Nanaka also asked Azusa if she had any extras.
Azusa replied that she had already given them all away—she forgot to save one for the junior.
"And the one I gave to Chisa was already the last one!"
!!!
Unable to endure the commotion anymore, Aina voiced this tragic truth, and instantly, everyone's eyes locked onto the ticket in Chisa's hand!
At that very moment—
The group also noticed the small print on the bottom right of the ticket: "Admits 4 guests."
Bang!
Chisa's room door was suddenly slammed shut.
No one knew when, but Kohei was already standing guard at the entrance.
Facing the three girls who now looked like hungry wolves, Chisa trembled uncontrollably.
Morning, at the Kamishiro household—
"So good~!"
ヾ(ノ' ﹃' )ノ
Kamishiro Shiro was hugging his rice bowl and devouring food.
His stomach had been a wreck ever since he drank himself sick last night.
"Hey now, slow down~"
Azusa, seated nearby with her chin in her hand, watched him fondly.
They may have gone a bit overboard last night.
"Mm-mm… By the way, Azusa-nee, what exactly happened yesterday? My memory's kinda hazy…"
All he remembered was the dumb duo and him trying to snatch the ticket and proposing a game of "King's Orders."
But it seemed like Nanaka and the girls got too drunk and started sticking close to each other.
Aina even accidentally revealed that Chisa and Iori were actually dating.
Seeing how "yuri vibes were blossoming," Aina kicked out the trio of troublemakers and continued her girls-only party.
The three guys weren't unreasonable either—they knew it wasn't the right time and decided to try again the next day.
Kitahara even considered kneeling in front of Chisa...
As for what happened after—
All he remembered was the three of them, each carrying a case of beer, heading downstairs to join a "beastly" gathering…
"Meh, nothing major happened. Just a round of strip rock-paper-scissors~"
"…But why did I pass out then?"
"Maybe because when you lost, Higashi and the others pulled your underwear off."
?━=????(??? ????)
Kamishiro Shiro looked horrified. He hurriedly pulled his pants down to check himself.
No wonder he woke up this morning wearing absolutely nothing!
"Pfft—ahahahahahahahahaha!!"
Azusa burst into laughter upon seeing Shiro completely naked.
She didn't feel shy at all. Instead, it just made her appetite even stronger—as if watching "comedy pickled mustard."
But as he checked himself, he actually found something.
"What the hell is this?!"
He stared in horror at the mirror—at the red mark on his collarbone that didn't match his skin tone at all.
A love bite, commonly known as a "strawberry."
Shiro was no stranger to these—whether giving or receiving, he'd had plenty.
But…
Thinking back to the context of last night made his face turn deathly pale.
Nope.
Definitely not something he could think deeply about!
He turned robotically.
"Azusa-nee, this… this was your doing, right?"
His only hope now was her!
Please!
Say yes!
"Nope, not me~"
Boom.
Shiro turned gray.
Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
He felt… tainted.
Oh God, is this my punishment for getting too close to muscle bros…?
"It was Nanaka. You got drunk and wouldn't let go of her. Don't you remember?"
Sproing!
He bolted upright like a dying man revived!
Suddenly full of energy, he downed his bowl of food like it was water!
(￣～￣)
"Azusa-nee, next time you tell me something, please just get to the point! Don't pause halfway!"
"…Your mood swings are scary fast."
Shiro shrugged.
Forget just Nanaka—as long as it wasn't one of the bros, he could accept it!
"(ˉ﹃ˉ) burp… Hey, does Nanaka-nee have a low alcohol tolerance? She got drunk after just a little bit, didn't she?"
He was surprised.
He thought she inherited not just her uncle's thick eyebrows but also his strong drinking tolerance.
Apparently not.
" Nanaka? Weak tolerance?"
Azusa gave him a strange look.
Where did he get that idea?
Forget genetics—how could the boss lady of PaB be a lightweight?
Did she forget to mention that Nanaka was fully sober when she gave him that hickey?
Well~
That's fine too.
Makes things easier when they do it together next time~ (??ω??)
A mischievous smile played at Azusa's lips.
She had secretly witnessed everything the night before!
Poor Nanaka still thought no one had seen it~
Elsewhere, at the GB store—
Iori was asking the store manager the same question.
But the manager was quick to give him an answer.
While Iori was still stunned, a devilish whisper crept into his ear—
"They mentioned you and Chisa dating yesterday. You better explain that to me properly next time~"
{{(°△°; "}}!!!
Trembling~
Oh no!!
He'd been set up!
Wasn't this guy supposed to be a clueless innocent?!
Before the first class began—
(╥_╥)
(*?????)
In front of Chisa sat a gift, while Iori and Kohei knelt and wept beside her!
Before the second class—
Two more gifts.
Two more kneeling, sobbing people: Nojima and Yamamoto!
At lunch—
Another two gifts were added.
Now it was Fujiwara and Mitarai joining the kneelers!
Before afternoon classes—
The gifts had grown exponentially.
Now even boys from nearby classes had joined the begging party!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
"Why are there so many people?!"
Chisa was shocked.
