"Kohei~ do you have enough money to spend these few days?"
"For now... I guess so!"
Pulled into Yuu's embrace with an arm around his shoulder, Kohei sat cross-legged in front of the TV, sweating buckets. He couldn't even focus on his favorite Lalako anime broadcast.
Seriously, he was too naive. That sneeze after waking up was a clear warning, yet he'd walked right into the trap at Grand Blue. He was truly asking for it.
But it didn't make sense. He was the one who got played last night!
Even though Yuu was a bastard, he wasn't scumbag enough to act smug after getting the upper hand. After doing something bad, this guy should be avoiding him and Aina!
"Ah~ I see. But you can never have too much money, right?"
Yuu's smile was bright and sunny. He radiated a gentle aura that completely contradicted his demonic muscles, nodding frequently like a kind big brother from a self-help program.
"Besides, we still have to test for our advanced diving licenses! That stuff costs money too!"
"Gulp. Yuu-kun..."
Kohei tilted his head slightly. The kinder Yuu acted, the more guilty Kohei felt.
As the saying goes: "When a weasel pays a New Year's visit to a chicken, it's definitely up to no good." When your scumbag friend suddenly starts caring about you, you should realize he definitely has an ulterior motive!
"We're brothers! Just tell me straight if there's something!"
"It's nothing, really. I just wanted to invite you to work part-time together. It's next month. The work is light, the pay is high, it's close to home—plenty of time to prepare, right?"
"Eh? Really?"
It was just a part-time job. Kohei had actually thought about finding some work, since his parents wouldn't send him allowance if he didn't go home for summer vacation.
Surviving these two months on his remaining cash would be a struggle, let alone paying for diving licenses. It really was quite expensive!
"Of course~"
Applying his skill for lying through his teeth once again, Yuu saw Kohei was wavering and immediately struck while the iron was hot. "By the way! Kohei, did you know Lalako has exclusive merchandise in America?"
"I know! Those are limited-edition Melting Lalako goods! But it's too far to go. I only have the souvenirs from the last trip to Australia~"
"Is that so~"
Yuu's smile widened, causing Aina—who was chatting with Chisa—to shrink her neck in physical discomfort.
Once Yuu confirmed this guy had a visa, he immediately fished out a pre-prepared contract and a pen from behind his back. "In that case, let's sign the employment contract first. Lots of people are fighting for this spot!"
"Eh? Signing a contract this early? I don't start until next month, right?"
Whenever Lalako was mentioned, Kohei's IQ dropped significantly. He prattled on about Lalako-related topics, and after only a slight moment of doubt, he signed his name on the dotted line.
After all, though Yuu was a scumbag, he was decent to his friends. He wouldn't sell him off to a foreign country, right?
Hahaha! No way!
"Anyway, Lalako is super popular overseas! By the way, where are we working and for how long?"
"Kohei, you really signed without looking at anything. I feel like I'm looking at the prototype of a naive college student entering society..."
Seeing Kohei being such a greenhorn, Aina sighed and made a snide remark. She finally couldn't help but pick up the contract to look through it for him.
Truthfully, she had intended to stop him from blindly signing agreements. But after spending the whole night in a bunk bed and waking up in the same room as him, her maidenly reserve made her a bit wary of continuing to interact with Kohei.
It was like the awkward phase some couples fall into after sharing a room—essentially an identity anxiety.
"Let me see... Diving Shop Palau Branch? That should be the same shop where we bought our masks last time, right?"
"Yeah, that one. Didn't everyone buy masks there? We can work and learn at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone!"
"I see..."
To think Yuu could actually be quite serious. Aina had thought he was up to some new prank, but it turned out he really wanted to help everyone improve their diving skills while making money.
Should she say he'd grown up? Had he realized that a "youth growth album" needed something other than naked men drinking?
"How about it, Aina? Interested? Let's all go and create some beautiful memories!"
"Create beautiful memories!"
Her train of thought was cut short. Aina's eyes went blank and her expression turned dazed as she began to recall the "scared to death" courage test and the "flying naked men" diving trip before that.
While she couldn't say those trips were fruitless, the processes could only be described as "disastrous"!
But a part-time job was different. Whether there would be happy memories aside, at the very least, they'd definitely be wearing clothes, right?
Add to that the inspirational element of young boys and girls working hard to earn money together—if just a little "story" happened, it would be the perfect material for a college memoir!
"I WANT TO GO!!!"
With little stars in her eyes, Aina slammed the contract onto the table and stood up, her hand raised high as if she were terrified of missing the chance.
At this, the "grandmother wolf" kindness in Yuu's squinted eyes shone through as he agreed immediately: "Yes, yes! Aina's contract is right here. No rush, take your time signing~"
"And you were talking about me... in the end, you signed without reading it too..."
