Monday.
After the typhoon passed, time quietly entered September, the longest summer vacation of student life quietly became a memory, and the first day of school officially arrived.
In front of the Gotō home.
Two Honda Cubs were parked side by side.
Hitori, wearing a brown helmet, stood in front of the Honda Cub, her pink long hair, blown by the breeze, shimmered in the sunlight.
Today is September 1st, Monday, which is both the first day of school and a workday. The trains and subways would definitely be packed, so Kitahara messaged Hitori last night, agreeing to ride their scooters to school together today.
"Sister is so cool!"
Futari's adoring cheer rang out clearly.
"Eheh~"
Although Hitori was wearing a helmet, the smug snicker from underneath it was still audible.
According to Nijika's complaints, Hitori only had two forms: one was smugness after being praised, and the other was her most common timidness.
Now, having received her sister's admiration and praise, if Hitori had a tail, it would surely be wagging to the heavens.
Beside Futari was a smiling Mrs. Goto:
"Makoto-kun, today is your first time riding your scooters to school. Hitori is in your hands."
Kitahara stood beside Hitori and replied seriously:
"Auntie, please rest assured. Feel free to entrust Hitori's life to me."
"Eh…"
Mrs. Goto raised a hand to cover her mouth, a pleased expression on her face:
"Is this an early proposal to Hitori?"
"Pro-proposal…"
Hitori immediately felt embarrassed, her small face quickly flushed red, and she nervously transformed from her smug form into her timid form.
Kitahara said seriously:
"I'll propose after Hitori and I graduate from university."
Mrs. Goto's face showed a troubled expression:
"But it'll be hard for Hitori to get into university with her grades, won't it?"
Kitahara's tone was confident:
"Hitori passed all her subjects in the last final exam. I'm confident I can tutor Hitori to get into university."
"Then thank you, Makoto-kun." Mrs. Goto clasped her hands to her chest, smiling happily, "I accept your marriage to Hitori right now."
(No, don't!)
Hitori was so embarrassed she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.
(We're just high school students, talking about marriage… That's too soon! Mom, please rein it in a bit!)
"It's, it's getting late…"
Hitori gathered her courage and stammered, interjecting:
"If we don't leave soon, we'll be late. There's also the opening ceremony today…"
Kitahara nodded lightly:
"It is indeed getting late. Hitori and I should depart."
"Alright then, please be careful." Mrs. Goto waved, instructing, "Hitori, stay close behind Makoto-kun. Remember to obey traffic rules, and text mom when you arrive."
"Got it, mom."
Hitori breathed a sigh of relief, her small face flushed with shy urgency:
"Kitahara-kun, let's leave quickly…"
"We're leaving now."
"…"
Kitahara politely bid farewell to Mrs. Goto, gave Futari two candies, then put on his helmet and rode his scooter with Hitori, departing together for school.
There wasn't much to say about the ride. Hitori followed behind Kitahara the whole way. As a new rider, she was inevitably a bit nervous, constantly looking around and listening attentively. Plus, traffic rules prohibited riding side-by-side, and it was inconvenient to chat with helmets on, so Kitahara could only chat with Hitori for a few words when they stopped at traffic lights. It was even less talkative than when they took the train together.
However, it was clear that Hitori was exceptionally happy riding to school.
An hour later.
Kitahara and Hitori safely arrived at school and pushed their scooters into the bike shed.
"Phew…"
Hitori took off her helmet, her fair, smooth forehead slightly beaded with sweat, but a smile clearly bloomed on her small face, and her peach blossom eyes sparkled as she looked over:
"Riding the scooter is so easy. From now on, let's ride scooters to school every day, okay?"
"Good weather is fine, but in bad weather like strong winds, rain, or hail, the scooter won't be easy." Kitahara took off his helmet and put it in the basket. "Hitori, go back to the classroom first. I have something else to do."
"Mm-hmm."
"…"
After parting ways with Hitori, Kitahara walked towards the Astronomical Club activity room.
Thump-thump.
Kitahara raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.
"Please come in."
