CHAPTER 40: THE TRIPLE DATE?

As Kentaro adjusted his vision, he already knew what he saw, and more importantly, what he felt, wasn’t good.

Well... theoretically, any guy would probably enjoy this situation.

But Kentaro valued his life.

"HOW DARE YOU!!!"

A voice exploded as the girl shoved Kentaro with a single arm.

He didn’t just stumble; he was launched across the corridor like a missile, smashing hard into the wall on the opposite side.

The entire class froze. Heads turned toward the epicentre of that explosion.

Standing at the origin point, face burning bright red, was a girl in a purple dress and black leggings. Her long black hair shimmered with streaks of violet.

It was Yura.

She stood tense, trembling slightly, clearly trying to maintain composure after Kentaro had, well, accidentally groped her in front of everyone.

"YO! KEN, YOU GOOD?!" Tengen shouted, voice echoing down the hallway.

Kentaro groaned. "Y-yeahhhh..."

His body was still stuck to the wall like a cartoon imprint.

Alberlines, even when holding back, had strength far beyond human limits. That shove? It was her version of a polite "step away." If she hadn’t held back, he’d be nothing more than a memory.

With a heavy creak, Kentaro peeled off the wall and landed on the floor face-first.

Yura now composed stood tall again. She dusted off her dress and walked forward, refusing to make eye contact with any of them, her cheeks still flushed as the crowd of classmates stared wide-eyed at her in disbelief.

She stopped in the centre of the room. She spoke slowly as her voice was shaking from the embarrassment

"Hello, huma-I mean, people... my name is Yura, a-and I will be joining your class." She gave a deep, formal bow.

"HUHH?!?"

The entire class, including the crumpled Kentaro, shouted in sync. Though Kentaro’s was more of a groan than anything else.

Kentaro got up slowly as he stumbled forward, dragging his half-dead body.

"Hey T-Tenka... what’s going on?" He said slowly.

Tenka sipped her juice with an innocent smile curling up on her face.

"Don’t worry. Paperwork’s sorted. I already sent Mr. Tachibana a message saying she’s my cousin. She was supposed to enrol before the trip, but due to some ’delays’ etc, aaand boom, she’s here now."

Kentaro tilted his head slightly as he stared into the distance. "Ohhh... I guess that checks out?"

"Heh. Never underestimate me. Tenka the Commander."

She folded her arms, proud.

"Yeah, more like Tenka the Liar," Kentaro muttered.

"Shut up and clean up the mess you made, moron." She snapped back.

As Kentaro dusted himself off, some hotel staff had rushed over all of them had the same worried face.

"Please, I’m okay. And sorry about the wall," he politely spoke, giving an apologetic smile as they fussed over him more than the property damage. They assured him he didn’t have to worry about it which he then gave another bow as a thank you.

After the whole staff incident, he turned to walk towards Yura maybe to introduce her to everyone a bit better and maybe it would lead to her making a friend, but by the time he got close.

It was too late.

She was swarmed by the class, mainly the girls.

"OMG, YOU’RE SO CUTE!!"

"LOVE the gothic look!!"

"I need to know your hair routine!!"

The small battalion of girls had surrounded her, shouting over one another.

Tenka’s friends had already been prepped via text:

"She’s my cousin. Be extra nice, please, she’s quite shy."

And now they were showing her all the attention in the world if not more than Yura wanted.

Yura stood frozen, overwhelmed, her expression stiff, like a deer caught in headlights. This was... a lot. Especially compared to her old world, where it was just her and isolation.

But behind that flustered panic... was a glimmer of joy, and it was slowly showing the more she hung around the girls and Kentaro.

"ALRIGHT GIRLS! THIS IS TENKA’S COUSIN! LET’S SHOW HER HOW WE HAVE FUN!"

Kei shouted as she grabbed Yura’s hand and marched her toward the dorm wing, dragging the rest of the girls with her like a parade.

Yura didn’t resist, but she did glance back one last time. Her eyes searched for Kentaro.

He was already watching, smiling, and gave her a reassuring thumbs-up.

Yura blinked... then gave him a small, almost shy smile before disappearing behind the corner with the others.

As the voices of the girls’ chatter faded into the hallway, Tengen casually walked over to the broken Kentaro, still half-cratered into the floor.

"Hey, bro," he said, taking a pause.

