Hmm?
Nanami felt a strange atmosphere. Could this person also be a big shot?
"Hello, we should be the same age, so I'll call you Nanami, and you can call me Eriri, no need for honorifics," Eriri greeted Nanami naturally and generously.
Nanami felt less nervous now. "Okay, Eriri."
Homura took a few steps and stood beside Megumi. "This is Kato Megumi, who is currently helping me take care of the others."
When he said this, Utaha and Eriri looked at him dissatisfied but didn't say anything, as it was a fact!
"Recently, Megumi has been focusing on the technical aspect of the script. In the near future, she will definitely be a key member of our club!" Homura finished and looked at Nanami. But why did Nanami's expression look so strange? Why was she so surprised?
"Oiii~" He waved his hand in front of Nanami's eyes, and that's when she reacted.
"Eh~? Ah! I'm really sorry! I didn't notice you at all! Um, Kato-san?" So, she was another person whose perception was affected by Megumi's thin presence.
"Oh~ It's okay. I'm used to it," Megumi waved her hand repeatedly and said something that made people feel a little sad. "Also, just call me Megumi. We're the same age."
"Okay! Megumi! I got it! Megumi! I won't forget again! Megumi!" Nanami repeated Megumi's name over and over, afraid she would miss her again.
Megumi: "..."
Homura also said with some melancholy, "Nanami, in fact, we are also working on another important issue besides making games."
"What is it?" (4x)
This was a common question from Nanami, Eriri, Utaha, and Megumi. Mashiro's attention was not on this; she had been staring at the Baumkuchen inside the convenience store window.
"Huh? You don't know either?" Homura looked at the three girls, except Nanami and Mashiro, with confusion.
"You didn't tell us anything. How could we know?" Eriri said annoyed.
Homura slammed his palm.
"Okay, I'll tell you! It's how to enhance Megumi's presence!"
"..."
"It's a difficult problem," Utaha commented.
"Yes, the character hasn't been fully established," Eriri commented.
"Eh? Are you just going to give up like that?" Megumi asked bewilderedly.
There's progress! Megumi's expression and tone are showing improvement!
Homura said while feeling moved, "It seems like we still need to communicate more! Thanks to the power of sarcasm, Megumi has made significant progress!"
"Well, Homura-kun, can you please not say such embarrassing things?" Megumi says calmly. Her previous performance was indeed short-lived.
"Okay, I thought you could make one more sarcastic comment!" Homura spoke frankly.
"Is that so? Then I'll try my best." Megumi said with some "difficulty".
"Let's start with that. There will be a day when Megumi's presence explodes!" Homura sets another goal.
Ignoring the expressions of Utaha and Eriri that say "Ah, you can do it!", Homura continues to speak to Nanami, "You already know Mashiro right? So, I won't introduce her."
Nanami nods and looks at Mashiro who is leaning against the glass, saying, "Hmm, I'm already quite familiar with Shiina."
"Mashiro."
"Hmm?"
"Call me Mashiro, Nanami." Mashiro turns her head and says this sentence with a flat tone and a brief sentence.
Nanami smiles happily and says, "Okay, Mashiro!"
Then, Mashiro continues to stare at the Baumkuchen.
Homura: "..."
This is unacceptable.
Seeing Mashiro's pitiful appearance; Homura quickly brought everyone into the convenience store and then said goodbye to Nanami, "Oh, Nanami, I'll come to pick you up tomorrow at four o'clock after school, see you tomorrow!"
Nanami looks at the figures of everyone leaving with mixed emotions. Can she really join such an extraordinary group of people?
She laughs at herself but is still firm in her determination.
'After all, standing among such amazing people around me will give me pressure and motivation! Besides, didn't I already promise Homura-kun?'
Thinking of the way Homura invited her, Nanami's face turned red with shyness.
'No! I can't think about it anymore! But... I have to work hard!'
===
"Everyone, what do you think of Nanami?" asked Homura, wanting to hear everyone's impression of her from their first encounter.
"I think she's pretty good. She looks very serious," said Eriri first.
Utaha also thought for a moment and said, "She gives off a very good impression. She looks like she's very caring and her voice is nice too."
'Actually, all of your voices are nice! But can you all do voice acting?' Homura thought to himself and was somewhat surprised that Utaha had a good impression of Nanami, even though she seemed to have a lot of objections back in school.
"Well, I have absolutely no complaints, Homura-kun. In fact, I'm looking forward to Nanami's arrival," said Megumi.
'As expected of our Saint Megumi' Homura said inwardly.
"Mashiro?" Homura stopped Mashiro, who was about to open the packaging of the Baumkuchen. "Mashiro, you have to pay for what you buy. You can't just pick it up and eat it."
"Is that so?"
"Yes!" Homura nodded vigorously.
"Oh... I see." Mashiro prepared to put the Baumkuchen back, her pitiful appearance almost making one feel sorry for her. Homura quickly stopped her. "So, I will pay for it. You can only eat it after you pay, okay?"
Mashiro blinked and nodded. "Okay."
Homura hugged a bunch of items, about ten or so. After paying, he handed one of them to Mashiro and said, "Don't eat too much. We still have to eat dinner. Save the rest for later."
Not long after, Mashiro's mouth was full of cake crumbs, and Homura pulled out a handkerchief to help her clean up. She stopped eating and said to Homura, "Thank you, Homura; you are like Rita."
"Who is Rita?" Eriri stared at Homura and asked Mashiro.
"A friend," Mashiro said and continued eating with several crumbs stuck around her mouth again.
Homura was preparing to help Mashiro clean up again when...
*Whoosh~*
Eriri used her flash step to take the handkerchief away.
"Well done, Sawamura-san," Utaha praised Eriri in a surprising tone.
Eriri also said with a tsundere tone, "Humph! Do you even need to say that?"
Homura: "..."
'Was that really necessary?' Homura complained inwardly. 'If you want, you could have also eaten with crumbs on your mouth, so I could help you clean it up too!'
Looking at Eriri, who was helping Mashiro clean up, and Utaha who was standing aside, Homura didn't say anything. They would definitely take good care of Mashiro even if they didn't invite Nanami to take care of Mashiro.
He could only say, "Let's go!"
As the group left the convenience store, they unexpectedly saw Nanami still there. Homura was about to ask what was going on when Nanami rushed forward and handed her something.
"Homura-kun, thank you for the bento again!" After speaking, Nanami imitated Homura's action from before; she disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Homura looked down and saw that it was his own bento box.
Utaha came over and asked, "What's on your mind?"
Homura replied, "What else? Of course, I don't need to get a new bento box for tomorrow!"
Utaha: "..."