After a lively commotion, Erina gradually became familiar with the residents of Yōbi Dormitory. Although she still seemed a bit reserved, it was much better than at the very beginning.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone at Yōbi Dormitory started a party in the room, and parties, as always, were more fun with more people.
Including Erina and Alice, in a certain empty room in Yōbi Dormitory, there was one boy and eight girls gathered. They sat in a large circle, discussing what games to play tonight.
"In this situation, it feels like you're holding a harem gathering, Sora-kun. Why are there only girls in Yōbi Dormitory…?"
Alice's gaze swept around the room. All she saw were girls. The only male in the room was Hoshino Sora. Was this really not a girls' dormitory?!
"And… this young lady, why are you sitting in someone else's boyfriend's lap?"
Clenching her fists and looking displeased at Shiina Mashiro, who was sitting in Hoshino Sora's lap, what was wrong with this girl? She just sat down on her own accord the moment she entered the room.
"Because Sora's lap is so warm."
As she spoke, Shiina Mashiro, who was sitting in Hoshino Sora's arms, twisted her body, her voice naturally revealing a hint of innocence.
Whose boyfriend Hoshino Sora was had nothing to do with her; what mattered was that his embrace was very warm.
"But he's my boyfriend!"
Hearing Shiina Mashiro's reply, Alice Nakiri's cheeks puffed out even more in dissatisfaction.
She, of course, knew that Hoshino Sora's embrace was very warm, after all, being held…
The scene from that day flashed in her mind, and Alice's face visibly reddened.
"Is that so, Sora?"
"Yes, indeed, Alice is my girlfriend, and Mashiro-nee is being a bit too intimate.
There are still so many people watching here."
Looking at Shiina Mashiro's innocent eyes, in fact, everyone was shocked by her actions.
Shiina Shinohiru even pulled her several times, but couldn't get her out, finally giving up.
"Can I only sit in your arms if I'm your girlfriend?"
"That's right, this is a special throne for girlfriends!"
Alice said triumphantly, thinking to herself that she would immediately sit in it after Shiina Shinohiru left.
Although it was a bit embarrassing to be watched by so many people, this way she could also declare her ownership!
"Then I'll be Sora's girlfriend too, okay?
Sora, it doesn't matter if you have one more girlfriend, right?"
Shiina Mashiro said indifferently, raising her head to look at Hoshino Sora above her, her large eyes full of adorable innocence.
"What are you saying, Mashiro-nee!"
The first person to be unable to sit still wasn't Alice, but Shiina Shinohiru beside her.
Shinohiru's expression was surprised; was Mashiro-nee confessing?
So sudden…
"Don't joke around, Mashiro-nee."
"I'm very serious, you know.
If I can always enjoy such a wonderful embrace, being Sora's girlfriend is no problem."
Shiina Mashiro said very innocently.
This embrace behind her was simply too wonderful, even more comfortable than the most luxurious pillow.
It would be great if she could always be held like this.
"Then… at least leave half the spot for me."
Hearing Shiina Mashiro's confession, Alice's voice seemed to be stuck in her throat.
Then, gritting her teeth, she simply stood up decisively and snatched half of the spot in Hoshino Sora's arms.
Shiina Mashiro, for her part, had quite a bit of resentment about this.
After all, half of the warm embrace had been taken.
"How can you all act like this?
It's too indecent!"
Looking at the three people huddled together, Erina, who was sitting next to Alice, said with a slightly flushed face and clenched fists, "What is this?
Why do I feel a little envious?"
Damn it, this cursed charm!
Looking at this scene, the girls in the room didn't feel anything unusual, because Hoshino Sora's current charm value was simply too high, so high that people couldn't control themselves.
"Hoshino-kun is indeed very popular with girls."
Watching the scene before her, Kobayashi Rindo had arrived behind Hoshino Sora at some point, leaning her body slightly against his back, occupying that position.
"Don't bully Hoshino-kun anymore, let me do it!"
Just as men love beautiful women, women also love handsome men, especially those like Hoshino Sora who exude a unique charm.
Once someone started, others would also be unable to resist.
And so, Hoshino Sora fell into the girls' 'hell'.
— — — — — — — — — —
Half an hour later, Hoshino Sora struggled to escape from the party, returning to his room and locking the door.
Mainly, if he didn't escape, he would have been done for in there.
Why did it feel like a hentai plot?
Was this world more or less a little crazy…
At this moment, Hoshino Sora for the first time felt the benefits and 'drawbacks' brought by infinite charm.
He had to admit, being surrounded by a group of girls felt great, and it was even better when all those girls were beauties!
He walked to the window and opened it.
"The moonlight is so beautiful!"
With many thoughts in his mind, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the scenery outside.
Then, as if he thought of something, he raised his hand and opened the system, checking the Gourmet Manor within it.
