"You're so slow, idiot Kitahara. So, what did Chisa say to you just now?"
Shiro looked at Iori, who was trailing behind with a defeated expression, and asked curiously.
Shiro had already freed himself while they were still discussing the Izu Spring Festival. In the end, he was rescued by the seniors because they had another activity planned for the day.
Today's main event was introducing the freshmen to diving! By now, they had already changed into their wetsuits.
As for how Shiro managed to drink an entire bottle of water of life and then go diving… Don't ask! If you ask, it'll just get complicated! (Do not drink alcohol before diving!)
"Ah... She asked me if there was anything that made my heart race since enrolling in school..."
Iori answered lifelessly. There were too many things that had made his heart race.
Drinking. Drinking with beasts. Drinking completely naked with beasts. Waking up in a different room for no reason…
His life was probably a tragedy.
Seeing Iori's miserable expression, Shiro quietly took a step away from him. This guy's resentment was starting to affect him too!
But thinking about what this idiot had been through, Shiro fell silent. He was constantly being forced to drink no matter where he stayed, so living at a dive shop like Kitahara's must be even worse.
Shiro silently traced a cross in the air, hoping that God would bless this poor idiot.
He felt incredibly considerate, though he wasn't sure if drawing a cross had any effect since he wasn't religious.
But something that made his heart race, huh…
Shiro thought about his own life since starting college.
Morning classes… sleeping!
Afternoons… drinking with beasts!
Nights… playing strip rock-paper-scissors with older women while drinking!
Every now and then, he even found time to reply to messages from the young college girls who added him!
Thinking about it like this, Shiro realized his university life in these past two or three weeks had been pretty great. He just didn't understand why he always felt the urge to strip and drink recently. It was so strange.
(Japan's school year starts in mid-April, and the Izu Spring Festival takes place in May.)
...
Since he couldn't figure it out, Shiro decided to stop thinking about it and headed to the dive site with Iori.
Shiro slowly stepped into the water. Unlike regular swimwear, the wetsuit was filled with warm air, so he didn't feel cold at all. His whole body relaxed.
Since Chisa had to watch the shop, Shiro lost his personal instructor and was assigned to Tokita along with Iori.
The first thing they had to practice was breathing through the regulator underwater and opening their eyes while submerged.
Recalling the senior's instructions, Shiro slowly dove into the water.
Since he had never used a regulator before, he was a bit nervous at first and found it difficult to breathe properly.
But as soon as he opened his eyes, all his anxiety vanished.
Sunlight pierced through the ocean surface, illuminating the water below. Before his eyes stretched a dazzling blue world.
The mysterious veil of the sea was slowly being lifted before him.
Shiro had once thought that standing on the beach and looking at the vast blue ocean was one of the most breathtaking sights.
But now that he was underwater, he realized that what he had seen before was merely the ocean with its veil on.
The real ocean lay beneath the surface, so beautiful that it could make someone lose themselves in it, as if they were wrapped in a warm embrace. In that moment, all worries and stress disappeared.
It was almost impossible to think about anything other than admiring the stunning view.
"This is the most beautiful love letter I've ever received."
Shiro smiled. In this moment, he admitted it, he was completely captivated. He had fallen in love with the author of this love letter!
On the other hand, Iori was struggling. Already having a natural aversion to water, he kept running into issues; forgetting to breathe, a leaking mask, and more, making him feel like he might never be able to dive properly.
But after some encouragement from the senior, he finally took the plunge.
For the first time, he saw that beautiful love letter.
.....
"Chisa!"
Iori ran back excitedly, still not having changed out of his wetsuit, as he grabbed Chisa's hand and kept talking nonstop.
"I understand what you were talking about! Being able to breathe underwater is amazing! Even though there was water above me, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all! And to think, I was such a landlubber before!"
Iori was like a child who had just received a new toy, eager to share his joy with everyone.
---------
Changing Room
Four naked men were in the locker room getting changed. After all, their clothes were inside, changing outside wasn't even an option.
It had been a while since they last changed in a locker room.
"That idiot Kitahara is surprisingly happy, huh?"
Shiro shook his head as he recalled Iori's excited expression. What a fool, getting this worked up over something like that.
"Well, this is the kind of joy that those who only choose to do what they're capable of will never experience."
"…Feels like you're throwing shade at me, senpai."
