At the PaB okonomiyaki stall—
Kudou, the president of TB, was flirting with Azusa and Chisa alongside another guy from his club.
As he drank, Kudou got more and more irritated. The more he thought about it, the more absurd it was!
Why was he getting completely dominated by a freshman?!
So, his original plan was to come here and cause trouble.
But to his surprise—
The two girls PaB left behind were adorably cute!
More importantly, those beasts weren't around!
Seeing this, Kudou smirked.
Since PaB stole his business, he'd just steal their people!
He was confident in his looks and charm.
No girl could resist him!
"So, what do you say? How about going on a date with us?"
"I guarantee you'll have a great time."
The two of them leaned in, resting their faces on their hands, acting as if rejection wasn't even an option.
"Um… that's a little…"
Azusa turned her head away.
She wasn't good at dealing with these self-important guys. (With the exception of people she already knew, of course.)
"So, how many servings do you want?"
Chisa, however, was much more direct.
Her tone was ice-cold—Buy or get lost!
"In that case, I'll take five servings. Now, can I have your number—"
SMACK!
Before Kudou could finish, he felt a hand grip his shoulder from behind. Turning his head, he was met with a face straight out of a horror movie.
"Senpai~ Long time no see! You're not here to cause trouble, right?"
!!!
Seeing Shiro—his mouth dripping with an unknown liquid—Kudou shuddered on instinct!
What the hell is this look?!
Did the devils of hell just summon him back?!
And why the hell was he walking around in public wearing nothing but underwear?!
Meanwhile, TB's other guy was facing an even worse fate.
Because he had two demons confronting him!
"Yo!"
"Having fun flirting with the ladies, huh, Niichan?!"
"Wanna take a trip to hell too? Huh?"
As they spoke, they absentmindedly rolled marbles between their knuckles.
The three of them had just returned from hell!
That so-called "greeting event" was just non-stop drinking!
If not for the upcoming Male Pageant event, they might not have made it back at all!
'These two are actual demons!!!'
That guy had never seen such a scene before, and his legs instantly went weak! His pleading gaze turned toward his president for help!
Kudou's mouth twitched, he hadn't expected PaB's other members to suddenly return, and looking like demons at that. What the hell had they just been through?!
"Haha… Junior, we were just here to observe and learn. After all, your business here is much better than ours."
Kudou awkwardly scratched his head. With beautiful girls around, he couldn't ruin his image!
"Eh? But, senpai, weren't you the ones who chose to close your own stall?"
"!"
Kudou almost lost control of his expression. You damn brat, don't you know why we had to close our stall?!
He took a deep breath, repeatedly telling himself to stay calm. Stay calm. Maintain the image!
Without looking at Shiro and the others anymore, he turned to Azusa and Chisa, said, "See you next time," and was about to drag his club member away.
However…
"Hey, senpai, didn't you just say you were going to buy five Osaka-style okonomiyaki?"
Shiro blocked their way with a smirk. He had heard it very clearly just now~
Kudou's face stiffened, and he clenched his fists tightly, roaring internally, 'This sinister, squinty-eyed motherfucker!!'
"Uh… about that… the okonomiyaki, we'll just…"
"Here!"
Before Kudou could finish, a piece of paper was shoved into his hand by Shiro.
"What's this?"
Kudou looked at it in confusion. Could it be one of those legendary cursed talismans?!
Shiro leaned in close and whispered, "It's her contact info. Don't be fooled by her expression, she's actually always had a thing for you."
Kudou dumbly stared at Shiro, then turned to look at Azusa. Azusa was smiling brightly in their direction (actually waving at Shiro).
!!! She likes me but is just too shy to admit it!
Kudou immediately pocketed the paper and turned back. "Five Osaka-style okonomiyaki!"
His resentment toward Shiro slightly decreased!
So this guy isn't that bad after all! If he apologizes properly, maybe I'll even consider making him the next TB president!
Chisa looked at the two of them with confusion. What were these guys whispering about? Since when did Kamishiro get along so well with this annoying guy?
