Chapter 3: You Can Also Build a Community with a Cross-dressing Maiden
Mizuki Saionji is a girl. Yes, or no.
In order to clarify the truth of the matter, I tried making small talk with Mizuki about this and that every time a break rolled around. But none of it led to certainty, and I welcomed the fourth period, PE class, without reaching an answer.
The gymnasium is located a fair distance away from the North Building where we normally study. It was just built, so the facilities inside are fully equipped. There are showers, changing rooms, and an indoor pool. And when we arrived in front of the boys’ changing room, located straight down the hallway extending from the entrance, Mizuki suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
“Well then, I’m going to go change in the bathroom like always. Head to the gym first.” “…Oh.”
Up until now, Mizuki had never changed in the changing room with the other guys. I was absolutely certain he was just shy, but could it be that he really is… No, how could there be such a ridiculous story.
I was with Mizuki all the time during our first year. If he was a girl, I definitely would have noticed. Sure, the curve of Mizuki’s waist is strangely alluring, his voice is high, his face is incredibly cute, and there’s a faint, sweet scent whenever I’m near him, but… even so… ………… No, let’s stop thinking too deeply about it for now.
The gymnasium arena. Boys and girls take classes in the same arena, but a green net is strung from the ceiling between the boys’ and girls’ areas so we don’t interfere with each other.
Before the basketball lesson officially started, we paired up to do warm-up exercises. As a matter of course, Mizuki jogged over with light steps. “Alright, Kota. Time for warm-ups!” “…Y-Yeah.”
Mizuki being a girl… that’s definitely impossible, right…
Mizuki forcibly made an unenthusiastic me sit on the floor, then gently placed his hands on my thighs. “Alright, stretch your legs out straight.”
The sensation of Mizuki’s fingertips traced my thighs through my jersey. As I stretched my legs forward as told, Mizuki put his weight onto both of my shoulders. “You’re so stiff, Kota~. You need to stretch properly~.” “…I guess.” “Hm? What’s wrong? You’re even gloomier than usual?” “No, it’s nothing…” “Really?”
I’m sure that to an onlooker, this would seem like just a casual page of everyday life. However. For me, who could hear inner voices, it was hard to call this everyday life.
“Fufufu. But still, the fact that Kota is a bit gloomy and quiet is what makes him so great. We surprisingly get along, and it’s not exhausting to be around him. Ah, having friends is so nice.”
N-No, no. It’s still too early to judge that Mizuki really is a girl. I can constantly hear Mizuki’s inner voice, but to begin with, the one who said my mind-reading ability only lets me hear the voices of the opposite sex was that half-assed Nekohime-sama. It wouldn’t be strange if I could hear the inner voices of the same sex by some fluke… probably.
“Even so, Kota is as dense as ever~. Even though I get this close, he doesn’t notice I’m a girl at all. Well, as someone hiding my true identity, I’m grateful for it, though.”
S… still… that he’s a girl…
“Alright. Aaaand done. Okay, you’re up next, Kota.” “…Eh?” “Don’t ‘eh’ me. It’s your turn to push my back, Kota.” “Push? Me…?” “What’s with that question… Are you saying my flexibility doesn’t matter?” “No, that’s not what I…” “Then come on, hurry up.”
I placed my hands on the shoulders of Mizuki, who was rushing me with his legs stretched straight out, and as I slowly applied my weight, Mizuki’s upper body folded perfectly flat against his knees.
“You’re as flexible as always…” “Of course~.”
Because Mizuki bent his upper body so far down, the hands I had placed on his shoulders ended up naturally pressing against his back.
…If Mizuki really is a girl, what is she doing about underwear? From the looks of it, she doesn’t seem to have a chest; is she wrapping herself in bandages? Or maybe wearing some kind of underwear that makes her look smaller? If she’s wearing something like that, would I be able to feel it through her clothes?
“Ahaha! W-Wait a second! Kota!” “…Eh? What’s wrong?” “My back! You’re touching my back too much! It tickles!” “Ah! M-My bad!”
What am I doing…
As I quickly pulled my hands away, Mizuki, cheeks flushed, puffed out his cheeks a little shyly and said, “Jeez. Seriously, Kota~.”
The word ‘cute’ must surely exist for Mizuki’s sake. There is no doubt about it. Looking at his reaction up to this point, I had no choice but to think that Mizuki might really be a girl. However, at the same time, this served as proof that despite being with Mizuki for an entire year, I hadn’t understood a single thing about him.
Not wanting to think of myself as such a callous guy, I gently averted my eyes from Mizuki.
I wasn’t particularly good or bad at basketball, but for someone like me who has never had any connection to the concept of teamwork, the ball rarely ever gets passed my way. However, standing around spacing out while everyone else is desperately sweating buckets would earn me glares, so I was half-heartedly running around toward wherever the ball was. In my hands, something like basketball was no different from the PACER test.
In the midst of that, an incident occurred. “Hey! Are you okay?!” One of the male students yelled out. Looking in the direction of that voice, Mizuki was crouching on the ground, clutching his right leg.
I hurriedly stopped my PACER test and rushed over to the fallen Mizuki. “Are you okay? Did you hurt your leg?”
Mizuki was desperately forcing a smile, even while his face contorted in pain. “A-Ahaha. I messed up my landing when I jumped… I-I’m fine, I’m fine! It’s no big deal!” He tried to stand up as he said that, but the moment he put weight on his right foot, Mizuki crumpled back down onto the spot.
The concerned PE teacher came over and carefully checked Mizuki’s ankle. “This is probably a sprain. I think the pain will subside quickly if we ice it, but go rest in the nurse’s office just in case. Let’s see, the health committee member for this class is…” “Here,” a male student raised his hand. “Iida, huh. Alright, piggyback Saionji to the nurse’s office for me.” “Understood.”
Listening to that conversation, Mizuki clutched his leg, his expression turning pale.
