Chapter 315

"Ah! Senior Matsu... da!"

Lunchtime.

I was heading back to the classroom alone, having parted ways with Miyuki, who had gone to the Student Council again. At the sound of Hiyori's voice, I turned my head.

She was waving at me with her usual bright expression.

But didn't she hesitate a bit when saying my last name just now?

Could she already be thinking of calling me by some nickname of her own making, just because of what happened yesterday?

'I'd actually prefer that, though.'

Thinking that, I spoke up as Hiyori strode over to me alone.

"What is it?"

"I just felt like calling out to you. But whenever I see you, Senior, it seems like I'm always the one walking over first. It's hard for me since I'm so frail..."

'Your waist and limbs are thin, but your chest is huge.'

'You might not match Miyuki, but you're definitely not frail. Stop pretending to be weak.'

'I'm not falling for it.'

"The one who called should be the one to approach."

At my apathetic reply, Hiyori flashed the same mischievous smile she had shown yesterday.

"Is that how it works?"

"Yeah. Did you eat?"

"I had my bento. What about you, Senior?"

"Just finished. I'm on my way back."

"Alone?"

"No, with Miyuki."

"With Senior Hanazawa? Do you not eat with your other senior?"

"Which other senior?"

"The one you worked part-time with at the cafe. She's the president of the Kendo Club, right?"

"Right."

"Where is she?"

It made sense for her to ask.

Hiyori probably thought Renka was the only one I was really close with.

"She's probably with Senior Nanase."

"Ah! That cute senior? The one with the really unique way of speaking..."

'Your way of speaking is unique too, you know.'

"Right. Those two are really close."

"Childhood friends?"

"Something like that, though they haven't been together since they were really little."

"I see... Sounds nice."

"You have Miho, don't you?"

"That's why I like it too. Where is Senior Hanazawa?"

"She left early for Student Council work."

"So you're alone right now?"

"Pretty much."

"Do you have any guy friends?"

Should I say I did or didn't?

I had barely built any friendships with other guys, so it was a bit awkward to answer.

"But Senior, don't you bring a bento or something?"

Fortunately, Hiyori fired off another question without waiting for my answer.

Why was she so curious about everything? She was like a three-year-old brimming with questions.

Still, it felt nice that she was actively driving the conversation herself.

"I don't. Bringing one only lasts a day or two before you just start eating the cafeteria food."

"But the cafeteria food tastes awful. I tried it once yesterday. It was really bad, wasn't it?"

"If you just eat it like animal feed, you get used to it."

"What's with that salaryman tone? You sound totally soulless."

"Let's just say I am. Anyway, why are you alone? Where's Mitsushima?"

"She's in the classroom."

"Then why did you come out? You said you already ate."

"I was looking for a quiet place."

"Why a quiet place?"

"So I can get lost in my thoughts alone when I'm feeling down."

Ah, she was just looking for a good spot to slack off. Understood.

"Do you know any good spots?"

I shrugged at Hiyori's follow-up question.

"I do, but I can't share places like that. Someone might come looking for me when I'm trying to get lost in my own thoughts."

"Then we can just get lost in our thoughts together."

"Not a bad idea."

"Right?"

Hiyori giggled and was urging me to show her the way, when—

"You there, student."

A middle-aged woman who looked like a teacher approached from behind her.

She was frowning, side-eyeing Hiyori's skirt.

She seemed strict; Hiyori might actually get demerit points.

"Hello..."

Sensing something in the teacher's gaze, Hiyori bowed politely with a slightly shrunken voice.

The teacher accepted the greeting with a light nod, then asked in a cold tone.

"Why is your skirt so short?"

"This? Um..."

For some reason, it felt like Hiyori was going to try and wriggle out of it by bringing up what Miyuki had told her—'you don't have to worry anymore'—so I quickly stepped up next to her and lied to the teacher.

"I accidentally spilled a drink on her earlier."

Right after saying that, I gave Hiyori a covert glance to play along. Her eyes widened for a second before she quickly nodded.

"Ah, yes. That's right. I had hemmed this one before seeing the notice about the school rules, and since it was in my locker, I just changed into it."

"You don't have another skirt?"

"I do have another new one I bought, but it's at the dry cleaners right now."

"Dry cleaners?"

"I sent it for dry cleaning. The new clothes smell was too strong."

"Is that so? Regardless, that's a demerit. You shouldn't have altered your uniform skirt like that in the first place."

"I am sooo sorry. Could you please let it slide just this once? I'll wear it properly starting tomorrow... Please?"

Hiyori pressed her hands together, rubbing them in a pleading gesture as she stamped her feet.

At a glance, it might have seemed frivolous or disrespectful, but her face was so naturally charming, and her expressions and gestures seemed so earnest, that the teacher let out a dry but subtly pleased smile.

"Are you a first-year?"

"Yes, I am."

"Name."

"It's Asahina Hiyori. I'm in Class 1-C."

"Asahina Hiyori... Alright. I'll be checking to see if you wear it properly tomorrow, understood?"

