Chapter 333

"Fujimura-nee..."

When Broly's voice rang out, Fujimura Taiga straightened up from the desk in an instant, like a beast that had been hungry for a long time suddenly hearing the cry of a deer not far away; her eyes practically glowed as she looked toward the office doorway.

"Sorry, I forgot about bringing you breakfast."

Broly apologized as he walked over, presenting the bento box in his hand.

"This is a bento bought from a tempura restaurant."

Broly hadn't finished speaking when the bento in his hand was taken by Fujimura Taiga.

"Let's eat!"

Snapping apart the disposable chopsticks and clapping her hands together, the intern teacher began eating eagerly.

Only those who have starved know just how unbearable the feeling of stomach acid reflux is before the body has started consuming its reserve energy stores (fat).

"Fujimura-nee, aren't you going to say something to me?"

Broly stood to the side, like a student who knew he had done wrong, waiting for Teacher Fujimura Taiga's scolding.

"Thank you, Broly."

After padding her stomach with a few mouthfuls of rice and eating a fried shrimp, Fujimura Taiga thanked the boy.

"You don't blame me for not bringing you breakfast?"

Broly blinked and asked; if it were him being starved by someone, he would definitely have resorted to violence.

"But you did bring it, didn't you?"

"But it's almost noon already."

"Having something to eat is enough; who doesn't have moments of forgetting things?!"

Fujimura Taiga reached out and vigorously rubbed Broly's head, showing no intention of blaming the boy for letting her go hungry.

"This rice is a bit dry; is there soup to go with it?"

"Only iced cola, is that okay?"

"That's even better."

Taking the Happy Water the boy handed over, she gulped down several mouthfuls in quick succession.

"Ah, I'm revived!"

Happiness Points were increasing, and a satisfied expression appeared on Fujimura Taiga's face.

"So Fujimura-sensei didn't eat this morning; if you'd said earlier, I still have a few packs of biscuits here."

The female teacher who had asked earlier, seeing Fujimura Taiga's current state, couldn't help but speak up.

"How could I trouble you, Inoue-sensei."

Fujimura Taiga replied politely.

"Is this your younger brother?"

Inoue-sensei asked.

"That's right, how about it, cute, right?"

Fujimura Taiga pulled the boy over and held him up high for her colleague to see.

"He is quite cute."

The female teacher nodded, but before she could reach out to pat the boy's head.

Fujimura Taiga took Broly back, set him to the other side, and then started shoveling down rice.

"Fujimura-nee, not enough, there's more here."

Broly again began pulling out bento boxes from the restaurant bag hooked on his wrist.

"Two boxes are enough for me; I can't eat that much."

Making Broly take back one bento, Fujimura Taiga asked him for an extra bottle of iced cola.

"Ding—"

Just then, the school's lunch break bell rang.

"Don't you still have to deliver food to others? Hurry up and go."

Fujimura Taiga waved her hand, sending Broly off to attend to the others.

"Then, Fujimura-nee, I'm going to find Ryougi Shiki; I definitely won't forget dinner."

Before leaving, Broly promised solemnly.

"Nee-san believes in you."

"Your little brother really acts like a little adult, actually coming to school to deliver food to you."

"Haha, Broly, he's still a child."

When he left the office, Broly still heard the conversation between Fujimura Taiga and the other female teacher from inside.

Kanjo Gakuen allowed students to attend without wearing school uniforms, yet Broly moved against a crowd of students wearing various casual clothes, heading in the direction of Ryougi Shiki's presence.

However, on the way he encountered a student wearing a proper school uniform; the other party, seeing him moving through the crowd, actively stopped him.

"You're going to find Ryougi Shiki, right? She just went toward the gymnasium; I'll take you there."

"You're the one from yesterday..."

"Kanata, you're Broly's little brother, right?"

Kanata's attitude was very gentle.

"I'm Broly, but I don't need you to take me there, because I've already remembered the other party's Qi; I know where she is."

Broly nodded and then shook his head.

"During lunch break, students all head toward the cafeteria; the gymnasium is on the other side. Walking against the flow like this you might get hurt. Let me clear a path for you, or you wait here a while until the crowd thins out a bit before walking; that would be safer."

Kanata explained patiently.

Broly: "......"

Would he get hurt from being squeezed in the crowd?

If it weren't for Fujimura-nee telling him not to act too abnormal, he might have just flown straight over to find Ryougi Shiki.

However, Broly could also sense that the person before him seemed to merely be concerned about him, and wasn't putting on a cold face either.

"I'm very powerful."

Broly said seriously.

"I know, a few days ago I already saw you hovering in the air, but no matter how powerful you are you're still a child, so it's better not to do anything dangerous."

"I still have to go deliver food."

Broly lifted the restaurant bag in his hand and said.

