"..."
At that moment, everyone present fell silent.
Except for Shizuku, everyone else's expressions changed.
Stella's expression became extremely strange.
Ikki and the others looked very subtle.
Then, Rozen's eye twitched continuously. It twitched so much that he felt an overwhelming urge to run away from the smiling, handsome man in front of him.
By now, everyone had a clear understanding of what kind of person Arisuin Nagi was.
In his own words, he was a boy at heart, a girl in spirit, and he liked handsome guy.
With a smile that left much to the imagination, Arisuin Nagi spoke to Rozen.
"Although we're classmates, we haven't interacted much before. Now that I look closely, Arnett-kun, you're really handsome. If you weren't so low-key, you'd definitely be popular with girls."
As he said this, Arisuin Nagi unconsciously took a step closer to Rozen.
"—!"
Almost simultaneously, Rozen sprang back with a speed that he usually couldn't exhibit with his physical abilities, putting a significant distance between himself and Arisuin Nagi.
"Th... thank you for the compliment, but we don't seem very familiar, so keeping some distance might be better, don't you think?"
Rozen forced an extremely unnatural smile, uttering uncharacteristically uneasy words.
Arisuin Nagi didn't seem disappointed. Instead, he smiled considerately.
"You're right. Today is our first proper meeting. It would be rude to be too forward. I hope we can get along well in the future."
Arisuin Nagi's words made Rozen break out in a cold sweat.
Get along well?
Impossible!
As a staunchly straight man, Rozen had to declare that getting along well was out of the question for his entire life!
The other boys present seemed to share the same sentiment, each subtly moving a step away from Arisuin Nagi.
Whether Arisuin Nagi noticed this or not, he turned to Stella and greeted her.
"I've always wanted to meet you, Stella. Shizuku often talks about you. Nice to meet you."
Arisuin Nagi extended a friendly hand toward Stella.
"O... oh..."
Stella timidly reached out her hand, uncharacteristically nervous, and shook hands with Arisuin Nagi, which counted as their introduction.
"Sh... Shizuku? Is this really a friend of yours?"
After shaking hands, Stella immediately moved to Shizuku's side, cautiously asking.
"Is there a problem?"
Shizuku looked puzzled, as if she hadn't noticed anything unusual.
"Don't you think he seems a bit strange?"
Stella asked, frightened.
"Isn't it you who's strange? Alice is always very normal. She can do makeup, pick clothes, and has great taste. She taught me many beauty tips. What's strange about that?"
Shizuku retorted.
"...It's strange for a man to do all these things!"
Stella couldn't help but retort.
Of course, Stella didn't know that Rozen was also very good at makeup and picking clothes, with taste far superior to ordinary people, and knew many beauty tips as well. But it's worth noting, he was a straight man, without any doubt.
Among everyone present, only Shizuku didn't find Arisuin Nagi's situation strange, while everyone else, including Ikki, looked uneasy.
"Is my sister really beyond help?"
Ikki appeared utterly despairing.
Previously, Ikki had hoped that Shizuku's hard-earned friendship could correct her perspective and guide her back to the right path. But now, it seemed like his sister was straying further, as if liking her own brother is not enough.
In such circumstances, the atmosphere at the scene became increasingly delicate.
"Alright, everyone, it's rare for us to gather together, so let's not... let's not fuss over small things."
Todo Touka stepped forward, speaking with an awkward expression, lacking confidence.
"It's... it's getting late. Let's stick to our original plan and go out to celebrate!"
Todo Touka tried hard to lighten the mood, but her efforts made it hard to see her as the capable student council president of Hagun Academy that everyone praised.
However, her efforts were not in vain.
Mainly because Todo Touka had a lot of support.
"Has anyone decided where to go?"
"If you have a place in mind, let me know, and I can make a reservation."
"Let's not worry about minor things! Let's go have fun!"
"I agree!"
Misogi Utakata, Totokubara Kanata, Tomaru Renren, and Saijou Ikazuchi chimed in one after another.
