"Hahaha! So, how was my performance? Did I look convincing or what?"
Azusa laughed heartily, still dressed in the costume of the female ghost.
Of course—
The ghost chasing Kamishiro and the others wasn't her. They weren't that lucky.
Azusa had been scaring Chisa and the girls instead~
Though Chisa had suspected it was a prank, it was still hard not to be scared in that kind of atmosphere.
As for Kamishiro and the others...
Those five were still in a daze, sitting on chairs trembling.
That's right—five people.
Kiyoko Kamio and Sakurako Busujima had both been so traumatized by the muscular "ghost" senpai that they now had psychological scars.
The two were even kind of relieved they hadn't joined PAB back when they were tempted by all the eye candy—it was clearly not their scene!
Kiyoko Kamio now looked at her bestie Aina with a little fear.
She couldn't imagine what kind of life her good friend lived here. Love really does blind people, huh?
Smack~
Just as the two girls were getting lost in wild thoughts, a hand suddenly landed on their shoulders.
Not yet recovered, the two nearly fainted on the spot from fright—almost giving Azusa a live performance of a KO.
Thankfully, Azusa spoke up in time to bring them back to reality.
"So, what exactly are you two doing here?"
Azusa smirked playfully at them. Of course, she knew the answer, but... how could she possibly miss a chance to tease her juniors? (≖‿≖✿)
Come on, girls, say it loud and proud!
Azusa's words successfully drew the attention of everyone present. A group of beastly eyes lit up, staring hungrily at the two little lambs who'd just wandered into their den.
In that moment, both girls realized that coming to see Kamishiro was a terrible idea. This place was a literal wolf pack!
And also—
Kamishiro, as a man, aren't you supposed to say something here?!
They both turned to look at Kamishiro.
"Gulp gulp gulp~ Ahhh! Yeah, after getting scared like that, you really need this drink! Hm? Kiyoko? Sakurako? Why are you two staring at me like that? Want a drink too?"
Noticing their gaze, Kamishiro kindly offered his beer bottle to them.
Seriously, he'd almost forgotten they'd been frightened too.
(＾∇＾;)
Looking at the bottle in front of them, the girls' eyes went dull.
They stood up—
And delivered a flying kick!
It was the first time the two of them had acted in such perfect sync.
"You damn idiot!"
"We came all the way here and all you ask is if we want a drink?!"
"I'll give you something to drink alright!!"
"And one bottle for three people?! Are you even human?!"
"AAHHHH!!! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!!"
(;´Д｀)
Hearing Kamishiro's miserable screams, everyone else quietly looked away.
Welp.
Guess that's one way to resolve the awkwardness of two girls suddenly showing up.
Just... kinda painful.
Azusa realized something. Little Shiro here always seemed to defuse romantic crises through pure self-destruction.
She wondered—if there were even more love interests, what would that look like? Kinda wanted to find out!
Just then, Iori and Kohei had recovered too. After throwing Kamishiro a disdainful glance, they ignored him and turned to the senpai.
"So that 'preparation' you mentioned earlier was all... this?"
"Haha, of course! This is tradition for our club's courage-testing night!"
"We owe it to Kohei, though. And who knew we'd even get two bonus freshmen out of it?"
Tokita looked at Kiyoko Kamio and Busujima Sakurako. It was apparently his first time seeing them, though he'd heard Azusa talk about them before.
Maybe they were tired from all the hitting. The two girls calmed down and returned to their usual selves.
They weren't socially anxious types, and since they knew people here, they cheerfully introduced themselves to everyone.
"Hehe, hello everyone! I'm Kiyoko Kamio. Sorry for crashing in today! It's all because this green tea bitch insisted on coming."
"Excuse me?! You're the one who couldn't resist chasing a guy!"
"Oh? So someone's too rude to even introduce herself?"
(?ò_ó)
"Call me Busujima... actually, just Sakurako is fine."
Yup, she still couldn't stand people calling her by her last name!
Watching the two girls interact, the upperclassmen all smiled knowingly and warmly welcomed them. Some even considered recruiting them into PAB.
