"You bastard…"
"Did you say something that made them misunderstand again?!"
Faced with the way Chisa and Aina were looking at them, Iori and Kohei froze up like JoJo characters.
Grinding their teeth, they turned toward Kamashiro, accusing him.
Usually, it was this jerk running his mouth whenever they weren't around!
Like those rumors or those forum posts before!
(???)
"I swear, I didn't do anything this time. I just got back too! Aunt Kotegawa pulled me aside for a chat earlier."
Kamashiro looked truly wronged. Not everything should be pinned on him! He always told the truth—more or less.
The two shot him skeptical looks, but seeing no guilty twitches or guilty glances, they reluctantly chose to believe him.
So then...
What the hell was up with Chisa and Cakey?
Why did it feel like their days were numbered?
They hadn't even gotten a health check recently!
And even if they had, it's not like the girls would have seen the results!
As they stood there in confusion, Chisa and Aina suddenly spoke up, their voices unusually soft and gentle.
"Iori…"
"And Kamashiro, Kohei…"
|????????)
Iori: "…Yeah?"
Kohei: "What is it?"
Kamashiro: "Can you guys talk like normal people for once?"
Still clueless about what was going on, the trio turned to the girls, seeking answers.
But what they saw only deepened their unease.
Chisa and Aina were covering their mouths, eyes full of sadness. There were even tears welling up in the corners of their eyes.
"Thank you... for everything up till now."
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ!!!
"Hey, hey, hey?!!" ×3
That expression wasn't normal!!
If someone saw this without context, they'd think the girls had just come back from attending someone's funeral!
"Why are you suddenly thanking us?!"
"What the hell happened?!"
"Was there some breaking news or something?"
Like maybe a story about a girl getting attacked late at night? Then sure, this kind of gratitude might make sense!
But the girls shook their heads, rejecting Kamashiro's wild theory.
"Don't worry about it."
"There's nothing wrong."
Then, as if recalling something she'd just learned, Aina's eyes drifted toward Kohei's crotch. "We just wanted to express our appreciation for life, that's all."
"…The hell kind of line is that coming from you?!"
Kohei couldn't help but snap. A fan of cheesy teen dramas reflecting on the meaning of life? Really?
She wasn't into rock music, rap, or extreme sports!
What was rare, though, was that Aina didn't even respond to his jab. Her eyes remained full of quiet sympathy.
But this time... it wasn't just sympathy.
Before, they'd at least been looking at their faces. But now—not just Aina, even Chisa—were staring directly at their crotches!
What was going on with that area today?!
Did it suddenly gain some magnetic allure?
Weren't they always the ones complaining when the guys stripped while drinking?
Why the intense gaze now?! Even they had modesty, you know!
Just as Kamashiro was about to speak up to stop them, Chisa pulled out a crisp bill.
"You guys wanted beer, right?"
"How about we treat you?"
"We'll handle the rest of the cleanup."
"You head back to the dorm and enjoy a drink, alright?"
Though their heads were spinning with unanswered questions, the offer of free beer and getting off work early was too tempting.
Instead of sticking around waiting for answers that might never come, they might as well head back and think things through.
The three exchanged glances and nodded in silent agreement.
"Deal!"
Time to regroup and strategize!
Dorm Room
With the beers they'd mooched off Aina in hand, the three sat in solemn silence.
"Those two are definitely hiding something."
"No doubt. Their faces gave everything away!"
"Well, actually… I think I might know what's going on…"
Iori and Kohei instantly turned to Kamashiro. They knew it had to be him again!
(;?＿?)
"Don't look at me like that! I swear, I didn't do anything."
Kamashiro pushed their faces away and finally shared what Aunt Kotegawa had told him earlier—about wanting Chisa to learn more about male physiology.
The two of them gave him strange looks. "So… you're saying those two have been studying male biology?"
"Pretty much!"
"Ohhh~"
Suddenly it all clicked, and understanding dawned on their faces.
