Chapter 177
Looking at the girls gathered in the room, Mineo spoke with a sincere tone:
"Whether it's Eli, or Maki, all of you are just like Honoka, Kotori, and Umi—precious friends that I care about deeply."
"Besides, my specific reason for coming here this time wasn't just for the sake of one person."
"Everyone here is my friend. I couldn't possibly ignore one for the sake of another, right?"
As soon as Mineo finished speaking, Nozomi suddenly stood up.
She looked at Mineo, taking the initiative to speak:
"Mineo-kun, could you come outside with me for a moment?"
"???"
Mineo stared at Nozomi, looking confused, but Nozomi simply offered a sweet smile and said:
"There are a few words I'd like to discuss with you, just the two of us."
"Eli, and everyone else, would you mind if I borrowed Mineo for just a few minutes?"
"Please, everyone, stay calm. I only need a little bit of time."
Faced with Nozomi's request, not a single girl present voiced an objection.
And so, she and Mineo walked out of the room together.
After gently closing the door, the two of them reached the end of the hallway.
Standing in the deserted corridor, Tojo Nozomi suddenly showed a thin smile:
"Mineo-kun, is a Shuraba of this level giving you a massive headache?"
"Letting you flirt with girls every single day... now you've run into a real problem, haven't you?"
Seeing Nozomi watching him with that knowing grin, Mineo said somewhat helplessly:
"When did I ever flirt with girls every day? But putting that aside for now, Nozomi-chan, you promised me before that you'd help me settle all of this."
"Why do I feel like you've come here just to mess with the atmosphere instead?"
"Because I feel like what Mineo-kun is doing is a bit much."
Nozomi showed a slight, mischievous smile, then she narrowed her eyes and said in a soft voice:
"On one hand, Mineo-kun says he likes me, but on the other hand, he asks me to help him clean up his mess with other girls."
"This kind of behavior... even the scumbags described on the internet wouldn't be able to pull it off."
"How can I be called a scumbag? I'm clearly just relying on my abilities to survive, okay?"
Hearing Mineo's words, Nozomi burst into laughter.
"Relying on your abilities?"
"That sentence really does sound like Mineo-kun's usual style."
"I have a rough idea of what your plan was, Mineo-kun."
"You wanted to win me over first, then use my help to calm the Shuraba you caused."
"However, while Mineo-kun is indeed very cunning, I surprisingly fell for your strategy completely."
"Should I feel proud or honored right now? After all, in Mineo-kun's heart, high hopes were placed on me..."
Nozomi's intelligence was certainly no joke.
Yet even with his secret exposed, Mineo didn't feel awkward at all.
"I'm telling you, Nozomi-chan, let's not talk about pride or honor right now."
"Didn't you promise me to help settle things with Eli? Now it's just a few more people added to the mix. I believe you can definitely do it."
"Calling me out here... I assume it's because Nozomi-chan already has a way."
"Tell me how you see this situation. After we persuade Eli and the others, I'll take you to explore the deep sea. The scenery there is even more beautiful than the sky."
Hearing Mineo's words, Nozomi tapped her forehead helplessly.
"I'm telling you, Mineo-kun!"
"I've really fallen completely into your hands."
"Fine, you're a bit of a wicked person! But... who told you to be my best friend."
"This matter, let me handle the thinking."
To be honest, a Shuraba of this level was indeed difficult to fix, but as long as Mineo was willing to take the time, he could surely persuade Eli and the others.
But Mineo believed that if Nozomi, the master strategist herself, stepped in, the time needed for the process would be drastically reduced.
Otherwise, why would he have prioritized his strategy toward Nozomi first upon arriving in Japan!
Nozomi was indeed very clever, but he, who knew how to utilize talented people, was the cleverest of all, right?
Having a brilliant advisor and not using them—wouldn't that just be foolish?
Nozomi appeared to be deep in thought for a moment before quickly showing a thin smile.
With a clever glint in her eyes, she looked at Mineo and smiled.
"Mineo-kun, what do you think is the real reason Eli-chi, Maki, and the others are angry?"
"Do you think they are truly angry because you hid certain things from them?"
Gazing at Mineo, Nozomi spoke with emphasis on every word:
"I think Mineo-kun understands girls too well sometimes, to the point of overlooking a few vital details."
"Actually, Eli-chi and the others aren't truly angry at Mineo-kun. After all, everyone has their own secrets. Even as best friends, it's impossible to reveal one's entire social circle to those around them."
"Eli-chi and I have known each other for three years. She didn't tell me about knowing you, and I didn't tell her about knowing you. Even for people with the closest relationships, keeping a few personal secrets is perfectly normal."
"Eli-chi is indeed angry, but the reason she's upset isn't because you hid the fact that you're friends with Kosaka-san and the others."
"What she truly cares about is your purpose for coming to Tokyo."
Staring at Mineo, Nozomi said in a very serious voice:
"Taking myself as an example, in my heart, I value Mineo-kun very much as a dear friend."
"From the expressions Eli-chi and Maki had earlier, they must also value and care about you deeply in their hearts."
"Because of that, Mineo-kun, you made one mistake."
"You came to Tokyo indeed to give support to Kosaka-san and the others, but after you said those words, did you ever think about what we would feel?"
"I would feel very sad—wondering why, when Mineo-kun came to Tokyo, the first person he wanted to see wasn't me."
"Is it that in your heart, I'm not as important as Kosaka-san or Minami-san?"
"Why couldn't you make this trip for the sake of seeing me?"
"Girls are all prone to jealousy."
"For Eli-chi and Maki to show this kind of attitude, the only logical explanation is..."
"Those two, perhaps without even realizing it themselves, have already developed feelings of love for you..."
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