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Chapter 227: You're Gonna Be Doing It With Me Anyway
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 09:27:13 +0000 UTCIn the end—
Kikuri Hiroi's completely unreliable words didn't stick with anyone in the room.
And truthfully, while Minami Shouji had become more charismatic, more "manly" than before, he hadn't slacked off on his responsibilities at all.
That alone was enough to put Ryo Yamada, Nijika Ijichi, and Ikuyo Kita at ease.
So he's just… more attractive than before. That's normal for guys in their teens.
Nothing to worry about.
They brushed it off optimistically and settled in for today's study session with Minami.
"Now that I think about it, Hitori-chan hasn't shown up today."
Having finished all the worksheets, Ikuyo Kita glanced at the clock and spoke curiously.
Usually, if anyone were going to be late, it'd be Ryo.
But it was already past 1 PM.
Bocchi still hadn't arrived... naturally, that left Ikuyo a bit uneasy.
"Ah, Bocchi took the day off," Seika Ijichi replied, peeking out from behind the music magazine she was flipping through. "Not sure on the details—she said she wasn't feeling well. Sent me a message too, told me not to worry and that she'd be fine after a day of rest."
"So yesterday it was Minami-kun, and today it's Bocchi?" Nijika set her mechanical pencil down. "Well, with the seasons changing suddenly, it's not surprising if someone feels off… I just hope it's nothing serious."
"If she's messaging people on her own, it's probably not that bad."
Ikuyo still seemed concerned, so she pulled out her phone and sent a couple of messages.
Once she got replies back, she relaxed a little.
Only Ryo, lazing beside them with her chin propped on one hand, had a glint in her amber eyes.
She mused aloud, "Come to think of it, I could smell Bocchi on Minami today… don't tell me…"
"Eh—"
Snap!
The lead of Nijika's pencil broke.
Until now, she hadn't thought too much about it, but Ryo's devil-may-care comment suddenly set her mind spinning.
It's true.
She had smelled Hitori on Minami today.
She'd dismissed it at the time, assuming it was just residual from yesterday's visit.
But if she followed Ryo's line of thought... it was possible something did happen between them after the others left.
Not impossible at all.
And Nijika, holding fragmented memories, knew this better than anyone.
Sure, Hitori seemed timid and shy—but in some ways, she was the boldest of them all.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been the first one to confirm a relationship with Minami after the band ended.
Maybe sensing Nijika's inner thoughts—
Ryo added with a smirk, "Who knows, maybe they even 'ascended to adulthood' last night."
"A-Ah—"
Gulp.
Nijika's eyes went wide.
Her cheeks flushed with terrifying heat.
Ascended...
Minami and Hitori?
The two of them?!
Hitori took the day off.
Minami's whole vibe was way off from usual…
Put those together… and maybe Ryo wasn't joking after all.
Nijika's lips trembled, her golden side ponytail bobbing wildly.
"T-That's impossible! Minami-kun and Bocchi-chan are still in high school!"
Next to her, Ikuyo's face was bright red too, her voice lowering from embarrassment.
"What's impossible about it? I looked it up for the sake of 'adulthood'—over sixty percent of Japanese high schoolers have had that experience."
Of course Ryo could say something like that without batting an eye—calm, composed, not even the slightest tremble in her tone.
That fact made Nijika and Ikuyo instinctively shrink back a little.
They wanted to stop this dark-blue-haired menace from talking, but…
They were also kind of curious.
Where did she get that info?
How was she so sure?
Curiosity and embarrassment.
Confusion and a thirst for knowledge.
A tangle of emotions swirled inside them.
Then—
"What are you all talking about?"
"Eh? Minami-kun?! N-Nothing! We weren't talking about anything!"
Minami Shouji's familiar voice suddenly rang out, throwing both the blonde and red-haired girls into a flustered panic.
Only Ryo Yamada raised her lazy, elegant face and, without hesitation, said, "Ah… Minami's back. We were just talking about you 'ascending to adulthood'... mmph!"
Before she could finish, Nijika Ijichi and Ikuyo Kita sprang into action, choking off her words with a joint submission hold.
"Hm?"
Minami tilted his head, glancing at Nijika, confused that Ryo had only gotten halfway through her sentence before being silenced.
"Nijika, what were you guys talking about just now?"
"Ah… uh…"
Under his gaze, and feeling his leveled-up charm in full force, Nijika averted her eyes in embarrassment, scrambling for a cover.
"N-Nothing important. Just some… girl talk."
"Really?"
Minami raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, but when he saw she didn't want to talk, he let it go. He wasn't about to push.
As he dropped the matter, Nijika let out a small breath of relief and loosened her grip on Ryo.
Ryo tilted her head, confused.
She didn't really understand why her friends were hiding things from Minami.
Wouldn't it be better to just be upfront and ask him here and now?
