Pure Love ✕ Insult Complex

「 Well, it turned out right in the end. The twins and Mitama-san’s inconsistent conversation is just pure fun 」

The next day, Saturday afternoon, Yukino talks to me while we’re in the high school bakery.

「 Above all, the twins exposed so much of their personal information and yet, Mitama-san only talked about how she’s a Master of Anjou martial arts, Anjou Mitama, and nothing else 」

Yeah. Mitama’s…

「 It seems that the whole internet went “Who’s that girl” during the broadcast. As for the twins, their photos in their local middle school entrance ceremony and even the lewd videos they mentioned their parents were selling were found and identified in no time at all. Meanwhile, no information about Mitama-san is found 」

Mitama was the bodyguard of the young lady of the Kurama house, and she’s been attending Misuzu’s school ever since childhood.

Jii-chan and the head of Kaan house are involved with that prestigious school, so no personal information is leaked out there. Their school festival and sports day are all completely closed to anyone except the parents and siblings of the student. The students themselves know how much trouble it’ll cause other houses if their personal information is leaked.

Besides, that school does strict investigation during your entry, and so they don’t let in upstart girls, nor children of celebrities.

It seems that girls whose parents displayed poor behavior have changed schools.

And the scandal Kurama house caused meets the conditions for that.

That’s why no schoolgirl would think that it’s weird that Kurama Misato and Arisu no longer attends their school.

Mitama is a girl who served the Kurama house, which lost their status as nobility.

Therefore, even if the young ladies in that school saw Mitama in Yukino’s show by chance, they will not bring it up as a topic.

Kurama house has angered Kouzuki and Kaan house.

The other students have been told by the young ladies of the nobility who visited the Kouzuki house’s party last week.

Everyone wonders “Why Anjou Mitama is appearing on Shirasaka Yukino’s show” but they don’t speak of their doubts.

「 Well, now that we have three more cute girls, the show’s doing well. Mitama-san and the twins have become a boke and tsukkomi combo too 」

「 I mean, I never thought that Mitama would bloom on television like that 」

A gallant and cool style body of a beautiful young girl holding a sword while wearing a swimsuit.

Her speaking style is abnormally polite, and she’s clearly ignorant of the ways of the world.

It’s compared against the attitude of Eri and Rie, who are so young yet they seem to know what’s going on behind the scenes.

「 That’s what’s funny about it. Nearly everyone watching the show and posting over the internet seems to think that Mitama-san is still a virgin 」

Yukino said.

「 You know, the twins immediately told everyone that they have experience. If that’s the case, the fledgling-looking Mitama-san surely is a virgin, or so they say 」

「 Eri and Rie had a reason why they mentioned that 」

I interrupt Yukino.

「 They had boyfriends back at Kansai, or should I say, guys who they got along with. Then, you know, they suddenly went to Tokyo and lost contact with them. Then, as they mentioned on TV, they can’t go back home 」

If the Yakuza friends of their parents capture them, who knows what they’ll do.

「 That’s why they purposely proclaimed those things to send a message to their boyfriends to forget about them. That if they try to make contact with the twins, they will get involved in something dangerous 」

They were lovers…people who exchanged contacts.

Also, it’s a farewell greeting to the people who were close to them back at their home.

「 They say “We’re already okay in here, please don’t contact us anymore” 」

That’s why they speak so brightly.

So energetically.

They even laughed at the death of their parents, at the fact that they were raped.

「 I guess so. I’ll support them a little more next week 」

Yukino said.

「 They’re just like me. I feel like my old acquaintances would make fool of me if I don’t show strength and energy whenever I show up on TV 」

She smiled wryly.

「 If I just show myself crying and depressed, they’ll think “serves you right.” That’s why I have to be a strong woman 」

I see. Yukino and the twins have the same mentality.

They’re weak but strong.

They face their painful situation not wanting to lose.

「 Oh well. Let me take care of the girls on TV. I won’t do anything bad to them 」

Yukino said with a smile.

「 Yeah. Thanks. Oh right, look after Mitama too 」

「 That girl will do something for herself. She’s the type that hides her strength 」

「 Really? 」

「 Really. I’m quite the shameless type but that girl’s better than me, right? She walks as if there’s no one around during the show. The twins reacted when they saw the other celebrities but Mitama-san didn’t react at all 」

She’s a bodyguard of nobility after all. She goes with Misato-san on hotel parties and has seen the big shots of the political and business circles with such amazing auras at point-blank range.

She won’t react to TV personalities.

She has no interest in show business.

「 Francie seems to have taken a liking to Mitama-san that he wants to introduce her to his friends at the gay bar on Shinjuku. Then, Mitama replied, “I’m still in high school, I cannot go in such suspicious places!” You watched the show, right? The conversation steered to that “suspicious place,” Mitama-san even said that she only enters the school cafeteria and that eating a hamburger on your way home from school is a delinquent act 」

Mitama’s social ethics are still of the young lady’s school.

