Chapter 293

Miyuki had called Hiyori over. As for why she was suddenly doing this... the answer was obvious just by looking at Hiyori's uniform skirt. I was incredibly curious about how the two of them would react to each other, so I decided to eavesdrop on their conversation even if it meant being late for second period.

Hiding in a spot where their voices could barely reach me, I concentrated as hard as I could. Faintly, their conversation drifted to my ears.

"Don't you think... your skirt is a bit too short?"

"No? I think it's just right..."

"...This is?"

"Is it not?"

"Not at all...? Take a look around."

"Hmm... Ah, I suppose I might have worn it a bit too short."

It wasn't just a bit too short—it was significantly short. Our Hiyori certainly had a bold side. It seemed this conservative guy would have to discipline her properly.

"You're entering our Academy as a freshman, right?"

"That's right."

"What's your name?"

"Why do you need my name? Ah...! Don't tell me I'm already blacklisted?"

It was a direct question that completely contrasted with her innocent tone. Flustered, Miyuki hurriedly shook her head.

"Y-You're not blacklisted... It's just that your skirt is way too short, well beyond the permitted length... I just wanted to check on it before the official semester starts. We're going to give you a grace period until then."

"Ah... So that's how it is. But this skirt doesn't have enough seam allowance to let the hem down... Do I have to buy a new one?"

"..."

Miyuki was rendered speechless by Hiyori's nonchalant muttering. Feeling a prick of guilt under her stare, Hiyori spoke up.

"Ah, I didn't mean I was going to come to school wearing this as is. I'm Asahina Hiyori."

"Student Asahina Hiyori... Understood. Um... if you really want to shorten it, please keep it within the permitted length. The school rules should have come with your admission notice, so you'll find the details under the third clause."

"Okay."

"...For now, please head over there to receive your orientation. And take a pamphlet with you."

"Okay."

After Hiyori's cheerful reply, footsteps rang out. It seemed she was walking away.

It was exactly the conversation I had expected, so why was I acting like a stalker here? Overcome with a sudden sense of self-reproach, I stepped out of hiding. Miyuki, who was guiding the other students, widened her eyes in surprise.

"Matsuda-kun? What are you doing here?"

She recognized me the moment I stood up—just as expected of Miyuki. Approaching her with a nonchalant stride, I pressed a bag of gummies into her hand.

"Eat this."

"What's this... Did you buy it for me?"

"Yeah."

"I'm really touched, but... didn't class already start?"

"Two minutes left."

"Really? Thanks for the gummies. You should hurry and go."

"Got it. You're not having a hard time, are you?"

"Nothing's particularly hard, but... there was one really bold underclassman."

She was talking about Hiyori, whom I had just seen. Well, if even I felt her skirt was too short, I could only imagine what Miyuki thought. Feigning ignorance about what had just happened, I asked.

"Bold?"

"She seems like a mischievous underclassman, but her skirt was incredibly short."

"Did you give her demerits?"

"They don't enroll until the spring semester, so how could I give her demerits already? I just told her that if she wanted to shorten it, she should keep it within the permitted length."

"How do you know she's mischievous?"

"That was just her vibe. Plus, she was incredibly pretty..."

"Really? Do you have a picture?"

"Why would I have something like that...! Idiot."

She chuckled at my joke and pushed my arm. Laughing to myself, I yielded to Miyuki's urging to hurry back to class and headed across the campus. I looked back several times along the way, waving to her again and again. Feeling a refreshing warmth bloom in my chest, I returned to the classroom, thinking today was going to be a very good day.

"Hello, Matsuda-kun."

Lunchtime. While waiting with Miyuki for Tetsuya to return from the restroom, I made a bewildered expression at a greeting from an unfamiliar female student.

"Hi. But who are you?"

The moment I returned the greeting, Miyuki jabbed her elbow into my waist. Then, she spoke in an urgent tone.

"Matsuda-kun...! She's a sunbae-nim from the Student Council...! Can't you see her badge?"

Just as Miyuki said, a Gold Badge symbolizing the Student Council was pinned to the student's chest. Miyuki didn't wear hers around, so I couldn't have known without looking closely at it.

Still, what a thoroughly authoritarian little object. It made me want to smear that badge with a certain milky-white fluid from my own body.

Scratching my head awkwardly, I gave a brief nod and apologized.

"Ah, I apologize."

"It's fine. We saw each other in the Gymnasium last year, don't you remember?"

"The Gymnasium?"

"Yeah. When we invited the freshmen's parents for the orientation session."

Was that when I was trying to check if Hiyori's parents had come? Come to think of it, I felt like I had seen her back then.

"Ah... I remember now."

"We made eye contact a few times as we passed by, so I'm a bit hurt you forgot."

Was she showing interest? Or was it just empty courtesy? Her expression was so deadpan that it was hard to tell.

"It's a joke, so don't be so tense. Miyuki, could you drop by the Student Council Room for a bit after afternoon classes end today?"

At her words, Miyuki secretly nudged my back and replied.

"Understood, sunbae-nim."

"Yeah. Have a good lunch."

She gave a bright farewell and walked away. Miyuki watched the sunbae-nim's retreating figure for a moment before suddenly grabbing the sleeve of my uniform.

"What is it?"

"Matsuda-kun, do you really not know the faces of the Student Council members?"

