The Little Seal Hair Clip

Aimisi ran ahead of the group, stopping from time to time to gaze at the dazzling shop windows lining both sides of the road. Her golden eyes were full of curiosity about everything around her.

"I heard on the campus network that the market has handmade hair clips, and they're really intricately made."

She turned around and called out to share the news with the group behind her.

Calcharo walked along, looking around in boredom, then reached out and nudged the silent Lingyang beside him.

"What are you planning to buy when we get to the market?"

Lingyang shifted aside to dodge him, clearly a little upset that Calcharo had forced him to eat leftovers earlier.

Honestly, paired with that slightly resentful expression, his face really did have a certain charm.

No, no, what am I thinking? How could I have thoughts like that about my bro? Sinful, sinful.

"Just looking around is fine. I haven't decided what to buy yet. I'll see what catches my eye."

At the back of the group, Chisaki and Jinhsi followed slowly on either side of Wuling.

Chisaki's expression was gentle as her gaze swept over the roadside stalls, and she spoke softly.

"Most of the people running stalls at the market are students from our school. Most of the things are made by the students themselves, and a lot of their handiwork is really thoughtful."

"Hey, what are you guys whispering about back there?"

Aimisi came over, wrapped her arms around Wuling's arm, and pulled him forward.

"Come help me look too, bro. See which one suits me best."

Aimisi pulled Wuling over to a stall selling exquisite accessories, with lots of little things like hair clips and bracelets.

Aimisi picked up a hair clip decorated with a little white seal and held it beside her pink ponytail. She moved it back and forth in front of the stall's small mirror, tilting her head slightly as she studied how it looked.

"What do you think? Isn't this little seal cute?"

"It really suits you. Our Aimisi looks good in anything."

Wuling smiled and patted Aimisi on the head.

"You say that every time I ask you, bro. Honestly, you sound like an NPC."

"Oh, then it's pretty average."

"...Sigh, I knew it. I shouldn't have expected anything from your EQ."

Aimisi's face fell. She put the seal hair clip back on the stall and sighed in disappointment.

But then Wuling picked the hair clip back up and gently fastened it in her hair.

"Just kidding. It's actually really cute."

Aimisi froze for a moment, then hurried over to the stall's little mirror. She looked as though she was examining her reflection, but she was actually hiding her slightly flushed cheeks.

[Wuling, Wuling, I want one too. I want the one with the fries on it.]

Abu's voice sounded in his mind.

[Wait, what do you want that for?]

Come to think of it, systems didn't seem to have genders, did they? Even if they did, Abu's voice didn't sound like a girl's.

[Well, don't worry about that. Just please buy me one, okay~?]

Abu's voice, especially the drawn-out ending, gave Wuling goosebumps all over.

[Fine, fine, I'll buy it for you, okay? Just don't talk like that again. It really makes me a little... uncomfortable.]

Wuling paused, but ultimately didn't say the word "disgusted."

[Okay, okay! Wuling, you're the best.]

Wuling bought a hair clip each for Abu and Aimisi. The stall owner told him there was a buy-two-get-one-free offer today, so he also picked out one with a little white horse on it.

Chisaki and Jinhsi each bought one too. Chisaki's had a little black cat on it, while Jinhsi's had a soup dumpling.

Neither Calcharo nor Lingyang needed any of those, so they had already run off to buy ice cream nearby.

"Bro, who are you giving that one to?"

Aimisi pointed at the hair clip with the fries on it in Wuling's hand and asked with a smile.

"Is it for someone else? A boy or a girl?"

For some reason, even though Aimisi was smiling, Wuling couldn't feel any warmth in it.

And despite it being the middle of the day, he actually felt a chill down his back.

"As for it, I don't think it's either male or female."

There was a trace of uncertainty in Wuling's voice.

"? What do you mean?"

"To be precise, this isn't for a person."

"Oh, never mind, then."

Warmth returned to Aimisi's smile. At least it wasn't as icy as before.

"Aimisi, you don't want me to give this to someone else?"

"N-no, I was just curious, that's all."

Seeing her flustered and evasive all of a sudden, Wuling couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh.

Aimisi instinctively turned her face away and raised a hand to gently press the snowy-white seal clip on her head. The tips of her ears quietly turned faintly red, but she stubbornly continued to defend herself.

"I was just asking. Who cares who you're giving it to?"

As she spoke, she reached up and gently wiggled the hair clip on her head, changing the subject.

"Let's hurry on and find Calcharo and the others. We can get some ice cream too."

The group put away the accessories they had picked out, said goodbye to the stall owner, and followed the crowd deeper into the market. Noisy voices surrounded them, and vendors at all kinds of stalls called out one after another.

Through the bustling crowd, they could see Calcharo and Lingyang standing in front of a cold drinks stall in the distance, each holding a huge ice cream.

Lingyang took a big bite of his cone, but didn't forget to raise a hand and wave at them.

As for Calcharo, it was hard to imagine how anyone could fit three ice pops in their mouth at once, but Calcharo had done it. Right there in front of them, he had stuffed three ice pops into his mouth and couldn't even speak.

In the end, though, he used his hardcore bite strength to bite all three ice pops clean through at once.

"Eating like that, you really aren't afraid of getting the runs?"

Wuling walked over and couldn't help commenting on the ridiculous sight before him.

Calcharo struggled to swallow a big mouthful of ice, freeing his mouth, then grinned and burst out laughing.

"A true expert fears no hardships or obstacles before him. I, Calcharo, hereby resolve to become a genius who can swallow five ice pops in one mouthful."

Six six six. This Lao Ka has gone crazy—he's a Mo Ka.

Wuling felt a little embarrassed just standing next to him. Lingyang seemed to feel the same way and silently moved a few steps away.

Aimisi looked at the cold drinks stall, where a faint milky aroma drifted through the air, then turned to Wuling with sparkling eyes.

"Bro, I want ice cream too. I want strawberry."

"Mm, okay. What would everyone like? This is my treat."

"Wouldn't that be a bit much?"

Chisaki and Jinhsi were both a little hesitant.

"Don't worry about that. The important thing is to have fun when we're out. Whatever flavors you want, I'll order them."

"One mango, please."

Calcharo spoke up from the side with a perfectly serious expression.

"Get lost."

In the end, the two of them agreed.

"I'll have a matcha, please," Chisaki said gently.

Jinhsi thought for a moment, then said softly, "Original flavor is fine. Sorry for the trouble."

"Got it." Wuling nodded and walked over to the window of the cold drinks stall.

Before long, Wuling came out of the line carrying four ice creams.

The cold, sweet, soft ice cream sat in cones, wisps of cool vapor slowly rising from it.

Aimisi immediately stepped forward and eagerly took her strawberry ice cream, then took a big bite.

"Mm, it's delicious."

Chisaki and Jinhsi also each took their ice cream. After trying them, both gave them very good reviews.

Just as the group was eating their ice cream, Wuling suddenly sensed an object flying toward them.

"Look out!"