"Then I'll take you there."

Kanata took the initiative to walk in front, saying "excuse me, excuse me" as he went, letting the boy follow behind.

Broly: "......"

Although he didn't know what the other party's situation was, he also didn't refuse the other's kindness, and followed behind.

One big, one small, the two people quickly passed through the dense student crowd and arrived at the gymnasium side.

And the kimono girl had already arrived at yesterday's auditorium platform, but sat down at the stair position.

"You came?"

"I came."

"But how come you brought someone else with you?"

"It was this person who said he wanted to bring me over."

The kimono girl on the stairs, and the overall-wearing boy below the stairs, conducted a Gu Long-style dialogue.

Standing beside Broly, Kanata, who had been somewhat captivated by the girl on the stairs, only then hurriedly inserted himself into the conversation.

He explained his own reason for appearing here.

"I see, you were worried about this child's safety issue, so you took the initiative to bring him over."

Ryougi Shiki, or rather the Male Personality Ryougi Shiki, revealed a look of sudden realization on his face.

"He really is a kindhearted guy."

Making such an evaluation, he spoke to Broly.

"Tomorrow, I'll wait for you outside, this way you won't have to squeeze through the crowd to find me."

Seemingly very satisfied with his own idea, the girl nodded, and only then did her gaze shift to the carry bag in the boy's hand.

"What did you bring?"

"Tempura bento."

Broly ascended the steps, opened the carry bag in his hand, and let the kimono girl look.

"Fried food, huh? I haven't eaten that in a while."

Ryougi Shiki had his hands inserted in his sleeves, leaned forward slightly to peek at the things in the bag, and said this.

"Only three bento boxes, is that enough for you to eat?"

Thinking of the boy's appetite yesterday, she couldn't help but ask.

"There's still one more bag."

Broly said, and took out another bag.

One bag, five bento boxes; he bought a total of ten tempura bento boxes when he came over.

Eating his fill was impossible, but padding his stomach a bit, then eating again after going back, that was still doable.

"I want to eat seafood, is there any?"

Ryougi Shiki asked.

"You look for it yourself."

Broly passed the bento in his hand over, and one by one the bento boxes were placed on the ground.

Once opened, the fragrance began to spread out.

Sniffing his nose, Ryougi Shiki picked up the bento box relatively closer to himself.

"That one doesn't seem to be seafood."

Broly reminded him.

"Doesn't matter, this one smells fragrant."

Ryougi Shiki began eating, Broly also picked up a bento box, and then noticed that the person who brought him over here, down below the stairs, was still watching them.

"Do you want one too?"

Thinking it over, Broly held the bento in his hand toward him and asked.

"No need, I'll go eat at the cafeteria."

Kanata originally wanted to say that, but the words changed at his lips into.

"Is that okay?"

"It's fine, worst case I eat one less box."

"Then thank you."

Kanata felt that him shamelessly accepting the boy's bento was probably because he was attracted by the fragrance of the bento the other party brought.

Mhm, this absolutely wasn't because the opportunity to dine together with classmate Ryougi was rare, that made him make this decision.

On the stairs, left, middle, right respectively were Ryougi Shiki, Broly, Kanata.

The three people each held the tempura bento in their hands, yet ate in silence.

"A bit thirsty."

Ryougi Shiki broke the silence.

"I'll go buy some water."

Kanata stood up, just as he finished saying this.

"Here, Cola."

Broly in the middle had already taken out a bottle of Cola and directly handed it to the kimono-clad girl beside him.

"How come it's ice-cold?"

After taking the Cola, Ryougi Shiki's expression undisguisedly showed a look of dislike.

"Isn't it the cold drink you wanted?"

Broly looked at her with some confusion.

"That's Shiki's preference, not mine. I prefer drinking something warm."

Although she disliked the ice-cold Cola a bit, Ryougi Shiki still opened it.

However, after gulping down a mouthful, she put the Cola aside.

It seems she indeed dislikes cold beverages.

"Then let me heat it up for you."

Broly picked up the Cola set aside and said.

"How to heat it? Do you happen to have a hot water kettle?"

Ryougi Shiki looked over curiously.

"Didn't bring that kind of thing, but I can use Qi to heat it."

As he spoke, Broly began heating the Cola in his hand.

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

The temperature rose, the gas inside the Cola soda escaped, but no spraying occurred.

Before long, wisps of steam began rising from the bottle opening.

And that is the phenomenon presented by freshly poured hot water in a colder environment.

"You try it too."

Broly handed over the Cola in his hand. Ryougi Shiki touched the bottle body with her finger, found it wasn't scalding as imagined, and then took it.

She tried sipping a mouthful, her expression froze for a moment, then she subconsciously evaluated: "Turned into hot sugar water."

