Note: This chapter is a crossover between all my works. In the crossover, it will be in the perspective of each respected series. Thus no outside POV from the other series.

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It has been a few weeks since school started; I thought I'd bake something with Lilly since it’s October and Halloween is on the horizon.

Though… I’m currently searching for a recipe book related to the theme in a bookstore. While there are a few, I specifically came for the special one! It only has print and can only be found in select bookstores!

Well, it is a limited edition!

I found the book and reached out to grab it, but my fingers touched someone else’s. We looked at each other, and our eyes met. She had teal-coloured eyes and hair, was slightly shorter than me and had a calm air around her.

““…oh?”” we both muttered.

Well… I still want the recipe book…However, she had a troubled look on her face…

“How about we ask an employer? There might be another one in the warehouse,” I suggested.

“Hmm, oh! Good idea!” she softly smiled. “Ah! By the way, I’m Aska, and you?”

Hmm? I didn’t think she was the talkative type.

“It’s Luke. Nice to meet you.”

“Luke, huh?” she said, tilting her head. “Do you, perchance, attend the local high school?”

“Huh? Are you a student as well?”

She giggled. “Yeah, I figured that we’re the same age!”

“Oh? So you’re a freshman?”

“Yup,” she said with a smile. “By the way, you have a quite feminine face, but you’re a boy, right?”

“Hahaha! You hear that!?” No.3 laughed out of his mind.

“Well…can’t blame her,” No.1 said.

“Hey, no.2, you’re oddly quiet,” I said.

“Ugh…I’m fed up and tired of No.3. Besides, I have no comment since he’s right, haha…”

Right…

“I get that often…” I replied.

“Hmm, well. You look cool, at least, and I can tell. Still, no matter how I change my hair or cut it, it doesn’t help.”

“…what?”

“I mean, most people would be convinced I was a guy if they saw what’s under, y’know?”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

Aren’t you a bit vulgar for a gi—

“You’re…a dude?”

“Haha, surprise, right?” Aska laughed with voided eyes.

Woah! You’re kinda scaring me!

Also… Hey…why did you guys go quiet all of a sudden?

“No reason, we already knew…” they replied.

After that, Aska and I had some small talk and headed to the cash register.

And…

“We’re terribly sorry… this is the last one,” the cashier said.

Aska and I glanced at each other.

“Do you need, need this?” I asked.

“No,” he replied. “Do you…?”

“No…” I replied.

““…..””

““Rock! Paper! Scissors!””

Analysing his facial expression…wait, he doesn’t have an expression on his face! Ugh!

“He’s going to pick rock, pick paper!” No.2 said.

“No, he’s going to pick scissors, pick rock!” No.1 suggested.

“No! You’re all morons! He’s going for a gun!”

“““WHAT THE HELL DO WE PICK AGAINST A GUN, YOU MORON!?””” I and No.1-2 said.

“Another gun! Of course!” No.3 said.

No.3 is hopeless…

A screw it!

I picked scissors, but so did Aska. The cashier giggled, and we redid it again. However…

““It’s been the 10th attempt!”” we both cried.

Aska and I walked out of the store…we didn’t want to stall the line, and also…there were people watching, so it became somewhat awkward…

Also, we split the bill. The reason is that we’d decided that we’d take turns, and the one that made the best-themed pastry would get the book!

Genius plan!

“Luke, when do you need it?” Aska asked.

“Hmm, doesn’t matter, I believe? I mean, I’ll bake with my girlfriend.”

“I see…” Aska replied. “I was going to bake with a senior for a Halloween party. So I might actually need the book for a while.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah… I have a senior who’s really into sweets, and I wanted to repay him. Though… he sucks at cooking. I almost died…”

“I-I see…”

“But his friend is like…a “can do it all!” He’s super smart and is amazing at cooking! Ah! Baking included!” Aska happily bragged.

“Oh? You must admire him,” I commented.

How envious… Kayle is my only male friend, but he’s atrocious in the kitchen…

“Yeah! Oh! Want me to introduce you? I think you can learn a lot, too!” He awkwardly scratched his cheek lightly and said, “Oh! That was perhaps rude since I don’t know your skills…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” I replied. “I don’t think I’m that good, but if he’s that good, I’d like to meet him, actually.”

