Iroha rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, telling herself in her mind, A guy as remarkable as Rei Ao having had a girlfriend is totally normal, so him not being a first-kiss newbie was easy to understand. She felt it showed his excellence. At least, that was the story she believed.
"Since neither of us minds, let's just leave it at that," Rei Ao said, nodding.
"Sure!"
Iroha agreed without hesitation. If Rei Ao hadn't brought it up, she really didn't want to mention it at all. It kept reminding her of awkward memories, so much so that she couldn't help sneaking peeks at a certain "place" on Rei Ao whenever she stood in front of him.
"Anything else, Isshiki-san?"
Rei Ao asked.
"Ugh, n-no, that's all."
She forced a smile. Her plan had been to leave a better impression on Rei Ao. Now she wasn't sure if she'd succeeded or failed. Then, just as she was feeling a little down, Rei Ao abruptly took out his phone.
"Isshiki-san, could I get your number?"
"Huh?"
She looked up in surprise. She definitely hadn't expected him to ask for her contact info first.
"O-oh, sure!"
Her mind short-circuited, and she quickly gave him her contact details.
"Got it. I look forward to seeing you next time."
After noting it down, he put away his phone, waved goodbye, and walked off to his classroom. Only after his figure was gone did Iroha realize something:
Why did Rei Ao suddenly want her contact info?
Watching his retreating back, she felt too awkward to chase after him and ask.
" "
She could only keep that confusion buried.
All morning, Isshiki Iroha was in a daze, her mind not on her studies. She kept puzzling over why Rei Ao asked for her info. So, wanting answers, she ran to the Service Club at lunchtime. As expected, people were there: Yukino, Yui, and Yumiko.
"What, you again?"
Yumiko saw her and scowled.
She currently disliked only two people: Yukino and Irohaone was her old rival, the other a "stray cat" aiming for her man.
"Hehe, Senpais, I'm here looking for some advice."
"Advice?"
Iroha cleared her throat and explained:
"This morning, I 'happened to run into' Rei Ao-senpai again."
"Ah, you'd better mean really happened to," Yumiko cut in bluntly, not sparing her.
Fortunately, Iroha didn't mind. Everyone knew she was trying to pursue Rei Ao, so there was no need to hide it.
"Hehe, I was basically trying to make a good impression on Rei Ao-senpai."
She stuck out her little pink tongue, looking playful.
"Tch, I knew it."
Yumiko raised her chin, like she'd seen through it all.
Yukino quietly shut her book. There weren't many things that interested her, but Yumiko's concerns happened to be an exception.
"You're asking your question about that, I take it?"
Yui also asked curiously, "Does that mean you've managed to impress Rei Ao-kun?"
"?"
Yumiko looked at Yui in confusionwhy was she so excited?
In fact, Yui wasn't worried at all. She knew Rei Ao wouldn't abandon her, would always hold her hand and kiss her, and they'd do happy things together. She was confident she couldn't lose. If she couldn't lose, then no need to be hostile. Yui was currently in a fulfilling, satisfied stateshe just wanted to see some interesting drama.
"Ugh"
Iroha looked like a small puddle of water on the desk.
"I don't really know. It feels like a failuremy plan got disrupted again. But then at the end, Rei Ao-senpai asked for my contact info, and I have no clue why."
She gazed at Yui and Yukino with pleading eyes.
"Senpais, could you please analyze it for me?"
"What?! Rei Ao actually asked you for your contact info?"
Yumiko jumped up in disbelief. She herself had never been treated that nicely! She'd even tried giving him a love letter and thought she'd been rejected harshly, hurting for a very long time.
Now Iroha said Rei Aoafter meeting her just twiceasked for her number. For the first time, Yumiko stared at Iroha seriously. She was indeed pretty, but not that much more so than Yumiko, right? Could it be that she was exactly his type?
YesYumiko was already sure that Rei Ao intended to take Iroha for himself.
~~~
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Chapter 415: Yui can accept anyone and everyone!
Yumiko was about to say something in agitation, but Yui covered her mouth to stop her.
Speaking quietly, she tried to calm her:
"Yumiko, don't get all riled up!"
"Mmph!!!"
Mouth covered, Yumiko could only grunt in protest, eyes wide with anger.
How could she not be agitated? Apparently only you, Yui, can stay calm!
She badly wanted to scold Yui for failing to protect "her man."
"Why is Miura-senpai so riled up?"
Isshiki Iroha scratched her head in puzzlement.
