"Sorry, Azusa-senpai, we have something we need Iori for, so we'll just borrow him for a bit!"
"Oh! Go ahead~"
Hearing Iori's desperate wail, Miyazawa Yu finally remembered that the plan to get Chisa drunk was not yet complete.
Besides, discussing Azusa Hamaoka's hobbies with Kohei, who was completely out of the loop, was utterly pointless!
Having figured this out, he quickly stepped forward, hooked his arm around Iori's neck, and dragged him away to a spot where Chisa couldn't hear their voices.
"Hey, Kitahara, this isn't the time to be fooling around, is it?"
"What right do you have to say that to me! Who was it that ignored my cry for help!"
Gritting his teeth, Iori grabbed Miyazawa Yu by the shoulder and exerted force. The two refused to back down, pressing their foreheads together like two rams locked in a battle of wits.
However, to Azusa Hamaoka, watching them, it took on a different flavor entirely.
"Heh~ So this is the type Iori likes, huh?"
Sitting cross-legged on a chair, a mischievous cat-like grin appeared on Azusa's face, as if she had discovered something interesting.
"Ahem! Iori, no more fighting. You don't want to get on stage in a high school girl's uniform and embarrass yourself, do you?"
"Tch, I get it. Let's focus on the plan for now. We'll settle this at the evening party!"
After a friendly and harmonious exchange, Iori Kitahara unhappily released his grip on Miyazawa Yu's shoulder.
Standing nearby, utterly confused and not knowing what came over Iori and Yu, Chisa Kotegawa walked over and asked with a puzzled expression, "What's wrong with you two?"
"Ah! Nothing, they were just... arguing about who would be the star of tonight's party!"
Kōhei Imamura blocked Chisa's path, covering for the two scoundrels behind him.
Kohei turned and winked, and Miyazawa Yu immediately understood. He put on an embarrassed expression and apologized, "That's right, that's right! Sorry for making you worry, Chisa. I'll get you a drink to make it up to you!"
"Ah, actually..."
Chisa was about to raise her hand and say she hadn't finished her drink yet, but Miyazawa Yu had already run into the store with Iori Kitahara in tow. Chisa Kotegawa could only mutter to herself where she stood, "One after another, why are they all acting so strange?"
Inside the store, with no more room for trickery, Miyazawa Yu placed six paper cups on the table and said in a deep voice, "Although I really don't want to use this method..."
"Right now, we can only make everyone's drink a special oolong tea!"
"Mhm! That's the only way!"
Having made up his mind, Iori Kitahara suppressed his pounding heart and looked up at Kohei, who had just rushed in after them.
After Kohei gave a firm nod, Iori, with a resolute heart, poured vodka into all the paper cups.
Miyazawa Yu followed suit, splashing whiskey into the cups to color the liquid. Six fresh cups of oolong tea were born!
"Here! Oolong tea!"
"Please, have some!"
Sliding to a stop in front of Chisa, the three of them struck a cool pose, hoping she would take the drink from their hands.
"I told you, I haven't finished mine..."
Showing the cup in her hand with a troubled look, Chisa Kotegawa shook her head, refusing Yu's kindness for the second time.
Azusa Hamaoka, standing nearby, leaned over and added, "I have some too!"
"..."
Frozen in place, the three of them looked at each other. Miyazawa Yu saw determination in the eyes of the other two scoundrels! Since that was the case, he wouldn't back down either!
"Again, again!"
"It's not over yet!"
Simultaneously chugging the drinks in their hands, the three of them, with grotesque expressions, turned and rushed back into the store. Not long after, they reappeared in front of Chisa with whiskey-spiked shaved ice.
"When you think of the ocean, you think of shaved ice!!"
"Please accept our sincerity!"
"The syrup is special too☆"
Having completely realized that something was wrong, Chisa knew that Yu and Iori, who usually just messed around together at home, were being unusually attentive to her today. There was definitely something fishy going on.
Her expression became one of suspicion, and a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. Chisa Kotegawa resolutely refused, "I can't eat any more!"
"You guys just eat it yourselves."
Having also seen through the newcomers' intentions, Azusa Hamaoka casually added a fatal blow.
"..."
Gritting their teeth, the three of them finished all the shaved ice. The faint sound of a boxing bell seemed to ring in Miyazawa Yu's ears. He staggered and fell to the ground, out of commission along with Iori and Kohei.
"What have you guys been doing since earlier?"
Chisa was completely speechless, unable to believe they had just collapsed. She was now absolutely certain that her premonition was right, and these people were definitely up to something!
"Well... can I ask a question?"
"Sure..."
"What is it?"
