Chapter 8: My Third and Zeroth Female Friends Are Totally Stumped

After school, once the day’s classes had ended—

“W-What do we do, Minato?!”

“Don’t ask me…”

This wasn’t the classroom or that empty room, but a secluded corner of the school.

It was a small space at the end of a hallway, blocked off by a few chairs acting as a barrier.

Minato hadn’t known about this spot before, but it seemed to be a hangout for the gyaru girls.

“Now’s not the time to be saying stuff like that while staring at my panties!”

“Is there ever a time when a guy wouldn’t want to look at panties?”

“Good point… You are a guy, after all.”

Honami Mugi seemed to accept this explanation.

So, she turned around in front of Minato and lifted her miniskirt.

Today, her panties were black, which surprisingly complemented her tanned skin.

“By the way, what is this place? The chairs are set up like a barricade. Is it okay that we climbed over them?”

“No idea. I heard some girls used to chat here years ago. Now it’s just me and Sarara using it.”

“Izumi-san? Hazuki doesn’t come here?”

“Aoi wouldn’t want to hang out in a quiet place like this.”

“Yeah, makes sense…”

At school, Hazuki usually stayed in prominent spots, like the center of the classroom.

Hiding away like this didn’t suit her personality.

The reason she was less willing to let Minato touch her at school compared to Serina was probably because she disliked sneaky behavior.

“Other students used to come by occasionally, but over time, hardly anyone shows up anymore.”

“I see…”

Honami Mugi, with her blonde hair and tanned skin, and Sarara Izumi, with her flashy blonde hair and bold style, stood out even among Hazuki’s gyaru clique.

They weren’t scary—actually, they were quite friendly—but students who didn’t know them might find them intimidating.

Come to think of it, Honami’s vibe had initially made Minato hesitant to approach her.

“So, it’s fine if I show you my panties… Ugh, could it be the location?”

“As long as I’m the only one looking, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“You’re pretty possessive, Minato…”

“Ever since you started showing me your panties, Honami, I don’t want any other guys seeing them.”

Now, Honami didn’t just show Minato her panties—she even let him see her butt.

That tanned butt was perfectly shaped, firm, and smooth. It looked great in white or black panties.

No way was Minato letting other guys see such enticing panties and a butt like that.

“I wasn’t planning to show anyone but you anyway… Eek! Hey, I didn’t say you could touch my butt!”

“Oh, sorry. I couldn’t help myself…”

Minato instinctively touched her butt through the black panties.

As expected, it was soft, his hand practically sinking into it.

“N-No big deal. I’m just impressed you held back this long. The first time I showed you my panties, I thought you’d be all over me.”

“I could’ve touched you back then?!”

“Normally, guys wouldn’t just look and leave it at that. I thought you’d be more eager.”

“No way, I can’t just touch without permission.”

“You literally just did!”

“S-Sorry… Okay, I’m officially asking—please let me touch your butt!”

“You’re way too eager now!”

Honami turned her flushed face to glare at Minato behind her.

“Ah ♡ Geez, you’re so quick… ♡ Wait, you’re touching too lewdly… Ah ♡”

“Your butt’s a bit bigger than Hazuki’s and Serina’s. It feels amazing…”

“Hey, don’t say a girl’s butt is big!”

Honami shot him a sharp glare.

“S-Sorry, it slipped out…”

“Hm? Minato, forget Ruka—how do you know what Aoi’s butt looks like? Oh, right! She’s always running around in tight pants. I remember you often go to the sports center with her. Staring at her in tight pants would obviously show her butt’s size.”

“Y-Yeah, exactly!”

Honami’s quick thinking led her to her own conclusion.

Minato was relieved he didn’t need to lie, but he still felt a bit guilty—

He hadn’t told Honami that he’d also asked Hazuki to do naughty things with him.

Serina had told him to keep their “play” with Honami a secret, and he’d honored that.

From Minato’s perspective, he didn’t want to casually spill those details to Honami, who was close to Hazuki.

Still, he sometimes felt like he was sneaking around…

But Minato wasn’t dating Hazuki, and the same went for Serina.

