Crunch.
Kenji looked at the Gourmet Research Club while chewing on an apple he bought from the convenience store.
Their numbers had increased since he last saw them. They seemed to have new members, but they didn't appear particularly dangerous. However, since the original Gourmet Research Club was the same, Kenji didn't let his guard down around the two. Surely, they too harbored madness deep in their hearts.
“Uu, uu…… please stop……”
“Stay still. It's hard to draw.”
“That's right. Stay still. Unless you want to get hurt.”
While Kenji sat on a convenience store chair looking outside, the new Schale members, Wakamo and Akira, were drawing lines on the forehead of the part-time worker with a water-based marker. Although it was a light marker that would wipe clean with a wet wipe, it must have been highly unpleasant for the person on the receiving end.
But the part-time worker, Sora, instead of getting angry, stood there dumbfounded, accepting their touches. She looked like prey before a predator, or like a frightened rabbit trembling. The emotions Sora was feeling probably weren't much different from those two cases.
“Done drawing.”
Wakamo placed the marker in her hand on the counter and nodded with satisfaction. Akira, standing beside her, burst into a clear laugh.
“You draw better than I thought. This is a perfect tic-tac-toe board.”
“Hmph, compliments won't get you anything. Just shut up and decide who goes first.”
“As you wish.”
Soon, the two started rock-paper-scissors to decide who would draw first. Watching the scene, Sora trembled, her pupils shaking. Her gaze soon reached Kenji.
“H, help me. Brother……”
“Huh, Sora? Why?”
Kenji turned his head toward her upon hearing her small muttering. Then, seeing her tearful face, Akira's expression of joy at winning rock-paper-scissors, and the black tic-tac-toe board drawn on Sora's forehead, he frowned.
“……What are you doing?”
“There's a board that looks good for tic-tac-toe, so we're going to play a round to pass the time. Want to join, cult leader?”
“We have visitors, so stop and come out. And erase the drawing too.”
Kenji said that with a deep sigh. He threw the apple piece he was holding into the trash and got up from his seat.
“We just drew it……”
“If you want to do it, do it on your own clothes. Don't bully an innocent kid.”
“My clothes are expensive.”
“Is Sora cheap?”
Akira shrugged instead of answering.
As soon as Kenji stopped them, Wakamo pulled out a wet wipe and carefully wiped Sora's forehead. Since it wasn't a paid item but a wet wipe from the convenience store display, Sora's face paled, but Wakamo paid no mind and used the wipe recklessly. As the black lines on Sora's forehead disappeared cleanly, Kenji looked at her pityingly and spoke.
“Are you okay?”
“……I, I-I-I'm okay. Thank you for helping……”
Sora trailed off, looking at the wet wipe packet that Wakamo had torn open roughly. Kenji let out a short breath and took out cash from his pocket, handing it to Sora.
“That's for the wet wipes. No need to cover it from your wallet.”
“……Thank you.”
As if familiar with such things, Sora accepted the money Kenji handed over without any refusal.
In reality, Sora had encountered a wide variety of customers while working not at the Schale convenience store but elsewhere. Among them were customers who came in groups to cause trouble, and there were quite a few cases where robbers pointed guns and demanded money. Thanks to that, she didn't get too flustered over someone just taking and using wet wipes.
It would have been the same even if it wasn't the Calamity Fox using them.
“……H, heeek!”
“Husband, how should we entertain the visitors?”
Sora glanced at Wakamo's fox mask, and when their eyes met, she let out a cute scream and turned her head away. But Wakamo showed little reaction, only swishing her thick fox tail. Since she was wearing a mask, her face couldn't be seen, but judging by her calm voice, she didn't seem angry.
Perhaps Sora's reaction was familiar to her. And it made sense.
The seven escapees known as the fugitives weren't infamous before they were caught. But Wakamo and Akira were famous in a bad way even before they were caught. Wakamo as a terrorist, Akira as a thief.
Moreover, after escaping, their reputations only grew…… It was understandable that Sora was scared of her. And surely, others would also fear the two when they saw them. It must have been the same before they were caught, but after being labeled as fugitives, those gazes would have intensified. Wakamo being accustomed to Sora's fearful gaze might have been natural.
Of course, the reason she gained notoriety was entirely her fault. But it's also true that such gazes are not suitable for a girl of her age.
“Hmm.”
Kenji pondered briefly, then lightly patted her hair. It was intended to give the meaning that he wasn't particularly scared of her, hoping she'd gain at least a small comfort. Meanwhile, he turned his head toward the Gourmet Research Club and spoke.
“Let's hear their story first. If they try to go somewhere other than Schale, refuse, and if they try to take me by force, you step in and drive them out.”
“……Ah.”
“I might get into trouble if I step in, so I'm asking you.”
“……Ah, au, hae, ua?”
Wakamo didn't give a proper answer, only uttering syllables that didn't form words. Kenji gave her a puzzled look.
“……Wakamo?”
“Yeh, yesth! The maiden is here!”
