Tokyo: After years of stagnation, the heiress of the yakuza arrives.

After the room quieted down, Kuroba Shido realized that his decision to send Onodera Zanne to the toilet seemed to have opened up another unknown scenario.

He was the only one left on this side of the small table.

The small futon opposite was empty, and the cup of tea on the table was still there. The tea was half drunk, and a thin wisp of steam lingered around the rim of the cup, slowly rising and dispersing in the dim old light, looking somewhat like a key piece of evidence left behind at a crime scene.

Kuroba Shido sat cross-legged on the ground, his back very straight.

It wasn't that he wanted to sit so upright.

He was afraid to make any rash moves.

Onodera Zannen is in the toilet.

The soundproofing in this run-down apartment was barely adequate, let alone nonexistent.

Even if you hear a little water running in the bathroom, or even if the uncle downstairs sneezes, Shido Kuroba can deduce from the volume of the sound whether the other person is having miso soup or a discounted bento from the convenience store.

This is very awkward.

Very embarrassing.

He's sitting here now, and he feels like he can't even breathe properly.

Making even the slightest movement would make one appear guilty.

Not moving would only make him seem more guilty.

Kuroba Shido stared blankly at the teacup on the table, his mind racing.

Should we go outside and wait?

No, the door wasn't properly closed after he went out. If the senior student comes out and sees he's not in the room, she might think he took the opportunity to run away.

That would be even worse.

You can't just keep sitting there.

What if some embarrassing noise happens later? As a kind and poor boy, wouldn't Kuroba Shido have to bury himself in the cracks of the floor right there?

He thought for three seconds.

I've decided to go out anyway.

Human civilization has been able to develop to this point because of the ability to proactively evacuate from dangerous areas before embarrassing situations occur.

Kuroba Shido slowly braced his hands on the ground, preparing to get up from his cross-legged position.

We've only climbed halfway up.

Suddenly, Onodera's lingering voice came from the direction of the toilet.

"Shidou-san."

Shido Kuroba froze.

He remained in a half-squatting, half-kneeling posture, like a poor frog preparing to escape but being called out by the prison guards on the spot.

"exist!"

He answered loudly, almost instinctively.

The next second, he realized something was wrong and quickly lowered his voice.

"Senior, what's wrong?"

The restroom fell silent for a moment.

Onodera's echoing voice came from behind the door, softer than usual, as if tinged with a hint of embarrassment.

"Could you come over here for a moment?"

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Could you come over here?

Where was it in the past?

At the toilet entrance?

No.

Senior student.

Isn't your statement a bit too information-heavy?

A hundred outrageous conjectures instantly popped into Kuroba Shido's mind.

Is the faucet broken?

Is the toilet door broken?

We're out of paper?

The toilet is cracked?

A cockroach kingdom appeared inside?

Or has the senior finally realized that the sanitary conditions of this apartment have crossed the line of human decency and is preparing to have him go there for a live trial by the student council president and archery club president?

Kuroba Shido became increasingly panicked the more he thought about it.

But not going is not an option either.

He steeled himself and stood up, leaning on his crutches, limping to the toilet door. He was extremely cautious throughout, keeping his eyes fixed on the wall beside him, determined not to look near the crack in the door.

"Senior, I've arrived."

Behind the toilet door, Onodera Zane seemed to pause again.

Her voice was very soft, with a hint of shyness that she was deliberately suppressing.

"That... seems to be here."

Kuroba Shido didn't react at first.

"Which one?"

The next second, he realized what was happening.

He froze on the spot.

They went to walk the horses.

Why does this dungeon have hidden mechanics?

Onodera's lingering voice continued, still as soft as if she were somewhat embarrassed.

"I didn't bring anything with me. Could you please buy it for me, Shido-kun?"

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Could this be another one of my senior's smooth little combos?

Someone was waiting for him here specifically...

No way, my senior wouldn't be that bad, would she?

What if?

What if the senior is a good person?

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Well, if he hadn't seen those warnings from the ruthless system, he might have actually believed that his senior was a good person...

This is clearly the kind of scene in romantic comedies specifically designed to torment the male lead. The problem is, he doesn't want to participate in this romantic comedy at all; he just wants to go back to Amamiya Kaoru's house to see if the Daikoku family has chewed up the old cow's house.

Kuroba Shido opened his mouth.

Then it closed again.

Finally, he spoke with difficulty.

"Senior, which one do you want?"

Behind the toilet door, Onodera's voice was very soft.

"Anything ordinary is fine, Shido-kun can decide what to buy."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Buy whatever you see.

These four words are even more terrifying than "Minister changed the location of the weekend club activity to my house".

He's a poor teenager who usually has to compare discount tags when buying rice balls. Now you're asking him to "buy" sanitary napkins "by looking"?

Kuroba Shido took a deep breath.

"I see."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left.

The movements were very fast.

It was even faster than when I heard Miyazaki Kiyoshi say "answer the phone" earlier.

He carefully shoved the door open a little, and limped out of the room... thud thud thud.

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

The room fell silent again.

The slight hesitation and awkwardness inside the toilet door disappeared.

A few seconds later, the door was gently pushed open.

Onodera Zannen walked out from inside.

The unnatural shyness from before was gone from her face; her expression was calm, and her eyes were clear, as if her soft plea for help was just a natural performance.

She walked to the center of the room and quietly looked around.

Kuroba Shido left.

She was left alone in the room.

The details of this old house became clearer after Shido Kuroba stopped interrupting.

Indentations on the bedside, wear and tear on the table, empty shelves in the cabinet, a broken door that was barely pieced together by the door, shallow marks on the floor from a cane, and a trace of tea left next to a cup.

Onodera Zannen slowly walked over.

She didn't rummage through anything.

Just watching.

They watched it very carefully.

It was as if they were confirming that every trace of Kuroba Shido belonged to this place.

Her gaze finally landed on the other side of the small table.

There was the teacup that Shido Kuroba had just drunk from.

The tea in the cup was half empty.

It was still steaming.

Onodera Zannen stood by the table and watched quietly for a few seconds.

Then... he reached out his hand!

Current status: Pleasant...

Meanwhile, at a convenience store near the rat-infested area.

Kuroba Shido squatted in front of the women's products shelf, looking as if he had been forced into a realistic hell by fate.

In front of him was a whole row of packaging.

Daily use.

For nighttime use.

Ultra-thin.

Lengthened.

It has protective wings.

No protective wings.

Large quantity type.

Sensitive skin.

Fragrance type.

Kuroba Shido stared at the words, cursing under his breath.

"Wait, why are there so many categories for this stuff? It's not like baijiu (Chinese liquor), why are they categorizing it as strong aroma, sauce aroma, 'tech', or 'harvesting韭菜' (a derogatory term for exploiting consumers)..."

A young couple passing by stopped for a moment.

The boy glanced at Kuroba Shido, then at the shelf in front of him, his expression subtle.

The girl glanced at him too, her expression even more subtle.

That look, translated, probably means: What is this person doing squatting here?

Shido Kuroba looked up.

The two looked at each other.

The air was quiet.

The young couple quietly moved half a step to the side.

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

What are you looking at, Mom?!