40: The Unexpected Clue

As the last morning class ended, and it was lunchtime, she overheard some girls discussing the handsome guy they had seen at the station that morning.

"At the station..." "Is it for real..."

Eriri found their conversation trivial and had no interest in such matters. The only reason she hadn't left for the club immediately was because of the awkward tremor in her thighs.

Seven times...

'This is driving me crazy!' Eriri bit her lip and, after the tremor passed, got up with her lunchbox.

"… That guy, if you look closely, is quite handsome. He looks a bit like a young Takuya Kimura."

"Eh~ I don't believe it. Hanako, your taste is so low. Last time, you described the pork seller as a fat Hiroshi Abe."

"This time it's true, I swear. Ask Shiwa and Rin-chan…"

Still talking about this topic, seriously, how much do you like men...

Eriri silently walked past them and out the back door of the classroom.

"Yes, it's true. Hanako wasn't lying this time. He's indeed very handsome, like he could be the lead in a morning drama."

"And he even brought a bird with him, all black like a raven, really smart. When he just unbuttoned his jacket, the raven obediently flew into his arms… Huh?"

The girl speaking suddenly paused, looking at the girl who had already left but was now running back and coming closer.

"Um... Sawamura-san, is there something you need?"

The girl looked at Eriri, who had suddenly approached, with a puzzled expression.

The girl with golden hair was quite famous at school, her beautiful face and blue eyes had earned her many admirers, but no one had ever succeeded in winning her heart.

Given her usual lack of interaction with them, why was she suddenly coming over in such a hurry?

"Ah... Sorry... I just happened to overhear your conversation and it reminded me of something."

After her initial panic, Eriri quickly composed herself.

"You were talking about a guy with a raven at the train station this morning..."

"Do you know that person, Eriri?"

"Well, since you're referring to him as 'a guy,' it's clear you don't know him, right? So, I'm interested in finding out more about him."

"Really? Sawamura-san, are you interested in him?" "Seriously?"

The girls' chatter was as fast as a Thompson submachine gun.

Listening to their rapidly increasing excitement, Eriri felt a headache coming on.

She could understand why Kasumigaoka Utaha disliked interacting with others so much. 

It was indeed frustrating when people didn't listen.

But she had always maintained a perfect image of being well-behaved and graceful at school, so she wouldn't let something like this ruin it!

"It's not like that. Yesterday after school, I saw someone who looked similar to your description."

"He also had a raven, and when I saw his keys fall, I tried to return them, but he vanished into the crowd."

Eriri explained calmly, with a puzzled smile.

"I planned to check around there after school today to see if I could find the owner. If not, I'd have to hand the keys to the police. But then I heard related information here."

"I see."

The energetic girl looked enlightened. The other girls also praised Eriri's good intentions.

"How can we help you?"

"Well, it's simple. Besides the raven, did you notice any other distinctive features? Like hairstyle, hair color, body type, and also..." Eriri swallowed nervously.

"His clothing, like whether it was a school uniform or something."

"Wait, Eriri, didn't you see him before? Do you need to ask us these details?"

"…"

The energetic girl was promptly tapped on the head by her friend, who said matter-of-factly,

"Just a quick glance isn't enough to remember everything clearly, right, Sawamura?"

"Ah... yes, yes!"

Eriri nodded vigorously, deeply grateful to the girl who had come up with a suitable reason for her.

"Let me think. He had black hair, his ears were visible from the side, his bangs just covered his eyebrows, and he didn't have any stubble. He looked clean and fresh."

"His height was probably over 180 cm, and he didn't have any extra accessories on his hands, and his legs were very long."

"He didn't have any personal charms on his backpack; he seemed like a serious person."

"The uniform was Western-style. If I remember correctly, it should be from Houjou University Attached High School. My middle school friend went to that school."

The girls pieced together the scattered details to form a complete picture.

As Eriri listened to their descriptions, she gripped her lunchbox tighter and tighter.

Even though black hair is common in Japan, having the same hairstyle and body type, and carrying a raven—something few people would keep as a pet—all matched up. 

Could such a coincidence really happen?

"…Thank you for your help. It looks like I'll be able to return the keys after school today."

Eriri gave a thin smile after hearing the girls' information.

The girls smiled and wished her good luck.

The energetic girl tried to ask Eriri for her LINE ID when handing over the keys, but was interrupted by her friend covering her mouth.

Eriri bowed in thanks and left.

She walked out of the classroom with a worried expression. Not watching where she was going, she first bumped her forehead, then her nose, and her face against something warm and soft.

She froze for a second without realizing what had happened, and even took a breath.

"Hmph, pervert." A familiar, disdainful snort came from her ear. Eriri's eyes widened and she quickly stepped back.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha!"

"No need to shout. I know my own name."

"Why are you here?!"

"I came to discuss the game development progress during lunch break, but after waiting for a long time with no sign of the illustrator, I had to come and find her myself."

Kasumigaoka Utaha patted her chest, giving a perfectly displeased expression as if something dirty had touched her.

Standing behind her, Tomoya Aki flashed a friendly smile and waved at Eriri.

"… Didn't you all say not to come to my class?!"

Eriri glared at Kasumigaoka Utaha, but as usual, couldn't win the verbal sparring, so she took her frustration out on Tomoya Aki.

With the anger from last night's dream, she let it all out.

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[Mission Progress]

[We Are Popular!]

1. Reach top 30 in power rankings.

2. Reach top 20 in power rankings.

3. Reach top 10 in power rankings.

(Current Rank: Top 20) (Finalized on Sunday)

4. Recruit more believers to (Harem Advocate). (13/20)