Too Lazy to Think Up a Chapter Title

Shirako and Kuroko—completely different temperaments, voices, even mannerisms... Multiple personalities?

A chill swiftly froze over the Inquisitor's sharp eyes as she swept her gaze toward Koji. "First Shirako, then Kuroko—what exactly are you people up to?"

"..." Koji fell silent.

The Inquisitor glared, radiating an aura of authority.

Koji immediately confessed.

"They're actually friends of the club president. Like the president, she has some mental issues and often imagines another person living inside her. In short, mild multiple personality disorder. She and Shiina are helping Shironami Chihiro confess to Ichinose Honami."

But he had not confessed everything.

Horikita Suzune folded her arms and pondered for a moment. It more or less matched up. She had expected Bai Yu to take some action, but he was not coming himself?

Her gaze shot toward Ayanokoji Kiyotaka again, probing for falsehood. For a fleeting instant, he felt as though Louis XVI's guillotine had grown legs and was charging straight at him.

After struggling every way he could, the man still held his line like a man. "I don't know anything else. This time, I'm on your side."

Horikita and Bai Yu were both cups of poison. The former could at least be diluted with water to lessen the toxicity a little, but Bai Yu?

Just catching a whiff of that would kill you!

"Ichinose, you really know this place well. You know everything around here."

"It's not that much. My friends invite me here often, so I got familiar with it before I knew it."

"Wow, I'm so jealous. Ichinose, you must be really popular with your friends, huh?"

"Not really. It's mainly because everyone is easy to get along with..."

Keyaki Shopping Mall.

The four, now in the latter half of their date, had switched formations. Ichinose Honami and Bai Yu walked in front, while Shiina Hiyori and Shironami Chihiro followed side by side behind them.

The two of them both looked dispirited, their heads slightly lowered. They took a long time to force out even a single topic of conversation, like miserable guests about to attend their respective exes' weddings.

Ichinose Honami occasionally noticed how out of sorts the two behind her were. Turning around, she suggested, "Shiina, Little Shironami, how about we go play at the arcade together? They have mini karaoke booths and photo sticker machines there too."

"Ooh, I think that's a great idea!" Bai Yu clasped his hands together in agreement.

Shiina Hiyori raised her head, glanced at the lively girl, and curled her lips slightly. "Anything is fine with me. I'll follow Ichinose's arrangements."

"M-Me too."

Shironami Chihiro did not even need to think when she heard the key word.

The three of them headed to the arcade on the second floor. As soon as they entered, all of them revealed strange expressions to varying degrees.

"Huh? Why is the arcade so empty on a weekend? I remember the boys in our class come here pretty often."

Ichinose Honami glanced around and sounded a little surprised.

Shiina Hiyori let her gaze wander as she zoned out for a moment, then suddenly said, "Ah, I think Ryuen and the others from our class are playing here today, so there are fewer people. After all..."

They exchanged polite looks. Nothing more needed to be said.

Seeing that some of them looked uneasy, Shiina Hiyori took the initiative to reassure them. "Don't worry. Ryuen and the others can still be reasonable."

"I think the other students just have a bad impression of him, so they choose not to come at the same time... That's my guess."

You could be a little more confident about that.

Bai Yu offered his sharp assessment, then stepped inside one pace ahead. "Since Shiina says so, there's nothing to worry about."

"Huh?"

Shiina Hiyori looked up and, in a daze, felt as though she had seen that man's figure.

"I've always wanted to take photo booth pictures with my besties!" Bai Yu spread his arms and turned back with a bright smile.

All right.

It looked like she would not get to see Bai himself before the commission was over.

Shiina Hiyori's spirits plummeted~

"Whoa! Ryuen, you're amazing! I never expected you to be this skilled at Street Fighter too."

"Exactly! As expected of our leader!"

"Good guy!"

"Gay? Ryuen, Lao Hei called you gay!"

"Shut up, Ishizaki."

Basking in wave after wave of flattery, the long-haired man named Ryuen Kakeru wore a cold expression.

He had just finished a nearly one-sided Street Fighter match. Leaning back against the arcade cabinet behind him, he leisurely propped his legs on the machine opposite him and enjoyed his lackeys' massage.

He looked like an invincible man who had found no worthy opponent beneath the heavens, like the arrogant boss of every season of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

I am utterly invincible in this world. If I do not battle Heaven, who shall I battle?

Just as he reveled in his Street Fighter skills, honed through years of dominating schools across the board, and suffered the loneliness of being unmatched—

His sharp eyes noticed several girls chatting happily in a certain area. Focusing slightly, he spotted Shiina Hiyori from his class among them.

He had originally thought that, since one of them was a girl from his class, he would make an exception and let them enjoy themselves in his territory. But then he saw among them a girl well over seven feet tall, whose temperament and behavior were inexplicably bubbly.

Perhaps Stand users really were drawn to one another.

Ryuen Kakeru pondered for several seconds, then raised a hand to stop the boys who had noticed his intentions and wanted to get up and follow him. He chose to move alone.

"You three, I think this picture looks the best. Why don't we buy it as a memento?"

Ichinose Honami pointed at the preview displayed inside the machine, then turned and flashed the other three a refreshing smile.

"I have no objections. Everyone's expressions are wonderful in this one, and everyone looks cute too," Bai Yu said with a smile.

Shiina Hiyori leaned closer and took a look. A bright gleam immediately welled up in her eyes again—Bai Yu looked so cute in the picture!

Though he was currently focused entirely on playing someone else, his appearance, height... even the still image captured in the photo contained traces of his true self. Th-This was genuine crossdressing!

She immediately nodded happily. "Mm, I think this picture is the best too."

Shironami Chihiro looked at the others and said she had no objections as well. After all, she was still beside Honami. But was this girl standing a little too close to Little Honami?

And they had gotten close far too quickly. When they first met, she had looked like she could not care less about them...

Feeling a little conflicted, she was about to see whether there was a photo where she stood closer to Honami when, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a man swaggering over from another direction with broad, imposing strides.

The next second, she reached out and tugged at Ichinose Honami's sleeve, while shrinking back timidly herself.

"Yo, isn't this Ichinose? You're interested in arcade games too?"

Stopping in front of them, Ryuen Kakeru showed no regard for personal space. One hand pressed against the wall while the other remained tucked in his pocket.

His smile carried the killing chill of autumn, instantly tearing the harmonious atmosphere to shreds.

--

Bonus Scene

Ryuen Kakeru: "I'm the straightest one in this book... right?"

My head hurts a bit, so I'm not writing at my best. I'll wrap this part up tomorrow, and the points battle will start the day after tomorrow.

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