Double Score ～Cosmos×Camellia～ – Double Story

For those of you who are into 3P stuff like me, Double Score gives us a really nice route with both Issei and Yousuke. It’s lighter and less realistic than the individual routes, but it’s good if you want to have romance with both men.

As the name suggests, “Double Story” shows Mai’s love story with both Issei and Yousuke. This route will be unlocked after clearing both of their “Good End 1”, so you can’t go for it right from the first run. The flower you choose at the very beginning will influence the endings, and you also get to see Issei and Yousuke’s inner thoughts depending on which flower you picked. Similarly to the individual routes, Double Story has four different endings.

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• APRIL •

The route begins when Issei and Yousuke’s visit Mai at Kamizono Shrine. She’s working inside the main shrine when they came, wrapping cosmos and camellia petals with Japanese paper before putting them into the charms. Kyouga can’t stand doing detailed work like this, but she finds it quite enjoyable. As she works on the charms, Mai recalls her amusement park trip with Issei and Yousuke last month. She always finds it fun to go out with them, and she thinks it’d be nice if the three of them can play together again. Not too long after that, Kyouga comes into the room with Issei and Yousuke—saying they’re both here to see her. Before she can ask why they came here, they suddenly throw themselves to the ground and bow their heads to her. They desperately need her help for work, and they beg her to cooperate with them. It appears that after asking them to gather data on popular places among students, their client gave them a new project to work on. The theme is “how high school girls feel after experiencing the world of adults”.

The project members are divided into pairs, and each of them is working with a high school student. They have to let the girl experience the world of adults and gather data from there. Issei and Yousuke unlucky enough to get paired up together, but that’s not the problem here. The client provided them with a girl to work with, but along the way she fell in love with Issei and made a commotion over it. When he rejected her, she… stopped coming to their office. They got another girl to replace her, but this time the girl fell in love with Yousuke. She was being extremely aggressive, and he had to turn her down since they couldn’t work properly with her. After hearing all of this, Mai realizes that Issei and Yousuke are looking for a high school girl who can cooperate properly—without falling in love with any of them. She’s the only one they can think about, and they ask if she’s willing to help them out. Of course they’ll pay her too.

Mai glances at Kyouga to ask for his permission, but he only grins and asks her to help them… because he’ll be able to make Issei, Yousuke and “old man Souichirou” (SNT’s president) feel indebted to him LOL. When Yousuke asks him not to call their company president like that, Kyouga only says that “old man” is enough since they go way back. Issei looks like he’s ready to protest, but since he doesn’t say anything… it looks like he’s holding back for the sake of work. Being a good girl that she is, of course Mai can’t leave Issei and Yousuke in trouble. She wants to help them, and so she agrees to cooperate with them. Both of them look really happy to hear her answer, and they shake hands with her while Kyouga is grinning in the background. They’re going to discuss with their client about what kind of work they want her to do, and they’ll contact her once it’s been decided.

When Mai says she’s looking forward to work with them, Yousuke suddenly pats her head and says that she’s so cute. He wants to put her into his pocket, taking her home and do… uh, things to her. That won’t happen though, because Issei is going to punch him away before it happens. Issei asks if Yousuke wants to be knocked out right here and now, which he quickly refuses. Yousuke complains that juniors are NOT supposed to knock their seniors out, and he whines about how he doesn’t want to work with a stubborn person like Issei. Needless to say they start bickering in no time, and Mai is wondering if she should stop them… but Kyouga wants her to leave them be. He thinks dealing with them would be more troublesome for her than doing the actual work, so he’ll ask them to increase her hourly wage. Mai doesn’t think that’s necessary, but Kyouga tells her that it’s “good manners” to extort money at every given chance. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ He’ll take care of the negotiations for her though. He’ll also let her take a break from work starting from next month, so she should let herself be used in return. As Kyouga laughs like an evil merchant beside her, Mai can only wait until Issei and Yousuke are done arguing. ψ(*`ー´)ψ ゥヶヶ

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• MAY •

One month later, Mai receives a mail from Issei regarding the project. They decided to discuss this further in a café, and she gets excited because having a meeting in a café feels so “mature” to her. Mai is already waiting when Issei and Yousuke arrive, and Yousuke comments that she’s so early. She apologizes saying she left home too early because she didn’t want to be late, but Issei answers that they’re not blaming her. It’s just all the girls they previously worked with never came on time, and the bad habit never disappeared even though he warned them. Yousuke thinks it can’t be helped though, as they haven’t stepped out into the society yet. Since Mai loves the café’s flavored tea, she then orders a cup of peach tea while Issei and Yousuke ask for coffee. Their drinks come not too long after that, and so they begin discussing work.

Before they start explaining, Issei asks Mai to tell them if she finds it impossible to do the task. They don’t want to put any burden on her. She promises to do her best since she already agreed, but he still asks her not to force herself. Yousuke then explains that by the request of their client, they want her to experience a simulation of office life. In other words, she’s going to become an office lady. She doesn’t have to worry about the actual work, because they won’t ask her to do things beyond her abilities. Besides, she also has them to help her. Issei and Yousuke work for different departments, but during the simulation period, they will work on the same floor. Or rather, they’re going to work directly beside her. If there are things that she doesn’t understand, she can ask them directly. Mai wasn’t sure if she can do an office lady’s job properly, but she feels relieved to know that they’ll be staying by her side. Even if she has no experience, she can do her best to learn how to do things properly. In any case, they’re planning to start the simulation once her summer vacation begins. They want her to work for about a month, and Issei asks if she’s okay with that. Mai nods saying she has no problems with that. Kyouga has allowed her to take a break from work, and she has received her parents’ permission as well.

