Teasing a younger girl and seeing her blush with frustration really was delightful.
Especially when Nakano Ichika's hostility toward him was so obvious.
Now that was the good stuff.
Utaha cradled her teacup and said in an even tone, "It just occurred to me that I pick things up pretty quickly."
A sense of foreboding crept over Nakano Ichika. "And?"
Utaha looked at her with a faintly amused smile. "If I joined Fushimi-kun's club too, I think I'd be capable of claiming the ace position."
What a wicked woman!
Nakano Ichika's chest rose and fell, matching Utaha's, and she leaned forward slightly, resting her breasts on the table.
She was getting into fighting stance.
But just then, Fushimi Makoto's voice rang out. "No, Senpai. You wouldn't be able to claim it."
Utaha and Nakano Ichika both froze.
Nakano Itsuki, on the other hand, asked quite seriously, "Why? Is there something special about Ichika?"
Fushimi Makoto answered solemnly, "There is."
There were four more girls just like her.
If Ichika didn't become the ace, how was he supposed to win over the other four?
Black stockings on a senpai were great, but when it came to big breasts, all five sisters had them. And when it came to black stockings, Miku Nakano wore them too.
The five of them had both looks and grades to spare.
"And then?"
Utaha had been waiting for him to continue, but after Fushimi Makoto said, "There is," he fell silent.
Nakano Ichika and Itsuki were watching him too.
Fushimi Makoto glanced at the customers taking pictures nearby and said, seemingly offhandedly, "Her special qualities and excellence are something I'm the only one who needs to know about."
A direct hit!
Nakano Ichika pressed a hand to her full chest, her heart beginning to race.
A zero-frame opening with no windup—that was the top-tier strategy of the current meta.
Nakano Itsuki looked uncertain. She felt as if she'd caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent.
Utaha was uncertain too.
She couldn't tell whether Fushimi Makoto had just let his true feelings slip, or whether he'd taken the opportunity to spring out of the bushes and ambush her because she'd been teasing Nakano Ichika.
If it was the latter, then hadn't she just created an opening for him and become his accomplice?
Fushimi Makoto suddenly turned to her. "By the way, Senpai, you said you wanted to join the club. Were you serious?"
Utaha froze. His unexpected question left her no room to keep thinking about her earlier doubts.
She answered at once. "I haven't made up my mind yet."
Fushimi Makoto sounded as if he were talking to himself. "I thought you'd already decided, which was why you said that."
A hint of suspicion surfaced in Utaha's eyes. "Why would you think that?"
Fushimi Makoto said, "I gave it some serious thought earlier. You're incredibly sharp, Senpai. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come up with a plan that killed three birds with one stone."
"Three birds with one stone?"
The phrase immediately caught Nakano Ichika and Itsuki's attention.
Utaha's expression stiffened a little, but her voice remained calm. "What do you mean?"
Fushimi Makoto smiled as if the thought had just occurred to him. "You already knew that Teacher Matsukaze and I live in the same apartment building, but instead of going straight to visit her, you waited for me at the school gate. That means..."
He deliberately paused for a second, and a touch of nervousness showed in Utaha's eyes.
The instant their gazes met, he continued. "If I agreed to go with you to see Teacher Matsukaze, you'd not only get to know her better, but having someone your own age there would keep the atmosphere from becoming stiff and formal with an adult present."
"More importantly, you could use the opportunity to ask me for more advice. Teacher Matsukaze is so kind and warmhearted that if you had any questions or needed help, she'd do everything she could for you. For example, if I didn't feel like talking about books, she'd bring up a related topic herself, making sure you didn't feel disappointed."
Fushimi Makoto picked up his teacup and took a sip. "It eases the tension, lets you visit Teacher Matsukaze, and gets you more out of it. Doesn't that count as killing three birds with one stone?"
Nakano Itsuki was dumbfounded. She hadn't expected the conversation to take this turn at all.
Nakano Ichika gave Utaha a long look. So the senpai wasn't just a wicked woman—she was a wicked woman with a lot of ideas.
Feeling the three of them staring at her so intensely, Utaha lowered her eyes to her teacup in embarrassment, trying to ease her discomfort. Inside, she was astonished.
My instincts were right last time!
He acts as if he's known me for ages. It's like he understands me inside and out.
Utaha had indeed considered all of that.
She knew she was beautiful and famous at school, but if she kept going to Fushimi Makoto to discuss specialized topics, there was no guarantee he wouldn't get tired of it.
That was exactly why she'd decided to visit Matsukaze Mayu today.
With that gentle teacher there, Utaha was confident she could learn even more from Fushimi Makoto.
She wanted to improve so badly!
In the past, she'd had to teach herself everything beyond the textbooks. She thought she was quite capable, but even the most talented person needed guidance from a professional.
Now that she'd finally met someone who could help her improve quickly—and happened to get along with her so well—she didn't want to miss the opportunity.
Fushimi Makoto let up on the pressure and softened his tone. "I don't think I'll be free today. I only just decided to start a club, so there are a few things I still need to discuss with Ichika."
Before Utaha could speak, his tone suddenly shifted. "Of course, if you're willing to join the club, you'll have a chance to improve every day."
