You’re Right, They’ll Expel Me if I Run into the Store with a Weapon!!

“We’ve arrived! The shopping mall!”

“Wait a minute, Kaika.”

Shiori grabbed the excited girl’s shoulder with her right hand.

“We were supposed to go eat, so why did we end up at the shopping mall? Or rather, why were we brought here?”

“Isn’t it better to go to a restaurant in a fun, lively place than just any restaurant around?”

“We’re just taking a break. It’s just lunch.”

“I know that! Now, let’s decide where to eat!”

“Do you understand?”

In front of Shiori, who looked at her suspiciously, was Kaika, scanning the directory board, and Sorato, who remained silent.

“…”

“What’s wrong, Sorato? You’ve been quiet this whole time.”

“No, it’s just… my gaze…”

Responding to Shiori’s question, Sorato looked away, his eyes darting elsewhere.

“Your gaze…?”

“Um… I… from a bit of a distance…”

“Stop right there.”

Having finished checking the directory board, the girl grabbed the arm of the boy, who was slowly backing away.

“Yeah, I get it~. After all, it’s one against two, and one is Shiori-san~.”

“Please let go, it’s really bad!”

“?”

Leaving Shiori behind, the two whispered among themselves.

“It’s fine~. If anything, you should brag about it later, like, ‘Isn’t it cool being with Shiori-san?'”

“Do you want me to die? This person is telling me to die. That’s seriously not a joke!”

“What’s not a joke?”

“!?”

A voice came from close by. Naturally, Shiori had closed the distance and initiated the conversation.

“No! I was just planning on making Sorato popular with the girls!”

“Eh, wait a minute.”

“Popular… huh.”

“Yes! But this kid has low self-esteem and doesn’t think he can become popular! If he shines at an event, he’ll be popular.”

“Is that so.”

“Kaika! What are you saying!”

“Shiori-san! I would like to ask for some encouraging words for this child!”

Ignoring Sorato’s wishes, Kaika fabricated a suitable topic, and Shiori took it seriously, observing the flustered Sorato.

“Sorato.”

“Ye-yes?”

“You have… a androgynous face.”

“Yes?”

“Your face isn’t bad, so if you dive into the senior class, there might be a chance.”

“…………ahhh.”

“See! You might have a chance!”

With a serious response, the boy’s face turned bright red, and the one who slapped his back hard was the person who had created this situation.

“Ah, Shiori-san! I found a good-looking restaurant, so let’s go there!”

“Alright, understood.”

Without showing any signs of remorse, Kaika intertwined her arms with those of Shiori and Sorato and started walking while cheerfully saying, “Let’s go!”

“One ultra-juicy hamburger with demi-glace sauce, please.”

“I’ll have the same. What about Sorato?”

“Please give me one with grated daikon.”

“Understood!”

The cheerful voice of the waitress fades as she puts away her device and disappears.

Present at the scene are Kaika and Sorato, sitting side by side, with Shiori sitting across from them.

Kaika chose a hamburger restaurant. The spacious area, filled with customers, overflowed with a sense of openness.

And then,

“The gazes again…”

“It’s already over.”

“Gazes?”

A boy turns pale as a girl, smiling, pokes him in the stomach. However, Shiori,

“I feel it, too.”

“Eh?”

“Ever since we entered this restaurant, I’ve felt gazes on us.”

“No, but”

“I might say it myself, but I tend to attract people’s gazes. I’m aware of that.”

Shiori speaks with a sharp voice in front of the two, slightly unsettled, conveying the facts.

“But this time, the gazes feel somewhat different…”

“That means…”

“Yes, there are multiple gazes.”

The intuition of those in the hierarchy held credibility.

Thus, the eyes of the two listening became serious.

“Maybe they’re trying to take us down before the event.”

“It’s a bit different… these gazes don’t have murderous intent.”

“You can tell that much?”

In front of the astonished pair, Shiori calmly analyzed the gazes she felt through experience.

“One of them is… probably.”

“Sorry for the wait!”

“!?”

An unexpected voice interrupts their heightened senses.

“First, the ultra-juicy hamburger with grated daikon for this guest.”

“Ah, that’s me.”

A sizzling hot plate is placed before Sorato, followed by two more for Shiori and Kaika.

“Please enjoy your meal!”

The cheerful waitress leaves, and Shiori refocuses on the gazes.

“The food was prepared quickly, wasn’t it…”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

Sorato, wide-eyed, looks at Shiori, biting her lip.

“The gazes disappeared… Now, I only feel the usual gazes.”

