Longer chapters are almost here!!
--------------------------------------------------
However.
When Yumiko Miura sneaked a glance over her shoulder...
She saw Kai laughing and chatting happily with Yui Yuigahama, seemingly oblivious to the drama unfolding on her end.
"..."
For some inexplicable reason, her already agitated heart grew even more irritated.
"Miura, you—"
"Enough!"
Kakeru Tobe tried to say something, but Yumiko harshly cut him off.
Considering they were friends, she held back from saying anything too nasty.
"Anyway, this is my own business. I don't need you guys interfering. Even if I lose, I'll lose fair and square."
Having said her piece...
Yumiko turned her body away, making it clear she had absolutely no desire to speak to anyone else.
"Well..."
Tobe and the others hadn't expected a single sentence to trigger such an intense reaction from her.
"Is Yumiko going to be okay?"
Sitting beside Kai, Yui couldn't help but ask with genuine concern.
"She's probably just taking the bet a bit too seriously. Go over and talk to her for a bit—she should calm down."
"Got it."
Yui knew exactly how fiercely competitive Yumiko could be. So, with a nod, she didn't suspect any ulterior motives.
Watching Yui shuffle over to Yumiko's side, an inscrutable smile tugged at the corners of Kai's eyes. Even though he had been busy chatting with Yui, he had been keeping a very close eye on Yumiko's reactions the entire time.
It seemed...
He wouldn't have to wait much longer.The seeds he planted in Yumiko's mind were about to bear fruit.
————————————————————
"Yumiko, are you alright?"
Completely oblivious to the underlying dynamics, Yui walked over and asked gently.
"I'm fine. What are you doing over here?"
Yumiko let out a long breath. In reality, even she didn't understand why she had suddenly lost her temper so badly.
"Kai-kun asked me to come check on you."
"Huh?"
That unexpected sentence made Yumiko freeze.
"Actually, Kai-kun really cares about you."
Yui said this because she was terrified Yumiko would genuinely hold a grudge against him—she just wanted to smooth things over between them.
However, Hearing those words, a strange emotion fluttered deep within Yumiko's heart.
Even Yumiko herself didn't notice that her previously deeply annoyed expression had visibly softened, eventually tugging into a faint, involuntary smile.
Her tsundere instincts kicked in, and she blurted out,
"Then why didn't he come over and tell me himself?"
"What?"
Only...
The moment the words left her mouth, Yui visibly paused.
That sounded a little weird, didn't it?
"Ahem, Yui, don't get the wrong idea."
Realizing her remark sounded way too intimate, Yumiko quickly scrambled to cover it up. "I was just saying whatever came to mind. Don't overthink it."
"..."
'Actually, if you hadn't gotten so defensive, I really wouldn't have overthought it.'
Still, Yui just nodded along. Yumiko was her best friend—there was no way she harbored any ulterior motives.
————————————————————
During the lunch break.
Kai slipped out of the classroom, exactly like he always did. With a brisk, light step, he headed straight for the Service Club room.
He just hadn't expected to bump into someone completely unforeseen on the way.
"Megumi-chan, is something the matter?"
Seeing Megumi Kato suddenly appear before him, Kai asked in genuine surprise.
"Are we actually close enough for that?"
Tilting her head, Megumi looked thoroughly perplexed.
Was her relationship with Kai really strong enough for him to use such an intimate nickname?
"Aw... After I laid bare all my deepest secrets to you, I honestly thought you already considered me a friend, Megumi-chan."
"..."
'I literally discovered it all on my own. And what do you mean, 'deepest secrets'? All I know is that you're an unapologetic scumbag.' But after a brief, deadpan silence, Megumi suddenly spoke up.
"In that case... Kai-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"Since we're friends now, it's only fair that I get to call you that too, right?"
"..."
She was still wearing her signature, perfectly blank expression.
But for some inexplicable reason... Kai could clearly detect a subtle smile dancing in her eyes, exactly like a kid who had just pulled off a successful prank.
"Of course. You can call me whatever you want, Megumi-chan."
Kai didn't push back—instead, he laughed and played along. There had been so many other heroines popping up recently that he had almost forgotten about "Saint Megumi." But since she was delivering herself right to his doorstep, he definitely wasn't going to let the opportunity slip away.
"So, what brings you out here, Megumi-chan?"
"Nothing, really. I just don't have any friends, so I subconsciously started wandering around and just happened to bump into you."
In reality, the second she saw Kai leave the room, she had subconsciously gotten up and followed him.
Having zero friends was the honest truth, though.
Before, Megumi could tolerate the isolation. But now that someone who could instantly spot her in a crowd had finally appeared... even knowing full well he was a total scumbag, Megumi couldn't stop herself from being drawn to him.
"Our school really is full of problem students, isn't it?"
Thinking about Megumi's unique social predicament, Kai suddenly sighed.
"???"
That remark made Megumi feel more than a little offended.
"Kai-kun, even someone as boring as me is capable of getting angry, you know."
Wasn't he basically calling her a 'problem student' right to her face? Judging by her abrupt shift back to his formal surname, it was glaringly obvious that she actually cared quite a bit about the comment.
"Whoa, that's not what I meant at all! Besides, I already told you, right? You're incredibly cute, Megumi-chan. Someone as cute as you can be forgiven for absolutely anything!"
"..."
What kind of logic is that? Especially when Kai was delivering the line with an expression of sincerity.
"Kai-chan has a wicked personality."
She turned her head away unnaturally and muttered.
"Hahaha!"
"Come with me!"
As he spoke...
Kai suddenly grabbed Megumi's small hand and began pulling her down the hallway.
"Where are we going?" Even though she was deeply curious about where he was taking her, Megumi didn't make a single effort to resist, simply letting him pull her along.
"To a place where you can make some actual friends."
"???"
Make actual friends? Megumi couldn't help but tilt her head again. Did a place like that genuinely exist in this school?
Whatever. Megumi decided not to overthink it. She simply stared down at their joined hands, her gaze slowly drifting into a daze.
--------------------------------------------------
~ Every 100 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)