[Warning 15+]
Part One~She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!~Chapter 25Himeko x Mascot
A twenty-minute walk from the apartment.
Unlike back in the countryside of Tsukinose, the middle school wasn't clumped together with an elementary school. The building wasn't a one-story wooden shack either; It was a three-story reinforced concrete facility. That's the middle school Himeko goes to.
The uniform isn't that dorky old jumper skirt anymore, but a cute plaid skirt paired with a sailor-style top that's got the same pattern on the collar. It's totally Himeko's favorite.
Even in this city school, Himeko's a pretty legit hottie.
Himeko's got those spirited, round eyes, soft wavy hair, and a slender build that's not bad at all—aside from a couple of areas where she's definitely hoping for a bit more "growth" later on.
Combine all that with being a transfer student, and Himeko's a total attention-magnet.
So when Himeko burst into the classroom just seconds before being late and let out a heavy, "Hah..." sigh, everyone definitely noticed.
Himeko's classmate Torigai Honoka, who Himeko'd already hit it off with, came over to check on Himeko.
"Himeko-chan, that sigh... ...did something happen?"
"Oh, yeah, just a little something."
"Did you freak out again 'cause the TV schedule was different?"
"I used to make a scene about missing an episode, but I'm over that now."
"Is it that weird feeling from not seeing any wooden power poles around?"
"I think I'm finally getting used to that."
"Then maybe it's 'cause you didn't see a single dead frog or lizard on the road again today?"
"Right? I seriously never see 'em—hey! I'm not a countryside bumpkin, okay?!"
"Ahaha, sure, sure—"
With her face turning beet red, Himeko stood up and desperately tried to deny it, but Torigai Honoka and the rest of the class just watched Himeko with goofy, warm smiles.
Himeko thinks she's doing a great job hiding the fact that she's a countryside bumpkin, but between her being shocked that there are no coin-operated rice polishers and having zero clue how private subways work, her "dorkiness" was exposed on day one. Since then, she's basically become the class's tease-able mascot.
By the way, Himeko herself still thinks nobody's caught on to her being from the countryside.
"So, what's up? Did you find something else that surprised you compared to where you used to live?"
"Yeah, something like that. But this time it's about a person, not a thing."
"A person?"
"My Big Bro's old friend. I just reunited with them for the first time in years, and they've totally flipped the script. I don't know, it's just giving me these weird, restless vibes."
"What were they like?"
"Well, they were like this little brat who used to run around the mountains and fields with my Big Bro. They were a total prankster and got scolded all the time, but they still looked out for me and played with me. But now, they look like this perfect, straight-A model student."
"Hmm... ...did you like them?"
"Oh... ...yeah, maybe. Maybe I did like them."
—Like.
That word landed right in the center of Himeko's chest.
It was that vague, faint feeling unique to little kids. An ambiguous emotion Himeko'd even hesitate to call a "first love." But when she applied the word "like" to it, she felt everything finally start to click into place.
Himeko definitely liked Haruki. Himeko wasn't sure what kind of "like" it was, but Himeko definitely had a crush on Haruki while fully believing Haruki was a boy.
But even if those feelings were the real deal, Himeko's wish would never come true. The fact that Haruki is a girl is something that's never gonna change.
A bittersweet ache throbbed in Himeko's chest. Without even thinking about it, Himeko pressed her hand against her flat chest.
"That's so unfair..."
"Himeko-chan...?"
The childhood friend Himeko'd reunited with had turned into someone unrecognizable from back then. There wasn't a trace left of the "bratty ringleader"; Instead, Haruki was so pure and pretty that even Himeko, another girl, couldn't help but sigh in awe.
But when Himeko saw Haruki standing right by her big bro's side—just like the old days—Himeko felt a way that she couldn't describe as anything other than "unfair."
Torigai Honoka saw Himeko muttering with such a heartbroken look that she didn't have the heart to tease Himeko anymore.
In fact, Honoka's "maiden-in-love sensor" went into overdrive, making her want to play matchmaker. The other girls in class seemed to feel the same way, crowding around Himeko one after another.
"Kirishima-san, tell us more about them!"
"Got any good stories that show what they're really like?!"
"You said it's 'unfair'—how do you feel about them now?!"
"Seriously, you gotta tell them how you feel, or you're gonna regret it later!"
"Eh, um, au... ...re... ...gret..."
Himeko never really had the experience of being surrounded by a bunch of girls her own age back in the countryside of Tsukinose, so having them all swarm her and talk over each other made her head spin.
But in the middle of all that noise, there was one word Himeko couldn't just ignore.
—Regret.
There was one thing that Himeko regretted more than anything.
(Saki-chan.)
Himeko's one and only bestie back in the countryside of Tsukinose. A girl she'd grown up with since they were little.
Because the move was so sudden, Himeko couldn't bring herself to say anything until right before she left.
'I wish you'd told me sooner! There was so much more I wanted to do with Hime-chan, and besides, I still haven't even... ...with your Big Bro...!'
Saki was totally bawling her eyes out. It was a nightmare trying to calm her down. In the end, they both just ended up wailing and crying together.
Saki eventually forgave Himeko with a smile and they're still in touch now, but there's just no getting around the physical distance between them.
For some reason, Saki and Hayato had always been super awkward around each other, and they ended up moving away while that tension was still lingering.
Whenever Himeko thinks about Saki, Himeko gets hit with a wave of even deeper regret.
(Saki-chan still seems to have Big Bro on her mind even now, though.)
Thinking about it like that, Himeko felt like she couldn't just sit around; She had to do something. She slapped her cheeks a few times and stood up.
"Alright, I'm gonna do my best! First, I'll talk to Haru-chan more, get closer to her, and become her bestie!"
As Himeko pumped her fist in the air with a "heave-ho" spirit, Torigai Honoka and the others let out a collective """Okay~""" and broke into applause. Those girls had a look in their eyes like predators that'd just spotted their prey.
"Mm-hmm, let's talk about your next move, Himeko-kun."
"Why don't you tell your big sissies all about it? We'll help you out."
"This calls for a meeting over boba after all this time."
"Wait, a boba meeting now? Isn't it like, impossible to find a place that still sells it?"
"Au, no, wait... ...boba?! The stuff that's super trendy right now?! No way, I totally wanna try it!"
"""…"""
Boba was a trend whose time had long since passed. Even though they only brought it up as a joke, Himeko's ears perked up and she bit the bait immediately.
In the countryside, trends take forever to arrive, leaving everyone laps behind—and Himeko was the perfect example of that.
"Mm-hmm, that's our Kirishima-san for ya."
"Alright, Big Sis is gonna treat ya!"
"Himeko-chan, please stay exactly like this forever, okay?"
"Eh? Wait, what's with you girls?"
Himeko was totally confused by everyone's reaction.
The faces all over the room were incredibly kind and warm. Some people were even shaking, trying their best to hold in their laughter.
And just like that, Himeko further solidified her status as the mascot of the group.
Author's Notes:
∧,,∧
(,,・∀・) Meow~
～(_ｕ,ｕノ
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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