Volume 2 - CH 1

Roughly two months passed since we traveled back in time to our high school selves. Passing through the front gate of my alma mater, Amakusa South High, I heard the cicadas chirping at every corner. We’ve reached July, the season of summer. Before, I, Shimono Nanaya, had been nothing but a 27-year old salaryman. I often messed up at my job, never able to really climb the ranks. During one day, I ended up time leaping back to 11 years ago, allowed to spend another youth. I’m now a 16-year old high school freshman.

The reason for this time leap seems to be my wish at a certain shrine, where I wished for a chance to redo my first encounter with the person I had feelings for. This person is actually my excellent superior at work, the 28-year old Kamijou Touka. She is always passionate about work, a strict type of woman who shows no interest in love. Some subordinate like me has no chance with a woman like her.

However, my stroke of luck was that she actually graduated from the same high school. Thanks to this weird shrine, I was given a second chance. I may have been inept to win over Kamijou Touka as a subordinate, but with a fresh start as a high school student, no prior connections between us, I should have had a chance. Not to mention that I had all the experience from my previous life, which sounded like a cheat ability.

With the charm of an adult, I’m going to win over high school student Kamijou Touka. Those were my plans, but alas—

“Nanaya-kuuuun!”

A cool voice blew away the oppressive heat around me, hitting my back. The beautiful summer uniform perfectly complimented her white skin and black hair which shone in the sunlight. She was a beauty that could easily be regarded as the school’s number one—Kamijou Touka (17) appeared in front of me.

“Good morning, Chief.”

“Don’t call me chief at school!”

From the outside, she looked like the Kamijou Touka (17) I came to like back in high school, but on the inside, she still is Kamijou Touka (28). My superior and the section chief at work also leaped back in time, just as I did. God damn it, if she’s traveled back in time with me, there’s no way I can show off my mature charm to win her over. Our relationship of being superior and subordinate hasn’t even changed from before! No, there’s actually one thing that has changed.

“Today’s the end-of-term ceremony, huh, Nanaya-kun!”

The chief pressed her white skin against my arm. It was already hot outside, but this raised my temperature only further. For some reason, after we traveled back in time, the chief became oddly flirty with me. I don’t know why, but some non-experienced virgin like me of course can’t handle any of that, thus…

“Chief, it’s hot. Have you forgotten that we’re reached summer?”

I acted like the tsundere heroine out of a romcom. Man, aren’t I cute?

“You’re right. It’s hot because of the summer, and not because of me, right?”

Before, the chief got angry at me whenever I didn’t play along with her pranks, but recently she’s calmed down a lot. I guess this is the proof of us having gotten closer, or maybe she’s been seeing me more as a younger brother more than anything. As I have no idea how a woman’s heart works, I don’t know how to interpret this.

“More importantly, did you already make plans this summer break?”

“Plans? Is that something you do? I thought we were just going to rest and do nothing.”

“You…We’re high school students, remember? How many summer breaks do you think we have? This is different from the company. It doesn’t end after just five days of paid leave. Do you plan on wasting an entire month just like that?”

“Now that you mention it. I see…I guess summer break in high school lasts a lot longer. I had forgotten about that. My last vacation like this was in high school…All right! Now I’m excited!”

“Also, I’m pretty sure you would normally come up with plans even during paid vacation.”

“I mean, what can you do in five days? Go home to meet my family, do a grave visit, eat watermelons, and back to my desk. It hurts…”

It’s a past I’d rather not remember. Or rather, future…?

“Going back to your family means going to the rural area, right? And there’s always some friends left in your hometown, right? Yet you have nobody to hang around with then? Like a girl from your class or someone like that.”

“Nope. Even Nao went overseas after graduating. Didn’t I tell you?”

“I see. Yeah, that makes sense. You’re bad with girls, after all, Nanaya-kun~ Guess you wouldn’t have any female friends~”

What’s her deal? Is she trying to agitate me? That smile of hers sure is annoying. Did she never take any lessons on power harassment at work? Or does she think she’s fine to do it since we’re not at the company? Man, that’s so annoying.

“Yes, yes, I’m a lonely salaryman who spends his vacation, New Year’s, and even Golden Week with his family.”

“But right now, you’re a high school student. Geez, Nanaya-kun, I guess your older sister Touka has to set up some plans for you.”

“Err, scary. Please don’t do that, chief. I don’t want to work during my summer break even. At least let me play around then.”

“Why do you always see everything negatively! Of course, I’d come up with some plans to have fun!” The chief said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Her well-endowed chest was placed on her arms. I call this boob harassment. Only that I’m the sole guy using it.

“To think I would hear the word ‘Fun’ coming out of the chief’s mouth…”

“Hey, who exactly do you take me for?”

“A workaholic.”

She slammed her bag against my thigh.

“You’ve been badmouthing me a lot more since we returned to being high school students, huh?”

“What are you saying?! I was praising you!”

“How?! Calling me a workaholic is not praise by any means!”

“Why?! Think about the opposite of it? A lazy person! A player! Would you rather have me call you that? That is the real insult out of the two.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“See? In context, being a workaholic is a compliment.”

“Yeah…Wait no way!” Chief formed a fist with her small hand, raising it high.

While holding casual banter like this, we reached the shoe lockers. Since the locations of our lockers are different depending on school years, this is where we had to split up.

“Good luck today, Chief.”

“We’re still not at work, don’t say that!”

“I’m sorry, it’s a bad habit.”

“It’s been two months, I’m not letting you use that as an excuse.”

“Tehe~”

“Don’t play dumb!”

Recently, I’ve started to think that making the chief angry isn’t that bad of a thing. The way she raised her index finger while lecturing me actually didn’t feel as bad.

“Anyway, we’ll be deciding on plans tomorrow at the hamburger shop in front of the train station. You hear me? This is an order.”

“You only use your right as a superior when it’s convenient for you! But I understand, I will be there. I am your subordinate after all.”

“Wonderful.” She flashed a satisfied smile and walked towards the second-year shoe lockers.

I have to say, she sure feels like the heroine of a light novel. What a beautiful sight. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one thing.

—My superior is super adorable.

*

“And that’s the dream I had.”

“I see, I see, I feel like that dream is a bit too messed up for me to understand, but…leaving that aside, you saw a dream with the woman you like, who doesn’t see you as a possible love interest, which made you lose your confidence even more…is that right, Shimono-kun?”

The first day of summer break arrived. During lunchtime, I came to the hamburger restaurant near the train station, telling my beloved Love Mentalist Yuito-sensei about the dream I had. We sat on the second floor at a small table. Yuito-sensei is actually a YouTuber uploading advice on love and everything around it that I adored back when I was a salaryman. Coincidentally, I ran into him after the time leap, and got acquainted with him, so now I’m here asking advice from the very Yuito-sensei…No, Yuito-san. He isn’t acting as a YouTuber right now, but he’s studying psychology at university, so his observation skill is a cut above the rest.

“Yes, dreams are supposed to reflect your deepest psyche, no?”