"Is the entry method by silently reciting it…?"
Looking at the introduction about the manor at the bottom of the system, Hoshino Sora muttered softly, his eyes full of interest.
Then he closed his eyes and silently recited to enter.
The next moment, whether it was his consciousness or his body entering, Hoshino Sora opened his eyes to find himself in a wilderness.
In front was fertile land, behind was a vast pasture, and in the middle was a slightly dilapidated wooden cabin, containing various tools for agriculture and ranching.
Standing at the entrance of the wooden cabin, looking at the tools inside, Hoshino Sora's expression was slightly surprised.
Although the tools inside looked old, they were all there; everything he could think of was present.
"This is…"
After examining the tools, Hoshino Sora noticed a small booklet on the table inside the cabin.
He walked over to flip through it, and it clearly recorded the usage methods for various farm tools.
In addition, there was an introduction to the farm.
Simply put, the farm owner could bring seeds from the outside to plant, or exchange prestige points for plant seeds in the prestige shop.
The same applied to animals.
Furthermore, there was no problem with plants and animals not surviving in the Gourmet Farm.
As long as they were planted or raised, they would live, and they didn't even need watering or feeding.
This was the farm's biggest advantage.
One should know that some high-grade ingredients in the outside world required very strict cultivation conditions and had very low survival rates.
If he transplanted those ingredients to the farm and ranch, wouldn't he become a mobile rare ingredient library?
Let's start the renovation tomorrow!
However, he still needed to plan the areas well.
The house occupied ten square meters, the planting area fifty square meters, and the livestock area forty square meters.
The total space could be said to be pitifully small.
However, it was clearly unrealistic for him to find seeds of those rare plants or rare animals right now, and his prestige was also a bit tight.
Considering that plants in a planted state could be removed, Hoshino Sora decided to go to Polar Star Dormitory tomorrow to borrow some seeds.
If his memory wasn't mistaken, Polar Star Dormitory had its own farmland, where the fruits and vegetables were cultivated very well, so the quality of the seeds used must be very high.
Another point worth noting was that planted plants and raised animals had a certain probability of mutation, with a high probability of being beneficial mutations, meaning they could make the taste of plants and animals better.
After roughly understanding the settings of the Gourmet Manor, Hoshino Sora left the interdimensional space and returned to his room.
He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already past two in the morning.
He wondered what those girls were doing after he left…
Thinking this, Hoshino Sora opened his door and walked out, arriving at the room where the group had been gathering.
He then saw Erina holding a can, sitting alone in a corner of the room, occasionally letting out a cute hiccup.
"Hoshino-kun, you're here~ *hiccup*, want some?
This tastes so good, and the color is beautiful, just like juice."
"You're drunk.
Who gave her alcohol?"
Looking at the girls scattered around the room, each doing their own thing, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but frown and ask.
"This is just fruit beer, the alcohol content is very low…"
Finally, Akikubo Momo answered Hoshino Sora's question.
Looking at the 3% alcohol content printed on the beer bottle's packaging, the boy's expression was subtly speechless.
Erina, she's so weak when it comes to drinking…
"Hug… hug…"
Listening to Erina Nakiri's tender voice, Hoshino Sora silently pulled out his phone, opened the recording software, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
He truly looked forward to Erina's expression tomorrow when she heard these recordings; it would definitely be very interesting.
"Okay, hug, hug, hug."
With his phone recording, Hoshino Sora didn't refuse Erina's request for a hug.
To be precise, he couldn't refuse; that girl opened her arms and climbed onto him.
It was completely an unconscious action, and she hugged him incredibly tightly, her chest pressing fully against him.
The sensation was truly superb!
It's worth mentioning that Alice, seeing this situation, did not step forward to stop her, but continued to sit in her original spot playing games, with pleasure in her eyes.
She had long intended to drag Erina into this, and this development could be said to be exactly what she wanted.
Ah, there was nothing she could do.
Although she also wanted to monopolize Hoshino Sora, his combat power, like that of a beast, was truly not something she alone could handle.
Compared to those unfamiliar girls outside, Erina, to her, was at least someone she knew well.
Plus, the other party had a good impression of Hoshino Sora, so she immediately became her most suitable candidate!
Let's get a little closer!
However, somewhat awkwardly, Erina fell asleep immediately after hugging Hoshino Sora, clinging to him like an octopus, her breathing even and fragrant.
"Ah, this…"
"How cunning, I want one too."
Looking at Erina, who was hugging him unconscious, Hoshino Sora didn't know whether to move or stay still.
Shiina Mashiro, seeing this situation, immediately disengaged from the card game and rushed to him, complaining about unfairness.
To this, Hoshino Sora could only laugh awkwardly.