"How could that be? Shiro, you're great too. Unless… is there something you wouldn't dare to try?"
"Yeah! Like crossdressing!"
"…You're really stubborn, Shiro. But actually, I think you should give it a shot."
"No way in hell!"
…
"Cheers!"
As expected, the best way to celebrate was with alcohol!
Drinking after diving was surprisingly refreshing, and they even had sashimi from a neighbor!
Although Shiro preferred peanuts as drinking snacks, sashimi was a nice occasional treat too.
"By the way, Iori, it's really great that you overcame your weakness."
"You felt the joy of stepping into a whole new world, right?"
The two senpais praised Iori. After all, not everyone had the courage to face their fears.
Hearing their compliments, Iori felt a little embarrassed for the first time and lowered his head.
"T-Thank you so much for this!"
At this moment, PaB almost looked like a normal club—what a harmonious scene.
And then…
Shiro wanted to run away!
Where was he?
PaB!
Even though he hadn't been in the club for long, Shiro prided himself on his high intelligence and had already figured out all of their routines.
Anytime things seemed normal, something insane was bound to follow!
And the more heartwarming the scene, the crazier things would get afterward!
Sure enough, as soon as Iori admitted to stepping into a new world, the two senpais pulled out that female uniform again!
"Well then, why don't you step into this new world too?"
!!!
Iori's face stiffened instantly.
"No! No matter what, I'm not wearing a girl's uniform to some dumb men's contest! Let Shiro do it, he's the real scumbag! He'd totally be up for it!"
"!!! Kitahara, you bastard! But no problem—I saw this coming, so I already signed up for the men's side!"
Shiro grinned wickedly at Kitahara. Just as he expected, this guy was trying to throw him under the bus!
As the female uniform got closer and closer, Iori's expression turned to pure terror.
"Wait! I can enter the men's division too!"
"Hmm… Iori, let's not. You're not really suited for it."
The two senpais rejected him without hesitation.
Why would they need Kitahara Iori when they already had Kamishiro Shiro?
"You bastards! You're looking down on me!"
"Sometimes, accepting reality is also a kind of progress. Don't be so stubborn, Iori."
"Until you agree, we'll just keep drinking!"
"Nooooo!!!"
Thus, the first diving experience ended successfully.
Kitahara Iori—down for the count!
"Water…" (＠_＠;)
Shiro groggily opened his eyes and reached out beside him. Ever since starting college, he had developed a habit of keeping a glass of water by his bedside.
After all, he was drunk almost every night, and it was rough without water!
However, what he touched wasn't a glass but something… soft~
(′｀;)?
Where's my water cup?
Shiro instinctively squeezed what was in his hand, confirming that it was definitely not his water cup.
The cool sensation on his body made him a bit more awake.
He remembered that last night, they were celebrating their first dive, which, of course, meant drinking. And if they were drinking, then they had to play strip rock-paper-scissors.
However, Shiro seemed to have a very strange ability, whenever he was down to his last piece of underwear, he just couldn't lose anymore!
He had only discovered this ability last night and found it fascinating. After all, he didn't have any weird mental blocks about taking off his underwear.
Whether it was intimate moments with girls back in middle school or standing naked in the locker room with upperclassmen, it had always been totally normal.
Since he couldn't figure it out, Shiro ultimately attributed it to his subconscious telling him that being completely naked and unconscious around these guys would be extremely dangerous...
Regardless, after discovering this trait, Shiro got cocky!
He wore an annoying smirk as he watched the other four drink continuously because they kept losing to him. He was so thrilled that he felt like the true king of the game!
And then...
He was punished.
Since they couldn't beat him at the game, the four of them decided to just force-feed him alcohol!
Resist?
Even though Shiro worked out, how could he possibly fight off two muscle-bound guys?
And so, Shiro ended the night full of regret... That bastard Kitahara had been feeding him Everclear!
"Tch (?′ω`? ) A bunch of sore losers."
Feeling that his underwear was still on, Shiro was relieved. He knew those guys wouldn't actually do anything to him, but his subconscious still screamed danger! Especially after watching those movies Azusa had given him, it felt even more suspicious!
Wait, if I passed out... then where am I now?
(;'A`)
Shiro groggily scanned his surroundings with his still-dazed eyes.
