Date A Live Encore - Volume 3 - Chapter 2

Shiori Penalty
“So, allow me to introduce you to our transfer student. Please come in!”

 
“...O-Okay…”

 
Following the call from Okamine-sensei, Itsuka Shiori sighed as she stepped into the classroom with a look of resignation to her fate on her face.

 
She was a tall girl with long hair and a four-leaf clover hair clip. On her face was a light layer of makeup which gave the impression of a youthful yet seductive sensuality that gave of a peculiar charm that attracted everyone’s attention.

 
However, her expression turned into one of anxiety, and her hands from the sleeves of her knitted sweater were pressed against her skirt that seemed to flutter unsteadily with every step she took

 
“...!”

 
As soon as Shiori stepped into the classroom, the class seemed to have become more energetic.

 
For one frantic moment, Shiori thought that she’d been discovered. But——that was not the case. Although everyone’s expressions clearly conveyed surprise, they didn’t seem to suspect Shiori’s true identity.

 
Ai, Mai, and Mii in particular were especially surprised by Shiori’s debut. Then again, such a reaction was not a surprise: today was not the first time that Shiori had met them.

 
“Okay, then Shiori-chan, please introduce yourself.”

 
After she finished speaking, Okamine-sensei urged Shiori to write her name on the blackboard.

 
Shiori picked up the chalk and turned her back on everyone while pressing her skirt down with her left hand as she wrote her name on the blackboard.

 
“I-I… My name is Itsuka Shiori, I am Itsuka Shido’s cousin. Although I won’t be here for very long, please take good care of me…”

 
Shiori finished with a cute voice using a voice changer, and bowed. As a result, the classmates applauded enthusiastically.

 
But, almost immediately, she realized there was something not quite right.

 
Because as she heard the class’s applause, she could also hear the mechanical clicking sound at the same time.

 
“Umm…? O-Origami-san!?”

 
As soon as Shiori looked up, he spotted that his classmate, Tobiichi Origami, who was supposed to be sitting in her seat next to the window, had somehow made her way in front of her, a small camera in her hand as she clicked the shutter and taking her picture without so much as a change of expression.

 
“T-Tobiichi-san? What are you doing? Please go back to your seat…”

 
“Sensei, please don’t hinder me, life is too short as it is.”

 
“W-What…?”

 
Even with Okamine-sensei’s warning, Origami still didn’t stop. From every possible direction, she kept taking Shiori’s picture from every possible angle to add to her collection.

 
“Wait… that…!”

 
“There’s no need to be afraid. Just leave it to me, and keep an open mind.”

 
Even as Shiori did her best to cover her face with her hands, Origami paid it no mind and continued to press the shutter. Suddenly, there was a thud  of a chair hitting the ground, Tohka immediately stepped between Origami and Shiori.

 
“H-Hey, T-Tobiichi Origami! You shouldn’t do such things to Shido...Rather, can’t you see that girl doesn’t like such things!”

 
“This has nothing to do with you. Let go. These are rare beautiful photos of Shiori doing dirty things…”

 
“You… what are you talking about?!”

 
Tohka and Origami started quarrelling again as usual. However, the lens of Origami’s camera was still aimed at Shiori and the sound of the shutter could still be heard.

 
“Don’t…”

 
How could anyone want to keep a record of this look? Shiori did her best to dodge the camera, and at the same time, regretted his reckless words from yesterday.

◇

 
“Hey—— Kotori, are you ready?”

 
Yesterday, Shido, who was planning to go out, called out loudly at the entrance.

 
Since it was Sunday, Shido decided to go out with Kotori to go for a walk down the street after a long time, but Kotori… was taking her time in getting ready.

 
“A-Ah! Wait for me!”

 
Kotori’s voice could be heard from somewhere deeper in the house. However, after listening to her and waiting another few minutes, Kotori still hadn’t appeared. He waited a few more minutes but still she hadn’t appeared.

 
“Kotori, if you don’t hurry up, I’ll head out first!”

 
“Again… just give me another minute!”

 
Soon after, Kotori finally appeared at the entrance.

 
The girl’s most prominent feature was her red hair tied into ponytails with white ribbons and her wide round eyes. She was dressed in fashionable clothing that gave off the impression of maturity that she didn’t normally wear. Seeing that Kotori was dressed differently than she was usually dressed. Seeing the change in clothing, Shido was taken by surprise.

 
In retrospect, he should have been kinder at that time. But… perhaps of fatigue and impatience or because to cover his embarrassment, Shido said something that should never be said to a girl. “Oh, you’re finally here… Well, how do I say this, why does it take girls so long to prepare to go out?”

 
The moment Shido finished speaking, Kotori’s face twitched.

 
“...? Kotori, is there something wrong? Anyway, let’s get going. Put on your shoes—— ”

 
Halfway through the sentence, Kotori untied the white ribbons in her hair without saying another word.

 
She then pulled out a black ribbon from her pocket and in a fluid motion, she tied her hair with the black ribbons back into the two ponytails.

 
That was Kotori’s way of switching personality: by replacing the ribbons, her personality would switch from the innocent little sister into the strong commander.

 
“K-Kotori…?”

 
“...Shido, you don’t seem to understand the hardships of being a girl yet…”

 
Kotori’s gaze turned sharp as she spoke in a cold and bitter tone. The aura she exuded was a stark contrast compared to before and Shido couldn’t help but take a few steps back from shock.

 
“If you were just an ordinary boy, I might be able to forgive you because you’re simply being too dull to realize it. But since your mission is to make the Spirits fall in love with you and you still have this kind of performance, it will hurt your brain. If you can’t understand girls better, then there will be more obstacles in your future.”

 
“There are plenty of hardships of being a boy—— !”

 
“Of course, boys have their own hardships! However, the hardships of girls are very different from the hardships of boys! Boys may encounter all sorts of problems when they leave the house, but girls have to worry about being betrayed by their friends by leaking information to the enemy or stabbing them in the back!”

 
“Sinister!”

 
After Shido shouted loudly, Kotori scoffed as she continued speaking.

