"Ahem." In the blink of an eye, Shikimori was already standing in front of Saiki Kusuo and Kubo Nagisa.
Kubo Nagisa glanced at her once and didn't look again.
"Ahem, ahem——cough cough cough cough."
Until Shikimori felt like she was about to cough up her lungs.
Saiki looked over. [What's wrong, Shikimori-san?]
"Are you okay? Shikimori-san, do you want some throat lozenges? Drink more hot water." Kubo Nagisa looked at Shikimori and asked.
When Shikimori saw that Kubo was still holding onto Saiki's arm, her expression darkened.
[So infuriating. Tell me, Saiki, do you really like big boobs that much? Are you just that into huge breasts? Is it because mine aren't big enough? Is that why you won't shake her off? But my figure isn't any worse than hers!]
(It's not.)
"Kubo-san, isn't it a bit inappropriate to cling to a boy like that in the classroom?" Shikimori looked at Kubo Nagisa with a gentle smile.
The latter finally let go of his arm and met Shikimori's gaze. "You're right. This might make Saiki-kun feel shy."
Shikimori's mouth twitched. "I don't think the issue is whether Saiki feels shy or not. You can't just randomly hug boys like that."
"Oh, thanks for your concern, but I don't do this with every boy."
While the two were exchanging polite concern, Saiki saw that the situation was turning bad. He quietly slipped to the back of the crowd, grabbed the nearby Shiraishi who was watching the show, and said, [Yare yare, looks like they're about to start talking about girl stuff. Let's go ahead.]
"But…" Before Shiraishi could react, he was already being dragged away by Saiki.
By the time the two girls still discussing things in the classroom realized Saiki had already left, they also parted ways.
Shikimori walked toward the volleyball club with slightly flushed cheeks. [Ahh, what am I doing? I couldn't control myself at all. The moment I saw Saiki getting close with another girl, I just lost it. Thinking back on what I just did… it's so embarrassing.]
Kubo Nagisa stared at her phone. She still hadn't added his contact info. She bit her lip.
"Kubo, are you okay? Want to go grab some tea?"
"Yeah, and maybe some dessert or cake too."
Taira Tamao and Kudo Hazuki walked over and asked.
Kubo Nagisa stood up, smiled, and hugged both of them. "Mm, let's go."
While walking with Saiki, Shiraishi suddenly spoke up. "Saiki-kun, why'd you leave so fast?"
Saiki gave Shiraishi a sideways glance. (You little punk, you actually wanted to keep watching the drama?)
[I want to get home early and enjoy my coffee jelly.]
Shiraishi: "Oh… oh."
...…
Weekend
In the supermarket, Saiki was walking around when he spotted the last large-size coffee jelly. He reached out to grab it, but another hand touched it at the same time. Both hands pulled back, and they faced each other.
A youthful girl wearing a red hooded top, a red cap, black thigh-high stockings, shorts, and a crossbody bag looked at Saiki.
[Huh, she looks a little familiar.]
(Isn't this the skilled girl I ran into at the arcade last time?)
Saiki Kusuo looked at the girl in front of him and fell into thought.
"Ahh, it's you." Doma Umaru looked at Saiki in surprise.
"You're that pink-haired pro from the arcade last time."
Saiki raised an eyebrow. [Pink-haired——pro?]
(Who taught you to give people names like that?)
[My name is Saiki Kusuo, not "pink-haired pro."]
Doma Umaru scratched her head. "Ah, sorry! I'm Doma Umaru. Nice to meet you!"
(Doma Umaru, huh. So it's you.)
"Ah! Wait, why haven't you come back to that arcade since then?"
Doma Umaru said excitedly, "I staked out the place waiting for you for so long, but you never showed up."
[Why were you staking me out?] Saiki's head was full of question marks. He didn't think he was that close with this girl.
"Of course it's to ask you to be my master!" Doma Umaru continued on her own.
"That day was the first time you picked up that game, and you played it so amazingly. You even spotted the flaw in my combo right away. Plus, I asked around and found out you played a ton of games against other people that day. You've got to be a gaming pro. I want you to teach me how to play."
"Please, Master Saiki."
[And then play with me every day.]
(You've got some nerve, just straight-up calling me master.)
[I refuse.]
"Eh! Why? Why refuse?"
[Why should I agree?]
"Ahh, come on, please, Master Saiki." The next second, Doma Umaru put on a pitiful, pleading expression.
(Cute? Of course it's cute. It would work on most people, but…)
[I refuse.]
"Whyyyyy!"
Saiki Kusuo looked at the Doma Umaru in front of him. [You're Doma Umaru, right? You don't know me? Doesn't my name ring any bells?]
Doma Umaru froze for a second, then muttered under her breath, "Saiki Kusuo, Saiki Kusuo… Ah!! You're that Saiki Kusuo who's number one in every subject at Sobu High!"
[Yare yare, you finally remembered. You're also number one in your grade, Doma Umaru.]
Doma Umaru clutched her head. [This is bad, I've been exposed, and we're at the same school. What do I do? What do I do? I've been found out. What should I do?]
Saiki Kusuo looked at the still-panicking Doma Umaru, reached out directly, took the last coffee jelly, and was about to put it in his basket and leave when Doma Umaru grabbed his hand.
"Wait, you can't go. You found out my secret." Doma Umaru was using all her strength to hold Saiki Kusuo back, incidentally pulling the coffee jelly toward her too.
Saiki Kusuo reached out and pulled the coffee jelly back. [So what? I don't know anything.]
"Wait, just hear me out first, Master Saiki."
[Stop calling me master first, then I'll listen.]
"Okay, Master Saiki. I can't let anyone know what I'm like outside of school, playing Street Fighter like a total otaku girl obsessed with games. At school, my image is that my family doesn't let me read manga, so I don't know anything about games. And in everyone's eyes, I'm just the girl who reads books in the library at home."
[Why do you have such a weird persona?]
"No choice, life forces my hand."
[I get it. I won't tell anyone. Happy now?]
Doma Umaru: "So you'll be my master after all?"
[How did you arrive at that conclusion?]
"Then let's exchange contact info first. Just call me Umaru."
After they added each other, Umaru put the coffee jelly into her cart and walked off, still shouting, "Thanks a lot, Master Saiki!"
[Yare yare, still too naive.] Saiki Kusuo looked in the direction Umaru left, shook his head, then pulled another coffee jelly out of his pocket and placed it in his cart.
Saiki was carrying two big bags when he passed by Abura-hana Park and spotted Shiraishi Junta sitting on a bench inside. He walked over.
[Shiraishi-kun, what a coincidence. Out for a walk?]
With that, Saiki Kusuo walked up to Shiraishi Junta's bench and sat down right next to him.
"Huh? Isn't this Shiraishi-kun and Saiki-kun? Didn't expect to run into you guys on a holiday. What a coincidence!"