Chapter 11 – The "Protagonist" Is Basically a Living Block of Wood.
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"Good morning, Rikka, Namiko, Ren."
As soon as Kihara walked into the classroom, he greeted the trio by the door.
That simple choice of words instantly eased the fear that had just started forming in Rikka Takarada's heart.
Thank goodness… the way he addressed me means he hasn't forgotten what happened yesterday!
Namiko and Ren raised their eyebrows at the same time, then rushed forward and blocked Kihara's path with outstretched arms.
"Oho~ calling our Rikka so casually? What's your relationship, Kihara?"
"You'd better confess honestly~ Rikka already told us everything!"
I didn't tell you anything… you just don't believe the truth, Rikka thought, almost laughing from frustration.
"Our relationship?" Kihara answered calmly.
"Rikka is my creditor. I owe her quite a bit of money."
"Creditor!?"
The answer clearly caught them off guard. Their eyes filled with suspicion.
"You're not lying, are you?"
"Lying will seriously lower your rating in the Rikka fan club, you know!"
"Namiko, Ren, stop pestering him!"
Rikka quickly stepped in before things spiraled further. She moved behind them and hooked her arms around their necks, dragging them back.
"Kihara, just go back to your seat!"
"Oh?"
"Kihara?"
Namiko and Ren exchanged a glance, then broke into knowing, mischievous smiles.
Looks like Rikka's jealous.
Who would've thought our 'impossible-to-win-over' Rikka would finally get conquered…
And by Kihara, no less.
We should definitely help her out more.
Normally, Rikka spent break time chatting happily with Namiko and Ren.
But now, their attitude had completely changed.
The moment she approached them, they gave her looks that clearly said:
"Why aren't you talking to Kihara?"
It felt like being judged by disappointed parents.
They kept hinting subtly and not so subtly, that she should go talk to him, assuring her they wouldn't mind being "ignored."
After half a day of enduring this "we're helping you" behavior, Rikka finally couldn't take it anymore. She messaged Kihara, asking him to meet her on the rooftop during lunch break.
"Kihara, could you stop calling me like that in class?" Rikka went straight to the point.
Kihara clearly misunderstood, nodding thoughtfully.
"Ah, I see. So I should call you Rikka-sama instead?"
"That's not it!" Rikka's face flushed red as she clenched her fists. "Calling me so casually makes Namiko and the others misunderstand. It's a hassle."
"But didn't I explain our relationship?"
"They don't believe it."
"Hmm…" Kihara rubbed his chin. "Then should we go back to how we addressed each other before?"
Truth be told, he didn't want unnecessary rumors either.
He still hadn't figured out which world he was in, nor who the actual heroine was.
He hadn't forgotten his mission, to bring the heroine back to Gensokyo willingly and help stabilize the Hakurei Barrier.
If rumors spread and affected his chances… that would be bad.
After all, no dating sim ever teaches you how to win over another heroine while already having a girlfriend.
At this point, Rikka had come to a firm conclusion:
Kihara's emotional intelligence was basically zero.
No wonder his name sounds like "wood"… he's practically a wooden block come to life.
After silently complaining, she rubbed her temples.
"Forget it. Don't change how you address me, it'll just look weirder. I'll handle Namiko and the others."
"Alright."
With that issue settled, the two began discussing the monster attacks.
Kihara still lacked enough information to understand how the monsters chose their targets.
Rikka, meanwhile, was worried about her safety—but remembering that he'd be working at her shop for a while gave her some reassurance.
Kihara patted his chest confidently.
"I'll protect you and your mom until all the monsters are gone. Don't worry, Rikka."
Her cheeks grew warm.
She knew he meant it purely as determination, not a confession.
She waved her hand lightly near her face, trying to cool down.
"I believe you… but please don't say things like that in front of Namiko and the others."
"Oh. Then I'm heading to the school store to buy lunch. What about you?"
Rikka shot him an annoyed glance.
"I'm going back to the classroom to eat with Namiko and Ren—and clear up the misunderstanding."
Kihara wasn't picky with food, but he still avoided strange items like "cream yakisoba bread" and "curry yakisoba bread," choosing the safe option: a pineapple bun and milk.
"Oh right… Akane Shinjo treated me to lunch before. I should buy an extra one as thanks."
He returned to the classroom with his food.
Most students had already finished eating and were chatting or playing around.
The loudest ones were two girls tossing a volleyball around indoors.
Kihara carefully avoided them, then walked over to Akane and held out the bun.
"Shinjo, this is to thank you for before."
"Oh my, you didn't have to go through the trouble," she said with a sweet smile.
"I always repay my debts."
Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she reached out to accept it.
Thud!
"Watch out!!"
A volleyball slammed into the wall, bouncing off course and directly knocking the bun out of Kihara's hand, sending it flying.
The classroom fell silent for a moment.
Then a panicked voice came from behind him.
"I'm so sorry, Kihara! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." He waved it off casually.
He picked up the flattened bun, then handed a fresh one to Akane.
"Here, take this instead."
Akane frowned slightly and turned toward the two girls.
"Wenkawa, Fuyiko, I told you not to play ball in the classroom."
"Sorry! It won't happen again!"
"Yeah, sorry!"
Then she turned back to Kihara with a smile.
"You don't need to switch it. I'll take the original one."
But before she could finish.
Kihara opened the package and took a bite out of the squashed bun.
"Too late. I already took a bite, you shouldn't want it now," he said with a grin.
"…Alright."
Akane smiled helplessly and accepted the untouched bun.
But beneath her calm expression, a storm of anger churned silently in her eyes.
Those two girls had just been added to her death list.
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Thank you for reading.