"Objective: Successfully date each pair of girls at the same time."
**"Current Situation:
His attempt to pursue Yukino Miki has spread through the entire school;
Yukino Miki will absolutely not allow him to like any other girl;
He knows nothing about Asuka Mai or Hanada Asako;
Tamamo Emi can be bought off with money;
Six days remain for the first pair."**
**"Strategies:
Publicly, ONLY pursue Yukino Miki.
Method: None for now (study dating techniques from Kiyono Rin).
Budget: Everything except his parents' lives.**
2. After getting together with Yukino Miki, immediately reconcile with Tamamo Emi—then immediately break up again.
Requirement: Make her promise absolute secrecy.
Method: Money.
Budget: All assets.
3. Asuka Mai & Hanada Asako.
Method: Do not stir them, do not wake my beloved, wait until she (they) willingly choose me. (Quoted from the Old Testament.)
Budget: All charm.
4. Before confirming absolute safety, focus entirely on raising affection. Never reveal any intention of pursuing others."
Watanabe Tetsu looked at his notebook, filled corner to corner with plans, and couldn't help feeling proud—especially the Old Testament quote. He had stumbled upon it long ago, and remembered it again at the perfect moment.
That feeling of suddenly recalling the perfect classical line while writing—thrilling.
"No! Watanabe, this is not the time to be proud of your outstanding note-taking, perfect memory, and vast knowledge! Snap out of it!"
He forced himself to stop smiling and sank into thought.
If he wanted to gain those three skills, he had to date both groups simultaneously. But after he reconciled with Yukino Miki, if she didn't want to break up… he could never bring himself to initiate it.
Meaning:
He would need to pursue the other two girls while having Yukino Miki as his public girlfriend.
This…
Even putting aside the merciless Yukino Miki who disregarded human life—
Even with normal girls, hiding your pursuit of other girls from your current girlfriend would be almost impossible.
And all three attended the same school.
Worse: two of them were brass band members who trained together daily.
This level of difficulty required a legendary playboy.
Yet Watanabe Tetsu was a "devoted warrior."
He possessed none of those talents.
Even Tamamo Emi—supposedly the "easy one," who could be bribed—was clearly not going to be simple. If the reward was a free, transcendent skill, nothing would come easy.
Maybe he should give up?
Grow slowly… wait patiently for the day he could take revenge?
No.
Rule #4 of being a "Tokyo Hunk":
Have absolute confidence that you can accomplish anything.
Then I have to take down Yukino Miki within a week, or everything collapses.
He made his decision:
He would pursue her with everything he had.
"I've made up my mind… but how do I actually do it?"
He was completely stuck.
So Watanabe decided to be direct.
After school, he'd ask Yukino Miki herself.
But when he went to the clubroom, only Kiyono Rin stood by the window, her skirt and hair swaying gently in the early-summer breeze.
She looked… a little lonely.
As he watched her, the chatter from lunchtime replayed in his head—
the boys' stupid jokes, the girls' cheerful gossip.
And at that same moment, Kiyono Rin had been sitting alone in the clubroom reading.
He felt something tighten faintly in his chest.
By the time he returned to himself, Rin had already returned to her usual calm.
"You must've done something scandalous again, Watanabe-kun," she teased, folding her arms.
"Yeah. I did something pretty outrageous," he replied, walking over to stand beside her and staring out the window.
He'd expected to see something dramatic, but instead saw the bleak, pre-exam campus and a train pulling away from Yotsuya Station.
A true literature girl—feeling sentimental at scenery like this.
No—Watanabe believed she felt lonely because she was the only person in the world incapable of lying.
Sometimes, that must be exhausting.
"Well, perspectives differ," she said lightly. "But you really are thick-skinned."
"Thank you," he replied sincerely.
"So? What are you planning to do now?"
"Do… what?"
"As expected of 'Shameless Watanabe,'" she sighed.
"You're completely unfazed by the rumor spreading among the girls—
'Watanabe is always standing by the window because he's secretly staring down girls' collars in the courtyard.'"
What kind of cursed rumor is THAT?!
He nearly blurted it out.
But he was smart, diligent, and not someone who made the same mistake twice.
If he asked about it, that would prove he cared what others thought.
The only exception was Kiyono Rin—
because he could never win against her, he refused to lose easily.
Watanabe answered coolly:
"Not worth the sugar I get from drinking strawberry milk."
"Strawberry milk…? Hmm. Now I want strawberry milk. Watanabe Tetsu-kun, I'll leave it to you."
"I—I just got here."
"Does a 'Tokyo Hunk' not keep his promises?"
"…He doesn't. At all."
But even as he said this, he sighed, set down his bag, and stood up.
"I'll go buy it."
"Thanks."
Rin smiled faintly and returned to her hardcover book.
Even by dismissal time, Yukino Miki never appeared in the clubroom.
He assumed he wouldn't see her at all that day—
until he spotted a luxury car waiting at the school gate.
The door was closed, but Watanabe knew instantly who it was waiting for.
Don't tell me… she wants me to go to the apartment again?
With that gloomy thought, he obediently opened the door and stepped inside.
The car was silent.
Yukino Miki, as always, was asleep with her elbow propped on the center armrest.
In the corner, Shizuru stared at him with a disturbingly cold expression.
Great. Even the robot girl is looking at me like that. What kind of humiliating punishment am I about to get?
As Watanabe hesitated between self-sacrifice and escape, the door suddenly opened.
Kiyono Rin stood there, staring at him in surprise.
"…Why are you in there?"
"Huh?"
Watanabe froze—
then everything clicked.
They weren't waiting for me!
"Haha, misunderstanding! I'll head home—"
He began to slide out of the seat—
But a long, silky leg in thigh-high socks slid suddenly between him and the door.
Yukino Miki, her elbow on the armrest and her fist resting elegantly against her cheek, was awake at some point.
She smiled sweetly.
"No."
"…"
Watanabe looked desperately at Kiyono Rin.
She sighed.
"You really want me to speak up for you?"
He glanced sideways at Yukino Miki, who had begun to smile in that terrifyingly cold way.
"…N-Never mind. I'd be thrilled to spend more time with Miki."
He scooted toward Shizuru to leave space for Rin.
But Yukino Miki ordered him to sit at the far left instead, placing Shizuru in the middle.
After Rin got in, the car glided away from Shinagawa Academy in complete silence.
Yukino Miki leaned against the left door now, watching Watanabe with an unreadable smile.
He finally broke the tension.
"Um… where are we going?"
"My home."
"…Isn't it too early to meet your parents?"
"No. It's perfect timing," she said with a serene smile.
Idiot. Complete idiot. Watanabe Tetsu, how can anyone be as stupid as you?! Why did you get in the car? You narcissistic pig-headed teenager!
Watanabe always believed he was a calm, composed student.
Back at the hospital, even on the verge of death, he'd still been calculating ways to earn points off Yukino Miki.
But today—
May 28th—
he had no choice but to admit:
He had made countless mistakes.