To an outsider, this might look like an ancient ceremony or some divine visitation!
There's only one ticket, and it admits four people.
Not four hundred!
She couldn't understand how this escalated so fast.
If it were just her classmates, fine.
But why were other classes here too?
Did they see Iori and the others kneeling too?
She looked toward the door in confusion, where an endless line of people still trickled in…
"Place your gifts here! Easy, easy—everyone gets a chance.
If your gift's expensive enough, maybe Chisa will say yes on the spot."
(???)
Chisa fell silent as she stared at Kamishiro Shiro standing at the entrance—
"maintaining order" and occasionally slipping gifts into his own pockets.
She…
suddenly understood why there were so many people.
Bang!
"Buddha's Divine Kick!"
She launched Shiro with a powerful kick.
"Could you be any more outrageous?!"
Chisa was trembling with fury.
She now realized why everything had gotten out of hand—
someone had fanned the flames from the shadows!
"That's right! You scumbag!
And the rest of you idiots are just as bad!
Shame on all of you!"
"This ticket was clearly ours!"
Iori and Kohei glared furiously at the crowd behind them.
These guys looked like starving wolves who just spotted a bone!
"How could anyone stay calm after hearing about tickets to Oumi Girls' Academy?!"
"Don't you know how expensive these are out there?!"
Yamamoto and Nojima were fired up.
This ticket was practically unobtainable, even if you had the money!
It's Oumi Girls' Academy!!
To mechanical engineering nerds like them, that place might as well be heaven!
"No way!"
"Anyone not related to Chisa, get the hell out!"
Iori and Kohei began forcibly removing people.
This had gone way beyond what they expected!
But of course, the animals didn't want to leave.
They even brought gifts!
They shouted that they had to go to Oumi to meet their destined soulmates.
The entire scene had descended into chaos—
"Ouch… Can you kick a little gentler next time?"
Kamishiro Shirou finally managed to pull himself out of the wall and, with an innocent expression, began complaining to Chisa—while his hands continued stuffing in all the gifts those idiots had brought him.
(;?＿?)
Chisa didn't even know what to say anymore. This guy was becoming more and more shameless. She clearly remembered thinking he looked like some refined, intellectual heartthrob when they first met.
Now?
He's more like a heart-throbbing lunatic!
"You're not in a hurry?" she asked.
"Me? I don't think so. I'll just give Kiyoko a call when the time comes. She should have a ticket. Although… I don't know why she didn't pick up earlier…"
Kamishiro Shirou shrugged. Honestly, he wasn't worried. He had a ticket already—he was just pretending. But that group of fools just now might've given him a brand new idea.
"Huh? You don't know?" Chisa looked at him strangely. "Aina said Kiyoko doesn't have any more tickets…"
That made Chisa's expression turn weird. Logically, Kiyoko should've saved one for Shirou, right?
Weren't they supposed to be close?
(′?`)
Pffft!
Shirou spat out a mouthful of metaphorical blood. He probably figured out why Kiyoko hadn't answered his calls.
Turns out she never intended to give him a ticket in the first place!
Damn it!
What about the basic trust between people?!
His master plan hadn't even begun, and he'd already lost half of it!
Suppressing the churning in his chest, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an admission ticket.
"No worries! I still have one!"
(o Д o*)
Chisa stared at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to already have one… then again, considering he was Kamishiro Shirou, maybe it wasn't that surprising…
"Two tickets should be enough, right?" Chisa thought aloud. She still preferred going alone, but seeing how things were going… that wasn't going to happen.
"Hmph~ You're mistaken, Chisa!"
Shirou held up the ticket, eyes practically turning into money signs. "There's no way I'd just give it to those idiots that easily. This is obviously going to be auctioned off!"
Just earlier, Nojima had talked about cash transactions, and that had inspired him!
Before, his thinking was too narrow—he kept focusing on what would happen once Iori and the others got inside.
But now that he thought about it carefully, what did that have to do with him?
He might not even go to the event himself!
Turning this into money… now that was the real joy!
Auction!
Judging by the desperation of those animals earlier, each spot could easily fetch 50,000 yen!
Kamishiro Shirou, you're a genius!
Hehehehehe~
(;?＿?)
Chisa looked at Shirou—lost in his own delusional world—with a face full of sweat.
She didn't want to break his fantasy… but maybe she should still say something.
"Even if I don't want to ruin your dream… you should probably look behind you…"
(′｀;)?
Shirou turned around in confusion.
What greeted his eyes was a group of burly, heavy-set men!
Just a moment ago, Iori and the others had nearly driven them out.
But then, Shirou—this so-called "genius"—just had to flash the admission ticket!
Wasn't that basically injecting them with adrenaline?!
Now, all of them, like they'd been injected with steroids, were standing directly behind him.
Keep in mind, the only reason they'd been so polite to Chisa earlier was because she was one of the few girls in the Mechanical Department.
But Shirou? Different story entirely.
He was practically public enemy number one among the guys now!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Seeing the scene, Shirou kept retreating in fear—this overwhelming pressure was terrifying!
"Uh, hey… you guys wanna join the auction?"
