Chapter 377

"What's with the fidgeting?"

At my chiding, Hiyori—who had been fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt for a while now—replied.

"I'm not used to it. It's my first time coming downtown dressed like this."

Baggy beige shorts and an equally boxy white t-shirt.

Anyone could tell she had just thrown the outfit together, which was probably why she felt so uncomfortable.

I snorted, thinking she was worrying over nothing.

"Nobody's looking at you, so don't worry about it."

"Someone was just looking at me a second ago, though."

"They were?"

"Yes. Just because nobody looks at you, sunbae-nim, please don't assume it's the same for me."

"Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? Shouldn't you hit me and tell me to watch my mouth?"

She was saying things that would make anyone listening think I was some abusive boyfriend or husband who doled out violence without hesitation.

When I kept my mouth shut, unable to think of a reply, Hiyori giggled and patted my arm.

"I was joking. But that hat looks really good on you, sunbae-nim."

"You think so?"

"Even if you smell a little."

She always had to throw a jab at the very end.

What was this called again? Tsukkomi? I don't know.

"Where do I smell?"

"Your body."

"I don't smell."

"You do, though? You didn't shower. Ugh... so dirty."

Hiyori plucked at my t-shirt with her thumb and forefinger.

Seeing her playful behavior, I threw my arm around her shoulders and pulled her against my chest.

Almost like I was putting her in a headlock.

"Whoa...!?"

Hearing Hiyori yelp as her face was suddenly buried in my embrace, I asked in a deadpan voice.

"Do I still smell?"

"I-It's worse now that I'm this close...! Are you an idiot, sunbae-nim...!?"

"So, do I smell?"

"You do...! Let go...!"

"You really think I smell?"

I asked in a skeptical tone, curling my fingers to rub my knuckles against the crown of Hiyori's head.

Hiyori thrashed around, likely feeling a slight sting from the friction against her scalp.

She struggled wildly, desperate to break free.

But the difference in our strength was too great; her efforts were completely in vain.

"It hurts...! Sunbae-nim...! That hurts...!"

I wasn't pressing hard enough to actually hurt her, but she was exaggerating.

As I silently continued to torment her, she cried, "You don't...! You don't smell...!!"

I only let her go once the words of surrender burst from her lips.

The moment she was free, she let out a huge gasp of air. Her face was as red as a fruit about to burst.

I definitely hadn't choked her hard enough to cut off her air.

For her to react like that, it was probably just embarrassment from suddenly being pulled into something resembling a hug.

She always ran her mouth just to end up like this.

Thinking that, I pretended to smooth down Hiyori's disheveled hair, but right when she stood still, I moved my hand and completely messed it up again.

"...I feel like the more I get to know you, sunbae-nim, the more new sides of you I see."

Hiyori spoke with an expression of total resignation, completely unfazed by her hair being turned into a tangled mess.

I gave a satisfied smile and replied.

"If you don't like it, stop teasing me."

"I should do it more, then."

It meant she actually liked it, not that she hated it.

Hiyori sometimes said things that caught me off guard like this.

In the past, I would have flinched, but now that I understood her personality well, I didn't.

I placed my hand over Hiyori's fiercely glaring eyes.

A cold sensation passed into my palm. Her body was always cold—was that why she was so energetic in the summer?

It wasn't good for a woman's body to run cold... Maybe I should pack her some ginger tea tomorrow.

"I can't see."

"I know. Where do you want to go?"

"Dunno. Should we go to the arcade?"

"The arcade? Not feeling it."

"Then how about a net cafe like last time?"

"That's fine, but let's drop by a stationery store first."

"Why a stationery store?"

"I need to buy a notebook and some pens."

"For me?"

"While we're at it, let's get you some too."

"Sounds good!"

Hiyori was adorable as she gave an energetic reply, her eyes still covered by my hand.

It was about time to take our relationship a step further... Should I just bite the bullet and ask Miyuki?

If we could have a threesome with Hiyori, just this once.

She would definitely blow her top if I did.

Because the situation was on a completely different level from when it was with Chinami.

After harboring that brief, hopeful thought, I pulled my hand away from Hiyori's eyes.

"By the way, have you even been studying lately?"

"Nope."

"Then do you really need a notebook?"

"I'm going to use it for drawing."

I envied the confidence Hiyori had to state something like that so proudly.

I should try talking like that to Miyuki next time she tells me to study.

I let out a soft chuckle and agreed, then set off to find a nearby stationery store.

@@

"What's this? I haven't seen this notebook before."

