A Case in Which My House Is a Gathering Place for Girls - Chapter 25: Formation of an Alliance

I, Hanazono Kanna, am sitting across from two girls in the house of my childhood friend, who is absent. Both of them are well-known public figures and are undeniably beautiful, deserving to be described as peerless beauties.

“This is the first time we’ve had a proper conversation, isn’t it? We’ve been at the same school for so long, but it still feels strange.”

“That’s right. We’ve been at the same school since middle school too, haven’t you, Hanazono-san? Me too. Sasazuki-san, we’ve known each other since elementary school, right?”

“Yes. I was forced into it by my parents. But this is the first time I’ve been in the same class as the two of you. It’s natural that we’ve never had any interaction.”

Amahashiritsu Academy is a massive school that follows an escalator system from elementary to university. There are naturally countless classmates I’ve never even spoken to while I know the names and faces of many with so many students.

“More than that, Hanazono Kanna. Why don’t we get down to business now? I feel sorry for leaving Itsuki outside.”

“Sasazuki-san is right. Hanazono-san, what is your aim?”

Asakura-san asks while glaring at me with a sharp gaze. She’s someone who’s fought in a world where a few seconds can determine the outcome, and her intimidating presence is overwhelming. If I were an ordinary person, I might have been reduced to tears.

“Hehe. It’s hard to guess when you come here, Asakura-san. Don’t you know why I invited you two here while leaving Jinpei-kun out of the loop?”

“Of course, I know. You invited me and Sasazuki-san here to make it clear who Itsuki belongs to, right? Or is this really Itsuki’s house? There are obviously women’s clothes and accessories.”

“My reasoning was right, after all. Itsuki and Hanazono Kanna live together! If that’s the case, doesn’t this whole competition become invalid?”

Sasazuki-san is pondering as she rests her chin on her hand, and Asakura-san nods as if to say, “That’s true,” while glaring at me with eyes full of killing intent.

“Don’t jump to conclusions. As Sasazuki-san said, I’ve been in this place all the time, but I’m not here to compete with you two.”

“This is getting confusing, and I have questions I want to ask, but what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Are you saying we should just give up and disappear without even having a competition?”

“Please don’t say such ominous things, Sasazuki-san. It’s true that Jinpei-kun and I are in a deep relationship, but that doesn’t mean I’m telling you two to disappear. Rather, it’s the other way around.”

Asakura-san and Sasazuki-san tilt their heads slightly, floating question marks on their heads. I’ve gone a bit off-track with my usual habit of not being clear with my words. If Jinpei-kun were here, he’d probably be exasperated. I clear my throat and then explain the true purpose of this meeting.

“What I’m trying to say is that why don’t the three of us form an alliance to make Jinpei-kun a common asset?”

“”!!??””

I dare to ignore the two who open their eyes in amazement, and I continue speaking.

“You may wonder why I say such a thing. The answer is simple. In some way or another, all of us have been saved by Jinpei-kun.”

When I lived in the same countryside as Jinpei-kun. Compared to other children, I was a little different, and I was almost bullied. The cruel words, violence, and loneliness of being by myself every day made me cry, and it was none other than Jinpei-kun who helped me.

“Jinpei-kun is the only childhood friend who understood the way I spoke and acted and was by my side. That irreplaceable childhood friend is Jinpei-kun. The person I am today is thanks to him.”

“I see. I finally understood what Hanazono-san was saying. If that were the case, I think Itsuki was my first boy, too.”

During gym class, Asakura-san said that Jinpei-kun noticed a small discomfort she was feeling. He was the first person who saw her without ulterior motives as he really paid attention to her and took care of her physical condition.

“I was surprised when I was suddenly approached because there were so many people who approached me for some kind of ulterior motive. But because of that, I wanted to make Itsuki my partner.”

“Why do Asakura-san say things that lead to misunderstandings? Are you doing it on purpose?”

“Hehe, I’ll leave it to Hanazono-san’s imagination. What about Sasazuki-san? What did Itsuki do to you?”

“…Nothing special, but Itsuki found me. And he just said that he would be my friend. But to me, that was the first time anyone ever did that.”