Oh right.

「 Mitama’s going to transfer to our school by next week 」

I remembered from hearing “I’m still in high school”

「 Really? 」

「 Yeah. Mitama, Tsukiko, and Arisu’s big sister, Kurama Misato-san, Minaho-neesan’s transferring them to our school 」

Our high school was formerly a school Kuromori tower girls attend to.

It’s just returning to the old system.

Misato-san, Tokuda Sonoko-san, and Kurosawa Naoko-san. They will become students of our school to camouflage their work as a prostitute.

Tsukiko and Mitama will enroll while at it.

They’re both third-year high school girls so they only need half a year of school activities, and I want them to graduate properly.

Eri and Rie. Mana, Arisu, and Kinuka will go to the special middle school Jii-chan referred us to.

Agnes, Luna, Koyomi-chan, and Yomi are going to Misuzu’s school.

Agnes is a distant relative of the Kouzuki house, Koyomi-chan is her attendant, and Luna is her bodyguard.

Kouzuki house will create a special case of a young lady having two servants with her, although the problem is whether Agnes can pass the entrance exam or not.

Yomi will be Ruriko’s bodyguard.

Haiji and Mizushima Karen-san are already attending that school so they’ll stay.

However, Haiji will become Yoshiko-san’s bodyguard, no longer Mariko.

Mizushima Karen-san will become Misuzu’s servant, from the status of a young lady of nobility.

Unlike the Kurama house which completely collapsed, Mizushima house still has themselves intact, and they can still attend the same school as before.

Mariko would be forced to stop using a bodyguard with her with the pretext that she didn’t inherit the noble blood.

She promised to get along with the students.

「 For now, that’s how it ended up 」

The results of the conversation with Yoshiko-san, next week, Misuzu and Ruriko will be staying over the Kouzuki house, with Yoshiko-san.

In the end, Yoshiko-san’s feeling that I took Ruriko away from her is too strong…

It seems that she had to carry such frustration on her back.

Therefore, we’re sending Ruriko over there, to live a life without me.

As expected, you can’t fix it with anything but by spending some time together.

「 It’s all sold out! 」

Edie comes in from the counter area in the cafeteria.

Following her is Megu and Kana-senpai, entering the bakery with empty pads.

「 Good job. We’re sold out 」

I look at the clock. It’s 12:43 P.M.

「 I’m sorry, we’re closed! We’ll be back by Monday 」

Katsuko-nee’s voice comes from the counter area…

「 I’m back! 」

Katsuko-nee and Ai come back together.

Nei isn’t here today so Ai is also in the counter.

Meaning, after putting the baked goods to the counter, I was talking to Yukino in the bakery.

Recently, I don’t even show up on the counter anymore.

There are more sales when it’s just girls, with Katsuko-nee in the center.

Rather, I don’t make any sales at all.

In this “Baking Skill Course” and “Actual Manufacturing Bakery”…

At first, they call it “The bakery of that weird first-year boy who’s already engaged”…

It changed to; “Katsuko-san’s bakery”

Then, now it’s called “Katsuko-san and Ai-chan’s bakery”

It’s better if I just enclose myself in this bakery.

At times, Ai goes to the counter to promote herself by saying “I made this bread”

It’s great on fixing Ai’s shyness.

「 What’s wrong? It’s Saturday and yet we’re already sold out? 」

Yukino said.

During Saturdays, most students return home and buy lunch outside the school.

They have fewer sales compared to weekdays.

Back then, we’re sold out by 1:30 PM or 2 PM.

「 Recently, even Saturdays don’t matter to them 」

Edie smiled.

「 Our pastries got a whole lot better so most students are buying it back for their people at home 」

Kana-senpai said.

「 Then, those family members who took a bite would tell them to buy again. Once that happens, it’s easier to buy it on Saturdays, right? 」

If they buy souvenir bread during weekdays on their lunch break, they’ll have less lunch. It’s not like they can keep freshly baked bread in their desk in the classroom, or their lockers until after school.

On Saturdays, they go home right away…

「 Yoshi-kun, if that’s the trend, then I think that we can sell more 」

Megu said, but;

「 No, keep the production output the same. It’s better to think of keeping the numbers but increasing the quality 」

Katsuko-nee said.

「 There’s still a lot of variation on the quality of the types of bread. We need to give them all the same level of flavor 」

「 Right. We should increase our skills, not our profits 」

We’re still learning.

「 We make the same quantity every day and stabilize the taste and improve it. Let’s think about increasing the amount after that. Once you start increasing, you can’t reduce that amount anymore 」

「 Katsuko-san is right. Only Nobu and Ai do the work, one of them will likely get sick and have to take a rest 」

Kana-senpai said.

