Qiluo had finally managed to wait until her shift ended. She had only taken a few steps out of the Class A classroom when she was blocked at a corner in the hallway by two people, one on her left and one on her right.
Yuki was still wearing her maid uniform, and Kizuna stood beside her. Their outfits were exceptionally eye-catching under the hallway lights.
One held a tray while the other held a flyer. Two people who seemed to have absolutely nothing in common had formed a united front at this moment.
“Qiluo.”
Yuki took a step forward. Her maid apron was still stained with ketchup from making omurice earlier, but her presence was not diminished in the slightest. “You only sat in our class's café for about ten minutes before leaving. You only took a few bites of the omurice, and half the pudding was left over.”
“That's because Rei sent several messages in the group chat urging me to go back—” Qiluo took half a step back.
“That was after the fact.” Yuki took another half step forward, precisely closing the distance between them.
Kizuna let out a soft gasp from the side, hiding the lower half of her face behind her flyer, leaving only her eyes exposed, which were filled with the thought, So you can target someone like that.
“Did you two plan this together?” Qiluo leaned against the hallway wall, her gaze shifting back and forth between them.
Yuki didn't deny it, while Kizuna pulled the flyer away from her face, revealing a slightly guilty smile.
“Um... I had just left my classroom when I saw Kurokawa-san walking this way. She was walking really fast, so I followed her...”
She folded the flyer and tucked it into her small bag. “And then I realized we were both looking for the same person.”
“So, where are you planning to go now?”
Yuki looked at her. Standing right in the middle of the hallway, she was blocking Qiluo's path toward the gymnasium.
Qiluo opened her mouth, wanting to say “just walking around,” but that excuse didn't seem like it would work.
Kizuna tilted her head, twirling the ends of her hair around her finger. Her voice was soft. “Tian Gong-san, you walked so fast when your shift ended. I thought you were going to meet someone.”
“I'm going to watch the stage play,” Qiluo finally admitted, leaning the back of her head against the wall and letting out a resigned sigh.
Yuki's eyes shifted.
As if suddenly remembering something, she asked with a trace of uncertainty in her voice, “The second-years' stage play? The one where Kirishima-senpai is playing the female lead?”
“Yes...”
Yuki's eyes flickered slightly, and she naturally tucked her long hair, which was draped over her shoulder, behind her ear with her free hand.
“Kirishima-senpai usually takes good care of me on the disciplinary committee. I should go support her performance as well.”
Kizuna let out a soft “Ah” from the side, the speed of her finger twirling her hair increasing slightly.
“Then I'll go too! I want to watch it as well!”
As she spoke, she had already walked up to Qiluo's side.
“So both of you—” Qiluo looked from left to right, then from right to left, “—are going?”
“Anyway, the café doesn't need me for the time being. The class representative is keeping an eye on things.” Yuki placed her tray on the windowsill along the hallway.
Kizuna clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly as she tilted her head to look at Qiluo.
“I'm curious about Kirishima-senpai's stage play, and also curious about why Tian Gong-san was running so fast.”
“...Let's go.”
Qiluo straightened up from the wall and adjusted her slightly crooked wig. “If we don't leave now, we won't make it in time. But let's get one thing straight first: once we get to the theater, don't sit next to me.”
“Why?” the two asked almost in unison.
Because I have to transform into Lightweaver!
“...Because if you sit next to me, I won't be able to stop myself from talking to you.”
This reason was very much in line with Qiluo Tian Gong's style.
Afraid of trouble, preferring quiet, and occasionally a bit antisocial.
However, neither of the two in front of her accepted this excuse.
Walking with her on either side, Kizuna bought a serving of takoyaki from a roadside stall. She skewered one with a bamboo toothpick, blew on it to cool it down, gave one to Yuki, and then skewered another, holding it up to Qiluo's lips.
“Would you like one too, Tian Gong-san? You barely ate anything in the café earlier.”
Qiluo opened her mouth and accepted it. The batter on the outside of the takoyaki was slightly charred, the octopus filling was chewy, and the sauce was a bit salty.
She returned the toothpick to Kizuna. As she chewed the takoyaki, she wondered how she was going to shake these two off once they arrived at the theater.
Transforming into Lightweaver required privacy. Outside the theater, there were only the restrooms and the emergency exits. There would probably be other audience members lining up at the restrooms...
When the three of them arrived at the entrance of the theater, the house lights had not yet dimmed. The deep red curtains on the stage were tightly closed, and soft background music flowed from the speakers on both sides.
At the entrance, an usher was guiding the audience to their seats with a glowstick. The seats were already mostly filled.
Qiluo stopped at the entrance and took the star-shaped hairclip off her wig, slipping it into her pocket.
“Go ahead and find seats first. I'm going to the restroom.”
Yuki, who had already taken a couple of steps forward, stopped immediately upon hearing this and turned her head to look at her.
“I'll wait for you.”
“No need to wait. You guys go first. There aren't many seats left, so save one for me.” Qiluo waved her hand and walked toward the restroom.
Yuki Kurokawa hesitated for a moment before finally withdrawing her gaze.
The door to the fire escape next to the restroom was slightly ajar. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she pushed it open and slipped inside.
Qiluo couldn't help but think: Why is it always the fire escape? This place has practically become my designated spawn point. Well, there's no helping it. This is the only place where there's no one around.
In that case!
Lightweaver! Transform!
This embarrassing line was something Qiluo had seen online, and she just had to try it out.
Sunlight surged from the back of her hand, spreading along her arm to her entire body.
The wig transformed from fake to real hair, and the red highlight at the tips of her hair changed as well.
The hem of her skirt fluttered gently in the windless fire escape, the waist tightening, as threads of light silently slid from her fingertips and retracted.
Lightweaver opened her eyes, pushed open the door on the other side of the fire escape, and made her way around to the back door of the theater.
The back door was unlocked, likely for the convenience of the cast and crew.
She slipped inside sideways, standing in the shadows behind the very last row of seats.
Just then, the house lights began to dim, and the curtains on the stage slowly drew open.
Lightweaver's gaze passed over the heads of the rows of audience members in front of her, landing on the center of the stage.
On stage, the figure dressed in an ancient Greek-style robe and wearing a laurel wreath stood between the columns of the scenic backdrop.
Rate on N.U.
