When the Introverted Me Got Surrounded by S-Tier Beauties After a Seat Change, a Secret Relationship Began V2 Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Pandora's Box Opens
A week had passed since we'd made the deal: if Airi and Yuria managed to avoid failing grades, I would be at the beck and call of the beauty trio, all summer long. Since then, the two members of the failing-students list—Airi and Yuria—had been studying like completely different people.
Are they really that desperate to boss me around all summer?The thought crossed my mind as I watched them studying in silence during lunch.
Sure, I could understand Airi's seriousness, since her part-time job was on the line. But Yuria had nothing to lose, so I didn't get why she was going quite so hard…
Then again, what do I care? For me, being ordered around by them was less of a punishment and more of a reward.
Any normal person would probably hate having their precious summer break invaded, but I was actually looking forward to my "punishment."
Every year, my summer vacation dissolved into a state of utter sloth.
I'd wake up in the afternoon, scroll through my phone in bed, eat whenever I felt like it, and then scroll some more until it was time to sleep.
As an introverted otaku with no club activities, I'd repeat this cycle for nearly all thirty days.
I was so stuck in my ways I probably wouldn't even notice if a certain E*dless Eight situation were to happen to me.
So, if they wanted to order a layabout like me around, they could go right ahead. And if it was the beauty trio doing the ordering? Well, that was just a reward, wasn't it?
"Hey, hey, Ryouta."
As I was lost in my thoughts, Yuria, sitting to my left, poked my shoulder.
What's up? Did she get stuck on something?"Yeah?"
"Um… you free after school?"
"After school? I don't have plans, are we going somewhere?"
"Nah, the tests are only a week away, so I was thinkin'… maybe a study session?"
I was so sure she was going to suggest hitting the arcade in the next town for a break that the idea of studying completely caught me off guard.
"Then I'll go too! Oh, wait, today I have… a date with my boyfriend, so I can't~" Airi, in the seat in front of me, chimed in as she turned around.
With her boyfriend… right, her part-time job.She'd mentioned before that she had to make up for the time she took off during the cultural festival, so she had about one shift a week, even during the test period.
"Rui-chan said she has practice after school too, so does that mean you two are having a study session all alone~? How nice~"
Rui, who had a track team meeting during lunch, apparently still had practice after school.
I heard the Inter-High was coming up during summer vacation, so I guess it couldn't be helped.
"Besides, you had a study session with Ryouta the other day, right, Airi? You've gotten way better at math since then. So today, it's my turn to suck all the academic power out of him." Yuria said with a smirk, her eyes narrowing.
Suck out… th-that sounds kinda lewd."Don't get any weird ideas."
"Ouch."
As if reading my mind, Yuria gave me a light chop.
She really gets me. To think she can even read my dirty thoughts… No, wait, the way she phrased it was totally inviting."I'm back. What's all the happy chatter about?"
Just then, Rui returned to the classroom, her meeting apparently over.
"Yuria's gonna have a study session with Ryouta today~"
"Oh? A study session? Just the two of them?"
"Yup. Rui's busy, and Ryouta's smart and seems like he's got nothing better to do, so I figured I'd have him teach me some stuff."
I felt like I was being made fun of, but since it was a well-known fact that I was super free, I couldn't really argue.
Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm just a free, pervy-minded, introverted otaku. Sheesh."Hmm… just the two of you studying together. I seeee…"
Rui let out a syrupy-sweet acknowledgment, her eyes narrowing into slits.
Wh-What's with that reaction?"Ryouta-kun?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
"Please take good care of Yuria, okay? The condition for that is for everyone to avoid failing grades. So please, teach her properly in my place, won't you?"
Rui said it with a smile, but… was I the only one who felt an incredible weight behind her words?
It's not like she's mad because she's the only one left out, right? Rui doesn't even need to study… so what's with this pressure?As always, I had no idea what Rui was thinking.
☆☆
Since Yuria and I were studying together after school, we ended up walking home together.
As always, she walked beside me, her voluminous and captivating thighs swaying with each step.
"What're you staring at, Ryouta? My thighs again?"
"…Nope. I'm staring at your massive thighs."