I told Yuito-san about the dream I had the other day. Of course, I omitted the part where the dream happened in a company, and with the chief. Nobody knows that we’ve traveled back in time after all.

“I see. Well, I’m not too well informed when it comes to the interconnectivity between dreams and the subconscious, but it’s not that big of a deal. Rather than caring about the other person, it looks like you’re not good at dealing with women. Do you have a complex by any chance?”

“Hmmm, I don’t think it’s a complex or anything, but after living my life not being popular at all, I can’t say I’m too confident.”

“Hm? You’re still 16, right? It’s not weird for you to not be experienced.”

“Ah, yeah! That’s right! Ahaha.”

Oh crap, that was close. Yuito-san probably doesn’t see me as a man older than him because I look like a high school student. I gotta be careful of my choice of words from now on. I grabbed the coke next to my fries and took a large sip to swallow all my regret.

“At this rate, even if you were to get together with that girl you like, the relationship probably won’t last long. Getting happy and sad at every small thing she says or does will mentally exhaust you.”

“As expected of Yuito-sensei, you know your stuff. That’s right. Even if things worked out and we were to start dating, I can’t see us actually dating for that long. I guess I’m just not a good match for her.”

“You can’t say that!” Yuito-san snapped his fingers, showing me a handsome smile.

“Meaning?”

“You feel too inferior at everything. Seeing yourself as unfit is most likely related to your personality. As I said, being modest isn’t a bad thing, and could be seen as a charm point. However, you keep reminding yourself of the difference in standing and the gap that reigns between the two of you.”

Well, we’re originally superior and subordinate. Section chief and average employee. This gap is something I can’t just erase.

“But, Yuito-sensei, there’s a definite gap in ability between us. I don’t think I can just fill that…”

“Every person has their own strengths. There’s no need to cover for your own weaknesses. Rather than that, there are other smaller gaps that you can try to fill.”

“Really?!”

“Your obligation.”

“Obligation…?”

Where did that come from?

“Judging from what you told me, you seem to feel obligated towards her, right?”

“Yes, that is true. I’ve been in her care for so long, I lack the words to express my gratitude.”

From the smallest things to big and impactful support, she assisted me whenever I failed, and saved me from trouble countless times. Without her, I probably would have gotten fired by now.

“This kind of debt and obligation accumulated and turned into this great amount of respect you have for her. The more that grows, the more the distance between the two of you, will. However, an obligation is something passive. You can’t turn this into something negative. If so, what? That’s right, you have to make her feel obligated towards you. It doesn’t have to be the same thing, but by helping her, it’ll raise your own confidence.”

I-I see. Up to this point, it felt like I was solely indebted to the chief, but if I did something for her sake instead, I might start feeling like we’re actually on equal standing. Seeing it in the way of being superior and subordinate might be a bit perplexing, but I shouldn’t think about it too deeply.

“So far, I was always wondering how she felt about me, always on the receiving end. But…I have to think about how to act…that’s what’s important.”

“Exactly. If somebody does something for you, you have to repay them in some way, or so your heart forces you, and you naturally end up curious about them. It’s a proper technique in the game of love, my dear sheep.”

There it is! It’s his catchphrase! ‘It’s a proper technique in the game of love, my dear sheep’ is something I’ve heard so many times! So he’s been using it since now!

“Thank you very much, Yuito-sensei!”

“Come on, drop that. I’m still in university. Ah, it’s almost time for my date. Sorry, but I have to leave now.” He stood up from his seat, taking his tray with him.

“I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time. You can leave your tray here, I can take it with me. You’re running low on time, right?”

“Hm, really? Thanks a bunch. As I thought, you’re a considerate guy even about the smallest stuff. You don’t feel like a high school student at all, and I quite like that.” He tapped me on the shoulder, gently whispering into my ear.

Huh? What is this feeling? I’ll actually fall in love with Yuito-san! Well, I’ve liked him before! With sparkling eyes, I sent him off……Still, making the chief indebted to me? Is there even anything I can help her with? Thinking about anything worthwhile, I grabbed a potato, when a familiar face appeared from the stairs connecting to the first floor. Flashy blonde hair, tied up into drill twintails, being oddly long compared to her height. It was hair you’d see from a girl, that’s how flashy it was.

She wore a pink hoodie barely reaching down to her thighs, and although she was probably wearing hot pants below that, they weren’t visible at all. She most likely has her phone in her pocket, because a great number of straps hang down from the pocket. Fitting with her small stature, she had a relatively young face, and although she put a lot of makeup on it, she still looked cute. The reason I remembered this gal I would have no connection with is because she’s also a student at Amakusa South High.

Her name is Sakonji Biwako. She’s a second-year like the chief, and at the top of the school caste for a different reason. She is basically the queen of all normies, a high school girl influencer. Even I knew her from my original high school run. She had a drink on her tray, coming up to the second floor. After looking around for a moment, she spotted an empty seat and sat down.

Usually, she always has a group of people with her, making it a rare sight for her to be alone. And while being alone, the air she emitted was more than enough to gather attention. Her small body looked so tall like it was a hallucination. While closely observing the girl, our eyes coincidentally met for a second. Feeling embarrassed, I immediately looked away. It’s not like I was doing anything bad, and she probably doesn’t know about me, but I oddly felt like an impala hunted by a lion, which made my heart race. Why am I scared about a girl I don’t even know? Man, I’m so pathetic.

Well, I’m a high school student right now, so of course, I’d be a bit scared of a famous senior. Yup, that makes total sense! In my head, gals are terrifying living beings. I carefully directed my gaze back at Sakonji-senpai, only to find her glaring at me. Panicking, I averted my gaze once more. Wha, did I spoil her mood? Did she think I was glaring at her? No no, she may be a gal, but not a yankee. We’re not in the 90s either, so there shouldn’t be any high school students who start picking a fight just because our eyes met.

But, this is pretty awkward. I’d love to just leave the store now, but the chief and the others will be coming here shortly. Since we agreed to decide on our plans over the summer, Nao and Onikichi will be participating as well, and there are barely twenty minutes left for us to meet. Well, somebody will come over eventually, so I just have to suffer a bit longer. I might as well clean up Yuito-san’s tray while I’m bored. I tried my best to not get into Sakonji-senpai’s field of view, carrying the two trays to the drop-off space, with any paper waste in the lower garbage bin. I took off the lid from the drink, pouring out the last bit inside of it when something happened.

“Hey, normally you should clean that up yourselves.”

I heard a displeased voice from a seat deeper inside. Upon turning towards that, I realized that it was Sakonji-senpai. Her seat was a counter-type of seat adjacent to the wall, and she called out to two salarymen-type of guys who sat next to her. They seemingly had finished their meal, stood up, now looking at Sakonji-senpai in annoyance. Their trays were still placed on the tables, waste left alone on them.

“The employees can take care of that.” One of the men grumbled.

“Why though? Normally you’d take the tray with you, separate the trash and put it into its respective garbage bins, and put away the tray at the drop-off, no?” Sakonji-senpai said, pointing at me.

