely unfazed, and even slightly amused.
(What a classic trope... What should I say? Should I imitate Misaka Mikoto, scream for help, and wait for a hero who will come rescue me just because I screamed? How troublesome.)
She appropriately displayed a hint of annoyance and wariness on her face, took half a step back, and said coldly, "No need, I'm waiting for a friend. Please leave."
"Ooh, she's cold~ Waiting for a friend? A boyfriend, maybe? I bet he chickened out, didn't he? How about you come with us instead!"
Another punk said this and actually reached out to grab Chinatsu's wrist!
"Stop that! What do you think you're doing!"
Just then, an extremely firm shout, though tinged with nervousness, rang out!
Shido rushed over like a whirlwind and immediately shielded Chinatsu. Although he himself was a little scared, he bravely glared at the punks: "You are not allowed to bully her!"
Chinatsu looked at the back blocking her, slightly stunned. (Oh? This boy actually rushed over? The timing is perfect?)
"Huh? Where did this brat come from, trying to be a knight in shining armor?" The blonde punk was startled.
But after realizing Shido was just an ordinary-looking high school student, he immediately became arrogant and shoved Shido hard. "Get lost! Don't interfere with our business!"
Shido stumbled slightly but regained his footing, refusing to budge: "You are the ones who should get lost!"
"Damn it, you won't take the easy way out, huh!" Another punk cursed and swung his fist toward Shido's face!
Shido instinctively raised both hands and closed his eyes, preparing to take the hit—
However, the anticipated pain never arrived.
All he heard was a muffled "Bang!" followed by a short, sharp cry!
Shido opened his eyes in surprise, only to see the punk who had thrown the punch flying backward, feet off the ground. He crashed heavily onto the pavement, clutching his jaw and painfully curling up, immediately losing consciousness!
And in the spot where the punk had been standing, Chinatsu had, at some unknown point, retracted her seemingly delicate but terrifyingly powerful fist. She lightly shook her wrist, a look of "finally some peace" satisfaction on her face.
(Phew... I finally vented some of the frustration I'd been holding in all morning.)
The two remaining punks and Shido stared dumbfounded at the scene; the air seemed to freeze.
Chinatsu, however, acted as if nothing had happened. She grabbed the wrist of the still-dazed Shido and whispered, "Stop spacing out, run!"
"Ah? O-oh!" Shido's mind went blank, and he could only let Chinatsu pull him away. The two quickly fled the scene, leaving the two terrified punks and their unconscious comrade behind.
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