“Um…
End-kun, could I ask you for a favor?”
Kikyō Kushida chose to skip past that awkward topic, but inwardly she thought she needed to find a chance to check whether the System Shop had a skill for mastering the Celestial Empire’s language.
Otherwise, if Axel End were to slyly badmouth her later, it would make her look like a total clown—not only failing to understand, but smiling along the whole time.
“Go ahead, Kushida-san.
If it’s within my power, I’ll definitely help you.”
He’d guessed what she wanted to say in zero seconds flat.
But Axel End played along with the act anyway.
“It’s just…
didn’t everyone introduce themselves before the class meeting on the first day of school?”
“I said back then that I hoped to become friends with everyone, but with Horikita-san, I’ve never been able to have a proper conversation with her…”
Kikyō Kushida blinked in a deliberately cute manner, then let a faint hint of grievance seep into her expression.
“So since I saw that you’re Horikita-san’s deskmate, End-kun, and I just now watched the two of you chat a bit, I was wondering if I could ask you to invite her to meet with me on my behalf…
something like that.”
Axel End nodded.
Seeing this, Kikyō Kushida was just about to put on a smile, but Axel End suddenly shook his head.
All she heard was him say this—
“Being able to talk to someone ≠ being on good terms with them.
I think that’s a point you should be able to understand, Kushida-san?”
“What’s more, with your social circle, Kushida-san, don’t tell me you still haven’t heard about the conflict between me and Horikita at the school gate on the first day?”
“So I’m afraid this is something I can’t help you with.”
Axel End spread his hands with a helpless look on his face, striking the posture of someone willing but unable.
“I see…”
Kikyō Kushida forced out a smile.
This was something she hadn’t merely heard about—she’d practically witnessed it firsthand as a bystander on the scene.
After all, they’d gotten out of the same car.
But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Axel End’s nod just now had been a deliberate ploy to toy with her.
A shame she had no proof.
“Sorry, I was taking things for granted.”
“It’s fine, I understand how you feel.”
Axel End waved his hand, then once again turned his gaze toward Mei-Yu Wang, who had been listening off to the side.
“When I heard Wang-san introduce herself as being from the Celestial Empire, I felt pretty much the same as you do, Kushida-san—I wanted to become the kind of friend she could tell anything to.”
“But that sort of thing can’t be forced, and on top of that, I could see Wang-san has a somewhat introverted personality, so I was afraid of startling her.”
Hearing this, Mei-Yu Wang’s little face flushed red, and she shook her head repeatedly.
“If you had just said back then that you were also from the Celestial Empire, End-kun…
we probably would have been friends long ago.”
“In that case, how about we add each other as friends first?”
“Mm!”
Kikyō Kushida watched like an outsider as the two people before her suddenly exchanged contact information back and forth.
Wait…
you two?
Weren’t you just saying you wouldn’t leave her out in the cold?
“Sorry, Kushida-san, something urgent just came up and I need to step away for a bit.
Let’s get together again next time.”
“…Okay.”
She could only watch Axel End leave in a hurry, until he vanished from her field of view.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Mei-Yu Wang’s expression was a little strange.
“Mei-Yu-chan?”
“Ah!
Kushida-san, sorry, I spaced out for a moment.”
Mei-Yu Wang hastily put her phone away.
But on that already-darkened screen, there was a message from Axel End, spelled out in English pinyin letters—
[Be careful of Kikyō Kushida.]
…
…
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Axel End had no idea what sort of scheming stunt Kikyō Kushida was cooking up now.
All he knew was that something pale and pretty had appeared on his phone.
[Sakura-san, this is…?]
Yes—displayed on Axel End’s phone screen was a selfie sent by Airi Sakura.
Not in her Airi Sakura form, but in her Shizuku form.
Those twin ponytails got his DNA stirring.
And even though she was wrapped up nice and tightly, just looking at her whetted the appetite.