Kohei stretched listlessly. Since the job wasn't until next month, he wasn't in a rush to prepare. He stood up, wanting to grab some beer to cure his hangover.
However, as he passed by the contract Aina had slammed on the table, he accidentally saw a line of small print on a random page. Unsurprisingly, it was the section regarding the breach of contract penalty, except...
"Hiss..."
Looking at the zeros—which were clearly far too numerous—his stomach churned. He immediately rushed in front of Chisa. "Chisa! Help me see how many zeros are on this. I think I've drunk so much my eyes are failing me!"
"Hmm, let me see... Breach of contract penalty: 100,000 Yen?"
"ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND?!"
"One hundred thousand?"
The hand that had just finished signing froze in mid-air. Along with Kohei's gasp, Aina instinctively turned her head to repeat the dialogue.
The next second, as she saw what Chisa and Kohei were shocked about and reached out to snatch the signed contract, another hand beat her to it and swiped the documents away.
As the mastermind behind it all, how could Miyazawa Yuu not know about the trap in the small print!
Before Kohei could react and destroy the contract, Yuu quickly lunged at Chisa, who was holding the other one.
Shwish—!
A fierce wind cut between Chisa and Kohei. By the time they regained their senses, Yuu had tucked both contracts into his embrace, crouching on the ground like a beast. Steam, symbolizing an "overloaded" state, billowed from the corners of his mouth as he suddenly looked up.
"In short, remember to prepare your passports in advance. That is all!"
"Chotto matte! You bastard, you definitely cheated! And why do we need passports?! Even if we sold ourselves, you can't sell us out of the country!"
"Kekekekeke! The contracts are signed. Don't even think about struggling!"
"Dammit!!!"
Kohei rushed to the window, his face contorted as he used his body to block the exit. He gritted his teeth and shouted at Aina with wide eyes: "Aina! The door!"
"Roger~"
Using a "Flash," Aina blocked the door. She was so terrified that veins popped on her head, and her eyes turned blood-red—
Her intuition was right; this bastard Yuu was up to no good! He actually wanted to sell them to a foreign country? You "Haji-Yuu" bastard!
"Hand over the contracts! And we might spare your life!"
"Chikusho! Do you two have no sense of contract integrity?!"
"The one with no integrity is you, you bastard Yuu! Don't play the victim!"
Frowning, Yuu glanced around. He knew the layout of Iori's room well; one window and one door were the only exits. With both blocked, it really would be hard to escape.
However, the mandatory contract was necessary. Otherwise, Kohei would definitely rather stay home and watch Lalako broadcasts than go out.
If he had to choose between this bastard and Aina to persuade...
"...Aina! Do you really not want to create beautiful memories?"
"Lies! You clearly want to trick me into working illegal labor abroad! Just like last night—your credibility with me is at an all-time low, Yuu!"
Aina made an "X" with her arms in front of her chest, her little canine teeth protruding as she hissed frantically, resolutely refusing to budge!
If she let a suspicious contract like this take effect in duplicate, she would definitely pay for it! She could at least tell that much!
"Is that so? Kohei!"
A "plan accomplished" smirk curled on Yuu's lips. He turned to the dark-faced Kohei and shouted, "If you have nothing to do next month, what do you plan to do?"
"Nonsense! Obviously, I'll be in my room chasing the live broadcast of the new Lalako series!"
"I see~"
Ding—!
Her phone suddenly received a notification. In the midst of the chaos, Aina took a moment to glance at it. It was a 100,000 Yen transfer from Miyazawa Yuu and a message—
"Aina, both Iori and Chisa are going for this job. You wouldn't want Kohei to be addicted to Lalako next month with no one to help you create beautiful memories, would you?"
"..."
Her heart skipped a beat. Aina's eyes struggled for two seconds. She didn't decline the transfer; instead, she plucked up her courage and looked hopefully at Kohei. "Kohei... can we go for a trip to Mt. Fuji together next month?"
"Ha? What's so good about Mt. Fuji? I'd rather stay home and watch the Lalako broadcast!"
"..."
The maiden's fantasy was shattered. Aina had finally managed to be brave once, but Kohei's reaction made her feel like she had lost utterly!
Her movements turned stiff as she stepped aside. Rather than letting Kohei lie around at home, it was better for everyone to go abroad for illegal labor!
"Kekeke! Victory is mine, Kohei! Just watch the recordings of the anime! Let's enjoy a pleasant trip together!"
As expected, the sturdiest fortresses are most easily breached from within. Watching Yuu's retreating back as he ran off with a wicked laugh, Kohei looked at Aina in disbelief, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"Why, Aina?!"
"...The meaning of life lies in movement!"
"NO!! I WANT TO WATCH THE LALAKO BROADCAST, AAAAAHHHHHH!!"