"Kaguya-chan, I'll be heading home now~"
Fujiwara Chika chose to leave early. She had no desire to go back to the study and endure the torment of the first and second-ranked students in the year.
Hayasaka Ai waved, then looked at Uchiha Ryo beside her.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" Uchiha Ryo didn't understand what Hayasaka Ai was saying.
Shinomiya Kaguya stepped forward. "Uchiha-kun, how long do you plan on staying here?"
"If you'll lend me your maid, I'll leave right now."
Shinomiya Kaguya fell silent.
Hayasaka Ai lowered her head, then forcefully pushed Uchiha Ryo out.
"Ryo-kun, we'll see you tomorrow then."
.....
Outside the gates of the Shinomiya residence, Uchiha Ryo stood helplessly, staring up at the sky. Sunday afternoons were always so boring... and dull.
Going straight home would be too uninteresting. Maybe he should go for a stroll.
Although it was a Sunday, one could still see stylish and modern university girls, young women out with friends for the weekend, or professional women in office attire on the commercial street.
Men? Please, as a man, who goes out on the street to look at other men? Uchiha Ryo stopped in front of a bookstore.
He had just finished the first volume of Love Metronome. The second volume should be out by now. Uchiha Ryo remembered that it was this second volume that was heavily promoted online, which created the future Kasumi Utako.
After buying two copies of Love Metronome, Uchiha Ryo noticed an arcade not far away.
He heard that the arcade machines here were very popular in the Tokyo area. From classic action games to the newer competitive arcade games that had come out in recent years, they were all deeply loved by players.
Oh, I've found someone I know.
In front of an arcade machine surrounded by a crowd, a certain red-haired young man with spiky hair was constantly shouting challenges.
There was a sign next to him that read: [King of Fighters 1v1 Duel, 300 yen per challenge, win and take home a 3,000 yen prize.]
And the person currently soloing against the red-haired youth was a young, blue-haired boy. That's right, Shuchiin's famous otaku, Ishigami Yu, was completely dominating his opponent. He didn't understand why someone with such poor skills dared to challenge people.
"There it is! The unlimited combo technique! That's an infinite combo that requires extremely high reflexes and precise skill linking to pull off!"
Ishigami Yu let go of the joystick. Defeating his opponent with full health was honestly a bit boring.
Uchiha Ryo silently deactivated his Sharingan. Mhm, the infinite combo technique has been successfully copied.
The red-haired youth handed over three thousand yen with a rather ugly expression. Just as Ishigami Yu stood up, Uchiha Ryo suddenly walked over.
"Someone's already won the challenge. Are you guys still playing?"
The red-haired youth saw a glimmer of hope to win his money back. "Of course! Three hundred per match, but anyone who has already won is not allowed to challenge again."
Ishigami Yu, who was about to leave, glanced at Uchiha Ryo. Hmm? I think he's...!
Ishigami Yu recognized this person. Ever since Ogi Mitsuru had started acting strange, Ishigami Yu, not believing that Ogi would give up so easily, had hired a private detective.
But the result was that Ogi Mitsuru had indeed peacefully broken up with Otomo Kyoko and had not found any other girlfriend.
Ishigami Yu remembered that on that day after school, this Uchiha-senpai seemed to have gotten into Ogi Mitsuru's car.
Could Ogi's change be related to this person...
"Little brother, this must be your first time playing King of Fighters, right? Why are you still familiarizing yourself with the buttons?"
Uchiha Ryo nodded. "I'm more used to a keyboard. This is my first time with a joystick."
The red-haired youth chuckled. "Then you'll have to try hard. I've been in the arcade scene for so long and have rarely lost."
You just lost once, to a middle school student.
"People call me the Arcade Tyrant, for short..."
The battle began. Uchiha Ryo was the first to attack his opponent... activating the infinite combo.
After taking another three thousand yen from the Arcade Tyrant, Uchiha Ryo looked at Ishigami Yu, who hadn't left yet.
"Let's go. Care for a chat?"
"Senpai, you know me?"
Uchiha Ryo shook his head. "I don't. But I know a guy named Ogi Mitsuru."
Leading Ishigami Yu out of the arcade, before Ishigami could ask, Uchiha Ryo spoke first.
"You should know some of the things Ogi Mitsuru has done. In short, what he did made me very unhappy, so I went directly to his house and had a chat with the head of the Ogino family. In the end... I persuaded him with virtue."
Ishigami Yu nodded. "No wonder. Then I thank you, Uchiha-senpai, for saving Otomo-san. She's my friend."
[Ishigami Yu's affinity has increased—G-Points +10]
"Don't mention it. I was just getting rid of a public nuisance."
"Where are you heading, senpai?"
Uchiha Ryo thought for a moment. "I'm going to Akihabara. To be honest, I've suddenly become very interested in maids these past two days. I want to try a real maid cafe."
Ishigami Yu looked as if he had found one of his own.
"Senpai! What a coincidence! Please, you must take me with you."
[Ishigami Yu's affinity has increased—G-Points +20]
Uchiha Ryo was taken aback. "You want to see maids too?"
Ishigami Yu scratched his head. "No, I'm just going to Akihabara to buy figurines. After finishing the latest volume of Naruto, I can't wait to buy some Konoha ninja figurines!"
"I see. Then let's go together."
The two of them arrived at the station and boarded the train to Akihabara. To prevent Ishigami Yu from getting bored on the train, Uchiha Ryo recommended Love Metronome to him.
Ishigami Yu gladly accepted and said he would definitely read the novel his senpai recommended seriously.
On the train, because it was hard to get a seat, Ishigami Yu and Uchiha Ryo had to stand separately in two different cars.
There were about twenty minutes left before arriving in Akihabara. He could only take out the second volume of Love Metronome to read now.
After the train stopped at a station midway, Uchiha Ryo noticed an empty seat beside him. Just as he was about to call Ishigami Yu from a distance, a girl who had just boarded beat him to it.
Uchiha Ryo's gaze was forced away from the copy of Love Metronome in his hand. Mmm... those are a pair of beautiful legs in black stockings, by no means inferior to Yukinoshita's. Graceful and slender, they really make one want to reach out and touch them.
His gaze inadvertently shifted downwards. Her delicate little black leather shoes were slightly upturned, concealing her stocking-clad feet within.
His luck was surprisingly good today, to be able to see such a delectable sight on the train. But Uchiha Ryo's control and capture of his line of sight was perfect.
The other person would have no idea he was looking at her. And she... seemed to be glancing his way from time to time.
[System has detected a capturable target]
[Capturable Target's Name: Kasumigaoka Utaha]
[Current Kasumigaoka Utaha Affinity: 5]
Eh? So she wasn't looking at me, but at the book in my hand? It seems Kasumi Utako-sensei has mistaken me for a fan of hers.