The next day~
"You're the girl who participated in the beauty pageant, right?"
"You're seriously super cute!"
"We have a barbecue restaurant across the street. Come by later!"
"..."
Because Chisa had won the championship, the PaB stall was now packed with people, a whole bunch of beasts trying to hit on her!
And at the stall, Chisa was the only one making okonomiyaki, so she was constantly being harassed by these guys.
Although there was a squinting-eyed guy at the counter collecting money, he couldn't even protect himself. He was already drowning in the embraces of a group of girls!
"Don't be so ungrateful. Just let the two guys in the back watch the stall."
The "two guys in the back" he mentioned were none other than Iori and Kohei! The two of them had drunk way too much yesterday and still hadn't sobered up.
Seeing that Chisa still had that cold expression, one of the guys hitting on her finally lost patience and reached out to grab her.
But in the next second…
Two arms as thick as their waists wrapped around their necks!
"Oh? You guys got business with our cute junior?"
"She doesn't look too happy about it."
With the arrival of two muscle-bound monsters, all the people trying to hit on Chisa instantly scattered.
After assessing their body sizes, they knew—these two were not to be messed with!
A few moments later, Azusa also pulled out the trapped Shiro from the pile. Thanks to yesterday's drinking spree, he was still in a daze, nearly suffocating in there!
Seeing the annoyed look on Chisa's face, Azusa let out a helpless sigh as she glanced at the two collapsed drunks behind her.
"Seriously, what's the point of leaving them here? Even Shiro is more useful~"
She ruffled Shiro's hair. Even though Shiro couldn't block people, at least he was diligent and still able to collect money—what incredible willpower!
Except…
"Shiro, can you let go of the money? Did you really sit here just to help out?!"
(.-ω-)zzz "My money~ Hehehe, it's all mine~"
Shiro, the ultimate money-grubber~
------------
Competition Stage!
At this moment, the award ceremony was taking place!
Because all three newcomers had passed out drunk, the seniors had no choice but to help transport them.
For some reason, though, Chisa had insisted on placing Iori right next to her on stage.
Well… even if they didn't understand why, that didn't stop them from following through!
Tokita-senpai simply tossed Iori onto the stage and walked away!
At this moment, Iori was barely managing to support himself on a box, purely by his own willpower!
Under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, he crawled across the stage, struggling to find something to hold onto!
His sheer determination moved many people! Tomorrow morning's headlines were practically guaranteed to change!
"Shocking! A Certain Naked Man Did This Under Everyone's Gaze!"
"Shocking! The Reason This Naked Man Collapsed Yet Kept Crawling Is…!"
"..."
"Chisa doesn't look happy at all."
"Yeah, that doesn't seem like the face of someone who just won a championship."
Two seniors looked at Chisa on stage, puzzled. Why was she like this?
"Come on, isn't it obvious?"
Azusa sighed helplessly as she stroked Shiro's hair, who was resting on her lap.
"Chisa only participated in the beauty pageant because of Iori and the others. But in the end, Iori and the others put in effort for other girls instead."
Azusa continued poking Shiro's cheeks as she spoke, "At the end of the day, Chisa only got tangled up in all this because she joined the competition. And yet, they didn't even step up to get mad on her behalf—of course she's pissed."
Hearing Azusa's explanation, Tokita and Kotobuki suddenly understood. If that was the case, Iori and the others definitely deserved some punishment.
Meanwhile, Chisa had already received the beauty pageant's grand prize on stage. As she listened to the endless cheers and confessions from the crowd, she made a decision in her heart!
"Who would you like to share this joy with?"
Right on cue, the host threw her a lifeline!
Chisa adjusted her breathing, slowly opened her eyes, and revealed a sweet smile!
She pointed to Iori, who was lying beside her.
"That's right, I want to share it with…
My boyfriend."
!!!?
The audience froze in shock.
Boyfriend?!
Wasn't that guy the 'dick joke' comedian?! Wasn't he into men?!
This had to be some kind of cosmic joke! They had just voted for him yesterday!
At that moment, they deeply regretted yesterday's decision! They had voted too early!