 
“...When you get a chance, shut up and listen carefully to the conversations with only girls. Chances are that nine times out of ten, they are talking badly about other girl friends who aren’t there.”

 
“W-What the hell! I don’t want to listen to that sort of thing!”

 
“No only that, but there’s also peer pressure for those who don’t have to pee but still have to go with other girls to the bathroom; on top of that, there’s espionage and containment that takes place in the locker room: it’s often said that if you are good at physical education, you probably don’t know how to read; home economics classes: boys will be looking at you expectantly; plus when you’re wearing a skirt, you have to pay attention to whether or not you end up getting exposed; especially when you’re going out; there is the risk of being exposed to the threats of perverts and other such people…! These are the struggles of girls in the modern world! It’s hard work!”

 
Kotori was acting differently from her previous detailed explanations… Although Shido thought that she’d been too critical with her emphasis, he was still shocked by her force and couldn’t bring himself to argue with her.

 
“...I-I understand. I’m sorry, I’ll make sure to pay better attention in the future…”

 
Shido said as sweat trickled down his cheeks. However, Kotori still seemed to be angry. She crossed her arms in disappointment and retorted angrily:

 
“No! This isn’t a problem that can be solved by just paying closer attention! You have to directly experience the trials of actually being a girl!”

 
“Directly… How would we be able to do that?”

 
After Shido finished speaking while letting out a sigh, Kotori wore a malicious grin on her face.

 
“Hmm, let see… What about Shiori-chan?”

 
“Wha…!”

 
Shido’s entire body stiffened when he heard Kotori shout the name he thought that he would never have to hear again for the rest of his life.

◇

 
...Which brings us back to the present...

 
“...Ugh…”

 
Shido sighed as he put his elbows on his desk during the lesson. Incidentally, his seat was the same as his usual seat between Tohka and Origami. It seemed that [Shido] had taken a leave of absence so the teacher told him to sit there. Obviously, even though he was sitting in his usual seat, the fact that he was wearing a skirt now, it all felt different and it made him want to burst into tears.

 
That’s right. Shiori was the name that Shido used when pursuing Spirits who didn’t like men.

 
Of course, Shido had tried to protest Kotori’s troublesome idea and firmly opposed it. However, Kotori still had all of Shido’s weaknesses from his past so Shido had no choice but to accept her terms… As a result, Shiori was reborn in this way for a single day enrollment experience.

 
Additionally, he’d been forced to promise that no matter what happened today, he would spend his time as a girl… However, the biggest problem was that Shido and Shiori were the same person so just like Kotori said, Shido would also have to act the part of a girl.

 
Just as Shido was reflecting on the events that led to this point, he heard the bell signaling the end of the lesson. At this time, the second lesson had ended, as long as he managed to survive the remaining lessons, Shido would be able to go back to being a boy. Shido planned to clear his desk for their next lesson.

 
“But at that moment, he suddenly noticed that something was off…”

 
“Huh…?”

 
The students who’d already put away their textbooks stood up from their seats and walked out of the classroom.

 
“W-What’s going on? Why is everyone leaving the classroom?”

 
Just as Shido felt the beginnings of panic set in, Tohka tilted her head and stood up from her seat. “What are you talking about, Shiori? Isn’t the next class physical education?”

 
“Oh...N-Now that you say it like that, it makes much more sense—— ”

 
Shido let out a sigh of relief before his face suddenly went pale at the realization.

 
For physical education, that meant——

 
“Shiori, it’s almost time, we need to head to the women’s locker room.”

 
Shido stiffened as Origami grabbed Shido’s hand and tugged hard to pull him to his feet.

 
“Ah! Wait!”

 
Noticing Origami’s behavior, Tohka grabbed Shido’s other hand.

 
Shido shook his head violently.

 
“A-Actually! I forgot to bring my sports clothes so I plan to watch everyone else in class today…”

 
“Then what’s this?”

 
Origami opened the school bag that Shido brought and showed him the contents. There was indeed a separate bag for sportswear in his school bag. It seemed that Kotori planned ahead and prepared it for him.

 
“What…! That’s too thoughtful…”

 
“Hey! It’s me who’ll take Shiori to the locker room!”

 
Tohka and Origami quarreled with each other as they each grabbed one of Shido’s hands and dragged him away.

 
“Hey…! You two! It doesn’t matter whether it’s Tohka or Origami! I’m still going to the girl’s locker room so you’d have to change in front of me too!”

 
After Shido finished speaking, Tohka’s shoulders trembled for a moment but then shook her head as though strengthening her resolve.

 
“Muu… that’s really embarrassing… B-But such a thing doesn’t matter.”

 
“W-Why wouldn’t it matter?”

 
After Shido asked, Tohka brought her face close to Shido’s ear.

 
“...Kotori told me that you’d always wanted to be a girl. So she asked me to treat you like a girl for today. If it’s for Shido’s sake, I’ll do my best.”

 
“What kind of thing did she say!”

 
Kotori’s preparations had been far too thorough for Shido’s tastes as he wailed.

 
As they discussed this matter, Shido was being dragged away and soon he found himself stepping into the ‘holy place’ that no man has gone before: the girl’s locker room.

 
Several innocent young girls didn’t pay attention to each others’ gazes as they revealed their slender bodies. They could see sexy curves from their necks to shoulders, the breasts clad in only their underwear, slenders waists, buttocks that were too tempting not to reach out and touch.

 
Shido was bombarded by these images and let out a silent gasp.

 
“...!”

 
However, this sort of reaction was understandable, of course. Because this was a sanctuary for girls only, there were no males allowed in such a place. Well, there was one exception...

 
“Whoa…!”

 
“Question. Is there something wrong, Kaguya…”

 
At that moment, he heard two familiar voices. He looked around for the source, he spotted a pair of identical twins standing nearby. They were the Spirits who were in the class next door to Shido and the others.

 
However, it was not a surprise that they were in the dressing room as well. The physical education class was one that the two classes shared.

 
“Wha…!”

