Chapter 284: Shizuku’s despair

Seeing Stella and Shizuku lock horns yet again, Roy and Ikki exchanged a weary glance.

They both were like oil and water, completely incompatible and violently reactive.

"The next tram is arriving soon. Let's head down to the station first." Roy interjected, smoothly cutting off the escalating argument.

He turned and led the group down the paved road descending from the academy.

Stella fell into step right behind Roy, her crimson eyes repeatedly darting toward his arm.

A difficult dilemma was currently waging war inside her mind.

'Should I link arms with him?'

It's perfectly normal for a boy and a girl who are close friends to walk arm in arm!

Stella stared at Roy's arm, her mind a chaotic battlefield.

She desperately wanted to make a move but her embarrassment paralyzed her.

'But... Roy and I aren't actually boyfriend and girlfriend!'

'If I just suddenly grabbed his arm like that, wouldn't it seem way too frivolous?'

'What if he thinks I'm a brazen woman?!'

Just like that, the tiny sliver of courage Stella had managed to muster completely evaporated, leaving her shoulders slumped in defeat.

She repeated this cycle of gearing herself up and immediately backing down several times.

It was so obvious that even Shizuku noticed something was wrong.

"What exactly are you doing?" Shizuku couldn't help but ask, thoroughly weirded out by the bizarre fluctuations of excitement and depression rolling off the princess in waves.

"Mind your own business!" Stella snapped, shooting Shizuku a resentful glare before storming ahead on her own.

Shizuku narrowed her eyes.

Not long after, the group of five arrived at the station. After a brief five minute wait, the tram pulled up.

Since it was the weekend, there were quite a few people out shopping but because they had intentionally avoided the morning rush hour, there were still plenty of empty seats available on board.

Naturally, Roy sat down next to Stella.

Ikki, meanwhile, quickly sat down next to Alice, leaving a furious Shizuku to sit by herself in the row behind them.

The fierce bro con ground her teeth, glaring at the back of Alice's head.

She had no idea that Ikki had deliberately chosen to sit next to his eccentric roommate specifically to maintain a safe, highly supervised distance from his sister.

"Roy, are we going to the pharmacy first or somewhere else?" Ikki asked over the sound of the tram engine.

"Let's go shopping around the city first. The pharmacy isn't urgent, we can hit it up in the afternoon." Roy replied.

Pharmacy?

Hearing the word, Shizuku cast a strange look at Roy.

As a Blazer with a Water Manipulation Noble Art, Shizuku knew that water magic often doubled as a healing tool.

To maximize her combat and support effectiveness, she had extensively studied medical techniques.

To her trained eyes, Roy was in peak physical condition.

In fact, Roy, Stella, Alice and Ikki all looked perfectly healthy.

Why would they need to go to a pharmacy?

"In that case, I highly recommend we hit the food court over by the central shopping mall!"

Alice suddenly piped up, adopting the confident tone of a seasoned tour guide.

"Sounds good. We'll follow your lead." Roy nodded with an easy smile.

Going out on the weekend was all about relaxing.

If someone else wanted to take the reins and plan the itinerary, he was more than happy to let them.

"Then I won't hold back!" Alice said happily. "I refuse to let anyone have a boring time today!"

"Alice, you seem to know this area really well. Have you been here before?" Stella asked curiously.

"Strategy, my dear!" Alice pulled out his smartphone, tapping the screen to reveal a color coded itinerary.

He puffed out his chest proudly. "I have carefully prepared multiple contingency plans for today's date! Just sit back, relax and watch a master at work."

"Wow, Alice, that's amazing!" Stella looked at him with genuine admiration.

When it came to navigating a bustling city, she was completely clueless.

"Of course! This is my first official date with Ikki, so naturally, I've to give it my best," Alice said smugly.

Beside him, Ikki forced a painfully awkward smile.

"Tsk!" Shizuku clicked her tongue, her mood darkening even further.

After getting off the tram, Alice led them straight to the bustling food street adjacent to the massive central mall.

The overflowing aroma of baked goods, grilled meats and sweet syrups immediately assaulted their senses.

Everyone instinctively swallowed, their appetites violently awakened.

"This cake is incredible! What is it called?"

As they strolled down the first floor promenade, Stella was holding a cream filled dessert in both hands.

She took a bite, closing her eyes in bliss as the rich sweetness melted on her tongue.

"It's called a crepe! Delicious, right?" Alice introduced it excitedly.

"The batter here is fragrant. But if you want to eat ice cream later, I recommend saving room!"

"There's an amazing parlor on the third floor with spectacular reviews!"

"Ice cream sounds great but I'm perfectly happy with this crepe for now," Stella took another happy bite, looking like a thoroughly satisfied cat.

Alice leaned in close to Stella, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Stella-chan, your combat power in romance is far too weak!"

"Desserts are the very meaning of a maiden's existence! Furthermore, sharing sweets is the ultimate secret weapon for closing the physical and emotional distance between a man and a woman!"

"How does that work?" Stella's eyes lit up instantly.

She couldn't wait to learn this knowledge.

"Watch and learn," Alice pulled back to demonstrate.

He turned to Ikki and held up his own half eaten crepe. "Ikki, want a bite of mine?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Seeing this unfold, Shizuku snapped.

She glared at Alice, radiating a terrifying aura of death.

"It's just normal bonding between friends. You're getting way too worked up," Alice smiled... not moving his hand an inch.

The crepe remained hovering right in front of Ikki's lips. "Come on, Ikki. Hurry and eat it while it's warm!"

Ikki froze.

He looked at Alice then slowly turned his head to look at his sister's terrifying glare.

Trapped between them, Ikki cruelly gritted his teeth.

He squeezed his eyes shut, leaned forward and took a bite out of the exact spot Alice was offering.

"I-It's good," Ikki stammered.

"See?" Alice smiled triumphantly.

He then pulled the crepe back and happily took a bite from the exact same spot Ikki had just eaten from.

C-R-A-C-K.

Shizuku's entire worldview shattered into a million pieces.

Her expression went completely rigid, her eyes glazing over into a blank dead stare.

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