Chapter 89: Social Talent Maximized (BONUS)

It was Friday after school.

The day of the Occult Research Club's first official activity.

This island trip was planned for three days and two nights.

So instead of leaving on Saturday, they were setting off tonight.

To make things easier, everyone had packed their bags a day in advance.

Since the club members lived in different places, the task of picking everyone up fell to the event's organizer—Shinomiya Kaguya.

Naturally, Kaguya had also arranged the boat to Tsukikage Island.

After arriving home, Ren grabbed his prepared luggage and stepped outside.

As he took the elevator down to the lobby, a large RV pulled up in front of him.

The side door of the RV opened, revealing a storage compartment filled with neatly arranged suitcases.

Without hesitation, Ren placed his luggage inside and climbed into the vehicle.

Inside, the RV was already full.

Nearly all the Occult Research Club members had arrived.

Ren was the last one.

Everyone had changed out of their school uniforms and into casual clothes.

But something felt… off.

Except for him, every single person in the RV was a girl.

And now, he had to figure out where to sit.

There were plenty of seats, but somehow, every empty one seemed claimed.

It was as if he was being evaluated.

Like he was choosing a concubine.

After surveying the situation, Ren finally made his choice.

He sat next to Fujiwara Chika.

"Hey! Did Amamiya choose me?"

"…"

Hearing her excitement, Ren instantly realized.

This entire seating arrangement was a setup.

"Why are all the seats taken?"

"You guys didn't make a bet on my choice, did you?"

The girls all averted their gazes.

"So… who bet that I'd sit next to Fujiwara?"

Silence.

Everyone looked at each other.

And no one seemed to remember placing that bet.

"No one bet on me"

Fujiwara pouted, visibly upset.

"Most people thought you'd sit next to Sonoko."

"Some bet on you sitting next to Kaguya… but no one bet on me!"

Still sulking, Fujiwara turned to Ren with a curious look.

"Why did you choose to sit next to me, Amamiya?"

Ren hesitated briefly before giving a simple answer.

"I figured I wouldn't feel as reserved sitting next to you."

"I'd probably feel… a bit uncomfortable sitting next to someone else."

Silence.

Then—

"Pfft!"

The girls all tried to stifle their laughter.

Wait a minute.

So, Amamiya felt uncomfortable around other girls.

But not around Fujiwara Chika?

Didn't that basically mean… he didn't see her as someone to be nervous around?

Realizing the implication, Fujiwara's eyes widened in shock.

Just moments ago, she had been sulking about being ignored.

Now, all her frustration was redirected at Amamiya.

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Amamiya, do you not see me as a girl?!"

Ren glanced at Fujiwara, meeting her glare head-on.

"No, you're obviously a girl."

"But when I'm around you, I don't feel like I have to be as careful as I do with other girls."

"To put it simply… you give off an approachable vibe."

Ren was being completely honest.

For some reason, Fujiwara felt easier to talk to than most people.

With other girls, he felt the need to be more cautious.

But with Fujiwara, there was none of that tension.

"Eh? Do I really give off that kind of vibe?"

Fujiwara looked at herself, then at Kaguya.

Objectively speaking, she was more feminine than Kaguya.

So it wasn't about appearance.

That meant Amamiya had based his opinion on something else entirely, her personality.

And that was strange.

I never thought I was the 'approachable' type…

"Oh! That actually makes sense!"

Sonoko was the first to jump in.

"Chika does have that weird effect on people."

"I could talk to her normally the first time we met."

"And the same thing happened with our Ice Queen."

She nodded toward Kaguya.

"She's famous for being cold and unapproachable at Shuchi'in."

"But Chika? She's the only person who can talk to her like a normal friend."

"Even though Kaguya acts friendly, most people can still tell she's secretly an Ice Queen."

Sonoko then glanced at Kaguya's expression.

Which had noticeably darkened.

"And, well… Ice Queen is definitely insecure about certain things."

At that remark, Hayasaka instinctively glanced at Kaguya's chest.

Then at Fujiwara's.

Compared to Fujiwara's unusually generous proportions…

Yeah.

The contrast was obvious.

Now that she thought about it.

It was a bit strange that Kaguya and Fujiwara were friends.

Their personalities and appearances were polar opposites.

But before she could dwell on it further, Hayasaka quickly looked away.

Because she noticed.

Kaguya's expression had just gotten even darker.

Completely unaware of Kaguya's growing irritation, Fujiwara cheerfully changed the topic.

"What about Nagi-chan?"

…Nagi-chan?

Ren looked at Fujiwara in surprise.

That was a very intimate way to refer to Nagi.

Fujiwara barely knew her, yet she was already using such a casual nickname?

"Nagi's different."

"She doesn't talk much to people she's unfamiliar with."

"She's kind of a shut-in, like me."

"But once she gets comfortable, she opens up a lot."

Fujiwara suddenly looked enlightened.

"Oh! So you avoided sitting next to her so she wouldn't feel awkward?"

Thinking back, it was true.

Nagi could be pretty standoffish around strangers.

But Fujiwara herself had never noticed any discomfort when talking to her.

She thought about what Amamiya had said earlier.

And finally understood.

"No wonder I never felt awkward around Nagi before!"

"She wasn't holding back around me, so it was easy for us to talk!"

"But… Nagi-chan is terrible at games."

The second she said that—

A vein popped on Nagi's forehead.

"Who are you calling terrible?!"

"You cheated when we played cards! And you still have the nerve to call me bad?!"

"Did I? I don't remember."

Avoiding eye contact, Fujiwara shifted her gaze toward the car window, whistling innocently.

***

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