Gotoh Hitori followed Minami Shouji all the way back to the main building.
Right now, she was truly content.
She had met his parents.
She had learned that Minami trusted her, that he had been watching her efforts all along.
For Hitori, that alone was enough.
Having Minami's belief in her, his trust—
That was already more than she could ask for.
However, there was still one small regret lingering in her heart.
After all this running around, she still hadn't had the chance to properly show off her maid outfit to Minami.
The whole reason she had even worn this outfit was for him.
Yet, even now, she hadn't heard a single word of feedback from him.
That… was a bit of a letdown.
But oh well.
Considering how great today had turned out, she figured she couldn't ask for more.
As they walked, Hitori peeked at Minami through the strands of her overly long bangs.
Other than that, she did nothing else.
Because sometimes—
Just watching Minami, without saying a word,
Was enough to fill her with happiness beyond reason.
The two continued walking.
Until finally—
The boy she had been staring at spoke up.
"Looks like we're just about here."
Hitori snapped out of her daze, suddenly realizing—
At some point, they had already arrived back at the main building.
Minami's classroom was on the first floor,
While hers was further ahead, to the right.
That was fast...
She muttered in her mind.
That hallway, the one so many Shuka High students complained about for being too long—
Somehow, to her, it felt way too short today.
She wanted to walk with him a little longer.
She wanted to keep walking by his side... just a bit more.
Even if they did nothing, even if they said nothing—
Just being next to him was enough.
Hitori lowered her gaze.
That tiny thought settled in her heart.
But—
"W-Well then, I'll head back first, Minami."
She couldn't bring herself to say something so selfish.
Hitori never wanted to trouble him.
Because deep down, she knew—
If she asked, if she just said it,
Minami would probably say yes.
But she didn't want to bother him.
So she turned, ready to leave.
However—
"Wait a second, Hitori."
"Eh?"
Minami's voice stopped her in her tracks.
She turned back, her voice soft and unsure—
"I-Is there something else, Minami?"
"Ah... it's nothing big."
The black-haired boy smiled.
"I just wanted to say—your maid outfit is really cute, Hitori."
"See you later."
With that, he waved casually and headed upstairs.
Leaving behind—
A completely frozen Gotoh Hitori.
A few moments later—
She suddenly whipped out her phone and sent a message.
Meanwhile—
At the maid & butler café, a certain redhead finally had a moment to breathe.
Just as she sat down to rest,
Her phone buzzed.
"Hmm? A LINE message?"
Kita Ikuyo, who had just seen off a group of customers, blinked in curiosity.
She checked the screen—
And saw an extremely obvious notification waiting for her.
She clicked on it—
And then—
[Probably Dead: Kita-chan! I've made my decision!]
"…You've decided?"
Kita stared at the out-of-nowhere message in confusion.
She was just about to ask what exactly Hitori had decided—
When another message popped up.
[Probably Dead: I've decided that I'm going to wear this maid outfit for the rest of my life!!!]
"Hah??"
Kita froze.
[Eek! Gotta Stay Positive: W-Wait, Gotoh-san, what are you even saying?! Also, the maid outfit was made using our class funds—it belongs to the class, you know!]
[Probably Dead: I'll buy it! If I buy it, it's fine, right?! I just… I can't live without it anymore!]
"No, no, no, no, no—"
Kita's jaw dropped.
This was a massive problem.
No matter how you looked at it, wearing a maid outfit for life was just not possible.
And the craziest part?
Kita clearly remembered—
When their classmates had forced Hitori into the maid outfit,
She had been super reluctant, looking like she was about to pass out.
What the hell had happened?!
What could have possibly flipped her thinking so drastically?!
Kita wasn't dumb.
In fact, she quickly realized the most logical explanation.
The only thing that could make Hitori change like this…
Was Minami Shouji.
Kita groaned, scratching her head.
Yeah…
That had to be it.
Minami must have complimented Hitori's maid outfit.
And now, she suddenly wanted to keep wearing it forever.
"Ahhhh—"
Kita felt a headache coming on.
