When they returned to the classroom, Yozora happened to see Toma Kazusa placing a can of drink on his desk.
Caught red-handed, Toma Kazusa showed no panic at all, speaking in her usual emotionless, flat tone.
"I don't like owing people favors."
Yozora slowly walked to his desk, looked at the can of drink on it, and shook his head with a complex expression.
"Oh, Toma Kazusa, I helped you, and you're repaying kindness with enmity by making me drink Pepsi-brand toilet cleaner."
Then, Yozora extended his right hand and placed it on the can of Pepsi, his pupils involuntarily constricting in shock, as if he had seen something unbelievable, and exclaimed in astonishment.
"And it's room temperature!"
"Uh…"
Toma Kazusa had anticipated many scenarios, such as Yozora misunderstanding her intentions and starting to pester her.
Or that he wouldn't accept it at all.
Even if Yozora threw the drink into the trash can in front of her, Toma Kazusa wouldn't have been surprised, as they had just had an argument that morning.
This was the one situation she hadn't anticipated.
"Room temperature… is there a problem?"
Hearing Toma Kazusa's question, Yozora replied with an obvious tone, as if he had heard the simplest elementary school question.
"Do you know what else Pepsi is called?"
"No."
"Fat Otaku's Happy Water."
Yozora picked up the can of Pepsi, his beautiful black pupils revealing a sense of the vicissitudes of life, like an Old Man standing under the setting sun, lamenting the impermanence of life.
"Even if it's toilet cleaner, if it's iced, in this early spring season, paired with the beautiful cherry blossoms scattered outside the window, it might have a unique flavor."
"But with all due respect, un-iced soda is just a piece of trash."
Toma Kazusa's delicate eyebrows twitched, and she was silent for a moment before finally saying blandly.
"Anyway, I've repaid the favor I owed you."
With that, she lay back down on her desk and started sleeping again.
"Those two are a bit strange, aren't they?"
"Not a bit, they're practically freaks."
"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let that guy hear you. He's a dangerous person who carries a revolver with him."
Hearing the hushed discussions of the students in the distance, Yozora rolled his eyes.
Goodness, the rumors are getting more and more outrageous.
He clearly only brought a peach wood dagger that wasn't sharp and couldn't hurt anyone, and a simple, common, twenty-centimeter-long silver nail.
How did it turn into carrying a revolver now?
If this continues until school is over, will it become a rumor that Yozora, the freshman in Class A, has a nuclear weapon button in his pocket?
Tomorrow: "Shocking! The real culprit who shot Kennedy in the head back then was someone else!"
The day after tomorrow: "Unbelievable! It was him who executed Louis XVI!"
The day after the day after tomorrow: "Turns out it was this kid who handed the axe when Pangu created the world!"
"Truly, many mouths can melt gold."
Yozora thought to himself, looked at the Pepsi in his hand, and finally put it into his desk, then lay down on the table and continued to fall into a baby-like sleep.
…
Throughout the afternoon classes, Yotsuya Miko's attention was not very focused.
Her gaze occasionally swept over Yozora in the corner of the classroom.
This detail was noticed by Yui Yuigahama, who was sitting next to her.
When class was dismissed, Yui Yuigahama leaned over to the thoughtful Miko, smiling sweetly as she spoke.
"Hello, Yotsuya."
Hearing Yui Yuigahama's voice, Yotsuya Miko came back to her senses, looked up at her pretty face, and tentatively asked.
"You are… Yuigahama, right?"
"Just call me Yui."
Yui Yuigahama's personality is a prime example of being naturally friendly, almost a social terrorist.
Although Yotsuya Miko has been constantly suppressing her emotions due to her long-term exposure to Evil Spirits, making her seem unapproachable.
In reality, her personality is similar to that of an ordinary high school girl, tending towards the cheerful and lively type.
"Um, Yui, are you looking for me for something?"
Yui Yuigahama covered her mouth and chuckled, secretly pointing to Yozora sitting in the corner of the classroom, and said meaningfully to Yotsuya Miko.
"I noticed that you kept peeking at him during class. Could it be that you two…?"
"Huh?"
Yotsuya Miko was stunned for a moment, then laughed wryly and waved her hand.
"Yui, why would you think that? It's impossible."
"Why impossible?"
Yui Yuigahama tilted her head, looking adorably innocent and naive, and asked curiously.
"Although Yozora's personality is a bit different from ordinary people, he's really good-looking, and didn't you two go out together during lunch break?"
Hearing this, Yotsuya Miko thoughtfully said.
"So that's it… It seems to be true."
It was only when Yui Yuigahama said this that Yotsuya Miko realized.
Yozora's appearance was indeed outstanding.
However, her focus had always been on his ability to devour Evil Spirits, causing her to overlook his looks.
From an outsider's perspective like Yui Yuigahama, it wasn't strange for such a misunderstanding to arise, given that she had gone out alone with Yozora during lunch break on the very first day of school.
"You misunderstood."
Yotsuya Miko shook her head and smiled.
"Yozora and I are not the kind of relationship you think. Going out alone during lunch break was just because… of some private matters."
"So that's it."
Yui Yuigahama nodded noncommittally, then a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, and she forced a smile.
"Um, since you can talk to Yozora, could you help me tell him that I want to apologize to him?"
"Apologize?"
"Yes, because in the morning, I left without saying hello to him, which wasn't very good."
Yotsuya Miko frowned slightly, shook her head, and said softly.
"You don't need to worry about it. He probably forgot about it already."
Yotsuya Miko found it hard to imagine that, given Yozora's personality, he would care about such trivial matters.
Moreover…
Is Yui Yuigahama a bit too gentle to the point of being sensitive?
Just as Yui Yuigahama was about to say something more, a girl suddenly walked over.
"Yotsuya, Shizuka-sensei wants you to go to the office."
"Oh, okay."
Yotsuya Miko stood up and smoothed her skirt, nodding slightly to Yui Yuigahama.
"Well, Yui, let's talk next time."
"Mm-hmm, you go ahead."
After Yotsuya Miko left the classroom, she walked towards the third floor where the teachers' office was located.
As soon as she went upstairs, she saw Hiratsuka Shizuka's figure disappear around the stairwell, heading towards the rooftop.
"Shizuka-sensei?"
She tried to call out, but she didn't know if the other party didn't hear her or deliberately ignored her.
Yotsuya Miko's small face was full of confusion, thinking, didn't she call me to the office?
What is Shizuka-sensei doing on the rooftop?
She was very confused, so she quickly followed, pushed open the door to the rooftop, and saw Hiratsuka Shizuka, wearing a white lab coat, leaning against the railing, her eyes completely devoid of emotion, just staring coldly at her.
"Shizuka-sensei?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka did not respond, but just waved at her.
And Yotsuya Miko subconsciously nodded in response.
The next second, Hiratsuka Shizuka's body and face suddenly began to twist, transforming into a huge, spider-like monster that almost filled the entire rooftop.
"This!?"
Yotsuya Miko's pupils widened in shock, her body stiffening as if plunged into an ice cave, unable to move.
On that twisted, terrifying face, four eyes stared coldly at her, and a voice like a demon from hell rang out.
"You can see."