My Stepsister is My Ex-Girlfriend - Volume 8 - Chapter 4

Aisa’s Seriousness

The Perfect Excuse

Tohdo Hoshibe

I messed up my shoulder right after entering high school. I was doing a layup—a completely ordinary shot that I’d done a million times before. I instantly switched from dribbling to taking a shot. My feet lifted off the ground as I reached out to the hoop. Suddenly, my body was overtaken with pain.

The distance between the hoop and me grew more and more. All I could do was look up at the unmoving net, unable to try and reach out to it again. It took me a moment before I could even realize what was going on. My mind couldn’t make the connection between the agony from the intense pain and the fact that I was crawling on the ground. It’s far... The hoop’s so far away. It’d always been just within reach for me, but now it seemed like a distant dream.

It took until summer for my treatment to end. Of course, that meant that I missed the tournament. The Rakuro Basketball Team was already on the weaker side, so they easily got knocked out in the second round.

All I could do was watch them lose from the bench. As I did, my upperclassmen told me that it was okay, because I still had two more years. They were right. It was the right thing for them to say to cheer me up. They offered warm words to me, the first-year who couldn’t really participate in their practice.

But...it was far. The backboard, the hoop, the net—they were all way too far. Everything felt so out of reach.

When summer vacation rolled around, there was apparently a new practice regimen, but at that point, I couldn’t even bring myself to go to the gymnasium. My shoulder should’ve been fine, but it still ached. When I tried to raise my arm, I practically relived the pain from that day.

Every time I tried to head to the gym, I immediately stopped. The gymnasium that I’d gone to day after day felt insurmountably far away, as though it were a different world entirely.

What if I overdo it and make my shoulder even worse? If this injury were to affect my quality of life in general, that’d destroy the rest of my life. Was it really so necessary to keep playing basketball that I’d risk everything?

Be smart. It’s not like I was serious about basketball past middle school. That’s why I’d chosen a school without a good basketball team, one that excelled in academics instead. Yeah, this is a good opportunity to move on.

If anything, I should’ve welcomed this chance to move forward instead of continuing to do something half-assed. There were a ton of things I wanted to do instead of basketball.

After a week of skipping practice, I’d managed to come up with concrete reasoning to back up my decision. This wasn’t a setback, but a way to move on. I pretended that it wasn’t because I didn’t have the guts to try and make up for lost time. Then, with that, I quit the team. Not too soon after, I was invited to the student council.

A Little Calorie Dense for a Morning Conversation

Yume Irido

I stared at the unfamiliar wood ceiling for a few seconds until it finally registered in my head that I was on a trip. I groaned slightly as I got up. I’d yet to put in my contacts, so I looked around at the blurry room and waited for my mind to fully boot up.

“Morning, Yume-kun.” I turned around to the source of the serene voice and saw President Kurenai sitting in a chair in the rest space.

Though she hadn’t changed out of her yukata, she’d already done her hair. There wasn’t a single strand out of place. She was sitting by the window, the soft rays of the sun caressing her skin as she leisurely sipped on a cup of black tea. Maybe this was part of her morning routine. This was something that I only envisioned aristocrats doing, but it looked completely natural when she did it.

“Good...morning,” I said with a yawn.

“You’re the first one awake. Is this when you usually get up?”

“Well...” I glanced at the clock and saw it was about seven in the morning. “Yeah...I’m always up around this time.”

“Very good adherence to schedule. Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Oh...yes. Thank you.”

I got out of my futon and weaved around the others to join President Kurenai. On the way, I combed my hair with my hand, trying to fix it. By the time I sat myself down in front of her, there was already a steaming cup of tea in front of me.

“Thank you very much.”

As I took a sip, the warmth from the tea washed across my head, clearing the fog. I exhaled with relief and placed the cup down.

“Um,” I began, “how long have you been awake?”

“Hm? Since about five or so. It’s been a while since I’ve slept so soundly.”

Sorry...what? Didn’t we all go to bed around twelve? You only slept five hours? Despite that, she didn’t look tired at all. She really did seem to be the type of person who didn’t need a lot of sleep. Compared to her... I took a glance at the rest of the people in our room.

“How unladylike...” I couldn’t help but wryly smile at the disastrous scene before me.

As expected, Asuhain-san was cutely and peacefully sleeping in her futon, but the other three were a different story. Various limbs were sticking out of Akatsuki-san’s futon. Higashira-san’s boobs were on the verge of spilling out of her messy yukata. As for Aso-senpai, well, she was hugging her comforter as if it were a body pillow, and her panties were clearly visible.

“The guys can never see this...”

“Good thinking to have two separate rooms, right?” President Kurenai said.

“Agreed.”

Their sleeping postures were horrendous. Plus, they were all braless. It made sense for Akatsuki-san and Aso-senpai because they were...slender, but I couldn’t imagine that it was comfortable for Higashira-san every time she tossed and turned. According to her, she usually followed her mother’s strict instruction to wear one when she slept, but she really didn’t want to. I completely understood where she was coming from.

“What do you have planned for today, Yume-kun?”

Her question was so sudden that I had to take a second to gather my thoughts. “Um...if I remember right, we’re all going to Harborland today, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but we haven’t decided how we’ll all split up just yet,” she said with a cryptic smile. “I was just wondering if you had someone you wanted to walk around with.”

“Huh?”

D-Does she know? I really want to go with Mizuto, but I’m sure that he’s going to want to go with Higashira-san so he can look after her. Plus, after what happened in the foot baths... Urgh! All he did was touch my hand a little! Why do I feel like we did something extremely dirty?! I even ran away from him last night because of that! It must be because of the heart-to-heart discussion the girls had in the bath right before that.

“What about you?” I asked, trying to shift things away from me. “You’re planning to go with Haba-senpai, I’m guessing?”

“Hm? Uh, well...” This was one of the few times that I’d ever seen her get flustered, even a little. Something happened!

“This is a good opportunity to share what happened, don’t you think?” I said, fishing for information. “I might even be able to help you out.”

“I’m...not very keen on flaunting my embarrassment.”

“I have something I’m embarrassed about too, so let’s both share. That way we’ll be even!”

With that, I shared the events of yesterday and how Mizuto touched my hand in a kinda dirty way.

“Is that...it?” Huh? Why is her reaction so muted? She tilted her head in confusion.

For some reason, I felt the need to quickly counter. “H-He didn’t just touch me. He, like...burrowed in between my fingers and was, like, tempting me or something.”

“Pfft.”

“D-Did you just laugh at me?! Are you looking down on me?!”

“How rude of me. I’m sorry—it was just very...adorable.”

Wh-What? Why is she acting so calm? Like I’ve got nothing on her? What happened between her and Haba-senpai?!

“So, last night...” she began explaining.

She didn’t hide how elated she was as she talked all about what had transpired. After she’d been forced to wear the bunny suit as a penalty, she’d gone to meet Haba-senpai without changing. She had managed to get him in the mood, apparently, but had returned to our room without actually doing anything.

“See? That’s why I couldn’t help but laugh at how you were fussing over a little hand-holding.”

“Um...President Kurenai?”

“Yes?”

“Your story’s nice and all, but in the end, isn’t it just a story about you wussing out?”

She fell silent.

“I’m right, aren’t I? Even though you’re usually so aggressive, you freaked out when it was actually go time. Ultimately, the story is about the student council president—the very same one who is lauded as the biggest prodigy our school’s ever seen—freaking out and running away.”

“Sh-Shut up! There’s a place for everything, and that wasn’t it. Would you want to lose your virginity by the vending machines? A place where anyone could pass by at any second?!”

“Aren’t you the one who seduced him there, though?!”

“I’d rather not be lectured by a person seduced by the most banal of activities!”

Urk! Th-That hurts. As I steadied my breathing, I remembered something I wanted to ask. First, I made sure to confirm that nobody was awake yet.

Then, I lowered my voice. “So, I’ve been wondering...”

“Yes?”

“You know how you’re always seducing Haba-senpai? Well, if things did end up going in that direction, are you prepared? Like...are you protected? Do you have that kind of stuff?”

President Kurenai clammed up. Does that mean...?

“So...no?”

“Isn’t it immodest for girls to be carrying around those kinds of things?”

“I think it’s more that you’re not ready. You’re probably always thinking that there’s no way he’ll actually go along with your advances.”

“Stop throwing logic in my face! I’m the upperclassman here, you know?!”

As soon as we got into this topic, I could see her shrinking back, so I couldn’t help but tease her a little more than I should’ve. Well, there was that, and I felt this was a good opportunity to give her a good talking-to.

“Wouldn’t it be better to try and make sure you have everything ready? You know now that Haba-senpai is definitely interested.”

“Where should I be...keeping it?”