"Alice, take a picture for us, lest this guy tries to blame me in the morning."
Shrugging helplessly, Hoshino Sora asked Alice to take a picture of them, proving that it was indeed Erina who had hugged him voluntarily.
With the recording, it could save a lot of trouble.
"Oh, it's already two in the morning."
"I'm a bit sleepy."
"How about we call it a night today?"
"Agreed."
"Seconded."
"Then what about me?"
Looking at the girls who were preparing to leave while talking, Hoshino Sora shivered.
He still had an octopus clinging to him…
"You'll be responsible for taking care of Erina~"
"We're counting on you~"
"You mustn't take advantage of her being drunk and lay a hand on her, you know.
After all, she's the Academy's General Director's granddaughter; if anything happens, no one can protect you."
"I would never do such a thing."
Hearing Kobayashi Rindo's teasing as she was the last to leave, Hoshino Sora said anxiously.
If he had wanted to do anything, he would have done it long ago; living at Erina's house for so long, there were plenty of such opportunities.
"Good night."
"Don't give me that disbelieving look!"
Kobayashi Rindo closed the door as she left, and Hoshino Sora urgently called out.
Then he looked down at Erina, who was sleeping soundly while hugging him, got up, and went to the bed, lying down as well.
Although there was an extra person on him, it was nothing to Hoshino Sora.
However, Erina's figure looked full, but her weight was unexpectedly light, probably only around 100 pounds.
"It's a bit hard to sleep with this."
Feeling Erina lying on him, Hoshino Sora closed his eyes and then opened them, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He couldn't move too much either.
He didn't know what time he finally fell asleep.
He woke up again because of a startled cry, though it was very short, Hoshino Sora heard it exceptionally clearly due to the close proximity.
Opening his eyes, he saw Erina Nakiri with a somewhat complex expression.
It was clear that she really wanted to slap Hoshino Sora, but she forcefully held back, only her voice filled with a question: "Why am I sleeping here?
I need your explanation."
"One minute."
He had expected this situation, but Erina could actually control her emotions.
He had thought he would definitely get a big slap in the face when she woke up in the morning.
The idea of taking advantage of a girl's guilt for benefits fell through at this moment, and Hoshino Sora couldn't help but sigh.
Then he picked up his phone from beside the pillow, opened the photo and audio evidence, and vividly recounted what had happened yesterday to Erina Nakiri.
"I'm sorry, I caused you trouble.
You can delete that recording and photo."
Realizing that it was indeed her own fault, Erina Nakiri said with a flushed face, reaching out to try and snatch Hoshino Sora's phone, but he skillfully dodged her by holding his hands high.
"No, this is my important treasure.
How could I easily delete it?"
Hoshino Sora watched Erina Nakiri, who was sitting on him, quickly retract his phone.
After dodging in the air for a bit, he disregarded her attempts to snatch it and put it inside his collar.
"Delete it quickly!"
"No!
And how much longer are you going to sit on me?
I could understand it yesterday when you were drunk, as your self-awareness was weak, but you should be very sober now."
Hearing Erina's commanding tone, Hoshino Sora suddenly reached out and supported her waist.
The unfamiliar touch instantly made her shiver, and she let out a cute gasp: "Mm…!"
Feeling Erina's unusual reaction, Hoshino Sora's eyes held a hint of amusement.
This girl really couldn't grasp the main point.
She was clearly sitting on a man's lap yet completely unaware, still trying to snatch his phone.
"I'm getting off now…"
After being reminded, Erina finally reacted, her face flushed as she prepared to use her hands to push off the bed and get up.
However, before she could act, Hoshino Sora grabbed her hand.
"You tormented me quite a bit last night.
I only fell asleep close to morning.
Now, you should at least give me some compensation, right?
This is what you call reciprocity.
Erina really doesn't understand at all."
— — — — — — — — — —
"Bad guy!"
Panting and lying on the bed, looking at Hoshino Sora, who had finished his business and was walking away with a triumphant look, Erina Nakiri could only utter that one sentence after a long time.
Then she hugged the quilt to relieve herself.
The image of being bullied just now lingered in her mind, not that she disliked it, but she was just terribly shy.
"Go if you're going, why did you snatch my stockings!
They've been worn for over a day, they must stink, you're a complete pervert!"
Thinking of Hoshino Sora's perverted actions just now, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but grumble and complain.
She was now bare-legged; the black stockings that had been on her legs had been plundered.
"Pervert, pervert, big pervert!
Foot fetish pervert!"
She rolled around on the bed to vent.
Just then, the door to the room suddenly opened, and Alice Nakiri's figure appeared at the doorway, her gaze smiling as she stared at Erina.
Perhaps hearing the door open, or perhaps being stared at for too long, Erina Nakiri seemed to sense something and stiffly turned her head to look behind her.
