Hearing Shikime Natsu's question, Sakura Airi smiled softly. A little gleam passed through those beautiful, vivid blue eyes of hers.
"Actually... I was the one who approached Haruka first."
She touched a finger lightly to her chin, a tiny note of pride coloring her voice.
"I'd assumed it would be really difficult..."
"After all, Haruka always seemed kind of cool and unapproachable from the outside."
"But... once we actually started talking, I found we clicked surprisingly easily."
At that, Sakura Airi turned her head and looked at Shikime Natsu, a bright, radiant smile breaking across her face.
"So the story of how Haruka and I became friends... wasn't some dramatic, uphill struggle at all."
"If anything... it went quite smoothly."
Listening to that, Shikime Natsu gave a thoughtful nod.
Made sense, really.
After all — not everyone had a personality as spectacularly difficult as Horikita Suzune's. Wanting to befriend that straight-haired, black-ponytailed tsundere was, for the average person, nothing short of a Herculean task.
Even now. Even at this point, the fact that Horikita Suzune had managed to build any kind of friendship with Sakura Airi and Mei-Yu Wang was already a remarkable feat in itself.
Hasebe Haruka, by comparison — for all that her exterior came across as cool and a little distant — was not actually difficult to talk to at all.
"Yeah..."
Hasebe Haruka, sitting on the other side, picked up the thread with a helpless little laugh.
"Honestly, when Airi suddenly came running up to me out of nowhere and started talking..."
"And just straight-up told me she wanted to be friends — I genuinely got a shock."
"My first thought was... is this some kind of dare? Like a punishment game or something?"
Hasebe Haruka shrugged, her tone easy and amused.
"But..."
"After spending even just a little time with her, I figured it out pretty fast."
"Airi is... genuinely a good person."
Saying that, Hasebe Haruka seemed to remember something. Her gaze drifted between Sakura Airi and Shikime Natsu.
"Back then, I actually asked Airi something."
"I asked her... why she'd changed so dramatically in just two short weeks."
"Because at the very start of the school year, Airi could barely even lift her head."
"But she just put on this mysterious little smile and said it was a secret — wouldn't tell me a single thing."
Hasebe Haruka looked at Shikime Natsu, the corner of her mouth curving into a knowing arc.
"But looking at it now..."
"I think I have a pretty good idea."
The so-called "secret." The so-called "catalyst for change."
Without a doubt.
It was the boy sitting right in front of her, calmly sipping his drink as though none of this had anything to do with him — Shikime Natsu.
Hearing Hasebe Haruka say it so plainly, Sakura Airi just smiled. She neither confirmed it nor denied it.
That silent acknowledgment spoke for itself.
Shikime Natsu, naturally, made no move to peel back that particular veil either.
Why had Sakura Airi changed? He knew the answer better than anyone.
---
Before they knew it, the three of them had spent quite a long time in the karaoke room.
Songs sung, conversation had. Outside, the sky had gradually begun to darken.
It was time for dinner.
If it had only been Sakura Airi, Shikime Natsu might well have followed his usual habit and simply invited her straight back to his dorm to cook something. But right now — Hasebe Haruka was here too.
Inviting them both back to his room was clearly not the right move.
After all, even for someone like Shikime Natsu, casually bringing a girl he'd only just officially met back to his dorm on the very first real conversation wasn't exactly his style. He was confident in his charm — but he understood the value of pacing things properly.
So he stood, straightened his clothes, and smiled at the two of them.
"It's getting late. What are you two thinking for dinner?"
"Today was a lot of fun. If you don't mind — dinner's on me."
Hearing that, Sakura Airi agreed almost before the words had fully left his mouth.
"Sure! Thank you, Natsu!"
For her, as long as she got to share a meal with Shikime Natsu, it didn't matter where they went or what they ate. It was already the best thing in the world.
Hasebe Haruka, on the other hand, hesitated for just a moment.
She wasn't the type who liked accepting things without giving something back, and besides — she and Shikime Natsu had only just properly met today. But... watching Sakura Airi's openly expectant face, and sensing that Shikime Natsu's offer was entirely genuine and not just polite ceremony, she finally gave a small nod, a gracious smile settling on her face.
"Then... I'll gratefully take you up on that."
"Thank you, Natsu."
"Though..."
Her tone shifted, becoming serious.