“I’m...not too sure myself. Maybe in your wallet?”

“Sh-Shouldn’t the guy be carrying one around?”

“You’re always throwing yourself at him—when exactly is he going to have a chance to get one?!”

President Kurenai groaned as if in pain, her face getting red. I knew why she felt hesitant, but also, it would be a huge scandal if the student council president herself got pregnant.

“F-Fine... I’ll get some...eventually.”

“Eventually?”

“Eventually!” she practically screamed.

Suddenly, we heard a cute groan, making us jump and turn around. Asuhain-san was moving around in her futon. She’s awake? She sleepily opened her eyes and looked at us. She didn’t hear our conversation...right?

“Good...morning...”

Judging from her voice, she must have just woken up this second. But just in case, I decided to ask her.

“G-Good morning, Asuhain-san. Did you catch any of our conversation?”

“Huh? What conversation...?”

“We’re going over the itinerary for today! Is there anywhere you’d like to go to?” President Kurenai said, smoothly covering our tracks.

Asuhain-san rubbed her eyes. “Not in particular...”

I quickly exchanged a look with President Kurenai. We’re in the clear!

“Oh! Okay, no problem!”

“Let’s ask the others! Help me wake them up!”

“Okay...”

Phew...that was close. I had no idea what’d happen if Asuhain-san, someone who hated guys, heard what the person she revered like a god was up to. Thinking about it now with a clear head, this certainly wasn’t a topic we should’ve been having first thing in the morning. Then again, the conversation felt important. Wait...should I be prepared too? N-No way, right? I don’t think Mizuto would ever impulsively throw himself onto me. In the first place, I’m not as direct with my approach as President Kurenai is! But more importantly...I’ve been struggling to even look at him without running away.

As I had these thoughts, I helped wake up Higashira-san and Akatsuki-san while also trying to fix their clothes from their disheveled, immodest state. How did their obis get this loose just from sleeping?

After going through all that, all six of us were finally awake and getting ready for the day. As we were confirming the schedule, Aso-senpai spoke up, determination in her voice. “I have a favor I’d like to ask you all.”

Declaration of the Beginning

Kogure Kawanami

“You might be okay with it, but...what about the girls who fall for you? Ko-kun, I... I still like you.”

How much of what she had said was true? How serious had she been when she’d said it? Had she just been teasing me as usual? Or had those been her real feelings? Everything she did was so riddled with tricks and mind-games that it was impossible for me to tell what was really going through her head anymore.

Does she actually still like me? It was possible that she still felt something for me. After all, I had been the one to break up with her. I was fully aware that she was also trying to be considerate of my condition and doing her best to hide any feelings she might have had for me. I also knew better than anyone that she wasn’t the type of person who could easily shift gears in the course of a few months.

I was the same. I was fed up with her. I wanted a break. That wasn’t a lie—I really did. But it was also true that I had liked her in the past. If she hadn’t turned into such a monster, we probably would’ve still been together. I would’ve explained things to my parents, and we would’ve flirted with each other at school. The fact that I was a hundred percent sure about all of this should show how much I used to like her.

So if that were the case...if her personality had improved since then... No, stop. There’s no point imagining this. It’s stupid. After all, my body isn’t going to allow me to fall in love. No matter what, I couldn’t handle it when people showed me affection.

“I’ll cure you.” Her words rang in my head.

What’s gonna happen to me? If I really do get cured...what will I do?

“Morning.”

As soon as I opened my eyes, I froze. H-How?! I know I slept in the guy’s room yesterday. Why is she here?! Any drowsiness I had disappeared. I just gaped at her as she slowly reached out towards me.

Then she warmly smiled at me as she rubbed my cheeks like one might a cat’s. “You know...you look pretty cute when you sleep.”

A chill ran up my spine. My body began to shiver, even though I was still in my futon. Her hand movements, her expression—she looked at me as one might look at a baby bird or something weak that needs protecting. I was like a bird in a cage, and she was watching me.

Suddenly, she climbed on top of me. It didn’t feel like she was human. She was as light and limber as a doll, yet she was warm and soft like a person. Fear and arousal mixed inside me. Both had been carved into me by her. I knew just how soothing—and at the same time, fearsome—girls could be.

Then in a cool but sweet voice she whispered in my ear. “Hold it in. Everyone’s watching.”

It wasn’t until she pointed this out that I finally looked around the room and saw that Hoshibe-san and Haba-senpai were watching us, their interests piqued. In contrast, Irido yawned, seemingly uninterested. That’s right. Those two are only watching because they don’t know what we’re like.

I held back my nausea and my body from shaking. I forced down all the horrible memories and imaginings running through my head. I couldn’t let anyone see this pathetic condition of mine.

“Good boy. I’m so proud!” she whispered in the same sweet voice before finally getting off of me. “Get up and change already. You’re gonna make everyone wait for you!” With that, she skipped out of the room, the hem of her yukata fluttering as she did.

Hoshibe-san, watching her leave, commented, “I knew it. You two are definitely dating, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean ‘you knew it’?”

It took me a while to be able to get out of my futon. Akatsuki’s weight, her warmth—they lingered on me as if they’d been etched into my body.

“Do you know what exposure therapy is?” she’d asked.

Of course I do. You’re not the only one who wants me to get over this condition. I’d looked into things I could do as well. For exposure therapy to work, I had to expose myself to the cause of the trauma and overcome it that way. Is that really what she’s doing? She’s starting that today? Is she planning to do stuff that we used to do when we dated until I get better?!

Optimal Equipment

Aisa Aso

“Can you guys help me choose an outfit for my date with Senpai?!”

I’d made this request a few hours ago. Here we were, in the present, at the mall in Kobe Harborland. The girls and guys had ended up splitting into their own groups, and right now our group was heading towards the fashion area.

I had a date planned with Senpai later in the afternoon. I’d gotten him to promise and everything! That being said, it was only common sense that, going into this boss battle, I wore the ultimate equipment.

Some might wonder why I wasn’t buying these clothes way before my date with him...actually, Ranran asked me that straight out. Her point was completely logical and straightforward, and thus, so was my response.

“You really think logic works on me?!”

I mean, look at me! Look at my clothes! They’re frilly and flowing! It’s the kind of style that’s one step away from being considered children’s clothes! I love this style! I can’t pick anything else! Street clothes and cosplay are essentially the same to me! Bare minimum, at least, I was self-aware enough not to wear stuff like this on a date.

This wouldn’t be the first time that I’d hung out with him, but those times, I’d worn my usual style. He would always scoff at me, but it was more fun that way. Today was different, though. After all, today was the day that I was going to ask him out. That’s why I’d decided to throw away my shame and request aid!

“I’m a little curious why you’re acting so haughty, but you are my friend, and this will be one of the biggest days of your life. I’ve no problems lending you a hand,” Suzurin said. “I’ve always thought that we needed to do something about your fashion sense, so this is a great opportunity.”

“The hell’s your problem?! My style’s cute!”

“Then we’re done here. Go on a date in those clothes you’re so proud of.”

Urgh... Get your logic out of here. This is why everyone thinks that the student council is filled with hard-asses.

“It’s better this way, though, right? It’s more fun to have a goal when you’re shopping,” Akki said. “Y’know, I’ve always found it pretty weird how she has the body of a model and chooses to dress like that. We’re honestly saving her life right now.”

“Akki...you’re kinda just openly dissing me right now.”

Every one of you just became enemies with many girls of the world.

“Aso-senpai’s pretty tall and slender, so a cooler style might suit her,” Yumechi said.

“I’m not sure if those would function well as date clothes, Irido-san,” Ranran responded.

The two of them seemed to be taking this seriously. The last member of our group though, Isana-chan, only seemed interested in taking pictures with her phone. Surprisingly, her clothes were pretty stylish. Wasn’t she a homebody? Where’d she learn to dress like that? Compulsory education?

“First things first. We need to decide on an attack plan,” Suzurin said. “If you’re going out with Hoshibe-senpai, then it’s pertinent for your styles to complement one another. Today, I believe he was wearing...”

“A jacket and jeans. Both were cool colors,” Akki chimed in. “He’s playin’ it safe by not wearing flashy clothes, but at that height, anything he wears’ll look good on him. Pretty impressive.”

“He sure is!” Yep, my guy is tall! He’s a whole 187 centimeters! He looks good in anything!

“Aisa, it’s a little bit early for you to be bragging. You’re not even his girlfriend.”

“You should at least wait until after you’ve confessed, Senpai.”

“Sorry...”

I was getting a little overly excited. It didn’t seem like I could stay calm given that I was heading into the biggest turning point of my life.

Suzurin and the others continued to exchange opinions. “If he’s wearing more subdued colors, then maybe it’d be best if she went for something bright?”

