When I Said, “I Want a Beautiful and Rich Girlfriend,” a Girl With Circumstances Showed Up V2 - Ch 2

 Chapter 2 : A friend of hers who knows the circumstances is being very forward.

"――Iori-kun, is the seat next to you available?"

Kuzuha Mahiro approached me before the lecture, right on the day the one-week no-approach period had ended, as if she were being meticulous.

Even today, she was dressed in an ash gray, fluffy long hairstyle with a newscaster-like outfit, exuding an innocent vibe.

Her actions, now targeting me since I was no longer a virgin, caused a stir in the large lecture hall, especially among those who knew of her notorious reputation.

"Eh, no."

And with my one word of refusal, the commotion grew even louder.

"Uhmm..."

Kuzuha made an indescribable sound, then smiled like a blooming flower as she looked at the seat next to mine.

"Hey, Kamiya-kun?"

"Oh, what's up, Kuzuha-san?"

"Hey, stop it, Kamiyan has nothing to do with this."

Kuzuha, sneakily targeting my friend Kamiyan (Kamiya Daisuke, who is a virgin), ignored my words of restraint and continued.

"Can you give me your seat for a bit? I'll make it up to you later."

"Sure thing."

"Wait, Kuzuha. Leave my friends alone, you can sit next to me."

"Really?"

In a hurry, we cleared one end of the four-person desk we had been sharing.

The setup was with Kamiyan's belongings at my feet, then Kamiyan, me, Kuzuha's belongings, and Kuzuha on the left.

"Thanks, Iori-kun."

"You're so fake...!"

Kuzuha, as if mocking me grinding her teeth in frustration, took out her stationery with a face that seemed like she had only asked for the seat, which was even more infuriating.

"――Hey, Shinocchi."

"I get what you're trying to say, Kamiyan, but no."

Sure, Kuzuha is a cutely stylish beauty.

But since she's admitted to being a 'virgin-eater' monster, I can't just stand by and watch her sink her teeth into my friend.

"One day, one day, Kamiyan will surely find a cute girlfriend, but today isn't that day."

Or rather, his first girlfriend should definitely not be Kuzuha. Seriously.

"But..."

"It's better to be calm about it. Even if you could get along with Kuzuha and date her, you'd be dumped in less than a month like Umehara, and then you'd judge all girls by that ex-girlfriend standard forever. That would be miserable."

"Iori-kun, pointing at people is rude, you know?"

"Oh, sorry."

"Umehara, huh... that hits hard."

Kamiyan made a pained expression at the mention of our former clubmate, who was once on our side. He probably remembered how they used to have carefree conversations about being unpopular, contrasting with the current Umehara, who now sports an ill-fitting blonde look and high energy, trying to hit on girls only to be shot down.

Those days that would never come back.

"Right, yeah... I mean, it's harsh. Shinocchi, you've got Tendo-san, so it's easy for you to say..."

But even so, Kamiyan seemed unable to give up entirely.

I can understand his argument that it's easier for me to say since I have an S-class beauty (politically incorrect) like Tendo as my girlfriend.

"I-I'll ask Tsukasa-san if she can introduce you to some friends next time."

"R-Really?"

"..."

I said that, but I hope he doesn't suggest that I should introduce Kuzuha to Kamiyan to take the heat off me...

When it comes to romance, especially when it's someone else's business, it's impossible to predict how Tsukasa would react.

"By the way, does Tendo-san have any female friends?"

"Yes, a few?" That's the kind of response one would expect...

"Oh, then I'd like a gal who's nice to otaku."

"Hmm, I don't think there's anyone like that..."

Do such gals even exist?

"Well, don't expect too much, but just wait."

"Better than having no hope at all, so no worries! Thanks, I guess having a friend with a girlfriend is useful."

Among the friends whose attitudes changed somewhat after I started dating Tsukasa, Kamiyan is truly a good person.

Why doesn't he have a girlfriend? (A unique male friend evaluation.)

"Fufufu, you two get along so well."

And why does Kuzuha seem a bit pleased?

This monster really has unpredictable triggers...

"By the way, did something happen between Kuzuha-san and Shinocchi? You two never seemed close."

"Well, it's a bit hard to explain, but I guess because she's Tsukasa-san's friend... it's her whim."

"It's not a whim, right? I was just asking Iori-kun if he would date me too, you know? Right?"

My strategy of explaining it honestly was shattered by the straightforward Kuzuha.

"Huh?"

And Kamiyan, who seemed not to understand her statement, made a face as if he was carrying the universe on his back. A very appropriate reaction, I think.

"If that wasn't over, can I just consider you a stranger?"

"Oh, right, it was supposed to be from friends, sorry."

Ah, this is definitely intentional, isn't it?

And the fact she said "from" means she hasn't given up yet.

While I was raising my internal alert level, Kamiyan rebooted.

"Eh, won't Tendo-san get mad about this? Is it okay?"

"Oh, Tsukasa-san knows Kuzuha approached me. That's why there was a week of suspension, but she came to talk to me as soon as it was over."

"――I don't get this anymore."

