Chapter 801

Chapter 801: Chapter 801

After returning from the uninhabited island, Yamamura Miki gradually slipped back into her familiar, quiet routine.

Nobody paid much attention to her. Nobody came over to talk to her. Nobody—

"M-Miki?"

At least, that was how things were supposed to be.

By the time Miki came back to herself, she was sitting in Sakura Airi’s room again.

Ever since the incident they had shared during the island exam, the two girls had somehow become much closer. Perhaps there really was something special about a friendship forged through doing something embarrassing together.

Airi’s room felt unmistakably girlish. Her desk was cluttered with all sorts of little objects, while the wardrobe and full-length mirror were decorated with cute animal stickers. There were also a few things that looked suspiciously like fitness equipment, including a yoga mat, which made Miki glance around in confusion.

’Does Airi secretly exercise every day?’

"Miki... don’t move."

Airi’s soft voice pulled her attention back.

A moment later, Miki felt the gentle touch of a makeup brush against her cheek. Airi was leaning close, wearing an unusually serious expression as she carefully worked.

"I-I’m not used to this."

Miki sat stiffly.

This was the first time she had stayed this close to someone for so long without being able to move.

"It’s okay. I’m almost done."

Airi was embarrassed too, but compared with the excitement of doing her friend’s makeup, she could endure it.

In the past, she never would have imagined herself calmly sitting face-to-face with someone like this. Meeting another person’s eyes at such close range would normally have destroyed her composure within seconds.

But Miki was different.

They were too similar.

That made everything easier.

Airi wanted to help her friend look prettier. Miki always wore the same side ponytail, kept her head lowered over her phone, and seemed determined to erase as much of her presence as possible.

Admittedly, Airi herself usually looked just as plain. She wore twin braids, glasses, slouched whenever people looked at her, and deliberately dressed in a way that made her seem forgettable.

But that was a disguise!

As a former gravure idol, Airi obviously knew how to present herself. She had studied styling and photography carefully, and Kaoru would never have considered her suitable as a visual centerpiece for a unit if she had no sense for appearances.

That was why Airi had invited Miki over today and enthusiastically decided to give her a complete makeover.

"Mm-hmm... okay."

Airi finally leaned back and picked up a mirror.

"What do you think? Pretty?"

Miki instinctively looked into the reflection and froze.

The girl staring back at her looked strangely unfamiliar.

Her usual side ponytail had been undone, allowing her thick, smooth hair to fall freely over her back and shoulders. The new style exposed the graceful line of her neck and collarbones, while Airi’s light makeup had softened her features without making them look artificial. Her lips carried a faint gloss, her eyelashes seemed longer, and the subtle eye makeup made her eyes look brighter than usual.

"I-I... look like that?"

Miki stared in disbelief.

She was so accustomed to making herself inconspicuous that seeing this polished version of herself felt almost uncomfortable.

"Ehehe. Miki was already pretty. I just helped bring it out."

Airi looked extremely proud.

That was the magic of makeup.

It could make an ordinary girl look beautiful, and it could make a beautiful girl look almost unreal.

Miki might not have possessed the immediately striking beauty of someone like Airi, but her skin was already clear and smooth, which meant Airi barely needed to conceal anything. With a little adjustment here and there, an unexpectedly delicate girl appeared in the mirror.

"Oh! Clothes too."

Airi suddenly hurried toward the wardrobe.

"If we’re doing this, we should change your whole style."

A short while later, she pulled out a simple white dress.

"Let’s try this one first."

Then she became slightly embarrassed.

"I-it’s clean. I barely wore it."

She had no idea whether most girls casually shared clothes like this, but she genuinely wanted to share hers with Miki.

There was always the possibility Miki might find that uncomfortable.

"I’ll try it."

Miki answered softly.

Neither girl noticed how different that response was from the Miki of several months ago.

Back then, she probably would have panicked, refused out of awkwardness, and spent the next ten minutes insisting that Airi did not need to trouble herself.

Now, she could accept a friend’s kindness without feeling guilty for existing.

Airi visibly relaxed and happily handed over the dress.

