He woke.
Still half-asleep, Tsushima Kagami reached out to the side.
The sheets were cold. The person who'd been beside him was already gone.
From the bathroom came the soft patter of running water, threaded through with a faint humming.
He rubbed his eyes and sat up, the quilt sliding down.
It exposed the dense scatter of red marks across his chest and shoulders.
He glanced down, and the corner of his mouth twitched on its own.
If anyone saw this, he'd probably die of shame on the spot.
Dragging his slightly rubbery body out of the bedroom, Tsushima Kagami froze at the sight before him.
The living room looked like a typhoon had torn straight through it.
In front of the balcony's floor-to-ceiling window, a pale purple lace bra lay pitifully at the edge of the carpet.
Beside it hung a black garter stocking.
One of the pair had been flung off to who knew which corner; the other draped forlornly over the arm of the sofa.
The sofa itself was even harder to look at, pillows knocked crooked, cushions scattered everywhere.
A cream-colored silk scarf was wound around the backrest, like the evidence of some unspeakable crime.
On the dining table sat a wadded-up ball of flesh-toned pantyhose, along with a mysterious water stain…
He could even picture exactly how it had been peeled off the night before.
Scattered by the bathroom doorway was a purple jirai-kei outfit, lying pitifully on the floor with the look of having been violently torn off.
Two of the blouse's buttons had popped clean off, tossed away who knew where.
The frosted-glass door of the shower room stood half-open, water sounds and Yukinoshita Shizuku's light, cheerful singing drifting out from within.
A white garter stocking hung from the door handle.
The kind with lace trim, no less.
The entryway was enough to send his blood pressure skyrocketing.
Two knee-high socks lay strewn by the door.
One black, one white, plainly not a matching pair.
There was also a purple apron on the floor, crumpled and thoroughly ravaged.
Tsushima Kagami stood in the middle of the living room, looking around.
Taking in the wreckage of the whole place.
He drew a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
He thought back to yesterday… no.
To everything that had happened over these two days.
Ever since they'd come back that night, Yukinoshita Shizuku had been like someone had flipped a switch inside her.
He'd assumed that after tasting forbidden fruit for the first time, she'd be worn out beyond words.
He hadn't expected her energy to stay so relentless.
Afterward, she'd gone digging through the treasured collection stashed in her wardrobe.
Stockings, bras, garter belts, lace skirts, panties, uniforms, every style, every color.
She pulled them out one by one, and one by one tried them on for him to see.
She spun in front of him in black lace garter stockings, asking, "Does it look good?"
She changed into a white bodystocking and leaned against the balcony, moonlight tracing her graceful curves through the thin fabric.
She tied her hair into twin tails, put on a jirai-kei outfit, then deliberately undid the top button to bare her collarbone…
And every single time, it ended in something even more unspeakable.
Worse still, once Yukinoshita Shizuku had run through all of his clothes, she still didn't seem to have had enough.
So she offered up her own clothes too, letting Tsushima Kagami pick out the ones he liked and put them on.
Over these two days, apart from filling their stomachs and resting a little, the two of them had barely stopped tangling in each other's arms for a single moment.
Their whole time seemed to exist only for that, not a second to be wasted, leaving no chance at all to tidy up the apartment.
Tsushima Kagami sighed helplessly and bent down to pick up a black stocking off the floor.
The stocking felt smooth and fine to the touch, as if it still carried a trace of warmth.
It dragged his mind back to certain scenes from the night before.
He shook his head, flinging the messy thoughts out, and began cleaning up piece by piece.
He sorted the clothes to toss into the washing machine, wiped the dining table clean, and ran a mop quickly over the floor.
He was still tidying when the water in the bathroom shut off.
The frosted-glass door opened, and a rush of warm steam poured out.
Yukinoshita Shizuku stepped out wrapped in a bath towel, her damp long hair spilling over her shoulders, droplets sliding down her collarbone and into the towel.
Her skin was flushed rosy from the heat, her face still carrying the languor of a fresh bath.
"Morning."
She gave a lazy greeting, her gaze sweeping over the living room that was already mostly cleaned up, the corner of her mouth curving faintly.
"Pretty fast cleanup."
Tsushima Kagami was crouched on the floor retrieving the last sock, which had somehow been kicked under the sofa. He looked up at her.
"You sure are taking it easy. I've been at this for ages."
"Well, I'm a girl."
Yukinoshita Shizuku tossed him a wink with total confidence, then sat down beside the dining table.
