In this crossover anime, I've been bound to two systems.

Page 71

“I can tell you very clearly that I did not say any of those nonsense things.”

Do you think I would still believe what you're saying now?

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha fell silent for a moment, and things inexplicably became complicated.

Without giving her much time to think, a faint noise came from downstairs, followed by her mother's loud question.

"Shiyu, do we have guests at home?"

"It's Eriri, don't worry about her."

After she shouted those words back, she saw her own tightly closed door.

She looked at Eriri Sawamura as if she understood something.

How is the soundproofing of your room?

"Why are you suddenly talking about... ah..."

Eriri Sawamura realized what she and Utaha Kasumigaoka had said to each other while they were playing around in their room after waking up from that dream.

"It seems the misunderstanding has finally been cleared up."

"...But the fact that you plotted against me remains unchanged."

"I have no intention of denying it. Do whatever you want."

"Hmph...shameless fellow."

"Now that you're here today, I can talk to you about some things."

"what?"

"Regarding Qianli, he came to see me yesterday."

Seeing the sudden shift in Eriri Sawamura's gaze, now filled with tension and concern, Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled softly, then added with a mischievous grin,

"Shortly after you left school."

…………

Chapter Ninety-Five: Host and Pet

At 5:30 p.m., I took the tram and got off at Shimokitazawa Station.

Suzumiya Senri and Goto Ichiri each held an umbrella and walked towards their destination.

Shimokitazawa is located in Setagaya Ward. It is not large in scale but is very popular among young people. Fashion boutiques, cafes and bars can be found everywhere in the streets and alleys.

Many years ago, a really nasty guy single-handedly ruined the reputation of the entire Shimokitazawa area, turning it into a kind of internet celebrity area (sadly).

For a considerable period of time, large crowds would gather to catch a glimpse of the filming location of a particular work. They would line up and shout at a house in the Shimokitazawa area, making unintelligible noises, and tirelessly film and record these incidents and post them online.

However, this trend has faded in recent years, and it is rare to see netizens using related memes anymore.

Perhaps the hype has died down, or perhaps those who were once so enthusiastic about the topic have now settled down and started families, making it difficult for them to bring themselves to do such shameful things.

Along the way, Suzumiya Senri had already seen several performance halls, each with eye-catching signs and walls adorned with trendy English characters and graffiti.

He saw a vinyl record store, and for some reason, the image of Touma Kazusa popped into his mind. She was a piano student, and he wondered if she would be interested in such a store.

"It's just ahead, just around the corner."

Goto Ichiri pointed ahead and said.

"oh oh."

Suzumiya Senri nodded.

"Can you tell me about the person who invited you to join the band yesterday? What was your impression of them?"

"Ah... um... she has blonde hair."

"Hmm, what else?"

Just like Eriri Sawamura.

"He seems very cheerful, not like a reclusive person like me."

"There's no need to deliberately add a second half to belittle yourself. Don't you have any other characteristics besides these?"

"And... she seemed to be casting some kind of spell while she was speaking, making it impossible for me to refuse her."

"Ah, I'm sure of that, it's your own problem..."

As they were talking, they had already turned the street corner.

"That's it..."

Goto Ichiri pointed to the sign not far in front of him.

"Eh--"

Suzumiya Chisato stroked her chin.

"The store is called 'Starry Night,' which is a wonderful name. It sounds both gentle and dreamy."

"Thank you!"

As Suzumiya Chisato casually remarked, a girl leaned over and thanked her in a clear, crisp voice.

Like a timid rat, Goto Ichiri lowered his head and hid behind Suzumiya Chisato the moment he heard the voice.

"Ah, who are you?"

Suzumiya Chisato looked at the girl who had suddenly approached her.

"This shop is owned by my sister. I'm sorry I overheard what you said earlier. Thank you for confirming the name 'Starry Night'."

The girl with blonde hair, like the sun, has a bright smile that gives people a warm and energetic feeling, even on a rainy day.

Even though her casual approach to conversation was a bit abrupt, it didn't give off an annoying or offensive feeling. If affability had an attribute, she would definitely have it maxed out.

"Ah, isn't this Ichiri-chan? You brought your friend here today, thank you!"

“Ah… Yeah…”

Goto Ichiri timidly popped his head out from behind Suzumiya Senri, his ahoge twitching, like a snail peeking out of its shell sensing danger. He only glanced at her briefly before quickly retracting his head.

"Ichiri-san, since you know each other, at least come out and say hello properly."

Chisato Suzumiya tries to use words to give the timid snail a boost of encouragement.

Unfortunately, it did not work.

"Haha, it's okay, I don't mind. I know Ichiri is an introvert."

The cheerful girl smiled and waved her hand, indicating that she didn't mind.

"It's raining outside, let's go inside and talk."

"kindness."

With her little tail following her, Suzumiya Chisato stepped onto the staircase beneath the "Starry Sky" sign, accompanied by the blonde girl.

The performance hall is located on the basement level. After pushing open the door and entering, you need to go down another flight of stairs before you can see the entire performance hall.

The lighting, though not bright, creates a pleasant atmosphere. A simple bar counter serves as both a water bar and a cashier's counter, where a mature woman with blonde hair sits.

Besides that, there's a conspicuous stage that's currently unused, an empty space, and six or seven small bar counters placed along the edges.

Since it was her first time visiting such a place, Chisato Suzumiya showed considerable interest, looking around curiously.

The blonde girl led Suzumiya Chisato to an empty table and quickly brought her a drink from the bar.

"It's still early, so there aren't many people around. It'll get much livelier later. If you're interested, you can stay and watch. There will be a band performance tonight, so it'll be very lively... Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet. Hello, I'm Ichiki Nijika, a second-year student at Shimokitazawa High School."

"Hello, I am Suzumiya Chisato, a second-year student at Minegari Affiliated Academy, just like Ichiri-san."

Reaching out to shake hands with Ichiji Nijika, Ryoumiya Chisato's fondness for this energetic girl grew even stronger.

Although he verbally agreed during his lunch break to come and help Goto Ichiri refuse to join the band, he actually harbored the thought that if she was a good person, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let Goto Ichiri join.

"Suzumiya-kun is so handsome, is he Ichiri-chan's boyfriend?"

"puff!"

The two people having the conversation didn't react much, but Goto Ichiri, who had been quietly drinking his beverage through a straw, couldn't help but spit it out.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

She kept nodding at the two of them, then hurriedly pulled out tissues from her pocket.

"Ah, it's alright, Ichiri-chan, I'll just go get a dishcloth from the bar."

After wiping the table, Ichiji Nijika's curious gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them again.

Suzumiya Chisato felt that she couldn't always be the only one talking to the other person, so she turned to look at Goto Ichiri, meaning she wanted her to answer the question from before.

"Ah... um... um... Haruhi-san is my... angel, savior... ah! It hurts!"

After being hit on the head, Goto Ichiri covered his head and shrank his neck.

"It's not enough for you to feel ashamed yourself, you have to drag me into it too."

Suzumiya Chisato withdrew her hand and looked at Ichiji Nijika, answering earnestly.

"Actually, I am the owner of Ichiri-san."

"Eh!"

Ichi Nijika's face turned bright red in an instant, revealing her pure and innocent nature.

“…Ijichi-kun, you actually believed it?”

Suzumiya Chisato realized that this was also a child she couldn't joke with.

"w...woof?"

Goto Ichiri hesitated for a moment, then made an animal-like sound.

"Don't cooperate with me at this time!"