The black bunny ears perched atop her head provided a lethal dose of charm.
The Bunny Girl costume—which exposed a daring amount of skin—paired with the provocative black tights hugging her slender legs, felt like a direct assault on the moral fortitude of any man.
"Bunny Girl-senpai... Sakurajima Mai?"
Izuru stared at her without a hint of hesitation. He locked eyes with the famous third-year senior, whose popularity rivaled that of Yukino or Kaguya, and softly murmured her true identity.
"Hmm?"
Sensing Izuru's piercing gaze, Mai knit her brows in displeasure. She threw a look of pure doubt and bewilderment toward him, scrutinizing this junior who was undeniably handsome but looked a bit alternative, rough around the edges, and not at all innocent.
"..."
"..."
The two of them sized each other up in total silence.
After a few moments, Mai seemed to grow uncomfortable under the weight of Izuru's vulgar, "straight-ball" stare. With a face that betrayed a mix of annoyance, curiosity, and a faint glimmer of hope, she spoke:
"You... you can see me?"
If it had been anyone else, they might have rolled their eyes and snapped back, "Are you stupid? Of course I can!" But Izuru was cut from a different cloth.
"Well, yeah. You're wearing a provocative Bunny Girl outfit and you've got a 'hot' body to match. What kind of guy wouldn't see you?"
Izuru rolled his eyes, replying with a tone that suggested she was stating the obvious.
Hearing Izuru's bluntness, Mai's elegant eyebrows twitched with mild irritation. However, she didn't get angry. Instead, she studied him even more intently before asking in wonder:
"How strange. Why is it that you're able to perceive my existence?"
To anyone else, this line of questioning would have sounded nonsensical. After all, with a face and body as perfect as Sakurajima Mai's—not to mention the flashy costume—who wouldn't notice her? If she was still asking "why can you notice me," a bystander would be hopelessly confused.
But that only applied to people who were in the dark.
Hearing the string of questions that would sound bizarre to a layman but were intimately familiar to his ears, Izuru began to grasp the situation. With a peculiar expression, he turned and shouted toward Old Man Ichiraku.
"Old Man Ichiraku! There's a beautiful girl in a bunny suit in your shop! Aren't you going to come out and welcome her?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Mai's gaze shifted to one of pure disdain. Meanwhile, Old Man Ichiraku, who was laser-focused on his noodles, jumped so hard he nearly swallowed the soy sauce bottle in front of him.
"I've been selling ramen for years, and I've seen plenty of buff guys in bunny suits, but never a beautiful girl. Where is she?"
Old Man Ichiraku scanned the shop with a look that was equal parts skeptical and hopeful, yet he seemed to look right through Mai, treating her like air—invisible, untouchable, yet present. He turned back to Izuru with a sour face and a lecture ready to go.
"You brat, are you messing with me again?! I know your game. You're going to tell me she's a beauty that only 'handsome winners of life' can see, while an old man with no taste like me is blind to her. But as a man who's had a legendary romantic history himself, let me give you one piece of advice..."
"A little 'handiwork' is entertaining, but too much 'handiwork' ruins the body. If you keep forcing it, you'll turn to ash. Watch your health! Stop daydreaming about nonsense just to trick others and yourself. I believe in you; with your high-spec 'hardware' and 'software'—that strong, handsome face of yours—you'll find a real Bunny Girl eventually. Just stop imagining them!"
Having said his piece, Old Man Ichiraku ignored Izuru—whose forehead was now covered in frustrated black lines—and turned back to his 'pork ramen without ramen.'
"Dammit, that was the exact dialogue I was going to use to BS people! If you use it, Old Man, what am I supposed to say?!"
Completely disregarding the fact that his priorities were misplaced, Izuru protested indignantly.
The ridiculous scene actually managed to amuse Mai.
"At first, I thought you were just some 'pubescent wolf,' but it turns out you're just a silly boy. Quite interesting..."
Mai chuckled, shaking her head. Her initial dislike and prejudice against Izuru evaporated instantly. She even gave him a meaningful look as she spoke:
"I'm not sure why you can perceive me—whether it's because you're a unique young man or just a foolish one..."
"Hey! That's uncalled for!"
Izuru cut her off, clearly offended by her subtle jab.
"Hehehe!" Mai maintained her playful smile. She waved a hand at him as she turned to leave the shop.
"You're quite interesting. But I have to go now. If the opportunity arises, I hope we meet again..."
{You aren't even going to leave a phone number or a contact? If not that, at least tell me your school or class! Who plays the 'mystery' card and leaves everything to fate like this? It's unacceptable!}
{Leaving nothing behind but 'hoping' to see a stranger again? Do you think we're the protagonist and heroine of some teen romance where we'll meet again because of destiny even if we're miles apart? Just say you don't want to see me again, you jerk!}
Izuru ranted exhaustively in his mind, feeling drained, but a second later, a smirk played on his lips.
Well, Izuru Kamukura was the exception. He didn't know if he was a romance protagonist or not, but he was a transmigrator who knew the plot!
"The plot of Bunny Girl Senpai... huh?"
So, 'Puberty Syndrome'—that phenomenon even modern science couldn't explain—actually existed?
Recalling the sexy costume Mai had worn, and the mix of doubt and hidden hope in her voice when she asked, "Why is it that you're able to perceive my existence?"—not to mention Old Man Ichiraku looking at her as if she were pure, unpolluted oxygen...
"This is getting interesting..."
Just then, Old Man Ichiraku slid a bowl of pork ramen toward Izuru, who was currently sporting an "Omoshiroi" (Interesting) expression.
"Old Man Ichiraku, where's my 'pork ramen without ramen'?"
Staring at the perfectly normal bowl of pork ramen, Izuru continued to play his ridiculous part.
"Don't be picky! You want me to turn you into a roast pig?!" Ichiraku barked, losing his patience.
"I believe you... I believe you! I mean, who hasn't heard of the great name of Otsutsuki Ichiraku!"