Chapter 74
Neither of them would back down.
Lingmeng just sighed. After all, she was getting a little annoyed by these two guys doing this every day.
"Can't you two just get along? If you keep going like this, neither of you should eat."
Lingmeng said this.
"Ugh... I'm sorry."
Perhaps feeling she had upset Lingmeng, Tohka pouted and lowered her head.
Whether it was Lingmeng's imagination or not, she seemed to see Tohka's hair ribbon also drooping down.
"Well, at least don't make noise while eating, okay?"
Lingmeng patted Tohka's head.
Although she felt a little unhappy, Tohka still nodded slightly.
However, compared to Tohka, Origami is not so easy to solve.
"Qian Lingmeng, why should I listen to you?"
Her voice was as cold as ever. No, Lingmeng felt that Origami's tone was even colder than usual.
Faced with Origami's questioning, Lingmeng showed no sign of backing down. She simply flashed a very smug smile.
"Because you can't beat me."
"..."
Origami remained silent.
Indeed, even though most of the Spirit Power was gone, the opponent was still the strongest spirit, Element Maker.
Without the ability to Realizer, Origami would be easily tortured and killed by her opponent.
Although she was still unwilling, Origami wasn't an impulsive person, so she chose to remain silent.
Lingmeng crossed her arms in front of her chest and smiled.
"Not bad, not bad, a promising young man."
"Um... shall we all eat together?"
Seeing the awkward situation, Shido spoke up.
This is the dividing line for the transfer time.
Shido, Lingmeng, Tohka, Origami opened their lunchboxes at the same time, revealing a sumptuous meal inside.
Well, that's what they say, but actually, apart from the Origami bento, the dishes in Shido's and the others' bento boxes are exactly the same.
"..."
Origami opened her eyes slightly wider.
At that moment, Shido couldn't help but curse himself for his carelessness.
Since Lingmeng and Tohka are staying at his house, it's natural that Shido cooks their Shido, so it's normal that Shido's dishes are the same as theirs.
Origami's indifferent gaze swept back and forth across the three people's bento boxes, and she noticed that they all contained almost the same dishes.
"Hmm? Even if you make that face, I won't share any food with you."
Completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, Tohka looked back at Origami, who had been spying on her bento Origami, with a surprised expression.
"Why are Qian Lingmeng and Yatogami's bento boxes exactly the same as yours?"
"This... this is because..."
Faced with Origami's questioning, Shido broke out in a cold sweat, his gaze shifting uncertainly.
Lingmeng watched the two of them with great interest.
It's time for my favorite Love Rival Showdown scene again!
Lingmeng ate her bento box while thinking to herself.
Because she was afraid of revealing the truth and letting Origami know that she was living with the two spirits.
Shido began to speak incoherently.
"Um... actually, we went to the same bento shop to buy lunch this morning, so--"
Before Shido could finish speaking, Origami retorted in an unyielding tone.
"Lie."
Origami picked up the lid of Shido's bento box, which had been upside down.
"This container was purchased for 158 yen at the discount store in front of the station 154 days ago and has been used ever since. It is definitely not a bento box item."
"No, isn't that just being a stalker!?"
Hearing Origami's words, Lingmeng, who was watching the scene unfold, instinctively shouted out.
If Origami's story is true, then it's certain that she started stalking Shido at least 154 days ago, or even earlier.
Origami glanced calmly at Lingmeng and then spoke without any inflection.
"This is a necessary examination for someone who is Shido lover."
"What is that?!"
Lingmeng loudly complained, while Shido, the person involved, looked utterly embarrassed.
Because of a training session he had conducted to win over Tohka, Shido confessed his feelings to Origami under Kotori's pressure.
Surprisingly, Origami actually agreed, so in a sense, Origami really is her girlfriend?
Then, seemingly having heard something that displeased her, Tohka slammed her hand on the table in front of her in a fit of emotion.
"Shido! Explain to me what's going on with your girlfriend!?"
Although she didn't understand what "girlfriend" really meant, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable when Origami called her Shido's "girlfriend".
"Ah... you want me to suddenly explain..."