"That's still my thighs, genius. If you're going to make a lame joke, at least try to be clever about it…"
Since I already had unofficial permission to gaze upon Airi's massive breasts and Yuria's thighs (plus Rui's navel, courtesy of the photos she sends me unconditionally), I had no intention of holding back.
"You really do like my legs, don't you? Look at my face once in a while." Yuria said, sounding a little annoyed.
I guess as a gyaru, she'd rather I look at the face she puts so much effort into than her thighs.Personally, I'd like her to put some makeup on her thighs, too. Like fishnet stockings."Anyway! Enough with the usual banter. We gotta hurry up and study."
"Right, right. So, where are we doing this Starbucks?"
"Your house, obviously."
"…Hah."
"You don't want to?"
"It's not that…"
I had a feeling this would happen… my room again, huh.It was about the fourth time a girl had been in my room (excluding Tanaka), so I wasn't really nervous anymore.
Especially with Yuria. She already knew all my secrets, and since we were otaku friends, there was nothing to hide. It was actually relaxing.
In that sense, I could treat her the same way I treated Tanaka, so there was no need to be reserved… The only issue was her body (especially those thighs). If I wasn't careful, I'd find myself staring, and even with permission, there was a limit.
"Alright, my room's fine. It might be a little messy, but no complaints, okay?"
"…"
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Ryouta, there's something that's been bothering me."
"Bothering you? What?"
"You know… you've gotten a little too comfortable around girls lately, haven't you?"
"…Huh?"
"Just now, you had, like, zero hesitation about letting me into your room. It feels like you're way too used to this, you know?" Yuria said with a pout, her eyes narrowed in displeasure.
Me… used to girls?!"N-No way! How can a sixteen-year-old guy who's never even held a girl's hand be used to girls!"
"Well, when we first met at the arcade, you gave off a total virgin vibe, but lately, you kinda have this aura of a guy who's made countless girls cry."
"What kind of aura is that?! No matter how you look at it, I'm just a plain-faced introverted otaku!"
It was sad saying it myself, but there was no way I looked like some kind of player.
"I'm sure it only seems that way because I'm talking to you, Yuria. You're the one who understands me best, after all. Probably."
"Hmm… just with me, huh."
When I somehow managed to explain myself, Yuria's lips curled into a smile.
"Well, if that's the case… I don't mind."
"What do you mean, you 'don't mind'?"
"It means what it means. More importantly, wanna hit the arcade after tests are over? There's a new prize figure of Milk-tan. The one in the cow bikini."
"Oh, yeah."
Where did the grumpy Yuria from a moment ago go? Well, as long as the misunderstanding was cleared up, it was fine.
Still… used to girls, huh.Did that mean that as I'd been talking with the three of them and keepingtheir secrets, I'd gradually gotten more comfortable talking with girls?
I hadn't realized it myself, but now that she'd pointed it out, I kind of felt like it was true.
I wonder if that just means we've all gotten that much closer…?"What's up, Ryouta? Now you're grinning."
"Oh, it's nothing. Let's get back to talking about big-boobed figures."
And so, we chatted amicably as we made our way back to my house… but.
"R-Ryouta! You…"
As soon as I got home, my mom, who was off from her part-time job, poked her head out into the entryway, her face pale.
"D-Don't tell me you're two-timing…"
"That's not it! We're just friends!"
"Pardon the intrusion, ma'am."
"Ah! Y-Yes. Please take good care of my son for years to come."
My mom bowed repeatedly as she saw us off up the stairs.
It was a relief she didn't mention that Rui had been in my room before.
"Your mom's so young and cute. You don't look much like her, though."
"Sorry I take after my dad."
I let Yuria into my room and set up the low table and cushions, just like when Airi came over.
"Yeah, no matter how many times I come, your room is such an otaku den… Oh, can I read this manga?"
"Read as much as you want, but today we're here for a study session—"
It was at that moment…
"Ah…"
When Yuria pulled out a manga, a small, dark brown box that had been sitting on top of it fell to her feet with a soft thud…
nnnghhhhh?!?!That… was the box of condoms I'd bought before my study session with Airi.I'll spare the explanation of what kind they were, but condoms are condoms.
