Friday, 3:30 p.m.
Minamoto Senya politely turned down Kudō Miyoko's offer to pick him up and shadow him everywhere like usual. Instead, he told her to take the day as a long-overdue break and just rest at home. Today, he would be heading to Sōbu High School alone.
He'd deliberately set aside time after classes because of a request from Kasumigaoka Utaha.
It seemed her natural charm and striking presence attracted far too much attention from the opposite sex.
Ever since she'd transferred to her new school, she had been constantly pestered by unwanted suitors.
And compared to middle school, the romantic fervor of high school boys was several times more intense.
From what Senya had gathered from Utaha herself, as well as from Saeko, the constant harassment had gotten so bad that it was interfering with her daily school life and studies.
Her exhaustion and loss of appetite had snowballed into a cycle of poor rest and declining spirits.
From the way they'd described things over the phone, the situation already sounded critical—urgent enough that it couldn't just be ignored.
Still, Senya suspected that the way the two of them painted it was at least a little exaggerated.
After all, Sōbu High was no second-rate vocational school that admitted anyone who could pay tuition. The school had strict standards for academic achievement and attracted a certain caliber of student. Its overall culture and student body should have been solid enough that things couldn't possibly be quite as dramatic as they made them sound.
Even so, Senya had chosen to come.
Saeko's strange, repeated requests were reason enough.
And as for Utaha… well, Senya's feelings for her weren't exactly simple.
Ever since he'd sorted out certain thoughts in his own heart, that quiet fondness had only grown more noticeable.
The trip took him more than half an hour.
Senya finally arrived at Sōbu High.
If he wanted to solve Utaha's current problem, it wouldn't be enough to simply walk her home. He needed to follow the plan she had suggested.
They had already gone over the details the night before.
At the front gate, a security guard stopped Senya, noticing both his mask and the fact that he wasn't wearing the school uniform.
Inside the guard office, Senya explained he was here to visit a friend, showed his student ID, signed the registry, and was handed a visitor badge to pin to his chest. With that, he was allowed inside.
The campus was lively—classes had just let out.
The biggest difference between middle and high school, Senya noticed, was how much taller and more developed everyone looked.
Even so, walking through in his outsider's uniform, he didn't stand out as much as one might expect. In fact, he blended in rather naturally.
The mask might have hidden part of his looks, but there was no masking his presence.
Calling him "majestic" might have been exaggerating, but with his tall, well-proportioned build and the natural self-confidence that defined his personality, his upright stride carried a kind of effortless, distinguished charm.
He stepped into the entryway to change shoes.
Sure enough, every school's genkan smelled faintly of… well, shoes.
There were slippers provided for visitors, but the white lining inside them was already discolored and grimy.
Anticipating this, Senya ignored the slippers and instead pulled out a pair of fresh shoe covers from his bag, slipped them on neatly, and kept walking.
Utaha had told him her classroom was on the second floor—first door on the right.
Keeping that in mind, Senya walked toward the stairs, ignoring the curious stares that grew thicker with every step.
So far, everything was going according to plan.
According to Utaha, the best way to discourage her suitors was to make it obvious she already had a boyfriend—loudly and unmistakably. The more conspicuous, the better.
That was why him coming to her classroom in person to pick her up was such an important step in the plan.
"Isn't that a little much?" he'd asked when they'd drawn up the plan.
"Not at all," Saeko had replied on their little three-person chat. "Utaha's popularity at school is way higher than you imagine. If it's not something this flashy, it won't work. Her more intense admirers won't back down."
Saeko had even joked, "Our first idea was to have you bring flowers and hand them to her in front of everyone. But since this is still school, we thought that might be a bit too much. So we'll keep it simple. Just come, pick her up from class, and act a little affectionate. It might be a hassle, but this way you'll save her trouble later—and yourself too."
Senya had nodded. "That's not a hassle at all. I understand. Let's do it your way."
Utaha herself hadn't said much that night—mostly spamming the chat with cute cartoon stickers of plushies hugging and kissing. Whether those were aimed at Saeko, at him, or at both of them was unclear.
As he replayed those thoughts, Senya reached the second floor. He hadn't even arrived at her classroom yet when he spotted Utaha standing outside in the hall.
She was facing a mature-looking woman with a weary expression, clearly giving her a lecture.
Senya recognized her—he'd seen this teacher before, back during the opening ceremony.
As he drew closer, he caught their conversation.
"…Kasumigaoka, I've told you before. As a student, your top priority is studying. I know you want to look fashionable as a girl, but honestly, wearing full pantyhose is a bit much. Why not just stick to knee-high socks like the other girls? Your legs are beautiful—you'd look good either way."
"Ms. Hiratsuka, there's actually a reason I have to wear them. A medical one."
"A… reason?"
"Yes. After a doctor's exam, I was diagnosed with mild varicose veins. So these aren't for fashion. They're a treatment."
"…"
Varicose veins?!
Senya frowned. Since when?
