Contents

Prologue
September 5th-September 12th: Fate is more ordinary than
expected, huh?
September 12th–October 5th: Looks like the relationship between
the loner and gyaru has progressed, huh?
October 24th–October 26th: You've had a makeover, huh?
October 27th–October 30th: Choosing presents can be hard,
huh?
November 3rd–November 5th: Looks like the loner has forgotten
about the school festival, huh?
November 9th: First-time friends can be confusing, huh?
November 10th–November 17th: Dull youth has become vibrant
without us noticing, huh?
Epilogue
Afterword
Fan translation by Fungus Translations. Not for resale. Volume 2
coming soon.

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Please purchase an official copy of this volume to support the
author: https://tinyurl.com/3hn98feb or official licensed translation
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Note: There will probably be some errors missed. If you got a copy of this
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you might have an old version.
Prologue

"...Don't look this way."

"I can’t help it. Seeing you with your foot in the gutter is kinda eye-catching.
"I-I didn't do it on purpose! Ugh, this is the worst! I have work soon and I can't go
smelling like a sewer...my uniform and arms are all dirty too..."
"Work? What time does it start?"
"...From 5 o'clock, but there's still about an hour and a half left."
"Well, you still have some time. Why don't you go home and wash up?"
"Huh? It takes an hour by train to get home. There's no way I'll make it in time!"
"I see. That's definitely impossible then. Hmm… how about coming to my place? It's
just that apartment over there. I can lend you my shower if you want."
"Huh...?"
"What do you say?"
"...’Kay, I'll borrow it. Thanks."
That was the first time Sandai Fujiwara and Shino Yuizaki had ever talked.
It happened in early September, just after the start of the second semester, when
Shino, who was known as a rare beauty among the gyaru types at the high school
where Sandai attended, was seen falling into a gutter filled with sewage on her way
back from school.
Shino sat in the seat directly behind Sandai, so their physical distance was very close.
But at school Sandai, who was rather ordinary and had many otaku-like hobbies, was at
the bottom of the social rung at school - a loner - so he had never talked to Shino even
once. It wasn't a conscious decision, but rather a result of separating themselves
unconsciously because they lived in different worlds.
But, that's why Sandai surprised himself when he suddenly spoke to Shino. And he
couldn't believe it when Shino accepted his proposal so quickly.
But, the word "coincidence" existed for a reason, so Sandai thought what was
happening now must be just that.
September 5th–September 12th.
Fate is more ordinary than expected, huh?
１

Sandai lent his own clothes to Shino since it would be difficult for her to go to work in
her dirty uniform. However, due to differences in height and body structure between
men and women, the size of the clothes naturally didn’t fit Shino well, and it looked
pretty baggy on her.
"I feel so much better now."
"Well, that's good. Here, I'll give you a paper bag too."
"Huh? A paper bag?"
"It's a pretty big paper bag, so your uniform can fit in it. You can drop it off at the dry
cleaners on the way to work and pick it up when you come back."
"Wow, that's freakin’ awesome hospitality!"
"I guess so. Alright, then get out of here."
Sandai pointed to the front door. He had done everything he could, so this should be
the end of it. But, for some reason, the beautiful gyaru in front of him had a displeased
expression and didn't seem to want to move.
"Huh, what's up? Oh, I get it! You’re freaking out about your parents catching us
hanging out? They'll totally wonder what you were doing bringing a girl over, right? They
aren’t here, so they probably went to work or shopping and are about to come back,
right?"
Shino seemed to be teasing him, trying to hit the painful spot of a high school boy, but
it had no effect on Sandai. His parents were overseas due to work.
"That kind of teasing won't work on me. I live alone."
Sandai shrugged his shoulders and claimed to be unaffected but Shino suddenly
looked annoyed and pouted.
But, she seemed to have thought of another way to tease him and said, "...Living
alone is so cool. But, hey, do you have a bunch of dirty books lyin’ around or
something? You can collect as many as you want ‘cause your parents aren't looking, am
I right?"
As a teenage boy, Sandai did have that kind of material, but he tried to store as much
as possible in digital format on his PC.
But, he did have some physical copies hidden away. Sandai's calm attitude suddenly
turned into panic as Shino began searching his apartment.
"You idiot! Stop it!"
 “Hey, why’re you freaking out all of a sudden? Could it be...?"
"You can find a ton of manga, but you won't find any erotic books no matter how hard
you look. They just don't exist. Now, get out!”
"Don't be so mean. Geez..."
"What's with the 'geez'? Did you turn into a cow or something?"
"Cows are cute, y’know? Mooo~ mooo~"
"Shut up! Just take this and go!"
Sandai shoved the paper bag with the uniform into Shino's hands and pushed her out
the door. He then slammed the door shut and sat down on the spot.
"...Who goes around searching people's homes like that? Seriously. We really are from
different worlds. Our common sense and values are just too different. I would never
search someone's home like that. Well, whatever. Oh well, we won't have to deal with
each other again starting tomorrow anyway."
Sandai muttered to himself about the laws and truths of society. Even if abnormal
events happened they would not become normal and would always return to their
original form. That was just how it was.
But, even if a rule exists, there is always an exception.
Sandai didn't realize it at the time, but he had become that exception.

The next morning, Sandai took out his erotic books for garbage collection. The reason
was Shino’s unsuccessful attempt at finding them yesterday.
Sandai thought that the probability of a similar crisis happening again was extremely
low, but he couldn't completely abandon the possibility and found himself tying up the
erotic books anyway. He wanted to sell them and exchange them for money, but his
status as a high school student was a barrier that prevented him from doing so. When
selling erotic books, identification would be required, and the school would undoubtedly
be contacted. This would be a big problem.
Looking out the window at the garbage collection spot, Sandai saw a garbage truck
arrive and two workers throwing the books into the back. Although it was his own
decision to throw them out, seeing the bound erotic books disappear made him feel
strangely sad. He didn't need to feel lonely because he still had erotic images and
books stored on his PC.
But anyway, Sandai was going to resume his ordinary and lonely school life as usual
that day.
Or so he thought.
Much to his surprise things wouldn’t continue as usual at school. And the reason was
Shino.
 Before the first period began, Shino casually came over to Sandai.
Loudly and confidently, she said: "Hey, I'm giving back the clothes I borrowed when I
took a shower at your place yesterday. Also, I work at a café, here are some sweets I
made!"
With that, she placed the clothes and the so-called thank-you sweets on Sandai's
desk.
Shino's words and actions shocked not only Sandai but also those around him. Shino,
one of the most beautiful girls in the school, was a point of interest among the students,
regardless of gender, and everyone was wondering who the guy was that brought Shino
to his apartment and even let her take a shower.
Sandai became the talk of the school in an instant. The rumors spread not only in the
class but also throughout the school. Sandai, who was always alone, wasn't given the
opportunity to explain himself.
Wherever he went, students were watching him, and he could hear their endless
whispers.
"I'm standing out in a bad way... why is this happening to me... If this is a bad dream, I
hope I wake up soon..."
Sandai finally caught his breath when he got home to his apartment and locked the
door. He tossed the borrowed clothes into the closet carelessly. But, a small
cherry-colored note fluttered out from the gap in the clothes.
[Here’re my deets! I’m giving them to you specially!]
On the memo, along with that sentence, there was a LINE ID and a phone number.
"What is this... is it one of those things where a scary guy answers if you contact
them? Or is she trying to drag me into a multi-level marketing scheme?"
I won't fall for such an obvious trap, Sandai thought as he crumpled up the memo and
threw it in the trash. He sighed as he turned to his desk. For now, he'd study until the
late night anime started.
He often passed the time by reading manga or light novels, but Sandai's reading
speed was relatively fast and he currently had no backlog of content.
That was when he studied instead. Studying was a casual pastime for Sandai, close to
being a daily routine or habit.
He might have headed into town if he had friends, but Sandai was a loner. He simply
had no friends to hang out with.
– Dull youth.
To an outsider, Sandai's days may have seemed that way, and in reality, it was true.
But, as a result of experiencing such painful loneliness, he had also achieved very good
grades. In fact, he had been ranked first in his grade since he entered school.
"...Come to think of it, she also gave me some sweets. The name of the store is written
on the bag, so it doesn't seem like there's a trap set up in this, right?"
Sandai opened the bag of sweets Shino had given him and checked the contents. It
contained amaretti macarons. It didn't have a weird smell, and it didn't seem to have a
sensation of being extremely spicy when he ate it, so he picked one up and put it in his
mouth.
It was delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness. Even if she was a gyaru, she
didn't seem to have the intention of messing with him with food.
"...It's just plain delicious."
As he slogged through his studies, he continued reaching for the macarons until they
were all gone.
"… I hope I can get through tomorrow without any weird attention."
After watching some late-night anime and getting into bed, Sandai hoped for that, but
reality doesn't always go as planned.
Unfortunately, the next day was no different from the last - in fact, it only got worse–

—"I heard Yuizaki-san went to a boy's house and took a shower..."

—"A girl taking a shower at a boy's house... Isn't that the perfect opportunity for them to
do it? They must be doing it, right? I want to do it with Yuizaki too."
—"That guy named Fujiwara seems to be a lonely loser. Why did Yuizaki choose
someone like him? I'm definitely a better man than him."
—"Is she being brainwashed by hypnosis...? Or does he have something on her? I
wonder if I can make Yuizaki mine if I have something on her too."

The people who spread irresponsible rumors may find it fun, but the stress on the
receiving end was unbearable. Sandai was gradually pushed to the brink of mental
exhaustion, and the contents of the lesson passed through one ear and out the other.
When he walked, his balance was off, and his steps became unsteady.
However, he couldn't put a stopper in people's mouths. He could only endure it.
Sandai curled up like a turtle in his seat and waited for time to pass–
Then, he felt the tip of a mechanical pencil poke into his back. When he turned around,
he saw Shino smiling at him.
Ah, come to think of it, she did sit behind him.
What is she doing... Ah I see, I understand. She wants to see me get whispered about
even more by those around me. She's enjoying it. From an outsider's perspective, I
suppose that kind of thing is fun.
Sandai wanted to complain, but that would only give Shino the reaction she was
seeking. He didn't want to make the situation worse, so he decided to ignore her.
"Poke, poke~"
"..."
"Hey, are you gonna answer?"
 "... "
If he didn’t react, Shino would eventually get bored. After all, that's the kind of
personality a gyaru should have. Therefore, Sandai should just wait quietly for time to
pass. If he did that, the situation would gradually calm down, and everyone would
eventually realize that it was all just a misunderstanding. That's what Sandai thought.
And his prediction was more or less correct.
By lunchtime, Shino stopped poking him and started chatting with her friends instead.
Although the attention from those around him still hadn't faded, it would eventually pass.
If he thought that way, he could feel somewhat relieved… It will take some time, but I
think I can get back to my ordinary life.
Sandai had lunch alone in the caféteria and let out a sigh of relief before returning to
the classroom. But he stopped in his tracks when he heard Shino and her friends talking
inside–

—"Hey, Shino, did you really go to Fujiwara's house?"

—"Huh? Yeah, I did. I borrowed his shower and clothes."
—"What? Is that the kind of thing you're into, Shino? Fujiwara is a loner, y’know."

It was an insult towards him, and Sandai's temples began to throb with anger.
But–

—"It's not about what I'm into... I just thought he was a kind guy."
—"Kind?"
—"I went to Fujiwara's apartment ‘cause I accidentally stepped into a gutter and got my
foot stuck. I had work, so I had to do something. Then he was like, 'Do you want to
come to my apartment?' I could tell from how he was acting that he wasn't trying to be
creepy or anything... so I went with him. And he didn't do anything weird like I thought
he might. See, Fujiwara is a kind guy, right?"
—"Rather than kind, I feel like he's just a pushover... but well, Shino, you're pretty
sensitive to those kinds of things, aren't you?"
—"You often notice when someone has ulterior motives and reject them with your
attitude and reactions before even talking to them."
—"Is it possible that... you have never dated a boy before?"
—"T-That's right, but... I'm not good with boys, so..."
—"A true maiden exists in this world. That’s so precious."

Yuizaki… maybe she's not such a bad girl after all… As Sandai thought that, his anger
dissipated.
Sandai silently stepped away from the door and looked outside the window in the
hallway. The clear blue sky stretched out endlessly, the sound of cicadas filled the air
and a lingering heat that clung to his skin seeped into him.

In the afternoon, Shino resumed her poking.

Although he wasn't sure what motivated her to suddenly start again, Sandai's hostility
towards Shino had decreased for some reason and he was unsure if he should respond
to her or not. However, he hadn't had a change of heart to the point of actively engaging
with her just because his hostility had diminished, so he continued with his policy of
ignoring her. Given their respective social positions at school, it was natural for them to
not interact much, and Sandai strongly felt that they should return to that normal state.
But, regardless of Sandai's thoughts, Shino continued to poke him in the back
whenever she had the chance - the next day and the day after that. By the time her
poking left marks on his back, Sandai finally turned around to confront her. To his
surprise, Shino had a lonely expression on her face, causing Sandai to stutter.
"W-What's with that face?"
"I've been waiting."
"Waiting? Waiting for what?"
"Hmph."
Shino pouted and turned away.
"I put a note in your bag..."
Her murmuring was too quiet for Sandai to hear clearly. But, it was clear that she
wasn’t happy and, after that, she stopped poking him or interacting with him in general.
In response, the attention and interest about him gradually decreased.
Although this outcome was what Sandai had hoped for, he didn't feel happy about it.
Instead, a vague uneasiness clung to his heart, and he couldn't stop thinking about why
Shino had looked so lonely. He didn't say anything rude or threatening to her, so why
did she look that way?
Before he knew it, Sandai was constantly thinking about it, and continued to be
restless even after school that day. He slapped his own cheeks and tried to be
conscious of his unconscious actions.

After returning to his apartment, he took a bath and checked for new light novels and
manga releases before starting his studies. Time passed quickly, and before he knew it,
it was past 9 PM. Sandai took a break to make coffee before flicking on the TV.
There were only dramas or news programs airing, but Sandai wasn't particularly
interested in dramas, so he chose the news program.
“A typhoon is rapidly approaching. The Meteorological Agency has
issued a warning to refrain from unnecessary outings as it is expected
to hit in the next two hours. In addition, due to the effects of the
typhoon, train services have been suspended for the day, with the last
train departing at 8:28 pm.”

When he looked out the window, Sandai saw the rain and strong winds had intensified.
He had been too absorbed in his studies to notice, but it seemed like a typhoon was in
fact approaching.
"I can't go outside now...not like I had any reason to go out anyway."
As Sandai muttered to himself, the intercom rang.
"Who could it be? A delivery? No, I don't remember ordering anything for nighttime
delivery...and even if I did, who would come during a typhoon like this? It can't be a new
religious group trying to recruit me, right? 'This typhoon is God's wrath~' or something
like that."
Muttering to himself, Sandai pressed the intercom, the video feed flashing up...and
froze– It was Shino.
“S-Sorry. The trains got messed up by the typhoon and I couldn't head home after
work. Can I crash at your place tonight?"
It turned out to be neither a night delivery man or a recruiter for a new religion. But
what is the correct response to this? But, he couldn't just leave Shino, who was soaked
to the bone and sneezing, alone. He hurried to the front door.
"Yuizaki..."
"Hey."
"...Anyway, I'll prepare the bath for you, so go ahead and get in."
"Huh? Is that really okay?"
"You'll catch a cold if you stay like that."
"...Thanks. I really appreciate it~"
Sandai brought Shino into his apartment and refilled the bath with hot water. He threw
his own pajamas and a bath towel for her to change into in the dressing room.
"Whoa... You're so rough. You’ve gotta act more gentlemanly if you wanna be popular,
y’know?"
"I'm not living my life to be popular or anything."
 As Sendai sighed, Shino pouted and pursed her lips in frustration.
"You don’t seem to have a dere side, Fujiwara… oh, wait, that’s not it… like, I guess
you don’t seem to be thinking anything creepy, so it kinda makes me curious…”
Shino muttered something, but it was too quiet for Sandai to hear, so he cupped his
ear and asked her to repeat it.
"Hmm? You were muttering something just now, what's wrong? Are you dissatisfied?"
"Nothing," she said, turning her head away.
Sandai was curious about what she said, but it seemed like she wouldn't answer even
if he pressed her. He gave up asking and closed the changing room door, thinking it
probably wasn't anything important.
Sandai could see Shino's silhouette through the frosted glass of the changing room.
She let out a sigh and started to undress. When the blurry figure put her hand on her
underwear, Sandai suddenly thought, "Come to think of it... in manga and light novels,
situations like this often lead to lucky pervert moments from peeping."
Sandai had a lot of erotic content on his computer, so he wasn't completely
disinterested in that kind of stuff. However, he was able to distinguish between reality
and fiction.
In fiction, girls easily forgave perverted actions, but in reality, that's not the case. It's
only natural for them to react badly and, in fact, it’s even more likely to cause emotional
damage. Especially with Shino, who seemed particularly sensitive about that. Shino had
told her friends that she was "not good with boys." Sandai had only happened to
overhear by chance, but he remembered it.
Shino's tone at the time didn't give the impression that she was lying, so it was
probably true, and Sandai had a feeling that he knew why she felt that way. The first
time Sandai spoke to Shino, when she had stepped into the gutter, she had a slightly
cold attitude. Her attitude softened a bit after he actually lent her his shower.
If Sandai had disliked Shino, it would have been amusing to play pranks on her now,
but he didn't really dislike her that much. He had ignored her because he thought they
should keep their distance.
So Sandai returned to the living room and quietly waited for Shino to finish bathing.
The second hand of the wall clock made a full circle and the minute hand moved. This
repeated several times, and the clock hands moved forward by ten, twenty, and thirty
minutes.
Unlike Sandai, who finished bathing at the speed of a crow's bath, Shino seemed to
take a long time.
"Well, I've heard that girls take a long time in the bath,"
Sandai looked out the window and stared at the increasing heavy rain and strong
wind. After a while, Sandai checked the clock again and realized that it had been almost
an hour.
Shortly after, Shino came over, dragging the hem of her oversized nightgown. Perhaps
because her body had warmed up, Shino had a blissful expression on her face.
Despite having disrupted Sandai's life in various ways, Shino was surprisingly
carefree. But, that was just a matter of Sandai's personal perspective and perception.
Shino hadn't actually done anything wrong.
So Sandai talked to Shino normally, without revealing his innermost thoughts, as she
sat on the sofa and squished the cushion with her butt.
"...You were in the bath for quite a while."
"Girls take longer, y’know~"
"I'd be done in ten minutes."
"Haha… are all guys like that?"
"I don't know since I don't have any male friends, but I think most guys are similar to
me... By the way, there's something I want to ask."
"...Something you wanna ask? What's up?"
"I remember you saying before that it takes an hour by train to get home, right? I know
it's not within walking distance, but..."
"But?"
"Is it really okay for you to stay over at my place? I'm a guy, and there's no one else in
this apartment. Are your parents okay with that kind of thing?"
"Ah… they might freak out if they find out, but whatever. I already told them I'm staying
at my girl-friend’s place."
Sandai couldn't believe his ears and his mouth hung open. Shino chuckled softly as
she glanced at Sandai.
"It's nice that you're worried, but really, I've never lied like this before, so my parents
totally trust me. I’ll be fine."
"Your first lie? That doesn't sound good…"
"You always have a funny comeback, dont’cha Fujiwara."
"I'm just saying. But seriously, why don't you just stay at a female friend's house
instead of coming all the way to my place? There are probably friends who live closer
by. Plus, there are a lot of people who chose to go to school around here because it's
convenient for commuting.”
"I mean, I do have friends who live nearby, but it would be kinda a hassle to suddenly
say ‘let me stay over’."
"But you don't mind being a hassle to me?"
"N-no, that's not what I was trying to say... it’s just that I thought of this place first."
Shino looked up at him with her chin lowered and poked her fingers together.
Sandai was disarmed by her sincerity and lost his curiosity about her reason for
visiting.
"Well, it's already done that you chose my place, so there's no point in complaining."
"Yup."
"I envy you, Yuizaki, for being able to act on your thoughts."
 "If you compliment me, you’ll make me blush."
"That's not a compliment...Anyway, what are you going to do about your uniform? It'll
smell if you just let it dry after getting wet in the rain."
"Oh, yeah...a dry cleaner...but with this crazy typhoon, I bet most places aren't open 24
hours, huh?"
"They're probably closed for the time being."
"Yup. Can I borrow some laundry detergent and a bucket to do it myself?"
Sandai let out a stupid sounding "Huuuh?" in response to her request.
...A gyaru who doesn't seem to do housework doing laundry? Can she even wash her
uniform herself?
Although he was confused, he gave her both detergent and a bucket, as she had
asked.
Shino rolled up the sleeves and hem of her pajamas and began to wash her uniform
vigorously in the bathroom.
"...Why don’t you use the washing machine?"
"You can't just toss that in the machine. Did you never check the label on your
uniform?"
"The label?"
"Yup. Here, look."
Shino showed me the inside of her uniform while she was washing it. There was a
label with a picture of someone putting their hand into a bucket printed on it.
"This means that you’ve gotta hand wash it yourself. You can't use a washing
machine."
"I've never checked this… And, even though you're a gyaru, you know about this kind
of domestic stuff?"
"Hey, it’s kinda prejudiced to assume we can't handle housework and stuff〜"
When you're clearly wrong like that, the more excuses you make, the worse it gets. It's
better to apologize cleanly and humbly to minimize the damage.
So Sendai apologized sincerely, to which Shino responded with a sly smile.
"Oh, you said sorry? So, I guess I won then?"
"It's not about winning or losing...but okay, let's say you won, Yuizaki."
"Hehe...well, the stereotype you are thinking of, it's kinda true, but not all gyaru are like
that. But some of them can't even handle basic chores. You can tell just by looking at
their nails."
"Nails...?"
“My nails are normal, yeah?”
Shino's nails certainly looked normal, but Sandai didn't understand the connection
between that and housework and tilted his head in confusion.
"Have you ever seen a girl with flashy nails? Like with flowers or sparkles painted on
them or whatever?”
"...Now that you mention it, I think I have seen girls like that."
"Painted nails may look super cute, but if you're cooking or doing laundry, that color or
glitter is gonna come off. That's why some girls who do chores don't bother with 'em.
Well, some girls don't care and still do chores even with nail polish, but it’s just a
tendency, y’know?”
Shino's explanation was convincing, so Sandai nodded and said "I see."
"But like, my family isn't rich, so I help with housework when I have time, and look after
my little sister. And I work part-time at a café for my own spending money, but ‘cause it
involves food and drink, I can't really mess with my nails."
"...hearing that kind of story makes me see you in a different light."
"Oh really?"
“Yeah, I can see you are actually a responsible girl.”
"Thanks! I dunno know why, but I just feel happy talking with you, Fujiwara. It’s weird."
As soon as Shino said that, Sandai felt a sharp pain in his chest. Sandai suddenly felt
embarrassed about intentionally keeping a distance because it seemed natural for their
relationship not to progress any further. Shino had just wanted to talk normally, like they
were doing at that moment. But Sandai had refused that simple thing. He felt guilty as
he realized that.
“You okay? You look like you're in pain. Is your stomach hurting?"
"No, it's not like that. I know, I'll help with the laundry. Let me do it too."
It was an offer to make amends for his behavior.
But Shino just blushed and waved her hands rapidly in front of her.
"N-no, it's okay. Really!"
"Don't be so shy. Hand washing clothes requires a lot of strength, right? And as a man,
I should be able to help."
"I said it's fine!" Shino said, groaning and raising her voice.
Sandai flinched and took a step back in surprise. He didn't expect to be so stubbornly
refused.
“W-why are you so against it… because it’s me…?”
“I-it’s not that…”
"’Cause… I’m washing... my... underwear too..."
"Sorry, I didn't catch that."
"I said I'm washing my underwear too… it's embarrassing..."
Taking a closer look at the bucket, he could see something reddish under the foam.
Since her uniform wasn’t that color, it had to be underwear.
Come to think of it, Shino was soaking wet when she arrived. Her underwear must
have been wet too.
Having not realized something that should have been obvious, Sandai's face turned
red at the sight of Shino's underwear, in sync with Shino's own embarrassment.
 "I-I see... You are washing your underwear too..."
"Yeah... I’m washing them..."
Unable to withstand the awkward atmosphere any longer, Sandai quickly retreated to
the living room, sitting on the sofa and distracting himself by watching the continuing
typhoon coverage on TV.

“…The typhoon that made landfall is expected to continue with strong

winds and heavy rain until morning, as it remains stationary. In some
areas, there have been reports of thunderstorms, so the Meteorological
Agency and the relevant power companies have issued warnings to be
fully prepared for power outages.”

