It Became a Time-Stop Slit-Eye

25. Caught.

Same time, behind another teacher (Building B).

While waiting for Ichimaru Shiki, Eris Betelgeuse suddenly muttered in a gruff voice.

“What, why are you not coming?”

This guy, I’m sure he didn’t confuse the location.

I only said it was behind the teacher, but isn’t it natural to see it from the place we met last time?

If you got confused about that, you’re an idiot, and if you didn’t get it wrong, but you came late, you’d be offended.

“Anyway, I don’t like it.”

Eris kicked him in the ground without hiding her displeasure.

Just try to come later.

You have to yell at him so much that his sloppy expression is startled and hardened.

‘…… No, sorry for the delay! Miss Eris!’

Eris, imagining Ichimaru Shiki having trouble with me, smirked.

Every time I lost my pace because of the sinister smile, but this time it will be different.

With a firm resolve, she complained again.

“When are you coming back, you bastard?”

***

“Could you give me a moment?”

After school, an empty alley.

Girl A, Sawako, spoke to me with a very shy expression and voice.

The last name is probably… Was it “Tachibana”? Then her full name would be Tachibana Sawako.

‘…… This is very unexpected.’

She has been attending her high school for a month already, but on her first day of school, she almost slipped down the stairs and saved her. She

As much as she is the same A class student, I run into her face a few times in her classroom, to the point where I barely remember her name.

─ A classmate and friend of her friend (Eris).

She had thought it was just that kind of relationship, but this was a really unexpected situation.

I don’t think she has a deep grudge against her or is good enough to show her a duel…….

There were many thoughts in her head, but she didn’t express them and let them out.

“hahahaha, you can spend as much time as you want. So, what business do you have?”

I was thinking of buying some time to sort out the thoughts in her head by continuing the conversation for a while.

“Ichimaru-kun.”

The other party didn’t seem willing to wait.

Sawako’s cheeks were very red, and though you could tell she was shy in her quivering voice, she never avoided eye contact.

Her nervous expression was evident, and she tried to smile bashfully as she continued her words.

“Th-I may be offended, but I’ve been watching you for a month. If it’s short, it’s a short time, but I think I got to know it quite well. …… Shiki, what a kind person you are.”

Sawako began to enumerate many advantages that I did not know about.

“I love the way he rushes to help others when they seem in trouble, always speaks in a cheerful voice, and smiles kindly.”

“The way he plays on the playground is energetic, and when he talks, he knows a lot and his intelligence is cool. hehehe, did you do something like this?”

“As always, they are all cool, but the first day we met, you saved me as if it was natural, I liked it the most. He was like a hero to me back then… More than anything else, I guess it can’t be helped that people’s hearts are arbitrary.”

As Sawako recounted her story, she finally held my hand, which had been fidgeting.

She was so nervous that her breathing slowed slightly as she looked at me.

“So, I will try to speak my mind first.”

But suddenly, taking a deep breath, she spoke to me with a blooming smile.

“I like it.”

School student A, Tachibana Sawako confessed.

“Ichimaru Shiki, I like you.”

I received a sincere confession from an unexpected person in an unexpected place.

Whether it was because she fell in love, or if I had noticed her belatedly, Sawako’s bright face was more lively and beautiful than her original memory.

But I felt my stomach rumble and smiled as always.

“…… Yes, you are.”

In front of a sincere smile that has nothing to be ashamed of, he put on a smiling mask.

You’ve been watching me all this time, and you’ve liked me, but is there any reason to dislike me?

Thank you very much.

But what I will say has been fixed ever since I entered this world.

“I’m sorry.”

The corners of her beautiful lips, which had not been in bloom for a while, were soon drenched in sadness.

***

By the time the sky slowly turns into a golden sunset,

“What, why are you not coming?”

Eris was suddenly engulfed in anxiety as she spat out her constant complaints.

…… Could it be that it wasn’t abandoned?

Did I just tell you to come behind the school?

I made this place because I couldn’t imagine talking normally in the classroom, but I never dreamed that I would wait this long.

“…… I will really kill you.”

If I had known that I would be hit by such a cold wind, I would have asked right there.

Somehow, my anger was rising, and I thought I should at least grab him by the collar when I met him.

While vowing to avenge her, Eris suddenly felt a sense of incongruity.

