Watch as Nana Shiraishi leaves

Seeing how panicked she is, I decide to not get in her way and set aside my curiosity for now. I can always ask her for more details later. I turn around and am about to continue shopping when another familiar figure appears in front of me. It's Yuzu holding the leash of a... umm, an Alaskan Malamute, charging toward me menacingly. If the Alaskan didn't have something in his mouth and a stupid look in his clear eyes, I would almost have mistaken him for a wolf. G-Good morning, Yuzu. Argh? It's you, PLAYER. Good morning! The Witch of Justice is busy right now and must take her leave! Oh... Is everyone all busy today...? Hmm? Hold on... Yuzu appears with a dog right after Nana Shiraishi disappears in a scene that looks like a police officer chasing after a suspect. Could Yuzu be chasing after Nana Shiraishi? ...I should catch up and ask them, or else I'll be so engrossed by this mystery that I won't be able to go shopping properly. Fortunately, Yuzu didn't disappear like a gust of wind like Nana Shiraishi. After running a short distance, I see two big tails swaying up and down in front of me rhythmically, so I speed up and run all the way to Yuzu. Yuzu, are you in such a hurry because you're chasing after Nana? Argh?! How did you know? Hehe, because I'm smart. But I'm not smart enough to guess why you're chasing her. Did she do something to make the Witch of Justice chase after her? No, but I just want to help her overcome her weakness. Her weakness? A few days ago, when everyone was helping the vice president clean the playground... Help out? Are you sure you're not punishing her? A-Argh?! No way! Anyway, that was when everyone mentioned what they were scared of. I never expected the courageous Nana to be scared of dogs. Some time ago, she tried to help me overcome my weakness. Although she was unsuccessful, her efforts greatly moved me, the Witch of Justice, and I wish to repay her. You want to repay her with... er, this dog, right? Argh... that's what I had in mind. My friend recently asked me to take care of this Alaskan, and I got the idea to get him to help Nana overcome her fear of dogs, so I asked her to go shopping with me to give her a chance to get close to it. But Nana ran away after taking one look at the dog... so you started chasing after her with the dog? PLAYER, your description sounds a little strange, but that's actually what happened, argh... I understand now. Although I want to tell Yuzu that her desensitization therapy is a little too radical, I remember that Nana Shiraishi did something similar to Yuzu after receiving a request in her help request box, so I kind of feel like she is just reaping what she sowed. But... even if you want her to play with a dog, it's a little scary to start with an Alaskan. Even I was scared when I saw you running over with him, let alone her. Maybe you should try again with a smaller and more docile pet dog? The success rate of your desensitization therapy should be higher if you do that. This Alaskan Malamute is a little large, but you're misunderstanding something, PLAYER. They are a very friendly dog breed. There's a big contrast between their personality and their appearance. Friendly...? …… Hey! Did he just glare at me? Did I make him angry...? Argh, I already said that he's very friendly. You're so suspicious, PLAYER. If you don't trust me, why don't you stick your hand into his mouth? I guarantee he'll keep his mouth open just like that and won't bite you. ...Fine then. Now that I think about it, Ciri's Mojito has quite a good personality even though it also looks terrifying. Judging him by his appearance is a little... Oh right, what's his name? Orio. I'm sorry, Orio. It's rude of me to doubt you because of how you look. As if Orio understood what I said, he tilts his head and looks at me with eyes shining with innocence. I think I'm finally starting to appreciate his cuteness. Of course, I don't dare to stick my hand into his mouth. Humans are troublesome creatures because understanding something doesn't necessarily mean that they can overcome their fear of that thing. (whisper) By the way, is that a hair tie in Orio's mouth? It looks familiar... Argh, we slowed down because we were chatting. I don't know if we're still moving in the right direction. Orio, are you sure she has gone this way? Orio stops and sniffs the ground, then he starts growling indistinctly at the right side in front of us while wagging his tail anxiously for Yuzu to follow him quickly. I need to keep chasing her. PLAYER, I'll talk to you another time if that's all you wanted to ask me. Wait, I'll come with you. Argh? Why? Isn't it obvious? One Han City's Witch of Justice is trying hard to help someone overcome their weakness. As a good citizen of One Han City, of course I have to contribute to this act of justice! This grandiose pretext is naturally an excuse. The reason I want to follow her is partly because I want to see how this situation