 
Shido gasped, his face flushed a deep breath as he held his breath. The reason was obvious: because of the Yamai sisters’ appearance. The both of them were probably also getting changed. Kaguya had already removed her skirt and was dressed in only a blouse while Yuzuru had already removed her top and revealed her plump breasts covered only by her bra.

 
The Yamai sisters seemed to notice Shido’s gaze. Once they noticed, they blushed and quickly covered themselves.

 
But after a moment’s reflection, they slowly revealed themselves.

 
“Oh...hehe... I-It turned out to be Shiori. Of course, it would make sense that you would be in this physical education class.”

 
“Reminder. Kaguya, your voice is shaking. Shiori is a g-girl…”

 
“No… I already know that without you having to remind me! I’m not embarrassed or anything!”

 
Kaguya said loudly, clearly embarrassed. It seemed that Kotori had already told the Yamai sisters about this ahead of time.

 
“You two… About Kotori…”

 
He couldn’t let them be mistaken about this. Shido wanted to say that he was going to explain but before he could, something interrupted them.

 
Just as Shido was about to explain, someone had already pulled down the skirt he’d been wearing. He didn’t even need to think to realize that it was Origami who was responsible.

 
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

 
Even though Shido tried to pull the skirt back to its original position, it was already too late, and with Origami’s superb skills, the skirt was long gone.

 
“You… what are you doing, Origami!”

 
“Helping you change. If you don’t hurry, gym class will start without you.”

 
“No… I don’t need you to help me, I can——”

 
Shido originally wanted to try to protest, but… he couldn’t bring himself to speak. It was because he noticed a sudden change in the Yamai sisters’ expressions.

 
“Hehe… so, changing clothes. Then just leave everything to the Yamai sisters.”

 
“Affirmative. Yuzuru and Kaguya are experienced when it comes to changing clothes.”

 
After speaking, the two of them wiggled their fingers as they approached Shido.

 
“Wha…! How could you do this…”

 
Shido whispered in despair as he looked to Tohka for help.

 
However____

 
“Muu… could it be that Shiori is uncomfortable?”

 
“Oh my kinsman! You need not worry about that. Shiori’s just shy.”

 
“Muu… really?”

 
“Of course. Think about: if you did two hours of physical education without changing clothes? We just need to help him.”

 
“So that’s what’s going on! Umu…! Then I will help too!”

 
“Tohka, don’t let them trick you——!”

 
However, Shido’s protests seemed to have no effect. Tohka, Origami, Kaguya, and Yuzuru stepped closer to the retreating Shido.

 
“Don’t worry, Shiori. I really will help you change into your clothes.”

 
“...”

 
“Oh, Yuzuru, prepare the sportswear.”

 
“Sure. Here…”

 
It was at that moment that Yuzuru, who pulled Shido’s sportswear from his bag, gasped.

 
“Hmm…? Yuzuru, is there something wrong?”

 
“Shiver. Look at this.”

 
“...!”

 
After Yuzuru unfolded the sportswear, everyones’ eyes widened in surprise.

 
That’s right. Because what was in front of them was not the normal sweatpant style sportswear that’s mainstream in this day ange but instead: the charming triangular short shorts that looked more like underwear than shorts.

 
“What…!”

 
Seeing this unexpected shape, even Shido couldn’t help but fall silent as well. Although it was something that Kotori prepared, he never would have guessed that she would take things this far____

 
“Huh...hehe… I didn't know you'd be hiding such a thing.”

 
“Surprise. It’s beyond imagination.”

 
“Kaguya, Yuzuru, what is this? This won’t fit me...”

 
“...”

 
While the Spirits were talking, Origami slowly pulled a camera from her sports bag.

 
However, it wasn’t the small digital camera she’d been using up until now. This one was a monocular camera equipped with a huge lens.

 
“H-Hey… you guys…? Shouldn’t… you be helping me get dressed?”

 
After Shido spoke with a trembling voice, the four of them turned around and faced Shido in unison.

 
On top of their previous enthusiasm, their eyes seemed to radiate an unholy light like a warrior on a mission.

 
“Hey...w-wait a minute… let me… no… don’t A-A-A-A-A-A-AHHHHHHHH!”

 
Shido’s feminine screams, thanks in part to the voice changer, could be heard throughout the girls’ locker room.

◇

 
“W-Whew…”

 
After finishing the PE class, Shido’s shoulders shook as he made his way back to the classroom while swaying dangerously.

 
Despite Shido’s best efforts, he’d thrown away his self-esteem and cried and begged them before they stopped trying to reach for his groin.

 
...Additionally, with regards to forgetting to bring sportswear, he was able to borrow a spare pair of regular sweatpants and managed to blend in with the rest of the girls.

 
Fortunately, he’d managed to get through four of the six hours of classes. As long as he avoided messing up in the final two hours, he would be able to go home and forget this hellish nightmare.

 
All he could do now is be patient.

 
However——

 
“Umu… It’s almost time to move.”

 
After Tohka finished speaking, she stood up from her seat once more.

 
“Huh? Move…”

 
“What are you talking about? Isn’t the next class home economics and cooking practice? We have to go to the home economics room.”

 
“What…”

 
Speaking of which, Shiori had forgotten because of the previous commotion. But Tohka was right, there was indeed a home economics lesson today. No wonder there were so few students who’d brought lunch during the lunch break. It was probably a good idea to bring dishes they’d made during home economics for lunch.

 
“Home economics…”

 
Shido scratched his cheek. If he could, he wanted to take subjects like Japanese or math that he could finish by sitting quietly… But this was certainly better than the PE class just now.

 
...At least it wasn’t summer, otherwise he would have been forced to wear a school swimsuit to the swimming pool for the PE class. ...That was a truly terrifying thought. So much so that the mere thought made him tremble fearfully.

 
“Ah...then let’s go.”

 
“Umu!”

 
“...”

 
After Shido finished speaking, Tohka and Origami both nodded.

 
He pulled out the apron and headscarf (which had already been placed in his schoolbag) and made his way to the home economics classroom. It seemed that several other students had already arrived and were making their preparations.

