Published at 22nd of August 2019 1:28 pm

Volume 23, Chapter 4: Behind the School Excursion Part 2

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Irie grasped Kiriha’s hand as she thanked her. There were tears in her eyes. A confession really was an important event, and the girls were all taking each other’s stories to heart. Most of the girls were hoping to confess to someone or another, and Kiriha had offered to pray for each of them so far.

The next girl would change that.

“Um, can I go next?”

Timidly raising her hand was a classmate by the name of Kashiwagi Shiori. Shiori speaking up put Clan and Harumi immediately on tenterhooks.

“Harumi, that girl is…”

“Yes, she was trying to confess to…”

They remembered Shiori’s face. She was the girl that was with Koutarou when they caught up to him at the museum. She hadn’t actually confessed to him, but it was obvious that she was trying her best to get close to him. That meant the crush she was about to bring up had to be Koutarou. Clan and Harumi feared what might come out of her mouth next.

“I… have had someone I’ve liked for a long time…”

Shiori shyly began talking about her crush, but she didn’t name the boy she was interested in. She was going to ask for advice without revealing his identity. Clan and Harumi were

on the edge of their seats as they listened.

“But at first, I hated him.”

“Why?” Yurika innocently asked.

She had no idea who Shiori was talking about, so she was just treating this like any other case that had been brought to the love jury.

“He was violent and unsociable… He was scary.”

“Then you should have just left him be,” Sanae chimed in.

Sanae was the same. She could feel love emanating from Shiori, but she didn’t know who it was directed towards. And so she didn’t react any differently than normal.

“That’s what I thought too… so I didn’t talk to him for the first few years.”

“Which means you’ve known this person for quite a while then?” Ruth asked.

Ruth was starting to realize how deep Shiori’s feelings must run to have cared for the same person for that long, but she had no idea who the object of her affection was either.

“We’ve been in the same class since elementary school, but I’m sure he doesn’t remember me.”

Shiori laughed bitterly at herself. She knew she should have acted sooner, and that feeling now distilled into potent regret.

“I think the turning point was when he started playing baseball.”

At the mention of baseball, Kiriha suddenly looked up with a startled expression and stared at Shiori.

It couldn’t be…

“People said something had happened with his family and that’s why he pushed people away… but after picking up baseball, he seemed to find a way to connect with others. From there, he changed little by little. Now he’s quite popular and has a best friend he’s close with…”

At this point in her explanation, each of the Corona House girls had realized who Shiori was talking about. They were all rendered speechless by the surprise.

“Because I was always nearby, watching, I fell in love with him before I knew it… Then I started to think that I actually might be able to help him, but I haven’t been able to do anything because I didn’t have the courage…”

“Sh-Shiori, is the person you’re talking about…”

As expected, the first one who couldn’t stay quiet any longer was Theia. As impatient as she was, she wanted a clear answer. And even though she was the first to speak up, there were another eight girls anxiously awaiting the same answer.

“Koutarou?”

“Yeah. So you guys knew about his past too? Actually, I suspected that might be the case…”

Shiori’s eyes opened wide for a moment, but she soon blushed and nodded. She knew that Theia and some of the other girls had gotten close to Koutarou lately. That’s why she figured it wasn’t all that strange for them to know.

“Just so we’re clear… is Satomi-kun going out with anyone?”

This was really what Shiori had wanted to ask about. She knew that Koutarou got along well with Theia and the others, but she didn’t know if any of them had taken the next step with him. She had to know for sure.

“He… shouldn’t be going out with anyone…”

Anxiety washed over Theia and the eight other girls, but there was no denying the truth. Koutarou didn’t have a girlfriend.

“I see… All right!” Shiori sighed with relief and flashed a look of renewed determination.

“Wh-What?” Yurika sheepishly stammered after seeing her reaction.

“I’m going to confess to Satomi-kun during this field trip!” she answered boldly.

If Theia and the others who were currently the closest to Koutarou didn’t know about one, there was no way that Koutarou actually had a girlfriend. And that meant that nobody would get their feelings hurt if she confessed. Shiori no longer had any reason to hesitate.

“Whaaaaaaaat?!”

Up until now, the invaders had never really considered that anyone apart from them would fall in love with Koutarou. There may be a fleeting crush here and there, sure. Koutarou had definitely gotten some fans because of the plays. But they hadn’t expected that someone who had truly fallen for Koutarou might enter the picture. Shiori’s sudden declaration shook the invaders to their cores.

On the second day of the school excursion, the class would be going to a famous amusement park. Since the trip wasn’t entirely about learning and yesterday had been educational, the teachers had scheduled an entire day for something fun. And now the students were all packed back into the bus, ready for a memorable day at the park.

“…What will happen if Satomi-kun accepts that girl’s confession?” Maki muttered to herself in the back of the bus.

Her voice was quiet, but it reached the other invaders who were sitting nearby. Hearing those words, they all fell silent with serious expressions. While everyone else around them was in high spirits eagerly anticipating getting to the amusement park, the same couldn’t be said for the Corona House girls. With the sudden appearance of Shiori and her shocking declaration, the girls were in no state to enjoy the park.

“Th-That won’t happen! This is Koutarou we’re talking about! He wouldn’t fall for a girl that easily!” Sanae practically shouted.

She desperately tried to break through the heavy and oppressive atmosphere that had crept over them all. However, even she didn’t fully believe what she was saying herself. It was clear that Shiori understood Koutarou pretty well from their talk last night. And with her psychic powers, Sanae knew that the feelings Shiori had for Koutarou were genuine. Denying that she might be able to move his heart would mean denying that any of them

might be able to. And so despite Sanae’s insistence, her words sounded hollow.

“I want to believe that… but Kashiwagi-san knows about a side of Satomi-kun that we don’t. Who knows what kind of effect that will have?” Shizuka pointed out what the girls feared the most.

