Chapter 117: Shuraba of Four Competing for One, Yui's True Heart
Hearing the reporters asking these somewhat sharp questions, Rio and the others looked at Mai on the stage, secretly sweating for her.
Facing the camera, Mai maintained a proper perfect smile, calm and composed, answering questions one by one very calmly.
"I have no plan to return recently. At this stage, I still want to put all my energy into my studies."
"Regarding the participation in the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Yukinoshita Construction Company, I can tell everyone responsibly that I didn't take a penny of endorsement fee; just doing a friend a favor."
"As for the current entertainment industry, I am just an ordinary person who has retired. I cannot comment on this; please forgive me."
...
Looking at Mai perfectly dealing with the reporters' tricky questions from various angles with clever answers without any flaws, Yui couldn't help but sigh.
"Mai-senpai... is really amazing."
Rio pushed her glasses, complex emotions in her eyes, saying faintly.
"Of course, she is a former national idol actress. Handling such small things is naturally not a problem."
Even though she had completed the "Base Hit" (intimacy) now, Rio still had a sense of crisis of gain and loss in her heart.
She felt Mai...
Was a bit too perfect.
Can I really compete with her?
Can I win?
And one more point.
Rio stole a glance at Miko standing beside her with her peripheral vision.
As her good friend, the other party still didn't know that she and Yoru... did that.
Should I tell her?
Did Miko and Yoru... do that?
Counting by the time they met, Miko met Yoru first.
If Miko hadn't done it yet, but she took the lead, Rio would feel an inexplicable sense of guilt.
However...
Such things always have an order.
Maybe we should follow Yoru's proposal at that time, three people together?
In this way, there is no order distinction, very fair.
Rio shook her head, throwing the outrageous thought out of her mind.
Why am I starting to be infected too, having such abstract thoughts.
....
Five minutes later, seeing the questions answered almost enough, Haruno let the security personnel on site politely "invite" the reporters out.
After the crowd dispersed, she looked at Mai, whose forehead was already sweating slightly, and smiled.
"Hard work, Mai-san. Thank you for doing this for our Yukinoshita Company..."
"No."
Before Haruno could finish, Mai interrupted in a flat tone.
"Just because Yoru asked me to help, not for your Yukinoshita Company. Please don't misunderstand."
Facing Mai's words, Haruno just pursed her lips and smiled.
"Mai-san, you seem to have great hostility towards me."
Mai didn't smile but looked straight into Haruno's eyes, her face calm.
"Likewise."
"Hmm..."
Haruno dragged out the ending note, looking at Mai with interest, speaking meaningfully.
"You are very interesting, Mai-san."
Haruno didn't expect her disguise to be seen through.
She and Mai didn't know each other before.
The only connection between the two was Yoru.
And...
Not a good connection.
It was normal for Haruno to hold hostility towards Mai.
But she was always good at disguising her emotions.
Unexpectedly, she was seen through.
As expected of a professional actress.
"Hard work, Mai-san."
With the greeting of condolences, Rio and Miko also joined the battlefield.
Yoru stood aside, watching the four girls exuding an aura like a meat grinder.
Sparks seemed to fly where their gazes collided.
Rio and Miko were just ordinary high school girls. In terms of individual combat power, they couldn't compete with the former national idol actress Mai or Haruno, the heir of the Yukinoshita Company who was used to big scenes.
However, they had an advantage that couldn't be ignored.
Rio and Miko were comrades who reached a tacit understanding; the two had even developed combo skills when exorcising.
Current situation simply put:
2 VS 1 VS 1.
Three-way melee.
"Eh?"
Looking at the scene before her, Yui looked puzzled.
"Don't you guys feel hot standing outside? How about... find a place to sit together?"
Yui couldn't understand the scene before her, nor did she understand why the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
But her unintentional sentence became the fuse for the start of the battle.
"Yoru~"
Haruno took the initiative to walk forward, holding Yoru's arm intimately, smiling sweetly.
"I won't return to Chiba until evening. Before that, let's do something together, just the two of us?"
Mai frowned slightly, looked at Yoru, and whispered.
"Today... lunch together at home? I learned a few new dishes and want you to taste them first."
Haruno focused on being direct and bold, while Mai took out her housekeeping cooking skills.
Rio and Miko looked at each other.
The Digit Duo was sweating profusely.
Rio's brain ran fast, finally coughed twice, and spoke slowly.
"Captain, we have something to discuss with you today regarding the new member issue."
Miko froze for a moment, then nodded repeatedly.
"Mmhmm, right, there is this matter."
At this moment, Yoru once again felt the fear dominated by the long-lost Shuraba.
Of course.
He also felt the softness from his arm.
Haruno really had a brave personality, exactly like her sister Yukino.