Having her thoughts exposed once again left Utaha so embarrassed that even her shapely, black-stockinged thighs under the table squeezed together a little.
"I'll have to think about it first." In the end, she gave that answer in a daze, without even having time to collect herself.
See? I actually invited you to join, and you're still not happy.
Fushimi Makoto almost laughed.
Judging by the way she'd been teasing Nakano Ichika earlier, it wasn't hard to guess that she'd probably thought something like, I have absolutely no interest in this weird club.
If she agreed to join right now, the boomerang would hit her right in the face.
Just then, Fushimi Makoto noticed Nakano Ichika staring at him and deliberately asked, "What's wrong?"
Nakano Ichika answered with a lovely smile. "Nothing."
Her heart was just racing, her skin tingling with anticipation, and she was feeling a little dreamy.
Club member Nakano Ichika salutes the club president!
Loyalty!
From the moment Utaha had tried to pick a fight with her, Fushimi Makoto had suddenly swept in from nowhere. He'd stayed completely in control the entire time, and even looked after her feelings.
Honestly, for a moment there, she'd been completely dazzled.
And now, she suddenly thought Senpai and Itsuki were a little unnecessary.
If it were just the two of them here, that would be even better.
That was what she thought.
After that, they moved on to casual conversation, with Fushimi Makoto still leading the discussion.
He knew these three girls' personalities and interests well, and what topics to bring up—and what to avoid.
After a while, Fushimi Makoto noticed Nakano Itsuki looking again at the beautiful decorative wall and asked, "Itsuki, if you're interested, I can take a picture of you."
Nakano Itsuki blushed slightly. "I wasn't thinking of taking a picture. I just thought it looked nice."
"I know, but I can make the picture look even nicer."
"Huh?"
Hearing that, Nakano Itsuki was a little tempted.
But a girl's modesty kept her from getting up.
Fushimi Makoto simply held out his hand to her. "Give me your phone. Just do what I say, and I'll take a nice picture of you."
"I really was just looking around."
"Hand it over."
At Fushimi Makoto's suggestion, Nakano Itsuki finally walked over to the decorative wall, her face still red.
The customers in the shop weren't surprised. It had become a traditional feature of the place.
A few boys, though, kept glancing over at Fushimi Makoto's table.
It couldn't be helped. Utaha and the two Nakano sisters were all stunning, both in looks and figure.
"Itsuki, move a little to the right. That's it. Relax your expression and smile."
Nakano Itsuki kept blushing the whole time, moving as Fushimi Makoto instructed.
Once the photos were taken, Fushimi Makoto had barely handed her phone back when Nakano Ichika hurried over. "Let me see."
"Ichika, I haven't even looked yet!" Nakano Itsuki complained, pushing her sister aside.
"Let me see... Oh, this turned out really well! Look, Itsuki, this one really shows off your long legs. The lighting's great, and it has such a quiet, girlish atmosphere."
Nakano Itsuki heard the surprise in Ichika's voice. Her eyes were fixed on her own lovely figure in the photo.
She had to admit that Fushimi Makoto was really good at taking pictures.
They looked much better than the ones she took herself.
Sometimes she privately worried that she seemed too serious and dull, but she looked different in this photo.
Quiet and elegant, with the kind of smile that suited a girl in the bloom of youth.
"Have you studied photography too?" Utaha hadn't joined the others, but from the two girls' reactions, she could tell Fushimi Makoto was good at it.
Fushimi Makoto nodded. "I looked into it a while ago."
If Yukino had been here, she would definitely have asked, "What are you looking into now?"
But Utaha only gave a soft "Oh."
"Makoto, um, I'd like you to take a picture of me too."
Nakano Ichika walked over to Fushimi Makoto, tilting her head cutely. Her face was flushed, and in that moment, her youthful shyness and docility were on full display.
Her adorable appearance instantly won over the boys at the neighboring tables. They turned into a crowd straight out of Hail the Judge, practically ready to shout, "Let her take a picture! Let her take a picture!"
Even Fushimi Makoto had to admit Nakano Ichika was incredibly alluring right then.
He knew she was putting on an act.
Because a girl could be the prey—and the hunter.
She could be delectable prey.
She could also be a beautiful hunter.
So, Fushimi Makoto Called in Mrs. Yukinoshita
Nakano Ichika really was doing it on purpose.
The pictures Fushimi Makoto had taken of Itsuki earlier had turned out beautifully.
At least, Ichika had never seen Itsuki look so good in a photo before.
She knew Fushimi Makoto's photography skills were part of the reason, but another important factor couldn't be ignored: Itsuki was already beautiful.
If even my little sister looks that good, then as her big sister, I have to be even cuter.
Nakano Ichika, who was usually good at teasing her sisters and had a slightly mature air, was putting her plan into action with gusto.
If the five sisters shared a telepathic connection, Nakano Nino and the others at home might even have heard Ichika's mental abacus clicking away.
Fushimi Makoto naturally agreed to Nakano Ichika's request.
Just like before, he used what he'd learned in the Time Loop to snap several more beautiful photos.
Before you continue