141. Then, a childhood sweetheart appears out of nowhere.

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To be honest, home was a fine place to study. Aside from the slight inconvenience of borrowing books from the library, without the distractions of Katagiri Hiroaki and Matsubara Miki, he could actually concentrate on his studies.

Tsukasa Jinguji stayed at home for three days, then returned to the student dormitory.

His parents both worked, and Yoh Yagami’s school was still in session; it seemed there was still a week before Sakura Koji Sakura’s return. Tsukasa decided to spend that time entirely in the library.

It was summer vacation, and Katagiri Hiroaki was busy directing the film club members, so he probably wouldn’t bother him. Tsukasa planned to stop by the dorm briefly, then spend the whole day immersed in the library, diving deeply into the ocean of knowledge.

At least, that was the plan.

But the moment he unlocked his door and stepped inside, he realized something was off.

The bladeless fan was humming—a sound Alice Arisugawa would never leave on when going out.

Then, from the nearby bathroom came a noise, and a girl drying her hair emerged.

Tsukasa couldn’t avoid her. Standing there was Alice Arisugawa, wrapped only in a white towel, steam rising from her freshly bathed body.

Her black hair was damp, her exposed shoulders flushed with a rosy glow, and droplets of water slid down her forehead, traced her cheeks, and fell to her chest.

Tsukasa knew this kind of scene was called a “lucky pervert incident” in anime.

But in his heart, he denied it—he neither felt lucky nor considered himself a pervert.

Time paid no heed to his inner thoughts; it mercilessly slipped away, offering no chance to reflect—just like the water droplets sliding relentlessly down the girl’s body, from neck to thigh.

Neither ceased.

Her expression shifted from dazed to stunned. Once she realized the boy before her was not the imagined threat in her mind, her stiff expression crumbled, tears glistening in her eyes as she let out a fragile cry.

It wasn’t so much a call for help against an attack, but an instinctive reaction to an unexpectedly embarrassing situation.

Outside, a commotion stirred. Tsukasa hadn’t locked the door after entering, and the foolish former couple from next door arrived just in time to see Tsukasa staring unblinkingly at Alice in her towel.

Katagiri Hiroaki couldn’t help but exclaim “Wow~” at the sight, only to be kicked aside by Matsubara Miki.

…

…

The scene was now Tsukasa’s room.

He sat upright, slightly sweating. Opposite him, Alice Arisugawa had her head lowered, her expression hidden, but her exposed ears flushed deep red, silent and speechless.

Matsubara Miki raised a small gavel and tapped it on the coffee table.

“Defendant Tsukasa Jinguji, do you understand the charges?”

“This is a misunderstanding.”

“Silence. Death penalty.”

Damn! This woman clearly enjoyed this.

Tsukasa glanced at Alice, then slowly bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Alice. I shouldn’t have returned to the dorm without telling you.”

Alice remained silent at first, then slowly shook her head.

“I will never forgive you. Go die.” Matsubara Miki dubbed from the side.

Tsukasa ignored the divorced woman and waited for Alice to speak.

“T-Tsukasa-kun, didn’t you go home? Why are you back?”

“To study,” Tsukasa answered honestly.

“Hey, even if you’re a bookworm, do you think we’d believe that? Obviously, you just wanted to sneak a peek at Alice-chan’s body. You pervert!”

“Matsubara-senpai, please don’t speak now; I’m the one asking Tsukasa-kun.”

“...Oh.”

“My home is too far from the library; it’s inconvenient.”

“You really have to study?”

“What’s the point of university if you don’t study?”

Tsukasa uttered what seemed like an absolute truth, silencing Matsubara instantly.

After a long pause, Alice let out a long sigh.

This man seemed to have no room in his head for anything but studying.

If another man had said the same, she wouldn’t have believed it. But since Tsukasa had lived under the same roof with her for months, she was certain he was sincere.

A strange feeling arose that maybe she had been overthinking, and the embarrassment she felt earlier gradually faded.

Perhaps this man truly had no interest in her body.

“I understand. I think this was just an ordinary accident. Besides, I was wrapped in a towel, much more covered than Matsubara-senpai’s crop top. I was just overreacting. Sorry.”

Tsukasa hurriedly waved his hand. “How can I let you apologize? It’s entirely my fault.”

“Huh? Was that a mild diss?”

“Anyway, Tsukasa-kun isn’t interested in girls’ bodies, right?” Alice continued.

Tsukasa felt uneasy hearing that. “Uh... that’s not exactly true.”

“So you do have an interest?”

“If I have to say yes or no, then no.”

“Huh? Tsukasa, are you a homo?”

Matsubara’s expression turned shocked.

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“Hey! Hiroaki, don’t sit next to him! That’s dangerous!”

Alice slapped the table, putting an end to the matter. Matsubara seemed eager to stir things up, but hearing Alice’s words, she didn’t continue to pick on Tsukasa.

Perhaps she worried that Alice and Tsukasa would fall into conflict over this, so she intentionally lightened the mood.

At least, that was Tsukasa’s guess.

Afterward, Tsukasa understood why Alice had been bathing in the dorm in broad daylight. During a filming session by the river that noon, Alice had slipped and fallen into the school pond. That explained why she returned to shower and was caught off guard by Tsukasa’s unexpected return.

It was purely a coincidence.

Yet, though on the surface they acted as if nothing had happened, this coincidence somewhat altered how Tsukasa and Alice related to each other.

At least for Tsukasa, it made him more aware—he deliberately kept his distance from her. During her nightly bath time, he would study downstairs in the common area, leaving Alice alone in the room. He guessed this made her feel more at ease.

…

…

“Will you be back tomorrow? What time? I can pick you up at the station.”