“Oh, good idea! But also, it’s winter already, so we can’t go too crazy!”

“So, what’s it gonna be? Pants or a skirt?”

“Usually on dates, I’d imagine a skirt to be the most natural choice, but...”

“She has good legs—it’d be a shame not to show ’em off!”

“True. First, let’s take the pads out of your bra.”

“Wait! If you do that, I won’t have one that—”

“Buy one that fits then,” they snapped at me in unison.

“But I came here in my sexy underwear...” I grumbled as we entered the store.

Then, we grabbed various items around the store, and I went into the fitting room.

“All done,” I said, pulling back the curtain. “Whaddya think?”

“Whoa...” they all said in varying tones.

First on the chopping block was a blouse with an open neck area and a pleated skirt. Overall, it gave off a traditional schoolgirl vibe.

“Well...”

“Yeah, this is kinda...”

“Gyaru style.”

“Yep. Definitely gyaru.”

The end result was a gyaru-style outfit. All I had left was to put some accessories around my neck and wrists and wear a sweater around my waist.

Ranran let out a small snort. “It looks good on you, like it was made for you. Pfft.”

“Hey, what’s so funny?! Are you trying to say that an honorable otaku like me looks like one of those floozy gyarus?!”

“If anything, you look like one of those gyarus who are nice to otakus. Real gyarus wouldn’t wear their hair the way you do.” Akki turned to Isana-chan. “As our resident otaku, what do you think?”

“Huh?” Isana-chan looked like she didn’t know how to react to the spotlight being thrown on her so suddenly. She surveyed me, then for some reason pointed her phone at me. “Well...she is definitely the type of person I’d like to come up and talk to me in an overly friendly tone when I’m feigning sleep.”

“See? You got some huge words of approval, Senpai!”

Urgh... Listen, I’m an otaku too. I know what she’s trying to say!

“But...” I started.

“Something not right?” Suzurin asked.

“I don’t think this matches what I’m going for. I’m really serious about today, and I want him to think that something’s different about me. But I’m the type who just usually goes for it, you know?”

“So you’re looking for something with a shock factor.”

“Yeah! Exactly!”

Gap moe is something that has traditionally gone straight to the hearts of many since old times! This would elevate the usual me to new heights! There was no guy alive who wouldn’t fall for this! Even that doofus incarnate of a senpai wouldn’t be able to resist...well, that was probably the case.

“This kinda outfit would work best on a more serious, quiet girl. Maybe someone like...” I trailed off.

Then all our gazes turned to a certain pair.

“Huh?”

“Wha—?”

Standing there was an example of innocence, Yumechi, and a representative of plain girls, Isana-chan. Both of them seemed confused, unsure of what was going on.

“Hm...”

“I see...”

Suzurin and Akki’s eyes glinted with curiosity. Heh heh heh... Time to take a quick detour.

The Bias of the Otaku-Gyaru Bias

Mizuto Irido

“Heya! You a local?”

“Nope. Sorry,” Hoshibe-senpai said, casually brushing off the girl who’d come up to him.

From the minute we set foot in this shopping mall and split off from the girls’ group, we’d been hit on twice. It was a bit novel at first, because I had no idea girls actually tried to pick up guys, but now that it had happened twice, it was getting annoying.

I’d been right in assuming that Hoshibe-senpai’s height really caught the attention of girls. As evidence, he seemed very adept at dealing with their advances.

“Sorry, Senpai, making you deal with all this by yourself.”

For some reason, Kogure Kawanami, who you’d think would be the stereotypical flirty type, would hide behind Hoshibe-senpai every time a girl came around. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed a little pale.

“Huh? Don’t worry ’bout it. Gotta at least act the part of your upperclassman every now and then. If anything, I’m surprised. Had no clue you weren’t comfortable talking with girls.”

“Well, I don’t have any problem if they’re talking to me normally, but...”

He was always going on about how love was meant to be observed, not experienced. Most likely, getting hit on was just plain annoying for him. Maybe it would’ve been better if our groups hadn’t split up. It’d be harder for girls to hit on us if the six of them had been around.

“H-Heya...”

“Hey, cutie? Where ya from? You on LINE?”

I sighed, hearing another group of girls call out to us. Really? Again? What’s going on with Kobe’s public decency? Just as I turned to face the group of idiot girls who were ruining Japan’s public decency...

“A-Aha... Ha ha ha... H-Hi...”

“It’s, like, Mizuto-kun! I’m, like, so surprised. You on LINE?”

Oh, I know these idiots. One idiot didn’t have their heart in the personality they were trying to act out while the other idiot only knew the singular flirting tactic of asking if I was on LINE.

Both of them wore off-shoulder tops that revealed their cleavage, their skirts were short, and there was no trace of their usual meekness. One of them appeared nervous, while the other gave off overly hyper vibes, clearly indicating their lack of understanding regarding the behavior of such girls. Yes, this would be Yume Irido and Isana Higashira—introverts disguised as gyarus.

“What are you two doing?” I asked.

Yume groaned. “Peer pressure from girls is a frightening thing...”

“We, like, look pretty good, and we’re like, kinda cosplaying. It, like, makes everything more exciting!”

You seriously think just saying “like” a lot makes you sound like a gyaru? Then, I looked behind these two idiots and saw a group of girls bursting with laughter. I think I get what’s going on now.

“So...what do you have to do to end this penalty game of yours?”

“I-It’s not a penalty game...” Yume trailed off.

“It’ll end as soon as your expression shows desire!” Isana said with a grin.

Isana then cried out and grabbed me by the arm, squishing it against her body. A soft, deep sensation spread across my arm. Then she rested her head on my shoulder and giggled.

“Gyarus are all about invading personal bubbles,” she explained. “They care not whatsoever if their breasts touch others.”

“Keep your biased notions to yourself.” Also, how is this any different than usual for you?

“Yume-san, you should also dive in!”

“Huh?! Me too?!”

“Become a gyaru in both mind and body! Know no shame or embarrassment just for this moment!”

Wait. No. Stop. That’s really not a good idea!

“O-Okay...”

I didn’t have the chance to stop her. Yume gathered her resolve and, with a hint of hesitation, moved to the opposite side of me. She let out a soft yet determined yell, as if to motivate herself, before firmly grasping my free arm, clinging to it tightly with her entire body.

Immediately, I felt her presence envelop the upper half of my arm. While she wasn’t holding me as tightly as Isana, it was evident how soft and springy she was. My mind felt like it was on fire from the sensation. She was so close I could feel her breath on me.

From that close proximity, she looked up at me timidly and asked, “What...do you think?”

That...is a loaded question. “At the very least...i-it’s embarrassing.”

This is not something you do in a public place like this. There are so many people walking by that it’s making me anxious. But the silver lining was that with this much foot traffic around, I didn’t feel like I could lose control of myself. Yume, seemingly catching the meaning behind my words, immediately blushed.

“O-Oh, of course! Sorry!” she said, immediately moving away from me.

As the body warmth from Yume faded away, I felt relieved...but also a little sad. Meanwhile, Isana continued to cling to my arm while snickering.

“It would appear that my gyaru power exceeds hers. After all, gyarus do not have the common sense that would render them capable of heeding the stares of those around them or experiencing any sense of shame.”

“You need to get off of me too. Also, stop openly voicing your biases.”

I used my free hand to casually push her off of me.

“Aw,” she said, disappointed.

Most gyarus have more common sense than you. I exhaled, cooling my head down. The guys in our group are pretty reserved, but the girls are seriously all over the place. I glanced at Yume in her revealing attire—a far cry from her usual reserved outfits. You do know that we’re going back to the same house tomorrow, right? I might’ve been able to hold back today, but...what about tomorrow? Idiot.

No Choice but to Ride the Big Wave

Isana Higashira

“Hm...”

Something unusual is occurring, I thought as I slurped up my udon while surveying the table. Though Mizuto-kun looked no different as he consumed his yakisoba, he was looking at the person across from him with a strange frequency. Sitting there was Yume-san, and coincidentally, she was barely attempting to converse with him either. Instead, she continued to only chat with Minami-san.

The two of them seem slightly more distant than usual. When we’d sat down, I’d been considerate and left the space next to him open. However, Yume-san ignored that and sat right in front of him instead. I suppose there was the possibility that sitting in front of him was a better spot in her mind than next to him, though that wouldn’t explain what had transpired in the foot bath.

Thinking back to when he’d joined us there, I could’ve sworn that Yume-san had forcefully created a space between myself and her so that Mizuto-kun could sit right beside her. My memories were a little fuzzy, so it was a little difficult to say this with absolute certainty.

Mizuto-kun was similar in the sense that despite being on this vacation with her, he didn’t appear to be making any moves whatsoever. Though I was glad that he was focusing his time on me, I wasn’t such a child that I needed him to dedicate every second of every waking minute to me.

