Chapter 1: Childhood Friend of an Idol Diver
“Hey, you bastard, Tatsuya! Since when were you acquaintances with Yurarin from TriSpa?! I never heard anything about this!”
“Yeah, Tatsu-nii! And what did she mean by ‘the most important person to me’?! Explain yourself right now!”
Inside the school infirmary, two girls—Suzuka-san and Aina—were bombarding me with questions.
Yurarin, an Idol Diver enrolled at Keika Girls’ Academy—commonly known as Keijo—had come running straight up to me during the scavenger hunt race when her prompt turned out to be ‘the most important person to you.’
Then she had joined hands with me, and the two of us had crossed the finish line together.
How she had managed to withstand holding my hand out of nowhere when we had just met for the first time was a mystery, and why she had called me the most important person to her was an even bigger mystery.
Incidentally, after dropping that bombshell of a statement, ‘Yurarin’ had collapsed on the spot and was currently sleeping soundly in the next bed over.
“Look, even if you ask me... I’m pretty sure this is my first time ever meeting Yurarin. There’s no way I’d forget a beautiful girl with snow-white hair if I’d met her once before,” I said.
I glanced over at Yurarin as she breathed softly in her sleep. As expected of a wildly popular Idol Diver, she was absurdly cute. She was even cuter in person than on TV, and her face was right up my alley.
“Aaah! Tatsu-nii just ogled Yurarin with a dopey grin on his face!” Aina cried.
“Quit staring so hard at a sleeping girl’s face, you creep!” Suzuka-san snapped.
All I did was look her way for a second, and they tore right into me. Honoka-san walked over without a word and drew the privacy curtain shut with a brisk shhk.
“That’s enough out of both of you, Naruse-san, Okumura-san,” Honoka-san said. “Come on, the closing ceremony is about to start, so the two of you head back to the athletic field. Tatsuya-kun, please stay here just in case.”
“Tch. You’d better spill everything later, got it, Tatsuya?” Suzuka-san warned.
“Don’t you dare do anything weird to Yurarin, okay?! I mean it!” Aina added.
With Suzuka-san shooting me a resentful glare and Aina looking on the verge of tears, Honoka-san ushered both of them out of the infirmary by their shoulders.
“...Say, Tatsuya-kun. You really don’t have any idea who she is?” Honoka-san asked.
“No, none at all,” I replied.
Even after I answered, the dubious look on Honoka-san’s face didn’t clear.
“I don’t think you’re lying, Tatsuya-kun, but you can be pretty spacey sometimes, so I can’t quite trust your memory either...”
Apparently, she still suspected me.
“Well, then again, you have a pretty ordinary look about you, Tatsuya-kun, so she might have simply mistaken you for someone else. Asking her once she wakes up will be the quickest way to sort this out.”
Wait, Honoka-san, haven’t you been saying some pretty rude things for a while now? I’m pretty sure you have plenty of airheaded, spacey moments yourself, you know.
Shattering the awkward tension hanging over the infirmary, the school PA system crackled to life.
‘Matsumoto-sensei, a student has fallen ill near the center of the athletic field. Please come immediately.’
“Oh dear, I wonder if it’s heatstroke. Sorry, Tatsuya-kun, I need to step out for a bit,” she said.
“Ah, okay.”
Snatching up a first-aid kit, Honoka-san hurried briskly out of the room.
“...”
Silence descended upon the infirmary, which had been so noisy only moments ago.
An early summer breeze drifted in through the open window, billowing the curtain wide.
“Mm, nnh... Huh? Where am I...?”
Caressed across the cheek by the breeze, Yurarin seemed to have woken up. After the soft rustle of sheets, a pale hand drew back the curtain.
Her white hair swaying gently in the drifting wind, Yurarin came into view. Spotting me sitting in the chair beside her bed, she blinked her eyes wide in surprise for a moment before offering a tender smile.
“Tatsuya-kun... It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? I’ve been looking for you this whole time, you know?”
“Uh... umm.”
First, her sheer loveliness left me completely tongue-tied. And second, hearing her say ‘it’s been a long time’ when I had no memory of meeting her robbed me of words all over again.
Even as I racked my brain at full speed, I couldn’t find a single memory of a white-haired beauty anywhere in my head.
“Um, I’m terribly sorry, but could you have mistaken me for someone else...?” I asked.
At my words, a look of pure shock crossed Yurarin’s face, and she clutched the fabric over her chest tightly. Her eyes dropped in sorrow.
“Ah, I-I’m sorry... You wouldn’t remember someone like me, would you...”
Please don’t do that. When a gorgeous girl looks at me like that and says something so heartbreaking, the guilt is overwhelming.
“Um, I’m really sorry,” I said hastily. “It’s just that I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl with white hair before... Ah, though of course I’ve seen you perform on TV plenty of times!”
For some reason, I ended up speaking in an awkwardly stiff, formal tone.
“White hair... Oh, I see. Right, of course. My whole look has changed quite a bit since back then, hasn’t it?”
Yurarin twirled a lock of her signature white hair around her finger.
“Um... if I do this, maybe you’ll remember me?”
Looking slightly bashful, Yurarin lifted her bangs with her fingers. The moment I saw her face uncovered by those white bangs, a memory flashed vividly through my mind.
A school library bathed in the madder-red glow of sunset. The quiet sound of turning pages. And the girl who was always sitting by the window.
“Huh...? Don’t tell me... Yura-chan...?”
At my words, Yurarin—Yura-chan—broke into a radiant, beaming smile.
“Yep! Long time no see, Tatsuya-kun!”
By all appearances, my very first love had grown up into a wildly popular idol.
“W-wait a second, sorry. Let me calm down and sort this out in my head. I’m completely confused right now.”
“Yeah, of course! I already waited four years, so I’ll wait as long as you need.”
As I pressed a hand to my temple and tried to think, Yura-chan watched me with a cheerful grin. Her white hair had thrown me off completely, but the longer I looked at her face, the more unmistakably she was Yura-chan.
“Okay, so... Yura-chan, you’re really Hamano Yura-chan, right? The same Hamano Yura-chan I used to play with all the time in elementary school, before we drifted apart a little in middle school—the girl who’s basically my childhood friend, right?”
“Yep, that’s me!”
“And that same childhood friend Yura-chan somehow became a superstar Idol Diver without my knowing, and we just happened to reunite here at this joint school festival—is that right?”
“Yep, that’s right!”
Yura-chan nodded along happily with a bright smile at everything I said.
“And back in our first year of middle school, in the library...”
The moment those words left my mouth, my heart clenched tightly in my chest.
Wait. How can I sit here chatting away so casually like this?
Back then, in that sunset-dyed library, Yura-chan had been carried away on a stretcher. I was undeniably the one who had caused that to happen. And the fact that she had vanished right afterward was undeniably my fault, too.
For now, Yura-chan—whom I had feared I might have accidentally killed—was alive and well. That much was a tremendous relief.
Even so, now that I knew she was alive, there was something I had to say to her first.
“Yura-chan, I’m sorry! I am truly, deeply sorry!”
I bowed my head low before her.
“Huh? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden...?”
“Back then, my thoughtless actions ended up hurting you, Yura-chan! I didn’t mean any harm, and I never intended to do anything terrible to you! Really! Please believe me!”
“Tatsuya-kun, what are you talking about...?”
“Back then, I was head over heels in love with you, Yura-chan! I wanted to go out with you! And that’s why—that’s why I did something so stupid!”
“Eh? Ah, l-love...? Wait, why are you saying that out of nowhere...?”
Once I blurted all that out, tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. Crying when I was the one at fault was shameless beyond belief. Yet remembering that day made me feel so pathetic and terrified—and the sheer relief of knowing Yura-chan was alive sent tears spilling down my cheeks.
“Sniff... Yura-chan... I’m so, so glad you’re alive... I’m truly sorry for what happened four years ago...”
“Tatsuya-kun...”
Why did Yura-chan want to see me again? What kind of expression is she making right now?
Too afraid to find out, I couldn’t bring myself to lift my head.
As I kept my head bowed low—
“...Hehe.”
I heard the soft sound of Yura-chan’s laughter.
When I looked up, contrary to everything I had feared, Yura-chan was smiling.
“Yura-chan? Um... aren’t you angry with me?”
“Nope, I’m not angry at all. Because I know you never meant to do anything bad to me, Tatsuya-kun. You’re not that kind of person.”
“...Then why were you looking for me?”
“Well, that’s...”