But in the end, it was Arisuin Nagi who spoke.
"In that case, I know a good place. How about we go there?"
Arisuin Nagi said with an unchanged smile.
"Uh..."
Everyone fell silent simultaneously.
A place that Arisuin Nagi thought was good?
Could it be somewhere that would lead people astray?
Just thinking about it made the group, who could be said to wield considerable influence in Hagun Academy, a bit fearful.
Seeing this, Arisuin Nagi's smile turned mischievous.
"Don't worry, a place like that is too early for you guys. The place I recommend is just a regular family restaurant. It's been very popular lately, and the girls in our class have been talking about it, saying it's a must-visit."
Hearing this explanation, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"In that case, let's have Arisuin-san lead the way."
Todo Touka decided.
"It would be my pleasure."
Arisuin Nagi continued to smile, looking like a kind older sister (?).
Only then did the atmosphere lighten a bit, and the group began to chat lively, following Arisuin Nagi down the street.
Rozen walked at the back, watching Arisuin Nagi continuing to chat warmly with Shizuku. Though he was filled with the urge to make snide comments, he also felt a hint of doubt.
"Arisuin Nagi..."
Before this, Rozen really hadn't heard much about this name.
However, not only was Arisuin in the same class, but he had also become so close to Shizuku, even capable of becoming a representative. He seemed to get along well with the classmates, so why hadn't he heard of him?
"Does someone like him have such a low presence?"
Rozen was puzzled.
Besides...
"Is this person really a D-rank Blazer?"
Rozen watched Arisuin Nagi's back, lost in thought.
"What are you doing there? Hurry up and catch up!"
Stella, walking in front, noticed Rozen standing still and called out to him.
"Got it!"
Rozen replied, putting his thoughts aside and catching up.
The group then marched down the street, heading toward the family restaurant Arisuin Nagi had mentioned.
The family restaurant Arisuin Nagi had introduced was not far from Hagun Academy.
However, when everyone arrived, they found a long line, which startled them.
"Is this place really that popular?"
"I remember coming here before; it wasn't this busy."
"Same here. I often pass by, and I've never seen it like this."
"Why did it suddenly become so popular?"
The students of Hagun Academy discussed this with both surprise and confusion.
In response to their question, Arisuin Nagi provided an answer.
"This place only became popular recently. I heard they hired a very high-level chef, making the food incredibly delicious. It quickly became a hot spot, especially among girls. They love it here, and the number of returning customers has been increasing daily. It's even buzzing online. So, it's been packed like this for the past month."
Arisuin Nagi's explanation made everyone understand.
"So that's what's going on?"
"I didn't notice."
"Is the food really that good?"
"I can't wait to try it!"
Everyone expressed their thoughts.
In this situation, Arisuin Nagi smiled at them.
"I already made a reservation, so we can go in directly."
Hearing this, everyone was overjoyed.
"As expected of Alice!"
"Well prepared!"
"You knew it would turn out like this, didn't you?"
"Thoughtful as always! Let's go in quickly!"
The girls were the first to voice their opinions, surrounding Arisuin Nagi and showering him with praise.
"This is what I should do."
Arisuin Nagi remained humble, maintaining a friendly demeanor with a smile on his face.
Seeing this, Rozen and Ikki, who were at the back, exchanged glances.
"... Why does it feel like they've suddenly become very close?"
"Ahaha..."
Rozen was speechless, while Ikki gave a wry smile.
One had to admit, Arisuin Nagi indeed had a knack for this. Although his preferences were somewhat questionable, he was unexpectedly good at talking and surprisingly popular with the girls. All the topics he mentioned were things girls liked and enjoyed, making him seem like a genuine girl and quickly closing the distance with them.
Initially, except for Shizuku, everyone else was a bit uneasy about Arisuin Nagi. But now, not only Stella but even Todo Touka, Totokubara Kanata, and Tomaru Renren no longer cared about Arisuin Nagi's gender. They treated him like a true close friend and chatted away happily.
