"Of course it's Ichinose," a boy immediately replied.
The boys perked up the moment the topic came up, all of them answering with renewed energy.
"Honestly, I think Kobashi Yume is pretty cute too. Anyone else agree?"
"I don't think cute can hold a candle to sexy."
"Still, I think Himeno Yuki is gorgeous. She's just a little too cold." The boy couldn't help shivering as he said it.
"Hmm..." The boys nodded thoughtfully.
"Heh heh, stop discussing the girls in our class," said a boy named Nakanishi Jiro. "I already met a second-year senpai today."
Nakanishi Jiro looked lost in a daydream. Resting his chin in his hands, he said, "It was a beautiful afternoon..."
"Hold on!" someone quickly interrupted. "Nakanishi, you're not going to tell me you don't even have that senpai's contact info, are you?"
"O-Of course I do!" Nakanishi Jiro said, stiffening his neck. "I'm not making this up."
"Then why not invite her to our get-together?" someone suggested.
Kanzaki Ryuji frowned. "This is a guys' get-together. Isn't it a little weird to invite a girl?"
"What's weird about it? We're just chatting. But Nakanishi, can you actually get her to come?" a boy asked, looking at Nakanishi Jiro.
Nakanishi Jiro suddenly grew hesitant. "W-Well... I think I can."
"Then invite her."
"Yeah, yeah! It'll make things more lively." Some of the boys had started egging him on now that they were getting comfortable with one another.
Nakanishi Jiro swallowed, took out his Student Terminal, and sent a message.
Then he waved the Student Terminal in his hand. "I've sent it. Whether she comes or not, I have no idea."
"Awesome, awesome! Have a drink." A boy filled a cup and handed it to Nakanishi Jiro.
"Whoa, you poured me this much?" Nakanishi Jiro waved a hand.
At that moment, Horikita Etsuka was sitting in the corner of the sofa, replying to a message.
Sakurajima Sweet: "Hey, underclassman, let me guess—you're at a get-together right now, aren't you?"
Etsuka: "Yeah, it's pretty lively."
Sakurajima Sweet: "I'm kind of bored. Can I come hang out with you?"
Horikita Etsuka was a little puzzled.
Etsuka: "Senpai, are you at the karaoke place too?"
Sakurajima Sweet: "Yep, it's just the three of us. Is it okay if we come?"
Horikita Etsuka didn't reply. He first glanced at everyone egging Nakanishi on, then sent a message:
"Sure. I'm in Room 1."
Sakurajima Sweet: "OK, OK."
Horikita Etsuka turned off his Student Terminal and started snacking.
Nakanishi Jiro was being fawned over by everyone, and it had gone to his head a little. He looked over at Horikita Etsuka and said:
"Horikita, you're so handsome. You must've met a lot of senpais today, right?"
Horikita Etsuka smiled. "More or less. I haven't met many."
"Horikita, why not invite some too? It'd make things more lively."
"Classmate Nakanishi..." Kanzaki Ryuji furrowed his brow. The other boy's words sounded rather condescending, and he wanted to stop him.
"Inviting people over would make things more lively," Horikita Etsuka said, still snacking. He tossed a sugar bean into his mouth and chewed. "Sure, I'll give it a try."
Seeing his reply, Nakanishi Jiro smiled and turned to talk to the others. "The senpai I invited is coming. No idea whether Horikita can get anyone to come, though."
The other boy didn't respond, only forcing an awkward smile.
By now, even a fool could tell the mood had turned sour, so no one joined in.
For someone like Nakanishi Jiro, who had only just started college, it was normal to get a little carried away. Fundamentally, he was no different from a high schooler, so Horikita Etsuka was quite tolerant of him.
Hamaguchi Tetsuya patted Horikita Etsuka on the shoulder and said quietly, "Don't get mad. It's normal for people that age to want to show off."
Horikita Etsuka smiled and simply replied, "Mm."
The room was still lively, but the atmosphere wasn't as harmonious as before.
Soon, there was a knock at the door.
Nakanishi Jiro hurried to his feet, smiling. "That should be my senpai. I'll get it."
He froze as soon as he opened the door.
Sakurajima Sweet stood outside with two other attractive girls.
"Uh, hello. Who are you looking for?" Nakanishi Jiro asked nervously.
When he opened the door and saw that it wasn't the senpai he knew, his spirits sank. But he was even more afraid that they'd been invited by Horikita Etsuka.
Nakanishi Jiro swallowed and anxiously waited for their answer.
I already bragged about it. Please let them have the wrong room. If Horikita invited them, I'll be humiliated.
He'd gotten carried away and talked a big game. If they'd come because Horikita had invited them, he'd be completely disgraced.
And if I get labeled a braggart before I've even gotten to know the group...
Nakanishi Jiro couldn't stop trembling. He'd spend the next three years being laughed at.
Sakurajima Sweet finally parted her lips.
"Um, I'm here to see Hori—"
Nakanishi Jiro felt his heartbeat suddenly slow.
Ding!
Just as Sakurajima Sweet was about to say the name, a message arrived on her Student Terminal.
Sakurajima Sweet glanced down at it, then exchanged an almost imperceptible look with Horikita Etsuka in the corner of the room.
"Uh, haha." Sakurajima Sweet gave a faint smile. "Sorry, classmate. I got the wrong room."
"The w-wrong room?" Nakanishi Jiro froze. He'd clearly been about to hear her say "Horikita Etsuka," so why had she suddenly said she had the wrong room?
"Yes, sorry to bother you." Sakurajima Sweet gave a slight nod, then turned and left with the two girls.
"Haha, Nakanishi, I thought the senpai you invited had arrived," someone teased.
"Yeah," someone else chimed in.
Nakanishi Jiro slowly turned around and smiled awkwardly. "Actually, the senpai just messaged me. She had something come up, so she isn't coming."
"Aw, what a letdown."
"Then all we can do is hope Horikita can get a senpai to come."
Horikita Etsuka crossed his legs on the sofa and said, "No luck for me either. The senpai just turned me down."
"Whoa, seriously? She turned down even a handsome guy's invitation?" The group groaned.
Nakanishi Jiro glanced unconsciously at Horikita Etsuka, who seemed utterly unfazed. A hint of emotion entered his eyes.
Time passed quickly. Everyone had a great time at karaoke, but since classes officially started the next day, they called it an early night.
8:03 p.m., on a campus path.
Horikita Etsuka walked leisurely with his hands behind his head when Nakanishi Jiro suddenly hurried over from a distance.
"Horikita! Wait up!"
"Hm? Nakanishi?" Horikita Etsuka turned to look at Nakanishi Jiro, who was panting. "What is it?"
Nakanishi Jiro gasped for breath, then slowly straightened up. "Horikita, thanks for not calling me out at karaoke. You saved my face."
Horikita Etsuka smiled faintly. "We'll be together for three years, after all. I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot."
Nakanishi Jiro stared at Horikita Etsuka's face, a little dazed.
The moonlight fell across Horikita Etsuka's handsome face, softening his features.
"Yeah. But I still want to sincerely apologize here! Horikita, please forgive me!"
Nakanishi Jiro bowed deeply.
Horikita Etsuka gently helped him straighten up. The corners of his mouth lifted into a bright smile. "I forgive you."
Nakanishi Jiro was feeling a little emotional. He clasped Horikita Etsuka's hand tightly. "Thank you, Horikita!"
"No need to thank me. From now on... just call me Etsuka, Jiro."
Nakanishi Jiro paused, then understood and nodded firmly.
"Yeah, Etsuka!"
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