They had already bathed together during the island exam, so changing in the same room no longer felt quite as impossible as it once would have. Miki still hesitated from embarrassment, but after a moment she changed into the dress and nervously stood in front of the full-length mirror.

The design itself was simple. The top resembled a blouse with buttons and a modest collar, while a belt around the waist gave the otherwise loose silhouette a little more shape. Combined with her long hair and understated makeup, the result gave Miki the air of a quiet, well-behaved girl-next-door.

She wore only simple white socks, leaving part of her legs bare, and the overall look was much lighter and more feminine than anything she normally chose for herself.

"Super cute!"

Airi immediately praised her.

Miki’s cheeks turned pink.

Part of the embarrassment came from the fact that their figures were not quite the same, so the dress sat more loosely on Miki in certain places.

"I’m taking pictures!"

Airi had somehow already produced her camera.

"After that, we’ll try another outfit."

"Eh?"

Miki barely had time to react before the shutter clicked several times.

Airi inspected the shots with satisfaction.

Now she had even more pictures of her best friend.

Before Miki could recover, Airi was already pushing another outfit toward her.

Denim skirt, fitted skirt, long skirt, pleated skirt, shorts, sundress...

After several changes, Miki finally realized something was wrong.

Why did Airi own this many clothes?

Sometimes Airi could take the same skirt, change only the top and accessories, and somehow produce an entirely different style. Miki became increasingly overwhelmed as the pile on the bed grew.

Eventually, Airi even produced a maid outfit.

Miki turned bright red.

"Super cute!"

Airi praised her yet again.

"I think Miki should try different styles more often."

The confidence in Airi’s voice made Miki feel a little inferior.

Whenever Airi talked about something she understood well, the timid, hesitant girl seemed to disappear. In her place was someone bright, confident, and surprisingly charismatic.

Haruka had once jokingly called this Airi’s "super idol mode."

"I-I think I’ll pass."

Miki shook her head.

"This kind of thing doesn’t suit me. If people started looking at me..."

She trailed off, but Airi understood.

Girls like them existed in an awkward contradiction.

They wanted somebody to notice them.

They just did not want everybody noticing them.

If strangers stared at Airi all day, she would probably die from embarrassment.

"I... didn’t mean for everyone."

Airi suddenly became shy again.

"You could let Kaoru see."

Miki froze.

"He’d definitely like it."

Her face instantly turned red.

"W-we already... did something strange before."

Airi became embarrassed too.

"Miki doesn’t hate him, right?"

The moment she mentioned the previous incident, Miki’s mind automatically returned to the island.

Heat rushed to her face.

She instinctively tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to hide her expression, only to feel how hot her own skin had become.

"I-I-I don’t know."

The answer came out as a stammer.

That whole night had been so embarrassing that merely remembering it made her want to disappear.

"What if... it happened again?"

Airi asked carefully.

Then she panicked at her own wording and immediately waved both hands.

"N-no, that’s not what I mean! I mean... if Kaoru tried to get closer to you again... no, wait... if he confessed to you?"

After Kaoru had scolded her for pushing Miki too aggressively during the island exam, Airi had become much more cautious.

Unfortunately, caution did not mean she had become any better at phrasing things.

Miki had never seriously imagined someone confessing to her.

She froze completely.

Against her will, an image formed in her mind.

Kaoru pulling her gently into his arms, his chest warm against her face, his voice lowering beside her ear as he told her—

"Miki?"

By the time Airi spoke again, Miki’s entire face was burning.

She looked as though steam might start rising from her head.

"Should I call him over?"

Airi blinked.

She was beginning to understand exactly where Miki’s imagination had gone.

"N-no!"

Miki immediately looked up.

"H-he’s on leave! And... and right now..."

’He should be spending time with his girlfriends.’

She did not finish the sentence, but Airi understood anyway.

"It’s fine. He’s at school today."

Airi sounded almost smug.

"I can call him."

She was Kaoru’s girlfriend too.

Surely she was allowed to summon her own boyfriend once in a while.

"W-wait! I’m not ready!"

Miki stared in horror as Airi pulled out her phone.

Airi, however, was feeling increasingly impatient.