When Issei tells Mai that he’s looking forward to work with her, Yousuke cheerfully says it seems really fun to work together with a high school girl. Since his partner is so grumpy and unsociable, he’s been longing for an “enrichment”. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Of course Issei frowns upon hearing Yousuke’s words, and Mai wonders if they’re going to start their usual “communication method” (read: arguing) here. Just as she expected, they glare at each other before they start bickering as usual. Issei says it’s painful for him to work with such an irresponsible man, and Yousuke replies that his heart is withering if he has to work with a man. It quickly spirals down to how the sales department floor will be more quiet without Yousuke, and how everyone in the public relations department floor avoids Issei due to his intense atmosphere. Mai thinks they can fight this much because they get along well with each other, but she has to stop them since the people around them are starting to laugh. Unfortunately for Mai, her stomach growls right after she calls out to them. Of course she gets really embarrassed and slowly sinks back to her seat, but they gently smile at her and give her the menu—asking her to have lunch together. Mai quietly apologizes to them, but Yousuke says that it’s cute when a girl’s stomach is growling. It gets him excited. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Issei: “…you sound like a pervert, Todaka-san.”
Yousuke: “I don’t want to hear that from a sullen pervert like you.”

Mai has such a… happy… (?) life to be surrounded by two perverts.

Before they can start arguing again, Mai quickly asks what they want to have for lunch. Yousuke orders Neapolitan spaghetti, Issei chooses the Japanese lunch set since it comes with free salad and drink, while Mai herself picks the recommended omelet rice with white cream. Since there are two kinds of lunch sets, Issei decides to order the one with keema curry. The reason is because it’s so troublesome to make keema curry at home, and so he can only eat it during times like this. Yousuke responds to this by asking if he’s a househusband. ｡ﾟ(ﾟﾉ∀`ﾟ)ﾟ｡ｱﾋｬﾋｬ Issei tries to deny this right away, but Yousuke points out that the girls in their office were talking about how he’s staring at sale flyers during lunch break LOL. By this point Mai has gotten used to their constant arguments, so she completely ignores them and calls a waiter instead.

If you’re wondering why I described their orders in details, it’s because…

…food despair is waiting ahead. They taste just as delicious as they look. Soon after they start eating their lunch, Yousuke asks if he can have a bite of Mai’s omelet rice since it looks so delicious. Issei blushes and protests right away, but Mai doesn’t mind since she does it all the time at home—even with Chisato. After feeding Yousuke directly from her spoon, Mai also offers a spoonful of her omelet rice to Issei. At first Issei tries to refuse, but he eventually gives in since both Mai and Yousuke keep asking him to have a taste. As Issei thinks about the recipe and ingredients used to make the fluffy omelet rice, Yousuke cheerfully takes some of his spaghetti with his fork and asks Mai to eat it. She just did the same thing to Issei, so she can’t refuse even though it’s embarrassing. The spaghetti is sliding off the fork as they talk, leaving her with no choice but to eat it. Yousuke then turns to Issei, teasingly says that he should feed Mai as well. He refuses right away since he doesn’t want to embarrass her, but when Yousuke wonders if he should feed her once again… Issei quickly takes a spoonful of his keema curry and shoves it towards Mai. Knowing that Issei is forcing himself due to Yousuke’s provocation, Mai quickly eats it off his spoon. He’s planning to make the same keema curry at home, and he’ll share the recipe if it’s successful.

See? Food despair. What food despair, you ask? JUST LOOK AT HOW DETAILED THESE FOOD ARE.

…suddenly I feel hungry. Double Score is bad for my diet. Goodbye diet plan. _(:3」∠)_

*ahem*

As Mai excitedly imagines having keema curry at home, Yousuke laughs and asks if she loves eating that much. He finds her honesty cute. Issei also laughs upon remembering that she always got so happy when he gave her sweets in the past, and she immediately turns red since it’s true. Ever since she was small, her family and friends often laugh at her when she’s eating—because she looks so happy. It can’t be helped since she does feel happy whenever she eats delicious food. Issei apologizes and explains that he doesn’t mean to make fun of her. It’s just her smile honestly reflects how she feels, and Yousuke nods saying they no longer have that kind of honesty. Her youth is so radiant in their eyes. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Issei asks Yousuke not to put it like that though. As they weep about how old they sound, it’s Mai’s turn to laugh at them.

Issei thinks that everything will go smoothly if they work with Mai, and they will be counting on her when August comes. Yousuke also asks her to look forward to it, since they’ll work hard on the preparations so she can join them anytime. Mai smiles and nods, politely bowing her head to them in return.

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• JULY •

After the closing ceremony at school, everyone in Mai’s class is excited for summer vacation—including Miki and Mori. Miki is going to spend most of her summer vacation doing club activities, but she also has plans to visit the beach and watch fireworks with Kazuki. Mori, on the other hand, is jealous of those who can fully enjoy their summer vacation, since he’s going to spend it by working in Siesta. When Mori asks if Mai is planning to work in Kamizono Shrine during the vacation, she answers that she’s going to be an office lady this summer. They’re going all out for the project, even providing her with the office’s uniform. Upon hearing this, Mori asks if he can see the picture should they decide to take any. He quickly asks her not to misunderstand though, because he only wants to… uh, learn about company structures. Right. Not because he has a uniform fetish or anything. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ♪

Since Mai will be working, Miki wonders if they won’t be able to play together during the vacation. It’s too bad since she was thinking of inviting Mai to the beach, but Mai thinks they can go out on weekends. SNT is a company, and so they don’t have work on Saturday and Sunday. Besides, she wants to go to the beach with Miki. Mori gets excited upon imagining her in a swimsuit, though sadly (for him anyway) Miki isn’t going to invite him. As Mori begs Miki to take him along, Mai smiles and thinks about the simulation that’s going to start next month. She’s going to give it her best, so she won’t cause any problems for Issei and Yousuke. She motivates herself as she looks up to the blue summer sky outside.

Meanwhile, both Issei and Yousuke have received a special floor for the project in June. For the last two months, they’ve been busy working overtime to prepare for the project in August. On the night before the project starts, Yousuke is drawing a map of the office for Mai when Issei comes to give him some energy drink. Knowing that Mai would get lost if they leave her alone, Issei says they probably should pick her up at the entrance tomorrow… and Yousuke isn’t amused since it sounds like Issei is showing off the fact that he knows a lot about Mai. He’s worried that she might force herself too hard and get sick, which Yousuke finds too much for a protective “older brother” figure. In the end Yousuke decides that he will take care of Mai even more that Issei does, while Issei makes a vow in his heart that he will protect Mai from Yousuke.

