Shinta Uchiha was unusually calm at this moment.
Or rather, because he had that upright and serious personality, he couldn't even bring himself to overthink the simple fact that they were walking to school together just by chance.
Shinta Uchiha figured he was probably just lucky—by chance, he'd ended up walking with Yuki Tsukishiro, and by chance, they'd run into Hikawa Rika and the other girl near the school gate.
And of course, he'd step in to stop any passersby from bullying a little girl if he saw it; that was just what he did, as someone striving to do what's right.
*Cough cough, being Yuki's neighbor is just being neighbors. It doesn't mean we're on good terms or anything.*
"Please don't mistake absolute evil for something justifiable. Even those who make mistakes or do evil should have some dignity. This kind of misunderstanding is really troubling for me."
Shinta Uchiha noticed he was being stared at—those two second-year girls beside Yuki were looking right at him. It made him feel flustered, having to walk the same road as this evil witch for no reason. He wanted to explain, to clarify their awkward neighborly relationship, but the words he blurted out only made things worse.
——It wasn't that a simple explanation wouldn't have worked; it was that Shinta Uchiha's clumsy explanation left the two second-year students completely speechless.
——There was no need to question the nature of your relationship at all, but you specifically brought it up, making us suspect there's some kind of weird hidden connection between you two.
"?"
Yuki Tsukishiro never expected Shinta Uchiha to suddenly blow up like this.
A hint of genuine puzzlement flashed in her pale blue eyes.
What was his problem?
Why was he getting so worked up? No one was stopping him from anything! Why was his aura suddenly so intense?!
"Hmm?"
**Meguri Emma**, the second-year student, was stunned. After hearing Shinta Uchiha's words, the question she'd been about to ask got stuck in her throat, and she could only let out a surprised little gasp.
"Yuki, is this true?"
"Uchiha-kun, can you explain what you just said?"
In this awkward and unusual atmosphere, **Meguri Emma** and Hikawa Rika both asked, their expressions tense with curiosity and confusion.
"Uchiha-kun is my neighbor."
Yuki Tsukishiro kept her soft smile, replying in a gentle voice.
Being the center of suspicion like this wasn't nearly as interesting as she thought it would be, and she was starting to find Shinta Uchiha's over-the-top reaction a little boring.
"...I see."
Hikawa Rika's quiet response cut through the air, simple but loaded with unspoken surprise.
"The new transfer student lives in your neighborhood?!"
**Meguri Emma** blinked, her big brown eyes widening with sudden shock and delight.
From a friend's perspective, living in the same neighborhood was the perfect way to grow closer.
After all... if friends live too far apart, their bond is bound to grow faint over time.
That's what **Meguri Emma** thought.
She snuck a quick glance at Hikawa Rika beside her, who was deep in thought.
As good friends, they'd grown a little distant ever since they'd been put in different classes this year.
...
Shinta Uchiha, the one who'd deliberately made the atmosphere so strange, was completely unaware of the awkwardness he'd caused.
He thought he'd explained their relationship clearly enough, and immediately went back to his own thoughts—how to save these two innocent girls who'd fallen into the evil trap set by the **Otsutsuki** that is Yuki Tsukishiro.
Shinta Uchiha had long held a deep prejudice against Yuki, and he'd already thought of a way to break her hold on the two girls.
He would show them that his sense of justice was truer, more genuine, more unshakable! He would be the real voice of justice in their eyes.
Then, humph, that stubborn red-eyed witch would have no choice but to come to him for guidance, to listen to every word he said.
As for **Meguri Emma**...
Maybe he could even play the villain a little and threaten her in private?
Like, drag her into an alley when no one was around, and snarl at her directly.
"You, don't mess with Yuki. Only I can mess with Yuki!"
"Right, Uchiha-kun, that..."
Just as Shinta Uchiha was lost in his wild thoughts, **Meguri Emma**'s soft voice pulled him back to reality.
Shinta Uchiha stared at her in confusion.
What now? What did she want?
"Please forgive my rudeness. Our meeting yesterday was a bit abrupt, and I can't help but wonder if Uchiha-kun has any misunderstanding about Yuki..."
**Meguri Emma** blushed slightly, her childish face still tinged with shyness as she spoke up timidly.
"Hmm."
Shinta Uchiha grunted in response, signaling the girl in front of him to continue.
"So, I think a proper self-introduction is in order."
"I'm **Meguri Emma**, and I'm Yuki Tsukishiro's good friend. I know I'm a little silly, and I always mess things up clumsily, so I need everyone's care a lot. My dream is to make a hundred good friends in my life."
**Meguri Emma** looked up at Shinta Uchiha, her expression turning bright and cute—like a **little puppy** wagging its tail at your feet, eager for attention.
On the surface, **Meguri Emma** seemed to be the most popular kind of girl: cheerful, outgoing, and full of adorable little expressions.
But... from her slightly pale cheeks flushed with nervousness, her fair skin taut with anxiety, and her little nose pink with shyness, it wasn't hard to see that **Meguri Emma** was, at her core, a shy and timid girl.
She was the kind of person who could easily become someone incredibly important to you, as long as you were willing to reach out and invite her to play.
Shinta Uchiha came to this conclusion in an instant.
But... he had no intention of responding to **Meguri Emma**'s eager hope of making a new friend.
"Wanting to make friends with her? I'm afraid that's a bad idea. Oh, right, I see now."
Shinta Uchiha clicked his tongue inwardly, shooting a sidelong glance at Yuki Tsukishiro with a half-smirk on his face.
This naturally evil Yuki Tsukishiro was just taking advantage of this innocent girl's desire to make friends. She'd use their friendship to get close to Meguri, to worm her way into her family, and eventually drag her into her own evil conspiracies.
How could she be so wicked?
Yuki Tsukishiro stared back at Shinta Uchiha with her pale blue eyes, her heart filled with utter confusion.
**Meguri Emma**—pure, kind, sweet **Meguri Emma**—had just flashed Shinta the brightest, warmest smile she could muster.
Even a heartless villain would have been moved by that kind of genuine warmth and temptation.
So why was his suspicious gaze still fixed firmly on her?!