The second Monday of September.
Kuroba Akira arrived at the Literature Club's clubroom with Class Rep for the first time in a while. He'd barely shown his face here last week since he'd been busy rushing his manuscript.
This time, he'd come primarily because his submission had already been sent off, so he wasn't so busy anymore. Secondly, he needed to extend the loan on some manga and novels he'd borrowed earlier.
He'd had no time to read them before; now he could finally relax and savor them properly.
Entering the clubroom, Akira saw Shiroi Shiori and Aizono Momo already there, so he greeted them first.
"Yo, good morning, you two."
Aizono Momo timidly replied:
"Kuroba-san, it's already evening..."
"Our Literature Club is technically stepping into the entertainment industry, so saying 'good morning' should still be appropriate, right?"
In Japan, certain industries always used "good morning" as a greeting, such as restaurants, hotels, and entertainment, since they didn't have regular working hours. The greeting wasn't literal—it meant something like, "You arrived before me, thanks for your hard work."
Shiroi Shiori didn't look up from the novel in her hands, though her ears carefully picked up their conversation. Pretending to sound casual, she asked:
"...Why did you come here?"
"I'm a member of the Literature Club. Is it strange for me to come to our clubroom?"
"Hmph, you know exactly what I'm asking."
Last week, because Akira had been busy rushing his manuscript, he hadn't shown up. Now he'd suddenly come back—either to spy on the enemy, or else…
He'd already finished writing.
Shiroi Shiori didn't want to believe the second possibility. She knew how hard it was to write a complete novel—after all, she herself still hadn't even decided what to write yet.
Hmph! Even if he did finish writing, so what!
A rushed-out novel wouldn't impress the editors!
Akira responded to her question with another question.
"What about you? Class Rep told me you didn't come to the Literature Club last week either. Why suddenly show up now?"
"...I'm also a club member; I can come whenever I want."
Actually, Shiroi Shiori had indeed come to spy on the enemy.
She'd originally planned to go home early today to brainstorm her novel, but after chatting briefly with Anri Hitomi at lunchtime, she'd learned that Akira would be coming here today. So she arrived earlier to "stake him out."
Akira naturally saw right through this, and, smirking maliciously, teased her fragile nerves.
"My, my, Shiroi-san, you look terribly exhausted. Seems like you haven't been sleeping well lately? Truly, you have my sympathy—but as for me, I'm already liberated~"
Shiroi immediately caught his hidden meaning. Her expression visibly wavered, and she finally lifted her head, asking in disbelief:
"You've already submitted it?"
"Yup, just waiting for the results now."
But upon hearing confirmation, Shiroi didn't show a devastated expression. Instead, she recomposed herself, returned her eyes to her book, and replied indifferently:
"...Then, I wish you luck."
Now Akira was the confused one.
"Hah? Shiroi-san, did you stay up so late your brain turned to mush? Wishing me luck—you should be cursing me, right? If my manuscript gets approved, you'll have to return to your birthday suit, you know?"
"Compared to some pointless bet, I'd rather focus on writing right now."
"Ohh..."
Not bad—this girl's got some guts.
Seems like Shiroi-san's mental fortitude was stronger than he thought. She remained completely unmoved.
Too lazy to continue his petty provocations, Akira just pulled out a manga, deciding to finish reading this volume before heading home.
Aizono Momo quietly pulled her chair closer to Akira and cautiously poked his shoulder.
"Um, Kuroba-san..."
"Hm? Something wrong, Aizono-san?"
Akira showed her a cheerful smile, gazing at her as though admiring a cherished figure from his collection—the more he looked, the more he liked her.
In his mind, Aizono Momo was already practically his.
Under his focused stare, Momo shrunk her shoulders shyly, lowering her head. Still, worried about her best friend's health, she gathered courage and spoke up:
"I—I wanted to ask... Kuroba-san, do you know any way to make Shiori stop?"
Momo looked deeply concerned. Shiroi's dark circles were becoming more visible by the day.
Lately, she slept very little—only about four hours at home, using the rest of her time for reading and writing. At school, she'd sneak naps in the infirmary during lunch break.
"Shiori's the kind of person whose brakes are broken—once she steps on the gas, she can't stop. Even during class lately, she's constantly reading novels, as if she's possessed... At this rate, Shiori's going to break..."