As Sandai listened to the announcer's explanation, his embarrassment gradually faded

away. He found that listening to serious news surprisingly helped calm him down.
But, while Sandai had calmed down, Shino, returning from the bathroom, still had a
slightly flushed face.
"You finished the laundry?"
"...Yeah."
"I see."
"…Um, I know it's kinda late to say this, but I used the dryer just 'cause it was there.
Sorry."
"Oh, the dryer? Yeah, feel free to use it however you like."
"Thanks!... Also, it's amazing there's a dryer in the apartment. Those things are usually
so expensive, right?
"I'm not sure. I don't know if they're expensive or cheap. It was already there when we
moved in. Anyway, what did you do with the uniform after drying it?"
"I stretched it out so it wouldn't lose its shape, and then hung it over there."
Shino pointed to the slight protrusion in the corner of the room. She had hung the
uniform there skillfully on a hanger.
There was enough space to hang clothes in the room, so there was no need to hang
them in a place like that…
"You don't have to hang it there–"
Sandai got that much out before he noticed Shino hunching over with her head down,
pursing her lips. The reason she’d deliberately hung her clothes in the corner clicked for
him. Because her underwear was also among the clothes, Shino had deliberately
chosen a spot that wouldn't be in Sandai's line of sight.
"Well, maybe that's the best place. It's near the air conditioner. Even if you use the
dryer, there's still a chance that it's slightly damp. Machines aren’t always perfect. But if
you hang it there and turn on the air conditioner to dehumidify, you can be safe even in
the worst-case scenario."
 As Sandai quickly changed the subject and grabbed the air con remote to turn it on,
Shino let out a sigh of relief and placed her hand on her chest with a calm expression.
It wasn't a conscious decision, but the conversation ended there. Only the sound from
the TV continued to echo in the silent room.
Feeling suffocated by the atmosphere, Shino was the first to break the silence.
“I'm so bored. You got any games we can play or something?" she said in a low voice.
Sandai raised an eyebrow in response.
"...Even if you suddenly say that, I don't know."
"Anything’s fine. Pretty please?"
"Fine, fine... I'll go look for something. Just wait a minute."
Sandai rummaged through the closet and found an old game console and games from
his childhood.
They were covered in dust. Looking at them, unpleasant memories came flooding
back. He had bought it with the vague idea of playing with friends someday, but he
never made any friends. He couldn't get into the game because he didn't have anyone
to play with, and he gradually became more interested in solo entertainment like
late-night anime, manga, and light novels.
Well, it's a waste of time to look back on my sad past. After all, the past is just the past.
There's nothing else to do but come to terms with it.
Sandai picked out a two player party game - [Sugoroku] - that could be played on the
old console and returned to Shino.
"I found a video game."
"Nice! Let's play!"
"Just so you know, this is an old game console, so the graphics aren't as nice and it
doesn't move as smoothly as the new ones. Don't complain, okay?"
"I won't. Let's play already."
Sandai was a little worried that Shino might still complain, but it turned out to be a
needless worry. Once Shino started playing, she seemed to be genuinely enjoying
herself. As time went on, they progressed through the board game and were
approaching the middle.
"Hey, Fujiwara... Don't use that item you just grabbed that lets you steal from other
players. It seems like it's a bit random and I don't wanna end up being the unlucky one."
"Then when am I supposed to use it?"
"Just don't use it at all."
"Huh...?"
"By the way, aren't the NPCs too strong?"
"I set them to the weakest setting, but yeah, they do seem pretty strong."
They had set the game to be "easy" so that even beginners like them could enjoy it,
but for some reason, the NPCs were dominating the game and were in first place in all
the mini-games they played.
"Let's start over from the beginning, ‘kay?"
“...Okay. Let’s do that.”
Since it wasn't going to be much fun if things continued as they were, Sandai agreed
to Shino's suggestion to start over. This time, the NPCs were much weaker.
It seemed like the previous game was probably a bug or something, and once the
game progressed to the middle, Shino took first place, while Sandai was in third place.
"We're about to enter the second half, so it's pretty much a guaranteed win for me~"
"It's my turn next..."
"Aww, isn't it a little too late for a comeback? Too bad~"
As Shino boasted and taunted him, Sandai calmly rolled the dice. He picked up a
strange box on the space he landed on. When the message [Open it?] appeared, he
clicked [Yes], and an item appeared that could swap the positions of the players.
"Oh, this is..."
Glancing at Shino, he could see her relaxed expression from a moment ago had
vanished. She was trembling and covered her mouth with hands, before letting out a
muffled “Uh oh!".
“Y-you’re not gonna use that... right?"
"Well... I don't really care about winning or losing"
"That's a relief..."
"But, I mean, I went through the trouble of getting this item, so it would be a waste not
to use it, right? You told me not to use items, but if I just accept that, I won't have any
fun."
With that, Sandai clicked on the item and… immediately swapped positions with
Shino, taking first place.
"L-liar!"
"I didn't lie."
"You said you weren't gonna use it! You don't care about winning or losing, right?"
"I did say I 'don't care about winning or losing,' but I didn't say 'I'm not going to use it.'
Don't make your own assumptions."
Shino, who was on the verge of tears, began to gently pound on Sandai's shoulder. He
couldn't help but chuckle at her serious attitude towards the game–
Lightning struck nearby, causing all the electricity to go out, surprising Sandai and
Shino.
"Lightning struck...and it's pitch black now."
"It's a power outage."
"I hope it comes back soon."
"It won't be quick. The storm is intense, and restoring power won't be easy."
"...But we were in the middle of the game."
 It was dark and hard to see, but Sandai could tell that Shino was pouting.
Shino seemed to want to play a little longer, but the power outage was an unforeseen
occurrence. There was nothing they could do but give up.
"It's already pretty late anyway, and even without the power outage, it's time to call it a
night. Normal people would be going to bed by now."
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Um, by the way…where should I sleep?"
"You can use the bed in my room."
Sandai didn't have any reservations about letting Shino use his room, even if she was
a girl. Fortunately, all physical copies of erotic material had been disposed of, and his
room only had a bed, study materials, manga, and light novels.
As for the erotic material on his PC, it couldn't be used during a power outage, and he
always kept it locked even in normal times.
In other words, unless someone snuck up on him while he was watching porn, he was
always in a position to do it openly.
"Thanks for letting me use your bed, but...where’re you gonna sleep?"
"I'll sleep on the couch or the floor."
"You don’t have any other rooms with beds or futons?"
"There used to be one my parents used, but they rarely come back, and when they do,
they only show their faces for a little while before leaving again. We got rid of it since we
never used it. It's just a storage room now. But listen, don't worry about me too much. If
I let a girl sleep somewhere randomly while I slept soundly on the bed, that would just
make me an asshole, and I don't want to be that. So, please just sleep on the bed, and
think that’s for my sake so I don’t become an asshole.”
After Sandai had finished calmly explaining, Shino giggled.
"I'm not really tryna’ be considerate, but if I were the type of person who would do that,
I wouldn't just choose your house as a place to take shelter or ask you to prepare
something just because I wanna have fun."
"...I guess that's true."
"Well, thanks. You said it in a way that made me feel better… So, where’s your
room~?”
"It's over there."
"I can't see anything in the dark, even if you point and say 'it's over there'... just grab
my hand and guide me."
Shino intertwined her fingers with Sandai's. Her hand was small, slender, soft, and a
little cold. Sandai's heart unconsciously raced.
“Your hand… It’s cold.”
"Hey, have you heard that old saying about people with cold hands?"
Sandai had heard of the superstition that Shino mentioned a few times, although he
couldn't remember where he heard it. It was something about people with cold hands
having warm hearts. Sandai thought superstitions were just superstitions, but at that
moment, he believed it.
The reason was simple. Sandai had been pretty cold towards Shino, but she still
treated him normally. Shino's hand, which was so gentle, was also cold. That's why he
felt like he could believe it.
"...Thank you, Yuizaki."
"W-What's with the sudden thanks?"
"You're kind."
“...Even if you compliment me, it’s not like you’re gonna get anything out of it."
"I didn't say it because I wanted something. I just thought it and said it. I was pretty
cold to you, but you still treated me normally. That's why I wanted to say 'thank
you.'...You're probably the best girl in the world."
As Sandai poured out his feelings to Shino, she suddenly made a swallowing sound
and fell silent. Sandai couldn't tell if he had made her uncomfortable, but he didn't regret
telling her. He knew how precious it was to be able to express what he wanted to say,
especially since he had been alone for most of his life. So, he felt a sense of
accomplishment and had no regrets at all.
However, Sandai didn't know how Shino took what he said. Since she didn't show any
signs of trying to shake off his hand, he knew that she didn't think it was creepy at
least...
Because it was pitch black in the apartment, Sandai couldn't see Shino's expression
and lacked sufficient information to make a judgment. But, as long as he knew that she
didn't feel uncomfortable, Sandai didn't feel the need to know anything else. As long as
his feelings of gratitude were properly received, that was all that mattered.
Once they reached the bedroom, Shino silently felt around for the bed before curling
up under the sheets and fidgeting.
“...Goodnight,” Sandai whispered to her before quietly leaving the room.
But, the second he closed the door he heard the rustling sound of someone flailing
their arms and legs inside.
"Wh-what was that?"
He cautiously peeked back into the room and realized that he had his phone in his
pocket the whole time. He turned on the light to check the situation, but Shino remained
motionless under the sheets.
"I heard a noise just now, did something happen?"
He tried calling out to Shino, but she remained still, wrapped up in her cloth cocoon.
“Hey!”
“...”
"No answer... is she already asleep? Maybe that noise was just my imagination... well,
never mind that."
 He decided not to pry any further and closed the door to his room. He checked the
time on his smartphone, turning off the flashlight. It was 8:20 PM, around the time his
favorite late-night anime would start. He wanted to watch it if he could, but it seemed
impossible with the current power outage. But, there was still some time left until the
broadcast began, so there was a possibility that the power could come back on before
then. Sandai decided to wait and see. However, even when the time came, the
electricity still hadn’t come back on.
"...I'm someone who would prefer to watch anime in real-time, but I guess it can't be
helped given the circumstances. I'll just stream it online later."
Sandai lay down on the sofa and closed his eyes. Surprisingly, the sofa was quite
comfortable, and he fell asleep quickly.
The next morning, Sandai couldn't wake up on his own. He finally managed to open
his eyes when the scent of what seemed like delicious food tickled his nose, and felt his
forehead being tapped repeatedly with a ladle.
"Wake up!"
"My forehead...my forehead...wait, Yuizaki?"
"Oh, you finally woke up〜"
"Yeah, I’m up, but I just want to confirm something...you weren't tapping my forehead
with that ladle the whole time, were you?"
“Dontcha’ think it's your fault for not waking up?”
“So you started hitting me…”
"I was doing it gently so it wouldn’t startle you so don’t worry."
"That's not the issue...more importantly, I've been smelling something delicious for a
while now.”
Sandai looked at the table with a wrinkled nose, and saw a simple yet hearty breakfast
of white rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and pickles.
"What is this..."
"Breakfast. I made it."
"You made it? How did you make it when there are no decent ingredients in the
house? There was nothing in the fridge, right?"
"Well, there weren't any, but..."
Sandai hardly ever cooked for himself and relied on convenience store and
supermarket bento boxes. Apart from the rice and seasonings kept in stock, there were
no ingredients in the apartment. So where did the fish, pickles, and miso soup come
from?
Sandai looked at Shino suspiciously, and she gave him a wry smile.
"I just went out for a bit to grab some ingredients. The typhoon's gone, so I figured the
supermarket that opens early might be open. I stayed here, so I thought I should do
something, y’know?"
Shino seemed to be trying to express her gratitude, but Sandai didn’t invite her in to
have her do this for him.
However, it was hard to discard the food that had already been prepared, and Shino
would surely feel bad if he did so. So, in the end, Sandai decided to eat it, but before
that…
Shino said she bought the ingredients, which meant she spent money. Sandai felt
guilty and walk over to her with his wallet out─
"Ow!"
─and was hit on the forehead with a ladle.
"Why’d you take out your wallet?"
"Well, you spent money on buying ingredients, right?"
"It wasn't that expensive. It was like, less than a thousand yen."
"But there's the effort of going out to buy it, and cook it..."
"The supermarket was just around the corner, and I didn't make anything fancy.
C’mon, can't you just say 'thanks' like you did last night?"
As Sandai tried to figure out how to give Shino some money, her expression gradually
grew more annoyed. She was clearly unhappy.
Sandai didn't want to argue, so he had no choice but to give in when she acted this
way. He had his own thoughts, but he expressed his gratitude and stopped resisting.
"...Thank you."
“You’re welcome〜.”
Seeing Shino's happy and cheerful smile, Sandai involuntarily held his breath. She
was so cute and lovely.
Shino was already one of the most beautiful girls around, so being cute was a given.
However, Sandai had never really paid attention to her before.
Her perfectly contoured face, beautiful double eyelids, straight nose that wasn't too
high or too low, and slightly white skin with a refreshing feeling. Her loose, fluffy pigtails
were dyed with a hint of cherry blossom color, making her even cuter.
Sandai realized that she was a truly genuine beauty who could surpass even some
idols or actresses.
“W-what's up? You keep staring at me."
"It's nothing..."
He couldn't say that he was just mesmerized by her.
"You're a weirdo, Fujiwara. Anyway, what kinda diet do you normally have?"
“What do you mean... I buy bento boxes. I don't cook because it's too much of a
hassle.”
"That's such a typical hopeless guy thing to say."
"Say whatever you want."
Sandai sat down with his back turned and silently ate his breakfast. Watching him,
Shino let out a sigh, as if to say "oh boy."
 After finishing their breakfast and occasionally squinting at the morning sun shining
through the curtains, the two of them cleaned up their dishes and decided to walk to
school together since they were going in the same direction anyway.
"...This is totally the first time I'm walking to school with a boy."
"...This is also my first time going to school with a girl."
As they walked, they avoided puddles created by the typhoon. Suddenly, Shino rushed
ahead and turned around to face him.
"Oh, by the way."
Shino rummaged through her bag and pulled out a note, pushing it forcefully into
Sandai's breast pocket.
"W-what is this...?"
“I wrote down my deets on this note real quick before you woke up, so it might be a bit
messy to read."
"Your contact information?"
"Yup. I put a note in the clothes I returned to you before, but I thought you mighta lost
it. So I'm giving it to you again."
Sandai remembered that he had crumpled up and thrown away the note that was in
the clothes Shino returned to him. He had assumed it was a prank, but it turned out to
be her actual contact information.
"Don't lose it this time, ‘kay? I'll be waiting for your message."
In a world filled with light reflecting off the puddles, Shino smiled without a care in the
world and Sandai's cheeks grew warm as he watched her.
"Huh? Is your face getting red?"
"...It’s not."
"No, no, it's red, isn’t it?"
"No, it's not. It's probably just an optical illusion caused by the reflection of the light or
something?"
“Nah, I don't think so〜.”
As they continued their back-and-forth, Sandai felt a strange sensation he had never
experienced before, somehow bitter and sweet at the same time. His heart felt light and
fluttery.
Fortunately, the attention they received from their classmates upon arriving at school
helped to calm Sandai's unsettled heart. Passing through the gate he was met with a
stir of gazes from those around him. By walking to school together, it seemed that
rumors and suspicions had once again gained momentum, and Sandai could hear
whispers from those around him without even trying to listen. To be honest, the attention
was quite annoying, but Sandai had already experienced this situation once before, so
he wasn't particularly shaken–
—"Hey, look at them."
—"They're definitely in love."
—"They're walking to school together. That means he's Yuizaki's boyfriend, right? It's
weird that a gyaru like her is with a loner like him."
—"I think it's hypnosis. Yuizaki is brainwashed. There's no other explanation, right?"
—"What do you mean hypnosis? Come back to reality."

They’re saying whatever they want again, aren’t they?

Beside Sandai, who let out a sigh, Shino tilted her head and blinked repeatedly. It was
a gesture that seemed to say she didn't know why she was being watched.
“I feel like… I’m being looked at more than usual or something. There was something
similar not too long ago, but I wonder why?"
It wasn't that she was playing dumb, instead it seemed that Shino wasn't aware of how
much she stood out. No, more accurately, it felt like she was intentionally avoiding being
aware of it. There was a certain atmosphere about her that gave off that impression.
When humans are under stress, whether consciously or unconsciously, they tend to
shut out information and avoid it. Sandai had a relatively strong resistance to stress and
didn't shut out information as extremely as Shino did, but it was a kind of protection.
"For now...it might be better if we stay away from each other at school."
Sandai thought it was best to lighten Shino's burden in any way possible. The effect
wasn't guaranteed, but it had to be better than doing nothing. But, Shino didn't seem to
like Sandai's suggestion and pouted.
"Why do we have to do that?"
"Why... don't you understand? Anyway, forget about me at school and get along with
other people. You always talk to other girls in the class, don't you?"
"You're being cold all of a sudden..."
"But we can talk outside of school now. I got your contact information. There's no need
to force ourselves to interact at school... I'll contact you tonight. I promise."
Inadvertently, those words Sandai murmured were the first time he explicitly stated his
intention to have a relationship with Shino of his own volition.
Sandai's heart was trembling more than the soft new leaves that had just sprouted.
Shino seemed to have noticed the change and was staring at him with wide eyes.
"...I’ll remember what you just said. We can’t hang out at school, but you'll message
me, right? It's a promise you made yourself, so you can't break it, ‘kay?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Okay!〜"
After lightly tapping Sandai's back, Shino found some female friends among the
students on their way to school and joined their circle, chatting happily as usual.
 Sandai stood still and pressed his palm against his cheek, which had been burning
uncontrollably for a while now, trying to cool it down. But the heat didn't dissipate easily.
It was a warmth that lingered at the core of his body.
September 12th–October 5th
Looks like the relationship between the loner and
gyaru has progressed, huh?

Shino kept her promise and maintained a distance, even more so than before they
met. She didn’t try to interact with him at all at school.
Even so, rumors continued to circulate, but by the end of the day, some people began
to calm down and say stuff like, "Perhaps it was just a coincidence that the two of them
were together this morning, and we had a strange misunderstanding." That was a good
sign.
After getting ready to go home, Sandai walked past Shino expressionlessly and let out
a yawn as he left the classroom. But, he was stopped by a female teacher wearing a
white coat.
It was Kayoko Nakaoka, Sandai's homeroom and chemistry teacher. She was
probably about 30 years old.
"Hey, Fujiwara! Come here for a sec!"
"What is it?"
"I need your help with something."
"Help with what?"
Sandai had confidence in his stealth function due to his loner background and had
never been asked for help since he entered school, so he was a little surprised. Well,
recently he’d been standing out a bit due to his interactions with Shino. It wouldn't be
strange if his stealth function had stopped working.
"You're in the going home club, right? You should have some time. Come on, help me
out. You don't have anything else to do anyway, do you?"
"It's not like I don't have anything to do. I'm studying and stuff."
"...Come to think of it, you were first in the overall scores. But, even so, it doesn't seem
like you're desperately trying to maintain your rank. You seem to have made plenty of
progress in your studies, haven't you?"
"Well, I could probably get at least an 80 per cent on the college entrance exam if I
took it now..."
"If that's true, then you're at the level of the top schools. Why is someone like you at
our ordinary school…?"
 "I chose this place because it was the closest to my apartment. You can study at any
school. If you want to be in the same space as someone who can study at the same
level or better and want to compete endlessly, then a prestigious school might be good,
but I'm not looking for that."
"So you made a rational decision that you're satisfied with... Well, your personal
criteria doesn't matter to me."
"If you don't care, then why did you bring it up?"
"Studying too much is not good for your health. That's what I wanted to talk about.
Come on, let's go."
"Huh, wait a minute."
With little warning, Nakaoka-sensei grabbed the collar of Sandai’s school uniform and
dragged him along. Even when he tried to escape, she was unexpectedly strong and he
couldn’t shake her off.
They arrived at the school archives. There were a lot of documents and things
scattered around. It seemed Nakaoka-sensei wanted him to help organize the room.
"I thought it would take me until evening if I did it alone, so I appreciate your help."
Sandai started organizing the materials calmly without responding to her, as he
wanted to finish quickly and go home. However, his hands stopped when his teacher
said something strange.
"By the way, Fujiwara, I heard that you've been getting close to Yuizaki lately. Even the
teachers have been talking about it. One of them mentioned it during small talk today."
"We're not really getting close... We just sit near each other in class. Let's focus on
finishing this up quickly instead of talking about that."
Sandai tried to brush it off and change the subject, but Nakaoka-sensei didn't let it go.
"Don't brush me off like that. It's rare for Yuizaki to interact with boys. I don't know if
you, a loner, know this, but she sometimes avoids or antagonizes boys. Male students
and even male teachers are included in that. When she feels even a hint of being seen
as a girl, she puts up a wall. She's very sensitive about the opposite sex, even though
she seems like she doesn't care about what others think."
"... "
"Well, I can understand why she acts that way, being as cute and adorable as she is.
But I'm sure there have been times when it's made people feel uncomfortable. It's a kind
of self-defense mechanism."
Nakaoka-sensei seemed to have wanted to talk about Shino from the beginning, this
was just her way of bringing it up. Helping out was just an excuse.
"But the fact is half of the people in the world are men, and that is a reality that cannot
be changed no matter how much you struggle. High school students don't have much
time before they become adults, and legally they become adults while still enrolled.
 Eighteen was the age you legally became an adult, after all. Well, while you're still a
student, you'll be treated like a child, and if you go to college, you'll have more time...
but you'll eventually have to enter society. As time goes by, you may encounter
situations where avoiding men because you're not good with them won't be tolerated.
Being allowed, worried about, and accommodated because you're "not good with them"
is only possible now."
"Well... umm... I suppose you're right."
"So, to put it simply, what I want to say to you is – date Yuizaki."
Somehow Nakaoka-sensei had said something so outrageous with a completely calm
expression. Sandai’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Wha...?"
"What's with that fish-out-of-water face? I'll tell you, I'm not just saying this for fun, I
have a good reason for recommending it."
"A...reason?"
“It will help Yuizaki overcome her aversion to men. Once she gets to know men, she
won't need to be afraid of them for no reason. Even if you don't end up dating, if Yuizaki
can get used to men even a little bit in the process leading up to that result, it would be
a good thing. Or do you want to tell the cute Yuizaki, 'Continue to suffer and be afraid of
men for the rest of your life without understanding the distance between men'? Is that
what you think? Hm?"
“I don’t know what to say to that…”
"And also, getting closer to Yuizaki is for your own benefit."
"For my own benefit...?"
"You're always alone and looking unhappy at school, Fujiwara. I can see it clearly from
the teacher's desk. If you take action and create a chemical reaction in your life, you can
change your gray youth into a rose-colored one. Then, school might become a little
more enjoyable for you."
Nakaoka-sensei's expression was very soft and gentle, like that of an educator who
cares about their students.
Sandai understood that Nakaoka-sensei's recommendation was based on her belief
that it would lead to a positive outcome for both of them, no matter what. But, he knew
that simply nodding along and agreeing to it without thinking wasn’t a good idea.
"I understand what you're saying, Nakaoka-sensei, but there are also Yuzuki's feelings
to consider, and I've never even thought about wanting that kind of relationship either."
"Do you dislike Yuizaki?"
"I don't dislike her, but..."
"So that means you like her. No problem then."
"Isn't it a bit strange to say that just because I don't dislike her, I must like her?"
 "You're such a hassle... Do you have no initiative? Show some determination to make
her turn her head even if it means forcing her. Show some desire to bring about a good
mood and make her yours. Become a wolf! Grrrrrr!"
"...Are you serious?"
“Deadly.”
"I think it's wrong to force someone and it's also likely to make them dislike you."
"That depends on the level of pre-existing goodwill. It's important to discern that. Don't
try to understand a woman's complex emotions through logic, but rather through
intuition."
Shino didn’t seem like the type of person to have such a complicated personality, but
that was beside the point. It was a feeling that Sandai couldn’t quite grasp.
"Well, I don't really understand that kind of feeling... but anyway, no matter how much
you try to push me, I won't feel that way. Even if she tries to get closer to me, I think that
deep down, Yuizaki doesn't like me. I know that she doesn't like guys. So..."
"In Yuizaki’s mind, you might be the first guy she doesn't dislike at all. Maybe she's
waiting for you to make a move... Or maybe she's thinking about making a move
herself."
There was a slight smile on Nakaoka-sensei’s face. Apart from worrying about her
students as a teacher, it was clear that she was teasing the troubled teenager for her
own personal enjoyment.
"Maybe, maybe... But the truth is, my connection with Yuizaki is only recent and we
don't have any reason or time to fall in love with each other..."
When Sandai frowned, Nakaoka-sensei shrugged her shoulders deliberately.
"Love has nothing to do with reasons or timing. It's a bad habit for virgins to
immediately seek love. Are you really happy when someone says 'I've actually liked you
for a long time'? You were just kept on hold because they didn't like you enough to take
action right away. By just embellishing a few past events, you can be deceived into
thinking 'Oh, I see, they've liked me since then...'"
"Isn't that too cynical?"
"Not at all. Also, to say you like someone because of a reason is a cruel thing.
Humans are multifaceted creatures, and it's precisely because you truly love someone
that it becomes difficult to find a reason for liking them by loving many aspects of them.
To have a clear reason for liking someone is, in my opinion, too shallow. It means you
only like 'that one thing.'"
What Nakaoka-sensei was saying was definitely outside of common sense. However,
when she asserted herself like that, it sounded strangely convincing.

２
Sandai was finally released from the endless conversation with Nakaoka-sensei in the
evening.
Nakaoka-sensei, who had grown tired of Sandai's indecisive attitude, gave up and
said, "Well, think about it," with a sigh.
They did also manage to finish organizing the school archives. Mentally exhausted,
Sandai went home and collapsed onto the bed as soon as he entered his room.
"I just want to sleep like this..."
He was tempted by the impulse, but there was something he had to do before that. In
the morning, he had promised Shino to contact her later.
Sandai reluctantly sat up and opened LINE on his smartphone. He registered Shino's
ID and was about to send a message when his hand stopped. Nakaoka-sensei's words
kept flashing through his mind, and Sandai felt like he was standing at a crucial
crossroads, unable to move their fingers. Time passed quickly while Sandai sat there
frozen, and before he knew it, it was already 9 PM.
"...I shouldn't think too much. I should completely forget what that teacher said. The
more I think, the harder it will be to send a message."
Sandai forcibly cleared his mind. Slowly but surely, his fingers began to move.
"Okay, this should do it..."
For now, he just needed the recipient to know it was from him, so Sandai decided to
send a message with only his name.
He felt a strange sense of achievement and exhaustion as he pressed the [send]
button. As Sandai went to get a drink to take a breather, his phone rang and he flinched.
He nervously checked and saw it was a reply from Shino–

"It hasn’t even been a minute since I sent the message..."

Not expecting such a quick reply, Sandai swallowed nervously and wiped sweat from
his forehead."
"...I have to reply to Yuizaki's reply, right?"
Sandai started to think about his reply in a hurry, but before he could send his
message, Shino sent him a barrage of followup messages–

Despite the temptation to pretend to not have seen the rapid fire messages and make
an excuse like, "sorry, I didn't see it," LINE prevented him from doing so as messages
were stamped [read] when you saw them. Not responding would be equivalent to
ignoring the message, so he couldn't use the excuse of having not seen them.
“What should I do... I know, I'll tell her that I'm not used to this app."
After thinking about it, Sandai decided to just be honest with her about the current
situation. In times like these, honesty was the best policy. Probably.

Sandai and Shino continued to exchange LINE messages for a fair while. As Shino
slowed down her pace and Sandai gained a little more room to breathe, their
conversation began to flow smoothly.
As they continued their chit-chat, Shino suddenly mentioned she wanted to come to
Sandai’s house–

Sandai was skeptical about how he, who had no experience in making sweets, could
be of any help in practicing. but when he asked for confirmation just to be sure, Shino
replied, "It's okay." If the person who made the suggestion says so, it must be okay.
As Shino had already been over twice before, Sandai had no problem with the idea of
her visiting again.
As it was getting late, they exchanged "goodnight" and the chat ended.
"What time is it now? Is it time for anime already?"
 Sandai looked at the clock and saw that it was five minutes before the start of the
late-night anime. Although he was sleepy, he couldn't just not watch it, so Sandai
watched the anime before going to sleep.
３

During the week leading up the following Sunday, they both pretended to be indifferent
at school, but exchanged casual messages at night after returning home.
The attention from other students visibly decreased, and Nakaoka-sensei, who had
stirred things up, seemed to be watching from the sidelines and didn't interfere.
As they continued like that, Sunday arrived and Sandai changed into his casual
clothes. He sat on a bench on the train station platform and waited for Shino to arrive.
Shortly after, Shino got off the train and noticed Sandai waving at her. She ran over to
him.
"Did you wait long?"
"No, I just got here."
"I'm glad〜."
Since it was their day off, Shino was wearing casual clothes- cropped pants with polka
dots, a white shirt, and floral sandals. She was also carrying a large wicker basket, the
contents of which were unknown. Although it was late September, there were still many
hot days, so Shino's outfit was summer-like.
Sandai had only seen Shino in her school uniform before, so seeing her in casual
clothes felt fresh to him.
“...Should we go?” he said, standing up from the bench.
"Wait a sec," Shino said, stopping him.
"Um...sorry for springing this on you, but..."
A small girl popped out from behind Shino, scratching her cheek with an apologetic
expression. Sandai tilted his head at the appearance of the mystery girl.
“Um...when we left the house, she suddenly said she wanted to come with me."
"What...she came with you when you left home? Is it possible…you’re a single mother,
Yuizaki?”
"N-no way! Do you seriously think I could have a kid that big at my age? And I'm totally
a virgin, so there's no way I could even have a baby...n-no, forget what I just said."
Shino waved her hands in front of her rapidly as she denied it in a panic.
Apparently, the girl wasn't her daughter, and when Sandai thought about it, Shino was
still a high school student and wasn’t good with men. It was impossible for her to have a
child. Sandai regretted his misunderstanding and scratched his cheek.
"Um, so I think I mentioned before that I had a little sister. This is her. I know I should
have messaged you when we were on the train, Fujiwara, but it was kinda awkward to
say, y’know?"
Shino had indeed mentioned her younger sister before, and Sandai remembered it.
"C’mon, say hello to him."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Miki."
 Shyly, Shino's sister Miki stood in front of Sandai. As expected of siblings, she looked
a lot like Shino. The only noticeable difference, aside from Shino’s dyed hair, were her
eyes.
While Shino had clear double eyelids, Miki's were more droopy.
“Nice to meet you, Miki-chan.”
“Y-yes…”
Miki squeezed her eyes shut and looked down. She didn't seem scared, but rather
embarrassed.
"I'm really sorry, Fujiwara..."
"You don't have to apologize."
"I told her to stay home and play with mom and day quietly ‘cause I didn't want it to be
a bother."
"I'm not bothered, so it's okay... But I think Miki-chan likes her Onee-chan, so maybe
that's why she wanted to be together?"
As Sandai knelt down, Yuizaki smiled and nodded slightly.
"Mhm. I like my Onee-chan."
She seemed like a pure and innocent girl, appropriate for her age. That's how Sandai
saw her. But, Shino, who had been watching everything next to them, had an
indescribable expression on her face.
"What's wrong, Yuzuki? What's with that face?"
"...So I’ll say this first. When Miki gets close to someone, she can be a bit of a rascal.
She's kinda good at hiding her true intentions, so don't let her fool you!"
When Shino said that, Miki's eyes swam.
"Hey, Onee-chan, are you still mad about yesterday…?"
"Hm? Of course I am."
"Don't be so mad… I thought a small melon might fit in your bra, Onee-chan…and it
did..."
"But that doesn't mean you can swing it around and play with it! The strap and hook
broke, y’know!"
"It's because Onee-chan's boobs are surprisingly big..."
"That's not a bad thing."
"It’s because you’re curvy..."
"...Where did you learn that word?"
"On TV."
"You don't have to watch that kinda TV."
They were talking about how she played with the bra and other amazing things. Miki
may have seemed like a quiet child, but in reality, she was just hiding her true nature,
which was quite mischievous, just as Shino had said. Sandai knew it wasn't a good idea
to eavesdrop on their conversation, so he covered his ears with both hands–
—“Hm? That guy covered his ears. Well, that's perfect. Hey, hey, can I ask you
something, Onee-chan?”
—"What's up?"
—"We were supposed to go to your friend's house, but it's not a girl's house, is it?"
—"...I never said it was a girl-friend's house."
—"Should we keep it a secret from mom and dad? If you didn't tell Yuizaki, you didn't
tell them either, right?"
—“W-well, I'm planning to tell them eventually, but we're not at that point yet...so, um...
can you keep it a secret for now?"
—"Is that a relationship thing? Not at that point yet? Hmm... hehe... I don’t really
understand, but if you want me to keep it a secret, I will. But in exchange, you have to
kiss that boy in front of me."
—"Huh?"
—"I saw people kissing in a drama, so I'm curious about what a real kiss looks like. So if
you kiss him, I'll keep quiet. It's not like you hate that boy, right? It's the first time I've
seen you interact with a boy other than dad, so I think you like him, don't you?"
—"When you put it that way... do I… like him?"
—"Do you like him? What's that? Should I tell mom and dad?"
—"...I think I do."
—"You think you do?"
—"I-I do! I like him! Is that good enough?”
—“You like him. This is all about momentum, so you should decide today.
—"..."