A girl's gentle and pleasant voice came out.
Kitahara pushed open the door and entered the activity room, looking at the girl who was cleaning, and smiled:
"Tomori, good morning."
Tomori had a white towel wrapped around her head, looking somewhat like a little chef. Her eyes were bright as she looked over:
"Makoto-kun, good morning."
Kitahara casually took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and began to help clean:
"Tomori, did you come very early?"
Tomori gently shook her head:
"No, I just got here a little while ago."
"It's only been a month and a half, and it's accumulated so much dust." Kitahara picked up a rag. "Looks like we have a big job today."
"…"
When a man and a woman work together, the work is not tiring.
The Astronomical Club activity room was not large, and with Kitahara and Tomori's tacit cooperation, the entire activity room was refreshed in just twenty minutes.
"Done."
Kitahara nodded in satisfaction.
"Makoto-kun, crouch down."
Tomori suddenly said softly.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara paused slightly, then crouched down in front of Tomori, saying:
"Just helping with the cleaning, no need for a kiss as a reward, right?"
"Not a kiss." Tomori's eyes were bright, and she held a wet wipe in her hand. "Makoto-kun, you have dust on your face."
Kitahara: "…"
Sorry, it turns out he was overthinking.
Tomori gently pursed her lips, carefully wiped the dust from Kitahara's face, then lightly stood on her tiptoes, her small face slightly flushed as she leaned in, her lips touching and then separating.
"It's not a reward…"
Tomori's eyes were bright, and she said softly:
"It's a good morning kiss."
Kitahara: "…"
Did you secretly read shojo manga? You never used to say such heart-fluttering lines before!
Looking at Tomori, whose small face was slightly flushed and whose eyes were moist, Kitahara had only one thought.
He couldn't resist.
He absolutely couldn't resist.
Such a well-behaved and adorable Tomori, who had now learned to actively tease him, naturally deserved a good reward.
Kitahara simply extended his right hand, pulled Tomori into his embrace, and then thoroughly teased her.
A moment later.
A knock on the door suddenly sounded.
Accompanying the knocking, the activity room door was quickly pushed open, and a pink-haired girl walked in with light steps.
"Tomori-chan, good morning, I'm here to help you clean… Eh?"
Seeing her friend with a flushed face and gasping for breath in the activity room, Anon's cheeks quickly puffed up. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Kitahara with full jealousy:
"Kitahara-kun, you're too much! The moment I came in, I saw you bullying Tomori-chan!"
Kitahara looked down at the girl in his arms:
"Tomori, was I bullying you?"
"Hoo… hoo…"
Tomori's breathing was still a bit rapid. Hearing this, her small face flushed, and she gently shook her head:
"Makoto-kun wasn't bullying me."
Anon put her hands on her hips, clearly not believing her:
"Tomori-chan, speak up boldly! I and everyone else will uphold justice for you!"
Tomori, blushing, said softly:
"Makoto-kun came to help clean, and that was a reward just now."
There was nothing she could do. Tomori was also a girl with a sense of shame. She could say 'good morning kiss' in front of Kitahara, but in front of Anon, she simply couldn't bring herself to say it.
Anon: "…"
Seeing the person involved switch sides, Anon naturally couldn't continue to uphold justice. She could only puff out her cheeks and gaze at Kitahara with resentment.
Although she didn't speak, the expression on her face was exceptionally easy to read:
"I'm jealous, hurry up and coax me!"
Anon was originally a girl who liked to act spoiled and clingy. After pushing Kitahara down a few days ago, her clinginess had increased by another level.
Kitahara said unhurriedly:
"How about I get a mirror from the Onsen Village and put it in the activity room?"
"Hmm?"
Tomori tilted her head in confusion.
Kitahara looked at Anon and explained meaningfully, "Everyone is late sometimes. If we put a mirror in the club room, in case of a special situation, we can directly quick travel to school and not worry about being late."
"Makoto-kun is very thoughtful," Tomori agreed.
"Something's not right…" Anon muttered quietly.
Although the reason was legitimate, Kitahara's gaze was off. Anon's intuition told her that this matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.
