Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

"Are you still half asleep, you silly rabbit?"

"No... I just... never mind, I guess I was just half asleep."

Chang Rong fumbled in his pockets, occasionally letting out a confused sound, because his movements looked like he had Parkinson's disease, which earned him merciless teasing from Shiro.

—For some inexplicable reason, I thought there would be a photo in my pocket, but after rummaging around for a while, all I could find was my phone, tissues, band-aids, the study key, and that bell. I guess I was just half asleep and confused my dreams.

But speaking of the bell... why do I always feel like this thing was already 'given away'? Considering Sherry's previous speculation, it seems that this bell was given back to me by 'someone'. Who could that person be?

Although her thoughts were chaotic and complicated, she couldn't find a corresponding solution. In the end, Chang Rong decided to put these messy thoughts, along with the bell, deep into her pocket and stop thinking about them.

Watching the young man stride forward, Nikaido Hiro also frowned in thought.

—The suffocating feeling that had been there since I arrived in prison, like being strangled by an invisible rope, suddenly eased a lot… Is this change really just a difference in mindset?

Although Nikaido Hiro had her brows furrowed at this moment, she was actually in a very good mood. However, it was precisely because Nikaido Hiro was in such a good mood that she felt conflicted and confused about this.

This is referred to as the left-right brain interaction mode.

While attributing everything to the idealistic conclusion that "that guy makes people feel relaxed" can explain many things, Nikaido Hiro has never been the kind of person who would choose "ambiguity".

—Without a doubt, I really like that guy…cough cough cough! Not that kind of liking, absolutely not!

"...Hiro-chan? Why is Hiro-chan suddenly shaking her head so violently? Did she catch a cold? Or did she suddenly think of someone she likes?"

"Emma, ​​shut up...!" "Woof!?"

—My train of thought was interrupted by that stupid dog, let me start over. I was just thinking about someone I like, so… no, no, that's not right, that's not right, that's not right!

I forgot the beginning and the end, but it's all Emma Sakura's fault!

After unleashing another basic attack on Emma, ​​Heero finally calmed down and returned to the 'correct' path.

—; I don't actually dislike spending time with Yi, but that almost 'physical' change is still too strange. (Dad)

Actually, there's something about Chang Rong that has never been explained—his [magic].

If Chang Rong possesses some kind of "magic" that can affect the mental realm, then many things might be easier to explain.

But the question is, how do we prove it? Should we send this idiot rabbit to roll around on the lawn with each of those ill-advised, unintelligent, and morally bankrupt prospective witches, and give them a little pat on the head?

……

"Tsk...!"

"Hey, hey, I really didn't do anything this time, right!?"

The clearly audible click of the tongue from Nikaido Hiro almost made Chang Rong react with shock again.

Behind Chang Rong and Xi Luo, at the very back of the group, was Sakura Emma—her pale pink eyes were fixed on Chang Rong's back.

—I want Chang Rongjun to pat my head more and more, I want to use Chang Rongjun's lap as a pillow all night, I want Chang Rongjun to hold me tightly, I want...I want to be pinned down by Chang Rongjun.

The soft, pink-furred puppy, unnoticed by anyone, stuck out its tongue and greedily licked its lips. Its innocent and kind eyes were gradually being tainted with a morbid possessiveness.

"Sakura-chan, we need to hurry up. Are your legs still a little numb?"

"—Ah, no, no, Chang Rong-jun! I was just thinking about what to have for lunch, hehe..."

The white-haired boy's words made Emma Sakura suddenly turn around. She quickly pursed her lips, then gave an innocent smile and quickened her pace to get closer.

Volume 1: Chapter 68. Please line up in an orderly fashion to collect your rabbit.

"Hey hey, Hannah Hannah~ Detective Sherry's truth radar is going off non-stop!"

"What... uh, Radar? When did you, this gorilla woman, book that artificial human modification surgery?"

Inside the restaurant, the blue-haired detective girl, Shirley Tachibana, poked at the non-Newtonian fluid-like porridge on her plate while glancing around at everyone in the cafeteria. She whispered to the blonde girl in twin ponytails and a green Lolita dress next to her.

"Hey—Hannah's吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or witty remarks) skills seem to be getting better and better lately. Did she secretly go to Watson for tutoring?"

"Ying Shi... Qi... What the hell! Why would I go to that three-way tutoring center... Besides, there's no such weird tutoring center as Er You Jiu! I thought you'd suddenly become more human lately, but it turns out it was just my imagination!"

Young lady Hannah Tono blushed slightly. She immediately refuted Sherry Tachibana's wildly wrong guess, then snorted and forced herself to finish the food on her plate.

