Rain doesn’t stop just because the streets fall silent, but living creatures do lose their words when hit by too much information.
“……”
The girl in the green bunny cape stood with her mouth slightly open.
The hood that had been covering half her face slipped back, revealing a pair of completely stunned eyes.
But the other girl gave her no time to process.
She took one casual step forward, and the caped girl instinctively flinched, leaping back a full two metres with surprising agility.
“Ya-ha-ha-ha! A confession of love? It’s a confession of love, right?! Waa~ To be this passionate the moment we meet is a little too much for little old me~!”
The rabbit puppet let out a shrill laugh, still using that exaggerated, comical tone that refused to back down even an inch.
Yet combined with the long silence that came before it, it somehow gave off a strangely hollow, bravado-filled impression.
“By the way~ Isn’t it proper manners to introduce yourself first before asking someone else’s name, Miss Overly-Enthusiastic?”
“Mmm, my name is Kyoumi. Just Kyoumi for now.
Now that we’ve exchanged names, shall we go on a date?”
Kyoumi didn’t take another step closer.
If she pressed any harder, she’d scare away these two shy little ladies; that was her judgment.
So she simply continued tossing out those flirty words.
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, truly sorry~
Yoshino already has someone in her heart~”
The puppet shook its body as it indirectly revealed the girl’s name, rejecting her in an apparently lighthearted way.
“I see. So Yoshino is cuter than me after all?
If Yoshinon is a lolicon, then I guess there’s no way to make you change your mind~”
Kyoumi showed not the slightest hint of disappointment.
Whether her whim of a confession succeeded or failed never affected her mood in the first place.
Besides, if Yoshinon were ever separated from Yoshino’s body, it would just be an ordinary puppet.
Even if she grabbed it, there wouldn’t be much fun in that.
“Yoshinon doesn’t mind mature women either, you know~ But Miss Kyoumi’s… resources are a little lacking, aren’t they~? If you work a little harder, you might catch up to Yoshino in cuteness someday! As for right now… ehehe~”
For a girl to say that to another girl was outrageously rude, but as retaliation for being called a lolicon first, Yoshinon clearly felt the level was just right.
“Yoshinon…”
The girl whispered and covered the puppet’s mouth.
Even though the voice didn’t actually come from there, Yoshinon obediently shut up all the same.
“…S-sorry… Yoshinon, she…”
Yoshino bowed slightly, apologising for Yoshinon’s rudeness in a voice as tiny as a mosquito.
Then she slowly backed away.
“Then, goodbye~ Passionate Miss Kyoumi~”
After the girl released its mouth, Yoshinon waved its tiny paw.
It looked like the girl wanted to end things here.
Well, that was only natural.
Not everyone would instantly lower their guard around a stranger who suddenly flirted and confessed, no matter how cute the stranger might be.
“Which one caught your eye?”
Instead of chasing after her, Kyoumi stood where Yoshino had been lying against the machine and gazed into the claw machine’s transparent glass.
To be honest, as long as the owner had even a little aesthetic sense—or simply wanted to attract customers—the plushies inside weren’t ugly at all.
Ugly-cute or grotesque styles weren’t popular everywhere.
So to Kyoumi, almost every toy inside was charming enough to make a girl this age fall in love.
The sound of retreating footsteps abruptly stopped.
“Personally, I like this orca plush. It looks really comfortable to hold, feels substantial in your arms, and the shape is perfect for using as a body pillow.”
“N-no…”
“Mmm, the Halloween pumpkin is nice too.
If you dressed up with it, you’d look just like a little devil.”
“You could go trick-or-treating door to door.
Yoshino is so cute, I bet hardly anyone would refuse you even if it wasn’t the right season.”
“Yaa~ Yoshino appreciates the thought, but there’s no need for Miss Kyoumi to spend money on us~”
Yoshinon answered on Yoshino’s behalf.
The girl’s little rain boots went plop plop through shallow puddles as she timidly edged a little closer.
“It’s getting late, so we really should say goodbye—”
“But I still have plenty of time left in this world, and you don’t have anywhere to return to either, do you, Yoshino?”
“—?!”
“No crater, no explosion, no justice warriors in mecha~ I’m here, you’re here. Isn’t this peaceful meeting between us pretty rare~?”
“Hahaha, so Miss Kyoumi is a spirit too? What a surprise! Yoshinon thought you were just some weirdo who came out of nowhere~”
Yoshinon laughed breezily, but even after meeting a fellow spirit, the girl showed no intention of coming any closer.
“Mmm~”
Kyoumi raised her arm and snapped her fingers.
Spiritual power flared, repelling the falling rain around them.
“Anyway, I was just asking. After all, I don’t have any coins to play the claw machine~”
“Even though it’s a strange meeting, asking what someone likes and then saying ‘just asking’
Miss Kyoumi really has bad taste~”
“You don’t necessarily have to possess what you want, right? Otherwise, couldn’t you just smash the machine open and take whichever plush you like?”
“Yaa, Yoshino is a good, law-abiding, gentle, and super-cute girl, you know?”
“Want to walk around together? I’ve manifested in this city a few times, so I know it better than you do. I also know a few places where we won’t be disturbed.”
“Ehh~ Is this kidnapping~? Since you couldn’t win Yoshinon’s heart, now you’re trying to butter up Yoshino~?”
It sounded less like venom and more like the puppet actually had some kind of grudge against Kyoumi.
Yet the girl carefully, timidly stepped closer.
She really is just like a shy bunny.
From the looks of it, Yoshino and Yoshinon don’t think the same way at all.
Even after Kyoumi revealed she was a spirit, Yoshinon remained on guard… no, became even more guarded.
Yoshino, on the other hand, was far more innocent and easier to coax.
“…U-um…”
She seemed unsure what to say.
Curious about the girl who knew the city better, yet still scared, Yoshino stopped about two metres away and didn’t come any closer.
“Please… don’t hurt me…”
“Kin don’t launch missiles at each other, you know?
If I wanted to do something to you, I could’ve just picked you up the moment I got close~”
“…Mm…”
“Eh? So the confession to Yoshinon was fake and your real goal was—mmph mmph…”
Yoshino covered Yoshinon’s mouth again.
Finding the scene amusing, Kyoumi turned her gaze away and lightly tapped the claw machine glass with her knuckles.
“Plushies are toys for passing time; they can become carriers of beautiful memories, but they can’t become the companion who walks beside you.”
“Yoshinon should be your one-and-only hero and support. If you want to make friends, I think I’d be a pretty good candidate.”
She turned back, a confident smile still on her face, and extended both hands toward the girl.
“So? Compared to a plush toy, wouldn’t you like to try the feeling of holding someone real—warm, soft, and fragrant—in your arms?”