I Am Also Anemic

"Origami, you idiot! Get up, you're heavy!" Tohka grumbled, struggling beneath Origami's weight as she wriggled on the floor.

Origami, however, didn't seem to be in any hurry to move.

Instead, she calmly dusted off her uniform, patting away the invisible specks of dirt, before finally standing up.

Tohka's face turned red, not from embarrassment, but from pure frustration.

She shot Origami a hateful glare, her hands clenching into fists.

That was it. She was this close to lunging at her.

"What are you two doing?" Shido asked, looking at the two helplessly.

"That's our line!" Tohka shot back, puffing up in frustration.

"Shido, why are you getting all snuggly with that girl?!"

Since Origami was ignoring her, Tohka quickly changed her target, pointing her finger at Kurumi, who was still clinging to Shido.

"And you, get away from him!"

Without hesitation, Tohka marched forward and latched onto Shido's other arm, pulling him close as if to stake her claim.

"Actually, I have anemia." Kurumi chuckled, watching Tohka's reaction with amusement.

"I rely on Shido-san to support me since my body is so weak." she added, leaning closer and resting her head gently against Shido's shoulder.

"Hmph! How weak!" Tohka scoffed, folding her arms.

Before she could continue, Origami suddenly approached, her steps unsteady as if she were on the verge of collapsing. Just as she reached them, she "lost her balance" and fell forward conveniently landing against Shido's chest.

"Actually, I also have anemia, which makes me feel weak." Origami stated in her usual flat, emotionless tone, despite her clearly deliberate actions.

Shido stood frozen, blinking as both girls clung to him. Is this some kind of competition now?

"Kuh! How cunning!" Tohka, who had been glaring at them with disdain, finally realized their scheme.

"S-Shido, me too..." She suddenly looked up at him with teary, pleading eyes, shifting her butt back and forth as she fidgeted.

Shido's eye twitched. 'Why are you wriggling like that!?'

He was at a complete loss. How was he supposed to handle this?

"Ara ara~ It seems that Shido-san has quite a few friends suffering from anemia." Kurumi let out an elegant chuckle, clearly entertained by the absurdity of the situation.

Meanwhile, Shido sighed inwardly, tilting his head back to stare at the sky. 'Can I just go home now…?'

...

"Thank you for showing me around, Shido-san," Kurumi said with a graceful bow, her perfect smile never leaving her lips.

"No, no, it's nothing. I also had fun," Shido replied, waving his hand dismissively. He had to admit, though he was hesitant to be alone with Kurumi at first, exploring the school together had actually been enjoyable.

Meanwhile, Tohka's gaze remained locked onto Kurumi, nor letting her guard down. She tightened her grip around Shido's arm, practically clinging to him like a lifeline, as if one wrong move would result in Kurumi stealing him away.

It was now after school. The hallways had emptied, and the orange hues of the setting sun bathed the school grounds in a warm glow. The gentle breeze carried a sense of calm, yet for Shido, that peace was rather short.

Kurumi smiled at his response, her golden eye shimmering with amusement as she stepped forward. She leaned in close, her warm breath tickling his ear.

"But, it would've been better if we discussed our date." she whispered, her sultry tone sending a chill down his spine.

Before Shido could react, Kurumi gracefully stepped back. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and skipped away, her elegant form disappearing down the hallway. From the way she carried herself, it was clear, she had thoroughly enjoyed her first day at school.

Meanwhile, Shido stood frozen in place, feeling Tohka's intense stare boring into him.

"Mooo, Shido, don't stare too much!" Tohka huffed, puffing her cheeks before grabbing onto his face and mercilessly pulling at his cheeks.

"Ouch! Ouch! It hurts, Tohka…!" Shido yelped, flailing slightly as he tried to pry her hands off.

Seeing him squirm and beg for mercy, Tohka's expression brightened. She nodded to herself in satisfaction, releasing his face as if she had just won an intense battle.

"Hmph! That's what you get for being distracted by that tricky woman!" she declared, crossing her arms in triumph.

Shido could only sigh, rubbing his sore cheeks. 'It's not like I was staring on purpose, right?'

"By the way, where's Origami?" Shido asked while rubbing his cheek, still sore from Tohka's pinch. Though he had noticed Origami slipping away quietly, he decided to ask anyway.

"Her? I don't know. She suddenly disappeared before class ended." Tohka replied with a shrug.

"I see," Shido muttered. He didn't dwell on it too much, if Origami had left stealthily, it was likely related to Kurumi's unexpected appearance at their school.

Then, suddenly a flash of thought suddenly crossed his mind. Shido recalled a certain event from the anime that was about to happen in a few minutes. His eyes turned sharp and decided to send Tohka to Fraxinus first before he make his move. 

"Tohka, let's head back to Fraxinus first. I'm sure Kotori wants to discuss Kurumi's arrival as soon as possible." Shido said, keeping his tone calm but firm.

Tohka blinked, then nodded without much hesitation. "Okay."

Though she was usually clumsy and a bit naive, even Tohka could sense that something was off about Kurumi's sudden appearance. The fact that Kurumi had openly introduced herself as a Spirit was shocking enough. It wasn't normal.