Where I am ?

…

The next day, at Itan High School.

Humming

A cheerful Yamai was sewing maid costumes while happily humming.

Najimi, standing nearby, felt a bit confused yet very curious; however, something inside told her that asking wasn't a great idea.

On the other hand, Najimi saw this as an opportunity to slip away. She took a few small steps toward the door. After a moment, noticing Yamai wasn't reacting to her slight movements, she gained some confidence and continued toward the door little by little. Finally, her hand reached the doorknob, and she was about to be free...

Crash!

"Kyah!" Najimi jumped in fright when a needle firmly embedded itself in the wall near the door.

When she turned around, she saw a smiling Yamai looking at her nonchalantly.

"Going somewhere? Because I don't see you've finished your work…" said Yamai, lightly tugging on the thread in her hand, and the needle that was firmly lodged in the wall returned effortlessly to her hand.

"Tadano-kun! What did I ever do to deserve being left here with this monster…" Najimi cried in her heart.

…

Meanwhile, in Tadano's classroom.

Flash

Flash

Hundreds of camera flashes went off from various students. Everyone was fascinated by the view in front of them.

Trembling

A timid Shouko posed in front of all her classmates, dressed in her custom-made maid outfit, tailored by Yamai.

"I-I still think this is very e-embarrassing," murmured the girl, cheeks blushing.

Shouko still had a hard time not feeling shy when so many people looked at her intently. However, her timid, embarrassed appearance served as a great stimulant for several classmates, who fell to the floor with nosebleeds, overcome by excitement at seeing Shouko. Shouko trembled at the sight.

However, one person in the crowd helped her calm down. Shouko's gaze found Tadano in the crowd, smiling at her. She loved that beautiful smile—it warmed her heart. Driven by a desire for his approval, she took small steps toward him.

With blushing cheeks and a timid voice, she asked, "How do I look?"

The young man raised an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden initiative.

"Oh? You've become really brave, asking on your own…" Tadano teased.

Shouko blushed in embarrassment.

"Hehe, just kidding. You look absolutely charming, Shouko…" said the young man as he affectionately patted her head.

The girl's heart felt warm, and she gazed at him dreamily.

However...

"Hey! Don't ruin our work!" Nene complained as she saw how the carefully styled hair she spent a long time on was undone in seconds.

"You can't do that, Hito-kun! Nene-chan will be really mad…" added Kaede, standing next to him.

Shouko didn't mind and continued to purr happily as Tadano's hand touched her head.

"They get along so well…" thought the rest of the class.

…

"So, how's the menu coming along?" Tadano asked.

"It wasn't too hard… we'll make omurice and a few small desserts to go with it…" said Kaede.

"That's right; as for who will handle the kitchen, I'll be the main cook and rotate with Najimi and Inaka… I also remember Yamai offered to help," Nene said.

"Great! I'm looking forward to trying your cooking…" Tadano said enthusiastically.

Nene blushed a little, seeing how excited Tadano was about her cooking, and got lost in her thoughts.

Kaede puffed up her cheeks, feeling left out.

"I can serve delicious food too!" said Kaede.

"What your five-star chef prepares doesn't count…" Yamai teased.

Click

"Huh? Did you say something?" Kaede asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Hmph! Even if you have a lot of money, you lack basic skills. At least I can cook a table of delicious dishes for Hito-kun!" huffed Yamai, meeting Kaede's provocative gaze, refusing to back down.

Kaede's expression froze, and her eyes sparkled dangerously.

"Now, now, don't fight so early… I enjoy both of your cooking. Besides, Kaede's pastries are really delicious," Tadano said conciliatingly.

Kaede felt happy to be praised and looked arrogantly at Yamai, who rolled her eyes and settled into her seat.

"By the way… why are you sitting there?" Kaede asked, annoyed at Yamai's lack of reaction.

"Fufu~ What do you think? This lady earned this great seat today after much effort. You can be envious, but you can't claim this seat," Yamai said arrogantly as she adjusted herself and furtively rubbed a certain object.

"Huh? That's not fair, you know?" exclaimed Kaede.

"That's right! We want to sit on Tadano's lap too," added Nene.

Shouko fiercely nodded, very much in agreement with the idea.