This made me respect the proactivity of our upperclassman very much. She’d immediately donned the clothes we suggested for her date and then promptly sallied forth without hesitation. She reminded me of a warrior as I watched her walk away, filled with determination. That was the heroic visage of a maiden heading out to confess her feelings. I was touched.

Hm? Wait, why am I acting like I’ve never experienced any of this before? For the record, I once confessed my feelings to Mizuto-kun. Perhaps, when I’d left to ask him to court me, others had viewed me as having the same heroic visage as our upperclassman.

However, I suppose, Yume-san and Mizuto-kun’s situation isn’t especially simple, since they’re trying to return to their previous romantic relationship. Even worse, they share the same domicile. If things were to not work out, it wouldn’t be so simple for them to return to being friends like it had been in our case. In fact, it might not have been possible.

Hypothetically speaking, if he had accepted my proposal to date and we broke up, then I could imagine how awkward things would have become between us. Actually, I’d like to issue you two a round of applause for your ability to keep this up despite being stepsiblings. I just know that if it was me, I would’ve simply holed up in my room or lived a life of unending, unfulfilled lust.

While I thought about all of this, our group concluded lunch and exited the food court.

“Akatsuki-san, do you have plans for the afternoon?” Yume-san asked.

“Oh, sorry. I’m doin’ my own thing.”

“Huh?”

Even I was surprised by the following, unexpected turn of events. She grabbed the promiscuous boy (Something Kawanami) and boldly let out a declaration.

“The two of us are goin’ on a date! See you guys later tonight!”

“Huh?! W-Wait!” he exclaimed.

It seemed we weren’t the only ones who were confused. The promiscuous boy seemed clueless as to what was transpiring as he was pulled away, disappearing into the distance.

Both Yume-san and I needed to pick our jaws off the floor from surprise.

“I’d heard that they were childhood friends, so I’d considered the possibility, but...” I said.

“Wh-When did they...?”

Despite insisting that he was a ROM expert who had no interest in romance, he’d apparently put the moves on Minami-san. I’m not sure if his transgressions can be forgiven. I sentence thee, promiscuous boy, to death.

Mizuto-kun was the only one of us who seemed suspicious rather than confused. “Not sure what’s going on there...”

Out of our group of ten, four of them had gone on dates. Despite this being a student council-sponsored trip, it was not as strong in its moral code as it should have been. With the example that had been set, it felt wrong not to go on a date at this point.

“Hm?” Suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind. If I rode this wave and went with the flow... “Mizuto-kun?”

“Yeah?”

I tugged at the hem of his shirt. “We should go on a date as well!”

“Huh?”

“You, me, and Yume-san,” I clarified.

“Huh?!”

“Huh?”

Armor of Seriousness

Tohdo Hoshibe

There I was, heading to the meeting place—in front of a frickin’ huge giraffe statue or somethin’—when I saw a girl, fidgeting with her bangs while waiting. I had to do a double take at first because she was in a completely different outfit than when I’d just seen her earlier.

She was now wearing a knit sweater and a tight, knee-length skirt with tights underneath, likely to keep herself warm. Gone was her usual childish fashion sense, and in its place was a mature, subdued vibe.

She must’ve put this on after shopping with the girls. I’m guessin’ that Kurenai rebuked her for her usual style and forced her to buy these.

“Hey...” I casually waved my hand at her.

Noticing me, she brought her handbag in front of her knees and said, “Senbai—”

She obviously got tongue-tied. Though she froze up for a moment, she quickly followed that up by saying, “J-Just give me a second.” Then she turned her back to me and began taking deep breaths.

I watched as her shoulders rose and fell over and over. Then when she finally turned around again, a teasing smile spread across her face.

“You’re late, Senpai! Points off for making a girl wait.”

I can’t believe she’s still trying to pull this off despite already messing up once. Honestly, I’m kinda impressed. “To be fair, you weren’t that far away in the first place. We came from the same mall, you know. You just happened to be at an exit closer to the meeting spot.”

“Oh? Making excuses? Minus one point.”

“Actually, what’s all this about points anyway? Should I be gradin’ you too?”

“Sure, bring it on. So, tell me, how many points is Aisa today, Senpai?”

She seemed so confident as she put her hands along with her bag behind her back. Oh, I get it. She wants me to compliment her outfit. I could say somethin’ like, “You clean up nice,” but it’s a bit cliché. Maybe...

“Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

“What the heck is that supposed to mean?!”

Can’t you tell? I’m saying that you look nice. Like this, no one would suspect her monstrous need for approval.

Aso forced a frown (apparently, she could clean up her appearance but not her mannerisms) and skipped one step towards me.

“Have you really not noticed that there’s a theme to this outfit?”

“How the hell should I know?”

Hm? Wait... Now that she mentions it, I feel like I’ve seen this before, but where? Was it a magazine or something? She had on a brown, knit sweater, and a tight, blue skirt... Oh. They’re the same color as my shirt and jeans.

“Heh heh, did a light bulb go off?” she grinned while moving to stand next to me. “We match, Senpai!”

“What is this, some new way of harassing me?”

“Rude! Give me credit. I at least held off on matching the color of your jacket. I had the common sense to know that going that far would actually annoy you.”

“Ah, I see. So, all I need to do is close my jacket and hide the color of my shirt to make it less obvious that we’re matching.”

“It’ll be like we’re sharing a secret, Senpai.”

“Sheesh, it’s just one thing after another with you!”

Aso’s shoulders shook as she giggled. God...did you really buy clothes just for this? That can’t have been easy on your wallet. Suddenly I remembered her words from yesterday. “I’m serious.” Why exactly did the image of her serious face flash in the back of my mind?

“Senpai?” I couldn’t tell if she was fooling around or what. “You do know that there’s a girl right next to you who threw away her usual style and tried really hard by getting dressed up for you, right? Shouldn’t you...compliment her a little more?”

Dammit... She paid for all this outta her own pocket. I can’t be callous about that. “You look good. Should always dress like this.” Suddenly she covered her mouth with both hands. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing...” she said, looking away, hiding her expression. “I was just...happier than I expected.”

There wasn’t a trace of her joking around. I could only hear joy in her voice. “I’m serious.” Her words echoed in my head once more.

Commencing Treatment

Kogure Kawanami

“Hey! Stop!”

Finally, after we could no longer see Irido and the others, Akatsuki stopped tugging me along.

“Hm? What?”

“Don’t give me that! A date?! When were you thinkin’ of telling me?!”

“I just did.” She giggled teasingly. “Oh wait, do you not like surprises?”

“This wasn’t a surprise—it was you strong-arming me!”

Sheesh. What if Higashira puts her grubby paws on Irido?! There’s a weird tension between the Irido siblings today...

“Well, whatever. Just chill. Don’t you realize I made a perfect opportunity for you?”

“Huh? What are you talkin’ about?”

“If Aso-senpai goes on a date, then you and I go off on a date too, wouldn’t that make it so that the remainder of the group feels more inclined to go on dates?”

I gasped in surprise. No way... Did she purposely declare we’re going on a date for everything to work out this way?

Suddenly, she squeezed my arm. “But then again, I did wanna go on a date with you too,” she added.

“Wha—”

“How would you feel if I said that for real?”

The hives that were starting to form receded as soon as I saw her annoying grin. What the hell?! Are you serious or not?!

“Don’t worry. Sheesh, I’m gonna ease you into things.”

“Ease me into what?”

Is she talking about the exposure therapy? But she didn’t answer my question and instead flashed a cryptic smile at me.

“Let’s get going. It’s been a while, so let’s have ourselves a fun date, Kawanami.”

Being called “Kawanami” instead of “Ko-kun,” which she had called me when we were childhood friends, filled me with relief. When she used my surname, it made me feel less close to her. That being said, despite my relief, there was still a huge amount of unease lurking at the bottom of my heart. I didn’t need anyone to point that out to me. It was obvious enough.

An Unknown Fear

Yume Irido

“Oh, look, Mizuto-kun! Do you see that?!”

“See what?”

“That! It’s the protrusion that you stand upon to stare out towards the boundless sea!”

“That’s...not what you think it is at all. That’s what you tie boats onto to dock them. They’re not for people to stand on.”

“Huh?! I never knew that...”

There were a number of protrusions along the wharf at evenly spaced intervals. Higashira-san kept trying to stand on them, and Mizuto was by her side, making sure she didn’t accidentally fall into the water. I watched from behind as this all unfolded.

Why... Why can’t I talk to him? Higashira-san had even made this opportunity for me... Even back in the mall, the three of us had gone into a bookstore, and we’d talked a lot...but not to each other. Ultimately, I’d only really been able to bring myself to speak with Higashira-san.