"Only 50,000… no no no, 30,000 is fine too… heck, 10,000 would work too!"
The big guys said nothing. They just kept approaching.
!!!
"Put down those brooms, right now!"
"..."
"Shit! Don't rob me! Okay okay, no more 10,000—how about 5,000?!"
"..."
No one listened.
These beasts had gone full berserker mode! For just one ticket, they broke into hand-to-hand combat. Kamishiro Shirou was like a boat adrift in a stormy sea, completely powerless…
(?????)
"Big bros! Big bros! Forget the money—just give me one spot!"
"Oh no! It's torn! You tore it!!"
"Wait—who the hell is grabbing my butt?!"
Riiiiip!
Before Shirou's despair-filled eyes, the ticket turned to flying ash—
——
Everything was over.
All that remained at the scene was a pile of shredded ticket confetti, which could maybe be used as a jigsaw puzzle.
Other than that, everything was in one piece.
The burly dudes seemed to have made a silent agreement—they all retreated at the same time.
(?????)
"Ahhh! My ticket! My ticket!! You died such a tragic death!"
Beside the "corpse" of the ticket, Shirou howled in grief while taking inventory of all the gifts they'd brought him.
He'd really taken a huge loss this time. Not only had he lost the Seiryo Girls' ticket, he'd also lost a ton of potential income!
And why the hell were the gifts all cheap little trinkets worth a few hundred yen?!
"Hah! That's what you get for being greedy!"
"Kamishiro really is beyond help."
"Damn it, he forgot about his bros!"
"..."
Understanding the truth, the others all gave Shirou contemptuous stares.
After all,
They absolutely hated guys who didn't value their bromance!
A mere admission ticket shouldn't be able to break their brotherly bond!
"So in the end… there's still only one ticket. And now one more rival."
Nojima adjusted his glasses—the situation had gotten tricky.
"And one ticket only admits four people. So other than me, I can only bring two."
Mitarai proudly showed off both his math and shamelessness.
Bam!
Perhaps it was jealousy of his calculation skills, but Iori decked him with a punch and dragged him off!
"How about a no-holds-barred battle to settle it?"
"Great idea!"
"There's no helping it, really!"
The suggestion won widespread support. After all, this was how men should settle things—through combat!
"..."
Chisa silently headed for the door. She had now fully witnessed the depth of their brotherhood.
Too deep, in fact—so deep that just a moment ago she thought Shirou had gone too far.
Turns out, birds of a feather really do flock together.
"Wait a sec!"
Iori's voice broke the tension—and also pulled Chisa back just as she was about to sneak out.
Chisa: Wow, thanks sooooo much!
"I think… we should let Chisa decide this herself," Iori suggested. Since it was her ticket, it made sense for her to choose who went with her.
Shirou: (?????) Why does no one give me a choice?!
Everyone agreed with Iori's proposal. Since Chisa was the one going, she had the right to pick her companions.
As for her own desire to go alone—well, that dream died quietly without fanfare.
Next up:
Companion Selection Interview!
Just as the name implies—it's an interview to select those lucky enough to accompany Chisa on her journey to paradise (a.k.a. Seiryo Girls' Academy)!
Seven idiotic contestants, each given two minutes to impress our special guest interviewer!
So in this brutal 7-vs-3 contest… who will come out on top?
Stay tuned!
First up:
The contestant known as the "White-haired squinty-eyed scumbag double"—Mitarai Yuu!
Mitarai: Who the hell are you calling a "double"?!
"Let me be the first to go!"
Mitara strode confidently up to Chisa.
After all, in this kind of selection, only the first and the last contestants leave a lasting impression!
And he!
As one of the top three most handsome among the seven contestants, there was no doubt he had a spot secured for the Oumi Academy event!
Now—let him teach these primitive cavemen how to flirt with girls properly!
Step one: figure out what the girl likes!
Kotegawa-san, do you like sweets?"
Mitara propped himself on the table and struck a stylish pose. He had meticulously chosen his outfit to win on first impressions!
"I... I guess I kind of like them," Chisa replied hesitantly. She hadn't really interacted with Mitara before, but judging by the kind of people he hung around with—like Kamishiro and the rest—he definitely couldn't be any good.
"That's wonderful!" Mitara lit up. He had successfully probed her interest. Now he just had to create the desire to go with him.
Sweets were the perfect entry point!
"Actually, I've got a friend at Oumi. They're going to be selling crêpes there.
And not just crêpes—they'll also have taiyaki, red bean soup, and stuff like that. If you want, I can take you there—"
But before he could finish, Chisa cut him off.
"Well, if that's the case... why don't you just ask your friend to give you a ticket?"
Pffft!
(′?`)
Mitara was instantly annihilated by Chisa.
He stiffened completely. That "friend" of his... was actually his ex-girlfriend, Rie Ohashi!
Forget giving him a ticket—he'd be lucky if she didn't rip his head off!
"Is it... inconvenient?"
Chisa tilt-head.jpg
"...No, you're right. What you said makes perfect sense, but... I'm really sorry—I just haven't been able to get in touch with her."
