Chapter 312

“Your clothes are soaked. You’ll catch a cold like that.”

“Is that so?”

Is that so, my foot. She was shivering. As I held the umbrella over Hiyori’s head, I found her bright smile incredibly charming. Up close, she was truly beautiful. Even now, that playful expression suited her perfectly.

“Where’s Mitsushima?”

“Miho? She got called to the Faculty Office.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea. I’ll have to ask her when she gets back.”

“So you were waiting here for her?”

“Yes. I wanted to look around the campus a bit, but it suddenly started pouring...”

So that was it. But I didn’t know where to look. If I looked at her face, my gaze naturally drifted down to her chest... but I couldn’t just avoid looking at her entirely, either. It was a real dilemma.

“Why are you here, sunbae-nim?”

“I was heading to the Parking Lot and saw you, so I wondered what you were doing.”

“Really? Are your club activities over?”

“Yeah. Have you picked a club yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Weren’t you thinking about the Archery Club or the Swimming Club?”

“I was, but after actually seeing them today, I didn’t feel that drawn to them.”

I wanted to tell her to join the Kendo Club. I wanted to see her in a dark navy Training Uniform, running around the dojo with those baggy pants fluttering. I wanted to see her pout after getting scolded by Renka and Chinami.

“I also thought about the Kendo Club, but no matter how I look at it, using my body seems too exhausting.”

Using her body was exhausting? She’d have to use it enthusiastically with me later on; what was she going to do if she was already complaining? Accepting her reasoning, I asked another question.

“You prefer taking it easy physically?”

“I prefer taking it easy mentally, too.”

Yeah, yeah. That sounds like you. Swallowing those words, I simply smiled in response. Watching the rain grow heavier again, I spoke.

“I’ll cover you with the umbrella, so let’s head inside the building. Mitsushima is probably over there, too.”

“Ah, I’ll gratefully accept, then.”

Bowing her head in thanks, Hiyori did something unexpected. Like the heroine of a teen drama, she took a large step forward, closing the distance between us until she was right in front of me.

Startled, I pulled my chin back. Hiyori’s large eyes widened even further as she pointed at me with a long, slender finger.

“You’ve got a double chin now. Should I step back a bit?”

Why was she saying that so casually? It was embarrassing. If she pulled this kind of prank on anyone else, she’d be in for a scolding.

“No. I was just startled. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

With Hiyori flashing an impish smile beside me, we crossed the center of the field and headed toward the Academy building.

Every time we took a step, her arm brushed against mine, stirring a strange sensation. It was a shame she was wearing a cardigan. How great would it be if it were summer right now? I could have fully soaked in that youthful, romantic vibe.

“Sunbae-nim, you don’t need to tilt the umbrella just to be considerate of me.”

Hiyori spoke as she took a wide step forward to avoid a puddle in the dirt field. Shifting the center of the umbrella to follow her movements, I shrugged.

“I’m not doing that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was just trying to avoid the puddles, too.”

“Hmm...”

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Hiyori turned her head to inspect the ground. She seemed to be checking if there were any puddles around me. Couldn’t she just accept a favor as a favor?

“I don’t see any puddles...”

“Is that so...?”

She certainly had a knack for making people feel awkward. Just as that thought crossed my mind, Hiyori burst into laughter and waved a hand in the air.

“I’m joking.”

From closing the distance earlier just to enjoy my flustered reaction, to what she was doing now... our Hiyori really loved playing pranks.

Hiyori was the type to pull these kinds of jokes on others frequently, but I hadn’t expected her to do it with me since we still had quite a bit of distance between us. Seeing her now, though, it seemed we had grown closer than I’d anticipated.

Then again, starting with our first meeting at the cafe during vacation, the coincidence of attending the same Academy, and bumping into each other multiple times since—it made sense that we were getting closer faster than others. It felt good, but I couldn’t let it go to my head. Hiyori was entirely unpredictable.

“If you ever dislike me acting like this, please tell me honestly at any time. I can be pretty thoughtless, so I’m not always good at reading how others feel.”

Chuckling at Hiyori’s request, I replied.

“No. I like jokes like that, too.”

“Oh, really? But...”

“But what?”

“Never mind.”

Hesitating and trailing off, it was obvious Hiyori was itching to say something. She wanted to speak but seemed worried it might be rude. Stepping into the building entrance alongside her, I folded the umbrella and spoke up.

“It’s fine, go ahead.”

“Mmm... rather than liking jokes, sunbae-nim, it seems more like you’d just be good at going along with them.”

“What does that mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

Not that I liked jokes, but that I’d go along with them well. In other words, it meant I didn’t seem like the type to crack jokes myself. She was sugarcoating the fact that she thought I was boring.

