"I'm not!"
Tokai Teio reacted exactly like a culprit in a Detective Conan episode—her first instinct after being accused was total denial.
She held her hands straight in front of her, bent forward slightly, and glared fiercely at Heavy Artillery, who was lounging lazily on the bed.
…Though it would've helped if her face wasn't that red while denying it. With that blush, she looked like she was confessing without meaning to.
"Then do you dare read this book with MAYA?"
Heavy Artillery shook the book in her hand, openly provoking Teio—adding a couple of light chuckles just to push her buttons.
"Sure!"
The provocation was super effective.
Teio snatched the book and dropped onto Heavy Artillery's bed with far too much force, making the girl who'd been lying there bounce.
"Ugh…"
Ignoring the fact that she'd just landed on Heavy Artillery's tail, Teio focused and flipped the book open.
Do you often think about them?
Do I…? Often? No, right?
Teio thought about her recent behavior. She wasn't thinking about Eternal Meteor that much. Just… sometimes she thought it'd be fun to hang out together.
Pass. Next. Next.
She skipped ahead.
After they get hurt, do you become especially concerned about them?
A flash of herself crying her eyes out popped into Teio's mind. She shook her head guiltily, trying to fling the image away.
And that didn't count as "especially concerned," okay? That was just caring about a good friend. Maybe she'd gone a tiny bit overboard, but it was still within the "friend" range.
Yeah. Just friend concern. Nothing to do with love!
Next page. Next page.
Teio's fingers sped up.
Do you feel upset when you see them with someone else?
I…
For some reason, the first scene that surfaced in her mind was Eternal Meteor eating with President Rudolf.
Teio didn't dare continue that thought. She hurriedly flipped on.
And so Teio turned pages faster and faster. Her upright ears gradually drooped. Meanwhile, the smile on Heavy Artillery's face grew wider and wider.
When Teio reached the end, she snapped the book shut with both hands.
Her face was so red it looked like she had a fever.
"MAYA-chan really didn't expect this," Heavy Artillery teased. "So this is your type. You're always circling President Rudolf, but Meteor is even shorter than me, you know~~"
Propping herself up on one arm, Heavy Artillery leaned close to Teio's ear and fanned the flames.
Teio felt her mind collapse into chaos. She flung the book aside and started aggressively rubbing her hair and ears, like she meant to mess them up until the outside matched the inside.
"MAYA-friendly reminder," Heavy Artillery whispered. "If you like her, you should move fast. The number of people in class who have feelings for Meteor isn't small."
"Wha—?!"
Teio's hands froze on top of her head. She whipped around and stared straight into Heavy Artillery's eyes so intensely it actually made Heavy Artillery a little scared.
"Just think about how Eternal Meteor usually is," Heavy Artillery continued, counting on her fingers. "She's great at making desserts—and she shares them with everyone."
"She's smart. She skips class a lot, but she still places near the top every time."
"She's gentle, too. If you ask her something you don't understand, she never gets annoyed—she'll explain it step by step until you get it."
"And, and… she's strong, too. Her running ability is crazy. She's always first in races and stuff."
"And most importantly—she's super cute. Tiny, like a doll."
With every point Heavy Artillery listed, Teio's sense of urgency climbed another notch.
"So," Heavy Artillery concluded, "go for it. Try an early break. If you hesitate, you'll get left in the dust."
She sat up and patted Teio's shoulder—acting like some seasoned veteran giving a profound lecture.
That conversation left Teio tossing and turning for days afterward. Her mind was genuinely full of Eternal Meteor.
And with that familiar figure she'd seen on New Year's night, she'd started opening her phone every day and staring at her chat with Eternal Meteor—hesitating, unable to say what she felt.
Until Eternal Meteor finally messaged her, inviting her out.
Sprawled on her bed, Teio recalled Heavy Artillery's words again. Her eyes slowly hardened with resolve. She rolled over and sat up at the edge of the bed in one smooth motion.
She began digging through her wardrobe. Before long, every piece of clothing was scattered messily across the bed. Teio grabbed something at random, threw it on, and decided to go out shopping—prep work for tomorrow's one-on-one time.
Completely unaware that Eternal Meteor was also preparing a "surprise" for her.
After all, she wanted to make it up to Teio—who'd seemed a little sad after Eternal Meteor had turned down the fireworks invitation back then.
Back home, Eternal Meteor—walking in with Rudolf—suddenly tilted her head up and looked at Rudolf's profile.
If Teio could hang out with the Rudolf she'd always admired, she'd definitely be happy.
"President… are you free tomorrow?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 126)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter130)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter89)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter157)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 133
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 125
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 84
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 143
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 115
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 99
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 75
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 75
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 52
Uma Musume: I Want All 51
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
A Guide to Aid in the Underwor 26
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
Supernatural Multiverse 27
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