Gradually, even Misogi Utakata and Saijou Ikazuchi no longer minded and joined in, no longer feeling awkward.
"That guy has some skills."
Rozen didn't know whether to be impressed or speechless, leaving Ikki at a loss for words.
However, Ikki had his own thoughts.
"Although a bit strange, Arisuin is definitely not a bad person."
Ikki seemed reassured by this.
It seemed Ikki had been worried that Shizuku might have made a strange friend. But now, seeing Arisuin Nagi's behavior, he was finally at ease.
Unfortunately...
"Is that really the case?"
Rozen suddenly made this unexpected remark.
"Huh?"
Ikki was slightly taken aback.
But before Ikki's confusion could be resolved, Stella and Shizuku called out from the front.
"Come on, you two, hurry up."
"Alice has already reserved a table for us. We don't have to wait in line. Let's go."
Stella and Shizuku called out to them.
"Let's go."
Rozen didn't say more and walked forward.
"W-wait for me!"
Ikki hurried to catch up.
The group then walked straight into the restaurant under the envious gazes of the people in line.
Seeing those envious looks, everyone grew even more excited to see if the food was really as good as they had heard.
And so, everyone entered the reserved private room together.
Then, the girls enthusiastically prepared to start ordering.
However, before that, Arisuin Nagi made the decision for everyone and listed a series of items.
No, those were not dishes.
Arisuin Nagi didn't order meals but desserts.
"Desserts?"
Aren't those usually eaten after a meal?
Everyone was puzzled by this.
But when the desserts arrived, all their doubts were dispelled.
Especially for the girls.
"This... this is...!"
At that moment, Stella, Shizuku, Todo Touka, Totokubara Kanata, and Tomaru Renren's eyes lit up, even sparkling.
The reason was the table full of desserts.
They weren't extravagant desserts; in terms of variety, they were quite ordinary.
There were cakes, seafood pies, puddings, sundaes, and other common desserts, all presented here.
But these desserts emitted a rich aroma, and their surfaces looked enticingly crisp. Just a whiff made mouths water, making it impossible for the girls to look away.
"What's going on, Alice?"
Stella, a true gourmand, trembled as she asked.
There was no helping it; the desserts looked too delicious.
To this, Arisuin Nagi chuckled.
"These are the incredibly delicious items I mentioned earlier. The hired chef here is actually a pâtissier who specializes in making delectable desserts. Though the types are common, the taste is exceptional. That's why this place is so popular among girls. No girl can ignore such delicious desserts."
In other words, the other meals here were so-so, but the desserts were exceptional. Hence, Arisuin Nagi ordered desserts directly.
"Most people come here mainly for these desserts. I wanted to recommend them to everyone, so let's try them."
As soon as Arisuin Nagi finished speaking, all the girls couldn't wait to start tasting and began putting the desserts into their mouths.
"...!"
In the next second, everyone widened their eyes.
"Delicious!"
Stella shouted immediately.
"It's... it's too delicious!"
"Are these really desserts...!?"
"Oh my god..."
Everyone else gave similar evaluations, looking like they were about to bite their tongues off.
This made the boys unable to sit still, and one by one, they began eating the desserts in front of them.
"This..."
Ikki exclaimed in surprise.
"It's... really delicious!"
"Mm!"
Misogi Utakata and Saijou Ikazuchi both relaxed their expressions.
The group instantly began chattering, constantly praising the desserts before them, and couldn't stop putting them into their mouths, looking incredibly happy.
Amidst this scene, Rozen sat there as if frozen, unable to move.
Rozen didn't eat those incredibly tempting desserts.
Because when Rozen smelled the aroma of those desserts, he froze, unable to move.
"This... this smell..."
Rozen seemed to recognize this aroma. Despite it being so enticing, it made him feel as if he were inhaling poison, his face turning extremely stiff.
No way?
It really can't be?
Could it really be...
Thinking of a certain possibility, Rozen could no longer sit still.
At this moment, Rozen had only one thought.
"Leave!"
He had to leave immediately!
Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!
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