Chapter 164: One, Two, Three Girlfriends

No one can resist the temptation of a free breakfast—not even Minami Shouji.

Especially when he was already a little hungry after his morning run, having only downed a glass of milk and a rice ball. He wasn't like those anime or light novel protagonists who could survive on just a piece of bread and a jelly drink for the entire day.

So, when Akane offered to treat him, he saw no reason to refuse.

However—

Contrary to what she initially said, they didn't just stop at the second-year class's yakisoba stall.

They went from one stall to another.

And throughout it all, Akane didn't even blink as she paid for everything.

Even Minami had to admit—her financial power was something else.

Sure, each stall wasn't charging much—typically around 500-600 yen per item—but after five or six stalls, the cost started to add up.

Just his own food alone had already racked up over 3,000 yen.

Combined with Akane 's own spending, their total was likely around 6,000–7,000 yen.

For a normal high schooler, that was an insane amount of money.

That much could easily get a good meal at a decent restaurant—some hole-in-the-wall places in Japan served great set meals for just 1,000–2,000 yen.

Yet Akane didn't seem to care at all, handing over her money without hesitation.

Her wallet was like a bottomless pit—10,000-yen bills just kept appearing.

It was a stark contrast to a certain Yamada Ryo, who had been known to scavenge for wild vegetables on occasion (as mentioned in the manga).

Both were rich girls from well-off families.

Yet somehow, their financial habits were worlds apart.

But what stood out the most—

Akane kept ordering food from every stall, yet she never finished anything.

Just like now—

"Minami, help me finish this."

Akane wiped her slightly oily lips, making them appear even softer, then pushed her half-eaten yakisoba and grilled hotdog toward him.

"Again?"

Minami frowned.

He had already helped her finish too much food.

Even though he'd been a bit hungry earlier—

At this rate, even he was starting to feel full.

"Aren't guys supposed to be able to handle this much?"

"'This much'?"

Minami deliberately emphasized the words.

"Akane, by 'this much,' do you mean—"

"Two sushi rolls, one and a half rice balls, ten takoyaki, plus—"

"A bowl and a half of yakisoba and one and a half grilled soaked with Marinara sauce & french onion dip hotdogs?"

Akane simply shrugged, feigning innocence.

"Can't help it. I was hungry too."

Minami let out a sigh.

But in the end—

He still picked up his chopsticks and began eating the leftovers.

[1.5/10: A plate of poorly plated, slightly overcooked instant yakisoba with a hint of 'beautiful girl' scent.]

[1.3/10: A hotdog previously bitten by a beautiful girl—highly appealing to a certain audience.]

This damned simulator… still as ridiculous as ever.

Just because a "beautiful girl" had touched the food, the rating increased?

What kind of logic was that?

Who even liked eating someone else's leftovers?

Minami shook his head, dismissing the absurdity.

Calmly, he continued eating.

His table manners were refined, his pace unhurried—

A clear sign of good upbringing.

And as he slowly worked through the food—

Akane watched him intently.

Her scarlet eyes locked onto his lips.

Inside her mind, a tiny version of herself was practically dancing with joy.

Yes! Another indirect kiss with Minami!

By her count—

Minami had already shared five indirect kisses with her today.

Five!

Five whole times!

That was incredible progress!

Akane was over the moon.

As the only girl who had shared indirect kisses with Minami—

As the only girl who had ever stayed overnight at his place—

Even if so-called "rivals" existed, how could they possibly compete with this level of progress?

At this rate—

It was only a matter of time before Minami became her boyfriend!

Akane's heart soared.

Everything was going according to plan!

Until—

Just as she was basking in her joy—

Minami suddenly spoke up.

"Just to avoid any misunderstandings, I want to clarify something—"

"Simply eating someone's leftovers doesn't count as an 'indirect kiss.'"

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Minami continued,

"If that were the case, then breathing the same air as everyone else would also count as 'indirect kissing,' don't you think?"

"..."

He saw through me?

No…

No matter what, I have to keep my composure!

Akane's thin eyebrows twitched slightly—

But she maintained a perfectly nonchalant smile.

"Oh, come on, Minami. Nobody actually thinks like that."

Her tone was casual and confident, as if she had never even considered such a silly notion.

But inside—

Damn you, Minami!

Just wait!

The moment you become my boyfriend, I'm kissing you five times a day! No—five is too few! Ten times!

I'll make sure you only use my money! Eat only the food I cook! You'll lose all functionality without me!

Shinjo Akane gritted her teeth in frustration, thinking about it.

But that was just a fantasy.

She hadn't even fully won over the heart of the young man in front of her,

Yet here she was, already planning their married life…

That was way too arrogant of her.

With that thought, she leaned in closer to Minami.

Meanwhile...

"Maybe we should just drop this, Naomi."

Shouji Yuko tugged on her younger sister's sleeve, lowering her voice.

"We should just go back to the hotel and wait. This is Minami's time to enjoy the school festival."

"We waited all the way until 8 AM just to leave now? If you wanna go, go ahead, Yuko-nee. You have the hotel room key anyway."

Shouji Naomi was not having it.