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• AUGUST •

Just as planned, Mai starts working for SNT in August. Issei and Yousuke introduce her to the other staff members during the morning assembly. There are about 10 people on their floor, and she’s going to work with them for a month. They already informed everyone about what kind of tasks they can ask her to do, and Issei asks them to cooperate with her. Yousuke also lightens up the atmosphere by reminding them that Mai is a high school student, so they shouldn’t hit on her no matter how cute she is. Not that any of them would do that though. Unlike him. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ The project leader greets them with a speech after that, and soon the morning assembly comes to an end. From there, Mai heads to her desk with Issei and Yousuke. Issei says she can ask them anything since they’re sitting right beside her, and Yousuke pats her shoulders as he asks her not to be that nervous. Even if she doesn’t have any questions. she’s always free to talk to him anytime. Their office was dry until yesterday, but her presence has turned it into a gorgeous workplace. ﾜ―ﾟ.+:｡ヾ(o･ω･)ﾉﾟ.+:｡―ｲ Yousuke thinks that one month isn’t enough and asks Mai to work for SNT permanently, but Issei glares at him and asks him to work properly—reminding him that he has to go on his rounds in the afternoon. Yousuke says interacting with cute part-time workers is a part of their job, but Issei doesn’t think it can be categorized as “work” in his case. He just wants to flirt LOL.

Ignoring the pouting Yousuke, Issei gives Mai a document and asks her to read it first. It’s a timetable that lists her tasks for the next one month. Issei is going to explain today’s plans once Mai is done reading, but it seems like Yousuke has forgotten about it too. Of course Issei already gave him the same timetable and even discussed this in countless meetings, but apparently the schedule only stayed in Yousuke’s memories until yesterday. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ When Yousuke takes a look at the timetable in Mai’s hands, Issei instantly rages saying he can open it from his PC. That, and he’s being too close to Mai. Yousuke says it’d be more fun to read it together with Mai, but Issei tells him to stop fooling around and work properly. He slams the table as he says this, but she notices that no one around them shows any reaction. Everyone else is doing their own work, and she realizes that they must be used to this situation. It seems that even in their office, Issei and Yousuke are constantly arguing. Mai feels much more relaxed after seeing this, and she’s going to do her best at her usual pace.

After reading the timetable, Mai learns that her job for today is to send summer greeting cards to clients. Issei is going to send the addresses and recipient names, and he wants her to load them into the mailing label software. Mai apologetically admits that she doesn’t know much about PCs, but Issei already wrote down the instructions for her. She should be able to do it since it’s not difficult, and he’ll help her with the parts she doesn’t get. Just then Yousuke joins in, offering to help her sticking the labels. They often asked him to do it in the past, so he’s actually good at it. (σ ´∀`)σｵｩｲｪｰ♪ Issei once again tells him to do his own job already, but Yousuke complains that he’s being unfair. He keeps sticking to Mai as he explains things to her, but Yousuke wants to be with her too. They’re about to start arguing again when Issei threatens to report this to the sales department chief, but Mai quickly stops them saying she’ll do it by herself. She will ask them if she doesn’t understand, so she asks both of them to do their own work. She then turns the PC on and starts working to stop them from arguing further. Much to her relief, soon enough they also return to work.

Once she’s done with the cards, Mai continues to do the tasks written on her timetable. She makes copies of materials that will be used in meetings, as well as relaying phone calls to Issei and Yousuke. At first she got confused because she’s not used to the tasks, but with their help, she managed to finish them with no problems. Since the experience is entirely new to her, she keeps discovering new things while working and she finds it interesting. As she checks her timetable, Mai hears Issei and Yousuke’s voices from both sides. Both of them are on the phone, though the way they handle their clients are really different. Issei politely greets his client before requesting for a meeting, explaining that he wants to discuss their online PR plans a bit further. On the other hand, Yousuke cheerfully greets his client saying they should go out for a drink again next time… but he’s always ready to visit them and discuss about work. Both of them are calm, but also earnest. She can’t help but to admire them, since they both seem so different from usual. She noticed that they both have a LOT of work, and yet they can get everything done in no time. She finds them really wonderful, and she wants to be able to work like they do.

As she motivates herself to work even harder, Mai goes to do her next task—making drinks for everyone. She has to do this twice a day. It seems that they usually make their own drinks, but this is included as a part of the simulation. Mai then goes to the office kitchen and takes everyone’s cups from the shelf. They gave her a detailed guide about who drinks what, so she carefully makes the drinks as she checks the list. She delivers the drinks to all 12 people on their floor after that, and she feels a bit happy when they thank her. Both Issei and Yousuke are done with the call when she delivers their coffee, and so they drink it right away. Issei thinks Mai is just as good as Takuto at making coffee, and he jokingly says that she might be able to take over Siesta. Mai smiles saying it’s all thanks to Takuto though, because he was the one who taught her how to make good instant coffee. In a way, he’s just like a teacher to her. Yousuke finds Mai’s coffee delicious too, and he can’t believe that it’s the instant one from the kitchen. Just as expected from Takuto’s apprentice! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Yousuke wants Mai to keep making coffee for him forever, not just for a month, but Issei quickly cuts him off by asking her if he can have another cup. Of course Yousuke rages at Issei for making him look stupid, but Mai notices that both of them have a gentle expression. She feels relieved that everyone likes their drinks, and she’s planning to ask Takuto to help her improve.

By the end of the day, Yousuke invites Mai to have dinner with him… but Issei interrupts saying he’ll walk her home every night during this simulation period. That’s why she shouldn’t follow that frivolous, sloppy man over there. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ It seems like Issei is in charge of picking her up and taking her back home, but Mai notices that Yousuke wants to join in. It’s actually a logical choice since Yousuke lives near the office while Issei and Mai are from the same neighborhood, but Yousuke protests that it’s so unfair since Issei is taking all the good parts. He wants to walk home in excitement with a high school girl too! To stop them from arguing further, Mai then suggests for the three of them to walk home together. She thinks it would be more fun with more people. They don’t seem to be satisfied with this, but eventually they agree to walk home together. They actually want to be alone with her, but if that’s what she’s wishing for…

Ever since that day, Issei and Yousuke would pick Mai up and deliver her back home after work.

