________________
The scene in front of them left the three speechless.
They'd just been saying—this was Aina and Kohei…
But then the two of them walked right out of the love hotel across the street!
And Kohei looked completely drained—as if something intense had happened in there!
Couldn't they have at least waited until the others left before coming out? Now they just looked like total fools!
At that moment, Aina, who was helping support Kohei, also noticed them.
Aina: ╭(°A°`)╮
Aina: =????
Seeing the four familiar faces, Aina frantically looked around.
Not clear if she was looking for a place to hide—or a time machine.
Then Aina made a devastating discovery.
Unless she went back into the love hotel behind her… there was nowhere to hide!
And another thing—
She could understand seeing Iori and Chisa here…
But why the hell were Kamishiro and his beautiful editor here too?!
Weren't they supposed to be locked up in some writing room in Izu?!
Why the heck were all five of them back together now?!
Seeing Kamishiro and the others looking confused and clearly about to ask something—
Aina realized she was in serious reputation crisis mode!
She couldn't let them speak first!
Before Kamishiro and the others could say anything, Aina panicked and squeaked, "Hello, I'm Yurika, currently traveling with my fiancé Ikegoshi!"
"..."
The four fell silent. They hadn't even asked anything yet—and this idiot had already exposed herself!
Also—
If you're going to lie, at least do it properly!
You don't look like Yurika at all right now! At least slap on some makeup like yesterday!
Because of their silence, the atmosphere turned super awkward.
Well—for Aina, anyway (??ω??)
Inside, Aina felt like ten thousand prairie dogs were screaming.
No no no!
Being embarrassed alone is unbearable! Plus, her words had no credibility!
So she shook the now-collapsing Kohei and forced a smile, "Yuichi, say something—you know them, right…?"
Thud!
Before Aina could finish, Kohei collapsed completely—his body twitching nonstop.
(-ι_-)
Everyone turned to look at Kohei. His utterly drained expression made him look like all his life force had been sucked out.
Last night… was it that intense?
Kamishiro and Hanabi couldn't help but look at Aina with new eyes.
Such unbelievable power in such a small body.
They could almost see the birth of the next Kanikou!
"Kohei… I mean, Yuichi!"
Seeing Kohei collapse, Aina rushed to help him up—but in doing so, she accidentally exposed something.
The others just quietly watched her perform, now curious to see how she was going to dig herself out of this hole.
"He seems really weak… Should we take him to the hospital?" Hanabi asked with concern. This really looked like a hospital-worthy situation.
Though the reason… might be hard to explain.
"No need!"
Aina quickly waved it off. "It's just… he suffered a huge emotional shock last night! But I swear, he's the real Yuichi Ikegoshi!"
Emotional shock?
That one definitely deserves elaboration. Was it because his first time was that bad?
(.-ω-)
Watching Aina desperately trying to cover things up, Kamishiro and the others didn't even have the heart to expose her anymore.
But still—it was just too obvious!
"So… you're the voice actress Yurika, the one engaged to Ikegoshi?" Kamishiro asked, trying to prompt her into acknowledging the truth.
To which—
"Mhm, that's right! I'm the voice actress Yurika. Do you want an autograph?"
"..."
How tragically self-deceiving!
Signing with someone else's name—don't you feel any psychological pressure at all?
Kamishiro looked toward Iori. The two exchanged a glance and nodded.
It was time to make the Cakey face reality!
Iori pointed at the clothes Kohei was wearing and said, "By the way, did Ikegoshi have this kind of hobby before?"
"Waaah!!!"
Aina let out a strange scream.
Oh no—she forgot to change clothes!
At this moment, Kohei was still wearing his trademark Rarako T-shirt.
Kamishiro: "Stop pretending. No matter how you look at it, you are Aina, right?"
"Waaaaaah!!!"
Aina's face flushed red, tears welling up in her eyes.
This is bad—she's really exposed this time!
Iori will definitely misunderstand!
Even if he doesn't misunderstand, he'll keep interrogating them about why they're here.
There's no way they can just confess that they came specifically because they were jealous and wanted to stop them!
And they definitely can't say that the reason they stayed at a love hotel last night was to free up a room for Iori and the others!
Just as the lie was about to be exposed, Aina made a move no one expected!
She ran…
She directly grabbed the Kohei and sprinted off!!!
Because it was so shocking—and so fast—before anyone could react, the two of them had already vanished.