"Cough, it's nothing Yumiko's got a pain in her butt, that's all. Go on with your story."
Yui sidestepped the issue.
"?"
Yumiko thought: Where did the buttache come from?! She was just about to pull Yui's hand away when she noticed a private message from Yui in the chat group:
Yuigahama Yui: "Yumiko, calm down!"
Miura Yumiko: "Calm down? How? My man's about to be snatched away!"
Yuigahama Yui: "Come on but wasn't your man already snatched away by everyone elseand me?"
Miura Yumiko: ""
It was like a bucket of cold water splashing over her; her inner flames died instantly. Once Yui saw Yumiko had cooled off, she relaxed a bit and seized the chance to press her argument:
Yuigahama Yui: "Yumiko, just think about it more openly. I'm guessing this isn't the last time something like this will happen in the future."
Miura Yumiko: "But why can you stay so calm about it?"
Because her man was about to be "used" by someone else. Yumiko couldn't understand why Yui's feelings didn't fluctuate like hers.
Yuigahama Yui: "Sigh, Yumiko, don't you believe Rei Ao-kun likes you?"
Miura Yumiko: "Of course!"
Yuigahama Yui: "And do you think Rei Ao-kun would ever abandon you?"
Miura Yumiko: "Impossible!"
Yuigahama Yui: "So, since you believe he'll always care about you and give you the same affection he gives everyone else, what are you worrying about?"
"!!!"
Yumiko stood stunned. Thinking carefully, Yui's wordsdid ring true. No matter what, she couldn't change the fact that other people had already "sampled" Rei Ao, but his feelings for her hadn't diminished at all. She could sense that each time they reached that pinnacle.
Thatwas enough.
These words were a wake-up call. She never expected Yui to be so far ahead in her thinking.
Miura Yumiko: "Yui you really don't mind?"
Yuigahama Yui: "Nope, I don't mind at all ~"
Yuigahama Yui: "ActuallyI've even thought about doing it with you, Yumiko"
Miura Yumiko: "Huh?"
Yumiko understood, staring at the suddenly shy Yui with disbelief.
"Gulp."
She swallowed hard, realizing she hadn't misunderstood Yui's meaning.
Wow! Yui was so open and bold? Even Yumiko had never considered doing it "together" with someone else!
A mental image flickered: she and Yui, side by side, gazing up at Rei Ao
"Ugh!!!"
Yumiko's ears turned even redder.
" "
Watching them, Iroha glanced back and forth, feeling these two senpai were acting strangely and not knowing how to handle it. She threw a questioning look at Yukino.
" "
Yukino was also clueless about what was up with them, but guessed it had something to do with Rei Ao. So she said coolly, "Just focus on what you came to say."
"Oh, right!"
Iroha took Yukino's cue to ask, "Yukinoshita-senpai, from your perspective as someone who's a friend of Rei Ao-senpai, why do you think he suddenly asked for my contact info?"
"I can't give you a definitive answer."
She did suspect Rei Ao might have taken a fancy to Iroha, but with no firm evidence, she wouldn't jump to conclusions. "Could you tell me what you two were talking about before he asked for your number?"
Only by linking context could they deduce the motive behind Rei Ao's action.
"Sure, so basically"
Iroha omitted details about her first kiss and that day's embarrassing happenings, summing it up as an accidental collision and apology. She described the general sequence.
Yui and Yumiko exchanged glances, seemingly reading each other's thoughts:
He's obviously got his eye on her!
Yukino thought the same. However, lacking proof, she couldn't simply say so. She exhaled, shaking her head. "Sorry, with so little detail, I can't tell you anything certain."
"I see"
Iroha's shoulders slumped, disappointed.
But even without their analysis, she had her own theory somewhat narcissistic:
"Ahem, Yukinoshita-senpai, do you think it's possible Rei Ao-senpai likes me?"
She rarely sounded this timid. This wasn't a false face; she really believed it.
" "
Yukino kept silent, realizing Iroha wasn't stupid.
"I can't judge. I'd suggest you consider how many times you've met Rei Ao-kun."
She was subtly hinting that meeting him so few times but concluding he liked her might be jumping the gun. Maybe it was a simple case of "love at first sight," or more likely, "lust."
Iroha, apparently, didn't read that implication.
"Twice. We've only met twice."
She was certain about that. Waitshe suddenly thought of a possibility:
"M-maybe, just as I've been paying attention to Rei Ao-senpai, he's also been secretly paying attention to me? So we're running toward each other mutually?"
