At the entrance of the hall, Imamura Kohei prostrated himself before Kazuma and the senpai's who had just returned from outside, loudly pleading.
"Please, take me with you to tonight's exchange event! I beg you, Tokita-senpai, Kotobuki-senpai!"
The two seniors exchanged glances, but Kazuma quickly caught on, sneering.
"Join the exchange event? But KOhei, didn't you say you're still recovering from last night hangover?"
"I'm fine now! I could even pull an all-nighter without breaking a sweat!"
"You've got something else to do tonight..."
"Compared to the party, that's completely insignificant!"
Imamura Kohei looked up at the three of them, his sincerity palpable.
If he had known earlier that the party was with Oumi Women's University, he wouldn't have pushed Kazuma out as a scapegoat, and he wouldn't have regretted it so much afterward.
"Alright, we get it. If you want to join, then join. Just get up first," Kotobuki said.
"Thank you so much, senpai!" Imamura Kohei said gratefully.
As he stood up, Tokita Shinji asked, "And what about Iori?"
"Right. If he's regretting it now and wants to join the party... wait did he just grovel to the wrong person?"
Kazuma chimed in, his gaze shifting toward the bar.
There, at the counter, Kitahara Iori was prostrating himself before a flustered Nanaka, while the clothes he had been wearing were neatly folded beside him.
In other words, Kitahara Iori was once again left wearing only his boxers.
"Is it that in the time it took us to put away the diving gear, you guys already got drunk again?"
"Of course not."
Imamura Kohei denied it without hesitation. He glanced back at Kitahara Iori and then continued to explain.
"As for him, although he does regret it, the current situation is that nanaka senpai won't allow him to go out tonight."
"Huh? Why?"
"Apparently, since he arrived, he hasn't spent a single night sleeping here."
In fact, forget about sleeping here, today lunch was the first time Kitahara Iori had eaten a meal cooked by Nanaka since he arrived.
"..."
Toshida Shinji and Kotobuki Ryuujiro exchanged glances again, pondering.
"Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case."
"Yeah, it's not good to always stay out at night. In that case, let's just go by ourselves tonight."
"BASTARD! Do you think I've been staying out these past few nights because of who?!" Kitahara Iori turned around and roared, clearly having overheard their conversation.
"It's not my fault," Kazuma raised her hand to distance himself.
"Hey, Kazuma, it's not right to be so disloyal!" Kotobuki lectured.
"Exactly, you must be punished with drinks tonight!" Tokita chimed in seamlessly.
Kazuma: "..."
Damn it!
"Anyway, please, Nanaka-san! Let me go to the party tonight!" Kitahara Iori turned back to Nanaka, pressing his forehead to the ground.
"No! I understand that you want to have fun and do as you please now that you're in college, but I have to say this lifestyle is wrong!"
Nanaka stood her ground, lecturing him seriously.
After a pause, her eyes suddenly wandered around.
"And, and, could you get up and put some clothes on first?"
"No, I'm doing this to show you my sincere intentions, both inside and out!"
"Hello, police? Yes, it's that pervert again, no, not at the school..." Kazuma voice cut in at the most inopportune moment.
"KAZUMA, YOU BASTARD" Kitahara Iori was furious, then immediately turned back to Nanaka,
"Nanaka-san, please agree! I'm a college student now, not a kid!"
"But even so, I can't agree to it. Your parents entrusted you to us, and I can't let you live such a degenerate life!" Nanaka shook her head firmly.
"But, i'm an adult!"
"No means no, and Iori, you must clean your room today!"
With that, Kitahara Iori request for a night out was ultimately and mercilessly denied.
...
"Hey, Iori, maybe you should just give up and not make our senpai angry."
In the room assigned to Kitahara Iori, Kazuma placed a hand on his shoulder, advising him earnestly.
"That's right, Iori. You've been out for three nights in a row. Just rest at home tonight. Kazuma and I will handle the party. Don't worry, we'll fight hard with your spirit in mind."
Imamura Kohei also placed a hand on Kitahara Iori other shoulder.
Although he wanted to put on a sincere and concerned expression, the gleeful smile on his face was impossible to hide.
"Get out of here, you two jerks!" Kitahara Iori irritably swatted away the two guys beside him.
