[Warning 15+]
Author's Notes:
Sorry for the late update, guys.
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 101Himeko, Obviously, Dango over Diamonds
The sun was absolutely scorchin'—the kind of heat where you start sweatin' buckets just by standin' still.
But even that brutal heat couldn't put a dent in the hype surrounding 'Okashizukasa Shiro'.
Himeko, Honoka, and the squad were no exception. The second Himeko introduced Kazuki, the girls started blastin' him with a storm of questions, and he just rolled with it, answering smoothly while waitin' in line.
"Oh, so you're Kirishima-chan's Big Bro's buddy! That means you're just one year older than us, huh?"
"Ugh, I've never even heard of your middle school... ...man, you must travel pretty far to get here. That high school is a total prep school and the level is crazy high, after all."
"You're in the Soccer Club... ...but Himeko-chan's Big Bro is in the Gardening Club... ...wait, how did you two even meet?"
"Well, you see, since Hayato-kun is Himeko-chan's Big Bro, I just can't take my eyes off him... ...you get what I mean? Anyway, I first met Himeko-chan when I saw her hangin' out in the city with her Big Bro, and we all ended up havin' some fun together."
Kaidō Kazuki is a total chick magnet.
That breezy, likable grin, Kazuki tall and lean build from sports, and his smooth-*ss way of talkin'—it's basically impossible to hate him on the first meet. The convo just kept heatin' up.
Naturally, the gossip shifted toward Kazuki and Himeko.
I mean, of course it did. A cute, slightly spacey, but pure-hearted transfer student meetin' up with her Big Bro's handsome buddy in the city—and lookin' pretty cozy, too.
For the third-year middle schoolers (exam-year students) whose fun is totally limited, and being teenage girls at that, there was no way in heck they were gonna let a juicy story like this slide.
Eventually, since they were in a big group of girls, they got a bit bolder, and Honoka and the crew started firin' off way more personal and invasive questions.
"Kaidō-san, do you have a girlfriend right now?"
"Gah! N-No, I don't think I have one right now... ...y'know, 'cause my Club's been so busy and all..."
That was the opening Kazuki shouldn't have given. Those words were like pourin' gasoline on the fire of Honoka and the crew's curiosity.
"Right now? That means you totally had one before, right!?"
"What kind of girl were you datin'!? Was she the classy type or the cute type!?"
"If you were gonna get another girlfriend, what's your type?! Oh, and is a younger girl an option!?"
"Eh, well, I'm kinda over that stuff for now, so... ...though..."
As Honoka and the girls grilled him, Kazuki's face twisted in a bitter-*ss grimace, regretting his sloppy choice of words.
Since Kazuki is trash at handlin' this kind of pressure, he tried his best to deny it and change the subject, but it didn't work. He just got hit with stuff like, "Wha, what a waste!", "But Kaidō-san, you're like, crazy popular," and "I totally think a 'trial' relationship is fine!"
While lookin' totally overwhelmed, Kazuki noticed Himeko was the only one not joinin' the convo, lookin' all solemn by herself.
When Honoka and the others followed Kazuki's gaze, they all tilted their heads at Himeko, who had an expression that felt totally out of place.
"Himeko-chan, what's up?"
"...Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just lookin' at that..."
"At that...?"
What Himeko was actually pointin' at was the stand-up banner in front of the shop.
It had 'Shaved Ice is Here!' blasted across it in huge letters, right next to a refreshingly dark green picture of Uji Kintoki.
"Since we're finally at a legit traditional sweets shop, part of me thinks the jiggly 'Cooling Set' with matcha is the way to go, but then again, shaved ice on a day this hot has gotta be absolute fire. But if I get shaved ice, I could totally get that somewhere else, so... ...ugh, I'm so torn!"
Himeko's face was dead serious.
Since Himeko'd just crushed her diet recently, orderin' both wasn't even an option. Plus, her allowance was lookin' pretty slim. Her expression got even more intense.
Himeko was being a total Himeko—always choosing dango over diamonds.
While Honoka and the crew stood there totally speechless, Kazuki was next to them, shoulders shakin' from tryin' to hold back his laughs.
"Geez, what are you laughin' at, Kazuki-san!?"
"Haha, nothin', nothin'. Look, it's finally our turn. Shall we head inside?"
"Mu~~~!"
Kazuki, flashin' a cheerful-*ss grin, gave Himeko a gentle nudge on the back like he was calm' her down.
Honoka and the crew were just standin' there dazed for a sec, but they scrambled to catch up with those two.
Those sharp-eyed girls noticed that the way Kazuki looked at Himeko was totally different from how he looked at them, and they just started noddin' at each other in silence, feelin' all restless.
Meanwhile, Himeko pouted her lips, feelin' like she was bein' treated like a total kid again. But the second she stepped inside the shop, her grumpy face was wiped clean by a look of pure shock.
