Vol. 2 Chapter 91 – The Sea, Popular Types, and a Luxury Resort (15)

“…Alright, time to head over to the girls’ place!” (Someone)

At those words, the guys started silently preparing for battle one after another.

“Let’s go!” (Guy A)

“Hoo!” (Guy B)

Crack crack (Sound of neck bones popping)

It was like a scene from a Hollywood movie climax where the team assembles.

“Reiya’s coming too, right?” (Shuu)

While I was thinking about that, Shuu asked me to confirm my intentions.

“Is it really okay…? They might be tired and resting…” (Reiya)

“It’s fine, it’s fine. They’re definitely expecting us to come, and Asahi-san is waiting too.” (Shuu)

“If Hikaru is… then I guess I can’t just stay here alone. I’ll go.” (Reiya)

“Alright! Let’s go!” (Shuu)

“Yeah!!” (Guys)

At this point, the previously scattered guys finally united and set off together.

“Hey, did you arrange for them to let us in?” (Guy A)

On the way to the girls’ lodge (though it was right next door), someone voiced that simple question.

“Nah, didn’t arrange anything.” (Guy B)

“Seriously? What if we come all this way and can’t get in?” (Guy C)

“Don’t worry. I brought gifts so that won’t happen.” (Guy B)

Saying that, the instigator held up a plastic bag from Discount Palace.

It was packed full of snacks and party goods.

He apparently planned to use this as bait to get the door opened.

I wondered if it would go that smoothly, but before I knew it we’d reached the entrance.

“Onward! To paradise! Open sesame!” (Guy B)

With his BBQ-boosted excitement still intact, he pressed the doorbell.

“Hello, what business could you possibly have at this hour…?” (Voice from intercom)

After a brief pause, a voice with contrasting low energy came through the intercom.

It was a bit muffled and hard to tell, but probably Matsunaga-san’s voice.

“We came to hang out! Let us in!” (Guy B)

“Let you in? If you’re going to boldly intrude on the girls’ secret garden, you’d better have brought appropriate gifts, right?” (Matsunaga)

“Of course! Take a look at this!” (Guy B)

Confident that everything was going according to his plan, he proudly held the bag up to the camera, but—

“No thank you. Please go away.” (Matsunaga)

Before he could protest, the call was unilaterally cut off with a click.

“Wait wait wait! Hold on! Can’t you see all these snacks?!” (Guy B)

Dismissed without any opening for negotiation, he pressed the intercom again.

“Snacks…?” (Matsunaga)

“That’s right! Pocky, Pretz… Mushroom City and Bamboo Town too!” (Guy B)

“Listen here… did you really think you could enter the sleeping quarters of beautiful high school girls with just a few thousand yen worth of snacks? At least bring a luxury cookie assortment from Ginza Habsburg Küchen or something.” (Matsunaga)

I could almost see the other girls nodding in agreement behind her.

“Ha, Habsburg…? W-well, I have sour cream onion Pringles!” (Guy B)

“Ah~! I like those~! I want some~!” (Voice in background)

“Chisato, be quiet…! Anyway, that alone won’t get you entry. Don’t you have anything else?” (Matsunaga)

When Matsunaga-san said that, he turned to us for help.

“I have playing cards…” (Guy C)

“I practiced coin vanishing magic for this day…” (Guy D)

“All I have are these trained muscles…” (Guy E)

“All rejected.” (Matsunaga)

Each person presented what they had, but everything was shot down.

“Okay. Next challenger?” (Matsunaga)

With the mechanical tone of someone processing executions, the next person was called.

“Jeez… you guys are hopeless… My turn.” (Shuu)

When everyone’s cards were exhausted, Shuu confidently stepped forward from the back row.

“Komiya-kun, huh. What did you bring?” (Matsunaga)

He was clearly confident, and having shown leadership this whole time, everyone had high expectations for him.

“You can see for yourself, right? I was worried whether I could carry something this big all the way here… but somehow I managed to bring it all.” (Shuu)

“…I don’t see anything?” (Matsunaga)

“Come on… are you serious?” (Shuu)

“What is it…? Stop being mysterious and just say it already.” (Matsunaga)

A suspicious voice came from the camera.

But indeed, from our perspective, Shuu didn’t appear to be holding anything.

“What I brought is…” (Shuu)

As puzzled gazes gathered from inside and outside the lodge—

“My love for Haruna!!” (Shuu)

His loud voice echoed around the area.

Instantly, a chill enveloped the area that made me forget this was a summer beach.

“Shuu-kun…” (Haruna’s voice)

“Oh, Haruna! You were listening? Then hurry up and let me—” (Shuu)

“Shuu-kun, I’m seriously embarrassed by that side of you, so please stop…” (Haruna)

I thought I heard a crushing sound from Shuu at his girlfriend’s merciless serious response.

“Reiya… your turn…” (Shuu)

Having returned dejectedly, completely different from when he left, he patted my shoulder.

“Even if you say it’s my turn…” (Reiya)

Still, I moved to the front of the intercom like everyone else.

Maybe it’s a gamer’s nature, but seeing a door that won’t open makes you want to open it.

“Next is… Kageyama-kun. What did you bring?” (Matsunaga)

After confirming my face, Matsunaga-san spoke with slightly higher energy than before.

