Monday
[Thanks a lot, Kato-san.]
Yoru, in a good mood, walked to the station with Gabriel while replying to Megumi's message.
On Saturday, he had helped Nanami get in touch with the landlady.
On Sunday, he went out with Megumi for most of the day, and his mood had been lifted.
His thoughts were all over the place, so he hadn't noticed that Gabriel seemed a little off today.
She looked tired. Normally so mindful of her appearance, Gabriel's hair wasn't even brushed properly.
The ends were split, and a few strands stuck up at the crown. She looked completely distracted.
They arrived at the station, took the train, and got off at the terminal station near the shopping district.
"Haa~"
"Kitakami-kun, wait a second. I want to buy some bread," Gabriel yawned while trying to hold it back.
"You didn't eat breakfast?" Yoru asked as he nodded.
"No."
Sleep-deprived, Gabriel answered in a tiny voice.
They reached a bakery soon after, and Yoru waited outside.
Gabriel didn't dawdle—she picked out a few breads she liked, paid, and stepped out.
"Isn't that the angel from class?"
"Gabriel, right?"
At one of the bakery counters, a red-haired girl with twin loops tied at the back of her head and wearing the Shuchiin Academy uniform watched from the shadows—Satania.
After Gabriel left, Satania picked up a pineapple bun and went to pay at the register.
"Poor little angel. Now that you've run into me, Satania—the greatest demon of all!"
After buying the pineapple bun she thought looked tasty, Satania quickly chased after Gabriel.
But Gabriel was already gone.
Frustrated, Satania stomped her foot, tore open the bun, and took a big bite.
...
After parting with Gabriel, Yoru entered the classroom just in time for the morning session—through the back door, as usual.
His deskmate, Yumiko's little clique had just dispersed.
"He finally showed up."
The moment Yoru walked in, Yumiko secretly locked her eyes on him.
When she saw him drop his bag, pull out his phone, and start browsing news like always, she got annoyed.
Hadn't she warned him?
To stay away from Yui?
Was he completely ignoring what she'd said?
There's no way Yui was the one approaching Yoru, right?
Even just using her toes to think, Yumiko knew—
One was a shy, soft-spoken best friend who bottled everything up and got taken advantage of easily.
The other was a notorious fat slob.
"...What's wrong?"
Yoru, finally sensing the gaze, turned his head and locked eyes with her.
Today, Yumiko was wearing a subtle layer of makeup. Her lips were a deep red, and her brows had been drawn sharply. She looked more queenly than ever.
Yumiko didn't answer. She just shot Yoru a death glare, her eyes saying: "Don't even think of leaving after school."
Yoru felt a chill down his spine. Something was definitely off, and he got nervous.
Tap tap tap—
Yumiko turned around, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Ebina.
She asked Ebina to distract Yuigahama after school, since today Yui and Yoru were on cleaning duty together.
Still confused by her reaction, Yoru took a deep breath and went back to reading the news.
The World Cup was still dominating the headlines.
The internet was flooded with people demanding that the African teams be sent home.
White-flag Africa.
Others mourned the final matches of legends like Modrić and Messi.
Yoru kept scrolling.
A local gang conflict in the Tokyo area caught his attention.
After all, it happened nearby.
In Japan, the yakuza weren't exactly legal. They simply operated under the radar of the law.
The infamous Yamaguchi-gumi had their headquarters in Kobe, Kansai—not in Tokyo.
Tokyo belonged to the Sumiyoshi-kai.
The two factions were like Hitler and the Jews—completely incompatible.
This time, the conflict involved two violent gangs under the umbrella of the Sumiyoshi-kai.
On the surface, it didn't affect ordinary people, so Yoru just treated it as a news story.
At noon, he chatted with Megumi like usual.
But the weather was strange in this new place.
It suddenly turned gloomy again.
Until school ended in the afternoon, Yumiko still hadn't made any moves, so Yoru simply forgot about it.
After school.
Four people were on cleaning duty—Yoru and his three classmates sitting in front of him.
Yuigahama happened to be one of them.
"Hey, Hina."
As soon as school ended, m Yumiko found Ebina.
Hayato and the other boys had already headed to their clubs.
At this point, Yoru still had no idea he was walking straight into trouble.
