"What a coincidence, Nijika, we meet again."
Kitahara Makoto stood at the door, his face showing no disappointment, and smiled:
"Surprised? Unexpected?"
Ijichi Nijika: "…"
Looking at the grinning Kitahara Makoto outside the door, Ijichi Nijika immediately knew what had happened.
Too much!
It was too much!
She had actually been pranked, and she hadn't even realized it…
"Get out of the way."
Ijichi Nijika tensed her pretty face, ready to go out.
"That won't do." Kitahara Makoto grabbed Nijika's slender wrist, walked back into the club room, gently nudged the door shut with his heel, and said with burning eyes, "Nijika just promised that the next time we meet, she'll let me redeem a kiss reward."
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face flushed, and she glared at him angrily:
"I never said that!"
Kitahara Makoto said from above:
"No refusal means consent."
Ijichi Nijika glared back: "I'm sorry, it's actually a denial."
"Tsk~"
Kitahara Makoto clicked his tongue lightly:
"The final right of interpretation belongs to me, Nijika has no say."
"The right of interpretation clearly belongs to me…"
Ijichi Nijika still wanted to argue, but the next second, Kitahara Makoto had already decisively lowered his head and pressed closer.
"You, you, you, what are you doing?"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face rapidly flushed.
Four eyes met.
Breaths mingled.
Kitahara Makoto said with burning eyes:
"Nijika should know very well what I want to do, right?"
"How would I know." Ijichi Nijika's pretty face was crimson, and she turned her head to look elsewhere, her heart pounding faster. "Get away, I need to go watch the performance."
"Sorry, wrong answer." Kitahara Makoto sighed regrettably, "A Senpai who answers incorrectly must be punished."
"You…"
Before she could finish speaking, Kitahara Makoto had already lowered his head and sealed the soft, moist lips of the blonde girl.
"Mmm…"
Ijichi Nijika's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she soon resignedly closed her eyes.
Several minutes later.
Pop ~
With a soft sound, Kitahara Makoto contentedly released Nijika.
"Nijika, thank you for the treat."
Kitahara Makoto contentedly wiped the silver thread from the corner of his lips.
"Hoo… Hoo…"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face was crimson and burning, she was panting, and she was almost unable to stand steadily. Hearing his words, she glared at him in shame and annoyance:
"You, you hurry up and get out!"
"One more time, and I'll go out."
"…You need to know when to stop!"
"…"
After bullying Nijika twice in a row, Kitahara Makoto was in a great mood. He walked out of the club room and quietly went to the corner to continue watching the performance.
However, shortly after he had settled down, a girl suddenly walked silently to his side.
"Yamada Ryo?"
Kitahara Makoto looked over in surprise.
Yamada Ryo didn't speak, but just leaned in, sniffing around Kitahara Makoto like a puppy:
"Sniff sniff ~"
"Yamada Ryo, what are you sniffing?"
Kitahara Makoto took half a step back, speechless.
Yamada Ryo looked up:
"I already smelled it, it's Nijika's scent."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
After hugging Nijika for so long, he would indeed carry her scent.
"When Nijika came back just now, I saw her ears were red. Her ears shouldn't be red no matter what when she goes to the bathroom." Yamada Ryo said expressionlessly, "So I simply asked her a couple of questions about why she was in the bathroom for so long, and Nijika stammered and her eyes darted around, looking super guilty… It's confirmed, Nijika was indeed with Kitahara-kun just now, right?"
"…That's right."
Kitahara Makoto admitted it frankly.
Although Yamada Ryo could only score single digits on tests, it had to be said that her brain was quite clever.
"Then I'm relieved."
Yamada Ryo suddenly nodded contentedly.
"Wait." Kitahara Makoto was utterly bewildered, "Shouldn't Yamada Ryo be angry? Why would she say she's relieved?"
Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over, her tone puzzled:
"Why should I be angry?"
Normal people would be angry and care if someone was secretly having an affair behind their back with Nijika!
"Then why did Yamada Ryo say she's relieved?"
Kitahara Makoto retorted.
"Because the dance competition is the day after tomorrow, and I want to stay overnight at Kitahara-kun's house today to experience a dream life while practicing dancing in my dreams." Yamada Ryo clenched her fists, her eyes filled with anticipation. "But if I say I want to stay overnight, Nijika will definitely stop me. Now that Nijika has had her secret affair first, she naturally won't be embarrassed to stop me anymore."
You're kidding me!
No wonder she said she was relieved; she didn't care about someone having a secret affair at all, but rather whether she would have fun tonight!
Facing such a magnanimous Yamada Ryo, Kitahara Makoto felt quite conflicted:
"Yamada Ryo isn't jealous at all?"
"I don't know."
Yamada Ryo shook her head.
Kitahara Makoto was surprised, "What does 'I don't know' mean?"
"I've seen online that when you're jealous, your heart feels stuffy and uncomfortable." Yamada Ryo pressed her right hand to her chest and said expressionlessly, "I'm not uncomfortable; I just want to lock Kitahara-kun in a cage."
"Stop, that's enough." Kitahara Makoto took a light breath of cold air and quickly changed the subject, "Yamada Ryo, think carefully about what dream you want to customize tonight."
He remembered.
