Before the Second Class, the School Swimming Pool (Continued)

"What, what about the study group?!"

"Don't worry. The study group will still go ahead."

Keima Katsuragi replied.

The members of the study group were all targets for his current missions.

In Keima Katsuragi's philosophy, handling multiple routes at the same time wasn't wise. Sometimes, it could even lower a target's affection for him.

But he was still just getting started, and this was a way to get closer to the others.

He could make an impression on the other targets while learning what they liked.

The study group provided exactly that kind of opportunity.

Besides...

Keima Katsuragi certainly couldn't let his targets get expelled.

Come to think of it, two of his targets, Airi Sakura and Haruka Hasebe, weren't exactly doing well academically.

Airi Sakura was average in most subjects, and she wasn't particularly quick-witted, either.

Haruka Hasebe was more extreme. She excelled in the subjects she was good at, while her performance in the ones she struggled with could only be called disastrous.

Failing even one subject meant getting expelled.

Both of them were at considerable risk—

Of course, compared to Elsie, the two of them were geniuses.

Keima Katsuragi shook his head helplessly, then took out the Mission Card.

[Name: Haruka Hasebe]

[Affection: 20%]

He'd only really spent time with Haruka Hasebe today, yet he'd already gained a considerable amount of affection.

She was the type who really had to be on the same wavelength as someone. If she felt they could talk, she could become close to them in no time.

If they didn't click, though, things would get troublesome.

Fortunately, Keima Katsuragi seemed to be the positive type in Haruka Hasebe's eyes. Otherwise, he would have had to put in quite a bit more effort.

[Name: Airi Sakura]

[Affection: 88%]

[Affection: 89%]

[Affection: 90%]

"God of Conquest! Airi's affection is skyrocketing! Is it because of what happened tonight?"

"Yeah. If I can get close to Airi Sakura, she'll gradually fall for me."

Keima Katsuragi replied.

What had happened that night was unexpected, and it had greatly accelerated their progress.

Even so, Keima Katsuragi had already sensed that something was off about Airi Sakura before then.

It wasn't just because of him. It was more like she was worried about something.

Putting together the anonymous user's comments on her blog, Keima Katsuragi had guessed who that person was and what she might do. That was why he hadn't left after Airi Sakura delivered her gift. Instead, he'd followed her.

But...

Airi Sakura was just as fanatical as his own fans...

Keima Katsuragi lowered his head and looked at his terminal. Notifications kept popping up.

[User Shizuku viewed your post at 21:12]

[User Shizuku viewed your post at 21:17]

[User Shizuku visited your blog at 21:40]

[User Shizuku just viewed your post]

"..."

Keima Katsuragi pressed his lips together, put down the terminal, and looked at the other cards.

There had been no change for Suzune Horikita or Kushida Kikyo.

He'd made a good start with Suzune Horikita, and things should gradually pick up from here.

He'd hit a bottleneck with Kushida Kikyo for the time being.

Keima Katsuragi didn't know what Kushida Kikyo was really like, but he was already fairly sure her past was closely connected to Suzune Horikita.

Perhaps, while working on Suzune Horikita's route, he'd be able to uncover the truth little by little.

Or perhaps he'd have to wait for the right opportunity.

He turned to the next card.

Masumi Kamuro's affection was still at zero. After all, they'd only just met.

However, Keima Katsuragi had already noticed that Masumi Kamuro seemed to have been following him that evening.

Was it because of Sakayanagi Arisu?

At least she probably hadn't witnessed anything about Elsie or demons.

[Name: Sakayanagi Arisu]

[Affection: 10%]

Keima Katsuragi narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Sakayanagi Arisu's affection.

"Huh! Is that Sakayanagi from today?"

Elsie asked in confusion.

"Wasn't she only at a little bit this morning? How did she suddenly go up to ten percent?"

Keima Katsuragi knew why. Masumi Kamuro had definitely told Sakayanagi Arisu about what happened that evening, and there was probably a huge misunderstanding involved.

Just like the Chairman's misunderstanding about him.

Sakayanagi Arisu's increased affection also told him something.

That girl was definitely no good.

Rather than affection, it was more like Sakayanagi Arisu was intrigued by him and had certain expectations of him.

"I hope I don't run into any trouble later."

The next day, at noon.

After packing up his things, Keima Katsuragi left his room.

Shiina Hiyori was already waiting downstairs.

"Good morning, Keima-kun."

Thanks to Haruka Hasebe's "interference," the study group members had started calling one another by different names.

Shiina Hiyori was happy about that.

She knew that close friends called each other by their given names.

She hadn't known how to bring it up herself.

Haruka Hasebe had really helped her out.

Still, Shiina Hiyori's voice had grown a little softer when she said his name.

"Good morning, Hiyori. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Keima Katsuragi looked at the girl before him.

Her silver hair, violet eyes, and snow-white skin made Shiina Hiyori seem like an elf from a legend.

Since it was the weekend, students didn't have to wear their uniforms, and Shiina Hiyori had changed into something completely different from her usual clothes.

Over a light-colored sweater, she wore a dark dress. She'd traded her over-the-knee socks for gray tights, which made her slender, straight legs even more noticeable.

Keima Katsuragi had left half an hour early, but Shiina Hiyori had arrived even earlier.

"No, no, I just got here!"

Shiina Hiyori answered with a smile.

In truth, after she'd gone home the night before, Shiina Hiyori had been so excited for today that she'd even had trouble sleeping.

She'd never gone out on a weekend with a friend—or even a classmate—before.

Although she'd been the one to invite Keima Katsuragi, weekdays and weekends still felt quite different to her.

Shiina Hiyori had never had a really close friend.

Keima Katsuragi was the first.

She'd thought she absolutely couldn't keep a friend waiting, so she'd come downstairs early.

But Shiina Hiyori hadn't expected Keima Katsuragi to have arrived early, too.

"I'm sorry for asking you out so suddenly yesterday, Keima-kun."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I had something I needed to take care of last night, so I held you up and made you set aside time on the weekend."

"No, no! After playing the game, I had so many things I didn't understand and wanted to learn about. That's why I wanted to ask you. I thought it'd be better to talk about them in person..."

Shiina Hiyori's amethyst eyes fixed on Keima Katsuragi with earnest intensity.

"Then let's go to the café first. I haven't been there much."

"The coffee there is good, and you can stay as long as you like."

Keima Katsuragi and Shiina Hiyori set off toward the café.

However...

Someone was sneaking along behind them, like a thief hiding around a corner. Only her head peeked out as she watched Keima Katsuragi from a distance.

Airi Sakura.

"I-I have to find out what Keima-kun likes!"

"I have to know what Keima-kun is doing every moment today!"

"I-I'm not here because I care about Hiyori!"

Airi Sakura muttered to herself.

The Stalker, Airi Sakura

Airi Sakura had actually left home early that day, even getting up before Shiina Hiyori and Keima Katsuragi.

To avoid drawing attention, she'd even changed her appearance a little. She'd taken off her glasses and changed her hairstyle, making herself look like a completely different person.

On the way to the café, Airi Sakura had followed the two of them the whole time, acting sneaky and furtive.

But Airi Sakura had no idea that what she was doing was no different from stalking.

And...

She didn't even realize she wasn't hiding herself at all.

"Hey, what's that girl doing?"

"Is she spying on them?"

"She's cute... but why is she acting so suspicious?"

People passing by whispered among themselves.

Airi Sakura was completely focused on Keima Katsuragi and didn't notice anyone else looking at her.

In a way, her extreme social anxiety had been drowned out in that moment.

But Airi Sakura didn't notice that there was someone else behind her, either.