Subtlety

"Why are you here?" Natsuo was dumbfounded since the one who appeared wasn't his father or Tsukiko. Instead, it was Rui, who he had the worst relationship with. As for Alex's reaction, he didn't see it, and he didn't care either since even if this guy was interested in Rui, it was impossible for him to get Rui.

"My mom and Akihito-san are busy. Also, I am sorry." Rui apologized.

"...why did you apologize?" Natsuo was even more dumbfounded.

"I thought that you were the one who stole my panties before, so I wanted to apologize for my mistake."

Natsuo's lips twitched, but he nodded and felt happy for some reason. "No, it's okay. If you understand, then it is good."

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting."

Suddenly a police officer came before, surprised to see Rui. "Who is this student?"

"Ah, she might be one of the victims," Natsuo said.

"I see. Well, we can't return any underwear yet, but could you check if yours is there?"

"Yes."

Rui nodded, then looked at Natsuo. "Fujii, tell Shishio that I am going to see my panties first." She then left with the police officer before he was able to react.

"What?"

Natsuo's mood suddenly became complex, but he understood how Rui could come and pick him up. If Shishio wasn't there, it would have been impossible for Rui to pick her up.

'Also, shouldn't Hina-nee know about this matter?'

He suddenly thought that his father and Tsukiko should be busy with their job, so in the end, they could only ask Rui and Hina to help, but it was only Rui, who could come, which made him depressed.

"Hey, Nat-chan! Nat-chan! who is she?"

"Huh?"

He was quite surprised by Alex's outburst, but he answered him in an uncomfortable manner. "Ah, erm... I'd say... a friend." He didn't want to tell anyone about his father's remarriage nor the fact he had a stepsibling, especially when he only knew Alex today.

In other words, he wasn't that close to Alex.

"Awesome, she is so cute..." Alex was smitten by Rui, then he looked at Natsuo and said, "I want to go out with her! Nat-chan, introduce her to me!"

"I-Introduce...?" Natsuo was dumbfounded. He thought for a moment and knew that Rui had a boyfriend, but that boyfriend was a bastard and a scumbag. Yet he didn't think that Alex was much better. Still, he didn't tell about the matter of Shishio first since there was something that he was curious about.

"Why don't you pick her on your own? Al, didn't you say you have a lot of experience?"

"Ah... well, erm." Alex rubbed the back of his head, showing an uncomfortable expression since he was lying to Natsuo that he had a lot of girlfriends.

Natsuo also knew this since the face of someone with a lot of girlfriends didn't seem like someone with a lot of girlfriends. However, Alex wasn't that kind of type at all.

"You-You know, the girl in this country is shy, right? If I try in my own way, they might run away, so please, Nat-chan! Please introduce her to me!"

Alex begged with all of his might.

Natsuo wanted to say something, but he heard a voice that made his heart stop.

"Senpai."

Natsuo turned, and he almost stopped breathing.

Shishio's aura was special, and it made people who saw him stop breathing for a while appreciate the pure masculinity of his body. His eyes were sharp, his eyebrows were like blades, and there was this special atmosphere when Shishio walked. Even if he didn't swing that way, he had to say that Shishio was attractive.

Even Alex, who followed Natsuo's gaze, was also stunned when he saw Shishio since it was his first time seeing someone like him. If his instinct was good, it would quickly tell him that he shouldn't let his mother or future girlfriend meet this person, or else the consequences would be dangerous. Unfortunately, he didn't have such an instinct, so he could only lament since he didn't expect there was such a male born in this world.

It was like the very essence of manliness, and power was used to define him.

<As you have taken Yukinoshita Yukino's first kiss, you received an "Etiquette Mastery">

This was the reward he got from Yukinoshita last time, and it gave him a different aura from a normal person. When they saw him, they would naturally put themselves lower than him and bow their heads subconsciously since his presence was just too blinding.

Still, this wasn't the main ability of this skill.

The real ability of this skill was to make people easily win the trust of anyone and fit into any social group.

It was a scary ability since it was almost like hypnosis.

"Where is Rui?" Shishio asked.

"He-He should be with the police officer," Natsuo said after a moment of nervousness.

"Thank you." He nodded with a gentle smile and said, "Wait here. Let's go home together later." He left Natsuo and walked to where Rui was. As for the foreigner, who sat next to Natsuo, he simply ignored him.

