【Comical】

Something funny and ridiculous. Things that are out of the ordinary and foolish.

The environment surrounding Shota Komori was exactly like that.

[This is Izumi. Do you copy, Private Shota?]

“I have a lot to say, but for now, I can hear you.”

[Mm-hmm. Sensitivity is good. We will now begin the strategy to attack Shizuku Natsukawa. Are you ready?]

“…You’re really in the groove, Izumi-san.”

[Call me Sir.]

Having purchased wireless earphones and a pin microphone, Shota Komori put them on and headed for the meeting place.

Tenshi Izumi, on the other hand, was at a coffee shop. With a parfait in her hand, she was checking the status of communication.

The mechanism that allows them to talk remotely is simple.

The earphone jack of Shota Komori’s cell phone in his breast pocket is equipped with a pin microphone, and the sound picked up by the microphone is transmitted to Izumi, whose contact information is registered in the application.

In other words, she can hear Komori and Natsukawa’s conversation while she herself can speak from a pin microphone. The voice then reaches Komori’s ears, who is wearing wireless earphones.

Simply put, it’s an intercom.

If Tenshi Izumi overlooked anything at this point, it was the lack of visual information.

—She would later take a hit because of it.

(What should I do? Izumi-san seems to be very enthusiastic today. Of course I’m going to block communication on private matters, but Natsukawa-san is trying to buy a present for Kengo Ohashi, right? If that’s the case, I think it’s quite possible that she’s going to consult me… I wonder if Izumi-san will go crazy when she hears that. This is my only worry.)

Shota Komori looks somewhat anxious.

He doesn’t know yet that the worse the premonition, the more likely it is to come true.

[So much for joking, are you almost at the rendezvous point?]

“I’m taking the escalator to the floor where we’re going to meet. The meeting place seems to be a store right after the escalator.”

[Roger. I wish you good luck, Private Shota. And you do remember your first words after meeting up with her, don’t you?]

“Yes. In response to Natsukawa-san’s question, ‘Did you wait?’ I should answer, ‘No, I just got here,’ right…? But are you sure? Didn’t my points get deducted when I met up with you at the outlet mall, Izumi-san?”

For the record, on that occasion, Shota Komori received a reminder from Tenshi Izumi, and that was,

“You should’ve said, ‘I got here three hours ago. How long did you expect me to wait!?’ and then, ‘I was really looking forward to today’s date,’ and make me squeal.”

He cautioned.

[Ah, that was just me being oblivious.]

“Oblivious?”

[Yes. The thing is, there’s no girl in the world who would squeal all over Shota-san in the first place.]

“Rude!”

[So, as I told you beforehand, it’s okay to say, ‘I just got here, too.’]

“…Really?”

Shota Komori looks doubtful.

Eventually he saw an incredible sight as the escalator he was riding reached the upper floor.

Only a few meters away–

“This is Private Komori! Sir! Come in, sir!”

His reaction was as if he had stepped onto a real battlefield.

Even through her earpiece, Izumi sensed the emergency.

[What’s wrong!? What happened!?]

“Natsukawa-san is… Natsukawa-san is–“

—She was already at the rendezvous point!

At a glance, his words are not that big of a deal.

But this is something that Shota Komori and Tenshi Izumi couldn’t help but tilt their heads at.

Because,

[Private Shota. Tell me the time of the meeting.]

“Twenty o’clock, sir.”

[And what time is it now?]

“Nineteen o’clock, sir.”

[Why!? I sent Shota-san to the meeting an hour earlier, but Natsukawa-san is already waiting!? I don’t understand! Please explain it to me!]

“EHH!? You’re asking me to do that!?”