Just because summer vacation was over didn't mean the summer heat had let up. It usually didn't start cooling down until mid-October, which meant summer uniforms were here to stay for a while longer. Yes—going to school meant I could still feast my eyes on Natsukawa's pale, slender arms. Her dazzling beauty was an all-season spectacle. As a devotee, I was overjoyed by her abundance of service spirit. Seriously, why can't I just throw money at her...?
".........Hm?"
On the first day of the second semester, I arrived at school a little late to find the front gate quite lively. Drawing closer, I saw an unfamiliar male student caught by Shinomiya-senpai. Mita-senpai and Inatomi-senpai were nearby too. They were wearing gold and red Disciplinary Committee armbands, likely checking for dress code violations. For guys, that usually meant open buttons or untucked shirts.
"Hmph. Is that you, Sajou?"
"Huh...!?"
I’d just approached normally, yet Shinomiya-senpai called my name without even looking. My voice cracked in pure disbelief. Confirming it was me, she finally turned around with a nihilistic smile. Man, she was cool... had she been honing her 'handsome levels' over the summer?
"Morning, Sajou. It’s been a while. Did you get a tan?"
"Morning. A bit of one, yeah... but wait, Senpai, how did you know it was me?"
"By your presence."
"Presence?"
I’d forgotten she was a regular at a dojo—something about the Seishindo, if I recalled correctly. The memory of the day I was dragged there was burned into my brain. But still, can you really read people's presence once you've mastered the craft? I felt like she belonged in a different genre of fiction.
"Does everyone's presence feel different?"
"Oh, completely."
Presence, huh... I wondered if it had a color. I was a bit bummed summer was over, but I was looking forward to school starting again, so I must have felt pretty upbeat. Maybe a bright color. Like a lemon sour or something.
"What color is mine?"
"Sajou, yours is brown."
"Brown."
"Ah—no! It's... bronze!"
"Bronze."
Was she... trying to be considerate just now?
Changing the word to a loanword didn't really make me feel better or worse. Brown, huh? Fine by me. Sounds like I could grind some beans and make a mean cup of coffee. I actually have Nee-chan's seal of approval on my iced coffee—only my iced coffee, mind you. I wondered if, to Shinomiya-senpai, I just looked like a giant, walking fart...
Mita-senpai and Inatomi-senpai noticed me as well. Being greeted by both of them made me reflexively recoil. After a month away, the sight of girls in miniskirts was way too much for my system. I couldn't help but look—especially at Mita-senpai's upper half.
Inatomi-senpai hit me with one of those lethal questions: "I've changed, haven't I?" I took a wild guess and said, "Now that you mention it, did you get taller?" She started hopping with joy, making me think I’d nailed it, but I was dead wrong. Apparently, she’d just gotten a new red ribbon. Mita-senpai poked me hard between the ribs, and Shinomiya-senpai just looked at me with disappointment. Hey, you, stop it.
◆
"S-Sajou-san..."
"Eh...? Whoa! Ichinose-san!?"
In the hallway where I’d usually turn left, I heard a voice from the right. I turned to find Ichinose-san peeking out from the shadow of a pillar, clutching her bag to her chest. There was only one reason she’d be lurking there.
"Morning. You don't have to hide, you know."
"B-but..."
Back before summer break, I’d arrived early once to find her already in the classroom. She was the early-bird type, so she’d probably been the first one here today, too. The fact that she was still out here with her bag meant she’d been hiding for quite a while.
"It’s not weird at all. Have a little confidence."
"Auuu..."
When I gently coaxed her out, she let out a timid little whimper. As she looked up at me anxiously, I could see both of her eyes clearly. Seeing her like this brought back the memory of my face turning bright red the day before yesterday.
The day after her encounter with Kuma-san-senpai at the gate, Ichinose-san had actually gone to a salon and cut those long bangs. She’d been so nervous she apparently just told the stylist she wanted her bangs trimmed and left the rest up to them. Not only were her eyes visible now, but it came with the added bonus of her forehead peeking through. God bless that stylist. Ichinose-san really summoned her courage, too. I’m glad I praised her.
Honestly, she was so cute it made me start to stammer. She explained that she’d been bullied in elementary school for having a wide forehead—kids calling her bald and stuff. That was the reason for the long bangs. Just as I’d suspected. Still, her natural upward gaze was dangerous. Could I please crouch down to her eye level? Also, seeing her in the school uniform again felt incredibly refreshing.
She confessed that she’d been waiting for me out of sheer embarrassment. She didn't need to be dragged along; she followed me willingly. She was perfectly fine showing her forehead at the bookstore, so I didn't get why she was so shy here... but I guess it’s different when it’s people you see every day.
