Takumi Yuuya glanced at the disgust points from Tamura Manami and felt a rush of satisfaction.
Manami fell silent for a moment, studying him intently."How… what do I have to do to make you keep this a secret?"
Takumi didn't reply, just scrutinized her.
Manami felt his gaze settle on her, and her disgust level shot through the roof.
"Disgust from Tamura Manami +50""Disgust from Tamura Manami +50""Disgust from Tamura Manami +50"
Takumi's eyes lingered on her face.
"Sorry. You're… just ordinary. I have no feelings for you at all."
Manami heard this but didn't get angry.
"So… what do you want, then?"
"Kousaka Kirino."
"You want to use this to directly blackmail Kirino?"
"Not blackmail. I want to help her, to make her slowly like me."
Takumi explained calmly.
Manami hesitated, unsure.
"If I change Kirino, that removes your strongest rival," Takumi said, stepping closer to her.
"…."
"You also think Kirino is in the wrong and want to know what she's really thinking, right?"
"Can you promise you won't hurt Kirino?" Manami stared him down.
Takumi shook his head.
"Changing her… it's extremely difficult. If I try gentle methods, I'd never succeed in a lifetime."
"So you…"
"Since I have this chance, I'll use it. I want you to help me get her contact info."
"Nothing else?"
"You seem smart. If I have time, I'll have you tutor me and pay you hourly."
"Deal."
Manami didn't refuse. Tutoring wasn't hard for her.
At the Service Clubroom.
Takumi opened the door and saw the two girls.
He walked to the space between them, set down his lunchbox, and began eating.
Yukinoshita Yukino handed him a paper cup and poured some tea.
After finishing his lunch and drinking the tea, Takumi looked at Yui Yuigahama.
"Yui, contact Yumiko and see if she and Hina want to come to my estate."
"Estate?"
"In the countryside of Chiba. We can go this afternoon, have a barbecue tonight, play at the beach tomorrow, and I'll take you back to Chiba in the afternoon."
"Wow, that's amazing."
Yui, wide-eyed, pulled out her phone and messaged Miura Yumiko.
Less than a minute later, Yumiko replied:
"Both Hina and I are fine with it."
Yui showed Takumi. He nodded.
"Send a message home. Say you're going together with Yumiko."
"Got it."
Yui obediently began typing.
Takumi turned to Yukino.
"I'm not interested in your estate," she said, setting down her tea cup.
"Even if you're not interested, you're still going," Takumi said, taking her small hand.
"I want a quiet weekend."
"Then I'll invite your sister instead."
"You…"
"Going, or not?" Takumi smiled.
Yukino snorted coldly and turned away.
Takumi pulled out his phone.
"Hello, Miss Yukinoshita…"
"I'll go."
Yukino cut him off.
Takumi tapped the screen to light it up, but he didn't make a call.
Seeing this, Yukino clenched her fist.
"Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +10"
After school.
Takumi saw the message from Tamura Manami.
He had successfully gotten Kousaka Kirino's contact info.
He put his phone away, in no rush to use it.
He glanced at the girls. They had already packed their things.
Takumi left the classroom.
The three girls followed him.
At the stairs, Yukino approached. She saw the three girls and stayed silent.
They went downstairs and changed shoes at the shoe rack.
Takumi headed straight for the bike shed.
Once he left Sōbu High, he quickly caught up to Yukino and stopped in front of her.
"Please sit."
"You can't carry someone on a bicycle."
"Rules are rules, but as long as we aren't caught, there's no problem."
"…."
Yukino hesitated, but eventually sat on the back seat of the bike.
Takumi pedaled forward.
Yui noticed the two of them.
Miura Yumiko and Hina Ebina did too.
"Takumi-kun and Yukinoshita-san are…" Hina asked.
"I-I'm not sure," Yui said, nervously looking away.
Yumiko remembered something Takumi had said earlier.
The trio arrived at Takumi's house.
A motorhome was parked in front.
They approached and saw Takumi and Yukino sitting by the window.
Once inside, the space was bigger than they imagined.
The sofa could seat six people.
Yui sat beside Yukino.
Yumiko was about to sit next to Yui.
"Yumiko, sit next to me," Takumi said.
"Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +10""Affection from Miura Yumiko +10"
Yumiko froze for a moment, glancing at Yukino across from Takumi.
Yukino stared out the window, pretending not to hear.
Yumiko thought for a moment, then sat down.
Hina pushed up her glasses and sat next to Yui.
"Miss Nishinomiya, let's go," Takumi said to the driver's seat.
"Yes, Master Takumi," Yaeko Nishinomiya's voice replied.
The vehicle moved forward.
Takumi gazed out the window.
"My dream after graduation was to own a motorhome and travel."
"Seems like that's not much of a dream for you, Takumi-kun?"
"Hina, when I was at my lowest, I had only 20,000 yen in my pocket."
"And now?"
"2 billion yen. Still a long way from my goal."
"Your goal?"
"1.3 trillion yen."
"That's… ambitious," Hina said with a smile, thinking he was joking.
"Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +30"
Takumi grinned. It seemed little Yukino had understood.
The motorhome left the city.
Takumi saw the sea and mountains.
After ten minutes, they turned onto a mountain road.
Five minutes later, the motorhome stopped in front of an iron gate.
After a few seconds, the gate slowly opened.
The motorhome drove into the estate.
Although two cars were already parked, the lot still felt empty.
Once parked, everyone got out.
Takumi had seen the layout on a map, but standing there in reality, the estate felt enormous.
No wonder Yaeko Nishinomiya had requested more security and maids.
Now there were four security guards and four maids.
The maids had experience in housekeeping. The guards had work experience as well.
Yaeko got out and opened the passenger side door.
Shōko Nishinomiya stepped out.
She saw Takumi and the girls but didn't approach him.
Yukino noticed Shōko and, seeing Yaeko gesturing with sign language to lead her away, lowered her gaze.
"That's Miss Nishinomiya's daughter. She's a student at Kishō Academy and my girlfriend," Takumi whispered to Yukino.