After working in SNT for a week, Mai starts receiving tasks from other people as well—probably because she’s gotten used to her job. They only give her easy tasks, but she’s still happy to be relied on. One of her jobs is to answer phone calls, so when the phone on her desk starts ringing one afternoon, she picks it up right away. She notices that it’s from an internal extension, and the caller turns out to be the receptionist. There’s a guest for Issei and Yousuke, and he’s now waiting in the reserved guest room. The guest came a bit earlier than planned, so both Issei and Yousuke are still attending a meeting. They have to buy time in this situation, and Mai decides to serve some drinks for the guest. After making a glass of cold barley tea, she brings it to the guest room—which is located directly beside the special department floor. She knocks on the door before entering, and she finds a man in his 50s sitting inside. As she puts the tea on the table, Mai informs the man that Issei and Yousuke might be a bit late. She explains that they’re currently having a meeting, and she apologizes on their behalf.

The man doesn’t mind because he knows that he came too early, but then a problem occurs. He notices that Mai isn’t the person who usually serves tea for guests. When she answers that she’s a new part-time worker, he suddenly grows REALLY interested in her. He grins and stares at her with great interest, saying that she looks so young. Mai finds his gaze terrifying, and she wants to leave as quickly as possible… but sadly Issei and Yousuke haven’t come yet. She can’t leave the guest unattended. The man keeps his eyes on Mai as he reaches for the glass on the table, but then he knocks it down on purpose—spilling the tea all over the table. Unfortunately, she doesn’t realize his intentions. She quickly takes a piece of cloth from the tray and moves closer to wipe the table, but the man uses this chance to touch her hand. He says she can wipe the table later, because he’s more interested in caressing her smooth, lovely hand right now. Of course she gets extremely creeped out, and she wants to yell at him to let go… but she’s not sure if it’d be okay for her to do that. After all, the man is Issei and Yousuke’s client. If she does something rude to him, it might become a trouble for them.

Mai decides to hold back, forcing a smile as she tries pulling her hand away, but the man just won’t let go. Instead, he squeezes her hand and says that it feels so nice to hold. She feels relieved when he finally lets go of her hand, but it only lasts for a few seconds… because he then proceeds to put his arm around her shoulders. He has taken a liking on her, and he’s about to invite her to do… uh, questionable things… when Issei and Yousuke finally come to save her. Issei coldly asks what he thinks he’s doing, and Yousuke tells him not to play this kind of game—he might end up in jail. (◕‿◕✿) After pulling Mai away from the man, whom they refer to as “Minekura”, Issei apologizes for the wait and asks why he was harassing their part-time worker. Minekura panics, and he says that Mai was the one who asked him to brush some dust off her shoulder… which is, of course, just a terrible lie. She wants to protest, but she keeps quiet since she doesn’t want to cause any trouble. Noticing her expression, Yousuke tells Minekura that this situation is a bit strange. If Mai really asked him to do it, then she wouldn’t look so pale right now. They’ll have to take an action if he gets too carried away, and he needs to take responsibility after being so rude towards her.

Upon hearing this, Minekura threatens to cancel their negotiation. Mai is shocked and wants to tell them that she’s fine, but Yousuke simply answers that it’s not a problem for them. The one who’ll get in trouble is Minekura himself, because Yousuke is going for a drink with his company president next time… and it’s not for work. What would happen if the president finds out that Minekura was happily harassing a girl at work? ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ When Minekura asks if this is a threat, Yousuke laughs saying it’s not. If he’s really going to threaten Minekura, he’d do something even nastier. Beside him, Issei points out that Minekura doesn’t seem to understand this negotiation yet. If their current negotiation fails, the one that will suffer from loss is his company—not theirs. If SNT pulls back from their new product, his company is going to lose around 10 million yen. Yousuke keeps guarding Mai as Issei goes to open the door, asking Minekura to leave for now. They’re going to ask for a formal apology later. Not from him, but from his superior. Before running out of the room, Minekura rages at them for talking down on him—telling them to watch who’s going to apologize between them.

As soon as Minekura disappears, Mai loses all strength and slowly falls onto the floor. Her body is slightly trembling, which makes her realize that she must be scared earlier. Yousuke pats her head and apologizes for being late, while Issei explains that they’ve only heard ill rumors regarding Minekura… but they didn’t expect him to be such a womanizer. Mai apologizes for troubling them, but they ask her not to apologize since they’re the ones who gave her a hard time. They should be the ones apologizing to her. Mai assures Issei and Yousuke that she’s okay now, because they came to save her. However, she also admits that she was scared. Issei smiles and gently tells Mai that everything is alright, because they are now here with her. Yousuke also asks her not to worry, since he’ll make sure that Minekura would never approach her again. Issei strokes Mai’s back while Yousuke is patting her head, as if they’re trying to erase her fear. She finds it strange that she doesn’t feel scared of them, unlike when Minekura touched her earlier. She can feel their kindness instead, which makes her feel warm and secure inside.

Two weeks have passed since Mai started working in SNT. By this point she has befriended the other staff members as well, and a lot of people are helping her at work everyday. Issei and Yousuke seem relieved to see this. They don’t give her timetables anymore, so she can make her own decisions at work. It’s not easy and she makes a lot of mistakes, but she manages to do her job thanks to their support. Making decisions at work also fives her a sense of fulfillment, which makes her office life even more enjoyable. She feels like time flies really fast recently, and lunch time comes as she sends letters for people. As soon as the chime is heard, Yousuke cheerfully invites Mai to have lunch with him today. She feels reluctant since the three of them always have lunch together, but Issei is still having a discussion with the project leader—they can’t interrupt just because it’s lunch. Yousuke says they should just leave him behind and urges Mai to go out as soon as possible, but Issei returns before they can go anywhere. Or rather, Issei returns since Yousuke’s voice was so loud. Everyone in this floor could hear him inviting Mai for lunch. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ As much as Yousuke wants to be alone with Mai, Issei is done talking to the project leader. Now he’s joining them for lunch, so they should eat their meals together. :✲:ﾟ･✿ヾ╲(｡◕ω◕｡)╱✿･ﾟ:✲:

Upon hearing this, Yousuke covers his face with his hands and protests that Issei is the worst. How could he crush his happiness with such a radiant smile!? Issei calmly tells Mai that Yousuke doesn’t seem to be feeling well today, and so they should have lunch without him. Issei is about to put his arm around Mai’s shoulders, but Yousuke quickly slaps it away… and so they start bickering as usual. However, Mai quickly stops them and says that she wants to have lunch with both of them. It might be fun to have a meal with one of them, but she’d rather have the three of them eating together. Maybe it’s because they have been working together recently, but she feels really secure with both of them by her side. Issei and Yousuke are obviously not too satisfied about this, but they have no choice since it’s what she’s wishing for. Mai then reveals that she brought lunch for them today, and Yousuke instantly gets excited upon hearing that she made it herself. Issei, on the other hand, remains calm since she has cooked for him in the past. Yousuke gets jealous upon learning that Mai made a Valentine’s Day chocolate for Issei when she was small, and he asks her to make one for him too. Issei thinks he’s being childish, but Mai agrees to make a chocolate for Yousuke next year—which pretty much sends him to jump in glee.

