Chapter 335

Hiyori's image kept flickering before my eyes, refusing to fade.

The way she sat by the pool after warm-ups, splashing into the water and giggling with Miho... I would probably keep thinking about that sight for at least a week.

Her swimsuit had been a bit small, though. It showed a lot more skin than the other students', making it rather obscene.

I needed to start teaching our Hiyori about modesty... the sooner, the better.

"Sunbae-nim! Are you heading to club activities?"

I was trudging toward the Club Room when Hiyori's voice rang out from behind me.

Speak of the devil. I liked that about her.

"I am. Where did Mitsushima run off to this time, leaving you all alone?"

"Miho went ahead to the Club Room."

"I thought you two were close?"

"We are?"

"Then why have you been hanging out separately lately?"

"It happens."

"Did you have fun in swimming class?"

"It was super fun, but pretty exhausting, too."

"Because you swam too much?"

"More like I had to hold a kickboard and practice kicking for way too long. It got boring, too..."

"The teacher really made you work on your warm-ups, huh."

"Tell me about it."

The top button of Hiyori's shirt was left undone.

Just because the weather had gotten a little warmer, she was already starting to show more skin. I didn't like that one bit.

She should only show that side of herself to me.

Clicking my tongue, I spoke up.

"Button your shirt."

"I don't wanna. It's hot."

"Button it."

"You did this last time, too. Why are you always acting so conservative? Are you my grandpa, sunbae-nim?"

"Hurry up."

Did my strict tone stir up her rebellious streak?

Muttering complaints under her breath, Hiyori reluctantly fastened the button.

"Happy?"

"Yes. A student should look like a student."

"Ugh... you're so stuffy."

"I'm only saying this for your own good."

Hiyori gave me a dumbfounded look.

She seemed utterly speechless at the old-man energy oozing from my every pore.

Chuckling to myself, I jerked my chin toward the building housing the indoor clubs.

"Aren't you going?"

"I'm going... but why do I feel so annoyed right now?"

"Your attitude is terrible. When someone gives you good advice, you're supposed to say 'thank you.'"

"Now I'm actually getting annoyed."

"Glad to hear it."

"You're such a pain..."

Hmm. Her reaction wasn't bad at all.

It felt like I had finally landed a hit after being on the losing end so many times.

From now on, I needed to unleash my inner old man whenever I dealt with Hiyori.

"I'm just kidding. Don't be mad."

"I wasn't mad. But sunbae-nim, can I use this?"

Hiyori pulled a small rectangular slip of paper from her uniform pocket.

She handed me the stamp card she had taken back when I was working my cafe shifts... It had five stamps on it.

It had been a while since I last saw one of those. All my memories with Renka suddenly came flooding back.

"You can use it. Just collect ten stamps first."

"Can't I get half off with this?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"How is that ridiculous? Ten stamps get you a free drink, so five stamps should get you half off. It makes perfect sense."

"That is pure customer-from-hell logic."

"Just do it."

"How am I supposed to do that? Go ask the Boss if you want."

"Come on, just do it for me."

The way she playfully pouted was incredibly cute.

"Hand it over, then."

"You're actually going to do it?"

"Yeah."

"You're lying, aren't you? You're just going to snatch the card and use it for yourself, right?"

"I said I'd do it and you're still complaining. Get out of here."

I waved my hand like I was swatting away an annoying mosquito. Grinning broadly, Hiyori pretended to dodge the swipe.

Then she swung her backpack around to her front, pulled out a Suichu, and held it out to me.

"Here's payback for the 100 yen I borrowed."

"You're actually paying me back with a Suichu?"

"You told me I could pay you back however I wanted. If you don't take it, I'll just eat it myself."

"Give it here."

With a quick snatch, the long wrapper vanished from Hiyori's hand.

Having her Suichu swiped in the blink of an eye, Hiyori's eyes widened.

My sleight of hand had clearly startled her.

"Why are your hands so fast...?"

"I used to pickpocket a lot."

"I figured it was something like that..."

I loved how she always played along with every stupid joke I made.

I noticed her backpack looked a bit plain earlier. Maybe I should buy her a keychain or something.

A lemon keychain, perhaps? It matched her vibe perfectly and would look great on her.

Wait, didn't I think the exact same thing last time?

My memory seemed to be slipping lately. I needed to get my act together.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Hiyori's question pulled me from my thoughts.

I shrugged.

"Nothing you need to know about."

"You're thinking about something perverted, aren't you? It's written all over your face."

Acting all open-minded when she didn't even know what truly perverted meant.

She really shouldn't have worn that swimsuit.

She had thoroughly stoked my passion, and I was going to devour her as soon as I got the chance.

Easier said than done, of course. The constant tug-of-war with Hiyori was no walk in the park.

