I rotated whip-and-carrot helping Kenji until past 1 PM.
“Hungry.”
“Let’s call it for today.”
“You haven’t even done most of yours — what?”
Shou wanted lunch, Kenji wanted to bail entirely, Kaito called him out. The session would resume after lunch.
We headed for the exit. From behind:
“Oh — you also doing lunch?”
“Kano and I are about to head out too.”
Kano and Mayo. Just past noon — fine timing. Kenji and Kaito went into suspicious-acting mode.
“Yuito — who’s the cool senpai next to Yuki-senpai?!”
“Not enough that you got Kano-san — you’ve got another?!”
“Stop characterizing me as a poacher — Mayo-san is a Shinshiroike alumna and Kano-san’s college senpai.”
(Don’t make me sound like a playboy. If anything I’m the prey.)
“My apologies — I’d only introduced myself to Yuito. I’m Meguro Mayo — three years your senior, so we didn’t overlap, but we’re same-high-school.”
“Mayo-senpai was in student council with me and was student council president her third year — legend.”
“You’re embarrassing me.”
The boys went heart-eyes (except Shou, who’d matured after the pool incident — punched-by-girlfriend almost ended his relationship, careful apology saved it, no more reckless behavior). The lunch group expanded to six.
We went to a family-style restaurant near the library.
“Wait — Mayo-senpai got into Sahoda on regular admission?!”
“Yeah. I wanted to earn it on my own merit.”
“Sahoda regular admission is 70+ deviation by our prep room’s chart. Yuito’s near year-top so maybe, but me and Kaito — no.”
(Kenji wasn’t even in the conversation — obviously.) Shinshiroike’s year-top tier struggles to crack Sahoda. Single-digit alumni get in via regular admission per year — Kano and Mayo are that high-spec.
“Mayo-senpai — boyfriend?”
“Not currently. College life is full enough that I’m not actively looking.”
(Even Kenji’s tactless question got a polite answer. Class act.) Mayo turned serious.
“If any of you have someone you want to date — act now. Because — if you find someone you like, someone else will like them too.”
That hit me like cold water. Kano is clearly the kind of person ten guys would be after.
I’d been confessed to but the target’s feelings persist forever is not guaranteed. Holding indefinitely could drain her interest.
I felt genuine crisis pressure — almost couldn’t breathe.