Anime Crossover: My Part-Time Job as a Giant of Light While Studying Abroad in Chiba

Slowly, Yukinoshita walked to the corner of the stairs on the second floor.

Just as she was recovering from her heavy mood and preparing to step onto the stairs.

"Under the snow?"

"Um?!"

Snow suddenly turned its head, like a startled cat.

Duan Zilian, radiating heat, stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her with some surprise.

What are you doing here?

Duan Zilian asked, panting.

"I...I just came from Professor Hiratsuka's office, about what happened this morning..."

Seemingly flustered because she was suddenly called by name during her extremely lonely introspection, Yukinoshita hurriedly tidied the stray hairs by her ears.

But she quickly regained her composure, giving Duan Zilian a once-over with her cool gaze.

"But you, Duan Jun, have been missing since the end of the fourth period, and your two protectors, one in front of you and one on your right, have also disappeared."

"You guys aren't doing anything weird behind the teacher's back, are you?"

"Huh? Hikigaya and Azusagawa? I don't know them. I went to the rooftop for a bit of fresh air at noon and took a nap."

Duan Zilian lied without batting an eye.

"Rooftop?" Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Then how did you get up the stairs from the first floor?"

"Forehead……"

Duan Zilian's breath hitched.

Oh no, the weather is making me dizzy; I can't even lie properly anymore.

"Ah...that." Duan Zilian had a sudden inspiration, her brain working at lightning speed.

"I just went downstairs to the teachers' office on the first floor to find Professor Diye and asked him some questions about world history."

"You actually ask questions on your own initiative?"

Yukino looked at him suspiciously, as if she had heard some kind of fantastical tale.

"Isn't the joint midterm exam coming up in the middle of the month? If I do too badly, Hiratsuka-sensei will definitely make me stay for tutoring on the weekend. I'm feeling quite anxious about it."

Duan Zilian chuckled twice, trying to fool everyone with a sincere look in her eyes.

Seeing his sweltering, almost dehydrated appearance, Yukinoshita ultimately didn't press the matter further, but simply sighed.

"In that case, let's hurry up and go. Class is about to start. You look like you've been soaking in water."

She glanced at Duan Zilian with a hint of disdain.

"There's nothing we can do, the weather outside is just so weird..."

Duan Zilian muttered to herself as the two walked up the stairs side by side, chatting casually.

"...So what did Hiratsuka-sensei say about what happened this morning?"

Duan Zilian asked tentatively.

"The ringleaders were all criticized and educated, and were also punished with manual labor."

Yukino looked at the steps ahead, her voice muffled.

"However, this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause."

"If punishment and repression alone could make people let go of their prejudices, there wouldn't be so many people repeating mistakes in this world."

Looking at her earnest yet stubborn profile, Duan Zilian felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

"That……"

Just as he was about to say something, a series of rapid footsteps suddenly came from upstairs.

Tap tap tap, as light and quick as a group of happy little deer going down the stairs.

The next second, a pink whirlwind burst out from the corner of the stairs.

Behind her followed several panting members of the board game club, each clutching a brightly colored game box, their expressions screaming, "We actually survived?! And we feel pretty good about it."

"Bye-bye, Yui-chan! I'll come visit you again next time!"

Fujiwara Chika waved goodbye energetically towards the upstairs direction, then turned around and almost bumped into two people who were coming upstairs.

"Huh?! It's Duan and Yukinoshita!"

Fujiwara Chika suddenly slammed on the brakes, her hair ribbon bobbing merrily.

What a coincidence!

"Wait a minute... Fujiwara-san, what are you doing here? This is the main teaching building of Soubu High School!"

Duan Zilian stared at this "oddball" in shock.

Chika happily held up the board game in her hand, proudly puffing out her chest.

"We're here to carry out a super, super important secret mission! And we're going to return victorious! A resounding success!"

"The secret mission you mentioned, it wouldn't be... coming all the way to Soubu High to find people to play board games with, would it?"

Duan Zilian's lips twitched.

"It's not a board game!"

Chika earnestly raised her index finger.

"The goal is to eliminate barriers and prejudices between the two schools through enjoyable board games, laying a foundation for future joint activities." "In short, the Icebreaker Operation!"