This Syrian-warzone aesthetic... yeah, this was definitely Kitahara's room.
Beside him lay four naked guys, their sleeping postures absolutely atrocious. He had no idea how they managed to sleep without covering their stomachs.
They were definitely going to wake up with diarrhea!
But since this was Kitahara's room, that meant there were no water cups for him. And with the four guys lying on his other side...
Then what the hell was he squeezing?!
"Mm~"
A slender thigh draped over Shiro's stomach as a seductive voice whispered in his ear.
"Shiro~ No touching~"
!!! =(??? ????)
Shiro's body instantly froze.
He knew that voice all too well, it was Azusa!!!
Stiffly turning his head, he saw a pair of enchanting violet eyes gazing at him with amusement.
She was dressed as comfortably as if she were at home, wearing only a camisole and shorts. And his hand was—completely by accident—placed right on her chest!
His already-clouded, alcohol-addled brain became even fuzzier, his head practically steaming, and his hand completely frozen in place.
As an experienced hunter, Shiro obviously wouldn't lose his mind just from touching a girl's chest. That was the privilege of virgins like Kitahara.
But seriously, imagine this: In the dead of night, you wake up still drunk and find an incredibly alluring woman staring at you with sultry eyes, her long legs draped over your body.
Even a seasoned player would struggle in this situation!
Wait, why was Azusa even here?!
"Azusa… Azusa-san…"
Maybe it was the alcohol, but Shiro felt like his brain wasn't even his anymore. His throat was so dry it felt like it was burning.
"Snap out of it, you little rascal. It's bedtime~"
Azusa smiled playfully and pinched his cheek.
Then she sat up, finally freeing Shiro's hand from that dangerously soft place.
She picked up a cup of water and held it to his lips. "Drink some water. Wow, you actually managed to keep your underwear on, nice job, Shiro~ Want me to take it off for you?"
"Please, no! I don't want movie scenes to happen in real life!"
"!!! Oh, but wouldn't that be even better?"
"..."
Fujoshi! Hopeless!
Since Azusa often stayed over at Shiro's place, she knew his habits well. That's why she had brought a cup of water with her, just in case. And sure enough, it came in handy.
Her familiar teasing snapped Shiro out of his wild thoughts, instantly popping his romantic bubble.
Shiro chuckled. Yep, this was the usual Azusa. But still, please don't take off his underwear.
He took the cup and drank, immediately feeling much better. But the water also made him even sleepier.
"Ha~ Azusa-nee, why are you here?"
Shiro struggled to fight off sleepiness as he asked. He didn't know what time it was, but since Nanaka hadn't woken them up yet, it was definitely still too early.
As the queen of sleep-ins, there was no way Azusa would come over this early without a reason.
But Azusa didn't answer his question. Instead, after making sure he drank all the water, she lay back down beside him, resting her leg on him again like he was a giant body pillow.
"You can ask in the morning. Right now, it's sleep time~"
She covered Shiro's eyes with her hand. There were still plenty of hours left before dawn.
Feeling Azusa's gentle touch, Shiro didn't ask further. His brain still wasn't working properly anyway, so he just went along with her motion and closed his eyes.
Hearing the steady rhythm of his breathing, Azusa slowly withdrew her hand. A faint blush colored her face.
She poked Shiro's chest as if in revenge. "Such a naughty little wolf, meat-eating Shiro~"
Then she rested her hand on his chest and slowly closed her own eyes.
"Haah!!!"
Morning arrived with a startled yell from that idiot Kitahara, waking everyone up groggily.
Just as Shiro tried to sit up, he felt resistance on his body as Azusa was lying completely on top of him!
With no other choice, Shiro pushed her off before sitting up, making him look exactly like an unrepentant scumbag. At least, that's how Iori saw it, his eyes burning with jealousy.
And the reason Kitahara had screamed just now?
The moment he woke up, he saw that bastard Shiro lying completely naked, hugging a scantily dressed girl!
What the hell was going on?!
Wasn't this bastard drinking here with them last night?! How was there a girl now?!
What the hell did this scumbag do after they passed out from drinking?!
And in my room, of all places?!
Damn it all!!!
Kitahara Iori admitted it; he was jealous, jealous enough to grind his molars to dust!
He had even picked out the perfect coffin for this damn scumbag!
