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After Story #6 by Suzuki Suzu

“Hiya~ Oh, whoa?”

“Idiot. This place ain’t yours to say such things.” That annoyed rebuff came from the bar’s rightful owner, Kusanagi Izumo, who was behind the counter, busy with some preparations.

“Right!” Yata returned enthusiastically and, taking a seat on a stool by the counter, surveyed the room once more. “Anna’s on the second floor?”

“Ehhh?!” Yata was about to question if she was going to be alright on her own but held his tongue in time.

It wasn’t about her safety anymore, as now at last there was no one who would cause her harm. Even if someone harbored a malicious intent towards her, she was the full-fledged Red King. There was no doubt she could fend for herself.

Yata’s mouth twisted with displeasure, as he struck his temples with his fists.

Kusanagi, holding a lit cigarette in one hand, smirked. “What, are you worried? You’re so overprotective, Yata-chan.”

“A middle school student…?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

“She never went to school before.”

“Can she make friends?”

“I really don’t wanna think about it, but what if she gets bullied…?!”

At that, Yata suddenly sprang to his feet and, letting his anger get the better of him, slammed his fists on the counter. “Huh?! Bullying Anna?! Just tell me what damn brat dared bully her and I– OWW?!”

Kusanagi’s fist made contact with the top of Yata’s head. The older man watched out of the corner of his eye Yata squat in pain, then ground out his cigarette on the ashtray. “Now, listen, guys. You seriously need to calm down and think rationally. Do you really think Anna is so weak as to get bullied by the neighborhood brats?”

Upon closer consideration, Kusanagi was right. Anna was the Red King. Even with the Slate destroyed and her Sword of Damocles not manifesting anymore, she still had enough firepower left to send a band or ten of hoodlums, scattered in the neighborhood, packing all on her own. Even if the whole student body of Anna’s new school ganged up on her and launched a coordinated attack all together, it still wouldn’t even make a dent… But that probably was not exactly the point, Yata felt.

That’s where Kamamoto spoke up, probably wanting to reassure everyone, “Th-That’s right! Anna may be taciturn, but she’s kind, intelligent and gutsy! Forget about being bullied, I’m sure she’ll make a ton of friends in no time!”

At his words, the sense of relief washed over those present. Their expressions cleared, and murmurs of consent came from different corners of the bar.

“Uh-huh, I agree.”

“That’s right, that’s right!” Chitose chirped in in a bright, cheerful tone. “And what’s more, she’s pretty! She’ll be popular in her class in no time, I’m telling you. So before long, she’ll nab herself a boyfriend… and then…”

Anna, having a boyfriend…

He knew it wasn’t out of question but the possibility left Yata speechless and deep in troubled thought again. The other members (even Chitose who voiced it in the first place) appeared to have taken a heavy blow at the possibility, just like Yata, and were now sporting haunted and distraught expressions, like the world was ending right before their eyes.

Kusanagi’s expression, on the other hand, was eloquently showing his exasperated amazement as he watched them. Putting a new cigarette into his mouth and lighting it, he finally said, “Now, listen, guys, you gotta—”

But just then, the door to the bar opened.

“I’m back,” Anna announced. And then blinked questioningly at the bone-chilling atmosphere hanging in the bar.

Only Kusanagi gave her his usual warm smile and waved a hand lightly, apparently having decided that there was no need whatsoever to report the stupid contents of a stupid conversation held by total morons. “Oh, welcome back then. Did you memorize the route to and from school?”

Anna nodded at the question and, after a short pause, elaborated, “I met a boy I know.”

“And I thought I wouldn’t mind talking to him again.”

Yata took a look around the bar. Everyone had their mouths agap.

Amidst the dead silence, only the usually composed Kusanagi still retained the ability to move: he stubbed out his cigarette, took another one out and tried to light it. “Is th-th-th-th-that so? Wh-Wh-What, what kind of boy is he…?”

“Yessir!”

Everything was changing alright, but nothing would change the truth that right now, at this moment, they all were here and could laugh all together like this. Even if a time, when these days would become nothing more than a thing of the past, came, that past would never change.

With these thoughts on his mind, Yata faced the camera Kamamoto was setting up and put on his best smile.

The picture they took ended up decorating the pinboard found in the bar. In the same place where Suou and Totsuka’s were, and Fushimi’s back when he still was here, too.

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