'Are you sure you know what we're talking about?' Looking at Yukino Yukinoshita, Eriri didn't voice her doubts out loud—instead, she inhaled sharply.
Alas... She had thought her identity as a doujinshi artist was already outrageous enough, but the people here were on a whole other level of crazy. Suddenly, Eriri felt like she wasn't all that special anymore.
"I never expected the rumored 'Cold Princess' to be hiding such a secret."
"..."
Secret? What secret? Her eyes flickered with confusion for a split second, but Yukino frowned and replied, "Rumors are just rumors."
Because she'd been bullied since childhood, Yukino never took gossip seriously.
"Just like how those people surely don't know that the ace of the Art Club would be showing up here."
"..."
Yukino had only meant to launch a verbal counterattack against Eriri Sawamura. She didn't expect that such a retort would make Eriri even more certain that Yukino's secret identity was probably way more scandalous than her own gig as a doujin artist. She just had no idea what it could be.
"Alright then!"
Since they were all "on the same side," there was no point in keeping up the act. Eriri even made a mental note to find some time later to interrogate Kai about these people's "identities thoroughly." Maybe they could even swap notes.
After all, despite her glamorous facade, deep down, Eriri desperately desired a few more "like-minded" friends.
What's more, Yukino Yukinoshita was just as flat-chested as she was. That realization alone instantly made Eriri feel a sense of camaraderie.
"No wonder you joined this club."
Unable to resist shooting Kai a glance, Eriri dropped her refined act and lazily found a seat. After all, maintaining her perfect heiress persona all the time was exhausting.
"???" For some reason, the Eriri in front of her felt way too weird.
Yukino spoke up in her usual cool, detached tone, "That should be my question for you, Sawamura. Instead of staying in your Art Club, what business do you have here?"
"KAI! Why didn't you wake me up last night? You made me forget the most important thing!"
The moment that complaint left her mouth, Yukino and Hitori Gotoh couldn't help but look over, clearly catching the key words.
'Wake me up? Last night?'
So, Kai was with Eriri last night?
"It's your own fault for sleeping like a log."
Kai shrugged, looking entirely unbothered. Even with Yukino and Hitori staring daggers at him, he didn't show a single ounce of guilt. Are you kidding? If he had the guts to be a player, he was never going to sweat over a little love triangle drama.
"Well, Eriri's mom ran into a Cursed Spirit, so I helped take care of it!" he explained calmly.
"I see!"
Understanding dawned in both their eyes. After all, Kai had recently dealt with a Cursed Spirit targeting Marin Kitagawa right in front of them, so they had a firm grasp of the situation.
So she encountered a Cursed Spirit...
It made sense—normal people were practically helpless against those things.
"I haven't had the chance to thank you for last night properly!" Eriri said, looking a bit sheepish.
Even though she was a tsundere, this involved her mother's life. There was no way she could let her pride get in the way of that.
"It's nothing. Big Sis Sayuri already thanked me last night."
'Yep, she thanked me personally. Very passionately too.'
"What 'Big Sis'? THAT'S MY MOM!"
Completely oblivious, Eriri just rolled her eyes at him. Her mom loved acting younger than her age anyway, so Eriri didn't suspect a thing.
"Mom is Mom. Anyway, the point is, thank you."
With Eriri's personality, she really didn't know how to express sincere gratitude, making her words sound awkward and fidgety.
"Also, did you forget something?"
"Like what?" Prompted by Eriri, Kai looked genuinely puzzled.
Noticing that he had really forgotten, Eriri couldn't help but stomp her foot.
"The illustrator gig, obviously! Don't tell me you found someone else!"
She believed he forgot because he had already replaced her. Eriri was almost on the brink of tears.
For one thing, this was her only shot at breaking into the mainstream and transitioning from a doujin artist to an official illustrator in such a short time frame. For another, if Kai found a new illustrator, wouldn't that mean he was rejecting her abilities? It would be weirder if she wasn't panicking.
"Oh, that."
He had wondered what the big deal was. Seeing Eriri looking like she was about to cry from anxiety, Kai just found it amusing.
"Relax, we still have a few days. Are you sure that's enough time for you to finish the illustrations?"
"As long as you tell me what the problem is, I can definitely do it!"
Realizing she still had a chance, Eriri agreed without a second thought. Are you kidding? She could accept losing in other areas, but if she failed at illustrating, she'd never be able to show her face in public again.
"Alright then."
"So... are you free tonight?" Bringing this up made Eriri shy all over again.
Hearing that they were just discussing business, Yukino had relaxed considerably. But seeing Eriri's sudden bashful reaction, her guard instantly shot right back up.
"Time? I think I have some."
Come to think of it, Sakiko Togawa had been busy looking for a new apartment for the past two days and didn't have much free time. Since it would be the first proper place she lived in with Kai, Sakiko wanted to pick a really nice one. She had looked at a few already but always found something to be dissatisfied with.
Besides, Eriri's house also had Sayuri Sawamura waiting there.