Kaoru was still on leave and only returned to school every few days. If Miki continued hiding and refused to even meet him, how long would it take before anything changed?

Tsubasa and Ichika had already found their places beside him.

Kaoru’s already ridiculous romantic circle kept expanding.

At this rate, everyone might eventually decide enough was enough and collectively forbid him from getting involved with anyone else.

Airi had to get Miki—and ideally Haruka too—inside before the gates closed.

"You already went through all the trouble of getting dressed up."

Airi searched desperately for a reasonable justification.

"It’d be such a waste if he didn’t see it."

In Airi’s mind, there were only two reasons a girl dressed herself up.

For herself.

Or for someone she liked.

Miki had already seen herself.

Naturally, it was Kaoru’s turn.

"He doesn’t have to see..."

Miki protested weakly.

"Let him."

Airi moved closer and clung to her arm.

"Just once. You like him anyway, and he’ll definitely think you’re cute."

Perhaps because she had been dating for a while now, Airi did not even realize she was whining in a tone suspiciously similar to the way Kei behaved around Kaoru.

Miki wavered.

Did she really like Kaoru?

Why did everyone keep saying that as though it were obvious?

She wanted to deny it.

Yet when she opened her mouth, no words came out.

She had never been in love before. She genuinely did not understand what she was supposed to feel.

All she knew was that her heart was beating far too quickly and her entire body felt hot.

Without realizing it, Miki began twisting the edge of her skirt between her fingers.

Then the doorbell rang.

Her entire body jolted.

Airi immediately hurried to the door.

A moment later, a familiar figure appeared.

"Morning, Airi."

Kaoru smiled and gently rubbed her head.

Airi immediately softened.

She shyly hugged him and closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the affection.

Since she had been relaxing in her own room, she was dressed casually in a T-shirt and shorts, looking much more comfortable around him than the timid girl Kaoru had first met.

"Ehehe. Come in."

Airi caught his arm and pulled him inside.

Only then did Kaoru notice Miki.

He stopped.

This was the first time he had seen her without her usual side ponytail.

Her long hair fell almost to her waist, and combined with the simple white dress, she looked like a completely different person—quiet, gentle, and unexpectedly elegant.

The moment Miki noticed him staring, her face turned pink and her gaze dropped.

"I did her makeup."

Airi secretly watched Kaoru’s reaction.

"Pretty?"

Kaoru finally recovered.

For a brief moment, seeing Miki like this reminded him of the first time he realized just how striking Airi could look once she stopped hiding herself.

Airi was still more immediately eye-catching, but Miki had a different appeal entirely. Something about her shy, harmless appearance made Kaoru feel an instinctive urge to tease her just to see what expression she would make.

"She looks really good."

Kaoru smiled.

"The makeup and dress fit her perfectly. Everything works together naturally. If someone from class saw her like this, they might not even realize it was Miki at first."

The more enthusiastically Kaoru praised her work, the happier Airi became.

After all, praising Miki also meant praising the person who had styled her.

Miki cautiously raised her head.

Kaoru was still looking at her.

Her thoughts immediately became chaotic again, and she forgot even the basic courtesy of saying hello.

"There were other outfits too."

Airi eagerly seized the opportunity.

"Do you want to see?"

"N-no!"

Miki finally found her voice.

She stopped Airi with a face so red it looked painful.

Changing in front of Airi had been one thing.

How exactly was she supposed to do that with Kaoru sitting in the room?

Besides, several of those outfits were far too embarrassing for him to see.

"But they were really cute..."

Airi looked devastated.

"No. Absolutely not."

Miki could barely speak properly with Kaoru present.

Kaoru wisely stayed silent.

The wardrobe was open, the bed was covered in clothes, and he could clearly see something resembling a maid outfit among them.

He was curious.

He was also smart enough not to investigate.

"Ahem."

Kaoru sat down across from Miki.

"It’s been a while."

The moment Airi called him, he had already guessed what she was trying to arrange.

Conveniently, he had wanted to talk to Miki as well.

He owed her an explanation about the island incident, and he wanted to understand how she actually felt about him instead of relying entirely on Airi’s matchmaking.

