[4 PM, Shuka Academy]
The distant clouds were dyed a warm orange by the slanting western sunlight, like cotton candy with orange flavor, making people want to take a bite.
The urgent after-school bell rang, and the restless students poured out like a stream; the noisy voices spread throughout the whole campus.
Before Kaito could finish tidying up his desk, a pink-haired big dog full of enthusiasm and clinginess jumped out.
"Hey hey, Kaito-kun!"
Chihaya Anon's gray beautiful eyes sparkled, and her cherry pink waist-length long hair flowed behind her like smooth silk. She slightly raised her face, her expression full of undisguised expectation, "I still haven't repaid the life-saving favor from last time. Let's go get coffee later. Let's go to RiNG, the most well-reviewed place nearby, my treat!"
"Saying 'life-saving favor' is kind of an exaggeration," Kaito shook his head. He only stopped a shrew from hitting someone on the train, how did it get elevated to a life-threatening situation?
"Not exaggerated at all!", Anon shook her head energetically, speaking righteously, "If Kaito-kun hadn't stepped in bravely at the time, I definitely would've gotten slapped in the face. Maybe even scratched by fingernails! Disfigured forever! And then I'd have an irreparable psychological trauma for life! In the end, I'd give up hope and jump from the school rooftop to end my tragic life…"
Looking at the girl's "deep gratitude beyond repaying" kind of determined look, if he refused, she definitely wouldn't give up.
Kaito hesitated for a moment and was about to speak when his phone buzzed with a message notification.
The sender's avatar was a tiny cute cucumber cotton candy.
'Mutsumi?'
Kaito was a bit surprised.
Because they had to live together for at least three months, he and Mutsumi had exchanged contact info early on, but she rarely messaged him, she preferred to speak face-to-face.
'Let's see what this is.'
[Wakaba Mutsuki: Want to go for coffee?]
[Wakaba Mutsuki: *good girl.jpg*]
There was also a location attached, it's a café called "RiNG."
'This address… seems familiar.'
'Could it be that the café Chihaya-san is inviting me to is the same one Mutsumi mentioned?'
The green-haired girl always seemed silent and quiet. It was rare for her to express such clear anticipation.
Kaito thought for a bit and still decided not to refuse. After replying [Okay] to Mutsumi, he nodded at Anon.
"Let's go then. But I might have a friend joining us. Is that okay, Chihaya-san?"
"F-friend?", Anon looked a little disappointed. She was hoping for a world of two, alone...
But thinking more carefully, this was a great chance to get into Kaito's social circle. She immediately waved her little hand, "Don't mind, don't mind! Bring whoever! I'll cover everything tonight!"
"No need to pay, I'll split the bill," Kaito didn't agree. If it were just him, letting Anon treat would be fine, consider it repayment, and it would also save her from constantly remembering the favor.
But since Mutsumi was coming, he couldn't do that, it'd feel like bringing someone to mooch.
"That won't do. Don't worry about me, I can handle this little expense," Anon was quite generous and was about to say more when she suddenly held her stomach, looking a bit flustered.
"Oops, probably drank too much water during PE earlier... Anyway, I'll go to the bathroom real quick, Kaito-kun, wait for me downstairs, I'll be right there!"
———
[A Moment Later]
The pink-haired girl walked past the quiet hallway, quickly arriving at the bathroom around the corner. She casually found an unoccupied stall, opened the door, and went in.
With the sound of "drip drip dribble," Anon let out a relieved sigh.
"Should've known not to drink that much…", After taking care of the physical need, she came out of the stall, washed her hands at the mirror, tidied up her slightly messy hair, and prepared to leave the bathroom.
But someone blocked her path.
"Chihaya Anon, right?"
"You are…", Anon felt something was wrong. She looked at the three unfamiliar girls blocking the door and instinctively frowned, "Can you let me through? I've got stuff to do."
"By 'stuff,' you mean shamelessly clinging to Kaito-kun, right?", The leading girl had purple hair, arms crossed, sneering coldly.
"Not sure what your definition of 'clinging' is... but this has nothing to do with you, right?"
Anon stepped back a bit, hands crossing to guard her chest, while her eyes subtly searched for possible escape routes.
Lies don't hurt, truths are the sharpest knives.
"Nothing to do with me? Ha! You sure dare to talk!", The purple-haired girl's face darkened instantly, laughing angrily.
"A mere transfer student, and you're this bold?"
The other two girls behind her also stepped forward threateningly, forming a semi-circle, cutting off Anon's exit.
'This is bullying, right?'
'Trying to gang up on someone?'
Since when has anon-chan ever taken this kind of crap.
She used to be student council president. The top of her class's social circle. Had uncountable fangirls.
Even if she transferred and started over, not just anyone can trample on her.
"Did I say anything wrong?", Anon counterattacked without hesitation, "From what I know, Kaito-kun does have a few close female friends, like Miura-san and Gotou-san. But among them… you don't seem to be included, do you?"
"Too scared to go after them, so you gang up on me when I'm alone. Truly disgusting."
"You!", The purple-haired girl was furious, her face contorted for a moment, obviously she'd been hit where it hurt.
School bullies usually target the loners with no friends.
Miura Yumiko, being top-tier popular, was never short of friends. So even though people knew she was close with Kaito, even in the same club, no one dared to mess with her.
Bocchi was the same.
Though she was socially anxious, she gave off the image of a cool, aloof beauty. Seemed unapproachable. Plus, she was close to Yumiko, so nobody dared to provoke her either.
But Chihaya Anon…
Just a transfer student, new here, no friends. Yet she had the guts to cling to everyone's Kaito-kun.
Is there an easier target than this soft persimmon?
But the soft persimmon they imagined didn't tremble, she fought back, sharp and fierce, stabbing right to the heart with every word.
The purple-haired girl was practically fuming. She raised her hand with a shout, "Teach her a good—"
"Teach your damn self!"
Anon suddenly charged forward, bumping her hard to the side, successfully breaking open an escape path.
The pink-haired girl ran while still having the mood to look back and stick out her tongue.
"Want to catch this lady? Try again in your next life! Bleh bleh bleh~"
'Hmph! When it comes to fighting, I might not have much experience.'
'But when it comes to running away, anon-chan here is a pro!'
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