Tch, having different activity areas really made it hard to run into each other and talk. Thinking back to how much effort he had spent just to meet Kasumigaoka Utaha naturally before, Talent understood that all too well.
Just as he was thinking of retreating, a conversation drifted into his ears from the spacious, quiet store.
"Good morning!"
"Yukina, you're here!"
"Hi, I'm so sorry I'm late."
"No, not at all! The timing is just right! I'll leave the stuff outside to you, then!"
"Okay!"
"..."
Sakurakoji Talent turned his head and saw two employees talking at the entrance to the workroom behind him. He had seen one of them earlier, while the other seemed to have just arrived.
What firmly captured his attention was the newcomer: a girl dressed unfashionably, wearing an apron, with braided hair and oversized opaque glasses on her face.
It had to be said that, judging by the outfit alone, it was an absolute disaster. But that was probably exactly the effect she wanted.
After briefly speaking with her colleague, the bespectacled girl headed outside with practiced ease, completely unaware that Sakurakoji Talent was watching her.
Found her. But how should he start a conversation with her?
Should he handle this like he had with Aoyama Nanami, building familiarity through daily greetings first, or should he use another approach? That was the question.
But she was not a cashier. She was most likely just a logistics worker responsible for moving and organizing groceries. Even if he came to shop every day, he probably would not get many chances to speak with her—perhaps that had been part of her calculation as well. After all, she dressed like this precisely so no one would recognize her.
After thinking for a moment, Sakurakoji Talent made his decision.
He followed her outside, and when he saw her again, she had already begun skillfully lifting cardboard boxes.
Her slender, delicate body showed no strain from the weight of the boxes, and her expression did not change at all. It was obvious that this was far from her first time doing such work.
"Excuse me, are you perhaps Miss Kogisora?" Sakurakoji Talent chose to throw a straight pitch.
"Eh?" The figure jolted in surprise, and her glasses slid down slightly from the sudden movement of her face.
As she turned sideways to look at Sakurakoji Talent, a flash of amazement appeared in her eyes before several traces of confusion followed.
"Um, may I ask who you are?" Though she was startled by Sakurakoji Talent's absurdly dazzling appearance, she did not know him.
Why did he know her name? Was he a student from her school?
No, no, no. If there had been a student at school on that level, he would have long become the talk of the school. There was no way she would not know.
If he was not from school, then where could he have come from? No matter how she thought about it, she could not come up with an answer.
"So it really was you." Sakurakoji Talent wore an expression of realization.
"Um..."
"Ah, sorry. My name is Sakurakoji Talent... though that probably isn't important." He laughed awkwardly before continuing with the explanation he had prepared.
"Actually, I know someone who attends Houjou, and I happened to learn about you through her. Also, you won the Minejo Affiliated Miss title for two consecutive years, right? I've seen photos."
"So when I saw you just now, although the contrast was rather huge, I still became suspicious and came over to confirm it."
"Sorry for bothering you."
The person he had come to find today was none other than Kogisora Yukina, one of the female protagonists who attended the same school as Touma Kazusa.
When Touma Kazusa had come to Starry last night, he had been considering whether to pull the other female protagonist into the battlefield as well. After an intense ideological struggle and severe stomach pain—he had still decided to come take a look today.
Things could not possibly get any worse than they already were, so what the hell was he afraid of?
"No, not at all." Once she learned that he was not a student from her school after all, she breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest in reassurance, though she did not completely let down her guard.
"Um, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Hmm? What is it?" Sakurakoji Talent asked despite already knowing.
"Could you please not tell your acquaintance that I work here?" Kogisora Yukina pressed her hands together and made her request cautiously.
"...Is there some unspeakable reason?"
"Not really, it's just..." She seemed to find it difficult to say, and the reason would not come out.
"I understand. Then I won't ask." Not letting her remain embarrassed, Sakurakoji Talent cut in. "I promise I won't tell a second person that Miss Kogisora works here. Is that alright?"