"Ha~ What's wrong, Kitahara? Screaming so early in the morning? You don't need to be in such a rush if you want breakfast."
Completely oblivious to his impending doom, Shiro yawned while searching for his pants.
As for how much emotional damage his actions had inflicted on a poor virgin like Kitahara? That wasn't his problem.
Iori, not even bothering to put on his pants, silently approached Shiro with a darkened expression.
It was only when Shiro finally pulled on his pants that he sensed something was wrong, immediately taking two cautious steps back…
"Uh… Kitahara? Is there a problem? How about I go check if Nanaka-nee has breakfast ready?"
Shiro was already prepared to bolt, but the enraged virgin didn't give him the chance!
"Eat shit, you bastard!!!"
With a speed beyond human comprehension, Iori lunged at him, locking him in a chokehold before executing a brutal slam!
What followed was a real-life recreation of "WWE Blackout!"
BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!!
Iori showed absolutely no mercy, stomping down repeatedly, leaving the freshly awakened seniors and Kōhei utterly dumbfounded.
"Damn… things are getting intense so early in the morning."
"This just proves how close they are. Kōhei, don't you want to join in?"
"!!! Which one of your eyes sees me wanting to join?!"
"… …"
"You bastard! What the hell are you doing this early in the morning?!"
Shiro was completely dazed. He hadn't even brushed his teeth yet! Why was he already getting beaten up?!
"And you still have the nerve to ask?! Why the hell is there a scantily dressed woman next to you?! What the hell did you do last night?! And why the hell didn't you call me, you goddamn scumbag?!"
"…"
Shiro fell silent after hearing Iori's words.
Calling you along would be the real scumbag move!!!
"Stop it, you idiot! That's Azusa—Azusa-nee! She's from our club! What the hell are you imagining?!"
Feeling like he was about to be stomped to death, Shiro had no choice but to explain to that fool Kitahara, all while lamenting how terrifying virgins were.
Iori finally paused, looking dazedly at the two upperclassmen.
Noticing Iori's gaze, the two seniors, who had just finished putting on their clothes, nodded.
"Ah, yeah. That's Azusa."
"She's from our club. Your senior, actually. By the way, Iori, you and Kōhei are meeting her for the first time, huh?"
The two seniors briefly explained the intercollegiate club system to the freshmen.
"So she's from the neighboring Oumi Women's College, in the same grade as us. Her full name is Azusa Hamaoka."
After hearing the explanation, Iori slowly began to accept it. His foot finally stopped moving.
So she's a senior, huh~
However, he had forgotten something…
SMACK!
Shiro, smiling deviously, grabbed Iori by the head.
"You little shit! You sure had fun stomping me just now, huh?!"
"AAAAHHH!!!"
…
Kōhei, looking at the two wrestling on the ground, wore an expression of absolute disdain, radiating the aura of someone who was the only sane person in the room.
"So… why exactly is she sleeping here?"
"Huh? Isn't it just because there's a bed in the club room?"
"Pretty obvious she just pulled an all-nighter before coming over."
Kōhei's face twitched as he looked at the two seniors.
So, in their minds, having a bed meant anyone could just sleep there, huh?!
Did they seriously not find it weird that a girl was sleeping in a room with five naked guys?!
"I don't care if she's a senior! This is still unacceptable! Why the hell was she hugging you in her sleep, you goddamn scumbag?!"
Iori, finally snapping back to reality, shouted in fury. It didn't matter if she was a senior, was that really the important part?
The real question was why the hell she was hugging Shiro while sleeping!!!
"Ah, you guys don't know?"
Tokita looked at Iori and Kohei in confusion. He had assumed they already knew.
Seeing their bewildered expressions, Kotobuki explained, "Shiro and Azusa are pretty close, you know? I heard they're neighbors and often drink together."
!!!
"As expected, you scumbag should just stay in a box!"
"We're just neighbors! You bastard, aren't you the one living with Chisa and Nanaka-nee?!"
Shiro really wanted to pry open Iori's head and see if it was filled with nothing but lewd thoughts!
"But still, sleeping in a room with five naked guys..."
Unable to refute Shiro, Iori shifted his focus back to the unfamiliar senior girl. Wait, does a girl like this really exist?
"She's not the type to care about something so trivial. Look."
Tokita pointed at a pile of clothes in the corner—Azusa's clothes, to be precise.