For a while after that, Kamiyan kept repeating "Girls are incomprehensible," which became a topic among our friends, and unfortunately, Tendo didn't have any gal friends who were nice to otaku.

 

§

 

Mm, mm.

"And in the end, was it okay?"

"Yeah, I didn't let her get close to Kamiyan afterward, and I made sure to warn Kuzuha thoroughly, so it should be fine."

"I'm worried about you, Iori-kun... Maybe you should let Kamiyan date Mahiro? They might actually get along well?"

"I don't want to be the kind of guy who sends a friend bungee jumping without a cord just because 'maybe' it could work out."

"Is it that serious? I think trying to date at least once, even if it doesn't work out, isn't a bad thing..."

Mm, mm.

"Generally, that might be true, but not in this case. Dating someone as dangerous as her would twist your fetishes in one go."

We've got Umehara as a real example...

Moreover, there's nothing less reliable than an experienced person saying "it's not that big of a deal."

Encounters with the unknown are always tough (from experience).

"Well, Mahiro's tastes are a bit unusual, but..."

"A bit?"

"...very unusual, but I don't think she's that dangerous."

"Can you say that while looking me in the eye?"

"I can, but I might want to kiss you."

"I'll hold back on that."

How many people do you think are watching... (shudder).

Mm, mm.

"...Sorry, Tsukasa-san. Can I check my phone for a minute?"

"Sure, go ahead."

I pulled out my phone, which had been vibrating for a while, checked the sender in the notification bar, and quickly set it to silent notifications.

Okay!

"But still, I can only think of someone who barges in when I'm alone with you and then tries to have a secret talk over the phone as a dangerous object."

Then I pointed my thumb at Kuzuha, who had come to sit at our table later and was sending messages instead of joining the conversation.

"Ehh, but if I don't do this, Iori-kun would ignore me, so I have no choice."

"No, if you just talked to me normally, I wouldn't ignore you."

But Kuzuha wasn't at all apologetic; she just stuck her tongue out playfully.

So cunning. I'm already regretting exchanging contact info...

"Mahiro, you're not sending anything weird, right? Like sexy selfies?"

"I wouldn't do anything so risky. Oh, not because Iori-kun would spread them, but because you might drop your phone or someone might look at it."

"Well, that's just precaution, nothing wrong with that."

Both Tsukasa and Kuzuha seem oddly concerned about sexy selfies. Why is that?

It's not like it's a bad thing, but I wouldn't want to receive them either.

But before that, shouldn't they do something about how their sexual histories are leaking everywhere?

"Iori-kun, so what was Mahiro sending?"

"Just normal messages, I was more curious about why she was playing with her phone in the first place."

"Hmm... can you show me?"

"Sure, but..."

I showed her the screen to avoid any misunderstanding, and Tsukasa was more interested than I expected. It's quite a rare reaction for her.

She generally defends her friends, but does she also consider Kuzuha a threat?

I wouldn't cheat, especially not with Kuzuha, but there's no need to worry.

"Iori-kun, you'll accept a little jealousy from your cute girlfriend, right?"

"Well, occasionally?"

As usual, I must have shown it on my face because Tsukasa gave me a meaningful look.

But if that's the case, I'd rather she kept Kuzuha away forever to avoid any trouble.

"Hey, Iori-kun, don't you have anything on your phone you wouldn't want someone to see?"

"Well, I wouldn't like to show it off, but if it's you, Tsukasa-san..."

My most private things are probably the chat logs with Tsukasa and the existence of the location tracking app.

With her, there's nothing I need to hide.

"Hmm, then can I see it next time?"

"No way. I said 'if it's you, Tsukasa-san.'"

"Hey, Iori-kun, you can boast about me to your friends more often, you know?"

"But I don't want you to see other logs?"

Isn't the topic changing?

I don't know what she saw, but if this were back when we were just engaged rather than dating, it would be unforgivable. I feel like my priorities are backwards.

"Thank you, I'm good now."

"Oh, okay."

As I took my phone back from Tendo, she started playing with my hand, holding and stroking it. My heart rate still rises with her soft, smooth hands, but I've gotten somewhat used to this kind of silly couple interaction.

Lately, I even feel a bit of fondness for these moments.

"Fufu, you two really get along well."

"If you think so, could you really leave me alone?"

"Yeah, if Mahiro's here, the shy Iori-kun won't kiss me."

"No, I'd hold back even if she wasn't here."

There are other people around, after all.

And with that phrasing, it sounds like I'm trying to get rid of Kuzuha so I can be affectionate with Tendo (not that I don't want to be affectionate, though).

"Ehh, you don't have to mind me."

"But I do mind."

"Anyway, Mahiro, why are you being so mischievous?"

Oh, this might lead to a constructive conversation.

Glancing at Kuzuha, who seemed to embody the 'raccoon-faced beauty' not just in looks but in personality as well, she tilted her head exaggeratedly and let out a small "hmm."

"Well, I was just curious to see if Iori-kun would check his phone while talking to Tsukasa-chan."

"Can you not test people like that?"

Don't you know the commandment "Thou shalt not test"?

Maybe Tsukasa should reconsider this friendship...

"But you know, when guys are in a relationship, they start looking at their phones while talking, right? That makes me sad."