But unfortunately...
After the horror they'd just experienced, neither girl wanted anything to do with this club!
Too scary!
After greetings were exchanged, the girls returned to Kamishiro's side—they hadn't forgotten why they came here in the first place.
Feeling the softness of arms on both sides, Kamishiro shed a tear of happiness.
Of course, it would be even better if they weren't pinching his arms.
(╥_╥)
"So you two really came all the way here for me?"
It hurt, sure—but the thought of two girls coming just for him warmed his heart.
But in response to Kamishiro's touched expression, the girls gave him pure disgust.
"Don't get it twisted. I came to bust a cheating cat."
"Don't flatter yourself. I came to shut down a green tea witch."
(;￣Д￣）
Kamishiro's emotional face froze.
So basically... he was just background noise?
The real fight was between them?!
Was this even his love triangle anymore?!
Why did it feel like they were in love-hate combat, and he was the extra?!
He wanted to argue, but upon meeting their gazes, he meekly looked away.
He still had no idea how to win the hearts of two rival girls at the same time.
Surviving intact would already be a miracle.
Damn it!
If only they could take turns—
Even just a two-hour gap!
Then he'd show them the meaning of perfect transitions!
"So how is this any different from school..."
(?ò_ó)
The girls heard that and their tempers flared up again.
This guy had such high EQ during one-on-one dates, so how was it negative now?!
Didn't he understand a girl's tsundere heart?!
But...
Looking at Kamishiro, they realized something.
Being tsundere would only push him toward the rival!
"Shiro~ Here, try this! It's so yummy!"
Kiyoko Kamio suddenly switched tactics, holding out a skewer to his mouth, with her legs slightly revealed.
∑(ﾟДﾟlll)
Seeing such a drastic change, Kamishiro got scared.
He nervously took a bite.
Hmm... the meat's so white.
Sakurako gritted her teeth at Kamishiro.
This damn perv! Falling for such a basic seduction trick!
As if she didn't have nice legs?! Hers were even longer than that tomboy's!
Fine then—
With determined eyes, Busujima grabbed Kamishiro's face.
Then, under his dumbstruck expression—
She kissed him.
!!!
At that moment—
Kamishiro felt like he was going to die.
He could feel the fiery glares behind him... and the sound of someone digging a grave.
All he could say was—
Sakurako... so bold.
I freaking love it!!!
"You green tea b*tch! You shameless woman!"
"Hah? Kissing my own boyfriend is totally normal, okay? What's not normal is flashing your legs to seduce him! What are you, trained in some hostess club or something?"
"You dirty cheater!"
Watching the smug Sakurako, Kiyoko Kamio was fuming. She looked at Kamishiro's lips, tempted to kiss them too.
But...
That woman had just kissed him. How could she kiss that now?!
AAAAAHHHHH!!!
Furious, Kiyoko grabbed a bottle of "Water of Life" and shoved it into Kamishiro Shiro's mouth under the noble pretense of disinfection!
(メ｀ロ′)/
!!!
Just as Kamishiro was lost in a beautiful fantasy, he suddenly realized a thick object had been jammed into his mouth, followed by a burning liquid—
Gulp gulp
Kamishiro wore a face of agony—this was basically attempted murder! Who the hell drinks "Water of Life" like this?!
Not far away, Iori, Kohei, and the others silently gave Kiyoko a big thumbs-up. That's how you deal with scum like him!
Thankfully, Kamishiro's ordeal was just a small interlude and didn't dampen the group's fiery mood one bit.
As the bonfire lit up and fireworks exploded, the atmosphere instantly ignited!
A starry sky, bonfires, fireworks, and youth—boys and girls brought together by all the beauty life has to offer.
Unfortunately—
There was alcohol in this mix.
"Urahh!"
"Iori! Kohei! Get over here and dance already!"
"Strip rock-paper-scissors! Where's that bastard Kamishiro?!"
"Don't bother with Kamishiro, that guy's enjoying a lap pillow from some beauty. Let me be your opponent!"
"Bring it on!"
