2.43: Going All OutWe stayed after to help clean the cssroom, mostly because Kurosawa-sensei threatened all of us with extra responsibilities if we didn’t.

  I wiped down desks and gathered anything that was left on the floor while my brain repyed the contents of the sign-up sheet over and over, thinking about the long list of candidates. I had only to gnce at the sheet beside the bckboard to remember how crowded it had been while signing it.

  I had been signed up under Prince by Riko. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  Me?

  And Riko as a princess? Aoi hadn’t hesitated to put her own name down on the list as a rival princess to protect my lips. That certainly was a twist.

  I wasn’t sure about what I thought about myself. Could someone like me actually py a masculine part?

  My mind drifted to Yuna’s performance as I worked.

  For some weird reason, ever since I saw that face, her part as the witch felt strangely right. That was totally unexpected. I’d always thought that she was elegant, like a fairy godmother. Her desire to become a doctor made her extremely admirable. Then there was her unfailing supportiveness and her indirect and sometimes too direct methods of flirting. Now I had to add talented actress to that growing list.

  Her usual warmth didn’t exactly scream witch, and yet she had nailed it.

  I frowned and shrugged.

  The whole thing sounded like such a joke.

  My heart kept doing a silly, fluttery thing anyway. Probably because she’d impressed me.

  Or maybe it was what she’d said st night that I couldn’t stop remembering. I blushed faintly as I cleaned. I was gd that no one else that stayed to clean asked why.

  When I crouched beside Pon-chan’s cage to tidy the area around it, his little head lifted. His eyes were half-lidded, still heavy with sleepiness.

  “Hey,” I whispered, smiling. “How are you doing, little one?”

  He chirped softly, then began climbing the bars with slow, determined movements, like waking up was optional but affection towards me was not. I reached through the bars and scratched his little chin with a soft smile, noticing that his cage could use some cleaning.

  The moment I opened the tch to slide out the tray, he climbed up my arm to what he obviously considered to be his rightful perch.

  His paws settled on my shoulder, grabbing my uniform’s fabric.

  He pressed his tiny face into my neck the way he liked to do, tickling my skin.

  A warm, soft kiss of fur and whiskers.

  I giggled quietly despite myself. “Okay, okay. I missed you the other day too. Did you decide to stay out of trouble after our spelunking adventure on the beach?”

  He gave a small shake that sent his fur fluffing out in every direction, making a tiny, indignant sound. Then he yawned, stretched once, and tried to settle into a nap right on my shoulder, curled snugly against my colrbone as if he fully intended to leave with me.

  When I finished my work, refilling his water bottle and food bowl, I smiled and carefully lifted him, easing him back into the cage and closing it as gently as I could.

  “Good boy,” I murmured and wagged a finger at him. “You can’t come home with any of us. You have to take your cssroom mascot duties more seriously.” I winked.

  He flopped down immediately, utterly unconcerned with what I said.

  It was hard not to feel attached to him. Even the small things in my life like this were important and cherished.

  By the time we finished, the hallway outside was already quieter. Club activities were in full swing. A myriad of sounds echoed through the building like the day’s st heartbeats.

  Aoi-chan nudged me with her shoulder. “Come and walk with me.”

  I tilted my head. It wasn’t like her to wait for me before heading off to her club activities like this, even if it was true that we all still had to clean to mollify Kurosawa-sensei. I wondered if the teachers that had gone along were being spoken to over treating our trip like a vacation instead of studying.

  “Where to, Aoi-chan?”

  She was already wearing her club jersey.

  “My club activities haven’t gotten started yet. There’s also your training as usual, of course,” she said, like it should’ve been obvious. “I want you to watch us in the gym today.” She winked, taking my hand.

  “Are you sure?” I asked automatically. “I’ll probably just be a distraction.”

  Aoi-chan didn’t even look back at me. “You won’t. Don’t worry.”

  We left the cssroom hand in hand. I squeezed her fingers, enjoying the moment, the warmth of her soft hand in mine.

  Whenever she’s at my side, everything feels even better.

  It was the Aoi happiness multiplication effect.

  DOKI-DOKI

  My cheeks were warm, my eyes soft with affection when I was with her.

  The locker room smelled strongly of shampoo and deodorant and a sharp clean scent of detergent as always.

