"…So why are you following me, kid?"
Shiro, shirtless, with a lollipop in his mouth and a troubled expression, looked at the short figure before him.
Judging by the height and face, this kid couldn't be older than a middle schooler.
He had just barely escaped from those wild beasts, and now he was getting tangled up with a middle schooler?!
Just a while ago, the trio had used every ounce of their strength to escape from the clutches of those enraged beasts.
Since he had to go home and send his newly written manuscript to his beautiful editor, Shiro had declined the invitation to lunch with those two idiots.
After all, in his opinion, their decision was suicidal. The campus was crawling with wild beasts, and who knew how many threatening letters they had received by now? How could those two still have the guts to waltz into the cafeteria like nothing was wrong?!
Shiro, unable to comprehend their recklessness, decisively distanced himself from them. He even skipped the afternoon classes, planning to head home and tease his beautiful editor.
However... halfway there, a small figure holding a camera blocked his way and requested to take a picture of his back...
From experience, Shiro guessed that this shorty was probably a girl. But with that short haircut and the way she referred to herself in a masculine manner, he couldn't be sure.
After all, this was an anime-style world! Even if someone like Hideyoshi appeared, he wouldn't be surprised!
Hearing Shiro's question, the shorty expressionlessly shook the camera in her hand. "Taking a photo."
"…"
Shiro squinted at her in exasperation.
Sure, walking around shirtless on the street wasn't exactly normal, but… was it really worth taking a picture of?!
"…Are you some kind of sneaky maid?"
The shorty tilted her head in confusion, showing that she didn't understand what he was talking about.
"…Is this for a school project?"
She shook her head again.
"…You're just a pervert?"
For the first time, the shorty showed a hint of surprise. Why was this guy so narcissistic?
Looking at her mostly expressionless face, Shiro immediately realized—he had encountered a rare species!
A kuudere!
A trait that Kamishiro Shiro absolutely loved!
But… no matter how much he liked the archetype, there was no way he could make a move on her! Not to mention the gender uncertainty, this kid was definitely a middle schooler!
He would get arrested and served pork cutlet bowls in jail!
The two silently stared at each other. One was lost in thought, the other just wanted to eat lunch.
(゜-゜)
The shorty sighed as if dealing with an idiot. "Nishimiya Yuzuru. My name."
(T/N: Ayoo, this shit is a mash up?! Didn't see that one coming.)
Nishimiya Yuzuru?
That name sounded oddly familiar… Shiro felt like he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't recall. Could she be the protagonist of some anime?
He observed her carefully—a small build, alone, carrying a camera, and most importantly… a kuudere!
She had to be a main character from somewhere!
But… that had nothing to do with him. Things were fine as they were. If he got involved in something supernatural, it would be a disaster!
"Name."
"Huh?"
Shiro snapped back to reality at her voice, looking at her in confusion.
"Your name."
Nishimiya tilted her head slightly. Exchanging names was common courtesy, wasn't it?
"Oh, right. Kamishiro Shiro."
Shiro finally responded, stating his name… and then fell back into silence.
"…"
"So… do you still want to take the photo?"
In the end, it was Nishimiya who broke the silence again, shaking her camera.
"…"
Shiro's mouth twitched. She really wouldn't give up on this, huh?! He was so handsome, yet she only wanted a picture of his back?!
"Can I ask why you want a picture of my back?"
"Scratches!"
"…"
Shiro covered his face with one hand. He knew it! The only notable thing about his back was that!
"It… was just an accident."
"I know! That's exactly why I want a domestic abuse photo! I'll show it to my sister later!"
Looking at the shorty's eyes gleaming with excitement, Shiro was at a loss for words. Her sister sure was 'lucky' to have a sibling like this…
"Can I refuse? Also, shouldn't you be in school right now? Aren't you a middle schooler?"
Shiro eyed her suspiciously. Was this kuudere also some kind of legal loophole?
"Oh, I skipped class."
"…"
Shiro felt like he should be socially awkward at times, but for some reason, he had no idea how to respond to this kid.
Why was she so confident about skipping class?!
Even he had only gotten this bold in high school! Were middle schoolers already this insane nowadays?!
"Because I won a trip to Izu."
Nishimiya seemed to see through his thoughts and preemptively explained her reason for skipping class.
"Oh, I see. So, you came to Izu for a reason, huh? Ahaha…"
Shiro let out an awkward laugh before suddenly shaking Nishimiya's shoulders furiously.
"So this isn't just skipping class, this is truancy! You don't even live around here, do you?!"
(?_?)ヾ
Nishimiya didn't respond, only hugging her precious camera tightly. Inside were the important photos she had taken!
"…"
Seeing Nishimiya's indifferent expression, tinged with slight confusion, Shiro clutched his face in frustration.
At this moment, he realized that maybe kuuderes weren't all that great after all.
If he had never met her, it wouldn't have been his problem. But now that he had, there was no way he could just let a middle schooler wander around unfamiliar places alone—especially one who seemed suspiciously like a main character…
"What a pain…"
-----------
On the Beach
Shiro's face twitched as he watched Nishimiya furiously taking pictures of a dead seagull.
Suddenly, his sandwich didn't seem so appetizing anymore…
To curb Nishimiya's obsession with photography, Shiro had deliberately brought her to see the ocean. But it seemed like that had backfired!
She wasn't some artistic girl… she was a complete weirdo!
A weirdo whose camera was filled with pictures of corpses!
According to her, Shiro was the first living thing she had ever photographed…
Shiro: Gee, thanks a lot!
"Aren't you scared?"
He handed her a sandwich, struggling to understand why a middle schooler would take such photos. Even he didn't have such bizarre interests.
"Scared? Why would I be scared?"
Nishimiya looked at him in confusion. Why would she be afraid of things that didn't move?
"Well…"
Shiro didn't know what to say. The two of them simply sat on the beach, watching the waves in silence. Though they weren't talking, the atmosphere felt oddly peaceful.
"What do you think of the ocean?"
Shiro asked, enjoying the salty sea breeze on this hot summer day.
"It's beautiful."
stared blankly at the water. She liked it here, there was none of the noise from the city or school.
If possible, living here wouldn't be a bad idea.
Shiro quietly observed her. Her eyes were filled with longing… and a desire to escape from something.
He didn't say anything, just kept her company.
He wasn't the type to solve problems with words, nor was he some kind of kind-hearted protagonist.
The reason he was keeping her company was probably similar to how, when you find a stray cat curled up on the street, you might spend a little time playing with it and maybe buy it a meal—just because you happen to have the time.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the beach was gradually becoming crowded. The once peaceful atmosphere had vanished.
Seeing Nishimiya return to her usual indifferent expression, Shiro stood up.
It was about time to take this lost kitten home. If she had run this far alone, her family was probably worried.
"Let's go."
His voice, gentle like a spring breeze, pulled Nishimiya back to reality.
She silently got up. It was time to leave. She hadn't planned on staying in Izu for long anyway.
Maybe she had only come here to run away from something.
Suddenly, she felt a sweet taste on her lips.
A new lollipop had been pressed against them.
"Have something sweet, girl."