Azusa, on the other hand, was struggling to hold back her laughter. She knew Shiro too well. That expression—he was clearly setting someone up!
Although she wasn't too willing, Chisa still picked up the spatula since they were paying customers. "Five Osaka-style okonomiyaki…"
Just as she was about to start cooking, she suddenly found the spatula snatched from her hands.
"Haha, Chisa, take a break. Of course, I should personally serve senpai. Senpai, let me tell you, my teppanyaki skills are way better than theirs!"
Kudou's eye twitched wildly. To be honest, he didn't care too much about the taste of the food. He just wanted to eat something made by a cute girl!
But… the most important thing was already in his hands, so whatever!
Chisa shuddered as she looked at Shiro. She quickly handed over the other ingredients and retreated frantically, as if staying even a second longer would contaminate her with the aura of hell!
Azusa was struggling even harder to hold back laughter. This was too evil! Shiro was way too evil!
Standing in front of the griddle, Shiro grinned at the unsuspecting Kudou.
Trying to flirt with our poster girls? Go flirt in hell!
We only have a few poster girls in PaB! No one can take them away!!!
My dream as a master chef… grant me your strength!
…
"Σ_(???」∠) Ugh… Junior, are you sure… ugh… this thing is edible?"
Looking at the five servings of okonomiyaki before him—colored in horrifying shades of black, purple, blue, gold, and green—Kudou felt his stomach churning violently.
There was no need to even taste it, just looking at it and smelling it was already unbearable!
Why the hell did you end up making five servings of okonomiyaki with such terrifying colors?!
Azusa and the others retreated like crazy. In just one day, Shiro had become even scarier!
Shiro cheerfully placed the okonomiyaki in front of Kudou. "Of course, senpai! It's a secret specialty! Super delicious!"
Kudou stared at the golden-colored okonomiyaki before him, his stomach turning inside out.
There was no way in hell this was edible! If he ate this, he was definitely going to meet God!!!
"Forget it, junior… Just pack it up for us."
Originally, Kudou wanted to refuse outright, but seeing Iori and Kouhei standing beside Shiro at some point, his survival instincts kicked in, and he immediately changed his tone.
His mind was already made up—he'd throw this garbage in the trash the moment they left!!!
"That won't do, senpai. At PaB, we strictly prohibit food waste. Eat it here."
Shiro, of course, saw right through their plan and shook his head in refusal.
At the same time, he and his two companions each held a plate and slowly advanced toward them with sinister smiles!
Seeing the five servings of okonomiyaki getting closer, the two TB members finally lost it. They turned around and tried to run!
BANG! BANG!
The two of them crashed into two rock-hard chests—Tokita and Kotobuki were standing there, grinning menacingly!
"Welcome!!!"
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!! Σ_(???」∠) UGH!"
.....
Pa! Pa!
With a satisfied smile, Shiro returned to PaB. He had just thrown two human-shaped pieces of trash into the garbage bin—after all, trash belongs in its rightful place.
That hazardous waste classification was spot on~
"So you really gave them my contact info?"
Azu suddenly grabbed Shiro by the neck, grinning as she aggressively ruffled his hair.
"How could I? That was Tokita-senpai's number. If they actually call..."
"Pfft—hahaha! You're such a menace, Shiro~"
"Well, it's shift change time now, right?"
Azusa glanced at the time. Now that the three of them were back, they could finally take a break.
"Yeah, looks like it," Chisa said as she checked the clock. Finally, it was time to rest.
"In that case, Chisa can switch with Iori, and Shiro, you just handle the payments."
Azusa took charge of the arrangements. Shiro had no objections; after all, compared to earlier, the crowd had thinned out significantly, and collecting 600 yen per order wasn't exactly difficult.
Iori thought for a moment and figured it was fine. Just as he was about to agree, Azusa suddenly teleported right in front of him, eyes gleaming with curiosity!
