274: He’s a Scumbag

This was not the handmade biscuit made by Iroha. 

The original one, after she experienced the dream of revealing the truth, had been crushed into a ball in a fit of frustration and thrown into the trash can.

The gift she was now offering in person was a new batch, made after she had confirmed her future actions.

In Japanese schools, when girls give handmade gifts to boys, it carries the hidden meaning of expressing favorable feelings.

For example, handmade chocolates, handmade biscuits, gloves, and scarves knitted personally all share the same implication.

Two people who were originally unfamiliar with each other would gradually grow closer through the act of exchanging gifts.

If things progressed smoothly, it would naturally lead to a youthful romance.

As part of the process of growing up, this period of rose-colored youth, when properly nurtured, could be refined into something solemn and profound—strong love. 

It was not entirely impossible for both parties to eventually step into marriage through this path.

Now, Iroha no longer harbored the same admiration for Chisato as she once did, yet she still did, in a way.

She was willing to call this move a form of deception, creating the illusion that she still had a fondness for Chisato, thereby making him lower his guard and reducing his vigilance toward her.

However, after staring at her for two seconds, Chisato did not reach out to take the pack of cookies. 

Instead, he gently pushed it back.

Facing Iroha's expression of slight disbelief at this unexpected turn, he spoke softly.

"Thank you for your kindness, but sorry, I can't accept it."

Iroha's idea may have worked on most men, but Chisato was an exception.

She couldn't quite guess his thought process at this moment, but from beginning to end, his stance had not wavered.

That was—to maintain the simplest possible relationship with Iroha, where they remained mere acquaintances and nothing more, without any unexpected developments.

His life was already complicated enough. 

Not only did he have to navigate the delicate balance of coexisting harmoniously with the beautiful women around him, but he also had to constantly think about ways to improve his financial situation. 

Given all that, when faced with Iroha's handmade biscuits, his only choice was to seriously decline.

There was nothing wrong with her wanting his contact information, and nothing wrong with needing to meet up to discuss an issue.

However, all of this had to remain strictly within the boundaries of their current roles.

Any sign that threatened to change the status quo—Chisato would crush it without hesitation.

Iroha looked into Chisato's serious eyes, and her heart sank.

Why hadn't she noticed it before? This guy had absolutely no sense of gentlemanly manners.

Who rejects a girl's goodwill so bluntly? These were cookies, not something suspicious.

"Do you think the cookies I made are inedible?"

Iroha pouted in indignation, unwilling to back down.

If he wouldn't even accept a small gift from her, that undoubtedly meant that getting close to him and understanding his plans would be far more difficult than she had anticipated.

"No."

Chisato shook his head.

"The biscuits you made look good. The problem lies with me." 

"You saw it yourself that day at the supermarket—those two girls who were with me actually have a closer relationship with me than you might think." 

"If I were to bring your cookies home, they might overthink it. I don't want that to happen."

So that was the reason.

This was a kind of rejection that Iroha had never even considered.

From this perspective, Senior Suzumiya in real life seemed quite... devoted.

What nonsense! He clearly said "two girls" just now!

He had said it himself, so it must be true!

Still, Iroha wanted confirmation.

"Closer than I thought... Don't tell me—"

"Yes, I'm dating them."

Chisato nodded calmly.

The neighbors in the apartment across from him probably already knew this, and Iroha, who was close to him, had likely heard rumors and made some guesses.

In that case, there was no need to hide it.

He actually admitted it so shamelessly...

Flirtatious guy! Stinking scumbag!

Iroha gritted her teeth hatefully, her conviction strengthening.

If this guy hadn't used some underhanded tricks, how could two girls willingly maintain a relationship with him while being unaware of a third party?

This wasn't ancient times! The era of polygamy had long since passed!

With that in mind, the plan she had previously considered became even more necessary.

Not only did she have to expose this guy's sinister and cunning side, but she also had to prevent those two girls from repeating her own past mistakes. 

And when they learned the truth and were wracked with guilt—oh, how satisfying that moment would be!

Iroha's resolve gradually solidified.

But no matter how much she thought about it, she still had to give an appropriate response in this moment.

A normal person's first reaction to hearing such words would naturally be—

"Pfft, you're really good at joking—two people at the same time?"

Iroha patted Chisato's arm playfully, laughing in a carefree and lighthearted manner.

This was exactly how a normal person would react upon hearing something like that. But sometimes, the more natural and prepared a reaction is, the more real it appears.

Chisato studied Iroha's expression for a moment. Only when she started feeling slightly uncomfortable under his gaze did he finally look away.

He said nothing else and silently continued eating the last bite of his burger.

Iroha quietly observed him before pushing the cookies toward him once again.

"Honestly, whether you're joking or not, it has nothing to do with me. I have no ulterior motives. I just thought you might like to try them."

"Try them?"

Chisato blinked, his dark eyes filled with doubt.

"If you just want someone to try them, there are plenty of people around you—your parents, your friends..."

"My parents aren't suitable. Since they're family, their opinions would be biased. Also, almost all of my friends are girls, so their evaluations wouldn't be reliable either."