Her precious desk partner, Miho, asked.

At that, Hiyori tapped the light blue notebook she had bought with Matsuda the day before and replied with a question.

"How does it look?"

"It looks pretty plain, I guess...? Besides, light blue isn't your style."

"It's not like I hate it, so what does it matter?"

"True."

"I'm heading to the School Store. You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Got it."

Just as Hiyori stood up and was about to leave the classroom, a male classmate she hung out with stood up as well and asked.

"Asahina, mind if I come with?"

"Do you need to buy something? I can get it for you."

"No, I need to get rid of some coins, so I have to drop by anyway."

"Really? Alright then."

Heading out with her classmate, Hiyori got in line at the School Store, which was unusually crowded with students today.

She mumbled her thoughts aloud.

"There are so many people... Did they get something new in stock?"

"Who knows. Should I go check?"

"How?"

"I'll just push my way in for a second and take a look."

He was talking about cutting the line.

It was a disagreeable comment, and Hiyori frowned slightly.

"Don't."

Had her sudden drop in tone caught him off guard?

Her classmate apologized with a flustered look.

"Ah, sorry... I was just joking."

Normally, she would have just laughed off a comment like that. But after meeting Matsuda, and the more she got to know him, she found herself caring about these little things.

She didn't know exactly why. Perhaps it was because she knew that beneath Matsuda's grumpy exterior lay a genuine kindness and politeness.

After waiting in line for quite a long time, Hiyori bought her favorite Suichu and a lollipop to give to sunbae-nim.

Afterward, she absentmindedly nodded at whatever the boy was saying while scanning her surroundings.

He's not here?

The person she was looking for was Matsuda.

Normally, he would often drop by the School Store around this time to buy Strawberry Milk and jelly, but today didn't seem to be the day.

Could he be flirting with Miyuki Hanazawa in the classroom?

Just picturing it made her pout.

It was no exaggeration to say that her bond with Matsuda was fate.

Without even knowing each other's faces, he had happened to see her on the way to the Kendo tournament and etched her into his memory...

The smile he had given when he explained it to her was so refreshing and handsome that, even as time passed, it remained vividly unforgettable.

Thinking of the face Matsuda had shown her back then, Hiyori entered the building and was about to head into her classroom when she stopped.

It was because she spotted a familiar back in the distance.

"What are you doing? Aren't you coming?"

Telling her classmate to go on ahead, Hiyori immediately quickened her pace to follow Matsuda, about to call out to him with a happy face.

"Ma..."

But seeing his broad back right in front of her, that thought vanished completely.

She had always thought his reliable back was a charming point, but today was different.

It was always like that, but today, it was even more so.

Why was that? Maybe it was because he had tucked a lot of his shirt into his pants, pulling the fabric taut and clearly outlining sunbae-nim's silhouette.

Feeling the urge to simply admire the view, Hiyori quieted her footsteps and decided to follow him.

Where is he going?

He was currently heading in the direction of the corridor leading to the Old School Building.

The very place he had told her about, where the storage room meant for skipping classes was located.

Was he perhaps looking for her?

Matsuda walked at a leisurely pace, tossing and catching something in his hand.

When Hiyori realized it was a padlock, a flash of anger crossed her face.

Is he seriously going to lock it?

Since she was skipping class so often, was he trying to put a stop to it?

If so, that was incredibly petty of him.

To try and seal away the hideout she had even gone out of her way to clean... She was disappointed, absolutely disappointed.

While Hiyori was harboring those thoughts, she suddenly felt extremely awkward as Matsuda began fastening the padlock to a door labeled [Materials Storage Room].

A teacher or someone else must have just told him to lock that place up.

She felt sorry for the pointless misunderstanding.

Click, clack.

After checking to make sure the padlock was securely fastened, Matsuda continued walking in the same direction he had been heading.

This time, it really seemed like he was going to look for her.

Struck with that conviction, she hurried forward, closing the distance to Matsuda.

Then, wearing a mischievous grin, she stretched out both hands, shoved his back, and shouted.

"Matsuken!"

Noticing her presence, he turned around without a hint of surprise.

"What? What are you doing here?"

Hearing his low, deep voice, Hiyori made a vow in her heart.

I have to steal him.

In the past, she had only harbored abstract thoughts... thinking that she could probably steal him if she really wanted to.

But not anymore.

No matter how much she thought about it, Miyuki Hanazawa and Matsuda weren't right for each other.

So, she absolutely had to take him for herself.