It was the next day.
I went home after the Librarian chased me out of the library.
She looked timid but when she slammed me with like three thick books at once, I knew that wasn't the case.
I didn't get to see what happened there nor even stay to wait for Najimi since there were a lot of student council correctors chasing after him.
My appearance got labeled as a pervert, and so I had no choice but to run out and go home.
It was kind of fun being chased, but they were calling me a pervert and a degenerate.
I changed my mind. It wasn't fun.
Najimi: [We're walking. Again.]
Najimi spoke as soon as he stepped out of their veranda's gates, and with the servants only bowing down before his departure, they all waved him goodbye.
Mendou: [Huh? You seem different. Oh, you have your lunch.]
As I thought that something was different about him, Najimi was carrying a lunch box today.
It seems like he doesn't want to eat in the cafeteria anymore.
Maybe it was because he did a bold move by talking to Hoshoujo in public, but I doubt that they'd remember now that I was there and did a show everyone would remember.
Though, I just shouted in a cafeteria, something like that never happens in a prestigious school.
Since it'd either result in instant expulsion or suspension, I did risk my position despite my disguise.
And so, I am laying low.
Najimi: [...You look dumb.]
Mendou: [——What the heck you on about?]
I was wearing my very "Mendou Kotaro" clothesline to make an impression that I was different from that four-eyed lolicon in the rumors.
Mendou: [Anyways. What happened yesterday? I'm sorry I didn't go home with you, right?]
I tried to apologize casually as I tapped the table with my finger. I can't help it since I just risked myself helping them out. I was like basically asking for compensation here.
Najimi: [...It went well. I told you that I'd tell you my answer there.]
Mendou: [Well, I wasn't there. How am I supposed to know?]
Najimi: [Here...]
He suddenly pulled a phone out of his pocket, and on the screen was a video of them in the library.
It was very shaky and was filmed from behind the shelf.
Both Najimi and Hoshoujo were there, still sitting at the library study table. However...
Najimi: [Hoshoujo-san. Go out with me.]
??: [——Kyaa!]
It was after that line that the camera fell and stopped recording.
Maybe it was just me but I heard the librarian's voice shriek silently at the end before it was cut off.
Mendou: [W-Wait... Where did you even get this from?]
I nervously chuckled as I asked. This wasn't his phone nor something he would film himself.
Najimi: [I bought it from the Librarian.]
——I freaking knew it.
Mendou: [H-How much?]
Najimi: [I gave her 5 Million——]
Mendou: [——THAT'S BLACKMAILING!!]
I could only slap my face for being this careless. Though he bought it for such a ridiculous price, that was blackmailing for ransom.
Najimi: [Hmm? No. I paid her to film us just in case I forget.]
Mendou: [Waa. That's a lot to process.]
That 5 seconds video was taken very poorly for 5 million. Maybe I should give this guy a sense of how to spend money reasonably.
Paid, film, forget.
Those are the three words I never thought I'd hear from him.
He paid that amount just to—thinking about it just makes me crazy. He's rich and five million could be easily regained in a month.
Mendou: [In any case, I still don't know her answer. Wanna do honors to tell me what she said?]
I thought I could tease this guy into blushing but he just made a straight face looking at me.
I'm even really wondering if this guy is human with all this.
Najimi: [Yes... she said...]
Mendou: [...said what?]
He trailed off of his own words. He was looking at me, and then, the next thing I knew, Hoshoujo was right beside our table, standing.
Hoshoujo: [I said, yes.]
Mendou: [Wha——?!]
She just appeared out of nowhere! What's up with people suddenly showing up at unexpected times?!
But more importantly——!
Mendou: [Eeeeh?!]
❊❈❊❈❊❊❈❊❈❊
It was half an hour before classes would start again.
We walked out of the cafeteria and went to the library where there were fewer people, and to my surprise, they invited me in as well to the table where they sat yesterday.
I was on the other side, while both of them sat beside each other, with a bit of distance between them.
Mendou: [——So, why am I here?]
The last memory I had in this place was being chased by the librarian away and some students.
I'm trying to keep a low profile here, goddammit.
