"You're still as loud and boisterous as ever, even after all this time. It's been a while, Kei."
Mazumi Mami said to Karuizawa Kei.
"That's right! It's me! I finally found you!"
Karuizawa Kei was so excited that she almost instinctively threw her arms around Mazumi Mami.
But Chisato Nishikigi, Runa Inoue, and Walnut blocked her.
"Please calm down, miss. Don't just go getting physical with our young master."
Chisato Nishikigi said.
"That's right. Don't get too close to our young master."
Runa Inoue said.
"What's your relationship with our young master? Why are you looking for him? Is this business or personal?"
Walnut asked.
"Uh..."
Blocked by the three girls, Karuizawa Kei didn't know how to react for a moment.
"You've got it wrong. I'm not trying to hurt the Savior. I just wanted to find him and stay by his side."
Karuizawa Kei said.
"Sounds like we've got a challenger, then. That means we definitely can't let our guard down. If you want to see the young master, you'll have to beat us!"
Chisato Nishikigi said.
"I know there must be plenty of girls who want to stay by the young master's side, considering how charming he is. But you're the first one to go about it like this! You've got guts. Come on, fight us!"
Runa Inoue said.
"Since you're a challenger, I'll have to look into your background. I hope your personal information is well protected."
Walnut said.
"I told you, I'm not an enemy! What are you doing?!"
"And that last part sounded terrifying. Isn't that doxxing me?! Don't say such scary things!"
Karuizawa Kei couldn't help complaining.
The group stood off at the entrance to the dorm for a while, and the atmosphere grew rather awkward.
Chisato Nishikigi, Runa Inoue, and Walnut stood in a semicircle in front of Mazumi Mami. They weren't taking an overtly aggressive stance, but their silent refusal to let Karuizawa Kei through was unmistakable.
The three of them knew they couldn't keep Mazumi Mami all to themselves, but that didn't mean they were especially generous about sharing. They were bound to feel at least a little jealous.
Karuizawa Kei stood where she was, looking uncertainly at the three girls, each with a different expression on her face. For a moment, she had no idea what to say.
Watching them, Mazumi Mami couldn't help smiling. He broke the standoff. "All right, all right. Let's all calm down and talk back at the dorm. The place is pretty big, so there's room for all of us."
He stepped aside and gestured for Karuizawa Kei to follow.
Chisato Nishikigi and Runa Inoue exchanged a glance. Their eyes still held a hint of scrutiny and caution, but since Mazumi Mami had spoken, they couldn't keep blocking the way.
The three of them silently moved aside and followed Mazumi Mami and Karuizawa Kei into the dorm.
On the way back, Mazumi Mami briefly explained, "There's a lot to tell about Kei and me. I'll explain everything once we're inside."
Chisato Nishikigi gave a soft snort and folded her arms, her voice carrying a trace of jealousy. "Fine. Since the young master says so, I'll give her a chance. But if she's here with bad intentions—"
Her voice dropped, and a chill crept into her usually cheerful tone. "I'll make her disappear from this world."
"I'll find a suitable location," Runa Inoue chimed in, as calmly as if they were deciding what to eat for dinner.
"I'll take care of the cleanup," Walnut added coolly. "I guarantee not a single camera will record anything that happened here."
Karuizawa Kei was walking ahead, still privately congratulating herself on finally finding the person she'd been longing to see. Then she heard those three lines, which sounded like they were planning a murder, and stumbled. She turned around and shouted, "I told you, I'm not a bad person! Don't say such terrifying things!"
Chisato Nishikigi stuck out her tongue at her, offering no real reply.
Amid all the bickering, the group made their way into Mazumi Mami's dorm.
The door closed behind them, shutting out the noise of the outside world.
This was Karuizawa Kei's first time stepping into a boy's private space. Her gaze instinctively swept around the room. The living room was spacious and tidy, furnished simply but tastefully. A faint fragrance lingered in the air, and the place was completely different from what she'd imagined a boy's room would be like.
Standing in the entryway, she hesitated before taking off her black calfskin shoes, revealing her slender feet in white gradient socks.
Her toes curled slightly, as if she were nervous, before she carefully stepped onto the dorm's wooden floor.
In the living room, Chisato Nishikigi, Runa Inoue, and Walnut were already seated around the small table in the middle. All three pairs of eyes were fixed on Karuizawa Kei.
They said nothing, but their silent scrutiny created an invisible pressure. It felt less like being welcomed by new friends and more like being interrogated as a suspect.
"Well, then—"
Chisato Nishikigi spoke first, bracing her hands on the table and leaning forward slightly with the air of an interrogator. "Miss, please introduce yourself. Name, gender, class—and what are your intentions toward our young master? Be honest!"
"I'll write down every word you say."
Runa Inoue had somehow produced a small notebook and pen. Sitting up straight, she watched Karuizawa Kei intently, as if taking an official statement.
"My computer's ready to go, too."
Walnut had opened her laptop at some point and held her fingers above the keyboard. Lines of rapidly scrolling code flashed across the screen. "If you say anything suspicious, I can find all your personal information in thirty seconds—including how many laps you ran in gym class back in elementary school."
Standing in the middle of the living room and facing the three girls, who were all on high alert, Karuizawa Kei felt as if she'd wandered into some top-secret interrogation room.
The corners of her mouth twitched a few times before she finally let out a deep sigh. "Honestly, you girls..."
She opened her mouth to argue, but seeing how serious the three of them looked, she suddenly felt it was pointless to say anything. All she could do was look helplessly toward Mazumi Mami, who was pouring water nearby.
Mazumi Mami came back with several glasses of water. Seeing the scene, he couldn't help laughing softly.
He set a glass in front of Karuizawa Kei and said gently, "All right, Kei. Sit down and take a break. Have some water and catch your breath."
Then he turned to the three girls, who looked as if they were bracing for an attack, and gave them a reassuring smile. "Once I've explained what happened between Kei and me, I'm sure you won't be so opposed to her."
Karuizawa Kei looked at the glass Mazumi Mami had handed her, then at his gentle smile. Only then did some of the tension and awkwardness in her heart begin to ease.
She took the glass and quietly said, "Thank you." At Mazumi Mami's gesture, she carefully sat down on the sofa.
She held the glass in both hands but didn't drink right away. Instead, she lowered her head and fell silent for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts and figuring out what to say.