She crossed her legs, a stretch of pale calf and ankle showing beneath the towel.
Tsushima Kagami picked up the last sock and took a look at it.
It turned out to be the missing half of Yukinoshita Shizuku's black garter stocking.
He dropped the sock into the neatly sorted basket.
Then he went to the kitchen, heated up the leftover hotpot broth from last night, and cooked two bowls of noodles.
The two of them sat facing each other at the table, eating breakfast.
Yukinoshita Shizuku lifted a chopstickful of noodles, blew on them, and slipped them into her mouth.
Then she looked up at Tsushima Kagami.
"What is it?"
Her stare gave him goosebumps.
"Nothing."
Yukinoshita Shizuku lowered her lashes, a faint blush surfacing on her face.
"It's just… I feel like… the two of us… you know…"
After breakfast, the two of them cleared away the dishes.
Tsushima Kagami went to shower, then changed into his school uniform in the bedroom.
Then, together with Yukinoshita Shizuku, who had also changed into her uniform, he walked to the entryway.
Both of them rested a hand on the door handle at the same time.
Tsushima Kagami glanced at Yukinoshita Shizuku.
Yukinoshita Shizuku looked back at him, then smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
"Let's go."
Tsushima Kagami nodded and twisted the handle.
It was the first time in these few days that they'd stepped out the door together.
The two of them went downstairs and saw Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage already waiting in the yard, with Hayase Kinue standing by the gate.
Both of them froze.
Tsukuyomi Komoe was slumped against the car door, holding a cup of coffee that had long gone stone cold.
The dark circles under her eyes were so heavy she looked like she'd taken two punches to the face.
Hearing the sound of someone coming down, she slowly turned her head.
And fixed the two of them with a gaze of utter, mournful resentment.
Douraku Utage stood beside Komoe, saddled with two equally massive dark circles of her own.
An unlit cigarette dangling from her lips, both hands shoved into the pockets of her trench coat.
She looked like she hadn't closed her eyes in three days.
The most extreme of all was Hayase Kinue.
She was crouched by the front gate, her head nodding lower and lower, on the verge of falling asleep.
Her hand was still absently waving at everyone.
"Safe travels…"
"What happened to all of you?"
Tsushima Kagami instinctively took a step back.
Yukinoshita Shizuku, startled too, pressed herself behind Tsushima Kagami and watched the three of them.
Tsukuyomi Komoe just stared at him dead-on, then said, expressionless.
"Do you have any idea how much sleep I've gotten these past few days?"
Realizing something, Tsushima Kagami guiltily shifted his gaze away.
This was bad. He'd been so caught up in the fun.
He'd completely forgotten there were three grown women around.
Thankfully the grounds were spacious here, with no buildings close by.
They probably hadn't disturbed anyone else.
Tsushima Kagami didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt toward the three of them, only relief that they'd affected only these three.
Beside them, Douraku Utage let out a cold snort and spat out the cigarette in her mouth.
"If you two hadn't come out soon, I was about ready to march right in and haul you out!"
"These past few days have practically given me a nervous breakdown!"
At this, Hayase Kinue struggled to her feet and rubbed her eyes.
In a hoarse voice she said.
"I…"
Before she could finish.
She crouched right back down, closed her eyes, and dozed off again.
Yukinoshita Shizuku's face flushed crimson in an instant, red from the tips of her ears all the way down to the base of her neck.
She stared fixedly at the ground, as if searching for a crack to crawl into.
Tsushima Kagami's face wasn't faring much better.
He drew a deep breath, then looked at the three of them without changing his expression.
"Ahaha, we slept just fine."
Tsushima Kagami flatly ignored the three of them and their teasing.
Tsukuyomi Komoe looked at him, the corner of her mouth twitching.
In the end she said nothing, only let out a long, deep sigh.
Douraku Utage tucked her cigarette away and gave Tsushima Kagami a meaningful pat on the shoulder.
"Take care of your health."
The two of them hurriedly climbed into Tsukuyomi Komoe's car.
After the door closed, they exchanged a glance.
Yukinoshita Shizuku leaned close to Tsushima Kagami's ear and muttered under her breath.
"This is all your fault."
Tsushima Kagami turned back to her and laughed.
"And who started it?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku's face went red again.
But her hand reached over and pinched Tsushima Kagami's arm.
The noon sun was especially warm and gentle.
The students gathered in twos and threes, eating bento, chatting, roughhousing.
Tsushima Kagami had just taken out his bento, planning to eat lunch with Shimizu Nayotake and Seika Ijichi.