Delaying things wasn't her style.
So, without hesitation, she whipped out her phone and sent Minami a message.
"Hm?"
Minami, just about to sit down and relax, glanced at his phone.
Then he looked at Ryo.
They were right next to each other—why was she messaging?
She made a subtle check your phone gesture.
Shaking his head, Minami opened LINE.
[Lone Bass Freak: Got Bocchi, huh?]
"..." Minami blinked.
Ah. So that's what this is about.
No wonder the vibe between the girls had been off.
They'd been speculating about that.
Nijika and Ikuyo, embarrassed, had tried to stop the more blunt Ryo from blurting it out.
Seeing the message, Minami didn't bother to lie.
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Yup.]
Sent.
Then he glanced at Ryo to see her reaction.
She liked him too, after all. He was curious to see how she'd take it.
Next—
[Lone Bass Freak: How many times? Was it good? You think it'll feel good when you do it with me too? (Attached: Curious girl staring intensely at her phone)]
"..." Minami.
Ryo.
Do you even hear yourself?
Minami was speechless. Her level of wild was beyond his expectations.
No jealousy. No sulking. Just raw curiosity and boldness.
He sighed and typed back:
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Do you see the stuff you're saying?]
[Lone Bass Freak: You're gonna do it with me eventually anyway, I just wanna be mentally prepared. (Attached: Dead serious blue-haired girl)]
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Fine, next time then.]
[Lone Bass Freak: Mm. Next time.]
Conversation over.
Minami pocketed his phone, catching Ryo doing the same while lazily watching him.
Gotta admit—
Chatting with Ryo was way more relaxed than with anyone else.
But her level of freedom was next level.
Probably only he could keep up with her pace.
Minami shook his head and turned to Nijika.
"Nijika, mind showing me that room now?"
"Eh...? Oh! Right, the room... Okay, let's go!"
Her mind still scrambled from Ryo's words, Nijika finally remembered why Minami had come.
Not just to tutor—but to check out the vacant room at STARRY.
It's all her fault, making me think weird stuff…
Nijika shot a glare at Ryo.
Ryo blinked back with a what? look.
Nijika's lips twitched, but in front of Minami, she couldn't exactly explain.
So she turned to Seika Ijichi, flipping through a music mag.
"Onee-chan, Minami wants to check out the empty room upstairs."
Her voice wasn't loud, but enough to draw the attention of Kikuri Hiroi and PA-san nearby.
"Looking at a room?" PA-san blinked, then looked at Seika. "Minami-kun?"
"Yeah, kid's living in some trashy cheap place. Since STARRY's got a room free on the first floor, he's thinking about moving in."
Seika didn't hold back.
"So that means I'll get to see Minami-kun every day here at STARRY?" Kikuri's eyes lit up. "Wait—does that mean I can mooch off his cooking every day?!"
That got everyone's attention.
Because just like Kikuri said—
If Minami moved into STARRY, they might all get a taste of his meals, daily.
And Minami's cooking…
One bite, and any other food tasted like nothing in comparison.
The thought of eating his food every day?
Absolutely thrilling.
"Seika-senpai! Any more rooms? I wanna move in too!"
Kikuri shot her hand up without hesitation.
"Hah? Like I'd let you live here."
"Please! I'll even share a room with Minami-kun if I have to!"
She latched onto Seika's leg.
"She's serious, Minami."
Seika had zero sympathy, and turned to him.
"I'm not really into older ladies," Minami said with a chillingly pleasant smile.
"H-How could you…"
Kikuri looked devastated.
She loved Minami's cooking—more than even sake or beer.
Now, finally, the chance to eat his meals every day, and she had to give it up?
No way.
Right then—
Minami leaned in, whispering something in her ear with a grin.
Everyone watched as Kikuri visibly struggled—
Then gave in, nodding.
"Deal's done."
Minami shot her a look. "No backing out."
"...Okay."
She nodded reluctantly.
"What'd you say to her?" Seika asked.
"Nothing big," Minami waved it off. "Just told her if she wants to mooch food every day, she has to quit smoking and drinking—and also help guide Kessoku Band's rehearsals from now on."
"You've got a mean streak, you know that?"
Seika gaped.
She'd thought about getting Kikuri to quit drinking.
But Minami… he targeted her weakness with surgical precision.
He gets women.
Even Kikuri, queen of the messes, had no defense.
Gotta warn Nijika about this guy, Seika thought.
But Minami didn't care.
According to his simulations, if Kikuri kept drinking, her health would fail by 40.
In multiple timelines, she died young from drinking.
Now, with a chance to change that?
Minami wasn't going to hold back.
As for having Kikuri help with band practice…
Even without him asking, she'd show up anyway—as a fan.
From a logical view—
Minami actually lost in this deal: he just gained a permanent mealtime freeloader.
