As the students filed into school one after another, Chinatsu took Okkotsu and Rika to a fast-food restaurant, where they chatted amid a slightly awkward atmosphere.
"Have you had breakfast? If you haven't, or you still want something, order whatever you like. Don't worry about school. I checked the time, and you've still got twenty minutes before you're late. I'll take you there afterward."
Chinatsu spoke casually as she leisurely stirred the coffee with milk she had ordered, a spoon in her hand.
Drinking a little coffee in the morning was good for one's health, provided it wasn't on an empty stomach. Coffee wasn't plain water, after all, and drinking it immediately after waking up wasn't recommended.
Chinatsu hadn't always had a habit of drinking coffee. It was mostly because Suguru Geto loved it. When people spent enough time together, some habits and hobbies tended to rub off on each other.
Now Okkotsu and Rika sat across from her, both looking nervous and somewhat at a loss. Of course, if she had to say which of them was more nervous, it was definitely Yuta Okkotsu.
He had always been an unusual case, hovering on the verge of awakening, and the intense shock of believing something had happened to Rika had finally awakened him.
The world he now saw was entirely different from the one Rika saw. But he didn't want Rika to see him trembling, so he summoned his manly courage and forced himself to hold it together.
The two of them stared intently at her, showing no inclination to order some food and make small talk first. With that being the case, Chinatsu decided not to drag things out.
Chinatsu raised her coffee and took a small sip. After setting it down, she clasped her hands beneath her chin