Shiroi couldn't write novels during class like Akira, yet her competitive pride wouldn't allow her to waste class time either—so reading novels was the compromise.
She'd nearly been caught by teachers multiple times, narrowly escaping only because Momo acted as her sentry, covering for her each time.
"If even you, her closest friend, can't stop her, what difference can I make?"
"But, um, Kuroba-san, since you're the one who made that bet with Shiori—if you were willing to call it off..."
"Momo!"
Shiroi Shiori's shout echoed loudly inside the Literature Club room.
She didn't say "Momo-chan," but called her directly by name. Clearly, she was genuinely angry.
"Don't say anything else that'll embarrass me! I know you're worried about me, but… I'd rather die than beg him for mercy just to avoid losing!"
Shiroi's declaration was explosively harsh—she'd clearly put her pride even above her life.
Realizing she'd spoken too harshly and made the atmosphere extremely awkward, Shiroi closed her book, picked up her bag, and left the clubroom without another word.
"...I'm going home first."
"Ah—wait, Shiori! I'm sorry, I said too much... Please don't hate me!"
Momo hurriedly followed after her, desperately apologizing and pleading the whole way.
Just as Class Rep said—their friendship had grown overly intense, causing their hedgehog effect to become increasingly severe.
Now only Akira and Anri Hitomi were left in the clubroom, enjoying their familiar alone time.
Hitomi sat next to him and asked softly:
"So, Kuroba-kun, are you confident you'll win this bet?"
"I have no idea. Creative professions basically hand your fate over to someone else's judgment."
"I see. It truly is a cruel industry."
"Exactly, terribly cruel... So, Class Rep, who do you hope will win?"
"I just hope you two can get along well."
A perfectly Class-Rep-style answer.
"Haha... I'd also like to get along with her. But after this incident, I suspect Shiroi-san and I might end up irreconcilable—only one of us can remain."
"Really? I don't think so. Kuroba-kun, would you like to make a bet with me as well?"
"Oh? And what kind of bet would Class Rep propose?"
"Let's bet on how Shiori will see you after this is all over."
"Interesting—so what's at stake?"
"If I win... I want the right to call you directly by your first name."
"Hah? Isn't that too childish? Class Rep, you can already call me by my first name anytime."
"It's not just that. When I call you by name, you must respond to me. No ignoring me, no pretending you didn't hear or see. That's the right I want."
"Ah, I get it—you're asking me to respond on-demand... Fine. Then, what if you lose?"
"Hmm… Since I already said what I want, Kuroba-kun, you should tell me what you'd want."
What Akira wanted most, of course, was still free food.
"Extend my lunchtime bentos until next year's first semester!"
Akira already felt his request was absurd—considering Class Rep's bentos' current quality, the ingredients alone cost a fortune.
"Oho..."
Hitomi wanted to say, "Isn't that too childish?" as well. She'd expected Akira to ask for something far more outrageous.
Something like this, something like that—unspeakable, scandalous interactions...
But he hadn't requested anything unreasonable. Clearly, he wasn't interested in her physically. Although this demonstrated he wouldn't hurt a friend's feelings—
It still stung a young girl's heart a bit.
So, Hitomi quickly added another term, preserving her girl's pride:
"No problem. If Kuroba-kun wins, not only will I keep preparing delicious bentos for you, but I'll also grant you the right to enjoy a lap pillow whenever you wish."
"Perfect! It's decided then! I'll say it first: I'm betting Shiroi-san will end up hating me!"
Fearing Hitomi might change her mind, Akira quickly picked the guaranteed-to-win option.
"Hehe, then I'll bet Shiori will end up admiring you."
"Hah? Class Rep, are you sure 'admiring' is the right word?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
Actually, Hitomi wanted to say Shiori might even fall in love with him.
But if things really turned out that way, Hitomi would feel quite uncomfortable, so she adjusted her wording—though honestly, this way was also more accurate.
Always carefully note people's stances and how their hearts change—that was the first lesson her mother had taught her.
Because you're a creator, Kuroba-kun, and Shiori is also a creator.
You two will inevitably attract each other.
Then...the weaker will submit, becoming the stronger one's follower.
This, too, was the natural order of things.
So just wait and see, Kuroba-kun.
The moment Shiori's pride gets utterly shattered by you...
She'll be completely conquered.