When the door was pulled open from the outside, Kobayashi Tetsu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.
The "nine-person jump" had been discovered. Not only would he miss out on the chocolate, but he was also about to get a brutal beating!
In an instant, Kobayashi Tetsu imagined tomorrow's front-page headlines in Japan.
Famous producer, entrepreneur, and Atlas President Kobayashi Tetsu assassinated on the streets of Setagaya Ward over a romantic dispute.
If one of them had turned and run away now, Kobayashi Tetsu would probably have been too conflicted to know whom to chase. However, the reality was that neither of them moved. Takamine Aika simply stood there, staring at him, her slender shoulders trembling uncontrollably. Eventually, she gradually calmed down.
Anegasaki Nene's eyes held a look of "Just as I thought," "I knew it," and "This is to be expected." But she didn't leave either. She didn't even make a sound, only moving slightly closer to Kobayashi Tetsu and tightening her grip on his arm.
Even if something had to be said, it would have to wait. For now, she was staking her claim.
This action further provoked Takamine Aika.
"I was thinking... how could there be something so good? A person who's both gentle and devoted... they really don't exist. Even if they did, something that good would never happen to me. You've already deceived me this far, so... Tetsu-kun, just how much more are you going to lie to me!"
Kobayashi Tetsu pursed his lips, his mood finally turning to one of reckless desperation.
"I know this is a lot to ask, but even so, I still have to say it."
"I won't give up on any of you. So, I don't want any of you to leave."
As he spoke, Kobayashi Tetsu reached out and grabbed Takamine Aika's wrist. She struggled for a moment, but unable to shake his grip, she could only glare at him with a furious expression.
"Any of us?! Just how many of us are there!"
"Three. There have only ever been three."
"Only?! What do you mean, only?!"
It was obvious that Takamine Aika really wanted to smash her handbag into Kobayashi Tetsu's face.
Only three?! Just how many does he want, exactly?!
Yet, no matter what, Kobayashi Tetsu refused to let go of her wrist, and Anegasaki Nene showed no intention of stepping aside.
"Please, today is my time. You're the one who should be leaving!"
Takamine Aika glared back at her, refusing to budge an inch. Instead, she tightened her grip on Kobayashi Tetsu's other arm.
"I'm not leaving! You think you can just kick me out and keep him all to yourself? Not a chance!"
"Sorry, but I already have plans today. Besides, this is a matter between two people. There's no room for a third."
"Is that so? Well, if you want to get technical, I was the one who made plans first!"
Kobayashi Tetsu, with his arms linked by two women glaring at each other, suddenly found a familiar line echoing in his mind.
Now that we've established this special relationship, there's no turning back.
Generally speaking, a "couple's meal" is designed for two people. The portion size might be adjusted slightly, but it would never be meant for more than two.
But today seemed to be an exception.
Fujita was a server at "Hanano-ya," a high-end Japanese restaurant. It was only natural for such an establishment to offer a special couple's menu on Valentine's Day.
What wasn't natural, however, was this.
Why are there three people at this couple's table?!
Fujita stared at the scene before him, his words dying in his throat.
"Yes, that's not possible. The Couple's Meal is for two. Even if you have two partners, we can't provide a three-person portion."
That was what he had intended to say, but the customer had simply given too much.
So much so that...
Even the head chef, after a moment of silence, declared, "Theoretically, a couple consists of two people, but there are special circumstances where there are three. Offering special care to three people—that's the human touch of Hana no Ya!"
As for how much of that "human touch" was flavored by Yukichi Fukuzawa, that wasn't important.
Fujita peeked from behind the kitchen curtain for a while, then suddenly remembered something.
"Oh! Isn't that... that guy—Makoto Yuki?"
His companion asked in confusion, "What Yuki?"
"Makoto Yuki! He's the main character in a game, and there was an ad for it."
At this point, Fujita suddenly realized something.
Come to think of it... the person playing Makoto Yuki is actually the President of Atlas!
Whether it was envy or jealousy, for some reason, Fujita felt strangely vindicated. He grew even more excited when he saw the two of them taking turns trying to feed a piece of salmon to Kobayashi Tetsu.
Recently, Fujita had also been in love. For half a year, he had served as his crush's free wallet. He'd even heard of a buddy who had it even worse, acting as a personal chauffeur for two whole years—driving her back and forth, only to watch her go on Valentine's Day dates with her actual boyfriend.
After six months of being a human ATM, Fujita finally saw the light.
Yeah, this kind of love isn't worth it. It's just me giving everything while she gets nothing. I've been her wallet for half a year and haven't even held her hand once. Better to just break it off now!
"Tch," he muttered. "She acts so high and mighty all the time, but in front of other guys, she's just as obsequious as anyone else! I've finally seen through this society. Romance is pointless. Video games are way more fun!"
In that moment, Fujita suddenly grasped the true essence of the Heisei-era Japanese otaku.
Why date when you can play games? If you want to fight, go to a boxing gym! I'm going to spend the rest of my life at home with my plastic figurines!
He'd heard that in Persona, you could date multiple girls at once and even build a harem. Now he had to play it! Even if he never got the chance in real life, he'd at least experience the joy of dating multiple women in a game!
All day long, Kobayashi Tetsu had been completely distracted.
He was constantly pondering a single question.
What would happen tonight?
Would both of them leave, leaving him to keep the bed warm alone? Or would neither of them want to leave, and then—
Well, the latter was unlikely. Judging by how rarely Anegasaki Nene and Kobayakawa Rinko had seen each other so far, neither of them seemed like the type to accept that.
This only made Kobayashi Tetsu's headache worse. So much so that by the time their grueling day of dating finally ended, he actually found himself reluctant to go home.
As they approached the street corner, Kobayashi Tetsu suddenly felt his arm loosen.
Looking down, he saw that Takamine Aika had already let go of his arm.
"Well then, goodbye." Takamine Aika curtsied, her face beaming with a smile that seemed to have completely erased the murderous annoyance she'd shown that morning.
"Happy Valentine's Day, see you tomorrow!" She bit her lip lightly and repeated, "See you at work."
Takamine Aika took a few steps back and bowed.
Kobayashi Tetsu felt a sudden pang in his chest.
He was all too familiar with this feeling.
Words like that always made him feel so guilty!
Anegasaki Nene's heart also gave a slight tremor, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on Kobayashi Tetsu's arm.
This was bad.
Takamine Aika had actually beaten her to it. Now, Kobayashi Tetsu's attention was bound to be diverted.
"This is bad, really bad—"
Anegasaki Nene bit her lip hard.
If someone suddenly takes a step back in the middle of a dispute, the entire dynamic changes. Especially since Kobayashi Tetsu was the kind of person who tended to waver when it came to matters of the heart; taking a step back would only draw more of his concern.
This was far more difficult to deal with than Koyakawa!
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