Looking at Kamuro Masumi's tense expression, Mikage Touji cautiously asked, "Then... how about you stop doing that kind of thing?"
"Huh? No way!" Kamuro Masumi flatly refused.
The first thing he'd asked of her was to forbid her only source of enjoyment. This guy really was awful.
"Why? Are you looking for a thrill? There must be other ways to get one."
Kamuro Masumi glared at Mikage Touji, then looked out the stairwell window, arms crossed and fingers tapping against her elbow. Her voice softened.
"It's the only thing I enjoy. Without it, I don't even know what I'd do..."
Mikage Touji nodded. So she couldn't find a purpose in life, felt lost, had no passion, and couldn't find anything exciting, huh?
As someone whose mental age was two years older than hers, Mikage Touji decided to pass on a life goal he'd once held dear, hoping it might help her rediscover that sense of excitement.
"Good buddy..."
"Don't call me that! Just say it!" Kamuro Masumi braced herself for her second command.
"Go get into the University of Tokyo!"
The air in the entire stairwell froze.
"Huh?"
Kamuro Masumi turned to him in disbelief, then immediately started to walk away.
"There's nothing to discuss with a jerk like you."
"Wait, wait, don't go! Getting into Tokyo University is exciting." Mikage Touji hurriedly blocked Kamuro Masumi as she tried to leave.
"No way!"
"Then what do you want?"
"Something easier!"
Mikage Touji's mind raced. So, a short-term goal?
It had to be exciting, legal, and preferably come with some benefits...
"How about scoring at least 80 on the midterms?"
"No exams!!"
Mikage Touji grimaced and thought it over for a long while. At last, he managed to squeeze out, "Things in Class D have been a little unclear lately. Why don't you go make some friends with them?"
"That's more like it," Kamuro Masumi muttered. "You mean go and scout out information on Class D, right?"
"You could put it that way..."
"Fine. I'll do it!"
"You can't go stealing things while you're working on this."
"..."
Kamuro Masumi was silent for a long time. Finally, she ground out, "Fine!"
Mikage Touji let out a long breath. The whole process had been a little strange, but the result was good.
As expected of you, Shiraishi-san. Shiro-Gate!
"Then it's settled. Once you finish, I'll find you another goal."
Mikage Touji let out another long breath, ready to end the conversation.
"Hey!" Kamuro Masumi pulled out her phone and called out to Mikage Touji as he started to leave.
"Your contact info."
"Oh, right, right."
Mikage Touji took out his phone, and the two added each other as friends.
Stopping his fingers from tapping the screen, Mikage Touji turned to Kamuro Masumi. "By the way, good buddy, what's your full name?"
"..."
An eerie silence fell over the stairwell.
Three seconds later...
"Kamuro Masumi!!"
Her furious voice rang through the entire dormitory building, startling the crows resting beneath the trees into flight. A few black feathers drifted in the air behind them.
The May breeze blew in from the sea, washing the sky a pale blue. A few cottony clouds lounged on the horizon.
During lunch break, Mikage Touji sat at his desk, his cheeks resting in his hands as he stared blankly at the clouds outside.
Yesterday, with Mother Shiraishi's help, he'd met the good buddy who was the most physically capable girl in Class A, Kamuro Masumi.
He'd successfully recruited her, making her another fierce general who would help him conquer Kouiku in the future.
But there was a problem. He'd realized there seemed to be a generation gap between him and his good buddy.
In other words, he couldn't get Kamuro Masumi to do what he wanted. He couldn't point her at a target and have her go after it, the way he could with Kito Hayato and Hashimoto Masayoshi.
Five minutes earlier.
"Good buddy, where are you going?"
Japanese high school students had plenty of freedom and variety when it came to choosing lunch.
They could bring a bento from home, eat in the school cafeteria, buy bread or rice balls, or go out to eat.
Today, a restaurant in Keyaki Mall was holding a fun challenge called "Two's Company." Morishita Ran and Yamamura Miki had abandoned Mikage Touji.
The reason was that he'd arrived half an hour late for dinner last night while trying to recruit Kamuro Masumi.
So, left to fend for himself like a lonely old man, Mikage Touji could only randomly select a lucky classmate to bring him back a bento.
"Tsk..."
Kamuro Masumi, who was about to leave the classroom, slowly turned around and gave him an impatient look.
"I told you not to call me that. Who's your good buddy?! What do you want?"