"Welco—"
"Haru-chan!?"
"—Hime-chan!?"
The moment Himeko locked eyes with the server—Haruki—they both started pointin' fingers at each other, mouths flappin' like a couple of goldfish.
Kazuki just stood there grinnin' while watchin' Himeko and Haruki. At the same time, Honoka and the girls' eyes went wide as saucers lookin' at Haruki.
Haruki's elegant, sweet face and her glossy long hair tied up looked absolutely killer in that yabane hakama—the 'Okashizukasa Shiro' uniform. It was like the outfit was literally made just for her.
Haruki looked so d*mn good in it that for a split second after walkin' in, they felt like they'd accidentally wandered onto a movie set or into some old-school TV drama world.
But the shocks didn't stop there for Honoka and the crew.
"H-H-H-How the heck is Haru-chan even here!? And d*ng, that uniform is freaking adorable!"
"I'm just fillin' in today as a last-minute help... ...does the outfit look weird on me?"
"No, no, you're good, you totally look like a legit girl. As long as you don't let your true self slip, you'll be fine!"
"Haha, Nikaidō-san is a pro at playin' the 'sweet girl' act, so I don't think there's anything to worry about, right?"
"Hey, Kaidō! What are you even doin' here? Did you, like, try to hit on Hime-chan or somethin'!?"
"Ahaha, Kazuki-san and I just bumped into each other outside. So I just dragged him along."
"That's how it went... ...ouch! Hey, stop kickin' me, Ms. Server!"
"Gugigi..."
Right in front of Honoka and the girls, a super casual and friendly back-and-forth was goin' down between Himeko, Haruki, and Kazuki. They couldn't hide how shook they were, especially seein' Haruki actually kick Kazuki's leg. Before they knew it, they grabbed Himeko's hand and surrounded her.
"Hold up, Himeko-chan! You actually know the legendary Nikaidō-senpai!?"
"Ranked first for three straight years, top-tier in national mock exams, a beast at every sport, AND with looks like that!?"
"Until last year, there wasn't a single soul in our middle school who didn't know Nikaidō-senpai... ...wait, but for real, did she just kick Kaidō-san!?"
"Huh? What? Nikaidō-senpai... ...you mean Haru-chan? She's a celebrity or somethin'? What's goin' on!?"
Honoka and the girls were in full-on hype mode.
They were breathin' heavy with crazed eyes, and even Himeko tried to back away, but she was totally cornered with nowhere to run.
Nikaidō Haruki is a total celebrity.
That was just as true back at the middle school Haruki graduated from last year, and now she's out here showin' a side of herself that Honoka and the crew never saw while they were students. No wonder they were all hyped up.
"Table in the back is ready! Customers, right this way! Yo, Haruki!"
"Oh, right! Ahem! Follow me, please. This way."
A young boy's sharp voice rang out through the shop.
Haruki snapped out of it, lookin' a bit awkward for a split second, but she scrambled to pull herself together and get back to work.
Honoka and the girls finally realized they were makin' a scene and started followin' her, lookin' pretty embarrassed. In the middle of all that, Himeko was the only one shoutin' in shock yet again.
"What is Big Bro even doin' here!?"
"""!?"""
At the end of Himeko's pointin' finger stood a male server—Hayato—lookin' surprisingly legit in a jinbei, an apron, and a bandana. He was just scratchin' his head like "Here we go again," while Haruki bowed her head, lookin' totally relieved to be saved.
Honoka and the squad just stared at each other, totally floored by this new piece of info, while Kazuki was practically shakin' tryin' to keep from burstin' out laughin'.
Author's Notes:
On the 3rd, when I last updated, the official site finally dropped the release date and all that.
It happened right when the clock was about to hit midnight.
'The response was way better than expected, so I got a request for some Short Stories—three of 'em, actually. They want 'em turned in by the 8th, but the schedule’s lookin' tight as hell. What's the move? Want to cut down the count?'
That's basically what the email from my editor said (loosely translated, obviously).
Wait, what? It's basically already the 4th, man! Plus, the deadline for all that stuff I gotta do for my other work Tsurekko no Gimai (Kaiwa mo Shinai Tsurekko no Gimai ga, Naganen Issho ni Baka Yatte Kita Netoge no Fure datta) is on the 5th?? I'm supposed to head out for some errands on the 7th too, so like, everything is just crazy packed right now. Is this supposed to be some kinda death sentence or what? But honestly, there's no way in heck I'm cutting down the number of stories. Fine, fine, let's do this! I've got some leftover ideas I couldn't fit into the main story anyway, so I'm just gonna dump 'em all in there, let's go meow!!
For real, though, the second I saw that email, I legit made a weird-*ss sound. Meow.
