Holiday.
Although the Angel Café wasn't as busy as usual, it was still livelier than on an ordinary day.
"If only that new café near here hadn't opened, our business would definitely be better..."
Leaning on the table with her elbows, Iroha sighed.
Yuu sat in the seat near the window, slowly replying to messages on his phone. He answered casually, "What's there to complain about? No need to worry—the shop won't close, the work is easy, and you have more free time to do your own things. It's the perfect environment for a part-timer."
"That's true... But it still feels weirdly unpleasant that our customers are being stolen! And me—when I work, I'm surprisingly the diligent type, okay?"
Clenching her small fist, Iroha sighed resignedly, as if there was nothing she could do.
Then she twisted her slender waist and sat beside Yuu, leaning in to peek at his phone screen.
"By the way, Senpai, are you chatting with your girlfriend? Don't you feel guilty talking to me, your super cute junior, while doing that?"
Iroha whined in a sweet voice, but her expression wasn't serious—she just seemed to be looking for something to talk about.
A soft scent approached from beside him, and her light brown hair was close.
She naturally shortened the distance, getting closer without making it feel clingy. This was the natural skill every cute girl possessed.
But perhaps because she knew the other party already had a girlfriend—and might be misinterpreted as flirting—Iroha didn't get too close. She just pretended to look at his phone.
Glancing away from the chat interface, Yuu looked at her.
"Leaving your girlfriend for a junior is even worse."
Though this junior was still ridiculously cute.
Since they'd made plans for a blind date at this café, Iroha had no work schedule today, so she wasn't wearing her uniform, but casual clothes.
Autumn had arrived. Though the weather wasn't exactly cold, she wore a cream-colored sweater, her pink fingers shrinking into the sleeves that were too long. Underneath was a light brown knitted cardigan with a V-neck, slightly revealing her collarbone. She looked youthful and cheerful, yet didn't lose her mature aura.
The well-fitted clothes accentuated the curves of the young, beautiful girl. Below, she wore short denim shorts with black leggings—her calves were firm and slender. Clearly, this outfit had been carefully designed, perfectly showcasing her charm and best features.
Yuu silently noted the outfit. He'd go home later and try to convince his little sister to wear something like this—Sora at home only ever wore that white dress. Her closet had over ten identical dresses. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd seen her dressed like a normal girl. Even when going to the hospital, Sora only wore a windbreaker over it.
If possible, Yuu also wanted Sora to wear a sailor uniform, a work uniform, a maid outfit—host a special cosplay event just for his little sister...
"Of course."
Iroha nodded. Yuu thought she agreed with his naughty thoughts, but he quickly realized and saw her meaningful expression.
"After all, Senpai's girlfriend is Natsukawa-senpai—the one nicknamed the Nordic Gem, Cosmic-Level Beauty, Imperial Valkyrie!" Iroha propped her chin, speaking firmly. "With someone like that as your girlfriend, most women must feel like cats and dogs to you—no interest at all, right?"
"What's with those weird nicknames... And, plenty of people are fond of cats and dogs, you know?"
Yuu couldn't help but sigh.
Leaving aside the overly imaginative nature of Japanese people... Masuzu was beautiful, but not that beautiful.
At least by Yuu's standards, Yuigahama, Yukino, and even Iroha wouldn't be inferior.
She was exaggerating so much it made him feel like this junior was subtly implying something...
"Please stop complaining about unimportant things like that, Senpai."
Rolling her eyes with resignation, as if giving up on serious talk, Iroha pulled out her phone too. She spoke casually while swiping her screen. "Honestly, I still find it a bit unbelievable... Natsukawa-senpai, who rejected so many people, actually dating someone like Senpai. Was she tricked by your talent and looks?"
"What do you mean, 'someone like Senpai'? Now I don't know if you're complimenting me."
"Complimenting, of course complimenting~"
"No way I'd believe that."
Yuu tapped her head. She immediately hugged her head, whining in dissatisfaction. She even deliberately shifted her hips away from him, but her expression wasn't truly rejecting—her ears were slightly red.
"But the strangest thing is, Natsukawa-senpai lets you go on a blind date with other girls... Senpai, are foreigners really that open-minded? Or does she truly trust you that much?"
She asked with gossipy curiosity. Iroha looked up from her phone, her big eyes blinking playfully as she tilted her head to look at him.
