"Kanna Hiiragi, do you always sneak around like a ghost?" Kazuma thought. Without the system marker showing her location—the mini-map from God's perspective—he would have been genuinely startled.
Why do these girls always like sneaking up on me?
"Why are you here? Didn't Akane say you were waiting for her?"
"Waiting for what? I walked right past Akane and she didn't even notice me. She was spacing out, grinning like an idiot," Kanna Hiiragi said, her tone tinged with bitterness. "She was supposed to be resting in the infirmary this afternoon, but I saw her sneak out to find you!"
Seeing Akane Nanao sitting with Kazuma in the classroom had completely ruined Kanna's concentration for the entire afternoon. She waited impatiently for the bell to ring before rushing out. Even though she didn't know what they talked about, Akane's expression made it obvious—they had grown closer.
"So what? It's not like we did anything shameful," Kazuma said with a relaxed smile as he lazily stroked the cat in his arms.
"Kazuma-kun, you look really happy…" Kanna Hiiragi muttered, clearly displeased by his cheerful expression.
"Of course I'm happy when I'm full. Is that a crime?"
"Is that really the reason?" Kanna crossed her arms, her voice turning sharp. "Let me remind you—Akane is a good girl. You can't treat her the way you treated me."
Kazuma stared at her in disbelief and pointed at himself. "Treat you how? You were the one dragging me into it! Didn't you ask for my help? And now you're blaming me?"
Kanna Hiiragi fell silent.
A moment later, she suddenly smiled sweetly, subtly puffing out her chest. "It's all the same. You didn't exactly dislike it either, hmph. Besides, Akane isn't just pretty—she's confident and strong too."
Her tone became teasing. "Don't tell me you've never thought about her."
Kazuma's eyelids twitched. He wanted to deny it, but even he had to admit Akane Nanao was attractive. And honestly… what was wrong with that?
"Kazuma-kun," Kanna Hiiragi said, her expression softening, "since you saved Akane, I won't hold it against you. I understand her. She went through something frightening, so of course she's going to rely on you more…"
Kazuma: ???
Why does everyone seem to know this already? Was it really that obvious?
"Still," Kanna continued seriously, "you can't do anything inappropriate with her. She already likes someone. If you really have… those kinds of thoughts, you can come to me instead. I'm not worse than her, right?"
Kazuma looked at her with mild disdain. "Kanna Hiiragi, just say what you want. Stop making excuses."
"I am saying it!" she snapped, stamping her foot. "I already admitted I like you. If I wanted to be with you, Kazuma-kun, I'd say it directly. No excuses!"
Kazuma fell silent.
"You really are fearless."
"But back on the rooftop, you didn't exactly look away either…"
"No. Absolutely not," Kazuma said firmly. "I only helped because you paid me. You paid too much—anyone would've done the same."
Kanna Hiiragi clenched her teeth in frustration.
"And if I remember correctly," Kazuma continued calmly, "I was the one helping you the entire time. You were the one feeling comfortable. I didn't feel anything."
He shrugged casually.
"Then I can help you next time too," Kanna said, her eyes sparkling mischievously. She leaned closer and whispered softly, "I can return the favor."
"…."
Was she doing this on purpose?
Seeing Kazuma hesitate, Kanna covered her mouth and giggled, taking a few steps back. "Hehe, but not today. I need to go find Akane. We'll talk about it next time, Kazuma~."
She lightly touched her lips, waved at him, then turned and ran off.
Kazuma watched her retreating figure, then glanced at the system's wish list and muttered, "She's getting bolder every day. Yesterday she was still acting shy. Today she's saying things like that without blinking. Sigh."
"Meow?"
The kitten leapt onto Kazuma's head, curling up in his hair and peering down at him, puzzled by its master's conflicted expression.
As evening approached, the noise of the school gradually faded. Kazuma sat alone on a bench, gazing at the sky as the deep blue slowly darkened under the setting sun.
"It's time to go."
The once-bustling schoolyard was now empty. Perhaps shaken by the recent death, students packed up quickly and left without lingering. The vast playground lay completely deserted.
Not a single member of the baseball team remained.
Kazuma stood up. He planned to spend the night in the old school building again. That wallpapered room provided a sense of isolation that made him feel strangely at ease. Before that, however, he needed to buy a few necessities with the money he had.
Just as Kazuma took his first step, a system notification interrupted him. Noticing the exclamation mark on the minimap, he tilted his head. "A new wish list?"
It seemed shopping would have to wait.
Following the system's guidance, Kazuma crossed the empty playground. His mood was light, buoyed by the satisfaction of completing previous wishe, and he felt full of motivation.
A few minutes later, Kazuma stopped in front of the teaching building. Something felt wrong—a powerful sense of déjà vu washed over him. After changing into indoor shoes, he climbed to the third floor and stood before his classroom. The door was closed, and the system marker was unmistakable.
It was inside.
No way. This can't be happening.
Chaotic thoughts surged through his mind.
"What a strange sense of déjà vu…"
He took a deep breath. "Impossible. There have to be normal people left in this world…"
He pushed the door open.
Inside the empty classroom, everything was quiet and peaceful—except for the pink-haired girl lying on the desk, sweating as she struggled to express milk from her full breasts. She looked up as the door opened.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.