It seemed that the two of them had stopped arguing, so Sandai removed his hands
from his ears.
He didn't know what kind of conversation they had, but while Miki was smiling, Shino
was blushing and fiddling with her bangs.
Why is Yuizaki blushing... Oh, I see, she might have suppressed her anger about the
bra incident, but she's still embarrassed. That's probably it.
After making that guess, Sandai vowed in his heart to avoid using words that would
remind her of it.
If he had a hobby of making people feel uncomfortable and enjoying it, it would be
different, but Sandai didn’t have a twisted fetish like that.
Now that he understood the points to be careful of in their conversations, Sandai
couldn't just stand there forever, so he led the two of them to the apartment building.
Since it wasn't far from the station, they arrived after only a few minutes of walking.
"...Onii-chan, Onii-chan."
 "What's up?"
"I feel excited. We don't have buildings like this near our house."
"It's not a regular building, it's an apartment building."
As they passed through the entrance, Miki suddenly started looking around restlessly.
It seemed that there were no apartments like this near the Yuizaki family home, so it
piqued her interest.
Sandai remembered hearing that the Yuizaki residence was an hour away by train. In
terms of distance, it was even further out than the suburbs… almost into the
countryside.
Miki, who was still young and had few opportunities to go out in the city, seemed to
find everything new and exciting.
"...If you keep looking around like that, Miki, you might get in trouble. This isn't like our
neighborhood, so even if you get yelled at, I won't be able to say anything, ‘kay?"
"Who would get mad? Anyway, it doesn't seem like Onii-chan is angry about it, right?
So it should be okay to do it a little bit, right?"
Miki's reasoning wasn't wrong, and the reason why Sandai didn't mind her behavior
was because there was an unspoken agreement among the residents of this apartment
building not to interfere with each other.
No one would frown at a restless child, so there was no need to worry.
But, before Sandai could defend Miki's actions, Shino gave her a forehead flick and
said “even so”.
"Ow... What are you doing, Onee-chan?"
"Even if there's no one who minds or gets mad, it's not okay to have bad manners."
"Onee-chan looks different on the outside, but she's actually very uptight on the
inside... sigh... I wonder if kissing is out of the question."
"Kissing... well, that's... um..."
Sandai didn't understand what Shino and Miki were talking about, particularly the
kissing part, but he finally told Shino the reason why he didn't care about Miki's
behavior.
But, Shino didn't change her mind even after hearing Sandai's explanation and said,
"Hmm, even if there's no one who minds, it's not good to have bad manners." She
repeated.
Shino's argument was correct both morally and educationally for children. Sandai felt
like he couldn't argue back and that resisting would only cause unnecessary friction, so
he remained silent.
After she entered his apartment, Shino headed towards the kitchen, humming as she
took out various cooking utensils from the wicker basket she brought with her.
"Wow...these are all tools for making sweets. You use a lot of different ones.”
“Yup. All we need now is an oven."
 "An oven? We probably don't have one here."
"You do."
"How do you know?"
"You remember when I made breakfast here last time? I totally found the oven then, so
I know it's here. This one, right here."
Shino pointed to a box in the corner of the kitchen and tapped it. Sandai realized that
the box had been there for as long as he could remember, but he didn't know what it
was exactly. It looked like a microwave, but he couldn't be sure.
"So that's an oven..."
"Huh? You didn't know...oh, right. I forgot that you don't cook or anything, so I kinda
guess it’s not surprising you wouldn’t know.”
“I’m so glad you understand.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
"That doesn't matter. More importantly, there's something bothering me..."
"Something bothering you?"
Sandai had noticed it as soon as he arrived in the kitchen, but for some reason, he
couldn't see Miki anywhere.
Shino also noticed when Sandai pointed it out, saying "Huh?" and tilting her head.
"Really. I wonder where she went."
"She was here when we came in through the front door, so she's probably somewhere
inside the house...let's go look for her."
"Okay, please."
They split up and began searching for Miki.
While there were several rooms, the apartment wasn't as spacious as a standalone
house, so Miki was found relatively quickly. Sandai was the one who discovered her
lying down on the living room sofa.
"Miki, you were here."
"Huh?"
“She’s over here!”
"Okay!"
Shino rushed over after hearing him call out. As soon as Shino saw Miki, she
narrowed her eyes and looked unhappy.
–She's angry.
"Miki..."
"Onee-chan, your face looks scary..."
"Listen, this isn't our house. It's Fujiwara’s house. It's rude and annoying to behave like
it's your own home, y’know?"
"I know, but..."
"‘I know, but’...what?"
 "Nothin’. Anyway, I’m only good at eating, so let's cook together."
Shino glared at Miki, who didn’t seem to feel guilty at all, with a look of disgust, but it
only lasted a moment. Shino gradually lost her strength and looked down, her face
looking like she was about to cry.
"What’s going on? Miki, If you act like that, I’ll look like a selfish girl too. I don’t know
what I’d do if Fujiwara hates me.”
Shino's voice trembled as she spoke, and the words were spoken so softly Sandai
could barely hear them. But, even if he didn't understand what she said, if she was
feeling down, he thought he should cheer her up.
But, for some reason, his hand moved unconsciously instead of his mouth, and before
he knew it, Sandai was stroking Shino's head.
"Huh...wait..."
Naturally, Shino was surprised when a hand suddenly started stroking her head, and
she blushed and looked down. She didn't show any sign of telling him to stop.
"..."
"...I haven't even eaten any sweets yet, but I feel like I'm already full... If I do this, it’ll
be pretty easy to see a kiss, dont'cha think?" Miki said, wrinkling her nose.
It was only then that Sandai realized what he was doing. He quickly pulled his hand
back and moved away from Shino.
"I..."
Swallowing hard, Sandai stared at his palm. Suddenly, he remembered
Nakaoka-sensei’s words.
★

"You're such a hassle... Do you have no initiative? Show some determination to make
her turn her head even if it means forcing her. Show some desire to bring about a good
mood and make her yours. Become a wolf! Grrrrrr!"

Sandai didn't take Nakaoka-sensei’s words too seriously. Although he had some
thoughts, he didn't want to act impulsively and create an embarrassing memory. He also
didn't want to cause trouble for Shino due to a weird misunderstanding.
Despite this, his body moved on its own. He didn't understand what was going on. He
tried to think of the reason for his actions, but couldn't find a clear answer.
He decided to forcefully change the topic to avoid the question. Changing the topic
would change the current mood, and then he wouldn't think unnecessary things. He
believed that he could return to his usual self that way.
"Speaking of which, we don't have any ingredients for making sweets!"
"...I was thinking we could go shopping together and you could show me your taste
preferences.”
"Oh, I see! Then let's go shopping!”
"...Yeah."
Shino looked up at Sandai with upturned eyes. He flinched and looked away from her
eyes, which were moist with tears. He felt like he couldn't keep his sanity if he kept
looking at her directly.
"...We were so close too. Onii-chan, you're surprisingly good at controlling yourself. Or,
was it just barely?"
Looking at the distance between the two of them, Miki murmured and shrugged her
shoulders.

When they went outside to buy ingredients for sweets, the mood somehow changed
and Sandai began to calm down. It seemed he was correct in thinking the mood would
change with the topic.
But, while Sandai was relieved, Miki suggested going to a shopping mall that also had
a game center instead of a specialty pastry ingredient store, and another sisterly
argument was about to break out.
But before the argument could escalate any further, Shino and Fujiwara made up and
began to whisper secretively–

—"C’mon... don’t be naughty. Please.

—"Hm?"
—"What is it?"
—"The mood was good earlier, right? When I was doing whatever I wanted and
Onee-chan was feeling down, Onii-chan was patting your head to comfort you, right?"
—"...Why does that sound like you were trying to do it on purpose?"
—"Was I?"
—“Huh? What'cha mean?”
—“Mm.”
—"Hmm...?"
—“So, I have a plan for you, Onee-chan. Onii-chan seemed like he was about to fall for
you earlier. When he patted your head, he had a face like he was falling in love. So, this
is the perfect time to attack. Ignore the accident and go for a kiss. There's nothing to be
afraid of. Momentum is important, you know?
—"Miki... you find this funny, don't you?"
—"If that's what you think, then it's okay. It's your choice, Onee-chan. But... at a
shopping mall you can avoid natural accidents more easily, right? And I can also stop
going to the game center. But I want money to play games though.”
—"..."
—"If you take too long to decide, Onii-chan will get annoyed, so if you don't want him to
hate you, you should decide quickly.”
—“Y-yeah, I get it. You’ve got a good point, Miki… so I'll just go along with it. I suck at
being indecisive anyways, so I'm really gonna do it. I’ve made up my mind.”
—“Mm.”

Sandai didn’t know what the sisters were whispering about, but he was eventually told
they’d agreed to follow Miki's suggestion.
Upon arriving at the shopping mall, Miki immediately began searching for the game
center, which was located on the second floor. The sight of the flashing arcade
machines brought joy to Miki's face and she let out a delighted giggle.
"Hehe, then until you two finish shopping, I’ll play here alone."
"…Is it really okay for you to be alone?"
"There are people right over there at the counter, so it's okay. Don't worry about me,
worry about yourself."
"You’re always talking back…"
 "Money."
"Here's 500 yen."
"500 yen… That's only enough to play the UFO catcher² a few times. Looks like I'll
have to play the medal games instead. But, even that might be tough."
"Don't be so demanding. I'm not rich either, y’know."
"I know..."
Miki frowned and groaned. She didn't seem satisfied with the amount of pocket money
she received from Shino, but it was true 500 yen wouldn’t give her much play time.
Although Sandai had no intention of doing a long shopping trip, if someone were to ask
whether it would end in five or ten minutes, he would have felt it might be tough.
Shino said that she would listen to his taste preferences and such. They weren't just
buying predetermined ingredients, so it would take some time. It was almost certain that
Miki would use up all her money and have to wait for them, which made Sandai feel
sorry for her. He took out a 500 yen coin from his wallet and gave it to Miki.
"Onii-chan…?" Miki said.
"Now you have 1000 yen. You can play for a bit longer, right?"
"Thank you! …Hehehe, okay, as a thank you, I'll tell you something good."
"Something good…?"
"Listen closely."
Sandai tilted his head in confusion but listened to her anyway.
"…My Onee-chan is surprisingly clumsy. She sometimes trips on stairs and stuff. So
when that happens, make sure to hold her tight so she doesn't get hurt. I think she'll trip
today."
It was oddly specific – almost as if she knew it would happen – but helpful advice.
As Sandai tilted his head even further, Miki ran straight into the game center.
"...You don't have to give Miki money, y’know. She'll just start throwing a fit to get what
she wants," Shino said, sighing as she walked over to him.
Sandai couldn't help but feel sorry for Miki, even if it wasn't the best education.
Besides, "It's not like I give her money every day, and didn't you give Miki some pocket
money too?"
“But there was kinda… a reason for that.”
"A reason? I don't really understand, but since you're giving her money too, you can't
really criticize me. Anyway, kids want to play when they go out, so isn't it okay just for
today?"
"If you had kids, Fujiwara, you’d totally spoil them like crazy.”
"Really?"
"Yup. I can imagine what married life would be like for you. You’d be a kind dad."
"Even if you say that, I don't think I'll ever have a girlfriend, let alone get married. I'm a
loner. I don't even have any chance encounters.”
 "Hey, you know even loners can find love and settle down too, right? And didn't you
just meet someone special who's super close to you…?"
That was a very meaningful statement, and Sandai wanted to ask what she meant.
But, he felt that if he knew the answer, he might not be able to turn back, and he was
too afraid to ask.
"I feel like there is...and isn't someone like that."
"Oh, I see... kinda like they're here, but not really?"
"Y-yes, that's the feeling.”
“...Hmm?”
Shino's gaze was probing, as if she was trying to uncover something. But Sandai didn't
notice that her eyes were actually fixed on his lips.
Sandai could sense that Shino's mood had changed slightly, but that was all.
But, even if Sandai was dense, he would eventually understand when someone's
feelings were put into action.

Sandai and Shino started shopping for ingredients for making sweets on the floor
above. They talked about things related to making sweets, like the taste and shape, and
finished in about thirty minutes.
All that was left was to go pick up Miki, but unfortunately, they got caught in a human
traffic jam. Both the escalator and elevator had long queues, and it seemed like they
wouldn't be able to reach the second floor where Miki was anytime soon.
They joined the line for the time being, but every time the line moved a little, someone
would cut in line, causing them to move back to their starting point. While they
understood in their heads that it was natural for it to be crowded on a Sunday and that
they should give up, they still felt frustrated.
Sandai's face gradually became more and more scrunched up.
Sandai's face gradually became more and more sour. Then, Shino tugged on his
sleeve.
"...Let's just use the stairs. They're over there."
"...The stairs, huh?"
"Yup."
"Well, there doesn't seem to be any sign of the line clearing up, so yeah, let's use the
stairs."
As it was certain that continuing to line up in the queue would only waste time, Sandai
decided to go along with Shino's suggestion. They descended the quiet staircase, their
footsteps echoing with a thud, thud. Sandai was the first to reach the second floor.
The next moment–
 "Kyaa!"
He heard Shino scream.
Startled, Sandai turned around and saw Shino seemingly having lost her balance,
falling towards him.
"I'm gonna fallll!”
Although her voice was unnaturally stiff, Sandai didn't have time to notice that. He
hurriedly caught her to prevent her from falling.
"Watch out!"
And then, with a thud, they landed hard on the floor.
Sandai slowly opened his eyelids, enduring the pain he felt. He was surprised to see
Shino's face, with her eyes closed, right in front of him. It took him a moment to realize
that his lips were softly and slightly sweetly touching against something. When he
cautiously checked, it was Shino's lips.
"...Huh?"
He couldn't keep up with what was happening. He had just caught her to help her, but
why was he kissing Shino?
After ten full seconds of their lips being pressed together, Sandai spotted Miki's figure
rushing towards them.
"I was waiting around, wondering if you guys were coming soon... And here you are...
Wow, you two sure are bold, huh? Are you okay?"
Glancing at the grinning Miki, Shino widened her pupils like a cat at night, then
blushed furiously - her cheeks pink like peach petals. She broke her gaze away from
Miki and added more pressure on Sandai, whose mind was going blank.
She kissed him again.
The second kiss was short. They separated with a sound of "mwah" and Shinon’s face
turned away.
"...Thanks for helping me. It was an accident, but we kissed. It's something you
shouldn't do if you're not lovers... but we did it. Calling you by your last name 'Fujiwara'
feels a bit distant, so I'm gonna start calling you by your first name. I... like you, Sandai."
It was a sudden confession. In an instant, Sandai's mind went blank and he ended up
making a stupid face.
"I don't… think I can answer right away..."
"W-Why?"
"I don't know, it's just how it is… I can't really put it into words… but I think you're a
good person."
"You're saying it so casually…"
"It's a big deal, y’know? It takes a lot of courage to confess to a boy for the first time.
So, how did it feel to get my first kiss and confession?"
"...How did it feel?"
 "Wasn't it a little sweet? I put on some lip gloss that had a sweet flavor earlier, so I
think it was sweet."
"It was slightly sweet..."
"Hehe that's good~ It would have been the worst if you thought my first kiss was
smelly."
"That's not the issue... but, Yuizaki… I mean..."
As Sandai stumbled over his words, Shino pouted and pinched his cheek.
"Call me Shino, not Yuizaki."
 "I-It hurts"
"Say–it–"
"I-I get it, I get…Shi, Shino"
"That's better~"
"..."
“...Don't think too much about it. I just wanted to let you know how I feel. I’d be happy if
you felt the same way, but if not, I'll accept it and move on. I'll… most likely cry a bunch,
but I don't wanna be a hassle, so I'll figure out a way to make it work.”
Shino's lips trembled slightly as she spoke, trying to suppress her anxiety. It was
obvious that she was holding back her emotions.
Sandai, who was on the receiving end of her confession, didn't know this, but the act
of confessing was cruel enough to make people tremble with fear. Whether it's
acceptance, rejection, hesitation, or being ignored... any response will inevitably lead to
a result.
You can't just let it hang in the air, and there's no guarantee that you'll get the answer
you want. It's so scary that it's unbearable. That's why people often say that confessing
takes courage.
Sandai didn't remember much of what happened after that. They went back to the
apartment and made sweets together, but his mind was hazy. Even when he ate the
finished sweets, he couldn't taste anything, and couldn't even hear the conversation
between Shino and Miki despite it being within earshot–

—“...That was surprising.”

—“What was?”
—“Well, confessing and all that.”
—“What are you saying? Didn't you say that momentum is important, Miki?"
—“That was about kissing, not confessing…”
—“...Huh?”
—“Look, Onii-chan is completely white. He looks like a broken robot. Even sound
effects like "beep boop, beep boop" would fit him now. You have to consider Onii-chan's
capacity.”
—“Did I...do something wrong...?”
—“I didn't think your stupidity went this far, Onee-chan.”
S-shut up! I-it’s fine right? The reason why he went all white is probably because he's
now conscious of me... maybe."
—“This is why people without romantic experience are scary…”
 Sandai's gaze was fixed on Shino's lips. Every time they moved, he was reminded of
the feeling of their kiss, and his mind went blank again.
"See ya later, Onii-chan."
"...Yeah"
"Bye bye, Sandai."
"...Yeah."
While feeling dizzy, Sandai took Shino and Miki to the station, and, after the train they
were on disappeared from view, he sat on a bench on the platform.
When he gently touched his lips with his middle finger, his body temperature suddenly
rose. He could hear his heartbeat very clearly.
"What is this situation...? What is going on?"
Sandai felt an itchy, bittersweet feeling and writhed and screamed. Passersby looked
at him in surprise, but he had no spare energy to care.
"S-she... likes me...she kissed me...she likes me as more than just a friend..."
Shino had definitely said that.
Not in the sense of liking him as a friend or as a good person, but as a man.
The expression on Shino's face when they kissed kept flashing up in his mind. It was
burned into his memory and wouldn’t go away.
He had to calm down somehow–
Sandai went back to his apartment and tried to study without taking a break, or distract
himself by binge-watching late-night anime. But nothing worked, and his heart wouldn't
calm down.
Unable to calm down, Sandai crawled into bed with his excitement still high. It was
there that he finally noticed that Shino had sent him a single message–

Shino had said that she would give him time to think alone. This was a very
considerate gesture, and Sandai breathed a sigh of relief. But, even if they stopped
messaging each other, they still sat close to each other in school due to their seating
arrangement. They would inevitably be conscious of each other’s presence.
Sandai didn't know how to act around Shino, so he avoided her completely. Even
though he was avoiding her so blatantly that anyone could tell, it didn't become a
problem, and no one seemed to care. This was because they had a long-standing
agreement not to interfere with each other's lives, and Sandai's awkward behavior
towards Shino wasn't seen as unnatural.
And so, days went by.
...Can I just wait until we both forget about the confession without giving a clear
answer?
 Those thoughts went through Sandai’s head as he gazed out the window during class,
but he soon realized that way of thinking was too dishonest.
Shino had said that she wanted a clear answer, and avoiding her until the feelings
disappeared would not be facing her feelings.
“I…”
Suddenly, Sandai saw Shino's face reflected in the window from the seat behind him.
She was biting her lower lip and looking down, lacking confidence. The longer Sandai
delayed his answer, the more Shino would suffer. He understood this even if he didn't
want to, and his expression showed it.
I don't want to see that sad face. I want to see you smiling–
–Sandai was shocked. He realized he had already made up his mind.
In fact, there was no need to worry, and the answer had been decided from the
beginning. He was just afraid to admit it. He lacked courage.
Because he was a loner, he wasn't good at making big decisions that would bring
about significant changes. He had a habit of running away and avoiding things.
"...I'm such a worthless guy."
With a self-deprecating laugh, Sandai began tapping away on his smartphone under
the desk, out of sight of the teacher.
Just like how Shino had gathered her courage, Sandai could gather his own courage.
He would do his best and be brave. He didn't know how far he could go with a girlfriend,
given his past as a loner, but he didn't need to be afraid anymore.
Sandai's heart pounded, unable to hide his excitement anymore, and his message
was sent through the airwaves to Shino.
Shino, reflected in the window, tilted her head in confusion and picked up her
smartphone. As soon as she looked at the screen, her eyes widened. She gradually
relaxed her cheeks and soon broke into a broad smile.
It was late September, the beginning of Sandai's second year of high school. He had
been just a loner, but now he had become a loner with a girlfriend.

The season had officially started to become autumn. School uniforms had also
changed with the start of October, transitioning from summer to winter attire.
One day after school, Sandai was stopped by Nakaoka-sensei as they passed each
other. Nakaoka-sensei stared at Sandai from head to toe as if appraising him.
"You…has something changed about you lately?"
"Has it?"
"I don't know how to say it, but there's a sense of composure and ease about you.
Could it be that..."
 Sandai had been keeping his relationship with Shino a secret at school, but
Nakaoka-sensei seemed to have caught on. Sandai lightly scratched his cheek and
said, “Well… maybe.”
"I see, so that's why your vibe has changed! I remember giving you advice before, but
you kept arguing with me, so I thought you were a lost cause...but it seems like things
have turned out well for you."
Sandai chuckled awkwardly and replied, "Well, something like that."
"Sing the song of youth, young man. While studying is important as a student, it's okay
to focus on other things too. Just make sure to practice safe sex, okay?"
"S-safe sex…?"
They had been dating for two weeks and their relationship was progressing, with
Sandai even initiating kisses, albeit awkwardly. But, their interactions were still within the
boundaries of a normal relationship. It was too early to think about what came next.
Sandai just blushed in response.
"What's with that face... don't tell me you're still a virgin?"
"W-what's wrong with being a virgin? Is it bad to be one?"
"Are you two really dating?"
"Yes, we are!"
"Then you probably can't resist the urge."
"What do you think high school boys are?"
"Sex-crazed monsters."
"That's a stereotype!"
"No, it’s not a stereotype, it's a fact. In this morning's faculty meeting, the student
guidance teacher mentioned confiscating a student's phone for watching porn.”
"T-That's only a few students..."
"Then have you never bought erotic books or watched porn videos?"
Nakaoka-sensei looked at Sandai with a suspicious gaze, stroking her chin.
If he lied and said he hadn't seen it before, it wouldn’t sound very convincing.
Sandai frowned and turned to the side, feeling uneasy about the difficult question.
“…I disposed of the physical stuff.”
"The physical stuff? Your wording makes it sound like you have something other than
the physical stuff. Hm?"
"Please, just drop it. It's embarrassing and not something a teacher should discuss
with a student."
"No, a teacher should discuss this kind of issue with a student. The school regulations
may not directly prohibit sexual activity between high school students, as it is a healthy
desire for adolescents to seek physical intimacy with someone of the opposite sex
around their age. However, there is responsibility that comes with such actions. As a
teacher, I need to make that clear. I'm not telling you not to do it, I'm telling you to be
responsible. Don't become one of those scumbags who prioritize pleasure over
responsibility and end up getting someone pregnant."
"I...I'm satisfied without doing anything physical like that."
It wasn't that Sandai didn’t have any interest in physical intimacy, but he was content
with just kissing and holding hands.
But, Nakaoka-sensei dismissed Sandai's current state as "just for now."
"Eventually, you'll want more. Besides, Yuizaki might want more than just a kiss. The
connection between the heart and the body is intimate. Some people may prioritize a
platonic relationship, but that may be due to their religious beliefs or excessive mental
instability. Otherwise, physical intimacy is the ultimate expression and confirmation of
love. I don't want to nag you too much, but ultimately what I'm saying is to consider your
partner's feelings."
"..."
"By the way, make sure to wear a condom. Don't think you can skip it because you
don't know where to buy them. They sell them at pharmacies and other places. It's
important to be safe."
Sandai understood that Nakaoka-sensei was saying something serious, but it wasn't
something to be discussed right now, and it was embarrassing. So he turned his back
on her.
But, "Don't be dismissive like that. Wait, one more thing."
In the end, when told to wait by a teacher, Sandai turned around without thinking.
"Don't buy condoms from places that seem like they sell adult toys. I've heard that
those places intentionally sell condoms that break easily. If you accidentally buy
something like that, you might... ending up being a dad at your age, you know?"
Sandai regretted turning around and left the school.

After returning home, Sandai's actions weren’t much different from before. However,
there was one new element that had been added.
"...Is it about time?"
Sandai checked the time on the clock, put away his study materials, and checked his
smartphone.
 He had a message from Shino–

The new element was that Shino had started coming to Sandai's apartment every night
after finishing work.
Shino had adjusted her train schedule by one hour, pushing back the train she used to
take at 9 PM by one hour, so that she could spend the extra hour on couple time. Since
they were hiding their relationship at school, aside from days off, this one hour on
weekdays was the only time they had as a couple. It was a precious hour.
As Sandai sat on his knees at the front door waiting, the doorbell rang. It was Shino.
Sandai nervously headed to the door.
"Heya~!"
"I've been waiting for you."
"I've been looking forward to this too! Here I come!"
Shino jumped into Sandai's arms, and he held her tight as he carried her like a
princess into his apartment.
"...Kiss me."
Sandai blushed but slowly brought his lips to hers. It was still a bit awkward, but he put
his feelings into it to convey his affection.
Shino's lips had a refreshing citrusy taste, perhaps of mandarin or oranges. It was a
slightly different taste than usual, but Shino occasionally changed her lip balm, so that
was probably why.
"Did you notice the change in taste?"
"Hmm...orange?"
"Yup. So the last flavor was strawberry and before that it was vanilla. I'm just trying to
figure out what you like, Sandai."
"I like whatever you like, Shino."
"I wanna like the taste my boyfriend likes!"
"I want to like the taste that you like too...but if we keep going like this, we'll be at a
standstill forever...In that case, I’ll choose the lip balm that suits me. Strawberry."
Strawberry had a taste and scent that made Sandai feel like he was really kissing
someone, and he liked that.
"’kay~"
Shino smiled as she rummaged through her bag. It seemed like she was planning to
reapply it right there and then.
¹As is common for teenage girls in Japan, Shino shortens words when she messages. In this case “ma”
(maji) and “ryo” (ryokai) becomes the equivalent of “Huh? Gotcha!” in English.
²Crane game popular in arcades.
October 24th–October 26th
You've had a makeover, huh?