"Hah, yes! That'll do, thank you!" A brilliantly bright smile bloomed across Kogisora Yukina's face. Even her clear, non-prescription glasses could not conceal it. Her optimism and cuteness nearly blinded Sakurakoji Talent.
"Um, if possible, could you come back again tonight?" Perhaps feeling that it was still not quite safe enough, Kogisora Yukina suggested it somewhat bashfully.
"?" Sakurakoji Talent was confused. "I can, but what would we be doing?"
She was not going to invite him to karaoke, was she?
"You'll find out then." Kogisora Yukina gave a mischievous smile and lightly stuck out her tongue.
"If possible, please come back in four hours. I'll be off work by then too."
Sakurakoji Talent had never encountered such a request, nor did he have any reason to refuse it, so he readily agreed.
"Alright, I'll come by then. See you tonight."
"Mm, see you tonight."
"Then I'll be going first. Good luck with work!" Sakurakoji Talent said with a smile, waving to her.
"Bye-bye." Kogisora Yukina cheerfully returned the gesture.
After leaving the shopping district, Sakurakoji Talent took a train from a nearby station and headed straight for Shimokitazawa.
Kogisora Yukina said she had to work and could only meet him at night, but little did she know, the same was true for him.
Although his work hours were longer than hers as a part-time student, as long as he prepared today's share of ingredients and got through the busiest early period, then told Ichiji Hoshika, he could leave work early as well.
"Talent, Talent." While he was focused on preparing dishes, someone tugged at the corner of Sakurakoji Talent's clothes.
"Hmm?" Sakurakoji Talent looked over and saw Yamada Ryo standing beside him with an expectant expression.
"...What is it?" A bad feeling rose in his heart, and it was probably ninety-nine percent accurate.
"I've been a little short on cash lately, so I wanted to borrow some money from you. You've been earning quite a lot recently, right?" Yamada Ryo rested her handsome yet cute face on her hand and looked at him with eyes that held twenty percent coyness, thirty percent shyness, and fifty percent anticipation.
Image: "Shy Yamada Ryo", location: "Images/1756297227-100446961-113777032.jpg"
Of course. He knew it!
Sakurakoji Talent covered his face, at a loss for words.
"It's only the middle of the month, and you've been working at Starry lately too. Have you already spent all your allowance?" Sakurakoji Talent looked at her in frustration. "And have you even repaid the money you borrowed from me before you're asking for more?"
"If this keeps up, I'm really going to have to teach you a proper lesson."
"Guh, it couldn't be helped! They were the ones who tempted me first! It wasn't my fault!" Yamada Ryo seemed as though she had been emotionally attacked. Holding her head, she defended herself unwillingly.
Author: It's stomachache time. Come get your stomach medicine!
Volume One: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: I Want Your Most Precious Thing
"It's not that I don't want to lend it to you, but if this keeps up, can you really pay it all back?" Sakurakoji Talent folded his arms, his eyes full of doubt.
"Really?! You're willing to lend it to me?" Stars sparkled in Yamada Ryo's eyes as she looked at him, full of life.
Clearly, she had completely missed the point of what he was trying to say.
"Hah..." Sakurakoji Talent sighed, giving up on his efforts to correct her personality. But soon, his eyes flashed as he came up with another idea.
"Eh, I can lend it to you, but if you can't pay me back afterward, what should you use as collateral?" Sakurakoji Talent said with a smile, his gaze carrying a hint of danger.
"When the time comes, I'll have to take something from you."
"Uh?" Upon hearing that question, Yamada Ryo's hairs stood on end. She blinked her golden eyes, thought for a moment, then all the hair on her body seemed to bristle as she looked at him in terror.
"D-Don't tell me?! You want that thing?"
"Eh, that's right. I do want that thing." Sakurakoji Talent nodded.
"No! That's my treasure! It's my most precious thing! Even if it's Talent, I absolutely won't hand it over to you so easily!" Yamada Ryo shook her head forcefully, displaying immense resistance.
"What else can you do? Your pockets are emptier than your face, and you really don't have anything else to pay me back with." Sakurakoji Talent wore a helpless expression, as if saying that this was entirely her own fault.
