The atmosphere of a small café around Riverside, a restaurant & café named Habana Can D, in the afternoon was quite aesthetic. The calm and peaceful vibe truly made hanging out more interesting.
Kai, Chloe, and Daisy were at this café. It was all Chloe's idea, asking Kai to treat her as payback for helping Daisy. As a man who stands by his word, of course Kai agreed with her wish.
But this ungrateful girl had the nerve to order Copa Lolita, Tiramisu, and Mocha. Yes, this greedy girl's bill alone was $25. Luckily, Daisy only ordered Hot Chocolate for $4, and for himself, Kai only ordered a tea. The total amount Kai had to pay was $32.
Kai stared at Chloe eating heartily, giving a bitter smile as he thought this girl was truly greedy.
"Good?"
"Mmm-good~"
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Kai took a tissue and wiped the corner of Chloe's lips where there were leftover sweets she had eaten. "Seriously… you eat like a pig, how do you stay fit not fat."
"Hahahah~" Chloe laughed while letting Kai wipe her mouth like a little kid. She didn't blush because her brain's receptors were now focused on the food. This girl was a foodie.
"How am I not fat? What are you chirping about? I'm Chloe Kalani, 16 years old, currently in the peak of my teenage years."
Chloe posed and puffed out her chest. Kai didn't really buy that yapping, because if you're talking about the sexiest girl, that certainly wasn't Chloe.
Kai's eyes stole a glance at the sweet girl who looked very innocent and timid. She was the complete opposite of Chloe. Daisy, long straight brown hair with bangs, cheeks blushing cherry red, she was truly as cute as her name "Daisy."
But who would have thought that a girl like this is the girl who becomes naughty when Caleb opens her "seal"? You wretched game author, how could a girl fit to be a cute, pretty wife be turned into a super bitchy girl in her bad ending.
Kai sighed, feeling a bit depressed seeing this innocent girl could do a 180-degree turn just because she was ruined. Later she would even become a "cake" seller for the "fishermen" at night when her mother was sick.
"Hello~ Earth to Kai."
Kai snapped out of it and saw Chloe still with her messy face. He wiped the girl's face with a tissue again, acting like a big brother truly doting on his little sister.
"What, fatty."
"I'm not fat!" Chloe made a pouty face, that fake sweet look made Kai click his tongue and wipe Chloe's messy face a little faster before finishing.
"So what did you want to say?"
"You were stealing glances at Daisy earlier~ don't tell me you—" Chloe put one palm over her mouth and giggled to tease Kai. "—you have a crush on Daisy~"
"...I don't even know Daisy."
"Then why did you ask me to help her?" Chloe grinned at Daisy and brought her face closer to this innocent girl. "Daisy, do you think Kai is handsome~?"
"E-ehh, um..."
Seeing Daisy flustered and confused like a squirrel, Kai thought to step in and rein in Chloe who was too excited.
"Chloe..."
"Huff, you're no fun." Chloe pulled back from Daisy's face then continued nibbling her sweets.
"Sorry about her."
"U-umm... it's okay. You two... are very close, huh."
"Close? We only just became friends two days ago."
"Hmm hmm," Chloe nodded with puffed-out cheeks. This girl truly had no manners, luckily she was pretty.
"Huh? Two days?"
"Yep, I just met her and befriend I guess." Kai took a sip of his drink with a small slurp. "Sorry for suddenly dragging you here."
"Ah, it's okay..." Daisy looked down and stirred her hot chocolate. "This is the first time... I've been with someone other than Caleb..."
Daisy's face, lost in her thoughts, certainly didn't escape Kai's gaze. Was he moving too fast in his relationship with "Daisy"? But looking at Chloe, it seemed he had already succeeded in befriending "Chloe."
However, he had no plan on what to do with Daisy. Kai chose "Chloe" first after Risa, clearly because he wanted to make Chloe the vice chair of the student council, and he also wanted to make it easier for him for monitoring "Chloe's Route" in the future when "Ren" entered the school.
