Using a Mysterious Spellbook Ended Up Creating a Slave Harem - Chapter 38

The After-Party

As I stepped through the automatic doors of the cafe, I spotted Chigasaki shouting at the top of his lungs with his smartphone in hand. Shigemitsu and the others sitting nearby looked annoyed, but he didn't seem to notice.

"That damn Saida! He’s not picking up!"

"I'm already here."

The glares that had been gathered on Chigasaki shifted over to me and Kojina-san as we entered the shop. Ignoring the stares, I looked around for open seats and spotted the class pres and vice-pres sitting side-by-side at a six-person table near the entrance.

"Class pres. Is it okay if we take these seats?"

"Ah, y-yeah..."

"Then, Kojina-san. Do you want to sit on the inside?"

"Sure."

We sat down, placing Kojina-san opposite the vice-pres, and myself opposite the class pres. At a four-person table just across the aisle sat our homeroom teacher, Mr. Wada, and the male assistant homeroom teacher.

As water and wet towels were passed to me and Kojina-san, the class pres stood up to address the shop.

"Alright, everyone who planned to come is here, so shall we get started?"

"Yeah."

"Let's do it~"

"First, as the class pres, let me say a few words."

He delivered an opening speech fitting for the occasion, expressing his gratitude for all the preparation and hard work put into the school festival play. After finishing with a toast using our water glasses, the school festival after-party officially began.

As food and drinks were randomly passed around, I struck up conversations to get closer with the class pres and vice-pres, whom I usually didn't interact with much. Kojina-san also joined in the conversation, albeit with few words.

＋＋＋

About thirty minutes passed. Some people were subtly shuffling seats, and a few girls were even singing karaoke using a smartphone app.

Esaka looked like he wanted to come over here, but he was trapped by the top-tier girls of the classroom social hierarchy. Shigemitsu and Chigasaki also seemed to be deep in conversation with the girls sitting near them, so they didn't approach me either.

"Saida-kun, were you and Kojina-san always this close?"

"Well, we're in the same club, so I'd like to think we're reasonably close."

I carefully chose my words to answer the vice-pres's question. Truth be told, I still didn't quite know how to handle my distance with Kojina-san.

"I mean, considering you came together, you must be pretty close."

"I hope so."

"More importantly, why did you come together?"

"Yesterday, when the topic of this party came up, I invited her while we were in the clubroom, and she said yes."

"Heh~"

"To be honest, I thought she'd turn me down, so I was surprised."

"...Is it really that surprising?"

Kojina-san, who had been lightly chatting with the vice-pres, joined our conversation. It happened while the four of us, including the vice-pres, were talking while snacking on light refreshments.

"...I'm sorry for being late."

The automatic doors at the entrance, which had a "Closed" sign hanging on them, slid open, and a girl walked in. Drawing the gaze of everyone inside the shop, it was our class's pride and joy—the ultra-popular idol, Rina Takechi.

"Huh? Takechi-san?"

"Wow! It's Rina-chan~!"

While the classmates reacted in surprise, Mr. Wada stood up and spoke to Rina. From their conversation, it became clear that the teacher was the one who had contacted her.

"It’s been a while, Takechi-san."

"Yes, Mr. Wada. Thank you for reaching out."

"Not at all. You are a member of this class too, after all."

"But I couldn't even participate in the school festival."

"No one would bar you from participating just because of that. Right, Fukura-kun?"

"O-Of course not."

Suddenly put on the spot by the teacher, the class pres answered in a flurry. Well, she was an incredibly beautiful girl, so no one would ever object to Rina joining.

"I-In that case, Takechi-san's seat should be..."

"H-How about over here?"

"W-Why aren't there any empty seats around me..."

"...H-Hey, make some room over there."

"You make room!"

The classmates reacted in various ways to the class pres's words. Rina herself scanned the room once, stared directly at me and Kojina-san next to me, and then approached us with a bright smile.

"Saida-kun. Is it okay if I sit next to you?"

"...Ah, yeah, of course. No way I'd say no."

"Great. Thanks♪"

Since only the two of us—Kojina-san and I—were using one side of the six-person table, there was space for one more person. However, the class pres's side was in the exact same state, so her choosing to intentionally sit on my side felt loaded, and I wished she wouldn't do that.

