Rai Hikaru had just finished packing his things when he heard Nanatsuoi Akane suddenly speak up, and he more or less grasped what she was thinking.
Her gratitude was definitely real, but there was probably another reason too: she was afraid of running into Coach Higashi on the way out of school.
She had mentioned earlier that she did not want to go to the baseball club for the next few days.
But the road home still took her past the baseball team's practice grounds, and after what had happened in the storage shed today, she was bound to have some lingering trauma about Coach Higashi.
So when she asked Rai Hikaru to walk her to the school gate and treat him to milk tea, part of it was surely because she was scared of meeting the coach along the way.
Most guys would find it hard to turn down an invitation from a beautiful girl with a chest that huge.
Rai Hikaru, however, activated his Qi-Sight and took a quick look at Nanatsuoi Akane's aura. After confirming that she would be safe for the time being, he shook his head, scribbled a note, and handed it to her.
"I know you're worried about running into Coach Higashi on the way out. Relax. He's not recovering that fast."
"And this is my contact info. If he ever dares harass you again, just get in touch with me right away. I'll come immediately."
"As for thanking me with milk tea or whatever, that's not necessary."
Nanatsuoi Akane felt a flicker of disappointment at his refusal, but the moment she saw he had given her his contact information—and heard that she could reach out to him anytime if something happened—her face brightened again.
"Okay! Then I'll head back for now!"
"Really, thank you so much for today, Rai-kun. I won't forget what you did for me."
"If you have time sometime, I'd like to treat you to a proper meal. Would that be okay?"
Having added his contact details, Nanatsuoi Akane thanked him earnestly.
"Sure," Rai Hikaru replied with a casual wave of his hand.
His concern over her situation was mostly for the sake of farming Pure Love Points; Coach Higashi was his true target. As for thank-you meals and such, it did not really matter to him.
What Rai Hikaru did not expect was that, after Nanatsuoi Akane left, the three Silver-Piercing gyaru—Hamaki Reina and her two friends—suddenly rushed over, eyes shining.
"Whoa! Rai-kun actually turned down such a gorgeous beauty and didn't go home with her!"
"That means he chose to go home with us instead, right? That's so touching!"
"Come on, Rai-kun, let's go home together. The four of us can go have a party at your place!"
Hamaki Reina, Sasaki Yukina, and Kurumaita Ruri all spoke up in turn, their voices bubbling with excitement and joy.
Rai Hikaru, watching the three curvy gyaru pressing in on him from all sides, could only stare, baffled.
"Huh? What are you even talking about? What do you mean I refused her 'for you,' or that we're going home together?" he asked, confused.
The three gyaru's hands roamed all over him as they laughed and took advantage of the situation.
"C'mon, we heard everything."
"You turned down that busty girl and wouldn't go home with her because you wanted to go home with us, right?"
"Yeah, and didn't we already agree you'd bring us over to your place for a party?"
First, Rai Hikaru grabbed the face of the blonde gyaru, Hamaki Reina, and pushed her away before she could plant a kiss on his cheek.
Next, he seized the hand of the red-haired straight-long gyaru, Sasaki Yukina, and pulled it out from under his shirt where she had been groping.
Finally, he picked up Kurumaita Ruri, the white-haired twin-tail gyaru who had plopped herself down on his lap and nearly turned his "soft seat" into a "hard seat," then into an "outlet," and set her on top of his desk.
Looking at the three of them with all the righteousness he could muster, he said, "What are you girls thinking? Did you already forget what I told you today?"
"You're supposed to find my apartment address on your own before I'll agree to let you come over for a party."
"What's with this 'you refused her for us' and 'you want to go home together' nonsense?"
The three gyaru froze, expressions going completely blank.
So in the end, they had just been deluding themselves, and Rai Hikaru's refusal had absolutely nothing to do with them.
The three self-confident gyaru instantly wanted to sink through the floor, toes curling in shared embarrassment, their faces flushing as red as apples.
Honestly, Rai Hikaru was not completely against the idea of having a party with three pretty, well-built gyaru.
On a normal day, he might well have gone along with it. But today, he had other business. He needed to head home first.
Thinking of that, he raised a hand and beckoned to Shinonomiya Natsuka, who was standing by the back door.
"Shinonomiya Natsuka."
She blinked, then hurried over, joy written all over her face.
"What is it, Rai-kun?"
Rai Hikaru stood up. "We're going home. What else?"
Shinonomiya Natsuka smiled, quickly scooping up the stack of books on his desk and sliding them into her own bag.
