Back to business! Now for the date plan!
With the inappropriate chatter out of the way, it was time for the real strategy meeting!
Since the date was set for tomorrow, it had to be unforgettable!
The kind that could completely win over the male lead!
"Mm-hmm!"
Aina nodded excitedly. That was exactly what she wanted—but when it came to dating experience…
"What should I even do…?"
All three girls—including the now-recovered Kanako—turned to look at Kiyoko.
Out of the group, she definitely had the most experience.
"…"
Kiyoko twitched. Wow, thanks for the faith, guys.
"You two could at least try thinking a bit," she said, looking at Kanako and Keiko.
"You've both been on dates before!"
"Well yeah, but we've always been the ones getting asked out."
"So we have no experience planning anything."
"Well, I've never had to plan a date either, okay?!"
Kiyoko slapped the table. This made it sound like no one wanted to date her!
"Wait, but Kiyoko, don't you go out with Kamashiro Shirou all the time?"
Everyone knew how often Kiyoko threw herself at Shiro.
"Just tell us what you two do on your dates!"
"…"
At the mention of this, Kiyoko fell silent.
Let her sort this out.
After meeting Kamishiro in Izu, they went diving, bet on horse races, played pachinko, hit the arcade, and randomly snatched a lollipop from a kid… then, Dragon Tiger Love Hotel, Dragon Tiger Love Hotel, Dragon Tiger Love Hotel!
Until they ran into Busujima, it turned into a battle of wits with that green tea girl.
Thinking about it this way…
Kiyoko quietly crouched in a corner. "Sorry, my plan probably won't help you at all."
(*?????)
Reflecting on it, the dating plan in Izu was a complete failure!
As for their time in Tokyo?
In Tokyo, Shirou arranged all the dates. She remembered every activity—watching the sunrise, riding the Ferris wheel, doing crafts, petting cats, baking, and so on.
But she couldn't recreate the specific itinerary; she just knew she was incredibly happy.
(′｀;)?
The three—Aina, Keiko, and Kanako—looked puzzled at Kiyoko in the corner. She was fine just moments ago—why the sudden meltdown?
It seemed the supposedly reliable Kiyoko wasn't dependable after all. In that case…
"Keiko, didn't you say you're living with a guy?" Aina recalled Keiko mentioning this.
At Aina's mention, Keiko's cheeks flushed. She pressed a finger to her red lips, her expression alluring. "Sort of."
"Please give me some advice!"
"I can't say no to you~" Keiko chuckled lightly, tossing her hair. "Boys are simple creatures.
No matter what they say, just respond with 'Oh, really?', 'I had no idea!', or 'You're amazing!' to flatter them~"
"Mhm, mhm!"
Aina listened intently, practically ready to take notes.
As Aina focused, the "teacher" suddenly lunged, pressing Aina's head into her ample chest.
"And finish with a face-in-boobs move, and you're set!"
"Mmff!"
The suffocating sensation made Aina struggle, but she felt she grasped the essence!
"That's all it takes…?"
Kiyoko, who had somehow drifted to Keiko's side, spoke softly, finding it illogical. She'd tried this and got, "Kiyoko, you've gained a bit of weight."
She'd promptly beaten that jerk for her one-pound weight gain.
"Yup, that simple—for my six-year-old brother."
"…"
Realizing the "man" in Keiko's story was six, Aina buried her face, sobbing. "Idiot! I actually believed you for a second, idiot!"
"Don't be so sad, Aina. The face-in-boobs move isn't bad. No guy dislikes boobs. Just swap those phrases for 'You're so good' or 'I can't take it'~"
Veteran Kiyoko revived, recalling the move worked in bed.
It hadn't worked before, probably because he was in sage mode.
"Right! That guy loves boobs, and his maturity's about six years old. It'll work!"
Aina entered self-soothing mode.
"Is the guy you like really okay…?"
A six-year-old mentality and a boob obsession—could those coexist? Were Japanese kids this precocious now?
But six years old is a crime!
Kanako wondered if she should warn Aina. She didn't want her bestie's next meeting to be in jail for child molestation…
"The issue is whether there's enough boob to face-wash."