“W-W-W-What should I do! Being piggybacked means, in other words, being in close contact, right?! If I do that, they’ll definitely find out I’m a girl! They’ll absolutely find out!”
It’s true that no matter how well Mizuki could hide his chest visually, an unnatural feeling might arise if someone carried him on their back.
I can’t be certain that Mizuki is a girl, but since I’ve heard his inner voice this clearly, I can’t just leave him be… In this situation, it’s best if I take on the role of piggybacking Mizuki to the nurse’s office. Even if Mizuki really is a girl, I can pretend I didn’t notice the unnatural feeling. For now, it won’t become a huge incident here.
But the problem is how to get that role. If I say I want to carry Mizuki to the nurse’s office for no reason, they might think I’m trying to slack off and stop me. Should I pretend to be feeling sick too? …No, then they’d stop me from carrying Mizuki in the first place. Then how about saying I forgot something and will take him while I go get it… No, that’s impossible too. The only things you could forget for PE are your gym clothes and shoes, and I’m already wearing both.
In that case, here I should—
“Hey, Iida.” Called by me, Iida stopped with a blank look on his face. “Eh?” “I’ll take Mizuki to the nurse’s office in your place.” “…Huh? Why?”
Several students and the PE teacher watched the exchange between me and Iida with puzzled looks. If I were to make a careless remark here, they’d misunderstand and think I was trying to slack off, and my proposal would be rejected. However, I had a proposal that everyone present would agree with.
“Iida, it’s because you’re better at basketball than I am. It’s better for the team if I drop out instead of you. Right?”
Everyone listening on the spot nodded with an “Ah, makes sense,” while simultaneously showering me with gazes that said, “It’s true that it doesn’t matter whether you’re here or not.” …Well, I don’t know if they were actually thinking that.
Iida easily replied, “Then I’ll leave it to you,” and went right back to where he was.
Thanks to my flawless, perfect proposal, not a single voice of objection was raised, even from the PE teacher. Of course not. I wasn’t trying to slack off by any means. I merely made a perfect choice based on a precise analysis of our fighting strength. I understand now. The importance of teamwork.
When I reached Mizuki, he said looking a little awkward, “…The day will come when you can shine in basketball too, Kota. I’m sure of it.” Don’t pity me!
“Forget about that and get on my back.” “Eh, no, that’s… “Kota is dense, so he probably wouldn’t notice even if we’re in close contact, but there’s always a chance…” ” Calling people dense left and right…
“W-What should I do…” “Come on!” “Whoa!”
I forcibly hoisted Mizuki, who couldn’t make up his mind until the very end, onto my back and slowly started walking toward the exit.
“O-Oh no! My chest might have just bumped against him…”
Just as Mizuki feared, something faint but plump and soft bumped against my back… bumped against… …………? ………………?
It seems it’s still too early to throw away the possibility that Mizuki is a guy.
“Thank goodness Kota is dense. Judging from his reaction, it doesn’t look like he’s going to notice.”
I dropped Mizuki off at the nurse’s office, went back to get his change of clothes, and arrived back at the nurse’s office to deliver them. When I opened the door to the nurse’s office, my eyes met Mizuki’s, who was dangling his legs from a bed in the back.
“Ah, you brought my change of clothes? Thanks, Kota.” “Yeah. …Huh? Where’s the school nurse?” “She said she had some business and went out.”
Looking down, I saw a bandage wrapped around Mizuki’s ankle. “Is your leg okay?” “Yeah. Turns out it really was just a sprain. She iced it for me earlier and it’s gotten a lot better. She said the pain will be completely gone in two or three days.” “I see. Glad it wasn’t anything serious.”
I handed over the drawstring bag containing his uniform and placed the shoes he had left at the gym entrance on the floor. “Thanks.”
As he said that, I noticed sweat beading heavily on Mizuki’s forehead. And finally, I realized that the nurse’s office was considerably hotter than it was outside.
“Even so, this room is hot. …Whoa. The heater is on…” “I want to turn it off, but I can’t find the AC remote anywhere…” “No, no, just open a window.” “But if I open a window while the heater is on, the electricity bill…” “An injured person shouldn’t be worrying about that. The one at fault is the teacher who left with the heater on during this season.”
I slid the window open with a clatter, and a cold breeze instantly danced in. Sitting on the bed, Mizuki let out a contented sigh. “Phew~. I’m back to life~. Man, I really should have opened the window sooner. Thanks to that, I’m already drenched in sweat.” “The wind outside is cool, so hurry up and change your clothes. Otherwise, you’ll catch a cold.” “True~.” “Well then, I’m heading back to the gym. If I’m too late, I’ll probably get yelled at.” “Yeah. Thanks for everything.”
I left the nurse’s office and headed for the gym, but immediately stopped in my tracks. Ah, right. Mizuki was sweating, I should probably buy him something to drink.
I bought a plastic bottle of tea from a vending machine in the school and headed back to the nurse’s office with it. “Hey, Mizuki~. I bought some tea—”
The moment I opened the door to the nurse’s office, I was certain. Mizuki was definitely a girl, and I was a callous, hopelessly dense bastard who hadn’t seen through that fact despite being with her for a whole year.
Because, of all things, Mizuki had thrown off her PE jersey and the shirt she had been wearing just moments ago on the bed. Beads of sweat glistened on her exposed, pure white skin, and two slight bulges that I hadn’t noticed when I carried her on my back were clearly visible. Or rather, they were unmistakably breasts.
Mizuki, who had been fanning her face pleasantly with her hand, let out an “Ah” when our eyes met and froze solid. With a clack, the plastic bottle I was holding dropped to the floor and rolled away.
“Eh… um… Mizuki… uh…” “…Ko…ta?” “M-My bad… um… t-tea… I bought, some tea…”
Mizuki’s eyes snapped open wide, and she frantically pulled the bedsheet over herself to hide her chest.
