Looking at the lounge with its wide-open door, Yuigahama Yui fell into inner conflict.
Because she had been hospitalized for over a month and missed the start of the term, she hadn't been able to make any real friends in her class. If she still couldn't blend in with the Service Club and ended up being isolated there too, then she would have to spend the whole year alone and lonely, only getting another chance to join a new group when the second year's classes were reshuffled.
But… she hadn't even had a first love yet… Would having zero experience make the president dislike her?
Miura-san, Kitagawa-san, they were obviously normies. Whether or not they had much dating experience was uncertain, but it was clear that many people liked and chased after them.
But Bocchi-chan, Saki, and Miki weren't normies. One by one, they were even shyer than she was. They probably didn't have much romantic experience either. Since the president didn't dislike them, then he probably wouldn't dislike her either.
Hmm… maybe she should talk it over with Yukino first… It felt like Yukino hadn't joined in with Saki and the others either. If Yukino joined, then she would too.
After Yuigahama Yui finished her messy overthinking and analysis, she was still a bit cowardly about joining the real Service Club. She decided to go ask Yukinoshita Yukino about her choice before deciding.
From the current situation, it seemed that she wasn't the only one in the Service Club who hadn't joined in with Saki and the others. Maybe she could find some other members who hadn't joined either, and group together with her and Yukino.
However, before Yuigahama Yui could go back to report and test the waters, she was horrified to find herself being pushed to the lounge doorway by Ijichi Nijika.
"Ijichi-san?"
"Relax! It's fine! Hachiman won't do anything to you guys!"
"Ryou, you too! Either pay me back or go in with me! Only if you go in with me tonight will you get a proper meal!"
Ijichi Nijika pushed Yuigahama Yui and Yamada Ryou in front of her as shields. On the one hand comforting and encouraging Yuigahama, on the other "threatening" Yamada Ryou not to resist, as the three of them shuffled into the lounge.
If she went in alone, there was a high chance Marin and the others would drag her in and "reward" Hachiman until his legs went soft before they'd let her out.
That would take so long she wouldn't be able to eat until much later. By then, their special relationship with Hachiman might be exposed, and it would be hard to explain things to her sister!
But with classmates Yuigahama and Ryou, people Hachiman wasn't too familiar with, standing in front, then Hachiman and Marin would definitely restrain themselves. They wouldn't make her face burn like back in the classroom.
"…Then I'll take the good meal option."
Faced with her only friend Nijika's carrot-and-stick, "Don't want to eat grass? Then mugwort instead", the already starving Yamada Ryou directly chose to give up struggling.
She actually saw it very clearly: if it really came down to mugwort, with his invisibility magic Hachiman could come to her house anytime. Hiding was useless now.
Obviously, all those girls earlier had gone in voluntarily. Nijika was still fine too, just embarrassed about this kind of thing. That proved Hachiman wasn't some guy who randomly did whatever he wanted with w*men, it was always mutual consent.
Hopefully it would be over quickly so she could go eat.
She had been waiting ages for this meal. Before the performance she'd been eating nothing but grass, and the performance itself had drained her stamina. She was really starving.
"?"
Yuigahama Yui didn't have Yamada Ryou's big heart. She didn't know that in Ijichi Nijika's eyes she would be absolutely safe if she went in. All she knew was that the lounge had swallowed girl after girl, and now that it had opened again, it definitely wasn't satisfied yet.
Now being shoved in front alongside Yamada Ryou as a human shield, her heart was about to leap out of her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look forward, terrified of seeing something she shouldn't, of knowing too much and then being subjected to this and that.
But after being pushed inside, quite a while passed without hearing any strange sounds.
Until she couldn't resist and peeked open her eyes, only to find that both Yamada Ryou beside her and Ijichi Nijika behind her had their eyes tightly shut as well. She was instantly speechless.
"…What are you three doing?"
In the center of the lounge, Miura Yumiko stood with arms crossed, the corner of her mouth twitching as she looked at the three huddled together.
"Cough! Cough! See? Nothing happened after all. I knew it was just a misunderstanding."
At that moment, Ijichi Nijika cautiously opened her eyes too. Seeing that Kitagawa Marin and the others were all properly dressed, that Miura Yumiko hadn't even taken off her boots, and that only Hayase Saki and Gotou Hitori were in Hachiman's arms, she instantly sighed in relief. Her tense body relaxed.
She knew it. How could Yumiko and Marin be bold enough to mess around with Hachiman in the lounge?
Even if Hachiman liked that sort of thing, Yumiko's tsundere fiery temper would never just indulge him so easily.
