Chapter 78: The Situation Becomes Even More Chaotic!
"..."
Looking at the food before her, which was perfect in color, aroma, and taste, even Elsie couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her chin up slightly, looking at Horikita Suzune with an expression that seemed almost condescending.
"Even though it looks high-end, these are actually just dishes from the cafeteria, aren't they?" Horikita Suzune, meanwhile, struggled to maintain an indifferent expression as she ate, speaking back to Sakayanagi.
"Correct." Sakayanagi sat on a nearby chair, placing her cane to the side. "However, for Class D students, this isn't something you can usually eat, is it? After all, your Class D earns so few points each month, don't you? One must save their money."
"That is not something Sakayanagi-san needs to worry about. Instead of worrying about Class D, you should consider whether your Class A can keep sitting in that top position forever."
The atmosphere between the two became thick with tension. Upon seeing Sakayanagi Arisu, Horikita Suzune immediately categorized her as a future enemy. Sakayanagi, on the other hand, did not view Horikita as an equal at all.
What Sakayanagi cared about was Katsuragi Keima alone. In her heart, Horikita didn't even qualify as a rival. However, because this girl was here, she had no way to be alone with Keima today.
It was truly unpleasant.
"In the end, as a member of Class A, since you look down on Class D so much, why have you appeared in a Class D dormitory?"
"I am here to play chess with Katsuragi-kun. Though, for someone like you, I doubt you even know what the rules of chess are~"
As the two continued their war of words, Elsie watched the excitement from the side while eating. Katsuragi Keima, however, had lost his appetite entirely.
Keima's brain was spinning at high speed, thinking about how to handle this situation. Although he could conquer multiple games simultaneously, it was impossible to conquer multiple characters at the same time. Characters from different games don't interact, so playing multiple games at once is fine.
But this situation was completely different. When several different characters appear at once, there is a risk of favorability dropping! After all, if he spoke up to defend one side, he would inevitably offend the other.
However, since there were only two of them at the moment, it was still manageable. He just needed to pay attention to the conversation and wait for lunch to end. He couldn't let the situation deteriorate further—
At that exact moment, the knock on the door sounded once again.
Everyone's eyes locked onto the door simultaneously.
"Is there another visitor?"
"Katsuragi-kun outwardly appears uninterested in making friends, but in reality, his popularity is quite good."
'Who is it now?!'
Keima took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the door. He could feel two sets of eyes staring intensely at his back from behind him. Having no choice, Keima braced himself and pushed the door open.
Standing before him was Sakura Airi.
"Ke-Keima-kun... you, you, you haven't eaten lunch yet, have you!"
Airi's eyes landed on Keima, but she quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed. She looked down at the bag she was carrying in her hand.
Earlier, after delivering the game console to Keima, an exhausted Airi had returned to her room, only for her stomach to start growling. She then remembered she had been so busy delivering the console that she completely forgot to eat.
Thinking about it... Keima had also just returned to his room, so he probably hadn't eaten either. Didn't that mean she had a chance to eat lunch with him?!
With that thought, Airi's nearly drained body found a new surge of energy. She rushed to the cafeteria at maximum speed, bought lunch for two, and then raced back to the dormitory and to Keima's room.
Airi had previously read the walkthroughs Keima had written, and there was one specific tip:
[Increase your presence in front of the target as much as possible, especially seizing mealtime occasions. This is the best chance to get closer. You can judge their preferences from their taste in food, and there is time to chat and find common ground. After seeding, it is time for watering.]
Keima's serialized walkthroughs had benefited Airi greatly. She believed she needed to further close the distance between herself and Keima.
"I, I, I specifically brought lunch for Keima-kun too. But I didn't know, I didn't know what flavors Keima-kun likes, so, so I bought a little bit of every dish..."
Because she had received a significant amount of compensation points, Airi was currently very well-off. As she looked up, her gaze passed behind Keima.
She saw Sakayanagi Arisu and Horikita Suzune eating.
'Why, why are Horikita-san and Sakayanagi-san here?' And they were eating with Keima-kun?!
The image caused Airi's brain to crash momentarily. She had no idea what the situation was. It wasn't written... in the walkthrough.
And... they saw me... what, what should I do... so, so, so awkward...
Airi felt her forehead burning. Her face turned bright red instantly, and her fingers gripped the handles of the bento bag so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her gaze quickly swept the room—the elegant and pressuring Sakayanagi Arisu, and the stern Horikita Suzune staring back at her.
"I... I... I'm sorry! S-sorry for interrupting!"
She instinctively wanted to turn and run; this was her usual response to facing too many strangers. Normally, she definitely would have fled.
But now—Airi had grown! In this situation, she wouldn't just run away anymore! However, she didn't know what else to do, so she just stood there like a telephone pole in front of Keima's door.
Airi's sudden appearance made the already subtle atmosphere freeze even further, as if an invisible string had been pulled taut. Keima felt like he was standing on the edge of an erupting volcano. Behind him were Horikita's sharp, probing gaze and Sakayanagi's playful scrutiny; in front of him was Airi, who looked ready to start smoking from social overload.
'Why did Airi appear at this time? And with lunch? This is literally the worst possible timing...'
Keima felt helpless. This situation was entirely outside his expectations, but he certainly couldn't shut Airi out now, or her favorability would likely take a massive hit.
"Airi, you haven't eaten either, have you? Join us. Horikita and Sakayanagi brought food too."
