Chapter 247: It Looks Like the War of Love Has Begun!
....
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
Yuko Kinoshita gritted her teeth, glaring at Seito as if she wanted to murder him on the spot. His words were infuriating. Sure, she wasn't exactly... well-endowed, but she was still a girl! How could she not get the implication?
"Heh heh~" Seito chuckled, deciding to drop the act. "Yuko, I'm being serious here—you're really not as cute as Hideyoshi."
"Hah?! I'm not as cute as Hideyoshi? What kind of joke is that?!"
Yuko's mood settled slightly now that he'd stopped teasing her, but the moment he insulted her appearance, her temper flared back up. She was a self-respecting beauty! How could she possibly be less attractive than her own brother?
"Don't get all worked up~" Seito said, as if he hadn't noticed her murderous expression at all. "Come on, let's go. My treat—I'll buy you something to eat."
"Hmph!" Yuko huffed, but she didn't refuse. She'd consider it an apology for his earlier rudeness.
Noon rolled around before they knew it.
Seito and Yuko stood outside the school building, watching as one wave of "victims" after another was carried out.
"There really are a lot of them, huh," Seito murmured.
The playground in front of them was filled with dozens of unconscious people lying on the grass. Looking across the field... there had to be at least a hundred of them! Why were they all dumped out here? It was simple: the infirmary had run out of space, so this was the overflow zone.
"Is the haunted house business really doing that well?" Yuko asked, completely bewildered. She hadn't expected the turnout to be this massive.
"It's not bad," Seito said with a faint smile. "These guys are doing us a favor by spreading the word. People are drawn to the challenge—they're all terrified, yet they still want to test their mettle." He checked his watch. "It's noon. The rest of the students should be coming down soon."
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
Just as he spoke, footsteps echoed from behind. The first-year students, still covered in splatters of fake blood, emerged from the building.
Kanade spotted Seito and drifted over, expressionless, and claimed his hand in her own. Soon after, Amou, Maple, Sally, Shoko, and Yui gathered around him as well.
"See ya, Yuko-san~" Seito waved at her, and the group departed.
Nearby, Yukino, Eriri, Kaguya, and Hayasaka watched with narrowed eyes. Ever since Seito had returned to class today, Yui Yuigahama had been glued to his side. They couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on—it was just too abnormal. The girls fell into deep, suspicious thought, but they couldn't exactly interrogate Yui while she was walking away with Seito.
Time passed.
After a quick lunch, Seito's group headed back toward the school building. The festival had ended that morning, leaving the afternoon for cleaning up. True to his word, Seito used his powers to scour the entire first-year wing until it was spotless, restored everyone's clothes to their original state, and then led his group out of the school.
On the walk home.
Maple and Sally peeled off to go their separate ways, but Rikka Takanashi, Umaru Doma, and Yukino joined Seito's entourage.
Seito tilted his head as he noticed Kaguya and Hayasaka tagging along. "What are you two doing?"
"They moved into the unit below us, supposedly because they were worried about the God Domain monsters coming after them again," Yukino explained, noticing Seito's questioning look.
"???"
Seito rested his chin in his hand. That's a plausible excuse, sure. But glancing sideways at Kaguya and Hayasaka, he didn't believe a single word of it. The Ice Queen might genuinely think that was the safest option, but he had a sneaking suspicion she'd moved in just to be closer to him!
He was confident in that assessment! After all, he was incredibly handsome, and he had played the hero by saving Kaguya and Hayasaka before. So, he had every reason to be suspicious of their motives!
Could it be...!!! A realization dawned on him, and the corners of his mouth curled upward. It looks like the war of love has begun! he thought to himself.
"Hm?" Kaguya seemed to sense something. She stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at him.
Seito felt the shift, stopped as well, and turned to face her. His gaze sharpened, locking onto hers!
Zzzzt! A spark of invisible electricity crackled in the air between them. The rest of the group came to a halt, looking between the two of them with baffled expressions. Even Hayasaka looked puzzled—she had no idea what kind of game they were playing.
Battle 1 of the Love War: Begin!
Seito moves first!
He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes narrowing into a sharp, elegant gaze. He offered a knowing smile. "So, Miss Kaguya, why move into the apartment below mine? Could it be that you're interested in me?"
"You're quite adorable, aren't you~"
Kaguya kept her expression cool and indifferent. "Narcissism is one thing, Seito-kun, but you've been spending time with quite a few girls lately. Have you really become this delusional?"
Kaguya looked calm, but inside, her heart was hammering against her ribs like a drum. Seito had actually sniffed out the truth—she had moved here for him. But she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right!
"I guess I thought too much of it," Seito smiled.
Round 1: Draw!
Now, Kaguya's turn to strike!
She steadied her emotions and darted a sharp look at Yui Yuigahama, who was standing right behind Seito.
"Although, Yuigahama-san," Kaguya pivoted, her voice cool, "why exactly have you been sticking so close to Seito-kun all day today?"
"Ehh?!"
Yui froze, looking left and right, completely panicked. She never expected the target to shift to her!
....
Thank you for reading.