"Even if I'm letting you treat me this time — next time, you absolutely have to let me return the favor."
That was her principle.
Shikime Natsu looked at that earnestly serious expression and smiled, nodding in agreement.
"Deal. It's settled, then."
---
The decision was made quickly.
Since they were still on school grounds, the most convenient option with the widest selection was the cafeteria. The word "cafeteria" didn't quite do it justice, though — the dining hall at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was a cut well above average in both atmosphere and food quality. There was, of course, the free mountain vegetable set meal as well. That one was not good.
The three of them found a relatively quiet corner and settled in. Shikime Natsu sat across from the other two, with Sakura Airi and Hasebe Haruka seated side by side.
He had to say.
Looked at from this angle... it really was quite a view.
On the left: a lovely girl with long pink hair — a classically cute beauty, her adorable face animated with an expression that always seemed to carry a smile somewhere in those vivid blue eyes of hers. And beneath the loose drape of her school uniform, a figure that most people would have to look twice at.
On the right: a girl with long blue hair, her features sculpted and refined, that sleek curtain of blue hair spilling softly over her shoulders — paired with a chest that was, frankly, in violation of several natural laws.
Different styles, yet somehow unexpectedly harmonious together.
Right as Shikime Natsu was quietly appreciating the scenery in front of him —
The familiar mechanical chime rang out in his mind.
[Ding~]
[CG 57: A View Worth Savoring (Sakura Airi & Hasebe Haruka)]
[Congratulations! Host has obtained Skill Card: Bust Remodel (You may now freely choose your preferred size for others, and select the duration of the modification.)]
This particular skill was, for Shikime Natsu, more or less completely useless. But... he hadn't expected that Hasebe Haruka would turn out to be a character with a CG.
Shikime Natsu quietly sighed to himself.
So it seemed...
There were probably still quite a few girls in this school whose CGs he hadn't triggered yet.
But then again — surely not every cute girl he met could have a CG attached to her?
If that were actually the case...
This school would be well past the realm of the absurd.
Compared to the unremarkable fifteen-odd years of his life before this place, Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was essentially a parallel world crawling with bugs.
In all those years prior, he'd encountered plenty of girls — and triggered not a single CG. The system had been as silent as a crashed computer.
And then he'd walked into this school.
Now, it seemed like almost any girl with even a bit of charm could potentially trigger a CG under the right conditions.
The only catch was that, for all how easily CGs seemed to trigger, each one appeared to have its own completely different set of conditions. No pattern whatsoever.
No strategy guide to consult. He'd have to figure it out on his own, one encounter at a time.
This feeling of stepping into the unknown...
Actually wasn't too bad.
"Natsu?"
"Is something wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"
Noticing that Shikime Natsu seemed to have drifted off somewhere, Sakura Airi asked with a note of genuine concern.
"No, nothing."
Shikime Natsu came back to himself and shook his head calmly.
The brief interlude passed without incident.
The three of them fell back into easy conversation — topics drifting from schoolwork to personal hobbies and interests.
"By the way, Natsu, you really are something else," Hasebe Haruka said, taking a sip of her juice with an admiring shake of her head.
"Not just your grades — you sing at a professional level too."
"And according to Airi... your tennis is apparently at a professional standard as well?"
"And that crane game technique of yours... supposedly a hundred percent success rate?"
Hearing that, Shikime Natsu set down his cutlery.
He looked at the curious gazes trained on him from both sides, and smiled as he answered.
"Of course — I've put in proper study for all of it."
"My interests just happen to be pretty wide-ranging."
"Anything that catches my attention, I'll put the time in to get good at it."
Not technically a lie.
After all... every one of those skills was something the system had awarded him. And what the system gave him was genuinely his. If a skill belonged to him, saying he'd "put in the work to learn it" was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
---
After a pleasant dinner, the three of them left the cafeteria and made their way toward the dormitory wing.
Night had settled completely over the school grounds. The three arrived at the base of the dormitory building and stepped into the elevator together. Since the boys' floor was lower and the girls' rooms were on the upper levels, Shikime Natsu stepped out first.
He turned back and gave the two girls still inside a casual wave.
"I'll head in from here, then."
"Airi, Haruka — good night."
"Mm, good night, Natsu!"
Sakura Airi waved her hand enthusiastically, eyes warm with a quiet smile.