"Minami-overdose" is a real disease, huh?
Clearly—
Hitori's case was already terminal.
Meanwhile—
Kita was having a crisis over her bandmate.
Minami, on the other hand, was completely at ease.
He had spent the morning exploring the festival with Akane.
He had helped Hitori with Futari's situation.
"Everything's going smoothly."
He stretched lazily.
Breakfast? Already covered, thanks to Akane.
Now, he was just relaxing in the backroom of his class booth,
Casually flipping through a light novel.
Waiting for his next shift—
At the chocolate banana stand.
But at that very moment—
Somewhere else—
...
(TL Note: Tsuchiya Taiyo and Shouzaki Shouta helped Minami with sewing the words "Class 2-2 Chocolate Banana Shop" onto a banner. [Chap 153])
"Is Minami inside resting? That guy is seriously way too enviable!"
At the front counter, Tsuchiya Taiyo was preparing chocolate bananas—melting chocolate from the market, drizzling it over peeled bananas skewered on bamboo sticks, then finishing it with colorful sprinkles.
As he worked, he grumbled to Shouzaki Shouta beside him.
"That guy—he's handsome, has top grades, and is even athletic. Fine, whatever. But on top of that, he's also close with Shinjo-san?!"
The image of Shinjo Akane helping Minami with sewing for the school festival earlier flashed through his mind.
Tsuchiya was practically seeing red with jealousy.
That was Shinjo Akane they were talking about!
The second-ranked student in their grade! Cute and charming! Outgoing and cheerful!
A perfect girl in every way!
And yet, she had willingly helped Minami without the slightest complaint.
How could he not be jealous?!
His molars were practically grinding into dust!
"Yeah, no kidding."
Shouzaki Shouta sighed.
"I used to think of Shinjo-san as my dream girl, you know?"
His voice dripped with sourness—like he had just taken a bite of the most bitter lemon imaginable.
Life is so unfair.
Why was there never a girl like that interested in him?
In romance manga, weren't "kind and gentle" guys supposed to be super popular?
But in real life—
Just being "kind" was utterly useless.
A socially withdrawn guy who never actively communicated with girls had zero chance of capturing anyone's heart.
The two exchanged glances—both letting out deep sighs before continuing their work.
Complaining wouldn't change reality.
Just then—
A lively and energetic voice rang out from the side.
"Ooooh~? Chocolate bananas? Takina, come here, come here! They look pretty good!"
Huh?
Both Shouzaki and Tsuchiya instinctively looked up—only to freeze in place.
Standing before them—
A blonde girl with side-tied hair, held in place by a black headband, her golden curls bouncing ever so slightly with her movements.
She radiated an infectious, sunlit charm—a smile so bright and full of life that just looking at her washed away all worries.
And beside her—
A girl with long, jet-black hair, a serious and composed expression on her face.
She wore an orange blouse with frilled cuffs, paired with a simple blue denim skirt.
Unlike the blonde girl, she wore no accessories.
But perhaps because of that—
She exuded an unmistakable elegance—like a refined young lady from a noble family.
These two girls—
One lively and warm, the other cool and composed.
One as radiant as a summer sunrise, the other as tranquil as an autumn spring.
They were like perfect opposites—mirror images of one another.
And most importantly—
"These girls… are insanely cute."
Tsuchiya muttered under his breath.
If they were talking about sheer beauty—
These two were every bit as stunning as Shinjo Akane.
"Eh~? You think I'm cute? Hehe, thanks for the compliment!"
The blonde girl cheerfully laughed, eyes twinkling in amusement.
She then turned to her black-haired companion and nudged her.
"Takina! They're complimenting you too! You should thank them!"
The black-haired girl, clearly put on the spot, let out a soft sigh.
She then gave Tsuchiya and Shouzaki a slight bow.
"Thank you."
Her voice was calm and polite—yet her eyes, deep as wisteria blossoms, quietly urged her companion:
"Let's focus on why we're here, Chisato."
"Right, right! The main reason we came."
Tsuchiya blinked in confusion.
