Two days slipped by in no time.
And with them came the first day of the new term.
For most people, holiday sluggishness might've made it hard to drag themselves out of bed.
But Mio had no such trouble. Vacation or not, she always got up this early.
Thinking back to her school days before she transmigrated, the start of term used to leave her limp and listless, her head completely empty.
Now, though—maybe because she had the System cheat going for her—she didn't dread the new term at all. She was even a little looking forward to it.
The one difference from before was that, while making breakfast and bento, Mio made an extra portion for Yukinoshita Haruno.
Breakfast and bento done, she woke Shiina Mashiro and then took up duty as delivery girl. After dropping off Sengoku Chihiro's portion first, she made her way to Yukinoshita Haruno's door.
She pressed the bell, and after a good while the door finally opened.
Yukinoshita Haruno, in a nightdress, took one look at Mio and pulled her into a big hug—a hug that nearly sent the breakfast flying, though Mio managed to keep her balance.
In that moment, she could feel, plain as day, that Yukinoshita Haruno had nothing on underneath.
Ahem.
"Kouhai, what brings you to me first thing in the morning?"
"I brought you breakfast and bento—wait, Senpai, your term hasn't even started yet, has it?"
"Got it in one. Reward: one kiss." Yukinoshita Haruno had meant to plant one on Mio's cheek, but having just woken up, she hadn't brushed her teeth yet, so she decided against it.
She'd save that kiss for next time.
"So I made you a bento for nothing, then?"
"How can you say that? My term might not have started, but my work as the Yukinoshita heir began long ago—and it's no easier than going to school."
"Is that so."
Taking the breakfast and bento from Mio's hands, Yukinoshita Haruno smiled. "Then I'll gratefully accept what my kouhai went to all this trouble to make."
Empty-handed once more, Mio headed back to her own place, where Shiina Mashiro had already changed into her uniform and was sitting at the table eating breakfast.
Except the uniform she'd put on herself looked all crooked, with several buttons done up wrong.
Mio had long since gotten used to this. At least these days Shiina Mashiro dressed herself, instead of having to strip back down and start over.
After breakfast, and after fixing up Shiina Mashiro's clothes and hair, the two of them walked out of the apartment together.
The instant Mio stepped outside, a cold wind hit her in the face. She shivered a few times, then set off toward school with Shiina Mashiro.
She hadn't gotten far when she spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
Eriri.
Seeing Eriri, Mio tugged Shiina Mashiro right over. "Morning, Eriri. Don't tell me you're standing here waiting specially for me?"
"Wh-who's waiting for you? I just happened to get a message on my phone, so I stopped to check it." Eriri said, stubborn as ever.
"Yes, yes. Whatever you say, Eriri."
Mio gave a light laugh, then asked, "By the way, did you go anywhere over the break?"
"Nah, couldn't be bothered. Better off staying home and drawing."
"Hearing you say that—does that mean you've got a new work?"
Unlike the guilty conscience from last time, she'd deliberately drawn a brand-new work to cover for the doujinshi starring herself and Mio.
That was also the reason she hadn't gone anywhere the entire break.
Besides the decoy piece, there was the unfinished work she had to wrap up.
The truth was, after she'd realized something was off with that work, she'd wanted to stop drawing it. But every time she gave up, before long she'd feel that, having already taken it this far, leaving it unfinished would just gnaw at her until her mind couldn't rest.
So in the end she finished it after all.
Naturally, this was something she would absolutely never let Mio find out.
"Of course I do. I'll show you once I've finished it."
Beside them, Shiina Mashiro, having caught their exchange, asked with a flicker of curiosity, "A new work? A manga?"
At her question, both Mio's and Eriri's expressions stiffened. In the end it was Mio who recovered first, forcing out a dry chuckle. "Just an ordinary illustration."
"Right, right, just an ordinary illustration," Eriri chimed in.
Seeing Mio just now had left her a touch giddy—giddy enough that she'd forgotten Shiina Mashiro was an outsider to all this.
"Oh."
The second she heard it wasn't a manga, Shiina Mashiro's interest evaporated.
Watching Shiina Mashiro cling tightly to Mio, Eriri put on a casual air. "You two are awfully close, huh."
"Don't tell me you're jealous, Eriri?"
"Hah? Are you kidding? Why would I ever be jealous?"
"I'm just teasing. Anyway, if we don't pick up the pace, we're going to be late on the very first day of term."
"You should've said so sooner!"
Eriri checked the time, then quietly quickened her steps.
Thanks to Mio's heads-up, the three of them made it onto school grounds five minutes before class.
The time they had left was just enough to get them into the classroom.
By the time Mio walked in, there was one minute to spare before class.
She clearly caught the helpless look on Yuigahama Yui's face.
To see Mio sooner, Yui had come in bright and early today. But even after the long break, Mio was the same as ever—fond of strolling in right on the bell.
Catching Yuigahama Yui's reproachful stare, Mio could only apologize with a look.
Compared to Yuigahama Yui, whose seat was some distance from Mio, Miura Yumiko had no such trouble.
While the teacher had yet to come in, she put on an air of indifference and said to Mio, "Long time no see."
"Yumiko, long time no see." If she hadn't been worried the teacher might walk in any second, Mio would've loved to give Miura Yumiko a hug.
She could already picture the expression Miura Yumiko would make, caught in her arms.
Ahem.
She wondered, too, whether a whole break had moved things along at all between Miura Yumiko and Hayama.
Curious as she was, this clearly wasn't the moment to bring it up, so Mio could only swallow back her curiosity and wait for a chance to ask properly when they were alone.
Gazing at Mio's familiar, pretty face, Miura Yumiko suddenly found she couldn't quite look away.
Maybe it was because she hadn't seen her in so long.
Not that it had really been that long—under half a month, in fact. But even so, to her it already felt like ages.
Long enough that she couldn't shake the urge to pull her into her arms and steal a kiss.
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