When he saw Seika Ijichi already walking toward him, bento box in hand.
But just as he was about to sit down, she let out a puzzled little "Huh?"
Seika walked up in front of him and stopped.
And just stared at his face, dead-on, without a word.
"What is it?"
The scrutiny made Tsushima Kagami uncomfortable, and he touched his own face without thinking.
Seika tilted her head, sizing him up for two seconds.
Then tilted it to the other side and studied him for two more.
Finally she shook her head, her expression a little baffled.
"I don't know either."
"What do you mean, you don't know either?"
She'd left Tsushima Kagami thoroughly bewildered.
"It's just…"
Seika frowned and thought for a long while, as if struggling to find the right word.
"It feels like you've changed… like you're a bit different."
Tsushima Kagami looked himself over.
School uniform on neatly, tie knotted properly.
Two hands, two feet, one nose, two eyes.
What was different?
"What's different, exactly?"
He raised his head and asked, curious.
Seika didn't answer.
She suddenly stepped forward and pressed her face close to Tsushima Kagami's neck.
The tip of her nose almost brushing his skin, and then she sniffed deeply.
Tsushima Kagami went rigid all over.
The move was so sudden that he abruptly remembered those scenes from these past days with Yukinoshita Shizuku.
Could there still be some scent lingering on him?
He'd definitely showered.
That morning before heading out, he'd carefully scrubbed himself down twice with soap.
He'd used body wash, used shampoo. He should be clean.
Seika's breath fanned against his neck, warm and soft.
He could almost feel the faint tickle of it grazing his skin.
He forced himself to stay calm and recovered his usual composure.
When Seika stepped back, he asked in the lightest tone he could manage.
"So did you sniff out what's different?"
Seika stared at him suspiciously for several seconds, those eyes looking as if they could see right through him.
Tsushima Kagami held on to his calm smile.
At last Seika lowered her lashes and shook her head.
"No."
She turned and walked over to Shimizu Nayotake's desk.
She set the bento box down on the table with a clack, pulled out a chair, and sat.
In a flat tone she said.
"Let's eat."
Tsushima Kagami let out a long breath inside, feeling a thin sheen of sweat on his back.
No, wait!
Why was he so nervous?
It wasn't like he'd done anything bad, right?
…Right?
Thinking this, Tsushima Kagami set his own bento down on Shimizu Nayotake's desk too, and only then did the edge of his vision catch Shimizu Nayotake quietly watching him.
She had her chin propped on her hand, a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
Tsushima Kagami shifted his seat, a little ill at ease.
Then, with an awkward laugh, he asked Shimizu Nayotake.
"Nayotake, do you think there's something different about me too?"
Shimizu Nayotake gazed at him, those eyes seeming to see through everything.
After a moment, she gently shook her head.
The smile at the corner of her lips deepened a little, and then she drew her gaze back.
She picked up her chopsticks and quietly began eating her bento.
After school that afternoon, Tsushima Kagami pushed open the door of the Manga Research Club's activity room.
Inside, it was still just Sayuri alone, sitting in the seat by the window.
Her elbow propped on the desktop, chin in her hand, eyes staring blankly out the window.
The noise of club activities drifted in from the field outside, but those sounds seemed to belong to a different world from hers.
Tsushima Kagami stood in the doorway watching her for a while, and inside he sighed.
So Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko really were both gone now.
The once-lively Manga Research Club had lost two people all at once, and Sayuri was probably feeling a little lonely.
He walked over and greeted her first.
"Sayuri, what are you spacing out about?"
Sayuri's shoulders gave a slight shiver. She slowly turned her head, her gaze settling on Tsushima Kagami.
And then she froze.
"Huh?"
Her eyes suddenly lit up, as though two stars had flickered on.
Sayuri's gaze sharpened, fixed dead-on at Tsushima Kagami's face.
Before Tsushima Kagami could react, Sayuri had already sprung up from her chair.
She crossed to him in two long strides.
She didn't stop, instead pressing right up beside him.
Tilting her head to the left for a look, then to the right for a look.
Then leaning in even closer to keep looking.
Close enough that Tsushima Kagami could make out his own reflection in her pupils.
"What on earth are you looking at?"
Tsushima Kagami grabbed Sayuri by both shoulders, pinning her in place so she couldn't get any closer.
"Squad member Sayuri, are you in your right mind!"
Sayuri didn't answer.
She leaned her head in a little more, her nostrils flaring faintly.
From the look of it, she was clearly about to imitate Seika Ijichi from noon and sniff him!
