Whether it was Kanna Hiiragi or Saki Yoshida, although both had deep connections with Kazuma and were considered part of his circle, neither side had ever formally confessed their feelings. In contrast, Akane Nanao chose this moment to launch a direct attack—confessing openly and actively pursuing him.
Because of this, Kanna's emotions were complicated. She looked at her friend with a conflicted expression, wanting to rush over and interfere, but knowing Akane well enough, she understood that doing so would only make things worse. After some hesitation, Kanna reluctantly gave up.
After all, she had been mentally prepared from the beginning. She already knew about Akane Nanao's feelings, so this outcome wasn't entirely unexpected.
What truly upset her was that she hadn't been the first to confess.
Kazuma blinked as he looked at the girl standing before him, her feelings laid bare.
"Akane Nanao, if you had put a love letter in my shoe cabinet, asked me to meet behind the teaching building after school, and then confessed, it probably would've felt even better."
Akane Nanao looked innocent and pitiful as she replied,
"I know, but… I really couldn't wait any longer…"
The kiss she had just received had pushed her to her limit.
"Kazuma," she said nervously, "you won't reject me, will you?"
She was genuinely afraid.
Kazuma didn't refuse her. After a brief pause, he took out a card from his system backpack, held it between his fingers, and handed it to her.
"Take it."
"What does this mean?" she asked in confusion.
"This is a gift for you," Kazuma said as he took her hand and placed the card into her palm.
"It may not be as romantic as a ring, but it should be enough. Akane Nanao, please take care of me from now on."
So… that meant he agreed?
"Mmm, nice to meet you, Kazuma Sato," Akane Nanao said, trembling with excitement as she clutched the card and threw herself into his arms.
"From now on, I'm your girlfriend. We're officially dating~. I'm so happy—!"
Kanna Hiiragi was the first to lose her composure. The sourness in her heart nearly overwhelmed even the aroma of the barbecue.
"Akane, you really surprised me. Taking advantage of the moment to confess—how cunning."
Mira Tsubakihara sighed.
"Not only did you get your confession accepted, you even got a gift. That's impressive. I want one too."
Kazuma glanced at her.
"I'm sorry, Miss Mira. This is the most precious thing I own - there are no more of them. But Kanna Hiiragi and Saki Yoshida will get one as well. I was going to give it to you anyway."
"Huh? We get one too?"
Kanna Hiiragi pointed at herself. Together with Saki Yoshida, she accepted the Best Friend card from Kazuma's hand. Their nearly tearful expressions instantly turned into smiles.
He hadn't forgotten them after all.
Kazuma had originally planned to explain just how precious the item was—that it was a legendary treasure from the future, a true divine artifact. But seeing how carefully they held it, as if it were priceless, he decided there was no need.
They would treasure it.
"Kazuma, what's going on? Our photos appeared on it—this is incredible!" Saki Yoshida exclaimed in surprise. She and Kanna Hiiragi both saw images of themselves in their school uniforms displayed on the card.
"This isn't an ordinary item," Kazuma said with a shrug.
"Even if you haven't asked, you already know I have my secrets. This is one of them. With it, you won't have to worry about being put in danger by scumbags again."
"You can gradually discover its effects. In short, it's something that protects you. You don't need to worry about losing it—it's bound to you. I don't want my women to face that kind of danger ever again."
As Kazuma explained, Akane and the others listened intently, their eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"So… this is a marriage certificate?" Kanna Hiiragi suddenly covered her mouth and dropped a bombshell.
"…"
"Huh? That's how you interpret it?" Kazuma was stunned.
"This is a marriage certificate, isn't it? You said I'm your woman—you admitted it," Kanna pressed relentlessly before breaking into a silly laugh.
"That means I'm your wife now~."
"Hey! I just became Kazuma's girlfriend, and you're already skipping ahead and calling yourself his wife? Kanna, are you doing this on purpose?" Akane Nanao said darkly, though she couldn't really refute it.
Still, she secretly hoped it really was a marriage certificate.
"Wife… hehe," she muttered with a foolish laugh.
You all…
"Ahem. Kanna Hiiragi, do you know the real name of this card?" Kazuma asked, choosing not to deny her outright.
"What's it called?"
"Good Friend Communication Card," Kazuma replied. "Or simply, a Friend Card."
"..."
Kanna Hiiragi's smile quickly faded, her expression turning serious as she solemnly raised the card in her hand. "I hereby declare that from now on, this will be called the Lovers' Communication Card, or simply the Marriage Certificate. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"
"I agree," Akane Nanao said, raising her hand despite her earlier complaints.
