"Ah... yeah."
Hearing Bocchi-chan agree, Kita smiled encouragingly.
"Our first part-time job as a group of five—let's do our best!"
A dazzling radiance flashed forth. Kita's brilliant smile stabbed into Bocchi's chest like a barrage of needles, and her steps became unsteady, as if all the air had leaked out of her.
Kita's two sentences completely shattered Bocchi's mental defenses. Her gaze drifted as she felt like more and more people were staring at this country bumpkin.
She answered Kita.
"Okay."
Yet for some reason, she slipped around behind Kita.
Kita turned her head in surprise to look at Bocchi hiding behind her, asking somewhat flusteredly.
"Gotou-san? What's wrong all of a sudden?"
Bocchi lowered her head, pressed her hands against Kita's shoulders, and said softly.
"Sorry, I'm still not used to this place..."
She wailed under her breath.
"This is so embarrassing!"
Hearing Bocchi's words, Kita glanced around and noticed that quite a few people had gathered their gazes on the two of them because of Bocchi's strange behavior.
At once, the fifteen-year-old girl's face turned red as well.
She wailed too. "Now I'm embarrassed too!"
But even as she spoke mournfully, she obediently led the way ahead, maintaining the girl-train formation all the way to STARRY.
50. Difficult
They finally reached the stairs leading down to STARRY. Seeing that there were far fewer people around, Kita let out a sigh of relief and spoke to Bocchi behind her.
"Gotou-san, we're here. You can come out from behind me now."
"S-Sorry."
Bocchi lowered her head sheepishly and stepped out from behind her.
"No, Gotou-san doesn't need to apologize to me..."
Kita looked somewhat dejected. She lowered her head, wearing a guilty expression.
Seeing Kita like this, Bocchi tilted her head in confusion.
"Kita-chan?"
Just then, a distant voice came