"…"
(O?O)
Nearby, Busujima stood frozen, a little stunned by the scene in front of her.
What… what the hell was she seeing?!
A bunch of musclebound men almost completely naked, drinking and playing strip rock-paper-scissors?
And dancing?!
Since when did dancing involve bending over backward? That was more like a flexibility test for your lower back!
What kind of test was this? Was this some kind of... casting audition for something happening later tonight?!
"This is really lively... Aina used to talk about it, but it's my first time seeing it for myself."
Kiyoko Kamio suddenly appeared beside Busujima, clearly tempted by the heat of the atmosphere.
She was a girl with the soul of an uncle—dying to join the action.
"Hmph, what a noisy club. But I guess it suits you. So, disinfection complete?"
"Tch, I call it being direct, okay? That Shiro guy got dragged away by his little buddies."
"Dragged away?"
Busujima glanced back in confusion and saw Iori and Kohei dragging Kamishiro off toward where the senior club members were dancing. He clearly wasn't heading for a good time.
"What a mess."
She sighed. Though her mouth said she hated it, she hadn't realized just how relaxed she actually felt in that moment.
"Hiiiiii!"
Just as the two were about to start bickering again, Azusa suddenly appeared out of nowhere and threw her arms around both of them.
"Heheheh, two little cute kohai~ Let's go dance!"
Azusa had that pervy uncle grin, and her hands were confidently wandering.
!!!
Both girls stiffened. Ever since the last time they had "accidentally" shared a bed with her, they'd been a little terrified of this senior.
"Uhh, no need, really…"
"We're just outsiders, we shouldn't intrude..."
"What are you saying? Bonfire parties are only fun when everyone joins in! Come on, don't be shy—look! Shiro's doing a magic show!"
Azusa didn't give them a chance to escape and dragged them toward the fire.
Over there, Iori and Kohei were putting on a magic show because they'd lost a dance-off.
DUN DUN DUN DUN!
On the table were three cups filled with liquid. Beneath the table lay Kamishiro, trying desperately to stay conscious.
"Come one, come all! We have three cups filled with mystery liquid!"
"And now, using a little magic, we'll make them disappear without a trace!"
Surrounded by the crowd, Iori and Kohei performed like professional circus clowns.
You'd never guess one of them had crippling social anxiety.
"First, let's cover the cups with this white cloth."
Iori draped the cloth over the cups—it also conveniently hid Kamishiro under the table.
"Ready!"
First reveal! Kohei stepped forward dramatically—one cup was gone!
"Again!"
Second reveal! Another cup vanished!
"Final round!"
Third reveal! All the liquid was gone!
The whole act took less than ten seconds.
The magic stunned the crowd.
"Holy crap, that's amazing!"
"How does the booze just vanish like that?"
"I blinked and missed it! Do it again!"
At everyone's request, the two began pouring new drinks. "Of course, we can repeat it as many times as you like!"
But under the table, two hands suddenly shot up to stop them.
"You two can do this all you want, but I—I'm gonna hurl! Σ_(ﾟДﾟ;)_"
Kamishiro shakily stood up, some unidentified liquid still dripping from his mouth.
Three cups in ten seconds—he had hit the limit of human tolerance!
As their "magic prop" stood up, Iori and Kohei gave the crowd an apologetic smile.
"Oops, please give us a moment."
"There was a little hiccup in the magic trick. We'll fix it right away!"
Then they dragged Kamishiro off for a "team huddle."
Busujima's eye twitched as she turned to the only other seemingly sane person—Chisa.
"You guys… did this on purpose, didn't you?"
(;￣ロ￣)
Chisa flushed under the intense gaze of the excited crowd. "N-no… They're just… very pure-hearted."
Backstage: Kamishiro's POV
Iori and Kohei stood menacingly with their phones.
"Hey there, Kamishiro-kun."
"You wouldn't want a photo of your cowardly little breakdown to go viral on the school forum, right?"
(ΘωΘ)
"As long as you cooperate with us—"
"And hand over your hard-earned Fukuzawa bills—"
"We might be willing to let this one slide~"
Their villainous grins said it all—they looked like textbook bad guys.
