“Dad said he’ll take care of it~”
Sae happily flashed an OK sign to the group. She put her phone away and exhaled in relief.
Good thing she reacted fast, she thought. Her dad just had to poke at the one topic she didn’t want unpacked.
She and Harutaki were just good bro, good friends.
But if her dad knew she had a male friend, he’d spiral into nonsense and start ddling. That would be a nightmare.
She, Hinata Sae, might be straightforward, but she wasn’t stupid.
When she was asked yesterday to fetch Harutaki, she’d already noticed it, the subtle hint that her childhood friend Izumi had a bit of a thing for him…
Even though the idea of Izumi catching feelings for soone, especially a boy she’d known for barely a month, was like hearing the laws of physics break.
But it was true.
And Sae trusted her intuition.
The sa intuition keen enough to notice her own tiny spark of interest in Harutaki, whether it was because of his looks or his personality.
Though only a little. Just a tiny bit.
He was a fun guy. But not enough to call it “liking” him.
Still, she couldn’t possibly butt heads with the friend who’d grown up with her since childhood.
Besides, knowing Izumi’s personality…
Except for soone like Hoshikawa Harutaki, there was no way she’d ever take an interest in anyone else.
And Sae absolutely wasn’t going to beco the villain who steals her best friend’s one and only chance.
“Ohhh, that’s why you’re such a good bro, Sae!”
“Good bro indeed!”
Amidst the laughter, she jabbed Harutaki’s ribs with her elbow.
Guys who go around charming every girl deserve a good, hard lesson.
“Ugh—ouch…”
Harutaki clutched his right side, retracting the arm that had been draped around Sae’s shoulder, bending over the table to catch his breath.
Wait, didn’t she just lean on him voluntarily?
Sohow he had managed to accidentally piss her off, and now he was the one paying the price.
“Hoshikawa, even if it’s Sae, don’t think you can get away with taking advantage of girls. Haha, finally got what was coming to you, huh?”
“Hey… Izumi, what do you an ‘even if it’s Sae’!?”
As she complained to her friend, her thighs brushed against him as she moved. Tanned, firm yet soft, and with just the right bounce, her skin left Hoshikawa inexplicably flustered.
Of course, he didn’t buy into the whole “girl-friendship” thing. He didn’t believe boys and girls could have purely platonic, intimate friendships. But Sae’s bold, outgoing personality, the way she spoke… she hardly felt like a typical girl, which made it easy for him to forget the gender barrier.
“So, how about trying on a skirt later? At least your girly aura would go up a notch~”
Minako gently tapped Sae’s thigh, a playful gesture ant to remind her to settle down without causing offense.
“Hearing that from you, Sanada-san, now I’m curious to see Sae in a skirt too.”
“Don’t just stare at Sae, Hoshikawa. There are plenty of other cute girls in skirts here!”
Chouko scowled mockingly, but Harutaki noticed a subtle shift.
Intentional or not, Chouko had dropped the slightly formal, or rather, semi-familiar, honorific when addressing him.
From the distant “Hoshikawa-san” at first, to the “Hoshikawa-kun” after their two little dates, then the casual “Hoshikawa” now.
For soone as obsessed with manners as her, this was genuine recognition.
Why now, he didn’t know. Maybe the pleasant mood encouraged it?
Either way, it was a good change.
Still, when Harutaki addressed her, he kept the honorific. Unless she specifically asked him not to, dropping it would be rude.
“Huh? Is Shihou-san inviting to feast my eyes?”
He said, unabashedly glancing at Shihou and Nogami across from him.
One looked delicate and gentle, but her golden eyes held a sly glint, and the beauty mark on her slightly upturned lips seed to wink at him playfully.
The other radiated defiance, long straight hair perfectly styled, dressed in a breezy, fashionable outfit, her vibe clashed starkly with her friend’s, a srizing contrast like light and shadow colliding.
“Gross, Hoshikawa, don’t stare at like that with those pervy eyes!”
Nogami blushed and shrank inward, flustered and angry.
“Staring at girls all the ti is impolite, you know.”
But… wasn’t that your idea, Shihou?
He sighed, reluctantly pulling his gaze from her hands, which were blocking the view.
“Not much to look at, but thanks for letting indulge anyway.”
“Ha, sounds exactly like sothing a sleazy guy who eavesdrops on girls in the bath, claiming he ‘could eat a whole bowl of rice with just the sound,’ would say.”
“Exactly!”
Nogami nodded vigorously in agreent.
“Hoshikawa, you even listened outside my door when I was bathing, imagining licking all over… ugh…”
She hugged herself, shivering slightly, glaring daggers at him.
