"We could go now instead of waiting until the weekend. The longer you wait, the less you can guarantee what might happen," Nishikawa Ryoko said with a smile.
"Good point." Taking the advice of Nishikawa Ryoko and Shiraishi Asuka, the two romance experts, Yagami Shizuka decided to ask Sakayanagi Arisu out.
Maybe it really could improve their relationship a little.
Would it work?
It probably would. This was the life experience of two romance experts, after all.
As soon as he entered the classroom, Yagami Shizuka went straight to Sakayanagi Arisu. "Miss Arisu, would you do me the honor of having coffee with me after class? Tea would be fine too."
Sakayanagi Arisu puffed out her cheeks, but that didn't make her change her mind. She kept a stern expression and said nothing, then turned her face away.
Quite a few classmates laughed at him. Several girls heard that his invitation had failed, and their hearts began fluttering again.
Anyone with eyes could see that Sakayanagi Arisu had no interest in Yagami Shizuka, right?
So this was their chance.
Shiraishi Asuka boldly stepped forward and offered, "It's okay. If she doesn't want to go, I'll go with you."
To her surprise, Sakayanagi Arisu immediately turned back and gave her a frightening glare. "Was going on dates with seven men in two days not enough for you? Aren't you tired?"
Last time, Sakayanagi Arisu had said she would give only one warning, and she meant it. There would be no second chance.
The class immediately broke into laughter at Shiraishi Asuka's expense. If she had really managed to get dates with seven men in those two days, she would have become a laughingstock.
Shiraishi Asuka quickly backed away. This was the first time she had experienced Sakayanagi Arisu's methods firsthand.
Information was Sakayanagi Arisu's weapon.
Shiraishi Asuka was thick-skinned. Being called out wouldn't embarrass her; if anything, she felt a little proud.
With Sakayanagi Arisu taking such a hard line, she couldn't keep pushing and trying to steal her man.
A boy asked, "Shiraishi, did you really go on dates with seven men in two days?"
"Don't make such a fuss. I don't have a boyfriend right now. If they ask me out, whether I go is up to me. What's it to you?" Shiraishi Asuka said nonchalantly.
That did make sense.
If she wasn't in a relationship, she had no reason to refuse every date out of fidelity, so she hadn't done anything wrong.
The ones who were really players were the people who already had partners but still went on dates with others.
If anything, it just showed how popular she was.
"If you want to date me, you'll have to work for it. Otherwise, I might become someone else's girl one of these days," Shiraishi Asuka encouraged him.
"Yes," the boy replied meekly, sneaking a glance at Shiraishi Asuka from the corner of his eye.
When you couldn't get a date with any girl, having one willing to go out with you felt like a gift to some boys.
A lot of the boys started discussing who had gone out with Shiraishi over the past two days.
Of course, nobody admitted to it.
It wasn't because they were shy or embarrassed. It was because none of them had.
If you judged someone by appearances and a few stray remarks, you'd be making a huge mistake.
The story about her dates with several boys had come from Shiraishi Asuka herself.
When she first enrolled, she had noticed Nishikawa Ryoko's tendency to spread gossip, which was why she had befriended her. First, she told Ryoko she was popular with the opposite sex, then she started talking about her own supposed exploits.
All you needed to make up a story was a mouth.
That was how the tale of her dates with seven boys reached Sakayanagi Arisu.
Shiraishi Asuka had done all of it on purpose. In reality, she hadn't done a thing over those two days.
And the whole point was simply to establish herself as a romance expert.
That image was meant to conceal the fact that she was an artificially created genius from the White Room and an undercover agent for the Silver Faction.
Everything she had done had worked. Unless she revealed her secret herself, it would be hard for anyone to find out she came from the White Room, including Ayanokoji.
For now, only Yagami Shizuka knew her secret.
Yagami Shizuka couldn't join in that sort of conversation. To be honest, he was friendless in the class, and he had no intention of making friends.
So far, the only person he could truly call a friend was Shiina Hiyori from Class C.
He had no intention of getting close to people like Hashimoto Masayoshi or Katsuragi Kohei. He also had no interest in dealing with boys who talked about girls' breasts all day.
And because of Sakayanagi Arisu, no girls would get close to him.
He didn't mind. This was fine with him.
A few more days passed. Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to have mostly cooled off. She no longer gave him dirty looks at the drop of a hat, and she occasionally spoke with him.
Friday came around again. Sakayanagi Arisu was in an unusually good mood, and a rare smile appeared on her face.
In the morning, after two classes had ended.
Thump!
Sakayanagi Arisu tapped her cane against Yagami Shizuka's desk. "Did you forget there was something you wanted to say to me?"
Yagami Shizuka lowered his head and thought. Was there?
Then he looked up. "Have you eaten today?"
"Obviously not. It's not mealtime yet," Sakayanagi Arisu said with a grin.
"Then how about we have a meal together?"
"Sure!"
To his surprise, she agreed.
The sun must have risen in the west. Why would she say yes?
He should've known better than to ask.
"I'll treat you to a feast!" Yagami Shizuka added.
"Sure!" Sakayanagi Arisu still didn't seem to mind.
Was this really Sakayanagi Arisu?
Yagami Shizuka studied her carefully. She didn't seem to be an impostor, and nobody had switched souls with her. She really was Sakayanagi Arisu.
Yagami Shizuka realized there was a catch.
What was going on? Shouldn't an important prompt appear at a time like this?
Had you really failed to notice such a huge scheme?
Or had you malfunctioned?
[What are you confused about? Do you think you haven't woken up yet? Your bewildered self has received the following hints]
[1. Take Sakayanagi Arisu out for a nice meal. You'll earn admiring looks from your classmates, while your wallet drains like water and soon runs dry.]
[2. Be sensible, young man. Sakayanagi Arisu isn't materialistic. She'll appreciate even something cheap. You can take her to the cafeteria and have whatever you like. She won't blame you for it.]
[3. Resist temptation. Turn her down, claiming you don't have an appetite. Sakayanagi Arisu will glare at you for thirteen days. You won't die, but she'll definitely be plotting something big.]
What was going on?
This Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to be the real deal.
And it seemed like there was no scheme after all.
There was no way he could choose option three. Who knew what she'd be plotting?
Then he'd go with it.
No sooner had he decided than lunchtime arrived.
Following the hint, Yagami Shizuka took Sakayanagi Arisu to the cafeteria. That had been the hint's suggestion, not his.
"You said you were treating me to a feast, and you take me to the cafeteria?" Sakayanagi Arisu followed behind Yagami Shizuka, looking a little unhappy.
The cafeteria certainly didn't have the atmosphere of a date.
"Where else? Points are important, so we can't just waste them. If you want something good, I'll cook for you myself next time."
Yagami Shizuka had already worked it out. Since utilities were free, buying ingredients and cooking for themselves would be cheaper than eating out, and more nutritious than cafeteria food.
Sakayanagi Arisu said nothing, but secretly she was delighted.
Where could she find another good man who knew how to live frugally and manage a household?
Since she had trouble walking, Yagami Shizuka told her to sit and wait at the table while he went to get her food.
Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to enjoy the cozy moment. It was nice to be looked after, too.
She could have forced Kamuro Masumi to do something like this, but it wouldn't have felt nearly as nice.
Before you continue