"After all, Aina's a flat runway."
Kiyoko and Keiko crushed Kanako's concerns at the root—Aina had no boobs.
*Pfft~*
Aina covered her mouth, feeling insulted. *Apologize to my boobs, you jerks!*
"No worries, we can shift armpit fat over. Boobs? Squeeze, and they'll appear."
Kiyoko stripped Aina's jacket, leaving her in a camisole, arms raised, standing before them.
"Hm…"
"What a… barren wasteland."
Kiyoko pinched Aina's armpit, her eyes pitying. There was nothing to squeeze—some chubby boys had bigger chests.
"Don't judge my boobs like that! (╥_╥)"
Aina teared up, hurt. Even if true, they didn't have to say it. She thought she could salvage something.
"Wait! Don't give up yet!"
Curvy Keiko offered another idea. "If armpit fat won't do, pile up hip and belly fat!"
"Oh! That's some serious relocation!"
Kiyoko, unaware of this trick, tried it and found her cup size increased!
It was like discovering a new world. Couldn't she now utterly captivate Shirou?
Even before, Busujima, that green tea girl, couldn't compete. Now, with this technique, how could she lose?
Kiyoko smirked triumphantly, envisioning Dokushima kneeling in defeat.
But the protagonist wasn't her. After studying Aina's chest, Kanako concluded, "Sadly, Aina's current boobs are already piled from those areas."
"…"
Looking at Aina sulking in the corner, they gained a clearer understanding of their friend's flatness.
"Then let's at least help pick an outfit!"
With the boob plan failing, the trio pivoted. Hook the guy, and it's a win!
"Show off those slender legs!"
"It'd be a shame to hide those pale legs."
"And the chest—bare a little, it's fine. There's nothing to censor!"
"Simple, simple! Aina should go for simple!"
During the endless try-on session, Aina's face grew redder, already fantasizing about tomorrow's date.
What would tomorrow bring?
…
Meanwhile, at Kamishiro's home
"Phew!"
Shirou, previously sound asleep, bolted upright. He'd just had a nightmare!
"So, can you tell me how you found me, Kamishiro-kun?"
In an ordinary café, a cute girl with long brown hair glared sharply at the strikingly handsome guy across from her.
Though the guy was easy on the eyes, Nibutani had no time to admire him.
Not long ago, a message from a stranger shattered her peaceful life.
Her biggest secret!
It had been discovered—again, again, AGAIN!!!
In that moment, Nibutani devised a flawless plan for human annihilation.
Sadly, Japan had a robust criminal code.
Weighing her options, she opted for negotiation to resolve this.
"No need to be so tense, Nibutani-san. I'm not a bad guy—I won't use your secret to blackmail you~"
(λ?_??)
Kamishiro grinned cheekily at the curvaceous girl.
She wasn't as tough as she seemed. Beneath her sharp gaze was a hint of shyness and despair, her hands trembling as she held her coffee cup.
In another story, this could be a creepy otaku blackmailing a beautiful girl.
But with Shirou's looks, he dodged that vibe. Sometimes, people even thought *he* was the victim.
The power of appearance!
Japan society could be harsh to the unattractive or intimidating.
Like the Dragon Tiger Love Hotel owner—clearly not a delinquent, yet perceived as one.
Back to the point.
Nibutani sank into despair at Shirou's words. That cheeky grin, paired with his claim, was utterly unconvincing!
And they weren't even close! Calling her by name so casually was way too familiar!
This was definitely blackmail!
Why else meet in a café?
"Phew…"
Nibutani exhaled. She'd once divined Shirou's fortune and, for various reasons, looked into his character.
Aside from being a bit of a scumbag, he wasn't… well, okay, he was a scumbag!
Nibutani started worrying about her chastity.
But…
Glancing at Shirou's handsome face, she felt a flicker of anticipation. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad?
AHHH!!!
Realizing this, Nibutani clutched her head, writhing. Was her earlier divination messing with her?
(′｀;)?
Shirou watched, baffled, as Nibutani went berserk, turning into a flailing seaweed.
Had he said something weird?
He hadn't even gotten to the point yet.