Maybe she was expecting me to bring some delicious snacks like at the BBQ… while I was thinking that—

“Mmph! Mmph!” (Muffled voice)

Some kind of groaning sound came from behind her.

“…What was that sound?” (Reiya)

“What sound…?” (Matsunaga)

“Something muffled… like a hostage captured by kidnappers coming from behind you…” (Reiya)

“Mmph! Mmph!” (Muffled voice)

“There, again.” (Reiya)

That noise, different from her voice, kept coming.

Like someone gagged desperately calling for help.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re just taking temporary measures to ensure fair judgment.” (Matsunaga)

“I see…” (Reiya)

“So, what offering did you bring?” (Matsunaga)

She cut to the chase, indicating that prying was unwelcome.

“It’s not food this time…” (Reiya)

“Oh, is that so…” (Matsunaga)

As expected, she was visibly disappointed when I said it wasn’t food… but I had a trump card.

“I have a Nanintenudo Stitch…” (Reiya)

I casually pulled out the handheld gaming device from my bag.

“A Stitch?!” (Girl A)

“Isn’t that great? It’d be fun if we all played together.” (Girl B)

“I want to play that! The one where the rubber doll things fall!” (Girl C)

My trump card caused the girls on the other side of the camera to suddenly get excited.

As expected, Nanintenudo is amazing…!

It’s effective on anyone regardless of age, gender, or whether they’re gloomy or popular types.

If game aliens attacked Earth right now and said, ‘Hand over this planet’s most beloved gaming console,’ I’d offer up the Stitch without hesitation.

“How many people can play that?” (Girl A)

“For games with more players, some can handle 4 to 8 people playing together.” (Reiya)

“8 people… that’s quite a lot, but with the boys too we have about 20 people—” (Girl A)

“That’s why I actually brought a second one too.” (Reiya)

I casually pulled out another Stitch from my bag.

“W-wait a minute…” (Matsunaga)

Matsunaga-san withdrew once to have a discussion.

This attractive proposal let me avoid being called out for having two of the same console.

“Ahem… we’ve reached a decision.” (Matsunaga)

After about a minute of discussion—

“Only Kageyama-kun can come in.” (Matsunaga)

Matsunaga-san stated the conclusion concisely.

“Hey, wait! Let us in too!” (Guy A)

“That’s right! Why just Kageyama?!” (Guy B)

“Only one person is unfair! Down with harems!” (Guy C)

The guys immediately started voicing their complaints at that conclusion.

“Be quiet. You barely helped with BBQ preparations, left all the escorting to Komiya-kun at the beach… and now you want to piggyback on someone else’s success for the good stuff? The world isn’t that sweet.” (Matsunaga)

At Matsunaga-san’s overwhelming logic, the guys fell silent with “Ugh…”

“Well then, Kageyama-kun, please come in.” (Matsunaga)

The locked door was opened from the other side with a click.

This cleared the quest, but…

When I turned around, everyone was looking at me with expressions like abandoned puppies begging to be picked up.

“Um… Matsunaga-san?” (Reiya)

“What? Aren’t you coming in? Everyone would welcome Kageyama-kun.” (Matsunaga)

“Since we’re here, would it be bad if everyone else came in too…?” (Reiya)

I wasn’t even friends with the other guys besides Shuu, and had barely talked to most of them.

I just felt uncomfortable abandoning them in this situation, and entering this extra stage alone seemed too nerve-wracking.

“Gaming is definitely more fun with more people… what do you think?” (Reiya)

And most importantly, games are definitely more fun when played with lots of people.

“Sigh… somehow I feel like I understand why Hikaru fell for you…” (Matsunaga)

At my words, Matsunaga-san muttered in a small voice like talking to herself.

“Well, if the other guys are grateful for Kageyama-kun’s and my mercy, they can come in too.” (Matsunaga)

She then extended mercy to the other guys besides me.

“…So that’s how it is.” (Reiya)

I turned around again, this time to gauge the guys’ feelings—

“Kageyama-san!! Thank you!!” (Guys)

They bowed deeply toward me with athletic club enthusiasm.

— Author’s Note —

Only one month left until the book release! This has become my longest-running series, but I still want to write their future to the very end, so please consider pre-ordering as a show of support! Of course, it’s not just about support – I believe those who buy it will enjoy the main story well beyond the price they pay. Especially Mameda-sensei’s frontispiece and illustrations are truly wonderful, bringing out 3000% of Asahi-san’s new charm that couldn’t be felt in the web version alone. In other words, if the original was 100 billion light attribute power, the book version will be 3000 billion power. Incidentally, if we can release volume 2, it’ll be 3 trillion billion power, so there’s really no choice but to buy it. https://amzn.asia/d/2hk85Dc https://bookwalker.jp/de25dac658-48d4-46fa-bce9-0af4355f1c3d/

In addition to the regular version above, Melonbooks will release a limited edition with an acrylic figure. https://www.melonbooks.co.jp/detail/detail.php?product_id=2558208
Information about other bonuses and limited editions will be announced as soon as it’s cleared, so those still deciding where to buy can wait for that. Information will be published on the author’s X (formerly Twitter) and status updates, so please follow! https://x.com/undonsuki https://kakuyomu.jp/users/murabitob