The class discussion was quite heated, with many people enthusiastically voicing their opinions and ideas.
However, Chisato wasn't particularly interested in any of it—he just found them noisy.
To him, it didn't matter whether his class chose fortune-telling or a strip rock-paper-scissors tournament.
Either way, he was going to find a way to have the class rep exclude both him and Kazusa.
When the school festival arrived, he only planned to take Kazusa around campus for a bit before either hanging out in the First Music Room for a while or just leaving entirely for a date outside.
He preferred the latter option, since being surrounded by so many familiar faces at school would make it feel awkward to act too freely.
Tuning out the classroom noise, Chisato quietly packed his bag and then, under his desk, used his phone to confirm his meeting time and place with Iroha.
The class meeting dragged on for quite a while. It wasn't until the last two minutes before the bell that Fukube Satoshi settled the decision through a democratic vote.
Neither of the earlier proposals were chosen.
Instead, the somewhat old-fashioned idea of a "costume café" won with over twenty votes.
Seems like people are nostalgic and traditional, Chisato mused.
When the homeroom teacher clapped her hands to announce the end of class, Chisato grabbed his bag and got up from his seat.
On the way to the train station, he walked with Hitori. During the trip, he mentioned that he had plans in the afternoon and would meet her later at Polaris.
After reaching the station, they parted ways, waving goodbye, and Chisato headed toward another train platform.
…
Akihabara, located in the Chiyoda district of Tokyo, was renowned worldwide as the centre for otaku culture.
Naturally, Iroha had her own little motives for choosing it as their meeting spot.
If they were going to hang out together, they couldn't just cater to one person's preferences.
They had to pick a place that would be interesting for both of them.
Though Akihabara was known as a haven for otaku, not all its stores were strictly related to that culture.
Electronics shops, model and toy stores, anime merchandise stores, and themed cafés all coexisted here, with thousands of establishments lining the area.
There were also duty-free shops and various promotional events, making window shopping quite enjoyable.
Iroha had already planned everything in advance.
Once she met up with Chisato, she could take him to stores that interested her, like plushie shops or flower stores, and subtly showcase her feminine charm.
At the same time, with so many different kinds of shops around, she could also observe what caught his attention.
This would help her understand him better—so that later, she could expose his true nature even more effectively!
Sitting on a bench near the train station exit, Iroha swayed her legs, wrapped in knee-high white socks, as a playful smirk curled on her lips.
Yesterday, at the aquarium exhibit, her quick thinking had managed to slightly close the gap between her and Chisato.
If not for that, there was no way she would have been able to invite him out so smoothly today.
After all, she had clearly noticed before that he was subtly distancing himself from her, as if he didn't really want to be involved.
Even when he agreed to help her, it seemed like he was doing so out of obligation—whether it was responsibility, duty, or something else entirely.
She wasn't sure, but she got the distinct feeling that Chisato wasn't too happy about it.
But after what happened yesterday, things had definitely improved.
During their phone call last night, Iroha had spoken to Chisato in an overly familiar manner, emphasizing that they now shared a secret.
In a way, they were co-conspirators, deceiving Kazusa together.
Of course, that was just a fancy way of putting it to gloss over their morally questionable actions.
For now, all Iroha wanted was to get closer to Chisato.
That was it.
And since they had a secret in common, it was only natural that they would become closer.
That was why she had helped cover for Chisato yesterday when Yukino had been about to make a move.
She wasn't doing it for anyone else. She was doing it for herself.
Although… She did feel a little guilty toward Kazusa.
But hey, they had already deceived her this far—what difference would a few more days make?
Now that she had some leverage over Chisato, she was going to make good use of it.
This was her way of punishing the guy who was toying with her feelings.
No need to thank me, Kazusa.
Just consider this my apology.
As she sat there, lost in thought and feeling pleased with how everything was going, Iroha's smile suddenly froze.
"You're really cute. Are you waiting for someone?"
Akihabara might have been an otaku paradise, but that didn't mean only otaku hung around.
Plenty of other people wandered these streets for various reasons.
The one who spoke to her was a young man who gave off a frivolous vibe. Without hesitation, he plopped himself down next to Iroha on the bench.
His hair was dyed blond, much like Hayato Hayama's, but his presence felt completely different—he had the air of a sleazy delinquent, like some low-ranking thug from a third-rate gang.
"Ah… um… sorry, but my friend is already here. I need to go meet him," Iroha stammered, trying to maintain her composure, though her heart pounded in fear.
Casual street pick-ups like this weren't unusual, but she was still just a high schooler.
This was her first time experiencing something like this firsthand.
Though her voice trembled a little, she managed to make her stance clear.
Hopefully, the guy would take the hint and let her leave.
Iroha forced a polite smile and stood up, ready to go.
But just as she was about to leave, the blond guy grabbed onto her bag.
"I don't see your friend anywhere. Why not stay and chat a little? I actually own a bar nearby. Interested in checking it out?"
"I—I'm a student. I can't drink. Also, please let go—I really have to go now. My friend is waiting for me."
Iroha frantically pulled at her bag straps, but she couldn't match his strength.
"No worries. You can bring your friend along too. And there's more than just alcohol—I can treat you to a fruit platter or something."
The blond guy refused to let go, clearly intent on pestering her further.
Iroha was on the verge of tears.
At school, even when boys liked her, they would only slip her love letters, confess via messages, or, at most, ask her out in person.
But if she rejected them, they would back off.
None of them would ever act like this creep—clinging onto her like a desperate, heat-crazed monkey who refused to listen to reason.
There were plenty of people walking along the busy street, but not a single passerby stopped to ask what was going on.
Everyone adhered to Japan's deeply ingrained "I won't bother you, so don't bother me" mindset, coldly passing by without interfering.
Some threw quick glances from afar, but that was the extent of their concern.
Having the worst luck encountering this kind of scum, Iroha was about to give up and just abandon her bag when—
Chisato finally emerged from the sea of people flooding out of the train station.
The moment she saw him, her tears welled up instantly.
"Senpai…"
She let go of her hands and ran over pitifully, clutching his arm.
After listening to her brief explanation, Chisato gently comforted her before striding toward the blond-haired man.
The blond guy immediately let go of the backpack, preparing to leave as if nothing had happened.
Chisato stuck out his leg, tripping him so hard that he fell face-first onto the ground.
When the guy looked up, there was a dark red stain around his chin—whether from his nose or his lips getting busted was unclear.
"You son of a—ugh!"
Just as he wiped his mouth and started to curse, he doubled over, clutching his stomach, curling up like a shrimp on the ground.
Chisato withdrew his foot.
This guy was ridiculously weak—his stomach was like an underinflated ball. He hadn't even used much force, and the guy had already collapsed.
Ignoring the groaning man on the ground, Chisato picked up the backpack from the bench, took Iroha's hand, and walked away.
He had just noticed two police officers in the distance heading in their direction.
For the sake of a harmonious society, it was better to be considerate and not create unnecessary work for public servants.
Chisato felt like he was becoming kinder by the day.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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