Returning Transcendent Opens an Idol Agency

Chapter 397: Starry Academy Days – V

The gazes finally stopped when Meggie and Emma reached the cafeteria.

Even so, Meggie held Emma close and still kept a sharp eye out.

Since Hoshigawa Academy was a combined school, the cafeteria was packed with students from both the middle school and high school portions. Or was it junior high and senior high?

Meggie didn't really pay attention to those distinctions, so she wasn't too sure. But anyway, since there were so many people around, it was easy to blend in and avoid attention. Especially when Meggie pointedly pulled up her hood to hide her face.

Emma nervously glanced at Meggie's raised hood and said, "I-Is it fine to wear that here, Meggie?"

Meggie led Emma to the back of the lunch line and then said, "It's fine. I mean, do you see some of the crazy outfits people are wearing?" To emphasize that point, Meggie pointed to a table in the middle of the cafeteria.

To begin with, since Hoshigawa Academy was a combined school, the shared facilities were large. The cafeteria itself was the size of a small mini mall and seemed a lot bigger on the inside than the outside (it actually was, but no one really questioned it).

But even though the cafeteria was large and packed with students, there were still quite a few students that stuck out.

Like the table Meggie was pointing at.

A young male high school student with gravity defying spiky hair sprayed with gold and red highlights brandished a weird disc bracer on his left arm.

Across from him, another male high school student brandished a fancier looking bracer that looked like a blade. That guy's hair was normal, brown and neatly combed. But he wore a white long coat with dragon decals that seemed to have built-in fans to keep it swaying in non-existent wind.

"It's over! I play Box of Greed letting me draw five cards!"

"You fool! I activate my trap card, Magical Bandana!"

"Hah! I activate *MY* trap card, False Vibes!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

...

Meggie looked away from the weirdos playing a children's card game so dramatically.

Emma giggled after watching the two overly dramatic card players and then said, "I guess you're right." She took a look around again, pausing at some more stand-out students. "It could be a lot worse."

Meggie glanced at a crazy guy with a bowl cut munching on an eclair while doing bicep curls with a pull-up bar. Pointedly ignoring him, she nodded and said, "Definitely."

Since Hoshigawa Academy was a school for 'special' students, it seemed like there were quite a few... interesting students around.

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'Mom and Dad really couldn't just do normal things, huh?'

Meggie bit back a sigh and then focused on the task at hand: grabbing food.

They had made fast progress through the lunch line and got to the part where they could pick up trays.

Meggie grabbed one and handed it over to Emma. "Here." She let go of Emma's hand shortly after handing the tray over and said, "Don't get lost now. I'm totally going to leave you behind if you disappear."

"I won't, Meggie!" Emma gave a furious nod and said, "I can't let my first friend in my whole life throw me away!"

...Oh Heavens. Emma was one of *those* girls?

Meggie felt like she had just signed herself up for a lot of drama later... but that was a later problem.

Right now, they had to solve the food problem.

So Meggie pointedly shoved the thoughts of how Tsuki was totally going to be jealous of Emma, Emma was probably going to be clingy, and how Dad was TOTALLY going to make fun of her.

Instead, she took a look at the food they could choose from to see what was good.

The cafeteria was split into two main portions. Well, technically three if you included the lines you had to stand in to grab a tray.

There was the seating area in a big courtyard-like section in the middle where students could sit down and eat, and there was the outside walls lined with various booths that had dispensers serving different types of food.

Food that Meggie could see was definitely conjured from thin air the moment it dispensed rather than freshly prepared and served.

...Well, maybe you could call it the 'freshest' food ever considering it popped into existence the moment a student pressed the button?

Still, she thought Dad wanted them to have a low profile and stop using crazy powers...

Ah, but Mom definitely would have said that was annoying, so this was probably her fault. Not to mention it saved on having to pay people.

Dad would have definitely gone around and hired some people who would coincidentally end up being beautiful women to work in the cafeteria.

Mm. Yeah, that's probably why lunch was being served like this instead.

Now, as for what Meggie wanted to eat...