“He found out he found out he found out he found out he found out! Kota found out I’m a girl! What do I do what do I do what do I do! Even if I explain that my family’s tradition says I can’t attend a normal school unless I pretend to be a boy, he’ll absolutely never understand, right?! Then what should I say…”
Mizuki-san, just what kind of household were you raised in…
“Ah, jeez! What should I do! If they find out I’m a girl, I’ll be expelled!” Expelled… Are you serious.
“I finally made a friend, I absolutely don’t want to be expelled!” …………
W-What do I do…? The fact that Mizuki is a girl is already confirmed, but to think she’ll be expelled if it gets found out… It seems to be some weird family tradition, but as for me, I want to be normal friends with Mizuki without hiding anything… But if I do, it’ll mean she’s found out to be a girl and gets expelled… Dammit! What should I do!
As tears began to well up in Mizuki’s eyes, words spilled from my mouth on impulse. “M-Mizuki, you’re surprisingly the type who looks thinner in clothes, huh!”
Mizuki looked at me with her mouth hanging open in a daze. “…Huh?”
Ugh! I acted on impulse and pretended I didn’t notice Mizuki’s true identity, but I guess that won’t work… No, I can’t back down now! I’m pushing through with this!
“But I really don’t think it’s anything to worry about, you know? There are plenty of guys like that.”
“C-Could it be that Kota didn’t realize I’m a girl?”
A-Alright! Yes! Mizuki completely thinks I’m just a dense idiot! That’s exactly why she should believe this utterly absurd story of mine! And if I just keep quiet about Mizuki’s true identity from now on, Mizuki won’t be expelled, and we can stay friends!
Come on, Mizuki! Take the bait!
“D-Did he really not notice? Even with how dense Kota is… B-But, he didn’t notice at all when he carried me on his back earlier… Could it really be…”
Alright. That’s it. Keep it going.
“Wait. If I awkwardly try to hide my chest right now, wouldn’t that actually be more suspicious?” …Hm?
“If Kota hasn’t realized my true identity, then I need to act completely natural like always right now!”
W-Wait a minute, Mizuki-san?
“If that’s the case—”
Mizuki threw off the sheet she had been pressing against her chest, exposing it once again, and with a blushing face, she bluffed in an awkward tone. “…W-Well, actually, yeah. I ended up getting some extra fat around my chest, so I’ve always been embarrassed and changed in the bathroom~.”
W-What is this girl saying with her boobs out… Oh crap… I don’t know if it’s because of her boobs, but Mizuki is starting to look kind of erotic… If she realizes I’m flustered, she’ll find out that I noticed her true identity… I have to pretend like nothing’s wrong here…
“…A-Ahaha. I-I knew it. T-Then, I guess I’ll head back to the gym now. Oh, right. Here, the tea.” “W-Wow, thanks “Kota is acting even weirder than usual…” “
What do you mean ‘even weirder’!
“Could it be he actually did realize I’m a girl? …I-I have to check!”
Mizuki forcefully pulled my hand just as I was trying to leave, and forcibly pressed my palm against her own chest.
GYAAAAAAAH! IT’S SO SOFT!
“W-Wait, Mizuki?!” Acting on reflex, as I applied force to pull my hand back, the fingertips pressed against her chest sank deeply into Mizuki’s breast.
A voice leaked from Mizuki’s mouth. “…Nn.”
Eh? What’s with that erotic voice? Eh? Eh?
Mizuki cleared her throat to cover up the coquettish voice she had unintentionally let out, then, with an expression that looked like she was about to be crushed by embarrassment, she said, “S-See? I-I… I put on this much meat… “Awawawawa! I-I’m so embarrassed I could die! B-But, if he noticed I’m a girl, there’s no way a virgin like Kota wouldn’t frantically pull his hand away!” ”
Eh!? How does she know I’m a virgin!?
Besides, if she says something like that, I can’t run away even if I want to!
C-Calm down… Calm down… If I can just get through this crisis, everything will work out…
“Nn… ah…”
Everything will… work out…
“…Haa haa… nn…”
…………
“…………Ah… nn!”
Please stop making those slightly erotic noises!
I’m not moving my hand, right?! Mizuki is just pressing it hard against herself, right?!
If that’s the case, try to hold back your voice a little more!
Ah… I can’t take it anymore… I can’t stay standing any longer… Mainly for lower-body reasons…
If that happens, it’s all over; she’ll find out I realized her true identity…
Dammit… How long is this going to continue. Please just be convinced already…
…R-Right. At times like this, you count prime numbers.
Let’s see… One, two, three………… wait? Is one a prime number?
Whether the prime number counting operation worked or not, Mizuki finally released my hand.
“Ahhh… That was so embarrassing…”
That’s my line!
Mizuki pretended to be completely unfazed and said,
“A-Ahaha. Just kidding, just kidding. Sorry for doing something weird. “It looks like he really hasn’t figured out I’m a girl after all.” “
“S-Seriously, man~. Cut it out~.”
My heartbeat is going crazy… Also, put your clothes back on quickly, your clothes.
Without waiting for Mizuki to get dressed, I immediately turned on my heel and put some distance between us.
“Well then, see you later~.”
“Yeah. See you later~.”
As I firmly closed the door, Mizuki’s inner voice leaked out from inside.
“Waaaaaahhhhh! What on earth am I dooooing!”
She’s writhing in agony…
………………Even so.
A woman’s breasts, even if they’re small, are actually pretty soft.
After school that day, I visited Kagura Neko Shrine to see if there were any new discoveries regarding that ridiculous instruction manual.
It was the same cozy little shrine as always, with no worshippers around, and several cats were playing tag in the precinct.
Confirming there was no one around, I gently opened the door to the worship hall. Inside, I found Nekohime-sama enthusiastically slapping around a mari (traditional embroidered ball) about the size of a small watermelon, looking like she was having a blast.
Are all gods like this?
“Um, Nekohime-sama…”
When I called out, Nekohime-sama, who had been completely absorbed in the ball, flinched and her fur stood on end.
