Chapter 66 - That Man is Suspicious (2)

“Then let’s meet tomorrow at 12 o’clock in the Cardinal Clocktower plaza.”

That’s how the appointment with Yuna was set. We weren’t leaving from the academy together; I would go out first to take care of some things, and Yuna would join me later.

Since I was going out for the first time in a while, I planned to get 『Outlaw』 maintained and look for another weapon.

It wouldn’t be right to make her wait while I got my weapon maintained when she was coming out to help me pick clothes.

“Uh, uh. Th-then see you then!”

I wasn’t sure why her reaction seemed so flustered…

Well, it would probably be fine.

***

And so, time passed, and it finally arrived. The time Yuna and Rain had agreed to meet.

The meeting place, the Cardinal Clocktower plaza, was always one of the most crowded spots among Endinium's various bustling areas.

It was even more crowded because all sorts of people had come out for the weekend.

A happy family of four, affectionate couples, friends out to play, a male student waiting for someone at a meeting spot, and… a trio hiding for a stakeout.

Yes, that’s right. Something strange was mixed in.

That trio. Shasha, Kaylee, and Michel were huddled together on a bench in the plaza, having arrived at the appointed time they had obtained through a top-secret route.

Of course, they were well-disguised in civilian clothes so as not to be discovered.

“There, there…!”

Michel, with her hat pulled down low, pointed in one direction for her companions.

And where Michel’s finger was pointing, there was Rain Enlight, neatly dressed in his usual student uniform.

“So he goes around seducing people with that neat appearance…”

Kaylee muttered. Indeed, even from a distance, he had a certain charm, perhaps due to his fundamental good looks.

His gloomy and haggard appearance, added to his neat clothes, might be a minus for some, but for others, it would be a plus.

“Let’s dig deep today.”

“Yeah.”

“We have to.”

At Shasha's determined words, Kaylee and Michel nodded.

All that was left was to find out, in detail, what kind of man this Rain Enlight was.

…Or so they thought, but there was one problem.

“…But where’s Yuna?”

Just as Shasha said, Yuna was nowhere to be seen. The appointed time had already passed by five minutes.

“Don’t tell me she’s late…”

“……”

Kaylee pressed her forehead. To think it would go wrong from the very first step…

Still, the three of them waited. How late could she be? they thought.

With that thought, they continued to wait. When Yuna didn’t arrive even after 10 minutes, Michel bought sandwiches to fill their hungry stomachs since they hadn't eaten lunch.

20 minutes passed. Yuna still hadn't arrived. Having finished their sandwiches, the three of them bought and drank coffee.

40 minutes passed. Still not here…

“…Is this girl out of her mind?”

Kaylee pressed her forehead with a dizzy expression. It had been almost an hour of waiting, and Yuna still showed no signs of appearing…

But Rain was calmly killing time, sitting at a table on one side of the plaza.

He was watching a street musician performing in the plaza or taking something out of his bag and writing.

As if nothing was wrong at all.

“This is bad…”

But no one knows what’s really going on inside. Before they could even determine whether Rain was a good guy or a bad guy, it was a perfect situation for Yuna’s image to be shattered.

And, after a good hour had passed, finally…

Tatadak-!

The sound of someone running across the plaza in a hurry was heard.

And what appeared was a black-bobbed girl wearing the Archenia Academy student uniform, just like someone else.

Yes, it was Yuna. The girl who was exactly 1 hour and 22 minutes late for the appointment had just appeared.

‘This is bad, really bad…!’

The cause of the incident was very Yuna-like. She had stayed up late due to idle thoughts and ended up oversleeping.

“Somehow, I should have known when she was kicking her blankets instead of sleeping late at night…”

Kaylee muttered. They had overlooked one of Yuna's foolish traits: messing up at important times.

It wasn't just that she was late; Yuna's condition was also a mess.

Her hair was unkempt as if she had rushed out, her skin was dry and flaky, and her uniform was unironed because she had left in a hurry.

“Haa…”

Michel let out a deep sigh. Shasha and Kaylee probably felt the same.

Shasha, with a mournful expression, used the 2nd-tier enchantment magic, 『Hearing Enhancement』, on her companions. What kind of conversation would take place…

“I-I’m really sorry. Sorry!! I overslept…”

The first thing they heard was Yuna’s apologetic voice. Of course, if you’re over an hour late for an appointment, you have to apologize.

“Really, really sorry…”

Yuna repeated her apologies, looking downcast. From a distance, her expression didn't look good either.

And, Rain’s reaction to that was…

“You must be hungry, right? Let’s go get something to eat.”

He said it as if it were no big deal, with a slight smile.

“……”

At that reaction, Shasha, Michel, and Kaylee looked at each other with wide eyes.

And Yuna’s reaction was the same.

“Uh, uh… You’re not mad?”

“Wouldn’t I be? Be on time from now on.”

To Yuna’s dumbfounded reaction, Rain replied so. Unlike the words coming out of his mouth, his expression showed no hint of anger at all.

As if he was trying to ease her burden.

And at that stage, the group could sense it.

“…If this isn't intentional, it's a crime.”

Just as Shasha said, if it was intentional, he was a player; if it wasn’t intentional, it was a crime.

***

In fact, Rain had vaguely guessed that Yuna would be late.

‘In the original work, when you progressed through her social events, she was late about once every three times…’

33%, a low probability if you look at it that way, but… it was too high to disregard.

I thought it was a ridiculous setting… but what could I do? Her easygoing yet foolish side suited Yuna’s character well.

Of course, there was a possibility that Yuna wouldn’t be late, so Rain took a seat in the Cardinal Clocktower plaza at the appointed time.