"That's grea—"
Hearing Kai's response, Eriri's face lit up with joy, and she was about to celebrate.
But Yukino abruptly cut in with a cool tone, "Isn't it inappropriate to intrude on someone's home late at night? If it's convenience you need, the Service Club has plenty of space."
'Inviting a guy over to your house late at night? Just what exactly are you planning?' Yukino moved to block it without a second thought.
"Hmm?"
Eriri's smile vanished instantly. She shot Yukino a suspicious glare. 'And here I was treating you like an ally! Turns out you're an enemy too.'
Giving her a fake, strained smile, Eriri fired back, "This shouldn't have anything to do with you, Yukinoshita-san."
"Kai is a member of the Service Club, and as the club president, how could I say it has nothing to do with me?"
"It's just a school club. You can't possibly police what happens after school hours."
Oho!
This was a first. Turns out Eriri Sawamura was quite aggressively territorial.
Kai didn't say a word—he merely lifted an eyebrow and casually sat down right next to Hitori Gotoh.
"K-Kai-kun!"
With Hitori's distinct way of thinking, she sensed Yukino and Eriri were arguing but couldn't pinpoint the reason. The only thing she noticed was Kai sitting very close to her. Instinctively, she lowered her head.
Leaning in to whisper softly into her ear, Kai chuckled, "What's wrong, Bocchi-chan? Do you not like me sitting this close?"
"..."
Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red. How was she supposed to answer that? Saying she didn't like it was impossible—but if she said she did... she was worried Yukino and the others might notice and get the wrong idea.
Poor little Bocchi.
"Oh, right!" Looking at Hitori, Kai suddenly remembered something. "Has anyone asked our little Bocchi-chan to join a band recently?"
He hadn't forgotten that the other heroines from Bocchi the Rock were key targets for system quests. He could easily leverage Hitori as a connection to meet them, though he wasn't certain if she had been scouted by that band yet.
"A band?" Hitori froze for a second before shaking her head in disappointment. "No."
She had originally thought that learning music would help her make friends, which was why she practiced her guitar day and night. Sure, she had made friends now, but it still felt like all those years of agonizing guitar practice had been useless. She carried her guitar bag to school every single day, so why hadn't a single person approached her to talk about music? What was she doing wrong?
"Don't worry!" Seeing Hitori looking so distressed, Kai smiled and comforted her. "Bocchi-chan is so talented. Someone is bound to notice you."
"Mhm!"
Kai's comforting words instantly swept away her gloom. In its place, a genuine, heartfelt smile bloomed on her face. She nodded earnestly.
Whether or not someone asked her to join a band, as long as Kai was there, she felt that was enough.
"By the way, if you don't have anything to do after school, you should go sit in the park for a bit!"
From what he remembered of the anime, Hitori was discovered while sitting alone in a park and promptly dragged into joining a band.
"Okay!"
Although she didn't know his exact reasoning, Hitori obediently nodded.
——————————
Right at that moment, the previously "lively" Service Club suddenly fell dead silent.
The bickering between Yukino and Eriri ceased instantly. Looking up, he found both of them staring fiercely right at him. 'We're over here having a standoff, and you have the nerve to flirt with another girl right in front of us??'
"D-Don't misunderstand! We aren't..."
Sensing the dangerous change in the atmosphere, Hitori frantically shook her head.
"Don't go causing trouble for others, Kai!" Yukino wasn't mistaken. Their usual dynamic was exactly like this—Kai often teased Hitori without any reason. The idea of them being a couple hadn't even occurred to Yukino.
Perhaps it was because Hitori was just too "meek" and submissive—she didn't give off an ounce of threatening aura.
"..."
So they're just friends... Hearing this, Eriri realized the same thing. Kai and that pink-haired girl were probably just friends. It made sense—looking at Hitori's pathetic, timid demeanor, Eriri genuinely couldn't imagine how this girl could compete with her.
It wasn't like Hitori had a better figure than her, right?
However, because of her perpetually oversized tracksuit and constant slouch, it was usually very hard for anyone to see Hitori's true assets.
Just like Eriri right now, who failed to spot the hidden truth and instantly experienced a rush of smug satisfaction.
This Service Club really is a great place.This is perfect. We're all in the same flat-chested boat. How wonderful.
"Anyway, the illustrations are a very serious matter. Kai has to come over to my place tonight."
Initially, it had just been a request. But after arguing with Yukino for a while, it had subconsciously escalated. Eriri was now determined to drag him back to her place—it had practically become a matter of pride.
Yukino, getting similarly fired up, refused to back down.
"If it's such an important matter, shouldn't it be handled here and now?" She glared back without an ounce of weakness.
Then, as if suddenly realizing what they were doing, both girls simultaneously whipped their heads around and locked eyes with Kai. "What's your choice?"
"..."
'Weren't you two just fighting? Why did the crosshairs suddenly lock onto me?'
Perhaps both Eriri and Yukino had realized that no matter how much they argued, it was utterly meaningless. After all, the final decision ultimately rested entirely on Kai's shoulders.
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