His phone vibrated. Yuu glanced at the message.
"It's more like a fan meetup than a blind date. How could someone in a relationship be calm enough to allow this?—That's what she thinks."
"As for whether she trusts me or not, I can't say. Who knows? Maybe she wants to spy on me or just enjoy the show."
Iroha looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"
Before she could ask, the loud café bell rang.
Instinctively turning around, she quickly stood up. "They're here. Senpai, wait here a moment—I'll bring them over!"
After that, the slender waist and cute backside of the girl walked away toward the door.
Yuu shifted his gaze and picked up the phone that had just rung.
"Hello?"
On the other end, a voice tried to sound deep but remained melodious, like a summer breeze.
"Yuu, you're looking at me, aren't you?!"
Yuu rubbed his temple in pain. "What are you talking about? Aren't you the one hiding in the corner spying on me?"
"Yuu, you're looking at that junior's butt, aren't you?!"
"Listen when I'm talking."
Masuzu ignored him, even starting to pant.
"When I first saw... that junior swaying her hips as she walked away... Hehehe... How should I put it, it sounds a bit dirty... Yuu actually... got turned on..."
"Enough." Yuu cut her off immediately, looking toward the corner. "If you keep talking, I'll drag you out right now."
"Oh, feeling guilty?" Masuzu's tone finally returned to normal. She teased him with a sweet smile. "I didn't even rush over to splash water on you, even though you two were sitting so close, your movements so intimate—yet now you're threatening me?"
Though her voice was cheerful, it carried a faint dangerous aura—cold and bone-chilling.
"You truly deserve to be called Yuu. I can see the playboy potential in you."
As she spoke, the suspicious figure in the corner also lowered her sunglasses. Sharp blue eyes stared straight at him—no smile at all.
"My boyfriend, after the ponytail girl, is this your second mistress?"
Though she was a fake girlfriend, Masuzu questioned him with the oppressive aura of a real girlfriend.
After that day's conflict, Masuzu's attitude had grown increasingly strange. Not only did she deliberately come to Yuu's class to have lunch with him, but when he talked with Yuigahama, she'd deliberately push Yuigahama away, casually asserting her position.
Yuu no longer knew what to say to her. Even he couldn't distinguish what was real and what was fake anymore.
But from the fifth volume of JOJO given by the system, he knew she didn't hate him—knowing that was enough.
"Isshiki is just a regular junior. Masuzu, are you too jealous?"
Masuzu sneered coldly. "Jealous? Don't use such a disgusting word on me. I just don't like my belongings being tainted by others... including my fake boyfriend."
Yuu rubbed his forehead in despair. "You're so possessive? You're such a troublesome woman..."
"Of course, I am troublesome." Masuzu said cheerfully. "Why? Are you going to cancel our plans and run off to find the ponytail girl and that junior?"
"..."
Yuu fell silent, raising his gaze to meet her eyes. But he could only see a thin layer of calmness and a mocking smile that looked like it was pretending.
(If those words were sincere, then this woman... how anxious is she really?)
"Alright, the joke ends here."
As if realizing something from his gaze, Masuzu suddenly changed the subject, her demeanor returning to calm and confident.
"Yuu, show me how you charm your fans. As long as you can make them all fall under your control, one day we'll be able to trample over the entire Service Club!"
Yuu froze. "Huh? Why the Service Club...?"
Before he could finish, the call was unilaterally disconnected.
She put her sunglasses back on. Masuzu turned around, holding a cup of black tea, continuing to pretend to be a suspicious figure in the corner.
"Really..."
Yuu put down his phone, letting out a long, weary sigh.
Originally, Masuzu's reason for agreeing to this blind date was simple—she just wanted to watch the show and enjoy the spectacle.
Though she set a few conditions—like wanting to observe the entire process from the side, and reminding Yuu to always remember he had a girlfriend—she didn't care much about this matter.
Since it wasn't a big deal, Yuu just went along with her wishes.
He never expected that in just a few days, this woman's attitude would suddenly change. Not only did she now show approval of the junior's request as if she wanted him to flirt with girls!—but she also refused to let him cancel the blind date. Instead, she insisted on coming herself to watch her boyfriend meet other girls.