I know, it’s ironic that I of all people am thinking this, but I’m totally getting way too into my head! The way he touched my hand was only a little pervy! When we were still dating, I’d gone to his room with every intention of giving him my first time! This was small potatoes compared to that!

I was essentially acting like a kindergartner... What is this, some kind of regression to romantic infantilism? Why am I so overly conscious about this? Is it because we live together? Is it because if we tried, we’d find unlimited opportunities to do the deed? Or maybe it’s because I saw Mizuto naked in the bath? I...have no clue. There are way too many possibilities.

If it was because he liked me and wanted to date me again, then his actions were honestly on the tamer side. For god’s sake, President Kurenai went and straddled her crush on a bench while wearing a bunny suit. Then again, her way of going about things wasn’t normal.

I felt envious of Aso-senpai and how her heart didn’t falter no matter how many times Hoshibe-senpai gave her the cold shoulder. Isn’t she...scared at all? I was scared back when I met Mizuto during summer break. Before he and I ever started dating, I was always so scared that even the slightest action or word from me would make him hate me. Even now, I’m scared. I’m frightened. But the fear right now wasn’t because I was scared he’d hate me. Him hating me was almost a huge assumption at this point. So what am I so scared of? What am I lacking?

“Oh, Yume-san!”

As I got lost in my thoughts, Higashira-san’s voice pulled me out of them. She was holding down her hair, which had gotten ruffled from the sea breeze, with one hand, while pointing at something with her other.

“Would you like to ride that?”

“Huh?”

Her finger was pointing towards a huge Ferris wheel.

The Student Council President Is the Biggest Breaker of Public Morals

Suzuri Kurenai

Why... Why can’t I talk to him?

As a result of Yume-kun and the rest going on dates of their own, I’d ended up in the same party of three as when we’d walked around the Ijinkangai—me, Ran-kun, and Joe. In other words, I’d been handed an amazing opportunity.

After the disastrous, unsightly escape I’d pulled off yesterday, this was a better opportunity than I deserved to hope for.

“Wow...I’m in awe, President Kurenai! I’ve never seen a real luxury cruise ship before!” Ran-kun said, looking up at the cruise vessel towering over her small body.

I’d suggested that since we were by the sea, it might be fun to walk around the harbor, but I hadn’t expected Ran-kun to be so interested. Perhaps she’d never been around a place like this before, so everything was new and curious, greatly exciting her. Every time she spoke to me, her voice was filled with emotion, as though she was truly moved.

As an upperclassman, it was nice to have an underclassman revere me as much as she did, but it did come with the trade-off of me not having any chance to speak with Joe. He, however, was acting perfectly normal and was firmly in the background as usual. I was almost positive that the people around us were only perceiving myself and Ran-kun and had absolutely no clue Joe was even present or part of our group.

Though I might’ve been able to sneak in some short exchanges with him like I’d been able to yesterday at the Ijinkangai, unfortunately, the conversation I wanted to have with him required much more time than a short exchange could allow. When can I talk to him about this?! Actually, before that, how am I even going to explain myself for running away last night?! The more I thought about it, the worse things were going to get. If anything, he might begin to interpret my behavior as avoidant.

“You know...I’ve been thinking, but...” Ran-kun started, nervously looking around. “Walking around here reminds me of Kamogawa. I really wonder why couples like being around bodies of water?”

It was true that there were pairs of boys and girls who seemed to be couples around us. Of course there were. Harborland was one of the main tourist spots in Kobe. That being said, there were families with children, and people our age as well, so it wasn’t all couples.

“I don’t think the fondness for water strictly applies to couples,” I said. “All four of the great civilizations were built near rivers too.”

“Maybe my eyes are just drawn to couples. Is it because of what I saw last night?”

“Oh? What did you see last night?”

“Mizuto Irido,” she practically spat. “I saw him flirting with Higashira-san in the inn last night. She was touching him all over his face and embracing him as if to squish her chest against him... Such i-indecency in a public place.”

Hm? Aren’t those two only very close friends and not actually dating? Where would that put Yume-kun? According to Joe’s observations, those three aren’t in a love triangle, so...

“How enviable to be so enthralled with one another that their surroundings faded.”

“What do you mean, President Kurenai?! It’d be one thing if they’d been in the privacy of their own room, but they were in the lounge—a place that anyone could’ve walked into! Getting heated in a place like that is not what any people with self-control would do!”

I couldn’t respond. She...has a point. Dressing in a bunny suit and straddling a boy in a place where anyone could’ve walked by is not what a person with self-control would do.

“That irks me so much! How can a person like that be ranked second in our grade?! I’m sure that underneath that calm exterior is the heart of a beast! He’s a pervert who gets off on humiliating the opposite sex!”

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for being a person who gets off by having the opposite sex tell me what parts of me turn them on.

“Those who have stellar grades should be setting an example for their peers. They should be acting with more grace and decency just like you, President Kurenai!”

“Yeah...totally...”

I promise I’ll do better to act with more grace and decency.

There’s No Point to Foreshadowing If You Don’t Notice It

Tohdo Hoshibe

Aso brought me to a restaurant that she’d looked up. It was a pretty swanky place with a terrace from which you could see the ocean.

“It’s so different actually being here!” she marveled.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Feels kinda awkward being here as a student.”

“According to what I read online, it’s even prettier at night. It’s the kinda beautiful sight that’ll make me wanna say ‘cheers’ to your eyes.”

“Shouldn’t it make me want to say that to you?”

“Then say it.”

“Ugh. Cringe.”

“That’s what makes it fun!” This was the kind of pointless conversation we had as we ate. “Anyway,” she continued, “I bet you’re the cringey type of guy who wants to propose to someone in a restaurant with the night sky as a background.”

“Yeah, so? Are you saying that you’re not like that too?”

“What kind of girl do you take Aisa for?!”

“One that wishes for dreamlike scenarios from shojo manga despite her age.”

“That’s the absolute worst insult you could say to a girl! Though...I can’t deny that I admire those kinds of scenarios...”

“See? You’re definitely the type that wants a guy to raise a glass to your eyes. Here, cheers.”

“Hey! You didn’t have to bring your glass so close! I don’t want you to physically raise a glass to my eyes!”

“So, what were you saying about proposals?”

“I was just giving my opinion on being proposed to at a restaurant where you have a good view of the night scenery...not that it’s night right now. I’m not a huge fan, to be honest. It’d be too embarrassing with all those people around.”

“Well yeah, a restaurant’s not exactly private.”

“I think, if anything, home proposals are the best! Imagine this: in their third year of living together, they’re just sitting together in the living room, doing nothing special, and then he’s just like, ‘Maybe we should get married,’ and she’s like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ Doesn’t that sound great?!”

“At the very least, I get it.”

“What?” she said indignantly. “Seems like there’s something you want to say.”

“When all’s said and done, it sounds like you just want a surprise.”

“A surprise?! Are you trying to say I want something stupid like a flash mob?! How rude!”

“You’re being pretty rude to people who do flash mobs.”

“But, Senpai, you know...” She smirked.

“Huh? Why are you grinning like that?”

“Were you asking me about proposals in anticipation of the future? I told you about the kind of proposals I like, but maybe you asked me about that for your own future reference?”

“Would it clear things up if I said I was using this as a reference to propose to someone else?”

“No! That’d make me mad!”

“Yeah, that’s why I said that.”

I’m surprised how used to her I’ve become. I can fire quips off at her without even skipping a beat, almost on reflex. It’s hard to imagine having this kinda instant banter with another girl.

“But honestly, a night sky might be nice,” she said softly, while staring out at the Kobe harbor reflecting the blue of the sky. “It’ll be embarrassing if other people are around, but...if it’s somewhere, just the two of us, with a view of the beautiful night sky, that’ll be best.”

“Best for what?”

“What indeed?” Aso smiled cryptically.

Though it felt like she was foreshadowing something, I didn’t catch on to what it might’ve been. Not one bit.

Medical Treatment Until I’m Sick of It

Kogure Kawanami

Akatsuki and I were currently at the Kobe brick warehouse in the southern area of Harborland. It was a place that had been renovated to have swanky cafés and other kinds of stores inside.

“Lean in a bit more,” Akatsuki said, forcefully pulling me closer to her. Then, in the next moment, there was a shutter sound. “Wow, the red brick really makes it! This’ll do numbers!” Akatsuki excitedly showed me the picture she’d taken with the old red bricks in the background. “Doesn’t it look like a cover for Detective Conan or something?”

For real. If only we still had the Sherlock Holmes costumes from the other day. “You make it sound like you wanna show this picture off.”

My eyes fell on the picture. She and I were so close to each other, it was hard to think we were anything but dating. It’d just be a repeat of the study camp if she showed this to anyone else.