“Tsk, so noisy. We don’t have as much time as you student brats and your summer break. We’re exhausted from work.”

For some reason, they glared at me now. Why am I being involved in this mess now?

“If you leave them be, the employees have to clean up after you, working 24/7. They have even less time than you.”

Sakonji-senpai didn’t avert her gaze for even a second. I feel like someone similar to her is always at my side. To my surprise, this gal is pretty diligent. I’m sorry for being prejudiced.

“…Damn brat acting like you’re a saint. This is fine, right?” The two men took their trays to the garbage bin.

However, they just left it there, not putting the waste in their respective bin. All right, guess I’ll have to take over.

“Some useless guys, really.”

I cleaned up the three trays, when a small and white band joined in, grabbing the waste of one of the trays.

“Don’t have to do it alone.”

Sakonji-senpai suddenly appeared next to me. A strong scent of presumable perfume tickled my nose. What a great smell. Is this the queen of gals? I’m sweating profusely.

“T-Thank you very much.”

“Why the gratitude? Hilarious.” Sakonji-senpai laughed to herself, helping me.

She had a scary face before, but her smile is pretty cute.

“I thought you’d just chase after them like that.”

I was pretty annoyed with that myself, after all.

“Might have gotten violent at that rate. Some people never get it no matter how much you tell them.”

“Makes sense.”

A calm and collected judgment, I see. As expected of someone standing at the top of the school caste, she doesn’t blow a fuse that easily. Kinda reminds me of someone. Though, that other person rushes ahead without considering the circumstances. While thinking about this, we already finished cleaning up the waste, and Sakonji-senpai had vanished. She wasn’t even sitting in her previous seat. Where did she go, I wonder? Her predominant perfume still lingered in the air. Well, whatever. I just walked back to my original seat.

“Ah, found him. Sup, Nanaya!”

“Yo, Nao.”

After arriving back at my seat, my childhood friend Nakatsugawa Nao arrived. She had an innocent face with short orange hair and huge honkers. All of this combined created the image of an energetic and friendly girl.

“What, did you come here early to pick out girls? Come on, you got my boobs always ready~”

“When did your breasts turn into my property?! I don’t want to retort on that! So embarrassing!”

“Ah, I’ll take some fries.”

“Stop ignoring me.”

Nao acted like a spoiled grade school student and sat down next to me, grabbing a fry. She could have just stayed as the innocent and energetic high school girl, but my childhood friend apparently never knows when to stop. What a shame—for me, that is.

“Are the other two not here yet?”

“Just me.”

“Nanaya~ No need to worry, we’ll make some plans for the pool this summer break. You want to see the chief in her swimsuit, right?”

“Wha…what might you be talking about? I’m a bit confused. I don’t have such an ulterior motive towards the chief.”

“Really now? Guess I won’t bring it up, then.”

“Hold on! I have ulterior motives times ten, so please bring up that offer! I’m too embarrassed to say it myself, so you as the girl can bring it up!”

“Ahahaha! You’re hilarious, Nanaya! Can’t help it, I’ll take care of it just for you.”

“Yes, Nao-sama, I humbly ask this of you.”

“Also, I’m sure you want to see me in a swimsuit as well, right? Look at my huge knockers. Imagine them in a swimsuit. Gotta get you excited, right?”

“Hey, are you sure that you’re not actually a guy who hijacked Nao’s body? Your comments sound like they would come from a middle-aged man.”

I’m a bit terrified at her fully seeing through an adolescent boy’s desires. I’m scared for her future.

“Hmm, boys really think about that, after all. Lewd~”

She’s such a devil! Don’t grin at me like that! Damn it, she’s just wearing a shirt, so her huge badonkadonks are in full view! Bless big boobs!

“Ah, the others are here.”

While being perplexed at Nao’s fiendish personality, the other members arrived. The chief and Onikichi carried their respective trays up the stairs, talking with each other.

“Give me one of your nuggets later, Touka, here we~!”

“Geez, you bought the same nuggets, Onikichi-kun.”

“I want some of your nuggets, Touka. Just kidding, here we~”

“Ahaha, dummy.”

Huh? Now hol’ up, aren’t they a bit too close? Also, why are these two a bit later than Nao? Why do they look like they’re having fun? I mean, there’s still five minutes until we’re supposed to meet up, but…why are they together? At the same time, they reached our table.

“Sorry for running late, the register downstairs was far too crowded. We saw you occupying a seat for us, so we went ahead and bought our food first.” The chief said.

“I wasn’t waiting or anything, so it’s fine. Go on and have a seat.”

The two sat down on the seats facing me. As a result, they ended up next to each other…Why! Why did Nao sit next to me with nobody else at the table?!

“Mmm, man this chair, it’s not good for my hip. Nanacchi, let’s change seats, here we!” Tadokoro Onikichi said while standing up.

He’s tall, basically the male equivalent of a gal, and a good friend of mine even during my first playthrough of high school. Since he knew that I was interested in the chief, he offered to change seats with a wink that only I could see. Onikichi~! I knew you were my ally all along! Once we were all seated, the chief spoke up.

“Now then, it’s time to start our schedule planning meeting for this year’s summer break season.”

“We’re not at the company!”

My retort may or may not have reached the chief, as she took out documents that gave me Vietnam flashbacks.

“For starters, we should confirm our shared free time ideas during this year’s summer break. Please check out this document here.”

“What the hell are shared free time ideas?!”

“I see, so that’s what you meant, Chief!”

“Nao?! Do you actually get it?! Normally I’m the guy who just nods along!”

“Nanaya-kun, please take this seriously.”

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry.”

Hold on, why did she get angry at me now? Are we doing this? I guess I might as well have a look at it. I flipped over the first page, running my eyes through it.

‘Shared Free Time Ideas: At the same time as acknowledging the other project members as the greatest partners, putting in a vast amount of effort to ensure maximum satisfaction with the number one customer.’

She’s serious! She even called it a project! And using the word ‘customer’! She expects work and effort during our break!

“Following that, I would like to discuss the schedule for the upcoming July.”

“Chief, stop! What do you think a summer break is for?!”

“I mean…Y-Youth?”

“Why are you blushing! You went out of your way to create all of this, yet you act like an innocent girl!”

“What’s your problem! Do you have a complaint or something?!”

“I have far too many! Chief, summer break has started! Even this time here is our summer break! Discussing what we’ll do over summer break is an important part of it, but the same can’t be said about this heavy planning meeting!”

“Why?! We’re having fun right now, no?! I made this plan outline yesterday while feeling excited!”

“You called it an outline! I mean, the fact that you were all excited while making this is pretty cute in itself, but still!”

“Wha…wha?! What are you saying! Huh?! What did you just say?! Come on, say it one more time! The last part only! Say it one more time! Did you call me cute?! Come on!”

As the chief and I got more and more heated in our discussion, Nao broke between the two of us with an indifferent tone.

“Okay, okay, I’d like to go to the pool! I want to see the chief in a swimsuit!”

“Ohh! Great idea, Nao! Summer means pool!” Onikichi joined in.