 
Shido put on the apron and headscarf. At that moment, he spotted a piece of paper mixed in with the clothes that read: ‘The correct way to wear an apron’. Shido spotted the image of a naked person dressed in an apron. He silently crumpled it up and threw it away.

 
Soon after, the bell announcing the end of the lunch break rang and the home economics teacher along with the lingering students came into the classroom. At Raizen High School, most of these classes arranged students with irregular schedules. For example, in the past, in order to improve personal workload, men and women would do the cooking lessons separately or otherwise have two classes have the lesson at the same time and then have each other try their prepared dishes.

 
For today, it seemed to be combining classes, just like the PE class just before. The girls in classes 2-3 and 2-4 seemed to be taking this lesson together. So he wasn’t surprised when he spotted the Yamai sisters walking together into the classroom.

 
“Oh, we meet again, Shiori!”

 
“Successful. An apron and triangular head scarf suits you well, Shiori. It makes me a little jealous.”

 
“Ahaha… Anyway, please take care of me.”

 
After Shido smiled bitterly, the gentle home economics teacher spoke at that moment:

 
“Okay then everyone, let’s prepare an omurice for today.”

 
Shiori listened as the teacher quickly explained the cooking process. Once she was finished explaining, each group went to work preparing the meal.

 
Generally a group was composed of 5 or 6 students. Incidentally, Shido’s group included Tohka, Origami, Kaguya, and Yuzuru.

 
“Alright, let’s do this!”

 
“Yeah!”

 
Hearing what Tohka said, the Yamai sisters raised their fists with intense energy. Shido watched them and smiled in amusement. Origami produced a huge camera like those used by TV station photographers out of nowhere and immediately started taking more pictures of Shido.

 
“...Origami?”

 
“What is it?”

 
“...No, never mind.”

 
He’d long since given up trying to get her to stop. Shido did his best to ignore her and began cooking.

 
He had to dice the onion, cut up the chicken and then fried it in a pan while seasoning with salt and pepper before adding rice and coloring with tomato sauce.

 
Then he added the fried eggs to wrap around the chicken and rice and he would be done.

 
But____

 
“Muu… Shiori, how do you fry an egg?”

 
Once she finished pulling out the eggs, Tohka frowned in confusion.

 
“Huh? Oh, I’ll show you how. Do you want to want to have it scrambled or be able to cut it in the middle and have the yolk flow out?”

 
Once Shido asked, Tohka’s eyes seemed to light up.

 
“The kind where you can have the yolk run down!”

 
“Got it. Then look closely at what I’m doing.”

 
After finishing, Shido melted the butter on the heated pan and then poured the egg and then quickly shook the pan to flip the egg before putting it on the plate on top of the chicken rice.

 
“Huh…? Shiori, what’s this?”

 
“Oh, that looks good!”

 
After talking, Shido picked up the kitchen knife and gently pressed the tip of the knife against the yolk, and slowly cut it straight down.

 
As a result, the pieces of the fried egg yolk because of its own weight, revealing a thick yolk.

 
“Whoa! It’s a thick yolk!”

 
Tohka’s eyes widened. The result seemed to match well with everyone else’s applause and praise. Including the well-known trio from Shido’s class: Ai, Mai, and Mii quickly approached them. They had the passion of 77 people.

 
“Whoa!”

 
“It’s been fried!”

 
“Can I try it?”

 
The three of them picked up spoons and ketchup as they spoke.

 
“Ah, wait just a moment.”

 
Shido stopped the three of them. He then covered the omelette with a special semi-glaze by combining the remaining tomato sauce, ketchup, and soup they’d made in the classroom already.

 
“Please try it.”

 
After Shido presented the plate once more, Ai, Mai, and Mii swallowed their saliva and carefully scooped the omurice with a spoon and put it into their mouths.

 
They chewed carefully and their eyes widened.

 
“Ah, what a treasure trove of taste!”

 
“The smooth and tender tastes roll around in my mouth!”

 
“It’s too goodtoo good to eatA-A-AHHHH!”

 
Ai’s face was stained with consternation, Mai’s face showed an intoxicated expression. As for Mii: her expression was like she’d spit light out of her mouth from the looks of it. Incidentally, Shido didn’t think there was anything special in his meal, what did she end up eating?

 
Seeing Ai, Mai, and Mii’s exaggerated reactions, the other students in the home economics room also asked, “Can I try too?”

 
At the same time, Tohka and the Yamai sisters also picked up spoons and threw themselves into the war.

 
“S-Shiori! I want to try it too!”

 
“Please provide me an offering!”

 
“Plead. Let Yuzuru have a bite.”

 
“O-Oh, of course. Please try it.”

 
With Shido’s approval, Tohka, Kaguya, and Yuzuru immediately stuffed a big mouthful of the omurice into their months.

 
The results?

 
“Umu!”

 
“Ah…!”

 
This time, the three Spirits all wore fascinating expressions. Their surroundings were filled with a shining light and there was a mental image of them becoming completely naked in response to the meal. However, the key parts are cleverly concealed with either hair or light.

 
“A-Aren’t you exaggerating it a little too much…?”

 
Just as Shido scratched his cheek and smiled in amusement, he could feel someone tugging on his apron.

 
Looking around, he spotted Origami standing next to him holding a plate with chicken rice.

 
“Huh…? What’s wrong, Origami?”

 
“Please help by adding the thick juice of Shiori…”

 
“Such a thing is too cruel to say out loud!”

 
Despite Shido’s protests, Origami didn’t seem to want to give up. She insistently passed the plate with chicken rice into Shido’s face. By the way, the camera she’d been using was now fixed on a tripod and still aimed at them.

 
“I want… Shiori’s rich…”

 
“I heard you! Can’t you be quiet for a moment!”

 
At that moment he discovered…

 
The other students standing around wore coveted expressions as they glanced at Shido from time to time.

 
“Huh…? E-Everyone…?”

 
After Shido finished speaking, the other students glanced away for a moment but then they immediately looked at him again.

 
Shido, understanding what it was they wanted, sighed and said:

 
“...Please line up…”

 
“...!”

