Chapter 156

Ebino is gaining a lot of attention from male patrons at the pool. Some think she's a pro model. Ami comments conspicuously about how much she stands out. Ryuu jokes "Don't get worried, Tarou!" and Tarou responds "Why are you saying this to me?" with a suspicious look on his face.  Once again, he looks to Eve for comfort in this tense situation, or perhaps out of concern for her well-being. However, she is nowhere to be found. He suspects she might be hiding something from him again.

Eve noticed Tarou looking toward the ceiling. She deduces he is looking for Eve, but she knows he won't find her because she's currently with Ririsu.

Eve mentions to Ririsu that should she experience the 'change' today, she hopes she will be considerate of her. The change, of course, is forever resting by Tarou's side. Ririsu says that it would be so sudden that she doesn't really want to think about how she'd process it. However, Ririsu is actually deep in thought about how during the last time Tarou was with Ebino on their year-end date, Eve didn't feel sleepy, but rather felt unease and discomfort. She believes this is because Eve defiantly resisted drifting off into oblivion, and suspects that she will react the same way should Ebino win Tarou's affection today.

Eve says that she's trying hard to be less individualistic and more like a souless zombie mindlessly conforming to Tarou's fantasies. Ririsu wonders if Eve's current resolve is in defiance of Tarou's intentions or not. Regardless, what she really wants to know is how the operation is proceeding with Tarou.

In the pool, Ami and Ryuu have teamed up in a volleyball match against Ebino and Tarou! But, oddly enough, instead of putting up a good fight, Ebino is making a lot of uncharacteristically clumsy mistakes. Tarou is disappointed, because he knows that Ebino is actually a star member of the school's Vollyball Club.  She says it's because playing in the water is difficult. At the end of the match, Ryuu serves again and Ebino haphazardly slams her body into Tarou going for the ball. Tarou gets really tense due to the nature of their contact.  Ami and Ryuu celebrate another great serve as Eve apologizes with deliberate feminine grace. She gets out of the pool to leave with Tarou.

As Ebino walks away, Ryuu comments that Ebino clearly lost on purpose. Ami suggests it is because she wanted to go buy some ice cream with Tarou. Ryuu thinks she's being a bit too bold with her sudden change in behavior, but seeing how eagerly she pulled everyone into this stunt, Ami believes that Ebino is no longer playing around.

Ryuu, however, thinks back to the fact that Tarou has someone else he likes. He, of course, suspects it is Ririto Ibusuki, while picturing 'him' looking obviously like a girl.

Meanwhile, Tarou is in disarray having lost while teamed up with someone who actually plays volleyball. Although Tarou was expecting her to be enraged by the frustration of losing, she instead is rather demure, politely apologizing for getting carried away.  Tarou shrugs his shoulders and turns away from her. As they walk away, Ebino begins to have doubts if it's right for her to be acting so differently from how she usually is. However, she believes that she is the only one who can save Tarou. Even so, she admits that if she's being honest with herself, it's a bit scary to be alone with him like this. However, she resolves to win this battle.

Ebino cutely eats some ice-cream, commenting how cold and tasty it is in a supremely girly way. However, Tarou is no fool. He notices that she's acting a lot more 'bright' and 'cheerful' since the day he rejected her on their date.

Ebino asks him what flavor his ice-cream is. He says it's melon. Ebino asks what the flavor is like, to which Tarou replies that it's got a rich flavor. Ebino makes a curious look full of intent, and then leans over and licks his ice cream without really giving him a chance to say 'no.'  Tarou gets so shocked that he drops his ice cream right onto her chest. Ebino jumps up yelling that it's cold. Tarou panics and reaches to pick up the cone he dropped on her. However, he accidentally squeezes her breast. She runs off embarrassed while Tarou claims he'll clean up the mess. However, Ebino wonders if this was actually a good development...

Back at the table with Ririsu, she notices Eve kinda zoned out. She asks Eve if she's getting tired, but Eve just says she's bored.

Back at the poolside, Ebino notices Tarou is gone. He's stomping off planning to locate Eve and escape back to his house. He can't understand why she never came back, considering how long ago she left to look around the pool.  Just then, however, somebody grabs his hand from behind...

And it's Ebino! She has an angry and serious look on her face as she asks him "And just where do you think you're going?"  He says he's going home.  Ebino says that if he's leaving, then she's leaving with him because she doesn't want to butt-in between Ami and Ryuu.  Tarou gets frank with her.

Tarou: "...I made it clear before, didn't I? I didn't want to meet with you alone again."

Ebino: "Because the girl you like would be upset, right? Well, she can hate it all she wants and I wouldn't care, as long as I am able to be with you."

Ebino is looking at him sweetly, with confidence and composure. Tarou looks back with wide eyes. What will he do?

End of Chapter