Miki kept her eyes lowered.

She had spent most of the summer avoiding him and now had no idea where to begin.

"Are you still angry?"

Kaoru asked.

Miki blinked before realizing what he meant.

She immediately shook her head.

"N-no. I’m not angry. It isn’t what you think."

If anything, Miki had spent the summer worrying that Kaoru might be angry with her.

After all, she and Airi had been the ones who entered his tent and created that entire ridiculous situation.

She stole another glance at his face.

Did he think she was shameless now?

"Even if you aren’t angry, I still owe you an apology."

Kaoru’s tone became serious.

"We were friends, and things went farther than they should have. I should’ve handled it better."

Miki pressed her lips together.

Her shoulders gradually sank.

So he really did think she had behaved improperly.

"Mm... I’m sorry too."

Kaoru stared at her.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I... I did something a normal girl wouldn’t do."

Miki looked increasingly miserable.

"I’m a bad girl."

"Miki, you’re not a bad girl."

Kaoru almost laughed from helplessness.

"I’m the one apologizing. You didn’t do anything wrong."

"But normal girls wouldn’t end up in a situation like that."

From Miki’s perspective, the embarrassing part was precisely that nobody had forced her into anything.

If she could blame someone else, perhaps she could have convinced herself it said nothing about her.

Instead, she had willingly gone along with Airi.

That was what made her feel ashamed.

"It wasn’t because there’s something wrong with you."

Kaoru tried to explain without making the conversation even more awkward.

"That situation got out of hand. That’s all."

The more he tried to reassure her, the less convinced Miki looked.

"A-actually... it was probably my fault."

Airi weakly raised one hand.

"I started everything without really thinking, and then it became awkward."

Miki somehow looked even more depressed.

Kaoru rubbed his forehead.

This was rapidly turning into an extremely strange self-criticism meeting.

"Okay. We’re ending this topic."

He changed direction immediately.

"I’ve been away from school and missed most of your gatherings lately. Sorry about that."

"I-it’s okay."

Miki answered softly.

Airi sat beside Kaoru and alternated between staring at him and staring at Miki.

This was not going according to the romantic scenario she had imagined.

After thinking for a while, Airi made a decision.

She suddenly cupped Kaoru’s face in both hands and kissed him.

Miki’s eyes widened.

This was the first time she had properly watched Airi kiss Kaoru in front of her.

Kaoru himself was caught off guard, though Airi only gave him a brief kiss before pulling back.

Then she turned toward Miki.

"Miki... does that bother you?"

Miki froze.

"You know, seeing me and Kaoru like that."

Miki did not know how to describe the feeling.

She knew perfectly well that Airi and Kaoru were dating.

There was absolutely nothing strange about them kissing.

And yet, the instant Airi asked whether she minded, something inside Miki tightened.

It felt strangely sour.

She pressed her lips together.

Airi studied her reaction.

"If you can’t answer, then it probably bothers you at least a little."

Her voice became gentler.

"When you see someone you like kissing somebody else, sometimes it hurts. You start thinking that if someone else gets one kiss, you want ten."

Kaoru glanced at Airi in surprise.

That was unexpectedly perceptive.

"Maybe this will help Miki understand how she feels."

Airi gave Kaoru a little push.

"Go on."

Kaoru looked toward Miki.

She instinctively tried to retreat, only to realize there was nowhere to go.

The sight made him feel as though he were cornering some timid little animal.

"Miki."

Kaoru moved closer.

"You look really cute today."

Under normal circumstances, approaching her like this could easily feel too aggressive.

But if he waited for Miki to take the initiative, they might still be having this same conversation after graduation.

She had spent almost the entire summer hiding from him because of one embarrassing incident.

Besides, Kaoru was not oblivious.

A girl with no feelings for him would never have allowed Airi to drag her into that situation in the first place.

And his Emotion Perception made the answer even harder to miss.

Miki shifted nervously.

Kaoru placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.

Her body trembled.

"If you don’t like this, push me away."

That was all he said.

Then he leaned closer and kissed her.

Miki’s mind immediately went blank.