will unfold and see what Nana Shiraishi, who always considers herself to be my senpai, is like when forced to confront an animal she is scared of. Another reason is that I care about her and can't just sit back and watch Nana Shiraishi get chased around. If she gets cornered and faints, then at least I can carry her home. Relying on Orio's sense of smell, Yuzu and I chase Nana Shiraishi through the streets and alleys. During this time, we also try to get information from people along the way to get a more accurate idea of Nana Shiraishi's whereabouts. An older girl with yellow hair in a ponytail? I saw her. She's a good person! My balloon was stuck in the tree earlier. When she saw me crying, she jumped up and fetched my balloon for me! ...She jumped all the way up? Unless I'm mistaken, the nearest branch is still about three to four meters from the ground. Argh?! Is Nana that good at jumping? She can get so high with one jump. Don't take it seriously... To reach a height of four meters with one jump means that she must be the superwoman of Asaha High School or something. There's no way someone like that exists in our world. ...There shouldn't, right? Little girl, where did that older girl go after she retrieved your balloon? You don't believe me, so I won't tell you. Hmph! ...I'm sorry, but I have to pretend that I don't believe you to protect the real identity of the superwoman of Asaha High School. We must find her as soon as possible to resolve a dangerous crisis. Please help us! S-So she really is a superwoman?! She ran that way. Go to her now! Thank you for contributing to a just cause! Yuzu, let's go. Argh... PLAYER, I can't believe you can lie to a little girl like that without blinking or feeling bad about it. All kids who do bad things before me shall be punished! Waaaaait! Aren't we in a hurry?! Ouch... A girl with yellow hair in a ponytail? Oh, you're probably asking about that person who just helped me! That girl is amazing! I hit the railing by mistake, causing a delivery box to fly out and almost hit someone. Luckily, she's super quick. She just kicked the box and dunked it back into my basket. Her movements were so precise too. The delivery box wasn't damaged at all, which means she must have controlled the strength really well. I'm almost certain that she practices martial arts! I've read a lot of fighting manga, so I can't be wrong about this! Oh, wow. Yes, she's really amazing. What happened after that? Did you see where she went? She was already far away in the distance by the time I turned around to thank her. I think she went that way. This must be what they mean when they say "move like the wind." As expected of someone who practices martial arts. PLAYER, maybe the superwoman of Asaha High School really does exist. I just made up a name randomly. How can someone like that really exist... Let's go. Since she's stopping to help people every now and then, we should be able to catch up to her soon. A girl... with what in a ponytail? With yellow hair. Old granny, have you seen her? Oh, I remember now. She has yellow hair... A girl with yellow hair in a what? ...I'm sorry for disturbing you. By the way, why are you standing here with a look of confusion on your face? Are you in some kind of trouble? Hehe... thank you for asking. It's nothing really. I just encountered something strange. I was reading a street sign on the other side when I was suddenly swept here by a yellow whirlwind. Argh? A yellow whirlwind... Is there a mage who isn't following the rules?! My guess is that someone thought the old granny had difficulty walking and helped her cross the road. Eh, now that you mention it, I do remember hearing a girl say: "Old granny, let me help you cross the road." Hehe... youngsters sure do move fast. I didn't even manage to get a good look at her face... I see... I think I know who helped you cross the road. Let me take you back to the street sign. After helping the old granny, we get Orio to keep searching for traces of Nana Shiraishi. Woof... Orio is starting to look tired, and we've been chasing Nana for a while now. Let's get some rest first. You're right. Argh... Alaskans are a breed that has great stamina. I never expected that Orio would get tired before we can catch up to her. Speaking of which, is she really trying to run away from us seriously...? How fast must she be running if she can leave us so far behind her even though she has been helping people all the way?! She doesn't forget to take the time to help others even when she is running away. She is so enthusiastic that I want to praise her and complain about her at the same time. I don't think I'll ever meet someone who is as kind-hearted as Nana Shiraishi. Ten minutes later ...I think we've rested for long enough. Let's continue now. Maybe we should give up. Given her stamina, Orio might even collapse onto the ground in exhaustion before we catch up with her. No, it's too early to give up. Orio also says he