As for Hayase Saki and Gotou Hitori sitting on Hachiman's lap, Ijichi Nijika didn't feel anything particular about that.
It was just hugging, nothing more. She herself had been hugged and touched by Hachiman too.
"Misunderstanding what? Nijika, why are you hiding behind them?"
Kitagawa Marin looked at Ijichi Nijika hiding behind Yuigahama and Yamada with a puzzled expression.
"N-nothing! Let's go eat already! My sister and Yukinoshita-san and the others are all waiting for us!"
Not knowing how to explain the indecent scene she had just imagined, Nijika hurriedly dragged Marin and Yumiko out of the lounge.
Though she still felt something was off, everyone had been shut inside with Hachiman for so long. What on earth had they been doing?
But it wasn't like she could just flip Yumiko's skirt to check.
So she decided to leave it be for now, and after dinner, she'd ask Yumiko and Marin privately what had really happened.
Hachiman, seeing Nijika running out red-faced, chuckled. He also released Hayase Saki and Gotou Hitori, ruffled their hair, pinched Narahashi Miki's smooth soft cheeks, and then, looking satisfied, left the room together with the still-blushing girls, Yuigahama Yui, and Yamada Ryou.
———
At the counter, the Yukinoshita sisters, Ijichi Seika, and PA had already been waiting for them a while.
"What took you so long? Forget it, let's get moving."
Ijichi Seika looked at Nijika and her friends rushing over with some exasperation, but still waved her hand and led everyone out of Livehouse STARRY, closing the door behind them, toward a familiar quiet izakaya for dinner.
This part of town was lively, rainbow neon lights glowing on the pedestrians' faces.
There were plenty of izakayas nearby, but with so many people, they'd have to walk a bit to find a quiet suitable one at this hour.
"By the way, Ryou, why are you all wearing the same type of collar? Is it some new trend at Sobu High? But why isn't Nijika wearing one?"
As she walked in front leading the way, Seika chatted with Yukinoshita Haruno. Then she turned her head toward Miura Yumiko, Kitagawa Marin, Yamada Ryou, and the others, all of whom were wearing black collars, and asked bluntly.
It was just a collar. Sometimes she herself tied a black ribbon choker around her neck to make it look longer and prettier. PA-san not only wore chokers but also earrings.
But wasn't Sobu High known for strict dress code checks by the disciplinary committee?
How come all of them were wearing collars?
Seika herself didn't really care. It was normal for girls to like small accessories. She usually ignored it.
But since almost everyone was wearing one, and her sister's well-connected friend Hachiman was involved, she couldn't help but worry if maybe her sister had quarreled with them somehow.
Since Nijika's close friends all wore them, logically Nijika should be among that majority too.
"Hmm?"
Hearing her sister's question, Nijika's heart gave a jolt. By the neon streetlights she carefully looked again at Yumiko and the others beside her, and finally noticed the source of that constant vague sense of wrongness.
Those black collars that had seemed to be only on Ryou and Marin's necks earlier… now appeared on many others.
Other than Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui, every member of the Service Club had one. Not just Hayase Saki and Bocchi-chan, even Yumiko was wearing one.
"Uh… yeah, it's the new fashion at Sobu High… We just switched to them not long ago…", Miura Yumiko avoided Nijika's disbelieving gaze without a trace, and Kitagawa Marin's face flushed red as she looked away.
They really couldn't help it. With so many people in the classroom earlier, they hadn't managed it. Now with Nijika missing, it was even less possible.
At first Yumiko really had wanted to shoulder the burden alone, to keep Hachiman from targeting Nijika and Marin, her two close friends.
But who would've thought that in just a short time she'd lose? Even if she endured her own shame and clung to Hachiman's legs, she couldn't hold him back. In the end she had to beg Marin for help.
Well… Marin was a bit better. In this area she had "trained" earlier that afternoon while cosplaying with the elves. But the moment she remembered acting as Kuroe Shizuku, calling Hachiman "Master," Marin herself couldn't resist either.
Luckily, there were still Hayase Saki and Narahashi Miki outside. After sincerely begging the two strong sporty girls, they finally managed to protect Ijichi Nijika.
If not, they might have had to cross the final line themselves to stop Hachiman from dragging Nijika in.
Unlike the ashamed Yumiko and Marin, unable to face Nijika, the trailing Hayase Saki and Narahashi Miki were glowing red-cheeked, their inner excitement and joy spilling out in barely contained smiles.
It was amazing.
