Tokyo: Idol Girls have absolutely no bad intentions!

"Thank you for coming." Ito maintained a polite smile and said courteously, "After the stage play, if it's convenient, would you like to have a meal together?"

He was actually certain that Nagano Sae, with her aversion to trouble, would refuse, and as for Saionji Chizuru, there was no harm in bringing her along.

“Okay!” Saionji Chizuru readily agreed, her smile radiant.

Ito then turned his gaze to Nagano Sae, still wearing a polite smile, "And what about the student council president?"

I've already told myself "please don't agree" a million times.

Nagano Sae was silent for two seconds, and just when Ito thought she would refuse, she uttered a few words, "I will go too."

Ito's smile froze for a fraction of a second, but he quickly recovered and said in a slightly exaggerated tone of surprise, "That's wonderful!"

How could she agree?! Why would she agree? Is there nothing else she can do?

Seemingly seeing through Ito's inner thoughts, Nagano Sae added in a calm tone, "I will pay my share of the meal expenses."

Hearing this, Ito breathed a sigh of relief, and his smile became much more sincere: "It is my honor that Chairman Nagano has graced us with his presence!"

I've never felt uncomfortable having dinner with Sae Nagano.

After a while, the staff began urging the actors to wait in line.

Ito returned backstage and stood behind the curtain with everyone.

Asada's breathing became somewhat rapid.

At the front of the stage, the host's voice came through the microphone, "Next, please enjoy the stage play presented by the Hibiya High School Drama Club—'The Edo Yokai Love Manual'!"

The curtain slowly opens, and the lights focus. (The stage play will be omitted...it's rather disjointed, only showing individual segments.)

On a dreamlike stage where modern campus and Edo-era charm intertwine, the lights are dim.

Asada plays the fox spirit, who appears in human form for the first time.

She was wearing a modified Japanese-style school uniform with fox-tail-like tassels on the hem. She hid behind a huge cherry blossom tree (a prop) and secretly watched the male protagonist, played by Ito, who was reading aloud in the distance.

.......

Mori, who plays the childhood friend, sits alone in the school corridor (set).

She held a book in her hands, but her eyes were unfocused as she stared into the void.

The lamplight cast interplay of light and shadow on her face, and her monologue was low and filled with struggle: "We've grown up together since childhood... why do we feel more and more distant?"

Her actions perfectly captured the unease, jealousy, and self-doubt a young girl feels when she discovers her beloved might be taken away.

It felt like I was actually experiencing a scenario where my boyfriend was stolen away.

As the plot unfolds, the romance between the human and the demon is destined to be fraught with difficulties.

On that crucial rainy night, Miss Fox chose to leave on her own initiative.

Then Mori's generous attitude led Ito to chase after it, leaving him to break down in a one-man show.

The stage play is slowly coming to an end.

The two of them parted ways at the shrine in a torrential downpour (created by lighting and sound effects), without saying much.

Asada's expression as she turned away, on the verge of tears yet struggling to hold them back, and Ito's outstretched hand that ultimately fell limply to his side, were filled with silent tension.

Meanwhile, the shrine maiden (played by Rin Iketani), who has always been an observer and guide, stands quietly in front of the shrine set in the corner of the stage.

She watched all of this unfold expressionlessly, her cool, clear eyes seeming to see through time and all the vicissitudes of life under the lamplight.

This section is silent, with only instrumental music composed by Ito himself to create atmosphere.

Finally, as Miss Fox disappeared into the sky, the priestess let out a sigh, marking the end of this ill-fated romance.

.......

The performance ended, the lights came on, and the music stopped.

Ito, Asada, Mori, Iketani Rin and all the other actors stood in the center of the stage, their chests heaving, breathing heavily, and their foreheads covered in fine beads of sweat.

They bowed deeply to the audience.

finished!

A performance to which we poured our hearts and souls!

Ito looked up and saw Dean Nobuyuki Otsuka's undisguised admiration in the judges' panel. He whispered a few words to Yoshida Haruka next to him.

Then he nodded toward the stage, asked a few professional questions about the script concept and performance details, and then signaled that they could leave.

Backstage, everyone slumped in their chairs, as if their bones had been removed, and had no desire to speak.

The complete dedication, coupled with the physically demanding choreography that Ito specifically added, brought the energy expenditure of this performance to its peak.

Rin Iketani laid her face flat on the dressing table without any regard for her image, looking as if she were already dead.