I was too tired from the stuff on the Kouzuki house last Saturday that Monday bread…

Katsuko-nee and Ai, and everyone in the family helped out, and so we were able to produce the same amount as we usually sell, but…

If we increase our production output now, we won’t be able to deal with it.

「 If you poorly increase your products and buyers think “I can buy it anytime, no problem,” then you’re in a bad spot. They should think “I need to hurry or it’ll get sold-out” Making it sound like it’s limited 」

Kana-senpai said with a smile.

「 I’m not sure that’s the kind of stunt you want to use but given the current state of affairs, it’s impossible to go further. We need to increase people and ovens 」

Katsuko-nee said.

「 After all, it’s thanks to Ai that the products we have are better than before 」

I said.

「 In the end, Ai has better sense than me. She’s getting better too 」

「 Uhm, Yoshida-kuun! 」

Ai talks to me with such a cute puppy-like smile.

That expression.

「 What’s wrong, Ai? Did you come up with something? 」

「 Yes, that’s right…you see…Ai…had an idea 」

Recently, Ai’s getting a lot of ideas when it comes to baking.

It could be a new pastry, innovations in the manufacturing process, minor changes to the flavor, and such.

Most of them are a success.

If we follow Ai, the taste of the pastry becomes better for sure.

Ai’s a slow but deliberate thinker, and so she gets the idea from the knowledge and experience she’s accumulated from making and selling pastries every day.

Although…

「 Err…you see… 」

She’s also slow when it comes to explaining her idea.

「 Listen to her. I’ll be recording the sales for today 」

Katsuko-nee opens her portable safe and begins her tally.

By the way, the coins are thrown into a machine automatically counting the number of coins and separating them by type.

As for the bills, it’s spread out the old fashioned fan shape and counted using the bank system.

The camera mounted above the counter floor can see which pastry was sold at what stage, how much was sold, so we can check the details later.

「 I have prepared coffee 」

Megu prepares coffee for everyone using the coffee server.

「 Here… 」

Edie distributes the cups with coffee one by one

As usual, Yukino’s not doing anything at times like this.

「 Kana, don’t you have club activities this afternoon? 」

Edie asks.

It’s not 1PM yet so she can take her time lazing around but…

「 Well yeah. I want to skip the Saturday practice but we’re gonna discuss the school festival today 」

Kana-senpai said.

「 Nobu, I just have to talk to the girls in my club, right? 」

「 Oh, sure. Kana-senpai 」

I reply to Kana-senpai while listening to Ai talk.

「 Oh, you’ve decided already? 」

Katsuko-nee asks while noting the money.

「 Yes. I already talked to the clubhead, the women’s tennis club will collaborate with the bakery in the school festival and we’re going to do a “tennis girl cafe”! 」

Meaning, we’re going to make the pastry and cakes…

Then, the girls at the tennis club will be the waitress wearing tennis clothing.

「 Ai will put on tennis clothing too! You’re still a member of the tennis club, okay? 」

Kana-senpai said, but, Ai’s doing her best to talk to me about the idea on her mind.

「 Megumi, what will you do? 」

Edie asks Megu.

「 Our club goes for eight-hour day endurance 」

Huh?

「 While everyone else is doing the school festival, the women’s track and field team will split into three teams, red, black, and white, and someone will be running around in circles all the time 」

「 What’s with that? 」

Kana-senpai asks as if she spat out some of her coffee.

「 Uhm, our clubhead said that “Our club is hardcore, so while everyone is flirting, we’re going to be working out” 」

Err.

「 I see. That’s very much like Takeshiba-senpai 」

Kana-senpai’s amazed.

「 But, the school festival conducts on Saturday and Sunday, that’s two days, you have to be free at some time, right? 」

「 No, Captain Takeshiba said that we’ll do it on both days. By the way, if it’s raining, then we’re going to run wearing a raincoat 」

I see.

「 If Takeshiba-senpai says that, I guess nobody can stop her 」

「 Well, it seems that the student council is having a dispute with it 」

Megu said.

「 If it happens, the sports oval would be occupied by the women’s track and field club for two days 」

Oh, I see.

「 So it’s Takeshiba-senpai of the women’s track and field club vs the student council president, Iwakura-kaichou. That’s some hard fight 」

Kana-senpai said.

「 But, Yoshida-kuun…I think that if we do it like this…it might be good…I just thought 」

「 Oh, I see. I think that’s a good idea 」

I asked Katsuko-nee about Ai’s idea.

「 Katsuko-nee, do you have time? 」

「 Yes, I just finished counting. So, what did Ai-chan say? 」

I explain Ai’s 10-minute talk to a 30-minute chat.

The idea she got today is split into three major content.