“Oh! That’s great! What’s your contact info?”

“Right… Is my number fine? I don’t really use social media.”

“Hm? At your age? Well…my senior is like that as well…” Aska sighed. “He even had a flip phone until just recently…that cost more than a new model…”

“…well…he’s maybe into old stuff?”

“Uh…don’t even start… He basically lives under a rock…”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“That bad…?”

Aska nodded.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand—it was Lilly. She’d puffed her cheeks and looked angry.

“Luke…why are you with another girl?” she asked with a smile on her face.

I could tell…that I’m doomed if I don’t carefully explain this…

“Oh, you got the wrong idea,” Aska said. “I’m a guy, y’know?”

Lilly squinted her eyes as if not believing him. “Right…”

Well…to be fair, I only believe him because I’m sort of in the same boat at times. Not that I’ve “actually” confirmed.

Aska showed Lilly his ID, and the misunderstanding was cleared up.

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” Lilly said. She looked sad and grasped my hand for comfort.

She’s too cute…

Aska laughed it off. “Njihihi~ don’t mention it, Miss Girlfriend~,” he said.

Lilly became flustered and hid behind me. “Luke…your new friend is mean to me.”

“But he’s right, though? Also, Lilly…you’re too cute.”

“L-Luke, y-you dummy! Wh-What are you saying in front of others!?” Lilly repeatedly hit my back in a playful manner.

“Woah… You two are like, make for each other,” Aska said.

Hearing that made Lilly more flustered.

Ouch…Lilly…it’s starting to hurt a little…

“Hm? Now that I think about it, why are you here, Lilly?” I asked.

“Oh? Ah…! Olivia!” Lilly panicked and ran toward the nearby clothing store.

She came back, and Olivia was basically in tears. “*Sniff* L…Luke…*sniff* Lilly abandoned me…*sniff*”

“I’m sorry…”

“There were scary men hitting on me…*sniff*.”

I don’t know how to respond. Aska, however, walked up to her and handed her a small candy. “Cheer up,” he softly said. “Where are those guys? I might know them. I’ll beat them up for you!” he said with a smile.

“N-No violence!” Olivia meekly said.

“Njihihi~ it was a joke, don’t mind it!” Aska said.

“R-Really?”

“Really.”

“—hm? Isn’t that you, Aska?” someone suddenly said.

“Oh? Isak, you’re out on a date with Freja?”

“Hi, Aska,” the platinum blond girl greeted Aska and waved. “Oh? I see you made new friends,” she said. “My name is Freja; this is my boyfriend, Isak. Nice to meet you all!”

…her smile was so bright, dammit!

I glanced at Lilly, and she was practically turning to dust.

Lilly! Stay with me!

“What do we have here?” a blond girl suddenly said as she approached.

Who’s…she?

“Auh…” Aska suddenly made a strange noise. “Julia… I told you I’d come and get you and Hilda once I finished purchasing the book…”

The blond girl puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. “Hmph, we were waiting for ages, though?”

“Sorry about that,”

“Ye—“

Before Julia could say anything, the friend who quietly stood beside her chopped her on the head.

“Uuh! H-Hilda! What was that for!?”

The light brown-haired girl sighed. “Geez, you need to be kinder to your brother,” she said.

“Hmph,” Julia crossed her arms again.

“—hey!”

Wow… this guy made this many friends already…?

“Luke! Lilly! Olivia! It’s nice to see y’all here!”

Oh… it was actually my friend this time.

“Oh? Kayle? What are you doing here?”

“I was at the arcade. Got bored and saw you all standin’ here when I got out,” he cheerfully said. “So? Who are they?” he asked.

…right… I only know Aska, and they seem to be his friends.

“—oh!” Aska suddenly exclaimed. “Now that we’re all here, why don’t we all bake together? What do you think, Luke?”

““Oooh! That’s a great idea!”” Aska’s friends answered.

Meanwhile, Lilly and Olivia were a bit timid. Kayle probably had no clue what was going on but seemed to be in on it as well.

Noooo Kayle! You’re atrocious in the kitchen!