"So? So? Hurry up and tell me, what's going on with you and Kohei?!"
"PFFT!!!"
Iori nearly spat out his drink, looking at Azusa in horror. He had completely forgotten about that!
He nervously glanced at Shiro, sighing in relief when he saw that he wasn't paying attention. Lowering his voice, he whispered to Azusa, "Not so loud! And that bastard Shiro is right here!"
Iori didn't want any misunderstandings from Shiro. Whether he misunderstood or not wasn't the issue, it was the fact that he was a total scumbag! And worse, a scumbag who knew his parents!
Even if it was just a misunderstanding, he couldn't let his strict dad, mom, and little sister hear about it!
"Oh, don't worry! I've been working hard to change Shiro's views! Just the other day, we even watched some of my collection together—you know, the kind with guys and girls, and even guys with guys~"
(′⊙ω⊙`)
Iori looked at the two of them in complete despair. What the hell do you two do every night?! Throw parties or something?!
(′°Д°`)?
Shiro looked at Azusa and Iori with confusion. Something about their atmosphere felt off.
"Ahaha… Anyway, Shiro, Chisa, and I can handle things here. You go take a break!"
Iori hurriedly pushed the others out, completely ignoring the exhausted-looking Chisa beside him.
"I've been working at the shop the whole time, you know..."
"Sorry about that, Chisa."
After the others left, Iori sincerely apologized to Chisa. He needed to clear up this misunderstanding quickly, otherwise, that scumbag Shiro might really find out!
"...It's fine, I get it. I mean, Azusa is a real beauty, after all."
"Huh?"
Iori looked at Chisa in confusion. Wait, I haven't even explained anything yet, and she already 'understands' me?
Shiro also glanced at her curiously. Was Chisa, in her usual airheaded way, jumping to conclusions again?
"Being around someone that pretty must be a lot of pressure, right?"
"..."
Iori fell silent. This misunderstanding… Sure, there was pressure, but not because of her looks!
"...Yeah, something like that."
!!!
Shiro stared at Iori in shock. Wait, this guy is more innocent than I thought!
"Virgin."
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY, YOU BASTARD?!"
Once again, Iori completely lost it over Shiro's nonsense, especially since it was the same two damn words as last time!
"Alright, save the fighting for later. We have customers."
Chisa sighed and intervened, looking exhausted. These two were seriously impossible to deal with.
"..."
Without another word, Iori and Shiro silently put aside their bickering. Money was more important!
"By the way, when's the beauty pageant?"
Now that things had calmed down, Shiro, feeling a bit bored, casually asked.
"Starts at four. The awards ceremony is tomorrow at one."
Chisa answered while continuing her work, not even looking up.
"Huh? That's different from the competition."
Iori, also focused on his task, seamlessly joined the conversation. "The Male Category contest is tonight, and the awards are also tonight."
"Well, I guess it's because it's a big event. The competition is more chaotic since anyone can join in."
Watching the two of them work, Shiro started feeling like the odd one out. Wait, have these two been secretly practicing together or something? Why are they so in sync? Am I just a glorified cash register now?!
"Besides, the voting process needs to stay exciting. This contest isn't just about picking the most handsome guy, after all."
"No, I'll definitely win!"
Shiro declared with absolute certainty. No way! If it wasn't him, then he'd have to drink straight from the barrel!
"..."
Iori stared at Shiro speechlessly. Actually… he also thought that this scumbag could win the championship.
"By the way, isn't it almost time? Shouldn't we start preparing?"
Shiro checked the time. If they didn't get ready soon, there wouldn't be enough time.
"Huh? Me? I was just planning to go in this."
Chisa looked down at her outfit. It was normal—just her usual clothes. The only thing she planned to do was take off her apron.
She hadn't originally intended to participate in the beauty pageant. Just going on stage for the sake of it should be fine, right?
Whoosh!
The moment she finished speaking, two figures appeared beside her at lightning speed, startling Shiro!
Was this… teleportation?!
As expected, older sisters were terrifying!