That explained the intense staring at their lower halves!
Mystery solved!
"…But then why were they looking at us like they were watching us die?" Kohei still couldn't wrap his head around it. "If it was just for studying, they could've just gotten us drunk. No need for those funeral expressions."
At that, Kamashiro recalled the scene from earlier, and a smug grin slowly crept across his face.
"Heh… when they looked like that, they were mostly looking at you two."
"Hah?"
"And what's that supposed to mean?!"
They were still completely lost.
As far as they were concerned, they were totally normal!
"Just imagine this: if Azusa-senpai and Aina were sitting together in swimsuits, what kind of look would you give Aina?"
The moment that image popped into their heads, Iori and Kouhei's expressions turned involuntarily pitying… almost merciful.
Poor thing…
Wait a second!
Iori and Kouhei's eyes suddenly sharpened. Did that mean… the gap between Shirou Kamashiro and them was like the difference between Azusa and a walking cake in a swimsuit?!
"You bastard! You're not even that much older than us!"
"Nonsense! My basketball's the biggest, okay? I usually have to tuck it around my waist!"
"Huh? Then drop your pants and show us how you tuck it!"
As Shirou kept boasting, the two of them gradually turned darker in the face.
Although… well… Shirou probably was a bit bigger than them, but as men, they couldn't admit defeat at a time like this!
"What? You guys want to settle this with a comparison?"
"Bring it on! If you've got the guts, go up against both of us!"
"What the hell kind of comparison is that?!"
Tempers flared. Fueled by alcohol, the situation quickly devolved into a full-on booze-fueled contest.
From comparing size, they cheerfully escalated into a bathroom challenge—who could pee the farthest.
If there had been any mud in the room, they might've started wrestling in it for real.
Just as their masculinity showdown reached its peak, their phones lit up with messages from Chisa and Aina in the group chat.
"Something came up. We won't be back for at least two hours."
"You can do it.jpg"
But the three of them were far too engrossed in their ridiculous competition to notice.
Suddenly, the dorm room door burst open!
Maki stood frozen, covering her mouth, a deep blush rising on her face.
So it was true! What Aina and Chisa said wasn't a joke!
The three of them really were in some kind of indecent relationship… This was way too intense!
Sensing their gazes on her, Maki quickly bowed, apologized, and closed the door in one swift motion.
Through the door, Shirou and the others could still hear her overly excited apology.
"Sorry! Please continue!"
At that moment, their expressions crumbled in unison, and they bolted after Maki in a frenzy.
"It's not what you think!!"
"We were just comparing sizes!!"
"Don't misunderstand!!"
Maki: Mhm, just comparing sizes~
(λ?_??)
There was, of course, a reason why Maki suddenly dropped by the guys' dorm.
(λ?_??)
She had, after all, received a tip-off and came to investigate the "obscenity."
Surrounded and interrogated by the three large men, Maki finally confessed.
—Ten minutes earlier—
The store manager and shift lead had already gone home.
Maki was just about to clock out when she noticed Chisa and Aina still lingering in the shop.
Maki: "Why are you two still here?"
"Maki-senpai!"
"Uh… it's kind of complicated. But we have a reason we have to kill two hours here."
Aina didn't want to explain too clearly. It was just too embarrassing.
How were they supposed to say they were giving Iori and the others time to "resolve" something?
Totally impossible to put into words!
Seeing their awkward expressions, Maki didn't pry. She just handed them the store key and was about to leave.
As she left, she reminded them not to forget the key in the dorm tomorrow morning.
But—
Just as she was about to walk out the door, curiosity got the better of her.
She turned around with a nosy look and asked, "So, why do you have to stay here for two hours?"
"Uh…"
Caught in the act, both girls looked visibly embarrassed.
But remembering Maki-senpai was their source of "knowledge," they figured she might even give them some advice.
They took a deep breath and blurted it out.
"It's to give Iori and the others time to work through… sexual stuff."
"Eh?"
Maki blinked.