Heaven knows he tried!
He'd made an effort as soon as he heard about this, but the response he got was pure mockery…
"A ticket? Are you joking?!"
"Shut the hell up, you bastard!"
"What right do YOU have to go to Oumi?!"
"Drop dead, you damn normie!"
"If you've already got someone in mind, then don't bother going at all!"
"Chisa! One spot has already been eliminated!" someone shouted.
Everyone nearby looked like they wanted to devour Mitara alive.
Yes, they had stopped him from getting lucky.
But this shameless bastard—he actually still had a chance of reconciling with his ex?
Unforgivable. That childhood-friend buff was way too strong!
The crowd reached a consensus: he's out. Their bro squad didn't need a damn normie like him!
Contestant No. 1: Mitara Yuu – Eliminated!
Now entering: Contestant No. 2 – Yamamoto Shinichirou!
"It's my turn!"
Yamamoto somehow pulled out a comb and began styling his hair like some flashy punk from a drama.
"..."
"What's with that confident look?"
"Don't tell me he actually has a plan?"
Seeing Yamamoto looking so smug, Kamishiro and the others grew tense. Even though Yamamoto was the least good-looking among them—and the most narcissistic—
Still!
He was also the most shameless.
If he pulled some dirty trick, it might actually work.
"Hmph! All I need to do is show her my sincere heart!"
Yamamoto gave a thumbs-up—sincerity is the ultimate move!
Kamishiro and Iori watched in deadpan silence. Yamamoto's "sincerity"...
"...Is he gonna kneel again?"
"Very possible."
"What kind of image do I even have in your twisted heads?!"
Ignoring the idiots behind him, Yamamoto leaned on the desk and gazed at Chisa with passion.
Kotegawa-san!"
"Y-Yes? What is it?"
Chisa leaned back instinctively. These friends of Kamishiro's really fit him.
Yamamoto's face twisted with emotion. "I've staked everything on this Oumi event. I just feel like... this time, I'll finally get a girlfriend!"
"I... I see."
Kamishiro and the others didn't believe a word of it. He'd said that how many times now? Still single every time.
Even in anime, guys who say this never succeed.
"If you insist on refusing to give me a ticket, that's okay. I can give up!"
"Huh?" ×6
All six of them stared at Yamamoto in shock. There's no way Yamamoto actually said that.
Even Chisa was surprised. Wait... Kamishiro's friend said something... sensible?
So there really was someone among them with emotional intelligence?
"But in return!" Yamamoto's eyes hardened. He dropped to one knee. "Please be my girlfriend!"
Schwing!
Chisa immediately stood up and handed over the ticket with both hands.
She took back everything she had just thought.
These three's friends were all certifiably insane.
The others couldn't hold it in any longer. This was cheating. If that worked, any of them had a shot too!
"Making her choose like that?! Yamamoto, you're despicable!"
"That wasn't a request, that was emotional blackmail!"
"I could hear your plan from the other side of the planet!"
Yamamoto roared back in anger, "I don't have time to care about methods anymore!"
He had made up his mind—he was all in.
As the chaos continued, Chisa innocently approached Iori.
"Um... but I already have a boyfriend."
ψ(*｀ー′)ψ
Perfect. She successfully redirected all the aggro. Every pair of eyes now locked on Iori with that "time to gut him" look.
(;?＿?)
"Stop joking, Chisa. In a minute, they're gonna draw and quarter me."
Contestant No. 2: Yamamoto Shinichirou – Pending!
Now entering: Contestant No. 3 – Kohei Imamura!
Among the seven, Contestant No. 3 had the purest goal!
He didn't care about real-life college girls—those were far too shallow.
He belonged to the sacred realm of the 2D world!
His one and only aim: the top-tier voice actress who would be appearing at Oumi!
He would give everything—everything—for the sake of that voice actress!
Smack!
Kamishiro patted Kohei on the back. "Got any plans?"
Kohei just lowered his head and smiled, a shadow covering half his face.
"I'll show her... the back of a real man."
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
WHOA?! Kamishiro was stunned. That was such a cool line. Was Kohei going for the stoic upperclassman vibe?
Come to think of it, Kohei even had the same hair color as Senior Kotobuki... Maybe he really could be his successor.
Kohei walked up to Chisa—and turned his back to her!
(???)
Chisa narrowed her eyes. Finally, someone I recognize. But it looked like this one had a weird gimmick coming.
Whoosh!
Kohei made his shirt vanish, revealing his bare back.
On it, a piece of paper was stuck—beside a Fukuzawa bill—and some writing:
"I can bring out two more of these Fukuzawas!"
(t/n:Fukuzawa note is the 10,000 Yen note)
💲!!!
Seeing the bill, Kamishiro looked like he'd just seen a long-lost family member!
Before Chisa could even respond, Kamishiro shouted:
"No problem! ATM No. 2, you're in!"
He snatched the Fukuzawa and stuffed it into his pocket.
The moment was so smooth and natural that the rest of the group stood there, completely dumbfounded.
By the time they realized what had happened, the Fukuzawa was already gone.
!!!
