"Is that so?"
The girl didn't know.
But she hoped it was.
"...What was so urgent?"
she muttered softly.
"Maybe you can ask it the next time you see it."
Xiao Xiao's brows lifted slightly.
Whether that monster would be willing to tell her depended on Anna's "skill."
"Next time..."
"I don't even know if I'll ever run into it again..."
The girl regretted not making more of an effort to get closer to the raccoon dog before.
Still, she had never been good at that sort of thing.
"You should head home."
Xiao Xiao reminded her to keep an eye on the time. "It's already dark."
Huh?
The girl looked up.
"It's really dark already?!"
She was a little surprised.
It had still been bright out when she left the dance studio.
"How are you getting home?"
Xiao Xiao asked.
"I'm taking the bus."
The girl answered honestly.
"Come on."
"I'll walk you to the bus stop."
Xiao Xiao turned and headed out of the alley.
"Uh—"
The girl pressed her lips together.
She didn't want to trouble anyone.
Especially not a guy she didn't know very well.
But after everything that had just happened, having someone walk her to the bus stop... seemed pretty nice.
"...Master Xiao."
Anna broke the silence between them.
The colorful lights of the shops, the streams of passersby, the traffic bustling along the main street—those familiar sights, along with the noise all around her, finally let her relax completely.
"Can eating that raccoon dog's meat really make someone stop feeling jealous?"
"Maybe."
"After all, I've never tried it."
Xiao Xiao looked thoughtful. "If I get the chance, I could give it a try."
"Huh?"
The girl was astonished.
Try it?
But...
"Practice is the sole criterion for testing