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Join the Server“Qiuqiu~ Qiuqiu~ Can you slow down?”
“I told you I was in a hurry, didn’t I? What exactly are you doing?”
It was already after school, and I was on my way to the rooftop.
The other party’s demand was that I run up, but to me, it seemed utterly unreasonable, so there was no need to accept it.
Had Nina not repeatedly warned me that no matter how unwilling I was, I should clarify things with the other party, I would be casually walking downstairs right now, instead of laboriously climbing steps with a persistent shadow tugging at my shirt hem behind me.
“Is that even a question? People who send challenge letters in Chuunibyou (TL Note: A Japanese slang term, ‘chūnibyō,’ referring to a teenager who has delusions of grandeur, believing they possess special powers or hidden knowledge.) language all possess strange abilities. As your good friend, even though I’m scared, I’ll definitely protect you! So, Qiuqiu, just relax and bring me along!”
“Is that so…”
‘While I appreciate the sentiment, who exactly filled your head with such bizarre notions? And it sounds like you just want to watch the spectacle.’
“But aren’t you supposed to be campaigning for votes?”
“Ah…”
“Oh, wow!~”
Nina suddenly stopped, nearly sending me tumbling down the stairs with her.
“Nana?”
She didn’t respond; instead, she dashed forward, pulling me into the corner of the stairwell landing, then leaned in conspiratorially, whispering into my ear.
“Qiuqiu, about this, I’m telling you, those girls actually cast all their votes for the male lead to Ye Wenxuan from Class Five! Don’t you think that’s outrageous?”
“Ah… that’s certainly outrageous.”
I was subtly referring to our current predicament as well.
‘It’s rush hour after school; can’t people be more mindful of their surroundings? I feel like I’m being pierced into a sieve by all these stares.’
“Right? You think it’s outrageous too, don’t you?”
Presumably, she only grasped my accidental agreement, as Nina straightened up, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms, inadvertently creating some distance between us.
“So, you’re planning to give up?”
‘Her only intention was to play the female lead; other roles weren’t even considered.’
“Mmm~~ I don’t want to give up, it’s so difficult, but that person just won’t do, absolutely, definitely not!”
Nina emphatically made a large ‘X’ with her hands in front of her.
“Rather than letting that person play the male lead, I’d rather indecisively give up.”
“Is that so? Then it’s a good opportunity to rest for two days. Haven’t you been exhausted lately?”
On this point, I was genuinely concerned about her physical and mental state, though I didn’t want her to give up so resolutely.
‘I just hadn’t expected that Nina, despite not knowing what had transpired between Ye Wenxuan and Su Yuanyi, had surprisingly seen through that playboy’s true nature. Or perhaps all girls possess a similar special ability?’
“It’s fine, really. After all, it’s something I do out of personal interest. Oh! Speaking of which, let’s hurry up and go!”
“Alright, let’s go then.”
We continued our casual chat, soon arriving at the rooftop.
“Commander Qiuqiu, don’t you think that person looks suspicious?”
The moment Nina stepped onto the rooftop, she completely immersed herself in the role of a detective.
“Detective Nana, that’s simply a fellow enthusiast of mine. Though I’m not sure why he doesn’t choose the library or just go straight home.”
‘And reading while biting on a straw from a colored drink like strawberry juice—what if he accidentally spills it on the pages? He’d surely panic and be filled with regret.’
“What about those over there? They look quite aggressive, don’t they?”
“Please, this sort of thing usually isn’t a group effort. Besides, they have their phones set up in front of them; they’re probably live streaming.”
“But the dance they’re doing, isn’t it a bit… mmm~~… actually, quite nice?”
“Mmm, when it comes to dancing, a little charm and allure are perfectly normal.”
‘They were indeed full of vitality, but dancing in school uniforms on the school rooftop? Weren’t they afraid of getting reprimanded? Or was that precisely why they were more popular?’
“Ah~ Qiuqiu, you’re completely mesmerized, aren’t you~ Not to brag, but I can actually dance even better!”
“Then why don’t you find an opportunity to dance for me?”
‘Though, I’m sure you’d start freestyling before you were even a third of the way through.’
“Really? You’re not just trying to make me happy, are you?”
“Really, really.”
“Okay!~ It’s a promise then~”
“Indeed, I’m greatly looking forward to it.”
‘That much was true; after all, when it came to singing and dancing, she possessed an undeniable talent.’
We slowly moved towards the center of the rooftop, scanning the area, but saw no one who could possibly be the person in question, let alone anyone actively approaching us.
“Qiuqiu, I actually considered that this might be a wasted trip, so you need to be stronger.”
“Lady Nana~”
“Ah!~ No! Don’t even think about my ears again!~”
As soon as I raised my hand, Nina skipped away.
Just from her back, she looked exactly like a little rabbit.
“Sigh… there should be a limit to pranks.”
The current situation was just as Nina had described; this was clearly just a trick, and we had obviously made a trip for nothing.
“Then shouldn’t we go? Yi Yi is waiting for us in the classroom.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Given the sudden situation, and considering the potential delay, I couldn’t just leave Su Yuanyi waiting at the school gate indefinitely, so I had asked Nina to pass along a message to her.
As we returned side-by-side towards the rooftop entrance, Nina suddenly put her hands behind her back, bent slightly, and looked at me with a mischievous grin.
“Qiuqiu, you actually look quite disappointed. Do you need me to comfort you?”
“Oh, come on. I wouldn’t be disappointed by something like this.”
“Eh~~ But it’s your first time receiving a love letter, isn’t it?~”
Faced with her overly obvious teasing, I stopped, feeling a wave of frustration.
“But that was clearly a challenge letter, and I absolutely don’t want to receive such a Chuunibyou love letter.”