They had followed Minami all the way to Shuka High School,

Waiting outside since 7 AM—

And now, right at the most crucial moment,

Her big sister suddenly wanted to retreat?

No way.

"There's nothing all that interesting about a high school festival anyway…"

Standing outside the school gate, Shouji Yuko muttered under her breath.

Much like Minami, she had striking looks.

Her gentle eyes and flowing black hair gave her an air of intelligence and elegance,

While her younger sister Naomi, with her short-cut hair and sharp, refined features,

Had an equally captivating charm.

More than a few students from Shuka High had already taken notice,

Whispering among themselves, trying to guess which school these two beauties were from.

Not that Yuko noticed—she was too busy continuing her argument:

"We already saw Minami's girlfriend. Wouldn't it be a little rude to go in and bother him now?"

That's right.

From what she had observed,

That long-haired pink girl clearly had feelings for Minami.

Judging by how close they were,

Their relationship was basically confirmed.

With that in mind,

There wasn't much point in sticking around the school festival anymore.

But—

Unlike her elder sister's steady and composed mindset,

Shouji Naomi carried the family's infamous "chaotic energy" in her blood.

She grinned mischievously.

"One girlfriend's been confirmed, sure... but what about his friends?

Aren't you curious about how many people that kid has befriended in Tokyo?"

The moment those words left her mouth,

Yuko hesitated.

Of course, she couldn't say she wasn't curious.

After all, Minami was the only boy in their family.

They were counting on him to carry on the Shouji name.

Building connections and relationships was a life skill—

One that couldn't be taken lightly.

She fell into thought.

But that hesitation was all Naomi needed.

Without warning,

She grabbed Yuko's wrist and dragged her straight into Shuka High.

Finding the second-year classrooms wasn't difficult.

With a quick glance at the school map,

Naomi and Yuko easily navigated their way to the right floor.

And soon enough—

They spotted him.

Their younger brother, Minami.

Then—

"A-Another one?!"

Yuko's beautiful eyes widened in shock.

Had she seen that correctly?

Minami wasn't with the long-haired pink girl anymore.

Now—

He was standing next to a different girl.

A short-haired girl—her white dress shirt peeking out from under her loosely-worn jacket,

Soft purple-pink hair framing her face.

This... this...

Gulp.

Yuko swallowed dryly,

Staring at the scene in disbelief.

She suddenly recalled Naomi's teasing from earlier—

"One, two, three girlfriends."

Back then, she thought it was ridiculous—

Absolutely impossible.

But now...

"This kid..."

Even Naomi was stunned, her scalp tingling.

She hadn't expected Minami to be this capable.

In just a year,

He had already charmed two different girls.

And this short-haired one—

She was gorgeous.

A perfectly balanced face that suited any standard of beauty,

Porcelain-white skin,

And a smirking, playful expression that made her all the more captivating.

She was easily on par with the first girl they saw.

"...Kinda impressive, huh?"

Naomi muttered under her breath.

"D-Don't say that!"

Yuko was just as shaken,

Taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"Maybe... maybe she's just a friend?"

The moment she spoke,

She wanted to believe it herself.

Right.

There wasn't any rule saying girls and guys couldn't just be friends.

They couldn't assume every girl Minami talked to was his girlfriend.

That would be ridiculous.

With that logic in mind,

Yuko started rationalizing things—

"Look, Naomi, they're not acting as close as he was with the first girl.

They haven't even—"

And just as she was about to finish that sentence—

They saw it.

The short-haired girl casually handed Minami the food she hadn't finished.

Minami, after exchanging a few words with her,

Took the food—

And ate it.

"I-Indirect kiss?!"

Yuko froze.

Her already conservative mindset shattered.

Her face turned as red as a boiled octopus,

And she nearly stumbled on her feet.

Indirectly sharing food—

This was way more intimate than the last girl!

There was no doubt about it.

This purple-haired girl was definitely interested in their brother, too.

"Calm down, Yuko. It's really not that surprising."

Surprisingly, Naomi was the one soothing her older sister this time.

"He looks good, gets top grades...

It's normal for at least one or two girls to be interested."

"But... but what if there are more?"

Yuko's confidence was crumbling.

"Come on, Yuko. Be realistic."

Naomi confidently patted her chest.

"Do you really think the world has that many amazing girls all falling for the same guy?

At most, it's just these two. That's already pushing it."

It made sense.

A high school boy,

Having even one or two girls interested in him was already a miracle.

What was he, some kind of legendary figure?

There was no way it could go beyond that.

But still—

"More importantly—

We need to figure out who this girl is."

Naomi turned to her older sister, her voice serious.

"And how do we do that?"

Yuko asked cautiously.

"Like this—"

They saw the short-haired girl stand up,

Saying her goodbyes to Minami.

Naomi wasted no time.

Grabbing Yuko by the wrist,

She followed after her.

Once they rounded a corner,

Out of Minami's sight—

Naomi confidently stepped forward,

Blocking the girl's path.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you."

"Hm?"

The girl blinked,

Pausing mid-step.

Her crimson-red eyes studied the two dark-haired women in front of her.

"Can I help you?"

Shinjo Akane tilted her head, curious.

...

TL here: Mass release in two days. How many chaps would y'll want?