Speaking of which, this seemingly angry expression is much cuter than her usual emotionless look. There's a sort of "gap moe" to it, making Yazuki chuckle unconsciously.
"You're still laughing? No way… Don't tell me you actually enjoy being scolded—"
Yukinoshita furrowed her brows, and as if she had just realized some strange fetish of his, she looked at him with disgust.
"Come on, who would have such a perverted kink? Yukinoshita, even though you usually act all cold and unforgiving with your words, you actually care about others deep down. That's why I think you're kind of cute."
After saying this, Yazuki braced himself for a harsher verbal lashing from her. Sure enough, her face immediately returned to its blank, emotionless state, void of any feelings.
"Cute? I see."
She crossed her arms and took a step back—about a meter away—looking at him as if he were garbage.
"You were just looking at me with lewd eyes, weren't you?! No wonder your smile looked so creepy!"
"I think you should try speaking a little more nicely. By the way, do you have any friends?"
Yazuki raised an eyebrow and let out a tired sigh.
For someone as perfect as Yukinoshita—so cold, so unapproachable, and on top of that, sharp-tongued and socially awkward, making close friends must be incredibly difficult.
"Friends? Let me think… First, we need to define what exactly constitutes a friend."
"Alright, I get it. You definitely don't have a single friend."
Yazuki cut her off mid-sentence. The fact that she even had to explain it like this was proof enough that she had no experience with friendship.
For a brief moment, her cheeks seemed to puff up slightly in irritation.
"Who says I don't have friends? And even if I really didn't, it wouldn't affect me in any way."
"That kind of explanation just proves even more that you don't have a single friend."
Her weak argument left Yazuki speechless. After hearing his response, Yukinoshita showed visible displeasure. After all, he had completely exposed her.
"Aren't you just the same? I doubt anyone at school dares to get close to a pervert like you. Anyone who knows you must be incredibly unlucky, they might even suffer a social death!"
As always, her words were merciless. She looked at him with utter disdain, and after saying this, her expression seemed to carry a hint of smugness, as if she had won this verbal duel.
"No, no, no. I do have a few friends."
Yazuki raised a finger and shook it slightly. Of course, most of those so-called friends were online acquaintances, fellow otakus.
Suddenly, a few special faces flashed through his mind, and a guilty expression appeared on his face.
"Then… there are those guys…"
He murmured softly to himself.
Having traveled across multiple worlds, he had left behind a handful of true comrades—people who had fought alongside him, risking their lives together.
Would they be okay?
He recalled their reluctant expressions when they parted ways, and his heart ached with guilt.
Yukinoshita, seeing Yazuki sink into a sorrowful state, softened her gaze slightly. His black eyes no longer seemed to be looking at this world but rather somewhere far beyond.
That meant… some of his friends were no longer in this world.
She had originally planned to continue criticizing him, but seeing him like this, she couldn't bring herself to say anything more.
Meanwhile, Yazuki took the digestive tablets with the now slightly cooled water.
Come to think of it, he already felt much better even before taking them.
"Don't move!!"
Suddenly, Yazuki's voice turned serious as he spoke to Yukinoshita.
She had been about to pick up his glass to properly disinfect it when she froze.
Why was he suddenly looking so serious? And was he giving her an order?
"If you step down right now, you'll regret it!!!"
Accompanied by Yazuki's warning and his gaze filled with unspeakable pity, Yukinoshita instinctively stopped mid-step and glanced down.
Her fair, delicate foot—nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
What was this guy freaking out about?
But then—
Her blue pupils shrank violently, and a chill ran down her spine.
Just near the edge of her foot… there were two strands of what appeared to be living hair… moving?
Living hair?
She swallowed hard.
Then, the thing slowly slithered out from beneath the shadows of her foot.
Sure enough, it was a terrifying, nightmare-inducing creature(gokiburi.)
In an instant, Yukinoshita's cold, emotionless expression was replaced by the sheer terror and fear of a young girl.
Her face turned deathly pale, and as panic set in, she lost her balance.
She was about to step down.
The next moment, something coiled around her ankle like a tentacle.
Goosebumps erupted all over her skin.
With all her strength, she kicked off the ground—her slender figure lunging directly toward Yazuki, clinging onto him like an octopus.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry—get rid of it!!!"
A sharp, panicked scream.
For Yazuki, however, the sudden sensation of her soft body pressing against him sent his brain into overdrive.
The distinct fragrance of her scent filled his nose, sending an overwhelming stimulation straight to his mind.
Was this… the first time he had been hugged so closely by a girl his age?
Speaking of which, there seemed to be a rather delicate sensation on his face—
Before he could even properly enjoy it, she had already let go.
At the same time, a murderous glare was thrown his way.
Stare—
Yukinoshita's gaze was cold to the extreme.
She looked at him the same way she had looked at that horrifying creature just now. She even raised her hand, forming a scissor-like gesture with her fingers.
Yazuki had no doubt that if he didn't watch himself, she'd stab him right then and there.
"Ahem… You're clinging onto me. How do you expect me to get rid of it?"
At his words, Yukinoshita took another few cold glances at him.
After confirming the creature's position, she immediately jumped away as if her life depended on it.
She distanced herself as far as possible, standing firmly behind him.
"Get rid of it, right now! This is definitely something you brought into my home, take responsibility for it!"
She was absolutely certain, her home was meticulously cleaned every day. There was no way such a creature could appear here.
It had to be his fault.
After a hectic struggle, Yazuki finally managed to dispose of the terrifying intruder.
"Alright, I'll be—"
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed that Yukinoshita's face had grown even paler.
Her lips trembled, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her smooth, porcelain-like skin. She wasn't moving—more accurately, she didn't dare to move.
What's going on?
Hadn't he already taken care of the creature?
She had clearly relaxed a moment ago, so why did she suddenly look so fragile?
Could there be another one?!
But… her level of fear seemed strangely excessive.
Her pale lips moved slightly, as if she were trying to say something.
Yazuki leaned in to hear her better.
"Sk-skirt…"