"I've basically handed them all out. The only one left now is Yukinoshita Haruno's."
Walking toward her apartment, Mio opened the System Panel and murmured to herself as she looked over the roster.
Everyone on the roster except Haruno had already gotten theirs. And beyond the roster, she'd also prepared a piece of giri chocolate for Hiratsuka Shizuka.
She'd meant to give it to her at school, but never found the chance. No matter—Sengoku Chihiro had invited Shizuka over for drinks tonight, so Mio could just hand it over in the evening.
Mio closed the System Panel, then took out her phone and pulled up Haruno's contact. Just as she was about to message her and ask whether she'd be coming home for dinner—
A high-end sedan pulled over at the roadside not far off.
Haruno's familiar figure stepped out of the car, then came sauntering over to Mio with a light, breezy step.
"Kouhai, did you miss me~?"
Reaching Mio's side, Haruno looped her arm through Mio's with practiced ease, a brilliant smile blooming across her lovely face.
"I was actually just about to message you."
"Did you need something?"
"Mm. I just wanted to ask whether you'd be home for dinner tonight. But since you're right here, I guess there's no need to ask anymore."
"Besides that, is there really nothing else you want to say to me, kouhai?" Haruno gazed at Mio expectantly, those pretty black eyes seeming to hint at something.
Of course Mio knew what Haruno was hinting at, but she deliberately played dumb. "Nope?"
Mio's reaction was actually just what Haruno had anticipated. She smiled. "Well, if you've got nothing to say, kouhai, then allow me."
As she spoke, Haruno drew a piece of handmade chocolate from her bag and placed it in Mio's hands. "This is my honmei chocolate, you know."
Looking down at the chocolate in her hands, Mio gave a helpless little laugh. She hadn't expected to be beaten to the punch—had she known, she wouldn't have played innocent just now.
Or rather—Haruno had known Mio would react exactly like this, which was precisely why she'd said it, wasn't it?
What a frighteningly cunning bad woman.
"Yukinoshita Haruno's conquest rating toward the Host has increased by 2 points." The System's lazy voice drifted into Mio's ear.
"Tch."
She was used to it by now, and she knew perfectly well why the conquest rating went up—but it still left her with an inexplicable twinge of irritation.
In front of Haruno, though, she kept that irritation buried deep.
After tucking Haruno's chocolate into her bag, Mio pulled out the piece she had for Haruno. "This is from me, senpai. Take it as honmei, take it as giri—whatever you like."
"Then I'm obviously taking it as honmei." Haruno didn't hesitate for a second.
Then, as if something had just occurred to her, Haruno smiled at Mio. "Oh, right—Yukino told me you gave her chocolate too."
"Mm. Yukinoshita-san and I are good friends. There's nothing wrong with giving her chocolate, is there?"
"I was just mentioning it. No need to get all tense, kouhai~"
"Who's tense."
Mio pouted. It was only for that split second when Haruno brought up her little sister that she'd felt a flicker of guilt—there was absolutely no tension involved.
Chatting as they walked, the two were soon back at the apartment.
Haruno didn't so much as stop by her own place; she went straight into Mio's home and joined her in the kitchen to help get dinner ready.
Watching Mio in her apron, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Haruno's lips. If it were just her on her own, she'd never have much enthusiasm for cooking.
But it was different when she was with Mio.
Feeling Haruno's gaze, Mio slowed her hands a little and turned to look at her. "Senpai, is there something strange about me?"
"No. I was just thinking—it'd be nice if I could eat food you made every single day, kouhai."
"That's simple enough. All you'd have to do is make me fall in love with you, senpai."
"You're awfully blunt, kouhai. Going by your usual setting, shouldn't this be the part where you get flustered and don't know what to say?"
"Settings get updated all the time. Besides, my settings never seem to have much effect on you, senpai."
Just then, the sound of the front door opening came from the entrance. Sengoku Chihiro and Hiratsuka Shizuka walked in together, with Shiina Mashiro and Rita Ainsworth trailing behind them.
Seeing Mio busy in the kitchen, Chihiro scratched her head. "Didn't you have something to take care of? How are you back so soon?"
"Handled it, so here I am. More to the point—it's a rare Valentine's Day, and instead of going on dates, you two sensei chose to come mooch a meal off me. I'm truly touched."
At Mio's words, the expressions on both Chihiro's and Shizuka's faces turned a touch awkward.
"You know, sometimes I think your tongue is even sharper than Haruno's," Shizuka said with a soft sigh.
Watching the drama unfold from the side, Haruno protested, "I'm innocent here—don't you go slandering me!"
"Heh heh." Chihiro twisted the knife from the sidelines.
While everyone was busy trading jabs, Rita was carefully studying the beauty called Yukinoshita Haruno.
From the group's conversation, she'd already gathered that this was the senpai who lived across from Mio—a stunning beauty of a woman, exceptional in both looks and presence.
If this woman was Mashiro's rival in love, then Mashiro was in serious trouble.
"Hm?!"
When Rita came back to herself, she suddenly realized Mashiro had already vanished. Unless she was mistaken, she'd gone back to her room to draw.
Just as Rita had guessed, the moment she got home Mashiro had headed straight to her room and started drawing.
Watching Mashiro draw with such total concentration, Rita gave a helpless little smile, then pulled the study materials she'd bought that day out of her bag and set them down in front of Mashiro. "Didn't you say before that you didn't know how it's done? Read through all of these study materials and you'll figure it out naturally."
These study materials were ones Rita had handpicked with great care.
The only question was whether Mashiro would actually be able to learn from them.
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