Chapter 395 396: The Girls in the Classroom

Eriri: "Sawamura and I have already finished drawing the first two pages of the manga together. I'll send them over for you to look at in a bit."

Jhin: "Sounds good. How does it feel, working together for the first time?"

Eriri: "It's fine, mostly. Except once Sawamura slips into that pervert-mode of hers, it's really hard to pull her attention back."

Jhin: "I guess that's just one of her quirks."

Eriri: "You must be pretty happy, getting a cute little stepsister out of the deal."

Jhin: "I still haven't actually seen what she looks like, though."

Eriri: "Eh? Seriously? I've already met her."

Jhin: "Of course I'm serious. Why would I lie to you?"

Eriri: "That's kind of sad, honestly~"

Just as she and Jhin were chatting away happily, Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice buzzed into her ear like a fly: "Sawamura-san, who are you talking to? Your mouth's practically stretched from ear to ear."

"None of your business!" Eriri shot her an irritated glare, locked her phone screen, and shoved it into her pocket with the air of someone determined not to tell.

Kasumigaoka Utaha paid no attention to the little gesture, the corner of her mouth curling up as she said with feigned concern: "I'm just worried about you, you know. You do look like the type who'd get taken in easily."

Normally, Eriri would have jumped up shouting, demanding whether she was being treated like a fool. But these days most of her thoughts were occupied with the new manga and the collaboration, so the jab barely registered. She replied flatly, "You're the one who gets fooled. I never do."

The phone in her pocket buzzed twice — probably Jhin asking why she still hadn't sent the pictures — but with Kasumigaoka Utaha standing right there, Eriri had no intention of letting her find out about the serious new manga project. Otherwise, the sharp-tongued girl would surely mock her later: "Has Kashiwagi Eri finally hit rock bottom and decided to switch careers?"

"Why haven't you left yet?"

"Isn't it my own business where I choose to stand?"

Eriri frowned, annoyed. "Tch, what I mean is you standing here is in my way."

The more attitude Eriri showed, the more curious Kasumigaoka Utaha grew about who she'd been talking to. Ever since Eriri had started deliberately keeping her distance from Jhin, she'd rarely worn such a silly, happy smile during breaks.

Could it be... Rin—

The thought was snuffed out the moment it surfaced. Kasumigaoka Utaha knew Eriri shared the same stubborn pride she did — there was no way Eriri would go crawling back to the very culprit she couldn't even bring herself to properly apologize to.

"Well, that's just wonderful." She smiled sweetly and pulled over a chair to sit down. "To think Sawamura-san would actually admit to my beauty. That really does make me happy."

"Could you please stop being so full of yourself?" Eriri felt like she might actually gag from the attitude. The woman clung on like a piece of stuck-on plaster no matter how hard you tried to shake her off. "Are you seriously planning to sit right there during class too?"

"Our seats aren't assigned anyway, so why not."

"Just go take a nap already."

"I can't sleep without knowing who Sawamura-san's been chatting with."

"Then you can just go without sleep for the rest of your life."

While Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha were locked in their battle of wits, Megumin lay slumped against the back of her chair like a dead fish, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Ahh~ so boring... That liar Jhin said he'd spend most of his time at school, and yet these past few days I've barely seen him at all!"

"Does big brother usually stay close to you when you're overseas?" Makina Irisu asked between bites of a snack.

"Hmph, the Azure Starlight Wielder is the perfect partner for I, the Jet-Black Explosion Mage! Naturally he stays by my side at all times!"

"Oh~ So where do you two usually go play, then?"

Megumin sat up straight and crossed her arms. This question required some careful thought — Jhin had told her not to reveal the existence of Another World to anyone else for the time being, which meant talk of adventuring commissions and the like was pretty much off the table. So she'd stick to describing some of the fun places instead.

Out of habit she reached up to grab her head, meaning to steady her wizard hat, only to remember she was currently wearing the school uniform of Another World — the hat had been left back in her room, never brought along. She changed the gesture into brushing at the hair by her temple instead, and in her usual chuunibyou-tinged tone, launched into a tale about their time in Maple Syrup Valley and the Golden Sea Dream.

Makina Irisu listened with great interest at first, but then realized Megumin had completely misunderstood her question. She raised a hand to cut in. "That's not what I meant."

Megumin blinked, baffled. "Then what were you asking?"

"Obviously..." An impish little smile spread across Makina's innocent face as she said, in a syrupy voice, drawing out each word: "Where. Did. You. Do. It."

"Ah, so that's what you meant..." Megumin's face lit up with understanding. Now she was certain Makina Irisu was one of her own kind too. Already accustomed to swapping intel with Kokkoro and Kyaru on this front, she had surprisingly little sense of shame about the subject. She waved Makina closer, leaned in to her ear, and launched into a long, hushed briefing.

Megumin... is basically a younger version of Amane-nee who's completely thrown shame out the window.

That was the verdict Makina Irisu quietly reached afterward. She truly hadn't expected the two of them to play around so wildly — plenty of the positions mentioned were ones she herself hadn't even unlocked yet. A competitive urge stirred in her chest.

I can't lose to her either! Next time I'll bring Sachi along too!

What she didn't realize was that Kyaru alone, in this particular department, utterly crushed all of them — ordinary people that they were.

After all, not just anyone could withstand the marathon battle endurance that came courtesy of a Charm Potion.

"See, this part goes like this, and then like this..." Sachi Komine held up a book titled Social Knowledge and Theory, reading it together with Kokkoro with great interest.

"I've learned something new again. Thank you for sharing."

"It's only what a maid ought to do."

Their conversation piqued Michiru Matsushima's curiosity. She pretended to be passing by, craned her neck for a quick glance at the pages — which, for some reason, were glowing pink — and then promptly keeled over and collapsed to the floor in dramatic fashion.

"Miss Michiru?!"

"Get her to the infirmary, quick!"

Yumiko watched Michiru Matsushima get carried off by the maid and the guide, shaking her head wordlessly. "Curiosity killed the cat."

That book's cover was obviously slapped on just to disguise its contents — sociology textbooks were never that thin, not to mention that eerie pink glow. It was almost certainly the so-called "Forty-Eight Maid Techniques" Sachi Komine had mentioned before.

"Everyone~ lunch is ready!" Pecorine strode into the classroom brimming with energy, cradling an oversized lunchbox, with Kyaru and Amane Suou behind her carrying smaller ones.

"Yay! Lunchtime!" Makina Irisu quickly shoved several desks together, and the other girls gathered around. Lately they'd all gotten used to eating this way — watching Pecorine eat was simply too appetizing a sight, and it lifted everyone's mood just to look at her.

The Gourmet Princess scanned the room, the ahoge atop her head drooping slightly. "Jhin still hasn't come to school. Let's go find him at the café this weekend!"

"Take me with you!" Eriri's outburst sent Kasumigaoka Utaha into deep thought.

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