Damn it! Since they found my stash under the bed before, I'd moved my secret hiding spot to a gap in the bookshelf!It was too late. Yuria was more focused on the fallen object than the manga, and there was no hiding it.
Th-This is bad…"What's this box… Ah! I've seen this character before! I think his name was Da… huh? Wait a sec. What's this?"
Yuria was about to pop open Pandora's box.
"W-Wait, Yuria! Don't open that!"
Having been discovered, I instinctively tried to stop her… but I was too late. I heard the sound of Yuria opening the small brown box.
Since I had already opened it once, the box opened with a faint crinkling sound.
"…N-No way… is this for real?"
Inside the small box were individually wrapped items, neatly folded. When Yuria took one out, a chain of connected packets dangled from her hand.
Wh-What have I done…Yuria then proceeded to dump everything out onto the low table.
"Ryouta~? Seiza."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
I did as I was told, sitting formally in front of the low table.
Yuria remained standing, looking down on me as she pointed at the items.
"Whatare these, I wonder?" she asked with a bright smile and a calm voice, but she was clearly angry.
Feeling a pressure as heavy as Rui's, I wiped away my cold sweat and opened my mouth.
"Those… are… c-condoms, ma'am."
"And what do you use them for?"
"Uhm… for… for super perverted things."
Yuria relentlessly interrogated me with a smile.
This was pure humiliation.
"Hah… seriously. Right after that whole talk about you being used to girls, I find this. Don't tell me you actually did it with Airi."
"That's not true! We really didn't!"
For Airi's honor, I had to deny that part clearly.
It wouldn't be fair to her if she was suspected of doing it with someone like me when nothing happened.
At this point, I had to admit to buying the condoms but prove both my and Airi's innocence.
"T-The truth is! I got those… just in case, but in the end, I never had a chance to use them… or rather, there was no way I would have a chance."
"Then let me ask you one thing. This is a 12-pack, but there are only 11 here. Where's the missing one?"
"That… here, look in my wallet."
I took my wallet out of my pocket and handed it to her.
Yuria opened it, looking slightly hesitant.
"Ah… this."
She took out the single condom that was inside.
"I-I thought, you know, just in case a chance came up while I was out, I'd keep one in my wallet."
"…Pfft, seriously, Ryouta, hahaha!"
"Hey! Don't laugh!"
"Keeping just one in your wallet, it's just so… so you."
"What's that supposed to mean! 'So me'!"
Yuria cackled, teasing me mercilessly.
Yeah, yeah, I'm just a dreamy virgin! Dreaming of the day I'll need the single condom in my wallet!"Hah, that was a good laugh. But well, that's what I thought. Your mind is a pervy kid's, Ryouta, but you don't actually have the guts."
"Sh-Shut up."
She hit the nail so squarely on the head that my face grew hot.
"And you bought the one with a character on the box to camouflage it from your parents, right?"
"Well… that's part of it."
I had been too scared to choose a package that was obviously that, so I'd chosen a collaboration product with a mascot character.
"You're so you through and through…" Yuria muttered as she sat down next to me.
"You know, I think I'm a little turned on."
"T-Turned on?! Why are you getting excited?!"
"I told you before, right? I'm pretty into that stuff, too."
Yuria blushed as she flicked one of the packets on the table with her beautifully manicured index finger.
Wait, is this… am I actually going to get a chance to use this?! Me and Yuria… are we going to do it, right here, right now?As I was thinking that, my eyes were involuntarily drawn to Yuria's buxom, curvaceous body.
I bit my lip and swallowed hard.
"Y-Yuria, that—"
"Hello, everyone~! It's Tanaka, a moth to the flame!! Sent by Ryouta-kun's mom as a chaperone to prevent any impure male-female fraternization… wait, huh?"
Suddenly appearing in my room was Tanaka Kanade, a.k.a. Tanaka.
"Th-Th-Those are condoms, aren't they?"
The glasses of the loli-glasses girl, a.k.a. Tanaka, who appeared wearing an oversized uniform, fell to the floor with a clatter.
"D-Don't tell me you were really about to… My apologies for interrupting! Please, enjoy yourselves!"