“Nanaya just said that he wants to see the chief in her swimsuit! He said he had ulterior motives!”

“Hey, are you stupid? Nao? Hey, do you just hate me?”

I thought our previous conversation was supposed to be a secret. Do these things not mean anything for the high school girls of today? I’m gonna cry.

“Y-You said something like that, Nanaya-kun!? Don’t tell me, were you thinking about how I would look for the entire past month?! Fantasizing about my lightly-clothed swimsuit, getting excited about the possibility of the fabric sliding to the side, judging my taste in swimsuits, and dreaming about going overtime as just the two of us while grinning?! You lecher! Pervert!”

“I wasn’t! What kind of perverted old man would have fantasies like these?! Nao was just joking, so calm down! It was just a misunderstanding!”

“I get it! I get it already, so be quiet!”

“Phew…I’m glad I could clear up the misunderstanding.”

“I’m going! We’re going to the pool! Just look at me in my swimsuit as much as you want!”

“You’re right. Now that we’ve decided on our initial plans, we…Hold on, we’re going?!”

“All right, that concludes today’s meeting! Nao-chan, you’ll stay with me and help me pick out a swimsuit!”

“Understood, Chief! Better look forward to it, boys~”

With this brazen development, the very first summer break schedule meeting whatsit ended five minutes after it started. We only decided on one meeting. Speaking in anime terms, it’s probably the easiest to explain.

That’s right, the fanservice episode.

*

This summer, our local large-sized water park opened. It’s popular already at this time, and during my initial high school life, I often came here with Onikichi and Kofuyu. This however is my first visit after traveling back in time. I’m still very much familiar with this pool, so the feeling of discovery was lacking a bit, but I was still looking forward to it.

Of course, Kofuyu is with us this time as well. She always loved this water park, especially happy when I took her there. That’s why I want her to experience the same memories. Even I have caring feelings for my little sister.

Either way, this little sister is currently changing into her swimsuit, not yet at the poolside. Since this park just recently opened up again, a lot of people visited today. I can’t let a middle school girl like her alone, but she has Nao with her, so it should be fine. Not to mention that we have the chief, who is pretty much a guardian, so I’m relieved.

Onikichi and I were chilling at the poolside, waiting for them. The weather’s perfect for a pool visit like this. It was hot enough for me to see mirages in the distance, as the chirping of cicadas filled my ears, not a single cloud filling the sky.

“Sure is warm today, huh~ Can’t wait to get into the water.”

“I’d be totally fine just spending the rest of my days at this poolside!”

“You just want a sunburn, right?”

“Ding ding ding! You get ten thousand points, Nanacchi! Here we g o!”

Onikichi was resting on the small bed next to the poolside, looking up at the sky as he showed me a thumbs up. The sunglasses looked painfully good on him.

“Nanacchi, you’ve got a hot smokin’ bod. Are you doing muscle training on the side?”

“Hm? Yeah, lately. Because of what happened before, I figured I should build up some muscle.”

“Talking about Tatsukicchi?”

We were talking about the student council election that happened in June. We as a whole created quite the ruckus back then. Call it a ruckus, but it almost ended up in somewhat of a fight. And I was the only one throwing fists.

“Yeah. The chief gave me an absolute earful after that, and I’m reflecting on my actions. But, I need to become someone like you who can resolve the situation in a smart and cool way.”

“Hey hey, Nanacchi, you’ll make me blush! So, how are things going with Touka? Making progress?”

“Well…not really, to be honest.”

“Hey now, what’s that about, Nanacchi? Are you holding back just ‘cause she’s older? Be a bit more aggressive~”

“I’m not really that concerned by her being older or anything.”

I’m actually very conscious of that. Because that relates to her being my superior.

“And yet, you like older women, huh?”

“Well sorry about that, all right. It’s the fault of all the mature women and older sister tropes used in anime that are too charming for me to handle. I like older women because of anime.”

“Ohh, I totally get it. The anime and manga I liked as a child really influenced me~”

“Right, right! Especially when rewatching a sweet and youthful romance story on DVDs that I bought during my student days, it makes my chest tighten up~”

“What? With student days, you mean back in grade school or something?”

“Ah, well, yeah, something like that.”

It seems that whenever I get too excited, I tend to forget that I’m still in high school right now.

“Hilarious. I get your love for mature women, but there’s nothing gained from that if you don’t act a bit more assertive. It’s the summer, and the summer is the season of love!”

Man, I’d love to learn a bit from his straightforward personality. After discussing this and that with him for a while, Kofuyu approached us in her school swimsuit, hair tied up into a ponytail.

“Onii-chan, blow this up.”

She held a floatie in her hand, pushed it into me, and sat down on the nearby poolside bed.

“Err, where are the other two?”

I put my lips to the small open part of the floatie after asking her that.

“They were late, so Kofuyu left them behind.”

“Hey now, you can’t separate from the adults accompanying you.”

“Kofuyu is totally fine on her own. And those two aunties aren’t adults either.”

She’s not wrong, but…Does she not realize the contradiction of not seeing them as adults despite calling them aunties? Damn that sadistic sister of mine.

“Nanacchi, they’re coming now.”

My gaze moved in the direction Onikichi was looking. Immediately after I spotted the two, my eyes were blinded by the radiating shine they gave off, illuminated by the sun above them.

“Ehehe, sorry for the wait~!”

The one to step ahead was Nao. She wore a green bikini that really emphasized her well-equipped body. As you would expect, she gathered gazes from the other guys around to no end. Her style and body wouldn’t lose against even the greatest gravure idol.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re so cute, Nao!” Onikichi took out his phone, taking pictures.

“You’re welcome, yay~!”

Nao showed no signs of disliking that, striking several poses for him. These two really are normies through and through, they just started a gravure idol photoshoot right here. However, as for the main dish slowly appearing from behind Nao’s shadow…

“H-Hey, Nao-chan, this is a bit embarrassing.”

—Kamijou Touka. She wore a white bikini, covering her large amount of skin shown with both her arms. I swallowed my breath and was at a complete loss of words. She’s an angel. An angel has descended upon me. I don’t have the necessary vocabulary to explain exactly what I’m feeling right now. Because of her translucent beauty, my hand holding the floatie stiffened up and stopped moving. As a result, the air slowly escaped from the floatie, losing its shape until it was completely back to normal.

“See, just as I told you, Chief! Nanaya’s staring at you!”

“R-Really? I just feel pathetic dressing up as a youngster.” The chief looked at me with uncertain eyes.

Dressing up? Just what is she talking about? There is but one thing I can say for certain. Whether she’s 28 or 17, my impression of her doesn’t change.

“…You’re beautiful.”

These were the only words I could find.

“Ohh, well said, Nanaya~!”

“I knew you had it in you, Nanacchi! Here we!”

Ah?! What did I just say?!

“Hey! You old hag! Don’t seduce Onii-chan with your dirty tricks! Hey, are you listening to Kofuyu! Hey! ……Seriously, are you okay?”