If their relationship weren't fake, this behavior would be pure self-torture—like she enjoyed the feeling of being cheated on.
Even Haruno wasn't this weird.
Anyway, Yuu didn't intend to do anything with the fans. He only planned to chat a few words, hear their opinions about him, then leave.
"Senpai, made you wait~"
She must've already ordered something at the counter. A few minutes later, Iroha returned with three girls and casually sat beside him, her tone cheerful.
"Everyone, relax! Senpai isn't a monster or a celebrity. It's fine if the atmosphere isn't too tense~"
Seeing the three girls sit across from them, they slowly relaxed their bodies. Iroha, like a party host, turned toward him, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Senpai, I've ordered coffee for you."
"Hm, thanks."
"But I didn't order cake for you—you'll just have to watch us eat."
"..."
Seeing her look at him despairingly, one of the girls—the shy-looking one with braids—quickly spoke in a low voice. "U-um, the cake I ordered is for Tenkuji-senpai..."
"Don't worry, don't worry~" Iroha smiled sweetly, her small hand on the girl's shoulder, chin proudly raised. "Our Senpai is very kind to me—he won't mind such a small thing!"
"B-but okay..."
She secretly observed Yuu's expression. After seeing him merely roll his eyes and completely ignore it, the braided girl sighed in relief and said nothing more.
After a brief silence, the straight-haired black-haired girl who had been staring at Yuu curiously spoke frankly. "So Tenkuji-senpai is a friendly, laid-back person? I could tell from your piano performance, but from your aura, you somehow feel hard to approach..."
"Hm? Is that so?"
This was the first time Yuu realized he had an aura that made juniors feel he was hard to approach...
But Iroha agreed.
"Yeah, it's true. Senpai looks so scary when he's not talking. He can even glare at cute girls with a blank expression—really..."
Her complaints, which seemed like they could go on forever, were cut short as she was forced back to the main topic under Yuu's friendly gaze.
"Then, I'll introduce them first!"
"After all, they all came here specially for him, so I won't talk too much about Senpai... Senpai, they're members of the Cooking Club, Music Club, and Kendo Club..."
"Hm, I recognize two of them."
Listening to the introduction, Yuu nodded. He looked at the girl with braids, the straight-haired black-haired girl, and the dark-skinned girl who had been sitting quietly, her eyes sharply fixed on him.
"I've met the Cooking Club member at the competition. And for the Kendo Club... I remember you said, 'How could a volunteer club member defeat Club President Himura?' right?"
The dark-skinned girl, who had been slightly hostile earlier, was surprised into silence. "...You know that?"
"Don't underestimate my memory. Even people caught making bets by the disciplinary committee—I still remember their faces."
Yuu gave a faint smile. Without small talk, he got straight to the point. "So, what did you want to ask me? I heard from Isshiki that there's something you wanted to discuss?"
As he spoke, he paused briefly and added:
"Sorry, to prevent my girlfriend from getting jealous enough to have a stroke, I can't chat with you all too long."
After those words were spoken, the vibration in his pocket suddenly stopped—then started again a few seconds later.
Yuu quietly took out his phone to check. Beneath a series of annoying messages [Boyfriend cheating in front of me], one message looked particularly odd.
Masuzu: {I'm not jealous, and I didn't have a stroke. Stop talking nonsense. Stupid stupid, stupid Yuu}
...This woman had incredibly sharp hearing, and her reply was so childish.
Calmly putting his phone down, Yuu glanced at Iroha, who kept watching his every move with curious eyes, signaling her with his eyes to focus on what was in front of them.
"Got it. I won't waste your time."
Even though he'd mentioned having a girlfriend, the atmosphere didn't turn awkward—just from this, Yuu knew there were no fans in love with him here. They hadn't asked Iroha to arrange this blind date just to flirt with him.
The three girls exchanged glances, silently confirming their speaking order with their eyes. Then, slightly nervous, they began to speak:
Braided Girl: "I-I wanted to ask you about how to make fried rice..."
Straight-Haired Girl: "I really loved the piano piece you played at the fair, but when I got home, no matter how many times I listened to the notes and played it from memory, I couldn't recreate the feeling you gave me then... Please, no matter what it takes, I hope you can teach me that song..."
Dark-Skinned Girl: "Please tell me—how to defeat Club President Himura!"