“Don’t worry. This is just for the memories,” she reassured me.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Y’know, just something to look back on and be like, ‘Wow, what a fun time.’ Pretty please?” she asked, cutely tilting her head.

I hate how she’s completely aware that she can totally pull off these childish gestures without it being weird at all. Ugh, it’s so obvious how fake her act is! But if you think that you’re gonna throw me off with a little playacting, you’re dead wrong.

“Look, I’m not saying you can’t post it, but...it’s kinda weird how you’re not even the type to take pictures of your food, and now you’re suddenly switchin’ gears to taking these kinds of pictures?”

“That’s ’cause I don’t care about food pics, but I’ll never have enough pics with you.”

“Urp...” I felt hives breaking out across my arm.

You want more pictures of me? You see me literally every day to the point that I’m surprised you’re not tired of seeing me already, but now you want more pictures? What’s the point? Seeing that I was at a loss for words, Akatsuki flashed a grin at me.

“Hold it in. You can do it. Look,” she said, shaking her empty hands in front of her face. “I’m not gonna do anything to you.”

It was the same kind of gesture people would do to show that they weren’t molesting anyone. She wasn’t going to do anything to me... She hadn’t even laid a single finger on me. She hadn’t tried to feed me, wash me, or go into the bathroom with me. I’m okay... I have nothing to be scared of.

I steadied my breath and focused on the reality of the situation, causing my hives to subside.

“Oh, nice. Progress, maybe?” Akatsuki nodded, satisfied while watching me recover.

“You’re really trying to cure me, huh...?”

“If you’re not scared of me anymore, other girls’ll be a cinch, right? After all, I’m the most unhinged girl in the world.”

“Why do you sound so proud about that?”

“Heh heh heh.”

She has a point, though. I can stand this more than I used to be able to. My condition might not be as severe anymore.

“I’m gonna keep up this treatment until you’re sick of it!” she said, folding her arms as if she was trying to hug herself. “I’m only helping you because I don’t have a choice. Don’t get the wrong idea, okay?”

“The tsundere act does not suit you. Look at my arm—it doesn’t have a single hive.”

“Heh heh, yeah, yeah, just you wait.” Akatsuki stood on her tippy-toes and began whispering in my ear. “I’m gonna give you so much love today you won’t have the strength to stand anymore. Brace yourself.”

I began trembling. I couldn’t tell if this was because I was worried or a different feeling entirely. I felt completely lost.

Suddenly, I felt her blow into my ear. “Gah!”

“Aha ha ha! That freak you out? Got chills?”

I’m not worried—it’s something else. Who the hell actually blows in other people’s ears?!

Put Lids on Smelly Things

Mizuto Irido

After reaching the front of the line for the Ferris wheel, we entered the gondola in order—me, Isana, and then Yume. After I sat down, Isana immediately sat opposite of me, right in the middle, leaving no room for Yume.

“Huh? Uh, Higashira-san?”

In the middle of Yume’s confusion, Isana grinned. “Yume-san, there’s a seat open right over there.”

What’s with that mischievous look on your face? Yume looked first at Isana and then at me, but during her hesitation, the door to the gondola shut and we began moving.

“Sit down. It’s dangerous,” I said.

“R-Right...” Not having a choice, she sat next down to me.

We slowly rose towards the sky, and soon enough, we had a bird’s eye view of the Port of Kobe and a large spread of the buildings in the area. It just so happened that a white cruise ship was passing by as we were ascending. Though the outside scenery was impressive, my attention was being drawn towards someone inside.

With Yume sitting next to me, I couldn’t help but remember what’d happened at the foot bath yesterday. Thinking back, it wasn’t even that big of a deal. I’d just touched her hand a little. Just her fingers, even. It wasn’t like we’d kissed. It wasn’t as if I’d groped her butt or boobs. So why was it that I couldn’t get it out of my head?

Holding hands had been so normal for us when we were dating. Linking arms, hugging, even kissing had all been daily occurrences for us. But...I got the feeling that whenever I’d done any of those things, my intentions hadn’t been so lustful.

Our physical contact when we’d dated had been more on an emotional level. We’d opened our hearts to one another and had let each other inside. But what I’d done yesterday had been fueled by lust or maybe my instincts. One might even be able to say it’d been the animal hidden deep inside of me. It wasn’t something that was okay to show others. But now both Yume and I were aware of our animalistic, impulsive sides.

We’d shown each other our dirty sides—devoid of self-control—and we’d allowed it to happen. Though all that we’d done had been simply touching hands, the fact that we’d allowed it to happen had shaken us to our core. It was like a floodgate had opened. It made us both realize that we were okay with this kind of behavior from each other. It was enough to make us feel like it was okay to give up on holding ourselves back. And that...freaked me out a bit.

“Whew, we’re so high up!” Isana said in amazement as she looked out the window, completely oblivious to what was going on. “I would bet that the scenery is much more magnificent come nighttime! I wonder if we made a mistake coming so early in the day.”

“Riding Ferris wheels at night is for asking someone out,” I said.

Coming here at night would’ve been extremely dangerous. The night scenery being the only source of light while being in an enclosed space with Yume would’ve made it impossible for me to not touch her.

“Oh, is that so? Then perhaps that upperclassman of ours is going to confess here.”

“Which upperclassman?” I asked Isana.

“Oops. Am I allowed to speak about this, Yume-san?”

Yume wryly smiled. “I don’t see why not. There’s no harm now since we won’t see Hoshibe-senpai and Aso-senpai until later.”

Oh, those two... I can kinda guess who’s gonna ask who out. “Ballsy move. If things don’t work out, the rest of the trip’s gonna be awkward.”

“I believe things will work out,” Isana said optimistically. “They seem very friendly with one another, to the point that an outsider may already perceive them as dating. I can’t imagine him saying no to her.”

Both Yume and I fell into an awkward silence. It took a little before Isana reacted after seeing my face.

“Oh. Now that I recall...I was in a similar situation, and ultimately, I got turned down, didn’t I?” Isana laughed, which made me, the guy who’d turned her down, feel like I shouldn’t attempt to cheer her up.

Yume awkwardly smiled. “It’d be nice if everyone could act like nothing happened like you were able to, Higashira-san.”

“Well, I was after Mizuto-kun’s body, not his heart.”

“Knock it off,” I said.

Sure, the only difference between dating someone and being friends with them is whether or not doing dirty things with them is okay.

“If you simply wish to spend time with someone, being simply companions with them is perfectly acceptable. However, in most cases, the desire to court someone is partly of a desire to do dirty deeds with them, no?”

“Well, I guess,” Yume started, following up with “Maybe, but...” under her breath.

Though I was sure how I felt about Yume, I still had no intention of asking her out. It might’ve been because I couldn’t deny the dirty thoughts I had. I might have been unconsciously rejecting the idea because I could tell that I was looking at her with ulterior motives.

Even if Yume came out and said she was okay with it, I wouldn’t be. I couldn’t accept that side of me. I was probably just being overly self-conscious over my own inexperience, from my own stupid pride. Even so, I didn’t want anyone to think of me as someone who could only show how he felt with his lust.

I need to come up with a more elegant solution to this...if there even is one. “Everyone has their own reasons for dating, though,” I said. Is there even a more elegant solution? Well, either way... “Isana’s thinking about this surprisingly logically, and that’s probably why you’re agreeing with her, but there are people who find value in relationships, and their reasons don’t have anything to do with logic. Or what? Are you saying you’re the type who only views the opposite sex as an outlet for your carnal desires? Are you hiding your lust behind your usual calm expression?”

“Huh?” Isana sounded confused.

Yume blinked her eyes in surprise. Most likely, she didn’t expect me to speak to her directly. The dam in her heart holding everything back was cracking, and it was primed to break at any second. That’s most likely why she couldn’t face me. She was getting way too into her own head. The only thing to do was put a lid on the thing causing the stink. The lid in this case was self-control. As such, I used my lid to pretend I hadn’t seen anything; that way I could retain my sense of self.

“O-Of course not! Who would be interested in your stringy body?!”

“Who said anything about my body? I was just talking about the opposite sex in general.”

“Grr...”

“Hold on!” Isana interjected. “Sure, there are those who view the opposite sex in that way, but there are also those who view the same sex that way too!”

“You should try to focus more on people’s personalities, rather than their bodies,” I quipped.

Right now, all Yume and I could do was try to ride this out. If we didn’t, there’d be no way that we could keep things the way they were between us.

Rejecting a Woman’s Advances Warps the Mind

Joji Haba

My specialty—or maybe my natural ability—is observing others. Melting into the back of the crowd is the perfect place to see the people around you. After all, what else can you do back there? Nobody notices you, and thus nobody talks to you. Before I knew it, I found myself making internal profiles of people by observing the various information I got from their expressions, their movements, and their tones of voice.

