Chapter 423: Where are the teammates? Help!
Shirogane Kei only knew Hayasaka Ai and Sakurai Saki were a couple, but didn't know that Chika and Kaguya also liked him.
She also didn't know that Iino Miko had feelings for Sakurai Saki.
If she knew, she would definitely understand why the other girls were looking at her with such strange eyes at this moment…
'Did I do something wrong?'
Could it be that Iino-senpai even has some secret affair with Saki-nii? No way, right?
With Iino-senpai's childish figure, if Saki-nii laid a hand on her, wouldn't he be arrested and thrown into jail?
...
The room assignment ended quickly, mainly because they didn't think the timid Miko could do anything earth-shattering.
After all, every day she thought about sticking close to Sakurai Saki, but until now the most she had done was a hug. Anything further than that, she didn't seem interested, nor did she have the guts.
Luggage placed.
Everyone went downstairs again, then started sorting things in the living room, including the clothes they would wear when going out later. The girls wore cute wide-brimmed hats, mostly in white outfits, looking clean and adorable. Especially Shirogane Kei, her long silver hair combined with the youthful sailor uniform made her look like a white lily, so pure it made people want to dirty it.
"Hey, why are you staring at my little sister like that?" Shirogane Miyuki leaned over next to Sakurai Saki, whispering.
"This outfit isn't even that revealing, is it? Kei-chan exposing her legs and arms in summer is something you can't accept?"
"That's not the problem."
This level of exposure was something he definitely could accept, but the way Sakurai Saki stared at his sister was something Shirogane Miyuki couldn't tolerate.
I'm standing right here and you dare look at her like that—once I go to America, won't you just become my brother-in-law?!
Sakurai Saki didn't bother with him, instead turning to Shirogane Kei: "Kei-chan, this outfit really suits you! It reminds me of crystal clear water flowing between mountain ravines."
"...Really?" Being complimented, Shirogane Kei moved closer and deliberately spun around in front of him.
"Newly bought? I've never seen you wear it before."
"Umu, I bought it last time when I went out with Kaguya-nee and Chika-nee." Kei's face couldn't hide her happiness.
Seeing his sister's expression, Shirogane Miyuki felt he might have overreacted.
"Kei-chan..."
He was about to give her a compliment when Shirogane Kei rejected him: "Forget it, no need for your evaluation. I can already guess you won't say anything new."
After that, Kei-chan returned to the group of girls.
Sakurai Saki patted Shirogane Miyuki on the shoulder: "Don't mind it."
It wasn't him being told off by his sister, so of course he wouldn't mind—Shirogane Miyuki complained silently.
However, the reason Shirogane Kei didn't need her brother's evaluation was because the very next day after buying that sailor uniform, she had already tried it on for him once, and what she got in return was an extremely half-hearted assessment.
Shirogane Kei didn't hate her brother, she just wasn't good at expressing herself, so she chose a somewhat odd way to act.
"Alright, let's go fishing."
Shirogane Miyuki tried to use fishing to soothe his depressed mood.
He was about to go to America, yet his little sister had absolutely no wariness toward his scumbag friend—he really couldn't feel at ease.
What was even scarier was that in half a month, they would all be going to the beach together.
Yare yare, so troublesome~
...
The villa wasn't far from the river where they planned to fish, only about a twenty–minute walk.
Everyone walked through the forest.
"To think there's such a flat path here..." Shinomiya Kaguya this time prepared to go fishing with the boys.
The other girls followed Fujiwara Chika to search for some so-called legendary tsuchinoko, which sounded boring just thinking about it.
Ai-chan originally wanted to go fishing too, but ended up being blocked by Miko-chan, truly pitiful. Meanwhile, Shinomiya Kaguya, thanks to the harmless and gentle image she had been showing everyone, successfully blended into the boys' group.
Miko wasn't wary of her. In Miko's eyes, the perfect Shinomiya-senpai could never have a close relationship with Sakurai-senpai.
But unfortunately, Miko-chan guessed wrong.
At the back of the boys' group, Shinomiya Kaguya secretly held Sakurai Saki's hand, enjoying the rare moment of a world for just the two of them.
Holding hands in the middle of summer—only Kaguya, with her special constitution and low body temperature, could do such a thing.
"It's not really flat. This mountain path ends halfway up. This used to be my mom's summer hideout, at least more than ten years ago, because back then the wagashi shop couldn't install an air conditioner. But in recent years she spent a large amount to renovate the old structure, so now she's too lazy to move around in summer."
Hearing that, Shinomiya Kaguya recalled the lazy yet seductive aura Jinguuji Tamaki always showed at home, and felt it made perfect sense.
"Is there any youkai in this mountain?"
"Probably not?" Sakurai Saki looked at her interested expression and answered.
He really couldn't understand Kaguya's thought process. What is this? Without a little danger it's not exciting enough?
"If you want to meet youkai, you can go find my mom, she knows a lot of them."
"No, I was just asking randomly."
Kaguya had had enough of boring, rule-bound daily life, but she wasn't planning to risk her life for excitement.
People who don't seek death won't die.
Besides, since last year, she had already experienced plenty of bizarre incidents.
Just the fact that she got caught in a snowstorm at a ski resort in spring was enough to scare her a bit.
...
A distance ahead of them.
Ishigami Yuu secretly glanced back, then leaned closer to Shirogane Miyuki and whispered:
"Myuu-senpai, don't you think Shinomiya-senpai and Sakurai-senpai… are a bit too close?"
"No."
"…Maybe you should take another look?"
They're already holding hands, and you still say no?
"You mean the handholding? Shinomiya's stamina isn't very good, so it's normal for Sakurai to guide her."
As the "summoner" who summoned the "scumbag demon" from deep within Sakurai Saki's heart, Shirogane Miyuki had to protect his summoned creature.
Even though President Shirogane knew letting Sakurai Saki go around being a scumbag wasn't very good, honestly, right now he felt a strange sense of pride. If Sakurai Saki was opening a harem, at least one-third of the credit was his, right?
"Really?"
Shinomiya-senpai is a member of the archery club. Last time when tutoring me she almost punched me into the ground! And you say her stamina is bad? Who are you trying to fool?!
"Umu, even though Shinomiya is in a sports club, her endurance is lacking. Long walks will tire her easily."
After hearing that, Ishigami Yuu found it reasonable.
After all, archery didn't require leg training.
But it still felt like Myuu-senpai was intentionally covering for Sakurai-senpai… was it his imagination?
"What's wrong? What are you guys talking about?"
A familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind them. Ishigami Yuu stiffly turned his head, and saw that the person standing there was none other than Shinomiya Kaguya.
No way… did she hear everything they just said?
Wouldn't that mean they were doomed!?
"Umm… we were talking… ehem, about the fishing later, we decided…" Ishigami Yuu glanced at Shirogane Miyuki desperately, begging him to help.
Where are the teammates, where are my teammates, save me!
...