If they had known about this beforehand, would they still have voted for him? No way, they would have voted to burn him instead!
Not only was the audience dumbfounded, but the PaB members were also completely stunned!
Were Iori and Chisa really in that kind of relationship?!
The seniors who had been with them the whole time immediately denied that possibility!
But soon, they realized the true meaning behind Chisa's actions.
"Oh, I see. She's using Iori to block all the guys chasing after her."
"Haha, well, now they really are a couple!"
In the distance, a certain figure stood frozen, staring blankly at the stage. She had heard Chisa's words, and the secret resolution she had made in her heart felt like it had been utterly shattered!
Azusa stopped teasing Shiro and looked at the stage with amusement. Things were getting more and more interesting. Speaking of which, Nanaka probably didn't know about this yet, huh~
What would happen when she found out? She was so curious!
"Well, these two might actually make a surprisingly good pair."
—
Love Hotels hold a special place in Japan.
They offer a sense of escape from reality, providing many people with emotional comfort and shelter.
Most people in Japan dream of bringing their lover to a romantic love hotel, expressing their love freely, and letting their feelings deepen even further.
Early morning, Shiro stood at the entrance of a love hotel.
Beside him stood a voluptuous, alluring woman with a gaze that could melt hearts!
She clung tightly to Shiro's hand, her peach blossom eyes radiating endless temptation~
"Shiro-kun! I don't want to part with you! If possible, can't you come back with me? Don't worry, I'll take care of you!"
Her enchanting eyes were filled with reluctance. Though their time together had been short, she had already fallen deeply for Shiro-kun!
Faced with the stunning beauty's offer to keep him, Shiro didn't waver. Instead, he looked at her gently.
"Ma'am, I don't want to part with you either, but this wouldn't be fair to your husband!"
"It's fine! He'll never find out! We can just secretly—"
!!!
Shiro's eye twitched. Stop right there! He had no intention of running away with her! How did this suddenly turn into a Detective Conan scenario?!
"Ma'am!"
Shiro immediately cut her off. He really didn't want to end up dead in some unfortunate incident!
He broke free from her grasp and gently wiped off a tiny bit of red wax from her neck.
"Ma'am, forget everything that happened yesterday. If fate allows, I'm sure we'll meet again. And when that day comes… I won't let you go."
"Shiro-kun!"
Tears welled up in her eyes. She knew this was wrong too. Maybe… this was the best for both of them. Shiro-kun must also be feeling heartbroken!
She gave him one last, lingering look before pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips.
"Shiro-kun… next time, next time I'll definitely come back to take you away!"
"..."
The lady left, her silhouette filled with sorrow...
"Phew... That was terrifying! I almost ended up in a Detective Conan scenario!"
After watching the lady walk away, Shiro let out a deep sigh of relief. In an instant, he dropped the sentimental act and returned to his usual carefree demeanor, there was no trace of the sadness he had just displayed.
That lady was someone Shiro had encountered after the drinking party last night, while wandering the streets.
At that time, she was being harassed by a few delinquents.
Seeing this, Shiro didn't hesitate—he stepped in without a second thought! After all, nothing excited him more than playing the hero and rescuing a damsel in distress.
After the incident, they ended up chatting at a nearby bar.
The lady was actually a struggling writer. Recently, she had felt uninspired and applied for a trip to Izu for inspiration. But even after arriving, she kept wondering if she should just give up on writing altogether. She felt she wasn't cut out for this career.
Until she met Shiro!
She changed her mind, she had to keep writing! And she had to give it her all, with 200% effort! After all, she was a woman who would one day take Shiro away!
As for what happened afterward… well, since it was already very late, they had no choice but to find a place to stay nearby.
"Mm~"
Shiro stretched lazily. Even though he had downed a ridiculous amount of alcohol and barely slept last night, he still felt completely refreshed.
"Ah, married women are the best. The senior girls at school are just too reserved. What's wrong with just maintaining a physical relationship?"
Humming a little tune, Shiro strolled toward Izu University. Finding an M-type married woman was truly a blessing~ (ˉ︶ˉ)
Speaking of which, what was her name again? Hmm... forgot it. Let's just call her Madam!