After handing her lunch boxes to Issei and Yousuke, Mai asks if they want to eat at the park since they’re having a nice weather outside. Yousuke then takes them to a cool spot under the shades of trees, though Issei is suspecting that he often skips work to take a nap there LOL. It’s really hot outside, but the place is nice and comfortable since it’s shielded by the trees—not to mention it’s also windy today. When they sit down on the grass and open their lunch… it’s time for food despair again. Lunch box edition.

The moment they open the lids, Yousuke’s eyes instantly sparkle. He’s amazed to see how delicious they look, excitedly pointing out to the octopus wieners and the cute pictures on the rice. She made character lunch boxes for them, and Issei asks her to teach him how to make one. He wants to make the same thing for his younger siblings. Mai is a bit worried about the taste, but both Issei and Yousuke find her cooking really delicious. Yousuke says he wants to eat this kind of lunch everyday, while Issei thinks that Mai has gotten even better than him at cooking. As Issei tells Mai that he doesn’t have any time to cook recently, Yousuke uses this chance to steal his fried egg and eats it. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Ignoring Issei’s rage, Yousuke smiles and tells Mai that it’s really good. Of course there’s no way Issei would let him get away with that, and so he takes revenge by snatching the fried egg on Yousuke’s lunch box. Needless to say they start bickering again, but Mai doesn’t stop them this time. She feels like listening to them instead. Their time together will end in just one more week, and it makes her really sad. When September comes, she’ll have to go back to school while they continue working in SNT. She’s wishing for the time to stop, though she knows that it’s impossible. The only thing she can do is to do her best until the end, so she can spend her remaining time with them like this.

Mai’s last week in SNT goes by in the blink of an eye, and her days as an office lady eventually reaches an end. As soon as the office hours are over, everyone in the floor come to thank her for her hard work. Some of them praise her for doing a good job, while the others are thanking her for being such a great help. She apologizes for always troubling everyone, but she also admits that it was fun and thanks them for everything. Mai holds her tears as she bows her head to everyone, and soon Issei and Yousuke come with a bouquet of flowers for her. Issei thanks Mai for working so hard for this one month, and they were able to gather useful information because of her. Yousuke grins saying Mai probably won’t have a hard time when she starts working in the future. Her performance in SNT was great, and he finds it enjoyable to work with her. She can’t hold back her tears as she thanks them, and they gently pat her shoulder and head—telling her that she has motivated them to work even harder. She feels deeply touched to receive those words, and she can’t stop crying for a while after that.

After leaving the office, Issei and Yousuke walk Mai back to her mansion. Even though it’s her last day, they start bickering along the way—just as usual. Issei says it’s his role to take Mai home, and Yousuke should just part ways with them at the station. On the other hand, Yousuke wants to tag along since it’s the last day. Issei tells him to just go home already since nothing will change even if he comes along, but he refuses to give up. Even if they leave him behind, he’ll secretly follow them from behind. Issei actually understands Yousuke’s feelings though, and so he turns to ask for Mai’s opinion. After thinking about it for a while, Mai honestly admits that she doesn’t want to say goodbye here… so if Yousuke doesn’t mind, she wants him to come with them. She knows this will be the last time for the three of them to walk home together, so she wants to stay with them for a bit longer. As Yousuke happily takes the bouquet bag from Mai’s hand, Issei decides to follow him by carrying her handbag. She feels bad and says that she’ll carry the bags herself, but Yousuke only asks her to rely on them. After all, she’s just like their princess. Issei also asks her to let them pamper her with kindness, since she’s been working hard without even complaining.

Tears start welling up in Mai’s eyes again, but this time it’s because she feels sad. She doesn’t want to be apart from them, but she can’t tell them anything because it sounds so childish. As she bites her lips and tries to endure the grief, she suddenly senses warmth in both of her hands. Issei and Yousuke are holding her hands from both sides. Yousuke says he feels lonely if they only walk side by side, and he wants to be even closer to her as they walk home. Issei also shares the same feeling, because starting from tomorrow, they won’t be able to be this close to her anymore. Issei and Yousuke never thought that they would take the same action, but it can’t be helped. This is probably the only time they can understand each other’s feelings. They want to stay like this until they reach her mansion, and they ask her to allow them to hold her hands until then—it’s the last selfish wish from them. Both of them are smiling at her, but she notices that they also look sad somehow. It nearly makes her cry again, but she manages to hold back and nods at them. Just like them, she also wants to stay like this. They don’t reply, but they tighten their grip on her hand in return.

As they walk home, Mai feels a lot of emotions in her heart. She feels happy, sad and embarrassed at the same time. The strange thing is that until they finally reach her mansion, she never thought of letting go of Issei and Yousuke’s hands. Not even once.

---

• SEPTEMBER •

When the new semester begins, the school turns livelier than usual. It seems like Mai’s classmates enjoyed their summer vacation, since a lot of them got suntanned. Sadly, Miki is absent and informs Mai via mail that she caught a cold at the end of summer vacation. Mori grins saying it’s her own fault for getting too excited with her boyfriend at the beach, though he knows that Miki would kill him if she hears that. When Mori asks about her summer office experience, Mai nods saying it was fun. She answers with a smile, but he points out that she looks rather gloomy instead. She tries to deny it, but he can tell that she’s lying. He has known her since junior high, and somehow he can see that she’s feeling lonely. She can only give him a sad smile and says that he has keen observation, but he replies that it’s because she’s an honest person. Her feelings are written all over her face. Knowing that it must be painful for Mai to endure it alone, Mori says he will listen if she wants to share… and so she tells him that she probably enjoyed the job too much. Now that it’s over, she feels really lonely. She’s glad that she was able to do it properly, but she also feels that something is missing in her heart.

