What did she mean by she got beaten until she cried during the pillow fight yesterday?
Was that crying?
Okay, she did cry, but could that be the same?
Kawasaki Saki, you had so many people standing in front of you, yet you didn't hit them; you just stared at me and hit me. The key point was that I couldn't win. Could I not cry?
Also, I didn't see you apologize last night. Why apologize suddenly now?
Miura Yumiko was slightly shattered by Kawasaki Saki's sentence, but fortunately, she didn't forget her purpose for proactively approaching the other party.
"Who cried? That was a natural physiological reaction after you hit a pillow into my eye." Miura Yumiko was still being stubborn.
Kawasaki Saki opened her mouth. What kind of physiological reaction lasts for over two minutes and even produces a snot bubble?
But Kawasaki Saki ultimately didn't say this sentence out loud. Forget it, better leave her some face.
"So, is there something?" Kawasaki Saki asked.
Although they were members of the same group, the words they had spoken to each other over the past two days could be counted on ten fingers. Miura Yumiko proactively approaching now was clearly not to bond.
There were no feelings between them to bond over. Being in one group was only because the intermediaries Ebina and Yui brought them together.
"Don't you feel Ebina has been acting weird these past two days?" Miura Yumiko said.
Hearing Miura Yumiko say this, Kawasaki Saki also fell into thought, then answered somewhat uncertainly: "Weird...?"
"While drinking tea just now, although I didn't hear what you two were chatting about, Ebina certainly wasn't talking to you about... her hobby, right?"
Kawasaki Saki's face stiffened. Seeing the other party like this, Miura Yumiko knew she had guessed correctly.
The reason she originally wanted to be friends with Kawasaki Saki, besides her good looks, was because she didn't have many schemes and wouldn't be one way to your face and another behind your back.
In human terms—she was too easy to read.
"What do you want to say?" Kawasaki Saki frowned. She's been talking around the point since just now; can she be direct?
"Ebina doesn't like Tobe." Seeing Kawasaki Saki show an impatient look, Miura Yumiko spoke concisely.
Kawasaki Saki just gave a faint "Oh" in response after hearing this. So what if Ebina doesn't like him? Could she change Ebina's personal preferences?
"But Tobe wants to confess to Ebina." Miura Yumiko continued.
"Oh?" Kawasaki Saki's eyebrows shot up upon hearing this news, and she immediately thought of what Ebina had said to her earlier about wanting her help...
Could it be she wants me to deal with that little blonde guy?
How to deal with him? Run over and tell him directly: "Ebina doesn't like you, stop confessing, don't make everyone look bad"?
If it were Kawasaki Saki, she probably would do that. But if it were Ebina, it was unlikely she'd act that way.
After all, Kawasaki Saki didn't have any friendship bonds with those people in the riajuu group. She could say whatever she wanted and scold whoever she wanted without worrying too much.
Ebina was different. Tobe only needed to consider how to confess, but Ebina had to consider much more.
In fact, not just Ebina, but Hayama, Miura Yumiko—these people who wanted to maintain existing relationships had to be prepared for the team to fall apart.
"If Tobe asks for your help, please don't agree..." Miura Yumiko paused, then turned her head away and continued: "Consider it as me owing you a favor."
What use do I have for your favor?
Kawasaki Saki was a bit speechless, but she also understood why Miura Yumiko came to her. Unlike Miura Yumiko and the others, she didn't need to give Tobe any face, and they were unlikely to hang out together in the future. Therefore, she was the most suitable person to be the "villain."
Plus, because she was friends with Ebina, there was a high possibility Tobe would ask for her help.
After all, although Tobe was afraid of Kawasaki Saki, Ebina had been "clinging" to Kawasaki Saki these days. If he didn't come to her to explain the situation, he'd find it hard to get an opportunity to be alone with Ebina.
But then again, Ebina had been avoiding him like this; did Tobe really not understand her meaning?
Refusing to give up until he sees the Yellow River (hitting a dead end), so to speak.