The shock was so great she didn't even know what kind of expression to make.
Was she hearing things?
Seeing her stunned reaction, the two girls shouted even louder, recalling the signs outside love hotels.
"Because the signs outside all say the rest period is two hours!" ×2
That's when Maki finally understood.
Her face turned beet red.
She had been just shipping things for fun earlier—but it turned out to be real?!
"Eh? They… those three… really?"
The girls nodded solemnly.
"Yeah…"
"So we're just killing time until they finish."
"I see…"
Maki nodded. She had no more questions. Her head was now filled with images of those three together.
Who's on top? Who's in the middle? Who's on the bottom…?
Nope!
Maki couldn't stand it anymore.
She had to go see for herself!
(???□?)? Let's go!!
Back at the dorm—
The three guys had already gotten dressed again.
Mostly because running around Maki in a half-naked state just felt wrong.
Too much like some video on a sketchy website.
"Ahem. So that's what happened."
Maki sat on the couch, holding a beer, her eyes darting awkwardly.
Even though the three had explained they weren't in that kind of relationship, her mind still believed what her eyes had seen.
That scene just now… was way too spicy!
After hearing Maki's side of things, the three guys finally understood the full picture.
So that's how it was.
They thought the three of them were actually… doing it.
And even knew about the love hotel two-hour system—how considerate of them.
The three of them hung their heads so low, their expressions were completely unreadable.
"Iori, you there? I think it's time we take action."
"God, I'm here. Let's go drag those two culprits back here."
"We'll KILL THEM!!!"
They raised their heads, rage burning in their eyes, and stormed off toward the shop like demons from hell.
Watching the three angry beasts disappear into the night, Maki scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"Ahaha… I think I might've just unleashed something terrible…"
Meanwhile, in the store—
Chisa and Aina were having a heartfelt conversation.
It was then that Aina finally understood why Chisa and the manager always seemed kind of awkward around each other.
Because—
"I don't think my mom wants me to become a diving instructor."
A trace of sadness flickered in Chisa's eyes.
"I want to be like my sister."
"She's warm, always smiling, and loves the ocean. She's great at her job, too."
"If only I were her…"
Hearing this, Aina was stunned.
Becoming someone else…
Actually, she had always wanted to become someone else too. And that "someone else" was—
"Chisa… I wish I could be you."
So pathetic. She envied the way Chisa and Iori got along. She wanted to be Chisa.
As soon as she said it, Aina froze. The atmosphere must've gotten to her—she accidentally spilled her true feelings.
She panicked, trying to explain.
"No, I mean, uh…"
But Chisa just smiled, gently responding:
"I wish I could be you, too, Aina."
"Eh?!"
Aina was stunned. Was she just trying to make her feel better?
But being her… there was no way that was worth anything…
"You really got along well with the guests today, but I... I just wasn't good enough."
She truly envied Aina, who could so easily connect with customers. As for herself… she just couldn't open up.
Aina blinked in surprise. She had never imagined that someone would actually envy her.
The two locked eyes.
Then, suddenly, they both burst into laughter.
So, even a self they weren't satisfied with… could be someone else's ideal.
Just as they were about to share more of their thoughts, a wave of hostility descended upon them.
Three "demons" suddenly appeared before their eyes.
{{(°△°; "}}! ×2
"I-Iori?!"
"Why do you all look so mad…"
"Well, that's a great question!"
"You've got some nerve asking that!"
"Maki-san just happened to come by and peeked at us, and that's how we found out—"
The "demonic" faces of the three contorted again—something you could slap straight into a horror film.
"WHO SAID WE WERE IN SOME WEIRD THREESOME?!" ×3
"Wait… what are you guys talking about?"
"We were just trying to take care of you…"
Aina and Chisa were totally confused. Weren't they supposed to be grateful at this point?!
"What kind of 'taking care' is this?!" ×3
Seeing the trio's furious expressions, the two girls froze.
They realized... they might have misunderstood something.