Sasazuki-san sips tea by saying that. Perhaps she was trying to mimic Asakura-san’s tone to match the mood. I can’t help but mentally comment that there’s really no need to do that, though I can’t help but show it on my face. But Sasazuki-san was unfazed and continued to speak.

“Whether at school or outside, the only one who has been able to notice my presence is Itsuki. So… I don’t want to let him go, not today.”

“I feel the same as Sasazuki-san. Someone like Itsuki isn’t just rare. He’s an endangered species. Hanazono-san’s proposal is exactly what I wanted.”

Sasazuki-san speaks with a voice that sounds as if she’s on the verge of tears and her words desperate. Asakura-san pats her shoulder as she takes over the conversation.

“I’m glad you said so. History proves that tragedy is inevitable after an intense battle. So instead of making Jinpei-kun someone else’s, why not make him ours instead? Let’s form an alliance to do that?”

The three of us are similar in many ways. I began to wonder when I bumped into Asakura-san in front of the house and spoke to her for a bit. Then, when I saw Jinpei-kun returning with Sasazuki-san, I got the idea for this plan.

“Well, I think it’s a very good suggestion. As expected of a current high school student and the president.”

“Of course, I have no choice but to agree. Thank you, Hanazono Kanna.”

“Thank you. So let’s stop here for now and we can take our time to decide on the details of our shared plans later.”

If we don’t call Jinpei-kun into the room, he will freeze and catch a cold. While the idea of taking care of a weakened Jinpei-kun sounds somewhat appealing, especially if I had to nurse him through it…

I’m sure he’d be mad if he heard me thinking that. With that in mind, the three of us head to the entrance, open the door, and welcome the homeowner back inside.

＊＊＊＊＊

After being left outdoors for a while, the door finally opened and I was able to enter the place. The door to the house opened, and I was greeted by three beautiful girls.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Jinpei-kun. It will be late if we cook now, so why don’t we order it tonight?”

“I’m glad that the discussion seems to have ended successfully. And now that it’s over, hurry up and go home. You don’t have to worry about food.”

I tossed my bag onto the bed and was about to dive onto it too when, before I could, Sasazuki sat down with a soft thud. This isn’t your house, nor is it your bed…

“Dinner together? We can deepen our friendship. I think pizza would be good for this number of people.”

Asakura sits next to Sasazuki talking with an innocent face. Don’t use my bed as a chair. Also, don’t just proceed with the conversation without consulting me.

“I’m hungry, so anything is fine.”

Sasazuki murmurs in a somewhat lonely tone. I can understand how she feels. She had planned to make Mapo tofu, after all. We bought ingredients for it, so if it goes to waste, it’d be pretty bummed too.

“Instead, I will make Mapo tofu for Itsuki tomorrow, so you two better not get in the way. You can eat out tomorrow.”

“…Huh?”

Sasazuki pouts as she insists. If I’m not mistaken, the temperature in the room just dropped drastically with that statement. And behind her, I swear I saw a dangerous aura from the three of them, like the mythic figures of the bull, dragon, and tiger, with sparks flying between them.

“Sasazuki-san, let’s decide that story while eating, shall we? Anyway, we will have pizza tonight. Is Jinpei-kun alright with it?”

“I should ask, but… do I have a say in this?”

“Hehe. I’m afraid not!”

“…I thought so.”

I sigh when Kanna says so with a pretty smile like a cherry blossom in full bloom.

The situation of three of the top beauties in the school, not just my class but the entire academy, coming to crash at the house of a high school boy living alone might look like heaven to anyone from the outside. But in reality, as the homeowner, it feels more like a narrow and hellish environment.

“Then let’s make a quick decision on what to order! Let’s start with the side menu!”

“I’d a salad. What would you like, Sasazuki-san?”

“Well… You can’t go wrong with potatoes as a side dish.”

In the end, the three of them argued and discussed for over thirty minutes before finally placing the order. Needless to say, during that time, I was completely on the outside, just watching them chat happily like friends. Strangely, I didn’t feel upset about it.