The Four-Person Group

After saying goodbye to Sakayanagi, Makoto, Honami, Karuizawa, and Kushida held a unique dinner party in Room 301.

I have to say, Makoto's mood at this moment was truly somewhat subtle.

The original plan for a party of two suddenly turning into a four-way meeting was something that really made one sigh with emotion.

I just hope that a scene like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea doesn't happen in the future.

"Why did you come too? Did Honami invite you?"

Facing this sudden diner, Makoto asked.

Since Kushida couldn't possibly have any development with him beyond her grand plan of making friends, this meal from Honami was essentially a charity project.

Makoto didn't want to establish a charity foundation where just anyone could come over to mooch off his food in the future.

"Could it be that you're really willing to just watch me eat a wild vegetable set meal, Makoto?"

Kushida widened her eyes, staring at Makoto with a watery gaze. Although her personal points weren't exactly at the point of being strapped for cash, who would complain about having too much money?

She wasn't exactly a billionaire.

"I'm very willing."

Makoto nodded with a serious face. What did it matter to him if Kushida ate a wild vegetable set meal? If anything, that would be better; the strong should ruthlessly humiliate the weak!

"Karuizawa can come, so why can't I?"

Kushida still wanted to fight for her position, but she knew that the other girl was different from her.

"You know the answer in your heart, so why ask?"

Makoto rolled his eyes at Kushida and then continued, "Karuizawa is my pursuer, but are you one too, Kushida?"

That's right, this was the fundamental difference between the two.

You naturally evil Kushida, I will personally...

"Alright, alright, everyone is from the same school, there's no need to be so petty. It's just a meal, it's no big deal."

Honami placed the steaming electric pot in the middle of the table and spoke up.

"Sigh, Honami, you just don't know the value of daily necessities. How can you just give them away like this?"

Makoto shook his head, looking as if he were wringing his hands in regret, "Karuizawa was invited by Honami, so I can't say anything, but Kushida, as a freeloader, don't you plan on paying something?"

"Makoto, you can tell me to do whatever you want."

Kushida placed her hands on Makoto's shoulders with a sincere expression.

I'll do anything.jpg

"...Really, anything?"

Makoto quietly glanced at Honami, who gave him a kind smile in return.

"What does Honami intend to have Kushida do?"

Makoto threw the question back to Honami; he felt he needed to tread carefully right now.

As the saying goes, better safe than sorry. He couldn't go around actively testing Honami's bottom line; it was better to let her decide.

"Me? Hmm... then Kushida, you have to get along well with Makoto, okay!"

Honami covered her small mouth, thought for a moment, and said.

"That goes without saying!"

Kushida beamed with joy and gave Makoto a playful look, "You can call me Kikyo, Ichinose. Please let me mooch off your meals more often in the future!"

"Mm, you can call me Honami, Kikyo."

The relationship between the two warmed up inexplicably, which left Makoto very confused.

Did he skip a period of time? Did something just happen?

"Forget it, since Honami said so, I won't say anything else."

Makoto spread his hands, looking indifferent to the world, "How are you feeling, Karuizawa?"

"Mm, I still need to learn a lot from Ichinose."

She had just been helping Honami cook.

"...Forget it, as long as you're all happy."

They were all rushing to cook for him one after another; was he really that much of a glutton?

Makoto tasted the soup that had just been served. Hmm, the taste was really quite good.

"Heehee, I also feel very happy right now."

Kushida smiled, feeling very relaxed here; everyone was so easy to get along with, and if only the whole world were like them, how wonderful that would be.

"...You aren't planning on coming here every day, are you?"

Seeing Kushida's smile, Makoto shoved a large mouthful of rice into his mouth.

"If no friends invite me, then I will come."

That meant she was coming every day.

"Remember to save me a bite of food."

That meant she still had to go eat a mountain vegetable set meal first.

Makoto felt from the bottom of his heart that making friends was truly a troublesome affair.

Just like Kushida, who could clearly mooch free meals from him every day, yet still insisted on eating a mountain vegetable set meal at the cafeteria just to maintain so-called friendships.

What kind of suffocating maneuver was this?!

"That sounds exhausting."

"It's not exhausting; this is my own choice."

Kushida shook her head and took a quiet glance at Karuizawa.

"How are you getting along with your classmates, Karuizawa?"

"...Me? It's alright, I have a few close friends..."

Karuizawa's answer was perfectly normal; generally speaking, relationships between people were just like that.

A few close friends, a few friends you could talk to occasionally, and those who were just... friends whose names you knew?

Makoto wasn't quite sure; this fell into his blind spot of knowledge.

"Ah, I'm so envious of you guys."

"Makoto, you're clearly just not trying hard enough yourself."

Honami looked at Makoto with dissatisfaction, feeling that this was entirely his own fault for not putting in enough effort.

Or rather, she hadn't seen him make any effort in that regard at all.

"Let's just eat for now..."

Makoto felt that rather than discussing this, it was better to just eat; after all, as the saying goes—

Since things have come to this, let's just eat.jpg

"What do you usually like to do, Miyano?"

At the dining table, Karuizawa made no attempt to hide her intentions; she decided to start from the basics and cater to his interests, hoping that might bridge the distance between them.

"Me? I guess I usually read teen angst literature or work out, yeah, that's about it."

Makoto nodded with satisfaction, affirming that his hobbies were perfectly normal.

"Is that so?"

Karuizawa lowered her head in thought.

"Then could you guide me in working out? In the morning or after school?"

Hearing these words, Honami narrowed her eyes, then smiled brightly.

"I think Karuizawa is absolutely right; we girls need to work out properly too. Makoto, you'll be responsible for guiding us every day!"

Wait, he hadn't even agreed yet?!

Forget it, it didn't really matter if there were two more people; he already frequently guided Kiryuin-senpai on how to work out efficiently to maintain her physical condition and even seek breakthroughs.

"Alright, then... starting tomorrow?"

Makoto optimistically agreed to their request, even feeling a little bit of anticipation for it.

He remembered that in his past life, he often saw doujinshi online about personal trainers getting handsy with their students.

As everyone knows, reality is often more magical than the internet.

And he wasn't exactly a gentleman who could remain unmoved in the face of temptation.

Bring it on!