Mori thinks that if Mai wants to see Issei and Yousuke, she shouldn’t hold back and just visit them. She’s worried that she might disturb them at work, but he laughs saying that would never happen. He’s certain that they’d be really happy to see her, though she’s not as sure if it’s really true. Just then Rui enters their classroom for homeroom, so Mori gives Mai a final piece of advice before they return to their seats: Issei and Yousuke probably share her loneliness. She doesn’t think they do though. They are adults. While it’s true that they were sad about parting with her yesterday, she feels that they can snap out of it in no time. They’re different from a kid like her, and it makes her feel terribly childish. She needs to cheer up too, and she tells herself to chase out the loneliness from her heart.

At the end of September, Issei and Yousuke have dinner together. It’s something that would never happen before, but now they can only relax around each other. While they don’t want to drink together, they only have each other to talk about a certain issue. Recently, both of them only keep in touch with Mai through mails… but it’s not as often as it used to be. Especially compared to the time when she was still working in SNT. They used to talk about work through mails, and so her name quickly filled their inbox. Yousuke has never thought he’d feel so lonely when Mai is not working beside him, and he can’t help but feel pathetic. Issei says it must be the effect of taking care of her for a month. He thought the loneliness will eventually disappear if they ignore it for a while, but it’s been two weeks and sometimes they talk to the empty desk beside them. Both Issei and Yousuke fall into silence as they quietly observe each other, trying to find out if they’re seriously in love with Mai.

The first one who throws the bait is Yousuke. He heard that Issei has received an arranged marriage offer from his superior, but Issei reveals that he already refused the offer. Yousuke is surprised to since he’s not the type who would ignore his superiors’ words, and Issei even admits that he’d accept the offer before… but he refused because he’s in love with a certain person. In return, Issei mentions that the women in their office were talking about how Yousuke has completely stopped attending group dates. Plus, he wouldn’t play with them anymore. Yousuke has no intentions of hiding his feelings either, and so he admits that he doesn’t feel like it. It’s surprisingly boring compared to the time he spent with a certain person. Realizing that both of them are in love with Mai, Issei and Yousuke decide to fight over her fair and square—even marking it with a toast. No matter who she chooses in the end, they won’t hold any grudge.

---

• OCTOBER •

The temperature drops in October, making the weather a bit colder than before. Autumn has come, but the flowers of Kamizono Shrine are still blooming in the sanctuary. As she sweeps the fallen leaves on the ground, Mai wonders if Issei and Yousuke are doing well. Nothing has changed since last month. Before she knows it, she always finds herself thinking about them. She spent a month with them, and everyday was really fun back then… but she’s a high school student, while they’re working adults. She often sends and receives mails from them, but that’s it. It seems like both of them have been busy with work since last month, telling her about how they have to work overtime everyday. On the other hand, she keeps feeling lonely and wanting to see them. Of course she can call them or see them directly, but she doesn’t want to disturb them at work.

When Mai whispers that she wants to see them, Kyouga suddenly appears and tells her to go visit those two already—mentioning that she has an irritating expression. Kyouga then walks past Mai and picks a cosmos from the pond, as well as a camellia from one of the trees. He points out that ever since she came back from SNT, she’s been sighing everyday. He finds it annoying, and she’s only being a nuisance if she comes to work in that condition. Mai can only apologize, and Kyouga responds by throwing the flowers at her. He laughs when she catches them in a hurry, and he orders her to deliver those flowers to Issei and Yousuke. He wants her to solve this issue properly, warning her not to come to the shrine until she’s done. As Kyouga walks away, Mai looks at the flowers in her hands. One of them is a pale pink cosmos, and the other is a vivid red camellia. Strangely enough, she feels calm upon looking at them. Mai then decides to see Issei and Yousuke in SNT’s building first. If she’s disturbing them, she doesn’t mind leaving right away. She wants to see them, even if it’s only for a bit.

It’s already dark by the time Mai reaches SNT’s building. Even though she has decided to see them, Mai is still having doubts. For a moment she wonders if she should go home, but then she looks at the flowers in her hands—hoping to receive courage once again. However, an irritated, rude voice suddenly interrupted her. It’s Minekura, and he recognizes her right away. Apparently he got demoted because of the incident, and since he’s such a good, responsible adult… he’s blaming everything on her. Great. Minekura won’t let Mai get away after what happened, so now he’s going to give her a rough time—just like what she did to him. He violently yanks her arm before dragging her into a dark back alley, stepping on the flowers when they fall onto the ground. There he pins her against the wall and blames her for damaging his pride. Does she know what Issei and Yousuke did after that? They reported the harassment to his superior, and that’s so cowardly and stupid! ( ｀ω´⊂彡☆))Д´)ﾊﾟ- Mai gets extremely pissed to hear this, and she tells Minekura to stop saying bad things about Issei and Yousuke. Besides, none of this would have happened if only he did his job properly. They were only doing their job, and he shouldn’t blame it on other people.

Minekura gets mad and raises his fist upon hearing this, but Issei and Yousuke come just in time to save Mai—seizing his arms from both directions. Issei coldly asks what he’s planning to do, while Yousuke asks if a demotion wasn’t enough for him. They also reveal that Minekura has been visiting their superior ever since, saying that the harassment was only a misunderstanding. Sadly their superior never listened to him at all, and so he’s taking it out on Mai instead. As Issei lets go of Minekura’s arm, Yousuke angrily yells at him not to touch Mai with those filthy hands… and then he proceeds to kick Minekura from the side. Mai is shocked and asks him not to be violent, but Yousuke only grins and asks if he did anything. Meanwhile, Issei looks down at Minekura and dares him to lay a hand on Mai. Issei will crush him so hard he won’t be able to have a normal life anymore. His low voice sends chills down Mai’s spine, and Minekura turns blue before apologizing to them. Then he crawls out of the back alley and escapes.

