Chapter 299: Chapter 297: The Correct Way to Use a Wish
[Shirakawa, where did you and Asano Konatsu go? Didn’t she say we’d meet at the swimwear store? Did you guys go to another swimwear shop?]
Another message from Tsukimi Sakurazawa managed to clear up some of Shirakawa Sawahei’s confusion. He finally understood why the little lolita could flaunt her acting skills so fearlessly without worrying about being exposed by acquaintances. Turns out she had directly diverted the potential threat.
As expected of you, Asano Nazuki. The women of the Hayakawa family certainly are sharp-minded. Though occasionally this girl’s IQ might drop, when it comes to scheming against people, both the Black Hearted Lolita and her elder sister are fully loaded in the intelligence department.
[Where are you guys? I’ll head over right away.]
Tsukimi Sakurazawa immediately sent her location, typing: [We’re almost done shopping. Shirakawa, are you reliable...]
[How about just meeting us at the beach? We’ll play beach volleyball! You against the few of us!]
[...]
Confronted with the baby talk monster’s suggestion, Shirakawa Sawahei was stunned for a second, then imagined the scene of the baby talk monster and Ise Yu bouncing around with balls...
One ball... two balls... three balls...
[Better not...]
[Why! Shirakawa, are you afraid~]
Shirakawa Sawahei pouted, thinking to himself he’s not scared, just worried passersby might experience collisions with trees, falls, or head-on crashes...
The prowess of this girl and the slacking girl cannot be underestimated. If they genuinely played beach volleyball, the scene would be absolutely breathtaking...
[How about we give you a teammate?]
[How about Asano Nazuki?]
[It’s not about having a teammate...] Shirakawa Sawahei thought for a moment, then deleted these words, and typed: [Forget it... you guys play, I’m sitting it out.]
[Trying to escape!? Shirakawa, you took so much advantage of me and Asano Konatsu earlier, and now want to run away after being stuffed to the brim!]
[...]
[That was your own issue.] Shirakawa Sawahei flat-out refused to bear the brunt of this blame.
[I don’t care... Shirakawa, since you took advantage, you owe us company in playing! It’s hard for us to allocate strength otherwise...]
As he walked, he responded to the baby talk monster’s topic. Before the girl could say more to persuade him, Shirakawa Sawahei had already arrived at the swimwear store the girls mentioned, where three pretty and cute girls gathered, naturally attracting plenty of attention.
"Shirakawa-kun~ over here!"
"Ah~ Shirakawa, where’s Asano Konatsu? Why didn’t she come with you?"
"She went to another store to buy swimwear..." Shirakawa Sawahei replied half-heartedly, "She said we should start the fun first."
"I see... then let’s head to beach volleyball first! Send her a message!"
The baby talk monster skillfully linked arms with him and announced to everyone, "Come on! Sisters! This match is about our Calligraphy Club’s status!"
"Even though I’m not a member of the Calligraphy Club... I’ll try hard to help you win, Sakurazawa-chan!" The slacking girl declared, clenching her fist: "Though I don’t appear athletic usually, I actually had great reflexes once~"
"Really? Orikin~ I didn’t anticipate your unique talent, so unassuming in person!"
"No, no, it takes Sakurazawa-chan’s sharp eye to spot my talent~"
Shirakawa Sawahei: "..."
He couldn’t help but intervene in the mutual compliments between the baby talk monster and the slacking girl, curiously saying, "Didn’t I already refuse to play beach volleyball?"
"Hehe~"
The long-legged cute girl let out a dismissive chuckle, saying, "Shirakawa, don’t forget, you owe us a wish, remember?"
"Back at Orikin’s birthday party! Regarding the gift! Don’t think you can shirk it!"
"..."
"Huh? There’s a bet about my birthday party? How come I didn’t know..."
"I’ll explain later, Orikin... Shirakawa! Answer quickly~ No escaping it!"
"Really... you’ve remembered this for that long?"
Suddenly Shirakawa Sawahei felt a headache. That bet indeed was made, and he lost, owing each of the little lolita, Tachibana Tomoku, and Tsukimi Sakurazawa a wish... honestly, since it hadn’t been brought up again for so long, he assumed these three girls might have forgotten... little did he expect Tsukimi would be here at the beach waiting for him.
However, if he could use a minor matter like playing beach volleyball to consume the baby talk monster’s wish, Shirakawa Sawahei felt it would be a safe bet.
"Fine... let’s do it. Using up your wish, and we’re even after this."
"Hold on, hold on... what are you thinking, Shirakawa?" Tsukimi Sakurazawa said with a bizarre expression, "How could I waste such a precious opportunity on something so trivial~"
"???"
"Then you mean..."
The baby talk monster’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she proudly said, "Of course, such a powerful tool should be reserved for deterrence..."
"Ahem... listen well, Shirakawa, my wish is... tonight, you let me help you wash your back!"
"Sakurazawa-chan!"
"President!"
The two girls exclaimed in astonishment, seemingly unable to comprehend the exquisite finesse behind the baby talk monster’s tactic of feeding herself to the tiger. Only Shirakawa Sawahei, upon hearing this request, found his expression darkening.
"..."
At that moment, he immediately grasped Tsukimi Sakurazawa’s little plan... this girl had clearly asked for a wish he’d absolutely refuse, and was using it as a threat to achieve some trivial matters.
Goodness, is she trying to use one wish as a threat to start extorting me wildly?
Is this tolerable!
This is intolerable!
Seeing Tsukimi Sakurazawa’s gleeful little eyes, Shirakawa Sawahei instinctively wanted to agree just to let her fail spectacularly... but remembering the presence of Tachibana Tomoku, he reconsidered his image, darkening his face a bit more, but eventually couldn’t help following her lead.
"I refuse."
"Hehe~"
Tsukimi Sakurazawa seemed to have expected Shirakawa Sawahei’s reaction, flashing a smug little smile, then said, "Since you don’t want to fulfill that wish... then play beach volleyball with us~"
"I’m a considerate girl~ hehe, Shirakawa, what do you say?"
"..."
Under the threat of the baby talk monster’s wish, Shirakawa Sawahei reluctantly accompanied the girls to the beach volleyball spot.
The three of Tachibana Tomoku took the lead, seemingly strategizing, and midway a conversation about the birthday bet inserted, where a slip-up inadvertently helped the girls win the bet made the cute little Ise Yu sigh.
"If I had joined that bet... I would’ve made Shirakawa always allow me to feel free at home..."
"Do what?"
"N-nothing..."
Taking advantage of a pause where Ise Yu Yuzhijin and Tachibana Tomoku were chatting about the panda doll from the birthday party, Shirakawa Sawahei seized the moment and swiftly pulled over the baby talk monster, whispering his words quietly.
"Just this once, no repeats."
The girl briefly leaned in his embrace when he pulled her, looking up with charming eyes, she giggled: "What’s the big deal? You could just agree to let me wash your back next time~"
"..."
"Alright, alright, next time I will properly use my wish... promise not to make you angry!"
Shirakawa Sawahei glanced at the baby talk monster, secretly sneering inside.
Next time? Does she think she can keep using it as a deterrent?
No lessons learned until the end, huh...
He made up his mind that next time, even if she wants him to accompany her to bed! As long as Tachibana Tomoku isn’t around! He would drag her to a room on the spot!
By then, let’s see who’s more ashamed!