Actually, Nijika coming over didn't surprise him at all. Nijika had already had plenty of intimate contact with him, and she should already know what would happen if she kept that kind of relationship with him. She just didn't want to think too much about it yet because of Yumiko, and had been holding herself back.
But Ryou? At most he had touched Ryou's thigh through the shared-sensation collar, and she still came over to face him honestly even though she clearly knew he was dangerous?
"What are you scared of? Compared to me, the one in danger is definitely Nijika," Yamada Ryou's face was calm, completely unfazed by Hachiman.
If there was danger she could just push Nijika forward. It's not like Hachiman would force her into anything.
He might even reward Nijika with a big pile of money, honestly. She was so cute, so considerate. After Hachiman successfully "got" Nijika, she'd bring tons of benefits.
The only annoying thing was Nijika's manager big-sister. Nijika's sister didn't want her dating so early.
But wasn't that even better? Resistance meant Ryou had a role to play.
That way, even after Nijika was "offered up," she could still collect money and perks just like now.
"Ryou...", Ijichi Nijika stared at her best friend Yamada Ryou, who looked completely detached like it had nothing to do with her, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Ryou's slender, fair arms tightly, whispering.
"Do you really think... you're not in danger at all?"
"Nijika? What are you saying? Are you trying to sell me out? I'm your good friend!", Seeing Nijika's expression wasn't right, Yamada Ryou's heart jolted. She immediately tried to struggle and run while desperately appealing to their friendship.
"You're the one who sold me out first!", Seeing Ryou shamelessly pretend she hadn't betrayed her at all, Nijika gripped her arm tighter and slowly pushed her toward Hachiman.
One by one, they all loved selling her out, huh.
If everyone wanted to sell her to Hachiman, then today she'd just strike first and sell them to Hachiman.
"I was helping you! Nijika, you like Hachiman but don't dare show it, I was helping you, how is that wrong!", Seeing herself get closer and closer to Hachiman, Ryou begged for mercy.
"I let Hachiman touch my thigh for so long and didn't say anything, how can you treat me like this!"
"Then what about you taking money? Enough talking. Ryou, go experience the feeling of being sold out!"
Being publicly exposed by Ryou about her feelings for Hachiman, Nijika felt her cheeks heat up, but she forced herself to stay calm and pushed Ryou straight into Hachiman's arms.
"Ryou, you said yourself you're Hachiman's girlfriend, right?"
"Since you took Hachiman's money, then do your girlfriend duties properly."
"I was wrong, I was wrong, Nijika, I'll return all the money to Hachiman, okay!"
Seeing Hachiman's face right in front of her, Ryou swallowed hard. She didn't dare fool around anymore and used all her strength to resist Nijika.
"It's too late now!", Nijika thought she could easily overpower Ryou, but Ryou fought back so hard she could barely hold her down.
In an instant, the two wrestled in the water, hot steam swirling up as splashes flew everywhere.
But before they could make a bigger scene, they suddenly felt someone pressing down on them.
Lala pressed down on Ryou, and Ichinose Honami held Nijika. With the difference in strength and size, the two were instantly subdued and delivered straight into Hachiman's arms.
"???"
"!!!"
Nijika and Ryou looked at each other, faces equally stunned.
"If you can't decide who wins, then both of you come here."
Seeing adorable Nijika and cool, handsome Ryou delivered to him, Hachiman spread his arms and held them both, then looked up at the last band member, Kita Ikuyo.
"Kita, what about you? Do you want to come join?"
He actually preferred letting feelings develop slowly before taking the next step, but if they came to him on their own, he wouldn't refuse.
"Uh... no, I'm good...", Seeing his gaze fall on her, Kita snapped awake in an instant. She shook her head like crazy and immediately abandoned her teammates.
"Hikigaya-kun, you have fun, I'll go to meet up with Komachi and the others!"
The "Kessoku" in Kessoku Band meant binding or tying. Usually it could be translated as the Bond Band or the Unity Band.
Right now, though, the Unity Band was anything but unified.
Watching Kita Ikuyo run off alone, Ryou wanted nothing more than to drag her back and use her as a shield.
Where was that sworn determination?
Where was the resolve to face the Kessoku Band's secret?
Was all that earlier bravado just lies?
Nijika didn't actually want to drag Kita down with her. She only watched as Kita fled toward Komachi and Koyuki and felt a faint sadness.
She wondered if this counted as being sold out.
Probably not. They were the ones who brought Kita here, and she hadn't spent much time with them before. It was normal that Kita wouldn't stick around to face Hachiman with them.
Compared to Marin and Ryou, who had betrayed her, Kita was already being very kind.
But no matter what they thought or how they'd face Kita later, right now, the one they really had to face was Hachiman.
"W-wait. Hachiman, calm down! We can't betray Yumiko!"
Sensing Hachiman getting restless, Nijika's expression changed and she quickly held him down.
But even with both hands holding him, she was still pressed tightly against him, skin to skin. That warmth between them made her cheeks uncontrollably flush.
"I can help you clear the route with Nijika, and I can help persuade her sister too. You're interested in the manager and PA-san, right? Getting both sisters isn't easy."