The invaders had already been with Koutarou for over a year, and they prided themselves on knowing Koutarou better than anyone else. The only exception was Kenji. And even though the girls could get a little jealous of him, they never considered him a threat.

But now Shiori had appeared. She wasn’t as close with Koutarou as the girls from room 106 were, but she had known him for far longer. She’d been watching over him since elementary school. In that sense, she was the girl who knew Koutarou best. That made the other girls all the more anxious.

“But isn’t it hard to believe that Veltlion would accept a girl that he barely knows?”

The girls knew that Koutarou still tried to keep his distance from other people. Clan believed that meant that they didn’t have anything to worry about for the foreseeable future. At least, that’s what she wanted to believe.

“So if it isn’t sudden, does that Satomi-sama might accept? There’s still over a year until we graduate.”

Ruth had no objections with Clan’s conclusion, but saw a potential problem. Even if Shiori and Koutarou only became friends now, that might blossom into something over the coming year.

“In that time, Koutarou and Shiori might even become close enough to brawl… Without that, it’s hard to tell…” Theia muttered and clenched her fist.

The fact that they still had over a year of high school left only made them worry more. After all, their relationship with Koutarou had formed over the course of a year.

“I never even imagined this could happen… That some other girl might sweep in while we’re at a standstill…” Harumi whispered.

Her words pointed out the essence of the girls’ problem. They had only been focusing on themselves and Koutarou. They figured everything would turn out fine as long as they spent their time and energy on helping Koutarou heal. Shiori seemed to appear out of nowhere because the girls were suffering from a form of tunnel vision. A bolt from the blue, so to speak.

“But, Sakuraba-senpai, in this case aren’t we the ones who swept in on her…?”

Excluding time travel and other caveats, Shiori was the one who fell in love with Koutarou first, just as Yurika said. Even from Koutarou’s perspective, the invaders had all appeared long after Shiori was already a part of his life.

“Logically speaking, that would be the case. We only met Koutarou last year, and each one of us has fallen in love since. And now that we’ve realized that we’re not the only girls in his life, we’re panicking and” Kiriha attempted to summarize what Harumi and Yurika had said, but she suddenly stopped in the middle of it.

Wait… Why am I getting the feeling that something’s not right?

As Kiriha spoke, she felt a sense of incongruity. Logically, she understood what they were saying. In fact, she felt the same way. But as she looked at the bigger picture, she felt like something was amiss. However, unable to put her finger on it, she was just left feeling confused. How could there be anything wrong with such rational statements?

“What’s the matter, Kiriha?”

Finding it strange for Kiriha to stop so suddenly, Theia looked at her scrutinizingly. Seeing that, Kiriha put the thought out of her mind and flashed a small smile.

“Oh, nothing. It was probably just my imagination.”

She still couldn’t identify the source of this strange feeling, but continuing to puzzle over it now wouldn’t guarantee an answer. And so Kiriha decided to put her mind to the problem in front of them instead.

“Anyway, now that we know we aren’t the only girls interested in Koutarou, it would be foolish not to do anything,” Kiriha said, getting the discussion back on track.

“So what do we do then?”

“It’s unlikely we’ll need to act immediately. Let’s see what Shiori does next.”

There girls didn’t need to worry about Koutarou being moved by Shiori’s sudden attack. The trials and tribulations of room 106 were proof of that. Taking their time to study their opponent’s moves seemed the most strategically sound tactic for now. So the girls decided to observe Shiori, their first ever rival for Koutarou’s heart.

The amusement park wasn’t too far from the hotel, but the congestion around such a popular destination meant they got held up in traffic for half an hour or so. Fortunately, the teachers had taken that possibility into account, and the class arrived about ten minutes before the park opened.

“This place really is top-notch. They’re setting up the perfect atmosphere even before we get in.”

“Kou, even if that’s how you feel, you shouldn’t really say it out loud.”

“Why not?”

“The girls are here for the full experience. Pointing things out like that is a little immersion-breaking.”

“Okay, um… As expected from the land of dreams!”

“That’s more like it.”

Koutarou and Kenji stood next to each other, looking up at the main gate to the amusement park. The brick structure was a grand sight in and of itself, setting the stage for the rest of the park. Even the train that circled the edge of the park looked like something out of a fantasy. It was like they had entered a dream world the moment they stepped off the bus.

“So what’s it going to be today, Mackenzie?”

They’d spent most of yesterday walking around together, so Koutarou decided he’d ask

Kenji if he wanted to tag along today too―even though he already had an idea of the answer he’d get.

“I have something to do today.”

“Figured as much.”

As expected, Kenji had other plans. He’d promised some girl he’d walk around the park with her, leaving Koutarou all alone in the fantastical kingdom of dreams.

“This is a good opportunity, so why don’t you find a date too?”

“Easier said than done…”

The first ones to come to mind were the girls of room 106, but there would be trouble if he only invited one of them to go with him. Unable to choose between them, Koutarou was left with a dilemma.

“Then why don’t we go together, Satomi-kun?”

When Koutarou turned to see who had called out to him, he saw Shiori, the girl he’d talked with a little the day before. She was standing with a few other boys―more of their classmates.

This might work…

If he couldn’t choose one of the girls from room 106, bonding with his classmates didn’t seem like a bad idea. After all, the school excursion would feel a little incomplete if he didn’t make memories with any of his peers.

“Thanks, Kashiwagi. I think I’ll do just that.”

“Yeah! Let’s enjoy ourselves today!”

And so Koutarou decided to go around the amusement park with his classmates. That choice came naturally to him, but Kenji―who was watching from nearby―started to wonder what else it might mean.

Kashiwagi-san might unexpectedly win over Kou…

Koutarou did indeed treasure the nine girls he’d gotten so close with. But because he treasured them so, he couldn’t choose between them. With Kashiwagi Shiori stepping in at just the right time, Koutarou might reflexively choose her instead. Kenji had plenty of romantic experience, and he’d seen stranger scenarios develop into relationships. He believed that it was certainly possible that Koutarou and Shiori might end up together.

