Next Target, 200PS!
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"Of course!" Thinking Sakiko didn't believe her, Soyo fired off several more messages to prove her point. "I saw it with my own eyes."
"I was right there. Kai-kun really is amazing."
'Saw it with her own eyes. Right there on the scene.' That meant Soyo and Kai had also...
Even though she had already braced herself for things like this, Soyo was her former friend. For a moment, Sakiko felt a complex swirl of emotions. She never expected Kai and Soyo to have crossed that line too.
[Let me help you, Sakiko!]
Just as she zoned out, another text from Soyo popped up on the screen.
'How is she supposed to help with that? It's not like we can do it together, right? Wait... actually, maybe we can.'
After all, she had already slept with Kai, and apparently, so had Soyo. Besides, Sakiko knew perfectly well she couldn't handle him alone. She could always tell that Kai wasn't fully satisfied afterward. To Sakiko, failing to satisfy her boyfriend felt like a massive dereliction of duty.
If it were some random stranger, Sakiko probably couldn't accept it. But Soyo was different. She was a close friend.
[I understand. I'll find a chance for us to try.] After a long silence, Sakiko sent a reply, choosing not to reject the offer.
'Yes!' Over on the other end, Soyo practically jumped for joy the second she got the text.
Her guess was spot on. Sakiko had finally, truly accepted her again.
[Don't worry, Sakiko. I will definitely stay by your side. I'll be with you forever!]
'That sounds a bit weird.' Stay by her side? Wasn't she supposed to be staying by Kai's side?
Plus, Soyo seemed a little too eager. It looked like Soyo was just as hopelessly smitten with Kai as she was. It left Sakiko feeling conflicted, but also validated. Kai was an outstanding guy. It was only natural for other girls to fall for him.
[You don't need to stay by my side. Staying by Kai's side is enough!] After a moment of thought, Sakiko shot back a reply.
Stay by Kai's side? For what? But then again, Kai was the Jujutsu Sorcerer—he was the one who had to actually solve Sakiko's problem. Maybe that was what she meant.
Soyo didn't argue and typed back a serious response. [Don't worry, I understand.]
That answer confirmed it for Sakiko. Soyo and Kai definitely had something going on. She wouldn't have said that otherwise.
Pocketing her phone, Sakiko's eyes drifted in thought. 'Looks like I need to find the right timing for this!'
Realizing that doing this would mean Kai spending more time at her place, Sakiko felt her mood brighten considerably.
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Kai had no idea what was happening. Two girls with wild imaginations had just collided and were currently scheming to give him a massive surprise.
After leaving Haruno's place, Kai headed straight to school.
"Kai!" Inside the classroom, Yumiko Miura was the first to stand up and wave him over. "You're late today. I thought you were calling in sick!"
"Something came up and delayed me." Kai brushed it off casually, sliding into his seat next to Yui Yuigahama.
"Kai-kun!" A happy smile lit up Yui's face the moment she saw him.
She was long past the phase where she would blush at the slightest contact. She leaned into him naturally, just wanting to be a bit closer.
"Tsk. You two are as lovey-dovey as ever!" Yumiko clicked her tongue, her tone dripping with suggestive teasing.
"Yumiko!" The remark caught Yui off guard. She lowered her head in embarrassment.
Kai, on the other hand, just smiled and shot back directly at Yumiko. "Of course we are. Yui is my girlfriend. If I'm not lovey-dovey with her, who else would I be with? YOU?"
"What about me?" Yumiko challenged, refusing to back down.
"Alright. There's an empty seat right next to me. If you've got the guts, come sit." Kai shrugged, tilting his head toward the open desk beside him. He looked like he was practically daring her to do it.
"Who are you looking down on?" Catching his drift, Yumiko scoffed with feigned annoyance.
She grabbed her chair, dragged it over, and plunked herself down right next to him, deliberately leaning in close.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Yui. I just can't stand it when people challenge me." Noticing Yui staring, Yumiko quickly waved a hand to explain, pinning all the blame entirely on Kai.
"I-I know!" Yui knew Yumiko's fiery temper well enough. She definitely wasn't the type to back down from a dare.
Still, seeing Yumiko sitting so close to Kai sparked a strange, uneasy feeling in Yui's chest. Something felt off about this. Was it just her imagination?
"..." Watching the scene unfold, Hina Ebina quietly lowered her head from her seat in the back.
Their close-knit trio consisted of three girls. Now two of them were glued to Kai's sides, leaving her as the odd one out. If she didn't make a move, she'd practically be an outcast.
But... what was she even supposed to do? Hina instinctively glanced up at Kai, then immediately ducked her head back down.
Honestly, when it came to looks alone, Kai was top-tier. Very few girls could resist a guy like that. However, Hina was a massive fujoshi, and the idea of sharing a guy with her best friends felt way too weird.
For now, at least, Hina lacked the courage to cross that line. She decided to just wait and see how things played out.
Noticing that Yui's slight unease quickly faded away, Yumiko stealthily shot Kai a quick wink.
It was obvious. She was trying to slowly acclimate Yui to the dynamic of the three of them hanging out together, making the eventual truth easier to swallow. Catching her wink, Kai just smirked.
Hayato Hayama: "..."
Anyone paying attention could easily read the room—Hayama, for instance. Watching Yumiko happily pressing herself against Kai, Hayama couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
Between dealing with Kakeru Tobe's recent drama, Hayama simply hadn't had the energy to intervene elsewhere. Now that he finally had a moment to breathe, one look at Yumiko's demeanor told him that whatever he said wouldn't make a difference anyway.
"Hehehehehe~" Right on cue, Tobe was clutching his phone, giggling like an absolute fool. He kept muttering his online girlfriend's name like a mantra.
"..." Hayama, who was already exhausted, felt a fresh wave of migraines coming on.
"Tobe, if you really like her that much, you should go meet her in person." Since he couldn't talk sense into the guy, he needed to get Tobe to see reality with his own eyes.
"I can't..." Tobe immediately shut the idea down, using the exact same excuse as before.
He claimed she wasn't ready yet, and showing up unannounced would be rude. What if she broke up with him over it?
But to Hayama, the whole thing was absurd. You haven't even met face-to-face! What kind of relationship is that? What break-up is there to even worry about??
"Then how about we go take a look in secret? Aren't you at least a little curious about what your girlfriend looks like?" This time, Hayama didn't push aggressively. He opted for a softer, more persuasive approach.
It worked. Hearing that, Tobe clearly hesitated. Deep down, he desperately wanted to know what the girl he was dating actually looked like.
"But what if..." He was still wavering.
Hayama patted Tobe on the shoulder, his expression dead serious. "There is no 'what if.' We're just taking a quick peek in secret. Didn't you say she hasn't even seen a picture of you yet?"
"Y-Yeah!" Tobe nodded instinctively.
An online romance where neither side had even seen a photo. It truly left people speechless.
"If that's the case, even if she sees you, she won't know who you are," Hayama assured him. "Don't worry. I'll go with you. We'll just take a look from a distance. She'll never notice."
As a friend, Hayama was stepping up and taking full responsibility for the situation.
Right on cue, Yamato and Ooka—the group's resident hype men—leaned in. "He's right! We'll all go! If anything goes south, we can cover for you."
"Exactly, Tobe! We've got your back!"
Being part of the popular clique, they couldn't just sit on the sidelines and watch. Besides, they were genuinely curious to see who Tobe's mysterious online girlfriend actually was. Since the opportunity presented itself, they were definitely going.
Meeting the encouraging gazes of his friends, Tobe finally gave a firm nod. "ALRIGHT!"
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