"Hehe, I thought you'd chat with Watson about all sorts of things when you brought him the mended clothes, but it turns out it was just wishful thinking~" Tachibana Sherry happily ruffled her hair and said in a 'how ridiculous' manner.

"He seems to only have two or three sets of clothes to change into, so I'm the one who has to mend them, right? Hehehe... cough cough! Anyway, don't make wild guesses!"

Hannah Tono felt strangely happy that she could legitimately sew clothes for others, but she soon realized that a young lady like her shouldn't be happy about such things.

This would make her appear to others like a stingy wife from an ordinary family who is reluctant to buy new clothes for her husband, so she immediately stopped smiling.

"Hmm~ But I don't think I'm just guessing randomly, okay? Beneath the seemingly ordinary and warm daily life, there are undercurrents, and the only one who has noticed this dark aura is the incredibly cute, incredibly handsome detective with a figure that rivals Astartes's arm strength, Sherry-chan!"

"I don't understand what you're saying at all... Anyway, yes, yes, please eat your food properly, Detective, and don't waste any food, especially don't use apples as a grip strength tester again!"

Hi~~~

Shirley Tachibana grinned foolishly as she agreed to her dining companion, Hannah Tono, though her amber eyes continued to scan the crowd in the cafeteria.

There were indeed many 'strange' things in the restaurant right now. Although Hannah Tono didn't notice them, Sherry Tachibana wouldn't miss these subtle discordant notes.

Noah Shirosaki, the 'balloon artist'—who is usually absent-minded and carefree, and occasionally stares blankly at broccoli, seems preoccupied today for some reason, and keeps glancing at Anan Natsume beside her. Hmm... could this be a sign that the little group is about to fall apart?

Natsume An-an—a quiet girl who doesn't actively socialize unless necessary. Usually, she just frowns and sticks out her tongue while eating, occasionally pulling out her sketchbook to doodle. But today, she's been giving Watson, Coco-chan, and Rhea-chan strange looks. What's she thinking?

Arisa Wisteria – Although she used to be quite unruly during meals, she's become much more docile since my Watson defeated her!

However, for some reason, Arisa-chan was unusually well-behaved today. She didn't even lift her head and just kept eating, as if she was afraid of making eye contact with someone... Strange!

Nanoha Kurobe—this aloof girl with lots of leaves on her head, who used to always stick close to Watson, seems to be avoiding him today. Hmph, has she finally realized there's no point in continuing like this? But that idiot Watson is starting to take an interest in Nanoha, how infuriating! It's just bread, how can my assistant be lured away by something like that!?

Sawatari Coco—Ever since Watson chose her as a stress-relieving toy, Coco-chan has become much more docile. However, she seems a bit restless, constantly looking around, and occasionally staring at Natsume An-an for a while… Could it be that she wants to steal An-an's phone to restart the broadcast?

Tachibana Sherry quickly glanced around at everyone. To put it simply, apart from Uncle Saeki Miria, who remained as stable and reasonable as ever, the other prospective witches all seemed a bit strange.

Of course, the strangest one is still—

The blue-haired detective's gaze fell upon the trio of white, black, and pink-haired individuals.

—I didn’t see Emma, ​​Hero, and Watson during breakfast time, but after breakfast, I saw Hero and Emma return to their cells just before the morning curfew.

During lunch, the expressions of the three people were super strange! Although Hiro S-chan seemed (almost normal), she would suddenly stare at the tops of other people's heads from time to time, and her white gloves were touching each other as if she wanted to rub something. Could it be that she was under too much pressure and started losing hair, so she developed a sense of crisis?

—As for Emma, ​​she was the complete opposite of Watson… Watson didn’t know what was wrong with him; even though it was already noon, he still looked like he hadn’t woken up yet and was in a daze.

Not only did she look like she hadn't slept, but her cheeks also looked sunken and shriveled, almost like she had been forced to exercise for hours at the gym.

Emma, ​​on the other hand, looked incredibly energetic, her cheeks practically glowing with oil! Could it be that she found some hidden kitchen, or perhaps she caught some prey while fishing or hunting and was sneaking in an extra meal?

Honestly, it's not good to sneak food!

Shirley Tachibana stared intently at Chang Rong and the other two, trying her best to observe them. She wished she could use her incredibly sharp eyes to see through these four or three strange creatures no matter how you looked at them.

"Hmm...not enough evidence!"

Unfortunately, even with the magnifying glass amplifying its power, Sherry's Eyes still couldn't see through the pink-haired puppy's little scheme.

"Can't you just eat properly... even though it really tastes awful. Speaking of which, where did Nanoha Kaori's bread from yesterday come from? I wish I could eat it every day... um?"

As Hannah Tono listlessly poked at the barely recognizable vegetables on her plate, she muttered to herself, but she immediately sensed something was off and turned to look at the blue-haired detective beside her.

