Sure enough, Yuki was completely baffled by Morishita Ran's inexplicable titles. "What... ancient martial arts? A famous detective?"
"Please don't mind me, Tsubaki Yuki." Morishita Ran nodded to herself, as if she were trying to convince someone. Maybe most of what she said was meant for herself.
"No, no, there's no way I can just ignore that. I know Morishita's in the same class as Yuto, but that doesn't explain why you're following him!"
"I'm following Amasawa Yuto to carry out a top-secret spy mission that only I, a famous detective, can complete."
"You suspect he's a traitor from Class A?"
Morishita Ran's expressionless face suddenly delivered a surprised question in a flat tone. "What, Tsubaki Yuki, are you... also a girl with a detective's bloodline?"
"No, no. My parents are both ordinary people. It's just that you suddenly started following Yuto and going on about spy activities. That sounds more like stalking or spying, doesn't it?"
"So that's how I was found out... I'll keep that in mind."
Tsubaki Yuki looked at Yuto with an expression that seemed to ask, Is there something wrong with this girl's head?
Amasawa Yuto shook his head and pulled Morishita Ran away from Yuki, whom she was trying to "consult" further. "Anyway, you know who I'm meeting now. We're in a hurry, so we have to get going. You can head back now, satisfied."
"Head back? Who said I was going back?" Morishita Ran turned to Amasawa Yuto. "You're going to Palette next, right?"
Tsubaki Yuki looked at Amasawa Yuto. Just as he was about to speak, Morishita Ran answered for him:
"Amasawa Yuto didn't tell me. I just saw how hurried you were, and that you were going without even changing out of your uniforms. I guessed you might be going to try the new desserts that come out on the first of every month."
"Are you coming with us, Morishita?" Tsubaki Yuki asked politely.
"I'll walk with you and see you over there." Morishita Ran flashed a peace sign again.
Did she think Tsubaki Yuki and Amasawa Yuto would thank her?
And so, Morishita Ran tagged along with them, chattering the whole way. "Tsubaki Yuki, do you know why a hunter shot at a fox but ended up getting shot himself?"
"Let me think. Because it was a fox spirit?"
"No. Because the hunter had a slow reaction time."
"Ahaha, you're very funny, Morishita..."
"Next, Amasawa Yuto. Do you know what an executioner says to a prisoner when they're a hundred meters from the execution ground?"
"'Turn around in a hundred meters.' I heard you tell Sakayanagi that this morning."
"Damn, I'll be more careful next time."
"I have to hand it to you, Morishita. You've come up with a lot of terrible jokes."
Amid an awkward atmosphere, Amasawa Yuto, Tsubaki Yuki, and Morishita Ran arrived at the Palette café.
"You two go on ahead. No need to see me off." Morishita Ran waved goodbye, then turned and strode away. "In the days we're apart, don't forget my name."
"What's with that girl, Yuto?" Yuki watched her walk away, then leaned close to Amasawa Yuto's ear. "Is she all there?"
She pointed at her temple, her face full of concern.
"I think she's just naturally neurotic. Come on, let's go in. Didn't you say you wanted to try the new desserts? It's my treat today, as an apology for being late."
Tsubaki Yuki felt a warmth rise in her heart.
Palette had a classic wooden interior. Since it had been a while since school let out, quite a few students were already inside.
They'd been worried the desserts might have sold out, but it looked like they were in luck. There were still some left.
Amasawa Yuto paid, and the two of them sat by a window.
Tsubaki Yuki ordered a strawberry mousse, while Amasawa Yuto chose caramel pudding.
"Mmm, desserts really are delicious~" Yuki held a spoonful of cream in her mouth, her expression blissful.
"How many points do you have left, Yuki?"
"A little over sixty thousand. I can still get through this month. But with the way things are in our class, I probably won't get many points next month either. If I don't find a way to earn some soon, I'll really run out."
"I'll give you some for now." He opened an app on his phone and made a few taps. Before long, a notification appeared on Tsubaki Yuki's phone.
"This is... two hundred thousand?! Yuto, where did you get so many points?"
When Yuki saw the amount, she nearly cried out.
It definitely wasn't from the school. Over the past two months, the school had given each Class A student less than two hundred thousand points. He must have gotten this extra amount somehow.
Having just narrowly avoided being extorted by Kei Karuizawa, she even had the ridiculous thought: Could Yuto have done that too?
Amasawa Yuto tapped her lightly on the head. "What are you thinking? I got these through a deal with the teacher. Just take them. I only got the two hundred thousand thanks to Class D, anyway. If you ran out of points, I wouldn't know what to tell your parents."
"Then I'll accept Yuto's kind offer~" Tsubaki Yuki smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "Honestly, I should have been the one to pay for this meal..."
"Points are hard to get at the beginning of the school year because there aren't many ways to earn them. There should be plenty of ways to get them later."
"Did you get that inside information from Arisu?"
"She doesn't know any more than I do." Amasawa Yuto meant it. It was the honest truth.
"By the way, Yuki. There's something else I wanted to ask. Did Karuizawa and the others threaten you?"
"So Yuto ran into them on their way back." Tsubaki Yuki shook her head helplessly. "I thought they were a bunch of villains and was getting ready to beat them up, but they turned out to be a bunch of little kids looking for candy."
"I see. I heard she's dating the leader of Class D, Yosuke Hirata. Has that caused any problems in your class?"
"It's fine. Hirata's basically a pushover. I don't know how he ended up in Class D."
With Yuki's abilities, surely they wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
"Everyone has a darkness inside them that others don't know about. I'm sure he has his reasons, too."
After finishing their desserts, they ordered some more food and ate it as dinner. Before they knew it, they'd been chatting until eight o'clock. More than two hours had passed.
By the time they left Palette, it was already dark. The yellow streetlamps had lit up along both sides of the path.
Amasawa Yuto and Tsubaki Yuki hurried along the path toward the Dormitory Building.
Then, beneath the warm lights, they spotted someone they hadn't expected to see.
Morishita Ran was sprawled across a bench, one arm and one leg dangling off the edge. She didn't seem to care that her short skirt might ride up; she was sleeping soundly, completely unguarded.
She was less than a hundred meters from Palette. She'd probably never left after parting from them, waiting there until she fell asleep.
"Let's wake her up. It's only May, but she'll catch a cold sleeping out here." Tsubaki Yuki went over and shook her.
"Mmm..." Morishita Ran rubbed her eyes and sat up straight. "Amasawa Yuto, didn't I chop your head off with a dog-head guillotine? How are you still alive?"
"I suggest you wake up from your dream. Also, isn't that a bit of a terrifying dream?" Amasawa Yuto had lost count of how many times Morishita Ran had left him at a loss.
Before you continue