Ryou didn't joke around now. She grabbed onto Hachiman too and calmly laid out her bargaining terms, terrified he'd lose his sanity in the bath and come after them.
If it were just Nijika, she'd be fine with it. She thought Nijika used Yumiko as an excuse to run away. Nijika wasn't unaware that Hachiman had tons of girls around him. Even Yumiko knew.
But the problem was that she herself was here too.
Nijika having feelings for Hachiman was fine. Selling Nijika was fine. But if she got dragged in, she couldn't sit back and watch.
"Ryou?"
Nijika turned her head and stared at Ryou who was selling out even her sister, looking utterly shocked.
Did Ryou really think she wouldn't hit back?
She wasn't just selling her out now, she even wanted to sell out her sister?
If that was the case, she'd team up with Kita later and tie Ryou up to sell her off first.
"Nijika is cute and helpful. She takes care of her sister at home. If you get Nijika, you'll definitely live a happy life."
Ryou ignored Nijika's glare and continued tempting Hachiman.
"But Nijika can't leave her big-sister manager who needs her."
"If you like the manager too and like Nijika, then getting both means they won't be separated."
W ho could resist Nijika?
She thought no one. Especially if he got both sisters together.
The manager looked sloppy and rough around the edges, but she was actually quite pretty. She just had no social life because she stayed in the store all day.
"Aren't you scared Nijika will get mad? Selling out her and her sister right in front of her? She might turn around and sell you to me instead."
Hachiman tightened his arms around the two soft waists beside him and smiled.
Ryou's plan was pretty good. Offering the sisters in exchange for her own safety.
He really did have an interest in Hoshika, Nijika's sister. But instead of the two sisters, what he wanted more was for the whole band to have a neat little party.
"Nijika won't do anything to me. She's a kind and understanding girl. She wouldn't hold a grudge against me. Right? I'm not forcing anything. I'm just matchmaking."
Ryou looked confidently at her best friend.
She had known Nijika for years. She understood her too well.
She might scold her, sure. But unless Ryou sold herself to Hachiman like she just did, Nijika wouldn't care too much.
But would that happen? Nijika at most would say angry things. She wasn't the type to sell out a friend.
Nijika always said Yumiko liked Hachiman, and Nijika herself was too embarrassed to express her own feelings. There was no way she'd let something happen with her and Hachiman tonight.
Back during the band performance, Nijika had sacrificed herself by sitting on Hachiman's lap and letting him touch her thigh for ages.
Through the shared-sensation collar, Ryou could feel how hard Nijika struggled with the embarrassment.
Hearing Ryou's shameless words, Nijika nearly exploded. Her tiny hands tightened instinctively.
What kind girl?
So a kind girl deserved to be betrayed?
Ryou seriously thought she wouldn't dare?
"Hachiman, please help me teach Ryou a proper lesson."
"Nijika, are you sure?"
Hachiman, wedged between them, feeling their combined squeezing and shoving, opened his eyes wide and looked at her.
"Yes. I'm sure. Ryou's getting more and more outrageous. If she doesn't get disciplined, she'll never stop."
Nijika nodded with a blank expression.
Didn't Ryou want to be a weirdo? Didn't she want to stand out? Then tonight she'd let Ryou fully experience being betrayed.
This feeling she had never felt before, Ryou would love it, wouldn't she.
"Nijika, don't trick Hachiman! You'll be betraying Yumiko!", Ryou panicked and blurted out.
"I would worry about other people. But Ryou... I don't have to."
Nijika sighed softly as she looked at her soon-to-be-betrayed best friend.
"What do you mean 'you don't have to worry about me'? Isn't this betraying Yumiko?"
"Hachiman, finish your bath and head back to your room. I'll hold Ryou's hands for you."
Ryou panicked harder, but Nijika didn't budge. If Ryou didn't feel the sting of betrayal, she'd probably want to sell Nijika every day from now on.
But even if she wanted to teach Ryou a lesson, since this was the first time, she wanted to at least give Ryou a good experience.
"Yeah, we can leave now. Honami, Lala, Bocchi, let's go call Miko and the others so we can all go back."
Hachiman smiled and nodded, letting go of Nijika while gesturing for Lala and the others to swim over to where Miko and the rest were. He kept both arms locked tightly around Ryou, who was trying to run.
"Ryou, I'll give you a little time. If you can think of a condition that moves me, I'll spare you for tonight."
"Getting both sisters isn't enough?! Nijika and her sister are two people, I'm just one!"
Ryou twisted around, looking at him desperately, wondering if he had misheard.
"Your condition is helping me clear Nijika and her sister. But Nijika is the one holding your hands down. That means tonight I get to eat you."
Hachiman reached out and brushed aside Ryou's side-swept bangs, looking straight into her golden eyes with a smile.
He might not actually eat Ryou tonight, but her offer had zero sincerity.
Compared to Ryou's empty promises, he'd much rather eat Ryou herself.
She kept bouncing back and forth between wanting to be grass and wanting to be mugwort. Of course she'd get mugwort'd.
"Gulp! Hachiman, don't listen to Nijika. You're not that kind of person. I believe you won't f*rce me, right?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through P@treon.