Chapter 98: Yakiniku is bad civilization.

Translator: Soafp

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[Karen PoV]

All-you-can-eat yakiniku. The moment you hear those words, your appetite naturally starts to grow. It’s all-you-can-eat yakiniku, after all. Typically, when it comes to all-you-can-eat yakiniku, men would consume around 2,000 calories, and women about 1,800 calories, indulging in various cuts of meat like short ribs, sirloin, and skirt steak, as well as processed meats like sausages and ham.

Now, here’s a simple question. What happens if you overeat? The answer is simple. You’ll regret it later.

“HHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

I watched as my junior, Kohaku, stepped on the bathroom scale before taking a bath, her hands on her face, trembling with fear.

“Well, if you eat that much at an all-you-can-eat yakiniku, what do you expect?”

“But, I thought I restrained myself…”

“Still, you ate more than you usually do, right?”

“Yes…”

Today, on the invitation of Izayoi’s mother, the five of us went to an all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant with a discount coupon. There, Kohaku had been happily devouring everything in sight. She initially started with vegetables to be mindful of her weight, but it seemed that plan had fallen apart.

“Ugh… all-you-can-eat yakiniku is a curse to mankind… It must be eradicated…”

“What are you talking about? When we were eating, you said it was the best invention ever!”

“Ugh… at that time, I was lured in, and my rationality was compromised… Truly, it’s a terrible invention…”

In reality, she probably hadn’t gained that much weight. She tends to be overly concerned about her appearance. I glanced slightly downward from her face. There was a watermelon…no, a muskmelon… Well, taking it all in, her body seemed quite voluptuous. In contrast, I’m… petite.

Why are mine so small…

“Senpai, please step on the scale too. It would give everyone peace of mind to see more people gaining weight.”

“The reason is surprisingly petty. It’s surprising.”

I said this and stepped on the scale. Hmmm…

“Actually, I seem to have lost weight.”

“Gah…”

It seems that gaining weight, especially for herself, was quite a struggle. She placed her hands on her head, trembling with an expression of despair. And then, her bust wiggled a bit, appearing larger than before.

“Kohaku, what cup size are you now?”

“I’m a G-cup now.”

I recalled she used to be an F-cup. In other words, she had grown in just a short amount of time. I had a hunch that her weight gain was the cause, but I kept that to myself, not wanting to rub it in. She fretted for a while, then resolved to increase her running sessions starting tomorrow.

Her figure was honestly already great… Just how far would she push herself? Shoulder blade workouts, hip flexibility stretches, a rather intense and peculiar dance for about half an hour every day, and she drank lots of water because it was good for her health.

She was a bundle of effort. It was clear that she had a great starting point, but she pushed herself even further. I also paid some attention to beauty and health recently, but I didn’t think I was anywhere near Kohaku’s level.

Haa, thinking about it too much makes me lose confidence. I better go take a bath.

“Alright then, I’ll go ahead.”

“Oh, by the way, Senpai, would you like to join me for a 10,000-second bath to help me lose weight?”

“No thanks. It’s a hassle.”

“Eeh?! Taking a 10,000-second bath alone is tough, you know! Please, let me rely on my dependable Senpai!”

“Only at times like these am I treated with such respect.”

Devious… well, I guess that’s one of her strengths. Ignoring her attempts to flatter me into joining her for a long bath, I had intended to take my usual bath alone. However….

In the end, I lost my patience and had to go along with the long bath to lose her weight.

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[Moegi PoV]

Kohaku-chan is a hard worker. The day after we went to the all-you-can-eat yakiniku, she tied her hair into a ponytail and started dancing a weird dance in the morning.

For some reason, Karen-chan also joined in the dancing… Well, I suppose it’s easier on her mentally to do it with two people instead of alone, so that’s probably why she invited Karen-chan to join. Karen-chan is really accommodating, huh?

“Haah, haah, haah…”

“How long are you going to keep doing this!?”

“Just a bit longer! Just a bit more!!”

“How much longer!?”

“It won’t bother the neighbors if we do this at the magic training room! Plus, I’ll keep you company for another hour! The magic training room is amazing!”

“I’ve never despised the magic training room more than I do now!”

Wearing running attire that fits her body well, including ladies’ pants, she continues to dance. Kohaku-chan… She’s quite… sexy… swaying around… Kohaku-chan is swaying too. Her twin tails.

