"Shouko, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Nishimiya Kei, who had just stepped out of the washroom, noticed her granddaughter walking on tiptoes and couldn't help but look at her in concern.
"Ah…" Shouko quickly waved her hands. "Grandma, I'm fine."
At first, she hadn't thought much of it—but now, she realized that if she made any sudden movements, the buttons might actually pop open at any moment…
Under Kei's quiet, worried gaze, Shouko hesitated for a moment before confessing the truth.
After listening, Nishimiya Kei blinked in surprise, then glanced at her granddaughter's slightly flushed face.
"Do you want to take a day off today?"
"No need," Shouko shook her head. "Grandma, don't worry. As long as I don't do anything too strenuous today, I'll be fine."
Only after repeatedly confirming that Shouko wasn't feeling sick did Kei finally return to helping prepare breakfast and bentos.
At the dining table, Yaeko Nishimiya frowned, staring at Shouko's busy figure in the kitchen. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, Kei gently stopped her and explained the situation.
Afterward, Yaeko said nothing more. She thought about letting Shouko borrow her own clothes for the day, but she already knew the girl would refuse without a second thought.
Meanwhile, Yuzuru Nishimiya was still half-asleep beside them, nodding off like a pecking chick.
"Yuzuru, did you stay up late again last night?" Yaeko asked, narrowing her eyes.
Seeing her daughter shake her head in denial while her hair drooped forward, Yaeko sighed quietly. After scolding her lightly, she gave up and focused on eating her breakfast.
"I'm heading out!"
"Be careful on the road, Shouko."
"Click."
After changing into her shoes at the entrance, Shouko waved to the three inside and stepped out the door toward the Miyamura residence.
"Shouko, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Akira, who had just come out of the bathroom, immediately noticed something off about her. Without thinking, he asked straightaway.
Shouko froze. She had just explained everything to Shizuka Miyamura in the living room, but unlike with her, she couldn't bring herself to tell Akira the truth.
She had thought she could hide it, but somehow, both her grandma and Akira had noticed right away.
"Shouko's fine," Shizuka said from the kitchen. "Akira, dry your hair and go eat breakfast. Don't be late for school."
Under his mother's urging, Akira didn't question further. Still, as the two of them later walked to school together, he glanced at Shouko several times, wanting to ask again.
Each time, she brushed it off with a vague excuse—the truth was simply too hard to say.
When they arrived in class and took their seats, Akira finally eased his doubts a little.
A few minutes later, Ayumi and Takagi entered the classroom together. Akira used the ten minutes before the bell to take a quick nap on his desk.
He had been observing Shouko quietly. Other than her walking a bit on her toes, she seemed fine. And since her "that time of the month" had just passed, he ruled that out.
Now that she was with Ayumi and Takagi, he relaxed completely.
Morning sunlight spilled through the windows, glinting off the dew that clung to the petals of fallen cherry blossoms.
The morning run had ended, and the first-period bell echoed faintly through the corridors.
At lunch, the pit from a pickled plum clung to the edge of a bento box, and by two in the afternoon, the electric fan hummed lazily behind dusty curtains while cicadas droned outside.
Homework notebooks lay untouched, boys in the back row dozed off behind open textbooks, and bottles of ramune soda clinked together in the convenience store freezer downstairs.
"Dong… dong… dong…"
As the bell signaled the end of the class, Shouko wiped invisible sweat from her forehead.
Just one more class to go, and she'd finally be free.
Throughout the day, she had barely moved. Akira had even helped clean her lunch box, but that didn't stop her from feeling incredibly uncomfortable.
She had already requested a leave from the Art Club president, and Ayumi and Takagi knew she wouldn't be attending club activities today.
When Ayumi heard that, she immediately asked for leave as well, deciding to accompany Shouko after school to buy some things.
"Clap, clap, clap—"
Ms. Nanase struck the podium, silencing the low murmur of restless students.
"I have an announcement. It'll be quick."
Ignoring the groans, she continued, "Ms. Yūri is on leave today, so your tutoring class will be replaced with physical education. Meet at the gymnasium."
The students' groans instantly turned into cheers.
Akira, seated near the window, could almost hear something shatter—but dismissed it as his imagination.
Ms. Nanase raised her hand. "Don't celebrate too soon! It's not free time—today's PE will be your monthly fitness test! Not playtime."
With that, she closed her textbook, ignored the chorus of groans, and swiftly exited the room.
"Shouko-chan…"
Ayumi slowly turned her head, only to see her best friend frozen in disbelief, her soul leaving her body.
A fitness test wasn't like a regular PE class—during normal PE, the teacher would usually let her rest or only stretch. But for this test, everyone had to participate.
While the 1500-meter run and 50-meter sprint were exempt, there were still standing long jumps, sit-ups, shuttle runs, and flexibility tests…
She couldn't possibly risk those buttons holding out through all that!
"Shouko, you look pale," Akira said, noticing her expression. "Do you want me to go to the infirmary with you?"
"I—I'm fine," she stammered, waving her hands quickly. "Don't worry."
Akira frowned, then placed a hand gently on her forehead.
She didn't resist, only stood there silently, her cheeks faintly pink.
"Not hot either…" he murmured, then stepped back. After confirming again that she seemed fine, he followed her and the others downstairs toward the changing rooms.
"Shouko, maybe you should ask the teacher for leave?" Takagi suggested as she took off her uniform.
Since summer had started, their uniforms were now lighter and thinner—leaving even less room to hide anything.
Shouko paused mid-motion, clutching her gym clothes. After a brief hesitation, she shook her head.
"I'll just move slowly. It should be fine."
As she spoke, she tugged lightly at her clothes, adjusting their position. Faint red marks still lingered where the fabric had pressed too tightly.
Ayumi, standing beside her, said nothing. Her eyes, however, trailed over to Shouko's figure with a complicated expression.
For a brief second, she felt a strange mix of envy and mischief.
She thought—if she surprised Shouko from behind right now, would Shouko even get mad?
Among her friends, she'd never dare to try something like that; they'd probably be furious.
But Shouko was different—Shouko was her best friend. She wouldn't get angry… right?
Besides, she told herself, I'm just helping Akira check things out ahead of time.
Yes. That sounded reasonable enough.
With that mischievous justification in mind, Ayumi slowly crept up behind Shouko, a playful grin curling across her face.
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