"Yes?" Kentaro replied, voice weak.

Tengen tilted his head. "How do you do it?" He replied instantly.

Kentaro blinked. "W-what do you mean, do what?" Kentaro said, fumbling over his words.

Tengen kept his eyes fixed on the spot where Kentaro and Yura had crashed earlier.

"How do you always end up... coping a feel?" he asked flatly. "Like, I swear I remember you doing that once with Serica, too. Were they really squishy? I’m jealous..."

There was silence between them, except for the sound of flies buzzing around.

Before Kentaro’s face instantly lit up red. "HEY! Don’t make me sound like some pervert!" he snapped, stumbling over his words.

Tengen smirked. "Nah, man. I’m just pulling your tail, but it’s accidental, right?"

Kentaro nodded fast. "Yeah! Accidental. Always accidental."

Tengen folded his arms. "Then you must be some kind of good luck charm. Because, in my nineteen years of life, I have never had an ’oops anime fall on a hot girl’ moment. And you? First Serica. Now that Yura chick? Bro, what’s the trick?"

Kentaro opened his mouth to respond, but he didn’t get the chance.

"GET LOST, ROBO-KIRA!"

"Hmph! For a girl who practically bathes in infidelity, you sure do talk big!"

The voices echoed through the hotel lobby.

It was them.

Serica and Kira...

After chasing each other around the entire hotel screaming and squabbling like wild animals, Serica and Kira had made their return, right where Kentaro was trying not to be.

But it was too late.

He saw it in their eyes.

They had locked onto him.

"KENNNNNNNNNNTARRRROOOOOOOOO!!"

They shouted in perfect sync, sprinting toward him.

Kentaro stood no chance. There was no hope of running away from this situation; he had to man up, but what they said truly put him in a pickle, one any man would struggle to answer

They crashed to a stop inches from him, both leaning forward, their faces almost touching his.

"Tomorrow," Serica began, "we will each be waiting in separate rooms."

Kira continued, "And whichever door you open... that’s the girl you take out on a date."

They both finished in unison:

"OKAY?!"

Kentaro’s jaw dropped. "W-wait-wait, WHAT?!"

But they weren’t listening.

They simply handed him slips of paper with room numbers, then turned to storm off again.

Of course, the rooms were on opposite sides of the building, Kira in Room 14 on the student side, Serica in Room 86 on the teacher’s wing.

Before he could say a word, he tried to salvage the situation; there’s no way he could pick one of the other:

"W-wait-what if I just take you both out in-"

"NO!!"

They both yelled with fiery rage.

Kira smirked back over her shoulder. "We’ll be awaiting your choice, husband."

And just like that, they were gone, still shouting at each other as they disappeared around the corner.

Tengen stood there, stunned, mouth wide open like a broken vending machine.

He finally shouted:

"BROTHER!! YOU ARE A LUCKY BASTARD!"

He stomped his foot rapidly into the ground. "Doing all this harem shit in front of me?! Is this revenge?! HUH?!"

Kentaro didn’t reply.

He had a much bigger problem.

Who the hell was he supposed to choose?

Kentaro stood frozen in the hallway, staring into nothing like it might offer answers.

"Do I choose Kira...?"

"No, wait... what about Serica?"

"Okay, but... do I choose Serica?"

"No, but Kira!?"

He let out a strangled groan and raked his hands through his hair, completely unraveling. His thoughts were looping into a tornado of dread and indecision.

Tengen, standing casually next to him with a sarcastic look, he raised a brow.

"Yo, bro, chill," he said, gesturing lazily with his thumb. "You’re about to explode from girl stress. Just leave it to Tengen the Love Doctor."

Kentaro let out a shaky breath and forced a smile. "Appreciate it, but really, I got this. Just... let me figure it out."

Tengen nodded, dramatically wiping an invisible tear. "Rejected... how cruel. But fair. I am awful with women. Heh."

"No, no," Kentaro said quickly. "It’s not that. You’re fine. I just... don’t want to drag anyone else into this."

Tengen Smiled softly, "No bro honestly there was a date i went on, I told her I’d sweep her off her feet with the most flamboyant dinner date of her life... but the only reservation I could get was at a ramen shop where the owner kept calling me ’big brother’ and asking if I wanted extra toppings, so I tried to play it cool, slurping noodles like a champion, only to choke halfway through and spray broth across the table, onto her dress, yet I still declared, between coughs, that this was all part of my ’flashy technique.