Too bad—
They'd completely underestimated Kamishiro.
Who the hell did they think he was?
No way he'd give up his hard-earned cash so easily. Plus, they clearly didn't know how good his PR game was!
Having sensed trouble from the beginning, Kamishiro calmly pulled out his phone.
He opened the school forum.
Pinned right at the top was a post from himself—already gone viral!
"Ugh… I can't believe someone would exploit another person's weakness. People can be so cruel.
Image: Delicate beauty Kamishiro Shiro Limited Edition.jpg"
The comments were all sympathetic—some even saying they'd protect him personally.
Any critical remarks had been buried under waves of support.
One bold commenter, "Handsome Yamamoto," had already been ratioed a hundred replies deep.
"Well, still want to post your blackmail?"
Kamishiro gave them a smug look. Image management? He was a pro.
(¬‿¬ )
Iori and Kohei's faces contorted as they read the post. No way could they release their photo now!
Some comments were even demanding justice for the poor, traumatized "frail beauty." If they posted the pic, it would basically be a confession. With no pork cutlet rice in jail, either!
Damn it!
They stared at Kamishiro's smug face, their expressions turning dark.
If that's how it is… we'll just take nudes!
Surely all those sympathetic girls would pay top dollar for a leaked nude of this scumbag!
Their eyes slowly turned into glowing yen signs.
They had accidentally stumbled upon a criminally lucrative side hustle.
(.;゜;:¥:;゜;.)
Just as Kamishiro was basking in his own brilliance, he noticed their hungry wolf-like stares.
He instinctively clenched and began backing away.
"W-wait! What are you two doing?! I'm warning you—I know kung fu! I've got pay-to-win gear!"
"WAIT—don't take off my pants!!"
"Watch my fart bomb!"
"..."
Everyone fell silent as they watched the three people wrestling with each other. Wasn't this supposed to be a magic show? When did it turn into a philosophical debate?
Wait a minute—did they just unleash an "stink bomb"* or something? Why does it smell so awful?
Kiyoko and Busujima were frantically backing away from the pungent stench, mentally tossing Kamashiro Shirou into the trash can once again.
They couldn't keep such a smelly Kamashiro Shirou around anymore!
Late night.
Kamashiro Shirou, full of zest and vigor, was aboard the Going Merry, enjoying the life of a pirate king with Nami in one arm and Robin in the other.
Just as he was about to undress his two beloved waifus—
He suddenly felt an itch in his nose.
"Ah... Ah-choo!"
Scene change.
There was no Going Merry. No Nami, no Robin.
Just an unfamiliar ceiling.
But...
Why did what he was holding feel so familiar?
Kamashiro Shirou instinctively gave it a squeeze—soft, with a surprising amount of bounce.
Just as he was about to continue his mischief, a hand slapped away his offending paw.
"You really can't behave, even in your sleep."
Hearing the familiar voice, Kamashiro Shirou turned his head to see Busujima playing with her hair, smiling at him.
"Sakurako?"
Kamashiro Shirou rubbed his itchy nose.
The moment he saw her, he understood the reason for his sneeze. She always woke him up by tickling his nose with her hair—this time was no different.
"What are you doing here?"
Now more awake, Kamashiro Shirou looked at her in confusion. Weren't the boys and girls sleeping separately?
He didn't even need to look around. The chorus of beastly snores confirmed he was still on the boys' side.
"Obviously, I came to find you~"
Sakurako smiled sweetly. She wasn't just here to annoy Kamio after all.
Unfortunately, it was too dark for Kamashiro Shirou to appreciate the view. Instead, he yawned. "Ha~ Why'd you wake me up? I was in the middle of an amazing dream. It was Nami and Robin, you know?"
"..."
Busujima's lips twitched. She suddenly had the urge to walk out right then and there.
Inhale, exhale.
She took deep breaths to calm herself. She hadn't come here just to mess around—tonight, she was going for the kill!
Flicking her hair, she leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear. "So tell me… do you prefer the fake Nami and Robin from your dream, or… the real-life Sakurako standing right in front of you~?"