But even more worried than Kenji were the girls of room 106, who were currently sneaking after Koutarou and Shiori. They hid in the shadows, sometimes using advanced technology or magic to follow several dozen meters behind Koutarou. At that distance, Clan’s parabolic microphone could easily pick up what Koutarou and Shiori were talking about.

“So next is that roller coaster one.”

“You’re fine with heights, right, Satomi-kun?”

“Yeah… but how do you know that?”

“Because you were at the top of the pyramid during the sports festival in middle school.”

“Huh, were we in the same class back then?”

“That’s awful! We’ve always been in the same class!”

“Oh.”

“Jeez, how rude…”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Koutarou and Shiori had a playful banter going on between them and seemed to be enjoying themselves. They might even come off as more than just classmates to someone who didn’t know better. Shiori’s desire to get closer to Koutarou was pushing their interactions in that direction.

“It looks like they’re getting along really well.”

In the shoujo manga that Yurika liked to read, the kind of back and forth that Koutarou and Shiori were having was a sign that their relationship was progressing. It made Yurika even more nervous.

“I think so too. Shiori is sending out love rays, and Koutarou is doing his best to be friendly with her.”

Sanae backed up Yurika’s observation. With her spirit sight, she could see that Shiori was ardently pouring her heart into her feelings for Koutarou. She’d caught a glimpse of it before, but this proved how serious she was about him. It didn’t seem like Koutarou had any feelings for her beyond being a classmate, but he was trying to be nice to her since she’d invited him along. There was no doubt that he wanted to get along with her.

“If Shiori-sama continues to appeal to him this, then maybe Satomi-sama will…”

“I don’t really want to think about it… What do you think, Kiriha?” Theia said, interrupting Ruth.

“Shiori declared that she would confess during the school excursion. I think it’s a little too soon for that… but I can’t imagine how Koutarou will react either. Moreover, the confession will likely change the future course of their relationship.”

The girls believed they had a strong bond with Koutarou, so they didn’t think it would be easy for Shiori to steal his heart. Nevertheless, they were also aware that they were currently at a standstill. The couldn’t deny the possibility that Shiori might bond with Koutarou, given her confession and a little time.

“If Satomi-kun really does go out with Kashiwagi-san… What exactly would happen…?”

Up until now, Shizuka had been able to vaguely imagine her future. She believed that no matter who Koutarou chose, everyone would continue to live their happy, boisterous lives together. But the Shiori dilemma had shaken her. Shizuka couldn’t even imagine what the future would look like if Koutarou chose Shiori. The same was more or less true for the other girls as well.

“If Satomi-kun says that he won’t choose us, then I will probably…”

If Koutarou chose Shiori, Maki might be the most troubled one of all. She had no place to call home. But they say home is where the heart is, and Maki’s heart was with Koutarou. She felt like it was being crushed just imagining Koutarou choosing Shiori.

“That said, it’s not like we can get in the way of Veltlion’s relationship with that girl… Something that cruel would be unforgivable…”

The girls had followed Shiori in order to figure out their next move, but they were stumped for the moment. As Clan implied, Koutarou and Shiori’s relationship was ultimately between them. How it panned out would be up to them, not Clan and the others. If the girls tried to interfere, it would be spiteful and unfair. They couldn’t allow that.

“I guess all we can do is wait and believe…” Harumi said, letting out a heavy sigh.

Since they couldn’t try and stop Shiori, all they could do was pray that Koutarou would choose them. They all slowly came to that realization for themselves.

“If you girls just roll over like that, that girl is going to steal Layous-sama from you.”

“Mother?!”

Elfaria, who had come out of concern for the girls, had a very different take on the situation. According to her, the was still a lot they needed to do.

Last night, Elfaria had heard all about Shiori from her informant, Yurika. She had explained that the girls of room 106 were pondering what to do about their new rival. Worried, Elfaria had come to check on them.

“But mother, there’s nothing we can do in this situation!”

“That might be true in this case. All you can do is watch over them for the time being.”

Elfaria agreed with the girls about not interfering, especially if Shiori was serious. She didn’t want them doing anything they’d regret. The plan Elfaria had come up with was for after they left this place.

“But what you need to do from now on is display your feelings even more than ever. Just like what the girl is desperately doing right now.”

Even if Shiori opened up to Koutarou on this trip, considering his personality, it was unlike that Koutarou would make any sort of rash decision. Shiori still had plenty of time to catch up to the girls of room 106. But if Shiori was chasing after them, they only needed to run faster in order to stay ahead of her. While they couldn’t do anything to trip her up, nothing stopped them from using her techniques to get ahead.

“But, Your Majesty, even if we do that, there’s still the problem of how Satomi-kun feels. I wouldn’t want to do something too unreasonable,” said Harumi.

If possible, she wanted to do as Elfaria said. But considering Koutarou still couldn’t fully believe in people deep down inside, emphasizing her feelings might end up driving him into a corner instead. Harumi wanted to avoid that. So did the other girls.

“You really are such gentle girls. And you really treasure Layous-sama.”

Elfaria gently smiled at the eighteen eyes looking at her―nine pairs, each just the way hers used to look. They were bright yet wistful.

“I understand very well how you feel. He needs happiness more than anyone else.”

“Then”

“But, Harumi, you girls are mistaken about one thing.”

Elfaria just shook her head when Harumi attempted to push the matter further. All nine pairs of eyes opened wide.

“Mistaken? About what?”

“Basically, you’re underestimating his progress. It’s probably because you’re too close to Layous-sama to appreciate it.”

The difference between yesterday and today was subtle. And the girls spent so much time with Koutarou, they might not have even noticed him changing at all. But Elfaria was different. She could clearly see how different Koutarou was from when she first met him in Forthorthe twenty years in the past. And in the few months she had been here, she only saw Koutarou from time to time. Each time, something was a little different. She had a different perspective from everyone else. The same was true for Shiori.

