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Kotori walked down the hallway next to Toba, her expression tense, moving against the flow of students heading toward the cafeteria and store.
She reflected on the day duty tasks since that morning.
Though she nearly stumbled during the initial flower vase water change, she had handled the blackboard erasing, the opening and closing of doors for moving classrooms, and now this material return. Compared to her past experiences, where male partners not only looked annoyed but also dumped all the work on her, forcing her to complete it silently alone, she must be doing well so far.
"By the way, that video recreation of pit dwellings in class just now, I couldn't help but laugh that the people making it were wearing suits."
"Yes."
While her tension meant the content didn't fully register, she could at least manage superficial, casual conversation. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, a bubbling joy threatened to make her too excited, so Kotori desperately pulled herself back together.
Since the fake confession, Kotori had sworn to be reborn in high school.
She had followed through and was achieving significant results.
She could do it if she tried.
She also had a figure to aspire to: Acchan, who had taken the unsociable, inarticulate, yet lonely her and brought her into the circle of friends. Acchan had pulled her into the group and shown her a fun world. She was Kotori's benefactor and her goal.
If she could unlock the achievement of "successfully completing day duty," she might take another step closer to Acchan.
She was also grateful to Takumi.
Despite using the word "routine," he was having sex with a girl who was like a slug, quietly hiding in the cleaning supply closet, and all for her convenience. Every time they did the routine, he gave her confidence that even she could please a man and function properly as a woman.
(But this morning was a little troubling...)
The memory of being overwhelmed by pleasure for the first time made her cheeks burn.
In the routine, what mattered was pleasing Takumi.
She felt a strange sense of guilt for enjoying it herself.
She thought perhaps she was overthinking it. After all, he was accompanying her on this ridiculous routine. She slightly resented Takumi, wishing he wouldn't worry about her and would just focus on his own pleasure.
"Ah, here it is."
"Mm."
Just then, they arrived at the materials room. Kotori, still flushed, entered with Toba.
Inside the materials room, shelves lined the walls, holding plaster statues, file binders, and wooden boxes similar to the one they carried. In one corner, there were art easels, home economics mannequins (torsos), and stacks of cardboard boxes.
The shelves were labeled, dividing the room into subject areas. They split up to find the section marked "Japanese History" and returned the wooden box to a reasonably empty space.
The material return was complete.
Now, if she could just get through the afternoon, the mission would be complete.
Time to go back to the classroom and eat lunch, she thought, turning on her heel, when Toba suddenly grabbed her arm.
"W-Wait, Nabata."
"...?"
Their task was finished. What was it now? Kotori blinked in surprise.
Toba's face was extremely red.
His usual bright, playful demeanor was gone; his expression was strained, and tension radiated from the arm gripping her.
"............"
"............"
His mouth, usually so talkative, was remarkably heavy.
Only silence followed.
Kotori, unable to understand the situation, was confused.
Did I make a mistake somehow?
Just as anxiety started to set in, Toba gathered his courage, and with a shy look, striving for his usual casual tone, he dropped a phrase that was impossible to misunderstand.
"Hey, wanna go out?"
"...Eh?"
His words instantly wiped her mind blank. Into that empty consciousness, the memory of the past fake confession came crashing, filling her thoughts.
"Use your common sense. Who would be interested in a girl like you?"
She would never forget the scornful, condescending gaze and the mocking laughter of him and his friends.
Kotori widened her eyes as much as possible and stared intently at Toba.
Toba wasn't him.
But like him, the confession was entirely too sudden.
Her heart began to pound so hard it felt like it would break.
—Was she about to be humiliated like that time again?
Her trauma was triggered, and she stood frozen, feeling as though her heart was being ripped apart.
Then, Toba placed a hand on her shoulder.
In terror, Kotori involuntarily trembled and reflexively closed her eyes.
"..."
"Um, does that mean, well, you're saying yes...?"
The world before her had physically gone dark.
She could sense Toba's presence approaching.
(...No, this is scary. Somebody, help!)
Even in this moment, no sound would come out, and she screamed only in her mind.
Her body was paralyzed and wouldn't move an inch.
Did all my efforts count for nothing? Had I really not changed at all?
Just as Kotori was about to despair, a notably deep, female voice rang out.
"Hey! Can't you see she's scared!?"
"Eh... Ouch!?" "!"
A moment later, her arm and shoulder were released, followed by a heavy impact sound on the floor.
She cautiously opened her eyes. A girl, smaller and cuter than Kotori, had thrown Toba, who was much larger than either of them, to the floor and was kicking him.
Kotori couldn't quite grasp what had happened.
As Kotori blinked in confusion, the girl suddenly changed her expression and asked with a concerned voice, like the ringing of a bell.
"Are you okay? Did he do anything weird to you?"
"Kotori! Akira-senpai!"
"Hashio-kun, you're late!"
"...Ah."
At the same time, a visibly panicked Takumi rushed into the materials room, clutching several rolled-up posters.
Takumi approached, his eyes wide, and murmured while looking at Toba.
"He's completely dizzy... Did Akira-senpai do this?"
"Ah ha ha, oh come on, do you think a delicate maiden like me could do that? Well, he was trying to pressure a girl, so I'm sure he was punished by fate and just slipped."
"R-Right..."
"What is that look for!"
"...No, nothing. I'm just glad Kotori is safe."
"Hmph."
Kotori was astonished, watching the girl talk casually with Takumi right in front of her.
I see, she must be the senior he can talk to normally. She wasn't Takumi's imaginary senior after all. What a strange senior, to not be intimidated by Takumi.
And, even more strangely, words of thanks naturally slipped out of Kotori's mouth.
"Th-Thank you for helping me. Um..."
"It's Akira. Ikoma Akira, from second year. Just call me Akira."
"Yes, Akira-senpai."
"Mhm, mhm. I'm glad nothing happened. And what about you?"
"I'm Nabata Kotori, from first year."
"I see. Nice to meet you, Kotori-chan."
"!"
Saying this, Akira flashed a warm, friendly smile and offered her hand.
Seeing the somewhat familiar smile, Kotori widened her eyes in disbelief and grasped her hand, letting out a silent cry in her heart.
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