Clearly this morning, she even had trouble getting out of bed and walking.
Mouth is really tough.
Three branch options popped up in front of Yoru.
1. Spend dating time with Yukinoshita Haruno before she returns to Chiba.
2. Experience warm cohabitation life at home with Sakurajima Mai.
3. Choose to discuss the next action arrangement of the Super-Quant Club squad and the new member candidate with Futaba Rio and Yotsuya Miko.
Option 1: Possibility to unlock Dating CG.
Option 2: Possibility to unlock Naked Apron CG.
Option 3: Possibility to unlock Three Spirit Mediums Spending Happy Time Together CG.
Truly a difficult choice...
At this moment, how Yoru wished he had time regression, the so-called Save/Load function.
In this way, couldn't he choose all three once?
A game without save options at branch points...
This world is truly a trash game (Kusoge).
Facing three branch routes, Yoru made a different choice.
"Aiya, Yuigahama-san, didn't you tell me before to accompany you to your house for dinner?"
"Eh?"
Yui, who was watching the battle, froze upon hearing this, not expecting to be suddenly pulled into the battlefield.
But...
Yoru-san seems very troubled?
Thinking of this, Yui immediately showed superb, natural acting skills, smiling apologetically to Mai and the others in front of her.
"Sorry everyone, I made an appointment with Yoru-san before to have dinner at my house today, sorry sorry."
Yui was a gentle person.
She didn't want to see Yoru in a dilemma, nor did she want to see everyone arguing.
For this, telling a little lie...
Shouldn't be a big problem, right?
"Is that so."
Hearing Yui's words, Mai was the first to express her attitude.
"Mmhmm, then okay."
At this moment, Mai showed the calmness of the main wife, or rather, considering herself the main wife.
Are you the main wife?
Mai: I think I am.
If too restrictive, it would be counterproductive.
Mai wanted to stick to Yoru every moment, but she also knew clearly that with his unconstrained free personality, he didn't like being controlled.
This is the so-called retreating to advance.
Besides.
Isn't such a person exactly what she likes?
"Eh... is that so..."
Haruno looked at Yui, then released Yoru's arm and smiled.
"Since it's like this, then next time."
Rio and Miko also looked at each other and nodded.
"Mmhmm, since there is an appointment with Yui, then no choice."
Yui knew she succeeded.
But why...
Don't feel happy at all?
Listening to the words of Mai and others, noticing their relieved expressions, Yui wanted to cry but had no tears.
Why does it feel like there is meaning in these words?
So Yoru had an appointment with Yui Yuigahama; then it's fine.
Hidden meaning:
Mere Yui Yuigahama, doesn't matter.
As for Yui's own thoughts...
She stole a glance at Yoru beside her.
Like... not quite there yet.
Recalling carefully.
The two seemed to have never been alone together.
Although meeting every day, Yui only realized at this moment.
Except for those superficial things, she didn't seem to know Yoru.
....
After leaving the office building area of Yukinoshita Construction Company, Yui breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden was lifted.
She looked at Yoru and smiled sillily.
"OK, I helped you escape. Then separate here?"
Unexpectedly for Yui, Yoru shook his head and said earnestly.
"Yuigahama-san, lying is not good. Said going to your house for dinner, means going to your house for dinner."
"Eh!?"
Yui didn't expect Yoru really planned to go to her house for dinner. Her cute face showed panic as she stammered.
"B... but, I didn't prepare anything."
"Didn't prepare? Didn't prepare is right; if you prepared, I wouldn't dare to go. Let's go, let's go."
....
After leading Yoru home, Yui remembered one thing.
Her mother went shopping today.
No one cooking was secondary; she could just start showing her skills.
The key was...
It became being alone together.
"Um... Yoru, Yoru, Yoru-san."
Realizing this, Yui appeared at a loss and very nervous.
Yoru took it calmly.
Just then, a puppy ran out wagging its tail and jumped directly into his arms.
"Woof woof woof!"
"Aiya, brother."
Yoru stroked Sable's head intimately, looking like reuniting with an old friend.
"Long time no see."
"Woof woof~"
Seeing Yoru, Sable's tail was about to wag into a propeller.
Yui suddenly had an illusion.
Did I come at the wrong time?
"Your mother isn't in today."
Yoru glanced at the empty house, sitting on the sofa holding Sable, without any sense of restraint.
"Then I'll rot (relax) here for a while."
"Mmhmm... okay."
Yui was so nervous she didn't know what to say.
She didn't understand why she was nervous.
It seemed not because of Yoru.
Yui was worried that if Rio and Miko knew about the two being alone in the same room...
That would be over.
Don't look at Yui usually being silly; actually, her EQ was very high.
She had long seen that Rio, Miko, and that Mai-senpai all liked Yoru.
If this continued...
