"Fushimi-kun, why are you like Touka too, only drinking porridge?"
At a window-side table in a restaurant, Yoriko Kosaka, Touka Kirishima, and Fushimi Kyo were sitting together, having dinner.
"My tastes have been pretty light lately, so I felt like having some porridge," Fushimi Kyo replied casually.
In truth, it was entirely due to habits carried over from his previous life.
In the evenings, he rarely ate anything else, just a bowl of porridge. Even after transmigrating into this world, he still hadn't been able to shake that habit.
As for Touka, being a ghoul, porridge was naturally the easiest thing to swallow and also the easiest to throw up before digestion.
"We finally get to eat together, and you two end up eating that,"
Yoriko complained a little dejectedly as she waved her knife and fork around, mincing the steak on her plate into tiny pieces.
"Hey, hey, Yoriko, if you keep cutting it like that, it'll turn into minced beef. Will you even be able to eat it then?" Fushimi Kyo reminded her.
"I like it this way. It's easier to digest," Yoriko retorted stubbornly.
Just then, a little girl carrying a flower basket walked toward their table.
She stopped right beside Fushimi Kyo, flashed him a sweet smile, then took out a card from the basket and handed it to him.
"Big brother, someone asked me to give this card to you."
"Huh? A card?"
"A love letter, right?" Yoriko's eyes lit up instantly.
"It must be some girl who likes you and secretly asked this little girl to deliver it for her!"
She stared at Fushimi Kyo with a face full of gossip, as if she'd just discovered a whole new continent.
"Yoriko, come a little closer," Fushimi Kyo said, taking the card and curling his finger at her.
"What is it, Fushimi-kun? You want me to read what's written on the card?"
Yoriko's eyes sparkled as she leaned in excitedly.
But clearly, she had overthought things.
The moment she brought her head close, Fushimi Kyo raised his right hand and lightly flicked her forehead with his index finger.
"What kind of nonsense is going through that little head of yours all day long?"
"Aahhh! That hurts!"
Yoriko clutched her forehead, her face full of grievance.
Touka looked at the two of them, utterly speechless.
When her gaze shifted to the card in Fushimi Kyo's hand, curiosity crept onto her face as well.
"Does this guy even have friends besides me and Yoriko?"
"I've never seen him interacting with other girls either… well, Rize doesn't count."
"Big brother, I've already delivered the item. Mission complete, I'm heading off now!"
The little girl waved at Fushimi Kyo and turned to leave.
"Wait a moment, little sister," Fushimi Kyo called out to her.
"Yes, big brother? Are you planning to buy two flowers for these two pretty sisters?"
The little girl looked at him with an extremely innocent gaze.
Fushimi Kyo paused.
Not very old, but quite sharp. She really understands how a man's mind works.
An ordinary man, faced with such an awkward question, would definitely feel too embarrassed not to buy.
But Fushimi Kyo was anything but ordinary.
"They're allergic to pollen," he said flatly.
"Tch."
Touka shot him a look of disdain. What a terrible excuse.
"I I I…"
Yoriko wanted to refute him, but after stammering for a while, she lacked the courage to finish the sentence. In the end, she could only sulk and vent her frustration on the food on her plate.
"Oh… I see," the little girl said, sounding a bit disappointed.
"Then why did you stop me, big brother? Is there something you wanted to ask?"
"Can you tell me who gave you this card?" Fushimi Kyo asked.
Just as Touka suspected, in this world, the number of people he could call friends was extremely limited. If one excluded Yoriko and Touka, he truly couldn't think of anyone else who would send him something like a card.
"It was a very pretty big sister," the little girl said seriously.
"Especially her hair, it was wine-red. So pretty, so pretty."
"After she gave me the card, she told me to hand it to you. She even gave me ten thousand yen as payment."
Hearing that description, Fushimi Kyo frowned slightly.
He had never met a woman who looked like that. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure out who she was.
"Alright, thank you, little sister. I'll buy all the flowers in your basket. How much?"
"Really, big brother?"
"Two thousand yen will be enough!" the little girl said excitedly.
Fushimi Kyo bought all the flowers and placed the entire basket directly in front of Touka and Yoriko.
"These are for you," he said with a light smile.
Then, he opened the card.
There was only a single line of neat, delicate handwriting:
'Fushimi-kun, I've admired you for a long time. Tonight, I'll be waiting for you at No. 12, Ueno Street.'
"No. 12, Ueno Street?"
Seeing the address, the corner of Fushimi Kyo's mouth lifted slightly.
"That really is a secluded place."
Ueno Street was already one of the more remote areas in the 20th Ward. Even without knowing the exact location of No. 12, it was easy to imagine it as a perfect spot for an ambush or a murder.
Such an obvious trap, he thought.
Anyone with a brain would be suspicious. What makes you think I'd go?
"What's wrong, Fushimi?" Touka asked. She wasn't the least bit interested in the flowers.
"Nothing. Just a girl who likes me asking to meet," Fushimi Kyo said casually as he slipped the card into his pocket.
"Yoriko, Touka, you two keep eating. I'll head out first."
"Wouldn't want the girl who admires me to wait too long."
With that, Fushimi Kyo leisurely walked out of the restaurant.
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