 
All of the students wore cheerful expressions in an instant and lined up in front of Shido.

◇

 
“It’s finally over…”

 
Shido heard the bell signaling the end of the lesson and finally relaxed as he slumped on his desk.

 
However, no one could blame him for the way he felt. Because Shido finally managed to get through the day as difficult as one of a warrior. The end of class meeting had already ended and all that was left now was to go home. In this way, he was at the home stretch. He could finally be rid of the accursed skirt.

 
“Alright… time to go home. Let’s go home now. Let’s go home as soon as possible…”

 
“Muu…? Umu.”

 
Shido stood up after organizing his belongings and before his classmates could catch him, he grabbed Tohka and quickly made his way out of the classroom.

 
“Hey, where are you going so quickly… Hey, where are you going! Wait a minute!”

 
“Stop it! Don’t abandon Yuzuru and Kaguya.”

 
On their way out, they ran into the Yamai sisters in the corridor, changed shoes, and walked out of the school building. Only then did Shido finally let out a sigh of relief.

 
“Ahh… I feel so much better now…”

 
However, it wasn’t over for him yet.

 
“Ara?”

 
Shido led Tohka and the Yamai sisters home. On the way, they suddenly heard a sweet but familiar voice in their ears.

 
Looking around for the source of the sound, they spotted a tall girl dressed in a sailor uniform whose eyes were wide with surprise.

 
“M-Miku…!”

 
Shido involuntarily called out her name.

 
That’s right. Standing was another of the Spirits but also the most popular idol in Japan: Izayoi Miku herself.

 
Miku quickly approached Shido with an excited expression on her face as she grabbed his hands.

 
“Darling...No, Shiori-san! Why are you here!?”

 
“O-Oh… because of various reasons…”

 
Shido tried to avoid her gaze but Miku simply grabbed Shido’s hands and shook them with a ferocious momentum.

 
“No… I didn’t expect to be able to see Shiori-san again! It’s so touching! God really didn’t abandon me! Ah, the world is so beautiful!”

 
“I-Is it really necessary to exaggerate it that much…”

 
“But it’s not an exaggeration! Ah! Everyone is here too! What a coincidence! We should all have some tea together! I found a really nice cafe and I wanted to invite so that we could all go together!”

 
“Huh…?”

 
Hearing what Miku said, Shido’s shoulders trembled again. Drinking tea… That meant that they would have to go to the cafe. That meant that he couldn’t go home. That is to say, it wasn’t over after all…

 
“W-Wait a minute! At least let me change my clothes before we go…!”

 
“How could I let you change your clothes! I only just saw Shiori and it would be so sad to be separated after such a long time! Hey, everyone wants to drink so too, right? They also have delicious cakes to eat!”

 
After Miku finished speaking, Tohka and the Yamai sisters’ eyes lit up in interest.

 
“Oh, that sounds great!”

 
“Hehehe… Today is a celebration of offerings.”

 
“Anticipation. I really want to try it.”

 
“Okay! Then I’m making the final decision myself! Ah, since the opportunity is rare, we should also invite Yoshino-san and Kotori-san! Where’s my phone…”

 
“Y-You…”

 
Shido wore a stunned expression at how things unfolded. This was hardly a surprise. Because Shido thought that he could finally go home and put all of this behind him. However, Shido never expected things to continue like this. It was hard for him not to give in to his despair.

 
However, Miku didn’t seem to give Shido’s expression a second thought. Instead, she called Yoshino and Kotori and told them when and where they would meet. Then she walked happily at a brisk pace while tugging on Shido’s hand.

 
“Okay! Let’s go! The cafe is right in front of the station, let’s go by train!”

 
“H-Hey! Wait a minute…!”

 
He already knew that it would be pointless to resist as Shido was dragged to the nearby train station by Miku.

 
Then, by coincidence, when Shido and the others arrived, the train had just arrived at the station at the same time.

 
“Okay, Shiori-san, let’s get on.”

 
“I-I don’t want to go! I want to go home—— !”

 
Even Shido shouting like a little kid didn’t work at all and was dragged onto the train semi-forcefully.

 
Perhaps it was because school had just ended but it felt like this train was very crowded. Shido was jostled between passengers who’d already boarded and found himself squeezed in the center of the train.

 
“A-Ah…”

 
Now that he’d been forced onto the train, trying to resist anymore was pointless. Shido sighed softly while feeling as though he was riding in a cargo car and about to be sold at a market.

 
——He didn’t know how much time had passed but as they’d stopped at two stops so far and several passengers got on and off the train——

 
“...Huh?”

 
Shido felt an odd sensation and then squeaked.

 
Just a moment ago… he thought he felt something touching his butt...

 
“...N-No, I must be imagining it…”

 
Shido mumbled to himself as if trying to convince himself that he’d imagined it. He coughed lightly before shifting his gaze to the window.

 
However, another few seconds passed and he felt it again: something was stroking Shido’s butt.

 
“...!”

 
Shido’s shoulders trembled. That feeling just now was clearly not something in his head.

 
That’s right. Someone in the train full of people, someone was taking advantage of the crowd to touch Shido’s but.

 
——It was a pervert.

 
“N-No way…”

 
Shido’s face went pale as the pervert’s behavior became progressively worse. He could feel the pervert’s hand reaching into Shido’s skirt and stroking the inside of his thigh.

 
“...!”

 
Even if Shido wanted to shout loudly, there was no way he could speak much less shout. His body was practically paralyzed and he was unable to move out of fear and shame.

 
“...P-Please...don’t…”

 
Shido tried his best to force those words out while pleading with the person who was standing behind him.

 
However, this was ultimately counterproductive to his desire. He could hear the pervert’s breathing suddenly quicken as their hands touching Shido’s hips suddenly became even more aggressive and the pervert’s touch suddenly made its way inside Shido’s underwear.

 
“Ah…!”

 
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Shido shuddered in fear.

 
“Muu…? Shiori, are you okay?”

