Chapter 404: The Girls' Representative Raids the Café (Patreon)

"Hm? You were shouting 'date, date' nonstop a minute ago, and now you can't handle me fixing your hair a little?"

"Who told you to be so lethal to women, Jhin-nii?" Chisato tightened her grip on his right hand, their fingers interlaced. She had been a little happy when the clerk asked if they were a couple, but the way the girl asked for his contact info right after Jhin denied it had really annoyed her.

I get that Jhin-nii buying twenty-some outfits at once made you happy, but did you really have to ask him for his contact info? I'm standing right here!

Since the brown round-toe leather shoes Chisato had on didn't go with her dress, Jhin took her to a shoe store as well. After a brief look at the styles, she picked a pair of navy canvas shoes. Her reasoning was that the walk back was long and heels would wear out her feet, while canvas shoes were perfect.

Once production of the personal terminals had increased, all the girls got their hands on the high-tech device. They also understood that something this far ahead of its time shouldn't draw attention, so everyone used theirs quietly.

Having the personal terminals look after the girls' safety was a good thing, but it came with a downside: Jhin's private chat channel was constantly stuck at 99+ messages. Some people even sent him sexy photos that showed nothing explicit, and that meant Amane Suou, the thirsty lech who was getting restless again.

On top of that, Jhin had disabled the cognitive interference function on most of the personal terminals. He didn't want the girls causing trouble with it. Only three terminals kept the function: Kyaru's, Kokkoro's, and Kazami Kazuki's.

The moment Chisato got back to the café, she couldn't wait to show off her new clothes to everyone else. "Jhin-nii picked these out for me himself! They look great, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, they look great. One outfit and you're this thrilled." Kurumi waved her off impatiently, signaling her to stop hovering around and getting in the way of her game.

"Chisato, where's the food we bought?" Takina cared more about other matters.

"It's in the storage space. I'll go put it away in the storeroom."

Makina Irisu sat primly at the counter, so quiet it didn't seem like her. Jhin walked over and patted her little head. "Why so quiet today?"

"Oh, um, I was thinking about what I should ask Big Brother to cook for me at lunch." She kept her head down, her eyes darting guiltily in every direction.

"Then think it over carefully. These outfits are yours." Jhin didn't notice anything odd about her. He turned and draped several children's outfits over Kurumi's head. "You get some too."

What do I do... I think I've messed up big time.

Makina Irisu glanced at the [Mihama Academy Girls' Group Chat], where the chat log was already a complete mess. She sniffled her little nose and blinked her big, cute eyes.

Maybe... I should run back before Big Brother finds out?

The group chat looked ready to charge the café at any moment. She hopped down from her chair at once and announced loudly, "Big Brother, I just remembered I haven't done this week's homework! I'm going back to catch up!"

"Oh? Why not head back after lunch?"

"N-no need." Makina Irisu wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and refused with great difficulty. She could still tell which mattered more, her life or a meal. "Homework is more important."

"Be careful on the way."

"Mm-hm, I'm off!"

She shot out of the café at a speed that would have made Usain Bolt blush, leaving Jhin thoroughly baffled.

Did Amane threaten her with something again to make her go back and do her homework?

Kazami Kazuki didn't step in to stop the chaos in the girls' chat. In her view, they were simply a little upset that Jhin had been staying at the café for so long. Venting now and then was necessary, and it did no real harm.

Since it was impossible for everyone to rush over to the café, they discussed it and decided to send three representatives: Pecorine, Kato Megumi, and Sachi Komine. Their destination was Café LycoReco.

"Why do I have to go..."

Eriri gripped Kato Megumi's shoulder and said earnestly, "Megumi, you'll be the supervisor! You have to make sure those two don't take Jhin's side just because of their relationship with him!"

"In that case, couldn't you or Utaha go in my place?"

"I... it's not really convenient for me. I've got some things to do, and that lazy Kasumigaoka definitely can't be bothered to move."

"But I think this kind of thing is a hassle."

Eriri pressed her palms together and pleaded, "Just push through it a little, okay? I'll treat you to something afterward."

"Fine. I want the mousse cake Jhin made."

"Ugh... how did you know about that?" There really was a mousse cake in her room that he had made with his own hands.

Did Megumi see it when I brought it back?

It hurt to part with it, but Eriri gritted her teeth and agreed. "No problem!"

The three representatives left the student dorm together. Only then did Kasumigaoka Utaha stroll out from around the stairwell corner. With a teasing smile, she asked Eriri, "You seem awfully concerned about the adoptive little sister Jhin keeps in the basement."

"Hmph, none of your business."

"Sawamura-san, the person you were chatting with earlier wasn't Jhin, was it?"

"It was. We were just talking about a bit of work."

Kasumigaoka Utaha obviously wasn't going to buy such a blatant brush-off. "Stop lying. Nobody gets that happy, with that goofy look on her face, just from talking about work."

"Huh?" Eriri touched her cheek and asked back in surprise, "Did I look happy back then?"

"You really were talking about work?" Kasumigaoka Utaha was thrown off. Eriri's astonishment didn't look like an act.

"What else would it be?"

"What kind of work makes you grin like a creepy old man who just spotted a schoolgirl's panties?"

"You're the creepy old man!" Eriri snapped back, then flicked her golden twin tails and stalked off.

Honestly, if we're talking creepy-old-man smiles, Sagiri fits that much better.

Remembering the other girl's pervert mode, with her eyes gleaming and her breath coming in heavy pants, Eriri shivered.

It's probably best not to meet her in person.

…

"Mmm~" Pecorine stretched in the warm spring sunshine. The pair of ripe fruits on her chest stood out even more under the Mihama Academy uniform, and Kato Megumi, walking beside her, silently marveled.

So this is the strength a foreign princess builds up on countless nutrients?

Terrifying, simply terrifying!

Sachi Komine was far more direct. "Pecorine, what do you usually eat in the palace?"

"Just really ordinary food."

"Ordinary..." Kato Megumi couldn't hold back her retort. "You mean the kind of 'ordinary' that nobles think is totally normal, but is actually unbelievably expensive?"

Pecorine laughed and waved her hands. "No, no, it's really just what ordinary families eat."

"Then how did your chest get..."

"Ah... I can't really say, either. By the time I realized it would get in the way of swinging my sword, it was already this big."

In the end, the two of them could only chalk up her great figure to excellent genes.