“Moegi, join in too!!”

“I’m busy committing the sight of these two gasping for breath to memory, so no thanks!”

After a while of watching them, Aoi-chan enters the training room. She’s dressed as usual in her hoodie, but she looks refreshed as if she just had a bath, and a gentle soap scent wafts from her.

“They’re still at it?”

“Yeah. Both of them are working hard. Did you just finish taking a bath, Aoi-chan?”

“Yeah, I did a light run and worked up a sweat.”

Aoi-chan seems to like running and exercise. She has an athletic and healthy disposition. She’ll probably live a long and healthy life.

As I’m thinking about this, the music finally stops, and both of them end up sitting down on their bottoms.

“Phew, that was a good sweat.”

“This is too much…”

Both of them are panting heavily and resting their hands on their shoulders.

“Thank you so much, senpai, for making exercise so enjoyable!”

“Well, I didn’t exactly hate it… so it’s fine.”

“Really? In that case, let’s do it again sometime! It helps with weight loss!”

“I won’t.”

Tsundere Karen-chan is cute. Kohaku-chan’s assertive attitude is quite impressive as well.

“Kohaku, do you want to lose weight?”

“Yes, well…”

“You’re not overweight, in fact, you’re rather slender.”

“That’s true, I’m currently at my ideal weight, but I don’t want to get complacent. I always want to maintain a buffer with my weight.”

“I see. Well, want to go for a run with me, then? It might be a decent workout.”

“Sure, is it really okay!? Please, let’s do it! I’m counting on you, senpai!”

“Then, we can start now?”

“But, you just took a shower…”

“I can take another one.”

“S-Senpai!”

Aoi-chan is cool and cute. So, after Kohaku-chan changed, the two of them went for a run together, while Karen-chan quickly showered and changed. I sat down on the couch with Karen-chan and started watching TV.

And then, an hour later…

The two of them returned…

“S-Senpai, you’re a monster…”

“Was it… that tough? I actually slowed down the pace quite a bit…”

Kohaku-chan looked exhausted and on the verge of collapse, but Aoi-chan was calmly watching over her, showing concern…

I wonder just how fast Aoi-chan’s running pace is…

From that day on, the running segment of Kohaku-chan’s health-conscious training disappeared.

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[Izayoi PoV]

September is a tricky time when the heat still lingers, and then suddenly it becomes chilly, making it difficult to manage one’s health. I sat at my desk in class, feeling the indescribable change of the season against my skin.

Next month is the cultural festival, which means it’s about time for discussions about class performances and other related matters to begin. If that’s the case, I need to start taking action as well. First on the list is dealing with an issue involving Moegi and two male students.

In our second-year Class A, there’s a problem where the boys’ antics are causing delays in deciding on our class performance. Moegi has been trying to get the boys to focus and make the discussions smoother, but her efforts have led to resentment. Hatred has been accumulating, and the boys end up talking behind her back on the day of the cultural festival, which causes Moegi to overhear and cry alone. I remember from the “story” that she didn’t confide in anyone, but instead, she encouraged herself and tried to enjoy the cultural festival, although there was a sense of fragility in her expression.

So, the first thing I need to do is have a proper talk with those male students before the second-year class meeting begins. There’s a school-wide, cross-grade meeting this afternoon. Therefore, I will seize the opportunity before the discussion starts. I recall that the two boys who made negative comments about her were the bald one and the one with a menacing look.

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[Moegi PoV]

That is right, it’s almost time for the cultural festival, fufufu. I’m looking forward to it. We’ll all eat together, take photos, and edit them… While thinking about these things, I walked over to the vending machine to buy a drink.

I was contemplating which drink to choose from the various options displayed. My eyes were drawn to one particular drink – black coffee. Come to think of it, that’s what he often drinks.

[Izayoi-kun, you like black coffee, huh? You’re so grown-up!]

[Yes, well, I can’t resist its depth… because I’m an adult…]

He takes a sip of coffee with a doe-eyed look on his face. And then a complicated look on his face. Surely he doesn’t know what it tastes like, right?　

I don’t drink it much, but… should I give it a try?

I pressed the button to buy it and headed back to the classroom. Class would start in a little while. As I walked alone, I heard voices just before turning a corner. It was a voice I’d heard somewhere before, and one voice was clearly recognizable.