Xinye quietly got up and looked around the dressing room, searching for drinking water.

What made Ito's scalp tingle the most was that Mori and Asada, one on each side, leaned on his shoulders, putting most of their weight on him.

Scared.

But his fear stemmed from worrying that their makeup would smudge his stage costume!

It's definitely not because of anything else!

Just then, with a "bang," the door to the dressing room was pushed open, and a large group of people, including Yoshida Nai, Natsumi Aoi, and Fujikawa Kaze, walked in.

"Fantastic! An outstanding performance!" Fujikawa Kaze, as the club president, beamed with pride. "You didn't let our film club down! However..."

He abruptly changed the subject, glancing meaningfully at the "burdens" on either side of Ito, and lowered his voice to warn, "I still have to remind a certain student to focus all his attention on artistic creation!"

What kind of jealousy is this guy having now!

“Um…” the gentle-natured Ryota Miura began slowly, interrupting Fujikawa’s “warning,” “I just asked the staff, and the scoring results won’t be announced that day, which means we can leave now. So… let’s discuss where to go to celebrate next?”

"Barbecue? Or...?"

"Barbecue!" Asada, who had been half-dead just moments before, regained some energy after drinking the water Eriri handed her, and was the first to raise her hands and shout. "I vote for barbecue!"

Yoshida Nai immediately agreed.

“Hmm… I’d rather have sushi,” Mori said, leaning on Ito’s shoulder.

Upon hearing this, Ito subconsciously turned her head to look at Mori, muttering softly, "Sushi...it must be expensive, right?"

A playful smile curved Mori's lips as he softly replied, "Don't worry, we don't need fifty million."

Ito: "......"

With two options, the vote began.

Aside from Ito, the number of people choosing grilled meat and sushi was dramatically equal!

All eyes immediately turned to Ito.

I've been set up again.

"..." Ito suddenly felt immense pressure.

"Yujin! You must want to eat barbecue too, right?" Asada started to "cheat," shaking Ito's arm and saying in a tempting tone, "After using up so much energy, of course you need to eat meat to replenish it!"

“Sushi also contains meat,” Mori’s rebuttal was simple.

Just as Ito was in a dilemma, the door to the dressing room was pushed open again, and Nagano Sae and Saionji Chizuru walked in.

“Ito-san,” Saionji Chizuru smiled gently, “you promised to treat us to dinner after the performance, can we go now?”

Ito grasped at this like a lifeline, "What do you want to eat?"

Saionji Chizuru indicated that it was up to her.

Sae Nagano, however, began to think seriously. She frowned slightly and gently bit her lower lip, a subtle movement that revealed a rare hint of girlish struggle on her face.

Then, she raised her eyes and gave Ito a very subtle look.

Ito paused for a second, then suddenly realized.

No? Where to?

It's not impossible!

So, under the expectant gazes of everyone, Ito, under immense pressure, cleared his throat and made a suggestion, "I think... having a meal at a maid cafe would be a good choice!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the backstage area erupted in chaos.

"Hey! Ito, you bastard!"

"How could you suggest going to a place like that! Ito-senpai, you..."

"I really misjudged you!"

The girls, except for Iketani Rin who was still slumped over, unsurprisingly began a collective "condemnation".

However, the boys remained surprisingly silent, and there was a hint of encouragement in the eyes of Fujikawa, Miura, and even Shinno.

After all, this could be considered a possible answer, so they started voting again.

With Mori nodding helplessly but still raising his hand, and Asada pouting but ultimately nodding, the "maid cafeteria" option was passed by a narrow margin!

Faced with this result, Ito didn't know what to say. The cost of the maid cafe...

"Let's go, Master," Mori whispered in Ito's ear in an extremely seductive tone.

........

Let's go! We're going to the maid cafe!

Chapter 247 Team building at the maid café and casual conversation at the karaoke bar

A large group of people chatted about a maid café that had a good rating on Google Maps.

To be honest, choosing a maid cafe for team building is a very niche thing.

If it's a work setting, it's hard to imagine your slightly balding, overweight middle-aged boss calling a maid "Saki-chan, Saki-chan."

Moreover, people tend to be more reserved when familiar people are around, making it inconvenient everywhere.

On the way to the coffee shop, Xia Rikui scrolled through food reviews on her phone, muttering, "Is it really okay to eat in a place like this? I've been looking forward to this amazing meal for so long..."

There was a hint of doubt in his tone.