The azure sea, but a lonely, fulfilled life.

"Hey, does Senior Azusa know something? There's something off about your eyes."

Are all female fans of BL (Boys' Love) so open about it? Or is it just that he encountered someone particularly daring?

"You don't have to worry about it."

Iori didn't want to explain; he needed to find a place where Azusa wasn't around to talk to Hachiman, otherwise he might get himself into trouble.

"In short, what you said makes sense, so who will execute this plan?"

"I have just died in the line of duty."

"Tsk, then it's just me and Kohei."

"They didn't even notice me before, but now they're dragging me along?" Kohei complained, thinking that he seemed to be appearing less and less lately.

"Having a companion makes the Bridge of Helplessness less lonely."

"Just how serious are you thinking about the consequences of failing at this...?"

Iori took a deep breath and walked towards Hamaoka Azusa.

His solemn expression sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Hachiman: Go, hero, you will fail.

Chisa: Could it be that he wants to confess his feelings to Azusa?

Hamaoka Azusa: Is he finally going to announce his relationship with Hachiman? I'll be ready! I'll even scrape together the wedding gift money!

Gengping: Lala, lala, lala, lala, lala, lala, lala, lala, lala, lala,

Surrounded by onlookers, Iori walked up to Hamaoka Azusa.

"Senior Azusa."

"Is there something you need, Iori?"

She was barely able to contain her smile; it was practically stretching to her ears.

Iori clasped her hands together and spoke devoutly.

"Please, please let Chisa participate!"

I wish you happiness!

The two spoke almost simultaneously.

A silence fell over the room. Hamaoka Azusa blinked. Huh? What did he just say? Let Chisa participate?

Iori's expression was strange, happy, who? A brief second later, he turned around sharply to look at Hachiman, who had an innocent look on his face, his fists clenched.

Calm down, calm down. It's more effective to explain when you're not in the same place as the other person.

"Ahaha, I made a mistake. I thought... no, it's nothing. Did you mean the beauty pageant at the Izu Festival when you asked Chisa to participate?"

Hamaoka Azusa chuckled, showing no sign of embarrassment, and looked at Chisa as she spoke.

"Chisa, what's your opinion?"

"I absolutely will not go!" Chisa refused, crossing her arms.

"That's what I said. Now, Iori, please share your thoughts. Why do you want Chisa to participate in the beauty pageant?"

"Because if we win, we'll get the prize money! And none of the three of us will have to participate in the male X competition."

"What an honest kid," Hachiman shook his head; he had already foreseen the outcome of failure.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Request and Baseball Fist

The so-called atmosphere of silence is probably like this: the bright sun hangs high in the sky, a gentle breeze caresses your face, and several people stand in a place that is neither spacious nor cramped, looking at each other or just at the figure of one person, speechless.

As Chisa listened to Iori's words, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly on her beautiful face. Although she had expected that Iori must have her own ulterior motives for begging her to participate in the competition, she had not expected that she would still underestimate Iori.

This feeling is really unpleasant. Asking others to sacrifice for one's own benefit is a tasteless and unreasonable demand.

She looked at Hachiman, her eyes carrying an imposing air, a look he was very familiar with. Among the many women he knew, three of them often looked at him with that kind of gaze, making him afraid.

"Although I really want to explain something, I don't think you'll listen."

When you are in the wrong, you should speak softly, otherwise it will easily cause conflict between the two parties, and the gap between them will be widened especially at such times.

"That depends on what you've prepared your wording for."

In such a short time, what good words could he possibly say, especially since he's not good at pleasing others?

Hachiman glanced at the three people behind him on his right. Why did he always end up being the one to explain himself when it came to this? Was being good at Japanese a crime? He should have listened to Yukino's advice and studied math to develop a more well-rounded personality, since he would need that kind of skill for company finances and reports in the future.

"I think you will win."

He thought about it and gave this answer after a short while.

Honesty is often the most touching. The other girl was indeed one of the most beautiful girls he had seen at the university. If Sen could improve her personality and Goto could dress herself up a bit, the three of them would definitely become an indispensable and beautiful sight at Izu University.

"...What kind of reason is that?"

After hearing his words, Chisa calmly replied. Sunlight shone on her temples, and an indescribable itching sensation arose there. She picked up a small tuft of hair and circled it around her slender index finger.

"Come stand a little closer and shield me from the sun."

"oh oh."

Hachiman obediently stood at the point where the sunlight met Chisa's, so he could only see half of her profile.

"Hey, I can't just not take the money that's free."

He continued to explain that, in his view, if someone doesn't want something that's readily available, it's either because they genuinely don't need it or they don't care about it.

He considered money important, and if he had more money, he might not have to wait seven months for a game to be sold at full price, just hoping for a discount.

Of course, even more important is the memory.

If you win an award in a competition, you'll still remember it even when you're old. The passing of time cannot bury the past glory; the light in your memories is the crown that crowns you.

Chisa lightly touched the ground with her toes and asked softly, "Are you so sure I can win?"

"Of course, Iori and the others share the same thoughts as me."

Hachiman handed the conversation over to Iori and the others, extending his hand with his palm facing up towards the two of them, his eyes conveying a message.