 
It was at that moment that Tohka who’d been standing next to him seemed to notice that Shido was uneasy and called out to him. As a result, Shido face became flushed and tears trickled down his eyes, and whispered to Tohka:

 
“Yes… someone… is touching my butt…”

 
“Muu…? Is that true?”

 
After Shido finished explaining, Tohka’s eyes widened and she immediately grabbed the hand that was touching Shido’s butt.

 
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing—— Muu?”

 
However, Tohka paused halfway through the sentence as her expression turned to one of confusion.

 
Shido finally relaxed as he spotted the look in Tohka’s eyes before turning around, and then, like Tohka, Shido’s eyes widened in shock.

 
This wasn’t a surprise. Because the person standing behind them was——

 
“O-Origami!”

 
That’s right. It was Origami who should have gone to her own home after leaving school. Not only that but she was also holding a hand held camera with her other hand that Tohka hadn’t noticed and stared intently at Shido.

 
“I found you.”

 
“No… you found me but I was scared half to death…”

 
Somehow Shido found his voice and felt inexplicably relieved now that he knew that the culprit was Origami.

 
Nonetheless he still felt paralyzed.

 
“A good picture was taken.”

 
“...”

 
Origami spoke without so much as a change in expression while Shido could only sigh.

 
Ten minutes later and the train arrived at its destination. Shido and the others squeezed along with the other passengers in order to get off.

 
“Huh… So, Miku, where did you say that cafe was?”

 
“Here. But...hehe…!”

 
After Sihdo finished, Miku smiled happily.

 
“Huh…? But what?”

 
“It’s nothing. It’s just that you were so reluctant at first but now you seem more interested!”

 
“...I’ve just accepted that I can’t get out of it so I just want to get this over with so I can leave as soon as possible…”

 
Shido narrowed his eyes and grumbled. As a result, Miku smiled sweetly. At that moment, the Yamai sisters spread out their arms and said to Miku:

 
“Kuku, you made me experience the uncomfortable feeling of being sardines. If the dessert isn’t to our standards, I cannot accept it.”

 
“Agreement. It had better be worth Izayoi Miku’s hype...”

 
“Oh, rest assured! I promise that everything there is absolutely delicious! But…”

 
Miku continued:

 
“It seems that this cafe was shown on TV recently so there will probably be a long queue right now! Now that classes have ended, if we don’t hurry, we might not get a seat.”

 
“Muu, that sounds terrible! We have to hurry!”

 
Tohka urged earnestly. However, Miku shook her head gently.

 
“But before we can go there, we have to pick up Kotori-san and Yoshino-san. This might have been a mistake. If we’d met earlier in the day, this might have gone more smoothly.”

 
Miku glanced up at the street clock as she mumbled. Seeing it, she shrugged and spoke loudly.

 
“So why don’t you go on ahead and I’ll go pick them up?”

 
“Hmm? Could it be that you’re planning to use this as an excuse to escape, Shiori-san?”

 
Miku looked at Shido suspiciously while sweat trickled down Shido’s forehead.

 
“I… I won’t run away…”

 
“Hehehe… I’m sorry for causing so much trouble for you. Then, could I count on you, Shiori-san? I told them to meet us in front of the fountain in front of the department store. The cafe is called [Premier]. You can actually see it from here.”

 
“Okay. I got it. Anyway, I’ll see you later.”

 
After Shido gently waved his hand, Miku and Yuzuru waved back to him as well while Tohka waved her arms energetically. Kaguya simply waved two fingers while offering a salute while saying ‘Adios’. At that moment, Shido found Origami heading in a different direction from everyone else.

 
“Huh…? Origami, aren’t you going as well?”

 
“I want to… take care of something first. I’ll meet you later.”

 
“...T-That…”

 
Although Shido was vaguely disturbed by what she’d said, he knew full well that nothing good would come of investigating it any deeper. So, with a stiff smile, he watched as Origami’s back quickly retreated into the distance.

 
“Right… I need to pick up Kotori and Yoshino.”

 
Shido paid close attention to his skirt while making his way to the meeting place. Soon, the designated fountain came into view.

 
“Huh… where are they…”

 
Shido scanned the area for the two people that Miku said that they would be waiting for him. He continued searching and was rewarded when he found a girl in front of a fountain.

 
The girl was petite and wore a newsboy hat. Her beautiful sapphire-like eyes and the rabbit puppet that she wore on her left hand were impressive. This was Yoshino, and like Tohka and the others, she was also a Spirit whose powers had been sealed.

 
However, while he managed to find Yoshino, Shido immediately noticed that something was wrong. It looked like Yoshino was being chatted up by at least three men and was looking down with a distressed look on her face.

 
And it certainly didn’t look like they were asking for directions. It looked like the men were inviting Yoshino to play with them. This was commonly known as...

 
“H-Hey… pick-up artists...”

 
Shido scowled. There was no denying that Yoshino was a very pretty girl and she looked like a junior high school student. But that group of men looked too unruly. If Kotori was here, it wouldn’t be hard for them to get rid of the men. But… It looked like she hadn’t reached the meeting place yet.

 
It wasn’t like Shido could just ignore it. Shido decided to intervene between Yoshino and the men.

 
“...Please excuse me! I’m sorry!”

 
Yoshino and the puppet on her left hand <Yoshinon> both let out a sound of surprise.

 
“Wha…!”

 
“Shido...no, Shiori-san!”

 
“...Okay! Sorry!”

 
“Hello, Yoshino, <Yoshinon>. Sorry, I’m late.”

 
Shido smiled kindly down at them so that the two of them could feel at ease. He turned his gaze to the men who’d been talking to Yoshino.

 
“...The thing is, this child was waiting for me. So please excuse us—— ”

 
Before Shido could finish speaking, the men looked at each other and shrugged.

 
“No, how could things turn out like this for us?”

 
“That is to say, we would have been able to keep things quick with a quick pat of her butt and then leave, is that too much to ask!” !

 
“Oh yeah? Otherwise you’ll have to come play with us for a bit. That’s fair, right? Alright, it’s been decided.”

 
One of the men finished speaking, touching Shido’s shoulder in an intimate way.

