Although Ichin didn't know exactly what Utaha was chatting about, he could see her slightly odd yet uncontrollable smile as she leaned against the headboard.
When he asked, she didn't share any details—just assured him that it was good news.
Even so, Ichin could more or less guess. After all, if those two weren't the same gender, they'd probably have a kid running around by now.
However, since they were the same gender, Ichin had no idea how their relationship would develop from here.
---
The next day at school, Ichin remembered the request he had received yesterday from the Service Club—to investigate a boy named Satou. Since gathering information was easier for him, he decided to handle it himself.
As soon as he arrived at the classroom and confirmed that the two boys from the soccer club were present, he walked over to them.
"Yoshino, Kitagawa, got a minute? I need your help with something."
Seeing that it was Ichin, the two boys, who had been chatting, didn't hesitate. They nodded and followed him outside the classroom.
Both of them were members of the soccer club. With their athletic build and a height of about 175 cm, they had a cheerful and outgoing nature. While they weren't as handsome as Ichin, their sporty appeal still made them quite popular among girls.
Once they were outside, Yoshino grinned and asked, "So, Ichin, what's up? If it's about game development, we probably can't help you."
"It's nothing like that."
Ichin waved his hand dismissively and lowered his voice. "Actually, I want to know some information about a first-year in the soccer club—Satou from Class 1-B. You guys know him, right?"
"Satou?"
Kitagawa nodded immediately and said, "Yeah, he joined the soccer club as soon as he enrolled. He's pretty enthusiastic about training, easy to talk to, and overall a decent guy. Why? Did he do something to offend you?"
"Not at all."
Ichin lowered his voice even further and gestured for them to come closer before saying, "I'm asking on behalf of someone else. I need to know if Satou has a crush on or is interested in any girls."
"Huh?"
Immediately, the two boys' curiosity was piqued. Kitagawa patted Ichin's shoulder with a grin. "Who is it? Why do these kinds of good things never happen to me?"
Yoshino, on the other hand, asked more seriously, "Wait, is it someone you and Kasumigaoka know? Don't tell me it's that first-year princess, Sawamura?"
"It's not her."
"Then could it be…?"
"It's not Yukinoshita either," Ichin shook his head. "Even if Satou is a good guy like you said, I doubt either Sawamura or Yukinoshita would be interested in him."
"That's a relief." *x2*
Their synchronized response made Ichin pause for a second before bursting into laughter.
As expected, guys pretty much thought the same wayI might not have a shot, but I sure don't want anyone else I know to get one either. Especially when it involved rare beauties like Eriri and Yukino.
Ichin continued, "I can't reveal the girl's identity, but she's someone you guys don't know. She happened to meet Satou by chance, found herself interested, and asked me to look into it. Since you guys are in the soccer club, I figured you'd be the best people to help me out. Just try to gather some info, but don't make it obvious. The girl hasn't decided what she wants to do yet."
Yoshino and Kitagawa both nodded, indicating they understood.
Scratching his chin, Yoshino muttered, "Figuring out if Satou has a crush on someone without making it obvious… That's gonna be tricky."
"It's actually not that hard. Since I'm the one asking for the favor, I already have a plan in mind," Ichin said directly.
"After practice, you guys usually leave school together, right? So sometime over the next few days, just invite everyone to grab something to eat at a fast food place or something. I'll cover the cost. While eating, just casually bring up the topic of dating and girls—let the conversation flow naturally."
As he spoke, Ichin pulled out his wallet, took out a 10,000-yen bill, and handed it to them.
"Here's the budget. This is a matter of romance for a girl, so I'll leave it to you guys."
While there were more roundabout ways to get this information, Ichin preferred a simple and efficient approach rather than making things unnecessarily complicated.
Ichin had gotten a good grasp of their personalities over the past few months. Since they had agreed to help, he knew they would follow through.
"10,000 yen? Isn't that a bit too much?"
Both Yoshino and Kitagawa looked surprised when Ichin handed them the money.
Ichin, however, simply placed the bill in Kitagawa's hand. "It's for expenses and the trouble you'll be going through. If you add it all up, it's not too much. Besides, I might need your help again later, so just take it. You guys already know my games sell well—10,000 yen isn't a big deal for me."
The two exchanged glances before finally accepting the money.
"Alright! Leave it to us! We'll make sure it's done properly!"
With that settled, the three of them returned to the classroom.
As soon as Ichin sat down, Utaha leaned in and whispered, "All set?"
Ichin nodded. "I recruited two 'spies' and gave them 10,000 yen for expenses. They'll just chat about relationships over food, and we'll have the answer in a couple of days."
"That's actually the simplest method without raising suspicion," Utaha remarked, not objecting to his plan. Now, all that was left was to wait for the results.
---
At lunchtime, Ichin and Utaha went to the Service Club room to eat with Yukino and Eriri.
After listening to Ichin's plan, Yukino looked at him and said, "You shouldn't have to cover the cost. I'll reimburse you from the club's activity funds later."
Ichin didn't refuse—he knew there was no point in arguing. Yukino would insist on giving him the money anyway.
Eriri, on the other hand, was puzzled. "Wait, our club actually has an activity fund?"
"Of course," Yukino replied, pointing at the tea set on the table. "That tea set and the tea leaves were all purchased using club funds."
"If Hiratsuka-sensei finds out, she's definitely going to be mad."
"It's fine. She doesn't care about these things," Yukino said calmly. "In fact, she's already come here for tea once when you weren't around. She's an accomplice."
An accomplice, huh? If Hiratsuka-sensei found out, her blood pressure would probably skyrocket.
Taking a bite of his rice, Ichin smiled. "From what I gathered this morning, this Satou guy seems pretty decent overall. The only thing left to find out is whether he has a crush on anyone. What about you two? Have you figured out how to help Komatsu?"
...
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