  Girls were in the process of changing, ughing, shoving each other pyfully, talking about their homework that night and boys and discussing whatever they wanted to eat ter. The atmosphere should’ve made me tense as usual.

  But it didn’t this time. I didn’t walk straight to my locker, instead letting myself notice everything going on around me.

  I moved through the locker room, oddly unconcerned, and I even smiled.

  When I looked at others, it wasn’t by accident. The blush in my cheeks had only one cause. It was because I was happy that Aoi-chan had held my hand on the way here. I couldn’t help remembering our walk together on the beach at Shirasuna too.

  It was so romantic!

  …Even though Riko and Yuna had approached us right when things were getting particurly romantic, it had been almost like a date.

  DOKI-DOKI… BADUMP

  I didn’t flinch when I accidentally brushed against Ayano Fujimoto’s half-naked body, stuck in my own thoughts.

  I knew the names of the girls that tended to occupy the locker room at this time, mostly from overhearing their chatter with each other in the evenings while I changed into my gym clothes. They were also second-years who had gone on the Shirasuna trip as well, even though I hadn’t really noticed them much on the trip.

  Ayano giggled. “Sorry, Shinohara-san. I get so clumsy when I’m changing.”

  “It’s fine. It was my fault,” I said with a smile. “I was just thinking about how much fun we had at Shirasuna.”

  “Yeah! It was a great trip!” she said brightly. “I hope we get sent on lots of more trips like it!”

  I giggled and nodded. “Un! Me too!” And then I’d get another chance to deepen my retionship with Aoi-chan even more.

  DOKI-DOKI… BADUMP

  I didn’t feel that same panicky urge to shrink into myself even after that encounter.

  I’d totally changed.

  I smiled at Ayano warmly and walked to my locker, getting started with undressing by taking off my bzer. Cool air brushed my skin as I unbuttoned and took off the white blouse underneath and unfastened my bra, realizing how rexed I felt. My thoughts kept circling between the upcoming py and the way Aoi-chan had held my hand earlier. I could still feel the warmth of it in my palm.

  I pulled off my cy underwire bra, stowed it in the locker and pulled on a sports bra, then unfastened my pid skirt and let it drop to the floor. I grabbed my gym shorts and tugged them on, one leg by leg, adjusting the estic band over my hips. I changed my socks next, the pair I removed still holding a faint trace of ocean salt. Finally, I tugged on my gym shirt, the fabric light and loose against my sides.

  As I bent down to pick up my skirt and fold it neatly, someone leaned in from behind.

  Kana Mizuhara grinned at me, her blunt bangs bouncing as she leaned in close.“Shinohara-chan, you smell really nice.”

  I blinked. “Huh?” -chan?

  Kana poked my shoulder lightly, grinning wider. “Like flowers. Roses, maybe. What do you use?”

  Ayano chimed in gently from my other side. “Yeah… that scent is always coming off you.”

  Sae Morimoto, smaller than the rest and watching quietly until now, nudged my side. Her blunt bangs framed a very serious expression. “Is the product you use very expensive?”

  Heat rose to my cheeks, but it wasn’t panic. It was just… normal embarrassment over getting spoken to by people that I barely knew.

  “I—I don’t know,” I giggled nervously. “It’s probably my bodywash. Aoi-chan uses it too.”

  Kana leaned closer with exaggerated seriousness. “I wouldn’t have known. Kurobane-san always smells way too much like sweat.”

  “She smells good too,” I said quickly. “When I first met her, I only smelled roses.”

  “I knew it!” Mika Hanazono ughed, cpping her hands like she’d won a bet.

  “I thought so!” Sae ughed. The blunt-bangs girl gnced at my chest, then made a dramatic sound of despair while grabbing my chest with a serious moe-like expression. “Your breasts are not fair, Shinohara-chan! I wish I had ones like yours!”

  “Hey!” I squeaked.

  They all burst into ughter at once.

  “They’re not that big!” I protested.

  Kana waved a hand theatrically. “They’re big enough to make some of us jealous. It’s outrageous!”

  I huffed, my cheeks burning, and they kept giggling.

  A month ago, I would’ve folded into myself.

  Instead, I just rolled my eyes, letting my shoulders rex. “You’re all so silly.”

  Kana paused, then tilted her head. “Are we coming on too strongly?”