Duan Zilian was silent for two seconds.

"...So it's just playing board games."

"Oh, it's the same idea!"

Chika puffed out her cheeks, then her bright smile returned.

"Anyway, Duan-kun and Yukinoshita-kun, see you next time! Remember to come visit me too, class is about to start, we're off!"

Before she finished speaking, Fujiwara Chika had already led her "Star Expeditionary Force" down the stairs.

"Ah... goodbye."

Duan Zilian waved in response.

"What is she doing...?"

Yukino looked at the group of Shuchiin students with some confusion.

"Ah, it's nothing. She must have accomplished some kind of mission that saved all of humanity."

Duan Zilian smiled, but for a moment she couldn't find the right words.

"Class is about to start, Minister, let's hurry up."

……

Chiba, an unnamed commercial street.

"Honestly... Kaisan! You should have said you didn't know the way! We've been wandering around like headless chickens for so long, and we haven't even found the school gate!"

Hibino Mirai fanned herself with her hand while complaining to the back of the figure in front of her who was looking around.

He stood under the scorching sun, the back of his white shirt already soaked with sweat.

"That's not right..."

Hong Kai pulled down the brim of his hat, looking at the completely unfamiliar street scene around him, feeling puzzled.

"I remember that kid walks this way to school every morning, could I be remembering wrong?"

That's right, Hong Kai, who originally vowed to come out and visit his juniors, ended up getting lost in the city after wandering around with the future for half a day.

The two stopped in front of a neat bakery, looking at the sign above them that read "Beidou Bakery," feeling lost.

"How about... we ask someone?" Future suggested.

"Are you kidding me? A dignified wanderer like me needs to ask for directions to find a school?"

"Kaisan."

"...Okay, you have a point."

Hong Kai was about to go in and ask for directions when the door was pushed open from the inside first.

A man wearing a chef's hat came out carrying freshly baked bread.

He placed the bread on the display shelf by the door and casually wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Ah, this weather is unbearably hot. I wonder if Minami Yuko will be back before dinner today..."

He looked up and saw two men standing at the shop entrance.

The three looked at each other in bewilderment.

The air was silent for about two seconds.

Hong Kai was about to say, "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get directions?" when he suddenly stopped.

"Wait a moment……"

He turned his head sharply and instantly felt the almost overflowing emotional fluctuations emanating from Wei Lai.

This feeling is exactly the same as the feeling I had when I last saw Hayata Susumu.

"In the future, oh..."

Hong Kai felt a sense of foreboding and was about to reach out to cover Wei Lai's mouth.

But it was too late.

"Esni-san!!!!"

Chapter 85 Like Water, My Friend

"So, you two are disaster victims from Yokohama?"

Hokuto Seiji placed two bottles of soda on the table in front of the two men. He looked at them with a hint of pity in his eyes.

"Yes, this boy lost his brother in the disaster, and I happened to rescue him from the ruins, so he has been with me ever since."

Hong Kai sat in the chair, fabricating a script riddled with flaws without batting an eye.

Hibino Mirai, standing to the side, puffed out her cheeks in anger, wanting to retort but not knowing where to begin.

"Then why did he rush up to me and call me 'Aisni-san' as soon as we met?"

Beidou asked, puzzled.

"Ah, that's a hallucination caused by overstimulation."

Hong Kai casually made up a story:

"His older brother's name is also Ace. He is a very kind, righteous elder who is also good at taking care of people."

"So when he sees someone like the store manager of Beidou who looks very approachable, he feels a strong connection with him and mistakenly thinks he is his older brother."

"I see... What a pitiful boy."

Hokuto Seiji sighed, stepped forward, and gently stroked Mirai's hair with his large, kind hand.

That warm touch stirred up Wei Lai's emotions, which had already calmed down.

"In these terrible times, losing a loved one must be very painful."

He looked at the dejected-looking Future, who nodded affirmatively.

"To be honest, I've always wanted a well-behaved younger brother like you."

Hokuto Seiji looked into Mirai's pure eyes and smiled gently.

"In that case, if you don't mind that I'm a rough bread baker, why don't you call me brother from now on? If you ever encounter difficulties or get hungry, you two can come to this shop anytime for bread, and it'll be as much as you want."