The chief’s eyes turned blank to the point even Kofuyu grew worried. From her snow-white legs, I could see a faint pink color rising, reaching her head that turned it beet-red. And then, with an uncomfortable and stiff movement like a robot’s, she raised both her hands and ran towards the pool.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!” She screamed until her voice completely drowned out.

After she disappeared inside the wave pool, filled with people, we heard an announcement from the speakers around us.

‘Our pool will now enter a ten-minute break. We ask all visitors currently enjoying the pool to listen to the instructions given and step out of the pool.”

The chief shortly after appeared from the pool, showing absolutely no expression as she walked towards us.

“A-Are you okay, Chief?” I asked.

“What do you mean? I was just enjoying the pool because I felt hot. Ahh, that felt great. I’m a lot calmer now.”

In merely five seconds?!

“More importantly, it’s break time now, so let’s get some light exercise in, otherwise we might get cramps.”

Said the person who suddenly ran into the pool on her own…Then again, it’s easy to get hurt without a bit of warming-up. You’re too confident in your young and healthy body, ignoring the possible risks, after all. As the actual guardians of this trip, the chief and I, we have to make sure everybody follows suit—Or so I forced a reason onto this, but because of my previous statement, I was already in disarray. Ahh, so embarrassing. Judging from the chief’s reaction to them, she clearly must have seen them as gross.

I guess so, yeah. If a man muttered something like ‘beautiful’ while looking at you in a swimsuit, you would obviously be grossed out, maybe even afraid. Not to mention that she’s my superior. Considering that she ran away the second I said it, my excitement and motivation for today were at an all-time low. Damn it…But, her swimsuit figure gives me energy. Ahh man, I’m so simple, what an embarrassment. But the chief is also at fault for being too cute. What a sinful woman she is, that Kamijou Touka.

*

After we finished warming up, the wave pool, sway pool, and plunge pool were all working again, as well as the small whirlpool with warm water, which we used to take a quick break after exercising. The five of us sat down in a circle, resting there for a while.

“Ahhhhh, this feels so gooooood!”

As her large breasts gently swayed left and right in the whirlpool, Nao let out a moan that came from deep down. Stirred on by Nao’s old man attitude, even the chief looked up at the ceiling.

“To think they even had a place like this. I wouldn’t have fathomed.”

“Huh? Chief, is this your first time coming here?”

Following my question, even Onikichi started laughing.

“It just opened after all, so of course this is a first for all of us. What are you on about, Nanacchi?”

“Ah, yeah, right, ahaha.”

I tried to hide my blunder with a laugh, but the chief obviously realized and glared at me. Don’t be like that! You often forget that you’re a high school student as well! But, she’s still scary! But judging from the way the chief made it sound, this actually is her first time coming here. IN other words, even after this place opened, she never came here once. Even though this park is pretty popular.

I guess she really never went around to having much fun during her student days. Back then, she was acting as the student council president, with excellent grades not to mention. I bet she was busy. In the end, I actually don’t know much about the chief’s private life. Don’t even know what she did outside of working anyway. In that sense, my question was devoid of any delicacy. Gotta reflect on that, yep.

“It’s time for the water slide!”

Despite sounding like an old man twenty seconds ago, Nao was now brimming with energy, a delightful expression on her face.

“A water slide…?” The chief asked.

“Yup! The main attraction here, actually! The height of the slide towers over the rest of Japan!”

“H-Huh, I see.”

Just as Nao stated, the biggest reason for the popularity of this park is their water slide, the tallest in all of Japan. Sadly, it didn’t take two years until that record was broken elsewhere, but until then, it was a hit enough to cash in, even popular eleven years later. There’s no meaning to coming here without checking out the water slide. Of course, I expected this. However…

“Sorry, but Kofuyu isn’t good with high places. I’ll wait with her, so you have fun.”

Indeed, Kofuyu gets scared easily, especially with rollercoasters and such. Even before traveling back in time, she never once actually used the water slide here. I personally like these sorts of things, and I wouldn’t mind enjoying it with everyone, but I would feel bad leaving Kofuyu behind all alone.

“Then I’ll stay behind with Kofuyu-chan. You must want to check out the slide, right Nanaya-kun?” said the chief.

“You don’t have to, Chief. We rarely get this chance, so you have to enjoy it.”

Before traveling back in time, I got to enjoy the slide a whole lot whenever Kofuyu wasn’t around. However, since this is her actual first time coming here, she shouldn’t be experienced with the slide. I want her to just check it out without worrying about me.

“It’s fine, I’m the oldest here, so you don’t need to hold back.”

“What are you saying? It’s fine, really—”

“Enough! Come on, Nanaya-kun.”

Was it just my imagination, or did the chief look a bit pale? It’s like she was sitting on hot iron…Don’t tell me…

“Are you scared, Chief?”

“Huh?” The chief may have smiled, but her eyes were deadly serious.

“No, it’s nothing. Please take care of Kofuyu.”

“Yep, leave her to me.”

I guessed everything. I’ve been working under her for the past five years, after all.

“No way! Kofuyu doesn’t want to stay behind with some old lady!”

“Hey, this isn’t the time to be selfish! You’re the only one who can’t take the slide, and the chief is being considerate for your sake. I’ll buy you an ice cream before heading off, so put up with that!”

“Ice?! Yay~! Okay, can’t help it then! Make it chocolate mint, though, Onii-chan!” She spoke like a true middle school student.

All right, that’s one problem taken care of. Really, what a kind person the chief is. There’s no way that such a terrifying superior of mine would be scared to go down a water slide. What are you thinking, Nanaya? So, I left Kofuyu in the hands of the admirable chief, and we three high school students headed for the water slide.

*

“Phew, so high up!”

Looking up the stairs leading to the slide, Nao let out an excited scream. Even though it barely opened up, a long line had built up in front of it, and the end of the line was at the bottom of the stairs.

“Guess we’ll have to wait a hot minute.”

I looked at the summit of the stairs. I think the last time I rode this slide was with my friends in university. I remember it being pretty fast, so I was actually feeling a bit excited. With these thoughts in my mind, several boys and girls lined up behind us.

“Kyahaha! That’s hilarious!”

I heard the adorable laughter of a girl.

“Huh? Isn’t she a senior from our school?” Onikichi leaned against the railing of the stairs, looking at the group.

“Hm? Who?”

“Look, that girl at the front of the group. She’s Sakonji-senpai, right?”

I looked towards the group of people. Hearing that, Nao also reacted.

“Ah, you’re right! She’s so cute! On the same level as the chief!”

No mistaking it. That flashy swimsuit and nice body…she may be comparatively tiny, but she’s got the necessary proportions. I wouldn’t mistake the person. It’s Sakonji Biwako-senpai. Wait, why did my heart skip a beat? We only exchanged a few words, so we’re not even friends. The group arrived in front of us, as Sakonji-senpai glanced at me. As always, she gave off a pleasant and alluring scent.

“Ah, you.”

She caught on to my presence, calling out to me. So she did remember me after all, huh.

“H-Hello.”

“After that, Biwa immediately remembered. You’re the guy who started a fight during the election, right?”