""Hold on a second, Tanakaaa!!""
☆☆
Yuria, myself, and Tanaka sat on cushions, surrounding the low table.
On the table lay the individually wrapped items and the small brown box.
This was way too awkward."So… have you two… done it yet? The dirty deed."
"Of course not!"
"But with this spread out on the table, it's not very convincing."
Tanaka did have a point… but the more I tried to explain, the weirder this was going to get.
"So, Tanaka, if we were doing that kind of thing, would it be a problem for you?"
"Th-That's…"
Thanks to Yuria making things even more complicated, Tanaka's expression turned grim.
What are you thinking, Yuria?! If you say that, she's going to get the wrong idea!"I-It would be a problem! If Ryouta-kun stopped being a virgin… I-I would lose a friend!"
"T-Tanaka…"
Wait a minute. The condition for us to be friends is that I have to be a virgin… what does that even mean?! I don't get it at all!"I see. Then don't worry, Tanaka. I really haven't done it with Ryouta, and besides, a chicken like him wouldn't be able to make a move on me, right?"
"Y-You're right! It is Ryouta-kun, after all! If he had the guts to make a move on a super-lewd gyaru like Ichinose-san, he'd be hooking up with girls left and right by now!"
Here we go, the 'let's diss the introverted virgin' routine… And don't call her a super-lewd gyaru to her face. Even though she is super lewd.And Yuria, too, acting all tough in front of Tanaka… This gyaru was slightly flustered just a moment ago.
Well then, I'll just have to enjoy myself to my heart's content with Yuria in my fantasy world tonight…"What is it, Ryouta? Got something to say?"
"Nope."
"Well, well. For now, I'm relieved that you two haven't done it. But in that case, what were you planning on doing today?"
Right… we were supposed to have a study session, not dirty talk.
This sudden super-erotic eventalmost made me lose sight of our original goal.
"We're having a study session. The finals are coming up."
"Ooh! A study session! That sounds fun!"
"You wanna join us, Tanaka?"
"Is that okay?!"
"Of course. Besides, you're super smart, right? Teach me."
Somehow, Tanaka joinedus.
"I can teach you too, Ryouta-kun."
"I'm good."
"Why are you being so standoffish? We used to have study sessions all the time back in middle school."
"Oh, so you and Ryouta were that close in middle school?"
"That's right, I think we were quite close for a boy and a girl. We used to hang out a lot during summer vacation and after school. Well, mostly it was just watching anime, though."
"Hmm… something about that makes me… jealous." Yuria muttered as she glanced at me from the side.
Jealous, huh. She wanted an otaku friend, so I guess that makes sense."Alright then, before we start studying, I'm confiscating all these condoms. Just to make sure Ryouta doesn't get into any impure relationships with someone, somewhere."
"That's a good idea! It's not like you'll ever get a chance to use them anyway, Ryouta-kun, so you're not allowed to buy any more until you're an adult!"
"No way…"
Yuria confiscated the condoms, and my faint hopes were completely crushed.
"Just so you know, if you try anything weird with Rui or Airi, I'll be seriously mad. Got it?"
"Y-Yes…"
At this point, Yuria felt less like my closest confidante and more like my manager.
I have a desire to be managed in various ways by a beautiful girl, so I don't mind at all… but why did she bring up Rui and Airi?Sure, the only girls I'm close to are the beauty trio and Tanaka… but even I don't seriously think I could get into that kind of relationship with the Rui or Airi.
"Alright, let's start studying now."
☆☆
It was supposed to be a study session between me and Yuria, but Tanaka ended up joining us, not because of my parents, but because of Tanaka herself…
And then—about ten minutes after we started.
"Munyaa… guheheh~, I can't drink anymore~, Airi-taan."
Tanaka fell asleep.
In just a few minutes, her forehead was pressed against the textbook on the low table, fast asleep.
I knew this would happen."No way, to fall asleep that fast… is Tanaka really the second-ranked student in our grade? I can't believe she's second to Rui."
"She may be like this, but Tanaka is smart. Or rather, she's had a superhuman memory since middle school. She can remember every line from a manga or anime after seeing it once, and when it comes to studying, apparently she can memorize the textbook right away."