The days passed and soon it was half way into October. Things were going well every
day. Sandai greeted Shino warmly as she arrived after finishing work, and they played a
video game together with her sitting on his lap.
"Ah, I'm gonna lose!"
"Today, I win–"
"–How about this!"
Shino kissed him, obviously trying to physically interfere with the game. The scent of
strawberries tickled his nostrils, and Sandai inadvertently dropped the controller from his
hand, allowing Shino to make a comeback and win.
"Yay!"
"Hey... that's cheating."
"It's not cheating~"
In a good mood, Shino stretched and began to prepare to go home since it was getting
late. Since the streets at night were dangerous, as always, Sandai decided to walk her
to the station. Along the way, Shino pressed her index finger to her lips and tilted her
head in thought.
"Hmm."
"What's wrong?"
"Come to think of it... I feel like some people have noticed stuff."
“Noticed stuff?”
"We're not supposed to talk at school, right?"
"Yeah."
"But somehow, it kinda seems some people have sensed we're a thing. It's like there
are some students who have that kinda feeling."
It seemed some students had begun to suspect their relationship, even though they
had been careful to keep it hidden. Even if it was just for a moment, when their eyes
met as they passed each other, heat would build up in their eyes.
Shino was already a beautiful girl who always attracted attention, so there were a fair
number of people who wouldn't miss even that brief moment.
"I don't wanna hide it anymore. I'm full of the desire to tell everyone that I'm dating
Sandai. That he’s my pride and joy.”
 Sandai felt a little embarrassed to hear her say that he was her pride and joy. He was
happy to hear her say it, but his back was itching.
"Is that... a bad thing?"
Shino pouted and poked her index fingers together. If she asked like this...
Anyway, they had only been hiding their relationship because they didn't expect to be
dating at that time, but now that they were actually a couple, it was obvious they should
make some changes.
Announcing their relationship would bring great benefits to Sandai as well, as it would
serve as a strong deterrent to any boys who were secretly trying to get with Shino.
"...Well, I guess we don't need to hide our relationship anymore."
"Then–"
“–Yeah, let's do as you suggested. But flaunting our relationship out of nowhere in the
classroom could cause confusion, so we'll do it gradually."
"Gradually... Should we tell our friends that we're dating and let them do the
gossiping?"
"Sorry, I don't have any friends, so I'll have to rely on you, Shino."
"No need to apologize~ Besides, it was me who said that I don't wanna hide it
anymore."
And so, they decided to gradually spread the word about their relationship.

It was the next day after school.

As Sandai watched Shino's back from a distance as she headed straight to her
part-time job, he was approached by a group of five sparkling gyaru students. They
were Shino's friends, who he often saw having lively conversations with her during
break time.
"Heya, Fujiwara, can we chat for a bit? We heard from Shino that you two are dating?
We kinda had a hunch, but it's still a surprise."
As planned, Shino had already told her friends about their relationship, but the vibe of
the gyaru group was a bit intimidating. Sandai wondered if they thought that he was "not
good enough for Shino" or something, and instinctively raised his bag as a shield.
The girls sighed in unison.
"...Don't be such a scaredy-cat. We're not here to pick a fight with or anything,
Fujiwara. We think Shino chose a good guy, so we won't complain. We just have a little
problem and kinda need your help."
It seemed that they didn't come to complain, but had a request. Sandai was surprised,
but lowered his bag.
 "It's not really a ‘gathering', but more like a ‘dinner party’ thing we’re having. Some
guys are coming too… but even though we’ve been trying to get Shino to come, she
keeps saying no. Especially lately, there's just no way to persuade her. If the reason
was she had a boyfriend it would make sense, but apparently it's not about that. Shino
being there would make a huge difference, ‘cause the Shino Boost is really amazing.”
"Yeah, yeah. Not just boys from other schools, but even college students all come
when Shino's name is mentioned."
"You might not know, but Shino is really famous outside of school, too. She's been
offered modeling and idol gigs, but she turned ‘em down."
This was the first time Sandai was hearing about the entertainment industry offers, but
it wasn't an unusual story for such a beautiful girl like Shino.
"I...I see."
"I guess from your reaction you didn't know how amazing Shino is… Maybe that's why
she thought you were different."
"Maybe."
“Anyways, that doesn’t matter right now, so let’s sideline it. Um, I'll just say it straight
out - I wanna ask if you can come to the dinner party too? Maybe if you come, Shino will
come too.”
"Yup, we want to have the Shino Boost one more time. It's really different when guys
come because of Shino… Please."
The girls bowed their heads one by one to Sandai, showing that it was a fairly serious
request. But, as a boyfriend, it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have.
"I understand what you're saying, but Shino isn’t good with men, so I don't think it's a
good idea to put her in that situation. Besides, if her boyfriend comes, the other guys
you invite might get angry. So, let's just give up quietly–"
"–Wait. This is a win-win situation, y’know?"
"Huh?"
"First up, we can casually tell the guys, 'Actually, Shino has a boyfriend, so she’s not
an option. So, choose from us instead.' Then, if you show up in front of the guys and
say, 'I'm her boyfriend,' it’ll stop them trying to get with Shino, right? It’s win-win."
That idea was unexpected and made Sandai's heart waver a little bit. Then, as if
seeing this was their chance, the girls started to pile on.
"In the end, Shino will be happy too, don’t you think? Everyone else thinks so too,
right?
"We do. It'll be so cute if you say something like 'don't touch my girl’ in front of other
guys. It'll totally make Shino excited.”
"Shino seems to be really into you, so if that happens, it might be the final push. She
might never be able to leave you."
"Right~? She'll be like, 'I can’t see anyone but you anymore.' or something."
 "It's a chance to see Shino's adorable face at the peak of happiness. You’ve gotta go
along with it."
The excitement grew and even Sandai was starting to feel like this was a good deal for
him.
"By the way... can't we give you a bit of a makeover? If we're taking you along, we
should make you look cooler. You’re too plain."
It was just an offhand suggestion, but the girls perked up and one by one showed their
agreement with a "yes, yes". In just a few seconds, it was unanimously approved.
Sandai didn't expect the conversation to go in that direction and was a bit confused,
but two girls intertwined their arms around his, making it difficult for him to escape, as
the remaining three pushed him from behind.
“Alright, let's go!"
"Yup, haste makes waste~"
Sandai tried to resist, but… "W-Wait a minute! Talking about a makeover is too
sudden–"
“–If you look cooler, Shino will be happy, right?"
As sweet nothings were whispered in his ear, Sandai suddenly felt all the strength
leave him.
Sandai knew that Shino liked him just the way he was, without any particular requests
on his appearance. But that didn't mean she had no complaints. There was a possibility
that she wished he looked a bit cooler.
That anxiety that had been smoldering deep inside Sandai's heart was tickled. Unlike
Shino, these gyaru girls seemed to be quite accustomed to the opposite sex and
understood what words could sway a man's heart.
"We'll pay for it, so don't worry."
"Yup, it's only fair, right?"
"I guess it can't be helped."
"We've already decided."
"Right."
With the arrangements made, Sandai found himself slowly nodding in agreement.

Firstly, Sandai was taken to a beauty salon.

Sandai had never really been concerned about his hairstyle before, but apparently it
wasn't good enough.
The five girls searched for a beauty salon on their smartphones and started making
calls to see if they could get a same-day reservation, choosing a trendy place from the
results. Sandai felt intimidated by the stylish atmosphere of the beauty salon he had
never been to before, but he sat in the chair he was shown to.
The stylist in charge of Sandai soon arrived, but his face twisted in discomfort at the
strange sight of a plain-looking boy surrounded by five gyaru girls.
"W-what kind of hairstyle do you want today? If you don't have anything specific in
mind, it's okay to choose from these options..."
However, the stylist clearly felt uneasy but avoided mentioning the girls surrounding
him.
Perhaps due to his profession or his ability to read the mood, the stylist handed Sandai
a catalog of hairstyles while ignoring the girls.
Sandai opened the catalog to look at the hairstyles, but–
"I'll take that one."
"Hey, wait a sec."
"It's okay, it's okay."
"Yeah, we'll choose for you."
–The girls snatched the catalog away from Sandai, clearly not intending to let him
have any say in the matter.
"Uhm, what do you think…?
“You don’t know what kinda hairstyle suits you best, do you?”
"Leave it to us."
"Yep, this is our time to shine."
The girls, in their excitement, began discussing and debating various hairstyles while
leaving Sandai, the one whose hair was to be changed, behind.
"Hmm, which one do you think is good? How ‘bout this one with a shaved side and a
manly two-block cut?"
"No, no~ This prince-like bob mash with a wheat tea color would be better for him.
This one is cuter."
"What? I think this skinhead with an overseas guy vibe is better."
"Ew, you're into bald guys. And even if you like it, Shino would probably get mad… I
think this one is good. Don't you like this wolf perm? I'm into this kind of style."
“That’s totally out of style.”
"What do you think is good then?"
"Let’s see… I think a trendy center part with some sex appeal would be good. I don't
know if it suits him, but let's try it."
The flow of the conversation made Sandai feel like he was being treated like a toy.
Feeling a sense of impending doom, Sandai pleaded with his eyes, "Please don't
decide on something just for the fun of it." The girls surprisingly noticed Sandai's plea,
but they didn't show any sign of feeling guilty.
"Well, the most important thing is whether Shino will be happy or not."
 "That's the bottom line."
"Mm."
"Obviously."
"Sorry for saying whatever we want, Fujiwara."
Although it was a light reflection and apology that didn't seem to come from the heart,
it was good enough that he was able to avoid having his hair styled for a strange
reason.
"But what does Shino like… like… what kind of guy does she like? Does anyone
know?"
"I dunno. Whenever we talk about what kind of guy Shino’s into, she always avoids the
topic."
"Well, if Shino keeps avoiding the topic of what kind of guy she likes no one will know. I
don't think she can keep saying she's not good with guys forever… but she has a
boyfriend now, so maybe her discomfort with guys has gone down. Anyways, I think she
likes the plain type like Fujiwara. If you ask for a refreshing and calm look, they can
make it look good."
"What? That's pretty vague."
"But seriously, what else can we do? Fujiwara totally gave me a cold stare earlier. If it
was my boyfriend, I'd use him as a guinea pig without even thinking twice."
"Yeah, I guess so, but... like, isn't it a dangerous idea to use your boyfriend as a
guinea pig? Don't you think the guy who dates you might feel either pitiful or scared? I
mean, maybe that's why guys aren't trying to get with you?”
"Could you stop using Fireball Straight¹?"
"Right on the money."
"You guys are trying to pick a fight."
"Okay, okay, wait a minute. We're leaving Fujiwara behind again. Let's get back on
topic. So, a refreshing and calm look… I think there's a high chance that Shino will be
satisfied with that. What do you think, Fujiwara, you cool with that?"
That seemed like the safest option, and he didn't want to be made into a toy again, so
Sandai immediately agreed and made his request to the hairdresser.
"A refreshing and calm look."
"I see. Understood."
The hairdresser nodded with a wry smile and started working quickly and skillfully. In
an instant, a refreshing and clean hairstyle was achieved, and even though the
silhouette didn't change much, Sandai was clearly different from before.
As the finishing touch, some styling gel was applied to Sandai's hair, leaving it feeling
soft and emitting a pleasant scent. As a result, the atmosphere or rather, the overall
ambiance, around him had considerably improved.
 'Okay, I'm done. I added a two-block cut to make the hair look thinner, but unless you
try to show it off, you won't notice it much. It's just to reduce the thickness. And this
hairstyle doesn't mean it's the only correct one. I left room for you to play around with it
in your own way. Also, I used DEUXER3 wax, but I made it look like you don't have to
use it too much. Students don't have much money, right? So, how about it? I think it's
perfect for a calm and refreshing look.'"
Sandai heard that the stylist had done a lot of detailed work, but most of it went over
his head. But as long as he didn't have to take care of it too much, it didn't seem like a
problem.
"Thank you very much."
"If you like it, that's good. You have a pretty plain face, but it's not bad, and it looks
good. It doesn't seem out of place in a catalog or anything… Oh, and if you feel like it,
come back here again. I'll make you a hair model."
Even if it was just flattery, Sandai was happy to be complimented, and he scratched
his cheek in embarrassment as he stood up. Then, for some reason, he made eye
contact with the grinning girls.
"Wh-what's with those faces of yours? It's not that weird, is it?"
“Huh? Oh… well, it’s not weird.”
“It's not weird, but… what do you think?"
"I wonder if Shino knew about this?"
"Shino isn't the type to think about that kinda thing."
"Right? I'm sure Shino didn't know about this. She just has good instincts."
It seemed like something was off with the girls, but Sandai couldn't ask them why. He
didn't want to hear any criticism.
Sandai quickly left ahead of them.
"Haah..."
He let out a sigh unconsciously.
He felt strangely tired even though he’d just been sitting in a chair the whole time. He
wanted to go home, but the makeover wasn't over yet.
Sandai was dragged around by the girls to choose clothes and shoes. Before he knew
it, it was already 8:30 pm. It took a while, but thanks to that, Sandai looked like he could
be in a magazine.
"Alright! Makeover complete!"
"Hmm~... You look pretty cool now."
"I personally like it a little flashier…”
“That's just your preference. Anyways, you're starting to reach the level where you
could totally cheat on Shino if you wanted to. Fujiwara seems like the type that could be
found anywhere, but is actually hard to find when you're looking for them. Plus, he's got
a pretty decent personality too."
 "I totally understand where you're coming from, but let's not go there. It's not right to do
that to people."
The girls gave their final evaluations, but Sandai was more concerned about Shino.
She was probably on her way back to the apartment after finishing work. In other words,
as soon as Sandai got home, he would show her his new self.
...changed for the better, right? Will Shino be happy?
As Sandai was suppressing his excitement, the girls spoke up.
"Hey, hey, Fujiwara. We actually called Shino earlier. We told her 'We made over your
boyfriend.' Apparently, she just finished work and is on her way here... Look, there she
is now."
Sandai was surprised to hear they had called Shino over and he quickly looked around
in a panic. He saw Shino running towards him while gasping for breath. Shino quickly
reached him and hugged Sandai tightly, vigorously ruffling his hair while her eyes
glistened with tears. Sandai's carefully styled hair was messed up in an instant.
"Sh-Shino...?"
"No way! You can't look that cool! Other girls are gonna be all over you! And all of you,
don't remodel someone's boyfriend without permission! Everything was fine the way it
was! It was all good before!" Shino shouted with trembling lips.
She wasn’t unhappy that Sandai had become more attractive, but rather angry at the
possibility of other girls noticing him. Although Sandai had accepted the makeover in
order to make Shino happy, her reaction was quite the opposite…
This was his first failure since they started dating.
"Um, hey…"
Sandai peeked at Shino’s face and saw she was frowning and biting her lower lip.
Not knowing what to do in this situation, Sandai silently asked the gyaru girls for help
with his eyes, but they all turned away and refused to make eye contact.
"Well...I never expected Shino to be like this."
"I never expected her to be so in love with him… This is unexpected."
"What should we do?"
"We’ve got no choice but to run away!"
"Okay, let's go!"
“Sorry.”
And with that, the girls patted Sandai's shoulder and disappeared into the crowd one
after another, leaving him behind. It was all over in an instant.
 "H-How irresponsible... Wait!"
Sandai tried to chase after them, but Shino grabbed onto his sleeve tightly.
"...Where are you going?"
"W-where? I don't know…”
"Are you leaving me behind?"
"No, that's not my intention... I just don't know how to handle you right now, Shino... So
I thought I'd ask them..."
"That doesn't make sense. You should ask me. I mean, I know better than anyone how
I wanna be treated."
Shino knew her own heart best. It was only natural. But Sandai was so flustered that
he hadn't realized something so obvious.
"You’re my boyfriend, so have more confidence and ask me 'what do you want?' If you
don't do that...I'll be upset."
Tears streamed down Shino's cheeks and dripped to the ground, bouncing and
splashing. Sandai had made her cry for real.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize..."
"Okay...What do you want me to do, Shino?"
Feeling guilty, Sandai lowered his head and decided to listen to Shino's wishes. Since
she wanted him to do so, it must be the right thing to do.
"...squeeze."
"Huh? Squeeze?"
"Y’know, hug me."
"Oh, right."
Sandai quickly hugged Shino and gently stroked her head like he was soothing a small
child.
"...If you do that, my hair will get messed up."
"S-sorry. Then I'll stop stroking your hair."
"No."
"Huh? But you just said your hair will get messed up."
"It won't get that messed up. Besides, I didn't tell you to stop, so don't."
It was a difficult request, as it was hard to understand the "feelings" behind her words.
But Sandai didn't complain.
As one or two minutes passed, Shino gradually calmed down and stopped crying.
"Don't go near other girls, ‘kay?"
Shino clearly expressed her possessiveness. It was a pure desire to protect their
relationship.
 A man who enjoys playing with a woman’s heart may brag about making a girl say
such words, but Sandai wasn't that kind of person. He just felt sorry for making Shino
anxious with his rash actions.
"Don't worry about me going after other girls or not."
"Really...?"
"Yes, really. I mean, I'm a loner and I'm unpopular."
"Even a loner can find a girl who doesn't care about that."
"Don't worry. I'm more concerned about not being dumped by you than finding girl like
that."
"...I won't dump you."
Shino buried her face in Sandai's chest. She seemed completely relieved and her
usual self again.
I'm glad...I was worried for a moment, but it's settled now.
Sandai felt a sense of relief as he stroked Shino's head once more, before explaining
everything that happened that day in detail. Everything.
"...I just wanted you to be happy, Shino. Besides, they said they would pay for
everything."
After Sandai finished talking about the party invitation, Shino looked dumbfounded.
"I appreciate that you wanted to make me happy, but... think about it for a sec. What if
I said something like, 'I was kidnapped by Sandai's male friend, but I ended up enjoying
it♪ He was surprisingly kind and even gave me money, and thanks to that, I became
cuter and Sandai was happy too, right?' How would you feel? You'd feel grossed out
and disappointed, right? You'd feel uneasy, right?"
Shino was absolutely right, and Sandai couldn't say a word back. He had done
something that would make the other person feel betrayed and extremely
uncomfortable, as he had interacted with another person of the opposite sex in such a
careless way.
"You’re right... I think I would feel very uncomfortable if the same thing happened to
me."
"See? So, let's not do that kind of thing anymore, ‘kay?"
"Meehee..."
"Don’t make sheep noises. Don't joke around now."
"I know. Sorry..."
"Okay... and also, I'm not gonna go to that gathering or dinner party, whatever it is. I'll
say no."
Shino sighed heavily and angrily pressed her smartphone to her ear. It seemed that
she was planning to direct her anger towards her friends, not Sandai.
When a third party of the opposite sex is involved with someone’s partner, it is a
well-known fact that men and women react differently. Men tend to take out their anger
on their girlfriends, while women tend to direct their anger towards the other person who
tried to interfere with their boyfriends. Shino was no exception to this rule.
Every time the call tone repeated before the call connected, Shino's expression
gradually became more and more demonic.
Sandai hesitated about whether to calm her down, but he refrained from doing so
because he thought he might be accused of "defending other women". He could read
the mood well enough–

—"What's up, Shino?"

—“There seems to be some kind of party or something, but I'm definitely not going,
okay!”
—"Oh geez, you're really angry. You wanna express your raw emotions, so you're
calling?"
—"You'll totally ignore me even if I vent in the group chat, won't you? Using someone's
boyfriend as a toy and then using him to try and take me out… that’s just heartless, isn’t
it? Reflect on your actions!!”
—“That Fujiwara guy went and blabbed the reason, didn't he…”
—"Sandai did nothing wrong! You're the one at fault! Don't try to trick me!"
—"I'm not trying to trick you…”
—“Re-fle-ct”
—"O-okay."
—"Geez..."
—“...Well, um, we also want a boyfriend like him.”
—"If you want a boyfriend, you should make an effort. I made an effort too."
—"I know, but it's so hard. Besides, it's amazing that Fujiwara made you put in effort.
Usually, it's the guy who has to grovel.
—"Don't make fun of me. Goodbye."
—"Mm."

Shino hung up in a huff and pulled on Sandai's sleeve.

"W-what's wrong?"
"I wanna clear my head."
Shino raised her face up toward him and closed her eyes, silently pleading for what
she wanted without saying a word.
Sandai immediately understood what she wanted. She just needed a kiss to clear her
mind, and everything would be okay. That's what Shino was saying.
Sandai closed his eyes and kissed her.
"...Mmm."
 Shino's sweet and seductive voice mixed with her sighs was something he had heard
many times before, but it had a strange addictive quality that made him want to hear it
again and again.
Just a little more... I want to hear this voice a little more...
 Giving in to that desire, Sandai lost track of time as their lips continued to touch. But
then Shino pushed him away with both hands, looking uncomfortable.
"I-I'm satisfied now! I know I was the one who set the mood, but isn't the kissing going
on for a bit too long?"
"....Is it a problem?"
"It's not a problem, but there's such a thing as moderation, y’know."
“Well, you know, I just wanted to keep going.”
“... Just wanted to keep going?”
"I just wanted to keep hearing your cute sighs, Shino. That's why I wanted to keep
going." Sandai said, scratching his nose.
Shino's face instantly turned bright red.
Sandai rarely spoke about his desires so openly, and that one sentence seemed to
have a greater effect on Shino than he had anticipated.
“I get what you’re saying… y-yes! I understand exactly what you're saying! Gotcha~!"
With a groan, Shino walked away in a hurry, but she wasn't paying attention and hit
her head on a utility pole, letting out an uncharacteristic cry.
Sandai was about to burst out laughing at Shino's unusual flustered reaction, but he
didn’t want to be mean, so instead of laughing, he quickly chased after her and grabbed
hold of her hand.
"W-What?"
"It's better to hold hands, you know. You were stumbling. What if a car hit you?"
“... Umm.”
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
Shino said those words with a beaming smile on her face.
Sandai knew that Shino was very expressive with both her emotions and mannerisms,
but he was still caught off guard by her sudden confession.
"..."
"Why’d you suddenly go quiet?"
"...It's nothing, really."
"Want me to guess why you went quiet?... Did you get flustered? Actually, I kinda
meant to do that."
In love, there is always a sense of control, and Sandai also wanted to have the reins in
his hands. Therefore, catching Shino off guard was a good opportunity, but he was
immediately turned around by her surprise attack. The reins were always on Shino's
side, and it seemed unlikely that Sandai would ever be able to take control.
But, Sandai didn’t intend to give up completely, so he pretended not to notice the effect
of Shino's surprise.
"Did you say something just now? I couldn’t quite hear it."
 "Huh? Well, I said—"
"—Hmm? I still can’t hear you.”
“Uh, what…?”
“Sorry, I can’t hear you. There's a banana in my ear."
"You're trying to take control in a really forceful way. And seriously, 'there's a banana in
my ear'? Well, it's not like it's the first time you’ve said something weird. Anyways…"
"Yeah?"
“Are you doing anything after school tomorrow?”
"Why the sudden question?"
"We're gonna spread the fact that we're dating to people, right?"
"...And what does that have to do with anything?"
“Can you come by my work? If I introduce you there, word will spread from there too, I
think. I was gonna ask those girls to do it, but they're trying to tease my boyfriend
without my permission… And I just have this feeling they'll cause trouble if I ask for their
help, so I don't want to ask them too much."
It was clear Shino had lowered her frustration towards her friends, but it didn’t
necessarily mean that she had forgotten all of her anger. Anyway, the fact that they
were going to spread the word about their relationship was one of the reasons why
Sandai decided to listen to the gyaru girls’ proposal in the first place. Therefore, he
didn’t feel like objecting.
"If that's the case, then sure."
"Is it really okay?"
"I don't mind."
"Thanks~! Then let's go together. It's tomorrow, ‘kay?"
"Got it."
It was decided, the next day Sandai would visit Shino at work.

The next day, Sandai felt time passing faster than usual. He dutifully attended classes
as usual, and soon it was time for after-school activities.
"...That's all for today. Dismissed," Nakaoka-sensei, his homeroom teacher,
announced as she left the classroom with a lazy yawn.
Classmates followed suit and left the room one by one to attend their respective club
activities or committees.
Sandai started packing his textbooks into his bag when Shino, who was sitting behind
him, grabbed his collar and yanked him towards her.
"...Oof."
"After school!"
 The sound of the chair being dragged across the floor echoed loudly, drawing the
attention of their remaining classmates in the room. Sandai blinked repeatedly,
wondering what was going on, as he looked at Shino.
"It's after school~ You remember, right?"
"...There's no way I could forget a promise we made just yesterday. I remember that
we agreed to go together to your work. However, our relationship is still not known at
school, so let's leave separately and meet up outside of school first..."
"C'mon, let's go!"
Shino forcefully took Sandai's hand and started walking.
As only Shino's friends and Nakaoka-sensei were aware of their relationship at school,
they naturally attracted attention from others. But, as Shino had pointed out before,
some people had already suspected something, and voices saying "I knew it" could be
heard–

—“Hey, What’s that?

—“Seriously…”
—“Well, those two have had rumors about them for a while now.
—Wasn't it a story that it might have been a misunderstanding? That's why the rumors
disappeared pretty quickly.
—“Yeah, but the suspicious stuff continued. Because those two occasionally stared at
each other. And not just once or twice, but many times.”
—“You saw them staring at each other many times...? How’d you see something that
only happens occasionally?"
—“I liked Yuizaki, that's why I was watching them. I couldn't help but notice. And I wasn't
the only one watching her.”
—“You were watching them all the time... and there were others too...? Why are there
so many school stalkers?”
—“That boy, Fujiwara-kun, is in the same class as Yuizaki-san, right? He's pretty cool
when you look at him, even though he's plain. We might have passed each other
before, but I don't remember.”
—“Yuizaki said he's really kind too... I think she said that when the rumors first started.
She seems to have caught a good one."

It was easy to guess what they were talking about, even if he couldn’t hear all the
whispers.
"Maybe if we flaunt our relationship more at school, it'll start to spread naturally... Just
kidding though.. To be honest, I've reached my limit and I can't take it anymore. Also, I
want you to admit I'm in charge. y’know,” Shino said mischievously, sticking out her
tongue.
 In essence, Shino was saying that Sandai's approach was too slow and that she had
the right to correct it as the one wearing the pants in their relationship. Sandai couldn't
complain when Shino was so confidently pushing her demands, even though she was
being pretty selfish. They exited out the entrance, the school gate, and onto the
sidewalk. Then, being led by Shino's hand, they walked for about thirty minutes and
arrived at a slightly out-of-the-way area in the center of the city. It was away from the
hustle and bustle, but there were still a fair number of people around.
"There it is."
Shino pointed to an antique-style café with a calm atmosphere, which seemed to be
her part-time job.
Somehow...it has a vibe that women would really like.
Sandai had a bad feeling and unfortunately, it came true–
When Sandai entered the store, he saw all the customers and employees were
women. Suddenly, Sandai's eyes caught a blackboard placed beside the counter with
cute, cartoonish animal drawings and the words "Ladies get 30% off every day ♪" written
on it.
"This place is amazing…."
"Is it?"
"There are only women here."
"Well, I'm not good with boys."
It might not have seemed like it when Shino was with Sandai, but she was generally
not comfortable around men. Sandai understood her reasoning, but the overwhelming
feeling of being in the minority made him feel uneasy. It was par for the course that
Shino chose a part-time job where the female ratio was high. But, while he understood,
Sandai still felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliar atmosphere.
"Sit at the table in the back there," Shino said before disappearing behind a door
marked "Employees Only."
Along the way, Sandai drew suspicious looks from female customers, but he managed
to get through by bowing and apologizing.
And then–
"... Hmm?"
As soon as Sandai sat down, he felt eyes on him and looked around nervously. He
noticed several female employees staring at him through the gap in the door that Shino
had entered earlier–

—"Shino-chan said she brought her boyfriend, but...is that really him?"
—"That's the seat Shino-chan mentioned, so it must be him, right? But he seems a bit
reserved, I didn’t expect him to be so unremarkable."
—“He's a cute boy, although plain. Maybe you think he's reserved because you're
comparing him to your own strong personality? Your hair is like a swirl or a chocolate
cornet... it's a bit too intense.
—"That's terrible! It's not a chocolate cornet! This hairstyle is super cute! It takes me an
hour to style it every day! Eeeek!"
—"Stop making fun of her hairstyle. She cries easily."
—"Sorry, sorry. Your hairstyle is cute."
—"...Yeah."
—"Well, Shino herself is surprisingly serious, so it's probably inevitable that she would
choose a guy like him."
—"That's true...wait, when did the assistant manager get here?"
—"What's up? You got a problem?"
—"No, nothing."
—"Well, that's good. Hurry up and give someone the boyfriend discount."
—"Go for it, Chocolate Cornet. You're cute, so go."
—"Ugh...I told you it's not a chocolate cornet… wait, do you really think I’m cute?"
—"I do, so go."