  “Nah… don’t worry.” I smiled.

  She looked relieved. “You know, we were all kind of worried, actually. Ever since school started, some of us wanted to approach you, but you had this weird vibe… like you were out of pce or something.” She shrugged. “So we just watched you curiously.”

  “Really? I wasn’t that bad, was I?” I blinked.

  “Yeah…” Ayano admitted softly. “You really looked like you wanted to be anywhere else. Especially here in the locker room.”

  Reina Kisaragi, who had been listening quietly with her arms folded, finally spoke, “But then one day, you started smiling more. I guess it was around a month ago now… but you were still difficult to approach.” Her sharp gaze softened just a little. “Those heavy, traumatic vibes around you finally faded.”

  Everyone giggled and nodded in agreement with her, even Sae, the jealous little boob checker.

  Warmth spread through my chest.

  This moment was the best proof in the world that I’d managed to change. I wondered about how much more I could change.

  When I stepped out into the gymnasium, Aoi-chan was there, her hair tied back. She looked unreal, so focused, her posture great. I loved watching her when she pyed and worked.

  DOKI-DOKI

  Her eyes swept over me in my gym clothes, and something softened in her expression.

  “You’re ter than usual, Sumire-chan,” she said, running to me.

  “I was being interrogated about boobs, in general,” I giggled gesturing behind me where the locker rooms were.

  Aoi-chan’s mouth curved. “Oh? Sounds like fun.”

  “Yeah.” I smiled.

  Aoi-chan leaned in close enough to brush her lips against mine quickly, right here. “If they start hitting on you or anything, make sure that you let them know you’re taken.”

  My brain went bnk for a second and my cheeks went pink.

  DOKI-DOKI… BADUMP

  Then I gasped, “Aoi-chan! Not everyone’s like us.”

  “For you, any girl would question their sexual orientation.” Aoi said and ughed under her breath before walking off, like she hadn’t just wrecked my nervous system with those devastating words and the brief touch of her lips against mine. I clutched at my chest as I wandered over to the wall and slumped there, forcing myself to breathe and rex.

  I didn’t mind if people saw us kissing.

  But what if they hated us… if they found out we were… we were…

  Footsteps approached.

  The small group of girls from the locker room passed by, already changed back into their seifuku, their gym bags slung over their shoulders as they headed for the exit.

  Kana, loud and impossible to miss, was the first to spot me slumped by the wall. She tilted her head, her blunt bangs bouncing, and fshed me a bright grin like we were already friends.

  “See you tomorrow, Shinohara-chan,” Kana said brightly, her voice carrying just enough to make my ears heat. Maybe I couldn’t get what Aoi told me out of my head.

  Mika hovered at her shoulder, already giggling like she was holding back three more comments. She lifted a hand and waved anyway. “Yeah! It was really fun talking with you,” she added, her tone all sunshine.

  Reina’s gaze flicked over me, her lips curving up just a little. “It was nice actually getting to know you,” she said, dry but not unkind, like she’d decided I’d passed some kind of silent test.

  Ayano leaned in st, soft-spoken and careful, like she was checking that I wasn’t upset. “We’re heading home,” she said gently. “You’re staying after hours as usual?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Even though I don’t belong to a club, there are things that I do.”

  Kana smiled. “We all know. There have been rumors flying about you two doing something behind the gym every school day for a while.”

  I giggled. “Training. We’re always very serious.”

  Sae, the quiet wildcard, didn't say anything, just giving me a small, knowing look, then suddenly lifted two fingers in a tiny salute as she stepped backward to follow the others, as if to say good job and don’t overthink it at the same time.

  “See you!” Mika said as they waved and walked to the gym’s doors together.

  I smiled and waved back and turned my gaze back to Aoi and her club warming up.

  The volleyball team was already practicing. Aoi-chan had rejoined them, like she’d never left her club activities. I wondered why she was paying so much attention to me today, going so far as to escort me from homeroom to the gymnasium and even greeting me when I left the locker room.

  The gym filled with sharp, rhythmic sounds: hands cpping, shoes squeaking against the polished floor, balls snapping crisply against palms as some of the members practiced and others stretched.

  I lingered at the wall, watching everything quietly.

  Aoi-chan practiced and pyed like she fought, decisive and confident.