"Do I need to know them?"

"It's the group I belong to, you know?"

"It's fine as long as I know you."

Did she secretly like my answer? Miyuki, who had just been scolding me, let the corners of her lips curl into a faint smile. It was subtle enough to miss at a passing glance, but since I was staring right at her, I noticed it instantly. Looking down at her secretly pleased expression, I spoke.

"You like that?"

"What are you saying... Who says I like it? I'm in the middle of scolding you, Matsuda-kun."

"Really? I'm so, so scared."

"What was with that tone just now?"

"Was it bad?"

"Not bad, but it was incredibly weird. It doesn't suit you."

Miyuki smiled radiantly and swung the hand holding my sleeve. She couldn't show open displays of affection for fear of getting caught by a teacher, but seeing her do it indirectly still brought me joy. When I thought back to how incredibly conservative she was last summer, this kind of behavior was enough to give me a feeling of a changed era—no, even that phrase felt insufficient, so I was perfectly satisfied.

"I'm back."

A gloomy voice drifted over from behind us. Seeing Tetsuya step up beside Miyuki, I wondered when exactly that bastard would take a hint and get lost, and then I headed toward the cafeteria with Miyuki. Along the way, I flinched when I spotted two girls approaching from far off in the opposite direction.

"Hiyori, are you going to bring a packed lunch?"

"I plan to. I looked it up online, and they say Yeboni Academy's cafeteria food isn't very good."

"Oh, really? Shouldn't we still sign up for it, though?"

"You think so? Well, I'll talk it over with my mom and dad when I get back."

The two girls chatted with bright, blooming smiles on their faces. It was Hiyori and the friend I had seen her with at the bookstore.

It felt like a fresh, tangy lemon scent was already hovering in my nose. With that thought, I resolved to ignore Hiyori as best I could and kept walking forward.

"Ah! The Student Council sunbae-nim I saw at the school gates! Hello!"

As the distance between us closed, Hiyori recognized Miyuki and gave a polite bow. She was certainly bright and outgoing with her greetings. It was the kind of cheerfulness that made anyone watching feel good.

"Hello, Student Asahina. Have you had a good look around the campus?"

Miyuki asked while glancing down at the girl's skirt. Beaming, Hiyori replied.

"Yes! I've seen almost everything, and I'm on my way back now."

"I see... Have you eaten? The cafeteria lunch is free for the prospective freshmen who came today."

"No, we were planning to eat out... Huh...?"

At Hiyori's puzzled exclamation as she looked at me standing next to Miyuki, I let out an equally dumbfounded gasp, thinking that what was meant to happen had finally happened.

"Huh?"

"Uh...? Uhhh!!"

Hiyori's already large eyes grew even wider. Just as Miyuki and Tetsuya tilted their heads in confusion and began glancing back and forth between us in bewilderment, Hiyori, who had been staring so intently at my face that it was almost burdensome, shouted.

"Aren't you the part-timer from the cafe!?"

I understood that she was surprised, but if she yelled that loudly, everyone would hear her. Her voice was so booming that it startled me for a second.

What was the right reaction here? Should I act just as shocked? Or should I casually pretend to recognize her...? After agonizing over the two choices for a brief moment, I decided to go with the latter.

"You're the customer who came to the cafe a few times, right?"

"That's right! You go to school here? You were a sunbae-nim?"

Her energy was so high that it was hard to keep up. I knew the friend standing next to her right now was really close with her, but... how on earth did she endure it?

"Well, I'm going up to my second year now..."

"Oh, really!? I'm enrolling here!"

"Is that so...? As a first-year?"

"Yes! Wow... this is so cool...! Hm...?"

Hiyori, whose eyes had been sparkling brightly, turned her gaze toward Tetsuya. Then, she tilted her head.

It was a look of uncertainty. Tetsuya and Hiyori had only bumped into each other once at the cafe before, so it seemed difficult for her to recognize him outright. Still, considering that bastard was second to none when it came to being gloomy, he must have stood out at least a little bit.

"Hello...?"

Hiyori, who had briefly given Tetsuya a glance, offered him a formal greeting before losing interest. Then, she looked back at me and continued talking.

"Please take good care of me during the spring semester! My name is Hiyori. Asahina Hiyori."

"I'm Matsuda Ken."

We had finally exchanged names. For some reason, I felt quite moved. One of Hiyori's quirks was that she abbreviated people's names however she pleased. For example, Miura Tetsuya was called Mitetsu, and Miyuki was called Hanami-sunbae.

In my case, would it be Matsuken? Just imagining Hiyori calling me 'Matsuken-sunbae! Matsuken-sunbae!' in her bright and bubbly tone made my heart feel refreshed.

"What's your name, sunbae-nim?"

The highly sociable Hiyori asked for Miyuki's name as well. Miyuki, who had been blankly staring back and forth between Hiyori and me up until that point, finally snapped to her senses and introduced herself.

Listening to their conversation from a step back, I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly when I saw how flustered Miyuki was acting. That was a reaction she rarely ever showed unless we were doing something dirty...

Hiyori completely threw people off balance the moment she showed up. Given how different her personality was from Miyuki's, they might clash quite often, even if they didn't become outright enemies. But that was how people grew closer. Surprisingly enough, the two of them might actually get along quite well.