With Honami, it was just occasionally looking at her panties and touching her butt—a pure, innocent relationship.

“Phew… Anyway, I had a blast.”

“You really went all out, huh…”

Honami, looking a bit shy, pressed her skirt down over her butt.

Then she plopped onto the floor.

“By the way, how’s the livestream thing going? If you need help, I’m always here.”

“You helped out so much with those naughty photoshoots.”

Honami narrowed her eyes, glaring at him.

“But… the photos you took were too spicy. If a minor uploaded stuff like that, it’d probably cause trouble. Like, 100% trouble.”

“That’s a blind spot…”

“No, it’s not a blind spot! You should’ve realized while shooting!”

“Impossible. Seeing you looking that spicy, my brain couldn’t function.”

“Are you, like, running on instinct? Guys are wild… Or is it just you, Minato?”

“No clue…”

Minato figured most high school guys were probably like this.

He was just especially lucky to have so many female friends.

“Please don’t get us sent to the police station. Ugh, I’ll pick a few less extreme photos and quietly upload them. My social media’s only known by close friends anyway.”

“Even so, be a bit careful.”

You never know where photos uploaded online might leak.

“Don’t worry, only Aoi and my really close friends know my account—oh, right! This isn’t the time for panty-gazing, Minato!”

“I know.”

“You say that but keep staring and groping… Fine, it’s okay.”

“It’s okay?”

It seemed Honami was already enjoying this game with Minato.

“No, I mean, the situation’s really bad right now!”

“Yeah…”

Honestly, Minato had been indulging in Honami’s panties and butt to escape reality.

If he didn’t take a break from reality, he couldn’t shift his mindset.

“Things are looking kinda rough…”

“Aoi and Koharu just made up… and now Aoi and Ruka are in a cold war? It’s like it never ends.”

“Yeah… Sorry. I’m partly to blame this time.”

Minato sat in front of Honami, bowing deeply.

Yes, all day today, there’d been a tense atmosphere between Aoi Hazuki and Ruka Serina.

“I’m not blaming you, Minato.”

“No, if I’d gotten them to make up sooner, it wouldn’t have come to this. It’s that pattern where people get stubborn over time…”

“Strange, though. Aoi’s so upbeat, and Ruka’s not the type to hold grudges.”

“This is tricky…”

Neither could come up with constructive ideas, just venting their frustrations.

Aoi Hazuki had been visibly upset in the classroom since morning—

Meanwhile, Serina kept stealing glances at Hazuki’s expression. From what Minato saw, she didn’t say a word.

“At some point, even Serina started looking upset.”

“That’s common. Like, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong, so why are you mad?’—that kind of vicious cycle.”

“If Serina’s just feeling scared, maybe calming Hazuki down could fix it.”

“By the way, why’s Aoi mad?”

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?! If even you don’t know, who would?!”

Honami looked dumbfounded.

“No, no, you and Hazuki are closer now, right? It might be easier for a girl to get answers… Not that I’m pushing this onto you.”

“That’s exactly pushing it! Ugh, Aoi’s scary when she’s mad…”

“Has she gotten mad in front of you guys?”

Minato recalled the first time he lifted Hazuki’s skirt to see her panties—she’d puffed out her cheeks, clearly annoyed.

“Like when we’re shopping, if some dumb guy tries to hit on us, she gets fierce.”

“F-Fierce?”

“She’ll click her tongue and ignore them. If they keep coming, she’ll yell, ‘Get lost!’”

“She does that…?”

Hazuki was always full of energy, with a loud voice.

When hanging out with Minato, she often laughed loudly, but he’d never seen her yell at someone.

Even as friends, it seemed Hazuki had sides Minato didn’t know.

“Thanks to Aoi, we can shake off annoying pickup attempts.”

“Your clique attracts a lot of those guys, don’t it?”

Besides Hazuki, Honami, her friend Sarara, and the other girls were all beauties.

Who’d have thought Hazuki, the leader, would personally fend them off?

“Hazuki really cares about her friends.”

“Yeah!”

Honami suddenly leaned forward.