Still.... resting at home?
Just the thought of himself tossing and turning at night while Kazuma and the others were out drinking with a group of female college students, having a blast, made him feel utterly miserable.
"So annoying! Before college, I was being controlled, and now in college, I'm still being controlled. What's the point of going to college then?"
"Are you saying you went to college just so no one could control you?" Kazuma Kiryuu retorted with a sigh.
"And isn't there a possibility that even after you graduate, or even after you die, you'll still be controlled?" Imamura Kohei added with a devilish whisper, delivering a ruthless blow.
Kitahara Iori, reminded of this, was furious: "Damn it! Both of you, shut up!"
Hearing this, Kazuma and Kohei exchanged a glance and then smiled knowingly.
"Sorry, Iori, if I could, I'd rather stay here with you tonight," Kazuma said, spreading his hands and leaning back slightly, looking helpless.
To everyone surprise, Iori actually pinched his chin, considering the feasibility of the proposal.
"Hey, Iori, you're not seriously thinking about this, are you?" Kazuma asked, half in disbelief.
Kitahara Iori didn't answer but instead scrutinized Kazuma, saying gravely,
"Hey Kazuma you really like Nanaka-san don't you?"
He admitted he had a bit of a crush on Nanaka, after all, she was good-looking and one of the few normal people he had met since coming here.
But he also knew very well that there was no chance between him and Nanaka, whereas Kazuma seemed at least somewhat suitable, like being able to afford a car while still in high school.
Of course, the most important point was that Kitahara Iori thought it was highly unlikely that Kazuma could win over Nanaka! (Giant smile.jpg)
However, just as he was calculating in his mind, he heard Kazuma say indifferently.
"I know what you're thinking, Iori, but I refuse!"
The Difference Between a Mature Man and a Pure Pervert
"Huh? Why? Didn't you suggest it?"
Kitahara Iori widened his eyes, seemingly shocked and puzzled by Kazuma response.
Kazuma glanced to the side, spreading his hands as he said, "I just mentioned it offhand, who knew you'd actually consider it."
"But, really, you won't reconsider? You like Nanaka-san, I want to go to the party, isn't this a win-win situation?"
"Sorry, I still refuse."
Kazuma stood firm.
He wasn't stupid; chasing after Nanaka, who was a severe sister-complex, was already quite difficult. Why would he risk exposing himself and being disliked by both sisters, making it even harder to pursue them?
"Iori, maybe you should just give up, after all, Nanaka has already said that much."
At this point, Tokita Shinji also chimed in to persuade.
They actually wanted Kitahara Iori to come along, but more than that, they didn't want to see him upset Nanaka over this.
However, regarding the matter of attending the party, Kitahara Iori was clearly more persistent than they had thought.
"Absolutely not! I, Kitahara Iori, am definitely going to tonight's gathering. Not even Jesus can stop me!"
The remaining four exchanged glances, and then Kotobuki, as the representative, voiced the question on everyone's mind.
"Can I ask what's got you so fired up?"
"It's a bit embarrassing to say," Kitahara Iori sat cross-legged, his fingertips pressed together in front of his chest, his eyes downcast as he spoke with a deep tone.
"It's sexual desire."
"OK, understood. After all, you came from an all-boys high school. You're the kind of pitiful virgin who'd get excited even at the sight of a female cow."
Kazuma nodded slightly, wearing an 'I get it' expression as he spoke.
"Damn it! It's not like that at all! Apologize to all the guys from all-boys high schools across the country, you jerk!"
Kitahara Iori was frantic, clearly hit where it hurt by Kazuma.
Unfortunately, Kazuma didn't bother with him anymore and instead looked directly at Imamura Kohei.
"How about you, Kohei? We already know why Iori is so insistent on going. What about you? From what I see, you don't seem like the type to be interested in real-life college girls, right?"
Suddenly called out, Imamura Kohei instinctively paused for a moment before explaining.
"Well, it's because Iori mentioned there might be high school girls and little sister types there."
"And that's why you're going?" Kazuma was speechless. It seems only idiots can be friends with idiots.
Imamura Kohei nodded: "Yes, I admit there's an element of gambling involved."