"Yes! Thank you so much!"

The teacher chuckled, perhaps finding Hiyori's unique way of speaking endearing and amusing.

After declaring that she would absolutely not let her off next time, the teacher walked away. Hiyori watched her back and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, she looked up at me and spoke.

"You didn't need to help me... I had a perfectly good excuse ready."

'I did it because that excuse of yours was going to cause trouble not just for Miyuki, but for the whole Student Council she's part of.'

'I really don't want to see you and Miyuki bickering already.'

"Oh yeah? You should have said something."

"How was I supposed to say anything in that situation? Are you making fun of me?"

"Nope."

"I'm pretty sure you are... But thank you anyway. I'll give you a Suichu as a thank-you gift."

"I still have the ones you gave me before."

"You can just eat more."

"Never mind that. What were you thinking, dressing like that during a crowded lunchtime?"

"Why not? I can wear it if I want. But is it really that short?"

"Yeah. If it was at least right above the knee, maybe, but that's a bit..."

"If I pull it down a bit, it reaches here. Is this still short?"

Saying that, Hiyori shimmied her skirt down and stepped one leg forward.

Then she pointed to the line where the hem of the skirt met her thigh.

At that sudden and somewhat suggestive action, I quickly turned my head away and said, "Hey, hey... what are you doing right now?"

"What? I'm just asking. Come on, look."

"Just cover it up. People are going to get the wrong idea."

"What wrong idea?"

Seeing her face full of mischief, it was clear she was enjoying teasing me.

'Our Hiyori... isn't your sense of modesty a bit too non-existent?'

'Just like yesterday when you showed up soaking wet... if you keep this up, I'm going to have to severely discipline you.'

"I'm leaving now."

"Ah, why...! You promised to show me a quiet place."

Hiyori knew exactly how to wrap guys around her finger.

No, rather than knowing, it was more accurate to say it was pure instinct.

With a pretty face, making a pitiful expression while laying on some light charm—was there anyone who wouldn't fall for that?

I doubted it.

She wasn't purposely trying to act like a queen bee; it was just a tomboyish attitude that naturally radiated from her...

That must have played a huge role in winning the favor of so many guys.

Even now, there were probably tons of former classmates who harbored feelings for her.

Some of them might even be bawling their eyes out because they couldn't go to the same Academy.

I pointed toward the cafeteria behind Hiyori and said, "If you go behind the cafeteria, there's a side path, right? Head that way and..."

"Are you seriously telling me to go by myself? I won't joke around anymore, so please show me the way."

"It's not because of your jokes. I'm just telling you because it's a place easy enough to explain in words."

"Does it end just by following the side path?"

"No. You follow the path, and then where the stone wall on the right is slightly indented..."

"That's too complicated... Should we just go together?"

"Could you just listen to what I'm saying first?"

"You spilled a drink on me, remember? I'll let you off the hook for the dry cleaning fee if you guide me there."

She was sitting there stating the excuse I used on the teacher to defuse the situation as if it were the truth.

Seriously, what a shameless kid... Still, since I wanted this too, I figured I'd play along.

"Fine... Got it."

On one hand, I felt relieved. Relieved that I was the first guy Hiyori became close with after coming here.

And that she seemed to enjoy exchanging banter with me.

'If you treat other guys this comfortably, you're really going to be in big trouble, got it?'

'You should only be like this with me. You should only find it interesting to have these kinds of conversations with me.'

Swallowing those words, I looked down at Hiyori, whose eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

"Follow me."

"Okay. But is the place outdoors?"

"Yeah."

"So the ground is dirt? There'll probably be a lot of bugs too..."

"It's not dirt, it's flat concrete. But there are a lot of mosquitoes in the summer."

"Ew... I really hate mosquitoes... Couldn't you show me a place indoors instead? If it's outdoors, we can't use it when it rains or snows."

"Why are you so demanding? Go find a place yourself then."

"...I'm sorry. Outdoors is fine."

She looked crestfallen as she apologized.

It seemed she felt genuinely sorry for overstepping.

My resolve weakened. It was a place I'd end up using with Hiyori and the other heroines anyway, so wouldn't it be better to just show her everything now rather than revealing them one by one?

Thinking that, I jerked my thumb over my shoulder.

"I'll show you an indoor spot."

At that, Hiyori's face instantly brightened up as if she had never been down in the first place.

"Okay!"

What the? Her mood bounced back way too fast.

Was that pitiful expression just now an act? I couldn't shake the suspicion that I had just been played.

I felt a confusing mix of emotions—glad, yet somehow feeling like my pride had taken a slight hit.

If things like this started piling up, I'd become the perfect pushover to take advantage of... But even if Hiyori seemed frivolous on the outside, she was an incredibly warm person on the inside.

She absolutely wasn't the type to use someone for her own gain, and she returned favors in kind. Whatever good I did for her would definitely come back to me.

I'd change it later, but for now, taking this stance seemed like the best approach.

Grumbling and complaining, but still granting her requests...

Yeah, exactly like a tsundere, just like Renka.