...
Akihisa quietly listened to the entire tape, then suddenly felt a chill down his back: "It's not like that."
Himeji Mizuki looked heartbroken: "Seriously, Akihisa, how could you do something like that?"
Shimada Minami said with a flushed face: "You're such a little Akihisa. If you really wanted to look, you could've just said so. I'm a girl too, you know. It's not like I couldn't show you my underwear…"
Akihisa waved his hands in explanation: "You guys don't understand. Girls should be gentle and refined, radiating a healing aura like Hideyoshi, not barbaric and terrifyingly fast like Shimada-san, and flat-chested too… my spine is aching from the vertebrae cracks."
(Hideyoshi is a man, though.)
But before Akihisa could finish speaking, he was quickly put into a headlock by Shimada Minami's foot. Tsuchiya Kouta stood nearby, constantly aiming his camera at private areas while muttering under his breath: "I can see it, I can see it, I can see it..."
"It's gonna break, it's gonna break, it's gonna break…"
With a crack, there was the sound of bones fracturing.
Tsuchiya Kouta's expression changed drastically as an unreasonable amount of nosebleed gushed out. He rolled around on the ground.
"Perverted creep, hang in there." Yoshii Akihisa said while holding Tsuchiya Kouta.
Tsuchiya Kouta weakly raised his hand: "Water… water…"
"Don't talk anymore. I'm going to call a doctor right now."
"Water… water blue…" After saying that, Tsuchiya Kouta collapsed as if he had no regrets left.
(He's way too fixated.)
"Perverted wolf!!!!"
(Yare yare, what a bunch of idiots.)
While everyone was still in chaos, Saiki silently slipped away and left the classroom.
...
Free from the interference of Akihisa and that group, Saiki was walking home when he suddenly ran into a disguised Umaru.
The latter greeted him and asked a question.
"Yare yare, isn't this Master Saiki? What are you doing here? Are you following Umaru?"
[Heading home after school.]
"Since you're still in your uniform and didn't change, it must be something urgent. Don't tell me you know about it too? Are you also here for the new thing they installed in the arcade's claw machine?"
[Heading home after school.]
"I see, that makes sense. Then let's go together…"
[Yare yare, how many times do I have to say it? I'm heading home after school to study properly.]
Umaru looked disappointed and waved her hand: "Ehh~! Don't be like that, Master Saiki. As my master, how can you not take your disciple out to play?"
[That's your problem. And exams are coming up. Shouldn't you be reviewing properly instead of going to play? What if you lose your number one spot?]
Umaru waved it off carelessly: "It's fine. Stuff like that, you just listen in class and you'll get it. Since school's out, you've gotta play hard. Taking first place is easy, right?"
[Yare yare, you're way too overconfident.]
(You think you're me? Acting so cocky.)
"Seriously, if Master Saiki doesn't believe me, let's make a bet. If I get first place this time, you have to come play with me. No take-backs, no refusing, or I'll keep clinging to you forever."
[Yare yare, looks like you don't understand how harsh society can be. Fine, I accept.]
Umaru waved her hand and headed toward the arcade: "Then it's a deal. See you!"
(Really, if someone like her can actually get first place, that would be ridiculous.)
Saiki continued walking home and spotted Shiraishi in front of JUMP Bookstore, along with Kubo Nagisa hiding behind a utility pole.
(What are they doing?)
Saiki also concealed his presence and hid behind them to watch.
Tap tap tap tap. Shiraishi kept pacing back and forth in front of the store door, circling around and around, then jumping up and down in place, but he just couldn't go in.
Kubo Nagisa
[So the automatic door won't open. That kind of thing happens pretty often!]
(So that happens often?)
Kubo [I just don't know where Saiki-kun is. I feel like as long as Shiraishi-kun is around, Saiki-kun will show up.]
"What?"
Kubo [Ah, he seems to have noticed something.]
(Oh, what is it?)
On Shiraishi's side, the sign on the door read "Touch-Sensitive Door."
Kubo [So it's touch-sensitive. That's so embarrassing.]
(Shiraishi…)
But even though it was touch-sensitive, no matter how much Shiraishi touched it, the door still wouldn't open.
(This one probably isn't broken, right?)
"Let's go to that bookstore over there."
"Sure."
A couple walked up behind Shiraishi.
(Ah, someone's coming.)
[A couple just arrived.]
Shiraishi kept touching it with no response. Then he stepped back, and the two of them lightly touched the sensor area.
The door opened immediately. Shiraishi watched them go in blankly, with no reaction. The door closed again.
[You should've gone in while the door was open. What a shame, Shiraishi-kun.]
[Shiraishi-kun, don't give up.]
[Why don't you just go help him?]
"Ah!! (º Д º*) Saiki-kun, when did you get here?"
The sudden appearance startled Kubo Nagisa.
[How long are you going to keep watching him like that?]
Kubo Nagisa smiled and said: "But isn't this kind of fun? And I knew you'd show up, Saiki-kun. Or maybe ꒰^ↀωↀ^꒱❤❤ you've been secretly watching for a while already?"
[I just got here.]
Shiraishi was still trying nonstop, but it was useless. [Ah~ if only Saiki were here.]
Just as Shiraishi was about to give up, Saiki placed one hand on the door, and it opened.
Shiraishi jumped in surprise and looked back at Saiki: "Saiki-kun and Kubo-san, what are you two doing here?"
[I should be asking you that.]
Kubo Nagisa poked her head halfway out from behind Saiki: "Hi, Shiraishi-kun. Saiki's been secretly watching you for a while now, you know."
[I just got here. Exams are coming up. Did you come to the bookstore to buy study materials?]
Shiraishi shook his head: "No, I'm not really good at studying. Today is the release day I've been looking forward to for 'Sword and Magic'."
[I see.]
Kubo Nagisa: "By the way, Shiraishi-kun, that must be tough. Does this kind of thing happen to you often?"
"It doesn't happen that often. It's just that every time I try to enter a bookstore, I have to try several times. But today, no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't get in. This is the first time it's been this bad."
(So doesn't that mean it happens often?)
Shiraishi went inside, picked up the copy of 'Sword and Magic', and his face instantly lit up with joy.
[Looks like you really like this kind of manga, Shiraishi.]
Shiraishi nodded vigorously with all his might.
[You're nodding way too hard.]
It looked pretty interesting, so Saiki checked out the copy in front of him. There was no volume 1.
[Ah, looks like there's no first volume.]
Shiraishi said excitedly: "Eh, Saiki-kun, are you interested? I already bought volume 1. If you want to read it, I can lend it to you. ヾ(●´∇｀●)ﾉ Wow~"
Kubo Nagisa: "How about it? I'd like to read it too."
Shiraishi scratched his head: "But I can only lend it to one person!"
[Well! If you really want to read it, then I…]
Kubo Nagisa glanced over: "Then I'll wait until Saiki-kun finishes borrowing it and borrow it after. Is that okay, Saiki-kun?"
Saiki: ...