“The current Layous-sama isn’t trying to push you away as much as you think,” Elfaria assured them.

The ones who had caused that change in him were, without a doubt, the nine girls standing before her. They were slowly healing his heart and brining him out of his shell.

“So believe in him and take the plunge. You’re more important to Layous-sama than you realize. He needs you…”

And that’s why Elfaria believed that if the girls wanted a stronger bond with Koutarou, he wouldn’t reject them. They were special to him.

The amusement park that Koutarou and the others were visiting spanned an area vast enough to include a large artificial lake, as well as a ferry ride. The boat looked grand and luxurious, but it wasn’t really all that big. It was no different from your typical sightseeing ferry. And while it didn’t take very long to circle the lake, it was incredibly relaxed experience compared to the other rides, so it was popular with people who wanted a change of pace or to take it easy. It was exactly what Shiori was hoping for—somewhere quiet where she wouldn’t be interrupted.

“Huh, where’d everyone go?”

As Koutarou reached the ferry’s upper deck, he only saw Shiori. There were other passengers, but she was the only classmate he recognized.

“They’re all on the rear deck. Look over there.”

Shiori pointed out the rest of their group. As Koutarou looked over, he spotted their classmates on the deck below them.

“Ah, there they are. Let’s go, Kashiwagi.”

Koutarou figured there had just been some sort of misunderstanding, so he immediately turned away from Shiori and started heading for everyone else.

“Wait, Satomi-kun.”

However, Shiori stopped him by grabbing his right hand and pulling him towards her.

“Hmm? What is it?”

Koutarou turned around and looked at Shiori. As he did, she clasped both of her hands around his.

“Everyone moved to the other deck because I asked them to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Actually… there is something I want to talk to you about…”

Shiori lightly closed her eyes. Her flush cheeks and the way she was firmly grasping her hands close to her chest allowed Koutarou to vaguely guess what she wanted to say. It made him feel stiff and tense.

“Um… I…”

Shiori shyly opened her eyes and meekly started speaking. These were the words she’d wanted to say for years, but was never been able to bring herself to speak.

“You might not remember, but… we’ve been in the same class since elementary school… and I’ve always been watching you.”

“…I see.”

Sadly, the only memories of Shiori in Koutarou’s mind were from middle and high school. He couldn’t remember anything earlier that, but he chose not to say so. He knew it would sound cold.

“That’s how I know about your mom, and that a lot happened with your dad… And I

understand that you don’t want to get close to anyone.”

Shiori had learned a lot about Koutarou’s rough life through watching him and listening to people talk. She surmised that, deep down, he couldn’t fully place his trust in people.

“Once I realized that you were struggling to be kind to others, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you… But I didn’t know how I should talk to you. I didn’t have the courage…”

While it was true that Koutarou couldn’t completely put his faith in other people, he continued to try to accept them. After butting heads, he was finally able to accept Kenji. It was that solemn determination that attracted Shiori.

“But we’re soon going to be third-years… We probably won’t see each other after graduation… so I decided to tell you, even if it’s selfish of me. I didn’t want to regret not doing anything!”

Bwooooomp!

The ship’s horn blared. It was the signal that the ferry had reached the halfway point of its journey. Shiori didn’t have much time left. Spurred on by the boat horn, she revealed the feelings she kept inside.

“I’ve always liked you! Please go out with me!”

“Kashiwagi…”

She’d finally been able to say it. She told Koutarou how she really felt. It wasn’t just a passing crush; she truly and deeply cared for him. Shiori knew about his circumstances, but she still reached out to him. She had the determination to overcome any problems together. Those were the feelings in her heart as she confessed. It wasn’t something Koutarou could take lightly.

“Thank you, Kashiwagi. I’m happy that you feel that way.”

“Satomi-kun!”

“But… I can’t go out with you. I’m sorry.”

It was honestly painful for Koutarou to reject Shiori’s serious and earnest feelings. But it was what he had to do. Just casually agreeing to date her would only end with her getting hurt.

“Why… Why not?”

Hearing Koutarou’s answer, tears started streaming down Shiori’s cheeks. Her voice was hoarse like she was doing her best to keep herself from crying, which was only natural. She was very serious about this. And so Koutarou confessed how he truly felt too.

“There are already some girls that I’m interested in.”

“Interested in…?”

“Yeah. I only met them after starting high school, but… they’ve made me who I am now. I still don’t clearly understand it all, but I think the person most important to me is probably one of them. That’s why I can’t go out with you.”

To Koutarou, the girls of room 106 really were special. They had helped him get to where

he was today. They were practically part of his identity. Because of that, he couldn’t choose a different girl. Koutarou’s special someone had to be among those nine.

“I think… I can love myself the way I am now. Forgetting the girls who made me feel that way would be too hard.”

“You mean Theia-chan and the others, right?”

Shiori had a hunch about who Koutarou was talking about. She’d been keeping a close eye on him since they entered high school, and there weren’t many people who fit the bill. Logically speaking, it had to be Theia and the others who were always around him.

“That’s right. A lot has happened with them.” Koutarou firmly nodded. He couldn’t lie to Shiori when she was being so honest. “I don’t think I could choose anyone apart from them. Then again, chances are good that I’ll be rejected or they’ll give up on me…”

The nine girls had all shown affection for Koutarou in their own ways. But there was no guarantee their feelings would remain unchanged until Koutarou discovered his own feelings. Koutarou was prepared for that as well.

“If you were me, would you give up?”

“…No. That’s why I will stay here.”

“I’m really sorry, Kashiwagi. It’s not that I dislike you.”

“I know… I understand…”

Shiori understood how Koutarou felt. She understood that it took time to uncover your own feelings, and that it was impossible to give up even when it got hard. That was how Shiori had made her way here. It was also why she had no choice but to accept what he was saying. She nodded as large tears tumbled off her cheeks, falling to the ground.