The four looked at one another.
…Even if they ran away, everyone knows it was Aina!
"What do you think?"
Iori asked Kamishiro. "No matter what, those two are way too suspicious."
╮(??ω??)╭
"What do you expect me to think? I'm standing here watching, of course. They can't hide from us forever. We'll just spam them with calls later.
If they don't answer, we'll question them properly once we're back in Izu."
"…You bastard, you make it sound so easy."
Kamishiro's calm, carefree attitude really annoyed Iori.
He cares a lot, you know!
Right now, Iori desperately wants to know whether that bastard Kohei has taken a huge step forward on the 'path of men'!
That scumbag Kamishiro is already a lost cause—but if Kohei too…
Then wouldn't he himself be kind of pathetic?
Damn it!
He needs to find a chance to bury both of them!
Iori felt a bit irritated inside~
"All right, all right, don't dwell on it. Maybe we'll run into them at the next place.
By the way, what are your plans later?"
Kamishiro was curious. They'd already overlapped almost the entire day yesterday—surely today's schedule couldn't overlap too?
Hearing this, Hanabi also stared at Chisa and the others with a strange look.
It probably—shouldn't—be that much of a coincidence, right?
Okinawa isn't that big, but it's not that small either!
"Eh, us?"
"For us, we're going scuba diving later. We didn't get to try it before."
"Scuba diving…" Kamishiro suddenly felt a headache coming on. This damn coincidence!
"Don't tell me it's the one where you take a boat?"
!!!
"How did you know?"
Iori and the others looked at Kamishiro in shock, then said uncertainly,
"Don't tell me… you guys too?!"
Kamishiro and Hanabi fell silent.
Is this some kind of special rule?
As long as they're all playing in the same place, they're guaranteed to run into each other?
"Let's go. I've got a feeling Kohei and the others are probably at the place we're heading to."
Iori and Chisa were full of confusion. As the 'cicadas' in the mantis-stalks-cicada scenario, they knew nothing~
The two nodded blankly. Though they didn't really believe it, seeing the confident looks on Kamishiro and Hanabi's faces, they couldn't bring themselves to argue.
They turned around, ready to drive over and take a look.
"Oh right, do you want to come together?"
As he opened the car door, Iori suddenly asked. "If you're just sightseeing, you probably didn't rent a car, right?"
They'd rented one yesterday just to drive around, so they could share.
Scuba diving is more fun with lots of people, after all!
As long as Kamishiro isn't there tomorrow!
Tomorrow… is when he's secretly taking the advanced diving license exam!
He's going to secretly shock everyone!
Heh heh heh~
{{(°△°;"}}!
Seeing Iori suddenly turn creepy, Kamishiro was baffled.
Did he say something just now?
What nonsense did this idiot start imagining now?!
Kamishiro shook his head and declined the idiot's kind offer.
"No need, we rented a car too."
"Just like members of the same club."
Hanabi sighed with emotion. Even when traveling, they all coincidentally chose to rent cars.
She now had reason to suspect the other two also rented one.
And if they all did…
Then the rental shop owner must be making a killing!
A few minutes later—
Under Iori and Chisa's bizarre gazes, a red Porsche pulled up beside them.
The dandy playboy Kamishiro took off his sunglasses and raised an eyebrow provocatively.
"Well? Isn't my car cool?"
{{(°△°; "}}!
The familiar model, the familiar color—and thinking of Kamishiro's abnormal brain—
Iori and Chisa suddenly realized who the idiot they ran into yesterday must have been.
They didn't say anything, just silently gave Kamishiro a thumbs-up and sped off.
Seeing this, Kamishiro smugly said to Hanabi,
"See? That guy Iori is totally jealous."
"…I don't think it's jealousy."
"Huh? Then what is it?"
"Don't you think their car looks a lot like the one that passed you yesterday when it was raining?"
"..."
Watching the small car disappear into the distance, Kamishiro's smile gradually froze.
So…
That bastard saw his 'freedom' back then?
Damn it!!!
Vroooom!!!
The red beast let out a roar. This time, he had to overtake them back!
…
Iori: "Hey, hey, do you really think those two will be here?"
Kamishiro: "Not sure. But whether they are or not, we were coming here anyway, right?"
"..."
That actually makes sense!
But that scheming, all-in-control expression of his is really punchable, isn't it?!
