– Private Toyogasaki Academy
True to its reputation for having a liberal atmosphere, Toyogasaki's rooftop was freely accessible to students—unlike the tightly locked ones at schools like Sobu High.
Of course, they could afford this openness because of the towering two-ter-high wire fence installed atop the concrete railing.
Even if soone harbored any wild "leap of faith into another world" fantasies, the school could proudly declare they'd taken every asure to prevent such an incident.
When Utaha Kasumigaoka pushed open the door to the rooftop after climbing the dim stairwell, the first thing she saw was a slender figure standing before the green sh fence, back turned toward her.
Seen from below, the blue Toyogasaki uniform blended perfectly with the sky, while her golden twin-tails swayed gently in the breeze—like mischievous threads just begging to be caught.
Wrapped in sleek black over-the-knee socks, her legs were slender and straight—not voluptuous, perhaps, but the alluring "absolute zone" of glowing pale skin between skirt and stockings was temptation enough.
Honestly... even more enticing than black tights. You couldn't help but want to lift the skirt or tug down the socks, just to see if the rest of her skin was as flawless and inviting.
'What a sinful body,' Utaha thought idly.
"You're here," the petite girl spoke coolly without turning, her voice full of pride.
Such a perfect rooftop scene... Utaha paused, then broke into open laughter.
"Pfft… hahahahaha—!"
Ah, what a sha.
'If only I'd recorded that... Sakura and the others would've gotten such a kick out of this.' She smirked wickedly.
"You—can you be serious for once?!" Eriri spun around sharply, glaring at the giggling Utaha with puffed-up cheeks. "What's so funny, huh?! Did you suddenly rember sothing amusing?!"
"Hahaha... No, it's you that's amusing, Kashiwagi Eriri sensei," Utaha said casually, her smile unhidden.
"Stop saying weird things! You know why I called you up here!" Eriri crossed her arms with an imposing air, then hastily changed her pose to hands on hips—flashing a tiny fang in that usual bratty fashion.
"No idea," Utaha replied playfully. "What... did you call up here to try so daring rooftop exhibition play and want to take pictures for you?"
With one arm under her chest and the other brushing her cheek thoughtfully, she struck an overly seductive pose.
"Wha—! Who the hell would do sothing like that?!" Eriri's face instantly flushed bright red. "You perv! You think everyone's like you, with your head full of dirty thoughts?!"
"Oh? But wasn't that exactly the the of your latest doujin last month, Professor Eriri? Hmm... I get it now. You're testing new material." Utaha's voice took on a teasing lilt, sultry and smooth like honey sliding into one's ear.
Even as a fellow girl, Eriri couldn't stop her cheeks from heating.
"A perfect ojou-sama on the outside, yet full of pervy, dark desires within... One day, she discovers that a senior at her school is secretly a light novel author."
"Although she doesn't understand why the senior hides it, she senses a perfect blackmail opportunity…"
As Utaha continued, her chilly tone turned dangerously seductive, the ends of her words playfully scratching at Eriri's senses.
"So she makes a flimsy excuse no one—even a dog—would believe and drags her senpai up to the rooftop. 'You ca,' she says, opening with those dramatic words. Before the senpai can respond, the blonde beauty snaps, 'Take off your clothes and show your—'"
"Enough! If you're gonna go this far, why are you still censoring yourself with 'blank blank'?! Just say it!" Eriri snapped in frustration.
Geez! What was the point of creating an R-18 ga if you were going to hold back at the last minute?! It was an insult—to the creator, to the audience, to the whole world!
That silky demon queen voice... If only Eriri's own doujin CDs could co with narration like this, her sales would probably double.
This woman's dangerous. Not just her body—her voice is full of evil, too.
Such was the solemn thought of the diligent little doujin artist.
"Oh my, so that's really what you were thinking, Eriri sensei. How scary... In that case, I guess I have no choice but to start undressing to keep my secret safe." Utaha put on a frightened look—her crimson eyes dimming, her small hands grasping the hem of her uniform.
Eriri opened her mouth to object... but the mont she saw Utaha's fingers toy with her clothes, she froze.
One eyebrow quirked, a tiny fang showing as a wicked grin crept across her face.
Her foot tapped softly on the ground, toe first.
Her body language said it all: Go on, take it off. I'm watching.