"Alright, let's go."
"Y-yes..."
"I'm not your senior anymore, remember?"
"A-ah... right..."
Yesterday was my last day. I’d returned the Secondhand Bookstore apron to the Old man. Even though it had only been about a month and a half, the parting was surprisingly sentimental. The Wife gave me a cute apron as a thank-you gift for me to use at home. I planned to wear it the next time I made cup noodles or iced coffee—though I expected Mom would have claimed it by tomorrow.
Ichinose-san had actually teared up. It was practically traumatic. She silently poked my arm with her fingertip. What was I supposed to do with that? I reflexively shook her finger. When I told her, "See you tomorrow," she’d given me a sudden, beautiful smile. The sheer destructive power of it... Old man, you’d better protect her.
She’d declared to her brother and the others that she was sticking with the job. I wondered how things were between them now. She’d apparently stopped avoiding him, but when I asked if she was still letting him use her as a backrest while reading, she said she’d put a stop to that. Sorry, Kuma-san-senpai, but that’s on you. Still, they were closer than most siblings I knew.
Since I wasn't her work senior anymore, I’d pointed out her formal way of speaking, and she’d nodded hesitantly. I couldn't really imagine what our conversations at school would be like yet, but I figured things would work themselves out.
"I'm opening the door."
"Hiee!"
"Opening it now."
We reached the classroom. When I reached for the handle, Ichinose-san let out a tiny, frightened shriek. Her voice was so frail I almost considered just letting her stay out there. Fighting back my protective instincts, I pulled the door open.
"Morning."
"Ah! Morning, Sajocchi!"
"Good morning."
"Yo, Ashida, Natsukawa. Morning."
Ashida was standing behind my seat, with Natsukawa right next to her. They must have been chatting. The summer uniforms...! Natsukawa in her summer uniform! Wait... she’s a little tan! Amazing!
...Oh.
"When we're texting all the time, it doesn't really feel like it's been a while—wait, huh...?"
"Wataru... who is that girl?"
"Ah, right. Um... she’s a Zashiki-warashi."
"No, she isn't!"
Thump-thump... thump-thump...
Maybe it was the stress of entering the room, but Ichinose-san was currently stuck to my back. And by "stuck," I mean "zero distance." My back felt incredibly warm. Honestly, I could start to see why Kuma-san-senpai was so obsessed with being close to her.
"Whoa, hold on, Ichinose-san."
"Wait, is that girl Ichinose-chan!? The one who sits there!?" Ashida shrieked.
Great, now the whole class was looking at us. If this kept up, Ichinose-san would never be able to detach herself. I mean... I didn't exactly mind? If she was okay with it, I was fine staying like this for a while. This warmth and softness wasn't exactly a hardship...
"Hold on just a minute!"
"Eh?"
"You—you can't do that!"
"Ah, right..."
Natsukawa marched over and wedged her hand between me and Ichinose-san. She slowly pushed me toward the chalkboard, prying me away. Ichinose-san was left standing there, frozen like a deer in headlights. When I looked back, both Natsukawa and Ichinose-san were staring at me with complicated expressions. Ichinose-san was definitely pleading for help with her eyes.
"Whoa! Ichinose-chan cut her bangs!"
"She really did! So cute!"
"It looks so much better!"
A chorus of excited voices rose from the other girls who noticed the transformation. Shirai-san and Okamoto-san rushed over with beaming smiles. Girls have this incredible sense of solidarity during makeovers, regardless of their usual groups. If a bunch of guys swarmed me and yelled about my haircut, I’d probably sprint out the door.
Shirai-san and Okamoto-san were both the quiet, artistic types like Ichinose-san, so they’d probably get along fine. They were certainly easier to handle than some of the difficult customers we dealt with at the bookstore.
Ichinose-san kept shooting me desperate looks, but I couldn't help her. Once a group of girls starts swarming, there’s nothing a guy can do. You’re on your own, Ichinose-san. Heh, girls all huddled together like that really is a sight for sore eyes.
As I was admiring the view, I felt Natsukawa's suspicious glare from the right.
"...Hey. Is she the girl from your part-time job?"
"Ah... w-who knows? I wouldn't know anything about that."
I’d mentioned a few things about Ichinose-san to Natsukawa and Ashida already. I couldn't let them realize she was the "quiet girl" I’d worked with all summer... even if they’d already guessed, my only option was to play dumb!
"You know how I am. I’m pretty forgetful."
"......"
"............Um."
"......"
Should I just jump out the window?
The breeze would probably be nice.