"What's with that cheat ability? She's basically the protagonist of an isekai. I'm so jealous~"
Tanaka isn't just smart; she has an incredibly good memory.
That was a big reason why I went to ask her about Rui back in our middle school days.
The problem is that she mostly uses that ability for her otaku hobbies…
"But if she's that amazing, shouldn't she be able to beat Rui?"
"I've thought about that too… but since middle school, Tanaka has always been second in our grade. She's never beaten Rui."
"Eh, really? Not even in a single subject?"
"Yeah. Kuroki Rui might just be a perfect superhuman, since she can crush even Tanaka's monstrous memory and still come out on top."
The more amazing I think Tanaka is, the more it highlights just how much of a monster Rui is in every aspect.
"Even though she looks like this, Tanaka's fighting a battle on a level I can't even imagine," Yuria said, impressed, as she played with the sleeping Tanaka's hair.
"You passed the entrance exam for this high school, Yuria. You're plenty amazing yourself."
"I'm not… amazing at all. I just had nothing else to do but study in my third year of middle school, and besides… I just didn't want to go to the same high school as her."
Yuria bit her lip and said this as if she were suppressing something.
Her expression changed from her usual bright gyaru face to one of someone who had swallowed a bitter bug.
"Her… you mean that former best friend you mentioned?"
"Yeah. She told me my hobbies were gross and pushed me away. In my third year, I basically got kicked out of her group. But thanks to that, I could focus on studying, and I got to become friends with Rui, Airi, and you, Ryouta… so I guess it all worked out for the best!"
She was forcing herself to act cheerful, but hearing that, I could easily imagine how tough it must have been for her.
As an introverted loner, you tend to become surprisingly knowledgeable about classroom dynamics. I've seen plenty of people get ostracized from the popular groups, and every single one of them was in a really tough position.
At a glance, the popular groups seem glamorous, but on the inside, they're surprisingly harsh.
If you mess up and get kicked out, the former popular kid can't join any of the introvert groups and becomes completely isolated.
If there was even one kind person in an introvert group, they might be able to get in, but most introverts have an aversion to popular kids, so that's not realistic.
"I'm clumsy, so I honestly didn't know how to make up with her. I knew she was going to a nearby private school, so I figured I had no choice but to go to a public one. In the end, it was just me running away, you know?"
She said it with self-deprecation, but the struggles behind that story must have been incredibly difficult, something I, as an introvert, can't even fathom.
"…You're strong, Yuria. About that incident, and about everything else."
"S-Strong? Me? Nah, if anything, I was just saying how weak I am." Yuria asked back, her eyes wide.
"I mean, if I were in your position, I definitely would have stopped going to school the day after I got ostracized, and I would have hated everything. But you went to school properly, studied hard, and got into our high school. That's truly amazing, and it's definitely proof of how strong you are."
"Me… strong, huh."
She might not realize it herself, but I honestly think Yuria's unbreakable spirit is amazing.
I could never imitate that.
"Ryouta, you're usually just a pervy kid, but at times like this, you say really nice things, you know?"
"Hey, the 'pervy kid' part wasn't necessary."
"But still… the only person you should be comforting like that is me... Someone might get the wrong idea."
"The wrong idea? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing. In return… I'll be on your side too, Ryouta. Always."
Yuria had a warm smile that was different from her usual bright one.
Yuria, the one who understands me best, will always be on my side, huh. More than feeling reassured, it feels kind of… lewd."Alright, if you're going to be on my side, then as my ally, how about you start by giving me a lap pillow with those massive thighs?"
"That makes absolutely no sense. Seriously, this guy… so annoying. You're banned from looking at my thighs for a week."
"What?! P-Please, I beg you, anything but that!"
"No looking until after the tests are over. Control your libido a little."
"Eeh…!"
"Munyaa… huh, hey! Both of you have stopped working! You're supposed to be having a study session!"
""You're one to talk, you were sleeping!""
Tanaka, who had woken up at some point, started lecturing us with sleepy eyes, so we both immediately retorted.
After that, we reset and resumed the study session.