At the same time, Sakayanagi Arisu's gentle voice rang out, a smile on her face: "Since you've come, and specifically prepared lunch for Katsuragi-kun, wouldn't it be a waste of your kind intentions not to come in and eat? Besides..." She glanced at the luxurious box she brought and the simple food in front of Horikita, smiling. "The more people, the merrier, isn't it? Horikita-san, what do you think?"
Horikita Suzune also spoke, her tone sounding very flat: "Sakura-san is also from our class. Since she brought food, let's eat together. It's just..." She looked at the small table. "We might need to move another chair."
Elsie jumped up proactively: "I'll get it! I'll get it! Eating with more people is fun! Ai-chan, come in quickly!"
She didn't sense the weirdness in the atmosphere at all and called out enthusiastically.
Caught between staying and leaving, Airi eventually lowered her head and gave a barely audible "Mm," shuffling into the room like a startled small animal. Keima could only sigh in his heart, resigned to helping her take the heavy bento bag and moving the table and chairs with Elsie to squeeze in a fourth spot.
Thus, around the tiny dormitory dining table, a bizarre lunch lineup was formed:
Katsuragi Keima sat on one side, with Horikita Suzune to his left, Sakayanagi Arisu to his right, and Elsie facing him alongside Airi, who was hunching her shoulders and trying to minimize her presence.
On the table sat four very different styles of food: home-cooked dishes made by Horikita Suzune, a dazzling array of high-end cuisine brought by Sakayanagi Arisu, a double-layered bento that looked substantial and thoughtfully prepared by Sakura Airi, and Elsie's plate of still-unsettled Hell Octopus sashimi.
"Well then, let's eat," Keima said, picking up his chopsticks first, hoping to ease the atmosphere through eating.
But clearly, the minds of the other ladies were not entirely on the food.
"Sakura-san," Sakayanagi Arisu gracefully picked up a small, exquisite piece of tamagoyaki and asked casually, "You're on very good terms with Katsuragi-kun, even bringing lunch over specially. Are you dating?"
"Pfft—!" Keima nearly choked on a mouthful of rice.
Horikita's chopsticks paused mid-air. Her sharp eyes swept over Airi's face—which looked ready to explode from redness—and then glanced at Keima.
"N-N-No!" Airi waved her hands frantically, her head shaking like a rattle. "I-it's just... um... Keima-kun helped me... s-so..." Her voice grew smaller and smaller.
"It's just normal classmate mutual aid. Sakayanagi-san is overthinking it," Horikita interjected flatly. She picked up a meat cutlet and put it in her mouth without changing her expression, as if proving her own composure. "Katsuragi-kun has a good reputation in class; helping classmates is normal. Sakura-san is introverted, so it's understandable she'd want to express gratitude after being helped."
Her words sounded like she was explaining for Keima and Airi, but they also carried a faint "I know them better" implication.
"Oh? Is that so?" Sakayanagi took a sip of her tea, her smile unfading. "Horikita-san is so quick to explain for a classmate; you seem very warm-hearted too."
Sakayanagi's words had a double meaning, and her smile suggested she was looking forward to Horikita's reaction.
"We are classmates in the same class, unlike you. And, Sakayanagi-san—" Horikita put down her chopsticks and looked directly at Sakayanagi. "Your attention on Katsuragi-kun seems to exceed that of a normal classmate. What exactly is your objective?"
"Objective?" Sakayanagi tilted her head with an innocent, puzzled look. "I'm simply interested in 'special' people. Katsuragi-kun is very interesting; I want to know more about him and play chess with him. Is there a problem with that? Or perhaps, Horikita-san, aren't you here for similar reasons? Let me guess—wanting to utilize his abilities for the sake of class promotion?"
"You!" Horikita, having had part of her intentions poked, flashed a look of annoyance. "I am doing it for the collective interest of the class! Besides, Katsuragi-kun helps his classmates voluntarily!"
"Is there a fundamental difference between approaching for class interests and approaching out of personal interest?" Sakayanagi said unhurriedly. "However, compared to some who hide under grand banners, I am at least honest about where my interests lie."
"Are you questioning my motives?"
"I'm simply stating facts."
The verbal sparring between the two escalated, with invisible sparks flying in the air. Airi was too terrified to breathe, picking at her rice in tiny bites, wishing she could shrink into her chair.
But Airi's brain was also spinning, listening carefully to their words. Sakayanagi wanted to play chess with Keima. Horikita seemed to be there for study-related matters... Regardless of the purpose, they both wanted to eat lunch with Keima-kun!
For some reason, a different kind of emotion gradually formed in Airi's heart.
"...In the end, the reason you remain in Class D is simply due to lack of ability. Without Katsuragi-kun, you wouldn't be able to climb up at all."
"We will surpass you soon."
"You certainly talk big, Horikita-san."
"We shall see, Sakayanagi-san!"
"W-Wait a minute!" Just as the battle between Horikita and Sakayanagi continued to spread, the normally silent Sakura Airi unexpectedly spoke up. It was a voice issued from the greatest courage Airi had summoned in her life thus far.
"If you do this, if you do this, you'll cause trouble for Ke-Keima-kun!"
Airi's voice seemed slightly louder when she said the name "Keima-kun." But just after she finished, two incredibly sharp gazes instantly moved to her—
Airi immediately ducked her head like an ostrich again and began eating in silence.
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