Yura-chan paused for a moment as if searching for the right words, then spoke again.
“I guess... because I wanted to let you know that I was okay? I figured you might still be beating yourself up over it. And it looks like I was right on the money.”
“Yeah. It haunted me this whole time. Because I... well, I was afraid I might have killed you.”
“Yeah, I can see why. The shock back then really did feel like it was going to kill me. Even now, I still remember it all the time...”
Perhaps recalling what had happened four years ago, Yura-chan wrapped her arms tightly around herself and gave a full-body shiver. Just remembering it must have been terrifying for her.
“I-I’m sorry! I made you remember something awful!”
“Something awful...? Ah, no, no, I’m totally fine! Since we’re finally talking, let me tell you what happened after that day. It’s also the reason I became an idol.”
Taking a small breath, Yura-chan continued.
“That day, I lost consciousness while talking with you in the library, Tatsuya-kun, and by the time I woke up, I was already in a hospital bed. I had no idea what had happened, except I noticed my level had shot up like crazy. When I told my parents about it, they were furious—they misunderstood and assumed someone had forced themselves on me. Before that day was even over, my dad raged that we couldn’t stay in a town like this another second, and he made me transfer schools right away.”
“So that’s why you didn’t come to school the next day.”
“Yeah. And then a few days later, I noticed something else: my hair was growing in pure white at the roots. The shock of touching you back then must have turned it white, Tatsuya-kun.”
She spoke as though it were nothing at all, lightly playing with a lock of her hair.
“I’m sorry... That happened because of me...”
“Huh? No, don’t worry about it at all! It suits me, right? Having white hair.”
“Yeah. It suits you really well.”
When I gave her my honest opinion, Yura-chan smiled bashfully, looking almost tickled.
“For a long time after that, my parents were super overprotective and barely let me go out on my own. Once I started my first year of high school, they finally gave me a little more freedom. So I went back to our old neighborhood hoping to see you, Tatsuya-kun, and asked around among our old friends, but nobody knew which high school you’d gone to. I even went all the way to your house, you know? But your parents wouldn’t tell me where you were, either. Just when I was starting to think I’d never see you again, I got scouted to become an idol. And that’s when it hit me: if I became a famous idol and got my name out there, maybe you’d see me, Tatsuya-kun. Maybe you’d even reach out to me through a fan letter or something.”
“Though in the end, I ended up finding you first,” Yura-chan added with a wry smile.
“I see... Thank you for doing all that for my sake. Knowing that you’re alive and well makes me happier than I can say, Yura-chan. Still, let me apologize properly one last time. On that day four years ago, my reckless behavior put you through something terrible, and I am truly sorry.”
Once again, I bowed my head deeply.
I fully expected Yura-chan to laugh it off and tell me not to worry about it anymore. After a few seconds of silence, however, the words that came back to me were the last thing I expected.
“...No. On second thought, I don’t forgive you.”
“Huh?”
Startled, I lifted my head—only to find her smiling with a faint, strangely alluring glint in her eyes.
“I won’t forgive you for making my body like this. You’re going to take responsibility for it, okay?”
◇
A week had passed since Yura-chan and I exchanged contact info in the infirmary that day. So far, there had been no sign of a message from her.
As I idly scrolled through my phone in the classroom before morning homeroom to kill time, Sakakibara walked over and struck up a conversation.
“Hey, Mura, did you hear? Rumor has it we’re getting a transfer student!”
“A transfer student?”
Right on the heels of Aina, it sounded like yet another student was transferring into Soukoku.
Yura-chan’s face briefly flashed across my mind, though I doubted anyone could wrap up transfer paperwork and enroll in the span of a single week.
“What year are they in?” I asked.
“A second-year, same as us! And word is, they’re going into the class right next door! Man, I hope she’s cute!”
“You’re already hoping she’s cute when we don’t even know if it’s a girl yet?”
“Get this—rumor says they’re transferring in from Keijo! That practically guarantees it’s a girl!”
Keijo. Hearing that name made me think of Yura-chan again, though I quickly dismissed the possibility. Yura-chan was an Idol Diver—both an idol and an active Dungeon Diver. If she were transferring into Soukoku for some reason, she would obviously enroll in the Labyrinth Exploration Course. The class next door to ours was in the General Course.
“Well, either way, it has nothing to do with guys like us. Especially if she’s a cute girl,” I said.
“Gaaah, you have zero dreams, Mura! If we don’t do anything, we’re gonna finish high school as nothing more than Male Student A and Male Student B, y’know? Oh, and I’m Male Student A, while you’re B.”
“Is establishing a pecking order between A and B really necessary?”
Letting out a sigh, I dropped my gaze back to my phone.
Personally, I was completely fine with being Male Student B. So long as I could get through high school quietly without causing trouble for anyone, I couldn’t ask for more.
...Well, if it were actually possible, I wouldn’t mind getting a girlfriend and spending my days flirting like a normal teenager.
I gripped my arm tightly. Unfortunately, this thing—my EXP—would never allow that.
I just wanted a quiet life. That wish was blown to smithereens before first period even began.
‘Hamano Yura—better known as Yurarin from TriSpa—just transferred into our school.’
The news swept through the entire student body like a typhoon in the blink of an eye.
Of course it did. One of the hottest Idol Divers in the country had abruptly transferred into our school out of nowhere; there was no way it wouldn’t become the talk of the campus.
Before I even had time to pray something as rude as Please don’t come looking for me here, the front door of our classroom slid open, and a white-haired head poked cheerfully inside.
“Pardon the intrusion! Um, is Mura Tatsuya-kun here?”
The center of the typhoon strolled right in like the calm eye of the storm, wearing a pleasant smile that blossomed into a radiant grin the instant she spotted me.
“Ah, there you are! Man, so close—they put me in the class next door! I transferred in, Tatsuya-kun! Now we can spend our school days together again, just like back in middle school!”
Scattering invisible sparkles from her devastatingly cute face and gorgeous white hair, Yura-chan marched straight over to my desk. Give me a break.
“A-ahaha. Nice to have you here, Hamano-san.”
There was no way I could casually call her ‘Yura-chan’ in front of a crowd like this.
Hearing my stiff reply, Yura-chan lowered her gaze after a beat. Her fingertips fidgeted awkwardly with the hem of her blazer.
“Um... yeah. Sorry for dropping in so suddenly, Mura-kun. I was just so happy to see someone I knew that I got carried away. I bothered you, didn’t I?”
She forced a fragile smile, as if holding back her hurt. Please stop. My chest hurts looking at you like that. Though the glares stabbing into me from the rest of the class hurt plenty, too.
“N-not at all!” I said quickly. “I was just surprised to have the famous Idol Diver Yurarin come talk to me out of the blue, that’s all!”
As I scrambled to smooth things over, Yura-chan let out a small breath of relief. Perhaps trying to be considerate of my position, she leaned down and brought her lips right up to my ear.
“Wait for me after school today, okay? Let’s go hang out somewhere.”
Her breathy whisper brushed against my ear from so close our skin nearly touched. Despite myself, I felt a sudden rush of heat down below.
As I stared in a daze after Yura-chan, who flashed me a playful wink and a smile before heading out, a low, rumbling bass voice echoed from right behind my back.
“I... WILL... KILL... YOU...”
“...”
Sakakibara’s voice dripped with pure resentment. The heat between my legs cooled down in an instant.
You’ve got it all wrong. She’s just a childhood friend, I swear.
After school, I packed up my things in a hurry and stepped out in front of the next classroom’s door before Yura-chan could come over to mine. If she waltzed into my classroom grinning from ear to ear a second time, I wouldn’t survive the aftermath.
Sure enough, the moment I stepped into the hallway, Yura-chan came bounding out of the class next door.
“Wah! You startled me! You packed up fast, Tatsuya-kun!”
“Yeah, well. Do you have anywhere particular in mind? For now, let’s just get off campus first, okay? Come on.”
Taking hold of Yura-chan’s sleeve, I marched briskly down the hall. The last thing we needed was a huge crowd spotting the two of us together.
“W-wait, Tatsuya-kun, you’re being so pushy~”
For some reason, Yura-chan’s cheeks flushed pink with delight. What on earth is she imagining right now? Please stop.
After we swapped our indoor shoes for our street shoes at the lockers and neared the front gate, Yura-chan came to a halt.
“Sorry, Tatsuya-kun. Give me just a second.”
Rummaging through her school bag, Yura-chan pulled out an oversized cap, a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and what looked like a small bottle of perfume.