His back was completely soaked with sweat, and Shido was speaking incoherently.
And then at that moment--
"Waaaaaahh..."
A sharp, blaring alarm blared through the streets. It was clearly a Spacequake alarm, a sound that hadn't been heard for over a month.
In an instant, the once lively classroom fell completely silent.
Meanwhile, Tohka and Origami, who were standing next to Shido, also stopped arguing.
For some reason, Shido was momentarily relieved that the Spacequake alarm had come just in time. However, this thought quickly vanished.
"Oh, is that Spacequake alarm? If it's sounding, does that mean the spirits are coming?"
Hearing the alarm that vibrated her eardrums, Lingmeng groaned softly.
Tohka, standing to the side, looked surprised.
"Ugh--Why is it so noisy all of a sudden?!"
Perhaps because it was the first time she had heard Spacequake alarm, Tohka seemed a little bewildered.
This is normal, though. After all, Tohka, being a spirit, usually only appears after the Spacequake alarm has finished playing, so she almost never hears it.
However, just as Tohka was still shouting, Origami suddenly ran out of the classroom.
"Hey! Where are you going?!"
Origami didn't answer Tohka's question and continued running forward without looking back.
Of those present, only Shido and Lingmeng knew where Origami was going.
As an AST member, she must immediately don the Realizer and fight against the monstrous beings—spirits—whose appearance causes Spacequake.
"Ah, I hope Origami doesn't have that."
"Um..."
Lingmeng Shido, and Shido simply nodded in agreement.
"Zhongsheng (sweating): 'Could you guys give me some Monthly Ticket and Reward so I can buy the original novel?' (laughing)"
The title of Chapter 20 is missing.
"... Dear students, an alarm has been issued! Please proceed to the Underground Shelter immediately."
Because of the Spacequake alarm, Ko-tama, as the homeroom teacher, naturally rushed to the classroom immediately to tell the students to leave quickly.
Standing next to her was Reine, the Physics Teacher, dressed in white and wearing glasses.
"... Everyone, let's go quickly."
With sleepy eyes, Reine pointed in the direction of the corridor.
Swallowing nervously, the students walked orderly into the corridor.
"Alright, Tohka, let's hurry up and go!"
Lingmeng stood up from her chair and said this to Tohka.
To this, Tohka simply tilted her head in confusion.
Where are we going?
"We're heading to the Shelter now; we'll explain the details later."
Shido also stood up and answered Tohka's question.
Are you in a hurry...?
Reluctantly looking at the untouched bento, Tohka stood up despite her reluctance.
Seemingly noticing Tohka's expression, Lingmeng shook her head helplessly.
"That's why I said we shouldn't make noise while eating. See, we don't have time to eat anymore, do we?"
In a motherly tone, Lingmeng said this.
Then, leaving all the unpleasantness behind, Lingmeng and the others quickly walked into the corridor like the other students.
"The scene is really chaotic!"
Looking at the corridor almost completely filled with students, Lingmeng sighed.
Thinking about it carefully, this was the first time she had gone to the Shelter as an ordinary student after the alarm went off, not as an elf to fight against AST.
A sense of unease arose spontaneously.
Of course, Tohka, who is also a spirit, is the same. At this moment, she is constantly turning her head, her eyes full of curiosity.
Then, just as the line in front started moving forward, Shido and the others followed, suddenly a hand grabbed Shido.
"Um?"
"... Little Shido, you should go this way."
Shido instinctively turned his head and discovered that the person grabbing him was Reine.
Upon seeing Reine, Shido suddenly remembered something important—
The fact that there was Spacequake means that a new Pokémon has appeared in the world. Shido, who possesses the Spirit Power, must go to the scene immediately to communicate with the Pokémon.
As for Reine saying "this way," she must have been referring to Fraxinus, right?
Having roughly figured out the situation, Shido scratched his cheek and said.
"I understand... but what about Tohka and Lingmeng? We can't just leave them like this, can we?"
"... It's alright, Lingmeng doesn't need to worry at all. As for Tohka, just leave her with Ms. Ko-tama for now."
Then Shido turned his gaze to Lingmeng and Tohka beside him.
"Ah--"