The motion made her E-cup chest bounce noticeably.

“Even when she was keeping us at a distance before, I could tell she still valued our friendship.”

“Caring about friends…”

Minato propped his chin, deep in thought.

He’d said it himself, but Hazuki truly cared about her friends.

Maybe that’s why she always indulged Minato’s requests.

Even after growing distant from Koharu Ena, she’d been haunted by that failed friendship, casting a shadow over her high school friendships.

“That’s why… I feel like Hazuki’s acting a bit off.”

“Huh? How so?”

“She cares so much about friends, yet she’s pushing her own agenda. If she’s like that, shouldn’t she be siding with Serina?”

“Oh, I get it. You’re pretty sharp, Minato. Aoi’s competitive, but it’s weird that she’s turning this into a fight when it’s Ruka. Maybe her reason for being mad and the reason for their conflict are different.”

“…You’re pretty sharp yourself, Honami.”

Minato was impressed by Honami’s quick thinking.

If he could analyze those two reasons separately, he might understand the situation.

“Yeah, Hazuki’s reason for being mad might not be anything complicated.”

“For real? If we know the reason, doesn’t that solve it?”

“Nope. That’s just the start.”

“Ugh, you got my hopes up!”

Honami leaned even closer, placing her hands on Minato’s thighs as he sat cross-legged.

“Stop talking and fix it already! The maid café’s stalled! If you pull this off, Minato—I-I’ll let you do a little more naughty stuff!”

“Just a little?”

“What, how far do you want to go?!”

“Well… I was gonna ask for something really naughty.”

“…After the festival, if everything goes smoothly.”

Though exasperated, Honami nodded with a flushed face.

Minato was half-joking, but she seemed serious about agreeing.

It’d gone from seeing panties to touching her butt—next would be her chest, but maybe even further.

Minato was full of anticipation.

But he had a bad feeling this wouldn’t wrap up easily.

There wasn’t much time left until the festival.

Since their class started preparations late, time was naturally tight.

Minato walked home alone.

Honami had things to do (apparently going to have fun) and left quickly.

Hazuki and Serina weren’t around either, so he was heading home solo today.

But maybe this was for the best.

Being alone made it easier to sort his thoughts.

Less than two weeks remained until the festival.

Other classes were already working on concrete preparations.

In the worst case, the maid café just needed maids.

Drinks would be tea, iced coffee, and hot coffee.

For food, the class had decided on simple pound cake and two types of cookies.

The food and drinks couldn’t be too elaborate.

So far, so good—

But in reality, the vibe of a party-style café versus a British-style one was completely different.

Honestly, Minato didn’t care which they chose.

Most of the guys probably felt the same.

The girls seemed particular about it, but since they’d be the ones dressed as maids running the show, that made sense.

“Honestly, the girls in our class are pretty dominant…”

With Hazuki’s clique, famous not just in class but school-wide, it was only natural.

Serina wasn’t just a renowned beauty—her grades were top-tier across the grade.

Plus, there were other lesser-known high achievers and cute girls in the class.

In contrast, there were few outgoing guys—most were average like Minato or quiet loners.

The guys couldn’t do much to resolve the girls’ disputes—

“Hey~ Hisa!”

“Whoa!”

Someone suddenly slapped his back, nearly making Minato stumble.

“Y-You scared me… Azusa?”

“How rude. I’m your number-one female friend, you know.”

“Number one what?”

Behind Minato stood Kotone Azusa.

Her brown, medium-length hair and average height gave her a balanced look.

Her chest was decent but not on Hazuki or Honami’s level.

Her face was slightly youthful, leaning toward a loli vibe—her own words.

“Or am I number zero? Was your first official female friend Hazuki-san?”

“Zero or one, doesn’t matter…”

If it was about female friends he could do whatever with, Hazuki was the first.

Honami thought she was the fourth, but she was actually the third—whatever, it wasn’t important.

“By the way~ Azusa, your house isn’t this way, is it?”

“Well~ I saw you walking all dejected and followed you.”

“You stalked me?”

That was surprising enough, but even more shocking was that he hadn’t noticed at all.