She deftly tied up her hair and pulled the cap low over her head. Once she slipped on the large black-rimmed glasses, you wouldn’t immediately recognize her as Yurarin at a passing glance—though thanks to that striking white hair of hers, anyone who looked closely would still figure it out right away.
“And finally, a spritz of this... There!”
Yura-chan lightly misted herself with the perfume bottle. Along with a soft, sweet fragrance, I felt her presence noticeably fade into the background.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“This? It’s a perfume called Phantom Parfum—Ghost Flower Oil—made from a plant that grows inside dungeons. It has a recognition-inhibiting effect that makes it harder for monsters to spot you, and it works on humans too.”
It was the ultimate tool for going out incognito.
Right—Yura-chan was a hugely popular Idol Diver. Taking someone that famous out in public without a disguise would have been asking for trouble.
“...Sorry, that was inconsiderate of me. You’re a celebrity, after all, Yura-chan.”
Hearing my apology, Yura-chan leaned forward for some reason and peered up into my face.
“What is it?” I asked.
“...Nuh-uh, nothing at all~”
Now she was grinning in remarkably high spirits. I really didn’t understand girls.
As Yura-chan set off with a bounce in her step that looked ready to turn into a skip, I hurried after her.
“Where are we going?”
“When I came by the area the other day to finish my transfer paperwork, I found a really nice-looking café~ Let’s go there together, okay? There’s so much I want to talk about!”
Leaving the busy main street behind, we turned down a side alley where the bustle of the city seemed to soften.
Walking with unhesitating steps, Yura-chan headed toward a stylish building whose entrance was draped in lush greenery. Without a second thought, she pushed open a door that I would have been way too intimidated to enter on my own. The rich, inviting aroma of coffee wafted out to greet us.
“Welcome. Table for two?” the staff member asked.
“Yes! I have a reservation under Mura.”
For some reason, Yura-chan gave my last name at the counter. Wait, I didn’t make any reservation here.
“Ah, Mura-sama. Right this way, please.”
Apparently, she really had booked a table under my name.
Sticking the tip of her tongue out cutely, Yura-chan glanced back at me.
“Sorry, I borrowed your name.”
“I don’t mind, but why mine?”
“Well, you know, just in case—so nobody recognizes me!”
That made sense. Hamano Yura, better known as Yurarin from TriSpa, was a household name. Even with a light disguise, plenty of people would put two and two together if they heard her real name alongside her features.
The server led us into a stylish little private room bathed in warm, indirect lighting.
“Whoa, amazing. How do I put it... this place is super stylish,” I said.
“Isn’t it? They’ve lowered the color temperature of the lighting to soften the contrast, and the oak wood grain gives the room such a calm atmosphere. It absorbs the light so the reflection feels warm and cozy. And since the acoustics don’t bounce your voice around, you naturally end up speaking more quietly. It’s the perfect spot for a secret chat, don’t you think?”
Wait, what is with that interior-design vocabulary? Please stop, you’re making my comment sound painfully cheap by comparison. Well, there’s no denying my reaction really was the pinnacle of cheap.
Sitting down across from each other, we looked over the menu.
“...”
Expensive.
Granted, with a private-room café this upscale, I’d figured it wouldn’t be cheap, but still.
What do you mean a ginger ale costs over one thousand yen? The fountain-drink stuff from a family restaurant is fine by me, so please sell me a glass for one hundred yen. Actually, plain tap water is fine at this point.
...Oh, no good. Mineral water is seven hundred yen. There’s no escape.
“What are you going to get, Tatsuya-kun? Do you drink coffee?”
“Nah, not really.”
“Do you like ginger ale?”
“...Pretty much, yeah.”
“Oh, look, look! They have a seasonal tart! Given the time of year, it has to be peach! You always liked sweets, didn’t you, Tatsuya-kun? Ah, though that was five years ago now... Do you still like them?”
“Yeah, I still do.”
“Ehehe, I like them too. I’ve liked you this whole time, you know?”
Huh? Wait, what are we talking about? We’re still talking about sweets, right?
“Okay, then I’ll get the gâteau au chocolat—and a milk tea. And for you, Tatsuya-kun, ginger ale and the seasonal tart! Let’s share our desserts, okay?”
Ah, yes, ma’am. One gâteau au chocolat (fifteen hundred yen), one milk tea (nine hundred yen), one seasonal tart (seventeen hundred yen), and one ginger ale (eleven hundred yen). Wow, incredible. We just blew past five thousand yen in the blink of an eye.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yura-chan rang the table bell and placed the order for both of us.
When our order arrived a short while later, I took a sip of the ginger ale. Yeah, it definitely tasted different from the ginger ale I was used to—sharper and more complex, leaving a spicy tingle in my throat.
“Here you go, Tatsuya-kun. Say ‘aah.’”
“Ah, no, hold on, doing that is a little...”
“Say ‘aah.’”
“Um, Yura-chan, don’t you think you’re being a little too forward...?”
“Aah.”
“...Aah.”
I folded—not to Yura-chan’s cuteness, but to the sheer pressure radiating off her. Why was this girl coming on so strong? Sure, we used to play together all the time as kids, but that was five years ago, and back in our first year of middle school we’d been pretty awkward and distant with each other, hadn’t we?
What on earth was driving Yura-chan this far?
Swept along by her pace, I ended up spending a sweet, cozy time with her that felt just like a real date between lovers.
By the time I checked the clock, it was already past seven in the evening.
“Oh, shoot. Sorry, I’d better head home soon.”
“Do you have plans?”
“Not plans, exactly, well—final exams are coming up soon, remember? I don’t really have a target college or a big dream for the future, but I still want to avoid failing any classes. What about you, Yura-chan? Since you just transferred in, do you get a pass on finals?”
“Nuh-uh, I have to take them like everyone else. Though a while back, I was thinking about dropping out of high school and taking the high school equivalency exam instead, so I studied super hard for that. The material on these finals should be a breeze.”
Right, I’d almost forgotten. Yura-chan had always been smart ever since we were kids.
“Oh, really? Were you planning to drop out so you could focus on your idol career?”
“Well, of course that was part of it, too, but...”
Fidgeting shyly, Yura-chan stole a quick upward glance at me.
“I wanted to put everything I had into searching for you, Tatsuya-kun.”
“Huh? Me?”
Caught completely off guard by her answer, I let out a dumbfounded squeak. Yura-chan puffed out her cheeks.
“Jeez. I looked everywhere for you, you know?”
“I’m sorry...”
“No, it’s okay. Still, I’m so glad I didn’t drop out of high school~ Who would’ve thought the scavenger hunt prompt would be ‘the most important person to you’ at the exact moment you jumped right into my field of view, Tatsuya-kun? It felt like destiny.”
Yura-chan’s expressions shifted from one moment to the next—blushing, pouting, smiling shyly. True to her status as an idol, every single look she made was captivating.
The accident from our first year of middle school, which had weighed on my heart for so long, slowly melted away. And what welled up in its place were the feelings I’d had for her back then.
“S-sorry! I’m gonna use the restroom real quick!”
Maybe nostalgia was amplifying it, too, because right now Yura-chan looked way too dazzling for my own good. Ducking into the restroom to regain my composure, I splashed cold water over my face and wrists.
Pressing a hand against my chest, where my heart threatened to start pounding out loud at any second, I shook my head and gripped my right arm tightly.
As long as I have this inside me, I can’t fall in love. I’m not allowed to fall for anyone.
Because for me, falling in love with someone means pushing them one step closer to death.
I took a deep breath to steady my mind.
Above all else, Yura-chan was alive. That alone was wonderful news. Better yet, she was treating me with the same easy warmth she had back in elementary school, which made me genuinely happy. But that was as far as it could ever go.
I etched the warning deep into my heart: I must never fall in love. I could never let an accident like that happen again. Because next time, I might truly lose someone precious to me forever.
Once I had calmed down, I returned to our private room.
“Sorry for the wait. Let’s get the check and head back.”
Doing my best not to look directly at Yura-chan’s face, I pulled out my wallet. That face of hers was so dangerously cute it was practically bad for my heart.
Inside my wallet were... four thousand-yen bills and a handful of coins. Unfortunately, I was short.
“Sorry, Yura-chan, I don’t have enough cash on me to cover the whole thing... Mind if we split the bill today?”
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s my treat today.”
“Huh? No, wait, I can’t let you—”
“Come on, I’m the one who invited you out today, and I kept you here when you needed to study for finals, so it’s only natural that I pay, right?”