" "
Hearing her mutter that left the three senpai speechless. It did feel a bit self-absorbed. That guy might justlike pretty girls.
"Oh, right, another question!"
Iroha said, "Yukinoshita-senpai, do you happen to know who Rei Ao-senpai's first love was?"
"???"
This random query drew question marks from the three of them.
"Why do you ask that?"
"I heard Rei Ao-senpai lost his first kiss a while ago, so he must've had a first love, right? He's so amazing, after all."
" "
Yukino's eye twitched. How did she know that stuff? Either way, Yukino had no way of answering. She didn't know who Rei Ao's first love was. He simply had a lot of female companions, some even Yukino hadn't met. Meanwhile, that question touched on the chat group and otherworld stuff.
"Sorry I don't know"
"Ah? Yukinoshita-senpai, you don't even know that? Seems like I haven't gotten any of my questions answered today."
Iroha was just making an offhand remark, but to Yukino it felt like a spear to the heart. She flinched, her expression turning ice-cold and gloomy.
" "
Seeing Yukino's face grow dark, Yui forced a wry smile and grabbed Iroha's and Yumiko's hands.
"Ahaha, I need the bathroomlet's go!"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Without further ado, she dragged them away, figuring that if they stayed, they'd have to face a scary Yukino!
~~~
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Chapter 416: Yukino needs Help?!
Yukinoshita's mood was extremely poor.
Ever since she agreed to handle Isshiki Iroha's request, all sorts of troubles had arisen.
Today, moreover, she'd been treated like a "useless, clueless" person who couldn't answer a single question.
To her, that was the greatest insult and it deeply pricked the pride of the Yukinoshita who founded the Service Club under the principle of "teaching someone to fish rather than giving them the fish."
Why did she create the Service Club? Precisely because she believed herself more capable than most, believing she was a strong person who could help those who were weaker. Yet today, she couldn't answer any of her client's questions.
In truth, this wasn't Yukino's fault. Mainly, she had zero experience in romance. Someone like that devising love strategies for otherswhat could she really come up with?
Secondly, Iroha's problem involved one central figure: Rei Ao. Anything related to Rei Ao mostly belonged to unspeakable secrets. Thus Yukino felt utterly helpless.
All that aside, the matter remained like a thorn in her heart, leaving her upset. Even after school, returning home, she wore an unhappy expression.
"Yukino, did something happen? Your face is scary," Mabel asked cautiously as they ate dinner.
"No."
Yukino shot her a glare, unusually cold this day. "Just eat your food and don't talk too much."
"Oh!"
That frigid tone made Mabel feel as though pricked by needles, and she didn't dare speak further, lowering her head to continue eating.
She inwardly trembled, certain that Yukino was off todaymaybe she was on her period.
Women got it once a month, and even an "ice queen" wouldn't be exempt. Mabel could relate to that irritability, so she decided not to rile Yukino any further.
Mabel's guess wasn't entirely mistaken, at least. Yukino truly had her period that day.
After dinner, Mabel automatically cleared the table and washed the dishes. Yukino, meanwhile, finished bathing and shut herself in her room. She attempted to look up romance-related issues online, hoping to gain more knowledge so Isshiki Iroha wouldn't look down on her.
But the moment she searched such topics, awkward pages inevitably popped up. Yukino found it impossible to remain unaffected, because she had really witnessed, in Rei Ao's livestreams, those intimate interactions between men and women. Even the smallest image triggered memories she'd rather not recall, leaving her body heated and restless. Her heavy breathing revealed her turmoil.
Luckily, right before she lost control, a sudden, urgent ringtone snapped her back to reality.
"!!!"
Only then did she realize her hand had somehow slipped inside her pajamas. Jolted by cold sweat, Yukino slammed her computer shut, trying to calm her breathing. She'd nearly lost her composure something she'd never done and disdained doing. Thankfully, she'd come to her senses mid-way.
"Ring ring!"
The phone kept ringing. Yukino reined in her emotions and took out the phone.
"Mother?"
She was puzzled; the caller was her mother. Confusion filled her as she answered. The voice on the other end spoke calmly: "Yukino?"
That familiar voice made Yukino tremble. Even though she no longer lived in the Yukinoshita household, Yukino still treated her mother with respect.
"Yes, Mother," she replied.
"Yukino, has Haruno been to the place you're living now?"
Why was her mother suddenly asking about her older sister? Despite her puzzlement, Yukino answered truthfully:
