"That will be 160 yen."
The cash register dinged as it was pushed.
Sen Getsusa held her cola after paying but didn't leave. She stood in front of the girl who was collecting the money as if she were loitering, grinning and winking at her.
Aoyama Nanami looked around, leaned forward, and urged the girl in a low voice to wait for her at the door.
Seeing that other customers were starting to look over, Sen Getsusa suppressed a smirk, waved her hand, and turned to leave the convenience store. Her long wavy hair swayed behind her, emitting the scent of some plant flower stem.
This woman, really, if I were a Boy, I'd definitely be smitten by her.
Aoyama Nanami watched her back.
Her name was Sen Getsusa.
Previously, she had made up her mind, resolutely left her hometown, and come to Tokyo all by herself to strive toward her goal of becoming a voice actress.
Her meeting with Sen Getsusa stemmed from a chance robbery.
—Well, maybe not entirely by chance, since Aoyama Nanami had seen too many idle punks while working here.
At that time, that girl had knocked down the robber with a swift kick and picked up her wallet and keys as if nothing had happened. When she handed them over, she even winked at her.
She and Sen Getsusa became friends after that strange event.
During that time, the money she earned from her part-time job alone wasn't enough to rent a decent place, and she had to cover transportation and three meals a day; life was very difficult.
During occasional chats, she would pour out her heart to this gentle girl, venting about her bitterness, helplessness, hard work, and sacrifices—telling her everything.
'Ah? Is that so? Little Nanami, I happen to have a small house that no one is living in.'
'You know me, I'm a total mess and don't like tidying up rooms.'
'If it's Nanami, you definitely won't be as messy as me. Just stay in my house! When you're free, help me clean up the room, and we'll call that the rent!'
'It's just a tiny house anyway.'
Aoyama Nanami was very grateful for Sen Getsusa's help—she had thought it would be a small single room in a remote suburb, and had even specifically bought a lot of disinfectant and floor cloths to take there.
She was prepared to work hard.
However, when she arrived, she discovered it was actually a large flat in a bustling downtown area... A tiny room?
Are you a princess from Versailles?
Later, the money she insisted on giving her was returned in various ways—turned into food and daily necessities, all given back without a trace... Later, as they knew each other longer, Aoyama Nanami's understanding of Sen Getsusa grew deeper—what "doesn't like tidying up" and "a total mess."
Are you serious?
She was clearly a great cook, had superb organizational and management skills, and was also a painter.
This girl, just to help her and prevent her from feeling awkward, would tell any kind of lie... just like how a rapper will say anything just for the rhyme.
('～`)
"Hey! What are you thinking about? Come out quickly."
Sen Getsusa's head peeked back in from the doorway, playfully waving at the dazed Aoyama Nanami, signaling her to hurry up.
Aoyama Nanami quickly greeted the colleague beside her, took off her hat, and chased after her.
Sen Getsusa was sitting on a bench not far from the convenience store, with a large box beside her.
"Here."
The gift was an exquisite red microphone.
"So you did hear me back then..."
This was a gift she had wanted for a long time.
When she was saving money, she had specifically calculated how much more she needed to buy this limited edition microphone.
Sure enough, Sen Getsusa had found out.
Sen Getsusa pointed to her ear: "I heard it. Nanami, practice with it at home. So, any success lately?"
Aoyama Nanami pursed her lips and shook her head: "Not yet..."
The interviews hadn't gone very smoothly, but Aoyama Nanami subconsciously hid the hardships.
"Don't be in such a hurry. If you've set your mind on it, then just keep going." Sen Getsusa leaned her head against the back of the bench, tilting her neck to stare at the cherry blossom branches above.
"The cherry blossoms are about to bloom."
The evening light was soft, and the wind felt comfortable on her face.
Aoyama Nanami followed suit, tilting her head back: "By the way, Tsukisa, your entrance exams are coming up soon, right?"
"Hmm? Aren't yours too?"
Aoyama Nanami pointed to the microphone: "It's an arts high school; my test scores and art grades allow me to advance directly. Oh, I saw an announcement that the second volume of 'Tsukihime' is about to be released~"
Her words were tinged with teasing; Aoyama Nanami hadn't been clear about Sen Getsusa's 'title' and her identity before.
"Otaku are really terrifying. But it's the first time I've seen a Boy dare to chase after Sha-chan so passionately." Aoyama Nanami had laughed her head off seeing Sen Getsusa's straight-faced, helpless way of dealing with that Boy.
"That guy is a straightforward and passionate otaku. Sigh, it's the second volume. I'm being hunted down by that woman Akasaka Akane every month."
"When it comes to submitting manuscripts on time, that's probably a pain for every creator."
Aoyama Nanami spoke with an air of importance, "But doesn't Sha-chan imagine everything in her mind first and then just start drawing? I've never seen you run out of inspiration."
Regarding painting, Aoyama Nanami had a different opinion: "Actually, compared to manga, I still prefer Tsukisa's oil paintings. On the walls of the room—"
In the flat where she lived, there were many paintings Sen Getsusa had created when she was idle: "That 'Bullet Teeth' and 'The Woman Swallowing a Wine Glass' are great! I think if Tsukisa officially entered the art world with oil paintings, it would also be a good choice."
Sen Getsusa was noncommittal; those were all just her hobbies.
"By the way, speaking of which, I'd like to ask Tsukisa for a favor." Aoyama Nanami said, "Yuno... she's been a bit strange lately."
Yuno? That pink-haired Gasai?
Sen Getsusa thought about it; it probably was.
In her memory, she seemed to have very good grades, always right behind her after every exam. In daily life, she lived very'standardly' and gently, no matter what she did.
She could be described as a girl who never made mistakes and followed the rules to the letter.
"I Yuno Tsuma." Sen Getsusa indicated she remembered: "I remember, she used to work part-time with you, right? She often came over at school to ask me some very difficult questions. Is she from Class B? Ah! Last month, I remember, she was even messaging me at night to discuss math problems. What's wrong with her?"
Aoyama Nanami showed a worried look: "She suddenly stopped coming recently. She's also started becoming taciturn at school. I noticed under her neck... there are bruises."
Sen Getsusa's expression turned serious, "Bruises? Domestic violence? Or bullying?"
Aoyama Nanami shook her head: "I don't know if it's her classmates at school or her family."
"I was wondering why she hasn't contacted me lately; it seems something happened..." Sen Getsusa pulled two lizard-shaped lollipops out of her pocket and handed one to Aoyama Nanami.
"Pineapple flavor." She tore open the wrapper and popped it into her mouth: "I'll ask tomorrow. But if we're just friends, we shouldn't overstep our bounds too much."
Aoyama Nanami's was strawberry flavor.
She took the indescribable, strangely shaped lollipop and thanked Sen Getsusa reluctantly: "Right, I think so too. Let's see how things go first."
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