Wakamo answered hastily, stumbling over her words. Kenji tilted his head, and Akira burst out laughing. Regardless, Wakamo flailed her arms aimlessly and smacked her lips.
“B, but husband! Isn't such skin contact still too early……! B, but if husband wants, the maiden! Anytime……!”
Wakamo muttered that while covering her mask with both hands. Kenji understood the underlying meaning of her words and his face contorted sharply, and Akira swished her slender tail as if displeased.
“……No wonder they say like master, like dog. You're good at spouting nonsense. Tsk, cult leader. Let's leave that smelly stray dog and groom each other. Where should I lick first?”
“……You shut up too.”
Kenji let out a deep sigh and grabbed Akira's lips with his fingers, shaking them.
Lipstick marks came off on Kenji's detached fingers. Akira sensuously flicked her tongue, licking the part his finger had touched. Pink flesh poked out, licked the similarly pink lips, then disappeared. Her moist lips glistened in the light.
“Mmm…… tastes like apple.”
Kenji gritted his teeth and ignored her voice. Then, he opened the convenience store door and went outside. Akira followed him with elegant steps, and Wakamo, who had been lost in delusion, snapped out of it and moved to follow them.
Sora closed the door that Wakamo hadn't closed and broke into a smile.
“F, finally they're gone!”
*
“Uuum…… how do we get in? I know we can enter the first floor, but I don't know how to find Kenji……”
“What if we ram in with the car?”
“Let's save that as a last resort, Akari.”
A very scary sound was heard. Kenji hurriedly opened Schale's main gate and rushed outside. The hot sunlight poured down as if welcoming him, and the heat from the asphalt struck his face. His face naturally scrunched up. Even though it was early summer, the artificial ground exposed to the sun held a lot of heat.
“Ah, Kenji! Did you come out to greet us?”
Haruna called out with a cheerful voice. Kenji forced his crumpling face to straighten and waved at her.
“Yes. I glanced out the window and saw you all, so I came out to greet you. But what brings you to Schale? The teacher hasn't returned yet, so meeting the teacher is impossible.”
“Fufu, it would have been nice if the teacher was here, but having Kenji is enough.”
Haruna got out of the car with an elegant smile. Junko followed, and Izumi and Akari stood beside Haruna, carrying two people tied up on their shoulders. The gazes of students passing by focused on them.
It was natural. A sudden group of six. Among them, two were tied up like luggage and carried on shoulders…… As humans, it was a sight that couldn't help but draw attention. Kenji was the same. He let out a dry laugh and looked at the black-haired girl with horns on her head, carried on Akari's shoulder.
She seemed embarrassed by the surrounding gazes, burying her face deep into Akari's shoulder. Akari laughed softly and whispered in her ear.
“Do you like me that much, Fuuka?”
“……I hate it. I want to go home……”
“Uhuhu……”
Kenji barely tore his gaze away from the two and looked at Haruna to speak.
“……So, what's the purpose of coming to Schale?”
“To teach you about gourmet food as promised. For proper gourmet food, we've also brought the people in charge of meals at our Gehenna Academy, the Relief Knight Club. Let me introduce them. This is Fuuka and Juri.”
Haruna pointed to the black-haired girl and pink-haired girl respectively and spoke. He thought they were members of the same Gourmet Research Club, but that didn't seem to be the case. If they were in the same club, there would be no reason to carry them tied up like that.
“Fuuka's cooking skills are guaranteed by us, the Gourmet Research Club. As for Juri…… we brought her just in case. Challenge is an essential element in gourmet food!”
“……So, you're not planning to go around restaurants, but want to cook at Schale?”
“Yes. Going around restaurants seems like it would take too much time. Let's make a separate appointment for that.”
Haruna said that and approached Kenji with clacking steps. Wakamo behind him gripped her gun tightly, and cards appeared in Akira's hand behind her back. Kenji gave the two a look to stay still for now, then smiled at Haruna.
“So, in short, you're asking to borrow Schale's kitchen?”
“Can you allow that?”
“It's not a difficult request. But what if I refuse? Is that why you brought…… the Relief Knight Club? Those people.”
Kenji asked in a gentle tone. Haruna answered lightly.
“If it doesn't work today, we'll come tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, the day after, right? It's an opportunity to show someone what true gourmet food is, and we can't miss that.”
“……Do the Relief Knight Club members think so too?”
At Kenji's question, Fuuka lifted her head and shouted.
“I want to do it too! Let me cook! If not, I'll be kidnapped again tomorrow! I have to make school meals, I don't have time to be kidnapped!”
Her voice was filled with pleading and desperation. It seemed that being harassed by the Gourmet Research Club wasn't a first-time experience for her. She must have known early on that they were the type to do whatever they wanted. Kenji twitched his eyebrows and fell into thought.
But there was only one choice anyway. If he sent them away today, they'd come tomorrow, and if he sent them away tomorrow, they'd come the day after, so it was better to handle it quickly today. It was also right to ensure the human rights of the Relief Knight Club.
“……Alright. Come in.”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
Fuuka shouted happily.
Kenji looked at her with a pitiful gaze.
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