Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear

"Hmm... what happened?"

Just as Kohinata Miku was struggling with this problem, the girl, seemingly sensing the movement, propped herself up and turned around.

"Um, hello, Miss Raye, I was a little worried when I saw you lying on the ground."

Kohinata Mii said this, she also saw Raye's appearance at this moment.

His clothes were covered in dust, his expression was listless, and the pupil of his single eye revealed an indescribable, stagnant calm, completely unlike the lively eyes he had seen before.

"Ah, you are... Kohinata, oh, did you trigger automatic defense?"

As Kohinata Miku sized up Raye, Raye, despite being under a debilitating debuff, recognized Kohinata Miku's identity.

"Miss Raye, do you still recognize me?"

Kohinata Miku was filled with surprise, having initially thought the other party...

"It's alright, my memory is pretty good, I rarely forget things, so I remember."

When asked by Kohinata Miku, Raye remained expressionless and answered as follows.

"Alright, Sky Striker, come back. She's not the enemy."

After answering, Raye saw that the Sky Striker was still floating in the air, so he said this to the floating blade.

Then, as if understanding her meaning, the blade that had been hanging in the air obediently circled and flew back to the guitar bag on her back, while Raye also fastened the buckle that had been knocked open.

"Um, why is Miss Raye lying on the ground like this? Is she injured somewhere?"

Watching Raye's actions, Kohinata Yinling, Qi Si, and Ji Wu Miku said with a hint of concern.

"It has nothing to do with you."

However, Raye didn't seem very willing to answer.

After saying that, she picked up her guitar case, turned in another direction, and prepared to leave.

"Etc."

Seeing that Raye was about to leave, Kohinata Miku subconsciously stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

[If I had made a different choice at that moment, things might have turned out differently. However, I made a choice that led things in such a terrible direction.]

While recounting this story, the following thought involuntarily popped into Kohinata Miku's mind.

However, there are no "what ifs" in life, and I ultimately chose to do it that way.

"You... alright, Kohinata, is there anything else?"

Raye didn't really want to continue, but her hand was being held and it was a little difficult to break free, so she responded a little.

My body started moving on its own. Why am I doing this?

However, Kohinata Miku, who acted on impulse, has not yet figured out why she did it.

"Um, um... Miss Raye, could you help me carry these things home? I'm a little tired now because I've walked a long way."

In the end, Kohinata Miku could only come up with this excuse, which was almost certain to be rejected.

[Ugh, what am I doing? I've already received so much help, why am I doing this now?]

Kohinata Miku's mind was in turmoil.

"I'll take you back to your house. Hmm, it does seem to be quite a distance from here. Okay, I'll help you."

Raye pondered for a moment, her emerald green eyes fixed on the girl before her, and said this.

"Ah, I'm sorry, it really was me... Sigh, Miss Raye agreed?"

Kohinata Miku, who thought she would be rejected, showed a slight surprise on her face when she heard what Raye said.

"It's just that I'm very free right now."

Raye said this, then, ignoring the hand being held, she walked a few steps to the bag full of ingredients and picked it up.

"Alright, let's go, Kohinata. I'll take this back to your house for you."

Then, Raye, carrying the bag, walked forward.

"Okay, sure."

Seeing Raye's actions, Kohinata Miku was inspired by her behavior and followed suit.

[Is it just my imagination? I feel like Raye's mood seemed a little more cheerful after receiving my request?]

As they walked back, Kohinata Miku looked at the girl she was holding onto and had this thought in her mind.

"Um, Miss Raye..."

Kohinata Miku wanted to find some topics to talk about on the way.

"..."

Raye remained silent.

"All right."

Understanding the other person's thoughts, Kohinata Miku also fell silent.

Soon, the long journey passed in the blink of Raye eye. At that time, Lingyi silently escorted Kohinata Miku to her doorstep.

"Okay, is that enough? I'm going now."

Upon arriving at her doorstep, Raye casually put down the groceries bag and turned to leave.

"Um, thank you very much. But, I was wondering if Miss Raye has had dinner yet?"

Kohinata Miku didn't take it immediately, but asked this question instead.

"I... have already eaten."

Hearing Kohinata Miku's question, Raye looked away and said somewhat absentmindedly.

Glug...

Then, the physiological reaction from their stomachs reached the ears of the two people who were standing a little close together, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

"Well, in that case, if Miss Raye doesn't mind, would you like to come to my house for a small meal?"

Realizing what had happened, Kohinata Miku made this suggestion, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

"Forget it, I didn't do anything serious. I can eat by myself. I'm leaving now."