Due to the physical distance, Sandai couldn't understand what they were saying.
However, it was clear that they were curious about him. Perhaps Shino had already told
them about Sandai's presence, and they were watching him out of curiosity.
I can't tell them to stop staring...they're Shino's colleagues. If they think I'm a difficult
person, Shino might have a hard time working here.
Sandai decided to just ignore them, and then a girl with hair that looked like a
chocolate cornet approached him. She appeared to be around the same age as Shino
and Sandai, and she gently placed a small cake and tea on the table.
“H-here you go. Enjoy〜"
Sandai was slightly confused as he hadn’t ordered anything, and the girl spoke in a
voice that was almost like a flirtatious whisper, hiding her face behind a tray.
"You're Shino's boyfriend, right?"
"Yes... but… what’s this cake and tea about?"
"This is the boyfriend's special〜. We offer one free cake and tea per day to our
employees' boyfriends."
"O-oh, I see."
"I actually want to ask about Shino-Pito and stuff, but... no, no, if I act like a turtle with
protruding teeth² like this, I'll probably get yelled at… Well, Shino-Pito will probably tell
me soon, so I'll just wait until then. Okay then."
The girl quickly said her piece and then scurried away with a "Hyaa~", her face still
hidden behind the tray.
 She was a somewhat confusing girl, but either way, the cake and tea were supposedly
free as a “boyfriend special”, so he decided to accept them. They were both delicious,
and he quickly finished half of the cake.
Then, Shino came over. She had changed into the same uniform as the wait staff from
earlier - a beige apron dress with a white shirt and neckerchief, and the logo of the
store, which had a calm and homey vibe. It was a very ordinary uniform that wasn't too
focused on frilly cuteness or anything too suggestive for male customers, but Shino
looked incredibly cute in it.
"Hehe... This is the first time I've shown you this outfit, how do I look?"
"It suits you."
"Yay!"
Shino raised both hands in joy and immediately called over her available colleagues,
introducing Sandai with a smile.
"Ahem... Sorry to keep you waiting. Let me introduce him again to everyone. This is
Sandai Fujiwara, my boyfriend〜."
Shino's female colleagues gathered around all exclaimed "Wow!" and bombarded him
with questions, as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.
"Fujiwara-kun, hey hey, how did you guys start dating?"
"How far have you gone? Have you kissed yet?"
"Who confessed first? Or did you just end up dating without realizing it? I really want to
know!"
Overwhelmed by the sudden barrage of questions from multiple people, Sandai
recoiled with an "uhh" and sent a pleading look to Shino for help. Shino seemed to have
received his heartfelt message and winked back at him, clapping her hands together.
"Everyone calm down~ Let me answer them one by one. First up, I was the one who
fell in love with him first.”
"So that means you made the first move, Shino?"
Shino puffed out her chest with a proud “ehehe”, and all of the girls’ eyes sparkled at
once.
"You're so brave~ I have a boyfriend too, but I felt weird saying it myself, so I had to
push him to say it."
"Boys are surprisingly shy, so they don't usually say it easily, y’know. While you're
thinking, 'I wish he would just say he likes me,' other girls might steal him away, so it's
better to just tell him how you feel quickly."
"Aww~ I want a boyfriend too~"
"I see, it was Shino who confessed... Alright, let me say something as an adult and
assistant manager here. I think it's great that Shino made the confession. Just waiting
because you're a girl is not the only right answer. As for Fujiwara-kun, just because he
was the one being confessed to doesn't mean he can take advantage of it. He shouldn't
say things like "It wasn't me who fell in love with you." He has a responsibility to respond
to the confession. If he accepted it because he likes her, then saying he was forced to
do it is just an excuse. From now on, he should devote himself wholeheartedly to
serving Shino.”
"If the one who was confessed to has a responsibility, what about the one who
confessed...? That kinda thinking is why you still don't have a boyfriend."
"Did you say something?"
"Huh? I didn't say anything. Maybe it's just your imagination?"
"Oh really?"
"I was listening~ Was it bad mouthing?"
"Huh?"
"Eek!"
“‘I heard that the vice-manager is a pain in the butt~ She's always nagging and being
annoying, which is why she can't understand what true love is. And during breaks she’s
always sighing and bringing the mood down, so I wish she'd cut it out~’”
“I didn't say that! I didn't say it like that! You're just making stuff up on your own! Stupid
chocolate cornet girl – Ah, please stop with that scary face, assistant manager."
Before Sandai knew it, the conversation had turned into an inside joke, with Shino
laughing wryly as if this happened often.
Well, Sandai wasn't good at being the center of attention among a large group of
people, so it was a relief to not have to deal with it.
While they were at it, Shino and the other girls began to return to their respective
positions at good stopping points in the conversation.
By the time the sun began to set and the evening rush hour started, more and more
office ladies in suits came in and filled the seats.
I should probably start heading home...
There were no more boyfriend perks for cake or tea, and staying any longer would just
be a nuisance as he was occupying a seat.
Sandai stood up and tried to call out to Shino, but he couldn't find her, so he reluctantly
left a message with a nearby female staff member.
"Um... Excuse me. I'm leaving now, so could you please tell Shino that I said
goodbye?"
"Huh? Wait, wait a minute, Sandai. Shino is just in the back right now."
“You don't have to call me, it's okay."
"No, no, that's not what I meant. Shino-chan is getting ready to leave, so she'll be out
soon. Please wait for her."
When Sandai exclaimed "Huh?", Shino, who had changed into her school uniform,
came out from the staff room.
 "It's not time for your shift to end yet..."
It was only a little past 6 PM now, but Shino usually worked until around 8:30, so it was
more than two hours earlier than usual.
"Let's go home together."
"Is it okay to leave work?"
"Yeah, it's totally okay today. The assistant manager said, 'I'll count your hours as if
you worked your usual time, so go be with your boyfriend.' It's going to get a little busy
from now on, but it's a weekday so it'll be fine...anyways, she did give me a warning.
The perks are a service to fill the waiting time for the boyfriend who came to pick you
up, so from now on, please come when my shift is over."
"I see. Then I'll have to start picking you up when your shift is over from now on."
"...You'll come pick me up?"
Sandai nodded casually. It was a normal thing for a boyfriend to do. However, even
such an ordinary thing seemed to make Shino very happy.
"Thank you!" she said and entwined her arm with Sandai's.
The force was too strong and his arm rubbed up against her chest... feeling the
softness, Sandai unconsciously scratched his nose.
Boys are said to be creatures who think and feel differently from girls. Even when the
other person is their girlfriend, there are times when they are dominated by
embarrassment when they touch an unexpected body part.
"S-so, what should we do now? Is there anywhere you want to go?"
"Anywhere I wanna go... then what about going to see the autumn leaves? I searched
on my phone and found out that it's the peak of the autumn leaves at the Memorial
Park. It's a classic autumn date spot, y’know!”
"Alright, let's go there then."
Sandai had never been to the Memorial Park before, but it was surprisingly close. It
was only about ten minutes' walk away.
"Wow, it's amazing! It's so beautiful."
As soon as they entered the park, Shino slowed her step and her eyes sparkled as
she looked at the illuminated autumn leaves lined up under the lights. The deep colors
of the gingko and maple trees beginning to change were vivid, and the fluttering leaves
gave a strong sense of the season.
Suddenly, the two stopped. As soon as the sun completely set, the illumination that
enhanced the autumn leaves suddenly lit up.
"It’s sparkling."
"...Sparkling indeed."
"...Yup."
"..."
 It was a weekday, so there were few people in the park and it was very quiet. As if
matching that atmosphere, their conservation quickly petered out. Eventually, they
stopped talking entirely, but it didn't become particularly awkward. The warmth that
flowed from their entwined arms spoke more eloquently of the depth of their bond than
words ever could.
Suddenly, Shino yawned.
"Yaaawn..."
"...Are you tired?"
"A little..."
When Shino rubbed her eyelids, her eyeshadow smudged a bit. Sandai wondered if he
should tell her, but decided to wait until the end of the night to say something.
"...Here, hop on my back. I'll carry you to the station."
"Mm..."
As Sandai stood up with Shino on his back with a "here we go", a soft vanilla-like scent
tickled his nose.
As he sniffed and searched for the source, he found it was coming from the back of
Shino's hand.
....The smell of hand cream. It's already autumn.
Perhaps because it was the season of dry air, Shino seemed to have started paying
attention to moisturizing.
"...Sorry for making you carry me."
"No need to apologize. I'll wake you up when we get to the station, so sleep until then."
"...Thanks."
Shino's chest gently pressed against Sandai's back and he could feel her buttocks
against his palm, but this time he didn't feel as embarrassed. Every time he heard her
soft breathing in his ear, he just wanted her to rest and relax. Sandai tried to walk at a
steady pace without shaking her too much, and it seemed that Shino was able to rest a
bit as her complexion had improved when he woke her up at the station.
"Well then, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Tomorrow… it's goodbye for now."
“Got it.”
As the train arrival announcement played, they kissed goodbye. With a slight feeling of
regret as their lips parted with a "mwah" sound, Sandai took that moment to tell Shino
her eyeshadow had smudged.
"...Hey Shino."
"Yeah? What’s up?"
"Your eyelids look terrible."
"Huh? Wha-what! ...It's true!"
 Shino took out a small mirror from her bag and was surprised when she saw her face
reflected in it. She immediately began to remove the eyeshadow with a cotton pad.
"Ughh~..."
"Remember when you rubbed your eyes at the memorial park and looked sleepy?
That's when it happened."
"But that was before you carried me! You shoulda told me then! Ugh, I didn't wanna
show this side of me...what should I do...I don't want to put on makeup again...oh well,
I'll just remove all of it..."
Shino was cute even without makeup, or rather, not wearing makeup made her look
more mature and beautiful.
So why did she care so much about her makeup?
Girls tend to express what they think is cute rather than simply seeking beauty, and
Sandai could understand that to some extent, but he couldn't fully agree. If natural
beauty was the best thing, then she should just be herself. But, Sandai could see that
Shino was trying her best to be "cute", and everyone wants to be appreciated for their
efforts, so he didn't comment on it...
Yeah, it was kind of nice to see both the before and after makeup looks. It was best
not to interfere and quietly enjoy the best of both worlds.

After seeing off Shino on the train, Sandai realized that he was also somewhat tired
and immediately took a bath when he got home. After a longer than normal soak, he
dried off his body and hair, then lay down on the living room sofa. He gradually felt
drowsy, but couldn't sleep yet because there was a late-night anime he wanted to
watch.
While idly watching TV, a short news special was shown between programs.

“Although we are still in the midst of autumn, some people are already
rushing around for Christmas. Christmas is a perfect day to express
gratitude to loved ones and give gifts. Today, we interviewed the
people who work behind the scenes to support Christmas.”

Come to think of it... Christmas is only two months away. Sandai thought to himself
that needed to prepare something too. But, he couldn't figure out what to give even after
wracking his brain.
Considering Shino's personality, it wasn't hard to imagine that she would be happy with
any gift, but that's why he was struggling with the question of what to give her.
 It would be easier if he could just choose something randomly, thinking that she would
be happy with anything, but unfortunately, Sandai was the type of person who wanted to
make sure everything was done properly.
"Umm..."
He scratched his head frantically. He couldn't figure out what to give her. The more he
thought about it, the more he became stuck in a rut.
"Well... there's still time until Christmas."
That was the answer he arrived at based on his experience. When your thoughts are
stuck in a swamp, it's best to take a break for a while.
He realized that he had rarely benefited from rushing things. When he was in
elementary school, he fell and got injured while rushing to avoid being late. When he
was in junior high school, he took a nap while waiting for his late-night anime to come
on and broke the TV remote when he woke up in a panic and accidentally stepped on it
in his search to find it.
So, he decided to put it aside for now and think about it the next Sunday when Shino
was working, giving him some free time.

"Well then, everyone, have a good day."

The image of the smiling caster changed to a commercial, and when that ended, a
late-night anime began. It was already that time.
"It's starting!"
The anime was a rom-com, depicting a fun school life. Sandai tried to find a character
who resembled Shino. Despite the series being late into its run, there wasn't a single
character that looked like her, so he knew that looking for one was a useless effort. He
was aware that his behavior was strange. In the first place, he could just look at Shino
herself, and they even kissed regularly. There was no need to look for Shino in the 2-D
world. Even so, he still found himself searching for her.
"Too bad..."
After finishing the anime with a sigh, Sandai burrowed into his bed.

¹Quote from the anime/manga series "Haikyuu!!" It is spoken by the character Kei Tsukishima, who is
asking his teammate Ryunosuke Tanaka to stop using his signature move, the Fireball Straight - a
powerful and fast spike that Tanaka uses during volleyball matches.
² "Like a turtle with protruding teeth" is a Japanese expression that refers to someone who is acting
awkwardly or foolishly. The idea behind the expression is that turtles with protruding teeth would have
difficulty eating and therefore appear clumsy or inept.
October 27th–October 30th.
Choosing presents can be hard, huh?

When Sandai arrived at school, he was showered with annoyingly intense stares. This
was because of Shino's actions, which had revealed the relationship they had been
hiding. But, Sandai had expected this to happen and decided to ignore it.
On the flip side, Shino knew she was being watched and adopted a strong attitude,
saying "So what?" in response to the gawking. However, her boldness seemed to have
worked in her favor, as no one approached her to ask for more details.
Their school life continued like that and, after school, Sandai started picking Shino up
from work after her shift.
Time flew by, and Sunday arrived. Sandai took the time to think about a Christmas
present for Shino, as he had planned. He turned on his PC and started searching. After
about ten to twenty minutes of browsing, he found a few websites that listed gifts that
Shino would like. However, the recommended gifts and reasons for giving them were
vastly different on each website, and Sandai was confused.
For example, two of the recommendations were–

—[The best gift is a small item that she can carry with her at all times. Every time she
sees it, she'll think of you. Women don't want to forget their beloved. Be careful not to
give her something that she'll use up quickly, as it will become empty at the same time
as her feelings for you.]
—[Gifts that can be used up, such as cosmetics and skincare products, are ideal. Small
physical items can be inconvenient for her to manage and cause unnecessary stress. A
considerate man should prepare a gift that won't be a source of inconvenience or
anxiety.]

Sandai was puzzled by the conflicting advice. Something considered good on one
website was considered bad on another. But that was true for everything. It was
confusing to know which was the correct answer.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, the sound of the clock's second hand echoed through the room -
when suddenly the doorbell rang.
"Who is it?"
Sandai paused his thoughts for the moment to see who the visitor was. It turned out to
be Shino's sister, Miki. Sandai hurried to the front door..
 "Hey, Onii-chan!"
"Miki-chan, it's been a while."
"Yep."
"Did you come alone? Were you okay with the train and everything?"
"I can ride the train alone too, you know. Anyway, can I come in?"
It was a bit sudden, but Sandai couldn't just turn Shino’s little sister away once she had
come all that way by herself - so he decided to let her in.
"Well, I don't mind letting you into my apartment, but..."
"Yay!"
Miki smiled happily and followed Sandai into the apartment. Sandai took a canned
drink out of the refrigerator and gave it to Miki.
"Here, drink this."
"Thanks!"
"So, Miki-chan, what brings you here today? Do you need something?"
"Need something? Nah, I just wanted to come and play."
Indeed, her outfit - comfortable overalls - did give off that impression.
"I see."
"Yeah… oh, Onii-chan, what's this?"
As Miki sipped from her can of juice, she looked over at the PC screen, which was still
on.
Sandai momentarily panicked, but remembered everything up on the screen right now
was related to gifts, and he breathed a sigh of relief. If it had been something erotic, it
would have been a big problem. He was glad it didn't turn out that way.
"...Gifts? Are you giving something to Onee-chan?"
"Yeah... well, something like that."
"I see. By the way, Onii-chan, do you need help figuring out what to give Onee-chan?
Okay, it's my turn. Let me tell you what present Onee-chan would be happy to get."
Sandai was momentarily surprised, but then he realized that it wouldn't hurt to ask Miki
for advice. After all, she was Shino's sister, and she undoubtedly knew Shino's
preferences well.
"It would be helpful if you could tell me. I was really struggling with what to give her, so
I'll take your advice, Miki-chan."
"Okay. Then let's go to the store."
"Huh, the store?"
"It's easier to understand if you see it in person rather than explain it in words."
"I see. Alright."
When Sandai agreed, Miki smiled and held out both hands, palms up.
"What's with your hands…?"
"I can't tell you for free. You get it, right?"
 Come to think of it, Miki was that kind of child. She had begged Shino for money to
play at the game center. That time, Sandai also gave her some money, but that was
because he had thought it was sad to just leave her waiting without being able to do
anything. The situation was a bit different this time.
However, it was a legitimate argument to receive pocket money as compensation for
helping with something, so Sandai didn't feel like blaming her.
Although he thought Shino would probably get angry if she saw, Sandai gave Miki a
500 yen coin.
“Here.”
"500 yen, huh..."
"Sorry about that. I'm not rich either, you know."
"Well, I’m kind, so I'll show you properly even with just 500 yen. But...if Onee-chan is
happy with the present, can you give me a bonus for a successful consultation? It's not
a big deal, right? Pretty please?"
She was a really talkative and clever girl. Judging from the fact that she also mixed in
some cutesy behavior at the end, she’d probably become quite a shrewd woman in the
future.
If she grew up to be a beauty on the same level as Shino someday, Miki would
probably quickly realize that her charm could be weaponized and think of ways to use it.
He hoped she didn’t start a business involving manipulating people's emotions, like
charging a certain amount for a handshake with a boy, or charging extra for entwining
fingers. That kind of business could lead to a lot of victims… but that was all purely
hypothetical. It wasn’t good to jump to conclusions, and there was always a possibility
she wouldn't do anything like that. Surely it was more important to believe in her than to
doubt.
So… "Well, if it's successful, let's add some more."
Hearing those words, Miki grinned mischievously.
Huh... Did I make the wrong judgment?
Sandai felt regretful, thinking that he might have encouraged Miki to go in the wrong
direction, but he also realized that he wouldn't be the only victim of her in the distant
future.
Well, as long as I don't become a victim, it's okay...
While it was just a matter of giving up, sometimes it was essential to do so. That's just
how it was.

As they walked down the street, Miki suddenly stopped in front of a store.
"Is this where we're choosing the present?"
 "Here...?"
Sandai blocked the sun with one hand and froze when he read the sign - it was a
lingerie shop, selling women's underwear.
“...”
"Hmm? What's wrong, Onii-chan?"
"M-miki-chan, isn't this a place that sells girls' underwear?"
"Yeah. So?"
"So, um...that..."
"I see, there are a lot of things you don't know since you're a boy, Onii-chan. But don't
worry, I know a lot about what kind of designs and sizes Shino likes. She's the type of
woman who’s really particular about her underwear, so I'm sure she'll be happy."
That brought back memories of the time Shino stayed over at his apartment during a
typhoon. The underwear she was washing at the time was red. He didn't really
understand how women choose their underwear, but he knew that red was generally
considered a provocative color. So it made sense that she had some sort of preference.
But even so, it took a lot of courage to enter this shop. Sandai broke out in a cold
sweat and groaned. Miki shrugged her shoulders in exasperation.
"Don't you want to see Onee-chan’s happy face?"
"I do want to see it, but..."
"Then we have no choice but to go in. Come on, come on."
"I need to mentally prepare myself..."
"Come on!"
Miki pushed Sandai into the shop, and… as soon as he took a step inside, all the
female customers turned around to look. The awkward silence made Sandai freeze up.
"Um, can I help you with something...?"
A female shop assistant, with a strained smile on her face, came over and spoke to
him. She clearly had a suspicious look in her eyes, so Sandai tried to play it off with a
forced smile.
"Ha ha..."
"I-is there something wrong?"
"..."
"Excuse me, sir?"
"..."
"Sir? Hellooo... Oh, your face is all red."
Not knowing how to broach the subject, Sandai was embarrassed and blushing at the
sight of only women's underwear everywhere he looked.
"Are you feeling sick? Should I bring you some ice?"
"No... um..."
"Yes?"
 "..."
Sandai fell silent again. But then, Miki came to his rescue.
"We're here to buy underwear. This guy is my Onee-chan’s boyfriend, and it's a
present for her."
The female shop assistant clapped her hands together in understanding.
"Ah, I see. That's what it is."
If they were buying a present, then it wasn't strange to be here, so Sandai was able to
calm down a little bit. He regained enough composure to be able to talk normally again.
"Um... are there a lot of men who come to buy underwear for their girlfriends as gifts?"
"Yes, there are."
"That's good to hear. I was confused and thought people might think I'm a pervert."
"Huh? Well, I think there are a lot of people who would think that way.”
"Huh? Wait, didn't you just say that there are men who come to buy underwear for
their girlfriends as gifts?"
"Um, men who come to buy underwear as gifts usually come with the person they're
giving it to, their girlfriend or wife. It's not common to see someone like you, with such a
young girl. Even if there's a reason for it, it's something we wouldn't know unless you
told us. I'm glad I asked this time, but if we didn't have that information, from an
outsider's perspective... well, you know?"
The shop assistant glanced at a handset connected to an emergency dial installed on
the wall.
It was a terrible misunderstanding, but objectively speaking, it couldn't be helped if
someone thought that way, so Shino couldn't complain. It was a real relief it didn’t turn
out that way.
"So... do you know her body shape and... well, various sizes?"
"Sizes?"
"Yes."
Sandai had a vague impression of Shino's body shape from seeing her clothes, but he
didn't know the specifics. He glanced at Miki, who took out her notebook from the front
pocket of her overalls and showed it to the shop assistant. It seemed like it was better to
leave it to Miki.
Sandai hid behind a nearby pillar and watched from a distance until the conversation
was over. He couldn't hear the conversation very well, but he couldn't answer any
questions even if they were directed at him, so he decided to stay put until it was over.

—“...The measurements are perfect, from bust-waist-hips to thighs, calves, upper arms,
neck, and even head size.”
—“Wow... your Onee-chan has a great figure. Is she a model or something?”
—“She’s not a model or anything, but she does take care of her body and face. She’s
strong in that department, but not that smart.”
—“That's a harsh way of putting it...do you dislike her?”
—“No, I don't.”
—“R-really? Um... anyway, now that we know that much, there shouldn't be any
concerns about the fit. So, what kind of style does your Onee-chan like?”
—“She likes fabrics with bold colors and good texture. As for design, something cute
would be nice.”
—“Bold colors...texture...cute...hmm, then maybe that corner over there.”
—“Okay, got it. Alright then, lets go, Onii-chan...wait, where did he go?”

It seemed like the conversation had ended, and Miki began to look around for Sandai.
She soon spotted him hiding behind a pillar and gave him a look of disbelief.
"When did you get over there...?" she asked.
"H-hey, even if you ask me stuff, I can't answer anything, you know?"
"Ugh, you're so hopeless."
Sandai was aware that he had run away, but he didn't want it to be pointed out. Being
called out made him feel uncomfortable. Well, there was no use worrying about what
had already happened.
Anyway, Miki had already started moving with a “This way”, so Sandai followed her
and they arrived at a section of the store with mostly mature-looking underwear. There
were shades of purple, red, and pink, and many of the designs were erotic, causing
Sandai's cheeks to turn bright red as he covered his face with both hands.
"Hey, Onii-chan...come on, you have to choose which one you like"
"Um, maybe I should have you choose for me, Miki-chan..."
"I'll give you advice, but you have to decide for yourself, Onii-chan. It's important that
you choose because it means more that way. Got it?"
That was a valid point, but Sandai couldn't bring himself to look directly at the
underwear.
"Well...I guess it can't be helped. Let's see, I think Onee-chan would like something
like this, right?"
Sandai made a small gap between his fingers and glanced at the underwear that Miki
held. It was a set of sheer, dark cherry blossom-colored lingerie with gathered lace. It
was definitely cute and sexy.
"That is..."
"Onee-chan would like this kind of thing, right? And the size is definitely F65."
“…F?”
"Huh? Onii-chan didn't know? Onee-chan has pretty big boobs when she takes her
clothes off."
 According to Miki, Shino was hiding big breasts, and it didn’t seem like she was
entirely wrong about that. When the sisters argued at the train station, Miki told a story
about putting small melons in a bra or something like that. And, just recently, when
Sandai had carried Shino he definitely felt their noticeable size. In other words, they
were big.
Sandai hadn't realized this simple fact until now because most of his feelings for Shino
were focused on her personality.
Of course, as a boy, he naturally had an interest in the female body, but he’d been
able to suppress it well enough. But, Miki's explanation has caused the balance of his
rationality to tilt towards the wrong direction.
"...Imagine it, Onii-chan. Onee-chan wearing this lingerie."
As Sandai imagined it as she instructed, his nose started to bleed uncontrollably.
Sandai hurriedly wiped his nose.
W-why am I bleeding...I just imagined it because Miki-chan told me to, I wasn't thinking
of anything dirty...I wasn't!
While making such a silly excuse in his mind, Sandai shook his head vigorously and
tried to erase the image of Shino in her underwear from his mind.
"Onee-chan… you had a bit of a perverted look on your face just now. It was kind of
scary."
"N-No, that's not true."
Sandai cleared his throat and pretended to cough, trying his best to keep a calm
expression.
"It’s just your imagination, Miki-chan."
"Is it?" Miki asked.
"Yes. Anyway...I think this underwear might be a little too mature for her, at least that’s
how I see it."
"This underwear is more on the cute side, and it's not that mature... but if Onii-chan
wants something more erotic–"
“–Anyway. Shouldn't we go for something more normal?"
"I think this is normal enough. It's all about how you look at it."
When he heard that, it seemed like not choosing that underwear would make him look
like a perv. Sandai hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to buy the underwear
that Miki was holding.
“… I think maybe this one is good for her.”
"You keep changing your mind, don't you?"
"That's not true. I think this one is definitely cute, just like you said, Miki-chan, and I
believe it would suit Shino. It's because it's 'cute', you know."
"..."
"What's with that 'wow' face? Hey, Miki-chan?
 “…It's nothing. Yep, this underwear is ‘cute’, like you said.”
She seemed to understand what Sandai was thinking, and didn't say anything more
about it. She was a perceptive child.
As Sandai walked to the counter with the underwear in hand, he saw that the female
employee from earlier was there. He was relieved that he wouldn't have to explain the
situation to a different employee and risk being seen as a pervert.
"Oh...it's you again."
"I'd like to pay, please."
"Alright… that will be 24,580 yen," she said.
"Wh-what?" Sandai asked.
The unexpectedly high price made Sandai doubt his own ears. He thought he might
have misheard.
“Um…”
"Yes?"
“24,580 yen?"
"Yes, that's correct."
It seemed he hadn't misheard, and Sandai was at a loss for words.
It was a fact that bras for women with larger breasts were already limited in variety,
and those with good designs were even more expensive. But, Sandai was unaware of
such special circumstances for girls and could only wonder, "Why is it so expensive?"
"Is there a problem?"
"N-no... um... it's nothing."
“Make your payment, please.”
Sandai nervously checked his wallet. Counting the bills with trembling fingers, it felt
like he had just enough to get by. He lived alone and received a monthly allowance from
his parents, but it was only enough for basic living expenses and he couldn't afford to
splurge.
Buying something this expensive was pretty painful, and he felt discouraged at the
thought of struggling to get by until his next allowance.
However, if he could see Shino's happy face, it was worth it, and Sandai paid for the
purchase without a shred of regret.
"Thank you. Here's your change. By the way, you want it gift-wrapped, right? It's for a
Christmas present."
"Yes, please. I'm planning to give it on Christmas, so I'd be happy if you could wrap it
for that occasion."
"I see. It's for Christmas. It's pretty early to prepare for it now."
"I don't want to be in a rush at the last minute..."
"It's nice that you value your girlfriend. I'm glad. Please wait a moment for the
wrapping."
 The female store clerk moved to the counter next to her and began cutting the
wrapping paper with practiced hands, but halfway through, she chuckled
self-deprecatingly and muttered something under her breath.
"...Underwear as a Christmas present, huh. Like 'I want to have sex tonight, not a holy
night.' These days, boys act like beasts despite looking quiet. Well, that's better than
being a coward."
Sandai couldn't hear her clearly, but he thought that if there was any problem, she
would have said it directly to him. He was more concerned about the contents of his
empty wallet, or lack of.
...I feel like I want to find a part time job or something.
Expenses like this one would happen in the future as well. Winter vacation would
eventually come, and they might even plan to go on a trip. The more spending money
he had, the wider the range of fun activities.
Sandai felt that he could work hard for that reason and for the sake of spending happy
times with his girlfriend. He wasn't sure if he could hold down a job since he had always
been a loner and not particularly skilled at socializing, but figured he could give it a try.
Unaware that his cheeks had relaxed, Sandai went home and hid the underwear
wrapped in floral paper in his closet.
Then, Miki poked Sandai's back with her finger.
"I don't really have anything else to do, so I'm gonna head home now. I had fun and
I'm satisfied in lots of ways."
Sandai had no idea where the fun in it was, but anyway, it seemed Miki was leaving.
"I see. Then, I'll take you to the station."
"Thanks."
"Thank you for the advice too. By the way... what about lunch? I don't have much
money, but I can just barely afford a cheap place. Do you want to eat somewhere?"
“That’s nice of you, but actually, I told my mom and dad that I'll be back for lunch. I
think they're waiting for me to make it."
"I see. So you were planning to go back for lunch from the beginning."
"I won't stay outside until it gets dark. There are many dangerous people these days,
and it's my first time riding the train alone. I don't want to get lost in the dark."
Miki seemed to have good crisis management skills. Sandai could somewhat
understand why her parents allowed her to come here alone.
"Oh, and... can I ask one favor of you, Onii-chan?"
"What is it?"
"Can you keep it a secret from Onee-chan that I came here today? If she finds out I
came on my own, she'll be really mad."
Sandai agreed to Miki's request since she helped him out a lot that day. He nodded
sharply. Miki breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
 They arrived at the train platform just as the train was coming. As the doors opened
with a pshuu sound, Miki jumped on.
"Take care!"
"Yes, yes... Oh, by the way, Onii-chan, can I tell you something? Lean in closer."
Miki beckoned Sandai closer with her finger and, as he leaned in, she kissed him on
the cheek.
“... Miki-chan?"
Sandai was surprised, but Miki just grinned mischievously.
"I'm just making sure I have some insurance. If you break your promise, I'll tell
Onee-chan that you tried to hit on me.”
Her words have a strange force behind them. Sandai could sense that she wasn’t
simply bluffing, but would actually follow through with her threat if he broke his promise.
Her boldness and lack of hesitation reminded him of Shino in some ways. Their
personalities were clearly very different, but it was still evident that they were sisters.
Sandai chuckled and said, "Got it."
Even if he couldn’t imagine believing anything Miki said without question, her words
still make him feel a bit uneasy.
"Okay, see you later, Onii-chan."
As the doors closed and the train rattled forward, Miki stood with both hands pressed
against the window, looking back at him.
As Sandai waved goodbye, Miki waved back.