Harutaki was speechless. Seriously, who invited him to the bath in the first place?
If he’d clumsily pushed the door open, he’d have been scalded for sure.
“I really don’t know how you endured it, Harutaki. If it were , I’d just barge in and scrub every inch of Izumi… hehe, and it’s a completely naked Izumi too…”
What… the heck is wrong with this girl?
Harutaki stared in disbelief at Sae. She could casually utter such outrageous lines like it was nothing.
“Sae, you’re starting to sound like Asama-sensei~ After work, drinking cheap beer at an izakaya, discussing girls’ bodies and looks with other drunk middle-aged guys… that sloppy, creepy vibe.”
Sanada-san, Asama-sensei might cry if he heard his favorite high-school girl viewing him this way.
Though Harutaki agreed, he deserved it.
Maybe shave that stubble, straighten the suit, stop strolling around with hands in pockets…
Wait, was this middle-aged guy really a high-school teacher?
“Hmm… it’s already 11:41. Sohow over an hour’s passed… geez—”
Seeing the empty plates on the table, Nogami checked her watch, then looked at Harutaki.
“—Whenever I’m with Hoshikawa, ti flies. Such a waste…”
He decided to take it as a complint.
“Well, while everyone’s eating, let’s head upstairs for a little shopping.”
She looped an arm around the girl beside her, speaking in true Nogami fashion, direct and cheerful.
“Chouko, wearing your uniform on vacation is way too boring. You have to pick a nice outfit.”
She glanced at Minako and Sae with slight reproach.
“Minako’s figure makes picking trendy clothes tricky. Sae always says ‘too embarrassing’ and refuses to wear the skirts I pick. With Chouko here, it’s perfect!”
“I-I’ll… try my best…”
Chouko was slightly intimidated by Nogami’s enthusiasm but quickly adjusted, turning her mischievous smile on Harutaki.
“Hoshikawa, make sure to carry our bags properly.”
“Huh? Feels like I’m shopping with two girlfriends… Is this what having a harem feels like?”
“Dream on… ew, just thinking about it makes sick. You perv.”
Nogami shot him a disgusted look as she stood.
“Be self-aware, Hoshikawa-kun. Carrying bags is obviously the sidekick’s job.”
Minako handed him her beige handbag with a smile.
“Thanks. Appreciate it.”
“Thanks, sidekick~”
As a thoughtful bro, Sae helped sling his sky-blue bag over his shoulder, saving him the effort.
“Here, Hoshikawa, make sure it’s secure. Don’t drop it.”
Nogami tossed her brown LV mini backpack onto his legs.
“Good luck!”
Chouko waved her tiny fist, cheering him on.
She’s so kind… thinking about him…
Like hell!
Today, Chouko had stuffed all her small items, wallet, etc., into his shoulder bag.
Harutaki sighed, now carrying four bags as he trailed behind four beautiful girls. Their combination was eye-catching; passersby whispered.
“Which girl up ahead do you think is that handso guy’s girlfriend? It’s gotta be the tallest one with the best figure, right? They look so good together… could they be actors or idols? Uwaah, I’d totally watch a romance drama starring those two.”
Sorry to disappoint—none of them are, at least for now.
Still… he had to admit, that girl’s eye for people was surprisingly sharp. He also felt that he and Minako shared a certain… similarity.
“Look at him! Tall, handso, and he even carries his girlfriend’s bags while they shop. He’s so considerate that he even helps with her friend’s bags too! Why can’t you at least learn to do that? I’d finally have so dignity in front of my friends!”
To the poor man whose head was already sinking below table-level: he sincerely apologizes.
Collateral damage was never his intention. In fact, he was just as much a victim of this disaster as anyone.
“Die, die, all you normie hotties can explode for all I care… Walking around with four beautiful girls, each with totally different vibes—aaahhh, next thing you know there’s gonna be a scene where they try on clothes one by one and ask for his opinion—”
The mont you say “normie hotties can explode,” you’ve already lost.
Harutaki had very conveniently forgotten which shaless idiot once muttered curses under his breath, wishing every normie taller or hotter than him would turn into testosterone-puffed gym bros.
And please, spare him the part where they ask for his opinion after trying on outfits—
If Shiho and Nogami both stepped up to him at the sa ti, that would legitimately be fatal.
Besides, what’s there to be jealous about just because he’s shopping with a few pretty girls? He thought. When the day cos that he turns into the kind of scumbag who sleeps with all four at once—that’s when you can tell him to explode.
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