"Is that what you think?" I asked. "You've got a great face, Madoka. I think you'd pull off a feminine look just fine."
"Wha—?! Axel?!" Madoka sputtered, her face turning red.
"See? Even Axel wants to see it!" Misa laughed, clearly enjoying herself.
We traded banter for a few more minutes until Chizuru finally emerged.
"I'm sorry, did I take too long?" she asked.
She was wearing a white one-piece dress that flowed elegantly as she walked.
"Whoa... Chizuru, your taste is amazing," Misa breathed.
"Those curves are practically a hazard," Madoka muttered, her gaze fixed—with a hint of envy—on Chizuru's famously ample bust. Chizuru just gave them a serene, confident smile.
"Well, shall we? Have we decided on a place for lunch?"
"Sakurako mentioned a great pasta place near the station recently," Misa suggested. "Want to try it?"
"Speaking of which," I asked as we headed for the door, "where is Sakurako today?"
The trio of cheerleaders was usually inseparable, but she was nowhere to be found.
"She has Lacrosse practice and couldn't get away," Madoka explained with a wry smile. "She gave us a look like we were betraying her when we left."
"Ah, so she's in the same boat as Natsumi," Chizuru noted.
"Murakami is at her club too? Drama, right?"
"Yes. She's working incredibly hard for the Mahora Festival."
Chatting idly, we left the dormitory and caught the train toward the station.
"Excuse me, but would you ladies like to join us for some karaoke?"
"I'm sorry, but we have other plans today," Chizuru replied firmly.
The two guys looked disappointed but took the hint and scurried off.
"Another one," Misa sighed. "I know it's spring, but these guys really need to calm down."
She looked genuinely exasperated. It was the fifth time they'd been approached since leaving the dorm. It wasn't surprising, though. You had Chizuru, whose mature figure and air of gentle mystery were a magnet for attention; Misa, who looked like the quintessential modern 'it-girl'; and Madoka, whose cool, boyish charm made her stand out in a crowd. All three were beautiful enough to put professional idols to shame. In a town full of hormone-driven teenagers, they were like moths to a flame.
What grated on me, however, was that the guys hitting on them seemed to look right through me, as if I didn't even exist.
"Ugh, having to brush them off constantly is getting old," Misa muttered. "And who knows when we'll run into the pushy types again."
She was likely thinking of the thugs I'd had to chase off a few times before.
"True," Chizuru agreed. "It's a bit early, but why don't we head to the restaurant now?"
Madoka nodded. "Good idea. Surely they won't try to hit on us while we're actually eating... right?"
"I'd like to believe even Mahora students have more common sense than that," I said.
We followed Misa to the pasta shop. It was exactly the kind of place she'd like—stylish, simple, and popular with the younger crowd. The atmosphere was inviting, and the smell of garlic and herbs hit us the moment we stepped inside.
"Welcome. A table for four?" a waiter asked, leading us to a booth.
"What are you getting, Axel?" Madoka asked, handing me a menu.
The photos of the dishes were mouth-watering, and my stomach let out a quiet growl in response to the aromas wafting from the kitchen.
"Let's see... I'll go with the recommended Cuttlefish and Asparagus pasta," I decided. "And a seafood and bacon pizza to share."
"Wait... you're ordering both?" Madoka blinked. "Can you even finish that?"
"I didn't leave a scrap when we went for beef bowls, did I?"
"Oh, right... I forgot. Honestly, where does it all go? You're so small."
"It is a bit mysterious," Chizuru added, looking at me with genuine concern. "He eats more than any of us at the dorm. I'm glad he's not a picky eater, but the sheer volume... I hope it's not some kind of metabolism disorder."
I didn't share her concern. My appetite hadn't changed since before my "miniaturization." My body was a high-performance machine; it needed fuel.
"Don't worry about me. Have you decided yet?"
"I'm looking at this Okinawan Bitter Melon pasta," Misa said. She seemed to have a real thing for bitter melon—first the crepes, now this.
"The seafood soup pasta looks good too," she continued. "Ugh, choices..."
"I think I'll go with the eggplant and bacon meat sauce," Madoka said.
"And for me, the salmon and mushroom cream pasta," Chizuru decided.
We spent the afternoon in easy conversation, enjoying the food and the rare moment of normalcy in our otherwise chaotic lives.
Status Window
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain: Air: S | Land: S | Sea: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
In-fight Lv.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
Magic (Fire, Shadow, Summon)
???
???
Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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