Chapter 96: The Little Devil Alliance

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Translator: Soafp

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Sanae's sharp retort echoed throughout the store.

Then, from across the sofa, a mischievous smile appeared on Ranko's face as she leaned forward.

“Ah, hello, I'm Ranko, the Sensei’s mistress,” she said, casually waving her hand while making a joking remark.

“…Huh?”

For a moment, my brain couldn't catch up. No, no, even if it's a joke, there are things you shouldn't say.

“Wait a minute! What are you saying!? That's not true!”

I hurriedly denied it, but when I turned to look at Konatsu-chan and Sanae, they were both staring at me intently.

And their gaze was clearly one of contempt.

“No, it's really not true!?”

I desperately tried to explain, but the two of them continued to look at me coldly.

“…Well, let's set that aside for now.”

Ranko laughed playfully and continued.

“You look like you're wondering why I'm here, but actually, I wanted to give chocolate, so I asked Miyabi and the others for your address. But I got lost, so I ended up taking a little break here.”

She added that last part with a slight smile, as if pleased.

“By the way, isn't it a crazy coincidence that the Sensei and I ran into each other at a coffee shop?”

Ranko seemed excited for some reason, and I sighed as I asked her.

“When did you get so close with Miyabi and the others…?”

“You shouldn’t underestimate the bonds between women, Sensei~.”

Ranko grinned mischievously, then suddenly turned her gaze to Konatsu-chan and Sanae.

“Especially when it comes to cheating, you have to be careful…?”

“Could you not say things that make it sound bad…?”

I replied with a sigh, and as we exchanged words, Sanae smiled but fixed Ranko with a sharp gaze.

“Must be tough being a popular guy, huh, Hajime-senpai? So, tell me… how much of our conversation did you hear?”

Beside her, Konatsu-chan was also looking at Ranko with the same sharp eyes.

The atmosphere became tense.

The playful mood quickly shifted back to the main topic.

Ranko, though, kept her usual smile and looked as carefree as ever, pouting her lips.

“Well, it's not like I heard it, more like I overheard~.”

Ranko shrugged and smiled as if nothing was wrong. Her laid-back attitude made Sanae let out a sigh and glance over at Konatsu-chan.

“…What should we do, Konatsu-chan?”

“Let's put the mistress thing aside for now, but who exactly are you…?”

Konatsu-chan asked calmly. Her eyes were focused, not swayed by Ranko's playful behavior, aiming to get to the core of the matter.

“Huh, who am I?”

As I hesitated over how to explain, Ranko waved her hand lightly to stop me.

“Hey, no need to look so scary, okay? Looks like the Sensei's having trouble with the introduction.”

Without any sign of stress, Ranko continued her conversation cheerfully.

“Well, to put it simply, I'm someone who draws pictures and does video streaming. I'm sort of a minor celebrity.”

At those words, I couldn't help but be surprised.

“Wait, are you really allowed to say that?”

I widened my eyes in surprise, and Ranko grinned with a nonchalant face.

“Well, it doesn't really hurt to say it. Besides, it sounds like you've got something serious going on, so I thought I might be able to help.”

“Even if you say you could help so easily…”

I hesitated but repeated Ranko's words.

Not caring about my response, Konatsu-chan suddenly leaned forward.

“Are you really famous? How famous?”

Ranko blinked for a second in surprise.

“Huh? Oh, well… about 4 million subscribers, I guess?”

“F-Four million!?”

I asked in shock.

“You have that many!?”

“Well, it’s all just a hobby, so I don't put ads on it. Ahaha.”

Ranko laughed casually, but that number was clearly no joke.

“Wow, that's impressive…”

Sanae let out a surprised voice as well.

“Maybe I should get your autograph later.”

At those words, Ranko replied lightly, “Oh, that's fine~.”

However, Konatsu-chan was more focused on something else.

“You just said you could help, right?”

She fixed Ranko with a serious gaze.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. If I can help Sensei…”

A little uncertain, Ranko nodded.

Then, Konatsu-chan leaned in even more and gave her a strong look.

“Please… I need you to help with something…”

Her voice was no longer playful, but carried a desperate, earnest tone.