“What are you buying at the mall?”
“…………”
“Oh, are you just window-shopping?”
“…………”
“Window-shopping’s fun too!”
“…………”
“Ahaha…”
“…………”
A man and a woman walked down the bustling main street.
Yet, there wasn’t a hint of romance in the air.
If anything, no matter how much I tried to talk, Rui refused to say a word.
And, as if she couldn’t stand walking beside me, she trailed behind, hood up.
The sight of us moving in single file, silent, was一to put it mildly一like a criminal being escorted.
一We ended up going together, but the atmosphere? Absolute hell.
I’d been worried about Rui’ condition after hearing the radio this morning.
Running into her alone on the same day was an unexpected opportunity一but she wasn’t giving me an opening.
Just as I started panicking about wasting this chance一
“一Oh. Rain.”
“…Tch.”
For someone like me who wanted more time, this was nothing short of a blessing.
The rain didn’t start as a drizzle一large drops began pouring down all at once.
In a panic, we took shelter under the entrance of a nearby building.
Judging by the way it fell and the feel of the air, it was just a passing shower.
“Well, it is May, after all.”
A muttered comment, with the unspoken implication that the rainy season was near.
“Or maybe not.”
“Huh?”
I hadn’t expected a reply, so I turned to her in surprise. The girl was staring up at the sky, her voice tinged with self-deprecation.
“I’m a rain magnet. So maybe it’s my fault. How pathetic.”
With that final jab, she shot me a sidelong glance.
But there was none of her usual sharpness in her tone.
Unsure how to respond, I settled on a harmless question.
“Do you hate the rain?”
“I do.”
She cut me off before I could even finish.
“I hate it. I despise it. About as much as you, I’d say.”
“……That’s an intense level of hatred.”
“Yeah.”
With that, she fell silent again.
For a while there was silence,
only the sound of rain hitting the asphalt filled the air一until, suddenly, words spilled out of me.
“Don’t you feel like listening to music on rainy days?”
The mingling of silver threads tapping the roof and the melodies of instruments一an open-air concert in the rain.
It was an honest preference of mine.
But at the same time, it was also a trait of Rui from Watayume.
Maybe that’s why the words slipped out so easily.
There might’ve even been some calculation behind it一a hope to bond over shared interests.
Which was exactly why一
“────”
一I couldn’t understand the look Rui gave me just then.
Her clear blue eyes, like a tranquil lake, trembled violently, as if battered by a storm.
Surprise was obvious at a glance. Anger, too, was unmistakable. And beneath it all, a faint tinge of disappointment.
That final drop in her gaze… was it envy? Even if I’d misread it, one thing was certain:
what swirled in her eyes was far from joy.
“Huh…? You don’t… like it?”
“一I don’t.”
Her voice was colder now, quieter than before but laced with unmistakable rejection.
“…………”
I had no response. I was at a complete loss.
This reaction was nothing like what I’d expected from Rui一no, from the original “Rainblade Rui.”
The real her adored music. That was the very essence of her epithet.
The title “The Beautiful Conductor” wasn’t just a reference to her combat style.
No一shouldn’t have been. So what did this difference mean一?
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“I changed my mind.”
Her voice still icy, the girl spoke flatly.
“I was just killing time, but now I don’t care. I’m leaving.”
Whether by luck or misfortune, the rain began to recede like a retreating wave.
Within seconds, the absurdly clear sky stretched before us.
Leaving me behind, still half-convinced I was dreaming, Rui started walking away.
“I’m just retracing my steps. I don’t need a guide.”
She was headed straight for the station. I had no words left一I could only watch her go.
Long after her gray hoodie disappeared from sight, I sluggishly began moving toward my original destination.
It wasn’t until the shopping mall came into view that I finally noticed it.
Amid the flashy signs of famous brands, tucked away in a corner, was the modest sign of a CD shop.
一I don’t. like it.
“……That’s a lie.”
Something was definitely different.
The Rui I knew, who loved music, and the Rui now一something had changed.
And then there was the possibility of her being unwell.
Was it my fault? I had no way of knowing.
But I wasn’t naive enough to assume I was completely unrelated. More than anything一
“When your oshi character’s down, you’d do anything to help. That’s just what otaku fans do, right?”
That reason alone was enough.
“Alright, I’ll figure something out.”
……Even if I had no idea what that “something” was.
◇◇◇◇◇
Conclusion: no matter what, I had to bridge the gap between us. That was all.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t even listen to me一just like today.
At the very least, I needed to reach a point where she’d actually hear me out.
“Which means… first, I’ve gotta clear up this misunderstanding.”
Well, “misunderstanding” wasn’t quite right一back at the mall, I’d deliberately played the villain.
……Give me a break, okay? At the time, that was the only idea I had! And hey, it worked in the moment… even if it only worked for that moment…
Lost in my jumbled thoughts, I barely noticed the afternoon slipping by一
“We’re going to an executive meeting.”
until Kushina suddenly spoke up the moment she returned from wherever she’d been.
“An… executive meeting?”
“Yes. Exactly what it sounds like一a gathering of the Six Apostles.”
“Uh, that sounds bad…”
No, scratch that一it was bad.
“I’m not an executive, though. Is it okay for me to go?”
Plus, I’d helped Hinata take down “Gouki the Brute.”
If the higher-ups knew about that, I’d definitely be summoned for questioning…
My cautious question earned a strangely flustered reaction一Kushina averted her eyes, almost sheepishly.
“You’re… my aide. So it’s fine.”
“Ohhh, so you’re allowed to bring one subordinate. Meaning… you’ve been going alone this whole time?”
I gave her a look reserved for pitiful creatures.
“Listen… Most of the others go alone too. It’s not like this is a trip一it’s not like anyone wants to go together!”
Massaging her temples, Kushina sighed in exasperation.
……Uh, could you not say things like, “If it were a trip, I’d want to go with you”?
“Besides, these meetings barely happened once a year until recently.”
“Huh.”
Didn’t sound like a summons, then… But a gathering of villainous executives was still trouble.
The quiet after the rain suddenly felt like the calm before a storm.
◇◇◇◇◇
As usual, we arrived at Café Manhattan一but unusually, a “Closed” sign hung on the door despite it being midday.
Kushina pushed it open without hesitation, and I followed. We headed past the “Staff Only” door where I’d once seen the owner, Yuika, and the executive “Mion the Purple Smoke” disappear together.
Descending the hidden staircase beneath the floor, Kushina murmured as if to herself.
“From here, we’ll be wearing our hoods.”
Following her lead as she twisted her pocket watch’s crown and donned her robe, I voiced a question.
“You usually hide your identity, right? But Gouki knew you. Were you two… close?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Kushina shot me a flat look.
“He was strong enough, and his hatred for Libra was unmatched. He just knew more than the average grunt. That’s all. And一”
“一This is where those average grunts gather.”
Emerging from the dim staircase, we were met with一
“No way…”
一a vast underground space far larger than I’d imagined.
The reinforced concrete structure was impressively wide and tall.
If not for the lack of windows, I’d never have guessed we were underground.
At the center of the hall was what looked like a bar.
Its atmosphere and clientele gave off a distinctly rough vibe.
……Kinda like an adventurer’s guild with a tavern attached, maybe?
“There are a few other hideouts like this underground. This is just the biggest one.”
“Huh…”
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