The start-of-term month arrived quietly.
Since it wasn't a new academic year, the beginning of the term didn't seem particularly lively, but the whole school still carried a restless atmosphere after the holidays.
In Japan, there are many private and public schools, so the academic systems differ. Some schools have three terms in a year, while many only have two. The private mixed high school belonged to the latter.
However, whether it was a three-term or two-term system, the vacation periods were roughly the same. There were usually longer breaks like spring vacation, summer vacation, autumn vacation, and winter vacation.
Spring and autumn breaks were relatively short, usually less than ten days, while the other two were at most about a month.
Also, since the new academic year in Japan starts in April, graduates typically only have a little over twenty days of vacation if they move on to higher education.
This was quite different from the system across the world, a result of differences in educational structures.
By the way, Japan usually has two rounds of entrance exams.
The first is a general academic test to determine whether you qualify to graduate and advance, and the second is each university's individual entrance exam. Only by passing a university's own exam can you enroll there.
Yes, advancement in Japan is not based on a unified exam. Each university sets its own test, and since most of them schedule admissions around the same time, you can usually only apply to one each year.
Simply put, if you fail, you will most likely have to repeat a year. Such students are commonly referred to as repeat exam takers.
In this regard, most educations systems across the world was clearly more flexible and updated.
…
"Long time no see, Nohara-kun!"
"Long time no see."
Watching Isshiki Iroha skip over energetically, Sato gestured with his eyes toward a group of girls nearby.
"Why not go catch up with your friends?"
"Huh? Oh… well, we already hung out a lot during the holidays, so there's not much to talk about."
Isshiki Iroha said. Then her eyes lit up as she looked at Sato with interest. "What about you? How was your summer vacation?"
"It was pretty good, I guess…"
Sato said slowly after thinking back.
Come to think of it, he hadn't done anything particularly special over the summer. The most memorable moments were probably the days when the light music club girls came for their training camp, and going to the festival in Itomori.
Itomori was a good place. The crater, the lake, the Miyamizu festival, and… kuchikamizake all left a deep impression.
Of course, he hadn't managed to get that last souvenir.
Girls would feel shy and embarrassed, after all, considering how that kind of sake was made.
And thinking about it calmly, the person who came up with that method of making kuchikamizake was indeed quite perverse.
Although words like shrine maiden and purity softened that impression, if you imagined an ugly man making it, it would probably make you throw up everything you ate yesterday morning.
So in the end, the appeal of kuchikamizake wasn't really its special method or even its taste, but the fact that it was made by a pure shrine maiden.
Of course, that shrine maiden had to be pretty for people to accept it.
"Ugh! Sato, what were you just thinking? That's so gross!"
Suddenly, the girl in front of him showed a look of disgust and took a few steps back.
Oh?
This girl is that sensitive?
Sato looked at Isshiki Iroha with some surprise.
The girl crossed her arms, pressing her elbows against her modest chest, and looked at him warily. "You weren't thinking about something dirty, were you?"
"Maybe."
Sato answered casually. If he denied it, Isshiki Iroha would still come up with a bunch of arguments to debate him anyway.
But hearing that, she froze for a moment.
She blinked, as if unsure she heard correctly. "You really were?"
"Really."
"Pervert! Disgusting!"
Isshiki Iroha said again with a look of disdain, but she didn't step back any further.
In the next moment, the disgust on her face vanished completely, replaced with a bright smile.
She proudly lifted her fair, slender neck, revealing her delicate chin. Her radiant smile was especially beautiful, carrying a sense of youth.
"Looks like I'm pretty charming after all!"
Sato looked at her oddly. "Even if I was thinking about something dirty, what does that have to do with you?"
"Huh? Wasn't it about me?"
Isshiki Iroha turned back to look at him, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Are you for real?!
"Of course not."
"Of course not?!"
Instantly, her cheeks puffed up in anger as she glared at him. "With a beautiful girl like me right here, you're thinking about doing dirty things with someone else?!"
You're questioning my charm to my face!
This is a provocation!
Sato couldn't help but twitch his lips. "Even if you do look quite seductive, I think you should tone it down a bit."
"Setting aside the fact that I wasn't actually thinking about anything dirty just now, don't you feel embarrassed discussing this kind of topic in front of a guy?"
"Especially when the subject is you."
"Hmph!"
Isshiki Iroha let out a soft huff, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. Her face did turn a little red.
Seeing that, Sato nodded in satisfaction.
"Looks like you still have a bit of modesty left, Iroha."
Isshiki Iroha rolled her eyes cutely and subconsciously said, "Isn't that what you like th—"
"Hm?"
"Nothing!"
"Anyway, your gaze just now really was indecent!"
Indecent? Was it?
Sato's train of thought was immediately derailed.
Meanwhile, Isshiki Iroha, who had been secretly glancing at him, quietly let out a breath of relief.