"What's wrong? Why the big reaction? Don't tell me this guy's your boyfriend?"Kōsaka Minami scratched her head, eyeing Yukinoshita Yukino's shocked expression with curiosity.
"Of course not. I don't have a boyfriend."Yukino denied it on reflex. She didn't even have friends—the idea of a boyfriend was absurd.
"Then it's fine, right? His eyes always look dead and gloomy—he's probably never even interacted properly with a girl. That makes this the perfect kind of motivation, doesn't it?"Nijō Rin spread her hands with an easy shrug, exchanging a knowing look with Minami and Shirasaki Yuna. To them, this seemed like a perfectly reasonable "training plan."
"...Do you three usually talk to boys like this?"Yukino's tone was quiet, but her disbelief was obvious. She couldn't comprehend how casually these girls threw around words that were downright indecent to say out loud.They were all attractive and well-proportioned—so why were they so careless about themselves?
"Of course not," Minami sighed, ruffling her blonde hair in frustration. "It's just… we've been dying to find a good-looking guy in our year to date. And then we see him—with so much potential—and how are we supposed to ignore that?!"
Naturally, they weren't like this with every guy. It was just that the thought had been stuck in their heads for so long that, the moment they spotted a "hidden gem" with potential, they couldn't help but pounce.
"It's not like we're actually going to do it with him," Rin added, shrugging nonchalantly. "We'll just... reward him in other ways. Relax, we're not planning to go all the way with this dead-fish-eyed guy."
Compared to Minami, who had a one-track mind, and Yuna, who was genuinely interested in Hachiman's "potential," Rin herself didn't particularly care about him.But since the three of them always acted as a unit, she couldn't exactly sit out and let her friends "have all the fun."
"Even if it's just a reward," Yukino said, her expression hardening, "that sort of thing is something you only do with someone you're in a relationship with."
The "ice queen of Sōbu High" was beyond exasperated. Her logical mind couldn't process their moral reasoning—or lack thereof.
Hearing that, Hayase Saki pursed her lips and instinctively glanced toward Hikigaya Hachiman.Something you only do with someone you like…Yukino had said she wasn't his girlfriend—but Hachiman didn't even treat her as a friend. To him, she was just another club member.
"Ahem. You girls do realize you haven't asked for my opinion, right?"Hachiman, who'd been standing silently as the girls chirped back and forth about how to "reward" him, finally had to interject.
"What, are you going to refuse?" Rin shot back, crossing her arms. "Come on, this might be the only chance in your life to hang out with this many girls legitimately."
The three of them had already agreed on their plan, and yet this gloomy guy had the nerve to hesitate? Rin couldn't believe it. They weren't supermodels, sure—but they were definitely cute enough. She refused to believe someone like him would turn them down.
"I'll pass. I prefer girls who are gentle and mature," Hachiman replied flatly.
Rin's expression soured. She had a fiery temper and a sharp tongue—completely unlike Yuna, who was sweet and patient. And Hachiman, never one to mince words, didn't bother to soften his jab.
It wasn't like he was completely out of luck with women, either. He walked home with Kaede regularly, and he'd just done a Service Club activity with Hayase Saki earlier that day. Sure, that had been her initiative, but still—it wasn't like he was some romance-starved loser.
"You little—!" Rin's temper flared, but before she could lash out, Yuna quickly grabbed her arm.
"Rin, calm down. You did come on a bit strong."Then she turned back to Hachiman, her tone gentler but curious. "Hmm… when you said you like 'gentle and mature' girls, did you mean Tenma-san?"
"...Why are you suddenly bringing her up?"Hachiman blinked. He hadn't expected her to mention Tennma Gabriel.
"You like her, don't you?" Yuna smiled knowingly. "Whenever we look back in class, you're always glancing at Tenma-san."
Everyone was curious about the mysterious new transfer student, so the occasional look wasn't strange.But the frequency with which Hachiman's eyes drifted in her direction? That was another story.
They sat together in the last row—just him, Tenma, and Miura at the far end—so it was easy for him to sneak glances without being noticed.Well, easy until someone did notice.
"Exactly!" Minami chimed in, nodding eagerly. "If you want to win Tenma-san's heart, you can't keep looking like this! You don't want some other guy to steal her away, do you?"
She placed both hands firmly on his shoulders, her golden hair swinging as she leaned in with conviction."So come on, Hikigaya-kun—let us help you become handsome!"
"..." Hachiman fell silent.
Why did it feel like their roles had somehow reversed?He'd been thinking about how to corrupt Gabriel—yet now it looked like he was the one being "tempted."
He wanted to protest that they were mistaken, but honestly? "Secretly liking Tenma Gabriel" made for a perfect cover story.
Even if he didn't care about the gyarus' so-called "rewards," he couldn't ignore the system's quest reward.
'Daily Advancement', huh?He didn't know what it meant exactly until he completed the mission, but by the literal definition—improving day by day, becoming sharper and stronger—it sounded like a seriously powerful ability.
And if he missed the chance now, who knew when the system would offer something like that again?
"Wait a moment!" Yukino suddenly spoke up, realizing where this was going. "Romantic or inappropriate interactions between male and female students are prohibited on school grounds. If you're caught, it'll cause serious trouble."
"Oh… right."Yuna hesitated. Sōbu High was pretty strict about that sort of thing. Getting caught would be disastrous.
But then… going to a love hotel was out of the question too.And this "training" had to be done over time—it wasn't something they could just do once.
"...Then why don't you come to my place?"Hachiman said it so casually that everyone froze.
"???"Yukino's eyes widened as she shot him an icy glare. Unbelievable.
"Huh? Your place? You live alone?" Minami asked, blinking in surprise.
"No, but my parents don't come home until late. It's just my little sister who gets back early from school," he explained.
He recalled that Komachi might have a friend over today, but it'd be brief—they wouldn't interfere.
"Just one little sister? Perfect. We can take turns keeping her busy," Minami said, her tone disturbingly cheerful.
"That way, we can give out rewards right after training! It'll keep motivation high!"Rin nodded in full agreement.
"Then let's get going already!" Yuna grinned, and the three gyarus exchanged determined looks before making their decision.
"And what about me and Hayase-senpai?"Yukino's voice cut in coldly. Her piercing blue eyes fixed on Hachiman, who seemed far too easily swayed by the trio's "temptation."
Did he even realize what he was saying?
"Of course you're coming too," Hachiman replied matter-of-factly. "It's the Service Club's first official request. We'll all work on it together."Then he glanced at Hayase Saki. "You too, Hayase. Club activities don't allow early departures."
He'd originally planned to head out after the swim club's session to deal with the Sanrō situation, but that'd have to wait. There was no way he'd leave these airheaded girls to their own devices.
"Then I'll figure out how to structure the training plan," Yukino said at last, her stern expression softening slightly.
At least he wasn't beyond saving—he still remembered that this was, technically, volunteer work.
The request itself—and the so-called "reward"—were ridiculous, but as the Service Club's first official mission, they would do their best to complete it.
"Got it, President… then I'll just message Keita so he doesn't wait for me," Hayase murmured, pulling out her phone.
As the only second-year among them, her say in the group was minimal. She was timid by nature, and even more so around the bold, confident gyarus.
[Sorry, Keita. Not feeling well today, heading home early.]