Sigh... young people these days, who knows what they're thinking.
╮( ╯_╰ )╭
"Um… are you okay, Nibutani?"
"Absolutely not!"
As soon as Nibutani heard Kamishiro Shiro's voice, she snapped out of her daydream and jumped up with a jolt.
Smack!
She slapped the table and stood up abruptly, shouting "Absolutely not!"—whatever she had just imagined in her head must have been something wild.
{{(°△°; "}}!
The sudden noise startled Kamishiro and drew everyone's attention in the café.
Stareeeeeee~
Nibutani was now fully awake, facing the utterly mortifying scene before her. Her mouth twitched uncontrollably. The little person in her heart had already died of embarrassment.
Still, this was Nibutani we're talking about—after enduring high school, she had faced worse. She calmly tucked some hair behind her ear and sat back down as if nothing had happened, even taking a slow, deliberate sip of her coffee.
"I'm terribly sorry, Kamishiro-san. But I do want to know where this information came from."
Nibutani had considered denying it outright, but the guy looked way too confident. If she denied it and he had proof, her secret might be completely exposed.
To continue surviving at this school, Nibutani decided to take the hit—just this once!
Kamishiro gave her a silent thumbs-up. Girls really do have a talent for switching expressions on a dime.
As for the source…
Kamishiro grimaced. "You know how it is in our line of work. We can't just go around revealing our sources."
"…"
Nibutani's eye twitched. Why did this suddenly sound like some kind of underground intelligence agency drama? This wasn't some mob movie, right?
"I'll buy this round of coffee."
!
"It was that Mighty Mjolnir wielding chick who always ends her sentences with 'desu'!"
Kamishiro spilled the beans instantly—no hesitation whatsoever, all for a free coffee.
Nibutani froze, then realization hit her. "That bastard!"
She already knew who the leaker was. That verbal tic was impossible to forget.
That little pipsqueak who uses her twin tails as weapons!
Wait a minute...
How does Kamishiro even know her? They shouldn't have any connection.
Nibutani looked at him suspiciously. "You two know each other?"
"Nope."
Kamishiro shrugged innocently. The world wasn't that coincidental.
Clap clap clap!!!
"Then how did she tell you?! No, wait—how did you even know about her?!"
Nibutani was fired up again, slamming the table repeatedly and drawing more curious stares. But she didn't care anymore—she had to know how her identity was exposed.
"Oh, that's easy. I just went on Mori-sama's forum, found the most active poster, and told them I ran into a fake Mori-sama."
Kamishiro took a graceful sip of coffee, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. He'd just been trying to rile up Mori's fans, but the Mighty Mjolnir girl started ranting about that time in high school when she met a fake Mori-sama.
He baited her a little, and it quickly became obvious that the "fake Mori-sama" she mentioned was actually the real one—our very own Shinka Nibutani sitting across from him now.
（λ?_?）
Ah, fate is a strange thing~
"…"
Nibutani was silent after hearing the full story. Why the hell does that forum still exist?
If heaven gave her another chance, she would never choose to go through a chuunibyou phase again!
(╥_╥)
Staring at the handsome scumbag across from her, Nibutani knew she was doomed.
At that moment, Kamishiro Shiro knew the time was right. He flashed the smuggest villain grin.
And said the classic line:
"Hohoho~ Nibutani-san, you don't want your little chuunibyou secret getting out, do you~?"
(｡ì _ í｡)
(╥_╥)
"Please… I'm begging you, don't tell anyone. No matter what you want, I can do it…"
As the victim of this blackmail, Nibutani slumped her head in defeat. She couldn't think of any way to turn this around.
As long as his request wasn't too outrageous, she could agree to it. If it was outrageous…
Well—
Actually, maybe that would be okay too～
Her cheeks flushed red. Truth be told, back in high school she had wanted a handsome boyfriend, but certain people and events got in the way.
Come to think of it… hadn't she also been blackmailed in high school over this Mori-sama thing?
That just made her want to go back and strangle her middle-school self even more. Her entire past was just black history!
Of course, Nibutani had conveniently forgotten that this whole mess started because she insisted on roleplaying as Mori-sama even in university.