Wait... Should I be recording this for Sakura? No—if I do, she'll definitely show it to Kyousuke... No way I'm letting that pervert see this!
Sensing that sothing was off, Utaha peeked up, her hands pausing on the hem.
'Weird... isn't this the part where Eriri stamrs and screams: 'K-K-Kasumigaoka Utaha, you shaless woman! What are you doing?! Stop this right now!''
Yet here she was, slowly lifting the hem of her blouse, exposing her soft, pale stomach.
With a small inhale, the gentle curve of her waistline and faint abs ca into view.
Eriri's gaze wavered, but her eyes—like a hungry wolf's—stayed glued to Utaha's revealed skin.
Ahhh... her navel's showing... the navel! The fabric kept inching upward, unveiling a small, oval-shaped belly button.
Eriri swallowed hard.
She wanted to keep staring... wanted to beg Utaha to model for her back at ho... even began envisioning a new art piece—"High School Girls by the Pool: The Essence of Youth."
But wait—this was the rooftop! The sky... the clouds... they're watching! They could turn into UFOs at any mont!
With a heavy stomp, Eriri lunged forward and grabbed Utaha's wrists.
She glanced up—and saw the sly glint in Utaha's wine-red eyes.
'Tch!!'
Eriri fud internally, cursing every word she could think of in her ntal dictionary.
"You crazy woman! All this just for a joke?!"
"But wasn't this exactly what you wanted, Professor Eriri?" Utaha bead, looking ever so pleased as she casually smoothed out her clothes.
"Stop calling that all of a sudden!" Eriri barked back, flustered.
Damn this overwhelming sense of imrsion... Eriri groaned inwardly. Why can't this woman actually be so obedient to for real? That would be a dream co true...
Unfortunately, everything this woman said was fundantally wrong.
Sure, Eriri made an effort to hide her identity as a doujinshi artist at school—but Kasumigaoka Utaha?
She'd never tried to keep her light novel author identity secret.
Hell, she even held autograph events in public! If anything, letting the school know would probably make the fantasies about her even wilder.
If anyone in that stupid scenario was being blackmailed into stripping, it would've been the pitiful Eriri herself—not this wicked, teasing woman who'd probably enjoy doing such terrible things to soone earnestly chasing their dreams.
Just then, the school bell rang.
Eriri flinched, her expression instantly turning anxious as she instinctively started walking toward the rooftop door.
Utaha, however, stood motionless, completely unbothered.
'Ughhh...' Eriri inwardly groaned.
Why is this woman always skipping class or napping—and still gets such disgustingly high grades?!
Realizing Utaha had noticed her hesitation, Eriri felt her cheeks burn with embarrassnt.
She had already texted her friends to tell the teacher she wasn't feeling well and went to the infirmary—completely ready to ditch class.
But as soon as the bell rang, her good student instincts kicked in on their own.
"Ahem... You know why I called you up here, right?" Eriri forced herself to sound stern.
"Mmm. I know. You want to strip right here, don't you?"
'AAARRGGH! I swear I'll crush this woman's skull!'
In Eriri's mind, a tiny version of herself was waving her fists and screaming in fury.
"L-Let's get one thing straight! I don't care about your disgusting fantasies or anything you said before!" she snapped, brushing back the lock of golden hair she deliberately left loose over her forehead.
"Whether they're rumors or reality... whether you claim to have had three kids with Kyousuke or whatever... I don't care!"
"But don't go saying that crap when we're living in the sa house! You might not give a damn about your reputation, you snow-woman, but I don't want to get caught in the fallout!"
Three kids?!
Utaha ignored all of Eriri's embarrassed, tsundere bluster.
She ntally replaced every "I don't care" with "I totally care" and zeroed in on the most important part.
So... the rumors had gotten that far, huh? She hadn't even heard that she and Kyousuke supposedly had twins.
Apparently, the gossip hadn't made it to her phone yet—but judging by Eriri's reaction, it was spreading fast.
Still... Utaha was sharp. She quickly pieced together what was happening—and why Eriri was so flustered.
'Hehehe... See? This is why letting rumors grow unchecked is so much more fun. Eventually, things get really interesting.'
Utaha smiled darkly, enjoying the delightful expression on Eriri's face like savoring fine wine.
"In that case... I guess I should just move out and live with Kyousuke, hmm~?" she said without the slightest hint of explanation.
'WHAT?!'