"That won't do, little Chisa~"
"We can't let more people miss out on seeing our adorable Chisa~"
Nanaka and Azusa each grabbed one of Chisa's arms and started dragging her away.
"Uh… Actually, I don't need any preparations—"
Chisa tried to resist, but the two older girls gave her no chance.
"Aww, don't say that~"
"This is a rare opportunity, you know~"
"See you later~" ×2
Shiro and Iori smiled and waved as they left. To be honest, they were actually looking forward to seeing Chisa, this natural airhead, in a beautiful outfit.
She was still a bit inexperienced, but just like her sister, she was definitely a beauty~
"Hey, idiot, why do I feel like Nanaka-nee is way too excited about this?"
Shiro looked at Iori in confusion. Just now, Nanaka had seemed like a complete fangirl.
"I told you, I'm not an idiot, you scumbag!"
Iori shouted, but then his expression suddenly turned sly, as if he just remembered something.
"You don't know, do you~?"
(′｀;)?
"Know what?"
"Nanaka is a huge siscon~ The type who collects cups that Chisa has drunk from."
Crack!
Crack…
!!!
Shiro was completely petrified. The kind and gentle big sister he had in his mind suddenly transformed into a crazed pervert sniffing her little sister's underwear!
"AHHHHH!!! NO WAY! IORI, YOU BASTARD, YOU'RE LYING TO ME!"
"Hah? Why would I lie about this? Everyone knows!"
"I don't care! You just destroyed my image of the perfect Nanaka!"
"You're just refusing to accept reality! Stop pulling my hair, you bastard!"
"Then stop poking my nose!"
"You started it!"
"…!!!"
When their seniors and Kohei returned, they were greeted by the sight of…
Two idiots, poking each other's noses and pulling each other's hair.
"…So, what exactly happened while I was gone?"
Kohei clutched his face in despair. This club… I really am the only normal one here!!!
"It looks like we're a little late."
Tokita observed the sea of people gathered at the beauty contest venue. With this crowd, getting front-row seats was out of the question, but thankfully, Azusa and Nanaka were already up front, so it didn't really matter.
"It's all because the seniors wanted to drink."
"Well, don't sweat the details. How could we not drink at such a grand event?"
That has nothing to do with it!
Shiro's face darkened as he looked at them. Clearly, they just wanted to drink.
"There sure are a lot of people here."
He sighed, noticing that most of them were obvious perverts.
"Well, of course. A beauty contest is basically like an idol event during the school festival."
Tokita laughed as he explained. After all, some departments in their school had a terrifyingly skewed gender ratio… like the mechanical engineering department!
"Going out in front of so many people…"
Seeing the massive crowd, Kohei felt like curling up in a ball. This was way too much for a shut-in like him!
Shiro patted Kohei on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Kohei. Just imagine them as pumpkins. Besides, there shouldn't be as many people for the 'Male Beauty Contest.' Look at Kitahara."
Kohei, somewhat reassured by Shiro's words, glanced at Iori—who was slumped over the railing with a dead look in his eyes…
"Crossdressing… Crossdressing… I don't want to crossdress!!!"
"..."
That's just tragic!
"What are you saying, Iori? Look!"
Tokita, noticing Iori's lack of motivation, smacked his back and pointed toward the stage. "Other clubs also have their joke characters!"
The three of them turned their gaze to the stage.
There stood… a monstrosity.
A person in colorful tights, a miniskirt, with decorative wings and a tennis racket…
A zombie fairy?!
Their faces froze in horror. At that moment, they felt an overwhelming sense of relief about their earlier choices.
That guy… that guy might actually be even more ridiculous than Kitahara!
The TB club members in the audience were going wild with cheers, making it seem like some kind of massive fan event.
"My eyes… they burn…"
"A zombie fairy?!"
"I can already imagine how bad Kitahara's turn is going to be…"
"..."
For once, Iori had no words to argue back. He knew they were right…
"And now, our next contestant…"
The moment she stepped onto the stage, all eyes locked onto her.