Sandai, who had left the station, stopped by a convenience store and filled his
stomach with bread and juice for lunch. It was a good time to be alive, where you fill
your stomach for just a few hundred yen. Although, Shino would nag him for eating
unhealthy food if she found out.
As he strolled leisurely, Sandai absentmindedly began browsing job listings on his
smartphone. Perhaps unknowingly, he had become more like Shino in the sense that he
acted quickly once he decided to do something. It was often said that partners
influenced each other and gradually became more alike, and Sandai was no exception.
"This one’s impossible...this one I might be able to do...no, maybe not..."
He let out a groan as he continued his fruitless search, unable to find anything suitable
for him. Before he knew it, it was already evening.
Leaving aside the fact that time seemed to be passing quickly lately, it was almost time
to pick up Shino from work. Her shift finished earlier on Sundays than on weekdays.
He didn’t want to arrive too early, so he timed it so he arrived at the café about ten
minutes before Shino finished her shift.
 "Welcome...oh, it's Shino-chan's boyfriend."
"Thank you."
"Since you're here to pick her up, I guess it's almost time for Shino-chan to knock
off...um...you can sit at that table over there."
"Okay."
As soon as he sat at the designated table, he was immediately served with
complimentary snacks and tea as a boyfriend perk. He eagerly ate them.
The lighting was subdued inside the café and jazz music was playing. Sandai still felt
out of place, but after coming here a few times, he was starting to develop a tolerance
for the calm atmosphere. Humans were creatures of their environment and adapted to it
over time, after all.
"Thank you very much."
As he saw Shino energetically working, Sandai relaxed his cheeks and smiled. Soon
after, the waiter who had designated his seat earlier whispered something to Shino and
she looked around nervously before spotting Sandai and smiling at him. It seemed the
waiter had told her Sandai had arrived.
Soon after, Shino entered the staff room and changed into her regular clothes, before
coming back out.
"Did you wait long?"
"Not really."
After exchanging their routine greeting, they held hands and started to walk home.
As it was Sunday, they had a bit more time than on weekdays, and their steps
naturally slower. As they strolled, they noticed a sign for a store they usually didn't pay
attention to. Shino stopped when she noticed a small piece of paper attached to the
sign that piqued her interest.

[“We are selling probably-soon-to-be-popular taiyaki!¹ Right now, we currently only

have one flavor, but come on in!”]

While the dubious sign saying "probably-soon-to-be-popular" and “currently only have
one flavor" didn't give a clear indication of whether they were actually selling the taiyaki,
Shino was curious and went inside the shop to buy one anyway.
"Why’d you buy something after seeing such a sketchy sign?"
"It's okay. Anyways, look at this. It's hilarious."
Laughing, Shino showed Sandai the taiyaki, which had an unusual shape. The taiyaki
was large, with its mouth wide open, and cocoa brown ice cream was placed on top of
its mouth.
"It's cute!"
 "It has an interesting shape. Do people post photos of these kinds of things on social
media?"
"Social media? I don't use it. I tried it a little before, but I got scared and stopped
because I received a lot of strange DMs like 'I want to meet you'."
Sandai suddenly felt like he had caught a glimpse of the reason why Shino was
uncomfortable around men. When someone you're not interested in gives you a lot of
attention, it's normal to want to back off, feel turned off, or even be a little rude in
response.
Come to think of it, Nakaoka-sensei had mentioned before about Shino overcoming
her distrust of men. Sandai had been told to fulfill that role but he had never really given
it much thought until now. However, even if he remembered that now, there was only so
much that Sandai could do at the moment. It wasn’t easy to fix thoughts or emotions
that were trapped in a loop of negativity, and the only way was to take it one step at a
time over a long period.
"Even if I blocked them, different people kept DMing me every single day."
"...That must have been tough."
"Right? So, as a way to heal my old emotional wounds, feed me this taiyaki!"
While it was sudden, that kind of stuff came with the territory of being a boyfriend.
Sandai took the taiyaki and held it up to Shino's mouth.
"Here."
"Hey, it's too close. I need more space to open my mouth..."
"Did I get too close? Sorry... How about this?"
“Hm, this is just right."
Shino leaned back as if she were a princess being fed by a servant and started eating
the taiyaki.
"Hmm?"
As Sandai watched Shino, who looked like a child, he noticed that there was ice cream
stuck to her nose. It seemed he had accidentally bumped her when he got too close.
But since she didn't seem to notice, he decided to wipe it off with his finger.
"W-What...?"
"You had some ice cream on your nose," Sandai said as he looked at the melted ice
cream droplet on his fingertip.
He could have just rubbed it off, but he licked it off instead. There was a slight
sweetness and a fragrant cocoa aroma that spread in his mouth. Apparently the store
didn't just focus on making it look cute, but also put effort into making it taste good.
"I-I can give you a bite if you want?"
"Oh, I didn't really want to eat it. I just thought it would be a waste."
"...You always surprise me, Sandai."
"Oh really?
 "Yup. Like the continuous kisses the other day."
"Should I stop?"
"I don't hate it, so you don't have to stop..."
"Then there's no problem."
"You're too sneaky, Sandai–"

[“Christmas is coming up fast! Get ready to enjoy it now!”]

A commercial was playing on the giant screen on the wall of a commercial building.
They both involuntarily looked up at it.
“By the way… there’s something I wanna ask.”
"...What is it?"
"So, like... It's about December, instead of working on the 25th, I took the day off on
the 24th. If I didn't take it off now, some girl might get a boyfriend and want the day off,
and then it might turn into a fight over it."
Shino lowered her head and looked up at Sandai with upturned eyes, then tightly
squeezed his hand.
"I wanna be with you all day on Christmas Eve... Is that okay?"
As his girlfriend, she was pleading with her eyes to make sure he kept that day free.
Luckily, Sandai, who had already prepared a Christmas present, had no plans to
schedule anything on that day.
Even if Shino had work, he was prepared to wait anxiously all day so he could pick her
up right away.
"That’s okay."
"Okay… hehe, that's right, you don't have anything to do. You don't have any friends,
Sandai."
He could have taken it as a mean jab, but it was clear to anyone who saw Shino's
happy expression that it wasn't an insult. The true meaning behind the words was
simply an expression of relief that there were fewer signs of other women in the picture.
She was just expressing it in words.
Scratching his cheek, Sandai said, "...Well, that's the way it is. By the way, I've got a
Christmas present for you, so look forward to it."
"Huh? You're giving me something?"
Shino reacted to the word "present" and her ears twitched like a cat.
"It's Christmas, after all."
"Yay, I'm excited! I was actually thinking of giving you something for Christmas too,
Sandai. So look forward to it!"
Sandai was curious about what she would give him, but he would have to wait until
Christmas to find out.
¹Popular Japanese snack shaped like a fish and typically filled with sweet red bean paste or other fillings
such as chocolate, custard, or cheese.
November 3rd–November 5th
Looks like the loner has forgotten about the school
festival, huh?

Time passed and November arrived, but Sandai's daily life didn’t change. While he
was still attracting attention at school and actively searching for part-time work, he was
yet to find a good opportunity. The only real change was Shino started making him
bento. Sandai started having lunch with Shino ever since they stopped hiding their
relationship, and that's when she started making him food.
As the bell signaling the end of morning classes rang, Sandai yawned and turned
around to see his girlfriend in the seat behind him, pulling out two brightly decorated
bento boxes.
"It's lunchtime~"
"It is."
Sandai opened the lid of his bento box, wondering what was inside, and was greeted
by a big pink heart made out of sakura denbu.¹
"I tried making a heart with sakura denbu~"
"Wow."
"I wanted to show you how I feel, but my heart almost spilled out... My love is so big
that it won't fit in the container.”
"I'll accept it even if it spills out."
Although they were still getting used to that kind of flirting, the exchange wasn’t
embarrassing for them in the slightest. However, the classmates around them blushed
and looked down, not knowing what to do with themselves when faced with the sight of
two people being affectionate in front of them. Even those who liked to spread rumors at
their age were silent when they actually saw PDAs in front of them–

—”Someone stop them already. My heart is going to break.”

—”It's not a big deal if your heart is broken.”
—”It’s still really unbelievable that those two are actually together.”
—”I didn't know Yuizaki-san was good at cooking.”
—”Hmm.”
 Shino's bento was always delicious, partly because she had a natural talent for
cooking and baking. But she never settled for the status quo and would adjust the taste
every day based on Sandai's casual reactions during meals.
Sandai understood that Shino knew he wasn't a picky eater, but she still refused to
compromise and always strived to improve. Sandai never said, "You don't have to work
so hard." It would be bad to dampen her enthusiasm, and eventually Shino would find
the right way to cut corners. Plus, words like "this is better" or "that's how you should do
it" could easily become an imposition of personal values if taken too far.
He knew that it was important not to do to others what he wouldn't want done to
himself, but people often overlooked that. Because he had always kept his distance
from others, being a loner, he could see aspects that would normally be too close to
see.
Being a "loner" was generally seen as a negative thing, but it was strange that there
were also hidden charms ordinary people didn’t have. Perhaps it was like a "sour grape"
mentality. Many people said things like 'I don't know how to relate to loners' or 'I don't
understand what they're thinking,' but if they kept their distance without a good reason,
they ended up looking like they're discriminating against them. So, they tried to justify
their avoidance by painting loners as 'bad news' and keeping them at arm's length.
It was a terrible thing, but on the flip side, only those who have the courage to
approach them, only those who have tried hard to reach out, like Shino, could obtain a
special fruit that can't be obtained by others.
Even though she didn’t seem to be aware of it...

Every school has fewer classes in the afternoon than in the morning, and Sandai and
Shino's school was no exception. Afternoon classes are quickly followed by after-school
activities. So, after finishing their school day, the two of them left the classroom
together. But, a bespectacled, parted-haired male student appeared out of nowhere
spread and his arms wide to block their way.
Sandai vaguely recognized the male student as the class representative.
"Wait a moment."
Sando and Shino couldn’t think of any reason to be stopped by him, so they simply
walked past him as if nothing was happening.
But, "I said, wait a moment!"
The determined class rep blocked their way again.
What was going on? Sandai let out a sigh, while Shino shrugged her shoulders.
"...What do you want?"
 "We don't have any business with you."
"I know you don't have any business with me. It's not that, though. I have business
with you... I've heard about the two of you. You're going out, right? You're a couple,
aren't you? I won't ask for details because I know that privacy should be respected, and
I'm not trying to get in your way. But, take a look around you!"
Sandai and Shino looked around and saw many students making signs and
decorations, bursting with energy.
"Don't you get it? It's the school festival! You guys aren't even trying to participate! It's
only a week away!"
Sandai realized that it was indeed the school festival season. He usually didn't
participate in school events, so he had completely forgotten about it. Shino, too,
seemed to have forgotten, her eyes wandering.
"Oh, for me, I'm super busy with my part time job, so I totally forgot. I mean, what's the
point of remembering stuff we might not even go to, y’know? Plus, I've got work today
too."
"I'm usually a gloomy, loner type... an introvert I guess? So, I thought the school
festival was an event to skip. Forgetting about it was beyond my control."
"While I can understand Yuizaki's reason, where in the world did Fujiwara find a
beautiful girl to be his girlfriend as an introverted loner... Well, let's leave that aside for
now. I know you both have your reasons, but I still want you to participate as much as
possible. If you keep going like this, you won't even know what our class is planning.
We've decided to run a café."
The class rep kneeled down on the floor and bowed deeply. The movement was so
graceful and elegant that if someone were to say it was a ritual process of some sort,
people would be convinced. There was even a strange godliness to it.
"I'm not forcing you, and it might be sudden for you, so for now, you can go home…
Even if we're short by two people, we can still prepare for the school festival without any
problems, but it wouldn't be a memorable experience for everyone, would it? As the
class representative, I want everyone to participate and make it a memorable
experience for everyone. It's an event that only happens once a year during our three
years of high school. We're in our second year, so you might think that we still have one
more chance next year, but that's not the case… Next year, there will be those who are
busy with exams and pushing themselves to their limits. We won't have the luxury of
working together as a whole. That's why, in reality, this year's school festival is the last
one where everyone can participate."
Sandai and Shino looked at each other. They were planning to avoid the school
festival, but with the class rep's passionate plea, they couldn't just ignore it.
"I'm counting on you! Please...!"
 As if giving one last push, the class rep shouted at Sandai and Shino, and the two of
them gave in. They nodded their heads in resignation.
"Oh… My burning passion got through to you!"
The class rep seemed overwhelmed with emotion and got up off the floor, crying and
trying to hug Sandai.
Suddenly, Shino narrowed her eyes and delivered a front kick to the stomach of the
charging class rep. The hit landed in a sensitive spot, causing the president to keel over
in pain.
"O-ouch..."
"Don't cling onto someone else's boyfriend like that. I won't think twice about getting
physical even if it’s a guy.”
"I-I was just happy..."
"Cut it out. If you do it again, I'll crush the most important part of a man."
"...I-I understand. I was wrong. I won't do it again. S-so please don't say such scary
things. You are looking at me so seriously, Yuizaki-kun. Let's not joke around too
much–"
"–Who said I was joking? I'm totally serious."
The president fell silent under the pressure of Shino's intimidating aura. Shino’s violent
outburst was probably because the class rep messed with Sandai and because she
wasn't good with men, she had no hesitation in using force. Sandai felt like he had seen
a terrifying side of her.
"He said we can go home today, so let's go. Tomorrow, let's check around if anyone
needs a hand with the school festival. I have the day off from work tomorrow too... Hey,
why are you making a weird face? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Hmm... You're acting kinda strange. What's wrong?"
Not being able to say "I was scared" even if his life depended on it, he opted to make
up an excuse.
“Well… even if people say I’m weird, I've been weird since I started dating you, Shino.
I mean, I've been thinking about you all the time, and you’re my top priority, so I guess I
must look like a weird guy to everyone else.”
Although it was a bit too obvious, thanks to mixing in some truth, Shino accepted it
without catching on. Her cheeks turned bright red, and she pouted and looked away.
"It's not weird to think about your girlfriend... It's normal."
"Oh really...? Hey, why aren't you looking at me when you say that? Are you
embarrassed?"
"I'm not embarrassed or anything."
"Then why aren't you looking at me?"
 "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Shino said, glancing at Sandai before quickly
looking away again.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in through the window. The wind blew Shino's hair and
the tips of her hair tickled Sandai's nose.
"Ah… ah-choo!"
Sandai sneezed, and some snot dripped from his nose.
"Oh no... Do you have anything to wipe it with?".
Shino rummaged through her bag and took out a handkerchief.
“...I guess there’s nothing for it,” she said, gently wiping Sandai's nose.
"I-I can do it myself."
"It's fine, it's fine... You look like a big baby with snot running down your nose. A big
baby... Hehe~" Shino laughed.
Sandai felt embarrassed, like he was actually being treated like a baby. He blushed
bright red, and Shino found it amusing, laughing at his reaction.
Seeing her innocent smile, Sandai felt guilty for being scared of her earlier. When
Shino kicked the class rep, she was in battle mode. This was her natural state. He didn't
need to be afraid of her.

The next day, the two of them asked their classmates if they needed any help, but the
response wasn't very positive.

—"What? Help? No, we're fine and on schedule... Besides, even if we were busy, we
wouldn't want to work while breathing in lovey-dovey air, so we refuse... Go die.”
The boys rejected their offer, while the girls said things like–
—"Help... together with the two of you? It looks like you're trying to pick a fight with me,
someone who has never had a boyfriend in their entire life."

Their classmates said stuff like that. It seemed they were holding some hostility
towards Sandai and Shino, but... generally, showing off PDAs in public was frowned
upon.
But, not everyone reacted that way, and Shino's gyaru friends welcomed them with
open arms, saying they were just what they needed.
However, they did ask Shino to join them in slightly revealing outfits on the day of the
festival to attract customers, but she declined, saying "I can't show off in revealing
outfits to anyone other than my boyfriend," and made an X with her arms to emphasize
her refusal.
 The girls didn't seem too disappointed by her rejection, as they knew Shino's
personality and had probably expected it to begin with.
"Oh... I guess that's a no."
"If she's using her boyfriend as an excuse, there's nothing we can do about it."
"Yup, we're in totally different worlds to Shino-pyon, ‘cause we don’t have boyfriends."
"I want a boyfriend too."
"I know, right?"
The girls stuck their tongues out, waved and left to check out the costumes.
It was unclear what kind of outfits they were preparing, but if they were revealing, they
would definitely attract attention. As her boyfriend, Sandai was naturally uncomfortable
with the idea of Shino being seen by other men in clothes like that, so he was relieved
when she said no.
Shino laughed and said, "...Don't worry. I'm not that mean. I might tease you, but I
wouldn't try to make you jealous on purpose. That would only cause problems between
us, y’know?"
Unlike Sandai, who sometimes struggled to understand people's emotions and
actions, Shino always seemed to know what the right thing to do was. Plus, she had a
knack for subtly getting her point across, indirectly saying, "Don't do anything stupid to
make me jealous either.” She seemed cautious about that stuff, probably because of his
past mistakes which made her anxious. Words like "it's beyond my control" or "how long
are you going to hold a grudge" were counterproductive, so Sandai just nodded without
saying anything.
Shino narrowed her eyes and stared intently at the side of San's face.
"..."
"W-what is it?
"...Nothing."
He wondered if she really understood, but he didn't want to make her more suspicious
by acting weird, so he changed the subject.
"Anyway, it seems like nobody needs our help."
They’d ask around quite a bit, but everyone had said no. The only ones who showed
willingness to help were Shino's friends, but she declined their offer too.
At this rate, it seems like they won't even be able to fake 'participating in the school
festival preparations'.
"I think there are still some classmates we haven't asked yet, but it seems like the
result will be the same."
“…Well, if we've asked everyone and they all said no, there's nothing we can do about
it."
As they sat together on the stairs behind the gymnasium, the cawing of crows echoed
around them. They both hung their heads in despair.
 Suddenly, a shadow loomed over them. When Sandai looked up, the class rep was
standing there.
"...Class rep."
"Hehehe... I heard that the two of you were asking around if anyone needed help. I'm
glad you're willing to participate."
"...but we've been rejected by everyone."
"If you keep flaunting your lovey-dovey behavior, of course people will get annoyed."
"We're not flaunting anything, we're just being ourselves."
"Right?"
"You're not even aware of how you’re acting, are you…?"
"We're just being ourselves and didn't notice it... but this conversation feels like we're
going in circles. Anyway, if nobody needs our help, then I guess we won't be able to
participate in the school festival, huh?"
"That's not true. I have good news."
The class rep chuckled and pointed to a corner of the school building with his nose.
It was the cooking practice room, and…"There's a student who's practicing cooking
dishes that will be served at the café, but she’s having trouble getting it right. Could you
guys please help her out? She's not the type to push people away, so don't worry.
...Yuizaki-kun is good at cooking, right? I mean, I've seen you make bento boxes that
make me embarrassed by my own skills just looking at them. So I'm counting on you.
Well then, I have some things to do as the class representative."
The class rep left, huffing and puffing loudly as he did so.
He was unexpectedly caring and had found something they could help with after
sensing their dilemma. It was kind of annoying to have someone interfere and ruin the
chance of them getting away without helping, but there was no point crying over spilt
milk.
Sandai and Shino stood up and headed to the cooking practice room with
determination. Sure enough, they found a girl inside.
With short hair and a small animal-like appearance, she was stretching dough with a
rolling pin. Sandai had never seen her before.
As Sandai tilted his head, wondering if this girl was a classmate, Shino answered his
thoughts.
"...That's Takasago-chan."
"Do you know her?"
"I don't remember the names of boys unless I'm really interested, but I always
remember girls' names. That’s definitely Mahiro Takasago."
"I don't really know classmates or even people in the same grade, boy or girl."
 Sandai only remembered Nakaoka-sensei and of course Shino, her friends and the
class rep. He didn't remember anyone else. He thought it was a waste of brain capacity
to remember someone he wouldn't interact with anyway.
"...That's so like you, Sandai."
Shino chuckled, and Takasago, who had been working silently, suddenly noticed them
and turned to face them.
"Are you… um... Yuizaki-san and Fujiwara-kun...?" Takasago asked timidly.
She trembled, then quickly moved to the corner of the room and crouched down. She
was just as shy as she looked.
"You don't have to be so nervous... We were thinking of helping with the school festival
preparations and were asking around, but we were rejected everywhere. Then, the
class rep told us to come here."
When Sandai explained the situation, scratching her head, Takasago reacted to the
mention of the “class rep”.
"The class rep...you mean Shihouin-kun...?"
"Shihouin...? Huh?"
Sandai was surprised. He never would have thought the class rep had such a noble
and cool-sounding name.
"Wow… what an amazing surname."
"Y-Yeah, I didn't know the class rep’s surname either...it's like he's from a rich family or
something."
While Sandai and Shino whispered away to each other, Takasago, who seemed a little
more relaxed, approached them hesitantly.
"U-Um...so...you came to help us because of Shihouin-kun’s orders?"
"Orders? Ah, no, I don’t like the way that is worded. But yeah, I guess you could say
that."
"Yup, something like that."
"Th-thank you very much. Anyway, I'd like you to take a look at what I made. I think it
turned out pretty good."
Takasago bowed her head and quickly brought over a plate of cookies, but they were a
strange color. Rainbow-colored to be exact.
"Wow… what… amazing colors."
Sandai swallowed nervously as he looked at the cookies, which were a color he had
never seen before. Shino picked one up and examined it closely.
"W-well, in a way, it's pretty trendy… there are sweets like this, but... it feels kinda
different from those..."
Despite her diplomatic tone, Shino's expression wasn't very encouraging. Sandai
wanted to defend Takasago's efforts, but he couldn't find the words.
 However, even if the cookies gave off a rather ominous vibe, it was possible that their
appearance was deceiving and they tasted good.
"Well, I mean, with foreign sweets and stuff, it's normal for them to be colorful...maybe
it's that kind of thing...right?"
"M-maybe, but like… this….no, yeah, we won't know until we try it, right?" Shino said
as she put the cookie in her mouth.
A second later Shino broke out in a cold sweat and with a "blehhh" sound, she threw
up the cookie and collapsed to the ground.
Sandai was startled and hurried over to her in a panic.
“H-hey!”
"I-I'm sorry! I'm terrible at cooking and making sweets! They might not have been
delicious... I didn't even taste test them..."
"This isn't just a matter of being bad or not taste testing..."
Sandai gave Takasago a terrifying look while wiping Shino's mouth, which still had
some vomit on it, and patted her back.
Shino was white-eyed for a while, but she managed to regain her wits with Sandai's
help.
"Ugh..."
"...Are you feeling sick? Should we go to the hospital?"
"I’m okay...but that cookie is dangerous."
"Dangerous? In what way?"
"You'll get it if you eat it."
Experiencing it firsthand was the fastest way to understand just how dangerous the
cookie was, but since Sandai had seen Shino immediately vomit and collapse, he
honestly didn't want to eat it. However, the fact remained that there was no other way to
fully understand just how dangerous this cookie was. After much hesitation, Sandai took
Shino's hand, nodded, and reached for the cookie.
"U-um...you shouldn't eat it..."
Although Takasago gave him a worried look and warned him, Sandai had already
made up his mind and took a bite – immediately feeling an abnormal sensation.
A pain akin to being gouged by a needle raced through his nasal cavity, causing tears
to flow uncontrollably. Then, his tongue went numb and his ears suddenly grew hot.
Poison. Absolutely, without question, poison.
Sandai fell to the ground, frothing at the mouth.

４
"I thought I was going to die... "
"Yup, it was really bad, wasn't it? If we had given these out I have a feeling it would
have caused a huge problem.”
 “More like it definitely would have caused a huge problem.”
Sandai regained his wits and, leaning on Shino's shoulder, stood up unsteadily.
Takasago repeatedly bowed her head apologetically.
"I don't know how to apologize... T-the other members of the cooking club were able to
do it properly, but I was the only one who couldn't, so I practiced alone... Shihouin-kun
told me to do my best, but... he also collapsed... and.."
It seemed that the class rep had also tried this cookie and determined that it was
beyond the level of being able to fix it on their own. The president had asked Shino for
help, having a good eye for people. Shino was good at cooking in general, including
making sweets, and had a good personality, making her ideal for supporting the nervous
Takasago.
Shino seemed to have realized her role and was patting Takasago's shoulder.
"Huh? Um, well... "
"I might not look it, but I'm super good at making sweets, so I'll teach you."
"Are you sure? Even if I tell you that I can only make sweets that are like poison and
make you collapse if you eat them, will you still teach me?"
"If it's at the level of becoming poisonous, it's probably ‘cause you made a lot of
mistakes, y’know? So we’ll just fix them one by one. It'll be okay."
"Th-thank you very much."
"Well then, let's try making it from the beginning again."
"Yup!"
Takasago wiped away her overflowing tears, placed a bag of flour on the counter... and
took out a small tube from her pocket.
Sandai thought it might be a seasoning or spice, but upon closer inspection, the
packaging was different. It looked strangely familiar - like the paint used in art class.
Sandai had a bad feeling.
"W-what's that?" Shino asked with a twitching cheek.
"It's paint, you know? Because you need it to color the sweets, right?"
Takasago laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Terrifying.
Shino and Sandai, who was beside her, both physically cringed and looked repulsed in
response to Takasago's absurd question.
“Y-you don’t need that! You don’t use paint for baking!”
"Huh? But don't you need to add color...?"
"I use food coloring for that. There are special ones made for baking."
"Oh really? Then we need this, right? Sanol."
"That’s... toilet cleaner."
 "Well, yes, but if there are any strange bacteria or if we get food poisoning, it would be
a big problem. So I thought it would be better to use something with the sterilizing power
of toilet cleaner."
"That's really dangerous, so let's not use it."
"Oh, really...?"
"As long as we wash our hands beforehand, it’ll be fine. Plus, baking itself is already
safe. By the way, what were you planning to put in after the paint?
"Next, um...since it's been getting colder lately, I thought I'd use the contents of a hot
pack to keep my body warm. So I divided it into small bags like this and brought it with
me..."
Takasago seemed to be doing her best in her own way, but ignorance is a cruel thing,
and all of her well-intentioned ideas were misguided.
Well, I can't really make fun of people like that either.
Sandai couldn't do as much as Takasago, but he was still an amateur at cooking, and
he knew that if he said something, he might end up like Takasago.
Encouraging Shino with a silent 'good luck' in his heart, he moved to the corner
wearing an innocent face. It was best to quietly watch in times like that.
From her gaze it seemed like Shino wanted to say something, but Sandai turned to the
side and pretended not to notice.
"Ugh..."
Shino seemed to have realized that her boyfriend wouldn’t be of any help, so she let
out a deep sigh of resignation and began teaching Takasago on her own.

