Observing the person who was fleeing, a boy and a girl remained standing, visibly stunned for some time.
— …What was that? I just wanted to know what he was doing. — said the girl, visibly frustrated.
— Uhh… Wasn't that Lucas from the photo? — asked the boy, recalling the image the girl had shown him.
— Oh, the one Alexandre mentioned? That's why he ran away...
Remembering that Alexandre had said Lucas could help them find the bracelet, the two also recalled that the young man was not particularly friendly and had been bothered by others before.
— If I could have gotten a little closer, I might have heard his thoughts correctly... — thought the girl before turning to Enzo. — So, what do we do now? Do we try to go after him or continue searching?
— …Isn't it better to let him go? He might get more annoyed if we try to talk to him today. — the boy responded after a brief reflection.
— Aaalright... Hm? A message from Lara — said the girl, taking out her phone and checking a notification. — Let me see... She said to leave it for tomorrow and that she's already leaving.
After reading the message, the girl quickly replied and put the phone away. All of their friends had already left, leaving only the two of them. As they reached the school entrance, they bid farewell and went their separate ways. Despite getting closer, they were still just acquaintances who were beginning to become friends.
But it was significant progress, as Lucas had noticed, considering they should only be exchanging a few words in class at the moment.
— I hope we find that bracelet for Lara soon. — thought the girl as she boarded a bus. — …A message from Verônica?
Remembering her friend, who usually arrived with her at school, the girl read the message with some surprise. It seemed that Lara had lied and was still at school, even though it had gotten so late.
— What is she doing alone at school!? What if something happens to her! — thought the girl, worried about her friend.
However, it was too late to turn back, and she could only sigh and hope that nothing would happen.
— That girl... Why does she have to make us so worried...
If it were any other girl, perhaps there wouldn't be so much concern, but Lara was an exception. Probably, Lucas hadn't recognized her because of the girls who usually surrounded her, but he would identify her if he saw her.
And the opportunity came when Lucas walked through an area with grass inside the school and spotted a girl crouched down, searching for something.
— …Hey, you flea, what are you doing? — Lucas inquired, looking directly at her.
She was a small-statured girl with a delicate and fragile appearance. Her slim figure and fair skin accentuated her youth. Her straight, light brown hair gracefully fell to the middle of her back, contrasting with her porcelain skin. Her eyes were charmingly bright, with a brown hue reflecting her curiosity and innocence. Her face displayed soft and delicate features that made her even more youthful and captivating.
Lucas was momentarily captivated, but after seeing so much beauty in a single day, he quickly regained his composure.
— Hm? Eh? Me? I'm looking for- Wait, did you just call me a flea!? — the girl questioned, puffing her cheeks.
Her angry expression, despite trying to look serious, only made her more adorable.
— I'm sure I've seen this little creature in the anime before... Wait, is she Lara? — Lucas thought, recalling the girl in front of him. — A short one like you, in the middle of the woods, I just ended up thinking of a flea.
— Eh? Instead of apologizing, you just insulted me again!?
— Why bother with such small details like you?
— Huh!?
— Ugh.
Perhaps in an act of defiance against the young man, the girl stood up suddenly and ended up hitting Lucas's stomach with her head, causing him to fall to the ground.
— …Not only small but also hard-headed.
— Seriously, why don't you stop!?
Seeing the girl getting increasingly irritated, the young man got up with a bit of difficulty and said.
— It's your fault, isn't it? Me being chased by that weird guy and threatened by that crazy girl.
— Being chased and threatened... Ah! You're Lucas!
— Why does everyone knows me!? Since when am I so famous!?
— Actually... Alexandre sent a picture of you in the group.
— HUH!? Let me see!
Snatching the girl's phone forcefully, as soon as she put the picture on the phone, Lucas saw his image with his name and a "wanted" poster.
— What the heck!?
— Hey, give it back! This phone is mine! — exclaimed the girl, before forcibly taking back the phone.
— If I find that bracelet, I'll just throw it away... — muttered Lucas.
— NO! — shouted Lara, looking desperate. — Please, don't throw it away!
— …Anyway, what's a flea like you doing here? Isn't the school almost closing?
Perhaps due to the girl's desperation, Lucas chose not to tease her further about the bracelet and addressed the more urgent matter at hand.
— You called me a flea again... And why are you asking me that when you're here too? — Lara asked, puzzled about Lucas.
— I don't have much to do at home, so I stay at school until it closes. — the young man replied, avoiding telling the truth.
— I just want to look for my bracelet, even if I have to leave as soon as the school closes. — the girl said, starting to walk to another place.
— Well, good luck, flea. — Lucas said, turning away.
— Wait!
Pulling Lucas's arm forcefully, the young man was stopped, almost falling to the ground.
— What now!? — asked Lucas, wanting to distance himself. — Why did I even talk to this girl!? — he thought.