Nanaka, standing in the front row, was wildly snapping photos with her expensive camera!
"Heh… Something feels a bit off."
Watching Chisa walk with a confident stride, radiating a fierce aura, Azusa sighed. As expected, this was too much for her.
"Well, she is cute, though."
"But her expression is so stiff."
Even the seniors noticed Chisa's unnatural demeanor. With that kind of expression, winning would be tough.
"Is she mad?"
"Obviously, she's nervous."
"She looks like she's about to start a brawl…"
While Chisa was introducing herself, the three newcomers kept analyzing the meaning behind her expressions.
"This isn't looking good. If this keeps up, she's going to lose."
"If only we could support her somehow. You three got any ideas?"
The two seniors looked at the three of them anxiously. That prize money wasn't something to scoff at!
Their gazes shifted to the newcomers—since they were fresh blood, they had to have some ideas!
"Huh? Why are you asking us?"
Kohei was confused. He had no real interest in real-life girls.
"I don't really know either. I mean, whenever girls look at me, they seem pretty happy, but Chisa doesn't seem affected by my charm at all."
Shiro shook his head. He had no clue why, but his natural charm seemed to have zero effect on PaB's girls.
As for Kitahara? Ha! A virgin!
"Kohei! Don't forget all those games you played!"
Tokita looked at Kohei expectantly. The moment he said that, everyone's eyes lit up and turned to Kohei in unison!
Kohei had played hundreds—no, thousands of gal games.
Shiro liked games too, but he mostly played AAA titles and online games.
"That's right, I do know quite a bit about this… Hmm…"
Kohei began thinking, sifting through his vast library of visual novel knowledge.
"For a kuudere character like this to shine, the key is... a smile!"
"A smile?!"
Everyone exchanged glances. Now that they thought about it, they had rarely ever seen Chisa smile.
Their eyes landed on Kitahara. Since he had spent the most time with Chisa, he should know something, right?
"Getting Chisa to smile? That's harder than climbing Mount Everest."
Even Kitahara looked helpless. Forget smiling, Chisa looked at him like he was trash!
"I've got it!"
Tokita's eyes gleamed. He suddenly remembered something, whenever he saw other people smiling, he felt like smiling too.
"If we smile at her, maybe she'll smile back!"
"That… actually makes sense!"
Shiro clapped his hands. Whenever he smiled at girls, they seemed happy too!
"Then let's do it!"
Kitahara stood up. They all agreed that the critical mission of grabbing Chisa's attention would be Kitahara's responsibility!
"Chisa!!!"
Chisa, who was lost in her thoughts on stage, suddenly heard Kitahara yelling her name. She looked up.
What she saw was…
A group of people, grinning like madmen.
Predatory smiles.
Beastly grins.
"..."
Chisa's expression instantly twisted in fury, a vein bulging on her forehead.
"This is bad! It had the opposite effect!"
"That's definitely not the face she should be showing the audience!"
"It's not even about the audience anymore, this expression just shouldn't exist!"
Seeing Chisa's terrifying face, everyone instinctively took a step back. This was a disaster, she was definitely getting eliminated!
"Maybe we should try making her embarrassed instead!"
Shiro suggested. After all, a girl's shy expression is always her most beautiful moment! That fleeting blush, that hint of embarrassment—it surpasses all the beauty in the world!
"Embarrassed, huh… I got it!"
Hearing Shiro's words, veteran player Kohei nodded in agreement. This time, they were definitely going to succeed!
--------------
On Stage
Although those idiots had completely ruined her mood, Chisa was still managing to hold herself together, at least she was still standing on stage.
At this moment, she was preparing to answer the host's question: "Introduce your club."
She was ready to passionately describe the beauty of the ocean!
"Chisa!!!"
That familiar voice called out once again. Reflexively, Chisa looked up.
In that instant… she let go.
The club?
Diving?
