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"Was that girl just now… Yanami?"
Even though Mahiru Shiina couldn't hear anything, she could follow Blake's movements. When she turned to look, she caught a glimpse of fluffy blue hair disappearing with a hint of loneliness.
"Yeah."
Blake nodded lightly, silently giving Yanami a thumbs-up in his head.
Clearly, she had realized he was helping the "angel" purify her magic, so she stepped in to block her friend and keep things under wraps.
"…My hearing's back." Mahiru blushed, pulling her hand away and slipping her phone into her bag. "Mr. Blake, you really should explain things properly. If misunderstandings aren't cleared up quickly, they just grow… until they turn into something you can't fix."
"I know." He nodded. "But just explaining isn't quite enough. So… let's grab some snacks first."
"…."
A short while later—
After stuffing snacks into his bag, Blake left the convenience store with the "angel." The two split up naturally and entered the school one after the other.
The moment Blake stepped into the classroom, he spotted Yanami chatting with her friends.
Almost as if sensing him, Anna Yanami turned her head. Their eyes met. The gluttonous girl puffed out her cheeks slightly, then looked away without a word.
Normally, she'd already be over to greet him.
But right now, she was sulking. At the very least, she had no intention of talking to him for half a day.
Blake didn't rush things. He sat down at his desk, pulled out his phone, and sent her a message:
"Yesterday I was bleeding like crazy. Almost didn't make it back to see you."
It showed as read almost instantly.
Yanami turned to look at him again. In the end, worry won out. She shuffled over in small steps and lowered her voice.
"Blake, what happened to your head?"
"It's a long story…" He opened his bag and pulled out a box of Pocky. "Let's eat while I explain."
Yanami swallowed. She really wanted to act tough and refuse—but when the words came out, they turned into:
"Please give me one."
"..."
Blake told Mahiru the truth earlier, so there was no reason to hide anything from Yanami. He quietly gave her a brief rundown of what happened yesterday.
"You actually rolled down a mountain? That's so dangerous." Yanami leaned closer, eyes full of concern. "Do you want me to blow on it for you?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore," he said softly. "The doctor said it'll heal in a few days."
"Then why did you text me saying I almost wouldn't see you again? You scared me!" Yanami puffed up her cheeks. "That's so mean… you jerk…"
Blake immediately handed her a Pocky stick. "Eat."
"Ah—"
She instinctively opened her mouth and bit down.
Crunch, crunch.
Like a hamster munching sunflower seeds, Yanami devoured the biscuit stick in seconds. The rich chocolate flavor spread across her tongue, and her eyes curved into little crescents. But she still had something on her mind.
"So, Blake… what were you doing with Mahiru at the convenience store?"
"Helping purify her magic, obviously…"
He didn't hide anything, explaining the sudden train emergency that led to it.
"…I see."
The last bit of irritation in Yanami's heart finally disappeared. Out of nowhere, she pulled out a bag of torn bread.
"Blake, have some bread. You need nutrition."
He didn't refuse and took it.
After all, getting food from the gluttonous girl wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
"Mmm…"
With her cheeks puffed out, Yanami spoke in a muffled voice:
"By the way… are you Team Big End or Team Small End?"
"…What?"
Blake froze, a giant question mark practically popping up over his head.
"You know…" she mumbled while chewing, words slurring together, "the egg…"
What the hell?! This is a classroom—what are you even saying?!
Some nearby classmates were already staring in shock.
You might not care about your dignity, but I do!
"Blake, why aren't you answering?" Yanami tilted her head, puzzled. "I'm really curious."
Curious my ass!
You're a girl—don't be curious about stuff like that!
"Phew…"
Yanami swallowed her bread and let out a satisfied sigh, her voice finally clear again.
"I already asked Miss Rin and the others this morning. Some said big end, some said small end."
Blake was stunned and couldn't help glancing at her friends.
Why would a bunch of girls even be discussing something like that?!
This makes no sense!
Pressing his fingers to his temple, he wondered if something was seriously wrong with his understanding of reality.
"Explain your question properly."
"Well…" Yanami took another bite, her words turning muffled again. "Mmmph…"
Blake went blank. "Don't talk while eating."