Having seen through everything, Azusa Hamaoka, with a crushed beer can in her mouth, teased them maliciously, "You guys want to get little Chisa drunk, don't you?"
"Eh?"
"Ugh! No! Don't just say things like that! It's too much to wrongly accuse someone!"
Coming back to life from the brink of death, his little plan exposed, Miyazawa Yu scrambled to his feet and frantically refuted the accusation.
However, seeing his guilty expression, Chisa Kotegawa immediately believed most of what Azusa-senpai had said. She quickly hid behind Azusa, peeking out half her head to watch them warily.
"Oh my~ You really are bad at lying!"
With a smile on her lips, Azusa Hamaoka flattered him, then put her hands behind her head, her chest puffed out with a proud, wicked air, "If you want to get a girl drunk to mess with her, I have at least nine ways to do it!"
"Ehh—!"
"Oh? Really? Tell me about them!"
Miyazawa Yu's expression turned serious. He instantly moved in front of Azusa Hamaoka, kneeling respectfully in a posture of devout inquiry. This made Azusa laugh so hard she slapped her own thigh.
"Hahaha! Yu, didn't you say you didn't want to get little Chisa drunk? What are you doing?"
"With all due respect, I am in love with Nanaka-senpai, so the purpose of my inquiry does not overlap with getting Chisa drunk. That is the truth!"
"Ugh! You said something so dangerous with such a straight face!"
Realizing that Miyazawa Yu had completely fallen into the abyss, Iori Kitahara spat out a retort, then hunched his back and stood up, staring at Chisa Kotegawa with a terrifying gaze.
"—Ugh, since it's impossible to hide it now, I won't pretend anymore!"
"That's right! No more cheap tricks... Chisa!"
"Wh-What do you want?"
Feeling like she was being targeted by a wild beast, Chisa Kotegawa turned, ready to run.
"Please go participate in the beauty pageant!!!"
"We beg of you!!!"
Instantly stripping off his clothes and performing a difficult 120-degree bow, it was clear that even when pushed to their limit, Iori and Kohei still lacked the courage to lay a hand on Chisa.
"No!"
Chisa Kotegawa's refusal was firm. She had long known about the "Miss Izu Pageant" at the Izu Spring Festival and was wondering why the upperclassmen hadn't come looking for her, only seizing the other three unlucky guys.
So this was what they had been waiting for!
"This guy, Iori, will get completely naked and bow down to you! Please!"
Unwilling to accept defeat, Kōhei Imamura pointed at Iori, hoping to use his friend's naked body to get Chisa to change her mind.
But this only made Chisa despise the two of them even more. She even spoke with a dark expression, as if scolding trash.
"Can I step on him?"
"Please, at least answer 'yes' or 'no'!"
"That's right! As long as you agree, you can step on Iori for as long as you want!"
"I told you I'm not going!"
Her face flushed with anger from these shameless scoundrels, Azusa Hamaoka saw Chisa's reaction and poked Miyazawa Yu's shoulder with a look of exasperation, "So, what exactly do you guys want to do?"
"Sorry! I'm not that close with those two idiots, so I'm not sure! And I, personally, greatly despise the vile act of forcing a young woman to do something!"
Raising his head with a righteous look on his face, Miyazawa Yu saw that persuading Chisa was hopeless. He didn't hesitate to immediately and swiftly cut ties with Iori Kitahara, trying to salvage his own reputation.
"Hey! You're the mastermind, aren't you?"
"You can't pin all the blame on us!"
The betrayal came so fast that Miyazawa Yu was tackled by the two enraged half-naked men the moment his words left his mouth.
But even with a pile of naked men on top of him, he used his strained mouth to shout a clarification, "It was Iori's idea! I'm an innocent victim too! Feed me peanuts! Mmmph..."
"You want to 'voice your opinion,' huh! The alcohol, Kohei."
"Got it! The traitor must be punished!"
"No! I'll die!"
Watching as Miyazawa Yu was doused with the water of life, and Iori was about to light him on fire while he wailed and struggled, Azusa Hamaoka sighed softly and waved her hand, deciding to help these idiots.
"Alright~ Let Yu go. You can't start a fire festival when you're trying to ask someone for a favor!"
"Eh?"
"Is that so?"
"Damn it! Isn't that common sense, you lowlifes!"
The lighter stopped five centimeters from his face. Miyazawa Yu quickly took a deep breath and blew, hoping to extinguish the flame.
However, due to drinking too much, the air he blew out not only failed to put out the flame but, like a circus act, caused a burst of fire.
Frightened, he quickly shut his mouth and secretly tried to take off his jacket to break free. Then, he would use his physical prowess to defeat the two scoundrels who wanted to BBQ him!