"Senpai, you were too slow! I was scared to death just now!"
Chisato carried Iroha's backpack in his left hand as well. The two had already walked far from the train station, strolling down another street.
Iroha was clinging to his arm, speaking in a tone that was half complaining, half coquettish.
His kick just now had helped her vent her frustration, so she was feeling much better, and the tears had stopped.
As for why she was now clinging to his arm so naturally—making them look like a couple strolling through the streets—she had already given a perfectly reasonable explanation:
"Because the whole reason I asked Senpai out today was for this—to familiarize myself with the necessary steps of going on a date with Hayama-senpai. Did you forget?"
Ah, that did sound familiar.
Chisato recalled their conversation from the night before. Although he felt it was somewhat inappropriate, in the end, he didn't refuse.
"Well, at least you showed up in time... But seriously, Senpai, you looked so cool handling that guy."
"I almost got charmed by you! Have you trained in martial arts? Your moves seemed really professional."
"Something like that."
Combat techniques refined through a simulator—of course they were professional.
"...Senpai, are you even listening to me?"
"I am."
"Then why aren't you reacting at all?"
"Because, just as you said, it's my fault for arriving late, so I'm reflecting on it now."
"Senpai, you're totally brushing me off, aren't you?"
"Not at all."
"At this rate, you'll never get a girlfriend."
"Oh no, how terrifying."
"Senpai!"
Iroha suddenly stopped, releasing his arm and staring at him with puffed-up cheeks.
"Senpai, you're deliberately refusing to help me, aren't you?!"
Busted.
Chisato replied honestly, "I apologize, that was my bad. But honestly, I don't think what we're doing right now is actually helping you much."
"If you're trying to pursue Hayama-senpai, shouldn't you tell me more about him?"
"Then I can give you advice from a guy's perspective on how to get closer to him. Wouldn't that be the right approach?"
Chisato's words were logical and well-structured—at least, they sounded that way.
But Iroha wasn't convinced. She had her own ideas, and she only needed a single sentence to leave Chisato speechless:
"But I think that as long as Senpai follows my lead, it'll be a huge help to me."
"..."
Fine, whatever makes you happy.
Chisato sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Right—she was the one who had asked for help, so it was only natural that she had the final say.
Besides, he had already agreed to it earlier.
He just hadn't expected her to completely discard a girl's sense of shame and bring them so close together.
"Alright, I get it. I'll cooperate, but we don't have much time. In an hour and a half, I have to leave—if I'm late for work, the manager will scold me."
As Chisato slightly raised his arm, Iroha immediately lit up with a smile and happily clung to him again.
"I knew you'd see it through, Senpai! We're comrades on the same front, after all!"
"I knew it, Senpai! I knew you'd see this through to the end. We're comrades on the same front, after all!"
And so, once again, Chisato found himself enjoying the warmth and softness of Iroha's embrace as a girl.
Whether she was doing it on purpose or not was unclear, but she had been pressing against him the entire way.
It had been rubbing him the wrong way—quite literally—yet she didn't seem to notice at all.
"So, what's our plan next? Are we just going to wander around aimlessly while you cling to me?"
"It's not that boring! Like I said before, this is just a rehearsal before I officially ask Hayama-senpai out."
"So, how we spend the rest of the time actually depends on you, Senpai. I need to know what kinds of places guys usually like to go to—it'll be a useful reference for me."
Iroha spoke confidently, as if she had planned this all out in advance.
As they walked, she keenly noticed a group of female students on the sidewalk staring at Chisato with admiration.
Her reaction?
A proud smile as she pulled even closer to him.
Chisato took several deep breaths to calm himself from the sensation he had just experienced.
"In that case, why don't you tell me more about Hayama-senpai's personality?"
"That way, I can consider where he might like to go from his perspective."
"Ah... Did I not mention this before?"
Iroha tilted her head slightly, smiling playfully.
"You and Hayama-senpai actually have a lot in common, at least in my eyes. So you don't need to overthink it—just decide based on your own preferences."
"Or, if you want, you can give me a few options, and I'll choose from them."
"...I see. That makes sense."
"Yup!"
Iroha looked at Chisato with anticipation, waiting for his response.
His gaze swept across the bustling advertisements, massive posters, and the crowds of people in all kinds of eccentric outfits. Slowly, an idea began to form in his mind.
"The first thing that popped into my head was watching a movie, but we don't really have enough time for that right now."
"Mm-hmm."
So, Senpai likes movies? There's a big Hollywood blockbuster coming out soon… Maybe I should invite him to watch it together.