“Nya!? H-Hey! Knock before you enter!”
The ball she had been playing with rolled over to my feet, and I immediately picked it up.
“If you’re playing around, that must mean you’ve completely finished that deciphering, right?”
Perhaps because I interrupted her playtime, Nekohime-sama plopped down onto her cushion looking sullen.
“Deciphering, you say? …Hmph. You come here making demands without bringing even a single souvenir. This is exactly why I dislike humans.”
If we’re getting down to it, this is all your fault!
But well, having her sulk any further would be a pain…
“I get it, I get it. Next time I come, I’ll bring some canned cat food or something.”
“Canned cat food, you say?”
It seemed she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea, as her tail began swishing back and forth.
“Canned cat food is fine, but if you’re going to bring something, make it that. That.”
“That?”
“That liquid snack that comes in a long, thin tube.”
Where the hell did she learn about Churu…
“…Alright, alright, I’ll buy some.”
“Mufufu.”
Wipe your drool.
“So? Did you find out anything new?”
Nekohime-sama roughly wiped the drool from her mouth with her celestial scarf and nodded, “Umu.”
“To be honest, I got bored of deciphering it and haven’t made any progress at all.”
“Hey!”
I impulsively chucked the ball I was holding straight at Nekohime-sama, but she nimbly flipped her body and, with astonishing explosive power, swatted it right back.
“Nyahaha! With a weak, spiritless ball like that, you couldn’t defeat me even if a hundred years passed! Throw it like you actually mean it!”
“Grrr… Talk all you want!”
I picked the ball up again, this time packing all my accumulated resentment and frustration into it, and hurled it at Nekohime-sama with all my might.
However, even my full-powered throw was instantly swatted down the moment it reached Nekohime-sama’s hands.
“Nyaha! How is my physical prowess! Feel the power of a cat god! And revere me! Nyahahahaha!”
Ugh. What a pushy god…
I picked up the ball, intending to throw it from point-blank range this time, but I noticed Nekohime-sama had flattened herself against the floor at some point, swishing her tail in a posture exactly like a cat stalking its prey.
“Come on! Hurry up and hand over the next ball!”
“Nekohime-sama… don’t tell me, you actually want to play?”
“Nya!? Th-Th-Th-That’s… That’s not it at all!”
“Heeere you go, Nekohime-sama. I’m throwing it~.”
As the ball flew in a gentle arc, Nekohime-sama pounced on it with all her might and started furiously batting at it with her paws.
“C-Curse you! My body! My body won’t listen to meee!”
“That’s your instincts talking~.”
“At this rate, my dignity as a god will…!”
“Your dignity as a god? Oh, you actually had something like that? I totally assumed you threw it away when you got scammed the other day.”
“Curse yoooou!”
“Nekohime-sama, I’ll throw the ball for you one more time, okay?”
“T-That is enough! Stop it!”
“Here you go~.”
“Nyahaha! Yaaay! —Guh! It’s no use! I can’t control myself anymore!”
And so, the day ended with me just teasing Nekohime-sama.
A day off, a few days after that.
At a hamburger shop in front of the busy station, I sat down at a counter seat facing a glass window and tossed freshly fried fries into my mouth.
The main street was visible beyond the glass. A constant stream of people flowed from left to right, and every time a woman passed by, inner voices trickled into my ears one by one.
“I’m so hungry~” “At this rate, I might be able to go home surprisingly early” “So sleepy…” “What should I have for dinner” “Ugh, so sluggish” “The weather is so nice today” “I need to withdraw some money” “A burger is fine for lunch” “I need to use the bathroom!”
At first, I felt guilty about hearing inner voices, and the sheer volume of them made me dizzy, but after listening to them every day, it started to feel like watching a TV that was left on, and now I didn’t feel much of anything in particular.
It’s way more exhausting to listen to the inner voices of people I know because I have to be careful around them, compared to total strangers. …Even so, a lot of people are hungry.
There was a reason I was hanging out at a hamburger shop in the middle of the day on my day off, doing what looked like people-watching.
To put it bluntly, it was to research this ability to hear the inner thoughts of the opposite sex.
I’ve had two lingering questions about this mind-reading ability. First, the effective range of this power.
I can safely assume it’s basically the distance at which a normal spoken voice would reach. By the way, if there’s an obstacle with low transparency in the way, the inner voices tend to become harder to hear. Conversely, if the obstacle has high transparency, the inner voices come through clearly, just like normal.
Simply put, if there’s a normal wall or door, inner voices are hard to hear, but through glass or windows, they can be heard normally.
However, there is an exception to this rule.
That was a few days ago, when Ayano was ambushing me on the other side of my front door as I left for school. Her inner voice back then: “He’s finally here! It’s Ko-chan!”. I heard that perfectly clearly from the other side of the front door.
And just the other day, after all that happened with Mizuki in the nurse’s office, I could still hear Mizuki’s inner voice even after I closed the door.
To explain the reason for this, let’s move on to the second question regarding the mind-reading ability.
Namely, the fact that the volume of the inner voices varies wildly.
At first, I thought this might be related to their level of affection toward me, but observing it again like this, it seems that’s not the case.
For example, among the few inner voices I just heard, “The weather is so nice today” was the quietest, while “I need to use the bathroom!” was the loudest.
To give other easy-to-understand examples, inner thoughts like “My clothes are pilling…”, “My horoscope was ranked 7th this morning,” and “When is dandelion season again?” were quiet, while thoughts like “I might have dropped my wallet!”, “Yes! I won the concert tickets!”, and “I quit my job! Serves you right!” were loud.
In other words, the volume of the inner voice is proportional to the intensity of that person’s emotions.
That’s exactly why Ayano’s inner voice, filled with excitement upon seeing me, and Mizuki’s inner voice, deeply regretting her own actions, could be heard clearly even through a solid door.