Natsuo let out a long sigh. Even though he felt bitter, he understood why this guy could get so many girlfriends. Still, this didn't mean he accepted his relationship with Rui since he was still worried about Rui. Yet what could he do? Their relationship was far from good, after all.

"H-Hey, Nat-chan, who is that?" Alex was quite nervous and asked Natsuo secretly, so he wouldn't be heard by Shishio. Still, his gesture was quite exaggerated since Shishio was already far away, so Shishio wouldn't hear them, right?

Natsuo looked at Alex and decided to ignore him since he just wanted to calm his mind at this moment. Still, he had to say this guy was annoying.

---

If the pervert was a prick, Shishio would do something, but the pervert was a chicken. Still, it didn't change what he was going to do with this pervert. However, he also felt it was normal since the surroundings were police, and this pervert was caught red-handed. Naturally, he wasn't going to give this guy mercy since there was a price one needed to pay for doing something inappropriate to his woman.

"Let's go back."

Rui held his hand and didn't care about the pervert anymore since this guy was caught. As for her panties, she didn't ask them back since they were disgusting. Still, even if she asked, it was impossible to get them back since they would be used as evidence for the pervert's crime.

"Okay." He nodded. "By the way, before we go to the hotel, let's send Natsuo-senpai back home first."

"Eh?" Rui was reluctant, but she nodded. She knew that her man was gentle (toward her only), or he might try to mess around with Natsuo. Either way, their trip to the hotel needed to wait for a while, but it didn't matter since it was still in the afternoon.

The two walked and saw Natsuo was still sitting there.

"Natsuo-senpai, come on. Let's go back."

As for Alex, Shishio had never looked at him from the beginning to the end since he thought this guy just happened to sit next to Natsuo. However, this person stared at Rui before looking at his hand, which was held by Rui.

Shishio looked at Alex, and Alex also looked at Shishio.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

"No! No! No!" Alex shook his head with all of his might before he lowered his head, crying and sobbing.

"...."

Shishio wondered whether this guy's panties were also stolen.

Natsuo looked at Shishio and Rui before Alex for a while before he stood up, but Alex held his hand tightly without letting him go.

'Let go of me, Alex!'

Natsuo said quietly.

'Nat-chan, are you so cruel toward me?'

Alex didn't expect that, even before he began, everything was crumbling before him. He didn't even have a chance to do anything and lay down on the ground, hopelessly. What was even crueler, knowing this fact, Natsuo didn't say anything and let him understand the brutal reality before him. He wept, and his face was full of sadness, but Natsuo didn't hesitate to leave him, which made him realize how fickle the human relationship was.

However, Alex didn't plan to let Natsuo go since he had a lot of things to complain to him about.

As for Shishio, Alex didn't dare to say anything and just lowered his head. While it was only a moment, he felt that Shishio was like a gang member or mafia he saw in America.

'Or worse?'

However, he wouldn't be surprised if Shihio was a son of a yakuza family.

Was it worth it to entangle with such a man for a girl that he had only met? No way.

Still, he hoped that Natsuo didn't say anything about their previous conversation, and he also wanted him to stay by his side.

"....."

Natso was speechless and tried to forcefully pull his hand away, but he couldn't. In the end, he could only sigh and give up. "Sorry, but I will stay with him."

"Are you sure? I drove a car here. It's faster and cooler, especially in the summer," Shishio said.

Natsuo gulped since the temperature was hot, and it was better if he could stay in the car, but Alex wouldn't let him go. "...yes." If possible, he wanted Shishio to bring Alex too, but he wasn't that close with Shishio, and he was somewhat reserved toward him.

Also, who was Alex?

"Okay, bye, Senpai."

While he said goodbye, Rui didn't say much and pulled him since she couldn't wait to go to the hotel.

When they were gone, Alex couldn't help but complain, "Why didn't you say she has such a dangerous boyfriend?" He felt that he had almost shortened his age because of Shishio.

"If I told you, would you believe me? I am sure you might think you can steal her from him," Natsuo said calmly.

"....."

Alex knew that he would say this, and it seemed the first lesson he got after moving into this country was to be humble, or else he might see his mother with someone else when he went home.

---

Shishio and Rui didn't stay too long at the hotel. After two hours, they drove toward Sunoharasou, where everyone was waiting, but he didn't expect to see Aki Shiina on the way.

'Also, who is that?'

<Target has been found!>

<Congratulations, you receive a grape farm in Yamanashi!>

When he saw this, his expression became subtle.