The teacher fell silent too, caught completely off guard. Whatever lecture she'd been winding up to collapsed instantly, leaving her at a loss for words.
Just then, Utaha spotted him.
"Ah—Senya."
The stern mask she'd been wearing melted instantly into a warm, syrupy sweetness.
The teacher turned. The nearby students in the hall and inside the classroom also turned.
Senya stepped closer and gave Hiratsuka-sensei a polite bow.
"Ms. Hiratsuka, my boyfriend's here to walk me home. About what you just said, I'll be more mindful of it. May I leave now?"
"—!!"
B…boyfriend?!
Kasumigaoka, a first-year, already had a boyfriend?!
For some reason, Hiratsuka clutched at her chest, her face twisting into an expression of pure heartbreak.
She waved them off listlessly, unable to say another word, looking utterly crushed as she drifted away like a lost soul.
Senya watched her retreating figure. He could practically see the aura of disappointment radiating off her in waves.
He turned to Utaha. "Did I come at a bad time?"
Utaha's smile was dazzling. "No. You came at the perfect time."
And just like that, she slipped her hand into his, the picture of a girl in love.
Somewhere nearby, something in the hearts of countless onlookers audibly shattered.
Senya realized then—Saeko hadn't been exaggerating when she'd said Utaha's popularity at school was overwhelming.
"You wait here. I'll grab my bag."
"Alright."
She was quick. When she came back out, she had already looped her arm through his.
If this was a performance, it had to be convincing.
Senya understood that. He played along, though it left him a little stiff.
After all, it had been a long time since he'd been this close to a girl's soft, sweetly scented body.
Ever since Saeko's swordsmanship had slipped because of her distractions with romance, she had imposed a strict "abstinence plan" on herself to get back on track.
And it had worked—within a week she had regained her edge.
But the one suffering from it was Senya.
They say once you've tasted luxury, it's hard to go back.
He'd grown used to savoring every part of Saeko's body, their nights together waves of passion crashing again and again.
And then—suddenly, nothing. To say he wasn't restless would've been a lie.
He'd even started getting withdrawal symptoms.
Lately, he'd been waking up in the middle of the night, uncomfortably aroused. He'd managed to stop himself at the very last moment before ruining his sheets, but the frustration was real.
Anyone who's had a vivid dream like that knows—forcing it back down is agony.
And given his own stamina and temperament, the restless energy often stole away an hour or two of sleep.
Now, with Utaha clinging so close, the same dangerous heat was stirring again.
"What's wrong, Senya?"
Utaha tilted her head, noticing him subtly trying to pull his arm free.
Did she smell bad? No… she hadn't even sweated today—she'd skipped gym by claiming she wasn't feeling well.
"…Nothing. I just think… maybe you don't need to hold on that tightly."
"Ah—sorry."
She let go quickly, but seeing his flustered expression made her quietly happy inside.
So he was shy about it.
How cute.
For all his confidence and talent, he'd clearly never had this kind of close contact with a girl before.
Which meant… this was his first time.
Utaha's heart swelled at the thought. She leaned closer and asked softly:
"Then… how about just holding hands?"
Senya nodded.
At once, Utaha slipped her small hand into his. She hooked a finger first, gave it a playful swing, then slid her palm against his and laced their fingers together tightly.
To her own surprise, there was no nervousness, no embarrassment. Only a warm, overwhelming sweetness.
Of course we're a perfect match.
And maybe—thanks to Saeko's help—this could even turn from fake to real.
That thought made her secretly giddy.
Her mind even flicked briefly to a certain wealthy heiress overseas, and a certain loudmouthed blonde twin-tail.
If this really worked out, their reactions would be priceless.
Hand in hand, chatting idly, the two of them strolled out of the building.
Instead of heading straight for the gates, they looped around to the club building and walked into the kendo dojo.
"Yo, Saeko. Done for the day?"
Still holding hands, Utaha waved to the girl practicing inside.
Saeko set down her shinai and walked over with a smile.
"Sorry, I need a little longer."
Visiting the kendo club was also part of the plan—another chance to show themselves off around campus.
And Saeko, naturally, declined Utaha's invitation to walk home together.
"You two are as sweet as always. I'll be here a while, so go on ahead. A proper date must feel like a long time coming—enjoy yourselves."
Hearing that, Utaha almost felt like she really was dating Senya.
She glanced at him. The mask hid his exact expression, but his hand in hers was warm—he had to be just as flustered and happy as she was.
"Then we'll head out first."
"Yeah. See you later."
"Mm, later."
Once they left, Saeko picked up her shinai again.
One of the male club members approached hesitantly. "Captain, your friend Kasumigaoka… the guy with her, is he…?"
Saeko answered with a smile: "Her boyfriend."
"…I see."
His faint hope extinguished, the boy drifted away in a daze.
Saeko watched him go, and then quietly reflected on the words she herself had just spoken.
Strangely enough… she hadn't felt as resistant to them as she'd once thought she would.