Iori and Kohei, who weren't familiar with Azusa's personality, stared at her in shock. They had only seen this kind of woman on TV!
"She undressed without hesitation!"
"She took off her clothes and slept in a room with five naked guys..."
"Ha~ Can you two act normal for once..."
Shiro yawned. He was already used to this kind of thing and didn't understand why they were making such a big deal out of it.
Wait, did something happen last night?
He vaguely remembered muttering about drinking water in his dream.
Damn!
He dreamt about water!
Did he wet the bed?!
…
Sizzle~
The mixture of batter, oil, and various ingredients released an enticing aroma as it cooked on the iron griddle.
Instantly, the hungry group started swallowing their saliva.
Shiro had even taken out his fork, ready to dig in.
With the final fried egg placed on top of the batter, the famous Osaka street food—Okonomiyaki—was complete!
"Hey, it's done!"
Azusa placed the dish on the table, drawing gasps of admiration from the three newbies.
Shiro wasted no time and immediately took a bite with his fork!
"Mmm! This is amazing! Your cooking skills are on par with professionals. Azusa-nee, let's open a restaurant together! Who needs school?!"
After tasting it, Shiro's eyes lit up. He seriously thought this was a great business opportunity. Back home, there was a guy selling pancakes outside his university, making over 210,000 yen a month—it was basically a high-paying job!
"Hehe, it's not that amazing. Besides, I'm already in my second year, so there's no way I'd drop out for this."
Azusa put down her spatula and ruffled Shiro's hair. Unlike him, she wasn't some rich landowner's kid.
Iori and Kohei also took a bite and were genuinely surprised at how delicious it was!
"Are we selling Okonomiyaki at the Spring Festival?"
"This is seriously good!"
Connecting the dots with what the seniors had mentioned about the Spring Festival, they guessed this must be one of the items they planned to sell.
"Haha, if it wasn't delicious, we'd be in trouble."
"The money we earn from this will go towards the club's activity budget."
The two seniors laughed as they explained that their club's budget was raised through activities like this.
"So today, you first-years are going to learn how to make Okonomiyaki!"
"Make sure to learn properly from Azusa."
Making Okonomiyaki was practically a PaB club tradition. Everyone in the club knew how to make it. Since they didn't recruit any new members last year, they had worried that this skill might be lost. Fortunately, this year, they got some promising newcomers!
Just as Azusa was wondering why Tokita and Kotobuki weren't joining in, the store manager called out to them from his car on the street.
They had to go help prepare equipment today, so they couldn't be there. But at noon, the rest of the club members would arrive, so no matter how much they made, it wouldn't go to waste!
"Take care, you two~"
Azusa waved them off enthusiastically. This was a great chance for her to get to know the new members better!
She was already quite familiar with Shiro and Chisa. But the other two newbies? She hadn't interacted with them yet. From what she had heard, they were pretty solid recruits!
"Alright, let's begin!"
Azusa tied her apron. As much as she wanted to chat, she needed to focus on the task at hand first!
"Understood!" ×2
Chisa and Shiro followed behind Azusa like two obedient elementary school kids.
Chisa was naturally well-behaved, while Shiro had no choice; Azusa had warned him that if he didn't take this seriously, he'd be dead meat...
Meanwhile, Iori and Kohei, still unaware of Azusa's personality, whispered to each other at the back.
They had a big move planned for today!
'Let's do this, Kohei!'
'No problem, Kitahara!'
-------
This morning, while Azusa was still asleep, Tokita held a meeting for the three newcomers.
It was about the competition.
Although the two seniors believed that if Shiro participated, he would have a high chance of winning; after all, he had no qualms about this kind of competition—
What a joke! A contest that would instantly make the girls in school remember his handsome face? How could Shiro possibly refuse? Never underestimate a popular guy!
However, to cater to all audience preferences and prepare for any unexpected situations, the seniors thought it would be better for Iori and Kohei to enter instead!
But!
Since the two seniors weren't complete devils, they understood that forcing a hardcore otaku and a crossdresser to enter was a bit too cruel. So, they came up with a way out for them!
There was a counterpart to the contest, a beauty pageant for girls! If they could get Chisa to enter that competition, they wouldn't have to participate in that accursed contest at all!
Thus, Iori and Kohei devised a meticulous plan!
First!