"Oh thank god i politely decline your offer..." Kentaro muttered. Shocked at the mini novel he had listened...

Tengen laughed.

*

Time passed.

Kentaro eventually found himself alone in his room again, sprawled across his bed, arms over his eyes. The date drama still clung to his brain like static. Every time he thought about choosing Kira or Serica, his chest tightened.

There was no answer. Just pressure.

Knock. Knock.

He sat up instantly.

The knock was soft, but sharp enough to cut the silence.

His eyes darted to the others; his roommates were all here except Shogo. Everyone was asleep.

"Wait, what’s Shogo doing here???" He whispered to himself, trying to push him off the bed but to no avail.

He instantly brushed over that as his heart jumped.

1:00 a.m.

Knock. Knock.

Again. Louder.

Who the hell would show up at his room this late?

He hesitated. Then cleared his throat.

"...Come in."

The door creaked open like a horror movie sound effect, completely unnecessary, completely unsettling.

A dim light from the hallway cut into the dark room, framing the silhouette of the person standing just outside.

Long, dark hair with streaks of purple. Slim figure. Pale skin. Red on her cheeks.

Purplish eyes.

Yura.

"H-hey... Kentaro," she said, voice soft but steady enough to carry.

Kentaro blinked, caught off guard. "Yura? What are you doing here?" his voice squeaked with fear.

He climbed out of bed then out of his room, carefully closing the door behind him so the others wouldn’t wake. The hallway light cast a quiet glow over both of them.

"It’s really late," he said with a nervous chuckle. "You okay?"

Yura was... twitchy. Fidgeting. Her eyes shifted to the side and then back to him. She kept tugging her sleeves and biting the corner of her lip like she was trying to kill the nerves before they killed her.

"I-I heard..." she started, then paused.

Her voice dipped low again, barely above a whisper.

"...I heard from down the hall. You’re... going on a d-date. With the black-haired girl. And... the ice woman."

Kentaro’s smile instantly dropped. The dread returned like a wave smacking him in the face.

Yura inhaled deeply like she was about to dive off a cliff.

"So if it isn’t a... big deal... c-could you maybe..." she looked up, eyes wide, "take me around the island too? J-just us?"

Her voice cracked on the last word.

Kentaro’s brain screamed.

Oh god. Not again.

He tried to form words, tried to gently turn her down, maybe reschedule, something, but then he looked at her.

She was standing there like she’d just used up her last ounce of courage. Cheeks pink. Hands balled up at her sides. And somehow still trying to smile like this wasn’t terrifying for her.

She looked... cute. In a way that made it impossible to say no.

Kentaro sighed.

"...Sure," he said, voice soft. "Why not. I’ll pick you up from your room tomorrow, okay?"

Yura’s eyes lit up like fireworks.

"Y-yes!" she beamed, suddenly perking up. "Splendid! I will be awaiting your arrival then!"

And with that, she spun around and floated down the hallway, humming a tune that only made Kentaro feel worse.

He stood there, watching her disappear.

Still smiling.

But it was a trapped kind of smile.

Like a man on a sinking boat, waving from the deck.

"I’ve messed up big time." He said softly with dread looming over him.

As soon as Yura disappeared around the corner, humming happily, Kentaro let out a deep sigh. He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling like the answer might be written in the paint.

He turned, hand on the doorknob, ready to return to the one place he could find peace, his room.

Except...

When the door swung open, it wasn’t his room behind it.

It was Halcyon.

Specifically, the command room is on the smaller support airship. Dim overhead lights. Polished floors. Holographic displays flickering with data. The familiar cool blue hum of a floating console.

Kentaro froze mid-step.

"...What the-?"

Tenka was seated at the commander’s desk, just like always. Notepad on her lap. Tablet in one hand. Stylus in the other. She didn’t even look up at first, too busy signing something with perfect precision.

"Tenka?" he asked cautiously. "Why am I... here?"

She glanced up at him, eyes calm, but with a glint of pure amusement.

Her lips curled into the faintest smirk.

"Hehehe... don’t think we didn’t hear about your little predicament, playboy."

She clicked the stylus shut with a sinister snap.

"You’re gonna need backup."