Once, when he foresaw the future, he had seen Yamada Ryo turn dark and lock him in an iron cage... Thankfully, he exposed himself early, otherwise he might really have been locked in a cage!
Unconsciously, it was 8:30 PM.
The performance ended.
The Kessoku Band and guests left one after another, leaving only a mess of trash.
Nijika, Ryo, Kita, and Bocchi-chan, the four girls cleaned up together, and Kitahara Makoto, having nothing to do, helped out for a while.
"Phew, finally done!"
Kita Ikuyo put her left hand on her hip, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her right hand, and said in a clear voice:
"Time to go home, time to go home."
"I...I'm going back too..."
Bocchi-chan stammered, softly saying goodbye to Yamada Ryo and Nijika.
Yamada Ryo spoke up:
"I'll walk with you all."
"Eh?" Kita looked over in confusion, "I remember Ryo-senpai lives in a different direction, right?"
"That's right." Yamada Ryo's words were shocking, "Tonight, I'm going to Kitahara-kun's house to stay overnight, so it's on the way."
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
Kita Ikuyo was instantly shocked.
What did 'stay overnight' mean?
Could it be that Kitahara-kun and Yamada Ryo had already done 'that' kind of thing?
And they were even going to openly live together?
What about everyone moving forward together?
Yamada Ryo actually snuck off by herself...
"Ryo, what are you talking about?" Ijichi Nijika quickly interjected, "It's already so late; don't go trouble Kitahara-kun."
Seeing Kita look as if struck by lightning, with even a wronged expression on her small face, Ijichi Nijika quickly explained:
"Kita, don't misunderstand. The 'staying overnight' Ryo mentioned isn't the kind of staying overnight you're thinking of... Anyway, just listen to my explanation first!"
Ijichi Nijika took a deep breath and quickly explained the dance competition incident clearly.
Kitahara Makoto added from the side:
"Hitori's ability has evolved; she can now customize dreams. Yamada Ryo wants to experience a dream life, that's all."
"I'm sorry, I misunderstood..."
Kita bowed apologetically, her face flushed.
"Ryo, it's already very late. Don't trouble Kitahara-kun." Ijichi Nijika gently persuaded, exactly as Yamada Ryo had predicted, "Dance practice can be put off until tomorrow. Tomorrow is Saturday, a day off."
Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over, then suddenly lowered her voice:
"I already know."
"Eh?" Ijichi Nijika blinked, a bad premonition suddenly rising in her heart, "What does Ryo know?"
Yamada Ryo's tone was faint:
"Kitahara-kun has confessed everything about what happened with you all in the activity room."
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
You actually told Ryo?
Ijichi Nijika was both shy and angry, turning to glare at Kitahara Makoto.
"I'm not, I didn't." Kitahara Makoto quickly denied, "Ryo figured it out herself."
"What are you two talking about?" Kita curiously leaned closer, "Why are you acting so mysterious?"
"Ahem..."
Ijichi Nijika quickly coughed twice, feeling very guilty:
"It's nothing."
Yamada Ryo looked up, pressing her advantage:
"I'm going to Kitahara-kun's house to stay overnight. What do you say, Nijika?"
"Th-that..." Ijichi Nijika stammered, "Tomorrow is the weekend, so we don't have to get up early for school. It seems fine to go over and play."
"Nijika-senpai just said not to go and disturb him." Kita's expression was suspicious, "Why did she suddenly change her mind?"
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
I'm sorry.
If she didn't change her mind, Ryo would reveal that she had been secretly 'eating' behind everyone's backs.
"Because there's no school tomorrow." Yamada Ryo's expression remained unchanged, "Nijika, do you want to come along?"
Ijichi Nijika hesitated for two seconds, then bit her silver teeth and said:
"I'll tell my sister... then go visit Hitori. I haven't seen Hitori in a few days; Hitori must be hungry."
This was a lie.
She could perfectly well visit Hitori during the day; her only purpose in going at night was to keep an eye on Ryo, lest something unexpected happen and someone's life be lost.
"Kita, Bocchi-chan, do you two want to come along?"
Yamada Ryo tilted her head and asked.
"I...I won't go..." Gotō Hitori quickly shook her head, stammering softly, "My mom and dad are waiting for me at home."
Kita Ikuyo, however, was a bit hesitant, and asked curiously:
"What kind of dream does Ryo-senpai want to customize?"
"Survival Road!"
Yamada Ryo's eyes lit up, her pretty face full of anticipation:
"A classic game where only by trusting and relying on each other can everyone reach the end. The real-life version will definitely be super exciting!"
"I think I've seen it somewhere..."
Kita Ikuyo murmured to herself, frowning in thought.
Kitahara Makoto gently reminded her:
"It's a zombie shooting game from many years ago."
"Zom-zombies?"
The anticipation on Kita's face instantly froze. She took a deep breath, turned around without another word, and left:
"Farewell!"
"..."
After hearing that Yamada Ryo's hobby was apocalyptic zombies, Kita didn't say another word and fled onto the train.
Bocchi-chan had no choice but to nervously stay behind and wait for Nijika.
A moment later.
Ijichi Nijika, who had reported her whereabouts to her sister, walked out carrying her backpack, her golden side ponytail gently swaying in the wind, and said in a clear voice:
"My change of underwear and toiletries are all inside. Let's go."