"Then you've probably lost the bet. It's obvious there won't be any high school girls in a university. Little sister types might exist, but they're not going to become your actual sisters, nor will they step on you with their white socks while tsundere-ly calling you 'big brother.'"
Kazuma mercilessly poured cold water on his hopes. By the time he finished, Imamura Kohei expression had turned extremely serious.
He stiffly turned his head to look at Tokita Shinji and Kotobuki Ryujiro, one hand clutching his chest, and asked with a mix of anxiety and the last shred of hope,
"Really, there isn't any?"
"Nope," Tokita Shinji replied immediately.
Imamura Kohei: "..."
Imamura Kohei: "Damn it! Iori, you jerk, you tricked me again! Die!"
While tears of despair streamed down his face, Imamura Kohei shouted and lunged at Kitahara Iori.
"Who tricked you? Did I ever say there definitely was? And you just admitted you were gambling on it!"
Caught off guard and pinned down, Kitahara Iori struggled to retort, then turned his head to look at Kazuma, who was calmly watching the scene, and tried to shift the blame by asking,
"And Kazuma, you asked us why we wanted to go, but what about you? Why do you want to participate?"
"Wasn't it you guys who pushed me into it?" Kazuma Smirked.
"Ah, this..."
The two who were wrestling suddenly stopped, their expressions turning awkward and unnatural.
Well, it seems, probably, that's exactly how it was...
...
"Ahem, let's get back to the main issue. How exactly can I get Nanaka-san to let me go out tonight? Everyone, please speak freely."
Kitahara Iori cleared his throat and performed another skilled bow.
"Wow, Iori, you're really go this far to just go to a party," Kazuma teased.
"About that, I don't have any good ideas at the moment. Maybe we should start by cleaning up the room? Didn't Nanaka also tell you to tidy up?"
Kotobuki Ryujiro glanced around the room cluttered with cardboard boxes and suggested.
Hearing this, Kitahara Iori sat back up, also scanning the room, and hesitantly said,
"But just that probably won't be enough..."
"Is that so?" Kotobuki Ryujiro narrowed his eyes, his gaze suddenly sharpening. "Then you'll need a room that showcases the spirit of a self-reliant man."
"Huh?"
"Really, there's no other way," Tokita Shinji suddenly stood up, spreading his muscular arms, and said,
"For the sake of our adorable junior being able to attend the gathering, let this senior lend you a hand."
"That's right, let us reliable seniors help you clean up a room that proves Iori has become a mature man."
Kotobuki Ryujiro shifted to a squatting position, extending a hand toward Kitahara Iori as he spoke.
"Senpai!" Kitahara Iori eyes welled up with emotion.
Not just him, even Imamura Kohei beside him seemed to be affected by the buff.
Only Kazuma, the manga artist, felt something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"That's it, you three leave the room immediately. We'll notify you once we've cleaned it up, and then you can bring Nanaka over."
With those words, the three freshmen were ushered out of the room.
Then, as if snapping out of the strange buff state, Kitahara Iori pinched his chin and said gravely,
"By the way, is it really okay to leave it to them?"
"It should be fine. Just now, the seniors seemed pretty reliable," Imamura Kohei pondered.
Kazuma glanced back at the tightly shut door and after a moment of thought, he spoke up,
"Anyway, let's trust the two seniors for now."
"That's true."
...
More than ten minutes later, Kazuma and the others, having been notified by Tokita Shinji, returned to Iori room.
"Huh? Why are only you two here? Where's Iori?"
Seeing that only Kazuma and Kohei had returned, the two were somewhat puzzled.
"He went to call Kotegawa-senpai," Kazuma replied with a rather peculiar tone and expression.
"By the way, seniors, what's with this room?" Imamura Kohei also had a rather subtle expression.
"Oh~ this? What do you think? Doesn't it just scream 'mature man's room'?" Kotobuki asked with great pride and satisfaction.
"Yeah, it's definitely mature," Kazuma said.
The room was filled with various adult magazines, posters, and other such items, covering the walls and floor, leaving no space untouched.
Rather than a mature man's room, it was more like a room of a purebred pervert.
Muttering this in his heart, Kazuma then added,
"But seniors, I think there's still something missing here."
"Oh? What's missing?"
"........"
"Oh ho, Kazuma, you really know your stuff! That's indeed something we overlooked!"