"Bastard! Why are you even part of this?!"
"You went straight from contestant to judge? If that's the case, disqualify this guy already!"
"And Kohei, what kind of manly back was that?!"
"Hah? Don't tell me you think some smooth talk is enough to meet a voice actress?!"
"..."
Watching the group bicker again, Chisa clutched her head in agony. This was why she had wanted to go herself.
"Isn't using money kind of shady…"
"You're absolutely right, Chisa!"
Iori nodded in agreement. Their friendship shouldn't be tainted by filthy money!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
"But… you guys already took the money!"
"That was that jerk Kamishiro who took it."
Kohei turned to look at Kamishiro Shiro—who, as expected of a human scumbag, was completely ignoring the chaos while showing Fukuzawa around his "new home."
ψ(*｀ー′)ψ
"You bastard!"
Kohei pounced. There was no way he'd lose his chance to meet a voice actress and lose Fukuzawa!
{{(°△°; "}}!
Startled by the sudden commotion, Kamishiro dodged frantically. "Crap! Someone save me!"
BAM BAM BAM!
No one paid them any mind. Everyone's attention was on the ticket!
If they took each other out, that'd just mean two fewer competitors.
Contestant No. 3: Imamura Kohei – Pending!
"You guys… really are a bunch of idiots, huh."
Contestant No. 4: Nojima Gen – Entry!
Adjusting his glasses, he declared with confidence, "Our opponent is a lady, after all. Compared to money and snacks, isn't what they really want some sweet words of love?"
He flicked his bangs to the side, looking every bit the seasoned romantic. Watching this, Mitari and Yamamoto looked ready to explode in regret—Why didn't I think of that?!
#Backflip
With a graceful backflip, Nojima made his appearance.
"Ah! Kotegawa-san, today you are also—so! Stunningly! Beautiful!"
"..."
"The reason I strive so hard is because I can't stand the thought of filthy trash standing beside a pure and lovely girl like you!"
"..."
"You are like the sleeping beauty herself. If I were the prince, I would—"
Buzz Buzz Buzz~
Before he could finish his line, Nojima was interrupted by the buzz of a text message.
Chisa immediately grabbed her phone like it was her savior. It was from Kamishiro Shiro… and it was a pig face emoji.
Pighead.jpg
"..."
With a long sigh, Chisa put her phone down again, blinking blankly at the frozen Nojima. "Umm… you can continue now."
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"AHAHAHAHAHA!"
The classroom instantly erupted with laughter. The scene was too ridiculous—Nojima was absolutely humiliated.
"You're such a role model, Nojima!!!"
"Is this what they call a love guru?!"
"He's more like a comic relief character!"
"What was that you said about being a prince again?"
"Shut up, you bastards! If only I hadn't been interrupted by that message just now—!"
Buzz Buzz Buzz~
A familiar scene repeated itself—this time from Kamishiro Shiro's phone.
No one even knew when, but the two who were supposed to be locked in mortal combat—Kamishiro and Kohei—were now peacefully watching the chaos unfold.
The sound just now came from the phone in Kamishiro's hand.
{{(°△°; "}}!
Noticing Nojima's death glare, Kamishiro instinctively tried to hide his phone…
"You bastard!!!"
At this point, how could Nojima not understand? Kamishiro had sabotaged him!
"How pathetic, Nojima!"
"Doesn't this just prove that your sweet talk isn't even worth a phone notification?"
"No way! If I had just kept going—!"
Kamishiro held his phone right up to Nojima's face.
Chisa: Thanks, that helped a lot!
"(o Д o*)"
" Kotegawa-san!!!"
(;?＿?)
Chisa looked away awkwardly. If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have sent that message…
Contestant No. 4: Nojima Gen – Status: Unknown (possibly deceased)
"Hmph! My turn now!"
Kamishiro Shiro straightened his collar. Wearing proper clothes once in a while felt pretty good.
Watching Kamishiro walk toward Chisa, Iori felt suspicious. Based on Kohei's personality, there's no way he'd let Kamishiro off the hook so easily—and Kamishiro would never give up Fukuzawa without a fight.
There had to be a secret deal between them!
Although Kohei had a serious expression, inside, he was positively blooming.
Just moments ago, he had used his last three large bills to secure a deal he couldn't refuse.
That man was no ordinary person—he had fooled everyone!
Kamishiro approached Chisa with a confident smile, eyes on the ticket in her hand.
He still had one of those tickets tucked away in his coat pocket!
Who was Kamishiro Shiro?
There was no way he'd lose to those small fries.
The ticket they'd torn up? Just a decoy. The real goal was to eliminate them quickly.
Unexpected bonus: he'd spotted a few familiar TB (Tinker bell) members in the crowd. He could have a little heart-to-heart with his dear President Kudo later~
He probably wasn't a fan of "money," right? Kamishiro would be happy to hold onto it for him. (??ω??)
As for why Kamishiro still wanted Chisa's ticket even though he had his own?
Come on!
That ticket = a spot.
If he got Chisa's, he could sell his spare!
Kohei paid ¥30,000 for his—so the second one could go for ¥50,000, easy.