“OH! Isn’t that Aska and the gang?” someone said.

…there’s more?

“Noel!? What are you doing here?! Huh? Al, you too?”

“Haha,” the platinum-blond guy chuckled. “You know, we wanted to make the mood more fun and festive, and I dragged Al and the others out for some shopping!”

“Oh? Isn’t that exciting?” Freja asked.

“Yes, dear sister of mine, you can always rely on your brother to make things more sparkly!”

“You’ve become an idiot by the day…”

“I can attest to that,” the cool-looking guy with golden eyes said.

“You two are mean…”

“There there,” a girl with ash-coloured hair said while patting his shoulder.

“Chely~ you’re the only one that’s kind to me these days…”

She giggled. “That’s not true. Ame is always kind.”

“Well…to everyone…”

The girl with silver grey hair became flustered. “Huh? I-I think I’m extra kind to Noel, too… Right, Al?”

The cool-looking guy said, “You’re always kind, Ame.”

“Al!” the girl said and hugged his arm.

“Uhh…”

“Uhh, yeah, you and Lilly were like that a few minutes ago,” Aksa remarked.

Sorry about that…Aska… it’s just that… seeing someone else being love dovey is…y’know? Also, that cool dude just ruined his image with that gentle smile. They look cute together, don’t get me wrong…but it was sort of unexpected…

There were two more people who hadn’t said a thing… one of them looked…

“AHHH, a doppelganger,” the No’s cried.

Right…

Lilly made eye contact with the girl with black hair and silver eyes… though she also has silver hair, unlike Lilly, who has pure black hair.

Still…

“Wow…it’s like looking into a mirror,” the girl said.

“Ah, Luna! I wanted to mention that!” the girl with red eyes and white hair said.

““Wow… You two look alike,”” everyone commented.

Legit everyone.

After that, things went like this and that and TLDR; we’re currently in front of an expensive high-rise building…

“What are you all waiting for?” the cool guy asked and entered.

Lilly, who’d been holding my hand all this while, glanced at Luna, who looked like her. She noticed Lilly’s gaze and had a complicated expression. She tried to smile, but it looked unnatural, and it became more awkward between the two of them…

…I mean, how would I even react if I met a person who looked exactly like me?

“What? Don’t you have us?” the No’s said.

Shush, you guys don’t count.

Thus…we entered the high-rise building…

To be continued

| Bonus 1 |

“Oh! I see, so you just randomly met like that?” the redheaded boy named Isak said. “It’s like a fateful meeting out of a love story.”

“Yeah…except we’re both dudes…” I replied.

“Hmm, I feel like you’re quite similar to Aska somehow. You both seem to enjoy cooking. Both are basically a tr—I mean girlish.”

—hey, you were about to say trap, weren’t you?

“Oh! You both seem cold as well, but the way you think on the inside is the complete opposite, Right?”

…what is he, a mind reader?

“Can you read minds, Isak?”

“Whooo knoooows!”

| Bonus 2 |

I met someone who looked exactly like me! It feels a little strange… She has some silver in her hair, unlike me. But our faces and demeanour are basically the same!?

Ah! We made eye contact!

L-Luke! Help me!

What if it’s like those doppelganger movies we saw together the other day!?

I-I mean… if I was to compliment her. Would it be complimenting myself? But she has silver hair as well…

Suddenly, our eyes met.

““…hi…”” we both said simultaneously.

“Your hair is pretty…” I said.

“…yours as well,” she replied.

It was so awkward we both ended up laughing it off.

| Bonus 3 |

I suddenly felt goosebumps. I know why… Luke’s girlfriend met her doppelganger, well…basically. And now they’re laughing together in a terrifying way!

What the hell!?

“Kayle? What’s wrong?” Olivia suddenly asked.

“Oh? Nothing…”

“Hmm.”

She innocently looked at me and said, “Today, guys hit on me while Lilly was gone…”

“…where are they? I’ll beat them up real good.”

“N-No violence!” Olivia said while pinching my cheek.

“Gow ish,” I replied.

Olivia giggled and said, “But seeing you get worked up for me…is enough…” while blushing.

Dammit, why is she this cute?