"Okay. You've got a lot of books. Let me carry some."
Seeing the ever-attentive Shinonomiya Natsuka, Rai Hikaru paused for a beat, then shrugged and nodded.
"Works for me. Thanks."
"It's nothing."
Her backpack noticeably heavier now, Shinonomiya Natsuka still wore a smile that came from deep inside as she hoisted it onto her shoulders.
As she followed Rai Hikaru out of the classroom, she glanced back several times.
Catching sight of the three gyaru gritting their teeth at her, their eyes burning with envy, Shinonomiya Natsuka's lips curled into the triumphant smile of a victor in female competition.
She had never imagined that simply walking home with Rai Hikaru could feel this pleasant and blissful.
Maybe this was just human nature.
At first, when she started going home with him, Shinonomiya Natsuka had found it troublesome.
After Rai Hikaru helped her and she saw him beat Kashika Masaru to a pulp, she had started to look forward to it.
And now, seeing so many pretty girls wanting to go home with Rai Hikaru and being turned down, only for him to leave with her instead, filled her with an almost giddy happiness—and a sharp, competitive thrill.
Like a female animal in nature that had outcompeted the others and won in the end.
…
Watching Shinonomiya Natsuka walking beside Rai Hikaru, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched, glancing back at them now and then…
The three gyaru were practically grinding their teeth to dust.
Hamaki Reina slapped her palm down on a desk.
"Screw this, I've had enough! That bitch Shinonomiya Natsuka, hogging Rai-kun all to herself and still daring to flaunt it in our faces!"
Sasaki Yukina nodded sharply.
"Exactly! Sure, that Shinonomiya or whatever her name is, she is really pretty, and she's got a good body. But we're not any worse than her!"
Kurumaita Ruri chimed in.
"Yeah! I don't think I'm any worse either! And there's three of us. Three-to-one!"
Hamaki Reina snorted. "Rai-kun really doesn't know what's good for him, turning down the three of us for one girl."
Sasaki Yukina's eyes gleamed.
"Being rejected by him just makes me want to pin him down and whip him even more."
Kurumaita Ruri raised a hand.
"Same here! A guy like Rai Hikaru, pressed to the floor and taught a serious lesson? That would feel amazing. I already tested the goods when I was sitting on him just now. It felt way more terrifying than anything we've seen in those movies we watched together."
Hamaki Reina's eyes sparkled.
"Oh? So you checked him out on the sly, Ruri-chan? Nicely done. How is he, in every department?"
Kurumaita Ruri smirked.
"Hardness, length, thickness of that chocolate bar—no complaints whatsoever."
Sasaki Yukina flushed slightly.
"Um… I'm excited too, but Rai-kun looks seriously strong. We only have 'theoretical' experience. I'm not sure I could handle him alone."
Hamaki Reina shot her a look and scoffed.
"Are you stupid? There are three of us. No matter how tough he is, can he really take on all three at once?"
Kurumaita Ruri planted her hands on her hips, brimming with confidence.
"Exactly. Three-on-one, the advantage is ours!"
Sasaki Yukina nodded.
"That's true. Even if we've never had any 'actual combat,' a relay match with all three of us will exhaust him for sure."
Hamaki Reina frowned in thought.
"But Rai-kun just went home with another girl. What do we do about that?"
Sasaki Yukina considered it.
"From what they said, it sounded like he's only walking that Shinonomiya girl home. In the end, he'll still go back to his own apartment, right? When he does… we'll go and 'educate' him properly."
Kurumaita Ruri clapped her hands.
"No time like the present. Let's go stake out his front door today!"
Hamaki Reina asked, "So, have you two figured out where Rai-kun's living alone and all that?"
Kurumaita Ruri grinned like a cartoon villain.
"Already done. I know which complex, which building, which floor, which unit. How many pairs of shoes are on the rack by the door and how many pieces of laundry he hangs out on the balcony—I've got it all."
Sasaki Yukina's smile turned just as mischievous.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's move."
Hamaki Reina threw up a hand.
"Yeah. Let's go, let's go!"
Kurumaita Ruri laughed.
"We'll head there first, crouch at Rai-kun's door, and give him one hell of a surprise."
The three gyaru exchanged looks and identical wicked smiles.
"Go, go, go!"
"Move out!"
"Gyaru party, gyaru party!"
"Three-on-one, all four of us going full out!"
…
Laughing excitedly, the three gyaru set off for the address of Rai Hikaru's solo apartment.
What they did not know was that today… Rai Hikaru might not be going back to that apartment at all.