Theia and the others were by the ferry terminal, waiting for Koutarou and Shiori to get back. They weren’t spying on them right now. When Shiori began her confession, they turned off the microphone and camera on the reconnaissance craft they had been using to observe the boat. They all agreed that eavesdropping on her confession would be in poor taste.

“I wonder how it went…” Yurika muttered.

Really, she was just saying what was on everyone else’s minds. The last ten minutes without the camera feed had been grueling. All they could do now was anxiously await the outcome. It felt like waiting for their hearts to be ripped out.

“Do you think they’ll be boyfriend/girlfriend, start with being friends, or just end it with an ‘I’m sorry.’ How they handle this will change everything…” Shizuka wondered out loud as she leaned on the hedge surrounding the lake and let out a small sigh.

The girls of Corona House believed that Koutarou cherished them and that nothing would change in the near future, regardless of how Koutarou answered Shiori. However, she was still a mysterious threat. She knew a side of Koutarou that they didn’t. Chances were high that from today on, they’d have to keep their guards up. Worry met apprehension, and their unease and impatience only grew stronger.

“But regardless of the outcome, it doesn’t change what we’re going to do with Veltlion,” said Clan. Wanting to clear the air of the negative feelings that were building up, she spoke like she was trying to encourage herself and the other girls.

After being admonished by Elfaria, the girls had already decided on their next move. They were going to take her advice and wear their hearts on their sleeves from now on. Regardless of what happened between Koutarou and Shiori, that policy would stay in place. After all, if someone was chasing them, they had to keep pace or run even faster. They would have to push forwards with their own feelings. There was no time to be discouraged.

Bwooooomp!

The ferry’s horn rang out as it approached. The girls all turned to watch as the boat came in to dock. Koutarou and Shiori would be getting off any minute now. The girls all waited

in silence, patiently watching for them.

“Look, there’s Koutarou!” Sanae called.

She was the first one to spot Koutarou and Shiori. In terms of eyesight, Theia’s vision was much sharper, but when it came to finding people, Sanae’s ability to see auras gave her an advantage. She pointed Koutarou out to the other girls and they all continued to watch from a distance.

“Shiori-sama seems to be with him. The reconnaisance craft is picking them up again.”

“Ruth, we don’t need the reconnaisance craft anymore. No more tricks from this point on.”

Koutarou and Shiori stepped off the boat and walked down the pier together. After getting past the terminal gate, they stopped.

“It looks like they’re talking about something… Ah…” There was a hint of surprise in Maki’s voice.

Shiori bowed deeply to Koutarou, then turned her back to him and ran off. Koutarou stood there, watching her go.

“Looks like it was no good, Shiori-san…” Harumi sighed sadly. She had realized what had happened just from watching them now.

The other girls felt badly for her as well. They had considered Shiori a threat, but they still couldn’t rejoice over her getting her heart broken. They knew how sad it must be. In fact, they had thought of her as a threat because it was that sadness they were all afraid of.

“Did Koutarou choose us… or did he…” Kiriha mumbled.

The danger had passed for now, but Kiriha was not necessarily optimistic. While it looked like Shiori had been rejected, they still didn’t know why.

No, wait… I see. So this is why something felt amiss…

Seeing what had happened, Kiriha finally realized what was causing the sense of incongruity she felt before. It was the way she and the other girls had gone about things in the first place. It was their way of thinking.

Why did we feel threatened by Shiori? It’s as if the only ones who have feelings for Koutarou are us and Shiori…

Each of the nine girls here loved Koutarou. Which meant that, as with Shiori, they were all rivals in love. But it didn’t feel like it. A clear line had been drawn.

Why do we think that way? Because we’re best friends who have spent so much time together? That is probably part of it. With the fierce battles we’ve survived, being comrades-in-arms is probably also part of it. But is that really all?

It was a strange situation. The girls of room 106 didn’t feel threatened by each other like they did by Shiori. There was no doubt that they had developed a strong bond over the time they spent together, but Kiriha felt reluctant to accept that that was what created the clear division between the girls of room 106 and Shiori.

Isn’t there some other reason? A special reason that would allow us accept each other…

All nine girls loved Koutarou, and they all had accepted one another. Just based on probability, this was an extremely unlikely situation. And yet, despite all odds, here they were. Kiriha began suspecting that there must be a reason for it.

“…riha. Kiriha, why did you fall silent all of a sudden?”

Kiriha snapped out of it as someone started shaking her shoulders. She looked up, and a confused Sanae stared right back at her.

“…Oh, nothing. It was probably just my imagination.”

In the end, Kiriha abandoned her train of thought.

I must just be overthinking it. In fact, it was probably impossible to try and decipher how we ended up in this situation in the first place. Considering that even a time slip is part of our relationship, it’s inevitable that probability has been biased in our favor. So this is either truly a coincidence, or perhaps even fate…

Searching for reason in a string of coincidences was one of mankind’s bad habits. Anything could happen in spite of statistical odds. Let’s say a rabbit being chased by a fox bumps into a stump and falls over dead. If that happened a second time, it would be a mistake to assume that the stump had the power to attract and kill rabbits. No matter how long the fox waited around the stump, a third rabbit would never come.

“Hmm, okay. Whatever you say. But more importantly, Koutarou is coming this way!”

“Sanae, let’s go greet him!”

“Yeah! …But he might be angry.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“Okay!”

There was also another reason Kiriha abandoned her line of questioning. She didn’t want to believe that her meeting Sanae, who she was now holding hands with, or any of the other seven girls was due to anything short of fate.

Day three of the school excursion, the final day, was planned for a trip to a local ranch atop a plateau. The ranch was maintained as a sightseeing spot, so it was more like a park than an actual ranch. There were animals to see, stalls set up for visitors to get a glimpse of ranch life and experience it for themselves, a factory to tour, and even a restaurant and souvenir shop to visit. There were all kinds of things to see and do that interested Koutarou and the others.