“Is that so?”

“…”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Kaika? You’ve been looking at the door.”

“Ah, yes, well.”

Kaika responds to Sorato’s query in an unsettled voice.

“Just now.”

“Yes?”

“The door opened by itself.”

“What are you talking about?”

That’s strange. The restaurant’s door is manual. It shouldn’t open by itself.

“Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?”

“I’m telling the truth! I saw it with my own eyes!”

Kaika insists on what she saw despite Sorato’s doubt. Shiori then theorizes,

“Invisibility… Maybe we were being watched.”

“That means…”

“They knew we noticed and ran away.”

Considering Shiori’s suggestion, Sorato and Kaika gulp.

“There were multiple gazes, right? The others?”

“They’re completely gone.”

“Is that so…”

As silence falls, Sorato and Kaika wrap themselves in cautious fear.

Seeing the two, Shiori smiles gently.

“It’s okay. As long as I’m on the same team, I won’t let anyone harm you.”

“Shiori-san…”

“No matter how trivial, if anything happens, call me. I’ll come.”

“Yes…”

Despite being classmates, the difference in experience and ability greatly contributed to Shiori’s credibility.

Her words resonated warmly, comforting the two.

“Let’s eat then. Don’t worry, if we’re attacked during the meal, I’ll handle it.”

“Yes!”

With their guards down, the two grabbed the forks and knives placed on the table.

“We’ve arrived! Blahow!”

“Wait a minute, Kaika.”

“…We’ve arrived! Blahow!”

“You don’t need to say it again.”

After finishing their meal, they visited a clothing store known as “Blahow,” a name derived from the abbreviations of “Black” and “White.”

“We’ll continue our training.”

“Just listen to me for a moment, please!”

“…What is it?”

“There are two reasons we came here.”

“And?”

“Since training began, we’ve had no rest outside of school.”

“Yes, and as a result, we managed to extend human enhancement by a minute.”

Normally, it would take months to achieve a minute’s improvement, but they did it in just a few days. However, it came with great hardship.

“It’s true! Our bodies have been screaming non-stop! We need to rest soon, or we’ll break!”

“…Did we overdo it?”

“It was hard to say since you were teaching us, but we were pushing the limits.”

Kaika confronted Shiori with a fact she had been hiding for days, and Shiori, reminiscing, darkened her expression.

“…Sorry, it might have been too hard.”

“But I was really happy we extended it by a minute! Thank you so much for that!”

“Sure.”

Kaika brightly thanked a reflective Shiori.

“So! That’s why I thought we needed a break today, and that’s why we came here!”

“But, why here?”

“Sorato, that’s the main reason.”

Kaika began staring intently into Shiori’s eyes, confusing Sorato.

“Shiori-san?”

“What?”

“Do you have any modern clothes?”

“…”

“I thought so.”

“What do you mean?”

As Shiori stood silent, Sorato voiced another question, to which Kaika explained.

“Amakusa-sensei asked me. Shiori-san is indifferent to girlish things.”

“…!”

“Indifferent?”

As Shiori tensed up, Kaika’s explanation continued unabated.

“Shiori-san has always been focused solely on combat power. Meaning, she’s always been training and studying.”

“That means?”

“She doesn’t know shopping or fun! A complete workaholic!”

That was her standing, tenth in the hierarchy. Since enrolling in the combat school, Shiori had led a life devoid of leisure time. She neither shopped nor socialized, and had few friends.

“So, Amakusa-sensei told me! To teach her girlish habits! In other words, to make her try fashionable outfits!”

“Amakusa-sensei…”

Shiori made a face as if she had bitten into something bitter, recalling her homeroom teacher.

“Not Amakusa-sensei! Anyway! I came here to turn Shiori-san into a modern girl! Now, let’s choose!”

“…But, is that really necessary?”

“Save that question until after you hear the next one.”

Cutting off Shiori’s objections, Kaika cheerfully posed a question.

“Shiori-san, do you have someone you wish to date right now?”

“Eh, no, but…”

“……eh?”

Kaika was genuinely surprised at Shiori’s casual response.

“You don’t? We’re talking about romantic relationships! Lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy!”

“I’ve never thought about it.”

“…”

“Kaika, if Shiori-san says so, it must be true.”

Shiori’s straightforward denial did not seem deceitful. With a resolute expression conveying her true intentions, Kaika was left speechless, as if she had been thinking about something entirely off the mark.

“…Let’s just buy some girlish clothes for now. Really, there will probably come a day when they’ll be useful.”

“Uh, okay, I understand.”