"Well then, I'll be heading out first~"
Nanaka waved goodbye to Shiro and Azusa with a beaming smile, followed by four thugs—each of them carrying a naked man over their shoulder.
She looked exactly like a mob boss from a yakuza gang!
"Bye bye~"
"B-Bye… Make sure… to get some rest, Nanaka-nee."
Shiro's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
He had originally wanted to tell her to stay safe, but one look at her entourage made it obvious—it was everyone else who needed to be careful.
Although… they did need to be careful not to get mistaken for human traffickers. After all, walking around with a naked man on each shoulder was way too suspicious!
The ones being carried, of course, were the "Four Extras." Sure, they liked to drink, but they had never seen a party quite like this one!
After the first round, their clothes were gone. After the second, they were semi-conscious. By the third, they were completely down for the count...
Now they were being hauled away like trash by Iori and the others.
Watching them disappear into the night, Shiro could only hope they wouldn't end up traumatized for life.
"Hey, Iori, what about your friends? Where do they live?"
"Don't worry about them. Just dump them on the street somewhere!"
"Eh? Is that really okay? Aren't they your friends?"
"Iori's right! Just dump them on the street. Or if you're really worried, toss them into the ocean!"
"..."
"You two are awful."
"Being your friend must be tragic."
Shiro looked away.
With Iori and Nanaka around, those four were in for a very interesting night.
"Mm~ That felt great. I thought we weren't gonna have a party tonight, but surprise! You had a secret one at home, didn't you, Shiro~?"
Azusa lay sprawled on the bed, resting her chin in her hand, playing with a pair of pink handcuffs, her tone playful.
"I thought you'd invite a bunch of girls, but it was all guys from your year. Has our little Shiro finally realized the charm of other boys?"
Thwack!
"Ow~!"
He hit her with a karate chop.
She held her head in pain, her usual mature and alluring aura replaced with a slightly drunken cuteness. Her big eyes looked at Shiro with an innocent, teary expression.
(;?＿?)
"Quit the act! My heart is as hard as stone now! Tell me, why'd you and Nanaka-nee come back when you had such a golden opportunity?"
Shiro grumbled in frustration. What a wasted chance—two girls, one bed!
"Ahem… Well, I just wanted to compete fairly with you, Shiro. You said you wanted to marry Nanaka, right? I didn't want to take advantage…"
Azusa tried to argue her case, but her voice was less confident than her words. No way she was gonna admit she chickened out because of that embarrassing dream she had!
(???)
"..."
Shiro stared at her silently. That excuse was beyond weak. He was the wingman here—since when did the wingman need to "compete fairly" with the main guy?!
Besides… did she even have the qualifications to compete?
Feeling guilty under his gaze, Azusa turned her head and sat up with a huff. Then she suddenly looped her arms around Shiro's neck and pulled him down onto the bed.
"It was just curiosity, okay? I came back 'cause I wanted to see what a beast looks like."
...Shiro had no idea how to respond. Who actually runs back just to "see a beast"?
"A beast? You already saw six of them. You—"
He glanced at her flushed face and those slightly parted lips just inches away. He took a deep breath, barely restraining himself.
Azusa had drunk more than anyone else tonight, probably more than the six losers combined.
It was like she had something weighing on her mind… Was she beating herself up for not making a move on Nanaka-nee?
Right now, Azusa looked like a ripe, fragrant peach—too tempting not to take a bite.
The air was filled with pink, sugary bubbles~
"Crap! I forgot to ask—"
BANG!
"OW!" Shiro cried out, clutching his head. That sudden headbutt dazed him completely. Who just jumps up like that!?
The pink fantasy burst in an instant…
"AZUSA-NEE!!!"
Shiro rained karate chops down on her head like a madman. He was ready to crack it open and check if it was filled with booze!
You're just talking normally, then suddenly a headbutt?! Are you some kind of Pokémon?!
"Wait—Ow ow ow! Shiro, stop, you'll break me!"
Azusa clutched her head. This evil junior had no respect for his senpai! Picking on her while she was drunk!
Yeah, Azusa knew she was drunk. But she couldn't help it. That dream from earlier was way too embarrassing, and now she couldn't even look Shiro or Nanaka in the eye. Just give her a day to recover, please!
"Hmph ╯^╰"
Shiro huffed and snatched the pink handcuffs from her hands. This Azusa was broken. Useless!
Noticing the handcuffs were gone, Azusa suddenly remembered what she had wanted to ask earlier.
"Shiro, Shiro! I just remembered, why do you have so many cosplay costumes?"
Shiro, who was tidying the room, froze.
Yeah… why indeed?
Actually, they weren't his. Shiro did have a thing for cosplay, but even he wouldn't bring this much home…
The cosplay outfits…
He once had a junior—one year younger—a famous cosplayer. She used to send him her worn costumes, claiming they were "authentic…"
He didn't even know why he brought them here back then. But they weren't just costumes.
With Azusa looking baffled, Shiro reached into the pile like a total perv.
Jie jie jie~ (evil laughter)
He pulled out a book-sized box.
"Uh… what's that, Shiro?"
"This—this is the real treasure!"
Σ(?д?|||)??
Azusa jumped back in surprise. Just hearing those words sobered her up.
She leapt off the bed.
"Open it! I wanna see what it is!"
She changes moods fast! Wasn't she drunk just a second ago?
Without a word, Shiro opened the box under Azusa's curious gaze.
(^o^)
(???)
Azusa's excitement instantly vanished.
Inside the box, same size as it, was… a notebook.
"That's it?"
Azusa stared in disbelief. How was this a treasure? Was there gold hidden inside?
"Hmph, don't underestimate it!"
Shiro beamed like a kid showing off his favorite toy.
He opened the book. Inside were pages full of phone numbers!
(′｀;)?
Azusa was still confused. So many numbers… Was Shiro a secret agent?
"These… are all the contacts of rich sugar mommies!!!"
Σ(?д?|||)??
Azusa took a cautious step back.
Sugar mommies… Shiro…
"Shiro! Don't do something stupid! Azusa-nee will work hard to support you!"
She hugged his leg. Was this… just drunken rambling?
"What are you even thinking? You think I need that?"
Shiro scoffed.
He had no interest in sugar mommies. He was a man dedicated to rescuing beautiful, helpless girls!
"Eh? You don't?"
"Of course not! I'm not into older women. These were from when I worked as a host."
"Then why call it a treasure?"
"Hmph~ Think about it, Azusa-nee. I don't need them, but others do! This is a sugar mommy contact list! I could sell each copy for 50,000 yen, easy. Just 50,000 to change someone's life! What a deal—and I can sell it over and over!"
Shiro's eyes sparkled with gold. He could already see cash pouring into his pockets!
He even had his first targets lined up:
Those six losers!
He'd help them ditch their virginity and reach the peak of life!
Shiro, oh Shiro, you're practically a saint!!!
This move? A win-win of fame and fortune!
"..."
Azusa quietly climbed back into bed, watching Shiro losing his mind.
This Shiro was broken.
Time to sleep.
(T/N: Agreed.)