As soon as Minekura is gone, Mai collapses to the ground out of relief… but Issei and Yousuke support her from both sides. Yousuke is glad they made it in time, though he admits that running in full speed at this age is pretty tough. Issei says that must be lack of exercise because he’s doing just fine, but Yousuke protests that he was panting too earlier. As they start their usual bickering, Mai’s tears are welling up in her eyes. She’s about to wipe them away with her sleeve, but Yousuke stops her—saying that her eyes will get swollen. Instead, Issei takes out a handkerchief and asks her to use it. The back alley is obviously not a good place to have a conversation in, so they bring her into SNT’s building after that. At first she’s still worried about disturbing them, but they assure her that they’re done with work for today.

Their destination turns out to be the special floor, the place Mai used to work in for a month. She asks if everyone else has gone home since the floor is empty, and Issei nods saying their project team is going to be disbanded next month. Yousuke admits that he feels sad about this, because they’ve been working as a team for quite a long time. When they take her to her former desk, Mai is swept by a surge of nostalgic feelings. She didn’t think they would keep her desk, but apparently it’s necessary since Issei and Yousuke just can’t sit next to each other. It’ll only damage their performance LOL. It’s been a while since the three of them share this distance, and it makes her feel so happy. When Mai asks how did they know that she’s in the back alley, Yousuke explains that the receptionist saw her getting dragged by an old man… so she contacted Issei and him immediately. She remembered Mai’s face during the simulation period, and they were able to rescue Mai right away thanks to that. Mai is planning to visit her later, bringing some sweets as a token of gratitude.

Here, Yousuke moves closer to Mai and smiles at her. When she asks him what’s wrong, he answers that it makes him really happy to have her beside him. He’s been feeling lonely ever since she left, and he knows that Issei feels the same way. Issei frowns upon getting mentioned, but Yousuke only asks why he’s trying to act cool. They should say it properly here. Knowing that Yousuke is right, Issei admits that both of them keep glancing at her seat everyday—wondering why she has to be in high school instead of working with them. In return, Mai admits that she’s been lonely lonely too. When she tells them that she’s been missing them, both Issei and Yousuke instantly turn red. It’s foul play for her to be so cute. ﾟ+.(*ﾉωヾ*)ｬﾝ♪+ﾟ This completely breaks Yousuke’s limiter as well, so he apologizes to Issei because he can no longer hold back. Yousuke then asks if Mai hates older men, and when she answers that she doesn’t, he smiles and asks her to go out with him. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Issei smiles as he points out that it’s supposed to be fair and square, but Yousuke says that’s why he apologized earlier.

Since Mai said she doesn’t mind older men like Yousuke, Issei then asks if that means she wouldn’t mind dating him either. Mai is really surprised by the sudden question, but they’re not done yet. Issei confesses that he’s in love with her, and she has become a special person for him—not only a younger sister figure. This is followed by Yousuke confessing that he loves her as well, assuring her that his feelings for her are romantic. His confession might seem light, but he’s serious about her. Their sudden confession makes her realize that she’s also in love with them, but she honestly answers that she can’t choose. As wrong as this may sound, she loves both of them equally. It’s impossible for her to choose one of them, and she’s pretty certain that they’re going to be disappointed in her… except that doesn’t happen. Yousuke grins and says they only have to wait until she can choose, while Issei nods saying there’s still hope for them. They don’t mind at all, because they will continue loving her until she can choose one of them. They don’t even mind if she never comes up with the answer, since they can’t give up on her so easily. Of course both Issei and Yousuke have no intentions of losing to each other, so they’re not going to hold back.

Yousuke: “I’m planning to target Mai-chan all the time!”
Yousuke: “If you drop your guard… it’s gonna be a piece of cake for me.”
Issei: “You really don’t have any delicacy, don’t you?”
Issei: “How about paying more attention to the mood?”
Yousuke: “We’re adults, so focusing on mood only would be exhausting…”
Yousuke: “In terms of lower body?”

YOUSUKE PLEASE. ﾅﾝﾃﾞﾔﾈﾝ!(｡-ω-)_θ☆(ﾉ･⊿･)ﾉ

When they start bickering as usual, Mai can’t help but laugh. One day, maybe she will be able to choose one of them. That’s why until the time comes, she wants the three of them to be together.

---

• END 1: Words of Love From Left and Right •

A month has passed since Issei and Yousuke confessed to Mai, and the three of them have been spending more time together. It seems that Issei and Yousuke made a rule that they’re not allowed to be alone with Mai without each other’s permission. Today, the three of them are watching DVD in Yousuke’s room. Just as the end credits roll across the screen, Mai asks Yousuke if she can get of his lap now. He refuses saying it’s not “the time” yet, and he doesn’t want to let go of her anyway. Instead, he puts his cheek against her hair. They have been sitting in this position throughout the movie, and she couldn’t focus on the movie at all due to the embarrassment. Just before his lips touch her cheek, suddenly the phone on the table starts ringing… and Issei, who’s been frowning beside them, announces that time is up. It’s now Issei’s turn, and Yousuke needs to hand Mai over to him. Yousuke protests that it’s too fast. It’s supposed to be one movie, and the end credits aren’t over yet. Issei thinks seeing the end credits means the movie has ended though, and he points out that the timer is accurate. Now he needs to let go of Mai. Yousuke complains that Issei said it in such a bad way, but he obediently releases Mai from his arms. After all, it’s something they have decided on right from the start.

After getting off Yousuke’s lap, Mai is then taken onto Issei’s lap. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Of course she feels really embarrassed, but she doesn’t want to refuse Issei since Yousuke already got his “share” earlier. When she asks if she’s not heavy, he smiles saying she’s just as light as a feather. ヽ(*´ー`*)ﾉ Yousuke comments that Mai is actually TOO light, and he wouldn’t mind if she puts on a little more weight… but Issei simply asks him not to disturb them. Yousuke frowns saying he doesn’t mean to do that, and he points out that Issei also talked to them when Mai was sitting on his lap earlier. Of course this quickly turns into an argument about the advances they made on her. Issei interrupted by joining in when Yousuke was holding her hand last week, and Issei protests that Yousuke was entwining their fingers in such an dirty way. Since they’ve started bickering again, Mai clears her throat, gets off Issei’s lap and uses the last resort: “I-If you’re going to keep fighting, I’m going home!!” Σd(ゝ∀･)ｨｨ!!! Recently she’s been doing this whenever they fight, since they’ll go on and on unless she stops them.