As for Daisy and Iris, especially Daisy, if referring to his memories while playing the game, "Daisy's Love Events" mostly happened at school and at nightclubs if her mother was sick and she needed money. As for Iris... full RNG, she was the "final boss" after all.
"Can I ask you something, Kai?"
"Hmm? Sure, Daisy."
"Why did you ask Chloe to help me earlier..."
Hearing Daisy's words, Chloe also looked at Kai. This situation truly made Kai feel a bit uncomfortable, like he was guilty but he hadn't done anything wrong. Chloe's sharp gaze, with her mouth still chewing, also didn't help his mind feel calm.
"Umm... Maybe because I don't like seeing scenes like that, and no one wanted to step in. You know the bystander effect? So since no one wanted to help, I wanted to help."
"Hmm... Then why did you ask me to do it?" asked Chloe.
This fatty, Kai grumbled in his heart. Why couldn't this girl just shut her mouth and continue eating.
"Why? Well, if I helped directly, Daisy's friend who 'loves her so much' would have gotten even more out of control, compared to a girl who suddenly showed up."
"Fair enough, you're really smart and calculating."
Yeah, I'm also surprised how "Kai" can have such a sharp brain like this. Kai sighed and smiled at Daisy with his template good-guy smile. "Once again, I'm sorry for suddenly interfering in your friend's business."
Daisy shook her head. She also smiled, even if it was a little shyly. "It's okay... I'm also sorry about the commotion earlier."
"Is your friend always like that? So possessive?" Chloe asked after swallowing her drink.
"Possessive... yeah, he is a bit possessive."
A bit, she says...
Daisy sighed, her face a little gloomy but she still smiled. Maybe bittersweet was the right word to describe Daisy's confused expression.
"He wasn't like that before... he changed a bit when we were in middle school. Back then, I often got love letters in my locker, and somehow, I don't know, he suddenly became like that. He even always got into fights with boys who tried to get close to me..."
"You know that and just let it happen? Never scolded him, ouch—" Kai rubbed his leg and looked at Chloe who just now suddenly kicked him under the table. It seemed Chloe was telling him not to interrupt the story.
"Continue, girl~, don't mind him." Chloe flashed her smile at Daisy, to let this girl pour out everything in her head.
"O-okay."
Daisy took a breath before continuing the conversation that had somehow become a bit heavy. Kai only listened, and kind of half-listened, because from everything Daisy said, it all ultimately pointed to one thing he already knew.
Caleb was a "Villain" just like Kai. If Kai weren't currently inhabited by "Ryan," he was sure Kai was no different from Caleb. In fact, he was even more of a monster because his target was his own biological little sister.
I don't know... I've vowed to at least make these capture targets live a normal life if somehow the male lead, Ren, later doesn't choose or reach the harem route.
They are human beings, people with feelings, not just "game" characters, That's what Kai always have plant in his mind. The first heroine is Iris. She is the capture target who gets the most spotlight compared to Chloe, Daisy, or even Risa.
Among the four heroines in the game, the heroine with the lowest score is "Daisy Marigold." The reason is her story is boring compared to a sickly girl like Iris, a cheerful girl trying to become an idol like Chloe, or a little sister trying so hard to be recognized by her own family like Risa.
Daisy's story is just a cliché story about an innocent girl slowly turning into wrong way, because she is "broken," ruined by the story itself. This girl truly seems like she will receive punishment forever.
In the end, throughout Daisy's story, Kai just drank and listened, lost in his thoughts. His ears heard Chloe and Daisy's chat, and his mouth occasionally answered and chatted with them, until the clock showed 7 PM and the three of them parted ways to go home.
Walking home, Kai knew he was being followed. That feeling appeared after he parted ways with Daisy and Chloe. Honestly, he was a bit scared because the last time he walked home near night, he lost his life, stabbed by his friend's ex-girlfriend.
That trauma still haunted him a bit, especially since this month's moon was full... just like that time.
"Hey, what were you talking about with Daisy earlier?"
A deep voice seemed to stop Kai's footsteps. He turned around, his eyes a little surprised to see the source of the voice. Before he responded with a question.
"...May I help you with something?"