Minato wasn’t exactly perceptive—he was a bit dense—but Azusa shouldn’t be that good at tailing people.

“Yup. MonFren dropped a new story, so I was gonna play hard today.”

“You’re still playing MonFren?”

“I’m a casual player, just messing around.”

MonFren was short for Monster Friends, a mobile game.

For Minato, it brought back bitter memories. He’d played it before but deleted it from his phone long ago.

“But I got dragged into a friend’s love consultation, then a teacher asked for help. Just when I thought I could finally go home, I saw your back looking like you were crying.”

“I wasn’t crying.”

Azusa’s personality was so kind that people often asked her for favors.

On top of that, she wouldn’t ignore a friend in trouble.

“It’s just… you know, the maid café stuff.”

“Oh~ That. It’s basically up to you to fix it, right?”

“Even you’re dumping this on me?”

“Well, you’re stressing because you want to fix it, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s true… but I can’t find a solution.”

“If you don’t figure it out, the festival’s gonna hit hard.”

“Don’t shove that harsh reality in my face…”

Azusa was absolutely right.

Whether Minato acted or not, the festival was coming—

“By the way, which side are you on, Azusa? You didn’t seem to pick one early on.”

“If I had to say, I’m neutral, but I’m leaning toward the ojou-sama faction. The quieter girls are mostly on that side.”

“Ojou-sama faction…”

Minato called it the British faction, but there might be other names.

“I’m fine with either, but we gotta pick one.”

“Can’t just drag it out until the festival.”

“Hazuki-san and Serina-san are both your friends, right? Even if you can’t do much, at least hear them out.”

“You’re too right.”

Azusa had noticed that Hazuki and Serina might actually be clashing.

Minato hadn’t known they were already close, but lately, he’d seen them chatting in class.

Yet today, Hazuki and Serina hadn’t spoken, and a tense air hung between them—

Even someone like Azusa, who wasn’t close to them, must have picked up on it.

“But, you know, friends who don’t fight aren’t really friends.”

“Isn’t it better not to fight?”

“We’ve fought too, but aren’t we closer now?”

“…We didn’t fight. I just avoided you one-sidedly.”

Minato had confessed to Azusa, his friend, and was rejected immediately—

He thought he’d lost her friendship—or so he believed.

But Azusa had been waiting for a chance to mend things.

“You seem oddly good at getting along with female friends, so you’ll be fine, right?”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Honestly, the whole class is counting on you.”

“I said, that’s not counting on me—it’s dumping the problem on me!”

Honami felt the same, and it seemed the rest of the class unanimously expected Minato to fix it.

My grades are average, my athletic skills are meh, and my personality’s plain. The responsibility everyone’s piling on this ordinary guy is way too heavy.

But even thinking that, Minato knew he couldn’t escape.

“It’s just a festival, just a maid café—it might not mean much to outsiders, but for us, it’s our one and only first-year festival. Of course it’s important.”

“…It might be our first and last time running a maid café. Oh, that’s what Hazuki said.”

“Yeah~ Class events are a big deal for Hazuki-san. The festival’s a chance for the whole class to have fun together.”

“Yeah…”

Hazuki, Serina, Honami, Azusa—

It was already November, and there weren’t many events left for their class to do together.

Among them, the festival was the biggest.

“So do your best, Hisa. Even if you fail, the class’s fifth-cutest girl will comfort you.”

“Are you bitter about being called fifth?”

“No way. I genuinely think fifth is too high for me.”

Azusa grinned.

Minato thought of Hazuki, Serina, Honami, and Honami’s friend Sarara Izumi—rudely wondering if fifth might actually suit Azusa.

“You said you’d comfort me, so can I ask you for something?”

“Sure? What do you want me to do?”

“Uh…”

No matter what, Minato couldn’t ask Azusa to show him her panties, let him suck her chest, or use her mouth.

Not yet, at least.

“Oh, I could use a little help. I’m stuck in MonFren.”

“…I haven’t played MonFren in a while.”

“You’re a gaming pro, so you’ve got more experience than me, right?”

“…”

In the current situation, Azusa might be his most easygoing friend.