Everything she just said was absurdly dashing.
“Though... I feel a little weird calling it a trade, but... there is something I want from you...”
Fidgeting restlessly as if struggling to get the words out, Yura-chan kept stealing glances at me—and specifically, at my hand.
“Something you want?”
“Ah, b-but if you don’t want to, Tatsuya-kun, I won’t force you! It’s just... um, ever since that day, I haven’t been able to forget it... I keep remembering how it felt, over and over again...”
Yura-chan gently stroked the fingertips of her left hand, as tenderly as if she were touching a lingering wound—the exact fingertips I had brushed against during the accident four years ago.
“Look, we’re in a private room right now. And I’ve been diving in dungeons and raised my level quite a bit since then. So I figured, um, right now a little bit should be totally fine... or rather, I just can’t hold back anymore...”
Her cheeks flushed crimson, Yura-chan gazed up at me through her lashes.
“P-please? Give me some... of your EXP, Tatsuya-kun...♡”
Inside the tranquil private-room café, lo-fi hip-hop played softly through the unhurried air—mingling with the sound of Yura-chan’s feverish breaths.
“Hey, I really think we shouldn’t do this...” I said.
“I-I can’t hold back anymore, not after coming this far... I’ve been looking for you for so, so long, you know? Please, just a little—just a tiny bit is fine...”
Breathing out hot sighs, Yura-chan stared fixedly at me with a flushed face.
“What if you end up just like you did four years ago?”
“I’ll be fine... I held your hand at the festival the other day and I was okay, remember...?”
“Well, yeah, that’s true, but...”
It was true that Yura-chan had taken my hand during the sports festival. She could evidently withstand that level of brief contact now—though she had still collapsed right afterward.
“Just our fingertips—just touching fingertips is fine, okay? Please...?”
What guy on earth could say no when a girl this cute was begging him so sweetly? Especially when she was even picking up the tab.
“...All right. But really, just a tiny bit, okay?”
“—! Yes! Yes! Thank you, Tatsuya-kun! I love you!”
“O-oh, uh-huh.”
Her smile blossomed like a flower in full bloom.
At the completely unhesitating way she blurted out ‘I love you,’ a weird noise slipped out of my throat.
Right away, Yura-chan held out her index finger toward me.
Slowly, I brought my own index finger closer to her slender, pretty finger—gently and carefully, making sure not to press too hard.
And then, ever so lightly, the tips of our fingers touched.
“Nnh♡♡♡ A-ah, th-this, this is it♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
“W-wait, Yura-chan!”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but in this quiet, refined room, her sultry moan sounded unmistakably out of place. I tried to pull my hand back, only for her to clamp her other hand around my wrist and pin it in place. As expected of a Dungeon Diver, her grip was shockingly strong.
“N-not yet♡♡♡♡♡ It’s not enough♡♡♡♡♡ Not nearly enoughsh♡♡♡♡♡”
Yura-chan pleaded with a melting expression on her face, looking as though actual pink hearts were floating in her eyes. Having a gorgeous idol show me a face like that from point-blank range started putting me in a strange mood, too.
“Nhaaaah♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ So, so much of it is pouring inside meeee♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
“Ah, s-sorry!”
The amount of EXP (pleasure) flowing into a girl rose and fell depending on how aroused both partners were while touching. Since Yura-chan was already, well, at maximum receptivity mode, I had to do everything in my power to keep my own excitement in check.
And yet, despite my best efforts...
“I-it feels so good...♡♡♡ Y-your huge thing, Tatsuya-kun♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Put more of it inside meeee♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
Yura-chan cooed as if trying to seduce me. Please stop phrasing it in ways that sound wildly misleading.
“H-hey, hold on, Yura-chan! W-we really need to stop now!”
The instant I tensed my arm to wrench my right hand away from hers, my elbow knocked the table bell off the edge. As it hit the floor, a crisp chiring! echoed through the quiet room.
“Oh crap! W-wait, Yura-chan! Let go!”
I pulled hard on my arm, but her grip didn’t budge an inch.
“J-just a little more...♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
“The staff is gonna come in!”
“Nooo♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ I’m not letting gooo♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
While I struggled desperately to pry myself free from Yura-chan, a polite knock sounded at the door. True to a high-end café, their service was fast.
“Pardon the intru—”
“E-excuse me! Could we get the check, please?!”
As I blurted that out without missing a beat, the door—which had cracked open an inch—promptly clicked shut again.
“Certainly, sir. Just a moment, please.”
That stopped the server from walking in on this disaster for the moment, but it was only a matter of seconds before they returned with the bill.
“Yura-chan! Come on, we have to pay the bill! I don’t have enough cash on me, so lend me some money! More importantly, let go of my hand already!”
“Tatsuya-kun♡♡♡♡♡♡ Hey, Tatsuya-kun... more♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
Oh, this is bad. She isn’t listening to a word I say. Her eyes are completely glazed over.
With the server about to return at any second and Yura-chan refusing to let go of my hand, I had no choice left but to resort to drastic measures.
“Sorry about this, Yura-chan!”
Leaning across the table, I reached out my free hand toward Yura-chan’s cheek. Misjudging the distance slightly, my fingers brushed against the porcelain-smooth skin of her neck instead.
“Hkyuuuuun! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
Giving one massive, full-body jolt, Yura-chan finally released my wrist.
“Y-Yura-chan, are you okay?!”
“Aghuuu♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Nnh, ghh♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
For a split second, my memory of the middle school library flashed before my eyes. Crap, I overdid it.
My blood ran cold, and my heart hammered like an alarm bell.
“Yura-chan! Are you alright, Yura-chan?!”
“...Hahi♡♡♡♡♡♡ Th-that was... amazingsh...♡♡♡♡♡♡”
Thankfully, Yura-chan didn’t lose consciousness, slumping face-first onto the table as she panted raggedly.
Thank goodness, it didn’t turn into a medical emergency. I let out a sigh of relief.
My relief was short-lived, however, as the sound of the server’s footsteps approaching down the hall reached my ears.
“Sorry, Yura-chan, let me borrow your wallet!”
“Haa... haa... I-it’s in... my bag♡♡♡♡♡♡♡”
Wearing an expression of pure afterglow, Yura-chan looked as though she were savoring every last shiver. Picking up her bag from the back of her chair, I rummaged inside. Somehow, I felt like I was committing a felony.
Thankfully, I found her wallet right away and hurriedly popped it open.
“...Whoa.”
Even in my rush, one look at the contents made me freeze.
There were about seven bills inside, and at a glance, every single one of them was a ten-thousand-yen note. Given her line of work, she probably needed to carry cash on hand.
Every card slot was filled to capacity as well, packed with cards I didn’t recognize at all. Spotting one card in particular—matte black accented with gold detailing—I nearly gasped aloud.
Wait a second... Isn’t this what people call a black card...?
—Knock, knock.
“Hyaaah?!”
Startled by the knock at the door, I let out a bizarre squeak.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
“Ah, hyah.”
As the door clicked open, the server was greeted by quite a sight.
A gorgeous girl slumped across the table gasping for breath, and me standing there clutching an open pink wallet.
No matter how you looked at it, the scene was suspicious. Beyond suspicious.
“...Your total comes to five thousand seven hundred and twenty yen. Will you be paying by card?”
“Ah, n-no, um, c-cash, please.”
I pilfered—er, pulled—a ten-thousand-yen bill from Yura-chan’s wallet and set it on the cash tray with a trembling hand.
“...Out of ten thousand yen. I will be right back with your change.”
“Ah, yes, thank you.”
The server cast a deeply skeptical glance down at the bill. Don’t worry, it’s clean money earned through honest hard work. Though Yura-chan is the one who worked for it, not me.
“Mm, nnh...♡ Ahuu♡”
Yura-chan. Instead of letting out those satisfied, sultry little moans, could you please pull yourself together and sit up already...?
◇
‘Tatsuya-kun, thank you for yesterday! By the way, about studying for next week’s exams—would you like to study together? I might be able to help teach you a little, and I want to review the test material myself, too. How about we study together at your place after school today, MAYBE?’
A text message arrived from Yura-chan. Sure, I needed to study for finals, and having a bright student like Yura-chan tutor me would be a huge help. However, the memory of how Yura-chan had acted yesterday flashed vividly across my mind.
Craving my EXP, she had flat-out refused to let go of my finger once we touched.
Proposing my apartment as the venue for our study session was suspicious enough on its own, and above all, that last sentence gave off weird middle-aged-guy text vibes—like she was deliberately slipping in katakana at the end to soften her tone and hide her ulterior motives.
