Fourth Period - Class Time
After a meeting that lasted over an entire class period, Sakashiro Kurumi and Hyoudou Tomoe finally emerged from the faculty office.
Stretching lazily, Kurumi showcased her slender, alluring figure before letting out a sigh.
"Ugh, that meeting dragged on forever, and yet it was completely pointless. Sitting there for so long made my back ache~"
"At least you were paying attention, Tomoe."
Hyoudou wanted to point out that they had to at least pretend to listen out of respect for the head instructor, but before she could speak, the woman continued mischievously:
"And yet, I didn't see you texting your little boyfriend at all~ If you're too hands-off, someone else might snatch him up, you know?"
"Hands-off—?!"
The moment those words left Sakashiro's mouth, the indecent thoughts Hyoudou had barely suppressed came rushing back.
Clenching her thighs together tightly, she glared at Sakashiro, with a burning face.
"Sakashiro-sensei, I already told you, there's nothing between me and—"
However, before she could speak, Kurumi patted her shoulder, leaned in closer, with a grin as she looked at Hyoudou's flushed expression.
"But~ Are you really sure you don't feel anything at all?"
"I—"
How could she deny it with confidence when her mind was overflowing with inappropriate images?
Looking at her conflicted expression, Sakashiro quickened her pace slightly and waved dismissively.
"Anyway~ Seize the opportunity while you can."
"Oh, right—I've got to go teach my next class. The stuff in the old art room is all yours to handle~"
"Bye-bye~"
Once Sakashiro left, Hyoudou expected the lingering heat in her chest to fade.
But instead—
Her entire body felt like it was burning, the heat so intense it made her dizzy.
Taking deep breaths, she pressed her thighs together and walked as quickly as she could toward the abandoned art room Sakashiro had mentioned.
Creak—
Pushing open the door, the stale scent of dried oil paint and the faint mustiness of damp cardboard boxes assaulted her senses, making her instinctively wave a hand in front of her nose.
After a quick glance around, she closed the door behind her and headed straight for the window, pushing it open for fresh air.
The cool breeze was a relief against her overheated skin, and Hyoudou exhaled in satisfaction.
Leaning against the windowsill for a moment, she finally began searching for the unused paint buckets Sakashiro had asked for.
The art room was spacious, about the size of a classroom, but a small partition wall and a secondary door divided it into two sections, leaving everything cluttered and disorganized.
By the time Hyoudou finally found what she was looking for, the final bell had already rung three or four minutes ago
Just as she picked up the small bucket and muttered complaints under her breath—
"This is the place Momo mentioned, right?"
An all-too-familiar voice made her jolt in surprise, freezing her in place.
Before she could remind herself that she had no reason to panic, another voice, this one also recognizable—chimed in.
"Should be here... the abandoned art room on the fourth floor, near the edge."
Is that... Shinomiya Natsuha's voice?
Why are they coming here instead of eating lunch at noon?
However, Hyoudou Tomoe's confusion couldn't stop them from entering the art room.
"Let's go in and check."
"Mmm."
Creak—
After the door opened and closed, the girl's voice spoke again.
"It's cleaner than I expected. I thought there'd be dust everywhere."
"No way Momo would pick a place like that. If we got covered in dust, how would we even show our faces afterward...?"
"True."
Afterward? What does that mean?
Well...Hyoudou had always been overly sensitive to gazes, which made her dislike men from a young age, so she'd never had a boyfriend.
Because of that, when he heard their words, her mind didn't immediately go there.
But the next part of their conversation made it very clear why they were here.
"Eh? Natsuha..."
"You still wanna wait for Momo to get here?"
"Hehe~ I just wanted to see how long Natsuha could hold back... but, well~ Disappointing."
"Mmph... y-you're really the worst, you know?"
"Natsuha doesn't like it when I'm this bad~?"
"... Like..."
"The look on Natsuha's face is as fun as ever~"
Slowly squatting down her graceful body, Hyoudou Tomoe's fair and delicate palm unconsciously covered her pale and dry light pink lips, and her eyes trembled as she listened to the movement next door.
How could they... how could they just...?
Like sparks striking tinder, the sounds next door ignited the embers still smoldering inside her, melting what little rationality she had left.
Memories of Sasaki's arm wrapped around her waist, the warmth of his body, and now these sounds—Hyoudou exhaled sharply, her face burning as she tilted her head back.
.
.
.
In the abandoned art room on the fourth floor of Building 2, the hushed voices of one boy and two girls seeped through the wall, whispering into Hyoudou's dazed ears.
"Hey, where are you looking? If you're not into it, Momo and I can—"
"N-No, it's not that... I was just... trying to distract myself..."
"I feel like a popsicle stick..."