needs to see Nana about something important. What important thing? Okay then, let's try again and see if we can catch up with her. ...By the way, if we keep going straight along this road, we'll arrive at Asaha High School. Could she be hiding in the school? My guess is correct. Orio really does guide us all the way to Asaha High School. We walk through the school gates, pass by the playground, walk inside a school building, and finally stop in front of a door at the end of a corridor. Arf! Judging from how excited Orio is when looking back at us, I think Nana is behind this door. She has nowhere to hide now that we're here. Let's go inside. Don't open the door just yet. Do you think she'll hide somewhere with no way out? Here's a piece of friendly advice. You should take a look at where we are first. Argh?! The s-student council's office...{var:Shake} Although it's the weekend, Ren Kisaragi could be working overtime inside this room. I've encountered him here on the weekend before when I came to help out at the gardening club. I remember... according to the rules of Asaha High School, pets aren't allowed on school grounds except under special circumstances, right? Y-Yes, that's right, argh... It's also possible that Ren Kisaragi isn't inside the room. Do you want to go inside and take a look? D-Don't open the door. As a student, I must follow the school rules. I just forgot the rules by accident when I was so focused on chasing after Nana. I'm going to leave now. Let's go, Orio. Yuzu tugs the leash, but Orio has no intention of leaving. He rubs himself against Yuzu's heels, then raises his head and shakes the hair tie in his mouth. Argh? Ohh... so that's why. I understand now. What did Orio say? Orio wants to ask you to return this to Nana. This is why he has been chasing after Nana... I enter the student council's office after Yuzu left and was still thinking about what I should say to Ren Kisaragi to explain why I've come here on the weekend. Fortunately, the only person here is Nana Shiraishi, who is shaking behind a desk. Hi, senpai. Did you enjoy the chase? Yuzu hasn't come inside...? Phew... you're so mean! Even if you don't help me escape, you don't have to hunt me down with Yuzu! I came because I was worried about you, except you ran so quickly that we could never catch up with you. If I didn't stop her in time, Yuzu would already be in here, and you would be spending some quality time with that Alaskan. Sigh... I'm just reaping what I sowed. I must have angered Yuzu when I stubbornly wanted to help her overcome her weakness. Yuzu isn't so narrow-minded. She just wants to help you overcome your weakness, just like how you wanted to help her. Here, this is yours, right? Eh? This is my spare hair tie. Where did you find this? The Alaskan called Orio found it. In fact, he was chasing after you to return this to you. I... I see. I thought he was chasing after me to deliberately tease me. I feel a little embarrassed now that I know I've misunderstood him... Can you help me thank Yuzu and Orio? I would like to thank them personally, but I... sigh... I'm so useless... Don't say that. A fear of dogs isn't something that can be resolved in a short time. I think it's already amazing that you want to thank an animal that you're so scared of. What's more, in this era of convenience, you don't really have to be face-to-face with someone to thank them in person. At times like these, we really need to be grateful for the advancement of science and technology. I pick up my phone and give Yuzu a video call, which she answers very quickly. What's up, PLAYER? I just returned the hair tie to Nana Shiraishi, and she wants to thank both you and Orio. Is Orio still with you? He just ran off to play just now. I'll call him to come back now. Orio! Arf! Orio's energetic calls can be heard in the video. There is no fear on Nana Shiraishi's face when she sees Orio approaching the camera. It seems that her weakness of being afraid of dogs isn't impossible to overcome after all. Thank you for bringing my hair tie to me, Orio. Arf! Yuzu, I'm sorry for wasting your efforts today. Thank you for trying to help me overcome my weakness, but... I don't think I can interact with dogs normally yet. It's okay. If you're scared of something, then you're scared of something. But I won't give up! As long as I keep trying, you'll be able to overcome your weakness one day. Aren't you also trying to help me overcome my weakness? Argh! Let's do our best together! O-Okay then... Orio looks quite cute when I look at him through the screen. It must have been tough for him to chase after me the entire day... Okay, I'll keep trying. Hopefully, I'll have the courage to stroke your head next time, Orio. Arf, arf! You have to keep your word. I'll be watching you from the side next time. If you want to run away, hehe... I'll do my best to stop you. Huh? Shouldn't you be stepping forward to protect me if that happens? Sigh, you're so inconsiderate...