“Let’s see... ‘I’d love for you to help me study, but there are too many distractions like manga at my place, so I’d rather study at the library’... Send.”
Offering a plausible excuse, I tried to steer us away from an at-home study session. A short while later, her reply came back.
‘Okay, got it! Though the library might be noisy with other patrons around, and if we can’t concentrate there, let’s go study at your place—or at my house, even if it’s a little far!’
Even while agreeing to the library, she refused to take an at-home study session off the table—and phrased it in a way that made it hard to turn down. As expected of Yura-chan, she was sharp.
On top of that, she had even dangled an invitation to visit the home of an active Idol Diver—a proposition no red-blooded high school boy could hear without getting curious. I wrestled my wavering resolve back under control. I can’t afford to cave here.
Sending a brief reply to Yura-chan reading ‘Got it. Let’s meet at the school gate after classes,’ I switched my phone to silent mode and opened my textbook.
Unlike Yura-chan, I was just an ordinary guy. I’d have to study steadily bit by bit and do my best to avoid failing marks.
“Hey, Tatsuya~ Let’s go study together!”
After school, just as I was packing my study materials into my bag to head for the library, Suzuka-san strolled over and called out to me.
“Ah... um, sorry. I was actually planning to go study at a nearby library today...”
“Well, that works out great! I’ll come with you.”
“Uh, the thing is, I already made plans to meet up and study with a friend...”
At my hesitant, evasive tone, Suzuka-san’s eyes narrowed into sharp slits.
“Hmmmm? A guy?”
“...The individual in question happens to be female, ma’am.”
“Oh, reeeeeally?”
Stepping right up to my desk, Suzuka-san slung an arm firmly around my neck. Please stop, your breasts are pressing right against me.
Peering up into my face from below, Suzuka-san fixed me with a sulky glare. Even making a face like that, she was super cute. Not to mention she was way too close and smelled amazing.
“Well, it shouldn’t be a problem if I tag along too, right~? It’s not like a library only seats two people, right~?”
“That is certainly true, ma’am, but...”
“You say it’s a study session, but you’re not studying health and physical education together, are you~?”
“Strictly core academic subjects, I assure you.”
“Besides, I want more female friends anyway, so introduce me to her!”
“Uh, um, well...”
“And if she happened to be a famous Idol Diver or something, I’d be even happier—though there’s no way that’s who it is, right~? No way at all, right, Tatsuya~?”
“...For now, we’re meeting up at the front gate, so why don’t we head over there together?”
Unable to say yes or no, I walked toward the school gate with Suzuka-san’s pointed stare prickling the back of my neck. Waiting there for me was Yura-chan, already dressed in her incognito disguise.
Spotting me—and Suzuka-san walking right behind me—Yura-chan beamed with a bright smile and waved.
“Tatsuya-kun, is the girl behind you... a friend of yours?”
There wasn’t a trace of hostility in Yura-chan’s eyes. Breathing an inward sigh of relief at that, I introduced Suzuka-san to her.
“Yeah. This is Naruse Suzuka—she’s a second-year like us, in the Labyrinth Exploration Course. Sorry to spring this on you out of nowhere, but do you mind if Suzuka-san joins our study session today?”
At my question, Yura-chan broke into a warm, radiant smile and held out her hand to Suzuka-san.
“Of course! Nice to meet you, Naruse-san. I’m Hamano Yura! Do you mind if I call you Suzuka-chan?”
“...”
Suzuka-san neither took Yura-chan’s outstretched hand nor said a single word. Wait—is a fight about to break out right here?
Breaking into a cold sweat, I glanced nervously at Suzuka-san’s face—only to find an expression I hadn’t expected at all.
“Wha... whoa... I-it’s seriously Yurarin in the flesh...”
She was blushing. Suzuka-san, of all people, had a hand pressed over her mouth and kept sneaking wide-eyed glances at Yura-chan.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Suzuka-san? Are you okay?” I asked.
“No, I mean, it’s literally Yurarin... Having an idol I’ve only ever seen on a screen standing right in front of me... doesn’t even feel real... Whoa, she’s so freaking cute...”
“...Wait, are you a fan of hers?”
“I wouldn’t call myself a diehard fan or anything, but I’ve been to her concert before. Wait, no way—can I really shake this hand? Even though it’s not a handshake event?”
Acting weirdly flustered, Suzuka-san kept raising and lowering her hand indecisively. Well, to be fair, if an idol who wasn’t my childhood friend were standing right in front of me, I’d probably react the exact same way—though in my case, I would never dare touch her hand.
Seeing Suzuka-san’s hand hovering in midair, Yura-chan reached out herself and clasped it in a warm handshake.
“Nice to meet you, Suzuka-chan.”
“Ah, y-yeah! N-nice to meet you, Yurarin!”
At Suzuka-san’s reply, Yura-chan’s brows drooped ever so slightly.
“Right now I’m just an ordinary high school girl, not an Idol Diver, so I’d really like it if you called me Yura.”
“O-oh, right. Yeah, that makes sense... Nice to meet you, Yura.”
Smiling at each other, the two of them shook hands. Thank goodness. Looks like we avoided an explosive standoff.
“By the way, Suzuka-chan, you’re Tatsuya-kun’s friend... right?”
“Ah... Yeah, that’s right. We’re friends. Right, Tatsuya? Nnh♡”
As if deliberately showing off to Yura-chan, Suzuka-san reached over and gave my hand a tight squeeze. Hold on, Suzuka-san. That is not how friends hold hands. That’s how lovers hold hands.
At Suzuka-san’s blatant display, Yura-chan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“...I see. Then starting today, the three of us are all friends, right? Let’s get along, okay? ...Mm♡”
Right over the hands Suzuka-san and I had joined together, Yura-chan placed both of her own hands to wrap around ours.
What is happening right now? People are staring at us, so please stop.
“A-anyway, we shouldn’t waste time standing around here, so let’s head to the library!”
With a faint current of awkward tension hanging in the air, the three of us set off for the library.
At first I’d worried about how things would turn out, but without any friction between them, our study session was progressing smoothly. And the biggest reason for that was...
“Oh, Suzuka-chan, I think you might have a mistake here. Shouldn’t this be 2n instead of 2?”
“Huh? Wait, isn’t the formula just k + 2?”
“It’s enclosed in parentheses, see? So the sigma summation applies to both the k and the 2...”
“Hmph? Oh... Oooh! Wait, you’re totally right! Thanks!”
“No problem! You’re very welcome.”
“Sorry, Yura-chan, do you know this English sentence?” I asked. “When I translate it, I get ‘He is neither a teacher nor a doctor,’ but that doesn’t seem to fit the context...”
“Let’s see... I think you might be mixing it up with ‘not A or B.’ That sentence uses ‘not A but B,’ so it means ‘not A, but rather B.’”
“Oh! You’re right! ‘He is not a teacher, but a doctor’ makes total sense here!”
Simply put, Yura-chan was an absurdly good tutor.
She had always been a bright kid back in elementary school, and even now that she was working as an Idol Diver, her sharp mind hadn’t dulled a bit.
Better yet, she was patient and clear at explaining things—and above all, she was cute.
Finishing up the English translation passage with Yura-chan’s help, I stretched my arms overhead.
“Man, I’m beat~ Wait, do people even use phrasing like ‘not A but B’ in everyday conversation? I feel like I’ve never heard anyone say that in real life...”
“Well, duh, we live in Japan, don’t we?”
Having just finished solving her math problem, Suzuka-san chimed in with a dry retort to my grumbling.
“Seriously, though, you’re cute, you’re sweet, and you’re super smart—you’re practically Miss Perfect, Yura.”
“Huh? N-no, I’m really not all that~”
“Don’t handsome actors and celebrities try to hit on you all the time in the industry?”
“Ah, well... I guess I wouldn’t say it never happens...”
Triggered by that exchange between Suzuka-san and Yura-chan, our studious atmosphere evaporated into thin air.
“What?! For real?! Who?! Come on, tell me—just a hint!”
Turning her whole body away from her notebook, Suzuka-san leaned eagerly toward Yura-chan, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“N-no way, I can’t tell you that! I have to respect their privacy...”
“I swear I’ll take it to my grave! Please, just one name!”
“Jeez~ You have to promise to keep it an absolute secret, okay?”
Looking at the two of them now, you would never have guessed they had only met for the first time today. Then again, Suzuka-san was a gyaru with off-the-charts social skills.