"Are you going out to eat?" Mikage Touji made his request with a pleasant smile. "When you come back, could you bring me a bento if you have time?"
Kamuro Masumi raised an eyebrow. "It's only about a ten-minute walk from here to the convenience store. Why don't you go yourself?"
"I'm feeling like a lonely old man right now. I don't feel like moving. Is the place you're going far from the convenience store?"
"No!" Kamuro Masumi crossed her arms and glanced sideways at Mikage Touji. "It's a two-minute walk, but I don't want to bring you anything."
"Why?"
"Obviously, because of that way you call me!" Kamuro Masumi glared at him, gritting her teeth.
What the heck was "good buddy"?!
Was that something you called a normal girl? She still remembered the weird looks those students had given her in the elevator lobby last night!
"Then what do you want me to call you?"
Kamuro Masumi's face reddened. She blurted out, "Just don't call me that anymore, and I'll bring it back for you."
"Well..." Mikage Touji hesitated. "I kind of still want to call you my good buddy."
"Then forget it!"
Before Mikage Touji could reply, Kamuro Masumi stormed away like a cat with its fur standing on end, leaving him with four angry words.
Mikage Touji stared blankly at the purple half-ponytail swishing behind her head, momentarily dumbfounded.
We could still talk this over, couldn't we? Didn't she say she'd join my Freak Squad and help me build a vast empire?
What happened to our solemn vows yesterday?
Didn't you swear you wanted me to assign you tasks?
Why was she even harder to approach than when they'd first met yesterday? Was their friendship level still too low?
Watching Kamuro Masumi walk away, Mikage Touji fell into thought.
"What's wrong?"
Shiraishi Asuka had just returned to the classroom, but immediately noticed that something was on Mikage Touji's mind.
"It's like this..." After thinking it over and realizing he couldn't figure it out, Mikage Touji decided to ask for help.
One minute later.
"That won't work," Shiraishi Asuka said with a soft laugh, wagging her finger.
"That's not how you communicate with Kamuro."
"Then how should I do it?"
Shiraishi Asuka smiled without answering, then beckoned him over with her snow-white hand.
Did he need to use some kind of special phrase?
Mikage Touji wondered, but still leaned slightly toward her.
Seeing this, Shiraishi Asuka also leaned toward him, her eyes curving into crescents as she brought her lips close to his ear.
Across the aisle between their desks, the two whispered to each other in the corner of the classroom.
Shiraishi Asuka smiled and softly parted her pink lips.
"Be a little forceful. Maybe she actually wants to help, but just can't bring herself to say so. Give her a way out by ordering her around."
He slowly turned his head, his eyes widening as he stared at her in disbelief.
"Huh?"
Shiraishi Asuka nodded, her breath sweet against his ear. "Give it a try."
"Will it really work?"
"It will."
Half skeptical, Mikage Touji took out his phone and opened his chat with Kamuro Masumi.
[Mikage Touji: Good buddy, where are you? Are you eating right now?]
Given her solitary nature, she'd probably be having lunch by herself today, so she should finish quickly. Still, he'd better check first, just in case.
[Kamuro Masumi: No. Don't bother me! If you want to buy a bento, go get it yourself. You're not crippled.]
[Mikage Touji: Bring me back two bentos!]
[Kamuro Masumi: Are you blind? I said I'm busy!]
[Mikage Touji: Good buddy, this is a mandatory task.]
After the hands on the clock had ticked past most of a turn...
[Kamuro Masumi: You obnoxious jerk, drop dead already!]
[Mikage Touji: ? So does that mean you'll do it?]
Ten minutes later.
Mikage Touji stared blankly at the two bentos on his desk, then looked at Kamuro Masumi sitting in the seat in front of him, arms crossed and legs crossed as she glared at him. He muttered, "So this is how you handle it?"
"What, is there something wrong with the bentos I bought?" Kamuro Masumi, fuming, kept tapping her arm, her face full of indignation.
"No, no, nothing's wrong."
Striking while the iron was hot, Mikage Touji decided to give it another try.
He cleared his throat and asked hopefully, "Good buddy, could you bring me back two bottles of drinks?"
"I'm tired. If you want some, go get them yourself."
"Good buddy, that's an order!"
A fist slammed into Mikage Touji's shoulder without mercy. Kamuro Masumi glared at him murderously, then left his desk once more.
Before you continue