To keep himself from getting pissed off to death, Iori stepped forward first and pushed open the door to the diving reception desk.
Creak~
As the door opened, Iori immediately saw two figures sitting in the lobby.
(-ι_- )
That bastard was actually right!
Aina looked at the entrance in terror, unable to understand why they suddenly ran into them!
She'd originally planned to use the same trick and run away again.
But this time, Iori didn't give her the chance. He walked right up to her, greeting her with an ugly grin.
"Good morning."
"G-good morning…"
Aina turned her head away, completely unable to meet Iori's gaze.
Iori: "Running into each other here is really such a coincidence, Cakey."
Aina: "Who are you calling that? Sorry, I don't know you. My name is Yurika Muranaka."
Kamishiro: "Still being stubborn even now? How persistent~"
Aina: "I'm not being stubborn. I really am a voice act—"
"Yoshiwara Aina san, Imamura Kohei san, thank you for waiting. Please come to the front desk~"
Before Aina could finish, the receptionist cut her off.
Well—
Not just cut her off, but completely exposed her!
Aina stiffly looked at the two of them, clearly still planning to struggle a bit.
Hanabi: "You're not going?"
Chisa: "If you miss it, it'll be troublesome, won't it?"
Aina: "..."
Now she really couldn't bluff her way out of it!
These guys were already fully convinced, and there was absolutely no need to keep pretending!
With no other choice, Aina trudged lifelessly over to the front desk.
Since Kohei wasn't feeling well, she had come to handle the cancellation procedures...
Chisa and Hanabi-chan, noticing that Aina didn't look too good, followed over to help out.
Now—
It was guy time!
Kamishiro and Iori sat on either side of Kohei.
Iori: "Yo, Kohei."
Iori was still smiling cheerfully as he greeted Kohei, trying to lower his guard.
Kohei: "Ah, it's you, Kitahara. Kamishiro, you're here too, huh."
Kohei replied weakly, so drained that he didn't even have the energy to question why Kamishiro had suddenly shown up.
Well, whatever...
Kamishiro: "You seem a bit different from yesterday."
Kohei had been full of energy yesterday—especially when he was crying. That was pretty energetic!
Iori: "You look completely exhausted."
Kohei: "Yeah… more or less."
Iori: "So what exactly happened to you that made you this weak?"
Kohei: "What happened…" As he replied, two headlines flashed through Kohei's mind again, and he sank deeper into gloom.
Kohei: "Heh... it's not something you could understand anyway."
Iori: "?!"
??!!
That was definitely a jab!
A full-on jab!
Kamishiro, looking nosy: "Then what about me? Would I get it?"
Kohei: "You…" Kohei glanced at Kamishiro, remembering that he was sort of a kindred spirit. "You might get it, I guess."
!!!
Kamishiro would understand?! And now Kohei was suddenly weak after one night…
It had to be that, right?!
This was a big deal, so Iori carefully confirmed again:
Iori: "When you say we wouldn't understand…"
Kohei: "Don't make me explain it again, Kitahara. Last night... the bed sheets got so wet they turned color, I nearly dried up completely."
Kamishiro: "I totally get what you mean!"
Kamishiro clapped Kohei on the shoulder like he'd found his soulmate.
That's exactly how it went back when he was with Nayuta Kanii.!
Juice Queen!
Off to the side, Iori glared at the two attractive bastards with a dark expression.
Iori (thinking): Are they serious right now?!
Iori trembled all over. Why is he always surrounded by guys that make everyone jealous?
BAM!
He slammed the table with a fist and locked eyes with Kohei.
Iori: "I just have one question!"
Iori: "Kohei… did you do it?"
The moment the question was asked, time between the three seemed to freeze.
A few seconds passed.
Kohei: "You're asking me... if I did it?"
He looked at Iori with eyes full of pity and contempt.
Kohei: "Heh, your interests are so low-tier it's actually enviable."
Iori: "Ha!?"
Iori's mouth twitched furiously. That was full-on mockery!
Straight-up mockery!
Kamishiro, sensing the mood, wisely kept his mouth shut.
Even if he had questions, now wasn't the time to ask.
To be mocked like this by Kohei… it was just too pathetic!
Iori: "You..."
Kohei: "Kitahara, please remember this well. Questions that childish and low—don't ever ask me that again."
!!!!
Veins popped on Iori's forehead.
He was ready to murder this guy!!!