Swept along by Suzuka-san’s enthusiasm, Yura-chan leaned in close and whispered a name into Suzuka-san’s ear. Unfortunately, her voice was too soft for me to catch.
“...someone like ...-san, for instance.”
“WHAAAAAAAT?! NO WAY! Isn’t he the star of that blockbuster movie that just came out a little while ago?!”
“Shh, Suzuka-chan! Shh! Keep your voice down!”
Apparently, the name she’d dropped was a much bigger A-list celebrity than Suzuka-san had bargained for. In a panic, Yura-chan clamped both hands over Suzuka-san’s mouth.
“Whoa, are you serious right now? Wait, so what happened?! Are you two dating?!”
“O-of course not! I turned him down right away!”
“What a waste~~! He’s crazy handsome and probably loaded, too—that’s a prime-grade catch right there!”
“Maybe so, but... if you were in my shoes, Suzuka-chan, would you have gone out with him?”
“Nah, I’d pass.”
“See?!”
Chattering away excitedly, the two of them were getting pretty loud. And naturally, inside a quiet library, their voices carried across the room.
Yura-chan had tried to keep her voice down at first, but as she got caught up in the gossip with Suzuka-san, her volume steadily crept up too.
“Wait, if you’ve got handsome A-listers like that asking you out, why are you so hung up on Tatsuya?”
“You’re super popular with guys yourself, aren’t you, Suzuka-chan?! Why don’t you go find someone nice other than Tatsuya-kun?!”
Hearing their conversation get more and more heated, a woman who looked like a librarian began walking briskly toward our table. Yep, we’re about to get scolded.
“Excuse me. Please keep your voices down in the library.”
““W-we’re very sorry...””
Withering under the librarian’s frosty gaze, the two girls shrank back in their seats. Glancing around, I noticed several other patrons shooting annoyed looks at our table as well. Realizing it would be awkward to stay any longer after causing a scene, Suzuka-san and Yura-chan began packing up their study materials.
Well, there was no helping it. Losing my star tutor hurt, but I’d just stay behind and keep studying on my own.
“...”
The librarian’s icy stare pivoted straight onto me.
Ah, yes, ma’am. You want me out of here too, understood.
“Mmm, I got so much studying done today~! You were a total lifesaver, Yura.”
Stepping outside the library, Suzuka-san stretched her arms high overhead. The look she gave Yura-chan was one of pure, genuine fondness for a reliable new friend.
“Not at all! It was great review for me, too. It’s seven o’clock now—what should we do next? Want to go grab dinner together, all three of us?”
Evidently, Yura-chan had no intention of doing any more studying tonight.
At Yura-chan’s invitation, however, Suzuka-san shook her head.
“Ah, sorry! I didn’t text my mom that I’d be eating out, so I’d better head home tonight. Let’s definitely grab food together next time! I’m super glad we became friends today. Let’s hang out plenty from now on, okay?”
“Yeah, definitely!”
Suzuka-san held out a closed fist toward Yura-chan. Though blinking in slight confusion for a beat, Yura-chan smiled and lightly bumped her own fist against Suzuka-san’s.
“And Tatsuya—just because I’m not around, don’t you dare try anything weird on Yura, got it? Well, with that EXP of yours, I doubt even the famous Idol Diver could handle it anyway.”
“I wouldn’t do anything like that.”
When I gave her a wry smile, Suzuka-san nodded in satisfaction, spun on her heel, and walked off.
“Suzuka-chan is such a nice girl, isn’t she? Even though she dresses like a flashy gyaru, she really cares about her mom.”
“Yeah, she’s a great person. I think the two of you will get along really well.”
I had been nervous at first about what might happen when they met, so seeing Suzuka-san and Yura-chan hit it off without any weird rivalry was a massive relief.
“Are you going to keep studying after this, Tatsuya-kun?”
“Hmm, I’d like to get a little more done if I can. Obviously we can’t go back inside that library, so I’ll probably just head home and finish up there.”
“I’m sorry, that’s my fault for getting us kicked out... To make it up to you, I’ll tutor you today until you’re completely satisfied, Tatsuya-kun!”
“That’d be a huge help.”
...Wait a second.
“Um... does that mean you’re coming over to my apartment?”
“Huh? Well, we did agree earlier that if we couldn’t concentrate at the library, we’d study at either your place or mine, right? Oh, would you rather come to my house instead? It’s a little far from here, though, so you’d end up having to stay the night...”
What do you mean, ‘you’d end up having to stay the night’?
What kind of logic was unfolding inside Yura-chan’s head right now?
As I hesitated over how to answer, Yura-chan averted her gaze from me and cast her eyes downward.
“...Ah. S-sorry. Would you rather I didn’t come over? Back when we were kids, we used to hang out at each other’s houses all the time, so... I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
As if trying to press down an ache in her chest, Yura-chan rested a hand over her heart. Every trace of her cheerful mood from a moment ago vanished, leaving behind the very picture of a heartbroken girl.
“Being with you again was just so much fun, Tatsuya-kun, and felt so nostalgic that I got carried away all on my own... I’m sorry. I’m being a bother, aren’t I?”
Gazing up at me with eyes glistening with unshed tears, she looked just like an abandoned puppy.
There wasn’t a high school boy alive who could look a gorgeous girl in the eye when she made a face like that and tell her, ‘Yeah, you’re being a bother.’
“N-not at all!” I said quickly. “I just figured you had your own studying to do, Yura-chan, so I felt bad making you spend the whole evening tutoring me...”
At my words, Yura-chan let out a visible breath of relief, and a gentle smile returned to her face.
“Teaching someone else is actually a great way to study, so don’t worry about it at all! It helps me review the material, too. Two birds with one stone, right?”
“Well, as long as you’re okay with it, Yura-chan... My place is this way.”
With no way left to turn her down after that, I started walking toward my apartment building.
Yura-chan trotted happily along beside me. Walking side by side with a girl this cute was something any normal guy would be over the moon about.
Partway there, a cute little guu rumbled through the air. When I glanced over at Yura-chan, she was pressing both hands against her stomach with a faint blush on her cheeks.
“E-ehehe. My stomach just growled. Aren’t you hungry, Tatsuya-kun?”
“Yeah, I’m starving too. There’s a supermarket right over there—I was thinking of just grabbing some prepared deli food for dinner. What about you, Yura-chan?”
“Ooh, then I’ll do that too! I have a few other things I want to pick up as well, so I’ll meet you back at the entrance once I finish paying, okay?”
Splitting up with Yura-chan inside the store, I headed for the deli aisle. After debating between tantanmen noodles and katsu curry, I went with the latter. When it came to tantanmen, nothing beat the frozen ones from the convenience store.
After paying at the register, I waited by the supermarket entrance. Before long, Yura-chan walked out carrying a rather large shopping bag.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Tatsuya-kun! It took me a little longer than I thought.”
“Looks like you bought quite a lot. What’d you get?”
“Ah! No peeking at a girl’s shopping bag, Tatsuya-kun!”
The moment my gaze drifted toward the bag in her hand, Yura-chan whisked her arm behind her back to hide it.
“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I just thought I could carry it for you if it was heavy.”
“Hehehe, I’m totally fine! Besides, unlike back when we were kids, I’m way stronger than you now.”
“Ahaha, you’ve got a point there.”
Sharing a laugh with Yura-chan, we walked on down the street. Even as we chatted normally, however, a single question lingered in the back of my mind.
When I’d glanced at the shopping bag in Yura-chan’s hand a moment ago, I had distinctly seen a toothbrush poking out the top. Did someone normally need a toothbrush just to come over to a friend’s house to study?
No, wait—Yura-chan was an idol, so maybe she was just extra diligent about dental care. People always said a celebrity’s smile was their livelihood, after all.
She probably made a habit of brushing her teeth right after eating a meal or snacks. Yeah, that had to be it.
“Ah.”
As we walked along, something tumbled out of Yura-chan’s overstuffed shopping bag and rolled across the pavement.
“Um, Yura-chan? What’s that?”
“This?”
Scooping it up off the ground, Yura-chan held it up beside her cheek. It was a compact, travel-sized bottle set of hair shampoo and conditioner.
“Shampoo? Why did you buy shampoo?”
“Well, you know how my hair is white now, right? It gets frizzy and holds a curl way more easily than normal hair, so I’m really particular about the shampoo and treatment I use.”
“Oh, uh, I see. Gotcha.”