However, Raye's expression was somewhat evasive when faced with Kohinata Miku's kindness, and she seemed to want to turn around and leave.

[Is this not acceptable? No, that's not right. If we put it another way...]

Kohinata Miku pondered, recalling the emotional changes she had observed before.

"Is this not even a small matter? Whether before or now, Miss Raye has helped me a great deal. If I can't repay her, I will... well, I'll be a little sad."

Kohinata Miku changed her wording to a request.

"Ugh... Okay, I understand. I'll just eat a little and leave right away. After that, we'll be even, and you don't need to worry about me anymore."

After Kohinata Miku said that, Raye's face showed a slight struggle, but she finally gave up on refuting it.

"Yes, I'll talk to my mom when I get inside, and she'll make extra."

With this in mind, Kohinata Miku pulled the hesitant Raye into her home.

After that, it's a matter of course and doesn't need much explanation.

Kohinata Miku first told her parents about Raye, and they readily agreed. Then they asked about Raye's tastes, and finally, at her insistence, they brought Raye, whom she didn't know well, to the table.

"Is this alright? I... I'll be going now."

After dinner, Raye awkwardly declined the hospitality of the two adults, then got up to leave.

"Raye, I wanted to ask, do you currently have a place to live?"

Just as Raye was about to leave, Kohinata Miku, spoke with concern, omitting some of her titles in her words.

"Ah, there are still some."

Feeling the care from the other person, Raye replied immediately and then prepared to leave right away.

"What kind of place is that? I'd like to know. I don't want to lose you, Raye, in the future. Can you tell me?"

After a moment's consideration, Kohinata Miku quickly pressed for details.

"Ugh... Ah, no, I'm still looking for a place to live. I don't have a fixed place to stay yet."

Upon hearing what Kohinata Miku said, Raye hesitated for a moment, but ultimately explained her current situation.

"Nowhere to stay... is that so?"

A simple answer, yet it sparked many unpleasant speculations in Kohinata Miku's mind.

[Does "nowhere to stay" mean that Raye doesn't live nearby, or does it mean, even worse, that Raye has nowhere to go back to?]

As Kohinata Miku thought about it, an indescribable emotion welled up in her heart at that moment.

"Those Raye, I think..."

Then, fueled by her own speculation, Kohinata Miku's certain idea became even stronger, leading her to take new action.

"No, you don't want to, and I don't need to. Goodbye."

As Raye said this, she seemed to have sensed Kohinata Miku plans, and a hint of unease appeared on her face. After saying this, she quickly turned and left.

"Wait, Raye."

Seeing Raye's posture, Kohinata Miku had already determined that something was wrong, wanted to stop her. However, Raye's movements were precise and swift, and she quickly picked up her guitar case and arrived at the door.

Then, she stopped at the doorway.

splash...

On a sweltering summer night, the unchanging sky was accompanied by howling thunder and lightning, and then a mournful downpour of icy rain.

"No problem... it's just a little rain. We can just bear with it for a bit, or dry the clothes with Alchemy later."

Watching the water cascading down like a waterfall, Raye remained silent for a moment before walking resolutely towards the door.

"Wait, Raye."

However, because of this brief hesitation, the girl who had just been left behind rushed to Raye's side and stopped her from leaving.

"Kohinata, is there anything else?"

Feeling this ridiculously light yet seemingly more gripping than her Grappling Anchor, Raye turned around and asked.

"Um..."

[If you offer something out of goodwill, Raye will probably refuse, so...]

Although it was brief, Kohinata Miku had already noticed the problem in Raye's heart.

"Um, Raye, could you tutor me in some lessons? I'm having some trouble with certain parts of my homework lately."

Regardless of whether it's difficult or not, it's better if it's more difficult. Only with such a request can we hold onto Raye's footsteps in the present moment.

". All right."

Looking at the torrential rain outside, Raye seemed to be considering it, or perhaps she was feeling helpless, before agreeing to Kohinata Miku's request.

P. S. Oops, I fell asleep while typing.

P. S. Anyway, good morning.

Chapter 116 Getting to Know

What happened afterward became perfectly logical.

"Raye, do you want to change your clothes? If you're going to be teaching, you can't wear these dirty clothes."

"I'll be suggesting this in the Miku," she said with a smile.

"There's no need to do that."

Raye spoke with slight resistance, appearing somewhat wary.

"Please, I'm a bit of a germaphobe, and girls should be kept clean, so please do this for my sake, okay?"

Miku's continue.

"Well... okay."