"I'm going to Onsen Village right now."
Kitahara was full of initiative. He simply went to Onsen Village, brought out a full-length mirror, and placed it in the corner of the club room.
Mirrors were essential items for quick travel, so Kitahara had prepared many mirrors in Onsen Village, just in case.
"The cleaning is done," Kitahara clapped his hands. "Shall we go back to the classroom?"
"Okay."
The three of them left the club room together.
While Tomori was not paying attention, as Kitahara and Anon brushed past each other, he lightly poked Anon's waist.
"Ah…"
The waist was a vulnerable spot for girls. Suddenly attacked, Anon involuntarily let out a soft cry.
"What's wrong, Anon?" Tomori looked over in confusion.
"N-nothing…" Anon's pretty face flushed slightly. "A bug almost flew into my face just now."
Kitahara said as if nothing had happened, "Mosquitoes and bugs are common in summer. Anon, don't make such a fuss."
Anon: "…"
Scumbag-kun is too much!
You poked me first, which made me cry out, and now you're lecturing me? It's super infuriating!
"I'm going to the bathroom," Kitahara said with a normal expression, looking at Anon as he spoke. "You two go back first."
Separating from Anon and Tomori, Kitahara leisurely went to the bathroom.
After a quick wash, Kitahara came to the stairwell corner and saw a pink-haired girl secretly hiding in the corner.
"Why did scumbag-kun poke me just now?" Anon pouted her cheeks, indicating she was unhappy.
Kitahara lowered his voice: "Anon, your eyes were suspicious just now. Do you think I have other motives for getting the mirror?"
Anon's curiosity immediately surged: "As expected, there are other motives! What does Kitahara-kun want to do?"
Kitahara smiled and said, "Anon will know if she comes tonight."
"Eh?" Anon blinked blankly, clearly not understanding.
Kitahara whispered, "Anon also wants to try what it feels like in the classroom, right?"
Anon's pretty face instantly flushed red. She immediately understood Kitahara's sinister intentions and quickly raised her arms to cover her chest, shyly glaring at him: "Y-you actually want to do that kind of thing at school… Kitahara is too perverted!"
Kitahara had a thick skin and no shame at all: "Anon, aren't you curious?"
"I'm not curious at all!" Anon decisively shook her head and denied it.
To be honest, she was actually a little curious. After all, she had a bold personality that could even reverse-seduce boys, and her desire for exploration and knowledge was very strong. But she would not admit it now, no matter what.
Kitahara whispered, "No one will find out tonight."
"Even if there are no students, there will be teachers patrolling, right?"
"Don't worry, with Onsen Village, we definitely won't be discovered."
"I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening~ scumbag-kun, don't have dirty thoughts all the time!"
"…"
Anon made up her mind that she definitely wouldn't agree now, but if Kitahara asked her again tonight if she wanted to… she would only consider it for a moment.
Arriving at the school building with Anon, the two separated in the hallway and went to their respective classrooms.
"Kitahara-kun, good morning."
"Kitahara, did you go out during the summer vacation?"
"Kitahara-kun, a new movie just came out recently. Do you have time this afternoon?"
"Kitahara-kun, let's go to a party after school this afternoon?"
"…"
Entering the classroom, the gossip-loving classmates greeted Kitahara, with a particularly large number of girls among them.
Kitahara's charm value was now almost on par with a succubus, and coupled with his tactful way of dealing with people, his popularity was actually very good.
By the time Kitahara finished chatting and returned to his seat, it was already ten minutes later.
"Togawa-san, good morning."
Kitahara looked at the blue-haired girl at the back desk and raised his hand to greet her.
"Good morning," Sakiko's lips moved slightly. "Kitahara-kun is really popular."
Kitahara lowered his voice: "Sakiko, are you jealous?"
Sakiko turned her head to look at the playground outside the window: "I'm not jealous."
You say you're not, but your little actions clearly show you are!
Kitahara whispered, "When I entered the campus just now, I passed by the cherry blossom tree where Sakiko and I first met… Sakiko, do you want to know what I was thinking at that time?"