Maybe she'd introduce it some other time…
Because what she saw was—
The entire PaB crew, striking dramatic poses like ancient Roman statues, completely naked except for their underwear!
The three newcomers held up a giant banner that read: "We ❤️ Chisa."
Tokita was kneeling on the ground like a grieving widow, clutching Iori's arm.
Kotobuki was dramatically pouring liquor from two bottles, his head turned toward Shiro and the others.
The rest of the seniors were also stark naked, striking various ridiculous poses. One of them had even started drinking mid-act!
At that moment, Chisa felt like her club had died…
"She's not embarrassed at all!"
"That's not right! In galgames, the female characters always go, 'Geez, what are you doing!?' and then show a shy expression!"
"Maybe she's just used to it from seeing too much in the shop. I mean, Kitahara is always walking around naked like it's nothing."
Shiro stroked his chin thoughtfully. Normally, whenever girls saw him naked, they'd get embarrassed.
"You bastard! Like you don't strip all the time! And what the hell was that pose just now—Michael Jackson?!"
"Heh! No need to argue, Kitahara, this is obviously all your fault."
"Screw you guys!"
"..."
"By the way, is that… the kind of look you give to garbage?"
Shiro had the distinct impression that Chisa was radiating an enlightened, almost Buddha-like glow.
"Huh? Is that so? She looks at me like that all the time, though."
Iori scratched his head. As far as he was concerned, nothing had changed.
"...You're beyond saving."
"In that case, let's try that next!"
"That?"
Everyone turned to Kohei, curious about what other ridiculous idea he had.
"Today's outfit!"
"Okay, so we just need to flip her skirt, right?"
"I'll go get some marbles!"
"..."
Two of the seniors silently stood by, watching the three of them in stunned disbelief. How were they so in sync about something so idiotic? How did their brains even connect those three statements?
Seeing their confusion, Shiro explained, "We can throw a bouncy ball at Chisa's feet. The rebound will lift her skirt!"
"Ohh, I see! Like a classic elementary school prank!"
The two seniors immediately understood!
It was a solid plan, but there was just one problem.
"If we do this, Chisa is going to be absolutely furious…"
Iori rolled a bouncy ball in his palm. Clearly, someone would have to take one for the team.
"Yeah, the executor—Iori—will be killed for sure."
"PaB will remember your sacrifice."
"…Why is it already decided that it's me!?"
Iori stared at Shiro and Kotobuki in disbelief. How could they say this with such confidence?!
"Because when people think of Chisa, they think of Iori, right?"
"No way! At least settle this with rock-paper-scissors!"
"Rock-paper-scissors…?"
Tokita hesitated. He already had the perfect victim in mind—why complicate things?
"Wait! I have a better idea!"
Kohei suddenly appeared, bringing his brilliant plan!
"If we all throw at the same time, we won't know who actually did it, right?"
Hearing this, everyone had a moment of realization. That's it! This way, everyone would share the blame!
"Alright, let's do it!"
As the club president, Tokita immediately approved the plan. The group, now fully committed, grabbed their bouncy balls and fixed their sights on the stage.
"Alright, ready? 1! 2!—"
"Fire away!!!"
"OHHH AHHHH!!!"
The moment the signal was given, Iori was the first to throw. His bouncy ball landed perfectly under Chisa's skirt, flipping up her pink dress and revealing her long, beautiful legs to the entire audience!
Chisa immediately slammed her hands down on her skirt, her face flushing with a mix of shame and fury!
"OOOOHHHHH!!!"
The perverts in the audience instantly went wild!
A shy, embarrassed beauty, this was the best thing ever!!!
"YES! This is exactly the reaction we needed!"
"Don't stop now!"
"Keep going! Chisa's expression is perfect right now!!!"
"OOOHHHHH!!!"
Hearing the enthusiastic support, Iori's adrenaline surged. Without thinking, he launched a few more bouncy balls!
The balls struck at just the right angle, flipping Chisa's skirt even higher—they were this close to seeing something truly dangerous!