No, that won’t do.

He needed to get back to chilling with Hazuki and Serina soon—

“Welcome home, Minato.”

“Welcome back, Minato-kun.”

“…”

Minato felt his earlier resolve waver.

He wanted to fix things with them, but he wasn’t mentally prepared.

Entering Hazuki’s living room, he saw Hazuki and Serina, both in uniform, standing face-to-face.

The air between them crackled with unusual intensity.

“S-Serina, why are you here?”

“I forgot something at Minato-kun’s place, so I came to get it.”

“Oh, I see.”

Why weren’t they sitting, just standing there?

Minato wanted to comment, but the atmosphere stopped him.

He considered fleeing, but he couldn’t abandon his friends.

“But I don’t have a key to Minato-kun’s place… I was at the apartment entrance, unsure what to do, when Aoi-san came back…”

“I could’ve used the spare key to open Minato’s place, but it’s not cool to bring someone in without permission. Plus, you were probably coming back soon.”

Liar, you’d totally use the spare key even if I wasn’t home.

Minato couldn’t bring himself to say that.

No, he couldn’t back down now—

“Wait, why don’t you both sit down first?”

“Yeah, it’s my house, after all.”

“I’ll take you up on that.”

Hazuki sat on the sofa, crossing her legs, while Serina knelt properly on the floor.

They could’ve sat side by side—Minato felt intimidated again.

“Alright, let’s clear this up. Why are you two fighting?”

“You’re diving right in, Minato.”

“No, we’re not fighting…”

Their reactions were polar opposites, perfectly reflecting their personalities.

“Okay, Hazuki, you start.”

“What, an interrogation? A trial? Or… torture?”

“I’m not torturing my friends!”

Neither sitting on the sofa nor the floor felt right, so Minato stayed standing.

“Serina researching maids isn’t a bad thing. Why are you mad, Hazuki?”

“I’m not mad about her research. That’s Ruka’s choice.”

“Of course. Ugh, then why are you upset—”

“Y-You’re mad, Aoi-san? Um… if that’s the case…”

Serina looked troubled, gazing up at Hazuki.

Surprisingly, Serina didn’t seem to know Hazuki was upset.

“I am mad. But aren’t you mad too, Ruka?”

“I’m not… I just don’t know what to do. You keep avoiding me, Aoi-san…”

“…”

Minato finally got it.

Serina wasn’t one to show anger outwardly.

She’d seemed upset today, but it was likely because she was unsure how to act.

Lacking the energy for her usual kind smile, she looked angry—that was probably it.

“Yeah, my attitude’s been bad. That’s not right. Getting mad without explaining makes me seem like a difficult woman.”

“Ugh, you’re already kinda diffi—”

“What was that?”

“N-Nothing!”

Hazuki’s glare made Minato stand up straighter.

Hazuki had kept secret how she and Minato met—when Peach ran away.

She’d never told anyone about her fear of friendships, lingering since her issues with Koharu Ena.

She seemed carefree but had an opposite side—

Hiding such secrets might indeed make her a bit difficult.

“Um… Aoi-san. I really didn’t mean to fight with you. And I don’t want to cause trouble for the class with the maid café. So, I think you should do it your way. I’ll try to get the British-style supporters to back down—”

“That’s it!”

Hazuki pointed sharply at Serina.

“…Aoi-san, pointing at people is rude, you know.”

Calling her out in this situation? Impressive.

Minato couldn’t help but admire Serina’s nerve.

“You’re right. Sorry.”

Surprisingly, Hazuki nodded honestly and lowered her hand.

“But that’s it.”

“W-What?”

“The maid café or maid research isn’t the issue! Well, it’s not not important!”

“Is it important or not?”

Minato couldn’t follow what Hazuki was trying to say.

Serina seemed equally confused, question marks practically floating around her head.

“Ruka, I just don’t like that attitude of yours!”

“M-My… attitude?”

Hazuki sat arrogantly on the sofa, legs crossed, while Serina knelt primly on the floor, looking like she was being scolded.

In fact, Hazuki was scolding Serina.