"I agree too," she added, smiling apologetically at Kazuma. "Sorry, Kazuma. I think this name sounds better."
"..."
"Three votes in favor, one abstention. Little one, it's settled then~."
"..."
Do what makes you happy. You girls have received three marriage certificates, and one for me - and there are still three left. If I run out, I'll have to rely on luck to keep getting more of these cards from the Gacha system.
But wait… if this is a marriage certificate, does that mean I'm starting a harem?
Ahem, what harem? I'm just saving girls in trouble, changing their fate, and giving them a happier future. That's all.
I just hope I can get more communication cards. Come on, give me more!
While Kazuma was lost in thought, Kanna Hiiragi suddenly noticed someone nearby. "Huh? Kazuma, isn't Fuyuka-senpai here?"
Tosaka Fuyuka stood quietly to the side, as if she didn't quite belong in the scene. When she heard herself mentioned, she forced a small smile. "We're not in that kind of relationship. Kanna, you said it yourself—this is a marriage certificate. How could Kazuma just hand it out like that?"
"Fuyuka-senpai is so nice. I really want to find more women like her," Kazuma said with a mischievous grin.
"Ugh… I just think Fuyuka-senpai is really kind. She should be one of us too…"
Hearing their conversation, Tosaka Fuyuka paused before slowly lowering her gaze. Strictly speaking, she had no special relationship with Kazuma at all. They were only senior and junior—how could she possibly be considered family?
Watching everyone receive small gifts while she stood empty-handed, she felt like an outsider. An inexplicable sense of loss and emptiness welled up inside her. Why did it make her sad when it had nothing to do with her?
Her eyes drifted toward Mira Tsubakihara. Mira hadn't received a gift from Kazuma either, yet she didn't seem bothered in the slightest. Her gentle, composed smile remained unchanged, something Fuyuka couldn't quite understand.
Doesn't she care? And yet… she clearly pays close attention to Kazuma.
Kanna and Akane were so absorbed in their excitement, clutching their communication cards, that they failed to notice the disappointment on their senior's face. Mira, however, noticed it clearly. The mature widow said nothing, simply maintaining her calm smile.
Saki Yoshida was on the phone when she hurried over in a panic. "Kazuma, it's… it's Izumi calling. She wants to see you."
Right, I almost forgot about that hot-tempered girl.
Kazuma could already tell she was in a bad mood. He crossed his fingers into an X. "Just tell her I'm not here."
"Izumi said she heard your voice…" Saki said anxiously.
"..."
"Give me the phone." There was no avoiding it now, so Kazuma answered the call.
"Moshi moshi~."
"Kazuma!!"
Izumi Nogami's furious voice burst from the other end of the line. "Are you trying to avoid me? Damn it! What's going on over there? Didn't you ask me for help? When my people arrived, everything was already solved. Are you making a fool out of me?"
"Calm down, Izumi," Kazuma said gently. "Why are you always angry when we talk on the phone? That's not good for your health."
"How can you say you weren't playing tricks on me? Of course I'm angry!"
Izumi Nogami sat on the edge of her bed, fuming.
"What's there to be angry about? The problem was resolved, and it saved you the trouble."
"But you made me lose face. It feels like you're looking down on me—you said you'd rely on me, but in the end you asked someone else for help. Are you looking down on me?"
This woman is really troublesome.
"How could that be? Everyone knows Miss Izumi's abilities. I trust you completely. It's just that a kind passerby stepped in to help. By the way, you already know what happened at Saki Yoshida's family, right?"
Izumi Nogami's tone softened noticeably, Kazuma's praise clearly improving her mood. "I know. Those parents were outrageous. I looked into it—the man was completely crushed and ruined."
"Oh, that was me."
Izumi Nogami paused, then snorted softly. "You're even more ruthless than I am."
There was a trace of admiration in her voice.
"By the way, aren't you curious about who helped me?"
"I already found out. More importantly, how did you get involved with that woman?" The usually fearless Izumi Nogami sounded unusually serious. "Never mind, it's none of my business. I'm more interested in what this camera is for. Tell me quickly."
"You'll understand once you try it yourself. There's no point explaining. That's all—bye."
"Hey! Wait, you—"
Click.
The girl in pajamas, sitting on the edge of her bed, stared blankly at the disconnected phone. After a moment, she jumped to her feet. "He hung up on me again! That's the second time, Kazuma—!"
The maids outside listened to the commotion coming from the young lady's room. Their expressions remained neutral, though they couldn't help thinking that she was usually calm simply because no one had ever dared to provoke her before. Over the past two days, however, she had become noticeably irritable.
She kept muttering one name.
*****
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