…
At that moment, aside from Aina's table, everyone in the restaurant had stopped what they were doing.
That so-called subtle confession of Aina's had been noticed by everyone—except Iori!
"She confessed~"
"That girl is so cute~"
"That was definitely a confession just now!"
"Why hasn't that guy dropped dead yet?!"
Fueled by jealousy, two older guys at the next table wished they could take Iori's place. If such a cute girl had confessed to them, they'd have immediately declared their love back!
Unfortunately, they were just single guys, and even their dinner companions were other dudes.
The two bros who had been drinking now gave each other a disgusted look, then clinked their glasses together in mutual misery. (sobs in single)
Kamashiro Shirou, who had witnessed everything, silently gave Iori a thumbs up.
Nicely done. As expected of Iori, he had successfully carved out a third option, something that even Kamashiro Shirou had to admire. That guy's luck was unreal.
"You think he really didn't hear her, or is he just pretending?"
Nibutani elbowed Kamashiro Shirou, her eyes gleaming with gossip.
It was unbearable to have the drama cut off halfway!
Kamashiro Shirou rolled his eyes—so she's one of those people, huh? A hardcore shipper.
"I'm really curious. You've never dated anyone, right? How can you be this obsessed with fictional couples? Doesn't it feel like you're just feeding yourself dog food?"
Pfft!
His words stabbed straight through Nibutanii's heart like a dagger. The gossip-loving gleam vanished from her eyes, replaced by blazing rage.
"Kamashiro ! I'm gonna KILL you!!!"
"Whoa, don't yell so loud! People will notice! Wait—don't actually bite me!"
"AHHHHH!!!"
The commotion at Kamashiro Shirou's table successfully drew the attention of the entire restaurant.
As Iori and Aina turned their heads toward them, Kamashiro Shirou opted for an emergency evasive maneuver!
And then—
Before everyone's eyes, a black cloak fell over two people.
From the silhouette, it looked like one person was seated while the other was crouching down doing who-knows-what. The bump that kept moving seemed like… a head?
Yeah. That head was right at seat cushion level.
(°ー°〃)
Seeing this, the same thought crossed both Iori's and Aina's minds:
"Lewd couple!"
Bang!
The two older guys at the next table slammed their glasses down on the table so hard their teeth were practically grinding.
This restaurant just earned a spot on their personal blacklist.
No real reason—just too much emotional damage.
Single dogs are still dogs! (╥_╥)
…
Outside the restaurant, Nibutani was glaring daggers at her "date" for the day.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
Just a little earlier, a very polite staff member had come to gently warn them—social death level embarrassment.
Nibutani swore she had never been this humiliated in her entire life.
(;￣Д￣）
Kamashiro Shirou's expression twitched slightly. "That was just an accident."
How could he have known people would jump to those conclusions? Honestly, it just proves everyone's minds are in the gutter.
Of course, for someone like Kamashiro Shirou, who's been through countless social deaths, this was barely a drizzle.
"Alright, let's head somewhere else. We've been here long enough."
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Kamashiro Shirou stretched lazily. Despite the mishaps, it had been a pretty enjoyable day.
"Somewhere else? We're not going to keep tailing them?"
Nibutani pointed to the two figures ahead of them—those "lovebirds" still hadn't split up.
Kamashiro Shirou glanced at them and waved dismissively. "Nah, we're done. Nothing's going to happen."
Just one look was enough for him to know their destination. GB. There was a wine party going on over there.
"…Sometimes I really can't figure out what's going on in your head. Ugh, I'm going home. You wasted my whole day."
Nibutani let out a helpless sigh. She felt like she had lived more today than in her entire freshman year of college.
Like a calm ocean suddenly stirred by a rogue wave—not sure if it was a playful fish or an incoming tsunami.
"You say I wasted your day, but you had fun, didn't you? You laughed."
Looking at the big grin on his face, Nibutani froze for a second. Then, almost unconsciously, she reached up and touched the corners of her mouth. They really were curved upward.
Maybe it was the magic of the sunset, but Kamashiro Shirou didn't seem quite so annoying anymore. A blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Alright, alright, I'll come with you."
Nibutanii succumbed to the charms of his smile—and a bit of curiosity about their next stop.
Ten minutes later…
Kamashiro Shirou stood outside the Dragon-Tiger Love Hotel, a red handprint on his cheek, having parted ways with Nibutanii.
Nibutanii was full of regret.
She regretted not hitting him harder! They hadn't even had a second date and he was already trying to go "all the way"?!
Wasn't that a bit fast?!
No—wait! Even on a second date, that wouldn't be okay! That sort of thing should only happen after marriage!
Back home, Nibutani buried her head under the covers, her mind spinning with flashes of the day.
She had always been a bystander watching other people's dates. This was her first time being a participant.
Well, technically it wasn't even a real date. At most, two weirdos stalking others.
But still… Nibutanii's heart had been stirred.
Forget the stalking—the rest of it… was kinda nice?
Aaaahhhhhh!!!
So annoying! Next time that bastard better take her on a proper date!
Nibutanii… was already looking forward to it~
…
Meanwhile—
The defeated Kamashiro Shirou sat at GB, drinking gloomily, filled with regret over what he'd done.
That last move had been pure reflex. By the time he realized it, the slap had already landed. His past experience had backfired hard.
Clearly, he'd been away from "rookies" for too long. He silently vowed to branch out—find more innocent girls!
Such rookie mistakes must never happen again!
Slap!
As Kamashiro Shirou was pondering his "recruitment" strategy, Azusa's little head popped up on his shoulder.
"Ahahaha! Shiro, you got slapped by another girl, didn't you?"
Azusa laughed loudly at the handprint on his face. This wasn't the first time either.
With a teasing look, she threw an arm around him. "So, who was it this time? Kiyoko or Sakurako?"
"..."
Kamashiro Shirou, who had just been picking his next target, froze. Crap, he almost forgot—he still had Kiyoko and Sakurako to deal with!
If they found out…
Yeah, better stick with Nibutanii for now. New recruits can wait.
(′｀;)?
Azusa tilted her head in confusion when he didn't respond—then seemed to realize something.
"Stay safe out there, Shiro."
She patted him on the shoulder, clearly aware it wasn't Kiyoko or Sakurako this time.
Hearing that, Kamashiro Shirou's lips twitched. He gave her a long look. "Just don't sell me out again, Azusa-nee."
He remembered one time when Azusa-nee had revealed his location, which summoned both Kiyoko Kamio and Sakurako upon him…
"Ahahaha! I don't know what you're talking about~"
Azusa blinked innocently, clearly playing dumb.
"Oh, right! I had the best dream last night! I dreamed I was in a wrestling match—and I won first place! Smashed everyone to bits! Hahaha!"
"..."
A dream?
Wrestling?
Kamashiro Shirou's expression turned increasingly grim. He finally understood why he'd had that nightmare last night—where he was torn limb from limb.
So she was the culprit!!!
"Azusa-nee!!!"
"Huh? Whoa! Don't bite me, Shiro!"