Iroha blinked her large, expressive eyes, encouraging him to continue.
"There are plenty of big arcades around here, with all kinds of games and attractions for all ages."
"I think it's a great date spot. Basketball machines and racing games can show off a guy's skills, and co-op arcade games help couples develop teamwork and deepen their bond."
"Not bad! What else, what else?"
Chisato rested his chin on his hand.
"Other than that… the only remaining date spots around here are themed restaurants and catgirl cafés."
C-Catgirls...?!
Iroha was caught off guard by his answer.
After a brief silence, she hesitantly asked, "Senpai… do you like girls who wear cat-ear headbands?"
"Of course."
Chisato nodded without hesitation.
"Not just cat-ear headbands—the best would be over-the-knee white stockings, a maid outfit, and a collar or a little bell around the neck."
"And they have to have a soft, fluffy tail accessory. Oh, and they should talk with a cute 'nyan-nyan' catchphrase."
"That would be perfect. Honestly, I don't think many people in the world could resist the charm of a white-stockinged, cat-eared maid."
Was that some kind of spell?
The moment Chisato finished speaking, two cat-eared maids dressed almost exactly as he had described appeared in front of them.
The only difference was that they were carrying a small, delicate basket filled with promotional flyers.
"Our café is just around the corner. If Master needs a place to rest and relieve his fatigue, please feel free to visit us, nya~"
After handing them the flyers, the two maids gave a polite bow and walked away.
Iroha looked at Chisato, feeling oddly sour inside.
At first, she thought he was just joking when he said all that. But in reality, he had been staring at those maids for quite a while.
The two girls had even blushed under his heated gaze.
But, in truth, Chisato's attention wasn't really on them—it was on their outfits.
He suddenly realized something. In simulations, Eriri had always played along with all kinds of outfits.
So why had she become so plain in real life?
It wasn't that Eriri looked bad in just lingerie and tights.
But sometimes, he couldn't help but imagine… other options.
Alright, he has decided.
Eriri might be too embarrassed to buy one herself, so he'd just buy it for her instead.
"Senpai..."
"Hm?"
Iroha faced him, placing her hands on her head like cat ears.
"If I dressed up exactly like you just described, how high do you think my chances would be of charming... Hayama-senpai?"
Chisato smiled slightly and gave her a thumbs-up.
"That would be an absolute knockout. After all, Iroha, you're already this cute."
"You don't have to state the obvious."
Iroha put her hands on her hips as if to wrap up the conversation—then immediately clung to him again.
This girl was going to be the death of him.
Chisato had no choice but to silently recite math formulas in his head again, trying to suppress the natural responses of his body.
"I've given all my suggestions. You decide where we're going."
"No need to think about it—let's go to that catgirl café. You seem pretty interested in it, and I'd like to see what it's like too."
And maybe pick up a few tricks while I'm at it.
…
"…Ikuyo-chan, you still haven't found a guitar you like?"
On the streets of Akihabara, Ryo asked casually.
Ikuyo tilted her chin up, scanning the store displays.
"Mm… I don't know. Nothing really clicks with me. Even if it's just a backup guitar, I still want one that I really like the look of."
Nijika chuckled.
"Come on, Ryo, don't be so impatient. We've been practicing so hard these past few days—think of this as a little break."
"I'm not in a rush, but I have been starving for ages."
Ryo rubbed her stomach pitifully.
"I can handle being a little hungry, but the baby inside me…"
"Hey! Quit joking around like you're some expectant mother! There's no way you have a baby in that empty stomach of yours!"
Nijika shot her a look.
"I literally gave you some biscuits back at the store."
"Like that tiny bag was enough! I didn't even have lunch."
"And who was it that finished half of my bento?"
"Shhh—"
Ryo whistled and looked away, pretending not to hear.
Ikuyo laughed.
"It's fine! If you're really hungry, Ryo, let's go eat. Since you guys are keeping me company today, I'll treat you."
The very next moment, Ryo hugged her tightly.
Nijika shook her head with a helpless smile, then turned to Hitori, who had been silent the whole time.
"Pochi-chan, is there anything you want to eat?"
"…Ah, anything's fine for me."
Hitori snapped out of her thoughts.
She had been zoning out, thinking about Chisato and wondering who he had gone to meet.
"I want pizza!"
Ryo raised her hand high.
"Nobody asked you."
"It's fine, it's fine. Let's just go for pizza. Hold on, I'll check the map for a nearby place."
Standing at the street corner, Ikuyo pulled out her phone, and Nijika leaned in to check as well.
Ryo yawned, bored, but then—she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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