“Koutarou, isn’t there somewhere you can try hunting sheep?”

“There’s nothing violent like that here!”

Only one person, Theia, was unengaged. Leaning on the wooden fence surrounding the sheep pastures, she puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction. The place was interesting in its own right, but it was too dull and peaceful for Theia. It was a poor match for her energetic and gung-ho personality.

“Eating the sheep you capture yourself would be more fun though.”

“Look at this heavenly place! Do you really want to turn these pastures into some hellscape?”

“Yeah!”

“Even if you ask all cutesy-like, there’s nothing like that here!”

“I guess I don’t have a choice… In that case, Koutarou, you may accompany me for something more violent later on.”

“Fine, fine… Just hold it in for now.”

“Okay!”

But in reality, Theia wasn’t as unhappy as she seemed, and she wasn’t serious about hunting sheep. She just knew that Koutarou would cater to her that way. After getting a promise out of him, Theia was quite satisfied for the moment.

“Master. Your Highness. So this is where you were…”

“Koutarou! Theia! Let’s go over there next! There’s ice cream!”

Just as Theia’s mood had improved, Ruth and Sanae appeared. After scuttling over to Koutarou, Sanae spread out a pamphlet to show him.

“It says you can try making ice cream by hand! Let’s all go together!”

“I made reservations a little while ago and just got word that it’s our turn.”

There was a station set up on the grounds where visitors could make ice cream using milk from the ranch cows. It seemed like the girl who loved cooking and the girl who loves sweets just couldn’t help themselves.

“With everyone?”

“Yeah! It’s more fun that way!”

“I made a reservation for ten.”

“Won’t we end up with way too much ice cream?”

“Even better! We’ll just have to eat it all!”

“If we can’t finish it all, we can just store it on the Blue Knight.”

“I guess that works. All right, let’s go.”

Since there didn’t seem to be any problems, Koutarou decided to join and make ice cream too. Sanae, who had been smiling all along, moved closer to him.

“Koutarou, Koutarou!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

She climbed up on Koutarou’s back in the usual fashion, as if claiming her territory.

“It’s over there.”

“Got it.”

With Sanae on his back, Koutarou began walking in the direction she pointed. Theia and Ruth followed not too far behind.

Ruth smiled as she glanced at the two of them. She leaned over and whispered into Theia’s ear, “It looks like we’re off to a late start.”

“That’s fine. He made a promise to play with me later.”

“Splendid.”

As Ruth and Theia smiled to each other, Koutarou and Sanae met up with the other girls. They were all waiting at the booth.

“You’re late, Satomi-kun. We were about to start without you.”

Shizuka welcomed them with a smile. She may have been targeting Koutarou, but it was just an opportunity to start up a conversation. Knowing that, he responded lightheartedly.

“I’m sorry, Landlord-san. Sanae was heavier than I thought.”

“You liar. You were happy to carry me.”

“Now I’m jealous. Satomi-kun, give me a piggyback ride sometime too.”

“Only on a day when you’re light.”

“That’s terrible! I’ve been nothing but light lately!”

“That’s a lie. You were crying in the bathroom yesterday because you gained half a kilogram,” Sanae squealed.

“Ugh, Sanae-chan! Jeez…”

“Heeheehee!”

Sanae got off Koutarou’s back and began chatting with Shizuka. He watched them for a while, but couldn’t help noticing the strange face Yurika was making.

“What is it, Yurika?”

“Um, Satomi-san, how much ice cream do you have to eat for it to count as a meal?”

“Don’t skimp on your food budget by replacing dinner with ice cream.”

“But there’s no expiration date on ice cream, right? I should make the most of it!”

Yurika was always thinking about food and money. She was planning on making a meal out of the ice cream she was going to make. It seemed like the prudent, economical thing to do. Who knows what tomorrow might bring? It might be poverty and hunger. Yurika made it a point to always be prepared.

“Wait, Yurika! Even if you suddenly end up penniless tomorrow, I’ll cover your food expenses equivalent to the ice cream you make here. So don’t you dare waste a fun event like this on miserable thoughts like starving!”

To Koutarou, Yurika’s way of thinking was too pessimistic and sad.

Yurika might be the same as me. She can’t fully trust others when it comes to things like this…

If he left her be, Yurika would go in a bad direction. Koutarou couldn’t just overlook that. He was ready to put an end to it.

“Really?!”

Yurika’s eyes lit up at his offer. She folded her hands in front of her chest like she was praying and sidled up next to Koutarou.

“I’ve loved you since we first met, Satomi-san!”

She grabbed his hand and shook it up and down. She looked like she’d just found her savior.

“By the way, Yurika, just because I promised to help you out, don’t even think of trying to save your ice cream for later, okay?”

“Whaaat?! I can’t?!” Yurika froze on the spot.

“Of course you can’t! If you leave any behind, I’m going to eat all of it!”

“That’s just too cruel! Please show some mercy, Satomi-saaaaan!”

Yurika clung to Koutarou and begged, but he thoroughly refused her. Really, it was a sign that he would always be willing to help her out, but Yurika didn’t seem to realize that.

Once the group actually got to making ice cream, the ones who were good at cooking practically ran the show. Fortunately, making ice cream was a relatively simple process and there was very little chance of failing. By having those who were good at it pair up with those who weren’t, everyone’s ice cream gradually approached completion.

“Satomi-kun.”

“Here.”

Koutarou and Maki were working together. Koutarou’s culinary skills were strictly mediocre, so he was paired up with Maki, who was a decent cook.

“All that’s left is”

“Leave it to me. I’m good with heavy labor.”

Koutarou and Maki cooking was a strange sight. They exchanged very few words. As they often seemed to think alike, they were strangely able to intuit what the other might need or want. As a result, things were proceeding quite smoothly. It was a stark contrast to Sanae and Theia, who were currently making a big fuss. But with their teamwork and skill, Koutarou and Maki were the first ones to move on to the final stage of stirring the ingredients while they were still cold.