Third one? ¥80,000.
Fourth? ¥100,000!!!
💰
Money!
Come to your new home!
Fifth Contestant for the Interview Selection: Kamishiro Shiro—Enter!
(???)
(ーー;)
The two stared each other down, trying to win by sheer presence alone.
"…Is this some kind of psychic communication unique to you guys?"
Yamamoto looked at Iori with disbelief. Sometimes he really envied their ability to "talk" without saying a word.
"..."
Iori didn't respond—he just kept staring at Kamishiro and Chisa, sweat dripping from his forehead.
He couldn't tell what kind of communication they were doing at all!
He had already tried every method of "mental transmission" he could think of—none of them worked.
Could they have invented a new method without telling me?!
Iori was panicking, desperately trying to figure out what the two were "saying" to each other.
Meanwhile, Kohei didn't care at all. His mind was wholly consumed with one question: Which voice actress is coming to the Oumi Academy Festival?
If he hadn't promised Kamishiro he'd stick around so the others wouldn't catch on too early, he'd already be out interrogating the zombie cosplayer for intel.
Please let it be a beautiful high school-aged voice actress!
If that wish came true, he could die happy the very next second.
(???)
Chisa, on the other hand, remained completely expressionless.
All that "eye contact" and "psychic communication" stuff? Total nonsense.
They were literally just blankly staring at each other.
She didn't know what Kamishiro was plotting, but this rare moment of peace was worth enjoying a little longer.
Tick-tock…
Without realizing it, a full minute had passed. Just as Yamamoto and the others were getting restless—
Kamishiro moved!
He suddenly pulled several photos from his coat pocket—every single one showing Chisa doing something embarrassing or stomping on Iori!
SWOOSH!
Without any exchange of words, the photos vanished—replaced by a ticket.
!!!
"You bastard, you're still using threats!"
"You scumbag, that's going too far!"
"What kind of exchange did you two have in that short time?!"
Since Yamamoto and the others hadn't yet seen the photo, they couldn't imagine what kind of scene it depicted.
But—why did those two instantly understand each other?! They must've exchanged something secretly in that one minute!
Only Iori vaguely guessed the content of the photo.
"Chisa, don't give it to him. Those photos aren't important at all. Look at me—I've been on the forums so many times and nothing's happened!"
BAM!
The iron fist of justice may be late, but it never misses.
Chisa rewarded Iori with a big bump on his head!
What kind of pig talk was that?! She didn't want to end up as the top search on the forums!
Especially not with that kind of photo!
Taking a deep breath, Chisa felt much more relaxed after handing out the ticket. She could finally feel free...
The embarrassing photos had been recovered too—thank goodness.
She kept counting through her photos to make sure none were missing.
But as she counted, somehow another ticket appeared in her hand...
(???)
Chisa looked at the ticket that shouldn't be hers anymore, then at the whistling, totally calm Kamishiro Shiro.
"This... this should be yours..."
(;?＿?)
"No, I only need one spot," Kamishiro said, glancing subtly at Chisa.
Her gaze followed his toward Yamamoto and the others.
At this moment, the group had lost all the harmony they had before the interview. They now glared at Kamishiro like demons.
Kamishiro had every reason to believe that if he took this ticket, he'd be doomed.
Even if he managed to keep it and sell it later...
He definitely wouldn't dare to bring out a second one! They'd beat him to death!
Let's not forget—these guys had kidnapped him before!
No matter how prestigious this school looked or how good its academics were, it was still a delinquent school at heart!
"Sigh…"
Chisa sighed and resignedly accepted the ticket. Only two people left—let's wrap this up already.
Contestant No. 5, Kamishiro Shiro—PASSED!
...
＼(`Δ')／
The six remaining contestants bit their handkerchiefs in envy as they stared at Kamishiro.
Now they finally understood why this scumbag always carried a camera around.
He was collecting dirt on them! Using photos to threaten people!
The Yamamoto gang now feared Kamishiro deeply. They were self-aware enough to know—if he had embarrassing photos of Chisa, he definitely had theirs too!
Damn it! How many horrible photos did this guy have on them?
As for Iori and Kohei?
They'd already given up. Their embarrassing photos weren't worth anything—anyone could take them anytime.
Kamishiro could probably even get a loan using their nude photos—but unfortunately, that service didn't exist!
Next up was the one everyone had been waiting for!
Contestant No. 6, Kitahara Iori—nominal boyfriend of head judge Chisa!
"So this bastard has a girlfriend and still wants a ticket?!"
"What a waste of resources!"
"Commit seppuku and apologize, you scum!"
"Huh? In that case, Kamishiro shouldn't... mmph!"
Before Iori could finish, Kamishiro dragged him in front of Chisa. If this idiot kept talking, he might not get out of this room alive.
Their eyes met, and Iori instantly calmed down upon seeing Chisa.
He remembered what Nanaka whispered to him this morning...
Because of a certain zombie cosplayer, his fake relationship with Chisa had been exposed.
Nanaka wanted a full explanation.
Backed into a corner, Iori had no choice but to tell her it was all an act.
