I climbed the stairs with Yuria, heading for the rooftop.
This high school had a tradition going back decades: holding a bonfire at the end of the Cultural Festival. It was essentially a normies-only event where happy couples gathered to do folk dances.
The rest of us—the non-normies—would watch from the rooftop or the classrooms facing the grounds, muttering bitter complaints like a peanut gallery.
A literal heaven and hell. Reality was heartless.
Needless to say, as a card-carrying non-normie, I’d spent the bonfire last year reading light novels too. I still vividly remembered the gloom that washed over me when the volume I was reading featured its own bonfire scene.
"Yuria, don't you want to see the bonfire up close?"
I asked casually as we climbed, but Yuria just scowled at me.
"Isn’t it a bit cold to ask a girl without a boyfriend that? Only stupid couples go to stuff like that."
Stupid couples, huh? I suppose it was mainly for people who wanted to brazenly flaunt their relationships.
"But... I guess it’d be nice if I had someone to do the folk dance with next year," she added.
She goes and calls them stupid, then says she wants to go next year? Which side are you on, exactly?
Then again, despite being an otaku, she was still one of the school’s top-tier gals in terms of looks—and those thick thighs. It was actually weirder that she didn't have a boyfriend. She definitely didn't belong in the non-normie camp. Plus, she’d admitted herself that she had a pretty high sex drive.
"What were you doing during last year's bonfire, Ryouta? Don't tell me you were actually hanging around the fire?"
"As if. I was in an Empty Classroom reading light novels."
"Ah, yeah, I figured," Yuria said with a knowing nod.
If you’re supposed to be my good Understander, don't go poking at my trauma.
"Anyway, the three of us watched from the rooftop last year, too. Rui and I were single, and Airi’s boyfriend goes to another school, so..."
"Ah... I see. That’s why you wanted to go to the rooftop again this year."
Technically, Miyama’s boyfriend was a total lie she used for her job, but still...
When we reached the rooftop door, Yuria suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"By the way, Ryouta... if you could do the folk dance with one of the three of us, who would you pick?"
"Out of the three of you?"
"And Tanaka doesn't count!"
I hadn't even considered her, but Yuria probably just didn't want me using Tanaka as the punchline.
"Well... I’d pick you, Yuria. No question."
"Huh? Seriously!?"
"Yeah. I can't even look Kuroki in the eye, and if I danced with Miyama, I’d end up staring at the chest right in front of me. Everyone would think I’m a total pervert."
"What kind of reason is that?! So I'm just the choice by process of elimination!"
"Wait. It’s not just a process of elimination."
"Eh..."
"In your case, my eyes naturally drift down to your swaying thighs. From the outside, it’ll just look like I’m staring at the ground."
"You’re still going to stare?! And don't look at my thighs!"
I took the opportunity to give them a long, hard look, and Yuria promptly smacked me.
"My chest is plenty big too, for your information!"
"Well, when I’m looking at Miyama’s... how should I put it..."
"What? Mine isn’t enough for you? You want me to hit you again?"
"Actually, yes. Gladly."
"Don't be happy about it! Honestly, Ryouta, you're really..."