“A Chuunibyou love letter!?”
Before Nina could reply, I heard a soft gasp from above my head.
““Eh?””
We both exclaimed in surprise simultaneously, looking up to see a girl directly above us, perched on the edge of the entrance’s roof, staring at me with a look of bewildered uncertainty.
However, more concerning than that was the fact that, likely due to her excitement, her body had leaned out beyond the point of balance; she wasn’t merely swaying precariously but was inevitably going to fall soon.
And I recalled that the rooftop entrance had been specifically raised, likely to about five meters.
In such a situation, if nothing went wrong—
[Danger detected. Corresponding protocol initiated.]
The moment I heard the sudden electronic sound behind me, I immediately turned to look.
Since we were less than two steps from the door, and the security bot, which had begun moving rapidly towards us on the rollers beneath its mechanical legs the instant the electronic sound first blared, still held a riot shield in its left arm, its right arm had already retracted its riot baton and swapped it for a portable airbag. It was now less than two meters away from us, and I remembered the airbag’s diameter was precisely three meters.
Therefore, to safely catch the girl, the security bot would continue to approach!
‘Too late! I’ll be caught in it!’
“Nana! Don’t fall!”
With the thoughts surging through my mind, I only managed to shout a warning to Nina, and, controlling my strength as best I could, I raised my hand and pushed her to the side.
“Eek!?”
“Aaaahhh!!!”
As Nina gasped, I also heard a frantic scream from above.
As expected, the security bot deployed its airbag less than a meter from me.
Instinctively, I turned with all my might towards the security bot, raising my arms to shield myself. My vision was instantly enveloped in a flash of white, and then, propelled by the airbag’s rapid expansion, I was involuntarily slammed against the wall behind me.
Thud!—
“Ugh!!”
When the pain hit, my vision swam, and for a moment, my mind seemed filled only with a dull thudding reverberating through my entire body.
“Qiuqiu!? Qiuqiu!!”
What happened next, I have no recollection of, as I quickly lost consciousness.
****
“Mmm… ugh…”
“Qiuqiu!?”
When I awoke, the first thing I saw was Nina’s face, clearly tear-streaked.
“Nana…”
“Mm, mm! It’s me! How do you feel? Can you see clearly? Do you feel nauseous? Or is there any part of your body that’s numb? Or… mmm, ah~ What should I do?~”
As Nina asked, she grew flustered, wanting to check on me but unsure how. She clutched her head, jumping up and down, looking as if she was about to cry again.
“Mmm!… Nana, calm down. I’m just a little dizzy, I’m fine.”
“W-w-really? You’re not allowed to lie to me!”
“Yes, can you help me up first?”
“Okay, slowly now.”
Truthfully, I was aching all over and felt lightheaded, but to spare her further worry, I simply pressed my forehead and shook my head, confirming I was in the infirmary. Then, enduring the pain, I slowly sat up with her help.
[Is it really just dizziness? Nina said you slammed into the wall. You must be hurting everywhere.]
Standing on the other side, Su Yuanyi now handed me her phone, displaying the message she had typed.
“Yes, truly just a bit dizzy. Don’t worry.”
Despite my assurances, Su Yuanyi still eyed me suspiciously.
“You certainly pick your moments. Someone from the track team got injured just now, so the school doctor rushed off.”
Looking towards the foot of the bed, Lan Xinyue, who was seated nearby, spoke these words before closing the book in her hands. She stared at me for a moment, then rose and walked towards the door.
“Don’t move around, and certainly don’t run off. It’s best not to even drink water until I return.”
‘What a sharp tongue. If I can’t move around, how can I run off?’
Watching her leave the infirmary, I then noticed that before she exited, she had cast a cold, sidelong glance to my right.
I leaned forward slightly to see a girl, previously obscured by Nina.
She had light brown eyes, delicate features, and slightly brownish hair tied into two three-strand braids that naturally draped over her shoulders and fell in front of her. Cherry hair ties adorned the ends of her braids, and she wore straight bangs that reached her eyebrows. She wore no jewelry, and her uniform was neat; not only were the top buttons fastened properly, but the length of her red and black plaid skirt also strictly adhered to regulations, just covering her knees.
My first impression was that she was a perfectly quiet and well-behaved girl.
“I’m so sorry! Truly, I’m so sorry! I… I… I really didn’t expect things to turn out this way…”
Meeting my gaze, the already apprehensive girl quickly stepped forward, bowing and apologizing in a flustered manner.
“Ah… it’s fine, really. It’s good that you’re not hurt.”
This was genuinely how I felt.
Regardless of why this seemingly well-behaved girl had climbed to such a place, the security bot’s protocol was indeed the best option at the time. Compared to me merely being pushed against the wall by an airbag, resulting in full-body aches and unconsciousness, if she had truly fallen headfirst from that height, the most severe consequence could have been death.
‘It was also fortunate that the entrance door had an automatic closer. Otherwise, if I had been pushed towards an open door and hit the handrail, I might have continued to tumble down the stairs below, who knows? That would have been truly terrible. Now that I think about it, choosing to embrace Nina and dodge together would have been a better judgment and outcome. Perhaps my subconscious mind considered my athletic reflexes, which ultimately led to the current situation. But in my opinion, this was already the best possible outcome within my capabilities. I really am out of shape. If I had started moving cargo at the convenience store two weeks earlier, I probably could have handled it better.’
“……I’m sorry……”
The girl, for some reason, timidly glanced at Su Yuanyi for a moment before weakly apologizing again.
Just then, the infirmary door opened.
Expecting either the young lady or the school doctor, we instead saw a pretty woman dressed in professional attire.
You’ve got to see this next! Crow's Golden Fragment will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : Crow's Golden Fragment
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