Shikime Natsu must have done it on purpose, but that was understandable, since Yamauchi Haruki was in the wrong first.
Yamauchi Haruki clutched his face, utterly terrified. Weren't the two of them just chatting pleasantly a moment ago? How could Shikime Natsu suddenly seem like a completely different person?
And that tennis ball... it had made Yamauchi Haruki think for a moment that he was going to die. To feel a mortal fear from a tennis ball sounded absurd, but that was genuinely what Yamauchi Haruki had felt at that moment. Plus, the stinging pain on his face probably meant the mark wouldn't fade by tomorrow.
"Sorry, Yamauchi said some inappropriate things."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka sighed. He hadn't wanted to be so conspicuous, but Ike Kanji was just standing there dumbly, so he, the one who didn't want to step forward, had to.
"It's fine. I'm the one who should be sorry for accidentally hitting Yamauchi-san's face with the tennis ball."
Shikime Natsu smiled, his expression showing no anger, the same as it was when he had been talking with Yamauchi Haruki and the others.
"No, it's nothing, right? It's just a scratch."
Ike Kanji quickly spoke up on behalf of the stunned Yamauchi Haruki on the ground. They had clearly provoked someone they shouldn't have.
"Yeah."
Yamauchi Haruki nodded.
"Well then... excuse us, we'll be on our way."
Shikime Natsu gave the group a brief glance and then left. Shikime Natsu could guarantee that what just happened wouldn't be judged as an act of violence. After all, it was just a tennis ball that 'accidentally' flew over, and the person involved didn't make a fuss. He himself had never admitted it was intentional.
So, it could only be an accident.
"Totsuka, keep up the good work."
Shikime Natsu looked at Totsuka Yahiko and gave him some encouragement.
"Yeah, leave it to me!"
Totsuka Yahiko nodded.
"Thanks."
Kamuro Masumi spoke up, looking at Shikime Natsu. This time, her voice was much louder than the first time she said thank you. Of course, perhaps because this 'thank you' didn't fit her persona, a blush appeared on Kamuro Masumi's fair cheeks.
"You're welcome. You're my deskmate, after all. I won't let anyone speak ill of you."
Shikime Natsu smiled and nodded. If he were to ask something like, "Why is your face so red?" right now, he'd probably be subjected to a beating from the girl.
Hearing Shikime Natsu's words, Kamuro Masumi felt as if her heart had skipped a beat.
"Did that line score me a lot of points?"
Shikime Natsu looked at Kamuro Masumi with a grin.
"Zero points!"
Kamuro Masumi looked at Shikime Natsu with indignant embarrassment. The atmosphere had been just fine, but he had to say something like that. For a moment, Kamuro Masumi couldn't tell if Shikime Natsu was genuinely foolish or just pretending. The girl's face was beet red, like a tempting apple, making one want to take a bite.
Shikime Natsu just smiled and said nothing more. He wanted to maintain this state. To collect all the CGs, he couldn't just focus his efforts on one girl.
[Ding~]
[CG14: Side by Side (Kamuro Masumi)]
[What an annoying guy... What does he see when he looks at me?]
[Congratulations, Host. You've obtained the Item Card: Lucky Hairpin (A hairpin that can bring you luck. Meeting you was a stroke of luck in itself.)]
An item card, which I haven't seen in a while? But... a lucky hairpin, I can't use this thing. Am I supposed to wear this hairpin to class?
My authority as the leader would definitely plummet, right?
And I'd probably get a lot of strange looks from people.
If I gave this hairpin to Kamuro Masumi right now, how would she react?
Would she suspect I have ulterior motives? Or maybe...
Never mind, now isn't the right time. Either Christmas or her birthday—those two timings would be most appropriate.
"By the way, Masumi, when is your birthday?"
Shikime Natsu casually looked at Kamuro Masumi beside him.
"Why are you asking?"
Kamuro Masumi looked at Shikime Natsu, her tone slightly nervous.
"To get you a gift."
Shikime Natsu stated the reason quite bluntly, which left the girl momentarily speechless. But that was normal. Why else would someone ask about a birthday?
"February twentieth. What about you?"
Kamuro Masumi glanced at Shikime Natsu.
"I don't like owing people favors."
Worried that Shikime Natsu would misunderstand, the girl added a brief explanation.
"April first."
Hmm, both of their birthdays had already passed. The girl was a little disappointed; she had originally thought she could celebrate Shikime Natsu's birthday first, but now it seemed her birthday was earlier.
What does this guy like?
Kamuro Masumi wanted to know. At least, from what Shikime Natsu had shown her so far, he seemed to only be interested in food. Hmm... and cute girls?
The thought that Shikime Natsu knew many cute girls brought a strange feeling to Kamuro Masumi's heart, a very uncomfortable one.
But she and Shikime Natsu were just ordinary classmates—no, ordinary deskmates, so she couldn't say much.
Kamuro Masumi stopped thinking about it. They still had a year to spend together; she would surely find out what this guy really liked.
Of course, she hoped the gift this guy gave her would make her happy; otherwise, he could forget about getting a birthday present from her. As long as the gift wasn't something strange, the girl felt she could accept it.
Speaking of gifts, Kamuro Masumi suddenly thought of Christmas in December. She'd have to prepare another gift... what should it be?
Just like that, the two of them walked until they reached the dormitory building, took the elevator, and returned to their respective floors.
Shikime Natsu lay down on his bed, feeling the softness against his back, and it felt as if all his fatigue had melted away. It was incredibly comfortable.
Today's haul was two CGs. Hmm... quite a bit less than the previous two days, but that was normal. If CGs were easy to collect, Shikime Natsu would have been invincible long ago.
As time ticked by, Shikime Natsu noticed a message on his phone.
It was from Sakayanagi Arisu.
A maid outfit?!
Shikime Natsu got a little excited. He had basically only ever seen that kind of outfit at maid cafés, but... he was never really interested. However, if it was the smug brat Sakayanagi Arisu wearing a maid outfit, Shikime Natsu was very interested.
He glanced around his room. There were pitifully few things, nowhere suitable for Sakayanagi Arisu to tidy up. He could probably just order Sakayanagi Arisu to give him a massage or something... that would be pretty good too.
Opening the door, Shikime Natsu saw Sakayanagi Arisu standing in front of his dorm, holding a bag.
"Good evening, Shikime-san~"
Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled lightly, still wearing her school uniform.
"Are you disappointed that I'm not in a maid outfit at first glance?"
To be honest, he was quite disappointed.
"No, not at all."
Shikime Natsu shook his head.
"Well then... excuse me."
Sakayanagi Arisu walked into Shikime Natsu's room quite naturally, seemingly not worried at all that Shikime Natsu would do anything out of line to her.
Of course, she wasn't worried at all. After all... she was just a weak woman. If things got a little too rough, it could be fatal. This was the reason for Sakayanagi Arisu's confidence.
"I've changed. Does it suit me?"
[Ding~]
[CG15: Maid Outfit (Sakayanagi Arisu)]
[This maid outfit should make this guy lower his guard, right?]
[Congratulations, Host. You've obtained the Skill Card: Mind Interference (Disrupt the target's thoughts, preventing them from thinking normally. Duration: 20 minutes.)]
___
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