If it weren't for that previous fortune-telling incident, Kamishiro Haku might never have set his sights on her.
Because this time, Kamishiro's request was directly related to fortune-telling.
"Ahem… of course, I'm not a total devil. I just want Mori-sama to do a little fortune-telling for me～"
Yesterday's nightmare had really shaken Kamishiro. He was convinced it must be some kind of omen.
"Oh? Just fortune-telling?"
Nibutani was surprised by the request—and maybe a little disappointed. She'd been mentally prepared for something else, after all. (〃ω〃)
"Well… not exactly fortune-telling. More like dream interpretation? I recently had a nightmare—a really bad one!"
"Eh, in that case, I recommend you just eat something before bed."
(ーー;)
Kamishiro gave the girl a blank stare. "That pun wasn't necessary. And it's a Chinese pun at that."
"Ahem… I've been studying Chinese culture recently. So, where were we?"
Nibutani's expression was a little awkward. Not funny? She thought it was hilarious.
"The dream…"
Kamishiro was starting to regret asking her. She looked totally unreliable. Maybe it was because she wasn't in "costume" this time?
As he studied Nibutani, he even considered making her change into her old Mori-sama outfit—it had been pretty good, actually.
"Um… Kamishiro-kun, tarot cards aren't exactly accurate for dream interpretation…"
Feeling self-conscious under his gaze, Nibutani blushed slightly and sipped her coffee to hide it.
"Eh? Really? I thought tarot could interpret dreams?"
"Only for certain kinds of dreams. How about you describe it first, and I'll tell you if it's possible?"
"Alright."
Kamishiro thought for a moment. Honestly, he'd already forgotten some details, but the nightmare had been so vivid that he'd woken up short of breath.
He'd sat up so suddenly that he'd scared the sleeping Azusa next to him awake.
Resting his chin on both hands, he recalled the dream. "I remember I was happily on a date with a girl…"
"What kind of girl?"
"Can't remember clearly. Just that her oppai were probably an F-cup!"
"…"
Nibutani stared at his serious expression in silence. She'd already given up hope of interpreting this dream. Tarot had no way to decode something that started with an F-cup.
Still… she was curious about the rest.
"Please continue."
"Well, somehow Kiyoko and Sakurako suddenly showed up—you know, those two girls who came with me for fortune-telling last time."
"I remember…"
Nibutani's forehead developed a few black lines. That fortune-telling session was still the most ridiculous she'd ever done… well, maybe now it ranked second.
"Then a few more popped out, and my big F was brutally destroyed! It was tragic!"
Kamishiro shuddered as if reliving it.
"Oh? So it went from a romance movie to an action movie?"
Nibutani pulled out some sunflower seeds from who-knows-where. She'd given up on the fortune-telling and decided to just enjoy this scumbag's dream as entertainment.
"So you were scared because it was too violent?"
"Ah, not exactly. The main thing was—they attacked me! Quartered me with six horses! And it wasn't even continuous—pull a bit, stop, pull again!
I swear, when I woke up my neck and shoulders actually hurt!"
Kamishiro's face turned even paler. That was what truly scared him—the dream had felt too real.
"Wait, quartered with five horses? That means you provoked five girls?!"
Nibutani's voice was full of horror. She thought two had been his limit.
"No, six horses. As for the number of girls… six horses is just my body's limit, not theirs."
"…"
Nibutani went silent. She took back any good impression she'd had of him before.
He was a complete and utter scumbag.
She'd thought the forum rumors were exaggerated—but clearly, they were understated.
She wanted to just get up and leave, but her black history wouldn't let her.
"Sorry… tarot can't interpret this kind of dream at all. Have you experienced anything unusual recently that might have caused it?"
She decided to be honest. Even if tarot couldn't help, she'd at least try to analyze it so this scumbag wouldn't expose her.
"Anything unusual…"
Kamishiro thought for a moment. Recently… nothing unusual, really.
"Parties, teasing Iori, dates, new dates, appreciating 'art' with Azusa-nee, more dates, parties, meeting new girls…
Nope, nothing unusual at all!"
Kamishiro said it with absolute confidence. In fact, he thought his life was very routine.