Alright, so now we know. The iron-clad rules of comedy have been preserved, as well as the timber-clad remnants of the rules of decency.
The big secret was just Megumi being a good friend. She simply took one for the team…knowing from the get-go that the hopes and dreams of her two friends would be shattered by a merciless reality, she set everything up so she could maintain the illusion that something more interesting than soba-making was going on behind the closed door.
Making herself blush heavily (a NDA prevents me from revealing what mental image she employed for that) and then herding her friends away (Akane naturally being more resistant than Mopey) allows them to continue to imagine a much steamier scene taking place than was actually the case. They might still feel a bit frustrated at not witnessing it, but they will still sleep well tonight. And Megumi will sleep well knowing she contributed to that…and also knowing that gay guys are apparently really thinking about only one thing all the time: food. Just like straight guys.
More on Monday.