Because doing that had practically become second nature to me, it was as clear as day that Kurenai-san was avoiding me. The reason behind that was also very clear. It had to do with what’d transpired last night when she’d gotten on top of me while wearing that bunny suit, whispered sweetly into my ear, and I...

But who could blame me?! I’m a normal guy. It’d be weirder if I hadn’t reacted like that. If anything, I deserved praise for hanging on as long as I’d had. Still, though, Kurenai-san had felt a foreign object on her butt and immediately fled the scene at top speed. I thought she’d had some nerve running away despite being the one who’d seduced me. That being said, in her defense, she’d seen me as harmless, like a cute little animal. But then, I suddenly bared my fangs. She went into fight-or-flight mode, and the flight response won out. Simply put, as a girl, it had been unpleasant for her.

If she was going to continue avoiding me and eventually leave me alone entirely, that’d be fine in my book. After all, it was weird in the first place that she paid any attention to me. In a sense, this would just be the natural order of things returning.

But even so...I wanted to at least apologize. I wasn’t so worthless a person that I couldn’t take responsibility for my actions. Even if I was going to be disappearing from her world, that’s the least I could do.

The entire day, I’d been looking for a chance to do just that, and it seemed like the time had finally come. A little bit after entering the Kobe Maritime Museum by the wharf, Asuhain-san stopped in place.

“Sorry, I need to use the restroom,” she said before walking off, leaving me and Kurenai-san alone.

There was no better chance than now.

“Joe—”

Right as she turned around to face me, I bowed my head. “I’m really sorry,” I said, making sure to keep my voice down since we were inside a museum.

“Huh?” She sounded confused.

“I’m really sorry for pushing something so gross against you. If you’d like, I’ll quit the student council, and—”

“W-Wait!” she accidentally exclaimed. She nervously looked around before continuing in a more subdued voice. “I-I was the one who initiated last night. Why would you apologize?!”

“Haven’t you been avoiding me because you were grossed out by what happened?”

“N-No! I-I just...” Kurenai-san seemed to be stumbling over her words, but then she forcefully grabbed my head and pulled it upwards. “In any case, what happened last night wasn’t your fault at all! I didn’t think it was gross or anything whatsoever! If anything, I found it quite endearing!”

“Huh?”

“No. Wait, sorry. That was a slip of the tongue. Anyway, there’s no need for you to quit the student council!”

“So then why have you been avoiding me?”

“W-Well...” Suddenly, her porcelain skin began turning red. Her emerald eyes began darting around as if looking for help. After a while, she glanced up at me. “It’s just that...it felt very real... Once I realized what that was, you know, I got a little shaken and...scared...” Shaken? Scared? The Kurenai-san felt those emotions? “I know how that must seem after I’ve tried to seduce you so many times, but still!” She was starting to grow defensive. “It’s not my fault! I’m a bona fide purehearted maiden! I only have superficial knowledge about those things! Of course I’m going to get a little freaked out when I’m in a situation with the real deal!”

“I’m almost impressed by how proud you are of your patheticness.”

“Oh, shut it! This is your fault for not immediately rejecting my advances!” She’s...not wrong, I guess. Kurenai-san exhaled heavily. “I came up with all kinds of excuses for my actions, but now they’ve all gone to waste.”

“I feel...kinda bad.”

“It’s fine. I’ve made up my mind,” she said looking up at me with a determined look in her eyes. It was as if there was a light coming out of them that was shining onto me too. “Next time, I won’t freak out. I won’t be scared. I’ll be prepared.”

“What do you mean by ‘prepared’?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just remember this: the next time you get an erection in front of me will be the time you lose your virginity.”

I had no words. How could she say such vulgar things with a straight face? But then again, maybe her expression was precisely because she was talking about something vulgar. Either way, the case had been solved.

“By the way,” she said in an even softer voice. “What did you do...after?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well...when guys get like that, don’t they need to take care of it to get it to go back down?”

I paused before responding. “Kurenai-san, please throw away whatever materials you’ve been referencing.”

“What?! How did you know I gleaned this from my research materials?!”

“Because you’re wrong.”

Please, someone give this girl proper sex ed. I don’t think I have the confidence to do it.

I Fell in Love like a Regular Person on a Regular Day

Aisa Aso

At first, I only felt hostility towards him. It pissed me off every time he looked down on me. So as a way of getting back at him, I decided to show him what it was like when I got serious. I’d steal away the same eyes that had called my actions “cheap.” With that in mind, I began teasing him.

But when did that turn into affection? I’m not entirely sure, but I think it all happened because of something very minor on a day like any other.

I was in the middle of looking for some documents on a shelf in the student council room when I suddenly heard Senpai call out to me.

“Hey!”

I turned around and I heard a clatter from above me. By the time I looked up, a cardboard box that’d been on the top shelf had begun tipping over. I couldn’t react. All I could do was watch in a daze until Senpai came running and used both his hands to catch the box before it fell completely.

“Ah.” It took me a bit before I processed what’d happened, but when I did, I finally remembered the words I was supposed to say. “Thank you...very much.”

“Be more careful.”

Yeah, I know how cliché this all sounds. But this wasn’t what did it for me. I’m not that easy. If someone saving me from getting hurt was enough to make me fall for them, I would’ve had my first crush way earlier than this. What really made my heart start fluttering was the expression on his face as he sighed with relief.

Whether he’d been relieved, surprised, confused, hesitant—even now I wasn’t entirely sure what expression he’d been making. But I knew that it was soft and incredibly frail.

“Oh... You can make faces like that?”

The very same infallible student council president who was always aloof, who always shrugged off everything I did to him, the brazen senpai I knew looked just as frail and weak as I, if only for a split moment.

This isn’t fair... This isn’t fair at all, Senpai. How am I ever going to get that out of my head? Girls are weak to this sort of disparity. I’d been trying to make it so that you’d never be able to get me out of your head, so what was I supposed to do when I couldn’t get you out of my head?

Before I knew it, it became normal for some part inside of me to want to try to get him to make that expression again. Because of that, I couldn’t stop looking at his face, and it became a part of my everyday life.

Nothing special had happened to cause this change in me. I didn’t care where we were—we could’ve been in the student council room or a random café. I didn’t care what we did. We could’ve talked about a mobile game, showed each other funny videos, or just chatted about nothing. We’d spend time together without doing anything of value. These moments we spent together were the most important moments to me.

That’s why I didn’t plan anything special today. I might’ve put a little extra effort into my outfit, and we might’ve been hanging out in a place neither of us had been to before, but those were the only bits of spice sprinkled into today’s plans. Otherwise, all I wanted was for us to pass the day as usual. In order to keep these days going, I want to become the most important girl to you, Senpai. Let’s have fun today. Let’s have an ordinary, completely normal, fun day. Then, at the end, when I’m being serious, will you lend me your ear?

“Senpai?” The time had flown by and the sun had already begun to set. “Before we head back, do you...want to ride the Ferris wheel?”

You Reap What You Sow

Akatsuki Minami

“Wow, it’s already this late?”

I looked up at the sky, which was now stained red. Checking my phone’s clock, I saw that it was a little past four. It really sucked how it got dark so quickly this late into November. We pretty much had to start thinking about going home like we were children with a curfew.

Oh, right. Back then, around this time, he’d say we should go home. But since we were neighbors, he’d grab me by the hand as if I was his little sister, thinking that even if we went home, we could still play. Hm, what is this called? I feel like I’ve read about this in a manga or something.

“What’s that phrase again, Kawanami?”

But he couldn’t reply. I glanced over and saw that he was blue in the face, his lips pursed. Sheesh. All I did was lean my head on your shoulder as we sat down on the bench. Can’t even handle something as simple as this, huh?

My chest hurt. Was it because I was sad? Or because I pitied him? Maybe I should start thinking about calling it off. No. I won’t let my treatment of his condition be so half-assed. But this isn’t good. I don’t want to hurt him more than I already have. Don’t be a baby. These are wounds I inflicted on him. I need to look after him. I’m just reaping what I sowed.

Finally, though, I found the words that I was looking for that reflected my situation. Everything that had happened in middle school was my fault. Though I couldn’t get over how he’d yelled at me when I visited him in the hospital, I knew that I’d just reaped what I’d sowed. I might’ve deserved worse for treating him like a doll, like a toy—selfishly playing with him as I wished without any concern for what he wanted.