As Sandai looked out the window, the sun gradually set and the sky turned a deep
honey orange color, and the dry leaves of the trees in the schoolyard rustled in the wind.
It was peaceful.
Who was it that wrote-

Ah, how sad,

Gazing up, I see that
Today, too, has gone
Along the edge of the clouds,
The autumn wind is blowing.²

Ah that's right, Sandai thought, it was Fujiwara no Sadaie.³

 He could hear Shino and Takasago's conversation and the sounds of them making
sweets pretty clearly. But after a while, everything stopped.
"...I wonder if we were able to make something good. Hey, Sandai, stop sulking like
some melancholic poet and try a bit of this."
 It seemed the impromptu cooking lesson for making sweets was a success and a
normal-looking macaron had been baked. But, even though the appearance was
normal, Sandai's instincts were about to reject it. The taste of the poison earlier has
been imprinted in Sandai's body.
However... it's not like he could run away from this, and besides, seeing Shino's
relieved expression, it was clear things didn't turn out too badly. Sandai braced himself
and took a bite of the macaron. The refreshing and perfectly sweet taste of salted plum
anko⁴ spread in his mouth.
"...It's delicious."
When Sandai answered like that, Shino shrugged her shoulders and turned to
Takasago with a smile.
"See? If you follow the recipe, there won't be any problems."
"Yes! I'm amazed that I can make sweets that are actually edible! And to be able to
make it at a level that it can even be sold for money...!"
"I mean, that's kinda over the top… but anyways, just don't add any weird stuff based
on your own ideas.”
"Yes!"
While casually listening to Shino and Takasago's conversation, Sandai glanced at the
clock.
It was almost six o'clock. Looking around, there were hardly any people left at school.
If they stayed any longer without a good reason, a patrolling teacher might come and
yell at them.
"It's getting dark, so let's go home soon."
"Ah, It's already this late...yeah, let's go home. See you later Takasago-chan.”
Sandai quickly left the cooking classroom with Shino in tow. But, as he turned back for
a moment, he noticed Takasago’s face was downcast, her cheeks flushed.
At first, he thought she might not be feeling well, but it didn't seem to be the case.
"...I wonder if Shihouin-kun will compliment me for doing my best... B-but, I'm sure
there are other girls who he thinks are good too. I'm not the only one who notices that
he's always working hard, right?" Takasago muttered to herself.
She clearly had special feelings for the class rep but, well, from Takasago point of
view, it was understandable. Even though she made poisonous sweets, he didn't
abandon her and encouraged her to do her best. Plus, he even sent her some help. His
thoughtfulness and kindness, from the perspective of a girl like Takasago,
complemented his quirky personality and made him all the more charming.
And, as Sandai sensed the bittersweet aura of love, he couldn't help but feel a strange
and indescribable emotion. It felt like he was being egged on.
"Hmm? Sandai, what's up?"
"Well... I just feel like, you know, I want to kiss you right now."
 As Sandai honestly expressed his feelings, Shino stopped and smiled mischievously.
"Oh really? You wanna kiss, huh? Then go ahead."
She clasped her hands behind her back and closed her eyes. His cute and adorable
girlfriend, his pride and joy, was generously giving him what he wanted… but before he
could act on it, he needed to check his surroundings. This is still a school, even if there
wasn’t anyone around.
Although their relationship was already well known, kissing inside the school still made
him nervous. Sharing lunch and being affectionate was just a sign of being close, so it
was still within the boundaries of a healthy relationship. But, kissing was an act that
showed their romantic feelings for each other, not just their closeness as friends.
Kissing was just a way to show how much they loved each other, and adults did it all the
time.
Sandai and Shino weren’t adults, but they were also not children, and the school
environment reminded them of that fact. Not everyone would understand how young
students approached romantic relationships, and if someone who was strict about
school rules caught them kissing, they didn't know what would happen. If they were at
home or outside, they could pretend that they were just being affectionate, but if they
were caught kissing inside the school, they couldn't deny it.
Sandai looked around nervously, but there was no one around except for Takasago,
who was just walking unsteadily towards the stairwell without even looking their way.
Sandai breathed a sigh of relief and kissed Shino in the flickering fluorescent light of
the hallway.
"...Mmm."
"...Mmm."
Sandai's face flushed with both nervousness and a strange sense of belated guilt. And
then, suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard, and Sandai jumped
in surprise. Someone was coming. Shino didn't seem to hear it, but at that point, Sandai
was starting to feel short of breath, so it was a relief when she slowly pulled away from
his lips.
"Your heart...it's beating so fast. It's been going crazy ever since we started
kissing....but I get how you feel. When I'm in the moment, my heart is pounding too, and
my whole body gets so hot that I feel like it's going to break.
Sandai was filled with joy at how cute his girlfriend was, but he couldn't focus on that
right now.
For now, as the kiss had ended, Sandai grabbed Shino's shoulders to tell her they
needed to leave.
"Sh...Shino!"
However, his intensity backfired, and Shino misunderstood what he was trying to say.
"What, you wanna do it again?...Sure."
 Shino spoke in a teasing tone, and without waiting for Sandai's response, she
wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, pressing her lips against his
once more.
...It's over. I'm done for.
Feeling the soft and pleasant sensation of Shino’s strawberry flavored lips, Sandai
couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness. But, at the same time, he was struck by a
feeling of despair at the thought of being caught.
However, a stroke of luck saved him. The owner of the footsteps turned out to be their
homeroom teacher, Nakaoka-sensei.
"...Hmm"
Nakaoka-sensei held a flashlight and wore a badge that read [patrolling] and she
silently watched their kiss. Nakaoka-sensei was tolerant of her students' youthful
desires, or rather, perhaps because she was the one who initially instigated Sandai, she
didn't seem angry or surprised. Instead, she seemed to read the situation perfectly. She
silently backed away without making a sound and disappeared.
That was close… we got lucky, Sandai thought to himself, relieved that they had
managed to avoid getting caught. But, he realized that it was only because of
Nakaoka-sensei's leniency and they needed to be more careful in the future. They had
narrowly avoided trouble, but it was only because of their good luck. If it had been any
other teacher besides Nakaoka-sensei, they would have definitely been in trouble.
"...?"
Shino finally noticed Sandai's relieved expression and looked at him in puzzlement.

Despite some close calls, like getting violently ill from poisonous cookies, or a teacher
catching them in the middle of a passionate kiss, their goal of participating in the school
festival was achieved.
When Sandai reported as much to the class rep the next day, he nodded in
satisfaction with a “good job.” He said all he needed Sandai to do was help out a little
behind the scenes on the day of the festival.
"Also, please tell Yuizaki-kun she did good job, too.”
"We're in the same class and she's right over there, why don't you tell her yourself?"
"W-Well, yes, that's true, but I'm actually a little scared of Yuizaki...since he kicked me
that one time."
It seemed the class rep had developed a fear of Shino, but if that was the case, it
wasn’t a good idea to talk to him alone. There was both the power of jealousy and fear
of men behind the kick, which is why Shino had warned the class rep not to get too
close to Sandai. But, despite the warning, the class rep had created a situation like this,
and Sandai didn’t need to look behind him to know Shino was probably making a scary
face. Things were just going to get even more difficult, so Sandai decided to cut the
conversation short.
"Class rep...see you later."
"Y-Yes."
On his way back to Shino, Sandai passed by Takasago. When he reflexively turned
around, he saw Takasago talking to the class rep–

—"Shihouin-kun, um, I learned how to make normal sweets from Yuizaki-san! I tried
making some at home yesterday, and this is it, can you taste it...? I-I promise it won't
taste weird anymore!"
—"...The color is normal now. The taste seems fine too. Okay...oh! This actually tastes
like normal sweets! It's not poisonous anymore!"
—"...Poisonous...so you thought so too, Shihouin-kun."
—"Huh? No, that's not it! I mean to say that it's no longer creative. I was a bit unclear
when I said that. It lost its creativity and became a bit plain! I can't believe I...oh, excuse
me, excuse me."

It sounded like a pretty unreasonable excuse, but Takasago didn't seem too sad about
it. She seemed to be enjoying the fact that she was able to talk to the person she liked.

—"By the way...after the cultural festival, there's also the final exams, but I'll be rooting
for you, Shihouin-kun!"
—"Yes. My goal is to be first in the grade...but it's strange. I'm usually pretty serious
about studying and I attend cram schools and prep schools to some extent. So I'm good
at getting good grades, but for some reason, I've never been able to get first place. I'm
always in second place...I'm curious about who's in first place, but the rankings are only
given to each person individually for privacy reasons… But, I'm definitely going to get
first place next time."
—"Okay! If you get first place, I'll celebrate!"
—"N-No, you don't have to celebrate...you're thinking about me too much,
Takasago-kun..."

Sandai scratched his head, feeling out of place. He never thought that his grades
would affect the romantic development of a boy and a girl in his class...
Sandai began to consider slacking off a bit on the next final exam.
It's not that he was fixated on being first place, but he had spent his free time studying
as a way to pass the time during his long period of being a loner before meeting Shino,
and before he knew it, he had always been in first place. He had no attachment or
obsession with his rank.
I wonder how much I should lower my score. Well, I think even if the class president is
in second place, it's a close call... Five points... no, maybe I should lower it by ten points
to be safe.
As Sandai pondered, Shino poked his shoulder with her finger.
"Hmm? What's up?"
"You look like you're thinking hard."
"Oh, I was just thinking about the final exam."
"The final... exam?"
Shino suddenly looked serious.
"What's with that face?"
"I-I'll be fine. I can handle the test. I've managed to do it so far."
Shino was putting on a brave front, but Sandai wasn’t convinced. Sandai decided to
subtly offer help since he couldn't just ignore the problem.
"Well, you know, I'm not trying to brag, but I'm pretty good at studying. You can rely on
me if you need to. You can think of it as me trying to look cool."
Shino pouted and looked down.
"...Thanks."
"I don't really know what you're thanking me for. Anyway, the class rep said to tell you
'good job'.”
"I don't wanna talk about him."
“Okay.”

¹Sakura denbu is a sweet and savory pink-colored fish topping used in Japanese cuisine for adding flavor
and color to various dishes.
²Tanka is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that consists of 31 syllables in a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern.
³Fujiwara no Sadaie, also known as Fujiwara no Teika, was a renowned Japanese poet and literary critic
who lived from 1162 to 1241. He is best known for his contributions to Japanese poetry and literature.
⁴Red bean paste.
November 9th
First-time friends can be confusing, huh?

It was after school the day before the school festival. Ignoring the excited students
going about their festival preparations, Sandai parted ways with Shino as she headed
off to work as usual and opened a new-installed job listings app on his phone.
Despite all the excitement in his daily life of late, he hadn't forgotten about job hunting.
When he was at home, he used his PC to search, and now he was using the app
during his free time outside.
"Let's see..."
He punched in his location and a list of new job postings popped up.
As he scrolled through them one by one with his finger, he suddenly found a job listing
that caught his attention.

["We're hiring cleaning staff for a mid-sized aquarium that is scheduled to open on
December 1st!"]

It was close to his ideal conditions. Sandai was aware that he didn't have particularly
strong communication skills, so he avoided places where cliques had already been
formed. However, if the entire staff was starting from scratch as opening staff, then that
concern would be eliminated. Plus, "cleaning" work was something he’d be happy to do.
Even if there were people he wasn’t good at dealing with, he could still do the work with
a minimum amount of conversation.
So far, job opportunities that were suitable for him were surprisingly rare, and he didn't
know when something like this would appear again, so Sandai hurriedly contacted them
to schedule an interview.
He was told, "If you have time, please come for an interview right now," so Sandai
rushed back to his apartment, changed into casual clothes, and headed over.
As he approached the address listed on the job posting, he could see a building under
construction, looking like it was nearing completion. This must have been the place.
There was a sign at the front entrance that read [“Interviewees, please proceed here"],
so Sandai followed the instructions and arrived at the door of a room with a sign that
read [Interview Room]. There were several chairs lined up in front of the room, but no
one was there. Since the opening day was approaching, they may have already finished
recruiting for the main staff. They were likely recruiting on an adhoc basis as more staff
were needed.
"...Well, I get nervous even when there are a lot of people around, so this is just right.”
He knocked on the door to announce his arrival, but there was no, "Please come in"
from inside.
"Hmm?"
Tilting his head, Sandai knocked again a bit harder. Still nothing.
"They told me to come now, and yet they're not here... Oh well, I guess I'll just have to
wait. They know that I'm coming, so they'll show up eventually."
Sandai sighed at the unexpected turn of events, but there may have been
circumstances on their end that he wasn't aware of, so he decided not to get angry
about it. He sat down on one of the chairs near the door and waited.
Soon after, a girl about the same age as Sandai arrived. She was wearing a sweater
with sleeves so long that her hands were hidden, and skinny jeans, which made her
look too casual to be an interviewer.
The girl was looking around nervously and couldn't seem to calm down. Her short bob
haircut, which was trimmed neatly to just above her shoulders, swayed with every shake
of her head.
"Ah...um...uh...hello.”
When the girl noticed Sandai, she greeted him with a husky and neutral voice, and he
nodded in response.
"Nice to meet you too. So, you're here for an interview at this aquarium?"
"Yes."
It seemed that she had also come to apply for the job after seeing the posting.
Although he wasn’t good with people he met for the first time, especially girls, they
might become coworkers, so he decided to be as friendly as possible.
"I'm here for an interview too, but it looks like the interviewer hasn't arrived yet, so I'm
waiting here."
"I see... um, can I sit next to you?"
"S-Sure."
"Okay... um, my name is Hajime Saeki… I'm in my second year of high school. Are you
around the same age?"
Although he could tell from her appearance that they were around the same age, the
girl was unexpectedly a real-life "bokukko".¹ Although it was a common trope in manga
and anime, it is very rare to see in real life. Even though she had an air of mystique
about her, it didn't come across as otherworldly, and it suited her strangely well, with
almost no sense of discomfort.
"I'm also in my second year of high school... Oh, my name is Sandai Fujiwara.”
"Really? It's cool to meet someone my age... Ah, sorry for speaking so casually..."
 "Oh no... If we're the same age, it's fine to speak casually. Yeah, okay, I won't use it.
You don't have to use it either."
"U-uh, okay! Nice to meet you, Fujiwara-kun."
The girl, who introduced herself as Hajime, smiled without a care in the world. Her
cheerful and unpretentious nature exuded a humble and gentle vibe, reminiscent of a
blueberry flower. There was no doubt she must have effortlessly charmed many men
with her demeanor and appearance. But, sometimes reality can present unexpected
surprises that shatter first impressions.
Hajime giggled with a “Ehehe," and stuck out her tongue.
"But it's a relief. The first person I met was also a guy. I'm not good with women..."
Sandai's eyes widened in surprise.
"...Say what?"
"Huh? Um, I mean, I'm just glad the first person I met was the same gender."
Hajime looked like a girl from head to toe, and although his voice was slightly neutral,
it was on the feminine side. He really did completely present like a girl. It was hard to
believe that he was a guy… but it didn't seem like he was lying.
Sandai began to worry if his eyes were playing tricks on him and rubbed his eyelids,
but reality remained unchanged. If he were a social butterfly, he might be able to pick
the right response in an instant in a situation like this, but it was impossible for Sandai.
He was left feeling bewildered and could only turn his face away, as if trying to escape
from the stark contrast between reality and perception.
"Fujiwara-kun, why did you suddenly turn away?"
"It's… nothing."
"Is there something on my face? Where is it? Come on, tell me."
"Don't come any closer."
"Why not~? It’s okay.”
“It's not okay."
"I won't do anything weird. I just want you to tell me… Where is it? On my cheek?"
Hajime getting physically close to him could be his way of expressing her eagerness to
“become friends quickly.” Perhaps he wanted to be friends beyond the boundaries of
coworkers or acquaintances. But Sandai was lost and confused. He had been a loner
for a long time, so he didn't have any friends. He didn't understand these kinds of
things.
He could understand how to treat someone as a romantic partner, but… what about a
friend?
As Sandai was scratching his head, wondering what to do, a woman in her
mid-twenties wearing a cardigan came into the hallway.
 "Um... are you the two who came for the interview? You're surprisingly early. Did I
keep you waiting? Sorry for being late. Let's start the interview now. Please come inside
the room... Just sit in any empty chair you see."
She seemed to be the interviewer. Being alone with Hajime would inevitably lead to
various thoughts, so it was good timing. Sandai went into the room and sat in the empty
chair as instructed. Hajime followed and sat next to him.
"First of all... could you show me your resumes?"
Sandai handed over the envelope containing his resume.
Hajime also handed over his resume with a "Me too..."
The interviewer compared the two resumes, making comments as she read.
"Oh... both of you are high school students? Well, you do look like it."
"So... both of you wanted to work in the cleaning department, right?"
"I can understand Fujiwara-kun's vibe, but for Saeki-chan... oh, he's a boy. Um, well,
it's okay."
“You have a really cute and lovely appearance, Saeki-kun, so I feel like you might not
have a strong physique."
"But you seem to be suited for standing in front of people, like when cosplaying at
events, right?"
Hajime also seemed to have wanted to work in the cleaning department. Sandai was
surprised because he had a vague impression that Hajime wanted to work in a
department where he could be in front of people, as the interviewer had said.
When Sandai stole a glance at Hajime, he was blushing redder than a ripe apple and
trembling.
"Well, um, at my previous job, I was forced to wear a strange outfit...and it was really
embarrassing. They made me wear a Chinese dress meant for girls and I had to serve
customers while being stared at by creepy old men..."
Despite his appearance and personality, it seemed Hajime had a reason for not
wanting to be in public. While the event may sound enjoyable hearing about it, all that
really mattered was how he felt. Hajime looked like he was on the verge of tears. It must
have been a painful memory.
"…Did I ask something bad? I'm sorry... I won't bring it up again."
"No, it's my fault for being soft."
Although it was kind of inappropriate, Sandai was somewhat curious what Hajime
looked like in a Chinese dress and started to picture it. But, out of nowhere, Shino
appeared in his imagination. She puffed up her cheeks like a hamster and shook both
hands in front of her to dispel Sandai's delusions.
He was only thinking about how a guy would look in a Chinese dress, and although he
had some inappropriate thoughts, Shino wasn't even there. And yet he felt strangely
guilty, as if he’d done something wrong.
２

"Well then, that concludes the interview. You are both hired. I would have liked to take
some time to consider, but cleaning isn't a popular job and we don't get many
applicants."
"So, we'll have a training session for the cleaning procedures, but it won't be today
since the construction is still ongoing for a few more days. We'll contact you later with
the details. Oh, and before I forget, let me introduce myself. I'm Mika Komaki, the
assistant director. I'm 28 years old."
After a brief self-introduction, the interviewer, Mika, said, 'That's all for today. You may
go’.”
That seemed to be the end of it. It was Sandai's first time having a job interview, so he
was nervous, but surprisingly, he managed to get through it. He breathed a sigh of
relief–
"Hey, Fujiwara-kun, Fujiwara-kun,"
Hajime tugged on his sleeve energetically.
"What's up?"
"We both got the job, didn't we?"
"Yeah... I guess so."
"We might run into some problems or have things we want to discuss in the future,
so... umm..."
Hajime pulled out his phone and gripped it tightly.
“Can I have your contact information? It’d be weird if we didn't have each other's
contact information as coworkers, right?"
Sandai thought it made sense to exchange contact information, as they might need to
communicate for work-related matters. However, Hajime's cute and somewhat
manipulative way of asking made Sandai feel a bit uneasy. He didn’t seem to be
intentionally aiming for anything, but Sandai felt that this kind of behavior was probably
the reason why he has been made to wear strange outfits in the past.
"Is… that okay?"
“…Well, yeah, It's probably better to have each other's contact information."
"Thank you! I'm so happy. Hehe. Okay, so your phone number, email address, LINE
ID, and also your photo, TikTok ID, and Instagram and Twitter IDs, and..."
"Wait, I don't have that many apps on my phone."
"Really?"
"You can tell just by looking. I'm a loner and an introvert, so I hardly use social media."
"Hmm...you seem quiet, but you're not really that much of an introvert...and there's no
law that says you can't use social media just because you're an introvert. I'm more of an
introvert than you are."
 "I think you look like an extrovert to me."
"Really? That's not true... Hey, why don't you download some apps too? We can take
some selfies and post them with heart emojis to make it look like we're a couple."
"N-no way."
"Aww..."
Sandai felt a bit overwhelmed by Hajime's closeness, but he was sure about one thing.
 Hajime wanted to be his friend. It was a bit confusing for Sandai to become friends
with someone for the first time, but he didn't feel bad about it. There was a softness in
Sandai's expression as he looked at the new contact registered on his smartphone. But,
there was one thing that bothered him. Shino. Sandai didn't know what Shino would
make of Hajime, so he was a little worried... for now, he decided to keep it a secret.

¹"Bokukko" is a Japanese term for a female character who behaves in a masculine or boyish way, often
seen in anime and manga.
November 10th–November 17th
Dull youth has become vibrant without us noticing,
huh?
１

Sandai's part-time job interview went smoothly. However, he didn't have time to take a
breather. The school festival had arrived. It was Saturday, and the festival was bustling
with excitement. Not only local residents, but also students from other schools and
university students could be seen everywhere. Sandai had skipped the festival the year
before, so he had no idea about the scale of it, and was amazed by the scene in front of
him.
“…I didn't realize so many people would gather here."
Shino giggled as she watched the wide-eyed Sandai scratch his cheek.
“Hehe, well… our school has a pretty big number of students, y’know, so the scale of
the festival is quite big too. Heaps of people come to see it.”
"I skipped it last year, so I didn't know."
"I joined in last year, actually, but only ‘cause I had some free time. They were doing a
haunted house so I got to be a ghost."
“Oh, I see.”
"So, like, it was just a regular thing, but for some reason, everyone was super into it
and there were tons of people who came to see it. Lots of people stopped and stared at
me, and I was a little happy thinking that I must have done a pretty good job with my
ghost makeup."
It wasn't because she was good at playing a ghost, or the makeup, but rather because
she was an incredibly beautiful girl playing the role of a ghost. That was the real reason
for the attraction's success. No doubt about it. But, if Shino was happy thinking that she
did a good job with her makeup, Sandai didn't want to ruin her mood by pointing out the
real reason, so he just nodded along.
That aside, Sandai and Shino moved to fulfill what the class president had told them to
do. They helped with the preparations for the class café. Some girls and boys, including
Takasago, were working on it, and Sandai and Shino tried to blend in.
But the mood created by the odd gyaru and a loner couple couldn't be easily hidden.
"Hey, could you grab that honey over there?"
"This one?"
"Yup."
"Add some more honey!"
 "Are you sure you want to add more honey? Won't it be too sweet?"
"It kinda depends on the type. The taste changes depending on which flower the bees
took the nectar from. This one says it's chestnut flower, so it has a little bitterness."
"The taste changes depending on the flower... come to think of it, that's true. By the
way, when you say honey, you call it 'honey’ in English right?"
"…Can you call me 'honey'?"¹
"…Honey."
"Aww, that's so sweet!"
Their conversation made their classmates notice them, causing some of them to
neglect their work. Some of them even accidentally added salt instead of sugar.
"I envy you, Fujiwara. Being able to date a girl like Yuizaki. I want a cute girlfriend too."
"...I also want a boyfriend. A cool one."
"Since Fujiwara-kun was able to get a beauty like Yuizaki-san, maybe we can also get
a super handsome guy if we try our best. It's motivating, isn't it?"
"If I try my best, maybe I can also get a beautiful girlfriend..."
"What does Shihouin-kun think of me, I wonder..."
As the sweetness in the air affected them, everyone appeared to be tempted to
consume sugar themselves, of a different type. All you could hear were murmurs that
hinted at their uncontrollable cravings for something sweet.

The school festival was going smoothly, and Sandai thought time would continue to
pass peacefully… but the behind-the-scenes work began to get busier.
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. They were meant to just be
running a simple café, without a trace of novelty, so he didn't understand why it was
getting busier.
That’s when Sandai caught a glimpse of the scene. He saw an endless sea of male
customers. He also saw girls dressed in provocative outfits, wearing bunny ears, cat
ears, garter belts, and so on, serving customers. It was a spectacle that made him want
to cover his eyes for various reasons, but looking back, the writing was on the wall from
the start.
Shino had refused to wear revealing clothes, but the vibe was strange, as if it was
normal to wear them. That made it pretty obvious it was never meant to be an ordinary
cafe.
"You came at just the right time, Fujiwara-kun.”
A hand suddenly grabbed the collar of his uniform and he let out a “Guh!” When he
turned around, he saw the class rep.
 "To be honest, I made one more sign than I needed. It's a waste not to use it, so I want
you to help me attract customers. Walk around the school with this."
The class rep handed Sandai a suspicious black sign.
"Um... It's wrong to make me do this just because you have an extra sign. That wasn't
part of the agreement."
"I can't hear you. As they say, 'time and tide wait for no man,' Fujiwara-kun."
Strong-armed by the class rep, Sandai took a look at the sign suspiciously.
Large pink letters inside a circle read–

[“Cute giwls in daring thweads, meowing as she catews to your evewy whim,
meow!”]

It looked like a sign for a brothel. It definitely looked like something that would get them
in trouble with adults, but strangely the straight-laced class rep didn't question it. But
looking into his sparkling eyes, Sandai could tell he’d lost his calm composure.
This was basically their last school festival. Although the class rep had said so,
everyone was getting so passionate about it that they were forgetting common sense
and throwing themselves into it with all their energy. Since none of his classmates were
particularly concerned about it, it was clear that the whole class was caught up in the
mood.
It was pointless to point out anything to someone who couldn't see what was going on
around them and would only lead to an argument. Sandai didn't want to get involved in
unnecessary trouble, so he reluctantly accepted the task.
For now, he'd wander around holding the sign to keep up appearances. As long as it
looks like he's doing his job, even if it's half-hearted, people should be satisfied. But
perhaps because he had this mindset, he wasn't being careful enough as he walked
around the school - and ended up running into someone he shouldn't have.
“–Hey, Fujiwara, what’s with the sign?”
Nakaoka-sensei had found him in the middle of the festival.
"Cute giwls in daring thweads, meowing as she catews to your evewy whim, meow? I
remember giving permission for a café, but I don't recall giving permission for something
like a nightclub."
"Well..."
"What exactly is going on?"
"I was just told to promote it with this sign…"
"Hmm."
Nakaoka-sensei placed a her hand on her chin and frowned.
 "Anyway... since the school festival is open to the public, it means that it will be seen
by a large number of people. Some consideration is necessary for this kind of event. It's
too late to change the purpose of the show now, so our class will have to cancel it."
Sandai thought that was the right decision. Even if it was the result of their enthusiasm
for creating memories, the fact that high school students were openly imitating
suspicious shops in broad daylight was obviously deserving of blame and criticism.
Sandai looked up at the sky. It was still around noon. While the school festival as a
whole was just getting started, Sandai's class’ festival had already come to an end
without reaching its climax.

—The café is closed.