They had to get rid of that bastard Shiro! That guy was absolutely not on their side!
They had no doubt that scumbag wouldn't keep their secret!
They could already imagine his sinister smile!
'What do we do, Kitahara?! How do we get rid of that bastard Kamishiro?!'
Kohei kept sending desperate eye signals. The main issue was that Shiro was too hard to deal with; if they couldn't take him out in one move, they'd be exposed immediately!
'Relax! Leave it to me!'
Iori responded with a firm expression. He had already figured out a way to deal with Shiro!
Iori, wearing a bright smile, approached Shiro, who was practicing making okonomiyaki. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes started burning!
The black smoke from the griddle immediately stung his eyes, making him tear up and forget what he was about to say!
"My eyes!"
Iori covered his eyes and staggered backward in confusion.
What was that just now?!
A new biological weapon?! Why did his eyes feel like they were on fire?!
Kohei stared in horror at the griddle in front of Shiro. He swore he had just seen a skull emerge from the smoke!
Wasn't this supposed to be cooking?!
Shiro glanced at Iori curiously, unsure what the idiot was freaking out about.
But he didn't have time to deal with Kitahara right now!
He felt like he was in the zone, he was finally about to perfect his okonomiyaki!
Thick black smoke continued to rise from the griddle in front of Shiro. What was supposed to be a soft, golden pancake had turned into a lump of charcoal!
The shrimp, cabbage, carrots, and other ingredients were completely unrecognizable—everything had turned into coal!
And yet, this demon was still adding more mayonnaise and hot sauce on top!
Stop! That's no longer okonomiyaki! That's a witch brewing a potion!
At this moment, Shiro, in everyone's eyes, looked exactly like a medieval witch—grinning eerily while performing his dark cooking rituals.
With that unsettling expression and the endless stream of black smoke, even Azusa and Chisa didn't dare to approach him.
Could humans even eat something like that?!
Azusa now understood why Shiro always showed up at mealtimes, if he cooked for himself, he'd probably poison himself to death!
After a series of strange and horrifying actions, Shiro finally presented his special okonomiyaki!
"Come on, everyone, dig in! I think I outdid myself this time. It's definitely delicious!"
The group fell silent, staring at the lump of charcoal in front of them.
It was their first time witnessing such a catastrophic level of cooking failure. How could someone mess up okonomiyaki this badly?!
And that "fried egg" on top—was it really an egg, or was it some demon's excrement?!
This was the first time they'd seen an egg that had turned the entire surrounding area black while somehow remaining raw in the middle.
They were convinced that Shiro shouldn't be making okonomiyaki, he should be practicing alchemy instead. Surely, alchemists would welcome a prodigy like him!
Faced with Shiro's smiling expectant gaze, nobody knew how to take the first bite.
"Haha… I feel a little hungover. I must have drunk too much last night. I can't eat anything greasy right now, so you guys go ahead!"
Azusa immediately bailed, even though she hated wasting food. But this… this thing wasn't food anymore!
Hearing her excuse, Shiro didn't press the issue and instead turned his gaze to the remaining three. His narrowed eyes radiated immense pressure!
"Umm… Actually, I'm already full! And it's my turn next, so I'll go clean the griddle!"
Chisa tossed out an excuse and bolted at lightning speed.
She admitted it, she was scared!
Even in gym class, she had never run this fast!
Shiro didn't push her either, leaving the pressure on Iori and Kohei.
The two of them exchanged frantic glances.
'Kitahara! Think of something! If we eat that, we're going to die!'
'I know! My eyes still hurt, damn it!'
'Then hurry up and think! Those two already ran off! If we stay here any longer, it won't just be our eyes suffering!'
'Kohei! Let's run! Split up!'
'Got it!'
Bang!
Both of them bolted in opposite directions, but the next second, they both tripped and crashed to the ground!
Before they even realized it, their ankles had been connected by a pair of handcuffs!
!!!
Iori stared in horror at the pink handcuffs on his foot!
When did these get put on?!
Shiro stood before them, smiling while holding his special iron plate dish.
"Trying to run? No chance. I put these on while you two were exchanging glances~"
Devil!!!
That was the only word in Iori's mind at the moment!
"You know, using handcuffs without permission is illegal, right?"
Kohei struggled; he hadn't even met his favorite voice actress yet, how could he fall here?!