"What?! Hannah? Is there something on my face?"

"No—it's just a little strange. You, the gorilla girl, shouldn't usually immediately chime in with something like, 'Indeed, where do bread and truth come from? Let Sherry-chan investigate this thoroughly!' You're unusually quiet today?"

Hannah Tono looked at Sherry Tachibana with some curiosity and said.

"Hehehe, I never expected that Hannah-chan would see me as such a wise detective who is always thinking about problems!"

"No, no, no, I absolutely didn't mean to praise you in what I just said, Desuwa!"

“However, I feel like I’ve been thinking about some things a lot lately… some of them are so profound that even I can’t figure them out at all!” Tachibana Sherry said cheerfully, while secretly glancing at the white-haired boy who was still yawning.

"Then let's wait until you've figured out some mystery before you give your thoughts... I've finished eating, and I still have to clean the living room later. Seriously, who has such a twisted sense of humor as to break a broom into four pieces? What kind of weird weapon are they planning to synthesize, Desuwa!?"

Tono Hannah picked up her plate and left the restaurant while complaining. Although she often complained lately that "there are more places to clean" and "I also have to take time to iron and wash Chang Rong's clothes," perhaps because she had things to do, Tono Hannah's mental state was much more stable.

After watching Hannah leave, Shirley Tachibana looked at Chang Rong again, but still couldn't figure it out.

Honestly, this kind of investigation is pointless no matter how long it continues! I guess I should invite Watson to continue the detective agency's activities after dinner—he probably doesn't have anything else to do anyway.

While Shirley Tachibana was still pondering what detective activities she should undertake after dragging Chang Rong out, a girl in the cafeteria took action first.

"Chang Rong, about what happened yesterday in the art studio when you tackled me... Anyway, come find me later if you have time... Oh, and this is for you...!"

Nanoha Kurobe stood up and approached the white-haired boy. Her tone was somewhat flustered, and her face under her cycling hat was flushed with shyness.

Although what she originally wanted to say was a bit off, before running away, Kurobe Nanoha Kaori did leave a message for Chang Rong.

The amazing baker, Kurobe Nanoha, somehow got her hands on some new dessert. Without a second thought, she shoved the bag of cookies into Chang Rong's hands and, without giving the white-haired boy a chance to ask any questions, simply ran off and left the restaurant.

—Huh...? Could that just now have been one of those scenes in TV shows, exchanging heart-shaped cookies?

Sherry Tachibana blinked. Even someone as intelligent as her hadn't expected Nanoha Kurobe to use this move.

Hmm... wait a minute, Nanoha Kaori really beat Watson up when they were in the basement, and they don't seem to talk much during the day, so how could they suddenly end up making heart-shaped cookies? Nanoha Kaori must be so overwhelmed by Watson's harassment that she's using this method to avoid further trouble by spending money~ Oh dear, I want to try Nanoha Kaori's cookies too!

However, a famous detective is a famous detective after all. Tachibana Sherry used her brain and quickly analyzed Kurobe Nanoha's motive for the crime.

Just as Sherry was thinking, 'I should teach Watson a lesson so he can stop bothering Nanoha Kaori,' and was about to get up, an even stranger figure came to Chang Rong's side.

"Hey...you cheeky rabbit...! Um...uh, tsk, uh...anyway, remember to come see me...!"

Arisa, who had been quietly eating all along, seemed to have finally lost her temper and walked towards Chang Rong with a fierce and aggressive posture, as if she was about to fight.

However, when the mysterious masked woman came to Chang Rong, the harsh words she uttered were like a watermelon thrown into a cotton field, instantly enveloping her in a soft embrace, even turning her hedgehog-like quills into the plush fur of a rag doll.

In the end, Arisa only managed to utter this weak remark before clutching her hood, head bowed, and scrambling to leave the restaurant in a disheveled state.

—Could it be that…!

This highly unusual scene instantly sharpened Tachibana Sherry's gaze!

Arisa-chan…she was ‘defeated’ by Watson in their previous one-on-one duel, and has harbored a deep grudge against him ever since. Unable to swallow this insult, Arisa-chan has finally decided to settle things with Watson to the death by the waterfall today, and that was her challenge just now!

Tachibana Sherry nodded in approval of her flawless reasoning.

Hmph, I won't let you get away with this, Arisa-chan! Since you've already said you'd atone for Watson's sins for the rest of your life, I'd better protect my assistant!

Shirley Tachibana clenched her fist with great enthusiasm, ready to follow Arisa Fujito and dissuade her from continuing to provoke Chang Rong, knowing that her assistant already had someone protecting her!

But just as Shirley Tachibana stood up, a colorful balloon floated past her and headed straight for Chang Rong.