"Mmm…"
She tilted her head back and tried to swallow quickly—only to choke on the bread, clutching her throat in panic.
Blake jumped up immediately, patting her back until she recovered.
"I—I survived…" Yanami collapsed onto the desk, teary-eyed. "Eating too fast really does make you choke…"
"Then don't shove so much in your mouth at once."
"But you told me not to talk while eating…" She looked up at him, eyes clear—and completely clueless. "So when you eat a boiled egg, do you crack the big end first or the small end?"
Blake's expression didn't change, but his lips twitched slightly.
"So that's what you meant? An egg?"
"Of course!" Yanami said brightly, counting on her fingers. "Last night after my shower, I went back to my room and grabbed a book to improve my literary knowledge. I picked up Gulliver's Travels. The war in Lilliput started over whether to crack eggs from the big end or the small end. So I got curious what everyone prefers."
Blake took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "From now on, don't talk while eating."
"That's the second time you've said that," Yanami replied, somehow producing a carton of milk and sipping it. "So which one are you?"
"The big end."
"..."
Soon enough, it was lunch break.
A girl with long black hair appeared quietly outside the classroom door, standing on tiptoe to peek inside.
Before long, a classmate walked up to Blake, pointing out the window with a grin full of gossip.
"Mr. Blake, there's a girl looking for you in the hallway."
"Hm?"
He looked out—and saw a cute girl with a tear mole beneath her eye.
Goko Ruri.
"Thanks."
He thanked her casually and headed outside.
"Staaare—"
Yanami, who had been chatting with her friends, suddenly froze. The ahoge on her head shot upright like a radar detecting a cheating cat. She whipped her head toward the hallway.
"Who's that girl?"
"I've never seen her before."
"Could she be the girl who asked Blake to help find her cat yesterday…?"
At the same time—
In a corner by the window, the "angel" also turned her head, lips pressed lightly together as she watched.
Blake noticed both their gazes, but he had already promised to have lunch with the black cat girl. He couldn't just break that.
"Miss Ruri, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon…" Ruri nodded, then explained softly, "Sorry. I stayed up too late on my phone last night and overslept this morning. My phone died, so I couldn't message you… I didn't cause you any trouble, did I?"
Blake's expression suddenly turned serious.
"You came at the perfect time."
"Huh?"
Ruri tilted her head.
"I don't really have friends in this class," he said gloomily. "Now that you came to find me—and even invited me to lunch—everyone will know I have friends from other classes."
Ruri: "..."
You're clearly good-looking. If you didn't say such weird things all the time, you'd probably have tons of friends!
"With your abilities, making friends shouldn't be hard, right?" she couldn't help muttering.
Blake replied in a low voice, "Low-value socializing isn't worth it. High-quality solitude is better. Just like cattle and sheep gather in herds—"
Before he could finish, Ruri instinctively continued:
"—while beasts walk alone?"
Blake blinked in surprise. "You know that line too?"
"To become a great being like the Queen of the Night, one must be well-read." A faint smile touched Ruri's lips as she turned and headed downstairs. "Let's go to the cafeteria."
Even though Blake said strange things sometimes, she didn't dislike it. In fact, it oddly resonated with her.
Maybe they were just… on the same wavelength.
"Yanami, Yanami~" A gossip-loving girl hurried over. "Mr. Blake went downstairs with that girl!"
Another chimed in, equally excited. "I know her! She's Goko Ruri from the next class. Her skin's so pale—she looks kind of aloof."
"Goko Ruri…?"
Yanami's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered something from her "loser heroine diary."
She was certain—Blake hadn't known Ruri before.
Otherwise, she would've noticed.
"So then…" Yanami pouted inwardly, feeling wronged. "I'm with Blake every day… so how did that sneaky cat get to know him?!"
"Hey, aren't you bothered at all?" one girl teased. "Want to follow them and see what they're doing?"
"Stalking people is rude," Yanami said, pulling out her lunchbox with a strained smile. "It's normal for Blake to have his own social life… let's eat."
"..."
Three minutes later—
Yanami turned her frustration into appetite and devoured her entire lunch at record speed.
Then she shot to her feet.
"I'm going to the bathroom!"
"....."