"For Japanese History, if you just completely memorize every page that’s gonna be on the test, you can easily get a hundred!"
"I told you, I can't memorize that much at once."
"It'll be fine! If a little miss nobody with glasses and no boobs like me can do it, then a super-hot gyaru with mega-thighs like you can do it perfectly, Ichinose-san!"
"You have as low self-esteem as Ryouta… and is that what you thought of me?"
Somehow or other, Tanaka and Yuria had gotten along, and before I knew it, Tanaka was able to talk to Yuria without any reservations.
"Alright… it's almost seven, shouldn't we call it a day?" I said, looking at the clock on my phone.
It was the same when I had the study session with Airi; when you concentrate on studying, time flies by surprisingly fast.
"You're right. Your family always has dinner around seven, Ryouta-kun."
"Yeah, so it's about time—"
"Hey, you know? Tanaka, you know way too much about Ryouta, don't you?" Yuria cut in.
"You know his dinner time, and his mom asked you to be a chaperone. Even if you were close in middle school, your sense of distance is like a childhood friend's."
"Well~ I did hang out with Ryouta-kun quite often in my first and second years of middle school. So you could say I've built a good relationship with his family."
"A good relationship… you're just being shameless. You buttered up my older sister, who's also an introvert, to get her hand-me-downs, and behind my back, you learned my mom's roasted pork recipe from her on a Sunday."
"W-Wait, Ryouta, that's less shameless and more… Tanaka, are you intentionally trying to win over his family first?"
"Ah-ah! What are you saying, Ichinose-san! I just want to build a good relationship with his sister and mother, that's all—!"
Tanaka denied it, her face beet red, shaking her head so hard her glasses flew off.
What's with her all of a sudden? As usual, she's emotionally unstable.After that, the noisy study session came to an end, and we faced the end-of-term exams that weekend.
☆☆
—The day of the finals.
I woke up at my usual time, ate breakfast at my usual time, and left the house at my usual time.
Even though it's one of the few test days of the year, it's important to stick to your usual routine.
It's not good to get weirdly nervous or restless just because it's a test da—
"Good morning, Ryouta-kun. Today's the test, isn't it?"
Just as I was trying to stick to my usual routine, at the usual time, in the usual place, the usual Kuroki Rui was standing there waiting.
In front of my gate, Rui waved, her long black hair fluttering.
That's the one part that doesn't have to be my 'usual'…"G-Good morning, Rui… You came all this way again today?"
"Yup. It's true that today is a test day, but sticking to the usual is important, you know."
'The usual,' huh. Why is she thinking the same thing as me…I wonder if walking to school with Rui becoming 'the usual' is a good thing or a bad thing.While thinking about such things, I ended up heading to school with Rui again today.
"You look totally at ease… Don't you feel any pressure about being number one?"
"Of course not. Because, you see, I'm always perfect without doing anything special."
Rui smiled cutely as she said something not cute at all.
What does she mean, 'without doing anything special'? In the first place, she has a special talent…"But you've been busy with club activities lately because of the Inter-High, right?"
"That's true… but how did you know?"
"Well, a certain someone sends me selfies after practice. Compared to your older photos, your recent ones have a sense of fatigue… or maybe the amount of sweat is different."
"Heeh? So you even check the amount of sweat in my selfies, Ryouta-kun…?"
"Eh, ah, no…"
I let it slip, revealing that I meticulously check Rui's selfies from corner to corner.
D-Damn, I totally fell for it… Why do I keep falling for such an obvious trap!Rui's eyes narrowed as she smiled gracefully.
As if to say, 'Just as planned.'"Don't go around teasing an innocent virgin like that!"
"I'm not teasing you, though?"
"You are! A-Any guy would check out a kinda-lewd selfie from a cute classmate! It's puberty!"
I tried to get through this by throwing a childish tantrum.
This is way too much of a last resort."Fufu… at this rate, it might just be a matter of time before he can't be satisfied with anyone else…"
"H-Huh?"
"…I'm looking forward to it."
I-I'm not sure what she's looking forward to, but for now, this means I'll keep getting photos, right?"Ah, by the way, Ryouta-kun? If those two manage to avoid failing grades, you'll be at our beck and call during summer vacation. Are you okay with that?"