The worst part was that that part of me still existed inside me. I could feel lustful desires burning inside me. I wanted to lie him down when he felt sick, take off his clothes, and wipe him down all over. I wanted to make him rice porridge, blow on it to cool it down, and then feed it to him. After that, I wanted to say good night, kissing him over and over again. All of these were probably parts of my hopeless fetish. In all likelihood, it was probably best if I never got into a relationship again. Either I’d ruin them, they’d ruin me, or we’d ruin each other. I could easily envision this. That’s why if Ko-kun got a new girlfriend, I thought that’d be for the best.

At the very least though, I hoped he’d let us remain childhood friends. Our memories were precious to the both of us. That’s why I hoped that we could at least maintain that relationship of ours.

I was okay if this was the last time that we held hands, that I could lean my head on his shoulder, that we could walk with our arms linked. It was only common courtesy for one to clean up the mess they’d made. I needed to clear out all the negative memories bogging him down so that I could give the spot I occupied in his heart to someone else.

“‘Time flies.’ That’s what you’re looking for.” I looked up at him as he practically groaned these words out. “I’m pretty sure it means that time can pass you by in an instant, so you shouldn’t waste a single second...or something.”

“Are you...okay?” I asked.

“Yeah. Thanks to you...I’ve gotten kinda used to this.”

Though he was still blue in the face, he forcefully bent his lips into a smile.

“Oh.” I couldn’t bring myself to say I was glad to hear that. Most likely, those words would’ve carried just enough affection to tip him over the edge. “You know, you’re pretty knowledgeable despite being an idiot.”

“How am I an idiot?! Just being accepted to Rakuro proves I’m not an idiot. Don’t base intelligence levels off of people like Irido.”

“Hm... Don’t waste a single second because time can pass you by in an instant, huh?” Wow, that really hits home. I looked up at the sun as it set.

I’m not gonna waste a second. I promise. Not when I’m causing him so much pain. There’s no way—absolutely no way—I’ll let that happen.

What’d Broken

Tohdo Hoshibe

Do it if you don’t have anything else to do. That’s how I’d been invited onto the student council. I had, to put it simply, been going with the flow. I’d stopped playing basketball and had nothing to do. During this period of limbo, someone conveniently came to me and told me to give it a try.

It was a chance for me to discover a new side of myself, and it’d conveniently fallen in my lap. I immediately jumped on the opportunity. That’s all there is to the story.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d end up being the student council president. I just kept doing whatever came my way and I ended up becoming president. It hadn’t been a part of some grand plan of mine or any calculations—I had just been going with the flow.

Trading the basketball team for the student council was pretty even, honestly. Getting over my guilt for not rejoining the basketball club after all the nice things my upperclassmen told me when I busted my shoulder became easier.

I thought about that quite a bit. After all, because I’d skipped out on my rehab, my left shoulder still hadn’t really healed, so there was no real chance I could return to playing on the team. All that was left was for me to find a place that I could work in. It was better than not doing anything at all, right?

I was okay telling myself that this was for the best—repeating the same flimsy excuse in my head. But then, there was an incident.

“Hey!”

Aso turned around, startled. But that’s not what she should’ve done. Don’t you see it?! There’s a box about to fall on you! In that instant, I extended both of my hands above her to just barely stop the box from falling.

She looked above her and gaped at the box. “Thank you...very much,” she said.

“Be more careful.”

It took me a bit to move past the sense of relief and realize that a chill had run down my spine. Finally, I realized that both my arms were fully raised above my head and there was no pain.

Oh... I realized that my shoulder had been healed for a while now. I’d been the one that’d yet to heal. I had been the one who couldn’t even seriously face myself.

I Won’t Wish for Anything as Lofty as Cinderella Did

Aisa Aso

After standing in line for some time, we finally got into a round gondola. It’d already started to get dark when we lined up. So when the door shut and the gondola shook slightly as we moved upwards, we began going towards the night sky.

“I forget. You good with heights?” Senpai asked across from me.

“Yep. No problem! When I went to Tokyo, I stood on the glass floor at the top of the Skytree!”

“For real? I don’t think I could do that.”

“Really? But your head’s always so high up.”

“Literally nobody factors their own height into whether or not they’re good with heights.”

I giggled. We were interacting with each other as we normally did. That’s probably why he didn’t notice the almost paralyzing nervousness across my body. I decided that this would be where I’d do it. At first, I thought that asking him out with the Kobe night sky as a backdrop would be a little much, but honestly, the clichéd aspect of it worked in my favor. I was thinking that I could put my feelings in the form of a slight joke.

But things weren’t going exactly according to plan. I hadn’t expected to be this nervous. I wasn’t sure I could say what I wanted to without getting tongue-tied. I’d practiced saying these words over and over, but it felt like they were slipping through my fingers and falling to the ground below.

Senpai, do you remember how we weren’t friends at first? Do you remember how even before that, we barely even talked to each other? I doubt we cared about each other at all. Senpai, I’m honestly surprised that despite our relationship being like that, you told me off so pompously. You were such a backseat gamer. But you learned that sticking your nose into other people’s business isn’t always a good idea, right? After all, thanks to that, you have me sticking around you practically wherever you go.

Senpai, I was surprised how much of an otaku you are, but I was honestly kinda happy because I didn’t account for us having the same interests. Yeah, I know how easy that makes me seem. It’s like how introverts flock to gyarus who treat them nicely. But I hope you understand that it’s normal to feel a stronger closeness to someone you weren’t exactly on good terms with when you find out that you have the same interests.

Senpai. Senpai. Senpai!

The gondola approached the sky. There was a cruise ship going by in the ocean. The city buildings stretched towards the horizon. The sparkling, almost treasure-like night view of Kobe stretched out as far as the eye could see.

I was hoping that the beautiful night view would make me look beautiful too. Even if it cast its magic on me just for this moment. All I asked was for five minutes—no, three minutes. No, wait, it can just literally be an instant. I won’t wish for anything as lofty as Cinderella did. I just wanted to be the most beautiful girl in the world for this short instant to tell him my serious feelings.

“Senpai...” I’d left all the words I’d prepared back on the ground, but as we reached the apex of the Ferris wheel, the words naturally spilled out. “Please look at me for the rest of your life.” Because I was serious, I didn’t say this with any extra emotion. My wishes and desires were formed into words. “I can’t see anyone other than you for the rest of my life.” The sparkle from the night view made his eyes sparkle like a kaleidoscope. “I like you. Please be my boyfriend.”

As I said these decisive words, the gondola slightly shook. But even so, neither of us moved nor spoke. The beauty from the sparkle of the stars and the night sky made the cramped, dark gondola almost feel like a stage. It was like a spotlight that only we could see was being shined on our silence. The only two people on this stage were us.

After being frozen for a little, Senpai finally deeply exhaled and fixed his posture. Then, he looked right at me, not with an aloof expression or a tired one, but a serious one.

“Aso, I—” he began to reply.

His Reply

Yume Irido

The early setting sun was a herald of winter. I lightly rubbed my shoulders. This season was meant for jackets. Daytime was still okay for lighter clothing, but wearing fall-appropriate clothes at night was a little chilly. Of course, Higashira-san and I, who’d both been wearing gyaru outfits due to playing along with the antics of the girl group, had gotten cold and had changed back to our normal outfits a while ago.

“Aisa’s late...” President Kurenai mumbled while checking her phone.

She’d shared the meeting time and place via LINE—4:30 in front of the giraffe. Staying true to how we were as student council members, we’d arrived on time, and naturally the girls huddled together while looking towards the direction of the street with the gas lamps where Aso-senpai was supposed to be coming from.

The street had gas lamps at set intervals, each emitting an orange light—it almost gave a Christmassy feel. There were tons of couples walking around, illuminated by the lights, and we were waiting to see Aso-senpai and Hoshibe-senpai walking side by side among them.

She should’ve told him by this point. Though I hadn’t asked her about the specifics of her plan, she’d planned to get back here around this time. So she’d surely asked him out by now, at five o’clock, thirty minutes past our planned meeting time. But even so, none of us said a single word of complaint. We just continued to patiently wait.

“Oh,” President Kurenai said softly.

It took me a bit to see her. In the midst of the crowd, I saw a single head above them. Hoshibe-senpai! Next to him was Aso-senpai, still in the clothes we’d helped pick out for her.

“Phew...” President Kurenai smiled and exhaled slightly.

My heart felt lighter too. After all, their faces, which were lit up by the gas lamps, showed no trace of any awkwardness. They were walking so close to each other that their arms almost touched. They were almost indistinguishable from the couples around them.

“Senpai!” We waved at them to call them over.

Hoshibe-senpai glanced at us before walking over to Mizuto and the rest of the guys without saying a word. Huh? Just as I was thinking that he was acting strange, I finally realized.

“Senpai...”

I looked at Aso-senpai’s face as she looked at us. She was softly smiling. “Thanks, everyone.” She was forcing a smile despite crying.

We didn’t need to ask what’d happened. Her face told the whole story.