With Rina on my left and Kojina-san on my right, I could feel the intense glares burning into my back for having two ultra-beautiful girls flanking me.

"Was your work okay?"

"I just happened to have this time slot free. I have work again starting tonight, though."

As I lightly exchanged words with Rina, I glanced past my shoulder to check the back of the room. The popular girls were whispering among themselves, and Esaka was glaring daggers at me.

＋＋＋

The five of us at this table chatted casually about the school festival, while Rina vented a bit about how busy her work was. Then, without even asking, Esaka came over with a drink in hand and sat in the empty seat next to the class pres.

"Long time no see, Takechi-san."

"Yes, Esaka-kun."

"Is work going alright?"

"If it weren't alright, I obviously wouldn't be able to come."

Rina replied to Esaka's words with a forced smile. As I watched her deal with the guy who kept trying to talk to her, Kojina-san spoke up to me.

"Hey, Saida-kun?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"This looks delicious."

"Really? Let me see..."

The two of us harmoniously shared the dish she recommended. While we were doing that, the drinks at our table started running low.

"Ah, this is really good. ...Kojina-san, looks like we're almost out of drinks. Should we order?"

"Y-Yeah. Let's..."

As I grabbed the menu and we leaned in close together to pick something out, a voice called out from my left.

"Ah, Saida-kun. Can I order something too?"

"O-Of course. Do you know what you want?"

"Hmm. Let me see the menu for a bit."

Since we were in a public place, she referred to herself more formally, but she pulled my arm toward her. When I moved the menu directly in front of me so both sides could see it at the same time, Rina pressed her body close against mine to peer down at it.

Noticing this, Kojina-san leaned in with a similar posture to look at the menu. Sandwiched between two ultra-beautiful girls leaning against me, Esaka—whose conversation had been cut off—glared at me with an even more terrifying expression.

"Just let me know when you decide. I'll go place the order."

Perhaps finding the awkward atmosphere unbearable, the class pres volunteered to act as the errand boy. The vice-pres was looking at him with a face that said, 'Are you really going to abandon me and run away?'—I almost felt sorry for her.

"I'll have this."

"Then, I guess I'll have this one."

"Class pres, sorry about this. Can you get me this one?"

"Sure. What about the other two?"

"I'm fine."

"I'm okay too."

"Alright, I'll go order."

Making Esaka stand up for a moment, the class pres left the table. Esaka immediately slid back into the seat, desperate to strike up a conversation with Rina.

Rina is already mine anyway, I thought, silently mocking his futile efforts in my head while casually conversing with the other three, including the vice-pres. After a short while, the ordered drinks finally arrived.

"Here ya go! Order up!"

"...Chigasaki. Where's the class pres?"

"The class pres got caught on his way back."

Looking back, he was sitting at the table with the top-tier girls, being interrogated. They were probably grilling him about what was happening over here.

"So, I came in his place."

"Ah, thanks."

"Which means, Esaka. Move so I can get to the back, or let me through."

"You sit in the back."

Esaka stood up once again, and Chigasaki took the seat next to the vice-pres. In the meantime, Rina handed out the drinks that had arrived.

"Here, Kojina-san, this is yours. And Saida-kun, this is for you."

"...Thank you very much."

"Thanks, Takechi-san."

As she passed the drink to Kojina-san on the inside, she deliberately pressed her body firmly against mine. Seeing this, Kojina-san's face went completely expressionless for a split second, which was terrifying.

Every time Rina tried to assert her dominance over Kojina-san, the glares from our classmates sitting with us grew stranger. Sensing that this would only cause more annoying trouble down the line, I found myself thinking about punishing Rina later.

Though, when I recalled what happened when the three of us did it with Erika, she would probably just be delighted by a punishment anyway, so I decided to shelf the idea for now.

"Oh right, Rina-chan—"

Chigasaki, who completely lacked the ability or desire to read the room, threw a comment toward Rina, determined not to lose to Esaka. Seeing that Rina was visibly stressed by Esaka, I joined the conversation to bail her out.

After all, talking with me—her Master—was the ultimate healing for Rina, a slave bound by a crest of lust.

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