“No need. I’m not a child. Don’t forget I’m older than you.”

“Only by a few hours.”

“Even if just a few hours, I’m still older.”

“Should I call you ‘Miss Sakura Koji’ then?”

“What? Like you think I’m an idiot.”

“You’re just not as smart as me.”

“Hmph! You can boast all you want for now. Just wait and see how I deal with you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Hey, Tsukasa...”

“What?”

“Do you still live at school?”

“Well... in the dorm.”

“Can I come visit tomorrow?”

“What?”

“I want to see what kind of place you live in. When I’m not around, do you take care of yourself? Eat well? Sleep well? Is that okay?”

“Uh... it’s not that I don’t want you to.”

“Really? Then it’s settled! You don’t have to pick me up tomorrow; I’ll come straight to your place. Send me the dorm address later.”

“...Okay.”

After hanging up, Tsukasa sat there, dazed. After a while, he took the elevator back to his room.

Inside, Alice had finished showering and dried her hair.

“Oh, Tsukasa-kun, welcome back. I’m sorry for troubling you every time. But you don’t need to come downstairs just for me.”

“The common area has air conditioning; it’s quite comfortable.”

“It’s fine to turn it on in the room too. I told you I’d pay the electricity bill.”

Tsukasa forced a smile, unsure how to respond.

“Kube-san is moving out next week. Sorry for bothering you such a long time.”

“...Ne-Next week?”

“Yeah.”

Tomorrow, Sakura Koji Sakura would arrive at the dorm.

Tsukasa pondered, imagining how she would react upon learning he was living with another girl.

Hmm... in any case, it didn’t seem promising.

…

…

The next day.

Tsukasa waited early at the station, glancing at his phone occasionally. Sakura Koji was live-streaming her progress station by station.

After a long wait, a short-haired woman appeared before him, pulling a suitcase. Her familiar sun-kissed skin and side ponytail were unmistakable.

Compared to when they parted, his childhood friend had grown taller and her chest had developed to a B-cup—respectable for an adult woman.

The youthful awkwardness of her high school days had faded, replaced by a confident aura. It was hard to believe this was the once somewhat clumsy Sakura Koji.

“Tsukasa!”

The childhood friends reunited. Upon seeing Tsukasa, she immediately dropped her suitcase and confidently leapt into his arms without hesitation.

Tsukasa caught her and spun around to absorb the impact.

Passersby smiled, mistaking them for a couple deeply in love.

“Sakura, you’ve gained weight.”

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“That’s so mean! After a year and a half, the first thing you say is that? Unbelievable! Idiot! Insensitive! I hate you!”

“Well, it’s true. I’ve put on seven pounds and grown about five centimeters taller. My waist has even slimmed down.”

“Ugh! Tsukasa, you sound like a pervert!”

“Is that a bit too much?”

“But I like it—it means you’ve been paying attention to me, hehe~~”

Setting Sakura down, she took a few steps back, hands behind her back, leaning forward to scrutinize Tsukasa’s face.

“What’s up?” he asked.

Sakura nodded. “Hmm! You’re still as annoyingly handsome as ever. Seriously, why do you have to be so good-looking? Do you use your face to charm girls at university?”

“My face is from my parents, not something I chose.”

“Hmph! Taking advantage and then acting coy.”

Tsukasa stepped forward to pick up the suitcase she’d tossed aside. Sakura kept smiling joyfully, never stopping her examination.

“Hey, Tsukasa, have you grown taller?” She raised her hand and tiptoed, measuring the space between their heads.

“If you can grow, why can’t I?”

“How tall are you now?”

“Uh... about 178 centimeters.”

“Hey~~~”

“What’s with that ‘hey’?”

“Never mind. More importantly, take me to your place.”

“Uh...”

“What’s wrong?” Sakura asked curiously.

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

“Okay!” Sakura beamed, happily walking beside Tsukasa, bouncing like a rabbit out for food.

Though an adult woman, her behavior was little different from her high school days. Seeing her like that, Tsukasa couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.

No! This was not the time to bask in the joy of reunion!

The station was about 300 meters from the dorm—only a few minutes’ walk.

Alice had gone out early with Katagiri Hiroaki to shoot their film, so Tsukasa didn’t have to worry about running into her in his room.

Then, what was in Tsukasa’s room?

Women’s sandals by the entrance, cosmetics in the washroom, dresses in the closet, and perhaps some damp lingerie hanging on the balcony.

After all, lingerie shouldn’t always be dried overnight; sun exposure to sterilize them was important.

No, that wasn’t the point. The point was that as Tsukasa was lost in these thoughts, they were already approaching the dorm.

“Hey, Sakura, want to check out the school?”

“Eh~~ but it’s so hot outside. I want to cool off in your room. Tokyo’s heat is unbearable.”

“The library has air conditioning; it’s very comfortable. I’m there every day.”

“It’s a rare holiday. Why would I want to go to the library? Do I look like someone who loves studying?”

Good... good point.

“Besides, I only made it to second year high school. Although the school said they’d give me a diploma, there are still many procedures before then. Technically, I only have a middle school diploma. Tokyo University feels suffocating just to think about.”

Sakura’s sharp words left Tsukasa speechless.

“But I really want to see the environment where you study, so take me there later.” Sakura smiled adorably.

Good!

Tsukasa clenched his fist quietly.

However...

At that moment, Matsubara Miki suddenly emerged from inside the dorm entrance.

“Huh? Tsukasa, why are you here now...”

“Eh? Tsukasa, that Tsukasa...”

“That guy who only studies actually brought an unknown woman back to the dorm!”

Tsukasa felt his scalp go numb.

Damn! He’d forgotten about this woman!

All is lost.

(The End of this Chapter)