[1] [Shattered Crimson] Male Reader x Houseki no Kuni [Females]

Chapter 7 [Fishing For Shells]

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[3rd POV]

The sun disappeared over the horizon more quickly than Y/N anticipated, he didn't even have enough time to escort Diamond back to the school before the dark blanket of the night covered everything in sight. The few sources of light were of course the moons in the sky, the not-so-well lit halls of the school and Dia herself. She was a literal disco ball at night due to how the gentle light of the moon reflected off her hair, if Y/N had sensitive retinas he would be blind by now. The reason wasn't just because of how bright Diamond was but also because of how close she was. She basically turned Y/N's right shoulder into a pillow and was snoozing off at this very moment while the red-haired male simply sat there with a deadpan expression.

"What's with that smug look?" Y/N lightly whispered towards the snail form of 'Phos' who despite having a completely unreadable face was giving him a smug grin.

The snail in response let out a series of incoherent noises that Y/N didn't even bother trying to decipher. He wasn't quite sure if he should wake up Diamond and try to look for Cinnabar this way or if he should take Dia back to school so she could rest. Fortunately enough for all of them, it seemed finding Cinnabar wouldn't be a problem because she found them instead.

"Ah, evening Shinsha," Cinnabar nearly blasted Y/N, Diamond and the snail form of 'Phosphophyllite' with liquid mercury, fortunately enough she managed to stop herself just in time.

"Y/N? Dia? What are you two doing out here?" Y/N shushed her with his finger and gestured to the sleeping form of Diamond, but it was too late as the unnecessarily lustrous Gem began waking up due to the ruckus.

"Hm? Ah, did I fall asleep? Ehehe, sorry," Diamond brushed the back of her head in embarrassment while both Y/N and Cinnabar simply deadpanned at her, "Oh, right. Cinnabar, we have a situation..."

"What's going on?" as a sort of non-verbal answer Y/N picked up the pink snail from the ground and held it towards Cinnabar, "Uh...?"

"Snail appeared, snail ate Phos, Phos is snail now," while Diamond sweatdropped at Y/N's rather simple and straight to the point explanation Cinnabar gawked at him and at the snail which just let its own version of a sigh.

"...That doesn't really happen you know..." in all honesty Cinnabar wasn't quite sure what to think of the two people in front of her now, she still thought of Y/N as a friend, or maybe more than that, but now both he and Dia just seemed completely insane, "Sigh, was the snail's shell damaged when it ate 3.5?"

"Yes?" both Y/N and Diamond simultaneously answered which only made Cinnabar facepalm. 

"Y/N I thought you worked in the library a lot," and Y/N took offence to that.

"I just cleaned and moved the books, I only occasionally read or edited something," Diamond stifled a giggle at Y/N's obviously sulking tone while Cinnabar just lightly groaned but had a ghost of a smile nonetheless. 

"Well, Mister Jack-Of-All-Trades, snails are shelled creatures, they eat rocks to repair the damage done to their shells. It's their natural behaviour, that stupid jerk is lying on the bottom of the pond filling the holes of that snail's shell," after giving them the answer they sought and Y/N both mentally and physically facepalming Cinnabar turned around to leave. 

 "Thanks for the help Shinsha!" with their thanks now being said both Y/N and Diamond rushed back to the school, but not before securing the snail in the wooden bowl, they also missed how Cinnabar stumbled and nearly fell.