The next morning, Ren had an uninvited guest in his room.
Just like during the last weekend trip, Hayasaka's first action after waking up was not to rouse her good friend and mistress, but to head straight for Ren's room.
Sigh... After running into Miss Sonoko last time, this time she ran into Miss Chika.
Ren, is your room a respawn point for young ladies?
Sniff~
Hayasaka took a deep breath through her nose.
No deodorant scent, no hint of daphne in the air.
This time it was relatively clean. At least, different from last time.
She shifted her gaze to Chika, who was currently sleeping beside Ren in the same bed.
I knew it.
Miss Kaguya, if you don't take the initiative, someone else will.
You're supposed to be Ren's official girlfriend, yet Miss Sonoko already overtook you, and now Miss Chika is ahead too.
What are you even doing, Miss Kaguya?
While silently criticizing her mistress, Hayasaka shook her head in exasperation.
With a lady this unmotivated, how was she supposed to help her win?
Suddenly, a wild thought flashed through Hayasaka's mind.
If it were me, I would've already made it to home base with Ren.
But that impulsive thought made her flinch.
Before she realized it, she'd already substituted herself for Miss Sonoko, who had entered Ren's room last time.
And now, seeing Miss Chika lying peacefully in Ren's arms, she couldn't help but picture herself there too.
Those overlapping images in her mind made her swallow unconsciously.
A faint blush crept across her fair face, a mix of Eastern and Western features blending beautifully.
The imagined scene had quite an impact on her.
Even though it had shocked her, Hayasaka remained firm in her self-awareness. If it really were her, she'd have already reached home base.
After all, her acting ability and assertiveness weren't remotely comparable to Miss Kaguya's hesitancy.
Miss Kaguya, you should be grateful I don't harbor those kinds of thoughts.
Otherwise, Ren would've already been mine.
Still... how did Miss Chika end up in Ren's room?
Shaking off the hazy thoughts, Hayasaka's mind shifted gears swiftly.
She and Ren didn't interact much outside of group settings. Their closest contact had been back on the cruise.
Could it be the suspension bridge effect?
Hayasaka mulled over the idea.
But just as she lowered her head again, she saw that Ren, who had been sleeping with his eyes closed, now had his eyes open and was calmly staring at her.
Those eyes clearly said: As expected, you came again.
Hayasaka offered a polite smile, gave a small bow, and pointed silently at Chika, who was still sleeping in Ren's arms.
Ren, who hadn't done anything improper this time, showed no hint of guilt. Instead, he lifted his hand and pointed toward a bottle lying on the floor.
Following his gesture, Hayasaka spotted it.
Ah, so it was for advancement.
That explained everything.
She immediately understood why Miss Chika had come to Ren's room.
It was likely the psychological trauma from the last time she drank the potion was still lingering. And Ren, being the only one capable of safely guiding others along the Sequence Pathway, had become her obvious choice.
Still, even if that explained the situation...
Her staying overnight could only mean one thing: she liked him.
Conclusion:
Miss Kaguya, I told you yesterday. If you didn't knock on Ren's door, someone else would. Why are you never worried?
Once again, Hayasaka lamented her young lady's "background character" behavior.
She leaned down beside Ren and whispered quietly.
"Ren-san, do you need my help this time?"
"Though you probably don't need to worry too much, Miss Chika might pose some challenges later."
"...What do you mean I don't need to worry too much?"
Ren's mouth twitched.
He had a hunch last night that Hayasaka would show up again this morning. Sure enough, here she was.
He had a nagging feeling that every time a girl spent the night in his room, Hayasaka would be the first one to show up the next day.
And at this moment, he really couldn't refute it.
"I'll leave it to you, Hayasaka."
"Not a problem."
Hayasaka smiled as she accepted Ren's request.
She reached out, placed her hand on Chika's shoulder, opened an interdimensional door to Chika's room, and gently sent her through with a light touch.
This time, she didn't accompany Chika back to take care of her, unlike last time with Miss Sonoko.
After all, Chika hadn't ascended like Miss Sonoko had. Sending her back to her room was enough.
Hayasaka turned her gaze toward Ren, who was now sitting up in bed, and smiled teasingly.
"Ren, every time you go out, it turns into a great encounter."
"...You might as well just say I'm lucky with women."
"Not at all. That term is just something average men use to justify randomly forming connections with girls. In your case, Ren-san, this is more like fate."
"Besides, Miss Chika definitely acted of her own will. If she didn't like you, with her personality, there's no way she would have been that forward."
Hayasaka was teasing him, yes—but she was only referring to the fact that every trip of his seemed to result in a girl sleeping in his room.
This wasn't "luck with women." It was just everyone expressing their feelings in their own way.
"At the core, Ren isn't a bad person."
"Even before getting the diary, you weren't someone who caused trouble. You just had trouble expressing yourself, focused on school and work, and lived quietly. Your personality and values weren't bad either. You worked hard to improve yourself. I find that kind of man very charming."
"After all, Miss Sonoko liked you even before you got anything. Maybe it started because of your looks, sure. But if it were only that, there wouldn't have been so many follow-up interactions."
Hearing Hayasaka speak so earnestly, Ren became a little flustered.
He hadn't even realized his so-called "virtue and conduct" were worth praising.
"Hayasaka, if you say things like that, it's going to go to my head."
Seeing Ren's serious yet awkward expression, Hayasaka let out a real laugh.
"That's exactly what makes you so likable."
But she didn't say that part out loud.
(To be continued.)