Translator: Lilo
Editor: Ryuubii

Prologue

In Akanedai High School, there are two famous female students that everybody knows.

One was Takinami Ruika.

She has a beautiful face and long black hair that must have taken a lot of time and effort to arrange. She wears a calm and mature look, a refined lady. Naturally, she was the object of admiration of many male students.

“Say, Makabe-kun.”

That very person was now right in front of me.

The setting was the library after school.

Being a library committee member, I was on the counter and she was on the other side of it. We were talking across the counter. There’s still some time before closing, and several students are studying or reading in the room, so I lowered my voice slightly to avoid disturbing them.

Nevertheless, she still spoke to me in a melodic and lucid manner.

“I guess the number of people here will increase since the exams are soon?”

After saying so, she then looked around.

In short, the question was whether more students will use the library to study for the tests.

“No, there doesn’t seem to be any visible increase… though, that may just be because of me.”

I chuckle.

After all, I was the only member of the library committee. Thanks to this, the opening and closing of the library was entirely up to my convenience. It would be difficult to use the library for those reasons. The people who regularly come here can be counted with the number of my fingers.

“I don’t think so. You’re doing well as a member of the library committee. That’s right. Why don’t you just keep it closed until the tests are over? I’m sure you also have to study for the exams.”

“I can’t exactly do that. Although there aren’t many, some students come here to study.”

There are some faces I don’t usually see. Perhaps they were visiting the library because they think that if they are going to study hard for a test, the library is a better place to study than their noisy homes.

“I’ll be fine. I can study right here.”

“Oh, how unexpected.”

Takinami-senpai chuckled.

And then the bell rang. I didn’t need to look at my watch to know. The time was 5:55 pm. When the chime rings at 6:00 p.m, students who have nothing special to do should go home. This was a reminder bell to tell them to get ready to go home.

Each of the students who remained in the library packed their belongings and left the room. As they did so, some students greeted the most beautiful senior student. She, too, responded with a mature smile and a wave of her hand.

After seeing most of the students leave, Takinami-senpai spun around and turned back to the counter.

And then―,

“So you see, about the summer vacation…”

She said in a very casual tone.

Her graceful atmosphere was gone. However, this was the true face of Takinami Ruika.

“I thought we were talking about the tests.”

“I don’t care about those uninteresting things.”

Takinami-senpai nonchalantly said so.

“I’m sure you’re a high achiever who can handle the test.”

My courtesy for the upperclassmen was blown away by her.

“It doesn’t matter if the tests are a breeze or you have good grades, if it’s not interesting, it’s not interesting. Besides, a test is something you can do if you study hard and listen to your classes. It’s not an event to make a big deal out of.”

“…..”

As expected of an honor student. But, most of us can’t do that.

That said, when she said that you could do well on the test if you studied hard, her excellent grades must be due to her hard work.

“Well, I don’t enjoy talking about tests either.”

Unfortunately, I am an average person and always struggle with tests even though I take classes properly every day.

“Then this should be fast… Can you help me pick out a swimsuit for summer vacation?”

Takinami-senpai casually said so.

“Huh? Why should I?!”

“You picked out my underwear the other day, didn’t you?”

True, but that was simply a choice made out of the strength of a sales pitch and momentum, and I don’t want to do it again.

“You see, I like what you picked for me. You have a knack for this stuff that I don’t have.”

Takinami-senpai gave a plausible reason.

“I’ll make sure to treat you.”

“Treat?”

Not that I would do it depending on the answer, but I reflexively asked her back. Then, Takinami-senpai confidently answered.

“Next date, we’ll go to the pool and I’ll show you my swimsuit.”

“I refuse.”

I curtly replied, swiveled my office chair, and turned my body to face the computer. I closed the unnecessary applications one by one.

“Shizuru, you…”

It was when Takinami-senapi, who was very unhappy with my attitude, was about to say something to me.

“Hey, are you bothering Shizuru again? Cut it out, will you?”

A voice came from the library doorway.

The owner of the voice has short brownish hair and large, round eyes that give off a lively impression. A high school girl who was on the verge of being a gal thanks to her makeup.

It was Hasumi Shion.

The other girl that everyone here at Akanedai High School knew. She and Takinami Ruika are two of the most beautiful girls in our school.

