"Haaaa..."
He hadn't sold anything.
People just kept looking at his goods, only to pass by. Were they messing with him?
What the hell was wrong?
Yami gazed at the items laid out in his bundle.
"Peroro dolls, 4.92x34mm ammunition, Shiro & Kuro recorder figures, stationery..."
He could understand why the figures weren't selling; people had their own tastes. But shouldn't bullets usually sell? He was selling them cheaper than convenience stores.
And they weren't even defective bullets.
"Haah... I can't face Hoshino-senpai like this."
Should he try going to Trinity? There was that one student there who was so obsessed with Peroro they even went to the Black Market, so he might sell well there...
"...I should head back soon."
It was already getting close to 7 o'clock.
"Haaaah..."
Sighs kept escaping him endlessly.
Shiroko-senpai said too many sighs would make your hair fall out...
"Um..."
"If you're just browsing, please go ahead. I'm closing up now."
"No, I came to buy."
"Excuse me...?"
At the words "came to buy," he stopped tidying up and looked at the person.
The other person was a woman with milky white hair, wearing a maid outfit.
'Is this the trend these days?'
Just moments ago, Yami had seen a group of people wearing maid outfits walk by, so he thought it was a trend and didn't comment on it.
"How much are these bullets?"
"Ah. Um...you're really buying them?"
"???"
At Yami's words, the woman wore an expression that clearly asked, What are you talking about?
"Ah. Sorry. It's just that no one has actually bought anything, they've just been looking from before."
"Is that so? Then, how much are they?"
"300 yen." (Approx. 3,000 won)
"Here."
"Ohh!!"
Finally, he made some money!!
With this, he wouldn't have to worry about the train fare home today...
"This... figure... I've never seen it before."
The woman looked at the remaining figures shaped like a mouse and a crow. It seemed she was interested.
"Of course! I made those myself! Their names are Shiro and Kuro."
"....Perhaps the price of this is..."
"Ah. Since you're my first customer, I'll give it to you as a service. They're easy to make, anyway."
The real ones were inside the bundle. Something like this was fine to give away.
And since they hadn't shown any sign of selling, he might as well just give it.
"Thank you very much."
"Oh, I should be thanking you! Well then, safe travels!"
Feeling like he was about to miss his train, Yami said his thanks to the woman and ran off.
However, in his haste, Yami didn't realize at the time.
He didn't realize then just how tenacious a bad connection this meeting would be with that woman.
"He's an interesting person."
Asuma Toki said, watching the male student running off in the distance.
Riiiing~!
"Rio-sama."
[Toki. Where are you? I distinctly remember assigning you to investigate the ruins?]
"I apologize, Rio-sama. I forgot to bring ammunition."
[What? You didn't bring ammunition? Hmph... Fine, I'll send some your way rig—]
"It's been resolved."
[...]
Static. A sound crackled from the other end of the communicator.
Oh dear...
[Then go and handle it immediately!!!!]
"Understood. Call sign Zero-Four. I will proceed with the mission."
Hearing Rio's enraged voice, Toki hurried towards the designated location: the ruins.
"Squeak..."
"Cawwww...."
"Hmm?"
Where was that sound coming from...?
[Toki!!]
"Yes, I'm coming."
She must have misheard.
There didn't seem to be any animals around.
At that moment, Toki didn't notice one thing.
The eyes of the figure she had received as a 'service' earlier were glowing.