Strategy for Dealing with Problematic Girls

If he could make good use of this unexpected discovery, then he would have a huge advantage in doing anything at this school. Going a step further, perhaps he might even be able to uncover the truth of why he had come here in the first place.

But... was that vial of medicine really all right?

Even now, Jhin's head was still groggy and heavy, as if a block of iron had been stuffed inside it. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to shake off the feeling, but it was all for nothing.

"You're back! Look, look, we've already got two hundred and fifty-three medals!" Kyaru came trotting over to his side with cheerful little steps, holding up her student ID to show off the number of medals, as if fishing for praise.

I was only gone about two hours to fetch the consent form. How did she manage to rack up so many medals?

As if seeing through the question in Jhin's mind, Kyaru pointed to a row of stalls where the outcome was mostly decided by luck: "See over there? I don't know why, but my luck's been amazing today. Any game that's a test of luck, I basically place in the top three every time."

"You're that lucky? Then could you help me pull some gacha?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing... just me rambling. More importantly, how about we head back and rest for a bit?"

"Are you okay?" Seeing how miserable he looked, Kyaru worriedly grabbed his arm. "You went to get the consent form, didn't you? How did you end up like this?"

"It's all because of Dr. Irusu from the infirmary. She gave me a vial of medicine, said it could cure amnesia, and after I drank it I ended up like this."

"You actually got to meet Dr. Irusu!?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

In an extremely exaggerated tone, Kyaru said, "That's the legendary Dr. Irusu who never pays any attention to students! When a student gets sick, they can only go grab medicine from the room next door themselves—you can't even get into the infirmary!"

So everything she said when she was bickering with Ms. Kazama was true...

Jhin had no idea how a doctor and a teacher like that could keep their jobs at this school, but in the end she could become an asset to him, so he couldn't be bothered to worry about that on the principal's behalf.

Supported by Kyaru, he made it to the dormitory door. Before she could even open it with her student ID, the world in Jhin's eyes suddenly went black. Right before his face hit the floor, he tumbled into a soft embrace scented with gardenia. Before he lost consciousness completely, only two thoughts crossed his mind.

Haven't I been passing out kind of a lot lately?

Kyaru's bigger than she looks.

...

"A familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling..."

"Pfft, you wake up from being unconscious and that's the first thing you say?"

Jhin sat up, a faint trace of gardenia scent still lingering at the tip of his nose. Kyaru was sitting on his bed, hugging her knees against the wall. Seeing him wake up safe and sound, the worry in her eyes completely dissolved into a faint smile.

"That kind of smile of yours... it's the first time I've seen it."

"Wh-what's wrong? Does it look weird?"

"No, it's rather nice. What time is it now?"

"Three in the afternoon. Congratulations on successfully wasting two hours."

"Mm~" Jhin put on his shoes and stretched out in a big yawn, then reached out a hand to Kyaru: "Beautiful young lady, I wonder if I might invite you to go shopping?"

"I-if you insist on inviting me, then I suppose it's not impossible..." Though shy at heart, Kyaru resolutely placed her small hand into his palm. "It feels like after one nap, you've become a completely different person."

"That's because I remembered a few things."

"Really? Can you tell me about them?"

"I think... I'll keep it a secret for now. That way there's more of an air of mystery."

Because this is what the you from before—or rather, the truest you—is really like.

Jhin's memories had not fully returned, but the memories concerning Kyaru and those girls—he really had recovered part of them. In this strange world, it seemed all of his girlfriends had become "those women" whose names he wasn't allowed to know.

And Kyaru... someone who had once been his comrade, but who in this world was like a "third party" being surrounded and cornered by the legitimate partners. He needed to win the championship together with her while also dodging his girlfriends.

What kind of nonsensical affair script is this?

Roasting the current situation viciously in his heart, Jhin took another look at the top of Kyaru's head and behind her. After confirming there were no cat ears or cat tail there, he disappointedly looked away.

Kyaru... without your cat ears, you're just an ordinary street-corner tough.

Although Jhin was the one who had done the inviting, he had no idea where to go to buy clothes, so he had to let Kyaru point him in the right direction. She pursed her lips slightly and grumbled: "How is there someone who invites a girl out and doesn't even know where they're going?"

"Can't be helped—who told me to have no memories at all of this school? As compensation, I'll buy you a few extra pieces of clothing later."

She said nothing, silently quickening her pace, and as her black hair swayed it revealed a bit of ear that had turned bright red.

The two of them arrived at a shopping street lined on both sides with all kinds of clothing shops. While Jhin was still marveling at just how big this school was, Kyaru pulled him straight into a clothing store called "Namiya General Store."

The shopkeeper was a girl with long black hair who looked very demure. She was sitting behind the counter flipping through a book, and even with a customer coming in she showed no intention of getting up to attend to them.

The corner of Jhin's mouth twitched slightly—clearly he'd recognized that this shopkeeper was also one of his girlfriends. On the counter sat a wooden nameplate with a title written on it: "Store Manager."

Does Kyaru have some kind of constitution that guarantees getting caught cheating a hundred percent of the time? How is it that just any random clothing store lands me right in front of one of my girlfriends?

Still, Yumiko has actually become a clothing store owner... that's rather interesting.

"What do you think of this outfit?" Kyaru worked up her courage and picked up a pure white T-shirt printed with half a red heart and the English word "forever."

With such an almost straight-up hint, how could Jhin not understand? Thinking that in his memories she had also been his comrade, he immediately responded: "Very nice. Get me one too. I think these few would suit you as well—I'll pay for it all together later."

"Ah... o-okay." Kyaru turned around excitedly, nearly tripping over her own left foot, then quickly grabbed a matching T-shirt and handed it to him.

Half an hour later, Kyaru and Jhin walked out of the shopping street already dressed in matching couple's casual wear.

Puzzled, she tugged at the somewhat oversized collar: "Why did we pick clothes a size too big?"

Jhin gently wagged his index finger: "Now this is something you don't understand. The unguarded charm a girl gives off wearing slightly oversized clothes—that's the essence of it!"

Lowering her head to glance at her denim shorts and the black stockings on her legs, wariness gradually rose in Kyaru's emerald eyes: "You're not thinking of doing something to me tonight, are you?"

He raised an eyebrow and countered: "And if I am?"

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