Lina walked along the sidewalk, her arms tightly gripping the massive sack of coffee beans as she maneuvered through the busy streets. Her petite frame carrying something so disproportionately large drew plenty of curious and bewildered stares from passersby.
People whispered among themselves, some pointing at the unusual sight of a girl barely over 140 cm tall lugging around what seemed like an impossible load. But Lina remained blissfully unaware of their gazes. She was too focused on her steps, carefully placing each foot to avoid tripping. The sack was so big that it blocked most of her forward view, forcing her to rely on her peripheral vision.
As she continued her trek, a group of three delinquent girls loitering near a convenience store took notice of her. Their loud laughter and chatter paused as their eyes landed on the odd sight of Lina struggling to balance the enormous sack.
One of the girls, clearly the leader with her bleached hair tied into a messy ponytail smirked. "Oi, check that out," she said, nudging her friends. "Little miss delivery girl over there looks like she's about to collapse."
The others chuckled, encouraged by her tone.
The leader stepped forward, blocking Lina's path. "Hey, kid. That looks way too heavy for you. Why don't you hand it over before you hurt yourself?"
Lina stopped, tilting her head slightly to try and see past the sack. She could make out the vague figure of someone standing in her way. "Move," she said flatly, her tone cold.
The girl's smirk widened. "Oh, feisty, huh? What's in the bag, anyway? Something expensive?"
Another thug girl, chewing gum obnoxiously, joined in. "Yeah, must be worth something if you're carrying it all alone. Maybe we should 'help' her deliver it."
Lina sighed audibly. "It's coffee beans," she muttered, her voice tinged with irritation. "Now move."
The leader snorted in disbelief. "Coffee beans? Yeah, right. Let's take a look for ourselves, huh?" She reached out to grab the sack, but before her hand could even touch it, Lina shifted slightly, her yellow eyes glaring daggers at the girl from behind the sack.
"I said," Lina growled, her voice low but sharp, "move."
The intensity in her gaze caused the delinquent to hesitate for a moment, but her pride refused to let her back down so easily. "What's your problem, kid? You think you're tough or something?"
Lina didn't respond, her grip tightening on the sack as her patience wore thin.
Lina sighed as she carefully set the massive sack of coffee beans down on the pavement with a dull thud. Straightening her back, she finally got a good look at the trio in front of her. Her sharp yellow eyes scanned their faces for a moment, and then she recognized them.
"Well, well," Lina said, her voice cold and calm, yet carrying a weight that made the air around them tense.
The three delinquent girls froze, their bravado instantly replaced by panic as they realized who they were dealing with. One of them, the leader, audibly gulped. "I-It's her!" she whispered harshly to her friends.
The other two immediately turned on their leader. "Leader! You should've known better when you saw how short she was!" one hissed.
"Yeah, leader! That's like her signature look!" the other chimed in, nervously glancing at Lina.
The leader snapped back, whispering in desperation, "Don't blame me! You two didn't notice either until she put that sack down!"
Their frantic arguing only made Lina's amused smile grow wider. She crossed her arms, looking down at them "Ahem," she interrupted, her tone light yet dangerously pointed. "You do realize it's incredibly rude to talk about my height in front of me, right?"
The three immediately stopped bickering and turned to Lina, their faces pale with dread. They quickly bowed in unison, their voices trembling as they shouted, "We're sorry, Astra the Debt Collector!!"
Lina blinked, momentarily stunned. "Astra the Debt Collector?" she repeated, her brows furrowing. "Since when did I get such a ridiculous nickname?"
The girls didn't dare answer, each of them sweating nervously under Lina's intense gaze.
Lina shrugged, deciding not to dwell on it. She took a step forward, her yellow eyes gleaming mischievously. "Whatever. Now..." She smiled, but it was far from kind. "Hand over all your money."
The three delinquents flinched at her words, scrambling to empty their pockets without a second thought. Coins, crumpled bills, and even a snack coupon fell to the ground as they desperately tried to appease her.
"W-We didn't mean to bother you, Astra!" the leader stammered, bowing so low her forehead nearly touched the ground.
"Yeah! Please don't take it all!" one of the others begged, tears welling in her eyes.
Lina crouched down, scooping up the pitiful pile of cash with an expression of exaggerated disappointment. "Tsk, tsk. This is all you've got?" she teased, pocketing the money.
The delinquents nodded furiously, their heads bobbing like terrified puppets.
Lina stood up, dusting off her hands. "Next time, think twice before picking on someone who looks like me, okay?"
"Yes, Astra!" they chorused, bowing again before scurrying off as fast as their legs could carry them.
Lina shook her head . "Astra the Debt Collector, huh? How ridiculous," she muttered. Picking up the coffee sack once more, she continued on her way as if nothing had happened.
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Lina pushed the door open with her shoulder, the bell above it chiming softly to announce her arrival. She stepped inside, still carrying the oversized sack of coffee beans that nearly dwarfed her small frame. Her yellow eyes scanned the shop as she walked toward the counter.
"Boss, I'm back," Lina called out, her voice calm but tinged with exhaustion.
The rabbit owner turned his head from behind the counter, his floppy ears perking slightly. "Ah, good work, Miss Astra. You can put the sack over there in the storage room." He pointed toward the open door at the back of the shop, his small paw gesturing clearly.
Lina gave a slight nod, her face blank as usual. "Okay," she replied curtly.
