Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 7 - Chapter 4.6

Ding…

The soft electronic chime from my phone pulled me back from the shallow waters of sleep.

Right after Shiratama-san had changed into her uniform and headed off to her sister's wedding, I collapsed onto the sofa, utterly exhausted.

The last thing I remembered was my thoughts trailing off into sleep, so I must've dozed off without realizing it.

As I rubbed my eyes and sat up, a blazer from Tsuwabuki High slipped off my shoulders and fell to the floor. It seemed someone had draped it over me while I slept. Considering I'm already wearing a blazer, I must have been double-layered in them.

Thinking that, I picked up the blazer. The familiar, comforting size makes it clear that it belongs to Yanami…

I checked my phone and saw that I hadn't been asleep for even an hour. As I skimmed through the flood of notifications, it seemed the mission had been completed despite a few accidents.

Asagumo-san and Prez are currently retrieving the equipment they have planted around the area.

I didn't fully understand the details, but apparently, getting caught could lead to some severe issues with radio laws and other legal concerns.

…So, what now?

Shiratama-san has decided to continue hiding her feelings for Tanaka-sensei and to be a good little sister-in-law. And if she ends up joining the Literature Club, our future would be secure.

As I stood up and placed Yanami's blazer back on the rack, I noticed the curtain in the changing area moving slightly.

"Nukumizu-kun, are you alone right now…?"

"Huh, you're here, Yanami-san? Thanks for putting the blazer on me."

Glad I didn't say anything weird to myself.

While I sighed in relief, Yanami quietly called out again.

"...Hey. Come over here for a second."

Huh? Into the curtain?

"No way. I'm not going in while you're changing."

"I'm fully dressed. It's fine. Just come in."

…Then why aren't you coming out?

I couldn't figure it out, but arguing seemed like a hassle. I pulled back the curtain, and the sight before me left me speechless.

There stands Yanami, wearing Shiratama-san's wedding dress.

She looked down shyly, her white dress swaying slightly.

Compared to Shiratama-san, her more prominent bust pushed the dress beyond its intended design, almost bursting at the seams.

"Eh? Why are you wearing-"

"...Take it off for me."

What?! Am I still dreaming!?

I'm scared. This is more like a nightmare. Yanami slowly raised her head.

Faint tears are welling up in her eyes.

"No, how about you ask someone-"

"I was curious and tried it on, but now I can't get it off! Do something, Nukumizu-kun!"

…Wat?

"The zipper on the back won't budge! I think the dress shrunk after I put it on! It happens all the time, so I'm sure that's what's going on!"

Is that so? Does this happen often? This nightmare still hasn't ended then.

"Alright. I'll go get Asagumo-san and the others, so just stay here, Yanami-san."

"Wait! You want me to live with this kind of embarrassment? I don't want anyone else to know!"

But it's okay if I do?

Yanami turned around, lifting her hair to expose the zipper on her back.

"Hurry up and pull it down. PULL. IT. DOWN."

Eh…? Are we really doing this?

Honestly, I don't want to do it, but I can't exactly refuse. Despite my looks, I'm pretty good at reading the mood.

I placed my left finger next to the zipper and slowly started to pull it down with my right hand-

"Uwah, it's completely stuck. It won't budge at all."

"That can't be right. Nukumizu-kun, are you just too weak?"

…I could just leave her behind and go home.

But a samurai's kindness made me give it another try, putting more effort into pulling the zipper down, slowly revealing more skin. I averted my eyes a little, feeling awkward.

Then, the zipper stopped midway, refusing to move any further.

"What's wrong? Just pull it all the way down."

"Hold up. The zipper's caught on something blue underneath..."

"...Something blue?"

Yanami paused for a moment, then let out a scream that sounded almost like a cry.

"Wait!? That's my bra-"

Huh!? This blue thing is underwear!? Now that I think about it, I do see some hooks.

"Shit. I'll go get someone-"

"No! I don't wear underwear under my clothes! It's not a bra!"

Isn't that even more embarrassing?

But if she insists it's not her underwear, then leaving now would only make me seem overly conscious of it, which would be even worse. I braced myself and continued with this nightmare scenario.

"No looking, Nukumizu-kun! And no touching either!"

"Yeah, I don't want to touch it either-"

"What? I wash my clothes, you know!? Please! I'll let you touch it. Just get it off me!"

I really don't want to. Why do I have to touch someone else's underwear?

But we're not going anywhere at this rate.

"Yanami-san, do you have any butter or margarine?"

"Huh, what? Are you going to eat me up?"

No. I'm not you.

"You smear the butter on the zipper to make it slide easier. But it's not like you would have butter on you-"

"Ah, I do have a pack in my bag."

Why? But now's not the time to question it.

With the help of Yanami's butter, the nightmare finally came to an end not long after.

*

...I'm exhausted. This was three times more tiring than dealing with Shiratama-san's situation.

As I slumped into the sofa, completely drained, Yanami, now dressed back in her uniform, plopped down beside me.

"...I've been defiled."

That's misleading. If anything, you're the one who defiled me.

Yanami fiddled with the ribbon on her chest for a while before sighing and speaking up.

"How did you convince Shiratama-chan?"

"What do you mean-"

"She was about to do something reckless, wasn't she? Something must have happened for her to back down so easily."

It's not really a big deal, but it's not exactly something I want to share, either…

I chose my words carefully.

"...Well, if I have to say, I guess she realized now isn't the right time."

"...You mean like she's postponing it?"

"Yeah, something like that."

…Postponing. Making a decision isn't always the solution.

There's a moment when the answers you don't have now might come. It could be next year, or it could be tomorrow.

When that time comes, you might not even realize it, and by then, what you're holding onto now might just be a memory.

I don't trust who I am at this moment.

That's why I don't despair about the future, and I don't get overly hopeful either.

Shiratama-san might one day steal Tanaka-sensei away, or she might find a new love.

Things will turn out as they are meant to, and they will only turn out that way.

The only responsibility we can truly hold is for ourselves in the here and now-

Yanami gave me a deadpan look as I was lost in thought.

"Eh? What?"

"...Hey, Nukumizu-kun, you didn't take advantage of the mood and try anything weird with Shiratama-chan, did you?"

"Of course not-"

I started to respond, but then Shiratama-san's deep, captivating eyes flashed through my mind.

-Shall we kiss?

It was just a whim. Take it seriously, and you'll regret it. That's who Riko Shiratama is.

"Wait, something did happen, didn't it!? Did you make a move on her? Seriously?"

"No, I didn't! I turned her down-"

"What!? What do you mean by that!?"

Shit, I let that slip. Yanami's face twisted into a furious expression as she grabbed my tie.

This is bad- at this rate, I'm going to look like a bad guy who made a move on a kouhai.

As I struggled to think of an excuse, I noticed a pair of eyes on us. I glanced over at the classroom door.

There stand Asagumo-san and Prez, both with amused, knowing grins plastered on their faces.

"Thank you for the food." (x2)

Yanami and I hurriedly shouted back in perfect sync.

"We're not like that!"