 
Shido’s face wrinkled in distaste. It seemed they didn’t understand what ‘no’ meant.

 
“...Goodbye!”

 
Shido pushed the man’s hand away and grabbed Yoshino’s hand and tried to make a run for it.

 
But____

 
“Hey, where do you think you’re going!”

 
It seemed that what Shido had done only served to anger the other party. The man who’d been trying to grab Shido finally caught him by the arm.

 
“A-Ah…”

 
“S-Shiori-san…!”

 
Shido glanced at Yoshino. It was clear that she was terrified. Were it not for <Yoshinon>, her mental state would have been unstable a long time ago, causing her spirit powers to flow back into her.

 
For now, Shido’s top priority was to keep these guys away from Yoshino. After thinking for a second, Shido whispered in Yoshino’s ear.

 
“Everyone is waiting in front of the cafe called [Premier]. You go first.”

 
“Huh…? B-But…”

 
“Don’t look so scared, okay? I’ll be there soon.”

 
Shido finished by lightly shoving Yoshino’s back. Although Yoshino glanced back at Shido with worry filled eyes, she nodded in determination and ran away down the street.

 
“A-Ah… she got away.”

 
“Pity.”

 
“Forget about her. It doesn’t matter. Anyway, we’ve still got a cute girl.”

 
The men surrounded Shido after speaking.

 
“Let’s get going.”

 
“If you try to run, we’ll chase after that other girl...”

 
After they finished speaking, the men pulled on Shido’s arm and dragged him forward semi-forcefully.

 
“Whoa…”

 
Shido couldn’t resist as he found himself crossing the street and taken to a small alleyway.

 
“Okay… what should we do with you?”

 
After one of the men finished speaking, the other two smiled evilly.

 
“What did you say?”

 
“Does it even need to be said?”

 
After that, he showed Shido his most obscene smile.

 
The other party had adopted a vulgar attitude, even though it was for a good intention, he knew that his virginity was in danger. He felt sweat trickle down his face.

 
However, Shido still had a trick up his sleeve. One that should completely turn them off from anything obscene right away.

 
“I’m sorry to ruin the mood while you are in such high spirits but I don’t you’ll be satisfied with me.”

 
“What?”

 
“It’s a pity—— ”

 
Shido exhaled after a moment and then tore off the voice changer attached to his neck.

 
“I’m a boy.”

 
Then with Shido’s masculine voice, the men’s faces instantly turned to shock.

 
“What…! R-Really…!”

 
“You grew up like this! You’re a boy!”

 
“H-Hell… no…”

 
The three of them were wearing expressions that clearly meant they’d seen something incredible in front of them. They started whispering to each other as they clearly had no idea what to do now. Shido shrugged helplessly. Surely, this time, they would have no need of keeping Shido here anymore.

 
However——

 
“...You…feel… what do you think?”

 
“A-Ask me how… what do you say?”

 
“Then that just… that means… right?”

 
After the men nodded to each other, they all gave each other the thumbs up.

 
“Because he’s cute… We’ll do it!”

 
“Wha…!”

 
Shido involuntarily squeaked.

 
“You… are you insane!? Think about it! From a biological point of view, this is already strange enough as it is!”

 
“No… I always thought that I was a straight man… But if it’s you, I might be able to do it…”

 
“Y-Yeah… to see a man with more incredible sexy charm than an ordinary girl…”

 
“A real man has to be brave enough to try anything and everything…”

 
After speaking, the men started panting as they slowly approached Shido step by step.

 
“Ah…!”

 
Shido could feel the beginnings of panic setting in as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

 
But, at that moment:

 
“...”

 
A stranger appeared silently in the alleyway where Shido and the others were.

 
The stranger was dressed in black and was petite. It was difficult to make out the stranger’s expression because the brim of their hat all but covered their face. However, given the cool and calm attitude, they seemed confident.

 
“Wha…”

 
The men finally discovered the stranger’s presence just from where Shido’s gaze was directed.

 
After a moment’s pause, they finally turned around.

 
——However, they were too slow. The moment the men turned around, the stranger immediately closed the distance between them, kicking their toes upward toward the chin of the man closest to them. The stricken man passed out silently.

 
“What…!”

 
“You… who the hell is this guy!”

 
THe remaining two men’s panicked voices could be heard throughout the alley.

 
However, the stranger’s posture did not change in the least. They kicked the remaining two men in much the same way, knocking them out.

 
All of this happened within 10 seconds. What extraordinary skill.

 
“...!”

 
Shido stared at the scene blankly, and after a few seconds, his shoulders shook abruptly. Because of the sudden incident, he’d been overwhelmed but then he finally understood that this mysterious stranger had come to rescue him. Shido quickly put the voice changer back on his neck and said loudly:

 
“T-T-Thank you so much for saving me.”

 
“No problem. No thanks needed.”

 
The stranger replied calmly.

 
“...Huh?”

 
Shido frowned at that moment. This was because that stranger’s voice sounded awfully familiar…

 
“You… you wouldn’t happen to be…”

 
“That was really dangerous, what happened just now.”

 
Shido pointed at the stranger with a dumbfounded look on his face. The stranger removed the baseball cap that was pushed to cover their eyes.

 
“O-Origami…!”

 
That’s right. Standing in front of Shido was Tobiichi Origami who’d tied her hair back.

 
“You… why are you dressed like that…?”

 
Although given the way Shido was currently dressed, he knew that he wasn’t qualified to say that to anyone else, he couldn’t help but ask anyway. So, Origami nodded and explained.

 
“I am not actually Origami but instead, Tobiichi Chiyogami, Origami’s cousin.”

 
“W-What!”

 
“If it were me, I would happily accept Shiori.”

 
After that, Origami pushed herself onto Shido. It seemed that her so-called preparations referred to this matter.

 
“W-Wait a minute! What are you doing?”

 
“Today, I already understood your determination. If you plan to live your life like this, I will support you.”

 
“You’re misunderstanding! By the way, don’t put your hands into my clothes while you’re talking!”

 
“It doesn’t matter. I got to meet Shiori.”