"Good night, Natsu."
Hasebe Haruka gave a small, composed nod.
He watched the elevator doors slide shut, swallowing the two girls from view.
Only then did Shikime Natsu turn and walk toward his room. He opened the door, flipped on the entryway light, swapped into his indoor shoes, walked through to the living area, and poured himself a glass of water.
He glanced at the clock on the wall.
Horikita Suzune, Kushida Kikyou, and Sakayanagi Arisu — per their standing arrangement, the three of them should be arriving soon to fulfill their duties as his "maids."
Thinking about it now, it had been a full two days since he'd seen any of them in his room. And already, his mind conjured the image of Horikita Suzune's expression — that reluctant, couldn't-say-no, faintly sulky look she'd wear the moment she walked through the door...
The corner of Shikime Natsu's mouth curved upward on its own.
He was, just a little...
Feeling like teasing these adorable little maids of his.
Right at that moment — his phone buzzed in his pocket, a clear notification tone cutting through the quiet.
Shikime Natsu pulled it out and raised an eyebrow.
Who'd be messaging at this hour?
Kamuro Masumi, maybe?
But when he swiped the screen and saw the sender's name, he paused.
[Sakura Airi].
He tapped it open. The message was short — but it caught him genuinely off-guard.
[Sakura Airi: Natsu, I'm standing outside your dorm right now.]
"..."
Shikime Natsu blinked.
Unless his memory was playing tricks on him — hadn't they literally just said goodbye in the elevator a few minutes ago?
From stepping out of the elevator to getting back to his room to pouring that glass of water — that couldn't have been more than three to five minutes.
Wasn't she supposed to be heading up to the girls' floor with Hasebe Haruka?
How was she already standing outside his door?
Mild confusion aside, Shikime Natsu didn't hesitate.
He set down his glass and walked to the entryway, pulling the door open.
In the soft light of the corridor —
There she was. The girl with the long pink hair, standing just outside, looking every bit as lovely as ever.
She was still in her school uniform, both hands clasped behind her back, leaning forward ever so slightly.
The moment he opened the door, Sakura Airi looked up. Those vivid blue eyes of hers were bright and glittering as they found his face.
She gave him a sweet smile, then blinked her eyes in that irresistibly cute way of hers.
"Um... Natsu."
"Can I... come in?"
Her voice was soft, carrying just the faintest trace of a coy, coaxing lilt.
Shikime Natsu stepped to one side, clearing the doorway, and smiled.
"Of course."
"Come in."
With permission granted, Sakura Airi stepped lightly into Shikime Natsu's domain.
The door clicked shut behind her.
The space that had been entirely his own just moments ago was instantly filled with the faint, distinctly feminine fragrance that followed her everywhere.
Sakura Airi wasn't the least bit stiff or awkward about it. She stepped into the entryway, swapped into the spare slippers set out there, and walked into the living room, those pretty eyes of hers beginning to wander around with undisguised curiosity.
Clean, polished floors. Books arranged with quiet precision. A desk completely free of clutter.
That minimalist-yet-tasteful style immediately put her at ease.
"Wow..."
She breathed it softly, then turned to look back at Shikime Natsu with a smile.
"Your room is so tidy."
"Come to think of it... this is actually my first time visiting Natsu's dorm."
At those words, the motion of Shikime Natsu pouring water paused for just a beat.
He nodded.
"It is, yes."
Honestly, that point had always sat in the back of his mind as a quiet curiosity.
Sakura Airi had known his room number for a long time. And on messaging apps, she was anything but shy — she was, if anything, remarkably bold and forward.
Most evenings, without fail, she'd send him a selfie. Sometimes in a cute set of pajamas. Sometimes with her hair still damp from a shower. And occasionally... something with a slightly more generous scope — a photo in a swimsuit that made absolutely no effort to hide the figure beneath it.
And yet.
In all this time, she had never once proactively brought up visiting his room. Even when they ran into each other at school, she kept to that well-behaved, gentle manner of hers — always maintaining a subtle, almost deliberate distance.
Bold online, measured in person. The gap between the two had always been something Shikime Natsu found a little puzzling. Was it shyness? Was she waiting for him to extend the invitation first?
Not that he'd ever pushed.
Well...