She felt only the gentle warmth against her lips and Kaoru’s breath close to her face. Her hands tightened around her skirt, and for several seconds she forgot what she was supposed to do.

Kaoru pulled away before the moment could become overwhelming.

"Airi already told me not to overcomplicate things."

He looked directly at her.

"Romance doesn’t have to start with some grand realization. If Miki hasn’t figured out exactly what she feels yet, that’s fine. I have plenty of time to explore it with you slowly."

Then he smiled.

"Because I think Miki is a very cute girl too."

Miki stared at him.

Then, unexpectedly, her expression collapsed into disappointment.

"I-I already lost my first kiss."

Kaoru blinked.

Miki looked genuinely aggrieved.

He knew she had never dated anyone before.

"What happened? Did somebody force you?"

The question came out more sharply than he intended.

Miki looked at him, noticed the anger in his eyes, and immediately became nervous.

"N-no, nobody else did anything. It was... last time, when we were fooling around and everything got mixed up..."

After listening to her painfully embarrassed explanation, Kaoru finally understood what she meant.

Relief immediately replaced his concern.

Then he almost laughed.

"Miki, that doesn’t count."

He leaned closer again.

"A first kiss means this."

Kaoru kissed her once more.

This time, Miki was prepared enough not to freeze completely.

Her hands gradually released the fabric of her skirt, and the tension slowly left her shoulders. The gentle closeness felt entirely different from the embarrassing chaos she had been remembering all summer.

So this was what kissing someone was supposed to feel like.

Something warm and strangely sweet, intimate without being frightening.

Without noticing it, Miki leaned a little closer.

Kaoru wrapped an arm gently around her waist.

The moment his hand shifted, Miki finally became aware of how close they were and hurriedly pressed against his chest.

Her entire face was red.

Kaoru smiled.

"Both last time and today were Airi’s ideas, weren’t they?"

Miki blinked.

"What do you think? Should we punish her a little?"

"Eh?"

Airi stared at him in disbelief.

After everything she had done to help them, she was the one getting punished?

The moment she saw Kaoru’s expression, however, she instinctively tried to escape.

Too late.

Kaoru caught her around the waist and pulled her backward onto the bed before she could get away.

"You corrupted such a well-behaved girl."

He held her in place while Airi protested.

"You used to be the timid one. Have Kei and Kikyō completely infected you?"

"They have not!"

Airi struggled.

"And don’t tickle me!"

"I didn’t say I was going to."

Airi froze.

She had exposed herself.

Kaoru immediately took advantage and tickled her sides lightly.

"A-ah! Wait! I surrender!"

Airi twisted around helplessly, laughing despite herself.

Miki watched from nearby, her face still warm.

"Wait, it wasn’t only Airi’s fault."

She misunderstood the situation and hurriedly tried to defend her friend.

"I was responsible too."

Kaoru paused.

Miki gathered her courage.

"So if you’re going to punish someone... you can punish me too."

As Airi’s best friend, she refused to let Airi suffer alone.

Kaoru stared at her.

Before he could explain that this was not exactly a serious punishment, Airi saw an opportunity.

She suddenly shoved Kaoru sideways and triumphantly climbed over him.

"Now it’s our turn!"

Airi looked toward Miki with sparkling eyes.

"Miki, hurry! Help me!"

Miki absolutely did not hurry.

She was wearing a dress.

There were certain things she was not going to do no matter how much Airi encouraged her.

Kaoru looked up at Airi.

"Who exactly are you planning to punish?"

Airi’s confidence immediately wavered.

Kaoru caught her around the waist and retaliated by tickling her again.

"Ah! Wait, wait! I give up! Miki, save me!"

Airi dissolved into helpless laughter.

Miki stood nearby, half embarrassed and half amused, watching the two of them struggle.

For the first time, she realized how relaxed Airi looked around Kaoru.

There was no fear in any of it.

No hesitation.

Only familiarity.

Affection.

And trust.

Miki unconsciously touched her own lips.

She had kissed him.

A real kiss this time.

The realization made her heart begin racing all over again.

’So... what happens now?’

Her eyes drifted toward Kaoru.

’Does this mean I’m going to become his girlfriend too?’