"Well, silver ones are illegal. These are pink~"
Like that makes a difference! And why the hell do you even have pink handcuffs on you, you scumbag?!
Shiro kept smiling as he approached them, the black lump of coal in his hands getting closer and closer.
Then, in a low, devilish whisper, he said, "If you don't eat this, I'll tell Chisa you guys want her to enter the beauty pageant~"
!!!
Demon!!!
Σ_(???)ゞ Ugh!!!
Painful retching sounds echoed from the backyard.
In the end, they couldn't resist the 'dish' and were forced to submit!
Of course, the outcome was exactly as they expected… This stuff was even worse than some goblin's so-called vitality soup!
This was absolutely the food of the devil!
How the hell did Shiro manage to turn ordinary ingredients into something so vile?!
Did he put all his skill points into flirting instead of cooking?!
"Sigh, another failure…"
Shiro, looking disappointed, dumped his proud creation into the trash can.
Even though he thought it might've turned out okay, he wasn't an idiot, his taste buds were no different from theirs. Seeing their miserable faces, there was no way he was putting that thing in his mouth.
"I should go check how Chisa does it instead!"
He stood up, preparing to leave. He wasn't giving up, he was just waiting for Chisa to finish so he could start his next round of cooking!
Smack!
A hand grabbed Shiro's shoulder.
When he turned around, he saw Iori clutching his mouth with a pained expression.
"H-help us… deal with Chisa!"
That's right!
Iori decided to call in outside reinforcements!
If he didn't drag this bastard into the mess, he'd never forgive himself—or his poor stomach!
"Oh~"
Shiro gave them a mischievous look.
"You don't want to participate in that contest, huh~? Well, it's not impossible… but why should I help? Keeping your secret is already the greatest mercy I can offer~"
With that, he swatted Iori's hand away.
He was determined; today, he would make the perfect Okonomiyaki pancake!
At this point—
Iori revealed his secret weapon!
A 50,000-yen IOU!
Swoosh!
The moment the IOU appeared, it was already inside Shiro's pocket.
With a perfect butler-like demeanor, Shiro bowed and asked,
"Well then, my dear ATM sir, do you have a detailed plan?"
!!!
Kohei was completely dumbfounded by what he just witnessed.
Was this the plan that bastard Kitahara had mentioned?! Just throwing money at the problem?!
And what's worse, that scumbag Kamashiro actually accepted it! That butler-like movement was even more refined than the ones in anime! Just how much does this guy love money?! Isn't he from a wealthy family?!
Kohei didn't understand a thing, but he was absolutely shocked.
So this is what it means to be an adult in university, huh?
Are transactions between adults really this straightforward?!
Watching Shiro's expression, Iori's lips curled into a victorious grin. Even after all this time, this bastard still loved money just as much.
Settling this issue with just an IOU was way too easy!
As for repaying the debt? Don't be ridiculous, where would he get the money for that?
Besides, this guy was a rich landlord. He probably wouldn't even care about such a small amount, right?!
…
Meanwhile, the moment Shiro got his hands on the IOU, he also smiled.
Although he didn't really need that 50,000 yen, who would say no to free money? And a whole 50,000 just like that!
Kitahara Iori, oh Kitahara Iori… you've been misled by that IOU. Do you even realize what a massive sum 50,000 yen is?
Pay it back?
Shiro never once expected that bastard Kitahara to repay him.
After all, his true goal couldn't possibly be satisfied with a mere 190,000 yen written on that IOU!
As long as things continued this way… and he kept applying the maximum legal interest…
By the time Kitahara graduated and inherited his family's hot spring inn—
That inn would be his for the taking!
Kitahara Iori! Just obediently go back and inherit your family's inn… and work endlessly for me!
Hahahahahahahaha!!!
The two exchanged an enthusiastic look, discussing their future plans as if they were long-lost friends. The atmosphere was strangely harmonious.
Meanwhile, having just witnessed a purely monetary adult transaction, Kohei sat in the corner, completely shutting down.
Real life is terrifying! He wanted to escape to the 2D world!
And judging from their smiles, he had a bad feeling; these two bastards were definitely scheming against each other!
Lalako… you wouldn't possibly allow these two idiots to have their way, right?!
Now that he thought about it, that abominable dish from earlier was exactly what they both deserved to eat!