Hoshoujo: [So, you are his childhood friend?]
Mendou: [Yeah. You better remember my name, Mendou Kotaro, Najimi's number one childhood friend! Please take care of my buddy here!]
I proudly introduced myself to her, but most importantly, I was relieved now that my friend has someone else that I can leave with.
I took and shook her hands out of impulse as I was thankful but her face turned and looked at me with a scary look.
Hoshoujo: [Please don't touch me or you will get hurt.]
Mendou: [——Eeek! Scary!]
Ayo, this girl had a nasty look. I don't know but I felt like she was just a little bit concerned about my well-being.
Maybe it's my instincts telling me that she's crazy dangerous?!
——I can feel eyes from everywhere.
Hoshoujo: [T-There are a lot of them. They are always watching me.]
Mendou: [——Eh? Who?]
Slowly but surely, she placed both of her hands on the table as she timidly spoke.
She said something about people watching her. She's aware of it, the eyes around us that I can't seem to pinpoint where.
Najimi: [It's her servants. She told me she's been monitored 24/7 since the first day.]
Mendou: [...]
Najimi: [Not only that, most of the girls that she tried to talk to was investigated thoroughly and were interrogated if they had no ill intentions.]
Mendou: [SO THAT'S WHY!?]
So that's why she's having hard time-making friends. They were all scared shitless before they could even have a chance to know her!
Mendou: [Well, what about the guys?]
Najimi: [Well... she told me some confessed to her on the first day but they immediately transferred school the next day.]
That does not sound good at all. It's not a coincidence nor an emotional setback. They're threatening the students——.
I thought that Najimi would be the only one whose parents are also eccentric to not allow him to know about romance.
While on the other hand, Hoshoujo is being deprived of her interactions as a human being.
That's terrible. But...
Mendou: [Aren't you supposed to be dead then?]
Najimi: [You're terrible, Kotaro. I'm still alive of course.]
I asked him that, but, weirdly, he hasn't received some kind of hit from Hoshoujo's bodyguards.
Was it a coincidence? Or maybe the guy who confessed to Hoshoujo was just too heartbroken to stay? Nah, that can't be it.
Mendou: [So, Hoshoujo's bodyguards didn't see what happened yesterday?]
Najimi: [Oh. They did.]
Mendou: [And...?]
Hoshoujo: [They can't hurt him.]
What? Is Najimi some kind of OP character all this time to be invisible against her bodyguards?
From what I saw before they looked like people from the mafia ready to pull out guns.
Mendou: [Why?]
Najimi: [Because of a condition.]
A bet? That sounds interesting, but if it involves humans and their way of life, that's somehow messed up.
Najimi: [We were fixed into a marriage, but after something happened, our parents decided to bet on something instead and split us up.]
Hoshoujo: [So, about you being the number one childhood friend. That's not true, because I was the first friend he made.]
Mendou: [I see. I see. This is the first I'm hearing this because SOMEONE didn't even bother telling me!]
Najimi: [Oh about that. I forgot. Tee-hee.]
Mendou: [DON'T YOU TEE-HEE ME YOU IDIOT!]
Maybe he was right. I'm a violent friend and I was about to embrace that truth just now.
Anyways, if they were the first to be friends, that means by the time Najimi became friends with me, could be also the time when he was split up with Hoshoujo.
Mendou: [So, what was the condition all about?]
Najimi: [When we split, our parents agreed to never meet again or be involved with each other. They broke us up that day.]
Mendou: [...That's sad.]
To think that both of them were already a thing back then.
Hoshoujo: [My parents paid a settlement of half a billion dollars just to keep them quiet.]
Mendou: [——That's expensive?! J-Just for a settlement?!]
Najimi: [Yes. But, my parents didn't accept it. They said they can't promise to be able to stop me as it was their agreement, not ours.]
Najimi looked at Hoshoujo with somewhat passionate eyes. His words resonated with hers.
I don't know but I feel awkward being on the other side of this. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
All I could do is accept my fate.
Hoshouho: [Yes. We are going to rebel against our parents and you will help us.]
Apparently, somehow, fate is about to turn for the most thrilling part of it.