Of course, it could also be a blessing in disguise.
The four of them began cleaning the classroom. Gradually, the building emptied out.
As their cleaning duties were wrapping up, Ebina entered from the back door and took Yuigahama away.
Yoru and the two remaining boys put away the chairs and left the classroom, heading to the Service Club.
Downstairs.
Yumiko had already changed out of her indoor shoes and was wearing brown loafers, arms crossed with a bored expression.
A moment later, Yoru came out, having changed his shoes, and closed his locker door—one that had been scribbled all over with insults in marker.
"Hey, Kitakami. Hold up."
Yumiko had been waiting for a while and directly called out to him.
Thunk—
Yoru's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively sensed trouble and turned his head stiffly.
He saw the beautiful Yumiko narrowing her long eyes, striding toward him with her long, shapely legs.
He had to admit, among the girls, Yumiko was definitely one of the taller ones.
"Do... do you need something?"
Yoru was a little nervous.
As far as he could tell, the only time he might've upset her was during that swimming class.
"Come with me. I have something to ask you."
The proud blonde gal used a commanding tone, her expression slightly threatening, signaling the otaku to follow.
This script... felt off.
Shouldn't this be turning in the opposite direction?
Yoru swallowed nervously, clenched his teeth, and followed anxiously behind Yumiko.
His chest full of nerves and questions, he stared at her slender back, dazzling golden hair, and long legs wrapped in black knee-high socks.
Her pale, flawless legs moved right in front of his eyes.
"Where are you taking me?"
It had been a while since school ended. Shuchiin Academy was already big, and now there were even fewer people around.
Yumiko led him to a secluded area behind the school building.
There were flower beds and large trees here—quiet and hidden—and even a long-disused pond.
Someone had once fallen in here before.
Could she be planning to prank him?
Yoru wondered uneasily.
"Keep up. Why are you staying so far behind?"
Yumiko turned back, her tone unfriendly.
"Ah, right."
Startled, Yoru quickened his pace and walked up behind her.
Yumiko seemed to want to go even deeper, taking another big step forward.
But her focus was entirely on Yoru and not on her footing.
She stepped on the uneven stone path, stumbled, and fell face-first to the ground. She barely managed to catch herself with her elbows.
In a hilariously awkward position, she knelt on the ground with her back to Yoru.
Shuchiin's uniform was a skirt. With this fall…
Yoru froze in place, stunned by the sight before him.
Yumiko was kneeling with her elbows and knees propped against the ground, her skirt flipped up and resting on her back.
Even part of her pale back was exposed—never mind anything else.
What's more, Yoru was looking down from above.
"Pink…"
He snapped out of it, hurriedly covering his mouth, but his eyes didn't move away.
It was just instinct.
"Ah!"
Yumiko didn't even register the pain in her body—or maybe she couldn't. She let out a sharp scream and shot up from the ground.
She spun around, her pretty face and ears flushed pink with embarrassment, and glared daggers at Yoru.
"You… you saw everything, didn't you?"
She fumbled to straighten her skirt while speaking.
It wasn't a question. It was an accusation!
Sure, you could see girls dressed more provocatively at the beach.
But this wasn't the beach—it was school.
"Um…"
It was Yoru's first time experiencing something like this. He fumbled for words in a panic.
So the cold, dominant queen of school could show this side too, huh?
"You jerk. I'll kill you. If you dare tell anyone, you're dead!"
Embarrassed and furious, Yumiko gave him a death glare and warned him fiercely.
Then, overwhelmed by shame and anger, she pressed her hands against her skirt and bolted away from him.
She regretted it so much.
Of all days, today was the one time she didn't wear safety shorts…
After Yumiko ran off, Yoru pursed his trembling lips and finally left the area.
He still had no idea why she had called him out here in the first place.
Maybe it would've been nothing.
But now… he was probably doomed.
After calming down for quite a while, Yoru finally arrived late.
Standing outside the Service Club room, he listened to the conversation inside between Yuigahama and Yukino before knocking on the door.
"I thought you weren't coming," Yukino said flatly.
"Something came up…"
Yoru felt no excitement from having seen one of the school's top beauties' panties and smooth back...
Instead, he was full of dread.