"Do you come up here to the rooftop every day just to feed the crows?"
Kazusa's appearance here wasn't coincidental. She had been lying in the classroom all day, not studying, and lately, the heat had made it hard for her to sleep.
She had noticed in the afternoons that Chisato would leave the classroom during the break between the first and second periods, and always return just as the bell rang.
She rarely saw him during those ten minutes, and it didn't seem like he was just going to the bathroom.
Her mind wandered back to the pink-haired girl she saw during lunch break, and she wondered if he was meeting someone.
After seeing the drawing he gave her earlier, Kazusa was restless and anxious.
Driven by her frustration, she left her seat and followed him up to the rooftop from a distance.
She had planned to just pass by casually and take a quick look without interfering, no matter what he was doing.
But when she passed a group of students going downstairs and smelled the smoke on them, she thought of another possibility, which only increased her frustration.
So, she peeked out from the rooftop stairs. Finding only him and no sign of the smoky scene she feared, her worries dissipated, and her mood lightened surprisingly.
"Yes, crows are one of the smartest birds in the world. If you treat them well, they will repay you within their capabilities."
Chisato nodded and answered calmly.
His answer was sincere, but he quickly picked up on an important piece of information from Kazusa's words.
"How do you know I come here every day?"
Kazusa moved closer, taking the cookies from his hand and looking at the crows far away on the railing. She asked, "How do I feed them?"
The question was ignored.
"Can't do anything with you."
"...Just tear open the packaging and crumble the cookies on the ground."
Kazusa followed his instructions, but despite the cookie crumbs scattered all over, no crows came to eat.
She looked at Chisato in confusion.
"Crows are very intelligent and understand order. If you, as the feeder, don't give them a command, they won't come."
Chisato said with a serious tone, making up an explanation.
Kazusa, who was a genius in music but knew little about biology, believed his dubious words.
"How do I give the command? Do I just tell them it's time to eat?"
"They don't understand human language. You need to try making their sounds, like 'caw caw.'"
Chisato couldn't help but show a slight smile, which Kazusa noticed immediately. She remained silent for a moment before saying,
"...Chisato, do you think I'm an idiot?"
"I'm not lying. You'll see for yourself."
"If you're lying to me..."
Kazusa gave him a fierce look.
Chisato shrugged and then looked at Kazusa with an expectant expression as she prepared to make the sounds.
"Caw... caw caw—"
The crows looked at the female biped making their sounds, but remained indifferent.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Seeing Kazusa standing there dazed, Chisato couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
How to say it, believing his words so easily and following his instructions with such an expectant expression was a rare and cute sight.
Kazusa's reaction was so different from her usual demeanor, creating a maximum contrast that was simply adorable.
"I knew it! You're such a jerk, Chisato...!"
Kazusa, blushing with embarrassment and anger, walked over and grabbed his collar.
At that moment, the crows cawed, and all of them flapped their wings, landing at their feet.
Under the clear sky, on the rooftop, surrounded by crows, the two of them.
The scene froze at that moment.
Kazusa, still holding onto his collar with one hand, had lost her previous anger.
She looked down at the crows hopping around and eating the crumbs at her feet, her face showing a mix of novelty and happiness, like a child receiving a new toy.
Chisato reached out to move her hand from his collar.
"Don't move; you'll scare them away."
Kazusa said softly.
No, even if you shout now, they won't leave.
Chisato didn't say that out loud. He followed her advice, staying silent and still, becoming a wooden statue.
This action was not motivated by wanting to be close to a beautiful girl.
It wasn't until Kazusa's curiosity about the crows was satisfied that she noticed Chisato's hand had been resting on the back of her hand all this time.
She quickly looked up, and Chisato looked back, his expression neutral.
Kazusa pulled her hand back, feeling a bit of loss as the warmth disappeared. She kept that emotion hidden inside.
She crumbled the remaining cookies and scattered them on the ground, looking flustered.
"I'm going back now."
"Let's go together."
Chisato reached out for her hand.
Kazusa flinched, quickly pulling her hands behind her back, her delicate face flushed.
"What! What are you doing!"
Chisato looked at her in confusion.
"Nothing. Just give me the cookie wrapper. Oh, or could it be..."
Kazusa cut him off in a hurry.
"Here, here! You annoying guy! You should have said so from the beginning!"
Her brain felt like it was about to explode as she handed the cookie wrapper to Chisato.
As she turned to leave, her sudden movement startled some crows, causing their wings to catch on the hem of her skirt and lift it up.
Even though Kazusa immediately grabbed the back of her skirt to pull it down, Chisato had already seen an unexpected view.
The surprising white fabric with pink ribbon patterns.
As Kazusa turned back, Chisato quickly exclaimed,
"I didn't see anything!"
"You...! Ah!"
A flaw!
Dark Wings, blending in with the crows, took off from directly below Kazusa as she turned.
The front of her skirt lifted again, losing its basic coverage.
Chisato saw a different view this time.
The pink bow in the center, small and somewhat cute...
Kazusa's pink lips trembled, her slender eyes glaring fiercely at Chisato.
But her currently adorable and shy expression greatly diminished the usual aloofness and intimidation she conveyed.
Without another word, she hurriedly left.
After she left, Dark Wings flew back to Chisato's shoulder, gently tapping his chin with his beak, as if to show off.
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