It was a little shocking. Was I acting too stiff around Hiyori? As I had thought before, was I just intimidated by that Conquest Difficulty: Maximum warning and walking on eggshells? Or was I genuinely just boring? If it was the latter, I had no choice but to admit it.

Whatever it was, this was my first time dealing with a junior heroine, so I was definitely struggling to find my footing. Hiyori was approaching me so amiably, but my own awkwardness was likely keeping the distance between us from narrowing.

I wanted to treat Hiyori comfortably too, but it wasn’t working out. This was hard, truly hard. At times like this, I needed to relieve my stress by smacking Renka’s rear or grabbing Chinami’s... It was a shame.

“Somehow, that sounds negative...”

“It’s noooot.”

“I think it is.”

“I meant it in a good waaaay.”

“Is that right? Fine, then.”

“Are you doubting me?”

“No.”

“I think you are?”

Seeing Hiyori parrot my words back to me with a mischievous look, I felt like I had buttoned the first button wrong. She was treating me far more affectionately than I had imagined... I just didn’t know why. Was it my face? Or was she expressing her gratitude for the umbrella in her own way?

Somehow, I felt like I was one... no, three steps behind. At this rate, I was going to end up as Hiyori’s plaything. The kind of toy with great reactions that she’d want to tease a few times every day.

Still, if I could secure that kind of image, it wasn’t a bad thing. I could always turn the tables and tease her back later on, or simply punish her at night—so it was actually a good thing. I just couldn’t become a pathetic loser like Tetsuya.

“I said I’m not.”

“Got it. Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. But aren’t you cold standing around like that? Do you have a spare uniform or anything?”

At my words, Hiyori examined her uniform, which was clinging tightly to her skin from the rain. Without caring that I was watching right in front of her, she slipped off her wet cardigan. Thanks to that, her slender waistline and the appealing curve of her ribs were laid bare, once again leaving me with nowhere to look.

“My spare uniform is at home... and my new cardigan is in my locker.”

Didn’t she lack way too much caution in front of a guy? She desperately, desperately needed a lesson in modesty.

“Then hurry up and go get it. What are you doing?”

I turned and gestured toward the stairs for her to hurry up, but Hiyori let out a quiet “Hehe...”—a rather sly little laugh.

“Shouldn’t I take a shower first?”

“Then go to the shower room.”

“Where is it?”

“As soon as you reach the third floor, head left, and you’ll find the staff lounge. It’s inside there, so use that.”

“Is it okay if I just go in?”

“Just tell them you got wet and only need to shower. It should be fine.”

“I see... But even if I shower, I don’t have any clothes to wear... Should I just wear the cardigan over my bare body?”

She was deliberately stimulating my imagination. She was definitely making indirect, suggestive remarks just to enjoy my reaction. For someone who hadn’t even done anything truly dirty before... how cheeky. Still, I was glad she was already treating me like this.

“Why are you asking me that? Borrow something from Mitsushima.”

“Miho doesn’t have anything either.”

“Then just dry off real quick with a hairdryer.”

“That’ll take forever. Ghosts come out when it gets dark.”

“They do not.”

“That’s what a Third Year senior in the Archery Club told me, though. Don’t you believe in ghosts, sunbae-nim?”

“I don’t. Go on now.”

“Why aren’t you going, sunbae-nim?”

“I’m going to see Miyuki.”

“Miyuki Hanazawa?”

“Yeah.”

“Where is she right now?”

“She’s in the Student Council, so she’s in the Student Council Room.”

“I see... I’ll really get going now. I should find Miho first.”

“Couldn’t you just call her?”

“Should I?”

“Yeah. And please, just go...”

As I purposely let exasperation seep into my voice, Hiyori’s laughter-filled reply rang out.

“Understood. Thanks for sharing the umbrella. I’ll buy you something delicious from the School Store next time.”

“Sure.”

Perhaps deciding she was done teasing for now, Hiyori finally walked away without picking apart my words any further. Her footsteps gradually faded, and once they disappeared completely, I carefully turned my head. I half expected Hiyori to be watching from afar just to mess with me again.

But a quick look around confirmed she was gone. It was all in my head. How embarrassing. Still, could I consider this event a success? I hadn’t been the one leading it—Hiyori did all the work—but oh well... good is good, right?

Deeming it a satisfying day, I looked down at the drops of water that had dripped from Hiyori’s uniform and cardigan. I debated following the trail but quickly dropped the idea. Let’s stop with the perverted thoughts for today and just bask in the romantic vibe of youth.

A lingering scent of lemon still hung in the hallway. Chuckling to myself as the faint fragrance wafted into my nose, I climbed the stairs to head toward the Student Council Room where Miyuki was.