A Popular Girl Confessed to Me, the Loner—Thinking It Was a Prank, I Tried to Scare Her Off... But She Was Actually Serious. - Chapter 39: Final Strategy Meeting

After school, at the usual bench in the courtyard.

The members present: me, Hiyori, Suzu-san, Amane-san, the main player—Soma—and… for some reason, Kurokawa and Nishina were there too.

“…Why are you two here?”

Unable to stop myself, I asked the question directly. Kurokawa just smiled and shrugged.

“Well, you know~ Hayato told me, ‘There’s a love strategy meeting, get here quick!’ and I was curious. Right, Nishina?”

“I thought it sounded stupid, but turns out it’s real. A legit love strategy meeting… Honestly, it’s scarier how everyone’s actually here.”

Nishina added coolly.

“This whole thing’s gotten way too big…”

“Well, yeah! I figured I’d need manpower to win over Mei-chan! Public relations! Psychological warfare! Design department!”

“What is this, a corporate project…?”

I muttered under my breath, and Suzu-san laughed.

“Ahaha! But seriously, Ren and Taichi are actually useful. Honestly.”

—True, for all the talk, those two are dependable. Total opposites in personality—flashy and serious—but they balance out.

…Come to think of it, Hiyori once told me Kurokawa was secretly a straight-laced high-spec guy, despite appearances.

“Alright! Today’s agenda: ‘How to invite Mei-chan on a date naturally!'”

With Hiyori leading as the chair, the final love strategy meeting officially began.

Hiyori clapped her hands, and Suzu-san chimed in, “Yay, Chairwoman!”

“…I mean, come on. What kind of meeting is this? And ‘final’?”

“Because this is the big moment, right? You and Mei-chan have gotten closer lately.”

Suzu-san explained as I gave her a look.

True, ever since that “mini after-school date,” Soma had been steadily raising his approval rating. He spent time quietly next to Mei-san every day—no forced conversations, but his presence was always there.

That slow, steady build-up must’ve been working, because Mei-san had started showing a slightly softer demeanor.

…Though her true feelings were still a mystery.

“So today, we’ll come up with a plan to ask Mei-chan out on a date!” Hiyori declared.

Soma swallowed hard.

“A-Are you serious…?”

“Dead serious!”

Suzu-san shot back without hesitation.

“You’ve got that ‘now’s the time’ look, Hayato. Your eyes are sparkling.”

“Wait, seriously? My eyes are doing that?”

“More than that—you basically look like you’re wearing a T-shirt that says ‘I love Mei-chan.’”

“Ugh… So embarrassing…!”

Amane-san chuckled and patted Soma on the back.

“But hey, if you’re going to ask her out, you need to match her pace, okay? Mei-chan’s naturally reserved—push her too hard and she might back off.”

“I-I know that… That’s why figuring out how to ask is the hard part…!”

“Alright, let’s start brainstorming! Operation: ‘It seems like a natural invitation, but it’s actually a super well-planned date’!”

“That name is way too long!”

My comment was ignored as the brainstorming session began—even without a whiteboard.

“How about a classic: a movie? You don’t have to talk much, and it works even in silence.”

“That’s… actually a solid idea!”

Soma perked up, but Amane-san shook her head gently.

“But Mei-chan might get so focused on the screen that she forgets she’s with you.”

“T-That’s no good!”

“Then… a café?”

“Hmm… That might make it feel like you have to talk.”

“Yeah. And silence is your specialty, Hayato, so that could be rough.”

“Okay, are you guys just roasting me now?”

…No, they’re probably just being honest.

“Then how about a park? Just strolling in nature. Mei-chan sketching on a bench, and you sitting beside her.”

“Yes! That sounds perfect!”

Soma was moved to tears, but… there was zero romantic tension in that idea.

“Still, wouldn’t that just make her think, ‘Wait, is this even a date?’ We wouldn’t make any progress.”

Amane-san brought us back to reality. True—if it didn’t feel like a date, they’d stay in the same place as before.

Just as the discussion started to stall—

“Then… here’s my suggestion.”

Kurokawa raised his hand. He looked flashy, but his tone was oddly serious.

“If Hayato wants to make it feel like ‘just a little more special than usual,’ the place should be somewhere calm and quiet, just the two of them.”

“…Meaning?”

“Not a café or a library. Somewhere outside. Like a park, an art museum, or an exhibit—places with atmosphere.”

“…An art museum, huh…”

Soma muttered, intrigued.

Then Nishina pushed up his glasses and spoke calmly.

“This weekend, the city art museum is holding the ‘Illusions and Light’ exhibit. It’s known for its lighting effects and spatial design. Mei-san would likely be interested in that kind of aesthetic.”

“Whoa, Nishina, that’s fast intel.”

“Not really. I’m in the newspaper club. It’s normal to know this kind of thing.”

“Yikes, the professionalism…!”

Suzu-san applauded in awe.

…Yeah, I kind of felt that too.

“Then it’s settled. Invite her to the ‘Illusions and Light’ exhibit!”

Suzu-san slapped her hands in a tidy conclusion.

“Wait. If you make it sound like an out-of-the-blue date, she might get defensive.”

Amane-san raised a hand to offer a cool reminder.

“Good point… Okay, let’s think about how to invite her too!”

Hiyori clapped her hands and brought everyone’s focus back.

After that came a flurry of romance consultant-level advice:

“Keep the invitation simple,”

“Don’t be weird or overly indirect,”

“And definitely don’t buy the tickets first—that’s too much pressure.”

About ten minutes of fierce debate later, we were all slouched over on the bench, mentally exhausted.

“…Wait a second, Manato-sensei hasn’t said a thing.”

Suzu-san turned to me.

“I mean, I didn’t have a chance to jump in with all your pacing…”

“Then let’s end with a word from our sensei!”

“Uh… Okay, I’ve got one thing.”

Everyone turned to look at me. Suddenly nervous, I took a deep breath.

“…I think Soma should invite her by saying he wants to go. Mei-san seems like the kind of person who pays more attention to how you look at things—how you choose—more than just words.”

“…!”

Soma’s eyes lit up.

“…So, I should say, ‘I want to see it.’ That’s my reason…”

“Yeah. That feels natural,” Hiyori said with a gentle smile.

“Alright… I’ve made up my mind. I’ll ask her tomorrow!”

“…Alright!”

“It’s finally happening~~~~!”

“Then next time… is the report meeting,” Suzu-san grinned.

And just like that, as we watched Soma head off with a strategy in hand, we quietly hoped for a future where Mei-san would nod and say “yes.”

Even if it all hinged on one line from me…

—Well, I believe Soma’s got this.