No, wait a second. I wasn’t asking why you’re particular about your shampoo brand—I was asking why you bought a travel-sized shampoo set right now on the way to my apartment.
With an ominous premonition prickling at the back of my neck, we arrived at my apartment building.
“Here’s my place. It’s not super tidy, but come on in.”
“Hehehe, this is my first time visiting your place since elementary school, Tatsuya-kun. Back then, I never would’ve imagined I’d be visiting you in an apartment where you live all by yourself~ I’m hooome!”
“Sure thing, welcome baaack... Wait, huh?”
Hold on. Did she just say ‘I’m home’? Doesn’t a guest normally say ‘Pardon the intrusion’?
“Phew, that cap was so stuffy~”
The moment she stepped inside my apartment, Yura-chan took off her cap and untied her hair. Shining white locks cascaded smoothly down over her shoulders. Once she slipped off her fake glasses too, the superstar Idol Diver and center of TriSpa—Yurarin herself—stood right there in my room.
Yura-chan gave her head a light shake to let her hair fall into place. With every sway, the sweet, soft fragrance of a gorgeous girl drifted through the studio apartment of a lone high school boy.
For an adolescent boy my age, this air was downright intoxicating. Without thinking, I covered my nose and mouth with one hand before my self-control could go haywire.
“Hm? Is something wrong?”
Tilting her head slightly to the side, Yura-chan peered up at me. Are you doing that pose on purpose? Because it’s dangerously cute.
“N-nothing at all! Come on, let’s eat dinner first while it’s hot!”
If I kept breathing in this sweet-smelling air much longer, my sanity wouldn’t last five minutes. I needed to microwave the katsu curry I’d bought right away and overwrite the room with the spicy aroma of curry.
Thanks to the freshly microwaved curry, I managed to mask at least some of Yura-chan’s overwhelming beautiful-girl pheromones.
As we ate our dinner together, we chatted casually about this and that. Somehow, it felt just like we’d gone back to our elementary school days, and I found myself genuinely enjoying it.
“You started living on your own when you entered high school, right, Tatsuya-kun? Do you ever cook for yourself?”
“Not at all. When I first moved out on my own, I told myself I’d cook proper meals, but whenever I actually thought about doing it, it was just too much of a hassle. Buying groceries is a pain, and memorizing recipes is a pain too. I never thought twice about it when I lived with my parents, but it really made me realize how amazing my mom is for cooking every single day. I’m honestly super grateful to her.”
“Hehehe, that sounds just like you, Tatsuya-kun.”
“Do I really look like that much of a lazybones to you?”
“No, not that part—the way you can honestly appreciate your mom like that. That’s one of the things I really like about you, Tatsuya-kun.”
“O-oh, uh-huh.”
As expected of a top idol who routinely shouted ‘I love you!’ to thousands of fans in arenas, her threshold for dropping the word ‘like’ was dangerously low. That was already the second time she’d told me she liked me since our reunion. Careful, or I’m seriously gonna get the wrong idea.
“What about you, Yura-chan? Do you cook? Wait, do you live on your own too?”
“Yep, I live by myself too.”
“Oh, really? Come to think of it, when your family moved away in seventh grade, where did you move to?”
“Hmm, well... somewhere not all that far from here.”
For some reason, Yura-chan gave a strangely vague answer.
“—Anyway, now that we’ve finished eating, we’d better get right to studying! Talking with you is super fun, too, but I came here tonight to help you study!”
Clapping her hands together with a crisp pop, Yura-chan gathered up our empty bento containers and carried them over to the kitchen sink.
“Ah, yeah. You’re right.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling that she had forcefully changed the subject, though she had a point about our study session. Right away, I pulled out my textbooks and notebooks.
While I had such an ace tutor right beside me, I wanted to get through all the toughest material first.
“Phew~! That just about wraps up math! Seriously, thank you so much, Yura-chan! You saved my life!”
“Good work today! Getting to review everything helped me out a ton, too~ Looks like neither of us will have to worry about failing marks.”
“Forget failing marks—you could easily take first place in our entire grade, Yura-chan.”
It had been a long time since I’d studied with that much focus. Rolling my shoulders and stretching my neck, I happened to catch sight of the clock on the wall—and froze.
“Wait—Yura-chan, shouldn’t you be heading home soon?! It’s gotten really late...”
The clock had just ticked past eleven at night.
“Yep, I’m totally fine.”
“Oh, good~ What time is your last train? I’ll walk you to the station.”
“Um, I think the last train leaves Shibuya Station around eleven thirty?”
“Huh? Eleven thirty? Wait a second—it takes about thirty minutes just to get to Shibuya Station from here...”
“Yep! Still, it’s totally fine, okay?”
What part of this is ‘totally fine’? I’m pretty sure nothing about this is fine at all.
“Just in case something like this happened, I bought the bare essentials for staying overnight back at the supermarket earlier. So don’t worry, I’m totally fine!”
No, really, nothing about this situation is fine.
“...Ah. R-right, of course. I’m sorry.”
Sensing my troubled hesitation, Yura-chan cast her eyes down sorrowfully.
“We don’t have the kind of relationship we had back when we were kids anymore, do we... I’m sorry, I got the wrong idea all by myself... Having me suddenly ask to stay the night is a huge imposition, isn’t it...”
“No, it’s not that you’re imposing! It’s just, well, a boy and a girl our age spending the night alone together in a single room probably isn’t the best idea, you know...?”
Even as the words left my mouth, Suzuka-san’s face flashed through my head. Considering Suzuka-san and I had practically lived together in this very room not long ago, it felt a little late to be preaching modesty now—though back then, there had been extenuating circumstances.
“You’re right, yeah. Ahaha, I’m sorry! Um, since I’m a Dungeon Diver, if I run the whole way to the station, I can still make it in time! Sorry for the trouble—I’ll pack up my things and head home right now!”
Putting on a bright tone and a painfully forced smile, Yura-chan began gathering her things—while her other hand clutched tightly at the fabric over her chest as if holding back an ache. A tidal wave of guilt washed over me. I felt like the worst villain on the planet.
“Uh—wait, no, okay! It’s fine, totally fine! It’s already super late, and it’d be awful if you missed the last train out there, so you can stay the night here.”
“Huh?”
When I walked back my refusal, Yura-chan blinked in stunned silence for a moment before a radiant smile blossomed across her pretty face.
“A-are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s not like we’re strangers. Sorry about a second ago—the thought of a superstar Idol Diver staying the night in a cramped studio apartment like mine just made me nervous.”
“Jeez, don’t start sounding like Suzuka-chan too, Tatsuya-kun! Right now I’m your childhood friend Yura, not the Idol Diver Yurarin.”
Laughing cheerfully as though her heartbroken look a second ago had been a complete lie, Yura-chan reached into the supermarket bag she’d brought along and pulled out the toothbrush and travel-sized shampoo set.
“Ehehe, it’s been so long since I had a sleepover at your place, Tatsuya-kun~ Back in lower elementary school, we stayed over at each other’s houses a few times, remember?”
“Yeah, vaguely.”
That had been way back before either of us—or at least, before I—had started thinking about the opposite sex that way.
“I hope we don’t overthink things and can keep getting along just like we did back then.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Looking at Yura-chan’s warm, open smile, I couldn’t see a trace of ulterior motive in her eyes. She genuinely just wanted us to be close again like we were as kids. Feeling self-conscious all on my own made me look like an idiot.
“Well, since we still have school tomorrow, let’s take turns in the bath and get some sleep. You can go ahead and use the bathroom first, Yura-chan. Feel free to use whatever clean towels you need.”
“Okay, thank you!”
Without a hint of awkwardness, Yura-chan hummed happily and headed into the bathroom.
Although I stayed slightly on guard the rest of that night, nothing out of the ordinary happened at all; Yura-chan and I simply went to sleep like normal, and the next morning we headed off to school together.
◇
“Oh, Suzuka-chan, it’s already past seven thirty. Are you okay on time?”
“Ah, is it that late already? I’m at a good stopping point anyway, so I’ll wrap it up here for today. Thanks again, Yura—you helped me out a ton.”
When Yura-chan glanced up at the library clock and pointed out the time, Suzuka-san gave a big stretch and started packing away her notebooks.
Watching her pack, Yura-chan tilted her head curiously and spoke up.
“Does your family have a strict curfew, Suzuka-chan? You always make sure you’re home before eight, don’t you?”
“Hm? Nah, not at all. Even if I grabbed dinner out on my way home, my mom probably wouldn’t say a word.”