I wonder just how long Ayano-san was pressed up against her front door…
Well, today was a decent harvest, so I guess I’ll just stop by a nearby bookstore and head home…
Just as I thought that and was about to stand up from my seat, the glass in front of me was knocked on from the outside. Tap tap. When I looked up, an angel was standing there.
No, Mizuki was standing there.
“Yahoo, Kota. What a coincidence meeting you in a place like this. Can I come over there?”
Oversized half-pants and a T-shirt. She was also wearing a simple crossbody bag.
I had often hung out with Mizuki outside of school before, but seeing her casual clothes for the first time since realizing she was a girl made me feel a little nervous for some reason.
I had literally just been thinking about heading home, but if she was coming over, I wasn’t opposed to it.
“Yeah. The seat next to me is open.”
Mizuki gave a cute wave, walked around to enter the shop, and when she arrived in front of me again, she waved one more time.
“Yahoo.”
I had just heard that line a moment ago, but it hadn’t lost a single shred of its cuteness.
“Y-Yahoo.”
When I imitated her, Mizuki chuckled happily.
“Fufufu. I guess there are people who just don’t look right saying ‘yahoo’, huh.”
Amazing… Can a human being really be this cute…?
Placing her bag on the table, Mizuki asked,
“What are you doing in a place like this? All by yourself?”
“Ah, yeah. Is it a crime to be alone?”
“Ahaha. You’re as twisted as ever.”
“What are you doing in a place like this, Mizuki. Besides, you’re alone too.”
“Heheh. I came to this town with a proper purpose.”
“The way you say that makes it sound like I’m the only one here without a purpose. What am I, a jellyfish?”
“A jellyfish is still better, right? At least they have charm.”
“The way you say that makes it sound like I don’t have any charm. …Well, I guess I actually don’t, but still. So, what did you end up coming here for?”
“To wander around!”
“So you have absolutely zero purpose, don’t you.”
“Thanks for waiting~”
On the tray Mizuki brought over were a hamburger, fries, and a drink.
“That was fast.”
“Aren’t you going to eat anything, Kota?”
“I just ate, and I still have some cola left.”
“Hmm… Oh, right. You’re free after this anyway, right? Then let’s go to karaoke together! Karaoke!”
Treating people like they have nothing better to do without permission… well, I don’t mind, though.
“Yay!”
Even after finding out Mizuki’s true identity as a girl, we were still building a good friendship, even if it wasn’t exactly the same as before.
Even if Mizuki is hiding her true identity, I also have to hide the fact that I can hear inner voices, so we’re in the same boat.
Besides, Mizuki really is a good person, hanging out together is fun, and she’s my best friend.
“Come to think of it, have things been okay lately?”
Mizuki took a bite of her hamburger.
“What do you mean?”
“You know… you were getting sneak shots taken of you the other day, right?”
“Ah~. Hmm… Well, I think it’s fine? Nothing has happened since then. What? Are you worried about me?”
“Well… a little bit…”
“Kota, you actually care about me that much…”
“Well yeah… we’re friends, after all.”
“Ugh… Kota, I’m seriously about to cry from how moved I am… So, think of it as helping me out, and please listen to one request of mine.”
“A request? What is it?”
“Please take over my broadcasting duty.”
“I refuse.”
“So mean! Weren’t we friends?!”
“Don’t try to shove your broadcasting duty onto your friend. You have to do it twice a day, during lunch and after school, right? That’s a massive pain.”
“Ugh… I know… Plus, lately the contents of the script have been changing a little bit every time, so I’ve been desperately trying to memorize it while eating lunch all alone in the broadcasting room…”
Poor thing…
Mizuki, who had been looking downcast, suddenly widened her eyes as she looked beyond the glass, aiming a mischievous smile my way.
“Hey, hey, can you see that girl over there? Kota, you said before that you like girls like that, right?”
“Hm? Which one?”
“That girl waiting at the crosswalk.”
“The one who looks like a college student? …I mean, her back is turned, so I can’t even see her face.”
“No, no, you can see her lower half, right?”
“Lower half?”
“You said it before, didn’t you? ‘I love stockings~'”
What the hell were you confessing, past me!
“…W-Well, I don’t really care that much about it anymore, I guess.”
“Eh? Really? But Kota, you said, ‘I could eat three bowls of rice just looking at stockings!'”
“D-Did I say that?”
Ugh! During my first year, because I thought Mizuki was a guy, I ended up blabbing about things I would never talk to a girl about!
“Short pants and stockings are great, aren’t they!”
Stop it!
I-I need to take action before she digs up any more of my fetishes…
Suddenly, the bear strap attached to Mizuki’s bag caught my eye.
“O-Oh? Mizuki, where’d you get that strap?”
I just brought it up to randomly change the subject, but Mizuki’s eyes sparkled more than I expected.
“I just got this from a gacha machine! It’s super cute, right!”
Mizuki unhooked the bear strap from her bag and handed it to me, saying, “Take a close look!”
It’s just a normal bear strap… I mean, I guess it’s cute, but…
Mizuki looked at me with an anxious face.
“…Huh? Could it be… it’s not cute?”
Tilt.
“It’s cute.”
“Right!”
I snapped a picture of Mizuki’s smile with the camera in my heart, but just as I went to hand the strap back, I accidentally let it slip from my fingers.
With a light clack, the strap fell to the floor.
“Whoa! My bad, I dropped it!”
“Oh dear.”
As I hurriedly reached down to pick up the strap, Mizuki reached out in the exact same way, and our hands slightly touched in the air just above the strap.
“Whoa,” I said, instinctively pulling my hand back, and Mizuki pulled her hand back at the same time.
“…Um… m-my bad.”
“N-No. Me too…”
No matter how close of a friend Mizuki is, and even though we’ve been hanging out together since our first year, now that I know her true identity is a girl, there are moments where I inevitably become conscious of it no matter how careful I try to be.
I picked the strap up again and handed it to Mizuki.
“Sorry… Is it scratched or anything?”