"Good to drink?"

Broly cared about this.

"A bit too sweet, but compared to cold, I like this more."

Ryougi Shiki downed several mouthfuls in a row; it could be seen she likes hot beverages.

"Good then. Next time I'll bring both cold and hot."

Broly looked at the Crystal Palace Panel; Ryougi Shiki's Happiness Value had risen a bit again. Very satisfied.

"That..."

Seeing the two finish speaking, Kanata only now spoke up.

"Hm?"

Broly and Ryougi Shiki both looked toward him on the right, somewhat puzzled.

"Can I ask a question?"

Kanata asked.

"What do you want to ask?"

Broly was confused.

"It's a question about Liang Yi Tong Xue."

"Who are you? What right do you have to ask me questions?"

Ryougi Shiki frowned, somewhat dissatisfied.

"Uh, I'm Kanata, your classmate. I introduced myself last night."

The youth said carefully.

"Alright, then ask."

Ryougi Shiki put down the Cola, crossed her arms, and agreed to his questioning.

"Liang Yi Tong Xue just said it's Shiki's preference, not yours. But isn't Shiki you?"

Kanata asked his question.

"Have you heard of Dissociative Identity Disorder?"

After a silence, Ryougi Shiki countered.

"Heard of it. It's a mental illness, but I've never actually seen it."

Kanata nodded in reply.

"Now you've seen it. I'm that kind of mental case, and this illness is even hereditary in my family."

Ryougi Shiki pursed her lips, saying somewhat displeased.

"No wonder. Liang Yi Tong Xue, your attitude toward me before and after is completely different."

Kanata suddenly realized.

"You know my other personality too?"

Ryougi Shiki frowned.

"I introduced myself yesterday."

Kokutou Mikiya answered, then immediately added.

"Also, I've met you before as well."

"How come I have no impression?"

"On that sidewalk you all know, I was at the lower position at the time, watching you all get acquainted."

Shiki Ryougi (Weaving Personality) thought seriously for a moment, then suddenly remembered: "It's you, that guy on the road who acted familiar out of nowhere, casually striking up a conversation with me."

Kokutou Mikiya: "..."

"This child also struck up a conversation with you."

He pointed at Broly.

"Didn't I say I have multiple personalities? He struck up a conversation with her, not me, and I hate it when people act familiar and casually strike up conversations with me!"

【This difference in treatment is huge...】

"Then can I speak with you, Liang Yi Tong Xue, from now on?"

"Aren't you already speaking?"

"I mean, will I still be able to speak with you in the future?"

"Why?"

Shiki Ryougi frowned and asked.

"Because I want to make friends with you, Liang Yi Tong Xue."

Kokutou Mikiya ultimately couldn't learn from the boy and say he wanted the girl to be his wife.

"You really are a strange guy."

Shiki Ryougi gave the same evaluation as the other personality.

"Making friends with someone like me has no benefits."

She added.

"Doesn't matter."

"Suit yourself."

Shiki Ryougi picked up her lunch box and continued eating.

"Shiki Ryougi's friend is also my, Broly's, friend. Do you want cola?"

Broly asked the boy.

"Yes."

Kokutou Mikiya nodded; the tempura bento was indeed somewhat dry to eat.

"Want it heated too?"

"Uh, normal is fine."

"Here."

"Thanks, Little Brother Broly."

Broly didn't say anything; someone making friends with the friendless Shiki Ryougi seemed like a good thing.

After the lunch break bell rang, Broly bid farewell to Shiki Ryougi.

"Liang Yi Tong Xue, it's time for class, let's go back to the classroom too."

Watching the boy leave, Kokutou Mikiya said to the kimono girl beside him.

"Are you happy?"

Suddenly, a gentle voice rang out, yet it was a question.

"Mm, being able to know Liang Yi Tong Xue, of course I'm happy."

Kokutou Mikiya looked at the girl whose temperament had suddenly undergone some subtle changes, didn't deny it, but nodded in acknowledgment.

"Is that so, then I hope you won't regret it later."

Root Shiki looked at the boy beside her; those somewhat hollow eyes seemed able to see through him into a more distant future.

【Ah, it's her!】

Kokutou Mikiya is a perceptive person; he reacted instantly — the girl before him was the one he was meeting for the first time.

"Regret what?"

He asked.

"Don't you know very well?"

Root Shiki said gently.

The boy fell silent.

"Let's go, it's time for class."

The kimono girl started walking, heading forward first.

Kokutou Mikiya stayed in place for a while before following.

His own heart felt like it had been seen through by the other party.

And the other party seemed to have already rejected him.

But...

If he doesn't try, doesn't strive for it, he'll always be unwilling.

【At least, I need to figure out what exactly about that child attracted her.】

Kokutou Mikiya thought.