"Will you stop spouting nonsense and listen to for once?! I'm telling you—if you keep talking like this, people will think you're so sleazy woman!" Eriri stomped her foot hard.
That was what really pissed her off—not just the stupid rumor about her and Hojou, but the fact that this idiot wasn't thinking about her own reputation.
Sure, Eriri called her a pervert all the ti, but the truth was, Utaha didn't even talk to boys—or girls, for that matter.
If this kind of rumor spread, so pervy guy would definitely get the wrong idea and start bothering her.
"..."
Utaha blinked in surprise.
Her teasing smile faltered for a mont as she stared at Eriri's serious face.
This idiot... Isn't she supposed to be yelling at right now?
Eriri wasn't acting her usual tsundere self.
No blustering, no blushing protests. Just honest, awkward concern. And Utaha—who knew this soft-hearted fool better than anyone—understood imdiately what she ant.
"It's fine, really~" Utaha's voice softened, her eyes lowering, her usual sharpness lting into gentle warmth.
Good... maybe this woman isn't completely hopeless after all, Eriri thought, the anger on her face fading slightly.
"As long as I just marry Kyousuke right away, everything will be settled~"
Like hell that's fine! ABSOLUTELY NOT!
What the hell are you fantasizing about?! If anyone's gonna marry him—it should be ... I an... not YOU! Wait, no—it's not happening at all!!
Arghhh, this woman is beyond saving!
Eriri clenched her fists so hard they trembled.
She regretted ever going soft on this devil. She should've been cold and rciless like Yukinoshita!
In her mind, she imagined knocking Utaha flat on her back with a perfect uppercut, watching her curl up and beg for forgiveness.
"Quit dreaming!!"
Her sudden shout startled a flock of fat city pigeons roosting near the stairwell.
They burst into noisy flight, their heavy bodies awkwardly flapping in the air like overweight drones.
"So... you are mad because of the rumor about Kyousuke and having twins, huh?" Utaha smiled smugly, basking in Eriri's furious glare like it was a lullaby before a rooftop nap.
"Enough nonsense. I'll tell my friends to set the record straight—that you and Kyousuke are just ordinary friends. The rumor should die out by next week," Eriri sighed, deciding not to waste her breath arguing anymore.
She knew if she didn't cut it here, this woman would keep teasing until sunset.
"Mmm~ okay," Utaha nodded, her face all fake sweetness.
"See you at ho."
Leaving those words behind, Eriri turned and headed toward the stairwell.
But Utaha stepped forward, her hands behind her back, calling out gently:
"Sawamura-san."
"What now?!" Eriri snapped, half turning.
"If you're that worried... why don't you just tell everyone yourself that Kyousuke is your boyfriend?"
"Wh-what the hell are you saying?! I'm not like you, lying through your teeth like it's nothing! If that idiot Hojou heard sothing like that... he'd probably get so full of himself he'd explode!!" Eriri scrunched up her nose.
"Still as stubborn as ever," Utaha whispered with a faint sigh. "You know... if you keep being so dishonest with yourself, you'll regret it one day."
"aningless. I have no idea what you're talking about," Eriri grumbled, turning away and clenching her fists.
"Oh, you know exactly what I an... just like I know you know what I an."
"SHUT UP! It's none of your business! If anyone's going to regret sothing, it'll be you for making such stupid jokes! Watch your back!!"
'Thud thud thud thud—'
Eriri dashed down the stairs, leaving only the sound of her footsteps behind. Even in the dim stairwell, her golden twintails glead like the finest Mie Prefecture pearls.
'? Regret? As if! Hahaha…'
As Eriri disappeared down the stairwell, Utaha let out a soft, satisfied chuckle.
Even if things didn't turn out exactly the way she fantasized... she was already making real progress with Hojou. That made her the winner, no matter what.
And that tsundere blonde...
Eriri...
The smile on Utaha's face wavered, replaced by thoughtful contemplation.
Could it be that Eriri also fully understood Kyousuke's personality and attitude, and that's why she acted so confident? No, impossible.
She's just an immature little girl—there's no way she could have thought that far ahead.
But… that last remark of hers… it definitely sounded like she did understand.
Utaha turned away, resting her left hand on the cold, green wire fence as she gazed out toward Tokyo Bay—the direction of Joubu High.