"Tch~ What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing... It's just too hot, and this room's too small and stuffy... Had to focus on something else..."
"You're so picky~"
...
In the dim corner of the room, Hyoudou sat with her shapely, nylon-clad legs pressed tightly together in a seiza-like position, with her back against the cool wall.
The chill from the wall was like a lone boat in a storm, barely keeping her last shreds of sanity afloat.
After what felt like an eternity of gritting her teeth, she finally heard something resembling a normal conversation.
"We should probably get going soon."
Although there was still more than half an hour before class started, they came in such a hurry that they didn't even have lunch, and Momo's classroom was some distance away.
If they went another round, they'd definitely be late.
So when Sasaki suggested leaving, the two girls, busy dusting off their knees—nodded in agreement.
Not lingering any longer, they tidied up slightly before leaving the art room.
Not long after they left, Hyoudou, with her face flushed like a ripe apple and her forehead glistening with sweat, stepped out, gripping the doorframe for support.
The art room's layout hadn't changed much.
They'd just pushed a desk against the wall...
Probably because of the heat... or other reasons.
Biting her dry, slightly chapped lower lip, Hyoudou shot the desk a disgusted glare before hurrying toward the exit.
But the thin layer of dust on her stockings, the clothes clinging to her damp skin, and her undoubtedly crimson face made it clear that if she stepped outside now, she'd attract way too much attention.
"Tch~ So damn annoying..."
So, with no other choice, Hyoudou stopped walking and turned around to look for a place to sit down and rest, while quietly condemning the bastard who had put her in such an embarrassing situation.
But the only available seat was... that desk.
"..."
Reluctant, but with no choice, Hyoudou Tomoe stepped forward with a nervous heart and weak legs.
However, looking at the desktop so smooth it seemed like it had been washed with water, thinking back to just now… she felt as if she had willingly sat on top of him.
The thought left the already blushing beauty in shame.
Although her expression showed rejection and dislike, her body moving to sit on the desk didn't hesitate at all—she couldn't even feel disgust in her heart. On the contrary…
Leaning on the smooth and clean classroom desk, feeling the lingering warmth of sunlight shining through the window onto its surface.
The thought of shame surged in Hyoudou Tomoe's mind, and the watery glimmer in her eyes grew even more intense.
Beads of warm sweat on her forehead trickled like a curtain, down her flushed, snowy skin, falling onto the white collar of her clothes…
...
"The cream bread from the convenience store is pretty good, and the pork knuckle rice from the cafeteria is tasty too… both are great options."
"Is there anything Momo wants to eat?"
"Hmm~ anything's fine~ What does Fuyumi want to eat?"
They say the closest bonds between men are those forged by sharing the same classroom window, carrying a gun together, and…
Actually, it's the same for girls.
Having already seen another side of each other, and having shared the same tool, the atmosphere between the two girls now was ridiculously good.
The most obvious sign was that since leaving the art room, the two had been walking arm-in-arm, chatting endlessly about all kinds of things, sweets, makeup, plush accessories…
It's quite hard to believe they only met today…
While sighing in his heart… Sasaki started searching all around in his pockets, seemingly looking for something.
After waiting a moment and not hearing her boyfriend respond from behind, Momo turned her head curiously. "Fuyumi?"
Seeing him digging through his pockets, as if looking for something, she couldn't help but ask again:
"Did Fuyumi lose something?"
Stopping his movement, Sasaki looked up at the two girls walking toward him and said. "I think I left my wallet in the art room."
"How could you lose your wallet? Never mind, let's go back and get it together."
Looking at Sasaki's pockets, Shinomiya Natsuha didn't understand, he hadn't even… how could it fall out?
But she didn't think too much of it. They'd just check when they got back.
"It was probably because Natsuha asked me to… mmph!"
Before Sasaki could finish explaining, the girl, who had walked up to him, covered his mouth:
"You're the worst! Saying stuff like that in the hallway~ Even if there's no one else around, you can't just… If you get used to it, that'd be bad. Seriously."
Pouting, Sasaki kissed the soft palm of her hand that had been covering his mouth, gently brushing it away, before he smiled. "I'll be more careful next time… I'll go back by myself, I can run faster that way."
It was a minor thing.
If they insisted on going with him, Sasaki really couldn't say no.
So before the two girls could say anything else, he took a few steps back and waved to them:
"I'll be quick. You two go eat first."
"Eh…"
Shinomiya Natsuha, who wanted to go with him, reached out her hand, only to looked at his back disappear into the distance.
He was already gone.
Well..even if they followed now, they probably couldn't help anyway.
Who knows—maybe he'd find it halfway there.
So, Momo didn't didn't pay much attention to the matter and tugged on Natsuha's hand.
"Let's go eat. If we delay any longer, lunch break will be over."
"Alright."
...