Tsushima Kagami raised his right hand and crooked his middle finger.
He aimed at Sayuri's forehead and flicked it with a sharp snap.
Sayuri let out an "Ow!" and staggered back two steps, clutching her forehead.
She looked up at him, all wounded, her lips puckered into a little pout.
"What are you freaking out for?"
Tsushima Kagami said crossly.
"How am I freaking out!"
Sayuri shot back with total confidence.
"I just think you're suddenly different!"
"Different how?"
"I can't say how it's different."
"That's exactly why I wanted to sniff and figure out what's different!"
Tsushima Kagami's temple gave a couple of throbbing twitches.
Why was every single one of them like this?
Did girls have some special nasal structure more sensitive than a dog's?
Was he really that obviously refreshed and glowing?
Or was there some peculiar odor on him that he honestly hadn't washed off?
He instinctively looked at the back of his hand, his wrist, then sniffed at his own cuff.
Only the clean scent of laundry detergent, no strange smell at all.
Just as Sayuri finished rubbing her forehead and opened her mouth to keep pressing him.
Tsushima Kagami swiftly pulled a thick stack of papers from his bag and shoved it right in front of her.
Sure enough, Sayuri's attention was diverted.
She blinked and lowered her eyes to the stack of papers Tsushima Kagami had handed over.
It was a thick, large envelope, packed with storyboard drafts.
On top of that were a detailed script, character designs, and part of the finished artwork.
This was the product of Tsushima Kagami stealing moments from his busy schedule lately, a way to self-regulate his mental state.
The whole string of events recently had come close to genuinely driving him into depression.
He certainly didn't want to fall under some curse of literary greats taking their own lives.
So he'd tried to find a little fun to unwind.
And this manga, "Shinitai GIRL" by the author Iwami Yasoya, was one of those rare, wildly abstract comedy reads.
"...What is it… What are you even trying to say?" "Don't scare me!" "Huh, what, what?" "Youth, huh."
The male and female leads are two absolute lunatics, both unhinged and hilarious.
You wouldn't even know how to describe the plot.
On top of that, the same author's other work, "The Childhood Friend Who Draws Ero Manga," is also gloriously abstract and funny.
In short, both of these are the type that leave you unsure whether to get off or to laugh once you've finished them.
For now these two can be counted as pure love.
But if you happen to get drawn in by the character art of one of this author's works titled "Miss Shark Tooth"...
Then a word of advice to friends with weak hearts: whatever you do, don't read it.
It counts as a highly famous and highly controversial volume, and its brilliance lies in the author's use of a first-person narrative trick.
On a careless read it seems like pure love.
But look closely, and all sorts of little details seem to hint that it's actually NTR.
Yet the evidence isn't quite enough to fully back that up.
And when the author first released it, they slapped a pure-love tag on it.
When questioned by netizens, they never gave any reply at all.
The debate over whether it's pure love or NTR is, to this day, still being fought out in one community after another.
You could call it a volume where the pure see purity, the NTR crowd see NTR, and the bystanders just watch for the fun of it.
You have to hand it to the author's little cleverness.
NTR or not aside, that narrative trick alone is no ordinary thing.
All you can do is marvel at how brutally competitive the industry is getting these days.
Whether it's pure love or NTR, this author has more or less mastered the game of online traffic.
Sayuri carefully slid out the top few sheets.
The first was a pencil rough, depicting a girl standing on a rooftop.
The wind lifted her skirt hem and her long hair, layer upon layer of clouds spread out behind her.
The lines were smooth and forceful, the character's expression delicate and lifelike.
"This is…"
"Kagami, are you starting a new manga?"
"Mm."
Tsushima Kagami nodded and sat down beside her.
"Don't want to draw?"
"Then we could go back to grinding practice problems instead."
"I'll draw, I'll draw!"
The moment Sayuri heard the words "practice problems," her head started aching.
Sayuri flipped through the storyboard drafts and the stack of finished artwork, her gaze growing more and more absorbed.
She read page by page, carefully, now and then letting out little sighs of "mmm…" and "ah."
And now and then she slapped the desk and burst out laughing.
When Sayuri finished the last page, she looked at Tsushima Kagami, excited.
"I never knew Kagami had a talent for manzai comedy too!"
"So just tell me what you think of it."
Tsushima Kagami went on, smiling, pressing Sayuri for an answer.
Sayuri pondered a while, then said.
"Truly the stuff of youth."
"Truly the stuff of a pervert."
____
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