Main reason?
"Ahaha… so, about that."
The blonde girl, Chisato, laughed as she looked around—her fiery red eyes scanning the area before finally speaking.
"This should be Minami Shouji's class, right?"
"Could one of you let him know that Chisato and Takina are here?"
"His girlfriends came to see him."
She finished her sentence with a playful smirk.
But the moment those words landed—
Tsuchiya and Shouzaki's eyes went wide in sheer disbelief.
"We…?"
"Girlfriends…?"
"Minami's…?"
The sheer amount of information packed into that one statement was too much—so overwhelming that the two boys felt like they were about to short-circuit.
H-Hold on.
One Shinjo Akane was already unbelievable enough.
But now—
These two gorgeous girls were also involved with Minami?!
And they were openly calling themselves his girlfriends?!
Tsuchiya and Shouzaki desperately wanted to believe this was just a prank—that this carefree blonde was just messing with them.
But—
The serious-looking black-haired girl beside her wasn't denying it.
Her only reaction was a slight flush on her pale cheeks.
"T-Taiyo…"
Shouzaki whispered in horror.
"Is the gap between men really this vast?"
"You're asking me?!"
Tsuchiya was already trapped in his own existential crisis.
He had originally thought the only thing separating him from Minami was Shinjo Akane.
But now—
Looking at these two girls—
It was clear.
"Comparing yourself to others really will drive you insane…"
Tsuchiya let out a deep, weary sigh before finally turning back to Chisato.
"Please wait a moment. We'll go get Minami."
"Mmm! Thanks, that'd be great!"
Chisato cheerfully nodded, flashing another bright smile.
As the two boys stepped inside the break room, they called out:
"Minami! Chisato-san and Takina-san are here to see you."
Hearing those names, Minami sighed.
Setting down his light novel, he rubbed his temples.
"Chisato and Takina?"
"Man…"
"Just when I thought I finally caught a break."
He had barely just finished dealing with Shinjo Akane and Gotoh Hitori.
And now, here came Nishikigi Chisato and Inoue Takina.
Why did these girls all seem to be taking turns?!
He had barely sat down for ten minutes since waking up at 5:30 AM.
Minami let out a long, helpless sigh.
But still—
Since Chisato and Takina had come all this way to see him, he couldn't just ignore them.
So, he simply nodded.
"Alright."
…Wait, that's it?
Tsuchiya and Shouzaki exchanged dumbfounded glances.
Their eyes were practically glowing with envy—yet Minami looked like he was being forced into something.
"Minami."
Tsuchiya couldn't take it anymore—his voice trembling as he gritted his teeth.
"Do you have ANY idea how rare beautiful girls are in this world?"
"Huh? What brought this on?"
"Because there are TWO waiting for you outside!"
Tsuchiya clenched his fists in frustration.
"With girls like that, shouldn't you be DROPPING TO YOUR KNEES and proposing on the spot?!"
"Do you have any idea how lucky you are?!
Minami—did you save the world in a past life or something?!"
Shouzaki Shouta's expression twisted in frustration, his face contorting as he let out a sound that could only be described as "sour grapes"—complaining about lemons(smut) simply because he couldn't have them.
Both Tsuchiya Taiyo and Shouzaki Shouta were clearly spiraling into madness.
And, thanks to their bonding experience over the "sewing project" last time, they had developed a pretty decent relationship with Minami.
So now, they had no reservations about grabbing him and going on a long-winded rant about just how amazing beautiful girls were—
Analyzing everything from their facial features, charm, and even body proportions.
After all that analysis…
They arrived at one conclusion.
Minami Shouji needed to get out of the break room right now—
And propose to the two girls immediately.
Listening to their absurd discussion, Minami could only stare at them in exasperation.
These two idiots…
They hadn't even dated anyone before—
And yet, here they were, acting like experts, telling him what to do.
Still…
It wasn't right to keep Nishikigi Chisato and Inoue Takina waiting outside for too long.
With that thought, Minami let out a sigh—
Then pulled back the curtain and stepped outside.