Splurt! Smack!
Kita, sitting behind Kazami Haru, nearly choked on a mouthful of ramen, but she forcefully held it in. To keep herself silent, she gripped her thigh with her left hand so tightly that her smooth, fair skin turned bruised and purple.
Hold it in, hold it in, hold it in...
I absolutely can't make a sound!
The surge of pain turned Kita Ikuyo's face red, but she didn't dare make even the slightest noise. Any unusual sound could give her away.
W-w-why… Why would Ryo-senpai say something like that?
Ryo-senpai, what are you suddenly talking about?!
Could it be, could she really like Haru?
No, no, no. The cool and aloof Ryo-senpai must be joking, right? They were teasing each other just now, weren't they? It has to be just a playful joke between friends!
The senpai she admired the most, the one who inspired her to pursue music, how could she possibly confess to the person Kita likes?!
On one side is the senpai she looks up to the most, and on the other, the boy she loves in her dreams and wants to give a happy ending to.
If the two of them really ended up together, Kita Ikuyo wouldn't know what to do!
No! Anything but that!
Haru with someone else… at least—at least not until ten years after I die!
Grrr…
A sharp pain twisted in Kita Ikuyo's stomach, and she nearly stood up.
But revealing herself now would be the end of everything!
Knowing that Haru was currently being confessed to, she forcefully calmed her panic and sat quietly, waiting.
No matter what, she had to hear Haru's answer.
Still… for some reason, she felt like crying.
PIC: Kita [1]Disguise
Pfft…
Yamada Ryo, noticing the trembling figure of Kita Ikuyo behind Kazami Haru, couldn't help but let out a muffled laugh.
How amusing~
If only she could go further right now.
If she had already won Haru over, she'd at least plant a steamy French kiss on him right in front of Kita, or lean in and let him kiss her, just to see how she'd react.
The mere thought of it almost made her crack up.
It was this laugh that snapped Kazami Haru back to reality. He rolled his eyes at the blue-haired troublemaker in front of him who had just mockingly laughed.
If she hadn't burst into laughter herself, Haru might have been briefly charmed by her beauty.
That's right, there's no way this woman would seriously confess to him.
"According to market rates, renting a boyfriend for a day costs around 100,000 yen. That only includes basic services like holding hands and going on dates."
Haru showed zero emotional reaction to Yamada Ryo's confession. He casually pulled out a calculator and started tapping away, not even bothering to respond.
Hearing this, Kita Ikuyo finally felt a weight lift off her chest. Even her stomachache eased a bit.
Thank goodness! That's just like Haru-san!
Even when a beauty like Ryo-senpai confesses, he remains unfazed!
If it were her, she'd already be dazzled and handing over her wallet.
But...
Even knowing that Ryo-senpai was just joking, she couldn't let her guard down for a second…
Kita Ikuyo knew full well how devastating Haru's charm was to girls.
Even Takamatsu Tomori, who rarely talks to anyone, became close to him in just one day. Bocchi, who usually hides in corners, also became his friend.
Guys like him, one moment of carelessness and he'd be stolen by some vixen.
Even if Ryo-senpai was just joking now, there's no telling if it might become real one day.
Kita Ikuyo didn't have the courage to compete fairly with the 'demon king' Ryo-senpai, so before Ryo truly fell for Haru…
She had to make her move first!
Evening—
"Haru~ I think I drank a little too much. Will you walk me home?"
"Haha, nope."
Kazami Haru flashed a bright smile and rejected her without hesitation.
Leaving aside the fact that they were underage and couldn't drink, Ryo hadn't even touched a drop during dinner. She had spent the whole meal stuffing herself with expensive dishes, intentionally picking the priciest items.
Even if she confessed right now, Haru wouldn't accept it.
To support a gold-digging ex-wife like her, he didn't even have enough money to fill a cavity, let alone a wallet.
Feigning drunkenness, Ryo clung to Haru's right arm as they were leaving, angling herself to block his view so he wouldn't see Kita Ikuyo at the nearby table.
She couldn't let Haru and Kita come face-to-face now.
From the corner of her eye, Ryo noticed that Kita was still desperately holding her hat down to hide her face, terrified of being discovered.
In reality, Ryo had spotted her from the start.
As expected…
The ex-wife's lips curled slightly as she muttered to herself.
So Ikyuo does have feelings for Haru after all.
Can't let her win.
The dream where Kita Ikuyo embraced Kazami Haru still haunted Ryo. She had to make sure those two didn't get alone together, even if it meant using unconventional tactics.
She didn't know why that dream happened, only that Kita was at the center of it.
Usually, Ryo would rate Kita as a "D" level threat, but because of that dream, she had now elevated her to "S" level.
After watching the two leave, Kita finally let out a sigh of relief.
She slowly removed the sunglasses and mask she had wrapped herself in, a flash of frustration and unwillingness in her eyes.
Even if she was terrified of Ryo-senpai, she couldn't give up!
"But… I managed to get some info this time too…"
Kita Ikuyo overheard that Nijika was preparing a promotional shoot for their band, and that on Friday they'd all be working part-time at STARRY to raise funds.
This—this might be her last chance.
Ryo-senpai's "joke" had pushed her alertness to 200%, and even suppressed her fear and guilt over running away.
Since she couldn't make her move directly on Haru…
She had to take another route to achieve her goal!
Gotoh Hitori!
Bocchi-chan, with her kind and overly accommodating personality, would never turn her down if she earnestly asked for help as a fellow "wild" vocalist guitarist.
Bocchi-chan, I'm entrusting my life to you!
[1] https://imgur.com/QlQP9x9