“It’s fine. It’s not like it was expensive or anything…”
“I see…”
As if averting our eyes from each other, we shifted our gazes to the crowd visible beyond the glass.
“Ugh… Ever since that incident in the nurse’s office, whenever our bodies touch, I just end up overreacting… Even though I used to be able to act way more natural…”
I’m continuing to pretend I haven’t noticed Mizuki’s true identity for now, but sometimes things like just now happen, and it creates these somewhat awkward moments.
Mizuki said she’d be forced to transfer schools if it was found out she was a girl, but can we really make it to graduation in this state…?
Just as I was thinking that, suddenly, a woman’s voice cut in between me and Mizuki.
“Do you have a minute?”
Mizuki and I simultaneously leaned back with a “Whoa!” and checked where the voice came from. There, for some reason, stood our homeroom teacher, Amamiya-sensei, glaring at us with a displeased look on her face.
“Amamiya-sensei? What are you doing in a place like this?”
“Nothing, I was just wandering around town aimlessly and taking a break here when I happened to see you two, so I decided to call out. “The truth is, I’ve been watching over Lady Mizuki all day today, though.” “
…Huh? Lady Mizuki?
When I turned my gaze toward Mizuki, she was staring with her mouth hanging open and her eyes round as saucers.
“What’s going on with Yuri-san… She said she was going to rest at home all day today…”
Yuri, that’s Amamiya-sensei’s first name, right? Plus, the way she’s talking, it sounds like they had already seen each other today. What’s going on? Do those two have a connection in their private lives? But since I wasn’t told about it, it means they’re keeping it a secret, right? Why on earth…?
Amamiya-sensei shot a sharp glare at me.
“I secretly followed Lady Mizuki after she said she was going out, and it turns out to be Nibuke-kun again… Ever since enrolling in Minebuchi High School, Lady Mizuki has been constantly hanging out with Nibuke-kun, completely leaving me—the maid serving the Saionji family—behind…”
Maid? Come to think of it, Mizuki said something about attending school disguised as a boy being a family tradition. Don’t tell me Mizuki is a young lady from a seriously wealthy family?
Amamiya-sensei continued in a monotonous tone.
“I’ve been sitting at a table over there watching you two for a while now, and you seem to be quite close. “Even though I want to play with Lady Mizuki too!” “
Could it be that the reason Amamiya-sensei occasionally treats only me coldly is because she’s jealous of me hanging out with Mizuki so much? If so, that’s seriously annoying…
“…Well, we’ve known each other since our first year, after all. By the way, Sensei, why are you wearing a suit even though it’s your day off?”
“That is… because there have been a lot of complaints from parents recently… so just in case, I make sure to dress properly even on my days off when I’m near the school… Just the other day, I got a complaint just for looking at my smartphone in the school hallway…”
This person has it rough too, huh…
I’m sure she couldn’t stand seeing me having fun with Mizuki and came to interrupt us.
If that’s the case, it’d probably be easier if I just don’t resist and let her interrupt.
“Do you want to eat a hamburger with us, Sensei?”
“No, thank you.”
“…Eh? Is that… so…?”
Huh? That’s weird. I was absolutely certain she’d take the bait…
Amamiya-sensei said, “More importantly—” and gently whispered something into Mizuki’s ear.
Immediately, Mizuki’s face turned pale, and she suddenly raised her voice in a panic.
“Th-There’s absolutely no way! “Saying ‘Hasn’t Nibuke-kun found out you’re a girl?’, why would Yuri-san say something like that… W-Well, I did get my boobs groped, but… I absolutely should have been able to play that off!” “
Where does that confidence even come from?
More importantly… this is bad. Why would Amamiya-sensei bring that up? Don’t tell me she saw what happened in the nurse’s office from somewhere?
Looking into Amamiya-sensei’s eyes, beyond her usual sluggish gaze, I saw a sharp glint, exactly like a hunter aiming at its prey.
“Ever since that PE class a few days ago, Nibuke-kun’s attitude toward Lady Mizuki has clearly changed. When they walk side-by-side, there is a slight distance between them; when they are together on a crowded train, he makes absolutely sure to place his bag between them; and whereas he frequently used to invite Lady Mizuki to the bathroom during breaks, that has completely stopped. And then there was his reaction just now when their skin touched. The way he pulled his hand back and how his facial expression stiffened were very similar to the reactions that occur when someone is conscious of the opposite sex. If Nibuke-kun has realized Lady Mizuki’s true identity, we must have Lady Mizuki transfer schools immediately.”
She saw right through everything…
Mizuki, her expression filled with panic, bit her nail nervously.
“What do I do… Kota definitely hasn’t noticed my true identity, but at this rate, Yuri-san’s misunderstanding is going to get me transferred… I have to clear up this misunderstanding somehow… I know!”
Mizuki picked up a single fry from the tray and held it up with a flushed face.
“H-Hey, Kota! Do you know the ‘French Fry Game’?”
“The French Fry Game? What the heck is that?”
“It’s a game where two people hold opposite ends of a fry in their mouths and take tiny bites to see how close they can get to each other! “Fufufu. If we play this game where our faces have to get super close, and if Kota actually recognizes me as a girl, he’ll definitely show an unnatural reaction! If he doesn’t react, Yuri-san will undoubtedly be convinced my identity hasn’t been exposed to him!” “
“Ah, I see. The answer is no!”
“Don’t answer instantly! You haven’t even heard everything yet!”
“Shut up!”
“Come on, Kota! Let’s play the French Fry Game!”
“Like hell I would!”
