I Just Want a Single Ending [3]
Chihaya Anon repeated herself, wanting to emphasize the point.
"It's all right. I was just curious; I don't mind that you overheard."
Kamigawa Saku was really just using this as an excuse to start a conversation with another romanceable character.
He really is easygoing, Chihaya Anon thought with relief.
Just then, Kamigawa noticed the lunchbox she was holding.
[Invite her to eat lunch together]
[Ignore it]
Glancing around the classroom, he saw other small groups already forming their little circles. Looking back at Chihaya Anon, alone with her lunchbox, he took the initiative.
"If you don't mind, would you like to have lunch with me today?"
[+1 Stamina]
"Sure!"
She'd noticed him glancing around before asking, and she immediately understood why he'd made the offer.
He probably thought she'd have a hard time fitting in on her first day and would end up eating alone.
It wasn't a problem, though—she was fairly confident in her own social skills.
Still, since he'd gone out of his way to offer, Chihaya Anon was more than happy to accept. After all, he was not only good-looking but also kind. He'd make a nice friend.
With her agreement, Kamigawa pulled his chair and bag over.
"Looks like I forgot to introduce myself—I'm Kamigawa Saku. You can call me however you like."
Sitting down beside her, Kamigawa flashed her a friendly smile.
"All right, Kamigawa-kun."
As she opened her lunchbox, Chihaya Anon responded with a smile.
"Mm."
Seeing her start to eat, Kamigawa pulled a sandwich and drink from his bag as his lunch.
"By the way, where's the closest vending machine? I forgot to bring a drink," she asked, eyeing his interesting-looking drink on the table and suddenly feeling a bit thirsty.
"It's by the school store on the first floor—kind of far," Kamigawa explained simply. "But if you don't feel like going, I can give you one of mine."
"Though I can't really guarantee the taste. If it's awful, feel free to tell me and don't force yourself to drink it."
With that, Kamigawa pulled another drink from his bag and placed it in front of her.
"Thanks! As long as it's not terrible, I'm not too picky."
She accepted it without hesitation.
I'll just return the favor next time.
"But… didn't you buy this drink? Why aren't you sure about the taste?" Chihaya Anon inspected the unfamiliar drink, guessing, "Are you the type who loves trying all sorts of new drinks?"
Kamigawa explained, "Actually, these weren't bought by me—they're samples from sponsors."
"Samples?"
"Yeah, I'm kind of a popular food and travel blogger on Instagram, so a lot of companies reach out, asking me to review their stuff. They'll send me products, and I test them out."
He took out his phone, showing her his Instagram profile's QR code.
"If you're interested, feel free to follow me."
"Sure!"
Chihaya Anon took out her phone and scanned his code without hesitation.
After following him, she scrolled through some of his posts and videos.
Just as he said, they were all recommendations.
Each post was packed with details—from taste, packaging, and price for snacks to the environment, service, and menu recommendations for restaurants.
Overall, it came across as very professional.
Chihaya Anon smiled and teased, "Looks like you have quite a few sponsors lining up for you!"
"Not too many, not too few," Kamigawa replied, feigning seriousness. "But the ones I post about are at least worth recommending."
"So, that's why you test each one?"
"Yeah, and it helps save on living expenses, too."
"No wonder you have so many followers," she nodded approvingly.
"I'm just doing my job."
He had built this following through his own hard work.
And a little help from the system.
"By the way, Kamigawa-kun, are you interested in bands?"
Remembering the bits of conversation she'd overheard, Chihaya Anon shifted the topic.
"Yeah, I think they're pretty cool."
That was a lie.
Kamigawa Saku was only interested in the romanceable characters.
The band was just a side detail.
"I get that—bands really are fun."
"From the way you say that, does that mean you were in a band before?" Kamigawa asked, following her lead.
Chihaya Anon nodded humbly, "I played for a while in middle school."
"Are you thinking of continuing in high school?"
"I haven't decided yet; it depends. If I can find the right people, it could be fun to form another band," she replied casually.
"If you do, you can always come to me for help with management and promotions."
Kamigawa repeated what he'd told Takamatsu Tomori earlier.
Since she didn't seem interested in starting a band, helping Chihaya Anon manage hers sounded like a good alternative.
All romanceable characters deserved equal treatment, after all.
"I'll keep that in mind."
On the surface, Chihaya Anon seemed indifferent, but inside, she was thrilled.
She'd been debating whether or not to start a band, but if she had a popular blogger like him handling promotion and management, she definitely had to give it a shot.
Even if her band's followers didn't reach 550,000, even a half or a fifth of that would be amazing.
"By the way, what did you play in your old band?" Kamigawa asked with interest.
"Guitar—and I was the lead vocalist!"
She answered without a moment's hesitation.
"That's impressive."
"No, not really. I haven't even touched a guitar in ages."
She brushed it off modestly, but Kamigawa's compliment clearly made her happy.
Then she thought of something. "Oh, and the girl sitting in front of me—who is she?"
"That's Takamatsu Tomorii," Kamigawa explained.
"From what I heard earlier, she was in a band too, right?"
"She was, but it disbanded."
"I see."
Chihaya Anon nodded thoughtfully.
Maybe she could ask Takamatsu to join her new band.