I've posted the new book cover with the wrap-around band in the activity report. Make sure to go take a look. And hey, feel free to add me to your favorite authors list! Meow!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
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The sun was absolutely scorchin'—the kind of heat where you start sweatin' buckets just by standin' still.
But even that brutal heat couldn't put a dent in the hype surrounding 'Okashizukasa Shiro'.
Himeko, Honoka, and the squad were no exception. The second Himeko introduced Kazuki, the girls started blastin' him with a storm of questions, and he just rolled with it, answering smoothly while waitin' in line.
"Oh, so you're Kirishima-chan's Big Bro's buddy! That means you're just one year older than us, huh?"
"Ugh, I've never even heard of your middle school... ...man, you must travel pretty far to get here. That high school is a total prep school and the level is crazy high, after all."
"You're in the Soccer Club... ...but Himeko-chan's Big Bro is in the Gardening Club... ...wait, how did you two even meet?"
"Well, you see, since Hayato-kun is Himeko-chan's Big Bro, I just can't take my eyes off him... ...you get what I mean? Anyway, I first met Himeko-chan when I saw her hangin' out in the city with her Big Bro, and we all ended up havin' some fun together."
Kaidō Kazuki is a total chick magnet.
That breezy, likable grin, Kazuki tall and lean build from sports, and his smooth-*ss way of talkin'—it's basically impossible to hate him on the first meet. The convo just kept heatin' up.
Naturally, the gossip shifted toward Kazuki and Himeko.
I mean, of course it did. A cute, slightly spacey, but pure-hearted transfer student meetin' up with her Big Bro's handsome buddy in the city—and lookin' pretty cozy, too.
For the third-year middle schoolers (exam-year students) whose fun is totally limited, and being teenage girls at that, there was no way in heck they were gonna let a juicy story like this slide.
Eventually, since they were in a big group of girls, they got a bit bolder, and Honoka and the crew started firin' off way more personal and invasive questions.
"Kaidō-san, do you have a girlfriend right now?"
"Gah! N-No, I don't think I have one right now... ...y'know, 'cause my Club's been so busy and all..."
That was the opening Kazuki shouldn't have given. Those words were like pourin' gasoline on the fire of Honoka and the crew's curiosity.
"Right now? That means you totally had one before, right!?"
"What kind of girl were you datin'!? Was she the classy type or the cute type!?"
"If you were gonna get another girlfriend, what's your type?! Oh, and is a younger girl an option!?"
"Eh, well, I'm kinda over that stuff for now, so... ...though..."
As Honoka and the girls grilled him, Kazuki's face twisted in a bitter-*ss grimace, regretting his sloppy choice of words.
Since Kazuki is trash at handlin' this kind of pressure, he tried his best to deny it and change the subject, but it didn't work. He just got hit with stuff like, "Wha, what a waste!", "But Kaidō-san, you're like, crazy popular," and "I totally think a 'trial' relationship is fine!"
While lookin' totally overwhelmed, Kazuki noticed Himeko was the only one not joinin' the convo, lookin' all solemn by herself.
When Honoka and the others followed Kazuki's gaze, they all tilted their heads at Himeko, who had an expression that felt totally out of place.
"Himeko-chan, what's up?"
"...Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just lookin' at that..."
"At that...?"
What Himeko was actually pointin' at was the stand-up banner in front of the shop.
It had 'Shaved Ice is Here!' blasted across it in huge letters, right next to a refreshingly dark green picture of Uji Kintoki.
"Since we're finally at a legit traditional sweets shop, part of me thinks the jiggly 'Cooling Set' with matcha is the way to go, but then again, shaved ice on a day this hot has gotta be absolute fire. But if I get shaved ice, I could totally get that somewhere else, so... ...ugh, I'm so torn!"
Himeko's face was dead serious.
Since Himeko'd just crushed her diet recently, orderin' both wasn't even an option. Plus, her allowance was lookin' pretty slim. Her expression got even more intense.
Himeko was being a total Himeko—always choosing dango over diamonds.
While Honoka and the crew stood there totally speechless, Kazuki was next to them, shoulders shakin' from tryin' to hold back his laughs.
"Geez, what are you laughin' at, Kazuki-san!?"
"Haha, nothin', nothin'. Look, it's finally our turn. Shall we head inside?"
"Mu~~~!"
Kazuki, flashin' a cheerful-*ss grin, gave Himeko a gentle nudge on the back like he was calm' her down.
Honoka and the crew were just standin' there dazed for a sec, but they scrambled to catch up with those two.
Those sharp-eyed girls noticed that the way Kazuki looked at Himeko was totally different from how he looked at them, and they just started noddin' at each other in silence, feelin' all restless.
Meanwhile, Himeko pouted her lips, feelin' like she was bein' treated like a total kid again. But the second she stepped inside the shop, her grumpy face was wiped clean by a look of pure shock.
"Welco—"
"Haru-chan!?"