Just how stupid is this girl… Even putting the French Fry Game aside, there’s no way two guys would agree to do something like that… Besides, if I actually went along with a game like that, Amamiya-sensei would definitely stop us immediately—
Amamiya-sensei, dripping with sweat,
“A-As Lady Mizuki’s guardian, I must stop such an indecent proposal at once! …B-But, if Nibuke-kun makes some kind of slip-up during this ‘French Fry Game’ and brings to light that he knows Lady Mizuki is a girl, it will give me an excuse to have Lady Mizuki transfer schools… If that happens, Lady Mizuki will transfer out of Minebuchi High School and attend Seishirotae Girls’ Academy… And at Seishirotae Girls’ Academy, it is mandatory for every student to be accompanied by one maid at all times! Meaning! I get to be with Lady Mizuki! All year round! Forever! I cannot let this chance slip away!”
Amamiya-sensei shot a sharp glare at me.
“It sounds like a truly enjoyable proposal; are you firmly rejecting it, Nibuke-kun?”
“W-Well yeah…”
“And why is that! Do you have some special reason!”
“N-No, nothing like…”
“Well, what is it! Please state it clearly in words! “Regardless, based on his recent gestures, the probability that Nibuke-kun has noticed Lady Mizuki’s true identity is extremely high! If so, he should quickly confess what’s in his heart and become the stepping stone for Lady Mizuki to transfer!” “
What a woman, completely faithful to her own desires…
Furthermore, Mizuki forcefully shoved the fry she was holding closer.
“Come on! Kota! Let’s do it! The French Fry Game! “I absolutely do not want to be transferred because of Yuri-san’s misunderstanding!” “
It’s not a misunderstanding, though…
But it’s true that it’d be a pain to keep going to school with Amamiya-sensei suspecting me like this… If I use this French Fry Game thing to my advantage and show absolutely no reaction to Mizuki, wouldn’t I be able to alleviate Amamiya-sensei’s suspicions at least a little?
If she keeps suspecting me like this, eventually I might actually make a slip-up and reveal that I know Mizuki’s true identity… If that happens, Mizuki will be transferred…
I looked back and forth between the fry Mizuki was holding and her pleading face, and let out a deep sigh.
“Fine, I get it… I’ll do it… But just this once, okay.”
“Really?! Yay!”
“Also, I’m telling you right now, I’m stopping it halfway through.”
“Yeah! Of course! I mean, it’d be a disaster if we actually kissed!”
The moment she said those words, Mizuki’s face rapidly began to turn red.
“T-T-T-That’s right! I casually suggested the French Fry Game, but if things go wrong… um… this means I’m going to kiss Kota, doesn’t it?!”
Stop suddenly becoming self-conscious! It’s making me embarrassed too!
“Um… w-well then… I’m going to start, okay? “Ugh! I can’t back out now!” “
“…Y-Yeah.”
Mizuki gently placed the fry she was holding into her mouth and stuck her head out toward me just a little bit.
How did I end up having to do something this stupid…
Whatever. As long as I give off a ‘I’m being forced to do this’ vibe and take the fry into my mouth sluggishly, it should look believable. If all goes well, I can deceive Amamiya-sensei.
Opening my mouth with an “Ah,” I went to take the fry Mizuki was holding in her mouth into mine, but the moment right before our lips met, our eyes locked, and my body completely froze.
“Waaaaaah! This is somehow incredibly embarrassing! The other person is Kota! Just a friend! It’s not supposed to get a weird atmosphere! Ugh, my legs are starting to shake!”
You’re making this so hard!
Off to the side, Amamiya-sensei was watching the scene with her breathing slightly erratic.
“Fufufu. With a French Fry Game, it’s a given that Lady Mizuki herself will become too embarrassed halfway through and tap out. But I won’t stop them here; let’s enjoy Lady Mizuki’s precious embarrassed face! Ahh, how truly adorable! Excuse me, clerk! I’d like this to go, please!”
Dammit! She isn’t even looking at me! What happened to her suspicions!
Forget it… I don’t feel like I can convince Mizuki right now anyway, so I’ll just take a quick bite of the fry and end this half-assedly…
I opened my mouth again and moved toward the fry Mizuki was holding in her mouth. Mizuki squeezed her eyes shut tightly, her cheeks flushed red, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
“Jeez! Kota is taking so long, it’s starting to feel like he’s waiting for me to kiss him! I’m so embarrassed I can’t look at Kota’s face!”
Guh! What is this incredibly cute lifeform! O-Oh crap! I feel like my face might be turning red too! It’s fine right now because Amamiya-sensei is totally absorbed in Mizuki, but if I stay frozen here and she sees my face turning red, it’s going to be bad!
“Awawawawa! Hurry up, Kota! I can’t take this much longer!”
It’s fine! This is absolutely not a kiss! I’m just taking the fry Mizuki has in her mouth into my own mouth! That’s all! Don’t think about anything else!
A-Alright! Here I go!
And just as I was about to bite down on Mizuki’s fry, out of nowhere, I saw Ayano sprinting at full speed toward us from behind, her fingertips extended straight out.
Ayano?! Why is she here?! Also, she’s fast!
The moment Ayano reached us, she snatched the fry right out of Mizuki’s mouth with blinding speed. Gasping for breath, she glared at us and let out broken sentences.
“…E-Even if it’s just a game and you’re taking it lightly, I don’t think you should be doing such indecent acts in a public place.”
“S-Sorry… Wait, Ayano, where did you even come from…”
Looking closely, a shadow hung over Ayano’s expression; she was looking slightly downward and lacked her usual energy.
“…It’s none of my business what kind of girlfriend Ko-chan gets, I think that’s a personal matter, but…”
Huh? She’s just normally calling me Ko-chan… And Ayano’s voice, it sounds like it’s trembling… Also, what do you mean girlfriend?
“B-But still, I think it’s important to have a relationship with moderation… at the very least… I’d prefer if you did it somewhere a bit more out of sight… “To think Ko-chan actually had a girlfriend! But, it makes sense… Ko-chan is cool, after all… For someone like me now… it’s too late, isn’t it.” “
Guh?! T-The headache is back!
“W-Wait, Ayano! You’re misunderstanding!”
Tears were faintly welling up in Ayano’s eyes.
“…Eh? Misunderstanding?”
