Turmoil in the Study Room

"How about us? Isn't this differential treatment too evident?" Nino crossed her arms in front of her chest, glancing unhappily at Shinichi.

Shinichi stared back, expressionless. "No one comes uninvited, except Sensei. You can have anything you want to drink. There's a fridge over there."

"Huh, stingy." Nino didn't actually want to drink anything, so she pouted and remained silent.

"Okay, let me hear your reasons."

Shinichi looked around; it was the first time the study room was filled with so many people, making him uncomfortable. All of them were girls, and various fragrances mingled, though his usually sharp sense of smell couldn't distinguish whose was whose.

To hide his embarrassment, he took a cup of tea, letting the tea's aroma linger in front of him.

"I remember inviting only Fumino and Itsuki for the interview. Why are all of you here?"

Shinichi didn't see Yotsuba.

Is she participating in club activities? Such thoughts crossed his mind, and he first looked at Ichika, signaling her to answer.

"Work for this afternoon got moved to tomorrow, and I find the interview intriguing, so I came to see it." Ichika quickly said with narrowed eyes, standing up. "By the way, is there a toilet here?"

Shinichi pointed to a location, and Ichika walked towards it with her bag in hand. "Well then, you talk first. Onee-san will go to work."

Ichika apologized with a smile to Mafuyu, then glanced at Shinichi, her smile deepening. That smile seemed to be planning something.

Shinichi watched her close the toilet door, suppressing the uneasy feeling, and shifted his gaze to Nino.

"What about you?"

Nino shook her leg covered in white stockings. "More or less, I'm a bit interested in that support speech. But since Itsuki wants to help, I don't plan to participate."

Shinichi sensed something in her words. "So, are you here to enjoy the show?"

"Oh? Do you think so?"

Nino touched her cheek with one hand. "Then let me ask you something." She spoke to him with a sweet smile and a soft voice. "Hey, Shi-kun, why did you only ask those two? Didn't you think about me? You could have told me about this anytime during our video chats last night, the night before, and the night before that. Even if I'm not qualified to give a speech, I can still recommend candidates for you. Why are you so indifferent?"

Nino spoke so casually in front of everyone, with ambiguity. The atmosphere became slightly heavier when those words were uttered.

Miku and Itsuki didn't change their expressions because they knew Nino would bother Shinichi with her mukbang in the evening.

Fumino and Mafuyu glanced at Shinichi with curious looks almost simultaneously.

Shinichi's cheeks slightly wrinkled, and he looked at Nino with a complicated gaze.

Nino's expression changed; she snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and looked at him with a lifted chin.

Shinichi truly didn't know when this young woman's mood was sour.

Maybe it wasn't because he hung up after thirty minutes last night. After all, before ending the call, Nino also spoke gentle words like not to push himself, go to bed early, and she would bring some cakes.

It had the care and tenderness of a girl, and it was a very different attitude from now. Now, she might not even intend to give him any cake.

So, did Yotsuba inform Nino about what happened that day?

That's why she intentionally said such words in front of everyone.

Even though it was true, he couldn't be blamed at all.

Shinichi wasn't sure, and many possibilities crossed his mind, but he had been silent for so long that Fumino coughed and prepared to say something.

So before that, Shinichi spoke first:

"First, I had someone I wanted to invite, but the likelihood of others agreeing was somewhat low, so I hesitated for a long time and still haven't decided... At that time, Itsuki and Fumino offered to help me. After considering various factors, I conducted a support speech interview to decide who I wanted to invite to assist me in delivering the support speech."

After saying this, not only Mafuyu finally understood the general situation, but Itsuki and Fumino also showed surprised expressions.

They both now knew that Shinichi wasn't unable to decide who to choose for his support speech but was afraid of disagreement, which is why he hesitated until now.

And according to what he said, he didn't even ask; he just didn't want to be rejected by others, so he hesitated until today.

Was that person really important to him?

The girls who understood this couldn't help but feel a sour taste in their hearts.

Who was the person he wanted to invite first?

"Nino, since you don't want the interview, then..."

A few words shifted the focus of the atmosphere, and Shinichi looked at Nino as a signal.

Because she was sitting in her place now, with her bag on her feet and her information on the table.

"Oh, the heartless man."

Nino moved her hips to the side.

Shinichi sat beside her. Shortly after he sat down, the remaining warmth on the sofa felt like the lingering warmth at the end of spring, causing Shinichi to sit slightly forward.

Shinichi said to Miku beside him, "What about you? Did you also witness joy?"

Miku shook her head and spoke slowly.

"Let's forget about giving a speech on stage; I just want to have fun... I want to try what it feels like to be in an interview."

Miku pulled her ponytail, hiding her expression in her hair, and added.

"Moreover, I got this idea when I went to the aquarium last time to accompany Shinichi in job hunting. I just didn't know what kind of job to look for."

"Pfft!"

Fumino coughed several times as if choking, and she stared at Shinichi with wide eyes.

Nino smiled and nodded from the side, looking proud of the puppet master behind the scenes.

"Hisss..."

Shinichi took a deep breath. Despite all kinds of fragrances entering his nose, he still had to say to himself in his heart.

What should come will always come, and if it's already done, he can't escape.

Because after those words were spoken, the temperature on the other side of the sofa soared. Not only Fumino but also stronger eyes than before were all staring at him.

"An aquarium, a date? Accompanying you in job hunting? Asa, da, kun?"

"Shinichi-san, when did that happen?"

Fumino and Rizu were the first to attack.

Caught between the two of them, Mafuyu hesitated, then deliberately raised her face and said to Shinichi seriously:

"The school rules clearly state that unhealthy relationships between men and women are prohibited!"

Shinichi: "😐"

Nino watched the show with a delighted expression.

Miku stared at the sky without thinking.

Itsuki looked around carefully.

Surrounded by these girls, Shinichi covered his forehead. It took a long time before he let out a weak sigh.

"I clearly remember that today was just a small interview meeting..."

Why did it turn out like this?

"We'll talk about the interview later!"

"Please explain what just happened in as few words as possible."

The reluctant two girls stepped forward with hands on the table and sharp eyes.

Just as Shinichi was about to speak again.

"Damn! Costume change is done, and mature Ichika Onee-san appears~"

The toilet door swung wide open, and Ichika came out with a wide smile.

Her legs were wrapped in black stockings, and the buttons of her jacket seemed to burst anytime, revealing her curves.

Then, seeing the tense situation in front of her, the girl stopped in her tracks.

"Oh..."

Ichika put on the same smile and stepped back into the toilet step by step.

"Sorry for bothering you; I'll come out later~"

The toilet door closed like this.