“By the way, do you like chocolate, Aika-san?”

From this point on was just stirring, so Koutarou began talking to Maki as he moved the mixer around.

“…Why do you ask?” Maki looked back at him in confusion.

“Well, this is chocolate ice cream. You went for this right away. You gave me chocolate for Valentine’s too, right? So I was wondering if you like chocolate.”

“That’s…” Maki blushed and cast her eyes down, then timidly answered him. “It’s not that I like it… But I learned you do… So I…”

“Me?”

“Yes… I wanted you to eat it…”

During Valentine’s day, Maki learned that Koutarou liked chocolate. That’s why she didn’t hesitate to pick it when it came to flavoring the ice cream.

“We’re making it together, so I’d eat any flavor.”

“Us making it together was only an afterthought…”

“Well, yeah. I guess we’ll just have to do out best together anyway.”

“…Please.”

Koutarou now silently stirred the mixture. What Maki had said was equivalent to a confession. Even Koutarou realized that. And now that they were both embarrassed, they needed a little breather.

The ice cream each of the five pairs made was delicious, but the best of the bunch had to be the yogurt flavor Harumi and Clan made.

“I have a bad feeling just hearing that Clan made it,” said Koutarou.

“You won’t be able to say that once you taste it.”

Normally, Koutarou teasing Clan like this would enrage her, but not this time. She was confident in her ice cream and wore a fearless smile.

“I know.”

“Huh…?”

But when Koutarou casually agreed with her, she suddenly blushed and lost her composure. She could feel her heart beating faster.

“You made it with Sakuraba-senpai, so of course it’ll be good.”

“Tch! J-Just shut up and eat it!”

“Mmm…”

Getting upset in the end, Clan shoved the ice cream cone in her hand straight into his mouth. But not even that was enough to make her feel better.

“Why is this man always only mean to me? Jeez!”

Clan stomped her feet in frustration. The tears in her eyes indicated how mortified she really was. Harumi couldn’t help noticing.

“Satomi-kun likes you, Clan-san. And he believes that you’ll forgive him no matter what he says. If not, he wouldn’t be so mean all the time.”

Bullying was a sign of affection. And Koutarou was teasing Clan because she didn’t understand that. Just the same as he wasn’t teasing Harumi because she did. Harumi had seen right through Koutarou.

“That’s not true! He’s just being rude!”

But even with Harumi reassuring her, Clan wasn’t calming down. As someone who really knew how to hold a grudge, her anger was just beginning to smolder.

“Heehee… Satomi-kun is greedy, so you smiling isn’t enough for him. He wants to see all of your adorable sides. Right, Satomi-kun?”

“Waugh?!”

Koutarou nearly choked on the ice cream he was eating when he heard what Harumi said. His reaction told Clan there was some truth to Harumi’s words.

He tried to respond, but all he could do was cough.

“…I-I’ll have you report on the taste later!”

But if what Harumi said was true, that meant Clan had another problem on her hands. Her entire face flushed red and she turned to leave as if she was running away. She left behind Koutarou, who was beating his chest, and Harumi, who was smiling.

“Ack, ugh… Ahem… Please give me a break, Sakuraba-senpai.”

After safely swallowing the ice cream, Koutarou slumped his shoulders. Harumi was more or less telling the truth, but it was a very painful truth for Koutarou.

“Teehee, I’m an aspiring bad girl after all.”

Having successfully teased Koutarou, Harumi was quite content. She was bad at teasing people, so explaining why Koutarou was mean to Clan was her only chance to give him a hard time.

“I need to have a word with Kiriha-san later…”

Koutarou looked disgruntled. He’d realized who the mastermind was.

“Oh, did you figure it out already?”

“Of course!”

An Aikido-style bad girl act, using the other party’s bullying against them. It was hard to think Harumi would come up with something like that on her own. It seemed far more likely that Kiriha had taught her.

With everyone’s ice cream finished, they were planning on having a communal taste test. There was a high chance that Koutarou would tease Clan. It would give Harumi the chance to expose Koutarou’s true intentions, meaning that she could play the bad girl without feeling guilty, as well as soothe Clan’s anger.

“…And so you’ve come to me.”

As Kiriha spoke, she presented some of the ice cream she had made to Koutarou. He wordlessly ate it. It was vanilla flavored. Since Yurika was Kiriha’s partner, it wasn’t the best ice cream, but it was still rather good.

“I surrender.”

“Very good.”

Koutarou gave in, both to Kiriha’s ice cream and her plan. She had him wrapped around her finger, so he had no choice but to raise the white flag.

“So this’ll be the third time we’ve ridden the ferris wheel together, huh?”

Since he knew why Kiriha had summoned him, he couldn’t get angry. He was powerless against the smiling Kiriha, standing eagerly before the ferris wheel.

“There’s no roller coaster here, so I have to settle for second best.”

Koutarou and the others split up into pairs to ride the ferris wheel, so Koutarou and Kiriha had a gondola to themselves. Because of everything she had wanted to ride together with Koutarou eleven years ago, she had come up with all kinds of plans.

“So you can read me like a book, huh? I’m no match for you, Kiriha-san.”

“That’s not true. There are times when even I’m uncertain.”

“Are you talking about Kashiwagi?”

“Kashiwagi? Did something happen between you two?”

“…No, never mind.”

“I see.”

Koutarou figured that Kiriha’s uncertainty was referring to the situation with Kashiwagi Shiori. Pretending like she didn’t know what he was talking about was just her way of being considerate. Koutarou didn’t really think that Kiriha hadn’t noticed. But either way, there wasn’t a need to dwell on Shiori. Koutarou was confident that he had dealt with the situation properly and that he didn’t need to tell Kiriha about it. It would be better to shift the conversation towards something Kiriha actually wanted to talk about.