“Look closely! That guy isn’t a girlfriend! It’s Mizuki!”
“Mizuki…?”
“Right! My guy friend! Mizuki Saionji, who sits in the seat in front of me in class!”
Having the fry roughly snatched from her mouth, Mizuki was clearly terrified of Ayano, but she still desperately raised her hand with a “Yo.”
“H-Hello, Yumemigasaki-san.”
“…Saionji-kun? …Huh?”
Ayano’s face rapidly turned bright red, and her inner voice flooded out like a broken dam.
“So that means it’s not a girlfriend?! B-B-Because, I saw Ko-chan from across the street and approached him thinking how lucky I was, and he was flirting with someone holding a fry in their mouth! O-Of course I’d think he was on a date with his girlfriend! …Hm?”
Ayano looked back and forth between me and Mizuki.
“Then why were you two doing something like that?”
“W-Well, that’s… um… we were just messing around.”
“I think you should find a slightly more decent way to play…”
Please stop looking at me with that genuinely disgusted expression!
Amamiya-sensei, who had completely concealed her presence, gently poked Ayano’s shoulder.
“Excuse me, Yumemigasaki-san.”
“Whoa! Sensei, you were here?!”
“Yes, I was here. …And about that… that’s in your way, isn’t it?”
“Eh? You mean this fry?”
“It’s completely gone cold, and I don’t think it would be tasty to eat, so I will throw it away for you. So, could you hand it to me?”
“T-Then… please.”
“Yes. Leave it to me. “Fufufu! The French fry that was in Lady Mizuki’s mouth! This is an unexpected harvest! I must lovingly adore it in secret later!” “
Conclusion: Amamiya-sensei is dangerous.
On the way home.
Ayano said she had errands and headed into town, Mizuki went home because she was tired, and Amamiya-sensei had disappeared with the French fry at some point.
Amamiya-sensei seemed to suspect I knew Mizuki’s true identity, but judging from how things ended, it shouldn’t be hard to play it off. She wasn’t even looking at me at the end there… She’s probably satisfied as long as she has Mizuki.
Just as I turned onto the street leading to my house, an unfamiliar black car parked up ahead caught my eye.
It’s rare for a car to be parked around here… Plus, isn’t that right in front of Ayano’s house?
Looking closely, right near the car in front of Ayano’s house, two women seemed to be arguing about something. As I got closer, the voice of one of them—a woman wearing a black suit and purple-rimmed glasses—became crystal clear.
“Sensei! Please don’t tell me you’re going to turn back after coming all this way!”
And the other woman, addressed as “Sensei,” who was wearing a thin knit sweater and a long skirt, mumbled a counterargument in a low voice.
“…E-Even if you say that… It’s just… well… um…………”
“Sensei, you said earlier that you would meet with Ayano!”
“B-But………… I’m still… scared…”
“Don’t give me ‘scared’! She’s your own daughter! Please pull yourself together a little more!”
“Ugh…”
Ayano? And her own daughter…
As I passed by the two arguing women, my eyes met with the one called “Sensei.”
She had somewhat unreliable, but long, elegantly double-eyelidded eyes. Straight, long black hair without a hint of wave. Seeing that familiar face, the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Could it be… Hanae-san?”
“…Eh?”
Perhaps finding it suspicious that I suddenly spoke to them, the woman with the purple glasses cut in, asking, “Who are you?”
“Um… I’m Kota Nibuke, I live right next door. …Um, you’re Hanae-san, right? Ayano’s mother…”
When I said that, Hanae-san’s eyes widened in shock.
“C-Could it be, Ko-chan?!”
“Yes. It’s been a long time.”
“You’ve gotten so big! You’re the same age as Ayano, so you’re a second-year in high school now?”
“Well, basically. …Hanae-san, you haven’t aged a day… It’s like you’re so youthful…”
Or rather, childish…
“Oh, Ko-chan, you flatterer! Praising me won’t get you anything!”
The ‘auntie from out of town’ vibe is strong… Well, Hanae-san is my mom’s friend, and we used to hang out like relatives a long time ago…
“Hanae-san, did you come here to see Ayano?”
When I asked, Hanae-san quickly averted her eyes.
“…No, you’re wrong… I just happened to come here by chance… I’m leaving now…”
Then, the woman with the purple glasses raised her voice roughly.
“Sensei!”
“Ugh! E-Even if you yell at me like that… if I don’t want to, I don’t want to…”
With that, as if to escape, Hanae-san opened the door of the black car parked nearby.
At that moment, I remembered the words Ayano had said before, and her lonely expression.
‘Not even once since she left the house. Not by phone, or email… “Not even a single time…”‘
Ayano definitely wanted to see Hanae-san… In that case…
“Please wait a second! Ayano should be coming home soon too, so could you just see her for a little bit?!”
Hanae-san froze with the car door open, then, without saying a word, she narrowed her eyes sadly.
“…………I don’t have… the right to do that anymore…………”
The door shut with a slam, and Hanae-san buried her face in her hands inside the car, not uttering another word.
According to Ayano, Hanae-san abandoned her family for the sake of her novels. I couldn’t possibly understand how Hanae-san’s family affected her writing.
But, as someone close to Ayano, I could see clearly that her choice was wrong.
With Hanae-san shut inside the car, the woman with glasses who was left behind scratched her head furiously in frustration.
“Ayano isn’t home, huh. If only we had the time to make an appointment beforehand… …But I can’t restrain Sensei any longer, so I guess I have no choice but to give up for today… Jeez. Even though Ayano might be ruined at this rate…”
Ayano might be ruined…?
“Um, what does that mean?”
“…No, it’s nothing that concerns you. Please forget you heard that just now. Especially, you absolutely must not tell Ayano. “I really need to fix my habit of talking to myself.” “
Leaving those words behind, the woman got into the driver’s seat and slowly drove the car away.
Left alone, all I could do was watch the car grow smaller and smaller in the distance.
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