!!!
In that instant—
Kamashiro Shirou's sleepiness vanished. His mind was never this clear. Even his perpetually squinty eyes popped open.
He looked at her in disbelief. "This intense?!"
Seeing his stunned expression, Busujima rolled her eyes playfully. "Not going after your dream girls anymore?"
"Those two are just flat 2D characters! How could they compare to my dear Lady Sakurako!"
"You sure switch faces quickly. Come take a walk with me."
She turned and started walking out. As exciting as things might get, this wasn't the place for it.
Without hesitation, Kamashiro Shirou followed after her, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him to let the beasts inside sleep undisturbed~
By the Campfire.
Kamashiro Shirou sat gloomily, poking the small fire in front of him. "You scammed me. Dragged me out here this late just to 'sit and chat'?"
"I never said anything, did I? You were the one jumping to conclusions."
Busujima gave him a sly look. She could never get tired of watching this guy suffer.
"I thought—"
Thud!
Before Kamashiro Shirou could finish, Busujima had tackled him to the ground, looking down at him like a valiant female knight.
"Thought what? That we'd have outdoor sex?"
Gulp
Bathed in moonlight, with her face hovering so close, even Little Kamashiro Shirou couldn't help but get excited.
Something was riding but it wasn't the shield hero.
Feeling what was going on beneath her, Sakurako blushed, but she didn't get up. In fact, she shifted slightly—
Hiss!
"Stop…"
Kamashiro Shirou held her waist. If she kept moving, he wouldn't be able to hold back.
His brain was now 50% filled with explicit thoughts.
Sakurako smiled gently, brushing his cheek with her hand.
"I don't mind, you know. Doing it here is fine too, but…" Her eyes shone with deep affection. "You have to belong to me and only me."
"Kamashiro Shirou… let's start dating!"
For a moment, the world went silent, save for the crackling of the fire.
Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Kamashiro Shirou fell into silence. Even Little Kamashiro Shirou quieted down.
He turned his head away, unable to meet her gaze.
"Sakurako… maybe I should just go back to being Pirate King in my dreams?"
"You bastard!!!"
Busujima grabbed him by the head, forcing him to look into her eyes. She'd suspected this might be his answer, but hearing it still hurt.
"You're a complete and utter scumbag!"
Kamashiro Shirou didn't argue back. Seeing the anger in her eyes, he felt a pang of guilt.
He hadn't cared much before—figured if he got to live a second life, he'd live freely without worry.
But after arriving at Izu, joining Pub and reuniting with Kiyoko and Sakurako, he finally understood how much they cared about him….
"I'm really sorry."
Kamashiro Shirou lowered his gaze, suddenly afraid to face the consequences. Maybe staying in that dream world as Pirate King would've spared everyone this pain.
"Hmph!"
Busujima snorted. Deep down, she knew it was always unlikely between them. If they had a real chance, they wouldn't have missed it the first time around.
Besides, if she did become his girlfriend, wouldn't she constantly be worried about him cheating?
That thought eased her pain a little…
…Just a little!
"Come with me!"
Busujima stood up and dragged Kamashiro Shirou toward a small grove of trees.
(O?O)
"Eh? Where are we going…"
As the surroundings grew darker, Kamashiro Shirou began to tremble. He only rejected her—surely she wasn't going to kill him?!
Thud!
Once they were deep enough in the woods, Busujima slammed him against a tree in a classic kabedon
"Sakurako…"
Her response was a passionate kiss.
"You're going to be mine, sooner or later! I'm going to break you!"
What a beautiful country. Shall we go explore it together?～♥
Meanwhile…
While Kamashiro Shirou and Sakurako were busy igniting flames in the woods—
Our adorable Kiyoko Kamio-chan was sound asleep, her pillow soaked in drool.
Now and then she'd hug her blanket and giggle in her sleep, "Ehehehe~ Kamashiro Shirou… mine… all mine~"
? o?o?
Beneath her bed sat a small bottle.
Label: "Sleeping Pills MAX"