“Really? Since you always head back before eight without fail, I figured your parents were super strict.”
“Ah, well, yeah. It’s not really an interesting story or anything, but...”
Pausing for a moment as if choosing her words, Suzuka-san glanced bashfully off to the side.
“A little while back, my mom was really sick. Like, it got to the point where we didn’t know if she was gonna make it. Well, she’s completely cured now and doing great, though! Still, how do I put it... you never know what might happen tomorrow, right? So whenever I don’t have plans, I try to eat dinner together with my mom while I can...”
The tips of her ears were faintly red.
“That’s so admirable of you, Suzuka-chan.”
“I-it’s nothing admirable at all! Anyway, that’s why I try to head home early on days when nothing’s going on! Make sure you’re good to your parents too, okay, Yura?!”
“Ahaha, I’ll do my best~ Be careful on your way home!”
“Yeah! See ya later, Tatsuya.”
Slingshotting her school bag over one shoulder, Suzuka-san walked briskly out of the library. With her blonde hair and the cardigan tied loosely around her waist, she looked every inch the trendy gyaru; nobody passing her on the street would ever have guessed she was hurrying home just to eat dinner with her mother.
“Let’s do a little more ourselves and then call it a night, too. Thanks again for helping me today, Yura-chan.”
Ever since that first afternoon we studied together at the library, the three of us had been meeting up here almost every single day after school—though once next week’s finals were over, we probably wouldn’t be setting foot in the library again for a good while.
Thanks to having an ace tutor like Yura-chan, my studying was going better than ever; at this rate, forget just scraping past a failing grade—I could probably aim for the top half of our class rankings.
When I glanced over at that ace tutor of mine, however, I caught her in the middle of a massive yawn.
“Are you okay, Yura-chan? Getting sleepy?”
“Fah?! S-sorry!”
Yura-chan hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands, probably embarrassed to have a guy see her yawn that wide.
“No, you don’t need to apologize for yawning... If anything, I should be apologizing to you for keeping you out late tutoring me every day.”
“Nuh-uh, I’m the one who invited you to study together in the first place, and it’s helping me study too! You have nothing to apologize for, Tatsuya-kun!”
Yura-chan put on a bright smile as she said that, yet the fatigue on her face was unmistakable.
“Still, you really are worn out, aren’t you?”
When I pressed her gently, Yura-chan lowered her gaze for a moment before letting a quiet admission slip.
“Well, ever since I transferred schools, my morning commute has gotten a lot longer, so I’ve been running low on sleep... I’ve been thinking about moving into an apartment closer to Soukoku, actually, but I haven’t had the time to look for a place yet.”
Yura-chan offered a troubled little smile. Even with a schedule that packed, she had been staying late every evening to help me study. No wonder she was sleep-deprived.
“What about staying at a nearby hotel for a few nights?”
“I’d rather avoid hotels if I can. After all, I’m technically a well-known idol, so rumors start easily if I’m spotted checking into one.”
Smiling wryly, she adjusted her black-rimmed glasses with a fingertip.
“Sigh... I wonder if there’s anyone I know well—someone I feel completely comfortable around—who might let me stay over at their place...”
Glance.
Wearing a troubled little frown, Yura-chan peeked up at me through dewy lashes. She’s way too cute.
“Someone you know well, feel comfortable around, and could stay over with... Um, you mean like... my place...?”
“Really?! Thank you, Tatsuya-kun!”
As if determined not to let me take back the words I’d just blurted out, Yura-chan shot to her feet with a clatter of her chair.
“W-wait, um, I meant—”
“You’re the only person I can truly trust, Tatsuya-kun! I’m so, so glad you’re here for me! Oh, I’ll go home once to pack everything I need to stay over, and once I’ve got my bags together, I’ll head straight to your apartment! See you in a bit!”
“...Ah, okay.”
Sweeping her study materials into her bag in record time, Yura-chan darted out of the library before I even had a chance to reconsider.
...I might have spoken way too soon.
“Hmm-hm-hmm♪ Hm-hmm♪”
Wheeling a suitcase behind her so massive she looked ready for an overseas vacation, Yura-chan wasted no time unpacking her personal belongings and arranging them all around my apartment.
“Let’s see... maybe this goes right here?”
Her makeup case, school uniforms, casual clothes, pajamas, and a mysterious little pouch tucked into the corner of the closet.
A pastel-pink toothbrush took up residence right beside mine in the same bathroom cup as though it had always belonged there.
Set proudly on the bath counter were full-sized, family-pack bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
“I’ll tidy this area up a little, okay?”
In no time flat, she cleared away the clutter beside my bed and smoothly set down her phone charging stand—along with a plush stuffed bunny.
On my desk went her jewelry case, a bottle of body mist, and a tabletop mirror.
Piece by piece, Yura-chan’s colors and sweet fragrance invaded every corner of my once-spartan bachelor room.
Even as my personal living space was steadily annexed right before my eyes, for some strange reason, I didn’t mind it one bit.
“Ehehe, and that finishes setting everything up!”
Finally placing a pink pillow right up against mine on the bed, Yura-chan dusted her hands off with a satisfied pat-pat.
“...Somehow, this feels less like you’re crashing here and more like we’re living together.”
“Y-yeah. Almost like newlyweds, right?”
Although I’d meant that remark with a touch of dry irony, Yura-chan seemed to take it as a compliment.
“Okay, then! Since we’re going to be living together now, let’s set down some house rules first.”
Yura-chan tilted her head with a bright smile. She’s already flat-out calling it ‘living together.’
“If we don’t decide how to divide up the chores right from the start, it’ll only cause problems down the road, after all.”
“Ah, yes, ma’am. You have a point.”
“First, about laundry—since a girl’s clothes have lots of delicate items, I’ll handle the washing. Do you mind if I wash your clothes together with mine, Tatsuya-kun?”
“Yes, by all means.”
“I’ll basically handle cleaning the room too, so you don’t need to worry about that. I actually enjoy tidying up.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
“And I’ll take care of the cooking, too, since it sounds like you don’t cook, Tatsuya-kun.”
“Yes, that would be an immense help.”
“And let’s see... since there might be trash I wouldn’t want you seeing, I’ll handle taking out the garbage too. For the same reason, I’ll take charge of cleaning the bath and the toilet.”
One after another, Yura-chan claimed every single household chore for herself.
“Um, there are a lot of things I feel like I should point out here, but isn’t that putting way too much of the burden on you, Yura-chan?”
“Huh? Not at all! Since you’re letting me stay in your apartment, Tatsuya-kun, doing the housework is the least I can do! Leave it all to me!”
Brimming with enthusiasm, Yura-chan pumped both fists in front of her chest. Well, it certainly made my life easier, so I couldn’t complain.
I poked a finger at the stuffed bunny sitting on my bed like it owned the place. It wobbled backward as if about to topple over, only to bounce right back upright. Resilient little guy.
“...So, um. Since I’m going to handle all the cooking and chores, in return—or rather, there’s one favor I’d really like to ask of you...”
Hesitating awkwardly, Yura-chan stumbled over her words. Somehow, I had a pretty good idea what was coming next.
“Just a little bit—really, just a tiny bit is fine, so... I was hoping you’d let me touch you every day, Tatsuya-kun...”
“...”
Seeing me fall silent in conflict, Yura-chan frantically waved her hands and rushed to clarify.
“N-no, wait! You have the wrong idea! I don’t mean anything naughty like that! Um, well, I’ve been living all by myself for a long time too, so I guess I’ve gotten a little touch-starved, or lonely for human warmth! Holding your hand makes me feel so safe and calm, Tatsuya-kun, or um, well...”
Looking on the verge of tears, Yura-chan gazed up at me pleadingly, her fingers clutching tightly at the front of her shirt as if her chest were aching.
“Is that... a no?”
Please stop making that face. You know I’m powerless to say no when you look at me like that.
“All right. You can.”
At my agreement, Yura-chan’s whole face lit up with a beaming smile.
“R-really?!”
“Yeah. On one condition, though: I want you to do it while I’m asleep.”
“While you’re asleep? Why?”
Yura-chan tilted her head in genuine confusion. She really didn’t seem to understand why.
“Well, for a whole lot of reasons.”
“? I don’t really get it, but okay, deal!”
I looked at Yura-chan as she smiled shyly back at me. If a girl this gorgeous touched me while I was wide awake under the same roof and started moaning her head off, my self-control wouldn’t stand a chance.
And from that day on, my new life under the same roof with Yura-chan began.
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