Chapter 183: Regarding the Fact That Maple is a Bit "Cold"?
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"Makes sense."
Maple nodded. The two quickly finished their meal and left the canteen.
9:30 PM.
Lights out. Class 1-D Girls' Dormitory.
Most of the girls weren't asleep yet. Since Seito hadn't returned, they couldn't help but let their minds wander, waiting in a quiet, expectant tension.
Soon!
Patter, patter, patter—!
The sound of footsteps approached. Everyone turned their heads toward the door in unison. Five seconds later...
Creak—
Seito, fresh from a bath, pushed the door open. Finding the entire room staring at him, he froze in his tracks.
"What are you all looking at me for?"
Snapping out of it, he closed the door and asked, puzzled.
"Nothing... Seito-kun, do you want to sleep next to me?" Maple was the first to speak.
Swish, swish, swish—!
Every eye in the room darted toward her. Maple's face was beet-red, looking at Seito with a shy, bashful expression.
Dammit—! She beat us to it! That was the silent cry echoing in many of the girls' hearts.
"Sure." Seito didn't mind. He stepped forward, pulled his bedding out, and laid it right next to Maple's.
As he crawled into the covers, he felt like a bit of a degenerate. Reflecting on the "duel" that had lasted from the afternoon until dark, he realized he had still underestimated the enemy. But that was a conversation for another time.
Yawning, Seito rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. Due to the... extended duration of his physical exercise, he drifted off into a deep sleep almost immediately.
Seeing that Seito was out cold, Maple slowly sat up.
"Maple, what's wrong?" Risa Shiramine asked. The other girls looked over as well.
"I'm a bit cold," Maple replied, her face flushed as she slid right into Seito's futon.
Risa Shiramine: "..."
Everyone else: "..."
What a "bit cold" that is!
Maple ignored the stares, closed her eyes, and settled in for the night. That night, some slept very soundly, while others stayed awake until the early hours.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, 8:00 AM.
The classes were gathered by the school buses. Today was the return journey, and roll call was underway.
Over at Class 1-D, once the names were called, Seito stretched and was the first to board. He was gunning for the very back row—it was the most comfortable spot, after all. Soon, the rest of the students followed.
Shizuka Hiratsuka and Sae Chabashira boarded last. They scanned the students to ensure everyone was present before taking their seats at the front.
"Everyone, double-check your luggage. Make sure you haven't left anything behind," Shizuka reminded them.
The students began checking their bags. Once satisfied, they started chatting, waiting for the engines to roar to life.
"Seito-kun, see you in the Divine Realm this afternoon," Maple said with a smile to the lounging Seito beside her.
"Sure thing~" Seito reached out and patted her head. Maple squinted her large eyes and giggled sillily.
Nearby, Yukino Yukinoshita, Eriri, and the others watched the display with visible irritation.
At the front of the bus, the two teachers also observed the scene.
"What do you think?" Shizuka asked Sae.
"What is there to think?" Sae opened the window and lit a cigarette. "A lot of girls like him. He's certainly got charm."
"Don't you believe in monogamy?" Shizuka asked, seeing her friend's nonchalant attitude.
"I do, but at this point, it doesn't really matter. I don't have a problem with it," Sae waved her hand dismissively. Shizuka nodded slowly in response.
Half an hour later, the buses started up. In order of class number, the convoy departed, heading back to Chiba City. Finding the journey tedious, Seito closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Noon.
"Seito-kun, time to get off~"
Hearing Maple's voice, Seito slowly woke up. Seeing his classmates getting off in small groups, he stretched and stood up.
"Maple, see you in a bit." Seito waved.
"Mmh!" Maple waved back.
Seito followed the crowd off the bus. Once outside, the teachers did one final roll call before dismissing everyone.
Seito stood with Yukino for a moment until Amane Uu and Kanade Tachibana caught up.
"Let's go." Seito set off, with the three girls following close behind.
On the way home, Amou asked, "So, how did you find the school trip?"
"Extremely successful!" Seito grinned. Not only had he solidified his relationships with Shizuka and Sae, but he'd also fostered a lot of "goodwill" with various other girls. It was a win-win!
Amou replied flatly, "I found it a bit boring. It doesn't compare to the Divine Realm." A true battle maniac, Amou still preferred the sensation of slaughtering monsters in the game.
Seito nodded and turned to the other two.
"Yukino, Kanade, what about you?"
"It was okay," Kanade replied
expressionlessly. She genuinely felt it was just average—she'd rather have stayed home with Seito.
"As for me..." Yukino didn't use her sharp tongue this time. She had become immune to Seito's nicknames. Thinking back to the scene from two nights ago, her face reddened slightly. "It was... fine."
Chatting as they walked, they soon arrived home. Just as Seito opened his door, he saw Haruno Yukinoshita and the Sora/Shiro siblings sitting at his dining table. The table was piled high with food.
"Did you guys cook this?" Seito looked at Sora and Shiro skeptically. Can those two even cook? Since when?
"Of course we didn't," Sora laughed, explaining, "We knew you were coming back today, and I happened to see Haruno coming over to cook, so I brought Shiro along to 'help'."
"Seito-nii... Nii and I just carried the plates," Shiro ruthlessly exposed her brother.
Sora scratched his head awkwardly, but Seito didn't care. Turning to Yukino, who was still at the doorway, Seito said, "Yukino, come join us."
He led Amou and Kanade inside. Yukino didn't refuse and followed him into the apartment.
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Thank you for reading.