Chapter 27: Classmates

"Kisaragi-san, I'm really sorry about earlier..."

Right after homeroom ended, a girl squatted down in front of my desk, resting her face just above the surface as she spoke. She was the one who had asked about my relationship with Yuna earlier. Petite and with a short haircut, she looked like a lively and energetic type—but right now, she was radiating dejection from head to toe.

"Jun doesn’t mean any harm, but she always says too much... You better reflect on that."

The tall girl with the ponytail standing next to the one called Jun said this with an exasperated expression. With just that one line, Jun seemed to shrink even smaller.

"Um... really, don't worry about it... Sooner or later, I would’ve had to explain anyway..."

If she gets too down about this, I’m the one who starts feeling guilty for lying.

Still, she seems like a good, honest girl. I'd like to be friends with her.

"More importantly... um, would you be willing to be friends with me?"

So I asked, using it as a way to shift the topic.

For a moment, the girl blinked in confusion, then her face lit up with a smile like a blooming flower.

"...! Sure, I’d love to! I'm Kaieda Jun—Kaieda Jun. Just call me Jun!"

"Jun, got it. Then, I’d like you to call me Alice."

"Got it, Alice!"

"I’m glad for you, Jun. …Um, Kisaragi-san. I’d like to be friends with you too, if that’s alright? I have a feeling we’ll get along really well."

"I’d love that! ...Wait, have we met somewhere before?"

She talks like she knows me, but I don’t remember any of Alice’s female friends from around my age.

"Around three months ago, we talked just a little at the bookstore in the mall. Do you remember?"

"Ah—! You’re that bookstore clerk!"

Now I remember! She helped me when I couldn’t reach a book on the higher shelves.

"I’m so happy you remembered. I’m Andou Fumika—Andou Fumika. Can I call you by your first name too?"

"Of course!"

"Nice to meet you, Alice... and please call me by my name too."

Fumika said this as she held out her hand.

"Got it, Fumika. Nice to meet you too."

I took her hand. It was small and soft, the hand of a girl—very different from a guy’s.

...Though now, my own hand has become even smaller than hers.

"You two, making friends without us is so unfair!"

"Me too! I want to be friends with Alice-chan too!"

A bunch of girls who had apparently been watching quietly until now suddenly swarmed around my desk.

"N-Nice to meet you..."

...Wait, everyone’s way too close!

With all these girls crowding around me, there's a sweet scent in the air that makes my head spin.

One after another, my classmates introduced themselves, and I exchanged greetings with each of them.

Before long, one of the girls hugged me during our introductions, and when the others saw that, they cried out, “That’s not fair, I wanna hug her too!” and tried to pile on. Things got completely chaotic.

High school girls these days sure are… physically developed.

...There were all kinds of soft things pressing against me from all directions—it was honestly a lot to handle.

"Alright, alright, everyone! I’m really glad you’re getting along with our Alice, but maybe take it easy, okay? This girl doesn’t have much experience with friends her age, and I think she’s getting a little overwhelmed."

"Ah, sorry..."

Finally, Yuna’s voice brought an end to my suffering.

『Ikuto-san, I’m glad to see things are going well. It looks like you’ve been treated quite kindly.』

Alicia’s flat, emotionless voice echoed in my head—and my face instantly turned pale.

『N-no, Alicia! This was just... just normal physical affection! That’s right, just friendly contact—there were no improper thoughts or anything like that! I swear!』

『I don’t particularly mind.』

『Wait, no—you totally mind, don’t you!?』

『That body is yours now, Ikuto-san, so feel free to do whatever you like. If you happen to lose yourself in the softness of someone’s ample chest and your cheeks go slack from sheer bliss, that’s entirely your choice.』

"...Alice, are you really okay?"

One of the classmates asked in concern when she noticed me suddenly going pale. But I was far too busy mentally pleading my case to Alicia to properly respond.

Still, seeing everyone tone down the excessive physical contact after that was probably a blessing—for my own sanity.

...It’s not like I felt disappointed or anything. Really. Not at all!

Alicia’s mood finally returned to normal around the end of the opening ceremony that followed.

I managed to calm her down by promising to read some books she was interested in at the library after school—and by agreeing to get her some sweets she hadn’t tried before.