"Hmph! Don't think I'll give up this spot so easily! ... Although, if Komi-sama wants it…" said Yamai, firm at first but wavering when she looked at Shouko.

Tadano could only laugh helplessly at the little battlefield forming.

…

"By the way, how's the progress on the other costumes?" Tadano asked, gently stroking Shouko's hair, who had traded places with Yamai.

As Shouko purred happily, Yamai responded,

"I've already finished a couple, though it would go faster if a certain someone helped a little more instead of disguising herself as a youkai…" she said, annoyed, directing her gaze toward Najimi, who was chatting animatedly with a group of classmates.

Najimi felt a chill and turned around, forcing a smile.

"Hehe, you know how she is, so there's no point in getting mad. By the way, your work is excellent; Shouko looked dazzling in that costume," Tadano praised.

Hearing his praise, Yamai puffed out her chest and said proudly,

"Of course! Only with my hands and great skill can I make Komi-sama the most dazzling! Komi-sama should always be the best and most beautiful thing in this world!" she said with a fanatical tone.

"…"

After a somewhat awkward silence, Yamai realized her fanatical side had slipped out. Blushing a little, she sat quietly, slightly embarrassed.

…

At the entrance of Itan High School, a group of girls gathered.

Trembling

"I-I don't think this is a good i-idea…" said a timid girl with pink hair.

"Hehe… Come on, there's nothing to worry about; with me here, no one will catch us," said the smallest of the group confidently, with cute, long violet hair.

Another girl with short blue hair nodded in agreement with that statement.

"That's right, just listen to Ai-chan, and everything will be fine…" the girl with blue hair said fanatically.

Whack

"You only support her because you always find money when you follow her…" said another girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail, annoyed after hitting her friend.

"That hurts, Nijika-chan…" the girl with blue hair said with teary eyes.

"Now, now… we just came to take a look at Po—Cough Hitori-chan's school, so I don't think it's that bad…" said a girl with long red hair, conciliatorily.

"Aw~ Kita-chan, are you joining this craziness too?" Nijika said, pouting.

Kita felt a bit embarrassed seeing her friend's expression and looked away.

"Alright, alright… stop worrying, and let's get going. Or are you saying you don't want to see what Tadano-nii looks like when he's working?" the mischievous little star teased.

Gulp

Everyone except Ai gulped, imagining Tadano's appearance while working.

To some degree, Tadano had impacted this group of young beauties.

As for Pochi, to her, Tadano was… simply put, her god. Perfect communication skills, kind, strong, and especially a god when it came to playing an instrument. Whenever he demonstrated or gave lessons, just the way he placed his hands on an instrument was marvelous.

…

Not to mention how manly he looked.

Pochi remembered an incident where a group of bad guys surrounded her, wanting to kidnap her while she was looking for a new pick for her guitar. Luckily, Tadano was nearby and managed to save her successfully.

The little Pochi wouldn't admit it, but something in her stirred when she saw him so brutally beat those bad guys.

"Heh… hehe…" Pochi began to laugh foolishly, recalling that event.

…

For the original members of Kessoku, Tadano was very special.

For Ryo, he was a handsome guy with a lot of money who occasionally gave her delicious food.

For Nijika, he was a kind man who took good care of her and her friends and provided them with incredible songs to sing… Nijika wouldn't admit it if asked, but she always secretly listened to Tadano's songs during her free time, fantasizing about singing alongside him.

Shiver

While everyone was lost in thought, no one noticed that a certain person's "Ahoge" was fluttering around.

As for Kita Ikuyo, Tadano was a goal she aspired to reach. She dreamed of having his level of skill in both singing and guitar, so she was a diligent student, always taking notes during his lessons.

"Well, everyone, follow me while wearing these…" Ai-chan said mysteriously as she pulled out their school uniforms from an unknown place.

Once dressed, the group of girls set out on a new adventure.

Author's Note: "This author is well aware of their mistakes and feels sorry for them. I apologize for the delay in the chapters, but a few things have been happening lately, which have left me feeling really down and exhausted, making it hard to even write. But I won't stop this project and will keep trying to entertain everyone who's still reading. That said, remember to drink plenty of water, and know that I love you all very much. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."

----------------- nwnr