"—Hime-chan!?"
The moment Himeko locked eyes with the server—Haruki—they both started pointin' fingers at each other, mouths flappin' like a couple of goldfish.
Kazuki just stood there grinnin' while watchin' Himeko and Haruki. At the same time, Honoka and the girls' eyes went wide as saucers lookin' at Haruki.
Haruki's elegant, sweet face and her glossy long hair tied up looked absolutely killer in that yabane hakama—the 'Okashizukasa Shiro' uniform. It was like the outfit was literally made just for her.
Haruki looked so d*mn good in it that for a split second after walkin' in, they felt like they'd accidentally wandered onto a movie set or into some old-school TV drama world.
But the shocks didn't stop there for Honoka and the crew.
"H-H-H-How the heck is Haru-chan even here!? And d*ng, that uniform is freaking adorable!"
"I'm just fillin' in today as a last-minute help... ...does the outfit look weird on me?"
"No, no, you're good, you totally look like a legit girl. As long as you don't let your true self slip, you'll be fine!"
"Haha, Nikaidō-san is a pro at playin' the 'sweet girl' act, so I don't think there's anything to worry about, right?"
"Hey, Kaidō! What are you even doin' here? Did you, like, try to hit on Hime-chan or somethin'!?"
"Ahaha, Kazuki-san and I just bumped into each other outside. So I just dragged him along."
"That's how it went... ...ouch! Hey, stop kickin' me, Ms. Server!"
"Gugigi..."
Right in front of Honoka and the girls, a super casual and friendly back-and-forth was goin' down between Himeko, Haruki, and Kazuki. They couldn't hide how shook they were, especially seein' Haruki actually kick Kazuki's leg. Before they knew it, they grabbed Himeko's hand and surrounded her.
"Hold up, Himeko-chan! You actually know the legendary Nikaidō-senpai!?"
"Ranked first for three straight years, top-tier in national mock exams, a beast at every sport, AND with looks like that!?"
"Until last year, there wasn't a single soul in our middle school who didn't know Nikaidō-senpai... ...wait, but for real, did she just kick Kaidō-san!?"
"Huh? What? Nikaidō-senpai... ...you mean Haru-chan? She's a celebrity or somethin'? What's goin' on!?"
Honoka and the girls were in full-on hype mode.
They were breathin' heavy with crazed eyes, and even Himeko tried to back away, but she was totally cornered with nowhere to run.
Nikaidō Haruki is a total celebrity.
That was just as true back at the middle school Haruki graduated from last year, and now she's out here showin' a side of herself that Honoka and the crew never saw while they were students. No wonder they were all hyped up.
"Table in the back is ready! Customers, right this way! Yo, Haruki!"
"Oh, right! Ahem! Follow me, please. This way."
A young boy's sharp voice rang out through the shop.
Haruki snapped out of it, lookin' a bit awkward for a split second, but she scrambled to pull herself together and get back to work.
Honoka and the girls finally realized they were makin' a scene and started followin' her, lookin' pretty embarrassed. In the middle of all that, Himeko was the only one shoutin' in shock yet again.
"What is Big Bro even doin' here!?"
"""!?"""
At the end of Himeko's pointin' finger stood a male server—Hayato—lookin' surprisingly legit in a jinbei, an apron, and a bandana. He was just scratchin' his head like "Here we go again," while Haruki bowed her head, lookin' totally relieved to be saved.
Honoka and the squad just stared at each other, totally floored by this new piece of info, while Kazuki was practically shakin' tryin' to keep from burstin' out laughin'.
Author's Notes:
On the 3rd, when I last updated, the official site finally dropped the release date and all that.
It happened right when the clock was about to hit midnight.
'The response was way better than expected, so I got a request for some Short Stories—three of 'em, actually. They want 'em turned in by the 8th, but the schedule’s lookin' tight as hell. What's the move? Want to cut down the count?'
That's basically what the email from my editor said (loosely translated, obviously).
Wait, what? It's basically already the 4th, man! Plus, the deadline for all that stuff I gotta do for my other work Tsurekko no Gimai (Kaiwa mo Shinai Tsurekko no Gimai ga, Naganen Issho ni Baka Yatte Kita Netoge no Fure datta) is on the 5th?? I'm supposed to head out for some errands on the 7th too, so like, everything is just crazy packed right now. Is this supposed to be some kinda death sentence or what? But honestly, there's no way in heck I'm cutting down the number of stories. Fine, fine, let's do this! I've got some leftover ideas I couldn't fit into the main story anyway, so I'm just gonna dump 'em all in there, let's go meow!!
For real, though, the second I saw that email, I legit made a weird-*ss sound. Meow.
I've posted the new book cover with the wrap-around band in the activity report. Make sure to go take a look. And hey, feel free to add me to your favorite authors list! Meow!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages: