“Cute in a normal way.”
Thinking back, that date had been my chance. Before summer break, Ayai had invited me to hang out on the weekend. Back then, we could still manage our tepid conversations. We’d only superficially made up, and I wanted to come up with a way for us to return to how we used to be. Now, I knew that our last date had been my final chance to accomplish that.
Ayai had gotten all dressed up in an attempt to make clear to me that she wanted the same. What I had needed to do was simple. So painfully simple. But somehow, the words wouldn’t come out. It wouldn’t have been hard for me before. I shouldn’t have been embarrassed after all that time. But still, I clammed up. All I had to say were a few words, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t say that she looked cute.
Yume Irido
“We’ll be back later.”
“Okay, have fun!” mom said as I left the house with Mizuto, who’d been waiting by the door.
As soon as he saw me locking the door, he started walking. It seemed he had no intention of being a gentleman. Ugh. But I’d accounted for this possibility and had purposely worn more comfortable shoes than usual.
He was wearing a hoodie and khakis. It was a very informal outfit—business as usual for him. In contrast, I might not have put as much effort into my appearance as if we were going on a date, but I was still wearing a blouse, a long skirt, and a shawl around my shoulders for the fall vibe.
Looking at the difference in our attire, no one would have even thought we were on a date. We didn’t need to hide this outing from mom. After all, we were going to Madoka-san’s college to look at outfits for the cultural festival.
I caught up to Mizuto and walked by his side. “Is Madoka-san’s college far?” I asked.
“Distance-wise, yeah, but it won’t take too long if we catch the train.”
“The train, huh...”
“If you’re wondering about the fare, we’re taking it out of our class’s budget.”
“I’m not worried about the money!”
I’d been thinking back to the time we’d gone out together to get a present for Mother’s Day. We’d been stuffed inside a packed train and forced against each other. It was tourist season in Kyoto now, so there was no doubt that the trains would be packed today too. This is not a date, though. Well, it wasn’t a date, but I did have orders from Akatsuki-san.
I recalled our conversation.
“Okay, Yume-chan, the cultural festival is the perfect opportunity! The time you’ll spend preparing together will help to close the romantic distance between you two, and then you’ll have a great excuse to go on a date. In other words...”
“In other words?”
“There’s gonna be an explosion of girls who’re gonna hit on Irido-kun!” I flinched a little. “Well, then again, the rumor about him and Higashira-san is still around, so fortunately, that’ll probably give him some protection...but some’ll definitely go for it anyway.”
“B-But there’s no way he’d be interested in any rando girls who’re in it for their fifteen minutes of fame!”
“Uh, hello? Are you forgetting a certain rando girl who got her fifteen minutes of fame by the name of Higashira-san?” I groaned, knowing she was right. “And that’s why you’re gonna go on the offensive and slide into his DMs! You have the perfect opportunity in your hands. Now that both of you are committee members, you can go on dates with him without worrying about people thinking you’re trying to steal him from Higashira-san!”
“Wh-What am I supposed to do, though? And now there’s a slide involved? What even is a DM?”
Akatsuki-san giggled. “Allow me to educate you. What sliding into someone’s DMs basically boils down to is...”
“Yes?”
“Making the other person think that you like them.”
“I’m not sure how much more obvious I can make it. I already kissed him...”
“Well, uh... You got this, girl!” she cheered, in a tone that didn’t inspire any confidence.
She might have pretty much taken her hands off the reins at the end there, but Akatsuki-san had passed on to me the blueprint for the art of coquetry. For example, I could walk half a step closer to him. Try to casually brush against his hand or shoulder whenever I got the opportunity. And even look right into his eyes when we talked. Sure, if someone of the opposite sex or someone you had feelings for did these things to you, you might begin thinking that they’re interested in you.
“Uh, Akatsuki-san, by the way, could I ask you something?”
“What’s up?”
“Have you...ever done this before?” Her response was complete silence. “Akatsuki-san? Akatsuki-san?!”
I’d recently begun to realize that though Akatsuki-san had given me all sorts of advice that were really helpful and I was thankful for...her advice came from her time with the boy next door who doubled as her childhood friend. It didn’t exactly give her a wealth of experience to pull from. Technically speaking, wasn’t she essentially a novice?
Sure, I put more stock in her words than if she hadn’t had any experience at all, but, like, when she would talk about closing the distance between childhood friends by brushing up against them, it made me think... You’ve totally never done this before, have you? Like...
Then again, in terms of experience, I was certainly lacking as well. My middle school confession only worked out because I was lucky. I still had no clue why he’d agreed to go out with me. If I was to achieve more success than that unexplainable one in the past, it would behoove me to try everything I could.
At the very least, for now, I could try to close the distance between us by half a step. I shot him a side-glance to see if he was looking at me at all, but it didn’t seem like it. Seriously?! You’re a young guy! Do you not think of anything when a girl is this close to rubbing her shoulder against yours?! He was supposed to have reacted to this...according to Akatsuki-san. Now that I thought about it, though, was this small distance between us anything to fuss over?
We were living under the same roof. This short distance wasn’t nearly as stimulating as that. As proof, my heart wasn’t even pounding. We were already too close for this to work. I exhaled with disappointment.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing... Just a little bothered by all the people.”
I really wasn’t looking forward to what was to come.
We took the subway to Kyoto Station, then got on the Nara line before transferring to the Keihan Railway at Tofukuji. All we had to do was ride the semi-express down a few stations to get to one not too far from Madoka-san’s college.
There was no way for us to get lost. After all, after we exited the station, the entrance to her school’s campus was visible from just around the corner. Surprisingly, even though we were nearing the middle of September, her school was still on summer vacation. Maybe that explained why there were so few people around.
I noticed an elementary school beside the station. “I’m surprised there’s an elementary school nearby. Is it affiliated with the college?” I wondered.
“I doubt they have anything to do with each other, no.”
“I didn’t know schools could be so physically close to each other.”
“I’m pretty sure there’s a police school right by this campus too.”
“What?! Three schools?!”
I’d always heard that Kyoto had a lot of schools, but this was way too many.
The gates to the school were open. I first restlessly looked around before crossing the threshold into a college for the first time in my life. Oh wow, I’m really on a college campus.
“Are you trying to look suspicious?” Mizuto asked. “You’re gonna get arrested.”
“I-It’s not my fault! I’ve never been to a college before!”
“You’re making such a big deal over a school you’re not even attending.”
What’s your deal?! Would it kill you to share my amazement?! Mizuto found a map of the campus and nonchalantly walked towards it. His standoffish attitude pissed me off more than it got me down in the dumps. This might not have been a date, but he could’ve been more considerate!
Visibly annoyed, I stood next to Mizuto and looked at the map to find where we were supposed to meet Madoka-san.
“What was the building called again? The Kenshinkan?”
“Why do they all have to have such annoying-to-read names?” Mizuto grumbled.
It didn’t look the part, but the school had a Buddhist influence, so all the different names had roots in Buddhism. The fact that it had many buildings in the first place made it completely different from a middle school or high school.
We were scratching our heads as we tried to decipher the map when someone called out to us.
“Oh, there you guys are!” I knew this voice. “Heya!” Someone tapped me on the back.
I jumped a little and turned around to see an older girl in fashionable glasses grinning at us. She had on a lightly colored blouse with a flowing long skirt. From her appearance, you’d think she was a prim and proper lady, but that combined with the voluptuous mounds underneath her shirt made it clear beyond a doubt that this was the same Madoka Tanesato that I’d met a month ago.
“It’s been a hot minute! How ya been?”
“Hello, Madoka-san,” I greeted in return. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
“Thanks! I’m glad to see you’re doing well too, Yume-chan.” Then she trailed off as she surveyed my outfit. “Our styles match as usual, huh?”
“Oh.” Now that she mentioned it, we were wearing pretty similar outfits.
“S-Sorry. I completely forgot...”
“It’s all good! You’re not gonna be staying in those clothes for too long anyway.” She snickered.
As usual, in contrast to her subdued fashion style, Madoka-san was a bona fide socialite. Mizuto had yet to say a word, but I totally got why. I’d probably have done the same if I was the same person as I had been in middle school.
“Nice to see you too, Mizuto-kun! When was the last time we met up outside our grandparents’ place?”
“No clue. Maybe at some kind of memorial service.”
“Ah yeah, true. You’ve gotten so big!”
Unaffected by Mizuto’s standoffish attitude, she smiled. What a grown-up. But also, what did she mean by he’s “gotten so big”? He couldn’t have possibly grown that much in a month.
“Well anyway, let’s get movin’! The costumes are in the club room!”
Just as Madoka-san moved closer, she linked arms with me as if we did it all the time. As she did, my arm sunk into her voluptuous chest. Even as a girl, I couldn’t help but gasp.
The hard sensation from her bra was enough to get my heart racing. Is this the power of F-cups? If so, I really wondered how Mizuto felt with Higashira-san’s G-cups always pressing against him. How could he always look so calm? Did he have no libido?!
I didn’t seem to be able to break free at all as we walked through the basically deserted campus grounds. We were cutting through the plaza that had a stage and café when Madoka-san leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“So, Yume-chan, how are things going?”
“What things?”
“Y’know, things. That whole ‘Higashira-san girl being Mizuto-kun’s girlfriend’ thing? All our relatives think they’re actually dating, but they’re not, right?”
“Yeah...they’re not...but...”
“My, oh, my. There’s a lot goin’ on there, huh?”
I glanced back at Mizuto, who was walking behind us in silence, before continuing. I briefly told her about what had happened recently and how the rumor about the two of them dating had spread to our relatives and school. At this point, their “relationship” was publicly accepted.
“Wow, well that’s, uh... That’s rough.”
“You can say that again...” Calling it “rough” was the best way to summarize this entire ordeal.
“So you’re trying to use the cultural festival to turn things around? Look at you go!”
“W-Well, my friend was the one who came up with the idea.”
“Oh? Your friend’s quite the smart cookie. I bet we’d get along great!”
True, Madoka-san might have been able to get along with Akatsuki-san as a fellow extrovert, but Madoka-san was much worse at setting the stage for shenanigans. Despite that, they were united in being fearless.
We passed through the large, tall gates, taking us outside for a bit. The building that had the clubrooms in it was detached from the rest of the school. We walked over a crosswalk and into a beautiful, modern-looking building.
“Are you in the theater club, Madoka-san? I couldn’t really get a clear answer from mom.”
“I’m not officially in any club. But I guess, since my boyfriend’s in the theater club. I help out from time to time. I guess you could say I’m kinda like a reserve member.”
“Wait, so is it okay for us to be borrowing costumes then?”
“Yeah, no worries. I already talked to the club about it. We’re all friends, so as long as you bring ’em back, you can borrow ’em for free.”
Wow. Spoken like a true socialite.
“But still...” I hesitated.
Madoka-san giggled and brought her mouth close to my ear. “Don’t use it for anything dirty though, okay? Don’t let ’em get stained.”
“O-Of course I won’t! I wasn’t even thinking about that!”
How could I even pull that off in the first place? I was already pretty confident I could get through cosplaying, but anything more than that and I... Ugh...
Madoka-san led us up some stairs and through a hall with doors on either side. I could hear people laughing. Though I was naturally a little curious, Madoka-san didn’t pay them any mind and headed straight to the theater club room. I briefly wondered if colleges still called a place like this a “clubroom” before walking into a messy room. Manga magazines were strewn about, empty plastic bottles littered the desks, and piles of cardboard sat against the wall. Yeah, I thought, this really does feel like a clubroom!
“Costumes are in the boxes over there. Go ahead and look.”
“Uh... Is it okay to store them like this?”
“Not at all, but it costs money to rent a closet,” Madoka-san said as she opened a box that had “Costumes” scrawled on it in marker.
There were a wide variety of theatrical costumes packed inside. I guess it makes sense for them all to be theatrical-looking since they use them in plays.
“Hm... I thought these would’ve been a little better organized, but they really just shoved ’em in here. Yume-chan, Mizuto-kun, help me sort these.”
“Okay!” I replied while Mizuto just quietly opened up a box.
You could at least be a little more friendly to your relative. What we needed were costumes that could be used in a cosplay café. It’d be best to have some kind of clear theme in order to increase our class’s appeal. Simply using clothes people didn’t see every day wasn’t enough. It had to be something easily recognizable but also enticing.
“Oh! Heh heh. Hey, Yume-chan, what about this?” Madoka-san grinned as she showed me something she’d picked out.
At first, I honestly thought it was cute. It had a waitress-like apron combined with a short-sleeved blouse. It really gave off a European vibe. But looking closely at it...
“Uh... I-Isn’t the chest area a little too...exposed?”
The way the neckline opened wasn’t normal. It would fully show the cleavage of the person wearing it.
“This is called a dirndl, Yume-chan. It’s a traditional German outfit.”
“O-Oh, really?”
“Yep! They wear them even now during festivals. It’s kinda like their version of kimono, so it’s cultural. Not dirty at all. It shows the same amount of cleavage as a swimsuit, so it’s totes not dirty.”
“You clearly think it’s dirty with the way you’re talking!”
“Why don’t you try it on? It’s a cultural festival, right? So how about German culture, huh?” Madoka-san said, pushing the dirndl towards me and sneering. Not a chance! Those eyes are lewd!
“No,” Mizuto firmly stated while putting his arm in between Madoka-san and me. “It doesn’t matter if it’s traditional wear or whatever. That amount of exposure isn’t gonna fly with the management. So, not this outfit,” Mizuto declared, emphasizing his argument point by point.
Madoka-san blinked at him for a bit before her lips curled into a smile. “Ohhh, is that so?” she said as she put the dirndl away. “Okay, I hear you loud and clear. I see your point. You wouldn’t want to expose Yume-chan to who knows how many people in that outfit.”
Mizuto paused before responding. “Please help us find costumes that won’t be rejected due to indecent exposure.” Then, he returned to opening boxes.
Uh, did that make you mad? You don’t want me wearing anything too exposing? Oh no, I feel like I’m about to grin. Is this why he immediately vetoed anything too exposing during our talk with Akatsuki-san? Because he wants to protect me? Oh my god...
“All righty, Yume-chan, let’s find a costume that won’t piss Mizuto-kun off.” Madoka-san snickered.
“Oh, wait,” I said, stopping Madoka-san from putting away the dirndl completely.
“Hm? What’s the matter? Do you wanna wear it?” Madoka-san asked, noticing me staring at the garment.
“N-No, not me...” Higashira-san could really pull this off. She’d look really good in this. “I was wondering...”
“Hm?”
“Can we borrow costumes for personal use?”
Madoka-san tilted her head. “You can’t use them for anything dirty, remember?”
“I-I’m not.”
Having Higashira-san wear clothes that exposed her cleavage wasn’t dirty! Probably!
I undid the buttons on my blouse. At this very moment, I was getting undressed in a room I’d never been in. Not a particularly comfortable situation, especially considering how Mizuto was right next door.
“Your body is still as perfectly slender as ever, Yume-chan. And your skin’s so silky-smooth. So this is what high school girls are like these days, huh?”
Madoka-san, who had already stripped down to her underwear, inspected my body as if she were some kind of judge. Underneath her modest outfit was a matching pair of lacy red undergarments. Wow. This goes beyond “adult”—this is what a girl would wear specifically to show someone else.
“Madoka-san...do you normally wear underwear like this?” I asked nervously.
She laughed loudly. “Of course not! They barely ever match, even. I just...plan to show them to someone today, that’s all.”
“D-Does that mean...” Was she talking about me? Or someone else that she’d meet up with later on?
Smiling suggestively, she unhooked the front of her bra and asked, “Yeah, what does it mean?”
We were in the process of trying on some costumes we’d picked out. Since we had to get a majority vote from our class first before deciding on costumes, Mizuto and I had decided to try some on and take pictures so everyone could pick later. Mizuto would be the model for the guys, and I would be the model for the girls.
Since there was another room right next door to the clubroom, Madoka-san and I moved here, and left the clubroom as his changing room. For the record, Madoka-san had blurted out that she wanted to try some costumes on too, so that’s why she was here with me. Moreover, she was trying on the skimpy costume that both Mizuto and I had rejected. It was so lacking in fabric, in fact, that you couldn’t even wear a bra with it.
“Hm...”
The first costume I put on was a standard maid outfit. It had a longer skirt than the kinds you’d normally see in manga and anime, going all the way down to my ankles. Even I wouldn’t be embarrassed about wearing this. The frilly headdress was a little much, though...
“Oh, nice! So cute! Go and match up with Mizuto-kun!”
“What is that supposed to mea—”
Madoka-san pushed me out the door, where I found Mizuto, who was wearing a butler outfit. His slender, curveless body was well emphasized by the tight black clothes.
“Oh! Yes! So much yes!” Madoka-san said excitedly while snapping photo after photo on her phone.
As she did, I shot glances at a grimacing Mizuto. He did look good. If he were to style his hair, just a little, then... Wait! Isn’t this my chance to flirt with him? If I compliment him, maybe he’ll be more conscious of me. O-Okay. I’ll do it.
“H-Hey...”
“Hm?”
“You...look good.”
I did it! Sure, I hadn’t said it in as clear as a voice I’d liked to, but still, the words had come out. For me, this was a success. After hearing what I said, he paused for a moment before responding.
“Thanks.”
That’s it?! I was fighting for my life trying to compliment him, and all I got was a “Thanks”?! Where the heck was my compliment?! It’s common courtesy to say that the other person looks good too! Grr... You’re an otaku—why aren’t you reacting to the maid outfit?!
“Madoka-san! Let’s try on the next one!”
“Sure! You’re so into this now!”
“Yeah!”
I wore a cheongsam after that. Naturally, the dress slit meant there’d be a decent amount of leg exposure, but Madoka-san suggested wearing skin-colored tights for my comfort. There was just one problem...we didn’t have any skin-colored tights! And so, I had no choice but to wear it with my bare legs exposed.
How’s this?! I thought as I stood before Mizuto with my bold Chinese-style outfit.
“Hm.”
That’s it?! What is his problem?! Exposing my legs got me so embarrassed that I would even wear tights with our school’s uniform! How could that be his only reaction to seeing my bare legs?! Afterwards, I also tried on an áo dài, a witch costume, and many other outfits, but none of them worked. I didn’t even get real words, just a collection of unimpressed grunts.
“Man, you look cute in everything you wear.”
Madoka-san, who was currently wearing a belly dancer-esque outfit that resembled a swimsuit with a veillike thin cloth, was by far the most excited person here. When someone as voluptuous as Madoka-san wore an outfit like that, it felt like her taking even a step out of the room would be a crime, but Mizuto didn’t react to her at all. Madoka-san was also impressive in the sense that she seemed to have no problem crossing her porcelain thighs, completely exposing them, as she nonchalantly went through all the pictures she’d taken.
“This reminds me of how cute you looked in your yukata. Long black hair and Japanese clothes are a match made in heaven!”
“Well...regardless of whether that’s true or not... Japanese clothes might not be a bad idea. They’re low on exposure too.”
“True, the PTA might be more willing to okay them. Hm, do we have a shrine maiden outfit lying around somewhere?” Madoka-san got on all fours and dug through a box. W-Watch where you’re sticking your butt. I can pretty much see everything!
“Ah.” As I tried to block Mizuto’s vision, Madoka-san pulled something out. “Here we go! How about this?”
“Is this...”
It looked like a kimono, but only the top half. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised to discover that it was a shirt made to look like a kimono. In addition, Madoka-san also held pants that resembled hakama.
“How to explain... Oh, I know. I have pictures from last year’s cultural festival!” Madoka-san flipped through her phone and turned the screen to me. “Here we go!” There was a girl up on a stage. The top half of her outfit was a red, vibrant kimono, while the bottom half was a dark brown hakama, and on her feet were...boots?
“So cute!”
“I know, right? I think this style’s called Taisho Roman. I’m pretty into it myself!”
It was a cross of Japanese and Western styles. Cute but also cool while keeping skin exposure to the minimum. To put it plainly, this would draw people in. This might be the best one so far. It definitely wouldn’t get shot down. Plus, it felt like cosplay and had a solid concept. Most of all, though, there was probably no way that any of the other classes would be able to get these kinds of costumes together, so there wouldn’t be any overlap.
“Are there guy outfits too?” I asked.
“Yeah, here you go,” Madoka-san said, swiping to the next picture.
“Shosei-style!”
The combination of kimono, hakama, student hat, and cloak was the very definition of the Shosei-style, the standard wear of male students in the Taisho era.
“Nice, right?”
“Yes!” I emphatically nodded in agreement.
The intelligence that this look exuded completely overruled any fondness I had for the butler outfit. So good! So, so good! The only problem now was whether the other committee member would be okay with it. I slowly turned to Mizuto and hesitantly opened my mouth.
“What...do you think?”
“Well... It definitely checks all the boxes.”
Hm? This was the most positively he’d reacted to anything so far. He might not have said it in so many words, but maybe he felt like we’d found our answer.
“Well, how about you try it on, for starters? Mizuto, you too!”
Huh?! Oh, right, we need to take pictures. I gulped as I began changing. M-Mizuto’s going to wear those cool Shosei-style clothes?
Fortunately, though my outfit resembled a kimono, it wasn’t nearly as difficult to put on. The size was also easy to adjust. Finally, I tapped the tips of the boots to check how they felt.
“Let’s put your hair up a bit,” Madoka-san said, taking a part of my hair and tying it behind my head, pinning it in place with a hairpin. I had the same half-up hairstyle as Madoka-san. Like this, I looked a lot more like a girl from the Taisho era.
“Very nice! Very stylish!”
Madoka-san’s compliments made me feel good. I shook my body side to side, and tried swinging my hair, sleeves, and hem of the hakama. Seeing my silhouette didn’t feel real. I almost didn’t believe it was me—like I was fawning over a doll. It wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as the other outfits either. And since it was designed for use in plays, it was easy to move around in. But most importantly, it was cute.
“How many of these are there, Madoka-san?”
“You like it?”
“Well, yeah... I do...”
“There are probably four or five of the girls’ costumes. Combine that with the guys’, and you should have enough for the people working the café.”
In that case, it all depended on how the guys’ costumes looked. I was already positive that it’d be fine, though. After all, I’d seen that guy more than I’d seen anyone else over this past half year. I already have a good idea what will and won’t look good on him without him needing to wear it. We knocked on the door and returned to the room where Mizuto had changed.
I practically squealed when I saw him, but Madoka-san shouted like an action manga character, drowning me out. Madoka-san, her eyes twinkling, ran up to Mizuto as he turned to look at us with a calm expression.
“M-Mizuto-kun?! What? It really is you! It really is the same small but cute Mizuto-kun!”
“How old do you think I am?” Mizuto sighed, annoyed.
He was wearing the same kimono, hakama, and hat from the picture I’d just seen. It’s good. It’s really good. I’d been right in my assumption. The Shosei-style outfit really worked with his slender body and intelligent aura. I... I don’t think I can...
“B-Book! Mizuto-kun, hold a book under your arm! An old Japanese book with the binding and stuff! There should be one in the prop box! Yes! Yes! That’s it! Hm... Something feels like it’s missing, though.”
“G-Glasses! Madoka-san, glasses!”
“That’s it!”
Madoka-san and I excitedly rummaged through props to find fake glasses. When he put them on, Madoka-san was pretty much blown away. Though I didn’t join her in her excited screams, I felt exactly the same.
Madoka-san covered her mouth with both of her hands and began trembling. “C-Cute... C-Cool... Cu... Coo... I can’t hide how shaken I am that my relative had this much potential, Mizuto-kun!”
“You’re overreacting, Madoka-san.” Mizuto sighed. “This is nothing to write home about.”
“Oh, that formal tone is perfection!”
I was furiously nodding in agreement. He looked good as a private tutor, but this was also good. Really, really good! I had no words. I couldn’t come up with any way to describe this!
“C-Could you two stand next to each other real quick? C’mon!”
“Huh?”
Madoka-san grabbed us by the shoulders and lined us up next to each other. W-Wait, don’t get so close! I’m gonna die!
“Yes! This is so good... This is Taisho. This is really Taisho! Get closer to each other!” Madoka-san said very excitedly while snapping photo after photo.
Glancing at Mizuto, I froze up. Our shoulders were just barely not touching. The brim of his hat cast a shadow on his juvenile face, giving his expression a somber feel. I had to hold myself back from screaming in delight. M-My face! I don’t think I can keep a straight face!
“I think you guys got it! Your school’s cultural festival’s open to the public, right? I’ll be there for sure!”
Now that her impromptu photo shoot had ended, I moved away from Mizuto. To help my heart calm down, I took a deep breath and exhaled. Then I saw Madoka-san beckoning me over. Hm? Does she need something? I walked up to her.
“Look at this. It’s the best one I took!” she said, showing me her phone.
On it was a red-faced girl glancing at the guy next to her. My emotions are written all over my face! I became so distracted by how weak my defenses were that I didn’t notice a certain something until Madoka-san pointed it out.
“Look here,” she said, snickering. Mizuto had been glancing at me too. “He might not have said it out loud, but I think he really liked it.”
I immediately hid my mouth with the sleeve of the kimono. I can’t hold back anymore. I can’t stop myself from smiling!
“U-Um, could you...”
“I know. I’ll send it to you, okay?”
I thanked her in a soft voice. Then, I looked at Mizuto, who seemed to be feigning ignorance. The more I thought about it—whether when he had blocked the idea of more risqué clothes or right now—there was something about him that made me have a lurking suspicion... Could he possibly be interested in me?
After changing back into our normal clothes and putting everything away, Madoka-san invited us to tour the rest of the college since we were already here. An opportunity like this didn’t come every day, so I took her up on her offer. Mizuto, on the other hand, voiced his desire to go home, but ultimately, he ended up walking around with us.
Madoka-san showed us around the gym, cafeteria, lecture halls, and even gave us a quick peek into the library. After all that, we took a break at the central plaza’s café. I didn’t feel too strongly about cafés, but being in a college one felt extremely interesting. I felt so out of place until I sat across from Madoka-san.
“Scooch in more.”
Anything that’d been on my mind until then was replaced by Mizuto sitting next to me. H-He’s choosing to sit next to me even though there’s an open seat next to Madoka-san?! No, calm down! It was only logical that he’d feel more comfortable around his stepsister than his cousin. That had to be it. Argh! I can’t stop my mind from wandering, though!
Madoka-san picked up the menu. “What do you want? They have cake and stuff at fair prices! Order whatever you want!”
Hm, what should I do? We’re going to have dinner, so it’s probably best to get something light. “Oh, the cake and parfait both look good...”
“I’m probably just gonna get a coffee,” Madoka-san said. “What about you, Mizuto-kun?”
“I’ll have black tea...and this cake.”
“Huh?”
He was pointing at the cake I was thinking about getting.
“I’ll get the cake, and you can get the parfait. As long as we share, we’ll get to try both. Sound good?” he said nonchalantly.
“Oh... Y-Yeah. True.” What? That’s so nice! I-Is he my boyfriend? Are we going out?!
“Interesting...” Madoka-san’s eyes sparkled in response to Mizuto’s suggestion.
I knew it! She’s reacting too! I knew this wasn’t just me making things up! He has a thing for me! He totally does! No wait, calm down. This was Mizuto we were talking about. He might have just been particular about what he ate. Yeah. That had to be it...right?
Not too long after, a parfait was served to me and a cake to Mizuto. The parfait wasn’t too big, so it made for a perfect snack. The ice cream on top wasn’t too sweet and actually had some sourness to it. Hm, I might’ve preferred if it were sweeter.
“How is it?” Mizuto asked expressionlessly before taking a bite of the chocolate cake and then pushing the plate over to me. In return, I slid the parfait over to him.
“Huh? Aren’tcha gonna feed each other?” Madoka-san asked, a wide grin on her face.
Sure, that’s something people did when sharing food, but there was no way that he’d ever do anything so flirty in front of people—especially his relative. But then again, maybe with how he was acting today, he might actually...
“No,” he said flatly. Yeah... I don’t know what I was hoping for. “That’s not something you do in public.”
Hearing these words made my brain stop working for a little.
Madoka-san looked at him, puzzled. “Huh? That makes it sounds like you would do it in private.”
“I’ll leave it to your imagination,” he replied. Huh? Wh-Why isn’t he flat out rejecting the idea? Usually, he’d get all sulky and say— “What’s wrong, Yume? You’re spacing out.”
“Huh? N-No, I-I’m just thinking... Y-You know how it is. Calories and all that!” I said frantically as he looked at me. H-He’s worrying about me? He really is nicer than usu—
“Oh. Even you care about that kinda stuff, huh?”
“Huh? What do you mean by ‘even you’?!”
“You laze around and eat snacks, so I didn’t think you were worried about your weight.”
“I-I don’t...not eat snacks, but I definitely don’t laze around!”
Are you going to be nice or mean? Pick a lane!
The sun had begun to set by the time we were done exploring the campus. Since we needed to get back home soon and Madoka-san had plans, we decided to go our separate ways, so we left the school by the gate closest to the station.
Madoka-san pulled out her phone to check the time. “We’re going out for drinks with friends in Kiyamachi, and my boyfriend should be coming to pick me up soon... Oh, there he is.”
A car pulled up a little bit away from us. Madoka-san waved to the guy sitting in the driver’s seat. So that’s her boyfriend? He wasn’t right in front of me, so I couldn’t really tell, but he seemed kinda...tired.
“Okay, kids, it was fun. I’m looking forward to your cultural festival!” Madoka-san said before jogging towards the car. She stopped by the driver’s side window to say thanks before circling around to sit in the passenger’s seat. She waved to us as the car sped off, quickly disappearing into the distance. Somehow, the idea of getting around in your boyfriend’s car felt extremely mature. As I silently watched them disappear, I felt impressed.
“They’re going out for drinks, right?” Mizuto asked.
“Huh? Yeah, that’s what she said.”
“But he can’t drink because he’s the designated driver, right?”