"That's more of an individual problem..."

Even among friends, some do it, and some don't.

Looking around, there were even people sitting together, both playing with their phones. What's that about?

Maybe they both got urgent messages, but I've seen girls in sweatpants at family restaurants, each playing with their phones the whole time (a prejudice).

"Eh? Tsukasa-chan would understand, right?"

"If it's from experience, since my first boyfriend, Iori-kun, doesn't do that, I wouldn't know?"

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

"...Why is Iori-kun surprised too? I've only ever dated you, remember?"

"Oh, right."

I was a bit shocked by the impact of the word "first boyfriend," earning a resentful glare, but now that I think about it, she did say I was her first love before.

But before that, she had relations with about ninety-eight people!

"Eh, you didn't date anyone from the law department?"

"Ugh..."

And I wish Kuzuha would stop digging up the past and causing collateral damage.

That's like a regular attack that can kill me instantly.

"I don't know who you're mistaking me for, but you're wrong. And please, don't talk about the past in front of Iori-kun."

Tsukasa squeezed my interlocked fingers when she saw me groan.

I wish I could say I'm not bothered, but right now, it would be a lie.

Thinking about what to say, I squeezed back lightly to show I was okay (not that I was undamaged).

"Eh, I didn't say that just to say it? I really thought so, and even if it were true, why hide it?"

"Even so, no. Unless he wants to hear it, there's no need to bring it up. And you're mistaken anyway."

Tsukasa's words were very reasonable, and because of that, they carried a strong tone that left no room for argument, making even Kuzuha lose her carefree mood.

"Hmm... okay, sorry. Iori-kun too."

"...Yeah, well, it's okay. People have different lines, and I guess Kuzuha didn't mean any harm." Right?

If there was, that would be another story, but when she apologizes so straightforwardly, it's hard to pursue it.

I don't think there's a need to actively dig into Tsukasa's past, but I also don't want to be affected by every mention of it.

Still, for someone who claims to like virgins, Kuzuha sure knows how to attack in other ways, poking at you...

"Well, if I want to know anything, I'll hear it from Tsukasa-san herself. Just remember that."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"Yeah, be careful. Iori-kun is as delicate as a koala."

"Let's not go there."

I'm not trying to act macho, but being called out as fragile doesn't sit well with me as a guy.

And do koalas really have such a delicate image?

I only have the impression that they sometimes have a rather fierce look in their eyes.

"Ah, but can I ask one thing? Why didn't you check your phone right away even though it was from me?"

"Well, I was talking to Tsukasa-san."

Isn't that obvious?

If it were an emergency like something happening to family, I'd take a call, but otherwise, there's no reason to prioritize my phone over the person in front of me.

"Like I said before, it's about individual differences, isn't it? I'm just that type, even with friends."

Tsukasa, perhaps because of her strict upbringing, usually keeps her phone aside when talking to someone.

I sometimes get called out for bad manners in other situations, though.

"Hmm... Tsukasa-chan is so nice, I'm so jealous."

Kuzuha's words were perfectly described as "heartfelt."

Even though our relationship is still short, I thought friends of Tsukasa would have similar awareness, but maybe she didn't spend much time with her ex-boyfriends.

"I'll say it again and again, Iori-kun is absolutely out of bounds."

"I've never gone after someone else's boyfriend."

"That's not what you meant, right?"

To Tsukasa's pointed remark, which felt like stirring up trouble, Kuzuha predictably responded, and just then, the bell rang.

As we prepared to move, Tsukasa let go of my hand, which had been linked the whole time.

"Hey, Tsukasa-chan, are you free after this?"

As Tsukasa's fingers lingered with a hint of reluctance, Kuzuha spoke to her from across me.

Why are they naturally flanking me on both sides?

"Sorry, I have plans to go to Iori-kun's place today."

"Oh, then can I come too, Iori-kun? I won't do anything weird."

"Eh, no."

That qualifier is just a complete tease...

"Iori-kun, you're so harsh when you say no..."

"Didn't I tell you? I got quite pricked by it too."

"Tsukasa-san, are you holding a grudge?"

"Enough to want to tease Iori-kun a bit with it."

What kind of face should I make...

"Here they go again, being all lovey-dovey..."

"Can you stop trying to hold hands while saying that?"

Why does she naturally try to hold hands? The positioning is just wrong.

I swapped places with Tsukasa, and without any concern, Kuzuha linked arms with her. Somehow, this doesn't sit right with me either...

"Tsukasa-chan, are you going to have sex today?"

"Yes, so please refrain."

"Tsukasa-san, that's vulgar."

It was indeed our plan, but I'd prefer if she didn't say it out loud.

"Then can I join in and watch?"

"Why do you think you'd get an okay for that?"

"I've said this before, but I have no intention of sharing Iori-kun with anyone, so give up."

"Eh, then just watching! Watching is okay, right?"

"Why are you so persistent..."

And Tsukasa, please stop giving me that "what should I do?" look.

Why does it feel like you're actually considering it?

In the end, she issued another one-week no-approach order to Kuzuha, and Tsukasa gave a more stern warning.

I hope this will finally make her stop messing with me...