Shikime Natsu casually tapped his phone screen, and a message from Ichinose Honami immediately came into view.
It started with a solemn apology for disturbing him so late at night. Between the lines, one could feel the pink-haired girl's cautious nature and good upbringing.
The message had two main purposes.
First, to send Asahina Nazuna's contact information to Shikime Natsu, stating that Asahina Nazuna wanted to thank him.
Second, she wanted to ask Shikime Natsu to spare a little time after school tomorrow afternoon.
To give thanks? Shikime Natsu remembered that Asahina Nazuna had already expressed her gratitude, hadn't she?
However... obtaining a beautiful girl's contact information was the most important thing.
As for the latter request, Shikime Natsu naturally agreed. There was no reason to refuse an invitation from a beautiful girl, was there?
"Okay, let's meet after school tomorrow then."
Not long after the reply was sent, the phone vibrated again.
"Okay, goodnight then, Shikime-san~ (Cute rabbit sticker)"
Looking at the little rabbit pulling up a blanket to sleep on the screen, the corners of Shikime Natsu's mouth hooked up into an arc.
They say that if a girl goes out of her way to say goodnight to you before sleeping, it's a sign she's interested in you.
Calculating carefully, counting the two-faced angel Kushida Kikyou tonight, and that tsundere girl Kamuro Masumi, there were already three cute girls who had said goodnight to him.
It seemed he really was radiating charisma.
Shikime Natsu indulged in a moment of narcissistic emotion, then casually added Asahina Nazuna's contact information.
After waiting for a moment, the other party didn't approve the verification.
It looked like she had fallen asleep.
Shikime Natsu didn't mind. He put down his phone, washed up simply, and lay back on the bed.
Resting his head on his arms, he looked at the ceiling thoughtfully, pondering the reason why Ichinose Honami might be looking for him.
Was she planning to reveal that secret hidden in her heart? But he hadn't used the 'Mind Interference' skill on Ichinose Honami yet.
Or was it about Himeno Yuki?
Shikime Natsu's gaze shifted slightly downward, landing on the CG illustration of Himeno Yuki in his mind.
"Forget it, no point thinking about it. I'll know tomorrow."
He turned over and pulled the blanket up a bit higher.
A faint fragrance lingered around the tip of his nose. It was the scent of the body wash unique to Kamuro Masumi.
Since that girl basically came over right after showering every day, her body was always fragrant.
Over time, this bedding seemed to have been marinated in her scent; it smelled quite nice and made for a comfortable sleep.
The next day.
After Shikime Natsu finished washing up, he took out his phone to check.
Someone had just come looking for him—it was Asahina Nazuna.
"Good morning, Shikime-kouhai. I'm really sorry, I fell asleep too early last night and didn't see the message."
"Did Miyabi go to trouble you? I'm really sorry, you can just ignore him."
Immediately following that was a transfer notification.
Asahina Nazuna directly transferred 2,000 personal points to Shikime Natsu, saying it was for the expenses Shikime Natsu had covered last night, and the surplus was a reward for him.
Hmm, the expenses were just a little over a thousand points, yet he received two thousand. A small profit.
She really was a generous Senpai.
It was just that... Shikime Natsu wasn't lacking this small amount of points.
Shikime Natsu thought for a moment and didn't refuse Asahina Nazuna's gratitude. Then, he mentioned his bet with Nagumo Miyabi and said he intended to borrow some of Asahina Nazuna's study materials.
Not long after the message was sent, Asahina Nazuna's reply arrived.
"?! You actually agreed to that kind of bet?!"
"Miyabi has already previewed the third-year curriculum long ago! Isn't this clearly bullying?! It's really too excessive!"
"Shikime-kouhai, don't worry about it. Just ignore that kind of unreasonable request!"
In Asahina Nazuna's view, Nagumo Miyabi was undeniably bullying a junior, which was quite crossing the line.
However, Shikime Natsu said it didn't matter, and mentioned that since he had promised Asahina Nazuna he would defeat Nagumo Miyabi, this happened to be an opportunity.
"Alright, since you insist. But I injured my leg, so I took leave today to rest in the dormitory. If you need them, come to my room after school to get them."
"Then I'll be counting on you, Asahina-senpai."
Shikime Natsu agreed. Could this be counted as Nagumo Miyabi giving him another chance to visit Asahina Nazuna?
The elevator doors opened, and he stepped inside.
Arriving at the first-floor lobby, just a short distance out of the elevator, Shikime Natsu's keen intuition detected a hint of something strange.
Someone seemed to be following him from behind.
He turned his head naturally, just in time to see a figure frantically trying to hide behind a pillar.
