Chapter 28: SIDE Vigilante Fragmenta: Prologue (2)

Reiko, for her part, was wearing a miniskirt so it flipped with a flap — but the final defense line of spats prevented the exposure of her underwear. Having it flipped up to her navel was erotic in its own way, but leaving that aside, boys are creatures who seek panties; the sense of disappointment was intense.

"Ahem!"

A deliberately coughing sound. When I involuntarily raised my gaze, Leas’s exasperated face greeted me.

"I don’t really understand it, but I think men are that kind of creature — however, at least try to cover it up a little more. Even I find it embarrassing."

"Ah... well, sorry."

"Ohhh, if you think it’s bad, then you’ll have to pay something! So, Senpaaai! In exchange for not making this into an article, treat me to bread at lunch!"

"This girl, seizing every opportunity...!"

But perhaps because they had turned it into an inside joke among themselves, the surrounding gazes weren’t that severe.

"You there, stop playing around and get over here quickly!"

While I was thinking that she was being playful but was actually quite considerate — it seemed my turn had come, and Harukaze’s angry voice rang out.

Yeah, yeah, I replied casually while showing the contents of my bag.

Harukaze furrowed his brows at the contents of the school-designated bag, which only contained convenience-store prepared bread I had bought in advance.

"...You, where are your textbooks and notebooks?"

"I leave them at school."

"At least bring your notebooks home; otherwise you can’t do homework or review — well, fine, next!"

He had things he wanted to say, but if he stopped and lectured people over this level of thing he wouldn’t finish processing the students before the starting bell rang — perhaps thinking that, he reluctantly let me pass.

Alright, I made a guts pose while yielding the path to Leas.

Leas, who had apparently already opened the zipper of her bag behind me, bowed to Harukaze and showed the contents.

"Good morning, Harukaze-sensei. It must be tough even though you have morning club practice as well."

"What, I’m not so weakly trained that I’d give up over something of this leve—"

—not.

Just as Harukaze was about to say that and laugh loudly — another strong wind assaulted the schoolyard.

It wasn’t a sideways wind like before. It was a wind that blew upward from below, like the exhaust from a subway. It attacked Leas, who was holding her bag with both hands.

For an instant her skirt inflated like a parachute or something, then, unable to withstand the force of the wind, it flipped completely inside out in one go.

Her slender white legs were exposed, her healthy thighs laid bare, the soft-looking flesh of her butt peeked out — and with the skirt flipped up like a hood, everything was exposed.

————In that instant, I crouched down.

It was like when you crouch to match eye level when talking to a small child — in order to look closely at the treasure hidden in the deepest place.

Pale blue underwear. The cute design decorated with lace gave a sense of age-appropriate girlishness that differed from her usual behavior. The ribbon on the front was also good. Its presence dispelled any swimsuit or show-panty feeling and made me realize, Ah, this is panties!

That underwear gently enveloped her lower abdomen, which was slender yet not pathological. Because it was flipped up near her navel, the curve of her waist could also be observed perfectly. This was good. This was a good thing.

"——Eh? Ah—— ue...!?"

It was only a few seconds. Around the time I started observing the stitching around the edge of the panties.

Leas, who had been frozen in the posture of holding out her bag to Harukaze, had a blank expression that said "What just happened?" — but the moment she understood everything, her entire face turned bright red in an instant.

She dropped the bag and frantically tried to press down her skirt — but the force was too much for one hand, so she hurriedly pressed down the back side. Since there were many students lined up behind her, it was a natural judgment.

But in front of her were me and Harukaze.

Perhaps because she had frantically pressed down the back with both hands, Leas’s body was arched like a bow. A posture that directed her navel toward us — and showed off the light-blue panties toward us.

From my crouched position, it was almost directly in front. No way, what is this, how much good karma did I accumulate in my previous life to get involved in a situation like this? This is the best...!?

In that moment, I was grateful for everything in this world. Thank you God, thank you Leas, and thank you student guidance teacher Harukaze. Thanks to the three of you I have become this happy——!

But where there is a beginning there is also an end.

The hem of the skirt that fluttered down hid Leas’s knees — heaven ended, and a new world began.

"————Hey, Senjumaru."

The tone was extremely flat.

Words released while looking down at me as I remained crouched.

I warily looked up. Contrary to the voice that seemed to be suppressing surging emotions, her cheeks had turned red like a ripe apple.

Was it shame, or anger — no, it was both.

"I... will not get angry or punish you just because you happened to see my underwear. It is embarrassing, but since it is a natural phenomenon, that would be unreasonable, right?"

I could tell that the surrounding boys were breathing sighs of relief.

They had been staring without looking away, so they had probably thought it was only natural if they got scolded. In fact, if it hadn’t been Leas, it would have been time to get angry.

But, she continued.

Leas glared at me with a low voice.

"I think it is fair to get angry about the fact that you crouched down to match eye level — do you have any excuse?"

The fuel that was me had apparently completely brought the high-boiling-point Leas to a boil.

With her eyes slightly moist and her right hand trembling, Leas. It was not hard to imagine what would happen if I messed up the response.

I tried to somehow deliver a plausible apology and settle things peacefully — but the only thing floating in my mind was the panties of Leas I had just seen.

"The light blue and white frills suited you and were super ero—"

The me who had started evaluating the underwear according to desire was sent flying by a full-powered open-handed slap.

While rolling across the ground, I quietly sent a gaze toward my junior.

Can’t you somehow cover for me nicely? the look said.

"Well... this is a bit beyond even my ability to cover for..."

But what came back was a deadpan reply.

As expected.

While covered in sand on the schoolyard, I thought, I really have to control this somehow or my reputation is going to be terrible.

——Though that is an important problem in its own right.

While seeing off Leas, whose face was bright red with anger and shame as she headed toward the entrance, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Ah, come to think of it — I remember this event.