I fell silent. Madoka-san had said that losers were her type, but...she was a real slave driver. Or maybe... I began thinking about the underwear I’d seen when we were changing. Was she planning on letting loose while keeping her boyfriend sober?
Then I started imagining Madoka-san slovenly laying on the bed, her body wrapped in her fancy, wine-red underwear. But I quickly stopped my mind from wandering any further. Though we might not have been blood related, I couldn’t help but feel that having those kinds of fantasies about my cousin was very awkward!
At any rate, the two of us crossed the street and walked to the station. The distance between us was the same as normal—just about a half step. Business as usual. We didn’t even really talk. I had no doubt that today would end the same way that it would’ve half a year ago.
But...I didn’t want things to be the same as always. I had Akatsuki-san’s support and Mizuto had been...just a little more considerate than usual. So...it would be fine. It definitely would be okay to try something.
“So...” I pushed myself forward as the words spilled out of my mouth. “Was I... U-Uh, wait. No. The clothes I wore today! Were they...cute?”
I had a chance to succeed. Thinking back, the picture that Madoka-san had taken of us—the gaze it captured from him—told me what he really thought, deep down. So even if he said anything mean now—
“It was normal.” See? It’s like against his nature to be honest about anyth— “Cute in a normal way.”
Huh? “Huh?”
“Crap.” Mizuto quickly covered his mouth. “W-Wait a second! Wait! I said that wrong.”
“Said what wrong?”
“Well... Dammit! My brain’s messed up. This is all because I had to do something I’m not used to...”
He began grumbling and quickened his pace as if to run away from me. I sped up too while a smile spread across my face. I’m happy. So, so happy! More than the compliment itself, I was happy that I was able to honestly accept it. Listen. I like you, okay? I like you, okay? I said these not with words, but with the gaze I shot into his back as he walked in front of me. I wasn’t about to tell him that just yet, but someday...someday I would. For sure.
Mizuto Irido
After we got back home, I remembered what Kawanami had told me.
“Listen up, Irido. You don’t have to do anything flashy. Just change your words and actions a little.”
My goal was to confirm Yume’s feelings. To do that, I had to make some moves on her. Both Kawanami and Isana had emphasized that today’s excursion was the best chance to do that.
“Be a little nicer—a little more manly. Just a little. That’s all you need to do. Surprisingly, that’ll be enough to hook her,” Kawanami had said.
“Indeed!” Isana had chimed in. “Mizuto-kun is always cold, so acting marginally kinder would make him seem completely different!”
“How nice, Casanova.”
Everything I’d done today had been at the behest of those two. I hadn’t made moves on Yume of my own volition. There was no way I’d ever fall for her again. But...
“It’s simple. I’m not tellin’ you to lay on the praises and call her cute or anything,” Kawanami had said.
“I said too much...” I lamented in the present.
I’d completely messed up. I did something they hadn’t told me to do. What a mistake. A complete, utter failure. I had absolutely no reason at this point in time to call her cute.
Yume Irido
When I showed the sample picture of the Taisho outfits to the girls in the class, they all excitedly squealed.
“Ohmigod, cute!”
“C-C-C-C-C-C-Cuuuuuuuute!!!” Akatsuki-san’s reaction really stood out from all of them.
“Akki broke!” Maki-san said.
“Down. Down, Minami-chan.” Nasuka-san said.
Both of them were trying to restrain the heavily panting Akatsuki-san. I was starting to feel like I was kind of in danger, so I took a step back.
“That’s so nice! Wow, it’s so good!”
“I wanna wear it too! I don’t think I’ll look as good as Irido-san though...”
“Totally. Me too!”
I was pretty sure this was all just because the outfits were really well made, but it also embarrassed me. I hadn’t shown them the important picture yet, though.
“Are there any guys in our class who would look good in these?”
“Yeah, the Shosei look, right? They’d need to look smart.”
“Can’t really think of anyone like that who’s smart, cool, and slender...”
The more they talked, the more that the girls began gradually looking in a certain direction where a guy who was ignoring his surroundings while reading a book—who was slender and had some of the best grades in the year—was sitting. I tried my best but failed to stop myself from grinning like an idiot. I’d been waiting for this. I swiped on my phone to show Mizuto in the Shosei costume.
“Whoa!!!”
There was a resounding scream of excitement, filling me with a strange sense of superiority. Mizuto had a disgusted expression on his face as he looked at us from his seat. It was settled. The activity we would submit for approval would be Taisho-Era Café.
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