Thump, thump, thump...
'Fleeing' the arcade with Rin Ito, Kaguya felt her heart pounding. This feeling of doing something unconventional and mischievous made Kaguya's heart race. It was the first time she had ever experienced such a feeling in her entire life.
Rin Ito continued to wander with Kaguya, taking her to experience things ordinary girls would do, such as visiting a pottery studio where physical contact was likely, or going to a dog café to pet dogs—things the sheltered young woman had never experienced.
"How was it? Was it fun? These are things ordinary girls do with their friends."
"Mhm." Kaguya nodded. "I didn't know before, but the lives of ordinary girls are so interesting. It's just...."
"Just what?"
"Just that we seem to be constantly followed."
Hearing Kaguya's words, Rin Ito immediately became alert. Followed? Could it be Kaguya's brothers trying to forcibly abduct her? Could it be that Kaguya's father couldn't keep them in check even before he died?
Just as Rin Ito was wondering, Kaguya continued.
"It's five girls."
"Five girls?" Rin Ito leaned close to Kaguya, picked up the camera hanging on her chest, and scrolled through the photos she had just taken. Sure enough, he saw four familiar figures: Kaede and Suzu, Nanami and Mashiro, and... Saki Yoshida?
Rin Ito barely recognized her after more than a month. In Rin Ito's memory, she was still the plain girl with braided hair who hunched over when she walked. Now... she had transformed so much that Rin Ito almost didn't recognize her.
Rin Ito's attention had been entirely focused on Kaguya earlier, but judging from Kaguya's photos, they seemed to have been following them for a while. It was normal to encounter them near their school, but... didn't they go out with their classmates!? Why are they stalking us!
Rin Ito abruptly turned his head and met Kaede's gaze.
Seeing that she had been spotted, Kaede no longer concealed herself and walked forward with Suzu. Mashiro wanted to step forward too but was firmly held back by Nanami and Saki Yoshida. Although Nanami knew Kaede had an interest in being cuckolded, running into Rin Ito on a date with another girl... Even if Kaede was interested, she would surely turn this into a battlefield for the sake of her girlfriend's reputation. So, it was better not to get involved!
However, contrary to Nanami's prediction, Kaede didn't act like a heroine catching her boyfriend cheating in a TV show or novel. Instead, she smiled at Rin Ito and Kaguya.
"Ms. Shinomiya, long time no see."
"Long time no see, Ms. Hoshizuki." Kaguya politely curtsied slightly.
"You two know each other?" Rin Ito raised an eyebrow.
"We met during the inter-academy event before. She's the Shuchiin Academy Student Council President." Kaede explained to Rin Ito, then pouted. "How did you two meet?"
Kaede was asking the obvious. Kaede knew not only Kaguya but also Ai Hayasaka. Kaede had seen Ai Hayasaka through the surveillance system and heard Kaguya's name when Ai Hayasaka was filming a video for Nao and Rin Ito. She even specifically asked Karen about it.
However, Karen's call to hurry Rin Ito wasn't Kaede's instruction. Karen just asked about Rin Ito's progress after chatting with Kaede. Meeting them today was a coincidence. They were originally out with a group of more than ten girls, with Kaede aiming to help Mashiro and Saki Yoshida make more friends. They happened to run into Rin Ito and Kaguya on a 'date.' Kaede initially intended to pretend not to recognize them, but among the friends she brought along were girls Kaede had previously introduced to Rin Ito at home, and Saki Yoshida didn't know about Kaede's interests.
Kaede had no choice but to ask the others to leave and then brace herself to approach them.
In response to Kaede's question, Kaguya scrutinized Kaede. She seems... a little jealous? Does she think I'm dating him? Heh heh heh... A jealous girl is truly cute.
"He was just showing me what ordinary girls' lives are like. And you...."
"We are just childhood friends." Kaede took Kaguya's hand. "Experiencing an ordinary girl's life with him, a man? I'll take you to experience an ordinary girl's life."
Kaguya looked at Rin Ito.
"Go play with Kaede, then."
Rin Ito didn't mind being interrupted, and besides... Kaede might even help.
"Mhm, ignore him. Let's go."
...
After handing Kaguya over to Kaede, Rin Ito took out his phone. The phone had been vibrating constantly for the entire morning and noon. If Rin Ito hadn't muted the notifications, people might have thought Rin Ito had a vibrator in his butt. Rin Ito hadn't had time to check the messages while he was with Kaguya. Now, he finally had a chance to see who had @ed him. In the morning, Rin Ito had simply asked about the progress, and Utaha and Eri Sawamura immediately started arguing.
Eri was mainly complaining about the slow progress of Utaha's script, and Utaha was shifting the blame, leading to a quarrel. In addition, there were messages from Misaki and Marin. During the party at Shigure's house, Rin Ito had promised Misaki a deflowering experience like the one in Eri Sawamura's explicit comic, and Marin wanted to cosplay as Shizuku-tan to experience what it felt like to be her. Both were urging Rin Ito.
It wasn't that Rin Ito didn't want to, but Eri Sawamura's comic was too extreme. Misaki had sent Rin Ito a comic where the heroine was tied to a public urinal and used as a toilet... While a toilet could be reluctantly substituted at home, who the hell has a urinal at home? And using a deserted public restroom wasn't feasible either... even if Misaki didn't mind the filth, Rin Ito did.
Just as Rin Ito was trying to get Misaki to choose a different comic for her experience, he saw Eri Sawamura suggest in the group chat that she had a small vacation villa in the mountains nearby. She proposed a retreat where Rin Ito would supervise them. They wouldn't be allowed to leave until the script was finished and the drawings were done.
What the hell... is Eri Sawamura planning to draw?
She just wants to throw a party!
However, Eri Sawamura had reminded Rin Ito that throwing a party in a populated area was difficult, but it would be much easier in a deserted place. Eri Sawamura's villa was in a remote mountain area. Remote, but not necessarily deserted. If there was nothing around, why would Eri Sawamura's family build a villa there?
To find a truly deserted place, he would probably have to ask Karen. Thinking of this, Rin Ito immediately contacted Karen to ask if she knew of a similar location. Karen quickly replied. Rin Ito's messages had a special notification sound on Karen's phone.
Karen: [Yes, I do.]
Karen: [My family recently developed a hotel complex on a seaside archipelago that hasn't opened yet.]
Karen: [If Master needs to borrow it, just let me know anytime. I can arrange anything you need.]
Rin Ito: [I haven't decided yet. It mainly depends on where Eri Sawamura and the others want to go. I'll create a group chat for you all later.]