"C-Can't we trade it for something else?" Yamada Ryo looked unwilling as she tried to bargain.
"Do you have something else you can offer instead?"
"Ugh... How about my daily staff meal?" Yamada Ryo asked cautiously.
"But I make that, don't I? It has no appeal to me at all." Sakurakoji Talent shook his head and rejected her unreliable suggestion.
"What's going on? What are you talking about?" Ichiji Nijika noticed the commotion and bounced over to join in.
"Nijika! Save me!" Yamada Ryo cried as she hugged her approaching best friend and complained, "Talent, Talent, he wants to take away my most precious thing!"
"Eh?" Ichiji Nijika's face stiffened, then a rosy blush spread across her cheeks. "What does that mean?"
Yamada Ryo told her about their conversation just now, then accused Sakurakoji Talent. "Even if I can't repay the money from before, he can't force me this way!"
"Mr. Talent, is that true?" Ichiji Nijika looked at Sakurakoji Talent in shock, finding it hard to believe he could say something like that.
"Mm, that's right, I said it." Sakurakoji Talent nodded openly, his tone helpless. "Who told this girl to have absolutely nothing left on her? If I could, I wouldn't want it either."
Seeing him actually confirm it, Ichiji Nijika could no longer hold herself back. Waving her arms, she shouted, "E-Even so, you can't use something like that as a bargaining chip!"
"That's an extremely important treasure for every girl! How can you talk about it so casually?!"
"Exactly! Exactly!" Yamada Ryo bent over and hid behind her, nodding in agreement.
"I-If it really comes to it, I can atone for Ryo in her place..."
"Eh?" Sakurakoji Talent looked over in surprise. "This has nothing to do with Nijika, does it?"
"B-Because I'm the band's leader, I bear some responsibility for this too!" Ichiji Nijika explained quietly, her face red and her heart beating rapidly.
"Nijika..." Yamada Ryo was so touched that she nearly cried, then she tightly hugged her. "You really are my lifelong best friend!!"
"Guh, let go of me! I can't breathe..." Ichiji Nijika pushed her away with all her strength.
"Hah..." Sakurakoji Talent looked puzzled. "I don't really understand, but is the Bass really that important to girls?"
"And Nijika, you only have one Drum Kit, right? If you give it to me, what will you use?"
"Eh?"
Having just pushed Yamada Ryo away, Ichiji Nijika's body froze. The light gradually faded from her eyes, but she still asked unwillingly, "What... did you just say?"
"I was talking about using Ryo's Bass as collateral. What's wrong?" Sakurakoji Talent looked at her in confusion.
"Bass... I see! It was the Bass!"
"That's right, of course it was the Bass! Hahahaha..."
Ichiji Nijika laughed unnaturally, trying to ease the awkwardness, but the tears hanging at the corners of her eyes betrayed her feelings.
"What did you think it was otherwise?" Yamada Ryo tilted her head and continued twisting the knife.
"...I thought it was the Bass too." Ichiji Nijika agreed through her tears.
Fortunately, Yamada Ryo did not grow suspicious, quickly turning her attention back to Sakurakoji Talent.
"I don't have any treasures other than my Bass. They're like my children!"
"So even if it's Talent! Even if it's Talent! I absolutely can't give it to you! Anything but this!" She gritted her teeth, her face full of grief and indignation.
"..." Ichiji Nijika felt as if her body had already burned to ashes. It seemed as though her soul was leaving her mouth as she hunched over and turned away. "Sorry, I was wrong. I'm guilty. I'll go over there and repent first."
She was so stupid, truly. How had she believed Yamada Ryo's nonsense? And how had she thought Mr. Talent could be that kind of person?
"Ah! Don't abandon me!" Yamada Ryo reached into the empty air, futilely trying to stop her.
After failing, she could only tremble as she turned around to face Sakurakoji Talent, who was smiling wickedly.
"So the other things are okay? All of them?" Sakurakoji Talent picked up on her earlier words and asked.
Before you continue