"W-Well… I already made the promise, so I guess it can't be helped."
"You're not exactly displeased, though, are you?"
Y-You know me too well."If I can have my way with you… maybe I'll have you come."
"Eh… C-Come? where?"
"That's… hmm. A little something to look forward to after the tests are over."
Rui said with a sly wink.
Where on earth is she going to take me…?! This is too scary!! I can only pray I don't get taken to some remote mountain.While I was thinking that, Rui's hand reached out from somewhere and pinched my arm hard.
"Ow! Wh-What was that for?"
"Ryouta-kun? If you think too many weird things, I really will do it, you know?"
Wh… how is she so naturally reading my mind?"D-Don't read my mind!"
"I can't do that, you know?"
"B-But you knew what I was thinking."
"Because, Ryouta-kun, you've had a very suspicious look in your eyes for a while now. Even though I have no intention of making any strange requests."
I wonder about that. For someone who says that, she did say something about 'taking me somewhere' when we talked about this before.But well, for someone with superhuman talent like Kuroki Rui, she could probably win a game of chance like rock-paper-scissors with ease.
As I was talking with Rui, we arrived at the classroom. It was completely devoid of its usual noisiness; the only sounds were the scratching of mechanical pencils and the flipping of textbook pages.
Rui and I, having arrived together, sensed the atmosphere and entered the classroom without a word, starting to study.
Everyone's concentration is on another level… The air in the classroom is kind of tense.There were a lot of highly motivated students, but not everyone was like that.
Many, like Yuria and Airi, were fired up just to avoid failing.
Basically, at our school, the failing line is half of the average score for each subject, and since it's a college prep school, that line is inevitably high.
Perhaps because of that, Airi and Yuria, who had been slacking on their studies since entering high school, were always on the failing-students list, racking up red marks.
But they've been working hard this time, so I'm sure they'll be… huh? Wait, why haven't Yuria and Airi arrived yet?I thought this while looking at the seat to my left and the one in front of me. Just then, I saw the two of them entering from the hallway… but.
Wh-What's with them?Both looked completely exhausted before even taking the test, with dark circles under their eyes.
That's… they definitely pulled an all-nighter."M-Mornin'~, Ryouta~"
Airi, with about five life points left, greeted me with a limp voice.
"H-Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine~ Airi's full of energy~"
"'Full of energy,' where?""Mornin'~, Ryouta~"
"Y-Yuria… you too?"
Yuria's voice, as she passed behind me to her seat, was also shot.
What kind of voices are these two making?!"A-Are you two going to be okay like that?"
"We're fine, we're fine. The two of us were studying on the phone together until morning."
"'Until morning'…"It's good that they're motivated, but to be in this condition for the actual test…
Rui, sitting to my right, shrugged in exasperation.
"Seriously, once this test is over, I'm gonna relieve all my stress on you, Ryouta, no holding back. Right, Airi?"
"Seconded~"
"H-Hey, wait. Since when did I become your stress-relief toy?"
"For now, after the test, let's all go on a tour of every single karaoke chain branch in front of the station!"
"Like we'd go to all of them! One karaoke place is enough!"
The moment I retorted—perhaps because I shouted—murderous glares flew at me from all around, as if to say, 'Shut up! I'll kill you!'
Eek, I'm sorry…I shrank back, hiding my face with my textbook.
"Besides, we already got good results in our review yesterday, so we probably won't get failing grades."
"You'd better be ready, Ryouta~"
The two from the failing-students list were quite fired up, determined not to fail.
Well, especially in Airi's case, with her part-time job on the line, she definitely wanted to avoid it.
The fact that they seem so confident feels like a death flag, though…With a trace of anxiety in my heart, the two-day-long final exams began.
☆☆
—The weekend after the finals.
Today was finally the long-awaited day the tests were returned.
All the tests for every subject were to be returned on the same day… but for some reason, we had decided to show each other our results all at once after school.
And so, the three of them—Yuria, Airi, and Rui—who remained in the classroom, slapped their test results onto my desk as if to say, "Behold."
"How's that, Ryouta! This is our true power!"