“Oi, what do you want… first-year…”

“Y-yeah, what do you want with us?”

The two voices with some familiarity to them sounded genuinely surprised. Well, it’s no wonder. The other party is someone whose reputation has spread not only throughout the school but also beyond.

The “Grim Reaper,” “Fried Horse Mackerel,” “Black Bass of Reiwa,” etc. It seems that this person already has three-digit titles.

Peering around the corner, I could see him. Those two… ah, they’re in my class. I haven’t talked to them before, so I don’t know much about them, but they’re always laughing loudly and disrupting the class. They freeze the whole classroom with their unfunny jokes.

Why would they team up like this? Could they be acquaintances? No, it doesn’t seem like that. Let’s listen to what they’re saying for now.

“Please participate seriously in the next period’s discussion about the cultural festival.”

“W-what? Is that all?”

“I-if that’s it well…”

Huh? Isn’t he a first-year student? Why is he the one giving them advice? The duo readily agrees to his request, clearly wanting to get away from him.

“And also, don’t ever say anything bad about Moegi-Senpai. If you do…”

“We get it, we get it…”

“Oi, let’s go.”

Why is my name…as I was thinking that, a male student in his class suddenly appeared from behind.

“No, no, you really told those upperclassmen off.”

“To be honest, it was a bit intimidating…”

“Despite that, it felt pretty good.”

“I’ve been playing the role of the school’s tough guy inside my head, you know. Somehow, I managed to convey that strong impression. It seems the other guy was pretty freaked out by my intensity.”

“Well, I think he was freaked out for other reasons. Anyway, why did a first-year like you get involved with second-years?”

Oh, I remember now. The male student standing next to him is the one I warned in the cafeteria before. And that student’s question is something I’m curious about too. Also, it’s surprising how he uses language in such a way. Unexpected.

“Well, those two are infamous for their unfunny and annoying jokes. It’s quite frustrating for them to be disruptive in Karen-senpai, Moegi-senpai, and Aoi-senpai’s class.”

“Hmm. But telling others not to badmouth Moegi-senpai… You’re not planning to make a move on Moegi-senpai too, are you?”

“It’s not like that. I just noticed that those two might say something like that, so I wanted to address it.”

“But honestly, that senpai is tall and seems strong. I don’t think she’d be bothered by that kind of thing.”

…Strong, huh? Tall and… Well, I do try to be strong, but… Well, I have a somewhat complicated and bothersome personality. I wish people wouldn’t judge me solely by my height…

“That person cares a lot about what others think. She might be strong, but she also has her weaknesses. But she’s definitely strong, cool, and cute.”

“Eh? You? Do you perhaps like Moegi-senpai?”

“That’s a bit complicated. I just have various feelings and admiration for her. Moegi-senpai prioritizes others over herself and she’s really good at keeping a poker face. She’s genuinely kind, making sure not to burden others with her problems. How could anyone dislike a person like that?”

…

“If she ever cries or feels sad, I want her to smile and be happy. If she’s going to carry something, I want to carry it with her.”

…

“When did you become a protagonist of a shounen manga?”

“I haven’t become one, though.”

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[Karen PoV]

Haa, I’m so sleepy… I didn’t get much sleep last night. The website suddenly released a limited-time anime, and even though I’ve seen it before, I couldn’t resist watching it again.

I have a somewhat satisfied stomach but lack of sleep. It’s driving me crazy. I’m so incredibly sleepy. The next class is apparently a discussion about the cultural festival, so maybe it’ll be more bearable than regular classes?

Speaking of the cultural festival, it’s a big event in light novels and manga. It’s where love blossoms, progresses, or new romances begin, all in a whirlwind. Well, overlaying 2D onto reality doesn’t make much sense, but generally, the cultural festival is a significant event for high school students. Maybe, just maybe, things will work out quite nicely between me and Izayoi. Alright, I’ll open my eyes and do my best.

As I’m pondering this, the classroom door opens. There’s Moegi, holding a cup of black coffee. It’s unusual for her to arrive just in time for class.

“Moegi, your face is all red. Are you okay?”

“Eh, um, yeah… I-I’m fine…”

“Is that so…”

Her face is really flushed. Did she catch a cold? She looked like she was carrying something she hadn’t before. She took a sip of the black coffee.

“It’s bitter…”

What happened to her? While watching her absentmindedly, I sensed some mysterious premonition.