He thought Nanaka would be mad—but to his surprise, she understood.
Praise Nanaka!
However...
Everything has a price.
Nanaka's condition for not being upset was: during the Oumi Academy Festival, Iori had to stop all sketchy guys from hitting on Chisa!
Because of that...
Iori had to get into Oumi Academy. If he didn't, Nanaka would probably make him her lunch.
SLAM!
The loud slap of a hand on the table startled Chisa.
Iori leaned in seriously and whispered, "Chisa! Pick me. I'm doing all this for you!"
(′｀;)?
Chisa looked at Iori, confused. Was he spouting nonsense in broad daylight?
Seeing no reaction, Iori continued, "You don't want to see murderers and corpses at home, right?"
{{(°△°; "}}!
Chisa's expression finally changed as she stared at the ticket in her hand, horrified.
"Wait... you mean you'd kill me just for this ticket?!"
Suddenly, she felt she needed to reevaluate its value.
She was a living person who could sell for astronomical prices piece by piece, right?
And that's still not worth a ticket?!
"No, you've misunderstood! The dead one would be me!"
Iori hurriedly clarified when he saw the misunderstanding.
But this only made Chisa more frightened—he said something terrifying with a completely straight face!
"The culprit is Nanaka!"
"..."
Chisa blankly looked at the ticket in her hand.
She was the one holding it, so why did it feel like it was at the center of some grand conspiracy? Even Nanaka was involved now?
Iori really wanted to expose the fact that Nanaka was a siscon to the extreme.
But he couldn't. If he said that, there'd be no way to survive.
And seriously—how dense was Chisa not to notice this?! Last time too, when people groped her boobs, she didn't even react!
"I can't explain the reason right now, but please believe me—you must pick me!"
"No."
She rejected him without hesitation. She didn't know the full story, but it definitely sounded like some dumb bet again.
"You can't say that, Chisa! Look—whatever you say now, I'll do it!"
"Then go outside, get run over by a car a few times, and give up."
"But then I'd be run over for nothing!"
Iori tried to plead a little more, but his two minutes were up. Yamamoto and his crew lifted him off stage.
Everyone was satisfied with Chisa's fair judgment—she even rejected her own boyfriend!
Contestant No. 6, Kitahara Iori—REJECTED!
...
Now, for the final spotlight contestant!
Contestant No. 7—Mr. Honest Guy, Fujiwara Kenta!
Seeing Fujiwara, Chisa took a deep breath and sat upright.
The last one!
Once this was over, she'd finally be free!
She couldn't wait to go home. This kind of stuff really was better handled by Azusa-senpai.
Unlike before, the crowd had no reaction to Fujiwara's appearance.
In their minds, he was already out. He had no ties with Chisa, no outstanding traits—why would she give the ticket to him?
Just because he's honest?
"If you're willing to take me with you, I won't do anything."
?!
The once confident crowd suddenly tensed up. This guy wasn't playing by the rules!
"If I get into Oumi Academy, I'll separate from Kotegawa immediately. I can't do bad things on my own. I absolutely won't bother her!"
His sincere words struck right at Chisa's heart. That's right—all she ever wanted was not to be troubled by these idiots!
As Chisa blinked and thought, the others finally realized what was happening.
They stared in disbelief at the supposedly "honest" Fujiwara.
This guy was flipping the script!
They'd all overlooked one thing—Chisa didn't care what she could gain. She just wanted to be left alone!
If someone could enter the gate and leave her alone, that was perfect.
Damn it!
Yamamoto and the others shot deadly glares at Fujiwara. They'd been played!
And this guy was the last contestant, meaning they couldn't change anything now.
Iori gritted his teeth. He knew he had to act. Kamishiro had already snatched one slot—if they lost this one too...
Those other scumbags would only be losing love.
But he—he might lose his life!
He couldn't take it anymore. He began inching toward Fujiwara.
Since that method won't let me win… then I'll just use the oldest trick in the book!
Whoosh!
A rush of wind sliced through the air as Iori's fist flew straight toward Fujiwara's back!
"Sorry, Fujiwara! My hand suddenly stopped listening to me!"
Bang!
What?!
Iori stared in disbelief. His sure-kill blow had been blocked by Fujiwara's arm!
"Just as I thought…"
Fujiwara smirked. As the close friend of this chaotic group, how could he not know what kind of people they were? He'd been on guard from the start!
"Everything you're capable of—I've already seen right through it!"
Fujiwara suddenly spun around. His charged-up punch was ready to launch, and all that was left was to land it square on this bastard!
The scene exploded with energy at that moment!
#Smack!
A handkerchief was suddenly pressed over Fujiwara's nose and mouth.
!!!
He turned in shock—only to see a bunch of devilish faces staring back at him!
"You guys—!"
Thud~
Before he could finish his sentence, Fujiwara collapsed.
He had guessed that something shady like this might happen…
But unfortunately… he didn't predict the plot twist that came next!
Didn't even understand the old proverb: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
What a reckless fool!
"Well, now that this is done, things just got a lot simpler!"
"Yeah, in the end, the primitive methods work best."
