"Which is why," Rosalia added, "we basically have to engineer 'reverse lucky lecher' moments on purpose."
"What are you even talking about...?" Hachiman groaned.
"You know, like pretending to get dizzy so we can 'accidentally' fall into your chest," Rosalia explained.
"Or 'accidentally' flashing our panties!" Elsa added.
Shino flinched visibly. Elsa's sharp eyes caught it immediately.
"...Wait. Shinonon, did you just twitch?"
Trust a professional predator to smell blood in the water. Shino looked away, trying to maintain her composure.
"I-I didn't! And besides, it's not like he saw anything directly. My situation was totally different."
"Hmm. So he saw your laundry or something? Well, I guess our little Shinonon is just a child after all. How cute."
"What did you call me?!"
Shino's competitive streak flared up. In a fit of reckless defiance, she blurted out something she immediately regretted.
"I am not a child! I'll have you know, if it's Shana, I'm... I'm ready whenever!"
"Oh? Then can you prove it right here, right now?"
"I-I can!"
Shino stood up abruptly, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt. Before she could do anything catastrophic, Hachiman grabbed her arm.
"Sit down, Sinon. You're falling right into her trap. Just breathe."
"Wait... Ah! Pito, you... you absolute snake!"
"Tch," Elsa clicked her tongue.
"Did you just click your tongue at me?! Seriously, you're the worst!"
"I'm sorry~ I'm reflecting on my actions~"
"You don't sound sorry at all!"
Watching the exchange, Futa and Daizen felt utterly defeated.
"Hey, Yamikaze... did you see that?"
"Yeah... If it were me, I'd have just sat there and waited for her to lift the skirt..."
"I guess that's the difference. That's why he's the one with the harem."
"Must be..."
The two shared a look and silently vowed to be more gentlemanly from now on. Of course, this vow was destined to be broken the moment they saw Rosalia or Misaki in the game, but the sentiment was there.
"Alright," Hachiman said, standing up. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's call it a day."
"Right! It was a blast, honestly!"
"Hey, if you guys are free, you want to go grab some food?" Daizen suggested, glancing tentatively at the girls.
"This little one and I have a shoot to get to," Rosalia said, gesturing to Elsa.
"And I have plans with Shizu and the others," Shino added.
"So it's just the guys? I mean, that's fine, but it's a little lonely," Futa admitted.
"Well," Rosalia said, a mischievous glint in her eye, "why don't you take some of our female employees with you?"
Futa practically jumped. "Wait, seriously?!"
"Most of the girls at our office don't have boyfriends. If Shana invites them, they'd be thrilled. Though, there is one problem..."
"Wait, they're all single? What's the problem?"
"You should be able to guess," Rosalia said, looking at Hachiman.
The boys thought hard. "Uh... they don't get out much?"
"No idea, Rosalia. Give us a hint."
"It's this guy's fault." She pointed squarely at Hachiman.
Hachiman tilted his head. "My fault? Why is it my fault, Kitten?"
"You really don't get it? Those girls spend all day working around you."
"So?"
Futa's eyes went wide. "Oh... oh man. I think I get it."
Rosalia nodded. "Exactly. Because of him, every woman in that office uses him as the gold standard for men. Do you have any idea how hard it is for them to look at anyone else?"
"Wait, the standard? Why?" Hachiman asked.
"Because you're young, single, and you're 'accidentally' kind to everyone in a way that makes them think they actually have a shot! Do you have any idea how much work I put into keeping them away from you? You should be thanking me!"
"Uh... okay. Thanks," Hachiman muttered.
Futa and Daizen patted Hachiman on the back.
"Man, Shana has it rough too. Alright! Let's go drink our sorrows away, just us guys!"
"I'm in! Let's move!"
"Alright, alright, let's go."
For the first time in his life, Hachiman was heading out for a night on the town with actual male friends. He ended up having a great time—so much so that 'Guys' Night' became a regular tradition for the three of them. Asuna and the others watched on with warm approval; they knew Hachiman didn't have many male friends his age, and they were glad to see him finally finding some.
"By the way, what was that 'Kitten' thing about?"
"Oh, that... well..."
"Wait, don't you dare tell them—!"
"See ya later, Kitten!"
"Hey! You're going to pay for that later!"
As the three men disappeared into the night, the three women left behind shared a sigh.
"Ugh, honestly... that man," Rosalia groaned.
"There, there, Rosa-san," Shino said, patting her shoulder.
Elsa, meanwhile, was wearing a devious grin. "Hey, look on the bright side, Rosalia. Now that he's out drinking, it'll be way easier to invite him out yourself, right?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about! I don't have any ulterior motives!"
"Oh? I didn't say anything about motives~"
"Fine! Yes!" Rosalia snapped, blushing. "I was hoping that if he got a little tipsy, the chances of him turning into a 'hungry wolf' might go up by like, one percent! Happy?"
"Rosa-san..." Shino whispered, her own face turning red.
"Honestly," Elsa sighed, "I just want the leftovers."
"...Fine. But I'm first in line."
"Deal. What about you, Shinonon?"
"I-I'm not old enough to drink yet! It's too early for me to be thinking about... that."
"Oh, that's easy," Elsa chirped. "As long as Hachiman is drunk enough, we just have Kit drive him over to your place."
"Wait—!"
Unfortunately for their grand designs, Hachiman turned out to have a legendary tolerance for alcohol. While he became slightly more affectionate, he never lost his composure, and the girls' various 'wolf' traps remained, for the time being, empty.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"