It was Yamamura Miki.
She seemed to have been maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close, not wanting to be discovered, yet not wanting to lose him either.
Caught red-handed by Shikime Natsu at this moment, this startled little rabbit instantly panicked, subconsciously wanting to find something to cover herself, as if she could pretend nothing had happened as long as she hid herself.
"Good morning, Yamamura-san."
Shikime Natsu stopped and greeted her with a smile.
"What are you doing?"
"? N-No, it's not..."
Yamamura Miki's face instantly flushed bright red. She stammered, wanting to explain, but didn't know what to say.
"Um... G-Good morning, Shikime-san."
She lowered her head, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.
"Yamamura-san, why were you secretly following me? It would have been fine to just say hello."
Shikime Natsu looked at her with amusement.
Just then, a voice suddenly popped up from the side.
"That is naturally because Yamamura Miki feels she is nothing more than carbon dioxide in the air, fundamentally unworthy of standing together with the dazzling Shikime Natsu who is like the sun."
Shikime Natsu turned his head and saw Morishita Ai, who had emerged from who knows where, speaking with a straight face.
"That is why she produced this instinctive reaction of wanting to hide."
Shikime Natsu didn't react much. He was somewhat accustomed to this Morishita Ai, whose thinking jumped all over the place.
"Good morning, Corporal Morishita."
He greeted her following her train of thought.
"Good morning, Commander."
Morishita Ai returned a standard military salute without hesitation, her movements crisp and clean.
Yamamura Miki, on the side, stood frozen in place with a look of helplessness.
Being described like that by Morishita Ai, she felt she really was about to become invisible.
However, Shikime Natsu didn't ignore her because of Morishita Ai's antics; he still showed her a gentle smile.
In that moment, Yamamura Miki felt her heart skip a beat.
Even though she had always been someone with low presence, to the point where one could say she had no presence at all, Shikime Natsu was always able to spot her easily and give her attention she had never received before.
This feeling made her both nervous and gave her a small sense of joy.
"What a coincidence. It's rare to have a day where the three of us go to school together."
Shikime Natsu said with a smile.
"Mn... Y-Yes, what a coincidence."
Yamamura Miki agreed with a blushing face, her eyes dodging a bit, not daring to look directly into Shikime Natsu's eyes.
"Actually, this isn't a coincidence, Yamamura Miki."
Morishita Ai suddenly spoke up, her tone remaining flat and waveless.
"I secretly tracked you and discovered you stayed downstairs for a very long time today. You were likely waiting for Shikime Natsu on purpose, right?"
"After all, as the sun, Shikime Natsu possesses a lethal attraction for you."
These words from Morishita Ai directly turned Yamamura Miki into a steaming kettle, her entire cute face becoming flushed red.
"No, no, that's not it..."
Yamamura Miki hurriedly shook her head to deny it, stammering. For a moment, her entire brain became a chaotic mess.
How did Morishita Ai track her, and even puncture her little secret thoughts? She had no face to see anyone!
Yamamura Miki had, in fact, been intentionally waiting for Shikime Natsu just as Morishita Ai said, so she had gotten up very early.
Because Yamamura Miki saw that Shikime Natsu had good relationships with many people, while with her, he merely maintained the distance of a 'meal friend'—only able to spend time with Shikime Natsu during meals. For some reason, the girl was still somewhat unwilling to accept just that.
Perhaps it was because Shikime Natsu had brought her so much help. The old her, no matter where she was, wouldn't be easily seen by anyone, and no one would rest their gaze upon her.
But! Because of Shikime Natsu, she was now an existence in the class that could attract a little attention. Although the girl's personality hadn't changed too much, she truly and genuinely felt the happiness of having others' gazes fall upon her.
Yamamura Miki stood there with a face full of nervousness, her brain spinning rapidly, desperately thinking about what she should say, afraid that saying the wrong thing would make the two unhappy.
"Don't be nervous, Yamamura-san."
Shikime Natsu saw her unease and spoke softly.
"Relax a little, we're just having a normal chat."
His voice seemed to have a magical power, causing Yamamura Miki's originally tight heartstrings to involuntarily relax.
She took a deep breath and nodded.
"Mn."
"Shikime Natsu, your pressure is too strong, that is why you made Yamamura Miki this nervous."
Morishita Ai went for the kill from the side.
"This is all your problem."
Shikime Natsu couldn't help but freeze slightly. Wasn't the culprit who made Yamamura Miki uneasy just now you? How did it become him?
Good grief, she's even better at sophistry than him.
Eh?!
Upon hearing this, Yamamura Miki instantly got a bit anxious, hurriedly waving her hands to explain.