At first they had thought Yumiko wanted to hog everything to herself, and they'd been dying of jealousy. But it turned out Yumiko was only warming the president up. After warming him up with Marin, she called them in.
Usually, others got the meat and they only had the soup. Only in private could they eat their fill of the president's affection.
But today it was reversed, they were the ones who ate the meat, while Yumiko and Marin only got the soup.
Even though Yumiko and Marin were the beautiful, smart, sociable normies, when faced with the president they had been so bashful, all their confidence gone, no different from how Saki and Miki had been before.
The only pity was that Gotou Hitori had only just entered when Nijika showed up outside. This newcomer, even more introverted and socially anxious than them, hadn't received the president's affection.
At first they'd thought Bocchi-chan wasn't much to look at. Just clingy to the president out of social anxiety and special feelings.
But once she revealed her true face, they realized she was actually very pretty, with pale skin, a good figure, and above all, a personality just as timid as theirs. If she joined them, she would only share the president's affection with them, never daring to monopolize it for herself.
"Uh-heheh…"
Watching her friends dodge her gaze guiltily, and the once-shrinking Saki and Miki now abnormally excited, Nijika suddenly understood everything.
Maybe Hachiman had noticed her outside the lounge earlier, and had already used magic to tidy things up for Yumiko and the others before letting her in.
And she, she had thought Hachiman was still unsatisfied and waiting for her to fulfill her promise. Not seeing that kind of scene, she'd instinctively assumed Yumiko and the others were fine.
"Here, this one's for you, Nijika. No need to envy us."
Yamada Ryou, noticing her only friend's complicated expression, suddenly took out a black collar and handed it to her.
"???"
Seeing her good friend betraying her to join Hachiman's side, Nijika's eyes widened.
"Hurry up and put it on. Look, we all have one. You're the only one missing."
Ryou ignored her friend's stare and urged calmly.
This wasn't betrayal, it was simply helping Nijika along.
Just earlier, Nijika had pushed her into the lounge too. Now she was just repaying the favor.
Whenever there was something good, she thought of Nijika. They were lifelong best friends, after all!
"If you don't want it, Nijika, then give it to the manager. I bet she'd like to wear it too."
Seeing Nijika unmoved, Ryou turned and tried to hand the black collar to Ijichi Seika walking ahead.
"For me? How much did it cost? I'll pay you back…", Seika froze, instinctively reaching out to take it.
But in the next instant, the horrified Nijika snatched it away.
"I'll wear it! Sis, you're almost thirty, a collar like this doesn't suit you!"
"What do you mean almost thirty! Not thirty means not thirty! Twenty-nine is still young! Nijika, give it here! I'll put it on and show you how good it looks!"
At the mention of that taboo topic, Seika's face darkened. She reached for the collar, determined to prove she was still youthful and that it suited her just fine.
"That's not what I meant! I'll wear this one! Tomorrow I'll buy you a prettier one!"
Seeing that her sister, oblivious to the situation, still wanted to take it, Nijika hurriedly clasped the black collar around her own neck, leaving no chance for her sister to steal it.
"I'll take this one. Ryou, do you have more of the same? Sell me two."
Seeing Nijika refuse to give it up, Seika puffed out her cheeks in frustration and turned to Ryou, who had produced the collar in the first place.
"Uh… no stock… That was the only one I had."
Ryou's eyes darted, sighing under Nijika's murderous glare.
She had actually wanted to sell it to the manager for some quick cash. But the truth was, it hadn't been hers to begin with, it had just been given to her by Hachiman, specially prepared for Nijika.
Giving it to Nijika was fine, she already knew what it was. In fact, the collar on Ryou's own neck had originally come from Nijika.
But giving it to the clueless manager would probably earn her a severe beating from Nijika.
"Fine then… When you get more stock, remember to save me two, one for me and one for PA."
Seika could only sigh in disappointment, 'Damn it, I really am not old! How could Nijika look down on me like that!'
She would prove she was no different from young people like PA in their early twenties, she was only a few years older.
"Uh… sure…"
Ryou blinked, glancing at the silent PA beside her, the cool long-haired beauty with dyed streaks and hime cut, and met her innocent eyes for a few seconds.
Should she say "as expected of sisters"?
Whether Nijika or the manager, both were equally skilled at dragging people down with them.
———
Ijichi Nijika and the others' antics didn't affect Yukinoshita Yukino in the least.
Even though Hayase Saki and the others had put on those black collars, and even Kitagawa Marin and the rest were wearing them too…
She still had no idea when exactly such a thing had become a "trend" at Sobu High.
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