 
Origami moved her face closer to Shido’s in a serious manner. It was as though a cat had been defeated by the more aggressive lion. The lion’s prey made a faint growling sound as she moved closer.

 
At that moment, a familiar voice came from the end of the alley.

 
“Stop right there! What do you think you’re doing!”

 
“You must be the bastard that kidnapped Shiori!”

 
Kotori and Tohka were the ones who called out. Looking toward the source of the sound, they discovered that just behind them were Yoshino, the Yamai Sisters, and Miku. It seemed that Yoshino was the one who warned the others and Kotori seemed to meet them halfway.

 
However when the Spirits spotted the person trying to court Shiori, their faces were filled with consternation.

 
“What…!”

 
“Tobiichi...Origami!”

 
“...”

 
Origami paused for a moment when Tohka and the others appeared but immediately went back to fondling Shido’s body.

 
“Wait! What the hell are you doing!”

 
“Why are you continuing so casually!”

 
“I… I think this is not right…”

 
“Oh, it’s really mean to want to enjoy it by yourself.”

 
“Acknowledgement. Let Yuzuru and Kaguya also join.”

 
“I hate people who dress up as men to try to do naught things with Shiori-san!”

 
The Spirits shouted as they rushed into the alleyway together.

◇

 
“...I’m sorry.”

 
Two hours later, Shido managed to get back home and finally change back into his normal clothing and out of his Shiori form. He then bowed his head deeply to Kotori as he apologized.

 
“You… why are you suddenly apologizing to me…”

 
“...Today, I came to realize how hard girls’ lives are. I will not say anything in contempt of girls ever again. Please forgive me.”

 
“……Sorry.”

 
Kotori let a breath out through her nose after understanding what Shido said.

 
“That’s good to know… I have something to reflect on today. Something like this, I forgive you.”

 
After she finished speaking, Kotori looked away awkwardly. SHido raised his head and shook it slightly.

 
“No, I was being too impatient. I’m sorry, Kotori.”

 
“...? What are you apologizing for now? You just apologized—— ”

 
“Ah… it’s not about that. I mean… your outfit yesterday… you looked nice in it.”

 
“What…!”

 
After Shido finished speaking, Kotori’s face turned a bright shade of red.

 
“You… what do you think you’re getting at by saying this? I didn’t want you to praise me…!”

 
“I know… I meant to say it sooner but I forgot to say it. It doesn’t matter anymore…”

 
Kotori coughed a couple of times before she said, “But… in short… thank you… ”

 
“Yeah.”

 
After Shido nodded gently, he didn’t turn to face Kotori again as he let his body lean into the sofa.

 
“A-Anyway, don’t you have to prepare dinner?”

 
“Oh, right. I should get started…”

 
Shido smiled and stretched when he felt the phone in his pocket suddenly start vibrating.

 
“Huh…?”

 
Glancing at his phone’s screen, he spotted the name ‘Tonomachi Hiroto’ displayed on it. He was one of Shido’s friends from his class.

 
“—— Hello? Is this Tonomachi?”

 
[“Oh, Itsuka! How are you doing? I heard you caught the flu and ran a 56o C fever.”]

 
“Hey, wait a minute, where did you hear that from? Wouldn’t that sort of thing only happen in Gunma County?”

 
Despite the cooling sweat trailing down Shido’s forehead, Tonomachi simply continued leisurely:

 
[“Who cares about that? That kind of thing doesn’t really matter at all. By the way, Itsuka, I heard that girl, Shiori, who came to class today, is your cousin? So you should have her contact information, right?”]

 
“...I do know it, but I wouldn’t tell you.”

 
After hearing what what Shido said, Tonomachi let out a disappointed groan.

 
[“...Anyway, I...I didn’t call you just to ask for her number… well, I wanted that, just a little bit, but anyway! You can probably explain everything to Shiori! It’s big news!!”]

 
“What’s going on? What do you mean?”

 
[“Just search for ‘Izayoi Miku’ online! It’s the latest report! You’ll be surprised when you read it!”]

 
“What…?”

 
Shido didn’t understand what Tonomachi was talking about and frowned. But after asking for another explanation, Tonomachi only repeated the same thing over and over again. Shido could only reply perfunctorily, “I got it. I got it.” as he hung up.

 
“I don’t get it… what’s he talking about?”

 
It probably wasn’t a big deal but Shido was still curious about it. Using his phone to connect to the internet, he searched ‘Izayoi Miku’. The results——

 
“What…!”

 
Shido couldn’t help but gasp.

 
His reaction was understandable, of course. Because the first search result was displayed at the top of the page. It was a private photo of Miku that he’d suspect was taken by someone else.

 
But… next to her, it was Shido when he was in his Shiori form.

 
“This… when was this taken…!”

 
Shido’s eyes drifted and his trembling fingertips sought out the source of the information.

 
It seemed that the source was that some of Miku’s fans stumbled on them and started taking their pictures without permission. They had the bright idea to upload the image to a community website.

 
In just a few hours, it was reposted to all parts of the world and soon found its way onto various news websites.

 
However, things only got worse than that.

 
Most of the messages about this report were focused on Miku, however, he could see several posts about the mysterious girl that was photographed next to her, the number of which was not far off compared to Miku.

 
They all said something to the effect of:

 
“Who is that girl next to her?”

 
“Is she Miku’s friend?”

 
“Super cute.”

 
“Could she be a model, or perhaps she’s an idol too?”

 
“I’ve never seen her before?”

 
Wait…

 
In the end, some people even started editing Shiori’s picture. After editing and adding a dialogue box like in a comic, Shiori said their favorite phrases. Such processed pictures were circulating everywhere… and most of them were obscene. These words have given him the status of a small-scale Internet idol.

 
“T-This...is… what…”

 
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

 
When Shido’s body stiffened, Kotori seemed to notice the change in his condition and took a peek at the phone screen. A few seconds later, she burst out laughing.

 
“Pfft…! Hahaha! You sure are popular, Shiori!”

 
“I’ve...had it with… being a girl…”

 
Shido sighed, his energy depleted.