"We should've just started with this!"
"Hurry up! I've been waiting forever!"
"You bastards think a little knockout spray is enough to take down Fujiwara?!"
And so, they returned to their original method: hand-to-hand combat!
Only the three strongest would get a spot!
"..."
Chisa turned toward the door. Looks like there was nothing else here that involved her.
But just as she turned to leave—Kamishiro Shirou blocked her path!
"Don't be in such a hurry—the real fun is just getting started~"
Of course Kamishiro Shirou wouldn't let Chisa leave. As long as she was present, his potential profit was maximized!
"Ugh…"
Chisa sighed. So she couldn't escape this mess either. But something felt odd.
There were only five people fighting, while Kamishiro Shirou and Kohei were watching like audience members...
"You guys aren't in a hurry?"
"Don't be silly. We're peace-lovers."
"Yeah, we're not like those monkeys over there!"
(???)
Of course—judging by those two's behavior, Chisa knew right away:
They were planning to swoop in like the oriole at the end.
Whatever. She should probably just end this dumb fight quickly before a teacher shows up.
Most importantly, even if this didn't directly involve her…
They were all fighting because of the ticket in her hand. She couldn't just let them get hurt.
From her bag, she pulled out her eyedrops, squeezed in two drops, and instantly put on a tearful, pitiful expression.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"
Her sharp, penetrating voice made everyone in the room freeze and look toward her in confusion.
"I just really don't think this is okay…"
Chisa activated full actress mode!
"You guys are supposed to be good friends, and you're fighting over something this silly?!"
The artificial tears dripped to the floor—looking heartbreakingly sincere.
"Isn't friendship supposed to be about equality and fairness?
Only one of you wants to get the ticket—that's not something a real friend would do!
I really, truly believe…
Each and every one of you here is the kind of person who would never fight with their friends!"
Whether it was her words or her sorrowful look, the group actually froze on the spot.
Kotegawa…"
"Chisa…"
They stared at her, completely stunned by what she said.
Even Kamishiro Shirou was looking her way. For a moment, he heard real, heartfelt emotion in her words.
Maybe this was what friendship meant to Chisa.
It was beautiful. If it had been anyone else… maybe they would've given up the fight right there.
Too bad…
She wasn't dealing with normal people.
"Oh, I see. Then that means…"
"As of now—you're not my friends anymore!!!"
"Yahoo!!"
"Now we can fight without holding back!"
"Our friendship was short-lived, you bastards!"
(???)
Kamishiro Shirou blinked slightly. Yep—that's how fragile their bromance was~
Now that the "friendship" layer was gone, their auras shifted—everyone had entered Super Saiyan mode!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Chisa was completely stunned. This… this wasn't what she expected at all!
Weren't they supposed to feel guilty and let her go to the school festival alone?
Why did things go from a "fight for the winner" to a battle to the death?!
She wanted to intervene, but now she had no idea where to start…
"Hmm hmm~"
Kamishiro Shirou, who had been observing patiently all along, finally stood up.
He knew it—his moment had come!
Now it was his turn!
"Everyone!"
Kamishiro Shirou called out just as the fight reached its midpoint—just enough to catch their attention.
Looking at the five bruised, swollen-faced guys, he laughed gleefully.
There was nothing more satisfying than seeing this group of idiots get beaten up and then profiting off of them.
Well… maybe it would be even better if they got beat harder, and he made even more money!
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an authentic ticket.
"I've still got one real ticket here. No need to fight—just pay 50,000 yen and it's yours~"
!!!
⊙ω⊙
The five guys stared at the ticket in his hand, then glanced at the one in Chisa's.
Exactly the same!
A real ticket!
"You… but didn't your ticket get torn up by them?!"
Iori's words slurred a little. He'd seen that pile of torn scraps with his own eyes.
"Oh, that was just a little knock-off replica. I'll make them pay for it later~"
The five looked at Kamishiro Shirou's money-crazed eyes, and all shivered.
They took a moment of silence for the fools who had wronged him.
Their expressions darkened. The ticket issue was now resolved…
But a new dilemma arose!
Who was going to buy the 50,000 yen ticket?
Chisa's was free, after all!
They exchanged awkward glances. No one wanted to be the one to cough up the money.
As for snatching it?
No chance—Kohei the "vicious guard dog" had obviously taken Kamishiro Shirou's side!
"Oh right—one of the spots on Chisa's side is already reserved for me. You'd better decide quickly, or I might just raise the price~"
!!!
"You damn profiteer!"
"You shameless bastard!"
"This is daylight robbery!"
The five howled in protest. Couldn't they report him or something?!
(???)
Chisa quietly backed away, still holding her ticket.
She knew it—Kamishiro always had a backup plan.
One spot for 50k yen… Honestly, she was kinda tempted too!
But… she just couldn't bring herself to sell her ticket. (╥_╥)
"Damn it!"
Iori clenched his teeth, looked around at the frozen group—he was wavering!
He knew this shady merchant would definitely raise the price again!
50,000 yen…
He had exactly that much left in his wallet.
Forget it!
For the sake of his life!
"I'll buy it!"