276: How Can You Date Them?

"Actually, I get some advice from my friends about my secret love." 

Just use the classic 'I have a friend...' sentence structure, and as long as she's careful not to give herself away, she can easily get a lot of useful suggestions.

So, this is just secondary. 

"Senior, the greatest help you can offer me is to stay by my side like you are now, so I can experience what a real date feels like. "

"That way, when I ask my senior out in the future, I won't feel nervous or hesitant."

"In short, something like a rehearsal?"

"That's right, exactly. Senior, it's great that you understand. If you had misunderstood and confessed to me like you did just now, it would have been really troublesome." 

"I wouldn't even know how to reject you properly."

The room was an eerie escape room, its atmosphere thick with an overwhelming chill from the air conditioning and dim lighting. 

The decor was unsettling—ghost masks, broken umbrellas, bizarre paintings—all carefully placed to heighten the tension.

Iroha stood close beside Chisato, their voices low as they spoke.

Chisato held a manual provided by the Haunted House Experience Hall. It contained descriptions of the different themed rooms and some precautionary notes.

The tickets had already been bought. 

Earlier, Iroha had walked up to the front desk with surprising confidence, claiming that since she was the one asking for Chisato's help, she would naturally cover the cost.

There had been no problem—until now.

As they waited in the lounge for the previous group to finish their experience, Chisato noticed that Iroha was inching closer to him with every passing moment. 

From her expression—eyes darting uneasily around the room—it was clear that this wasn't some calculated move; she was genuinely nervous.

If she was already like this in the waiting area, what would she be like inside the haunted house? 

Chisato didn't even want to imagine.

"I think I get what you mean, but if you're this scared, why not choose a place you're more comfortable with for your practice run? Like a karaoke room or a movie theater?"

That was what she got for acting on impulse after spotting the haunted house sign earlier.

Iroha grumbled internally, but on the surface, she simply waved a hand dismissively.

"Senior, don't you think a haunted house is much better for closing the distance between two people than the places you mentioned?"

"That's true, but only if you're not afraid your crush will develop a bad impression of you after seeing your embarrassing reactions."

"Senior Hayama isn't that kind of person."

"So after all this talking, I finally get to know the name of your crush—Hayama."

Chisato let out a small sigh.

Iroha clarified further,

"Hayama is his last name. His full name is Hayama Hayato. When I first entered school, I thought he was really handsome." 

"That's why I specifically joined his soccer club as a manager—to get closer to him and have more opportunities to interact."

"I see, you've really put in the effort. I hope my help makes a difference. Good luck."

"I will!"

Iroha clenched her fist.

Deep down, she felt a quiet relief. 

Ever since they left the restaurant, her intuition had been telling her that Chisato was somewhat suspicious of her. His gaze had been subtly different.

But after what she just said, that uneasy feeling finally dissipated.

So far, everything has gone smoothly. 

Not only had she closed the distance between herself and Chisato, but she had also successfully used her fabricated love troubles as a way to tie them together.

She hadn't forgotten her true purpose. And from such close proximity, she could sense the sharp mind hidden beneath Chisato's gentle demeanor.

"By the way, Senior."

"Hm?"

"What you said before—about dating two girls at the same time—that was a joke, right?"

Iroha asked cautiously, closely observing Chisato's reaction.

"It's true. I wasn't joking."

Chisato replied casually, his attention still fixed on the booklet in his hands.

"But… that's just too strange."

"How is it strange? People are free to love as they please."

"But… dating two people at the same time—no matter how you look at it, isn't that something against the law?"

"…"

Chisato finally shifted his gaze away from the booklet and turned to face Iroha.

"What… what did I say wrong? I should be right."

"There are plenty of things that are against the law, yet crimes still happen every day. Besides, this is just a matter of mutual feelings between men and women." 

"There's no law prohibiting it. That said, why are you suddenly so interested in me?"

Faced with Chisato's playful gaze, Iroha, who had already prepared her response, showed no hesitation.

"Anyone would be curious after hearing something like that."

"You want to know how I dated Utaha and Eriri at the same time?"

Iroha immediately shook her head.

"I'm not the type to pry into other people's love lives. What I really care about is you, Senior Suzumiya."

"Me?"

"Well… how should I put it? Senior Suzumiya, you are indeed very handsome and charming, but I feel like that alone wouldn't be enough to make those two girls willing to stay by your side peacefully…"

The real test was about to begin.

Iroha kept her tone as casual as possible, as if they were merely discussing academics.

"So I was wondering—did you use some extraordinary method that no one else had thought of?" 

"Something that made them accept the existence of another person willingly… or something like that?"

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