"?"
Having suddenly been pulled into a photo by a passing man, everyone looked at one another, clearly seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.
"Arisu, is this some staff member your family arranged?"
Like a surprise photo specially prepared to commemorate our friendship?
"Alalā, is that so?"
The brown-haired girl lightly pressed a finger to her thin lips and tilted her head slightly, letting the sunlight behind her spill over her smooth hair and onto her shoulders.
"But I don't remember my family hiring anyone like him."
"No, isn't he obviously someone who came in from outside the school?"
For some reason, though, Makoto felt more displeased than anything when she saw him, and her tone became rather impolite as well.
"Maybe he's an intruder who came in without permission?"
"Hmm..."
Hearing her friends' opinions, Mana lowered her head in thought and found herself leaning more toward Makoto's view.
"True, he doesn't look like someone from the school at all!"
"..."
As she studied that face, along with those eyes the same color as his black bangs, Rikka had already begun guessing at his background and age. Judging by his appearance alone, he didn't look like a student whatsoever. Could he be a new teacher? No... how could that be?
He was far too unserious to be a teacher, but he wasn't wearing a uniform either, so he didn't look like a janitor. No matter how she looked at it, he seemed like an "unrelated person" who had broken in!
"~"
What was going on? He actually smiled at me? Even more unexpectedly, beneath that smile, Rikka felt her heart stir and her face flush.
"What's wrong, Rikka? Your face suddenly got so red."
"N-Nothing. It's just been a little too hot lately!"
Pretending not to care, Rikka hurriedly