She glanced back at Emma and said, "Have you decided on what you want?"

Emma smiled and said, "I'm fine with what you have, Meggie! I'm not picky!"

"Right. Then..."

Meggie didn't really like taking responsibility for other people after seeing the mess his Dad created, but if it was just picking food...

"Let's get some burgers and then sit down."

The pair of girls moved over to a machine giving out burgers and fries and waited.

When it was their turn, Meggie grabbed the foil-wrapped burger, box of fries, and soda can from the machine before moving over and waiting for Emma.

"Wow." Emma watched the machine with bright eyes and said, "There must be a lot of people working in the kitchen to make all of this!"

Meggie scratched the side of her chin and said, "S-Sure..."

Emma grabbed her food and then let out a bright smile. "Okay! After you, Meggie!"

'...Cute.'

Emma reminded Meggie a bit of the CapsuMon that followed her around in her games. Like the partner monsters in Gold Love and Silver Spirit.

Meggie smiled back and said, "Alright. Then..." She swept her gaze across the cafeteria and found an empty round table with four chairs. "Let's head there."

The two girls walked over to the table and set their food down, making themselves comfortable.

Meggie took the time to unwrap her burger and took a hesitant bite.

Meaty, savory, a little salty but not too much. The soft crunch of lettuce paired well, and a slightly sweet tomato slice balanced the saltiness in the patty. Then there was the fluffy bun that barely gave any resistance and instead just enough texture to hold it all together...

Pretty good.

Of course, Meggie preferred her Dad's cooking (even if she'd never admit it).

Dad had a way of making the food taste filling without being overbearing, and also just... warm? Something about his meals always made the person eating them feel better.

In contrast, this burger was good, but it felt a bit 'empty.'

Still, it was definitely better than any random fast food or master chef of this world could make.

Meggie was sure of that.

And to confirm that thought...

Emma sniffled as she chewed on her burger. Wiping away her tears, she looked up at Meggie with her watery crimson eyes. As she did, the heart-shaped pupil in her right eye seemed to sparkle a bit, although it was blurred with her tears.

"It's so good...! Ueeeeeee...!"

"H-Hey!" Meggie grabbed a napkin and reached out to wipe Emma's tears. "I-It's just a burger! Stop crying over junk food!"

"But junk food tastes so goooooood. Ueeeeeee!" Emma was inconsolable, crying and then taking big bites out of her burger between sobs.

"Hah..." Meggie decided to give up and go back to eating her food.

It wouldn't be the first time she saw people sobbing out of gratitude while she was eating.

...She would definitely prefer if this was the last though.

The awkwardness was killing her on the inside... And she thought seeing Big Sis Alphy act sweet in real life was cringe enough. Sheesh...

"S-Sorry..." Emma sniffed and wiped away her tears before blowing her nose with a napkin.

Meggie grimaced and then handed some of hers over to Emma. "Here. You need them more than I-"

Emma immediately grabbed them and blew her nose again.

'...Girl. You know we're eating here, right...?'

Meggie glanced at her burger and then quietly set it aside.

Dad was coming to pick her up, so Meggie could get more later.

She wasn't really in the mood to eat anymore after seeing Emma break down like that... especially after the girl blew her nose.

Emma sniffed and then pulled herself together. After cracking open her soda can, she took a few sips to calm down. "Hah..." She let out a weak smile and said, "Sorry again. You were so nice to me and everything and asked me to eat lunch like this and I fell apart..."

Meggie waved her hand. "It's fine. Uh... Life happens?"

That was what Dad said, right?

Yeah, let's go with that.

Emma laughed and then smiled. "It really does..." She picked up her burger again and took a slow bite, savoring the taste. "...I never thought I'd be able to eat something like this."

"...It's just a burger."

Emma giggled and said, "Right. It's just a burger. And these..." She opened the box of fries and took one out. After munching on one, Emma let out a satisfied sigh. "And these are fries... So tasty."

...Was this a Dad thing that Meggie got? Why was the first friend she made in school such a weirdo...?