"A-Alice."
"Erina, what are you doing here?"
Seeing her look over, Alice's voice was full of playfulness; being astute, she had noticed the moment she entered the room that Erina's black stockings were gone.
Where did the vanished black stockings go? In her heart, she already had the answer. Could anyone else in Yōbi Dormitory do such a thing besides Hoshino Sora?
Impossible, right?
"What I'm doing here is none of your business. The weather is too hot; this helps with cooling down."
Facing the suddenly appearing Alice, Erina hastily found a far-fetched excuse, speaking stubbornly.
"Did Sora-kun do anything to you?"
Alice didn't directly expose her but inquired indirectly, seeing her face flushed with a deep red, not at all like nothing had happened.
"Hoshino-kun? He... what could he do to me? Does he dare do anything to me?"
It was obvious that Erina's eyes were somewhat evasive, which was undoubtedly a sign of lying, but Alice didn't expose her. Instead, she walked over and sat on her bed.
"Oh, really? So he's that honest, huh? But Erina, you should also be more proactive. If you're not proactive, you won't catch a man, you know."
"Ha, why would I want to catch a man?"
Looking at Alice, who had sat closer, Erina feigned confusion, her cheeks subtly reddening.
"Nothing, I just wanted to say that I don't mind how many girls Sora-kun has around him. He... he's quite strong in that regard. Well, are you going to have breakfast? I heard Kobayashi-senpai is cooking today."
"Kobayashi-senpai? Let's go."
Erina was somewhat looking forward to the skills of the Elite Ten's Second Seat.
But at this moment, her mind was filled with Alice's words: 'he's quite strong in that regard.' This sentence was like an invisible shockwave, wildly assaulting her brain.
——————
Meanwhile, Hoshino Sora had already left Yōbi Dormitory and headed to the nearby Polar Star Dormitory.
"Yo, Yukihira Soma, what are you doing?"
Seeing Yukihira Soma walking towards Yōbi Dormitory, carrying a chef's knife set, Hoshino Sora raised his hand and greeted him.
"Hoshino, you're just in time! I came to find you for a cooking duel. Losing in the quarterfinals is really hard to accept!"
Seeing Hoshino Sora, Yukihira Soma's face lit up with joy. He placed the chef's knife set in front of him and challenged him with high spirits.
"Ah, well... yes, I can, but I need to finish something first. That area ahead should be your Polar Star Dormitory's farmland, right? I want to ask you for some vegetable seeds."
Pointing to the nearby, fruit-laden, lush planting garden, Hoshino Sora stroked his chin, speaking in feigned contemplation.
"Seeds? What do you need those for? Is your dormitory also going to open up farmland?"
He tilted his head, a question mark appearing on his face. Thinking carefully, the only purpose for borrowing seeds seemed to be that.
"No, it's just for my personal needs."
"Could it be for developing a new dish? But what dish would need seeds? Rapeseed oil?"
Yukihira Soma stood still, making bold guesses, but before he could finish, Hoshino Sora slipped away from him. Sometimes, he really felt that this guy had a screw loose.
"Wait for me! So what exactly are you going to do? If it's not cooking, is it indoor planting? Or..."
Seeing Hoshino Sora walk ahead on his own, Yukihira Soma hastily turned back and chased after him, talking beside him intermittently. He never thought that being a chatterbox was this guy's hidden attribute.
Soon, the two arrived at the Polar Star Dormitory's farmland area.
"Yo, Hoshino-kun, good morning."
Although he had psychological preparation, seeing Isshiki Satoshi wearing a loincloth, holding a hoe, swinging it while wiggling his butt, the visual impact was still a bit too strong.
"Good morning, Isshiki-senpai. Nice clothes."
Hoshino Sora said with an awkward smile. After all, he was there to ask for seeds, and commenting on the host's attire was somewhat impolite.
"Oh, you think so too? Indeed, it's best to be fresh and clean when connecting with nature!"
He placed the hoe on the ground, stood tall, wiped sweat with one hand, and the remaining sweat on his head glistened under the sunlight.
"Hoshino-kun, long time no see."
"Morning, Xiao Hui."
A crisp voice came from not far away. Hoshino Sora turned his head, then saw a familiar figure, and immediately raised his hand to greet her.
"Have you had breakfast? Would you like to try the dish I made? It's freshly made, you know."
"Not yet, but Xiao Hui's cooking, even if I had breakfast, I'd still want to try it."
His eyes filled with anticipation, his gaze fell on the basket containing bento that Tadokoro Megumi held in her arms. As the cloth covering it was opened, steaming rice balls appeared before them.
"Rice balls?"
"Yes, there are seven flavors inside. I made the outside look exactly the same. Isn't it fun to guess blind boxes?"
Under the sun, the girl's smile was radiant.