She trudged toward the storage room, her footsteps muffled by the wooden floor. Despite her petite stature, she carried the hefty sack with surprising ease, as if it weighed nothing at all. Reaching the storage room, she carefully lowered the sack onto the designated spot with a soft thud, dusting off her hands afterward.
Lina straightened up, glancing back toward the counter. "Anything else you need me to do?" she asked, walking out of the storage room and back toward the front of the shop.
The rabbit owner shook his head with a small smile. "No, you've done enough for now. Why don't you take a break?"
Lina simply nodded, not arguing. She grabbed a stool by the counter, sat down, and leaned back slightly. Her gaze wandered to the window, where the afternoon sunlight streamed in, painting the shop with a warm, golden hue.
The rabbit owner busied himself at the counter, humming a light tune as he adjusted some jars of tea and coffee. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingling with the faint aroma of pastries. It was a calm, peaceful moment—the kind Lina didn't mind.
The rabbit owner looked at Lina with a mix of concern and disbelief. He adjusted his little glasses and sighed. "Miss Astra, you should really take this seriously. The General Student Council President is missing. You know what that could mean for Kivotos, don't you?"
Lina tilted her head slightly, her white hair shifting with the motion. "Who's missing again?" she asked, her expression blank as if she hadn't just been told seconds ago.
The owner's ears drooped slightly in exasperation, and an imaginary sweat drop practically appeared over his head. "Miss Astra, the General Student Council President! The one who oversees all of Kivotos!" he repeated, his tone slightly raised but still polite.
Lina blinked a few times, processing. "Ohhh," she finally said, dragging out the word as if she'd just grasped the importance. "So, like...a politician or something?"
The rabbit owner put a paw to his face, muttering under his breath. "Common knowledge...this is common knowledge..." Straightening himself, he said firmly, "Yes, Miss Astra, 'like a politician,' but much more important. Without her, there's chaos! So you need to be extra careful outside."
Lina waved her hand dismissively, leaning back in her chair with an exaggerated yawn. "Meh. Boss, no need to worry about me. I can handle myself just fine. You've seen me—those thugs the other day barely lasted a minute," she said with a small smirk, clearly proud of herself.
The rabbit raised an eyebrow. "That's not exactly comforting, Miss Astra. You're not invincible, and—"
Lina cut him off, pointing a finger at him with a mock-serious expression. "Boss, if anyone needs to be careful, it's you. You're not good at fighting, and last I checked, you're definitely not bulletproof," she said, her tone deadpan but oddly confident.
The owner looked taken aback, his ears twitching. "I...well, that's—"
"So," Lina continued, standing up and brushing invisible dust off her skirt, "I suggest you be more careful outside. You know, don't stray too far, maybe carry a big stick or something."
The rabbit owner opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, utterly lost for words. "Miss Astra...thank you for your...concern?" he managed to say, though his tone was filled with confusion.
"Anytime, Boss," Lina said casually, stretching her arms above her head. "Anyway, I'll just keep doing my thing. If the president's missing, then good luck to her. I've got coffee beans to carry and part-time work to focus on."
The rabbit stared at her as she walked toward the door, completely unbothered. "Miss Astra...you really are something else," he muttered, shaking his head with a small chuckle.
Few hours later, Lina had already finished her part-time job. With her hands in her jacket pockets, she walked lazily down the street. Her yellow eyes scanned her surroundings, noting a pattern she had been noticing for a while now.
Everywhere she looked, there were thugs. Groups of them loitering on corners, leaning against walls, laughing loudly, or simply glaring at anyone who passed by. Lina tilted her head, furrowing her brows. "Why are there so many thugs outside today?" she muttered, then stopped mid-thought as something clicked. "Oh..." she sighed, remembering what her boss had mentioned earlier about the GSC president's disappearance.
"If this was me two months ago," she mused to herself, her voice tinged with dry humor, "when I didn't have a job...I probably would've robbed them." She paused and smirked. "I mean, kindly borrowed their money... permanently."
She glanced around, scanning the streets. Thugs everywhere. While she rarely did that kind of thing anymore—mostly due to her part-time job taking up her time—she couldn't help but shake her head at the irony of the situation.
As she passed a parked car, the faint sound of a nearby radio crackled to life. "Cap," it suddenly announced, though Lina ignored it, brushing it off as some random noise. She continued walking, hands still stuffed into her jacket, until her gaze caught something unusual—or rather, someone unusual.
Lina's steps slowed. Her eyes locked onto a figure just ahead, standing by the sidewalk. Her heart skipped for a moment—not out of fear or excitement, but sheer confusion.
"...A normal adult?" she muttered under her breath, blinking a few times to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.
Mind you, in Kivotos, "normal" was a rare sight. Most people she encountered had some kind of unique or bizarre feature—rabbit ears, halos, robotic enhancements, or just wild, outlandish looks. Some of the people she meet even wearing all black and they skin is black too. I mean, literally. But this person? They were so plain, so ordinary that it made them stand out even more than the flashy characters she was used to.
Short black hair, a neutral expression, a typical suit... this person practically screamed "average." Yet, somehow, that was the weirdest thing about them.
Lina tilted her head and stared a bit longer. "No way..." she whispered to herself. "Is that... an actual normal human being? Do those still exist here?"
The person—completely unaware of Lina's intense scrutiny—was just standing there, seemingly lost in thought.
Lina scratched her head. "This... this is strange. Like, finding a shiny Pokémon-level strange," she muttered, her curiosity piqued.
Unconsciously, her feet began to move toward the mysterious figure.
(A/n: grrr stay away sensei!!)