「 Okay. I think the first idea is a good one so let’s do that next week. As for the second one, we’ll do a one-time trial. I think that it’ll come out as Ai-chan thinks, but still, let’s try it in practice first. As for the third idea, you found a good point to eye on but it’s already done by someone else. Besides, there’s also another technique I haven’t taught you guys yet. Err, once we have time, I’ll teach you about it. But today, tomorrow, I don’t think it’ll fit. That method applies to other pastries too. You can learn that 」

「 Ai, do you get that? 」

「 Yes, I did. Thank you. Katsuko-san 」

Ai is a slow thinker, but…

She understands what we’re talking about.

「 Then, I will be depositing the profits today in the bank after drinking coffee and then I’ll go to Ojou-sama’s place 」

Katsuko-nee’s helping out Minaho-neesan in the reopening of the brothel.

Even so, she makes good use of her spare moments and she shows up to sell pastries during lunch at least.

She checks the taste of the pastry Ai and I made and then check the sales herself.

「 I’ll leave the change in the safe. If you need to repay a customer complaint then use that to pay them 」

「 I know, Katsuko-nee1 」

That never happened but it’s there, just in case.

「 Megumi, you have your club activities too 」

「 I know, I’m in a sports club after all 」

Megu puffs her chest and replies.

「 Edie’s going to the Kouzuki house, right? 」

「 Huh, Edie-chan’s going to Misuzu-san’s place? 」

Megu said. Kana-senpai joins.

「 No, not Misuzu’s mansion. I’m going to the dojo in a building owned by Kouzuki house 」

Edie smiled.

「 You see, one of the young ladies in Misuzu’s school… She has a bodyguard that’s always with her… 」

「 And that bodyguard is coming for a match 」

「 Match? 」

Kana-senpai’s surprised.

「 They’re just playing around. Young ladies of good families thirst for stimulation. They’re just having a match to make them chat about who wins or whatever 」

Katsuko-nee explained

「 Reika’s the referee 」

「 Oh, Fujimiya Reika-san’s coming too. Nice, I want to watch too 」

「 You want to come and watch, Kana? 」

「 Hmm, if you think about it calmly, it’s scary to go to a place where it’s just the young ladies so no. I’m already getting cold feet with Misuzu-san, and there are more young ladies over there, right? 」

「 Edie’s opponent is the bodyguard of a young lady whose family stands equal to the Kouzuki house. But, she’s just a second-year high school girl 」

I explained.

「 Then I won’t go. I don’t want to feel out of place. I’m the only one wearing cheap clothing and such 」

Kana-senpai smiled wryly.

「 Nobu, you’re going, right? Supporting Edie-chan? 」

Well…

「 No, I’m told not to come tonight 」

Misuzu said.

「 Only the young ladies at Misuzu’s school would come. What would a guy like me do there? 」

「 Oh right, I guess so. Nobu alone would feel inferior compared to everyone 」

「 We’re in a time where we don’t have to rush 」

Edie said with a smile.

「 What does that mean? 」

That means…

Kaan Momoko-neechan is worried, wondering if she should have sex with me or not.

And, she expects to see me tonight.

She thinks that I won’t possibly miss Edie and Yamada Umeko Sebastianus-san’s match.

That’s why I’ll outwit her and don’t show up tonight.

That way, Momoko-neechan will be teased.

That’s how Misuzu thinks it will be.

「 It’s about Misuzu-chan. He’s not rushing, rejecting by saying “I won’t go” sometimes, to make her think that he won’t always run to her 」

Katsuko-nee explained it with a lie.

「 Oh, if Nobu doesn’t do that, she’ll think that he’s a cheap boy 」

Kana-senpai agreed.

「 With that said, here 」

Katsuko-nee hands me several sheets of a printout.

「 What’s this? 」

「 The currently popular bakeries, you should go to the three of them and see what they have to offer. You and Ai-chan 」

Oh, bakery tour.

「 Wait, no way! I want to join! 」

「 Yoshi-kun, me too! 」

Kana-senpai and Megu said.

「 Nono, you two have your club activities! 」

Edie smiled.

「 But, a date with Yoshi-kun 」

「 Then, I’ll go too! 」

Yukino who’s been drinking coffee quietly, speaks up.

「 Yukino? 」

「 No way. If you walk downtown it’ll only create a lot of fuss! 」

Yukino’s a famous person now.

「 I’m the woman who has the most records in the world 」

Err.

「 It’s impossible with Yukino-san but that doesn’t mean that the other girls can join in either 」

Katsuko-nee said.

「 Don’t we have girls who’ve been secluding herself in the house, haven’t been going out recently? 」

Right.

I guess I should invite the other girls.

Since Edie’s not with us, I should ask someone to escort us.

「 Oh, Agnes-chan is a no. Her entrance exam is close so she has to study 』

Katsuko-nee said.