  They started a quick practice match. Aoi was included, as always. She moved with purpose, calling pys sharply, correcting her teammates with short whenever they made mistakes like a sub-captain with blunt phrases that somehow never sounded rude.

  There was a third-year girl that always stood out more than Aoi. During a short break, she walked alongside Aoi.

  Her name was Shimizu-senpai, I thought. Aoi had mentioned her before when talking about club activities. She was their captain. Seeing them together made me feel a little jealous and insecure. If Aoi liked athletic girls like herself, Shimizu-senpai would have been a more perfect match than me.

  Shimizu-senpai was tall in the way athletes often are, not looming over others, but assured of her skill and pce in the world. Her posture was impeccable, her shoulders rexed yet squared. Her dark hair was pulled into a firm, no-nonsense ponytail like Aoi-chan’s. It swung slightly whenever she moved, her every motion economical and deliberate.

  She had sharp eyes, dark, observant, the kind that missed very little. Not cold, but focused. The sort of gaze that made you straighten without realizing why. Her expression rested somewhere naturally between calm authority and faint amusement, as though she was always weighing whatever she saw.

  The captain’s armband that she wore fit her. She wore it casually and confidently, without ever touching or adjusting it. She didn’t need to remind anyone she was in charge here. Everyone already knew.

  When she spoke, her voice carried cleanly across the gym. It was brisk, controlled and encouraging without being soft. She was the kind of senpai who pushed you harder because she believed you could handle the load.

  Watching her, I felt very aware of the gap between us… not just in years, but in presence. There was a sense of gravity, like everything in the gymnasium was revolving around her.

  I found myself listening to things she said.

  “Minase,” the captain said briskly, her hands on her hips. “You’re more fired up today than usual. Keep it up!”

  “Kurata… you’re moving too sluggishly. Hustle!”

  Aoi-chan wiped sweat from her brow, grinning. “Oh, take it easy on everyone, Shimizu-senpai! We just got back from a trip.”

  “Oh, that’s right…” Shimizu-senpai’s gaze slid toward me. “You second-years went on that beach trip, didn’t you? I’m jealous.”

  Her eyes settled on me and she smiled. Her gaze was sharp and assessing.

  “She’s the one you’ve been training in martial arts after club,” she said, gncing back at Aoi-chan.

  My face warmed immediately.

  Aoi-chan followed her gaze and nodded, stepping to her captain’s side with a formal ease. “Her name is Shinohara Sumire.”

  Shimizu-senpai walked over to me and Aoi-chan walked with her without hesitation. They stopped in front of me, both standing with their hands on their hips.

  She was tall. Not intimidating, exactly, but commanding.

  Did we overstep some boundary by having me watch? I stood and straightened instinctively, expecting to be told to leave. Even though I’d tried to stay quiet, to stay out of the way… I must be in the way like I thought.

  “You’ve been improving every day,” Shimizu-senpai said. “I’ve been watching you now and again ever since Kurobane-chan started this training of yours.” Her eyes flicked over my posture, my stance. “Your movements are showing real promise. I’m no martial artist myself, but from an athletic perspective, it’s obvious you’ve developed excellent control over your center of gravity.”

  I blinked. “Uh… yes.”

  Shimizu-senpai smiled suddenly, bright and sharp. “You’ve good reflexes for someone who doesn’t py sports.”

  Aoi-chan’s eyes narrowed slightly, like she was deciding if that was praise or flirting with me.

  She’d probably tackle a lion if she thought it was flirting with me.

  I bowed my head quickly. “T-thank you, Shimizu-senpai.”

  Her eyes widened and she smiled, looking at Aoi-chan with something in her eyes. “Ask her.”

  Aoi-chan’s mouth twitched. “Yeah.”

  Huh?

  Aoi-chan turned back to me. “We would like you to join us for one game before we wrap up.”

  My pulse jumped. “Here? Now?”

  Aoi-chan nodded, calm as ever. “We’ll take it easy.”

  “But… wouldn’t that cut into—”

  Aoi-chan lifted a finger and wagged it at me like she was lecturing. “Any physical activity serves as training for your body and discipline. Didn’t you learn that already?”

  I stared, then ughed despite myself. That made sense. “Okay, Sensei.”

  Aoi-chan’s smile widened, pleased.