Nakaoka-sensei entered the classroom with a sigh after posting the notice on the door.
Then, her students started complaining to her one after another.
"We didn't have any physical contact!"
"We just dressed up a little sexy, that's all..."
"It was a bit embarrassing, but some people even gave us tips..."
"We just ran a café in unusual outfits! The people who think it's erotic are the actual
perverts!"
After giving her whining students a glare, Nakaoka-sensei took a deep breath and
shouted loudly.
"Don't complain! Shut up!"
While Nakaoka-sensei enjoyed the wildness of her students’ youth, she also knew
when to put her foot down. She valued her students' independence, but she would get
angry if they crossed a line they shouldn't have.
After being yelled at, the students seemed to have finally understood that they had
crossed the bounds of common sense, and began to surrender one by one.
"Y-yes..."
"S-sorry, Nakaoka-sensei..."
"Sorry about that."
"Hey, what kind of talk is that? Are you really reflecting on what you've done? ...Well,
forget it. The school festival is open to the public, so a lot of people come. If we receive
complaints and the principal or the head teacher hears about it, it could be a big
problem. I might not be able to protect you. Ugh... garter belts and bunny girl outfits... I
don't know where you got them, but I'm confiscating all of them."
 Nakaoka-sensei threw the various costumes into cardboard boxes and said, "Alright
then, let’s disband! You can still enjoy the rest of the school festival as a guest and
watch other classes' performances!"
She slammed the door shut and left.
The classroom was filled with a heavy silence, but as time passed, more and more
students began to face the reality of the cancellation and disappeared one by one from
the room. Sandai and Shino weren't particularly enthusiastic about participating in the
first place, so they weren't disappointed like their classmates. They didn’t care.
"Well… It feels like the school festival ended in a flash without us realizing it, doesn't
it?"
"There's nothing we can do about what's already ruined. Let's go watch other classes'
and grades' performances. We have nothing else to do anyway."
"Ah well, it's already ruined. Let's just check out the other classes and grades'
performances. We've got nothing better to do."
"Okay."
As Sandai and Shino left the classroom as if nothing had happened, they heard the
class rep’s desperate scream from behind them.
"Uwaaaaa! It was supposed to be a school festival that would be remembered
foreverrrrrr!"
The class rep’s enthusiasm for the school festival was certainly genuine. That much
was obvious. But, there was a balance to everything. It was bad that he lost his
common sense because it was essentially the last school festival for their class. In other
words, it was his own fault…
Even so, there was still one girl who was worried about the class rep. It was Takasago.
She hurried to his side. If there was any silver lining, it seemed that Takasago and the
class rep’s relationship would take another step forward. Being comforted during times
of heartbreak was a classic way to move forward in a romantic relationship. At times like
that, it’s best not to get involved, so Sandai decided to leave them to it and started
touring the school festival with Shino.
They went around and saw each class's exhibits one by one. There were exhibits, live
performances, and plays in the gymnasium - with the sheer quantity of attractions and
classes, it was a challenge to see everything.
"I'm kinda tired. Carry me~" Shino said, closing her eyes.
Shino did seem tired from walking, but it was also pretty obvious she wanted to be
pampered.
...Alright. Come here."
"Ugh."
Sandai had carried Shino before, so he knew she was very light. Even Sandai, who
didn’t have much physical or muscular strength, didn't find it too difficult. As a normal
guy, Sandai was naturally attracted to Shino's slender and soft body, but he resisted the
urge to act on his desires. It was precisely because he didn't want to be selfish and only
think about his own satisfaction that Shino felt comfortable enough to rely on him. He
didn’t want to do anything to betray that trust.
"Go-go"
"Okay, okay."
"That's not a horse's neigh."
"Hee-hin... is this good enough?"
“Good.”
Carrying Shino attracted all kinds of attention, but Sandai was already used to
receiving curious glances from people. Sandai had always been thick-skinned, but
recently he had become even more so, to the point where he didn’t care how he was
perceived by others.
They made their way through the crowd and found a bench, which Sandai lowered
Shino onto.
"Phew, found a bench. Rest time."
"I'll go buy some drinks from the vending machine. Is there anything you want?"
"I'm okay."
"I want to do something boyfriend-like for you by getting you a drink. Besides... you've
been making me lunch all the time lately."
“…Thanks. Then I want milk tea. I think they sell it here.”
"Okay, got it."

With a clunk, the milk tea fell from the vending machine's dispenser. Sandai fished it
out and leisurely started heading back to Shino–
He heard a strange noise coming from the school infirmary he happened to be passing
by. Sandai couldn't resist stopping.
"Ho, hop.”
"Nakaoka-sensei...you still seem embarrassed. You don't look like a rabbit at all."
"No, at my age, it's just not right to dress up as a rabbit like this..."
"It's okay! You’re totally still young enough to pull it off. Just barely, though."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, it is! Being in your early 30s still counts as being young... Alright then, try to
really get into the mindset of a rabbit and do it one more time. From the top - one, two,
three...hop!"
"Hop!"
 The conversation piqued Sandai’s curiosity, so he quietly eased opened the door to
the infirmary.
There, he saw his homeroom teacher dressed as a bunny girl. She was shaking her
butt while making rabbit ears with both hands on her head, repeating "hop, hop" in time
with the clapping of the female school nurse.
"Nakaoka-sensei… what are you doing?"
As a dumbstruck Sandai muttered his question, both Nakaoka-sensei and the school
nurse turned around at the same time. The two women in their thirties froze, with wide
eyes and sweat beading on their foreheads. Gulp. Sandai swallowed hard.
 Nakaoka-sensei was wearing one of the costumes confiscated from the students
during her lecture. She had borrowed it without permission and was pretending to be a
bunny.
"Sensei..."
“...Hop, hop. That's not me, hop. I'm Usachan², that's who, hop. There's no woman
named Nakaoka here, hop. Fujiwara-kun didn't see anything, ho… p.”
Sandai had a gut feeling it was best to pretend what he had just witnessed never
happened.
Nakaoka-sensei was not only a teacher, but also a human being who had probably
made a mistake in a moment of weakness. She couldn't have imagined being caught by
one of her students, especially one from her own class. It was easy to tell from her
reaction that she was in a state of panic. This was a situation where Nakaoka-sensei's
job as a teacher and, above all, her dignity as a woman, were being threatened. If
Sandai wanted to protect those, he should simply forget what he saw.
If Sandai were the type to take advantage of someone's weakness to make them do
what he wants, he would be thrilled to have such a "good story" up his sleeve.
Unfortunately or not, he wasn’t that kind of guy.
Besides, Sandai owed Nakaoka-sensei a favor. Recently, she pretended not to notice
when she caught Sandai and Shino kissing in the school hallway. This was a perfect
opportunity for Sandai to return the favor, so he turned robotically and left the room,
closing the door to the infirmary behind him–

—"...Is that student in your class?"

—"...Yes."
—"..."
—"..."
—“Looks like we've been caught.”
—“I-it's your fault! You're the one who made me do it!”
—"Well, I did suggest it, but it was your decision to do it! You're an adult, so you should
take responsibility for your actions–"
—"Shut up, shut up, shut up! I don't want to hear your excuses! And what's with this
lewd body of yours? Hmm?"
—“Please stop~ Don't touch me~.”

Sandai had sworn in his heart to forget everything he had just seen, but it was difficult
to do so. The image of Nakaoka-sensei in a bunny outfit was still burned into his brain,
even after he returned to Shino.
 But he had to forget. Sandai shook his head and forcibly pushed Nakaoka-sensei out
of his mind.
"...What's the matter?"
"I met a big rabbit. That's all."
"A rabbit?"
"Nakao-... never mind. Anyway, here's your milk tea."
Sandai swallowed the name he was about to blurt out and handed Shino her drink,
before sitting down next to her.
Shino tilted her head slightly, but seeing Sandai's dead fish eyes, she didn't press the
matter any further and started drinking from the can.
"...This is so yummy."
"That's good."
"Yup. Thanks… oh, did you forget to buy one for yourself?"
"I'm not that thirsty."
It was true that Sandai wasn't thirsty, but Shino offered him half of her drink anyway.
"Let's split it, ‘kay? You can drink the rest since I already had half."
Sandai could have refused, but he knew that Shino wouldn't be satisfied with that, so
he accepted her offer. He gulped down the remaining tea and threw the empty can into
the trash can, the clang of the can falling echoed in the hallway.
The evening sun was starting to set, casting its light into the hallway. The school
festival was over, and students were starting to clean up.
Many classes were planning to go out for meals or karaoke for their after-party, but
Sandai's class had canceled their attraction and some classmates were still around,
trying to find someone to hang out with. But, Sandai and Shino decided to skip the
party. They wanted to spend time alone together.
"...Let's go home."
"...Yeah."
They took a walk around town, stopped by Sandai's apartment, and spent some time
relaxing together before Sandai escorted Shino to the station.
He kissed her goodbye and watched her leave on the train before checking his watch.
"10 PM..."
He had some time before the late-night anime started, so he wondered if he could
study a little.
As he yawned and left the station, his smartphone dinged.
"... Is it from Shino? No, it's someone else… a text message. Who could it be from?"
He thought it might be a long-awaited message from his parents, but if it were, their
name would be displayed. However, only the phone number was shown. In other words,
the sender was unknown.
"Is it a prank message sent to a random number?"
 That was the first thing that came to mind, but Sandai also considered the possibility of
an urgent message from a government office or electric company, so he opened it just
to be sure–

The identity of the sender was obvious.

"...Sensei."
As for how Nakaoka-sensei got Sandai's phone number, it was probably through the
school’s network. Sandai's own mobile number was listed on the network due to his
parents being overseas. Nakaoka-sensei probably found it and sent the message.
Perhaps it was because she was embarrassed to talk directly, but she chose to send a
text message instead of calling. Sandai typed his reply–

It wasn’t clear whether Nakaoka-sensei was relieved or sensed that Sandai was
trustworthy, but he didn't send any followup messages.
Sandai shrugged his shoulders and sighed, but then he received another message
from someone else. It seemed Sandai's phone was working overtime that day.
"What is it this time..."
As he groaned and checked the sender, it was from the aquarium where he had
received a job offer. They apologized for contacting him late at night and explained the
job details and training, asking him to come at 1 p.m. on the following Sunday.
"Next Sunday, huh..."
Sandai had no special plans for the following Sunday, and Shino also had work during
the day. In other words, Sandai was free all day. Since he had no particular reason to
refuse, Sandai replied with his agreement.

Even in the limited time they had, Sandai spent his days cuddling with Shino and,
before he knew it, Sunday had arrived.
He checked the time designated by the aquarium, got himself ready and headed out.
As it was a Sunday, the streets were crowded with people, and he walked carefully,
avoiding bumping into anyone. He had left with some extra time, so he arrived at the
destination 20 minutes early. He saw Hajime already there waiting.
"Fujiwara-kun!"
“Oh.. Saeki-kun?”
 Sandai felt a strange sense of nostalgia seeing Hajime again, even though it hadn't
been that long since their interview.
"It feels like we haven't seen each other in six months."
"What? It hasn't been that long. We had the interview just last week. Geez, don't make
unfunny jokes like that," Hajime retorted.
With a pout and pointed lips, Hajime looked down with his cheeks puffed up.
The gestures were very cute and endearing - but Hajime was a boy. While he looked
like a girl from every conceivable angle, he was a boy.
“A feminine looking man is not a man… yet the fact remains that they still exist that
way."
"Wha-what are you saying? You're saying weird things... Is this some kind of
philosophical discussion or something?"
"The world is full of many mysteries, that's all."
"Hmm... By the way, you didn’t contact me at all."
"Contact?"
"We exchanged info, but you didn’t contact me at all, so I’ve been feeling a little
lonely."
"It's just my personality."
“So you just like ignoring people?"
“Are you making fun of me?”
"That's not what I meant, but..."
"Well, you know… I don't know what to do when it comes to contacting people. I used
to be a complete loner, so it's better if you contact me instead."
"I feel like I'm losing if I contact you first~"
"It's not about winning or losing."
As they chatted, Mika Komaki showed up carrying a new looking box.
"You're both early. Impressive, impressive."
"Good morning!"
"Good morn...good morning?"
Sandai cocked his head in confusion as Hajime greeted Mika as if it were morning,
even though it was already afternoon.
Hajime let out a proud “Ehehe” and launched into an explanation.
"In the service industry, we usually say 'good morning' when we start work. I don't
know why, but it's the norm."
"That's right. As Saeki-kun said, it's common to say 'Good morning' when starting work
in the service industry. I'm not really sure why either."
The two of them, Hajime and Mika, came to the same conclusion despite having no
particular connection to each other, meaning it must be a “common sense” thing.
As Sandai nodded in understanding, Komaki brought out a brand new cardboard box.
 "Well, never mind the origin of greetings… on to today's main topic. Both of you,
change into these right away."
Inside the cardboard box were work clothes and boots with the aquarium's logo, and
the realization that he was really starting to work was beginning to sink in. But it seemed
that the sensation was unique to Sandai. Hajime, who already had some work
experience, took it nonchalantly with an "Okay".
"Hey, hey, there's a picture of a dolphin on the back of these work clothes!"
Yeah, guess so."
"The changing room is...over there. Shall we change together?"
“Ah, yeah-”
–Oh right. Changing together with Hajime... There was no need to worry since they
were both guys, but still, Sandai felt kind of weird about it.
"I'll change in the bathroom."
"Why? Let's change together."
“Just feel like it.”
“You don’t like me?”
"It's not that, but I just prefer changing alone."
Hajime seemed disappointed with Sandai’s vague excuse, but said “I see” and
accepted it anyway. He felt a sense of guilt, but he had a gut feeling that something
important would be revealed if they changed together - something he shouldn't know.
Sandai quickly went into the bathroom with his work clothes and started changing. He
was a bit flustered and took some time, but he managed to finish.
When he came out into the hallway, Hajime had already finished changing and was
waiting with his back against the wall.
"You waited for me? You didn't have to…"
"Don't say sad things like that. I want to get closer to you… want to link arms?"
Sandai felt unsure about whether linking arms was a sign of closeness between two
guys. He didn’t really understand, but he felt like it was different somehow.
"...Is linking arms something guys do to show they're close?"
"Yeah, even guys who are close link arms sometimes. You might not know since
you’re always alone, Fujiwara-kun, but that's how it is nowadays."
"O-oh really?
"Just kidding! Hehe. But really, you’re so cute, Fujiwara-kun."
With a look on his face that seemed to say "I did it," Hajime broke into a broad smile.
Hajime may have not been aware of it, but his way of teasing people was just like a
girl’s. Combined with his appearance, Hajime was the perfect image of a beautiful girl
that men dream of, so Sandai could somewhat understand why people were trying to
dress him up as a girl.
 Anyway, after changing clothes and returning to Mika, they were given a paper with
the next set of work instructions, a brazier, and garbage bags.
"It's more like training for the job rather than a set of instructions...there's nothing that
requires a high level of skill. Just follow the instructions on this paper and you'll be fine.
No special techniques or skills are required!"
There were some things that seemed to require water purification knowledge, but
there was a note saying the supervisor would give instructions. It didn’t seem like
anything to stress about.
"Today, the goal is to get a rough sense of the work environment, so let's take it easy.
Of course, we'll count today's work hours properly. Let's start with picking up the
garbage around here."
Garbage collection went smoothly and without issue, but soon they came to a fork in
the road and decided to split up.
On his route, Sandai slowly and calmly collected the garbage, not in any rush. He
wasn't being lazy, but he took his time, like he did when he was studying. Doing those
kinds of tedious tasks needed patience to get good results, rather than trying to rush
through them. And so, Sandai calmly collected each piece of trash without missing any,
and the bag quickly filled up.
When Sandai returned to the aquarium, it looked like he was the first one back, as
there was no sign of Fujiwara or Mika. The pair of them returned about ten minutes
later.
“You’re fast, Fujiwara-kun…”
“Saeki-kun and I took a little longer. Well, it can't be helped that boys move and have
different stamina than girls."
"I'm also a boy..."
"Oh, that's right. Saeki-kun is also a boy. Okay, then let's start sorting the collected
trash."
As if to cover up her careless remark, Mika opened the garbage bag and approached
Sandai cautiously.
"Hey... Fujiwara-kun, you've tried it and probably realized that cleaning is a boring job,
right?"
Mika’s tone was probing, as if she was testing him. She seemed worried Sandai would
say he didn't want to do it. As Mika said herself, cleaning was boring work. But, not all
young people shied away from them, and Sandai applied for this job precisely because
it was a cleaning job.
"Personally, I think this kind of work is quite interesting, you know?" Sandai said
calmly.
Mika’s face lost its sadness and brightened up as she smiled shyly.
 "... I guess you're right. A lot of young people only think about whether they can make
a flashy impact, but that doesn't mean these humble but necessary jobs can't be
interesting too. You seem like you’ll become a reliable and admirable man,
Fujiwara-kun. Should Onee-san mark you as mine?"³
It was probably just a joke, but if she was serious, it would be a problem. So Sandai
immediately said, "I’ve already been marked, so please stop."
"You’ve already been marked? Huh. Do you have a girlfriend?"
Komaki seemed surprised that Sandai, whom she saw as "plain," had a girlfriend, and
looked quite puzzled.
"What's with that look? I really do have a girlfriend."
"...What kind of girl is she?"
"Do I have to tell you?"
"Maybe she doesn't really exist?"
"I'm telling you, she exists..."
"Then tell me."
Not wanting to be doubted any longer, Sandai gave up and showed Mika a picture of
Shino he had saved on his smartphone.
"This is her."
Wow, she's a beautiful girl... I don't stand a chance against her, do I?"
It was hard to tell whether it was a joke or not due to Mika's casual tone, but in any
case, seeing Shino seemed to have satisfied her curiosity.
"Sigh... Onee-san wants a boyfriend too."
"I don't know how old you are, Komaki-san, but you seem to be an adult, so it's
dangerous to go for high school boys."
"I'm not that old, you know? I'm only 28."
"You're about ten years older than me...?"
Although Mika laughed it off, there was a hint of regret in her eyes. It seemed she
wouldn’t be asking any more strange questions.
After that, they went around the building once, Mika saying “like this” as she showed
them how to clean each area as simply as possible.
"...That's the end of the training. Is there anything else you'd like to know? As for the
shift schedule, I'll contact you later with a temporary version, so just let me know if there
are any issues at that time. Okay then, you're free to go home!"
Sandai and Hajime said goodbye to Mika, who wiped her forehead as if she had just
finished a hard day’s work, and changed back into their regular clothes before heading
outside. Obviously, they changed in separate places.
Sandai let out a yawn and was about to leave, when Hajime called out to him, “Wait a
minute.”
"Hey, Fujiwara-kun. I overheard your conversation with Komaki-san earlier."
 "My conversation with Komaki-san...?"
"Yeah. Do you have a girlfriend, Fujiwara-kun?"
"Oh, that's what it was about. Yeah, I do."
"I heard she's really beautiful. Show me too!"
Hajime clung to Sandai's arm and begged him to show him a picture of Shino. Well, it
wouldn't make sense to show Mika but not Hajime. Hajime would feel bad if he felt like
he was being left out.
"This is her."
When Sandai showed a photo of Shino, Hajime exclaimed, "Wow."
"Do you know her?"
"She's really famous. Someone always brings her up at my school. Yuizaki-san doesn't
seem to have any social media presence, so there's no way to contact her, which
makes her even more valuable to some guys."
"She said she doesn't use social media because she doesn't want to receive weird
DMs."
"I see… But how did you meet such a guarded person like Yuizaki-san?"
"We go to the same school."
"I see...then it should be easy to become friends with her."
Suddenly, a small gust of wind blew, and a sweet, soft scent wafted from Hajime. It
was the same scent as Shino's.
"That smell just now..."
"Huh?"
"No, I just thought I smelled something nice coming from you."
"A nice scent? Maybe it's scented hand cream? Here, try smelling my hand a little."
Hajime offered his hand, and Sandai smelled it. He could definitely smell the scent of
the hand cream.
"This is a new product from Jill. It's a classic brand of high-end cosmetics. They have a
lot of cute designs on their packaging, so it's popular as a gift."
Ignoring the fact that a boy like Hajime was using women's cosmetics, Sandai zoomed
in on the part where Hajime said it was popular as a gift. He remembered the
underwear he bought for Shino as a Christmas present. It may be a bit late, but he felt
that giving underwear as a gift was a bit strange.
"Popular as a gift, huh..."
"Yeah."
"By any chance, do you think it's popular as a gift for Christmas or birthdays?"
"Yeah."
"...I see. By the way."
"What?"
 "What do you think if a girl was given underwear as a gift? Especially if it's something
pretty sexy."
"Huh? Oh... I think it depends on the girl's personality... But wouldn't most girls be
confused? I mean, if you think about it normally, would you give someone underwear as
a gift? If you put yourself in the other person's shoes, you can understand. For example,
what if Yuizaki-san gave you some really vulgar men's underwear with a weird design?"
"I’d wonder what she was thinking...I guess."
"Right? It's the same thing."
Sandai broke out in a sudden cold sweat. The underwear he bought impulsively,
influenced by Miki, was not thought through properly. After all, Miki had a bit of a
childish personality.
“…I had fun and I'm satisfied in lots of ways.”
He finally understood the reason Miki left in a hurry after saying that. Just imagining
what happened afterwards made her so excited and happy. But it was too late. He didn't
have the financial leeway to buy another present now. All he could do was pray that he
wouldn't be seen as a "pervert."
Sandai's footsteps became heavy, and the mood gloomy, but Hajime tried to cheer him
up.
Hajime slapped Sandai's back with a "Come on!"
"Whoa… what was that for…?"
"I don't really know, but did you mess up picking a present or something? It's okay. I'm
sure it'll be fine."
"...What's your basis for that?"
“Girls are surprisingly forgiving compared to guys. If she's dating you, she must like
you too, right? So don't worry. Even if the guy she likes is a little weird, she'll forgive
him. It's kind of cute, you know? That's just how it is."
It was a mystery how much of a deep understanding of women's hearts a boy like
Hajime had, but Sandai felt a little better. His heart felt lighter all of a sudden.
"Thank you."
As Sandai smiled, Hajime stared at him intently. His large eyes, which seemed to be
dilated, were moist and glistening. It felt like they were sucking him in.
Without thinking, Sandai returned the gaze, but then Hajime turned around and said,
"You're welcome. Hehe... you’re so cute, Fujiwara-kun. Well then, see you later" he
said, waving as he slowly walked away.
Sandai stared at Hajime's back intently, but eventually realized that it was almost time
for Shino's shift to end. It was Sunday and her shift ended at 6pm. Checking his phone,
he saw it was 5:45pm. He had to run to make it on time, and he just barely made it to
the café five minutes early.
"Oh? Shino-chan's boyfriend has arrived."
 "Thank you."
"Please follow me."
Sandai was led to the most inconspicuous seat in the back, and the special tea for
boyfriends was immediately offered. Sandai drank the tea, which was steaming slightly,
in one gulp.
Shino, who had changed into her regular clothes, came out from the staffroom.
"Yaho~"
"Hi."
"Let's go home."
As they stepped outside the shop, a cold wind blew through the gaps between the
buildings.
"...That wind just now was really cold."
"Yeah, it was."
Sandai drew closer to Shino than usual, and held her hand tightly. Although her hand
was a little cold, as he continued to hold it, a warm feeling gradually spread throughout
his body. As they walked towards his apartment, Sandai looked at the side of Shino's
face.
Hajime's encouragement had lightened his heart a little, but he was still anxious about
how Shino would react when he gave her the Christmas present.
"What's up?"
"No, it's just..."
"Ah, I know! Wait a minute!"
Shino rummaged through her bag and pulled out a scarf. She wrapped half of it
around her own neck and then the other half around Sandai's.
"Your neck was cold, right? This will keep you warm, yeah?"
"...Yeah, it's warm."
"Told you so."
Sandai chuckled wryly. Somehow, the tension from earlier had dissipated.
And then he realized something.
Shino was a kind girl who always looked after him, and at the very least, she was not
the type to get angry. He was sure of that.
As for the present… he would just have to be careful next time. That was all he
needed to do.
"What's with the super serene face all of a sudden?”
"It's nothing."
"Really...? You look kinda like a Buddha statue or something, or is it just my
imagination?"
"Yeah. It's just your imagination... Huh?"
Suddenly, Sandai's smartphone dinged.
 "It's a message."
“Who from?”
"I don't know. Let me check."
He had received a new message from his father, which simply said, "How have you
been lately?"
"...It's from my dad. That's unusual."
"Your dad, huh?"
"He's asking for an update on what’s been going on. I can't ignore it since I'm living on
my own with his permission, after all."
"Will you talk about me too?”
"Definitely. Actually, you'll be the main topic. I want to keep it short, though…"
"Sandai, you're not a fan of long messages, huh? I still remember when you first
messaged me and only sent your name. By the way, I still have it saved. Wanna see?"
"N-No, it's okay."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure… but what should I write?"
"Just go with your gut and write what you feel. The first words that pop into your head
are usually the most genuine and heartfelt, y’know? Whether you write it down or say it
out loud, it doesn't matter. That's how I do it, anyway."
"I see..."
Following Shino's advice, Sandai quickly typed out his thoughts. Sandai quickly sent a
message that explained his relationship with Shino, who he had started dating after she
took a liking to him, and since then he had fallen completely in love with her.
"I might be doomed, as the gyaru in the seat behind me seems to like me."
"Hmm..."
After sending the message, Sandai realized that they had forgotten to convert the
word “gyaru" to kanji, and had accidentally sent it in hiragana instead.
"...Is something wrong?"
"I made a mistake while typing. I left 'gyaru' in hiragana."
"Is that okay?"
"It’s not a big deal. The hiragana version is rounder and cuter anyways."
Sandai nodded, and put away his smartphone.

¹Shino is asking Sandai to use the English term of endearment “honey” instead of the Japanese word for
honey “mitsu”.
²"Usachan" is a combination of the Japanese words for "rabbit" and a suffix used to indicate cuteness. It
is often used as a nickname or name for cute or cartoonish rabbit characters in Japanese media.
³Mika is referring to herself as Onee-san, or older sister, in a playful way.
Epilogue

December approached and winter began in earnest. As the days passed by in a

whirlwind, this was just one small moment that went otherwise unnoticed in the endless
flow of daily life.
While the two of them were lounging around in Sandai’s apartment, Shino noticed that
the closet was half-open.
"Hey, this closet isn't closed properly. Can I close it? Were you trying to do something
with it?"
"Huh? Oh, I just forgot to close it.
"You’ve gotta be more careful… Huh?”
"What's wrong?"
"There's something wrapped up all nicely in here... What could it be?"
As Shino held up the package with a puzzled look on her face, Sandai felt shock run
through him.
That package was Shino's Christmas present. He couldn't just give it to her now, since
it wouldn't have the same meaning as giving it on Christmas Day. He snatched the
present from Shino and hid it behind his back.
"This is a no-go!"
"Hey..."
“A no-go is a no-go!”
"...Why do you wanna hide it so badly? It doesn't look like anything weird from the
wrapping."
“It’s a no-go. For now…”
As Sandai spoke with a downcast expression, Shino placed her index finger on her
chin and tilted her head.
Shino, who had a sharp intuition at times like that, quickly arrived at the correct answer
and smiled with joy.
"'For now'...hmm."
"You might be curious, but forget about it for now. No matter what anyone says or
does, I won't give it to you until Christmas."
"Okay then."
"Huh...?"
Surprised by her giving up so easily, Sandai looked at her in confusion.
"I don't know what's inside, but I'm looking forward to Christmas.”
With that, his cheeky and adorable gyaru girlfriend stuck out her tongue playfully and
winked.
Afterword

The meeting between Sandai-kun and Shino-chan in the story was purely coincidental,
and there were no special circumstances or reasons that led to their relationship. The
two of them had no connection, but they became a couple in a typical high school
fashion, swept up in the excitement and atmosphere. Their hearts were moved by every
word and small action, experiencing a genuine and earnest youth and romance that was
neither adult nor childlike. This is the concept behind the novel, which aims to depict
these aspects while incorporating light novel elements such as interesting plot
developments, settings, and characters.
The unique atmosphere of the work, including the characters, has made me anxious
about whether readers will accept it. However, I am filled with gratitude towards those
who have picked up the book from bookstores or specialty shops, and I would like to
express my thanks to them directly. However, I am quite shy, so I may not be able to do
anything grand.
Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank
you to everyone who has picked up the book. I hope that you feel that it was worth the
price.
By the way, this work was also a winner in the Kakuyomu Contest and was
subsequently published as a book. In the process of publishing, there were changes
and additions made to the text and plot, so I tried my best to ensure that even those
who have read the web version would be satisfied.
The work on the book began when the publishing process started, and although I
wanted to make it as high-quality as possible, there were also deadlines to consider.
However, I did my best within the time allowed.
As for the possibility of a sequel, the light novel industry has become even more
competitive in recent years, so I am not sure if it will be possible to publish one.
However, I am writing the second volume (somewhat recklessly) in anticipation of a
positive outcome. If there is a sequel, most of it will consist of completely new content.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved. Thank you to Higure
Hizuki-sama for drawing such wonderful illustrations. When I saw the character designs
and cover roughs, I was overwhelmed. Thank you to the proofreaders, editors, book
designers, and printers. Without all of you, this work would not have taken shape and
been released. And thank you to my editor, Take-chan, who has been busy with various
tasks and responsibilities but has still helped me with the creation of this work.
Author, Michinoku Koharu