How to end it.
Yui valued this rare friendship with Miko, Rio, and the Super-Quant Club members.
She was worried about losing this friendship.
How to maintain it?
Could she do anything?
She... couldn't do anything.
Thinking of this, Yui suddenly remembered something she wanted to ask long ago.
Just right, today was a rare opportunity to be alone with Yoru.
"Yoru-san, I have something to ask you."
Before Yui could speak, Yoru answered first.
"I don't dislike gentle girls, but compared to girls gentle to everyone, I prefer girls gentle only to me."
Yui froze, then laughed and cried.
"Who told you this? However..."
Yui tucked her peach-pink long hair behind her ear and smiled sweetly.
"Don't worry, my gentlest side will always be reserved for... reserved for everyone."
Immediately after, the smile on Yui's face slowly disappeared. A hint of loneliness flashed in her eyes as she sighed slightly.
"I just wanted to ask... when can I awaken the ability of Soul Manifestation?"
"This is simple."
Hearing Yoru's answer, before Yui had time to be happy, she saw him take out his phone to check the time, then smiled.
"It's 11:30 now. When it's 5:00 PM, I'll find a 'Door' directly and throw you into the Otherworld. If you don't awaken, you GG. Simple thing."
"Uh..."
Yui looked hesitant. After a long while, she gritted her silver teeth and nodded firmly.
"Okay."
"Okay what?"
Yoru was confused, shaking his head with a dumbfounded smile and complaining.
"Are you crazy?"
"But... but..."
Yui looked dim, murmuring to herself.
"Can such a weak and ordinary me really go on with everyone forever?"
"Sigh, look at what you're saying."
Yoru said nonchalantly.
"You are the image ambassador of our Super-Quant Club, shouldering an extremely important responsibility."
"Really?"
Hearing this sentence, Yui, whose mood was originally low, showed the color of hope in her eyes again, feeling the whole person turned from black and white to color.
What a good girl; happy just by coaxing a little.
"Really."
Yoru nodded very solemnly, looking straight at Yui's face, speaking slowly.
"I have a bottom line; I don't deceive fools."
Yui felt speechless.
"However, now there is indeed a very significant responsibility that needs to be handed over to you."
Hearing this sentence, Yui's mood rose, nodding repeatedly.
"As long as I can do it, I will do my best."
"That's good."
Yoru smiled meaningfully and spoke slowly.
"In our class, there is a classmate named Yukinoshita Yukino..."
.....
Next day noon, Sobu High, just before lunch break.
"Cough cough."
Hiratsuka Shizuka had already put away the textbook.
She knocked on the podium with her hand, looking at the students sitting below, speaking slowly.
"Everyone knows that starting from Thursday, there will be a two-day Summer Sports Festival."
"You should understand what our goal is, right?"
Hearing Hiratsuka Shizuka's pointed question, the classroom fell silent briefly.
Finally, Yoru's voice came from the back row.
"Protect eight, strive for seven."
Hiratsuka Shizuka frowned, saying grumpily.
"No nonsense. Our grade has only eight classes in total; protect what eight, strive for what seven? Watch out for my Iron Fist Sanction."
"Sure"
In the eyes of the classmates, the conversation between Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yoru was simply no different from flirting.
You always say Iron Fist Sanction, Iron Fist Sanction.
Haven't seen your fist fall on Yoru either.
Hehe, is this the privilege brought by good looks and first place in the grade?
Truly enviable.
"Back to business."
Hiratsuka Shizuka raised her hand, the lab coat on her body fluttering, looking imposing.
"Since we are Class A, there is only one goal!"
"First Place!"
"So, everyone must sign up; everyone must participate in at least one event."
Speaking of this, Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Yoru sitting in the window seat of the last row.
"Yoru, max it out for me, sign up for three."
"Oh, sure."
Yoru didn't argue much with Hiratsuka Shizuka, just saying nonchalantly.
"Then 100 meters, Shot Put, and High Jump."
"Good, it's decided."
Hiratsuka Shizuka replied immediately as if afraid Yoru would go back on his word.
Immediately after, she spoke again.
"Regarding specific events to sign up for, everyone can discuss with each other during lunch break. There are also several team cooperation events where one person can sign up for multiple items. As for candidates... I'll decide in the afternoon. That's it, class dismissed."
....
After arriving at the Super-Quant Club room, except for Yoru, everyone else frowned.
Especially Rio. Although she wasn't in Class A, she obviously received the news that the Summer Sports Festival would be held on Thursday before class ended just now.
"Sports Festival... so troublesome."
Rio wasn't worried about stamina issues.
After all, after... doing that, her physical fitness had improved.
But since it was a sports festival, she had to wear sportswear (PE uniform).
Rio didn't want to wear such clothes in public.
After all, too big.