From the front row, Nanaka's camera clicked non-stop, practically overheating!
Yes!!! Bringing her camera had been the best decision ever!
Nanaka's body trembled with excitement, her face flushed unnaturally red.
Chisa! You're the best!!!
"Damn, Iori! Your control is amazing!"
"As expected, only you could pull this off!"
"Go for it, Kitahara! Aim for the center this time!"
"..."
"HAHAHAHA! Leave it to me! I am the King of Bouncy Balls!!!"
Iori cackled wildly. Finally, after years of honing his bouncy ball skills, he had found his true purpose!
Today, here and now—he would prove himself!!!
Chisa! Get ready! I'll make sure you win this beauty contest!!!
And then…
Suddenly…
He realized something.
Wait…
Wait a damn second.
Why…
Why did everyone's voices feel so distant?
Iori froze, slowly turning his head.
The people who were supposed to be throwing balls alongside him were all standing far away, watching him instead.
That bastard Shiro was even waving at him with a smug smile!
Wait… what did that hand signal mean?
Was he telling Iori to look over there?
Iori followed Kamishiro Shiro's gesture…
And saw—
A furious Chisa, gripping her skirt, staring daggers into his soul.
゛('◇' )
(.;゜;:益:;゜;.)!!!
IT WAS A TRAP!!!
At that moment, Iori saw a vision of his future; a dark, lonely box where the sun would never shine again.
That look on her face…
There was no doubt about it.
He was going to be brutally murdered.
Like a terrified schoolboy, Iori sprinted toward the others in sheer panic!
"WHY DIDN'T YOU GUYS THROW ANYTHING?!"
"You're such a bad boy, Iori."
"Pulling off childish pranks like this."
"Your idiot levels are slowly evolving into full-blown perversion."
"Make sure you apologize properly to Chisa later~"
!!!
Watching the four of them act innocent, Iori screamed internally.
These backstabbing bastards!
How were they so perfectly in sync when it came to screwing him over?!
For the love of god, can you guys use your teamwork for something useful for once?!
…
Nanaka, sitting in the front row, happily put away her camera.
This was amazing! I got so many great shots! Whoever was responsible, I'm truly grateful! If I ever meet them… I'll make sure to leave their body intact at least~
By the way, since when did little Chisa start wearing such daring underwear?
Ah~ As her big sister, I've been too negligent.
Tonight, I must have a deep sisterly bonding session with Chisa!
Azusa sighed as she watched Nanaka acting crazy. There was no need to ask, this was obviously the work of the diving club idiots.
"Man~ what a mess~"
"And that concludes our introduction to the University's diving club, PaB—featuring Kotegawa Chisa!!!"
"OH OH OH!!!"
The perverts roared in excitement!
"I'm telling you, why don't you just go out…"
"Hurry up and get out there to take your punishment already!"
"You two are just watching from the sidelines like it's none of your business! Don't forget how I ended up like this!!!"
In a grassy area on campus, a trio was hiding.
Outside, a beautiful girl wielding an iron rod was prowling around. Judging by her expression, if she found them, she would tear them apart!
This made Shiro feel like he was playing a live-action version of Identity V.
But… this whole situation had nothing to do with him or Kohei, okay?!
Chisa was after that idiot Kitahara! They were only dragged into this mess by force!
"You should go out, it'll be over in an instant."
"Yeah, an instant before I end up in a body bag, right?! You two bastards aren't getting away either—"
!!!
The three of them trembled and shrank into the grass.
Just now!
At that very moment!
Before Iori could even finish speaking, all three of them felt an overwhelmingly terrifying presence!
As for how they could tell… well, it was pure survival instinct honed from running away from beasts!
If they didn't have at least this level of awareness, there was no way they could survive in PaB!
"Is… is it Chisa?"
Shiro swallowed hard. That aura just now was bone-chilling. Something was watching them!
"It's not Chisa…"
Iori crouched lower. He was way too familiar with Chisa's presence. This wasn't the same. This aura…
"This is the smell of heavy makeup!"
