"That's so chuunibyou, Helmet Uncle. Are you perhaps a middle schooler even younger than me under that helmet?"
Anna's originally keen eyes turned into a look of concern for a mentally unstable person.
Lin knew his plan had succeeded when he saw that look.
But why the moniker "Helmet Uncle"?
This was quite similar to Griseo calling Mobius "Aunty."
"Were you thinking 'The wind is really clamorous today' while standing on the rooftop? That's terrible. You've completely shattered my beautiful fantasy." Anna clutched her head and sighed in distress.
"..."
"Do you know? When I was looking for you just now, I felt my breathing quicken and I was sweating..."
"Excessive exercise."
"And heart palpitations and a pounding heart..."
"Monosodium glutamate syndrome."
"No matter what, you annoying chuunibyou uncle have already shattered my fantasy. How are you going to compensate me!"
This was why Lin didn't want to deal with people who were overly self-satisfied. Once things didn't go as they imagined, they would flip from one extreme to another. Fortunately, Lin didn't have to worry about this girl following him anymore.
He even comfortably picked up his coffee, slightly lifted his helmet, and took a sip.
[Lin, why did she not believe you when you told her the truth?]
Prometheus was even more bewildered by this.
However, Lin did not tell her why. On one hand, he couldn't explain the weakness of human thought processes to Prometheus in front of Anna, and on the other hand, he was afraid Prometheus would genuinely learn this trick and use it on him.
"I have missions to attend to. Don't follow me anymore." Lin finished his coffee in one go and prepared to pay the bill.
It was a surprise to Lin that he encountered a girl with a personality as bizarre as Elysia's during his outing, but it ended here.
Anna suddenly asked, "So, did you save that person because you wanted to play the hero?"
Lin nodded without hesitation: "Yes."
"...Liar."
"..."
However, just when Lin thought the farce was completely over, Anna's look of utter disdain did a complete 180-degree turn, and she smiled slyly.
"You said all those strange things because you wanted me to think you were rambling and hate you, right? But your last sentence exposed you! Hehe, do you think I'm amazing? Please call me Detective Anna~"
[Lin, I don't understand.]
Let alone Prometheus, Lin himself didn't understand.
He seemed to forget that he was also a person with certain emotional deficiencies. In terms of completeness, he was probably on par with Prometheus, and it was precisely this point that exposed him.
"In your own setup, you're a member of a mysterious organization. According to that setup, you wouldn't save people just to play the hero. The premise and the conclusion contradict each other."
"..."
This subjective and flawed deduction, by sheer Accidental, hit upon the truth.
"Anyway, you're definitely not just a simple chuunibyou uncle. Of course, the things you said yourself were too exaggerated. Maybe they were half-truths."
"...So?" Lin was now completely at a loss for how to deal with her, just like with Elysia in the past.
"So? So I'm going home."
"..."
Anna was very satisfied with Lin's slightly surprised look upwards. She mischievously stuck out her tongue. "Even if Helmet Uncle is some incredible person, so what? I just thought you were handsome, cool, and kind, and I wanted to talk to you more. Now that I've said what I wanted to say, I'm going home."
She truly was... a very individualistic person.
Accustomed to the rigid adherence to rules in Fire Moth, Anna's unconventional personality gave Lin a long-lost sense of novelty.
"And..."
Anna's light pink eyes sparkled, like a star twinkling inside. She smiled like a beautiful elf from a fantasy. "And Helmet Uncle looks very troubled and has a very sorrowful aura. Both cute and pitiful. I just wanted to tell Helmet Uncle that there's at least one perfect, beautiful girl like me in this world, so you don't need to be disheartened with the world~"
"..." Lin was silent for a moment before nodding. "I will."
Anna shook the damp beret, put it back on her head, stood up, and stretched languidly. "That's great~ Then I'm heading back. My parents are urging me! You can treat me to this drink, Uncle~"
"...Parents?"
"Hehe, yes, my mom and dad are also absolutely, invincibly beautiful and handsome people."
"..."
Anna stood behind the automatic glass door, smiled, waved at Lin, and then left.
Lin stood in place, looking at the empty seat, pondering.
"She's gone, why are you still looking?" The waiter walked over, placed the bill on the table, and shook his head helplessly at Lin. "If you really like her, go after her. Who's going to like you when you wear a helmet and pretend to be weird?"
"...No."
Lin looked at Anna's file, which stated "parents deceased," and shook his head with a serene expression.
...
"Anna, you're late today? Didn't you say school was on holiday?"
"Sorry, sorry, I had some trouble on the way today."
"Be careful, you know? There are a lot of accidents lately, and the weather's bad. I'm even considering whether we should close for a while."
"That would be a headache for me, then."
"Hahahaha..."
Anna took off her coat and beret, tied on her apron, rolled up her sleeves, and walked into the hotel kitchen, greeting her colleagues. Her playful yet gentle smile was returned by a smile from everyone who saw her.
By all appearances, everyone else was at least five or six years older than Anna. She was undoubtedly the youngest employee here.
After finishing her preparations, Anna started her shift for the day.
Doing the work of three people and keeping everything organized, Anna's efficiency was far higher than others. This was a promise she had made to the owner when she begged him for the job.
Others would often look for her for help, too. After all, this girl was both enthusiastic and capable, always willing to solve any difficulty she encountered.
Slowly, fine beads of sweat formed on Anna's forehead. She had been running around the city all day and was already tired. Working at high intensity now was starting to take a toll on her body.
She was starting to feel unwell, but she managed to endure until closing time.
"Anna! Remember to turn off the lights and lock the door after cleaning up!" The owner handed her the keys. This child was indeed trustworthy. Even though she had to work for money, she had never engaged in any petty theft. He felt very safe entrusting the task of locking up to her.
"Roger! Mission accomplished!" Anna saluted smartly, grinning widely.
Only after everyone else had left the store did Anna finish cleaning the interior. She walked out of the kitchen, rubbing her aching head.
It felt like she had a fever. Should she take tomorrow off...
Then, she froze.
A helmeted man was sitting quietly in a corner of the restaurant, his hands on the table, watching her as she walked out of the kitchen.