“Ah, yes. I’m a first-year student at Amakusa South, Shimono Nanaya.”

I see, so that’s why she looked at me like that back then. Thinking about it, that entire deal happened in front of the school, so obviously, she would remember me.

“Oh, so you’re first-years from Amakusa South. Then, let us go ahead, we’re the seniors after all.” A boy part of the group said, stepping ahead.

As you would expect from the group around Sakonji-senpai, that boy clearly refined himself. He’s not even trying to hide his feeling of superiority, so I guess the best result would just be to let them pass without causing a ruckus. I’m fine with it…but, only if I was alone. Right now, Onikichi and Nao are with me. In terms of mental age, I’m the oldest here, and they’re my precious friends. If somebody is being unreasonable with you, how would you react? If the chief was here, she’d definitely face him head-on. Even if it ruined the mood in the process…

“Hey, don’t be such a lame buzzer. Being seniors doesn’t matter in this scenario.”

Suddenly, I heard a familiar face.

“Err, ah, yeah. My bad, Biwako. I was just joking, ahaha.” The boy showed an awkward expression and backed down.

“Sorry ‘bout that. Apology.” Sakonji-senpai raised one hand as she lowered her head.

I wonder what she meant with that ‘Apology’ part at the end? Is that some vocabulary that high school girls, or gals even, use when apologizing?

“No, please don’t worry about it.”

“Why’re you talking like some old man? Hilarious.” Sakonji-senpai said, and returned to her group.

Watching this, Nao whispered into my ear.

“What’s this? You know Biwako-senpai, Nanaya?”

“We just ran into each other a while ago, I wouldn’t say that we’re on friendly terms.”

“Hmm…I thought the chief was the exception, but you actually are fine with anybody as long as they’re older, huh? And if they got big boobs.”

“What a horrible accusation!”

Phew, that was scary. The aura around her is different from the rest. Even those two normies Nao and Onikichi stayed completely silent just then. I mean, it hasn’t been long since Onikichi’s been acting like a playboy, but since he’s actually clever enough, he understood the right amount of distance to take here. He might have picked up on the presence nobility like her gave off.

After around twenty minutes of waiting, we finally reached the top of the stairs, arriving at the starting point of the line. I wonder if the chief and Kofuyu have been getting along since then. I hope Kofuyu hasn’t been rude to her. Either way, the couple before us went down the slide, and the instructor now turned towards us.

“In pairs of two, please.”

Since this slide was pretty classic with a two-person ride, we couldn’t go down as the three of us.

“You two can go ahead, Onikichi, Nao,” I said.

“Sorry about that, Nanaya. I’ll get the first taste~!”

Don’t think you should be drinking the water, but sure.

“We’ll wait for you below, here we!”

The two waited for the signal of the instructor and went down the slide. That was the perfect timing to add the ‘Go’, no? I really don’t get it.

“Only one person next?” The employee now looked at me, and then at Sakonji-senpai behind me.

I was taken along by that, glancing at her.

“Ah, yes, I’ll be going down alone—”

“Well, Biwa doesn’t mind joining,” Sakonji-senpai said, stepping forward.

“Two people, then. Go ahead.”

I did as I was told, and lined up next to Sakonji-senpai. Sitting down at the beginning of the slide, I heard the rumbling sound of water gushing down. The water touching my butt felt cold but pleasant. S-Somehow, I feel a bit nervous. I didn’t expect it to feel this high up. My heart started racing as I was waiting for the signal from the employee.

“Hey, should we make this a race?” I heard a voice from next to me.

Looking to my side, Sakonji-senpai was showing me a snickering smile, showing me her cute fang. At the same time, the employee gave us the signal to go. My heart skipped a beat, and I was sucked into the pipe. With the water around me, I kept on accelerating. I wonder what she meant by that just now? Does she see me as someone like an acquaintance? Someone with such gal attributes and charisma…towards a boring guy like me? Ahhh, I’m so curious! That smile wasn’t fair.

With the speed I went down the slide, my head couldn’t keep up. All right! Fine! I’ll win this race, then! How many times do you think I’ve gone down this slide, huh? I know the angle of the curves, the right way to accelerate, and everything there is to know so that I can win this race. I’m a time-leaping cheater, and I’ll use that to my advantage!

Every time one of those curves came, I leaned my body left and right to keep the maximum speed. So far, I haven’t messed up once. The only part left was the final straight line. I straightened up my body to create the least amount of resistance. The light of the exit flashed up before me. It’s time to finish this! Splash! Slipping out of the slide, two large splashes of water went into the air. I pushed myself up inside the water, pushing my head out from the water’s surface.

“Puha!”

So it’s a draw, huh? Despite my cheat ability and the fact that I weigh more, Sakonji-senpai still managed to get a draw. Not bad. I wiped my eyes to get rid of the water and looked for her. Shortly after, water burst up in front of me, with Sakonji-senpai appearing from it.

“Puha! Guess that was a draw, huh!”

Sakonji-senpai shook her body left and right, resembling a mermaid. That’s right, almost like a…mermaid…

“S-Sakonji-senpai…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Waaaah! Look down! Look down!”

I immediately covered up my eyes. Why? That’s because…I could perfectly see her well-endowed and soft-looking breasts! Because her bikini top was gone!

“Huh? …Ahh!”

She must have realized the current situation, blushing furiously as she covered up her body.

“D-Did you see…?!”

“I didn’t!”

“…!” Sakonji-senpai was tearing up, glaring at me with a doubtful gaze.

She bit her lip to the point I could see red liquid dripping out. Because of the pressure upon arriving at the water down the slide, the string of her bikini must have loosened up. What a meta incident. How am I supposed to know how to react to this nonsense? At the same time, a soft sensation touched my thigh below the water.

I mean, normally this would be something to get excited about. However, I just calmly reached for that…No mistaking it, that’s Sakonji-senpai’s bikini. The most important piece of fabric protecting her body. However, if I pulled that out of the water right now, it would invite a wide arrangement of misunderstandings. That I purposefully undid her bikini top.

‘You two over there, make way for the next couple!’

An employee standing at the poolside warned us with a megaphone. If we stayed here forever, we’d be in danger once the next pair comes. This isn’t the time to be hesitant. The longer this continues, the more she’ll be embarrassed. I made up my mind, grabbed the bikini top with my right hand, and pushed it towards Sakonji-senpai.

“Here!”

“Wha?! Why do you…!”

“It’s dangerous to stay here, so let’s move to the side. I-I’ll act as a shield so nobody will be able to see you!”

“…!”

Sakonji-senpai clearly didn’t enjoy this situation, but she gave in and listened to my orders. I made sure to stand in front of her at the side of the pool. Luckily, there were trees growing at the side of the pool, allowing her to hide. If I don’t move, she should be shielded. She seemed a bit wary of my gaze during that time, hesitating to fix her swimsuit. However, hiding her chest with one arm made work expectedly harder.

