"Oh, Satoshi."
"Irisu-senpai."
"Hmm?"
The school ended peacefully, and it was ti for all of them to go back ho. As Satoshi had promised before, he would treat them to pudding that was sold at the cafe located near the Miyagawa River.
Everything was good, but sohow, Irisu ca to approach him despite being surrounded by his girlfriend and friends.
"Congratulations." Irisu smiled happily at Satoshi. "I have seen the result in the magazine. You have won and it's amazing."
"Thank you, Senpai."
While Ibara remained in silence as she had a subtle gaze, Kaho, who stood by Satoshi's side, asked, "How did you know that Satoshi drew a manga, Senpai?"
As his girlfriend, he only reminded her after he sent his manga. After all of that, he told her, after all of that, and even showed her the rest of the manga that he had drawn, yet, unexpectedly, many others had known beforehand.
Oreki, Ibara, and Chitanda aside, as they were in the sa club as Satoshi and probably knew when he drew his manga in the Classic Club, how did Irisu know that he had drawn a manga and even knew that he entered a competition?
More importantly, why did Irisu call her boyfriend by his first na?!
"What do you think, Satoshi?" Irisu didn't answer and looked at Satoshi.
"...."
'Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!'
Satoshi felt Kaho's fingers dig deep into his arms, which made him want to cry without tears.
"By the way, are you going sowhere? Can I follow you too?" Irisu asked.
"...."
No one said anything, but all of them looked at Satoshi at the sa ti.
"Okay." Satoshi nodded. "But please keep my manga a secret, Senpai. I don't want others to know."
"You don't have to worry. Your secret is safe with ."
Irisu nodded, then glanced in Kaho's direction with a gentle smile.
'Why did you look at like that?'
Yet, inwardly, Kaho snorted at Irisu's attempt since she knew well that no matter what, Satoshi could only be for her.
Still, as they walked to the cafe where he wanted to treat all of them, Irisu told them how she knew him and how she could know that he planned to make a manga.
"So, you t him at the bookstore, Irisu-san?" Chitanda asked curiously.
"Our first eting was at the eting, then the hospital, and sohow we happened to et each other in the bookstore when I planned to buy books and he planned to buy manga tools."
Irisu looked at Satoshi and asked, "Did I rember it well, Satoshi?"
"Yes." Satoshi sighed inwardly, but at the sa ti, he wondered why Irisu couldn't control herself despite how they began. Was she so masochistic that she fell further and further as she was teased and tornted by him?
If so, then he could only sigh helplessly.
"But... why did you two call each other by their first nas?" Chitanda asked quietly, with doubt.
Yes, Satoshi and Irisu knew each other, but was there a need to call each other by their first na?"
"Well..."
"Well...?"
While hesitating, Irisu said, "It's because he had helped so much that I thought to call him that since I owed him a lot." She looked at Chitanda and asked, "Or do you want to call him by his first na, too, Eru?"
"Ah? Eh?!" Chitanda was startled as she blushed, but she quickly said, "Ah, no, that isn't appropriate, right?" Still, inwardly, she had to say Kaho's face was so fierce!
Sighing, Kaho looked at Irisu and said, "But he is my boyfriend, Senpai! So, I hope that you are not being so close to him!" If she didn't feel in love with Satoshi, then she wouldn't care, but it was because she had fallen for him and had given her everything that she wanted to marry him and live forever with him that she wished for the others to maintain their distance toward him!
Satoshi was hers!
Kaho wouldn't give him to anyone!
"....."
The strong emotion that Kaho felt toward Satoshi was clear to everyone. She wouldn't give him to anyone as she loved him so much, so while they had feelings toward him, they should have understood to move away, right?
While Ibara and Chitanda remained in silence due to Kaho's words, Oreki also acted similarly, yet he couldn't help but glance at Satoshi, this sinful man who had caused the hearts of many to be wrecked.
'As expected, love is troubleso.'
Being in pain, we know that we can't do it and can only wish for their happiness.
If one doesn't know this feeling, then won't it be more wonderful?
If they have no this eting, then will they learn how painful it is?
Yet, despite knowing all the consequences of being in love, many kept pursuing it like a moth that was attracted by the brightness of the fire, which made Oreki feel slightly curious, wondering why people kept seeking it.
Still, facing Kaho's words, Irisu only gave a gentle smile at Kaho. "You are right. As you two are dating, he is yours, and that's why I can only do this, calling him by his first na and thinking of him as my best friend.
"Or... is it only allowed for to have him as my best friend, Kaho?"
"I..."
Despite hiding it well, Kaho could hear Irisu's trembling voice as she said those words.
The Empress, Irisu Fuyumi, who was always known for being cool-headed and in control of everything, lost control of her emotions for the first ti.
No, she was able to control her expressions well and thought that she had hidden them well, yet even so, Kaho, Chitanda, and Ibara noticed them.
Because of Kaho's relationship with Satoshi, Irisu could only bury her feelings, and this is what everyone thought as she expressed her idea to beco his best friend.
"....."
Satoshi hesitated, but in the end, he wondered whether this was real or acting.
After all, sotis, as one kept pretending, they put their mask in front of everyone, and they forgot their genuine self as their mask was almost impossible to be taken off.
So, was Irisu, who stayed with him, the real her?
Even Satoshi wasn't sure, yet for one thing, he could tell that Irisu's feelings were genuine.
Even if everything about her was false, a mask, and an act that Irisu had to put on as the heiress of the largest hospital in this city, her feelings were genuine, which made him feel that no matter how many tis he did this, it was still heavy.
Yet, even so, Irisu was strong.
"Okay."
Facing Irisu's plea, Kaho could only relent, and that answer brought a sweet smile to Irisu's beautiful face.
"Thank you, Kaho."
"No, don't thank . If you can maintain a proper distance, then I am fine with it."
"No, I am the one who is forcing you. Even if I know that you love him so much, I won't steal him from you."
"Really?"
"Yes, or you can't believe in him, right, Satoshi?"
When Irisu asked this question, Satoshi said that this young woman was as cunning as ever.
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