  Shimizu-senpai winked at me. “Come on, Shinohara. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Before I could overthink it, I stood and followed them onto the court.

  They put me in the front row, just off the center. Close enough to the net that my job was clear, to block when I could and hit when the opportunity came. I remembered the beach games. Back at Shirasuna on the beach, I’d learned quite a bit. This felt different, more tense.

  Aoi-chan stepped in close and murmured, “Watch the setter, not the ball. Read hands first. And don’t jump too early… you’ll tip them off and exhaust your legs in the process.”

  “Yes.”

  Her hand pressed briefly against my lower back, adjusting my stance. “Knees soft. Weight forward. You need to be able to move sideways instantly.”

  It was the same kind of correction she’d given me during training, firm but casual. Even though it was a professional touch, it still sent a small jolt up my spine.

  The whistle blew.

  The first rally was rough.

  I reacted too quickly, jumping before the set peaked, and came down uselessly while the ball sailed past my hands. Someone chuckled, not in a mean way, just amused.

  Heat rushed to my face, but I forced myself to reset instead of shrinking away.

  Aoi-chan’s voice cut through the gym.

  “Again. Slow it down,” her words weren’t scolding, just firm, yet gentle instructions.

  The next rally started with a clean receive that sent the ball rising in a smooth arc toward the net. I forced myself not to track it blindly, shifting my focus to the setter instead, paying attention to her shoulders, the angle of her hands, the moment her fingers opened to guide the ball upward.

  Now.

  I jumped when the set reached its peak, not before. My timing lined up just enough this time. My palm caught the ball solidly, redirecting it over the net instead of swatting empty air. It clipped the tape and dropped hard into the open court.

  SMACK

  My hand stung, and for a split second everything went quiet inside my head.

  “Nice hit!” someone called out.

  I blinked, stunned, then ughed softly as relief rushed through me.

  Aoi-chan met my eyes for just a moment with an expression of sharp approval. It was gone as quickly as it came.

  We continued to py, rotating positions so no one stayed stacked. I wasn’t dominating, far from it, but I was somehow managing to keep up. Covering tips, getting my hands up in time and not hesitating.

  I could move, react and learn.

  Midway through the game, it clicked.

  Aoi-chan called my name. I adjusted without thinking. She set clean and fast. I stepped into it, matched her rhythm, and swung.

  The hit wasn’t powerful, but it was precise.

  This felt the same as training with her. I’d had a taste of something like sparring back at Shirasuna, on the beach. It was all about reading others’ intent, but more than that. It was also about moving together instead of focusing only on yourself and your opponent.

  Our side won by a narrow margin.

  I was breathing hard by the end, my legs burning, but I was smiling.

  I bent forward with my hands on my knees, catching my breath. Sweat clung to my skin, my legs feeling spent in a good way, an ache spreading pleasantly through my muscles, deep and satisfying.

  Shimizu-senpai walked over, grinning.“Not bad! I didn’t expect you to spike like that. Most people just lob it over the net, but you went all out. You’re surprisingly fun.”

  I straightened and bowed quickly. “Thank you for letting me blow off some steam with you.”

  She tilted her head, studying me for a moment.“Want to join our club officially? We could use a pinch pyer… no, you have more potential than that.”

  My breath caught.

  Aoi-chan went very still beside me.

  I gnced at her, then back at Shimizu-senpai. “I… I really enjoyed pying with everyone! But…” I hesitated, then forced the words out. “My martial arts training is more important right now.”

  Aoi-chan’s ears turned pink.

  Shimizu-senpai blinked, then ughed. “You’re serious. I respect that, Shinohara.”

  I nodded, my cheeks warm. “Sorry.”

  Shimizu-senpai waved a hand. “Don’t apologize. You’re welcome anytime as an honorary pinch member if you have time.” She winked. “Except for official matches against other schools. Those are members only.”

  Relief loosened my anxiety. “Thank you, Shimizu-senpai.”

  She jogged off to corral the team.

  Aoi-chan exhaled slowly and ughed softly.

  “What?” I asked.

  Aoi-chan looked at me like she didn’t know whether to be proud or flustered. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “That didn’t sound like nothing to me.”

  Aoi-chan turned away sharply. “You were cool.”

  DOKI-DOKI

  I wanted to grab her hand, but instead, I followed her.

  Relwing