"I got it." Kawasaki Saki agreed. Actually, even if Miura Yumiko hadn't approached her, she wouldn't have waded into this kind of mess.
Not to mention that before Miura Yumiko approached her, Ebina had already given her a heads-up. Although she didn't know what the other party planned to do, it was clear Ebina was already working on a way to solve this matter.
"Mm, then I'll be going first." Seeing Kawasaki Saki agree, Miura Yumiko was very happy in her heart, but on the surface, she still pretended to be calm and caught up with the main group quickly.
...
Perhaps because they had seen too many temples and maple forests over the past two days, Kinkaku-ji didn't have much worth praising besides the architecture itself.
You couldn't expect a bunch of vigorous high school students to maintain a high interest in temple architecture. They mostly expressed thoughts like "not bad," "want to live here," or "very pretty," but beyond that, their primary feeling was "it's about time to leave, right?"
After consulting together, everyone decided to stroll through a nearby commercial street.
The most enthusiastic among them were Yui Yuigahama and Miura Yumiko. Especially Yui, who was listless at the temple, seemed like a different person the moment she heard about shopping; her spirit returned instantly.
"That boy still doesn't intend to give up?" Yukinoshita Yukino's observation was as sharp as ever.
"It looks that way." Shinra shrugged. "I guess I'll have to be the villain in the end."
Hayama isn't up to it either.
Originally, Shinra thought about giving the information to Hayama and letting him solve this matter, but now it seemed he had to act himself.
Of course, Shinra also understood that as an insider, Hayama's position made it hard for him to play the intended role effectively. Coupled with the fact that Tobe clearly couldn't suppress his desire to express his love, even if Hayama personally tried to dissuade him at this point, it might not have any effect.
"You took a commission?" Yukino was somewhat surprised. She remembered that Shinra had clearly rejected Tobe back then...
"I did, but it was from the other party involved." Shinra didn't hide it.
"You mean that Ebina-san?"
Yukino's expression was a bit strange. You ignored Tobe's request for help, but agreed when it came from the delicate and pretty Ebina?
What does this mean?
"It's her." Shinra nodded. Seeing Yukino's strange expression, he added an explanation.
"I didn't help Tobe because there's no chance of winning. It's an impossible task, no matter how hard he works. Helping Ebina, however, is a simple favor. Besides, she helped our Service Club quite a bit before."
Shinra very carefully used the word "our." Sure enough, upon hearing "our," the corners of Yukino's mouth, which had been sour with jealousy, rose by three pixels.
"I see." After saying that, Yukino asked: "What do you plan to do? Do you need my help?"
"Ebina's request is that she doesn't wish to destroy existing relationships. In that case, wouldn't it be enough to make him realize his situation is impossible?" Shinra said.
"Do you know those small party games?"
Yukino tilted her head. "Ludo (Flying Chess)?"
"Something like that. Basically, through the form of a game, we can indirectly convey Ebina's lack of desire for a relationship to Tobe, achieving the goal of defeating the enemy without a battle." Shinra snapped his fingers.
"I see." Yukino nodded thoughtfully. Using a game as a bridge for communication to avoid the awkwardness of a direct rejection.
It was similar to the principle that many truths are spoken under the guise of a joke.
"Do you want to come?" Shinra invited.
"I can come too?" Yukino was a bit surprised.
"Although the dumplings are being wrapped for the sake of Tobe's vinegar, no one says you can't dip them in other seasonings besides vinegar, right?"
Yukino glanced at Shinra, feeling that this guy's goal wasn't that simple.
However, she didn't have anything else to do afterward, so after thinking about it, she nodded and agreed.
Seeing this, Shinra also smiled. He was indeed wrapping dumplings for this vinegar, but who was the vinegar...?
Anyway, it couldn't be Tobe.
...
The game was set for after dinner, located in the ryokan's lounge area. The content was the classic Truth or Dare.
As everyone knows, the game Truth or Dare is neither truthful nor daring. Its biggest function is to probe the target's most authentic thoughts at the lowest cost.
So when Shinra proposed this game, Tobe was the first to sign up enthusiastically, and he didn't forget to drag Hayama, Ebina, and the others along.