Trying to calm herself, Hazuki let out a soft sigh.

“Ruka… you’ve been collecting maid café stuff for a long time, right?”

“…You’re very observant, Aoi-san.”

“I reread my favorite magazines until the pages curl.”

“…”

Now that she mentioned it, Minato remembered.

He’d been to Hazuki’s room several times, always seeing fashion magazines scattered on the floor.

As expected of a social butterfly, she was relentless about trends—that’s what he’d thought.

“And some of those magazines are like that. You didn’t buy them just for the festival, right? Getting into those foreign maid dramas was years ago, wasn’t it?”

“Y-Yes…”

Serina nodded.

“Even if you bought them recently, curling the pages that much takes real passion.”

“Y-Yes… They’re not recent, but I’ve flipped through them a lot.”

Serina nodded repeatedly.

“Ruka, you live in a samurai-style mansion, right?”

“Huh? I-It’s not that grand… but it is an old house.”

“So you’re drawn to British-style houses? Just a guess.”

“Ugh… Y-You’re really observant… I didn’t expect to be seen through like this…”

“Are you mocking me?”

“N-No!”

Serina shook her head frantically.

But it seemed Hazuki’s guess was spot-on.

Ruka Serina, a classic Japanese ojou-sama with long black hair.

She lived in a traditional single-story house, likely with a Japanese lifestyle.

So, it made sense she’d yearn for a Western lifestyle.

“You brought those magazines to show Minato your true feelings, right?”

“…I wanted to tell Minato-kun about the things I like. But I was hesitating whether to say it… No, I was hesitating about too many things…”

Serina said softly.

Hazuki let out a heavy sigh.

“Ruka, you’ve wanted to wear a maid outfit and serve customers for a long time, haven’t you? Not our party-kid style, but the traditional, authentic kind.”

“N-No… It’s a class event, so I can’t be too selfish…”

“So you’re planning to give in to us?”

“…It’s not about giving in. I don’t have that authority…”

“That’s it!”

Hazuki nearly pointed at Serina again but stopped herself at the last moment.

“I hate how polite you are! I really, really hate it!”

“H-Hate?”

Serina looked bewildered.

“Ruka, we’re friends, right?”

“I-I think so… Though that might be presumptuous…”

“Presumptuous my foot! Why be so polite with friends?! If you want to do something, even if it means facing a friend, you should boldly go for it!”

Hazuki stood up passionately, looming over Serina.

Hands on hips, chest out, exuding confidence—truly the queen of social butterflies.

“Ruka, look at Minato!”

“Huh, me?”

Hazuki pointed sharply at Minato.

Apparently, pointing at him wasn’t considered rude.

“This guy asks friends to show him their panties, suck their chests, even do it with him, without a shred of politeness, right? You should take a page from him!”

“I’m getting caught in the crossfire here!”

“There’s such a thing as a bad example…”

“You’re harsh too, Serina!”

Minato regretted not escaping earlier.

“Ruka, I know you’re kind.”

Hazuki softened her tone.

“But that politeness feels like you’re drawing a line between us. I’m not one to talk, since I only recently got over my own baggage and started connecting with friends again… but I still want to say it!”

“But… even with friends, I don’t think you can just say anything…”

Minato thought there was some truth to that.

Like how he wanted to ask Hazuki and Serina for even naughtier things but held back.

He at least knew the difference between reality and adult films.

“And if I got serious… it might be scary.”

““…””

Minato and Hazuki fell silent simultaneously.

That could be true.

Minato thought so, and Hazuki likely did too.

Ruka Serina seemed rational but was bold and unpredictable, making it hard to guess what she’d do.

If she stopped holding back, her actions would be a wild card for both Minato and Hazuki.

“A-Anyway—”

Hazuki snapped back, clearing her throat deliberately.

“Ruka, get serious. Friends shouldn’t just be gentle with each other.”

“…Alright.”

“Huh?”

Minato let out a surprised yelp.

Serina slowly stood, staring straight at Hazuki.

“Then let Minato-kun decide.”

“D-Decide what?”

“Me or Aoi-san… Which one will you choose?”