‘Has it become a bit violent?’

I’ve never thought of her as having a bad personality, but she does feel like her behavior has become more aggressive lately.

“…… It’s all because of him.”

Ichimaru Shiki.

Yes, if the sneaky guy hadn’t scratched the inside, she wouldn’t have been angry with herself.

The guy said it was a misunderstanding in the last fight, but she didn’t think it was a misunderstanding at all.

“Sueup, no matter how you look at it, he’s a bad guy.”

Eris Betelgeuse frowned and tilted her head, contemplating the identity of the guy.

He seems to be doing something good, like being on the side of justice or stopping the apocalypse.

To see him as such a nice guy, it seemed as if the values he had built up over the past 10 years would collapse.

No, he’s a bad guy.

Even at this point, he should feel incongruity, but Eris shook his head.

“When should I punch him in the back of the head to feel better… “

“Eh, who’s the back of the head?”

“…… ?!”

Eris was frightened and froze at the sinister voice that came from right next to her.

Catch up… Turning his head stiffly, he saw a face with an equally sinister smile.

About the late topic, Shiki Ichimaru spoke calmly.

“Sorry, I suddenly had a very important event, hehehe, I’m a little late.”

Eris Betelgeuse, who came to his senses, glared at the sentient tiger in front of him with a sharp gaze.

“…… You, how shameless-!”

“hahahaha, sorry for the delay. So, I will give you a nice present in return.”

“…… Gift?”

Eris, tempted by what seemed like an absurd remark, tilted his head for a moment, while Shiki, as usual, slowly nodded his head with a smile on his face.

“Yes, it is a very nice gift.”

***

Behind the teacher, there’s nothing fancy about it, and it’s not fun to give a present right away, so after that, I grabbed Eris’s hand and moved around.

In the process of moving, there were many complaints, but somehow we came to an agreement, and we toured many back alleys in downtown Tokyo together.

If a pretty blonde boy and a narrow-eyed gentleman walk in and out of an alley together, it might look like a strange picture, so they went around in a state of stealth through magic.

It looked like he was hiding, but I can assure you that it was a proud activity with no shame in the world.

Suddenly—!

─Kieek!

Slashed the tuna head monster in the back alley of Sushi Street.

The taste of cutting with a dagger is good as long as it is delicious even before death.

Of the twenty or so monsters we defeated today, it was by far the best.

“Hmm, it reminds me of my part-time job at a sushi restaurant.”

Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten sushi in a while.

The moment I decided to go eat soon, I heard a rough voice from behind.

“…… So, what about the gift?”

When I turned around, I saw Eris Betelgeuse frowning in a crooked posture.

I hurriedly caught it, but it sure took a long time to catch the many youkai scattered all over the place.

The sunset in the sky is almost gone.

Similarly, Eris’ face was more tired than when she was at school.

“…… Did you call me to watch you catch a monster? Am I this strong, do good things, what?”

Well, it was brave to wait until now just believing in the gift.

The pill was also on the verge of running out, so I had no choice but to administer a new one.

“Whoops, I finally have someone who recognizes that I am so strong and do a lot of good things! Very desirable!”

“…… Shut up, let’s just go home.”

“There is a prize for this desirable heroine and first customer, Miss Eris! Bara bara bara bam! Come on, the presents are about to be opened!”

I handed out the elixir of conversion—the antidote—to Eris, who did not expect much.

“…… This!”

Still, Eris Betelgeuse looked at the elixir in my hand with his eyes wide open.

Bubble,

A jet-black liquid that emits strange bubbles.

“…… It is poison.”

“Ugh, poison! An elixir I made with all my might?”

“No matter how you look at it, it’s poison, but you’re lying to kill someone!”

“Uh, first of all, it’s not me, is it?”

I didn’t want to die.

“It doesn’t look like it, but I made it last night, so give it a try.”

“No, keep trying to kill someone! You want me to die like that?!”

“Uh huh, talking about someone dying is forbidden! And you didn’t tell Eris to eat it in the first place?”

“…… ? What is it, then who is it?”

Inevitably, such a question came out, and I answered with a serious tone of voice.

“It is your parents.”

Eris, who had been with me all evening, asked with a nonchalant expression.

“You are deliberately speaking insinuatingly.”

Hmm, I was caught.