If he was being honest, the more significant reason was that his room was already quite "lively" on any given day. Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyou came by regularly for their "maid service," and other girls drifted in and out on occasion too.
So he hadn't gone out of his way to invite Sakura Airi specifically — he'd just figured he'd do it naturally, some evening when she happened to be free and the timing felt right.
He hadn't expected her to simply show up on her own today.
Sakura Airi completed a slow, curious circuit of the living room, and her gaze eventually settled on Shikime Natsu's wide single bed.
She walked toward it.
Not to the chair beside it. Not to the sofa.
Directly to the edge of his bed.
"Um... Natsu."
"Can I sit here?"
Shikime Natsu looked at her and nodded.
"Of course."
"This is my room — wherever you want to sit, Airi."
With that permission, she sat down on the bed, the mattress giving a faint, soft depression under her weight.
She propped both hands on either side of her, tilted her head up, and looked at him with that ever-present smile.
Shikime Natsu walked over to the small refrigerator and glanced back at her.
"Something to drink?"
"Let me think..."
Sakura Airi tilted her head to one side, considered for a moment, then smiled.
"Could I trouble you for... an orange juice, Natsu?"
"Sure."
Shikime Natsu stepped into the kitchen, pulled out a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice from the fridge, and poured it into a glass.
The orange liquid caught the light as it settled, giving off a clean, bright fragrance.
He carried the glass back and held it out to her.
"Here."
"Thank you, Natsu~"
Sakura Airi accepted it with both hands, cradling it — but made no move to drink just yet.
Instead, she lifted those eyes of hers — eyes that seemed to perpetually shimmer with a faint, misty warmth — and looked straight at him.
Those eyes held a glint of something playful.
"Um... Natsu."
"Aren't you curious?"
"Don't you want to know... why I suddenly showed up at your dorm like this?"
"We only said goodbye five minutes ago, after all."
Shikime Natsu leaned back against the desk nearby, arms crossed, looking down at her with a calm, unhurried gaze.
He was, admittedly, a little curious.
"Can't say I know."
"But..."
He watched her — she was clearly enjoying waiting for an answer from him — and the corner of his mouth tipped upward.
"If you came all this way, Airi, you must have your reasons."
Seeing him return the ball squarely to her court, Sakura Airi pouted just slightly, then broke into a mischievous little smile.
"Hmm~"
"Then... why don't you guess, Natsu?"
"If you get it right... there's a reward."
Shikime Natsu studied her adorable expression and thought it over for a moment.
For an ordinary person, the guess would probably land on something like "she wants to keep chatting" or "she's here to thank me for dinner." Maybe something about Hasebe Haruka.
But Shikime Natsu smiled slightly and spoke.
"You have something you want to say to me, don't you, Airi?"
At that, Sakura Airi blinked — then immediately looked dissatisfied.
"Natsu, that's cheating!"
"You can't give an answer that vague!"
She swung her legs lightly, her pale calves brushing against the edge of the bed.
"But..."
"You're not wrong, exactly."
"I do... have something I want to tell you."
Sakura Airi let the smile settle into something a little more serious. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes taking on a more earnest quality.
"Then... one more guess?"
"What I want to say... who is it about?"
That was the real question.
Shikime Natsu looked into her eyes.
At this particular moment in time — they'd just finished spending the evening with Hasebe Haruka. The logical answer, by any normal measure, could only be "Hasebe Haruka."
Or, more directly: "you and me."
But.
A different name surfaced in Shikime Natsu's mind. He looked at Sakura Airi, and said it slowly.
"Masumi."
The hands cradling the glass trembled, just slightly.
Sakura Airi's beautiful eyes went wide in an instant. The expression on her face was one of pure, undisguised shock.
"—"
Incredible.
Any ordinary person would almost certainly have said Hasebe Haruka. She was the new friend from today, after all — the most natural topic imaginable.
Kamuro Masumi, of all people, would have been the last guess anyone would make. Her exchanges with Kamuro Masumi were all private, conducted out of sight. Shikime Natsu shouldn't have known about any of it.
And yet —
He had said that name. Directly and without hesitation.
Sakura Airi stood. She set her glass down on the nearby table. Then, wearing an expression that was just a little bit aggrieved, she moved toward him — closing the distance until only half an arm's length separated them.
"Natsu... you're terrible, you know that?"
____
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