"Oh, it's you? Is there something you need?"
Su Yan looked the girl over as she suddenly ran up and blocked his and Busujima Saeko's path. He spoke with a lukewarm tone.
Her breathing was slightly heavy, and sweat trailed down her forehead.
Glancing behind her, Su Yan saw her childhood friend, Komuro Takashi, standing like a block of wood not far away.
Given her current state, the scene, and the story he had heard from her on the school rooftop during lunch...
Su Yan easily filled in the blanks. Takashi had likely found Miyamoto Rei and tried to make up with her, but Rei refused—maybe because she felt he wasn't sincere, or for some other reason—leading to an argument.
This was a reasonable assumption. After all, judging by Rei's attitude toward Takashi before the zombie crisis began in the anime, it was clear the two had already had a falling out.
Inferring further, he had just happened to pass by, and Rei saw him, deciding to call out to use him as an external factor to end her conversation with Takashi.
This was common enough. Regardless of where people were from, most shared the sentiment of not wanting to air their dirty laundry in public.
'But there's a problem. Doesn't that make me a human shield?'
Unfortunately for her, Su Yan had zero interest in getting involved between Miyamoto Rei and Komuro Takashi.
"Thank you for the bento at lunch. I've already washed the container, so I'm returning it now," Rei said, unaware of Su Yan's mental gymnastics. She took the bento box from her bag and presented it with both hands.
Su Yan blinked, then asked tentatively, "You came all this way just for that?"
He usually had lunch with Marikawa Shizuka in the infirmary. After eating, the bento box would be washed and left there for Shizuka to take home in the evening.
So, for a moment, he really hadn't remembered anything about a bento box.
Rei looked puzzled. "Is there a problem?"
"No, it's nothing." Su Yan shook his head. "Is there anything else? If not, I'm heading out."
It seemed he really had misunderstood her, though the situation was certainly prone to such assumptions.
"Um..."
Rei looked at Su Yan hesitantly.
She hadn't actually planned on anything else and intended to leave after returning the box, but she stole a glance back and saw that Takashi still hadn't left.
The idea of using Su Yan as a shield instantly crossed her mind.
After all, compared to facing that annoying childhood friend, she would rather stay near this irritating guy and chat.
But she was a bit hesitant. After all, she had made herself sound so miserable at noon, yet he had acted like a block of wood, offering no comfort and even seeming to enjoy her plight.
She wasn't sure if Su Yan would agree to such an unreasonable request.
"Su Yan-kouhai, is this student a friend of yours? Won't you introduce us?"
Seeing the girl's predicament, the perceptive Busujima Saeko spoke up at just the right time.
"Busujima-sen—Senpai!"
Rei naturally recognized Saeko. After all, she was the flower on a high peak of Fujimi Academy, even more famous than a celebrity like Su Yan.
She had assumed Saeko was just passing by; she had not expected her to be with Su Yan.
She couldn't help but feel surprised. She quickly greeted her, nearly calling her classmate before remembering she had been held back a year. Now, Saeko was a grade above her, so she immediately corrected herself.
Saeko gave Rei a small smile, then turned her gaze back to Su Yan, her eyes questioning.
"No, she's just the girl who sits behind me," Su Yan replied, flatly denying any deeper connection.
"Is that so?"
Saeko was a bit surprised. Rei's looks didn't seem much worse than hers, and her curves seemed even more developed.
With such a beautiful girl sitting right behind him, Su Yan wasn't even casual friends with her?
However, she didn't press the matter. Saeko, who believed she had a serious internal flaw, never felt worthy of Su Yan despite knowing her reputation as the academy's untouchable beauty.
She never felt she was good enough for him, even if he had accepted her.
If Su Yan were to start a harem or have some minor flaws, she might even be happier.
In her mind, that would make her feel more deserving of him.
Besides, deep down, she never saw anything wrong with a powerful man having multiple partners.
The strong should naturally obtain more and better things.
Rei felt a bit dejected.
'I already told him my biggest secret, and yet I'm not even a friend to him?'
The girl tilted her head to steal a glance behind her at that damn Takashi Komuro.
Bracing herself, she made a request to the two in front of her. "Can I walk home with you?"
Su Yan: ???
Saeko looked at Rei in surprise, then turned to Su Yan.
Her eyes seemed to ask: 'Didn't you say you weren't close?'
Otherwise, why would she not only seem to know she was moving into Su Yan's house, but even suggest going back with them?
Saeko couldn't help but suspect that Rei, like her, had been invited to move in with Su Yan.
Perhaps she hadn't agreed at first, but regretted it upon seeing Saeko walking with Su Yan?
That would also explain why Su Yan claimed they weren't close—he was probably afraid she would misunderstand!
"Su Yan-kouhai, don't worry. I won't mind," Saeko said.
Having rationalized the situation, Saeko immediately took Su Yan's hand to show her stance, then looked at Rei. "Sure."
Su Yan was completely bewildered.
'Wait, what exactly won't you mind?'
'And what's with the "Sure"?'
Suddenly, a spark of insight hit him.
He remembered the friends-with-benefits comment he made to Rei at noon.
'No way... Is this woman really willing to go that far just to ditch her childhood friend?'
Su Yan was utterly speechless.
Before he could react, Rei bowed happily to both of them. "Thank you so much!"
If she knew what the two in front of her were thinking, she would have felt even more stunned.
She only asked to walk home with them to escape Takashi's pestering; she wasn't actually planning to go to their home.
At most, they would walk together for a bit and part ways when their paths diverged. Isn't that normal between friends?
Unless they had no friends. But how could that be?
In Rei's mind, both Su Yan and Saeko were celebrities at Fujimi Academy. How could they not have a single friend to walk home with after school?
However, that was precisely the case.
To Su Yan, the students around him were just beings with death timers over their heads; he had zero interest in befriending them.
As for Busujima Saeko?
Others felt inferior just standing in front of her, not to mention her personality was the type to keep everyone at a distance.
So, in reality, neither of them had any friends.
Unaware of their thoughts, Rei saw Saeko agree and feared Su Yan might object before he could speak.
She immediately stood beside Saeko with enthusiasm and introduced herself. "Hello, Busujima-senpai. I'm Miyamoto Rei, the student who sits behind Su Yan."
"Hello, Miyamoto-kouhai." Saeko nodded, accepting her.
And so, Rei, the husky, somehow managed to mingle with the two lone wolves, Su Yan and Saeko.