[What are you two waiting for? The raid has already started.]

[receive. ]

The two gave each other an OK sign, while Hamaoka Azusa, standing beside them, stared at them with a mischievous expression, like a cat that had spotted a fluffy ball during its afternoon nap.

What a group of energetic young people! Just like they were back then, they are caught up in the confusion of love and keep their distance. This naivety of not wanting their thoughts to be seen through by those they care about is as intoxicating as fine wine.

But which side does Hachiman belong to? Is he with Iori, or with Chisa? Could it be that he, Iori, and he are both dual-wielders?

Hmm, I'll ask Iori and Nanaka for some information later.

Hamaoka Azusa gazed at the three boys surrounding the girl, showering her with compliments. She shook the beer in the can, the sound of the liquid sloshing in the silence that belonged only to her. Seagulls flew by, leaving behind their clear cries.

"Stop, you three. Give Chisa some time to think things through on her own."

She stood up, downed the beer in the can in one gulp, and with a bright smile, walked into the crowd and pushed the bewildered Chisa away.

"I'll leave the cleaning of the remaining equipment to you."

……

So, the outcome is uncertain?

Shinji Tokita looked at the three of them and spoke, his expression not changing much upon hearing those words.

"Ah."

Iori nodded helplessly, leaning on the table. She had thought that sweet words would win Chisa back, but Azusa interrupted her.

"I see, there's nothing we can do about it."

Shoulong Jiro said from the side, his words tinged with regret. This result was somewhat unexpected. He thought Chisa would refuse outright, but she still had some room for maneuver. But now time was running out. If they couldn't make a decision tonight, they were destined not to get the bonus.

"By the way, who participated back then, seniors? Was it Nanaka-senpai?" Hachiman asked.

"Zi participated in the Miss Pageant at that time."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Hamaoka Azusa, who was sitting on the sofa talking to Nanaka.

Her short, purple hair, curled at the roots, showed obvious signs of being permed. It fell smoothly and naturally on both sides of her ears, reaching her shoulders. Her face, as beautiful and agile as a cat's, especially accentuated her lazy and open-minded temperament when she smiled and squinted her eyes.

"Azusa-senpai is really beautiful, so did you win an award that year?" Iori asked, turning her gaze away.

Unfortunately, I was eliminated in the first round.

real or fake?

Are women with this kind of temperament really that unpopular nowadays? Speaking of which, he always felt that someone was a good match for Senior Zi.

"Eh? Why?"

"She forgot to wear her swimsuit, so she went on stage in her underwear and was disqualified."

Shinji Tokita picked up a piece of assorted omelet and said as he chewed.

"What an amazing person."

Iori was shocked. He couldn't believe there were such generous people in the world. He thought that only in adult videos would you see women walking around in their underwear.

"Doesn't she feel shy at all?"

Kohei also found it incredible; real-life women were wilder than he had imagined.

"That's just the kind of person she is. You'll get used to it after spending more time with her."

Hachiman didn't comment; he was thinking about something.

"Um, there's something I'd like to discuss with everyone."

"what's up?"

“My sister is coming to visit me next Sunday. She’s a rather traditional girl and might feel uncomfortable with the atmosphere. So I’d like to ask everyone if it’s possible to refrain from drinking for the day and not take off your clothes. If anyone needs any help afterward, I will do my best to help.”

When he spoke formally, his tone became much more serious. He didn't want Komachi to feel uncomfortable here, and he didn't want her to worry about him.

"Is that so? Since it's such an important request from a freshman, we will definitely comply."

Shinji Tokita smiled, raised his glass, and stood up.

"Well then, let's make up for that day's portion over the next few days! Next up is baseball boxing!"

"Oh!!!"

The crowd cheered, and several of the big guys didn't even throw a punch before stripping naked, revealing the Truth-Seeking Balls hidden in their pants.

Seeing the joyful crowd, Hachiman felt relieved after receiving a positive response.

"Let's drink to our hearts' content today."

Iori handed him a beer, and together with Kohei standing next to him, they gave him a thumbs up, grinning with their teeth showing.

Looking at the beer in front of him, Hachiman picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

"The prescription is too low."

"Yay! Kōhei, bring out the oolong tea!"

"Here it comes! Oolong tea!"

"What a group of energetic kids!"

Hamaoka Azusa looked at Iori and the others who were playing rock-paper-scissors with great interest.

"I'm going to play too."

"Take care."

As Hachiman sat on the sofa, sipping oolong tea, he realized that he wasn't a heavy drinker; he was simply more adaptable. A week ago, two glasses of this mixed liquor would have made him dizzy, but now he could drink five or six glasses without batting an eye.

He looked at Iori, who was now only wearing his last piece of underwear, and mercilessly smashed his scissors with his fist.

"Give up, I can't lose at rock-paper-scissors."

Hachiman chuckled. Since childhood, he had often played rock-paper-scissors in front of the mirror. Over time, he could deduce whether the other person was going to choose fist, scissors, or paper by observing subtle changes in their hands.

That's why, even though he's been here for so long, he's only ever taken off two socks and a jacket. Except for that one time when he got drunk and took off his trousers in a moment of confusion, he's always been impeccably dressed.