Because she took too long, the next pair of people arrived at the pool at the end of the slide. Naturally, they were part of Sakonji-senpai’s class. A girl…and the guy who tried to pass us in line before. They showed their heads from the water, immediately catching on to us. Man, this is the worst. As expected, the guy grabbed my shoulder with a dubious gaze.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Pulling me aside, he saw Sakonji-senpai fixing the string of her bikini, clearly not done yet.

“Wha, Biwako?! Bastard, what did you do to her?!”

Of course, he now proceeded to glare at me. The girl behind him quickly started to help fix Sakonji-senpai’s swimsuit, and then looked at me in disgust.

“You’re the worst.”

Her voice sounded unbelievably deep. Following that, the guy grabbing my shoulder put more strength into his grip.

“You perverted bastard! I won’t forgive you!”

“Drop it!”

The one to defuse the situation was Sakonji-senpai.

“It’s enough. You first-year, you can go.” She said without even looking at my face.

The boy clicked his tongue, and let go of my shoulder.

“U-Um…I’m sorry…” I left these words behind and left that place.

I walked along the poolside with a hanging head. Ah…Ahhh…Ahhhh! This is so depressing! I wanna go home! I mean, it’s a misunderstanding. It’s not my problem, right? I’m not at fault, and yet I feel so guilty. I mean, this must be my punishment for feeling flustered towards another older girl than the chief. I was given a chance to redo my life, and yet I’m not even satisfied with just one woman. In other words, I’m at fault. Shut up! Acting so important despite sending the girl I was gunning for back in time together with me. I’m not at fault, so take your divine punishment elsewhere! Damn it! What is this emotion! I wanna cry! I can’t though, because I’m an adult!

“Hey, Nanacchi!”

Riddled with wounds, I made it back to Onikichi and Nao. They sat on a bench a bit further away from the pool. I don’t want to ruin the mood just because I’m depressed because of what happened before. This is the changing point. Over the past five years as a salaryman, I’ve gotten used to swallowing up all sorts of negative emotions, so I’m used to it. This is the adult Shimono Nanaya.

“Yo, sorry for the wait!”

I changed my perturbed expression into a smile, and walked towards the two.

“You’re late, Nanaya. Did you pass out from the sock or something?” Nao grinned.

“If I did, then you would have heard the ambulance rushing over here! I’m good with that kind of stuff. You should know that since we often went to amusement parks together.”

“I always thought you liked the roller coasters because they made my boobs shake so much.”

“What kind of pervert do you take me for?! Also, you were flat as a cutting board back then, so there wasn’t anything that would shake!”

“Huh, so you were looking at them enough to understand they were flat?”

“You’re asking for it! Why are you so clever only when trying to corner me, huh?!”

“You’re a boobs fanatic, Nanaya. Come on, the chief is waiting for us.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m worried that Kofuyu made her cry again. Just as much as you are now doing towards me.” I said with a joke, and we went back to where we left the chief and Kofuyu.

*

“Ah, welcome back.”

They were sitting in an indoor area, eating a crepe in the food corner. We joined them at the table.

“Did you have fun?” The chief said with a smile like she was looking at a young child.

“Yep, it was amazing! My swimsuit almost got ripped off me, that’s how fast we went down that slide!” Nao exclaimed as innocent as she was.

Urk, my head… there are some memories I’d rather not remember…While feeling like a protagonist with convenient memory loss, I called out to Kofuyu who was munching on her crepe like a hamster.

“Hey, why are you eating a crepe now? I just bought you an ice cream.”

“It’s fine, Nanaya-kun. I wanted to eat some, so I bought a portion for her as well. Right, Kofuyu-chan?”

“Hmph, that old hag wanted to treat Kofuyu so badly, Kofuyu decided to tag along.”

“See?”

Don’t ‘See?’ me, Chief! Wait, why is the chief turning into another slave of Kofuyu? Is she actually a masochist? No, there’s no way. She’s a sadist. That would be the best term to describe her. Imagining the chief as a sadistic queen…Ah, what fantasies are filling my head…!

“I’m sorry, Chief, I’ll give you the money later.”

“What are you talking about? Your little sister is my little sister, right?” She said with a wink.

“Ahaha, Touka, your ears are red!” Onikichi commented.

“T-They are not! It’s not like I was practicing that line for a situation like this, and I’m used to flashing a cute wink, so there’s no reason why my ears would turn red! Don’t be weird, Onikichi-kun!”

“Yeah, yeah! If you’re that good at winking, show me one as well, Touka~!”

“Don’t wanna! It’s embarrassing!”

“Ahaha, you’re the best, Touka~ You’re totally embarrassed~!”

“Come on, stop teasing me!”

Huh? What am I watching here? Also, why is she embarrassed to wink at Onikichi, but not me? Does she actually…? R-Really? So she liked playboys? I didn’t hear about that. I didn’t hear about any of that! Didn’t she say that she disliked Assistant Manager Nakagawa?! I mean, their vectors are completely different, and Onikichi is a good guy, a bit pure at times, and actually talented, tall, and muscular, as well as…Hold on, he’s perfect! Damn it…it’s the brown hair…do I also have to dye my hair?

“Hey, Nao, do they sell hair dye in pharmacies?”

“Wait, you’re gonna dye your hair? I doubt it’d look good on you.”

So dry and cold! That hurt!

“S-Sure it will! Brown hair would look great on me!”

“You have to have the right face for bright hair like Onikichi does. Not you…Haha.”

“Ouch?! Nao, that hurt! You’re so cruel! Don’t laugh at me!”

“Not to mention that I think the chief prefers your darker, black hair.” She said in a voice only I could pick up.

“T-The chief doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Now, we can discuss that later. Just leave this to your childhood friend Nao-chan~”

She really does not listen to me at all, huh.

“Hey, hey, Chief~ Do you prefer boys with dyed hair or black hair~?”

Don’t ask the person in question?! If I hear that she prefers dyed hair, I might actually just go home! Don’t make things worse…

“You’re asking me about a boy’s hair color?”

“Yup!”

I’m scared. I don’t wanna hear her response.

“I’m not really interested in that.”

All right, that solves that. That’s the kind of person she was, yep.

“Huh?! But, you must have some kind of preference, no? Like shorter and sportive black hair, or longer outlaw-like hair!”

“Not really, no.”

“Woah…”

Even Nao was bewildered at that response. Of course, you would, nobody could have anticipated that response. If anything, it’s very much like the chief, I’m a bit relieved.

“Hey, hey, Touka! What about my brown hair? Best stuff ever, right?”

“You’re right, it does look good on you, Onikichi-kun.”

Heeeeey?! What’s this about?! It’s the exact opposite of what she just said! You know what, I’ll dye my hair after all! Nobody will stop me from that! I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears when Nao gently placed her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her face. She was smiling and shook her head. Almost like she was telling me to cheer up.

“Alright, I’ll go dye my hair tomorrow…” I muttered, to which—

“Y-You can’t!” The chief suddenly shot up.

“…W-What’s gotten into you, Chief?”

