After finalizing the details for their future chat with a nod, Kasumigaoka Touji and Kato Megumi parted ways, returning to their respective classrooms. The familiar hum of the post-school clean-up greeted him as he stepped into Class 1-G.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a lazy, slightly accusatory voice drifted over.
"Took you long enough. I was beginning to think Onii-chan had been abducted. I nearly dialed 110."
It was Kasumigaoka Utaha. At some point, she had arrived in his classroom and made herself at home in his seat. She sat with one leg crossed over the other, her posture relaxed yet commanding, her ample chest emphasized by her casual pose. Her plump, exquisitely shaped legs—curves that spoke of both elegance and sensuality—were intertwined, looking particularly alluring as they caught the slanted rays of the late afternoon sun streaming through the window.
No matter how many times I see them, I never get tired of them, Kasumigaoka Touji thought, his heart giving an involuntary lurch. Hearing her words, a pang of instinctive guilt shot through him, but he maintained a calm facade.
"I just ran into Kato-san on the way and chatted for a bit," he explained, his gaze sweeping past Utaha to the pink-haired girl waiting patiently at her own desk. She had already finished her cleaning duties and was simply waiting for him to return so they could leave together.
"Is that so?" Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't press the issue, her suspicion nonexistent. It made perfect sense. They were in the same club, after all, and after nearly two months of interaction, they had grown familiar. Especially with the frequent study sessions recently, it was completely normal for them to bump into each other, exchange greetings, and chat.
She rose gracefully from his chair, picked up both their schoolbags from the floor, and handed one to him. "Let's head home."
"Gotou-san," Kasumigaoka Touji acknowledged the other girl in the room as he took his bag. With that, the trio left the classroom together.
As they walked down the hallway, the topic of the encroaching summer heat naturally came up.
"Speaking of which… Gotou-san, aren't you hot wearing that outfit now?" Kasumigaoka Touji asked, eyeing her attire.
Summer's arrival had been swift. The temperatures had been climbing steadily; a couple of days prior, the mercury had even hit thirty degrees Celsius. Though it had cooled slightly to around twenty-seven these past two days, the warmth was undeniable.
Both Kasumigaoka Touji and Kasumigaoka Utaha, like most of the student body, had already switched to their cooler summer uniforms.
When addressed, Gotou Hitori flinched slightly, then replied, "Ah… it is a bit hot… I've been thinking these past couple of days about leaving the sweatpants at home and just wearing the school skirt."
"What about that top, though?" Kasumigaoka Touji glanced at the thick, long-sleeved tracksuit jacket she wore. It was clearly designed for spring and autumn; wearing it in this weather had to be uncomfortable.
"Ugh… I'll keep wearing this for now," Gotou Hitori murmured, her hand unconsciously stroking the fabric of her jacket, a troubled expression flickering across her face.
"Why does Gotou-san always wear this tracksuit?" Kasumigaoka Utaha chimed in, tilting her head curiously, her wine-red eyes sweeping over Gotou Hitori's form. "Does it hold some special meaning for you?"
She found it puzzling. Here was a girl who was a self-proclaimed super-social recluse, yet her choice of clothing was so distinctive it practically screamed for attention. Wouldn't that just make her stand out more? To be honest, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't quite grasp the logic.
"Ah…" Gotou Hitori let out a soft sound of surprise, seemingly caught off guard that Kasumigaoka Utaha was not only talking to her but asking such a direct question. She paused, then made an awkward, flustered gesture with her hands. "Um… the school uniform… shows too much skin. Also, when school first started, it was still quite cold in the mornings and evenings walking around with bare legs…"
"…Shows… too much skin?" This was an answer Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't expected. Her mouth opened slightly in genuine surprise.
The latter part about the cold was somewhat understandable. In some rural areas, girls did dress in layers during the transitional seasons. But it was still quite rare, primarily because the look was so conspicuously unfashionable.
"The exposure level is indeed quite high," Kasumigaoka Touji nodded in agreement from the side.
Compared to the modest school uniforms common in their national neighbour, China, the classic Japanese sailor fuku were significantly more revealing. At school, if a girl made a slightly larger movement, there was a real chance of catching a glimpse of her underwear—though that usually applied more to those who intentionally rolled their skirts up short. The standard-issue skirt length wasn't typically prone to such accidents.
"Huh? Onii-chan actually agrees with that?" Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at him with an expression that plainly said, 'I don't even know you anymore.'
"Is there anything strange about that?" Kasumigaoka Touji met her gaze with perfect calm. "Objectively speaking, compared to long pants or long skirts, short skirts do have a higher degree of exposure, don't they?"
"Right, right," Gotou Hitori chimed in from the side, nodding vigorously like a little chick pecking at grain. My comrade-in-arms understands me!
"Then, Onii-chan," Kasumigaoka Utaha wiggled her fair, slender fingers playfully, shifting the topic. "Do you prefer long pants, long skirts, or short skirts?"
Kasumigaoka Touji looked at her, a knowing glint in his eye as he dropped his hint. "What I really like… are pencil skirts."
"..."
You really have… particular tastes!
Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips twitched. This answer was somewhat unexpected. She shot Kasumigaoka Touji a look of pure, unadulterated disdain, her words razor-sharp. "Onii-chan, please stop acting like you're in heat on a public street! I can't afford to be associated with such second-hand embarrassment."
As she spoke, she took a deliberate step away from him, putting some distance between them.
Gotou Hitori, the innocent little lamb, also subtly shuffled a few steps to the side, her expression one of mild, overwhelmed alarm.
"What are you talking about? How does liking pencil skirts equate to being in heat?" Kasumigaoka Touji feigned deep offense, glaring at Kasumigaoka Utaha.
So angry I'm shaking! So cold! When will men with an appreciation for the elegant lines of pencil skirts finally be able to stand tall in society!
"Tsk—! If Onii-chan really thinks that way, then why don't you shout 'I love pencil skirts!' three times right here on the street? If you do, this Onee-san will go buy a pencil skirt and model it just for you."
"…While I maintain that appreciating pencil skirts is a perfectly normal aesthetic preference, your proposed method of proving it is far too degenerate. I refuse!"
"Heh—. Typical man."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's sarcasm was dialed up to maximum, dripping with enough contempt to make one want to pin her down on the spot and teach her a lesson. It was just a pity they were currently on a busy public sidewalk.
Their playful bickering continued all the way to the station entrance, where the group naturally split up. Kasumigaoka Touji and Kasumigaoka Utaha headed for the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line platform, while Gotou Hitori made her way alone toward a different line.
Just as in the original story, her home was a grueling two-hour, one-way commute from Ikebukuro. To be honest, Kasumigaoka Touji felt a pang of sympathy for her daily ordeal. Spending four hours round-trip on trains every day was something he was certain he could never endure.
Speaking of which, at this point in time… hasn't Gotou-san met Nijika-chan and the others yet? The thought crossed his mind as he watched the bustling crowd. Or has that meeting been missed due to some butterfly effect?
Over the past few days, he hadn't seen her bring her guitar to school. In the original timeline, she started bringing it about a month later, which led to her fateful encounter with Nijika…
As the train glided smoothly into the station with a soft whoosh of air, Kasumigaoka Touji watched its approach, these idle thoughts flitting through his mind like the passing scenery outside the window.