I needed to try harder. Much harder.

"Myak."

As I gently rested my arm on top of Chinami's head while she was gathering the laundry, a delightfully bizarre little noise escaped her lips.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"I just suddenly felt like resting it there."

"I suppose that happens. Renka does this to me all the time, too. Although she rests both of her arms on me, not just one."

"The President must really cherish you, Master."

"You have a very sweet way with words."

"Thank you. By the way, Master."

"Go ahead."

"Do you like swimming, too?"

"Of course. I'm not very good at it, though."

Chinami liked swimming...

In that case, taking all the heroines to the Beach together this summer wouldn't be a bad idea.

Come to think of it, wasn't there going to be a joint school trip for the first, second, and Third Year students?

All three grades going to the exact same destination wasn't exactly standard procedure, so I couldn't call it a mandatory cliché, but it was still an event that popped up in these games just when you'd forgotten about it... I found myself wanting to get my hopes up.

"I'd love to see that."

"See what?"

"You in a swimsuit, Master."

"Nyah?"

Chinami grew flustered at my blatant display of ulterior motives.

I carefully smoothed out her pink hair where my arm had pressed it down and continued.

"Let's go to the pool or the Beach together sometime."

"Ah... Yes... let's do that."

"Is that a promise?"

"Y-yes..."

Perhaps feeling shy because I had brought up the swimsuit, Chinami draped the long towel she was holding entirely over her head.

How could a single human being act so outrageously cute all the time?

In my humble opinion, Chinami deserved to be designated as a national treasure.

After making that vague promise with Chinami and thoroughly teasing Renka, I coasted through a perfectly uneventful day. The next morning arrived.

On my way to art class, I spotted Hiyori fast asleep in the bleachers out by the field.

She was in her short-sleeved gym uniform, totally dead to the world with a towel draped over her eyes. I loved how completely oblivious she was to anyone who might be watching.

With that thought in mind, I quietly approached and peered down at her.

Her lips were slightly parted, letting out soft, rhythmic breaths.

One of her legs was casually dangling off the edge of the bleachers. She was out cold.

She had some real nerve pulling this off while the gym teacher was still out on the field.

She even had her head propped up on a small travel pillow—who knew where she had pulled that out from.

She'd definitely get demerits if she got caught... what a wildly carefree girl.

Shaking my head, I reached out and gave Hiyori's smooth, broad forehead a light flick.

"Nngk."

Hiyori gasped softly and sluggishly pulled the towel away from her eyes.

She blinked up at my face hovering over her.

"Matsuda sunbae-nim...? What's going on...?"

"I spotted you on my way to the art room. The teacher's right over there, what are you doing?"

"Ugh, why would you wake me up just to nag at me...!"

I loved the adorable, groggy grumble in her half-asleep voice.

As she rolled onto her side and got ready to drift off again, I spoke up.

"If you're going to sleep, at least go hide in a corner somewhere. You're going to get caught out here."

"Too lazy... just leave me alone..."

"Where did you even get the pillow? Did you buy it?"

"Yeah... fifteen hundred yen... Did a GO with my friends..."

"What's a GO?"

"A group order..."

"I didn't ask you that."

"Ugh, stop bothering me...!"

I was about to plant myself right next to her as she mumbled lines straight out of an angsty teenager's diary in her sleepy stupor, but I thought better of it.

I actually felt a little bad. It seemed like I was just needlessly ruining her good nap.

"Fix your skirt."

"My skirt?"

"Your thighs are showing."

Just as I said, her skirt had ridden up high enough to put her thighs on full display.

She had been tossing and turning in her sleep, causing the fabric to bunch up.

"Did you get a good look...?"

She fumbled to pull the hem down before suddenly throwing that loaded question at me.

She was asking if I had enjoyed the view of her thighs.

I snorted, brushing off the ridiculous implication.

"No, not at all."

"Okay..."

"Go back to sleep. Just don't get caught."

"Yeah... If you have a Blanket on you, hand it over."

I stared in disbelief as she stuck an arm out toward me, fully expecting me to produce one.

Carefully, I grabbed her slender wrist and set her arm back down across her waist.

"I don't have one."

"Start carrying one from now on..."

Any sliver of guilt I'd felt over waking her up instantly evaporated.

Should I just keep bothering her?

No. I was the one who had woken her up, so I'd leave it at that.

"Sure, whatever."

I picked up the towel that had fallen beside her and folded it neatly, keeping the cleanest side facing outward.

Then I gently laid it back across her forehead before strolling away from the bleachers.

Aside from the heat, it was a perfectly peaceful and uneventful day.

The weather was just as clear as the day before. Looking up at the vast, vibrant blue sky, I couldn't help but feel that something good was going to happen today.