This Was a Car Accident: Three Seriously Injured, One Spared

The contest between masters was always decided by the finest margins. Within the inscrutable workings of fate, they sought a fleeting stroke of opportunity. Wisdom, choices, and fortune at just the right moment—all of it shaped every meticulous move upon the chessboard...

For some reason, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka seemed to glimpse a match being played within the Service Club.

On one side was the club president, wholeheartedly determined to bring Ichinose and Shiranami together, fulfill the Service Club's commission, and build its reputation.

On the other was Shiina Hiyori, concealing selfish motives as she tried to experience a certain kind of pleasure through official business... Glug.

His stomach gradually began churning. It looked like he needed to make a quick trip to the restroom.

A warrior without magic resistance—no matter how tough his body was, it could not withstand the test of being frozen twice over.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka set down his iced coffee, casually glanced at Horikita Suzune, who was observing them with solemn concentration, then moved his chair aside and hurried off toward the mall restroom.

Over with the four of them.

Ichinose Honami paused with her fingers pinching her straw. She could not help looking at the other two, her enthusiastic invitation tinged with confusion. Were they really being this polite?

Bai Yu turned his head and said calmly, "The first sip of a parfait is only fun if all four of us take it together."

"To commemorate the date between the four of us, Suzumiya hopes that all four of us will have the first sip of the parfait together."

Shiina Hiyori thoughtfully translated for him so the plan could continue.

"So that's how it is."

Ichinose Honami smiled in pleased agreement, unconsciously turning her straw.

Shironami Chihiro's straw gave a slight tremble.

!!

A sharp gleam flashed through Bai Yu and Shiina Hiyori's eyes at the same time.

In an instant, both of them wore expressions that said they understood everything.

Light appeared beyond the willows, blossoms bloomed ahead; sunlight scattering across the sea after a storm swiftly dispersed the fog and illuminated every unknown.

He naturally revealed a smile, turning his head to look at Shiina Hiyori beside him. His expression spoke for itself.

Shiina returned the same smile, though hers carried the slightest trace of deliberateness. She seemed less than fully satisfied with this outcome, but could reluctantly accept it.

Bai Yu was surprised that she had still had a better move in reserve, but the battle had already been decided. There could be no changing it now.

He calmly brought his straw slowly toward his lips, ready to claim this victory and looking forward to seeing the reactions of the two across from him.

Seeing this, Shiina also leaned slightly closer to the front.

Their faces quietly drew nearer at an angle. A casual glance from the corner of her eye sent a blush creeping across her cheeks and made her heartbeat skip faster. She would just treat it as a consolation prize.

She placed the straw against her lips.

At the same time, the two across from them also leaned in.

For a moment, the four straws faced the greatest hostility from strangers since leaving the factory. Some people even declared that they wanted to become straws themselves, desecrating and insulting their profession.

Heh, what ordinary mortals. They were only the lips of pretty girls. Watch me... Huh? In my next life, I still want to be a straw!

Even after enduring every torment and slander, they stubbornly persevered.

Perhaps this was love.

Bai Yu poured his overflowing energy into the straws, wildly spinning stories in his mind based on the scene before him. The people beside him were ready, all of them holding their straws between their teeth. The anticipated scene was about to unfold.

With an elegant smile on his face, he fearlessly took a composed sip—

His breathing abruptly stopped.

...Huh?

In that instant.

It was as if someone had pressed the pause button. All four of them froze. Three heartbeats seemed to skip, while two breaths collided and caught slightly.

A sudden storm of silence swept through this leisurely, pleasant gathering of girls...

"Ah—!"

"Ah—!"

"Eh?!"

"???"

Ichinose Honami and Shironami Chihiro looked left and right in profound confusion.

She still had the straw in her mouth. The air inside had already been sucked out, yet no cool liquid came through. Only a faint warmth seeped from the flattened opening of the straw and entered her mouth.

Meanwhile, Shiina Hiyori was already speechless.

After an instinctive cry of surprise, her gentle face had become covered in harsh black lines. Together with Bai Yu beside her, she looked like an absurdist painting of a thousand-year-old mummy as they stared in stunned silence at the two people across from them, who were gradually realizing what had happened—

"What is going on? Can someone explain this to me?"

Ichinose Honami pouted as she looked at the two of them.

Her expression was both embarrassed and annoyed.

"So that's what happened."

Three minutes later.

Ichinose Honami let out a relieved breath. Her brows relaxed as she smiled again, though a faint flush remained on her face. Looking apologetically at Shiina, she said, "I thought it was a prank. So it was a mistake by the shop... Honestly, Shiina should have explained it earlier."

Bai Yu elegantly wiped his lips and said with perfect composure, "You can't blame Shiina for that."

"I placed the order and the note myself. I meant to replace the two couple straws with four individual straws, but they only replaced one. In the end, I simply did not describe it clearly enough."

"It's fine as long as it's been explained." Ichinose Honami revealed a bright, relieved smile. "I knew Shiina wasn't the kind of person who would casually play tricks on others."

"Yes, little Shiina is very easy to get along with." Bai Yu's smile was dazzling.

"..."

Ichinose Honami and Shironami Chihiro exchanged another glance. Their expressions were subtle, but they could not exactly say anything.

Shiina Hiyori finally recovered from her disappointment and shock. She raised her head and looked at the two across from her, clearing away their concerns as she said, "Suzumiya is a good person too. Once you get a little more familiar with her, she becomes very warm. She won't seem as cold as she did when you first met her."

"Hey—I was warm from the start," Bai Yu said, sounding somewhat dissatisfied.

"Ahaha... Hahaha, that's true." Shiina Hiyori laughed awkwardly, looking slightly unable to keep up.

Fortunately, Ichinose Honami and Shironami Chihiro did not grow suspicious.

She smiled openly and finished the couple's parfait together with the other three. Then she stood, ready to invite the two of them to visit other areas and have fun together.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's feelings were somewhat complicated. He was happy to see the familiar figure of a girl, yet the interrogative, judgmental gaze beside him made his whole body uncomfortable.

Just as he was thinking of finding an excuse to visit the restroom again, the cold-faced interrogator across from him spoke once more. "This girl... Who is she?"

"As you can see..."

"Fine. Her name is Kuroko."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka answered honestly.