“Oh, Hasumi-san, how unusual. For you to stay at school this late.”

“Oh, no, I was talking in class and it was getting late, so I thought I’d come over here before I leave… to see if there was anything I could do to help, but that’s enough about me.”

Hasumi-senpai, who had been explaining the circumstances as she was being asked, hastily returned to the subject.

“I’m the one who’s asking. Takinami-san, I hope you are not pressing Shizuru again.”

“How rude. A woman’s weapon is not something to be used rashly. You have to pull it out at the right moment.”

Takinami-senpai replied in a vexing manner, but for me it was more than enough trouble. Hasumi-senpai also looked a little dismayed.

“I was just consulting about something.”

“Consulting?”

Hasumi-senpai looks doubtful.

“Yes. Summer vacation is coming, right? That’s why I’m asking Shizuru to pick out a swimsuit for me.”

“Why are you asking Shizuru to do that for you?!”

And now she has an irritated look on her face.

“I told you before. Shizuru has a good sense for fashion. He made me realize that this kind of thing looks good on me.”

Takinami-senpai, on the other hand, was somewhat proud.

But it was not my intention to create a new aspect of her. It was simply the result of my own consideration and choice. In the first place, Takinami Ruika would look good no matter what she wears.

“Since you’re already here, why don’t you have him pick something for you too, Hasumi-san?”

“I told you I don’t need it.”

I don’t intend to do that either. And please don’t say “too” as if I accepted Takinami-senpai’s request.

“If that’s the case, why don’t I help you? How about a triangle bikini? How about it? It would look good on you.”

“No, you’re talking about that one, right? The kind that gravure idols wear. I don’t think that would look good on a normal person.”

Says the one who could stand side by side with a gravure idol. She’s most definitely not an ordinary person, but a person who was blessed.

“Oh, I don’t think so. Even Shizuru would like to see it, right?”

“Eh?”

The conversation suddenly turns to me, and I couldn’t help but let out a sound in a deadpan manner.

“Um… well, I’d kind of like to see it…”

Then I thought about the question and uttered the answer in a subdued tone.

Well, since Hasumi-senpai has the body of a gravure idol and would dress like a gravure idol, it would be like the page on the magazine would come to life. If I had to choose between wanting to see it and not wanting to see it, I would choose to see it.

Immediately after, Hasumi-senpai made a bright red face and grabbed me by the collar, and Takinami-senpai also leaned forward against the counter with a grim look on her face.

“Y-yo-you… Why are you so brutally honest?! Don’t you think you should be ashamed, being the man that you are?!”

“I don’t mean to be rude after having talked about it myself, but wasn’t Shizuru’s reaction compared to mine, quite different?”

The next moment, something snapped in my head.

“Come on, so troublesome! You asked and I answered, and now you’re mad at me? Is this a trap? Go, I’m closing the library now, so both of you get the hell out!”

§§§

“You’re as noisy as usual.”

As I was taking a breath after taking Takinami-senpai and Hasumi-senapi out of the library together, I heard a voice from behind.

When I turned around, there stood a woman with jet-black hair, a beauty no less than Takinami Ruika and Hasumi Shion.

Her name is Mibu Kanata.

“I’m sorry. I’ll remind them later.”

“I don’t really mind. It’s quite interesting to watch from the sidelines.”

“No, this isn’t some show, okay?”

One would think that she was a recluse who doesn’t care about what was happening in the world, but she was surprisingly observant.

“I’m sure you’re having more fun than you think you do.”

“Does it look that way?”

Takinami-senpai would say things that I don’t understand, Hasumi-senpai gets involved, and the result was always a sludge fest. It was quite unthinkable to enjoy that.

“Poison is conquered by poison. Kanata-senpai, would you like to join us?”

“What are you expecting out of me?”

Kanata-senpai looked at me with slanted eyes. She was as cold as ever.

“I’m going home.”

“Take care.”

And she didn’t mention anything about being called a poison.

Kanata-senpai grabbed her school bag and left the library. As soon as she was out of sight, the book bell rang for 6 p.m. It was as if the chime was matching up with Kanata-senpai.

“Now, then―”

I let out a sound and began closing the library.