Only My Stomach is Growling

It seems Rizu is well-prepared, completely unfazed by the previous events, and responds calmly.

Her answer is satisfactory; Mafuyu, appearing composed, nods slightly before asking, "So, is there something about yourself that makes you better than the other interviewees?"

Rizu tilts her head and says, "My science grades are excellent."

Suppressing her powerless expression, Mafuyu states seriously, "The main topic. Ogata-san, as I mentioned earlier, the answer should be related to this interview..."

"My udon is delicious."

"..."

Though she sees veins popping on Mafuyu's forehead, Rizu remains confident.

"I can make decisions and promise that anyone choosing Shinichi-san will get a 10% discount when they visit the shop! The same applies to shopping streets; the student council president usually offers discounts for a specific period. And I also calculated, I don't know the specific numbers. With our shop's reputation, we might attract 81.67% of students who like udon, and a total of 31.12% of Shuchi'in Academy students who enjoy eating udon."

Unconsciously, Rizu talks about a plan that sounds innocent to gain votes.

"...Does this have anything to do with the support speech?"

After finishing, she looks at Mafuyu with a bit of pride.

"..."

Shinichi says nothing but shifts slightly away from the AC vent next to him.

Mafuyu slowly closes her eyes and, after a few seconds of silence with a calm expression, stands up from the sofa.

"Besides academic studies, is there an issue with this place..."

She mutters, opening her eyes and staring at Rizu.

"Cancel it. Ogata-san, the next step is private tutoring. I want to correct your fundamentally deviating cognitive concept."

"Eh?"

Before Rizu can react, she sees Mafuyu walking in front of her, staring at her coldly.

Almost without resistance, Rizu is pulled to the door by Mafuyu. Before leaving the study room, Mafuyu looks at Fumino and casually asks,

"Furuhashi-san, is your common sense intact? I don't mind teaching two people at once."

"Fumino, save—"

"Of course, it's not a problem!" Fumino raises her hand in front of her chest and says seriously, "Although I think Ricchan also has her own ideas, I know that method would never work. Just from a sociological perspective, the target customer groups of Shuchi'in Academy and Shopping Street are very different!"

"Fumino..."

Rizu stares at her with teary eyes, but Fumino hides her sadness and guilt.

"Very well." Mafuyu nods and opens the door, "Let's go, Ogata-san. First, I'll tell you how serious it is to use udon discounts to influence votes in the student council election."

"Wait, Shinichi—"

Before Rizu can finish her last plea for help, Mafuyu disappears outside the closed door.

Everyone inside the room looks at each other.

Shinichi lowers his head and sighs.

"Is this the cruelty of human nature..."

Fumino blushes and tries to defend herself, "I-I didn't betray Ricchan... Kirisu-sensei just wants to give her private lessons, and it's not a bad thing—"

"It doesn't matter."

Before Fumino finishes, Miku's voice suddenly rings out.

Fumino stares at the girl walking towards the sofa.

"Miku..."

"Shinichi just said, don't worry about anything other than the interview."

Placing her palm on her blue headphones, her beautiful face hidden behind thick hair shows a faint smile to Fumino.

"Next is me."

Fumino falls silent. She doesn't know why. Even though it's just a regular question, she can hear a hint of reluctance to admit defeat.

"I'm different from the past. Let's see how I behave with Shinichi, Fumino"

This sentence appears in Fumino's mind inexplicably.

Regardless of Fumino's reaction, Miku draws her gaze away and sits quietly in front of Shinichi, calmly looking at him.

"..."

Under her silent gaze, Shinichi's expression becomes strange. "...Why don't you introduce yourself first?"

Miku shakes her head, a gentle smile on her face.

"Depending on the interviewer, the actions to be taken will differ. Be careful and serious when meeting someone strict, be relaxed and generous when meeting someone easygoing, and start observing from the moment you enter the door...

"All of this is what Shinichi told me."

Shinichi is slightly surprised and unsure, "So?"

"So, if the interviewer is Shinichi, there's only one action I need to take."

After Miku finishes speaking, she gazes directly at him.

"..."

Shinichi puts the interview material in his hand down; he has no choice.

Miku smiles happily... in the middle of the way.

"Not qualified, next!"

Shinichi immediately drops his smile and declares expressionlessly.

"Why?!"

Miku is so surprised that her bangs lift back, showing a face full of disbelief.

"Shinichi, did you change your mind..."

"I said, give me a serious interview!" Shinichi frowns, "Don't talk about love, don't talk about udon, let's have a proper interview on the topic of 'support speech,' okay?"

Miku pouts.

"But I'm not interested."

(Who said you just became interested in the interview?)

Shinichi takes several deep breaths to calm the skyrocketing blood pressure and prevent his lifespan from being shortened.

Are the first three players really here to play? Indeed, initially, all I had to do was wait for Itsuki, Fumino... and Yotsuba.

The sky outside gets darker, and as he watches the sunset, Shinichi regains his composure, asking the dissatisfied Miku to leave the interview seat, then raises his head and shouts.

"Next person."

Itsuki puts her hands on her chest, trying to suppress her nervousness.

But she finds that after the funny performances of the three before, she can no longer feel nervous...

"I'm here!"

After adjusting her hair a bit and arranging the star-shaped hair ornament on both sides of her temples at the right angle, Itsuki sits right in front of Shinichi with a serious expression.

"Hello, interviewer, I'm Nakano Itsuki, a second-year high school student. I want to apply for the vacant position of your Support Speech today. Please give me your advice!"

She speaks clearly, briefly, and firmly, and speaks without hesitation. It's clear that this opening statement has been prepared for a long time.

Shinichi nods and is about to speak, but after these serious words, a long and deafening sound is heard.

Gulu~~!

Shinichi shifts his gaze to her stomach, which seems flat, without saying a word.

"..."

Itsuki stares at him sharply, with a victorious smile on her lips.

A blush appears on her neck, quickly covering her face.

She still smiles, but the corners of her mouth curve very unstably, and her eyes become moist, as if tears are coming out.

Suddenly, Nino makes a harsh sound, covering her mouth and sneering.

"Are you using too much force? That's louder than usual..." Ichika buries her face in the sofa's backrest, her shoulders trembling slightly, and her voice unstable.

"Fortunately, only the sound came from the stomach. If it were the buttocks... Pfft, no, thinking about it again, I would feel sorry for Itsuki-chan..."

"Y-You..."

The red color on Itsuki's face deepens, as if all the blood has been poured into her head. She can no longer hold back, bending over with her hands on her stomach, and yelling angrily at the two people who are smiling excessively.

"Moving and running the brain will burn calories! I haven't eaten anything since noon until now. Isn't it normal to be hungry?! What does it have to do with my growling stomach? It has nothing to do with the interview! It has nothing to do with that!"

She looks at Shinichi as if seeking approval: "Are you right, Shinichi-kun?"

Under Itsuki's hopeful gaze, Shinichi closes his eyes.

He raises his hand, covering his face, and speaks in a deep tone.

"Please, can't you let me finish this interview normally..."

Itsuki feels so guilty that she's on the verge of tears.

"I'm normal, my stomach is just growling a bit!"