School Anniversary Day (10)

It's a bit windy on the rooftop.

The noise from the distant square was filtered by distance into a blurry, warm background noise, and the halo of light flowed along the edge of the night.

Firefly leaned over the railing, gazing at the streetlights below and the plaza further away, still basking in the afterglow of the school anniversary celebrations. The night breeze ruffled her hair, creating soft curves under the lights.

"Stelle," she suddenly spoke, a hint of amusement in her voice, turning to look at the person beside her who was also leaning against the railing, "This rooftop is a bit like the one we first met."

She blinked.

Do you remember?

Xing was looking up at the sparse starry sky when she heard this, and then lowered her head, her long gray hair swaying gently in the night breeze. She tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing her usual smile, which was both roguish and self-righteous.

"Hmph..." She forced a laugh through her nose, straightened up, and gestured with her hands, her tone instantly switching to "storytelling" mode, "Of course I remember! Back in the day, wielding a baseball bat, I charged in and out of a million Voidranger seven times, as if they were nothing, finally reaching the front lines and rescuing the beauty into my arms..."

"Be serious!" Firefly gently nudged her, her cheeks seemingly flushed slightly in the night, but her smile remained unchanged. "I mean, a proper 'acquaintance.' Before we met Voidranger."

"Haha," Hoshino stopped her exaggerated pose, scratched the back of her head, and gazed at the night sky. "Of course I remember. Sparkle introduced it to me."

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence between them.

In the distance, the faint cries of someone packing up their stall could be heard, along with a few scattered notes from an unknown, ethereal musical instrument.

The wind swept across the rooftop, lifting the corners of my clothes.

Then, certain images naturally emerged in the night.

At that time.

A corner of an ordinary-looking cafe.

Xing sat casually at one end of the table, holding a drink menu that covered half her face, revealing only her eyes.

Sparkle sat opposite her, her smile so radiant it seemed to illuminate the entire dim corner. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Well then~" she drawled, her tone as lively as if she were discussing the Tenten, "the first question~"

How's your income?

Xing looked up from behind the drink menu, uttering three words in a flat, emotionless tone:

"No income."

Sparkle's smile remained unchanged, even deepening slightly. She nodded, then turned to Firefly, who was sitting slightly behind her, sipping her juice, and relayed her words in a clear and affirmative tone:

"Did you hear that? She's thrifty and frugal, never spends money extravagantly, and has a very healthy view of consumption."

Firefly held the cup, looked at Xing with a "I'm super honest" expression, then at Sparkle with a beaming smile, hesitated for a moment, and nodded gently.

"Okay. Second question~" Sparkle held up two fingers and waved them in front of her eyes, "What about your academic qualifications?"

Xing put down the drink menu, crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and wore an almost arrogant, self-righteous expression that said, "What kind of question is this?"

"Never went to school."

Sparkle snapped her fingers, turned to Firefly, and spoke with the same certainty, even with a hint of "you've hit the jackpot":

"Outstanding graduates of the university of life have gained true knowledge through practice, which is far better than rote learning."

Firefly blinked, nodded again, and gently stroked the cool glass with her fingertips.

"The third one~" Sparkle held up her third finger, "What about the garage?"

Xing answered faster and more decisively this time, even with a hint of disdain, as if to say, "Is this even a question?"

"No."

"That's great!" Sparkle's relayed the message seamlessly, her tone as relaxed as if stating a huge advantage, "No mortgage or car loan, less financial pressure, future disposable income freedom, healthy lifestyle, youthful mindset, and the ability to take a spontaneous trip anytime."

Looking at Xing's nonchalant "I have nothing, so what?" expression, and then at Sparkle's serious interpretation, Firefly couldn't help but smile and continue nodding.

"Fourth question~" Sparkle leaned forward, lowered her voice, and made a whispering gesture, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "What do you do for a living?"

Xing cleared her throat, sat up straight, and this time a rare, almost "dedicated" look appeared on her face, and her voice became louder:

"The one who empties the trash cans."

A brief silence fell, broken only by the faint strains of jazz music playing in the background of the café.