As you could tell from their triumphant expressions, both Yuria and Airi, whom I had been worried about, had cleared the failing line.
The failing line for this test was surprisingly high, too…
"Th-That's amazing, you two!"
"Of course it is. We studied like crazy."
"No, no, avoiding failing is one thing, but if you look closely, Airi's math score is 70! And Yuria got an 80 in English?! That's seriously amazing!"
"D-Don't praise me so much."
"When we get serious, this is a piece of cake for us! Now, with this, I can… I mean, we can do whatever we want with Ryouta!"
Airi almost let slip about her part-time job… but, well, let's just say all's well that ends well.
"Hey, Ryouta-kun? I got over 98 in every subject, almost a perfect 100, and was overwhelmingly first in our grade, you know?"
"Eh? Oh, is that so? First again… huh."
"I… was… first… you know~?" Rui said persistently, with a sullen look in her eyes.
D-Don't tell me… is this her way of saying 'praise me too'? I-I'm not sure, but if that's the case…"Th-That's amazing, Rui! To be overwhelmingly first again! I bet Tanaka is so frustrated right now—"
"Fufu… if you're going to praise me, could you not mention other girls' names?"
"Eh? Ah, yes… I'm sorry."
I praised her, yet for some reason, I got scolded.
Wh-What is it? Kuroki Rui has only ever gotten first place, so being praised for it again can't be that gratifying!"Hmm, what's this. You want Ryouta to praise you too, Rui?"
"Not particularly. I never said I wanted to be praised."
"Oh, Rui-chan, you're not being honest~ Airi worked hard because she wanted Ryouta to praise her! And now we can all hang out during summer vacation!"
Ah, that's right. I was so surprised about them avoiding failing grades that I forgot about summer vacation.
"Anyway, the test results are just a prerequisite, right? For now, let's decide who gets to have their way with Ryouta first… with rock-paper-scissors."
"Rock-paper-scissors? So, if Airi wins, she gets to hang out with Ryouta first?"
"Yup. The winner is the first one who gets to order Ryouta around during summer vacation. Make him carry your shopping bags, be your gofer, whatever. How's that sound?"
"Fufu… I like that. I don't mind either."
What does she mean, 'I don't mind'. They're just deciding things on their own… Do I not get a say in this?At Yuria's suggestion, the conversation about the promise proceeded, leaving me, the person in question, out of the loop.
"You'd better be ready, Ryouta. We kept our promise and avoided failing, so you can't refuse anything now, and we're going to make you go along with everything."
"W-Well… I don't really mind that, but."
Being bossed around by these three during summer vacation was just a reward event for me.
Plus, it was a precious chance to possibly see the three of them in their casualclothes (and thin summer clothes at that). I couldn't let this opportunity slip by.
Well, when I think about it that way, there's not a single reason to refuse… but if there's just one point of concern…"…Fufu. Rock-paper-scissors."
Rui glanced at me from the side with a small smile.
She's undoubtedly thinking of something nefarious, so my biggest concern is that she might give me some weird order. If she says something like, 'I'll lock you up until you fall in love with me'… that'd be real bad. It would reveal that I actually get turned on by that kind of scenario.As I was thinking that, Rui's hand reached out from somewhere and pinched my arm hard.
"Ow! Wh-What was that for, Rui?"
"Ryouta-kun? If you think too many weird things, I really will do it, you know?"
Wh… how is she so naturally reading my mind?"D-Don't read my mind!"
"I can't do that, you know?"
"B-But you knew what I was thinking."
"Because, Ryouta-kun, you've had a very suspicious look in your eyes for a while now. Even though I have no intention of making any strange requests."
I wonder about that. For someone who says that, she did say something about 'taking me somewhere' when we talked about this before.But well, for someone with superhuman talent like Kuroki Rui, she could probably win even at a game of chance like rock-paper-scissors with ease.
"Alright, let's play rock-paper-scissors now."
The three of them faced each other and put out their hands.
I sat in my seat, watching the rock-paper-scissors tournament for my ownership unfold before me.
"""Rock-paper-scissooors!"""
The moment each of them put out their hand—the match was decided in one go.
"…Eh?"
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