"Just for a taste test? What does that have to do with gender?"

"Of course it matters!"

As she spoke, Iroha's voice rose slightly, and she unconsciously leaned forward. Her sparkling eyes moved in closer to Chisato.

Caught off guard, Chisato instinctively leaned backward—only to hit his head against the seat's backrest with a soft "thud."

"Ah..."

Iroha suddenly realized how close they had gotten and quickly retreated. Looking down at the biscuits in her hands, her ears turned red with embarrassment.

Chisato said nothing, merely adjusting his posture.

The inexplicable atmosphere lingered, making the air between them feel slightly stifling.

"Why me?"

In the end, it was the thick-skinned Chisato who broke the silence.

"Ah… Well, it's because… I want to get an objective evaluation from a boy."

Iroha's answer still didn't fully explain her reasoning.

Chisato remained silent, sipping his cola while giving her a look that said, 'Go on, I'm listening.'

Iroha hadn't anticipated this situation, but she quickly came up with an excuse.

She was a teenage girl, and that gave her a natural advantage in many things.

If a boy wanted to get closer to a girl, and the girl deliberately avoided him, he would likely give up before long—lest he be labeled a creep.

But as a girl, she had no such concerns.

Because… she is a girl.

And society was far more forgiving to girls.

Not to mention, Iroha had always been confident in her appearance and charm.

It was just a matter of coming up with a believable excuse.

"And this boy should be around my age... That way, he better satisfies the two attributes of being handsome and very popular among girls…" 

"I've been thinking about it, and Senior Suzumiya is the only one around me who met all the conditions..."

Iroha deliberately tightened her expression and finished these words intermittently.

Ignoring the subtle changes in Chisato's face, she finally held her left hand in front of her mouth, revealing the excellent reasoning she had come up with in the midst of battle.

"The reason for asking for such a thing is that you are very similar to a senior I am in love with right now... So I thought, maybe the advice you give me could help with the progress of my relationship… or something…"

After saying this, Iroha, with her head lowered, gently pinched the packaging of the cookies in front of her to distract herself from her shy and embarrassed mood, occasionally stealing glances at Chisato's reaction.

"What? You should have said this sooner."

Chisato pushed the meal tray in front of him, then reached out, took the bag of cookies from Iroha's hand, and placed it in front of him.

"Can I eat one now and tell you how it feels?"

"Of course!"

Iroha answered immediately.

Handmade cookies were just a tool—it didn't matter whether they were eaten now or taken home. 

The important thing was getting along smoothly with Chisato.

Thanks to her efforts to salvage the situation, everything was finally back on track!

"But shouldn't this kind of love-related discussion be something a group of girls gathers to talk about together?"

Chisato said as he unwrapped the package, picked up a cookie, and took a bite.

"Senior, you know very well."

"There are similar plots in comics or TV series."

"Yes, but this situation doesn't suit me. Compared to advice from my friends, who have no experience in love, I think your suggestions would be more useful. Besides..."

Iroha took a deep breath, her face flushing. The moment her eyes met Chisato's, which were constantly glancing at her, she quickly averted her gaze.

"I have so much in common with you, senior. It just feels like I can trust you more."

After she spoke these words, which she had hidden deep inside, the scene she had expected did not unfold.

Chisato didn't respond in any particularly special way—he simply nodded slightly as if to say, 'That's how it is,' before casually shifting his gaze away and picking up a second cookie.

Crunch.

The sound of handmade cookies being bitten into was crisp and clear.

Chisato's chewing movements slowed from time to time, and he occasionally furrowed her brows slightly, giving off the impression that he was seriously evaluating the cookies.

Iroha suddenly felt a slight tightness in her chest.

Although Chisato was tasting the cookies as requested, for some reason, she felt uneasy.

"The cookies taste good, but they're a bit too sweet. If the senior you like doesn't have a strong preference for sweet things, it would be best to use less sugar next time."

Chisato wiped the crumbs from his fingertips with a tissue and gave an objective assessment.

"Got it, I understand..."

After Iroha responded, the unease in her heart unexpectedly deepened.

Chisato finished off his Coke in one go.

"So, you asked me out just for this?"

"…"

Iroha lightly touched her chin but quickly shook her head instead.

"Actually, I haven't told anyone about my feelings. Besides me, you're the first person to know!"

Before she realized it, she was no longer afraid of getting close to Chisato.

Chisato leaned back against the transparent floor-to-ceiling window, unsure of how to respond for a moment. 

After some hesitation, he replied dryly, "...I'm honored."

But this was not the response Iroha had been hoping for, and she couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.

"Senior, although we haven't known each other for long, we did go through that kind of thing together." 

"It's only natural for us to call each other partners. In reality, we should be able to get along as friends, right?"

"...Yes."

Chisato looked into Iroha's large, watery eyes and couldn't bring himself to give any other answer.

"When friends encounter problems, they naturally help each other, right?"

"...Yes."

"Then... Senior, can you help me? As my love instructor, please continue to give me advice until I finally win over the senior I like."

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