"N-No! It's not that Shikime-san's pressure is too strong! It's my own..."
"I don't believe it."
Morishita Ai interrupted her, speaking with a straight face.
"If Shikime Natsu's pressure isn't strong, then why don't you two dare to stand closer?"
"Come, get closer to prove it to me."
Hearing this, Yamamura Miki became nervous again, looking cautiously at Shikime Natsu, her eyes filled with helplessness and shyness.
Shikime Natsu, on the other hand, looked at her with a beaming smile and deliberately leaned a step closer.
"Yamamura-san, is my pressure really that strong?"
"N-No..."
Yamamura Miki felt like she was about to start smoking.
This feeling of being interrogated felt like she was being bullied, but she didn't know how to refute it, so she could only stand there and turn into a steaming kettle.
Just then, Morishita Ai suddenly approached Yamamura Miki.
She reached out, grabbed Yamamura Miki's arm, and unceremoniously yanked her toward Shikime Natsu.
She didn't stop until the distance between the two had shrunk to only a few centimeters, almost sticking together.
Feeling that she was actually this close to Shikime Natsu, Yamamura Miki's exquisite face was covered in a blush, and her brain was trembling.
Morishita Ai took a few steps back and examined the two seriously.
"Mn, not bad."
Morishita Ai nodded, her tone carrying a few points of satisfaction.
"Originally, carbon dioxide is invisible, but now it seems visible."
"Morishita-san, using that kind of title to describe Yamamura-san is too much."
Although Yamamura Miki looked like she was easy to bully, one couldn't actually bully her, right?
"Yamamura Miki doesn't mind."
Morishita Ai said indifferently.
Shikime Natsu looked toward Yamamura Miki.
He saw the latter nodding with a red face, whispering softly.
"Mn... I don't mind. A title like this... seems to bring me closer to my classmates..."
Shikime Natsu was stunned.
He looked at the serious-faced Yamamura Miki, then at Morishita Ai who was putting on a 'See, I wasn't wrong' expression beside her.
...Has she been assimilated by Morishita Ai? He had seen Yamamura Miki chatting with Morishita Ai normally, but he hadn't expected their thought processes to synchronize slightly.
This is bad!
Morishita Ai didn't pay attention to Shikime Natsu's strange gaze, but continued speaking on her own.
"By the way, a new shooting game event has opened at Keyaki Mall this weekend."
She looked at Shikime Natsu and Yamamura Miki, issuing an invitation.
"I want to invite Shikime Natsu and Yamamura Miki to go together, just the two of you with me."
"?! I-I can go too?"
Yamamura Miki pointed at herself in shock, her face full of disbelief.
She originally thought this kind of activity definitely wouldn't include her; after all, a transparent person like her would only drag others down.
She didn't expect Morishita Ai to actively invite her.
"Of course you can."
Shikime Natsu didn't have any objections and agreed readily.
"Sounds quite interesting."
"But... I might drag you down..."
Yamamura Miki said somewhat embarrassedly, her fingers twisting together uneasily.
"Then Yamamura Miki should not come."
Morishita Ai announced directly and decisively.
"?!"
Yamamura Miki was shocked again, her whole body freezing up.
This reversal was too fast, wasn't it?!
Just now she invited her, so how come in the blink of an eye she was kicking her out?
Shikime Natsu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
This Morishita Ai really was interesting; she could always say such catch-you-off-guard things with a straight face.
"Alright now, Morishita-san is joking."
He smiled and smoothed things over.
"It doesn't matter if you can't play, the important thing is participating. As long as you're happy."
Yamamura Miki looked at Shikime Natsu's gentle eyes, and her originally somewhat downcast mood instantly improved again.
"Then... please definitely let me go together!"
She summoned up her courage and said.
"Mn, approved."
Morishita Ai nodded.
Immediately after, she took out a long plastic ruler from her school bag and said with a serious face:
"This is a secret operation between the three of us. Absolutely no leaking it to the outside."
"Otherwise... you must commit seppuku to apologize!"
Saying that, she even mimed the action of seppuku.
Shikime Natsu smiled.
Although he still couldn't understand this 'denpa' girl's brain circuitry, he had to admit that being with her was indeed quite interesting.
"Understood. I guarantee to keep my lips sealed."
He nodded cooperatively.
It seemed that this beautiful girl, Morishita Ai, had also been conquered by his charm, actually wanting to monopolize time with him.
"Very good."
Morishita Ai put away the ruler and announced:
"The operation time is set for Saturday at eight in the morning. Gather at the entrance of Keyaki Mall. Dismissed!"
She then walked quickly toward the classroom.
____
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