And he started killing time.

Of course, one might think that just killing an hour and a half in a plaza is an ordeal. And it was.

However, Rain’s situation was different.

‘Wow, what a view.’

Rain’s perspective was different from others who just felt this Cardinal Clocktower plaza as an ordinary scene of life.

That’s right. To Rain, this place was a treasure trove of sights.

And why not? The city background of , the game Rain loved most in his life, was unfolding right before him.

What gamer could resist this? To be able to freely admire the background of your favorite game. To Rain, it was nothing short of heaven.

Was this what a child felt when they first came to Disneyland? Rain thought to himself.

Though this realistic and vivid scenery was incomparable to such a theme park. Because it was reality.

That’s why Rain savored this spectacle to his heart’s content. There were plenty of things to see just by turning his head a little.

Enduring an hour and a half was no trouble at all.

“I-I’m really sorry. Sorry!! I overslept…”

That’s why Rain’s reaction to the late Yuna was also cool. To the point of smiling lightly and suggesting they go eat.

“You must be hungry, right? Let’s go get something to eat.”

Being late was her fault, but I had already expected it… and hadn't I enjoyed myself to the fullest during that time? That was Rain’s thought.

“Uh, uh… You’re not mad?”

“Wouldn’t I be? Be on time from now on.”

Well, to prevent her from being late again in the future, Rain said so.

If I told her that, she probably wouldn't be late for a while. With that thought.

“…If this isn't intentional, it's a crime.”

Yes, Rain had thus committed a crime without even realizing it…

***

Should I say it was a relief, or a shame? After that, no particular happenings occurred.

Unlike the trio’s expectation that he was a player, they just had a normal meal, picked out clothes… took a little walk and talked, then parted ways.

It was a fresh exchange befitting students of that age… and it even felt like the time they spent together was too short.

“What on earth was that…”

As Michel muttered, to sum it up, it was truly subtle.

Certainly, his reaction when he first waited for Yuna, and when he met her, was undoubtedly that of a ‘player,’ but his reactions afterward were extremely dry.

He was just treating her like a comfortable friend, with a straightforward attitude without any tricks.

“…Was that first part, really, sincere…?”

As Kaylee said that, a possibility popped into the trio’s heads.

That he might just be a genuinely good guy.

With that thought, the group watched Yuna, who was on the tram back to the academy with Rain.

Something must have put her in a good mood, as a goofy smile was leaking out.

“She’s been like that ever since they came out of the clothing store, right…?”

“Yeah…”

Just as Shasha said, her face had been like that ever since she came out of the clothing store with Rain.

They couldn't follow them into the store because the risk of getting caught was too high…

But it was clear that something had happened.

“…With that look on her face, it’s not convincing even if he says he just sees her as a friend.”

“I agree.”

Michel said, and Shasha replied.

“……”

Right after that, a moment of silence passed…

“I don't know anymore…”

“Me neither…”

The group was exhausted. After all, tailing someone for several hours from lunchtime was not an easy task physically.

“Haa…”

“Haa…”

“Haa…”

The three of them sighed in unison. Like the setting sun, such a tiring day was passing by.

***

Certainly, as someone who had mingled with ordinary people, Yuna did a good job of picking out plain clothes that didn't stand out.

‘Comfortable to move in and inconspicuous. She picked them out just right.’

For some reason, she seemed to enjoy picking out clothes, and seeing her oddly excited expression put my mind at ease as well.

‘I was going to buy her a meal as thanks for helping me pick clothes, but she insisted on paying as a penalty for being late.’

Well, she wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t upset, but being 1 hour and 22 minutes late was worth paying for.

Still, I decided to pay for my own share.

‘Still, she came out because of my request, so I felt awkward not doing anything for her.’

It’s always better to be neat about these things to be at ease.

That’s why when I went into the clothing store with Yuna, I just simply bought her a small gift.

It was a moderately priced brooch. Honestly, I don’t have any fashion sense, so I just gifted her a butterfly-shaped brooch that looked reasonably pretty.

A moderately priced brooch, since buying something too expensive would make her feel burdened.

I was unsure if this was a sensible gift even as I was buying it.

Of course, if I said I was buying it for her in front of her, it was obvious I’d have to argue with a refusing Yuna.

Given her personality. Well, I think it’s a good personality.

Anyway, because of this, I just bought it at the store.

And, just before we left the store and headed back to the academy.

“It’s a small gift.”

I handed her the brooch in a paper bag.

That was it. Seeing the bag I handed her, Yuna replied like this.

“…You didn’t have to buy it, I was an hour late…”

“It’s fine. I’m thorough about these things. And it was 1 hour and 22 minutes.”

“Urgh…”

Though I did throw in a scolding in between. Well.

“…Thanks.”

Yuna’s face brightened after she opened the bag and checked the contents, so I guess that was enough.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like a gift she disliked. Her expression seemed bright on the way back.

It was a rather enjoyable outing, I can recall even now. Though it’s only been a few hours.

Anyway, let’s get back to the original topic. The composition of the clothes I bought was simple. A comfortable shirt, pants, and a vest.

The vest, which emphasized functionality, was equipped with various pockets to put things in. I could probably store 『Outlaw』 in there.

Hmm, it was truly as plain as it gets. My gloomy impression is a bit of a variable, but…

Swoosh.

“Well, it should be fine if I wear a robe.”

I muttered as I held up the robe I bought before meeting Yuna.

Yes, now all preparations were complete.

5 days until the week of the final exams. The incident was set to happen before then.

I could only hope it wasn’t the day before.

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