“By the way, Kiriha-san, where should we go next?”

“What’s the matter, Koutarou? You’re being awfully kind today.” Kiriha smiled happily. She was glad to hear Koutarou’s gentle words. “Could it be that you did something bad? Are you trying to make up for it?”

“Ahaha, almost the opposite. It’s what I don’t do that bothers me. I’ve realized that I haven’t done enough with all of you. I want to do more.”

She was sensitive and perceptive, so Kiriha would find out sooner or later even if he didn’t tell her. That’s why he honestly revealed his feelings.

“Even though I was hesitating, I should have at least made my feelings a little more clear.”

Even if he couldn’t choose one of the nine girls, he should at least show them his sincerity. He should show them how special they were to him. That way, they wouldn’t ever have to feel uneasy. That was what Shiori’s confession had made Koutarou realize.

As he stared at the blue sky through the window, Koutarou recalled the sight of Shiori desperately trying to earn his affection. Even if he could only muster a fraction of her sincerity and determination, that would be enough. He just wanted to be able to show the girls how he felt too.

“…”

But Kiriha was strangely silent at his remark. Curious, Koutarou turned to look at her. She was crying, but he couldn’t figure out the reason from looking at her. All he could tell was that they didn’t seem to be tears of sadness.

“Why are you crying?”

“…Forgive me. I’m… not sure myself. It’s just… my heart is overflowing with emotions, but… there’s no clear answer…”

“But it’s not because you’re sad?”

“That’s right. But that’s all I’m sure of…”

“I see. Then I’m relieved.”

“Hnngh… I can’t control my feelings. Is it okay if I just cry like this for a moment?”

Kiriha clasped her left hand to her chest and silently wept. It was rare to see Kiriha display this much emotion. But there was no need to worry. Kiriha wasn’t hurt or sad.

“Do what you need to. I’ll be right here, eating ice cream.”

Koutarou took the ice cream out of Kiriha’s right hand. With Kiriha crying, she wasn’t in any state to eat it. And at this rate, it would all melt. That would be a waste, and Koutarou had nothing better to do.

“Koutarou…”

“Yeah?”

“We all love you.”

“I see. Actually, it’s mutual.”

“Mm…”

After that, Kiriha cried for a while. As Koutarou watched over her, he wondered if the other eight girls would cry too if he said the same thing to them. He hoped they would, because the truth was that he wanted to cry himself. It was just that his pride as a man didn’t allow it. Kiriha would just have to cry on her own. But even after Koutarou polished off the ice cream and was eating the cone, she still hadn’t stopped.

Kenji happened to pass by the ferris wheel just as Koutarou and Kiriha got out of the gondola. After coming through the gate, Koutarou and the others seemed to be making a fuss for some reason. While he was too far away to hear what it was about, he could tell that it was something big from how they were acting.

“Koutarou, tell me that you love me to my face too!” Sanae shouted.

“What?! Right now?!”

“We were eavesdropping!”

“What?! Did you set me up, Kiriha-san?!”

“No, it was all me! I set this up of my own accord! Serves you right! Ohohoho!” Clan laughed.

“Damn you, Clan! Don’t get full of yourself!”

“I listened in as well, Layous-sama.”

“Elle?! Why the hell are you here?!”

Kenji could see them scuffling and hear them shouting, but it didn’t seem too serious. For causing such a commotion, there was a bright, playful atmosphere to it all. For better or worse, Kenji didn’t feel like he could butt in on that.

“It really is hard to get in there, isn’t it?”

As Kenji was watching Koutarou and the others, he heard someone else say almost exactly what he was thinking. Surprised, he turned to look and see where the voice had come from. It was Shiori. Like Kenji, she’d just happened to be passing by at the right time.

“Kashiwagi-san, do you mean you confessed to Kou, knowing what would happen?”

Koutarou had told Kenji about Shiori. That’s why he’d picked up on the hidden meaning behind her words. He was surprised that she was still able to confess knowing that she’d get shot down.

“Yeah. I didn’t want to give up without trying.”

Having watched Koutarou for years, Shiori knew what the outcome would be. Koutarou’s heart belonged to those nine girls from the very beginning. But even so, she was unable to hide her feelings any longer. She decided to confess because she felt like she would always regret it if she didn’t.

“I think I just got off to a late start,” Shiori laughed self-mockingly. She knew everything —including the reason why things turned out the way they did. “I should have done something before Satomi-kun started changing, just as we entered high school. I should have been the one to change him. The cowardice that kept me from doing that is where I went wrong.”

After the opening ceremony, things got more lively around Koutarou with the appearance of Theia and the other girls. Rather than being frightened, Shiori should have taken action right then. It was because she hadn’t that her feelings never reached Koutarou. That was all.

“But if those girls weren’t around, you might have been able to save Kou.”

If Theia and the others hadn’t transferred to their school, Shiori would have eventually taken action. Maybe then would she have been able to help Koutarou. That was how Kenji saw it.

“Heh, it’s almost like you’re Satomi-kun’s mom, Matsudaira-kun.”

“Give me a break. That’s disgusting…”

“Ahahaha!”

Shiori’s laughter was unexpectedly bright. She had spilled her heart to Koutarou, been turned down, and spent the night crying. Perhaps because things had been so straightforward, she was able to recover quite quickly. Sensing that, a certain bad habit of Kenji’s kicked in.

“More importantly, why don’t you go out with me?”

“Is that really something you should say to a girl who just got her heart broken?”

Shiori gave Kenji a cold glance as if to say she was disappointed. But Kenji was used to that. Unfazed, he just shrugged.

“I guess the girls who fall for Kou are all good girls.”

“Jeez, you’re terrible, Matsudaira-kun. Heehee…”

Shiori had a refreshing smile. It was truly beautiful. A little captivated by it, Kenji began seriously plotting how to get her to go out with him… All the while thinking that he had finally met his ideal woman.

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