"Hey, Senpai! Cooperate with me properly! Why are you dodging?"
"Because I don't think that when you ask Hayama-senpai out next time, he'll go along with what you're doing now."
"That's not something you need to worry about. Actually, my relationship with Hayama-senpai is a lot better than you think. Haven't I told you before?"
"If that's the case, then why are you even practicing with me beforehand? Isn't this a waste of time? Wouldn't it be better to just go on the offensive right away?"
"Ah! You're so annoying, Senpai! You talk too much! I don't care—just hurry up and eat! Just do as I say, this is really important to me!"
"..."
Inside the maid café.
Chisato looked at the spoonful of so-called "energy-boosting omurice" that Iroha was holding up to his mouth.
After their back-and-forth debate led nowhere, he finally gave in and opened his mouth.
"Mm, that's more like it."
Seeing this, Iroha quickly brought the spoon over and smiled happily.
"You don't have to think so much about it, Senpai. Just go along with it. So, how do you feel now?"
As she asked, she thoughtfully set down the spoon and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.
"…Hmm."
Chisato chewed, then swallowed with a calm expression before giving his verdict.
"It tastes terrible. The eggs are overcooked, the rice is too hard—it feels like it's been sitting in a fridge for way too long. The texture is just… indescribable."
"I don't think I'll be coming back here. As expected, you really can't expect much from the food at these theme cafés. If you really want a good meal, a proper restaurant is the way to go."
"That's not what I was asking!"
Iroha huffed and leaned in closer, her unique feminine scent drifting over to him.
"The food quality doesn't matter! What I meant was—how did you feel just now, being fed by your cute kouhai?"
She pointed at herself, looking a little bashful.
"Did your heart race? Did you feel anything?"
"Is that really important?"
"Of course! I want to understand how men think in these kinds of situations. It's valuable research!"
"You want my honest opinion?"
"Obviously!"
Chisato nodded.
"In that case, I'll be straightforward—I didn't feel anything special."
Iroha blinked thoughtfully.
"Be more specific."
"First of all, when the food was served, you didn't even let that cute cat-eared waitress do her little magic spell to 'make it more delicious' before shooing her away."
"Then, you just grabbed a spoon, scooped up some rice, and shoved it straight into my mouth. That's way too abrupt. No buildup at all."
"If you ever go on a date with Hayama-senpai, don't do this. You're coming on too strong—it's not reserved at all."
Chisato gave his honest thoughts.
Iroha pouted in dissatisfaction.
"The reason I sent that waitress away was because it was too embarrassing! Making a heart shape over my head and saying something that cringy along with her? No way!"
"But you had no problem shoving a spoon into my mouth. That's not exactly—"
Before he could finish, he was met with a sharp glare from Iroha.
Chisato shrugged helplessly and wisely chose to keep quiet. He picked up his overly sweet "moe moe" fruit tea and took a sip.
As expected, the drinks here weren't great either.
But if Kazusa were here, she'd probably love it.
…
Standing by the roadside, Ryo peered through the traffic and caught a glimpse of the scene by the window of the maid café.
A man and a woman were sitting together.
The man was someone she knew all too well.
Fearing that she was mistaken, she rubbed her eyes and took another careful look.
No doubt about it—it was him.
Chisato, whom they saw almost every day.
He seemed to be quite close with the girl next to him, sitting side by side with their bodies pressed together.
This was exactly like those betrayals you'd see in TV dramas and novels.
Also known as cheating.
Gentle, capable Chisato-kun—he already had Pochi-chan, yet he wasn't staying loyal?
This wasn't good.
In fact, this was a disaster.
"Um… Nijika…"
Ryo stole a glance at Hitori. She was looking down at her phone, checking the latest song rankings, completely unaware of what Ryo had just witnessed.
Ryo hesitated for a moment before deciding to nudge Nijika's side—the friend she'd known the longest.
Without looking back, Nijika absentmindedly swatted her hand away.
"Be patient, Ryo. Ikuyo-chan and I are looking up pizza places with good reviews nearby. Just wait a little longer."
Is that really the only way you see me? As a hopeless foodie?
Ryo was speechless for a moment. Then, she poked Nijika again and spoke up.
"It's not that. I have something really important to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Not that, I have something really important to tell you."
"What is it?"
Nijika finally turned her head.
Ryo pulled her by the wrist and took a couple of steps to the side.
"What are you doing? Why so secretive?"
"What I'm about to tell you is terrifying. Please control your emotions, don't be scared, and don't let out any panicked screams."
"Your wallet balance is empty again, isn't it? How much do you need this time?"
Nijika sighed, helplessly taking out her cute wallet.
"Two thousand yen should be enough… No, wait, that's not it! Slowly lift your head and look across the street."
"Across the street…? What about it?"
"That maid café, the person sitting by the window."
With Ryo's ominous hint, Nijika didn't take long to lock onto the target.
"Ah! Mmmph!"
Hesitating for a moment, she realized what she was seeing, her eyes widening as she let out a surprised sound—only to have Ryo swiftly cover her mouth.
But their commotion still caught the attention of Ikuyo and Hitori, who both turned their questioning gazes toward them.
"What's wrong? No fighting, okay?"
"Mmmph! No, it's—it's just… mmph!"
"I told you to stay calm and not freak out."
Just as Nijika broke free and tried to say something, Ryo covered her mouth again.
But Ikuyo, noticing Nijika's utterly shocked expression, instinctively followed her gaze.
"Ah, isn't that Suzumiya-kun?"
She said it out loud.
Hearing her boyfriend's name, Hitori immediately perked up.
"Huh? Where?"
"Right over there… Uh… EH?!"
Ikuyo had just raised her hand to point Hitori in the right direction, but the next moment, she saw it.
Chisato, sitting with a girl, being fed in an incredibly affectionate manner.
And not only that—after feeding him, the girl even took a napkin and gently wiped his mouth.
Could they be any more lovey-dovey?
Suzumiya-kun! Have you forgotten about Bocchi-chan?!
"..."
Hitori saw it too. She froze in place.
Her mind went completely blank.
She had always known that there were other girls around Chisato, so what she was seeing now wasn't exactly surprising.
But why… Why was the girl from her dreams appearing in reality—right beside Chisato-kun?!
The shock was so great that Hitori's brain temporarily stopped functioning.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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