“Ah, well…I don’t think bright hair would look good on you, Nanaya-kun. Some people are made for it, whereas others aren’t, right? I-It’s not that you look the coolest with black hair or something, but this is at least better than messing things up, yeah? Yeah!”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears when Nao gently placed her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her face. She was smiling and shook her head. Her mouth was saying ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Thank you, Nao. Thank you, my childhood friend. I will live on strong without dying my hair. I’ve decided to live on strong, after all.

“More importantly, do you have a moment, Nanaya-kun?” The chief said with a serious tone.

Having worked under her for the past few years, I immediately grasped that it was no joking matter, and responded.

“Yes.”

The chief beckoned me over, away from the others, and I followed her. I wonder what it is? Maybe Kofuyu was acting rude towards her, after all? Or maybe I myself did something bad again, so she’s about to lecture me? Either way, being pulled along like this has been a while, which made my heart run faster. But if I did something bad, I have to apologize.

…Man, nothing is working out for me, huh.

At the entrance of the food corner, the chief came to a halt. I swallowed my breath, waiting for the chief’s words.

“Nanaya-kun, what’s wrong?”

“…? Err, what do you mean?”

“Ever since you came back, you’ve been acting off. Did something happen?”

“…What?”

That’s what she wanted to talk about. So she figured out that I’ve been feeling down for a while now? I don’t think I was showing that, though. Not even Onikichi or Nao realized. I confirmed this with the chief.

“Do I look that dejected?”

“Not exactly, but you reminded me of back when you were struggling with your work. Did you get grouped up with a scary person at the water slide? Or did you lose your wallet? I don’t mind lending you money.”

For a brief moment, I was utterly baffled. Why? How? How can she tell? I tried my best to not make her worry, and yet she saw right through me.

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

“Ah, no, I’m fine. I just ran into some trouble, but that was already resolved, so it’s okay. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“Really? Well, if you say so.”

“Yes. But, you’re amazing, Chief. I can’t hide anything from you!”

“Of course? How many years do you think we’ve been working together? I’ve been watching you this entire time.”

“Thank you very much.”

I lowered my head when I felt a warm hand placed on my head. The chief looked at my face with a gentle smile.

“If you’re stuck anywhere, be honest and tell me. It won’t hurt to rely on me from time to time, I am your superior after all.”

Ah, man…I really like her. I love this person. I can’t stop my overflowing emotions. I want to confess everything right here, betting on the chance—

“C-Chief, I…!”

“Kamijou Touka?!”

Suddenly, we heard a loud voice that made everybody turn around. Even the chief and I were taken aback, looking over at the owner of the voice. Am I cursed or something? The person appearing in front of us—was Sakonji Biwa. Of course, together with the other people. She put strength into her shoulders, pointing at the chief.

“W-Why are you here?!”

“Ah, Sakonji-san, nice to meet you.” The chief just nonchalantly greeted Sakonji-senpai.

Is it just my imagination, or does she look a bit scared? The chief? No way. For some reason, Sakonji-senpai glared at the chief with a red face. Since they’re both second-years, I’m not surprised to find out they know each other, but they seem on rather bad terms. I don’t see much friendliness between them. At the same time as I was theorizing, Sakonji-senpai glanced at me. Crap, she saw me.

“You…! You were here with Kamijou Touka? Didn’t hear about that.”

‘Cause I didn’t tell you?

“Huh? Nanaya-kun, you know Sakonji-san?”

“That’s Biwaw’s phrase. Are you two dating?”

“Wha…wha…what are you saying, Sakonji-san!? Do we look that way?! That much?! No way! Really?! Oh my, how troublesome~ What is this about? Do you mean that we’re both still innocent and us being conscious of the other is showing on the outside?! Or do we just look that close which makes it feel like we’ve been together for years, flirting at any given moment?! Do we really look like we’re dating?!”

“Not that much, to be honest.”

“We don’t?!”

“More importantly, answer Biwa’s question. Are you dating, or are you not?”

Why’s she so heated towards a direction that she shouldn’t care about? I guess I should break between the two and clear things up.

“Touka-senpai and I aren’t dating.”

“…Right. Not like Biwa cares, though!”

What’s gotten into her? She seems ready for a fight for some reason. Maybe she and the chief aren’t on the best terms, after all? Or maybe she’s still furious because of what happened before? Either way, this mood is awful. We have to get away from here.

“Chief, let’s go,” I whispered towards her.

However, Sakonji-senpai seemingly picked up on that.

“Hey, Biwa wasn’t done talking yet.”

What’s there to talk about? You happened to run into a classmate, and that’s about it.

“Sakonji-san, do you still want something from me?” The chief tried her best not to instigate anything, asking with a gentle tone.

It seemed as if the chief was desperately trying to cut things off. At the same time, Sakonji-senpai revealed clear hostility.

“Kamijou Touka, if you’re not going out with him, why is he with you?”

“Why…? Be-Because we’re friends? What does that have to do with you?”

“…! W-What matters if Biwa has anything to do with it or not! It’s that worthless guy!”

“Hey, I’m not allowing you to insult him like that.”

“Oh wow, looks to me like you’ve taken a good interest in him.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

For the first time, I felt heat coming from the chief’s actions and words. I could see sparks flying between the two. However, I don’t get why they’re fighting in the first place. Why are they so on edge? If possible, I’d like things to break up right now, but another arrow entered the battle, aiming at our throats.

“It’s exactly as Biwako said, Kamijou-san, do you even know what that guy did?”

The boy I had seen one too many times today spoke up. This guy…how many more times do you plan on dragging me through hell today?

“You are………Who?”

“W-We’re in the same class! Biwako’s in a different class, so you should know me better!”

What’s this guy? She doesn’t remember the guy she’s in the same class with? That’s so lame.

“Really now…I’m sorry.”

“A-Anyway! This guy did something awful to Biwako! Go ahead and tell her!”

All right, it’s over. Even if it’s a misunderstanding, this situation practically equals my death bed. If Sakonji-senpai explains what happened, I’m dead. I’ll receive the label of a pervert who undid the bikini top of a high school girl. I’m not confident enough that I can convince the chief. It’s impossible. I pretty much resigned myself to my fate, and waited for Sakonji-senpai’s words.

“…Whatever.”

“Hm? Come on, Biwako, tell him.”

“Not like Biwa cares about him! Whatever, Biwa’s leaving!”

“Wha, hey, Biwako?!”

Sakonji-senpai passed by us with a severe expression, waking away. Uhh…I’m saved? But right after I let down my guard, Sakonji-senpai turned towards us again and declared.

“You two aren’t a good fit at all!” She said and ran away.

I don’t know why she didn’t snitch on what happened, but I guess I’m allowed to live another day. I felt the strength in my hips vanishing, as I sighed.

“Let’s go, Chief…Chief?!”

She passed out. She stood still, pale, not moving at all.

“Chief! Are you okay?!”

Finally, the chief muttered as her soul vanished from her mouth.

“N-Not…a good fit…”

“Chief, pull yourself together!”

With chaos like this behind the scenes, our first event of his summer break ended. Back at the time, I had no idea that all of what happened today was nothing more than a prologue to the hell awaiting me…Well, that sounded pretty cool.