— I want to... Aren't you a bit weak? — the girl said straightforwardly, changing her sentence halfway. — You keep making fun of my height, even though you have no strength, despite being tall!
— As expected of a flea, latched onto my arm and won't let go.
— Stop it! — exclaimed the girl. — ...Back to the point, I want to introduce myself so you can stop calling me a flea. — said the girl, taking a deep breath and trying to calm down. — My name is Lara, nice to meet you.
— Lucas, nice to meet you, flea.
— You still call me that!!
— Woof! Woof!
— Eh?
Looking back, the two saw the caramel-colored dog approaching. As soon as it arrived, it began rubbing its head against the girl's legs, as if asking for affection.
Without saying anything, Lara put her hand on the dog's head and began to pet it, as if it were routine.
— So, this is where this flea comes from...
— Is there any way for you to stop this... This dog always shows up at school and is friendly with everyone, but seems to really like being with me.
— It probably thinks you two are similar, like small animals.
— Enough already! I won't talk to you anymore! ...Ah!
Due to Lara's sudden movement of letting go of Lucas's arm in a fit of anger, her phone ended up falling to the ground. Seeing this, Lara tried to grab it, but the dog was faster and picked it up before returning it.
— This dog... He seems pretty smart. — commented Lucas.
— Yes, he is... Hmpf. — replied Lara, puffing her cheeks, remembering that she had decided not to talk to Lucas anymore.
— So he couldn't have taken your bracelet or something?
— ...Yes, but he would bring it to me if he found it, so it shouldn't be with him. — she said, unable to maintain silence.
— I see... Hm? Wait, wouldn't that be possible, though? — Lucas mumbled, thinking of a possibility.
After all the events that had occurred, he realized that he had forgotten an obvious possibility, but his mind hadn't grasped it until now.
While pondering about this possibility, Lara observed Lucas closely and finally noticed the young man's appearance. Despite his common black hair and eyes, he had a tired look and some dark circles. Additionally, his beard was growing.
— This guy... He doesn't care at all about his appearance and must stay up late frequently. — she thought. — Moreover... Isn't he older than me?
As far as she knew, the boy should be in the first year, like her, but his appearance suggested he was older. This began to make her doubt Lucas's true age.
— Is he a repeater or something? — she wondered as she looked at her phone. — The school is closing!
Upon realizing the time, Lara quickly picked up her bag, which was lying on the ground, and prepared to leave. However, she stopped when she noticed that the young man was going in another direction.
— Ei, the school is closing! We have to leave quickly!
— You know, maybe I know where your bracelet is.
— ...Eeh!? Where!? Tell me!
Surprised by what was said, the girl stopped for a few seconds before grabbing Lucas firmly and eagerly asking for information about the whereabouts of her bracelet.
— C-Calm down, you go to the school entrance, and I'll see if I can find it! — the young man replied, trying to get away from her.
For some reason, despite being dirty due to the way the girl was searching in the grass, she still exuded a sweet fragrance that caressed his nose. Lara's sudden grip made Lucas feel this scent, making him a bit agitated.
— No! I'm going with you! — she said, determined not to let him go.
— I already said I'll get it! — insisted Lucas, unable to break free.
— But it's faster if I go with you!
— Then let go of me first, you flea!
— Ah...
Realizing the situation, the girl stepped back a little embarrassed but still stayed close and intended to accompany him, no matter what he said.
— Haa... Alright, you can come with me.
With that said, the girl followed Lucas to a certain place but stopped right at the entrance.
— A-Are you sure it's here? — she asked, with a doubtful expression.
— Like I said, just stay away from me and let me get it.
— O-Okay... — Lara replied, moving away from Lucas.
The place where the young man was going was the men's toilet, which at first glance seemed like an unlikely place for the bracelet to be. However, Lucas needed to find a way to keep the girl away.
— Now... System, take out the desk from the [backpack].
After issuing this command, a common desk appeared in front of Lucas. It was a simple desk, without distinctive details. However, Lucas forgot that there was a compartment for storing things underneath it.
Running his hand through the space, he felt a texture that seemed like leather. Removing what was hidden there, he came across a dog collar.
— So this was with me all this time...
[To be continued...]
??? — So, that's the reason for Alexandre's ability pointing to Lucas, as only he could retrieve items from the [backpack].
S — ...Does that mean Lucas is the reason the anime changes its course right at the beginning?
??? — Well, the system must be aware of it too, as the backpack ability is incorporated into it.
[The [backpack] ability categorizes items in a simple way and according to the owner's expectations. Otherwise, we would have to describe the composition of each material used in each item and everything contained in them.]
??? — ...The system has a point.
S — Anyway, with this, the unexpected events in the anime are over, and now Lucas must seek to interact only with the protagonist!
??? — That's what is expected, but...