Ebina, upon hearing Shinra's proposal, immediately understood Shinra's intention.
She gave Shinra a look but didn't say anything.
It was only after the list of participants was finalized that she showed a trace of shock.
Yukinoshita Yukino, Miura Yumiko, Kawasaki Saki?
How did he dare to add these three as well?
Is he really not afraid of playing too hard and causing a bloodbath?
"With so many people, rock-paper-scissors is too troublesome. Let's just spin a bottle. Whoever the bottle neck points to can designate one person to do Truth or Dare."
As the organizer, Shinra briefly explained the rules for this game session.
"Also, since this is just a game, please mind your manners and limits for both Truth and Dare."
"Got it, let's start quickly." Tobe was clearly somewhat impatient.
If he could probe some of Ebina's thoughts about him ahead of the confession, that would obviously be for the best.
"In that case, let's play rock-paper-scissors to decide the first person to spin the bottle. After that, the person who was questioned will spin the bottle," Shinra said.
Everyone had no objections, and a winner was quickly decided.
—Tobe Kakeru.
"Me! Me!" Tobe rubbed his hands excitedly. After estimating the force, he gave the empty bottle a spin.
You see, for this kind of bottle-spinning, as long as you control the force well, you can actually control the direction of the bottle neck to a large extent.
And he, Tobe Kakeru, was a master of this. To put it immodestly, as long as let him spin the bottle, he could make it point to whoever he wanted!
...Holy crap, why is it Hikigaya?
The "draw" just now reminded Tobe of a webpage lottery. He watched as the pointer got slower and slower, about to land on the first prize, but the pointer just wouldn't stop, shakily passing through several winning areas until it finally let out its last breath in the "Thank you for participating" area.
Tobe Kakeru's situation was similar to the above. He watched helplessly as the bottle neck, which was about to stay in front of himself, lazily drifted past him and pointed at Hachiman beside him.
Dammit, did I use too much force?
Wrong. He was set up by an invisible great hand.
For Shinra, who possessed Magnetic Field Push as a third hand, a game like spinning a bottle was basically no different from direct designation.
Have to say, Tobe actually had some skills. If Shinra hadn't intervened with the magnetic field in the end, that kid really would have had his way.
It's not that he wouldn't let the other party designate people, but he couldn't let them designate someone right at the start. What if this guy was stupid enough to ask Ebina directly, "Who do you like?", "Do you have someone you like?", or "Do you like me?" Wouldn't that blow everything up?
Although the probability of that happening was low, the opponent was Tobe Kakeru, so precautions were necessary.
"Then, Hikigaya, you designate the person to ask," Shinra spoke. Tobe, on the side, wished he could replace Hachiman, frantically gesturing with his eyes for Hachiman to pick him.
But unfortunately, Hachiman didn't look at Tobe; he chose Ebina.
Ebina, being chosen, picked Truth. She chose to answer a question.
"Excuse me, what is your view on romance?" Hachiman's question was simple and direct.
"Starting with a spicy topic like romance right away? Hikigaya, you guy." Tobe suddenly felt Hachiman was quite pleasing to the eye. He took the question as an assist for himself, even stopping the "Hiki-penguin" nickname he usually kept on his lips.
So you do know the correct way to say my name? Hachiman grumbled in his heart while glancing sideways at Tobe.
And Ebina's answer was crisp and clean. "True love is only found between men!"
What is this guy saying.jpg
Hachiman showed an incomprehensible expression. Not because of the other party's shocking statement—after all, he had heard plenty of that and had developed some immunity.
The problem was, at this time, shouldn't she use this question to directly state she wasn't planning to date recently, so as to dispel Tobe's unrealistic confession ideas?
Who asked you to start proselytizing!
Hachiman glanced at Shinra and found that the other party didn't show any strange expression, so he replied: "I see. I'm done asking."
"Then it's my turn to spin?" Ebina took the bottle with a smile. She didn't use much force, just a light push.
After the bottle spun twice, the neck finally stopped in front of Yukinoshita...