"…"
Sakiko's ears twitched slightly. Although she didn't speak, her eyes involuntarily glanced over.
Kitahara softly said, "At that time, I was thinking… that meeting Togawa-san was my good fortune."
"What the…"
Sakiko raised her hand to cover her forehead, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but curve upwards.
Although she knew Kitahara was trying to make her happy, she still felt very happy.
"It's been several days since I went shopping with Ghost-senpai," Kitahara whispered. "Ghost-senpai is our matchmaker, Sakiko and mine. Shall we go visit her this evening?"
"I don't want that kind of matchmaker…" Sakiko quietly complained, gently pursing her lips: "But it's true that I haven't visited Ghost-senpai in several days."
"Then shall we go together tonight?"
"Okay."
"…"
After chatting with Sakiko for a while, a female teacher walked into the classroom and informed everyone to go to the stadium for the opening ceremony.
Kitahara arrived at the stadium and saw the school leaders walk onto the stage. He thought it would be another cliché, but he didn't expect today's theme to be completely different.
After a simple speech celebrating the start of school, the school leaders actually started talking about things related to anomalies, telling all students to be vigilant. Once they encountered strange existences, they should call the police immediately. In addition, there were also strategies for dealing with common anomalies and so on.
The gossip-loving classmates below were in an uproar, discussing animatedly.
"The principal actually said these things in public. Isn't it a bit inappropriate?"
"The more formal the occasion, the more impressive it is… It's probably a mandatory request from the officials, they must have to say it."
"Speaking of which, you all know about the Kamakura fog anomaly before, right? My relatives live in Kamakura, and they even filmed a first-hand video at that time. There was an anomalous existence in it, a sailor-suited girl holding an umbrella, who looked strangely cute…"
"Is the end of the world really going to break out?"
"Anyway, it's better to be prepared. My dad is a Apocalypse survivalist, and he has already started hoarding all kinds of supplies."
"…"
The joys and sorrows of people are not interconnected.
Although the leader on the podium spoke in a serious tone, most of the gossip-loving classmates below did not take it to heart. Ordinary people who had not personally experienced anomalous events naturally would not understand the horror of anomalies.
"I hope none of the students present encounter any anomalies…" Sakiko said softly.
Kitahara's tone was faint: "I always feel like Sakiko is setting a flag. Maybe someday in the future, a school-level anomaly will break out and sweep everyone in."
Sakiko's cheeks quickly puffed up, and she couldn't help but glare at him: "Kitahara-kun, don't be a jinx."
"Yes, yes."
"…"
The opening ceremony quietly ended.
Kitahara and the gossip-loving classmates returned to the classroom together and began their school life.
The day passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye, it was dismissal time.
Kitahara got up and went to the club room.
"Tomori, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon," Tomori looked up, with a hint of anticipation. "Makoto-kun, do you want to play board games?"
Kitahara naturally agreed: "Then let's play two rounds."
The Astronomical Club only had Tomori, and it was broad daylight now, so club activities were out of the question. Not playing board games would indeed be quite boring.
"Board games are more fun with more people. Shall I call Anon over?" Tomori asked softly.
Kitahara nodded:
"By the way, ask Kita and Hitori if they're coming."
"..."
A moment later.
Several girls gathered together.
"Come on, let's play quickly." Anon rolled up her sleeves and said in a clear voice, "I have to go shopping with my friends later."
Kita followed:
"I'm going to KTV with my friends to sing later."
"Eh?"
The smile on Anon's face froze, clearly recalling the terrifying memory of almost being burned to death that day.
Kita waved her hand: "Don't worry, Anon, I'm not plagued by bad luck."
If you say that, Anon will feel even worse!
Kitahara lightly coughed twice, changing the subject:
"Speaking of which, the campus marathon is tomorrow. Can you all finish it?"
Upon hearing this, Hitori immediately lowered her head, wanting to hide inside a cardboard box.
(I'm sorry... I'll definitely die halfway through a marathon, won't I?)