"Found you!!!"
A hand reached into the grass, followed by a face like a ghost!
!!!
The sudden appearance of the figure scared the trio so much that Shiro nearly fainted. If it weren't broad daylight, he probably would have passed out on the spot!
"That makeup…"
"It's the Makeup Monster!"
They immediately recognized the devilish figure. Thankfully, the sun was still up—otherwise, there might have been a real accident!
"Hey, you!"
The Makeup Monster grabbed Kohei by the shoulder. She had found her target!
"W-What is it…"
Kohei panicked, his mind racing through everything he'd done in the past few days. No way… Just a moment ago, Iori was the one being hunted, and now it's him? Had he interacted with a real-life girl recently?!
"Go out with me…"
A shy voice rang in their ears. The girl's eyes darted away. If it weren't for the thick makeup, they might have seen her blushing.
The trio froze.
This… this was something they never expected to happen!
"Go out… with you?"
Kohei was dumbfounded. Was he just… confessed to?
"Yes! What's the problem?!"
The Makeup Monster leaned in closer to Kohei, her thickly powdered scent wafting into his face!
"Hold on a second! I don't even know your name…"
Kohei was panicking. He wasn't against dating or anything, but not with the Makeup Monster! Couldn't it be a voice actress?! Or at least someone with similar interests?!
"Yoshiwara Aina! First-year student at Oumi Girls' Academy! That's enough, right?!"
The Makeup Monster shouted at the top of her lungs. She was already shy enough—this took every ounce of her courage!
"No, no, not even a little bit!!!"
Kohei struggled desperately. There was no way he was dating someone who didn't even know how to apply makeup properly! Plus, this girl was probably as much of an idiot as Kitahara!
"Ah, congratulations, Kohei. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness."
"Boohoo, love really comes when you least expect it. Don't worry, I'll pass on the good news to our seniors. Oh, and how about using 'Aqua Vitae' for your wedding toast?"
Iori and Shiro backed away furiously, offering their "blessings." Shiro even looked like he was about to cry, as if Kohei really was getting married.
SLAM!!
Two hands, veins bulging, grabbed onto them. "You two were just going to leave me?!"
"Well, we just wanted to give you some private space."
"Yeah, don't worry, just try not to get killed."
"You bastards!!! Trying to ditch me at a time like this?! And what do you mean by 'try not to get killed'?! We're talking about the Makeup Monster here!!!"
"So what? When the sun sets, she—"
"What the hell are you two even talking about?! And Kohei, you were the one who acted like you didn't even know me during the beauty pageant!"
"..."
The Makeup Monster stared at the bickering trio, and the courage she had just barely built up crumbled completely.
"Enough already!"
She yelled before turning and running off. There was no point in dragging this out any longer.
The trio stopped fighting, watching her leave with bewildered expressions.
"…What just happened?"
"That was a girl from the daytime tennis club, right?"
"Kohei, your love life is taking off. If you ignore the makeup, she actually has a nice face."
"..."
"You guys were here all along."
Tokita's voice rang out behind them. He and Kotobuki had been searching for them for ages. They never expected to find them hiding in the bushes. If it weren't for the ruckus just now, they might not have even noticed.
"What were you guys doing just now?"
Kotobuki asked curiously. He thought he saw a girl running away from the bushes.
Hearing the question, the trio was left speechless.
Especially Kohei. This whole situation once again made him realize how terrifying reality could be.
"…Even if you ask me, I don't really know how to explain it."
What was he supposed to say? That he was just confessed to by the Makeup Monster? Or that he was abandoned by these two assholes?
"Well… I guess you could call it youth."
Even if it was the Makeup Monster, it was still a confession. Maybe… this was what they called youth.
"Ah, Kohei almost got into a passionate encounter out here and wouldn't let Kitahara and me leave."
!!!
Kohei looked at Shiro in horror. Do you even hear the nonsense coming out of your mouth?!!!