Chapter 35: A Cheap Trick

Translator: Cryus

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「What are you thinking, wearing those clothes and makeup?!」

Chii-chan gets angry at me.

Apparently, she went through a careful selection for my blind dates, which I wasted this time.

While I’m writing an apology message saying that I’ll be more careful next time, I get a message.

【Your precious textbooks are with me. If you want them back untouched, come to the conference room (clubroom) during lunch break.】

I’m running up the stairs. I thought Arioka-senpai did it again, but I realize it’s another club member when I take a closer look.

「What…」

Before I can say anything, a club member drags me into the clubroom and shuts the door.

I look around and see a small circle of club members whispering among themselves.

It feels like a secret meeting or a cult.

「Oh! You’re here, Noda.」

They drag me into the middle of the circle and surround me.

It feels like a summoning or a sacrificial ritual.

「Good news! Kinoshita-san is joining us for our Christmas drinking party this year.」

「Ba dum tss!」

「We’re so excited we could jump to Mount Everest!」

「Didn’t Kinoshita-san and Michel break up already?」

「Well, they’ve been in disagreement with each other since they started going out.」

They seem to have noticed, whether they heard from Kinoshita-san or Michel, or whether they could tell from the mood.

Being in a relationship is tough, huh.

They go back to being excited.

「This Christmas is a good chance for a comeback!」

「But there’s one problem. Michel and Arioka-senpai are coming to the Christmas party too.」

「We’re all on the same level if we exclude the both of them. So we’re forming a united front against them to keep them out of our way.」

「And that’s where you come in, Nodasaurus.」

It’s tiring to kick them each time they annoy me, so I urge them to continue and secretly count the totals.

「We had a drinking party last time, after the practice match.」

「You went on a drunken rampage.」

They hosted a drinking party the other day.

It was to celebrate Kinoshita-san’s first job as club manager.

I thought it was weird for them to host another party just shortly after the welcoming party, so I confidently opted to keep an eye on them.

I’m weak to alcohol, so I asked for non-alcoholic food and drinks.

But my oolong tea was swapped with Kinoshita-san’s oolong highball tea somehow.

I thought something tasted off when I drank it, and I don’t remember what happened for the next few hours.

I’m embarrassed as a volunteer lookout.

「Normally you’re already kind of a wild animal, but when you drink alcohol, you turn into an A-rank beast that needs to be put down.」

「I’m sorry about that!」

I tried to be careful not to drink any alcohol, but it looks like it became a big deal.

Fortunately it seems I didn’t hurt anyone or break anything, but I swear to be careful next time.

「Well, here’s the thing. We would like you to go wild like a dinosaur this Christmas.」

They ask in all seriousness.

「Huh???」

I give a perplexed look.

「Well you probably don’t remember, but Arioka-senpai had to hold you back right away.」

「You struggled for a while, then collapsed after that.」

「He and Michel took care of you while you were dead asleep.」

I don’t remember at all.

When I woke up, the club members were all dead tired, and the manager gave us the check with a troubled look.

「Please do it again this time!」

「Huh? Why are you trying to cause trouble for them?! Also it’ll be pointless if they leave me in another room.」

「Well, Arioka-senpai is good at holding you back, and Michel helped him too, so it’ll be okay if we replicate that situation.」

「It’ll be okay if you knock them out too!」

「You idiots! We’ll be her prey if that happens!」

「Oh, right. Then maybe if all three of them run out of energy…」

「That’ll be okay!」

Nothing about this is okay.

I give the closest club member a heavy chop in the kneecap.

「I’ll pay for your drinks, so please~」

They’re being annoying and cheap!

Even if both of them are out of the game, all the club members will turn on one another right away.

「I’m not going to the Christmas party this year anyway. I have plans.」

「…………………………」

「Huh? Why? …Are you going to a Jurassic Party somewhere?」

「I already told you last time, I can’t make it.」

「………It can’t be that… you’ve made a boyfriend and turned your back on our Forever Alone Alliance…?」

「Now that I think about it, you’ve been to blind dates… Wait… no… but there are guys who like dinosaurs…」

「The Nodaceratops is leaving us…」

Their murmurs turn into desperate cries.

They’re the dinosaurs here. I cover my ears, put on my shoes and make my retreat.

I unlock the door.

「Everyone, stop making a ruckus. Keep your voices down.」

Arioka-senpai comes in, covering his ears too.

Michel comes in after him, wondering what’s going on.

Looks like their cries resounded outside too.

「Arioka-senpai! Bad news!」

They were treating him like a nuisance earlier.

Now they’re complaining to him.

「Noda… Noda… said she’s not going to the Christmas party!」

「She said she has important plans!」

「She’s lying! Her only plans are to eat a cake while crying alone!」

「I’m not lying!」

I really have plans already.

Arioka-senpai is nodding in empathy to their exaggerated complaints.

I try to slip past him, but it doesn’t go smoothly.