The Honya Awards…
If she could fire up Eriri's fighting spirit a little more, they might actually stand a chance of pushing back against Sakura's tyranny... and settle who gets to accompany Kyousuke to the Honya Awards ceremony tomorrow in a more "fair" way.
That was the whole reason she never cleared up the rumors to begin with—she wanted to make Eriri angry enough to keep the fire burning all the way ho.
But now… it seed that idiot didn't get the hint at all.
Really... even though she was technically of legal marriage age, her brain was still stuck in the 2D world.
Hopeless…
——————————————————
After coming down the stairs, Eriri wandered around the infirmary for a bit before heading back to class.
Specifically, to the ho economics room—one of the few classes she actually liked.
Otherwise, she would've definitely snuck off to the art clubroom and spent the last half of the period there.
Flashing a perfect smile and politely thanking the teacher for her concern, she made her way along the wall to the table where her friends had gathered.
Ho Ec and PE were tied as the two biggest nightmares for socially anxious students since they required group work and cooperation.
Of course, this didn't apply to Yukinoshita Yukino—everyone in class dread of teaming up with her in Ho Ec.
Even if she didn't lift a finger, you could count on her dostic goddess skills to whip up sothing delicious.
Compared to her, Eriri's thod of surviving Ho Ec was more like: "Ehehe, oops, I think I cut this piece a little too big," or "Hehe... sorry, I accidentally ate this already,"—the textbook definition of cutesy corner-cutting.
Still, despite the pre-set teams, the other girls quickly welcod Eriri back.
Who could resist the perfect blonde ojou-sama who could chat easily with anyone?
Her arrival, however, did throw off the flow of their cooking progress.
Ishizawa Kumari put down her whisk and leaned over, her face full of concern.
"Eriri, are you okay?"
She was the one who'd covered for Eriri earlier, telling the teacher she wasn't feeling well.
She was also the one who'd relayed the gossip about Utaha and Kyousuke supposedly having two kids.
"Eh? I'm fine, I'm fine. Just felt a tiny bit off," Eriri replied with a dazzling smile as she picked up a carrot and began peeling it.
A girl nearby opened her mouth to say sothing—like how today's dish didn't actually require peeled carrots—but thought better of it.
Instead, she silently perked up her ears, eager for so juicy gossip.
"No, I ant... that," Kumari whispered, glancing around.
She wasn't stupid.
Eriri had stord out with that scary expression earlier, and word was she'd gone straight to confront Utaha-senpai.
It obviously had sothing to do with Hojou Kyousuke... and maybe those "two kids." She'd already ntally scripted a 35,000-word tragedy in her head.
"That?" Eriri blinked innocently, her big blue eyes full of pure cluelessness.
'Kumari... co on... don't be sharp today, just go back to being dumb, please...' Eriri scread in her heart.
"You know… Utaha-senpai," Kumari whispered even softer—but it was pointless. The nearby girls shalessly leaned in, obviously catching every word.
"Ohh, that? You're overthinking it. Those are just silly rumors. Utaha Kasumigaoka and Hojou Kyousuke are just friends. There's no 'kids' or anything," Eriri said breezily, waving a hand like she was shooing a fly away. Her smile remained flawless.
"That's not what I ant. We already know they're not together—Utaha-senpai said herself that Hojou will be the father of her kids soday. The part about them already having kids just got exaggerated along the way," Kumari corrected.
'Eh?!' Eriri blinked.
Seriously? Then why didn't that woman explain it to her? No wait—that sounded exactly like Utaha Kasumigaoka.
She couldn't care less about being misunderstood. The opinions of others ant less to her than a random falling leaf.
As she casually answered the surrounding girls' curious questions, Eriri stuffed the freshly peeled carrot into her mouth and started munching.
Crunch, crunch, crunch...
I don't get it. I'll never understand the mind of that witch…
But who cares? The day after tomorrow is our third anniversary of eting Kyousuke~
We'll go out together. Just the two of us. Definitely.
Akihabara? Or maybe the Setagaya market? Or maybe a visit to the company they started together?
Crunch, crunch... This carrot is really sweet.
Hmm... hard to choose. Guess we'll just go everywhere!
As for the Honya Awards tomorrow—whoever wants to go can have it. When Kyousuke wins the prize for that romance novel he wrote for , I'll join him then.
With springti daydreams blooming in her heart, Eriri smiled sweetly—just like the carrot in her mouth.
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