"So? Are you still going to threaten me?"
"N-no... I won't."
Yumiko leaned against the wall, chilled and trembling as she stammered.
She had never truly intended to get Yoru expelled.
His situation had nothing to do with her.
She didn't even want anything to do with him.
From the beginning, all she wanted was for him to stay away from Yui.
"I can't believe... they're in the same club..."
Yumiko muttered to herself, finally realizing it was all a misunderstanding.
"Really?"
Yoru squinted, his eyes nearly reduced to slits from his chubby cheeks.
He scanned Yumiko skeptically.
"R-really." Yumiko nodded frantically.
Yoru had seriously scared her.
"And you're not going to come after me again?"
Yoru stared hard at the gorgeous blonde in front of him.
He realized something—he was the one in control now.
This proud, pretty gyaru... looked almost meek in front of him. It felt weirdly satisfying.
"I swear I won't. Let's just call it even, okay?"
"But you'd better not tell anyone about... what you saw!"
Yumiko's voice was tinged with panic.
"Then apologize," Yoru said coldly.
"...What?"
Yumiko froze, unable to believe what she'd just heard.
Her whole life, she had been pampered and protected because of her family.
Apologizing to Yoru? She couldn't even say it out loud.
Even though she now realized she was in the wrong—at most, she only felt a little guilty.
Besides, he'd seen everything.
"If you don't apologize..."
Yoru lowered his voice, sounding composed and serious.
But inside, his heart was pounding out of his chest, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
"You're threatening me?"
"You... you wouldn't dare..."
For the first time in her life, Yumiko was being threatened.
And the one doing it was a guy she thought was an easy target—a gross loser.
But the next second, she caved.
She was afraid Yoru would really do something crazy.
In a deserted alleyway, a beautiful blonde gyaru apologized to a reviled fat nerd.
If anyone ever found out, they'd scoff. No one would believe it.
Huff...
"So this is what it feels like..."
Yoru felt conflicted... but also strangely pleased.
That strange sensation was intoxicating.
"If I could do the same to Kasumigaoka Utaha... or Shinomiya Kaguya... or that annoying tsundere Sawamura..."
Yoru recalled pinning Yumiko against the wall, her golden hair shimmering as she struggled helplessly beneath his grip.
Their size difference made her completely unable to resist. Her face full of panic and fear.
What if it were petite little Eriri instead...
Maybe he could force her into a dogeza, sticking her butt up, apologizing with a few barking sounds.
Meanwhile, Yumiko, now a little calmer, cast complicated glances at Yoru as she quietly picked up her small leather shoes.
During the struggle, she'd kicked them off. Her socks had gotten twisted.
So she sat down, pulled off her black mid-length cotton socks, revealing her flawless pale feet. She rolled the socks up neatly and put them back on, then slipped into her shoes.
Yoru shook his head hard, trying to dispel the thoughts.
He cast one last glance at Yumiko, then turned and walked out of the alley.
Only after his figure disappeared from the alleyway did Yumiko slowly get up from the ground, her expression filled with lingering fear.
...
At the bookstore in the shopping district—the one that had the Genshin standee out front—
Nanami was working, wearing her staff uniform, diligently carrying out her duties.
Now that she'd moved, it made sense to find a new job closer to home. Long commutes weren't practical.
It was almost time to close, but Nanami was still carefully helping a customer find the right manga.
She didn't actually read manga herself—but she knew the store's sales trends and what kinds of stories different customers preferred.
"How about this one? It fits what you described, Kanda-kun."
Nanami offered a recommendation to the customer, Kanda Sorata.
"Ah... okay, I'll take a look."
Sorata stood awkwardly, keeping a respectful distance from her.
He didn't really care about manga.
He had only come over after noticing Nanami worked here—hoping to chat a bit.
He was even thinking of asking her out this weekend.
He realized he liked her more and more.
"Uh..."
Sorata flipped the manga closed absentmindedly and opened his mouth to speak to the girl in front of him.
'She probably doesn't have a boyfriend... right?' he wondered silently.
"Don't like it? Then I'll change the book," Aoyama Nanami said earnestly as she finished her task.
After she spoke, Sorata hesitated, too nervous to speak.
Nanami's phone rang.
"Sorry, Kanda-kun."
She quickly apologized and pulled her phone from her uniform, turning off the alarm.
She was moving today, and Gabriel and Yoru were going to help her. It was already the end of her shift.
"Do you need anything?" Sorata's sudden impulse faded.
"Yeah, I'm off work now." Nanami smiled apologetically.
"Then I'll take this one. Sorry for the trouble." Sorata said awkwardly.
After paying, Nanami changed out of her work clothes and left the shopping district for the station.
She didn't even say goodbye to Sorata.
Sorata, caught in indecision, finally made up his mind to chase after her and speak his heart.
He was in the soccer club, had participated in junior high tournaments, and did pretty well, which helped him get into Shuchiin.
"I don't look bad either, Aoyama-san should like me, right?"
"Soccer's hot lately, and some girls even asked for my contact info..."
While fantasizing, Sorata quickened his pace and chased after her.
At the station
"Sorry I'm late, Kitakami-kun," Nanami said with an apologetic smile.
"I just got here," Yoru shook his head.
He had just come out of a nearby alley, still feeling a bit stirred inside.
"Thank you so much for helping me move." Nanami smiled.
"You're saving me on water and electricity bills too," Yoru replied casually as they walked into the station together.
"Aoyama-san, why are you walking with that disgusting fat loser again?"
Sorata, who arrived late, saw this and felt a wave of discomfort and pain.
It was a feeling he couldn't quite describe.
The girl he liked was with a disgusting fat loser.
He took a while to calm down and consoled himself.
Even if Nanami didn't like him, there's no way she'd fall for someone like that, right?