[S-sorry…
it’s because I want to buy some new clothes, but they’re a little hard to choose between, so…
I was hoping you could help me see which one suits me better, End-kun…]
[Am I…
bothering you?]
[Or…
should I come ask again later?]
Through the text, Axel End could practically picture Airi Sakura’s face brimming with nervousness.
Look how scared the poor kid is.
He really deserved to die!
He swore he’d make it up to her plenty in the days to come.
[You’re not bothering me at all, I was just a little surprised.]
[Though honestly I don’t really know much about girls’ clothes either…
but by my own personal taste, I think all of these outfits suit you quite well, Sakura-san.]
[After all, I never imagined that with your glasses off and your hairstyle changed, you’d be this beautiful and cute, Sakura-san.
If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d probably have a hard time believing it, wouldn’t I?]
The instant the message was sent, it was marked as read.
But the reply was slow to come.
Axel End wasn’t surprised by this.
Because Airi Sakura’s personality, if not exactly timid as a mouse, could absolutely be described as a born-pushover holy vessel.
In Goto Ichiri’s league, so to speak.
It was perfectly normal for her brain to overload at someone else’s praise.
So Axel End wasn’t in any rush at all; he simply headed toward the cafeteria while patiently waiting for Airi Sakura’s reply.
[Sorry for keeping you waiting, End-kun…]
[This is actually the first time…
someone my own age has called me beautiful and cute like this, so I’m a little worked up…]
[Since you say they all suit me, End-kun, I was thinking maybe I should just buy them all, but I also want to buy a digital camera, so my budget is only enough for one item…]
[Could you help me pick one, End-kun?]
Axel End’s instinct was to pick the backless sweater that best showed off the girl’s proud figure, but thankfully his big head kept his little head in check.
Because if the clothes were bought only to be worn for him, that’d be fine—but if she were going to wear them out in public, then he wasn’t so keen on it.
[You want me to pick?
But I don’t really know your situation either, Sakura-san…
Do you want to buy it to wear in your dorm, or to wear out on your days off?]
This time, the reply came back quite fast.
[…It’s to wear in the dorm.]
[Because I don’t really like going out…
so if something ever comes up that forces me to head out…
I’ll probably still just wear my school uniform.]
Axel End raised an eyebrow slightly.
If she was hinting at it this heavily, then he’d stop pretending too.
[Then go with that white backless sweater.]
[Though summer isn’t far off now, so you’ll probably have to buy new seasonal clothes again when the time comes.]
After the message turned to “read,” it fell silent once more.
Axel End wasn’t in a hurry, though.
He ordered a deluxe set meal at the counter and found a quiet corner to sit down in.
[[Image][Image][Image]]
[Thank you for your help, End-kun.
These are a few photos I asked the shop clerk to take for me when I was checking out just now.]
[As for the change-of-season issue you mentioned, when the time comes I’d like to ask for your input again, End-kun…
would that be okay?]
It’s okay, of course it’s okay.
Please, by all means, send plenty more—this kid loves to look.
Axel End was just about to reply, but Airi Sakura sent another message over.
[So compared to the me in the classroom, you probably prefer the current me, right, End-kun?]
Perhaps it was because of the screen separating them, but Airi Sakura was acting bolder and bolder.
Axel End didn’t dislike this, though.
Because he was going to make this side of the girl, from this moment on, into something that belonged solely to him alone.
And so, he decisively typed out his reply.
[Honestly, I’d really like to say that I like every version of you, Sakura-san…
but there’s no denying that the current you is indeed more charming.]
…
…
At this moment, inside the fitting room of the clothing store.
[Task Complete]
[Task Reward: Host gains 500 Points]
Airi Sakura, in her Shizuku form, lowered her head after seeing Axel End’s reply and pressed the phone against her ample chest.
Her voice sounded muffled.
“Thank you…”
[Author’s note: There have been updates both day and night these past few days; going forward I’ll gradually shift to updating at night.]
____
👻🔥P- Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: COTE: Counterattack System
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