Saito repeated this mantra, diving into intense mental discipline. He began summoning historical figures from memory, listing them by era and reciting their names in order—hoping the grand arc of humanity would purify his own petty worldly desires.
I am the world. The world is me. Just as Saito was relaxing into a yoga pose, on the verge of reaching enlightenment…
“Why aren’t you answering me?! I’m about to get mad, you know!” yelled a hysterical Akane, swinging the bathroom door open and sticking her head out.
Akane’s skin was bare and glowing white, glistening with suds. Saito could see her delicate shoulders, her gleaming collarbone…and her softly flushed twin mounds bounced boldly in front of Saito’s eyes.
“Cover yourself!” screamed Saito. In a flash, every ounce of discipline shattered and his worldly desires rushed back in full force.
“Hey, Saito-kun. Saito-kun. Yoohoo, Saito-kuuun!”
After hearing his name called repeatedly, Saito woke up from his nap. Right in front of his desk, Himari was resting her chin in her hand, peering into his face from close range.
The last thing he remembered was the math teacher writing on the board. It had been boring, but the oddly rhythmic tapping of the chalk had lulled him to sleep. In a daze, Saito mumbled, “Has the world…already ended?”
“The world’s still going strong, but class is definitely over! We’re supposed to be moving to the special classroom, remember?” said Himari.
She was right. In the third-year classroom for Class A, almost no other students remained.
“Thanks for waking me. I’ve been short on sleep lately,” said Saito.
Himari teased him, covering her mouth as she giggled. “You were probably up late watching naughty videos, weren’t you?”
“Nope.”
“Come on, I know the truth! Guys your age are always thinking about dirty stuff!” said Himari.
“…That’s not true.” Though, since last night’s sleep loss had been thanks to those antics with Akane, he couldn’t claim total innocence. No matter how many classical verb conjugations he recited, the image of Akane’s naked, soap-covered body refused to leave his mind.
“So? What kind of naughty videos do you usually watch, Saito-kun?” asked Himari.
“I told you, I don’t watch that stuff.”
“Then what kind of girls do you like? I heard you’re not really into super sexy types.”
“Who told you that?”
“Ah, um… That’s a secret! Can’t reveal my source, journalistic integrity, you know?” Himari held a finger to her lips and winked. The way she did it so naturally and adorably—it was no wonder she was the class sweetheart.
“I’m no expert, but…isn’t love something that transcends types?” asked Saito.
“You mean the person you fall for becomes your type?”
“That’s not exactly what I meant. When we say ‘type,’ we mean something simple and defined, kind of like a template. But a person’s real nature is much more complicated. If you don’t actually get to know someone properly, there’s no way you can fall in love with them. Falling for someone based just on looks or abilities or some surface-level image—that’s something kids do,” Saito explained.
Spending time with people like Shisei, someone whose looks were out of this world but whose personality was totally alien, or Akane, a reckless dragon in human form, confirmed this for him. Any guy who would fall in love with either of them based on appearances and marry them too quick would have an absolute hell of a time. In Saito’s case, he was already suffering to the point of worrying about early onset hair loss.
“Hmm… So cool…” Himari murmured dreamily, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
“Pardon?”
“Oh—nothing! I just think your way of thinking is really wonderful, Saito-kun! The guys who confess to me never actually know anything about me. I always end up thinking, ‘What exactly do you like about me, huh? Is it just my boobs?!’”
“Must be tough being pretty.”
“Gee! Calling me pretty—Saito-kun, you’re so bold!” Himari’s cheeks flushed red.
“It’s just an observation. You’re pretty, aren’t you?”
“You’re asking me? What am I supposed to say? If I agree, that’d make me a narcissist!” Himari blushed.
“I can confidently say that I’m a genius.”
“Wow, narcissist alert!”
It was hard to argue with Himari here, since she was parroting the general consensus. Still, Saito believed that being able to assess one’s own abilities accurately and objectively was important. Modesty was often treated as a virtue, but Saito saw it as a form of hollow hypocrisy.
Himari cleared her throat and glanced sideways at Saito. “You sure seem knowledgeable about love and all…but you’re a virgin, right?”
“S-so what if I am?!”
“Ah, you don’t deny it, huh? I knew it!”
“Is there a problem?”
“Not at all. I’m happy to hear it,” said Himari.
“…Are you mocking me or something?” questioned Saito, looking at her suspiciously.
Himari laughed, scrunching her shoulders playfully. “Nooo, I just meant…well, same here!”
“Same…here…?” Trying to make sense of what she meant, Saito’s mind arrived at an awkward conclusion. He couldn’t fathom how he’d ended up having this kind of risqué conversation with a classmate in the middle of the day.
“Let’s drop the subject. We really should be heading out,” said Saito.
“Ah, just one last question! You said you don’t fall in love based on ‘types,’ but if it’s someone whose personality you do know, you can tell whether you’re compatible, right?”
“Well…probably.”
Himari then leaned one hand on the desk and brought her lips close to Saito’s ear. Her long blonde hair brushed softly against his neck, and a faint scent of perfume drifted over him.
In a barely audible whisper, Himari said, “So, how about someone like me…?”
“Wait, what do you…”
As he froze, Himari suddenly pulled away with a grin. “Just kidding! Gotcha! You’re all red—ugh, you’re so cute, Saito-kun!”
“Y-you little…!” Saito blushed.
“Sorry, sorry! Catch you later!”
And with that, she was gone.
As Himari walked away, even her earlobes were flushed red.
She’s embarrassed too? What is going on? Saito had no idea what Himari was thinking. If she was going to tease him, he wished she’d at least do it with some composure.
As Saito fanned his face with his hand to cool down the lingering heat, a voice called out from below.
“Getting aroused at school, are you?”
It was Shisei, who had crawled under the desk and suddenly popped her head up between Saito’s knees.
“I’m not aroused,” said Saito.
“Liar. You reek of a male in heat.” Bringing her nose close to him, Shisei sniffed Saito.
Saito grabbed Shisei’s forehead with a grip of steel. “How about we continue this conversation after you come out from under my desk?”
“Absolutely not. I, Shise, will take up permanent residence between Ani-kun’s thighs,” replied Shisei.
“That area is not suitable for human habitation!”
Grabbing hold of her as she clung to his knees, Saito yanked her out from under the desk.
Since the ghost incident, Akane and Saito had been fighting less, but now he found himself drained in a different way. When Akane was in panic mode, she seemed to forget her sense of personal space.