Sparkle paused for a fleeting moment, almost imperceptibly. Then, without changing her expression, she turned to Firefly, her tone even more sincere, filled with the admiration of someone who had discovered a hidden gem:

"An environmental pioneer, a practitioner of resource recycling, down-to-earth, not unrealistic, and unafraid of worldly opinions. Flexible working hours, able to fully dedicate oneself to family, perfectly balancing career and life—a rare talent."

This time, Firefly didn't nod immediately. She glanced at Star—who was slightly raising her chin, as if she had just announced herself as the CEO of a multinational corporation. She then looked at Sparkle —whose smile was perfect, her eyes clear, brimming with "Am I wrong?"

She pursed her lips, and finally gave a soft "Mmm," a faint smile appearing in her eyes.

"The fifth one~" Sparkle continued, extending her fifth finger, her smile unchanged, "How's your temper?"

Xing frowned, seemingly thinking seriously for a few seconds, before answering in a tone that implied "this isn't a flaw":

"I get a bit impatient. When I'm annoyed, I usually just hit them with my baseball bat."

Sparkle nodded, then turned to Firefly, her tone resolute:

"She's proactive, decisive, dislikes procrastination, effectively solves practical problems, and has a strong sense of self-protection and execution. With her around, I feel incredibly safe."

Firefly tightened her grip on the cup slightly, watching Xing unconsciously mimic a bat swing with her fingers on the table. She took a deep breath and nodded again.

"The sixth one~" Sparkle's voice was still cheerful, "What are your hobbies?"

"Playing games." Xing answered without hesitation this time, her eyes even shining.

"Highly focused, adept at strategic thinking, quick-witted, and possesses excellent potential for immediate decision-making and teamwork. An essential companion for home and travel." Sparkle's interpretation flowed so smoothly it was as if it had been prepared in advance.

Fireflies seemed to have gotten used to this rhythm, and simply nodded silently.

"One last question~" Sparkle clasped her hands together, resting them on her chin, as if concluding a speech, her smile gentle and considerate, "Any other requests or habits you have in your daily life?"

Xing scratched her cheek, seemingly a little embarrassed, but her voice didn't lower:

"Loves staying up late. Doesn't like doing housework."

Sparkle smiled, turned to Firefly, and clearly stated in a tone that proclaimed ultimate, invincible, and overwhelming superiority:

"High energy levels at night, ideal for creative and independent work, with abundant inspiration. Focused on career and personal pursuits, unpretentious, carefree, possessing a commanding presence and a free spirit."

Firefly looked at the Sparkle, then at Hoshino across from her, who had straightened her back slightly and had an expression that said, "So I have this advantage after all," because she was told that she "didn't like doing housework" but was actually "carefree and easygoing." She remained silent for several seconds.

Then, she gently put down her cup, looked up at the Sparkle and the stars, gave a very light but certain smile, and nodded.

"Sounds like... a very interesting person."

A night breeze swept across the rooftop, bringing a touch of coolness.

Fragments of memories quietly dissipate, leaving only the sparse starry sky before my eyes, and the warm afterglow of the school anniversary celebration in the distance.

Xing propped himself up from the railing, scratched his head, and a rare hint of embarrassment mixed into his usual roguish demeanor.

"Hehe..." she chuckled dryly, "But anyway... that's how we met."

She paused, lowered her voice, and looked into the distance.

"I never expected that after I said that... someone would actually be willing to go on a blind date with me."

Firefly turned her head and looked at her. In the night, her eyes reflected the scattered lights in the distance, sparkling brightly.

Then, she suddenly burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking slightly.

"Hehe..." She mimicked Xing's mannerisms, using an interjection, her voice full of soft laughter, "Who told you to be Stelle?"

Xing was stunned for a moment.

Then, she grinned and laughed. Her initial embarrassment was instantly replaced by a familiar, self-righteous smugness.

That's it!

She leaned back against the railing, arms outstretched, resting on the cold metal, and looked up at the night sky.

"But to be honest," she said casually, her gaze lingering on the last group of people dispersing in the distant square, "When we met again, the scene was enormous. So many Voidranger, a huge horde... I thought this matchmaking event was some kind of scheme by that eunuch Nanook to harm me."

"Yes, yes," Firefly turned back and leaned against her, her voice soft, tinged with memories, "I was so scared back then~ After all, I'm a weak girl~ I thought I was doomed, my first date was going to turn into a battle royale."

"Haha... really... is that so..."