Upon hearing this, Issei and Yousuke instantly stop bickering and apologize to Mai LOL. They’re clearly disappointed when she says that she won’t sit on their laps anymore, but then she sits between them and holds their hands. That way, the three of them will be able to spend time together. They look surprised for a while, but soon they laugh saying it can’t be helped then. They’re going to bear with holding hands for today, and they’ll have to be careful with their arguments too. As they tighten their grip on Mai’s hands, both Issei and Yousuke lean closer to whisper that they love her—which she happily answers with a nod.

---

• END 2: She’s Far Beyond Our Reach •

In this ending, Mai deals with Minekura herself. Instead of calling for help, she tells him to go away and kicks his leg. Minekura cries and begs for forgiveness when Issei and Yousuke come to save her, and she asks them to forgive him. Somehow she feels sorry for the old man.

Later on that night, Issei and Yousuke come to visit Kyouga in his house. Both of them look dejected, and he takes them to the porch without saying anything. Normally he’d chase out away, but they are the men chosen by the god of Kamizono Shrine. He needs to take care of them. Kyouga then takes out a bottle of Japanese sake for the three of them, asking both Issei and Yousuke to drink. He will deal with them kindly, though it’s only for today. They look up at the moon as they drink, revealing that both of them have been rejected by Mai. Kyouga already saw this coming since they came to visit him, but it’s still a bit surprising for him… because when he sent her off earlier, she clearly holds some feelings for them. He was expecting Mai to choose one of them, but she confessed that she loves both Issei and Yousuke equally. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, so she decided to reject both of them.

Issei and Yousuke think it’s just like Mai to give them such a sincere answer, but they still find it painful to get rejected. As he pours more sake into their cups, Kyouga explains that getting a flower from Kamizono Shrine doesn’t mean everything will go well in their love life. He feels sorry if it doesn’t work for them, and so they can drink as much as they want tonight. The Japanese sake they’re currently drinking is made by one of Kamizono Shrine’s visitor, and it’s unbelievably good. Issei decides to release his stress by drinking until he turns insane, and Yousuke agrees to keep him company. In the end, both of them get drunk in no time—crying and howling towards the moon above. Kyouga watches as their sad laments disappear into the night sky, not reaching anyone. He knows they won’t listen, but he tells them to work hard and find a good love. If they can do that, maybe the god of Kamizono Shrine will grant them his blessings again. In the end, Kyouga concludes that Mai is a bit too far beyond their reach. Tonight he’ll use his precious time to comfort Issei and Yousuke, since it’s his job as the head priest of Kamizono Shrine.

---

• END 3: Adults and Kids •

You get this ending by refusing to cooperate with the project.

Mai doesn’t have the confidence to work like adults, so she apologizes and asks Issei and Yousuke to find a more capable person. She feels that the responsibility is too heavy for her, and she can’t accept it only because she finds it fun to spend time with them. They also know that the request is too sudden, and they ask her to help them with lighter tasks next time—like their amusement park trip. Sadly, Issei and Yousuke got really busy with work after that… and Mai never received any invitation to help them with work. Even though they’ve mailed each other, the three of them never got the chance to go out together again. They always promised to do it when they’re no longer busy with work, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. She can only hope that they will be able to play together again someday, even though she knows that it’s difficult for her dream to turn into reality.

---

• END 4: The Priest’s Laughter •

No matter how many times Mai calls for help, Issei and Yousuke never come to her rescue. In the end, she screams and slaps Minekura away before running off—leaving him rolling on the ground. From there she returns to Kamizono Shrine, where she tells Kyouga about what happened. He listens to her in silence, but when he smirks… she can see killing intent leaking out of him. Kyouga says Minekura’s got a lot of guts to bother their shrine maiden, and he tells Mai not to worry. He’s going to give Minekura a rough time which is even worse than hell. As Kyouga starts laughing towards the night sky, Mai wonders if it’d be better not to tell him LOL. Upon thinking about what kind of revenge Kyouga is plotting, Mai suddenly feels bad for Minekura. Several days later, Mai receives a mail from Issei and Yousuke—both apologizing for troubling her. The thing is even before SNT submitted a complaint, Minekura has quit the company he was working for… and Mai is 100% certain that it’s Kyouga’s doing.

A few days after that, Minekura comes to see Mai at Kamizono Shrine—kneeling down as he begs for her forgiveness. Or rather, he begs her to save him. Knowing that Kyouga is doing terrible things to him, Mai can only do her best to comfort Minekura. Due to this issue, her loneliness and yearning towards Issei and Yousuke has been blown away. Maybe it’s a good thing, because she doesn’t end up troubling them. Mai thinks about this as looks up at the blue autumn sky.

Maybe the best way to describe this game is that you can really feel the creators’ love for it. Of course it’s not by any means flawless, but I enjoyed it a lot despite having rather low expectations at first. I was a bit worried that the story would be cliché because the genre is “romantic comedy”, but they did a marvelous job in pulling off the “age gap” theme. The game has a surprisingly huge volume because it covers each stage in the relationship, starting from the first encounter until they become a couple. I was impressed by how they show the guys’ different reactions to the age gap, and also how they describe the guys’ jobs in details. The amount of description they put into it is just right. Informative enough, but not so much that it becomes too confusing to understand.

While the theme isn’t exactly unique, each character and stage receives a nice and realistic development. The change is subtle and gradual, so the romance feels natural and not rushed. If you’re looking for sweet, romantic scenes right from the start though, do keep in mind that it might take a while before you reach that part. After all, the game begins with their first encounter. Or in Issei’s case, reunion. The game also has charming characters with a LOT of amusing interactions between them. Not all of them know each other, but there are connections everywhere. Mai herself is also a good heroine who’s easy to relate to, and it’s so heartwarming to see how everyone treasures her. (人´∀`)☆゜’・:* I’m really looking forward to see how they’re going to deal with the “age gap” in the next installments, because it’s so interesting to see different reactions from each guy.

Speaking of the next installments, they’ve been delayed again. I have mixed feelings about this because they did it to maintain quality, and it makes me want to support them even more. But on the other hand, it’s gonna take a while before we can see this wonderful cast again… _(:3」∠)_